Nightingale

"You wouldn't hurt us," she insisted.

His frustration flared. He wanted to scream at her that she didn't know that, but he knew she was right. He couldn't hurt a hair on her head. Or her mom's. Instead, he took her hand in his and marveled at how soft it was. Roxy's hands had been small but strong and rough, with scars from the shit her life put her through. His hands also showed the pain he'd been through. The pain he'd inflicted on others. Sam had no scars. Different worlds.

"You're right. I couldn't hurt you or your mom. But violence follows me. It has my entire life. I can't bring it into yours." When Sam made to protest, he scowled fiercely at her. "Stop. This is the life I know better than you. Don't worry about getting harassed at school. I'll make that stop. Don't—I said, I'll make it stop." She'd looked like she was going to ask how and he wasn't about to involve her. "I can help you with homework if you need it, but that's as far as we can go. I'll take care of myself. I-I know someone. He can get me... work." The word tasted sour in his mouth.

The physio nurse arrived with a wheelchair for Raph's daily torture session, and he actually looked at her in relief as she'd be giving him an escape. "Sorry, Sam. I have to go to physio." He swung his legs out of bed and spotted the book bag Sam had brought in with her. "You can leave my homework. The hospital is releasing me this weekend. I'll see you at school on Monday." As he settled in the chair and was wheeled away, he purposefully didn't look at Sam. He knew he was powerless against seeing tears in her beautiful eyes, and now, especially now, he had to be strong for her. Her life needed to go on.

-=-

Suzanne looked up in surprise as Sam burst into her office. Her eyebrows went up as Sam paced back and forth in front of her desk, wringing her hands together nervously. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she looked more frightened than sad.

"What's happened?"

"HE'S SO STUBBORN!" Sam yelled, then threw herself down on the couch, where she burst into tears.

Suzanne stood and carried her box of tissues around her desk to kneel next to the couch. She stroked her daughter's head. "Talk to me," she said softly.

Once Sam managed to get control of her crying, she slowly outlined her conversation with Raphael.

Suzanne was also surprised that Sam had offered to let him live in their home, but she held her tongue until Sam finished.

"So because of everything he's gone through in his life, he thinks that violence is somehow linked to him and will put us in danger?" Suzanne asked, and Sam nodded. The worry hadn't left her eyes. "What else is bothering you?"

"I-I think he's going to do something bad. Something that will ruin his chance at the future he was working for. He wouldn't say what it was, but his attitude was... almost like... he was giving up," Sam gasped as new tears began.

"You can't force people to make the right decisions," Suzanne said gently to her daughter.

Sam's expression suddenly turned fierce again. "But we have to make him see he's making the wrong decision for the wrong reason!"

Suzanne smiled at her daughter's passion. Then it dawned on her. Sam was in love! "You love him?"

Sam's expression collapsed once more. "YES!" she sobbed.

Suzanne handed her daughter some tissues and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry. Her baby was in love! She'd known Victor had been more of an infatuation. The boy was handsome, popular, and charming. Sam's emotional connection to Raphael seemed much deeper.

She was glad Victor was no longer in Sam's life. Seeing the rape video had been frightening as that could've been Sam. She was glad he was now in jail for aggravated assault. The video of the fight had been particularly damning for Victor, but his lawyer pleaded down from attempted murder to the lesser charge, and the case never went to trial. The judge set his sentence to fifteen years with parole possible after ten as Victor failed to show he was repentant.

She understood what Sam was saying, though. Raphael might be giving up. She didn't know what options he was talking about, but she was sure, if it involved something he was exposed to in this life of violence he mentioned, it wouldn't be good for his future.

Suzanne realized he didn't know any life outside of his own experience. He didn't know how life could be. He assumed the violence would continue. He was also determined to protect Sam and her from this. She knew he wouldn't listen to their arguments, but she thought she might know someone he might listen to.

"Do you think Raphael would mind staying in Malcolm's office if we converted it to a bedroom?" she asked Sam, who pulled back from the hug to look at her mother as surprise, confusion, and finally hope showed in her eyes.

"Men, always trying to protect the damsels in distress, even when the dragons only exist in their heads. We're not going to let him waste a perfectly good future," she told her daughter.

