Eamon, Laurie & Morgan: We'll always have Venice

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The morning after, Laurie wakes up to a call from Morgan. Things go a little downhill from there.



Laurie awoke to the sound of a cellphone, and the weight of Eamon's arm resting low across her waist. She blinked for a moment in the early dawn darkness of the hotel room, and then reached out for the cellphone where it lay on the nightstand.

"Hello?" she said, voice pitched low in an effort not to disturb the man who was currently pulling her closer in his sleep.

Morgan stopped and blinked at her phone. Had she called the wrong person somehow? She verified that it definitely said Eamon was the one she was calling and then put the phone back to her ear. "Peaches? Why are you answering Ea's phone?"

"Oh, Vanessa, hi." Laurie said, resting her head back on the pillow. "I thought it was my phone, they're sort of close together on the bedside table. Did you want to talk to him?"

Morgan cleared her throat before answering with a rather clipped, "Aye."

Laurie licked her lips, and then turned over and gave Eamon a kiss, thinking that was sure to wake him up. True, she could have just shaken him and handed him the phone, but where was the fun in that? She made sure to hold the phone well enough away so Vanessa wouldn't get an ear full.

The kiss certainly got a reaction. Eamon's arms wrapped more tightly around Laurie and pulled her in closer until she was pressed against him. A hand slipped down her side and pulled a leg up over his waist just to close that much more space between them. Given the hour and their lack of clothing it wasn't the best idea of staying coherent, but who needed coherent? "Mm, mornin' pet," he said quietly, voice rough with sleep still.

It took a moment for Laurie to recover her wits enough to remember that Morgan wanted to talk to him, and while she might have asked her adoptive sister to call back later, she got a feeling that wouldn't go over well.

"Morning to you to, handsome," she said instead, and then handed him the phone. "Morgan."

"Who?" It was obvious the name wasn't registering. Eamon took the phone but then just wrapped his arm back around Laurie and nuzzled into her neck, leaving a small trail of kisses there.

"Nessa," Laurie corrected, giggling softly as his kisses hit a ticklish point on her neck. "I didn't realise it was your phone when I answered it."

She moved closer, running her hand along his chest to tickle at his abdomen. Evil, yes. But hellishly fun as well. She was still sore from the night before, and would need a hot shower in a second. But that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy a little early morning affection.

Eamon was suddenly wide awake, lightly swatting Laurie's hand away and bringing the mobile up to his ear. "Ness?" He swallowed hard and hoped she didn't hear.

"Aye, what the fuck are you doing with Peaches?"

"Uh, well," he quickly extricated himself from Laurie and rolled out of the bed as if Vanessa were nearby and would see him if he was in bed with her. Standing naked in the same room as her wasn't exactly a grand improvement if that were the case but some people were less inclined to shoot you in the bollocks if you weren't within physical proximity of the object of their protectiveness.

"Well?" The impatience in her voice was sharp. It wasn't that Vanessa didn't trust Eamon, it was that Eamon didn't know Laurie like she knew Laurie and this situation had her mind jumping to the realm of All Bad.

"Look, it was her decision."

"Her decision?"

"Aye."

"All on her own?"

"I may have kissed her first."

"And?"

"And nothing. And spoke Italian and kissed her and she ran right bloody away until the next day."

"When you shagged her rotten?"

"Only after she insisted and I'd asked if she were sure about a half dozen or so times."

"After what span of time?"

"Hours."

There was silence on the other line. Time stretched out, tangible and mocking and any minute now Eamon was sure he was going to be minus his bits. At least they'd put on a good show of things last night, enjoyed themselves and all that. "You realize she's a virgin."

Eamon winced. "Was. Was a virgin. And aye, she told me."

More silence.

"Look, Ness, she's legal even in your country. She wanted to. She made it bloody hard to say no and I tried. And I promise I wasn't a bastard--"

"I know you'd not be a bastard," she interjected. "You were probably sweet and tried not to hurt her and kept asking if she was okay." There was a tinge of sadness for her own first time, the pain of which Vanessa would be happy to never repeat again. "But the bloke I think of as my brother just shagged the girl I think of as my sister and that's a right bit fucking weird."

"Yeah, I know." Eamon hesitated for a moment and then asked, "So does this mean you're not going to come cut off me bollocks?"

