The apartment building was simple, spartan-like. All the normal furniture had been pushed into the dining room; the living room was a makeshift hospital room. The wide windows filled the room with light, as the various machines filled it with whirring, beeping sounds. When he was safe enough to move, Tara had had Gavin brought here: a small apartment on the top floor of a building near the edge of the city. It was out of the way and, by her estimation, safe. She'd also purchased the entire floor, filling the rest of the apartments- and any entrance into the building- with armed guards.

Gavin had been asleep for almost two days. The doctor, it must be said, he mentioned that he could have woken up before. However, after hearing that Gavin would most likely immediately try to stand up and walk out, he'd agreed to keep him in a drug induced sleep to accelerate the healing process. Still, if Gavin was going to wake up... well, it should be sometime in the next few hours. The sun was sinking beneath the skyline of the city, and Tara looked out at it with disinterest, listening to the rise and fall of her brother's chest. 

When she heard a knock on the door, Tara didn't bother taking out her gun. She was so tired; if someone had fought through all the guards to get here, they deserved to take her out. Besides, there was really on one person she expected to be knocking.

Isabella had certainly had better weeks - and worse ones.  All told the score was in her people's favor.  Garrett was dead.  William was a Don.  Her baby sister was safe.  Elias was home and on the mend and Gavin hadn't died.  The stars were aligning, orbits finally coming back to right and maybe her life could begin a new.  She wasn't yet sure what that would look like but she was certain of one thing - it pulled her directly from the airport with all the force of gravity itself; bringing her here even before her home.

She carefully carried her gift up the stairs and at the door, put it down for a moment before knocking.  It was stupid, she supposed, a ill thought out thing... and yet... it was the only thing that kept hounding her when she considered she had to get him a get well soon gift.  She'd probably regret it, but she didn't care.  Everything about Gavin and her relationship thus far had been 'I'll probably regret this' and as of yet... she hadn't regretted a thing.

Tara opened the door and Isabella bent down to pick up her gift-wrapped box.  "I'm sorry it took so long... I had to fly to Chicago, then out to Philly and this gift took me all the way to fucking Connecticut.  I must have been out of my mind."  She shook her head as she entered and her eyes came to rest upon Gavin.  Her heart swelled and she wanted to rush to him immediately, but instead, she restrained herself.  

"How is he?  And how are you?"

Tara smiled grimly. She hadn't slept since she'd arrived in Detroit. 

"I've been better. Glad you're here. Would you mind staying with him? I haven't really slept in days, and I'm starting to experience low-grade hallucinations. But I think I can sleep, if you watch him. He should be waking up, if he wakes up, in the next few hours. Wake me up as soon he does."

"Of course dear.  Just... go, sleep.  He's not going anywhere while I'm on the job."  She gave Tara a hug.  She didn't know if that was something Tara normally did, but she couldn't help it.  She felt for the woman deeply and Gavin loved her so.  It seemed right even if she stiffened slightly at the act.  Isabella didn't let the hug linger.  Instead, she walked over to Gavin's bedside and put down her gift box near her feet on the floor.  The warmth coming from it was comforting but what she'd really been wanting ever since leaving Chicago, was to come back here.

Glancing to see Tara had left the room, she leaned down and kissed Gavin's lips as gently as possible several times, before whispering to him, "I'm here now.  I'm sorry I had to be gone so long - William was given an Authorization and I had to pick him up a very hard to find gift... and, I got one for you too."  She chuckled.

"Speaking of which... I'll need to look in on it soon, but first, maybe you'd like me to turn on the radio softly?  Or read?"  She knew Gavin wouldn't respond so she reached inside her bag and pulled out a book.  "I'm not sure what you like to read so... I picked up a classic just to be on the safe side."

She opened the book and began, "La Morte Darthur by Sir Thomas Mallory.  Chapter One:  How Sir Tristram jousted, and smote down King Arthur, because he told him not the cause why he bare that shield."

If Gavin had been able to control the situation, he would have liked to gently drift back into consciousness the way people slowly lower themselves into a hot bath. He would have like to listened to Bella read as he surmised where he was and what had happened. Finally, his eyes would have fluttered opened, he would smirk, and he would tease Bella. 