Chapter 20

It had been a while since a woman had given him a good talking to, setting him straight and clearing away any male misconceptions he'd been harboring. Gary smiled at the memory of Suzanne's fierce yet beautiful face as she put him in his place.

She'd made her point, and he knew he was as guilty as the next guy when it came to being overly protective.

Suzanne had explained what was happening with Raphael and how he seemed to be throwing away his future. They weren't standing for that, so they needed him to talk some sense into the young man. They were taking him into their lives and their home. That's where Gary had put his foot in his mouth. He'd said that wasn't the best idea as they didn't know Raphael, and he'd confessed to being violent.

Twenty minutes later, his ears were burning, but he couldn't wipe the adoring smile from his face as he listened to Suzanne clarify what he needed to be doing instead of being overprotective. Oh, he'd gotten the message, but he was more in love with the woman than he'd ever been. He knew he had to give her some time, but he wasn't going to let her get away.

It was Saturday night, and the hospital staff had cleared away the patient's dinners. He'd have Raphael's undivided attention. The only other patient in the ward was discharged earlier, so the young man was alone, which was helpful for Gary's purposes.

"Good evening, Raphael."

The young man looked at him in surprise, then looked behind him and saw they were alone. "Good evening, Sheriff Cooper."

"Call me Gary."

Raphael's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?" Gary asked.

Raphael nodded cautiously.

Gary pulled up a chair.

"I understand the hospital will be releasing you on Monday. You've spoken with someone from community services?" Gary asked.

Raphael nodded but remained silent. Gary sighed. He understood. The young man didn't have the best relationship with the law. From where he grew up, his interactions with them would have focused on crime and violence, and the police were seen more as a means of containment. Keeping it, and them, in that one area of town.

"What did they offer?" Gary asked.

Raphael shifted on the bed. "There's a room available in a halfway house I can share," he said, but it was clear he had no intention of accepting that offer.

"Damn, that's a shitty option," Gary confessed but just got a shrug.

He paused to look at the man in the bed. He was tall, strong, and had experienced a rough upbringing. It didn't look like life had given him any soft edges. There was also a distinct wariness to his bearing, like he was expecting shit to go south fast, and he wasn't going to be caught unprepared. Gary's concern over Suzanne's plan flared once more, but he'd promised. That didn't mean he wasn't going to make sure Raphael wasn't a threat.

"I suppose you're used to getting shitty options," he said and watched the man's eyes narrow slightly, then another nod. "Yeah, you see them so often you can't even conceive of something better. A life without fear, violence, poverty, drugs, alcoholism, crime, and desperation."

The wary look was back in full force as Raphael studied him but held his tongue.

"Would you know how to live that kind of life?" Gary asked, looking him right in the eye and waited.

Raphael's wariness became annoyance. "That's a meaningless question. I don't have anything but shitty options."

Gary nodded to himself. "As I said, you can't even conceive of it. A better option is presented to you, and you shy away from the unfamiliar."

Annoyance became anger. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Suzanne and Samantha Harris. They want you to live in their home until you graduate and head off to college to become a doctor. They refuse to let you waste your potential," he said calmly.

"You know that's not an option! They aren't safe around me!" Raphael barked.

Gary leaned closer. Here was what he needed to know. "You'd hurt them?"

Raphael rocked back as if struck. "NO! I-I wouldn't! I couldn't hurt them. But that doesn't make them safe. I told Sam. Violence has followed me my whole life. Bad shit happens when I lose control of my temper."

Gary pinned him with his eyes. "We've established you can be violent. That's a given. May I assume your alternate plan might involve using that proficiency for the owner of a certain exotic dance nightclub?"

Raphael froze as he stared at the sheriff in suspicion.

"I checked. Your mother worked at the club for years. You'd have intimate knowledge of the man and his associates. Getting work as muscle for him would probably be easy for you. But that's a dead end."

"That's all I get! Dead ends!" Raphael growled.

Gary shook his head. "No. That's no longer true. You were already working on a plan to get out on your own. The fire didn't destroy that plan. It took someone very important to you, but you still have a chance to complete it. You just need somewhere to live. Somewhere safe. A place where you aren't facing poverty, crime, and violence every day." Raphael looked away in anger. "Look at me." The man's eyes came back, but the anger in them was intense.