"Lemme talk to Peaches."

"That's not an answer."

"You get it after I talk to her."

"Aye." He sounded like he was sure he was going to be doomed. Eamon padded back toward the bed and held the phone out to Laurie. "Your turn, I reckon."

Laurie had been holding her breath while he talked, and now took the phone with a look of concern before grabbing ahold of his hand. She wasn't about to let him go wallow in regrets over what they'd done last night. It had been wonderful, and even when there'd been pain, he'd gone slow and made sure she was ready before continuing.

"Vanessa? What did you say to him?" she asked, trying to pull Eamon back onto the bed with her.

Eamon hesitated and decided to not give in to Laurie's attempts to pull him back. Instead he stood by the bedside and waited in silence.

"You slept with Eamon?" It wasn't the answer to Laurie's question but Vanessa wasn't overly concerned with that. "Why?"

"Why not?" she responded, frowning at Eamon where he stood. She was not happy that he was allowing Vanessa to scare him off. "He's a great guy, and I like him."

She was not going to tell Morgan just how much she liked him right in front of the man. She knew that whatever feelings she had for Eamon were not going to go anywhere, and she was okay with that. That didn't mean she could lie to herself and say that she didn't wish there could perhaps be more days like this.

"You realize, my little Girl Scout, that you just gave your virginity up to an occupational killer?" There was an alarming lack of judgment despite the words she chose to describe Eamon and more a concern about whether or not Laurie was okay. "You don't get a do over, Peaches. It's done, it's gone and you're going to remember that for the rest of your life. That really the memory you wanted? You can tell everyone you gave it up to a bloke who lost count years ago of how many bodies he put in the ground?"

"He's more then that, and you know it," she said, an angry frown marring her features now. "And if we're talking about killers, there's more then enough of those in the mansion I could have chosen as well. I know what he does, Vanessa."

Laurie struggled her way off the bed, and then walked toward the table where a jug filled with water and two glasses sat. Standard hotel fair, from what she could see.

"When I tell people about this, and believe me, I have no worries about doing so. I'll tell them that I had the best night, that he made me...well, okay, maybe not that."

Laurie blushed to the roots of her hair at what she'd been about to say to her friend. There were things she just would not say, not in any company. She realised that she should perhaps not be walking around a hotel room completely naked, and looked around for a robe. Didn't all hotels carry complimentary ones?

When Laurie got out of bed Eamon sat down on the edge of it. From the end of the conversation he could hear he knew what Vanessa was saying. The same thing he'd been trying to say in his way the day before. Only a world more blunt and direct than he'd been. Bloody hell. He knew Ness was doing it out of a strange sense of honour, but he wished he wasn't present for it nonetheless.

"Aye, there's plenty, but they're reformed or changed or on a bloody leash. Ea's not. And he's not changing his ways any time soon. And he does it for money. That's it. That's all. That's the life. You paint it any way you want but he kills people for money. That's what we do. And you're going to have to deal with that. And you're going to have to deal with some of your mates thinking less of you for that. Like that arrogant little," Morgan cut herself off. "Forge. Not a big fan of mercenaries. Willing to bet he tries to give you some sort of lecture or talkin' to or summat."

Silence took over the phone line before Morgan spoke again, this time quieter and softer. "Don't get his hopes up, Peaches."

Laurie closed her eyes, hurting a little for what she heard in Morgan's voice, and what it might mean for Eamon. He'd told her there could be nothing for them, and she believed it. She wouldn't lead him on, would always accept that as last word, but if he wanted something more? She didn't think she'd say no.

"I won't, I promise I won't. And Forge can rant all he likes, but he'll get the same answer I'm going to give you. This was my decision, and I won't say I like his job, but I won't condemn him for it either. If they go on from there, they'll just have to duck real fast, I'm a crack shot with an apple. No one gets to demonize him to me, I don't care how long they've known me, or him, and that includes you, Morgan."

Eamon quirked an eyebrow up at the comment about Vanessa demonizing him and he glanced over at Laurie but said nothing.

"This isn't me demonizing him, kid. It's reality, it's the truth and it's jut not sugar coated. You want to call that demonizing then you go right ahead, Peaches."