Instead, Gavin was ducking low as he sprinted up the stairs. His focus was on a razor's edge as he shot one man between the eyes, planted his foot, and launched himself into the air. He remembered aiming and shooting- and, as he did so, feeling something punch through his chest the way he never had before. He remembered being unable to stand up, the world getting blurry. Then a pair of doe-like brown eyes and a blow to his chest... Isabella... Will... Garrett.

Gavin's blurry eyes snapped open as he crashed back into consciousness like a bull in a china shop. He reached for a gun he wasn't wearing as he swung himself over the bed and crashed to his knees.

"GAVIN!"  She screamed instantly coming down beside him, pushing the box away with her foot for fear that it be crushed.  She said his name loudly but tried to control her panic instantly.

"Gavin!  Gavin!  We're okay... we're okay."  She took hold of him with her one good arm and pulled him into her embrace as something of her voice, or the feel of her must have finally registered in his brain.  He stopped struggling and Bella found herself in tears again - but not for sorrow, this time for joy.

She kissed the side of his face.  "Thank you ... thank you God."  She kissed him over and over before calling out loudly, "TARA!  TARA HE'S AWAKE!!!"

Gavin rubbed at his eyes furiously, blinking until he could see. He looked at Bella for a moment, then his eyes darted around the room. He could hear someone moving next door, but Bella didn't seem concerned. 

He stared at her.

"Where am I? What happened? Did you get Garrett? Where-?"

His eyes scanned the apartment again, and Bella saw an expression of uncontrolled rage flash across his face. When he spoke, immediately after, his voice was as final as the grave.

"... where's Will?"

"Don Bowden..." She let that title sink into Gavin's head before she finished, "... is safe thanks to you." 

A shit eating grin split her face as she continued looking into his beautiful eyes which still seemed to be processing everything she'd just said and everything that he could guess at from the contents room,  "As for Garret... I did just what you told me to do, I was Dragon."

With that, she leaned in and claimed his lips for a kiss.  She was as gentle as she could make herself be, but in truth, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him until her lips were tired.  She was just so thankful that he was still with her, that he'd survived such a grievous wound.  If Tara entered the room, Isabella didn't notice for all the focus she had upon her recently awakened lover.

Gavin's eyes spoke the words for him.

DON Bowden?! 

Get knocked out, and everyone starts having delusions of grandeur.

Still, Gavin listened. Then he exhaled. Okay. Then he kissed Bella and his brow immediately furrowed again.

"What happened to your arm?"

Gavin's glance flicked across the room.

"Oh. Hey Tara."

He grinned- and Tara, as much as she wanted to smash furniture, couldn't help but mirror the grin back at him. 

"Hey Gavin."

"So I'm pretty sure I got shot."

"Don't say. I thought you were just really hungover the last couple days."

Gavin reached gingerly toward his chest, feeling the spot where the bullet had crashed through.

"... must have been a hell of a drink."

Shaking her head, Tara turned and left the room to pack her things- and to prevent her brother from seeing her tears yet.

"You never stop... do you?"  She said, her smirk becoming a warm grin, doe-eyes with a glassy stare locked upon him.  After a moment, she drew breath and steadied herself, then managed to rise to feet with a little work.  Then she turned to Gavin.  

"Does one of the guards have to come in so I can get you into this bed or do you think I'm enough?"

"I don't know... how cute is the guard?" 

"Gavin!"  She laughed in spite of herself.  How could he joke in his state?

"I mean I'm still a bit sore, but if you two do the lion's share of the work, I'm sure we can make something happen."

She bent down and he took her hand.  Despite his jests, he moved with all the speed of a crippled elderly man, and with half the grace.  "Let me make sure you didn't pop any of that stitching.  Doc Alward did a good job on you - he'd be pissed as hell if we let you die after all the effort he put into you."

She sat down on the edge of the bed this time and began checking his wound, once satisfied he hadn't hurt himself she asked,  "Are you hungry?  I could make you something or have food brought.  You should probably start with soup or something... I mean, if you're needing anything." 