There was a bit of a gross out factor here for Vanessa. The image of Laurie and Eamon together was just wrong on so many levels to her, too close to both, but she was worried. She didn't want Laurie getting emotionally tied to Eamon because Ness knew the life and knew how busy and dangerous it was. She knew the odds of Laurie getting him on his mobile for more than five minutes most days was slim to none. And she didn't want him getting attached, getting distracted and getting himself killed for it because he wasn't concentrating on what he needed to do.

"Mercenary work's not exactly glamorous and you don't exactly get a lot of ass from it. You don't get pretty girls flirting with you. And it's better that way. Mike almost got his head blown off one day because he was so preoccupied with getting his dick sucked. That bit of normality is seductive. Just don't go seducing him like that and making it sound like it can go on for more than however long you two are in the same city right now. Because you can't make good on it and him trying to can get someone I care about killed. That includes you."

"Unfair," Laurie murmured, even though she knew why Morgan...no, Vanessa, she wasn't going to keep switching just because she was angry.

She really wanted a shower right now, a long one, enough to help tense muscles. "I need a shower. You can leave off on the warnings now, I get it. I'm not planning any white picket fences."

She threw the phone toward Eamon, knowing he would catch it, and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. After a moment, the sound of running water could be heard beyond.

Eamon did catch the phone, but he watched Laurie disappear into the bathroom before he brought it up to his ear. The water's sound was soothing, in a way. "What'd you say to her?"

"You know what I said to her."

Eamon nodded to himself, "The same thing I said to that bloke in Bucharest who fancied you?"

"Aye." They were both quiet for a moment, neither sure what to say but unwilling to hang up. Vanessa broke the silence first. "You actually like her?"

"Aye."

She swore softly to herself. "You know the deal, Ea."

"I know," he almost sounded guilty. "But--"

"But you like her," she cut him off.

"Aye."

Vanessa was shaking her head to herself, hand over her eyes that were squeezed shut. Well, this was going to end up being a bit of a mess even if no one quite witnessed it entirely. "So what're you gonna do?"

Eamon shrugged and stared intently at the floor. "I've a meeting later today. Security work. Protection stuff. If it goes well I'm on a flight out of here in the morning."

"I'm not asking about business."

"But it gives you the answer you're looking for."

"Not really."

Eamon sighed. "No, not really." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I've already promised not to disappear without a trace, Ness."

She was silent again. "You can't do that to her."

"I know," he told her sincerely. "I'll keep it platonic."

"You mean you'll try to," Vanessa corrected.

"Aye, I'll try to."

Vanessa flopped back into her couch. "That's all I can ask you to do, I guess."

"I won't hurt her intentionally, Ness, you know that." It was like a final plea in a way, though what he was begging for Eamon wasn't sure.

"Yeah, I know. But I don't think either of you are getting out unhurt, love."

"Aye, I know. I'll deal with it, though. And you'll help her if she needs it."

Vanessa nodded to herself. "Aye."

"What were you calling for anyway?"

"It can wait. I'll talk to you later, Ea."

"Aye, later Ness. The lads miss you, love."

"Miss you lot too." Then she hung up.

Eamon laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the shower on the other side of the door. Vanessa had a point. He was hoping it wouldn't end up bad as all that, at least for Laurie. He'd made his choice going into this and he'd deal with the consequences. Eamon knew he wouldn't let himself get distracted and get his guys killed, or at least that's what he told himself. The problem was always the quiet time. That was going to bite him in the arse.



Laurie finishes her shower and she and Eamon talk.



Laurie leaned against the door to the bathroom, a towel wrapped snugly about her. "Vanessa had to go?"

She'd spent some time in the shower thinking about all that had been said, wanting things that she knew couldn't be, and then finally deciding that today was not going to be the day she worked out anything. Whatever happened would happen, and she had no control over that whatsoever.

Being an adult sucked so desperately much sometimes, she wondered why anyone did it.

At some point Eamon had managed to grab a clean pair of boxers from the bag he'd not bothered to unpack since arriving in Venice and resumed his position flopped over on the bed, legs dangling over the edge from the knee. Laurie's voice caused him to lean his head back, back arching slightly to accommodate the motion, until blue eyes locked firmly on her. Damn, she wore that towel well. "Aye. Things to do. You know, Nessa. If she's not moving she goes insane and if she's not got anything to do she'll invent something to do."