She had a million things to say, but his comfort and health had to come first.  She glanced back towards the room where Tara had gone, "Your sister hasn't slept in two days.  I hope she went to get some sleep.  She's been worried sick about you."

"She has been worried sick about you."

Tara spoke before she turned the corner, holding her luggage.

"But I've seen everything I need to for now. Isabella, if you could stay until morning? I'll be back tomorrow, Gavin, and we'll have a long talk then."

She approached the bed and squeezed Gavin's hand. Gavin looked up at her and squeezed back. With a smile, Tara turned and exited- and Gavin turned to Bella.

"I'm starving- but you didn't answer what happened to your arm. And tell me the whole story of what happened after I was-"

Gavin froze, remembering a moment when he was laying on the floor and feeling himself slip away. Bella had pulled him back. He remembered her eyes- and the pain that followed as he was ripped back into the world.

"- passed out."

"Alright, before I tell you the story... I have to give you your get well gift.  I'm afraid it can not wait.  Deal?"  She bent over and picked up a box slightly bigger than a toaster and put it onto Gavin's banket.  He could easily feel the warmth coming from inside, a great deal of it.  

"Gently..." Isabella cautioned and Gavin did so.

As he pulled away the paper and found a box with holes in it, he had to know something living was in the box.  She smiled eagerly.  "Go on."  She encouraged.  "I thought about what to get you and no man wants flowers... and... well card seemed too impersonal.  And after all the trouble I went to for Will's authorization gift I felt like I need to do something over the top.  This is the most over the top I could do on short notice."

Inside the box was a small injured baby squirrel all curled up near a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel.  "This little guy fell out of his mother's nest.  The vet who had him said he looked a fighter so, he made him a tiny cast to set one of his bones and... well, he'll need some extra care for a while and I'll help with that... but..."

She waited for Gavin's reaction.

Gavin just stared down at the squirrel for a long time. Then he stared back up at Bella, then back at the squirrel. Then back up at Bella.

Finally, he took the squirrel and put it on his thigh.

Then he looked at Bella steadily, but with a smirk on his face.

"Thank you... but please tell me what happened?"

"Where do you want me to begin? And ... are you looking for facts only in this first discussion or... insights? Cause, I suppose it matters a bit."

"Everything. I know you're going to tell me everything anyway."  Gavin, still smiling, gets comfortable and rests his index finger on the squirrel.

"Maybe this time it's better to say less than everything?  Maybe saying everything..."  She stopped and shook her head.  "Let me warm this guy's bottle and see what we have for food that you can eat.  I'll cook and talk at the same time.  Two birds, one stone."

She stood up, smoothing her skirt with her good hand as she did, and then picked up the formula for the squirrel out of her purse.  "Oh... and unless you want him peeing on you... be careful how near you put your finger to his bottom.  Apparently, baby squirrels won't do their business without some encouragement from their mothers... so yea, that's a charming thing we get to do every couple hours."

Isabella laughed.  "I suppose it's better than some things I've had to do though."  She mixed up the formula.  

"So... I'll start with what you probably last remember.  You running up the stairs like a dumb ass hero.  I instantly wished I could call you back.  Too late though.  Didn't matter the amount of cover we gave you - it was fucking suicidal what you did.  And, you got shot in the chest.  It fucked up your lung pretty damn bad."  She found a can of tomato soup.  This would do for Gavin.

"Will got to you first, but when I came up the stairs I realized Garrett wasn't there.  I knew you were dying... but leaving at that moment would mean Garrett lived.  I had to make a call."

Gavin glared down at the squirrel when she mentioned it pissing on him. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he felt being responsible for something else. But he wasn't going to have that discussion now when he had more important things to learn. 

Shot in the lung.

Gavin nodded when she said "I had to make a call."

"Of course you did."

"So... I was nearly striding to the door where I knew the shithead was when you opened your eyes and looked at me."  She stopped stirring the soup for a moment.  "And then... you were gone.  I watched it in your eyes.  You just... died."  

She looked back at the soup and forced herself to keep stirring.  "I couldn't let that happen.  So, I got down on the floor and I kissed you and... I hit you.  Hard.  As hard as I've ever hit anyone.  And, somehow, I guess I knocked your ghost senseless because you opened your eyes again."

She looked back to Gavin, "Then... then I told Will to get his ass up and help me kill Garrett.  Good thing I did too, because the fucker had another gun in the room with him.  A man who would have shot me dead if not for Will pulling a heroic stunt.  He took a bullet meant for me and I put six into Garrett's face.  His shattered the bone in my arm.  It'll be a bit before I'm using it properly once again."

"We fled just before the feds and cops arrived.  Carrying you out to a street doctor who works for my dad - an old retired army medic.  The man who pulled the bullets out of my rib cage actually.  While you were in surgery, I called Tara.  She arrived a few hours later.  We sat up with you all night, drinking and telling Tara... everything."

She poured soup into a bowl for Gavin and took the bottle out of the warm water.  "The next day, Jack Mezzo called William back to Philly and I caught a flight to Chicago to make sure my baby sister was okay."  She walked over with the bottle in her teeth and the bowl in her good hand.  Sitting the bowl down she took the bottle out of her mouth.  Instantly the squirrel perked up.  Clearly, it knew what she had and wanted it badly.

"Here, I'll take her."  She said picking up the squirrel, putting it onto her lap and feeding it with her good hand.  "After some running around, I ended up back here.  I still haven't been to see my dad but by now Bates, his left-hand, has filled him in.  I'm sure he'll be justly pissed... but considering Aurora is okay and we're free of all the rats... I think I can win him over to mild annoyance instead of rage."

Gavin's mouth twitched into a snarl for a moment before he controlled it. I didn't die. Don't talk about me dying. Still, he was silent as he listened to the part of her story involving him. His own memories seemed to correlate it. 

Gavin's expression changed as she mentioned her father.

"Ah, yea. I've been meaning to talk to you about your father. I actually had a talk with him the morning of the Garrett raid."

He looked at the squirrel she was feeding. It was a strangely domestic scene. Very strange.

"What else happened? Anything?"

"Nothing."  She said quickly and then darted back to the discussion about her father.  "How did it go?  You seemed... okay that day."  She knew her father hadn't roughed him up badly if he had - Gavin was fit as a fiddle that day and she saw no bruises on him which she couldn't account for.  So... what had happened?  It had been a mystery she hadn't had time to even consider.

"Ahhh not much. We talked. I think he'd strongly prefer that you get married. I basically told him that that wasn't really something either of us were thinking about right now, but that I... cared about you. And... shit, I don't really remember what I said. Just tried to tell the truth. When I was done, he told me he had another meeting and that I should..."

Gavin narrowed his eyes slightly. This was the part he'd memorized.

"Keep you safe. Keep you out of trouble. And keep your private life private and out of his ears."

Isabella smiled and her eyes sparkled.  Her father hadn't just done as she asked... he'd really listened, for once he LISTENED.  It was nothing short of a miracle from her mother in heaven.  She nodded.  "I'm... impressed."  She said to Gavin.  "You did something no one else has done.  I can honestly say I was really worried how it would go.  My father is a 'hit thing until they do what I need them to do' sorta guy.  He's not mean... per say... but he started out an enforcer in the mob and I think he longs for the simplicity of that."

She looked at the tiny squirrel in her hands fondly.  "I'm glad you told him how you feel about marriage."  She knew damn well her father knew how she felt about it too ... that she wanted it, but after losing Elias, she was justifiably skittish.  However, Elias wasn't dead soon she'd have to have that talk with her father.  Elias would not stay in the bed forever after all.

"It's one thing for him to have hopes or expectations for his daughter... but you don't even work for him, he can't hold your feet to the fire without ramifications."  She shook her head.  "Boundaries are important with my Father.  If you let him have too much hold on you - he'll use it.  I'm glad you didn't have to sell your firstborn child or anything to get him to treat you with the respect you showed him."

Putting the squirrel into it's box to sleep she turned herself in the chair to look at Gavin directly.  "So... how's the soup?"