Laurie smiled, and left her station at the bathroom door, walking over and climbing onto the bed beside him to lay her head on his shoulder. "She was right though. Everything she said was right, and I don't want to get you killed."

When she crawled back onto the bed Eamon stretched an arm out so when she took her place at his side it could curl around her shoulders. "I know she's right. I gave a bloke the exact same lecture she gave you once." He fell silent for a heartbeat. "And then he walked away from her and never looked back." Eamon knew it wasn't his fault. He didn't tell the bloke to leave, but he wanted to protect the woman he thought of as his little sister. She'd been twenty-one and she'd never blamed Eamon. He blamed himself a bit, though. Maybe it was better to let a person get heartbroken.

He looked over at Laurie, gaze fixed on hers. "You won't get me killed. If anyone's getting me killed it's me, end of story and non-negotiable."

"I lied to you a little before, but somehow I think you know that." Laurie noted, not looking away as she said it, she wouldn't be a coward about this. "I don't think it's possible for me not to 'get involved'. But I promised her I wouldn't hurt you, and if that means I walk away right now and don't contact you again, then I'll do that."

Eamon, however, did look away. He didn't want to have this conversation, honestly. He'd rather skip all the emotional discussion and skip to pretending that bit was figured out or didn't exist. "I promised you I wasn't going to disappear never to be heard from again if I recall correctly," he finally said quietly.

Laurie was silent for a long time, resting in his arms as she tried to think her way out of the maze of logic and emotion she'd trapped herself in. Eventually she moved, hand reaching up to bring him back to facing her. "I can't promise that I won't get hurt."

Eamon let himself be led and even let his eyes lock back onto hers despite his better judgment. "No one can promise such a thing." It was as good as an admission that he couldn't promise it either. "But whether or not you risk it is your own decision to make, no one else's. Including Ness."

He had the most beautiful eyes, Laurie thought. It wasn't exactly what she should have been thinking about at this time, but it was the thought that entered her head. It would seem that her subconscious had made the decision for her long before her conscious brain ever questioned it. She was afraid for him, more so then for herself, but she supposed that told her something as well.

"I would say that my choice then is to enjoy whatever time you've got left with me, and to hell with consequences," Laurie finally replied, hoisting herself up to give him a rather serious kiss.

Laurie was pulled up and over, Eamon's arms being more than up for the simple task of moving her until she laid atop him. And he gave in. He shouldn't have, for more reasons than he likely could have counted, but he did. Because he wanted to. He knew he got the most rotten end of the deal. She'd always have others about. She'd move on. He'd go back to his wars and his job and he'd have the ghost of her lips haunting him every time he tried to sleep or thought too long during those quiet times that he knew would be the end of him.

"You're quite the rotten habit to develop, Miss Collins," Eamon informed her when the kiss broke, though their lips hovered millimeters from one another. "Have they a twelve step program for you?" He grinned for an instant and gave her a much less serious, much more playful kiss.

"I'm not sure, but I'm thinking we could probably find some way for you to break it," Laurie noted with her own grin, leaning down to kiss along his neck. "Maybe you just need to do me enough till you get me out of your system?"

But she blushed at her own words, burying her face against his neck as she did so. She would so need to get over this inability to use the word 'fuck' or anything to do with sex without wanting to die of embarrassment.

Eamon's grin only widened at her comment and her blush-and-hide routine made him laugh. "Aye? Well, I don't think I could rightly complain about that strategy, could I?" He rolled to his side and kept going until he had Laurie trapped beneath him. "I've got nothing to do until later on this evening, after all." His tone was suggestive and leading, followed by a line of kisses that stretched from just below her ear, down her neck, along her clavicle and then straight down her breastbone until he hit the terry cloth of the towel.

"I had best set you to work then," Laurie noted, reaching up to pull her towel open and then curled her hands in his hair. "Now, I think I promised to show you just what my power could do, didn't I?"

The smirk on Eamon's face was all male. "So those three times last night I got you to lose control was just a preview?" He'd have been downright offended had she kept control even at the point of climax, honestly. "Then, yeah, I reckon you did make that promise." The playful mischief in his eyes turned wicked and Eamon's mouth continued it's path downward.