"The violence didn't follow you your whole life. It wasn't a part of you. It was part of the environment you've been living in. Yes, you adapted to it. You learned how to use it to survive, but it was never you. Your plan is going to help you escape that environment. Once you do, you'll have to adapt again. This offer from the Harris family is the perfect opportunity to get a jump start on that. You can learn how to live without the violence."

Raphael was no longer looking like he wanted to punch him, which Gary was grateful for. It looked like he was thinking about what he'd been told. Gary waited until Raphael was ready.

"I-I still have so much rage inside me," he said quietly.

"You had years to build it. Your school record shows a distinct improvement in your ability to control it. I'd say you just have to keep doing what you're doing," Gary replied. "There will be lapses, but that's okay. You've shown remarkable restraint in the worst situations." He took a deep breath. "Do you believe you're a direct threat to Suzanne and Samantha Harris?"

Raphael stared at him and shook his head, then froze. "You're attracted to Suzanne."

It was Gary's turn to freeze.

Raphael bristled. "Her husband just died! She hasn't had time to mourn yet!"

"I'm well aware of that! I'd never do anything to hurt Suzanne!" Gary said defensively, then caught himself. He fixed his eye on the younger man, who was already being protective of Suzanne. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. "A word of advice from someone who's already faced their wrath due to being an overprotective male. Don't do it. The Harris women are fully capable of protecting themselves."

Raphael's expression relaxed somewhat, and he gave Gary a small nod. He'd obviously experienced it too.

"Take them up on their offer. Adapt. Complete your plan. Fulfill your promise," Gary said gently.

Raphael looked at him in surprise. "Sam told you."

Gary nodded with a sad smile.

Raphael's expression became pained. "I have nothing. The money I've managed to save, which isn't much, is going towards living expenses while I'm in college. I have one set of clothes which are in my locker at work, by the way. I won't allow myself to be a burden on Suzanne and Sam."

"I'll bring you your clothes from your locker. I'll take up a collection from the guys at the stationhouse, so you'll be able to afford to get a couple more sets of clothes. Just to get you started." Seeing Raphael's scowl, he continued. "It's not charity. Think of it as... a very unofficial thank you for all those years of helping us get the bad guys off the streets in Wellington Heights. Not that we want you to do it anymore," Gary insisted.

Raphael watched him closely, then nodded. "Thanks. The locker has a combination lock on it: ten, forty-two, twenty-five. Everything I own is in that locker."

Gary wrote the combination code into his notepad. "I'll bring them tomorrow morning." He stood up. "Now that you've made the right decision, I can tell you the Harris women will be bringing you to their home tomorrow afternoon."

Raphael snorted.

Gary smiled at him. "I told you, they don't give up. Formidable women!"

With a final wave, Gary walked out of the ward. Once Raphael could no longer see him, he pulled out his cell and called Suzanne's number as he walked to his cruiser.

"Gary? How did it go?" she asked anxiously into the phone nervously.

"Wow, such faith you have in me!" he replied with a smile.

"Gary! Don't tease! It's too important!" she insisted.

"Fine. I was able to get Raphael to realize it wasn't him that the violence came from but his environment. He's going to take you up on your offer to take him in."

"HE DID IT!" Suzanne yelled as she covered the phone. He could hear Sam squealing with glee in the background.

"Listen! Suzanne! Listen, he's feeling very uncomfortable about his situation—"

"What do you mean situation?" she asked.

"How little he is bringing to the table."

"That's silly! His home burned down! How much was he expecting to have? We understand he has nothing. We have plenty—"

"Raphael isn't comfortable with the concept of charity. Everything he's received in his life he's worked for. He doesn't trust generosity as it's not something he's had good experiences with. We need to work to make this work for him. He could very easily slip back to his fallback plan, which... would be bad for everyone but especially him. Check your expectations at the door. Confirm he is ok with the decisions you want to make for him. Let him decide the pace for changes to his life. It's going to feel alien to him to not be in mortal danger just walking to the bus stop. It will take him time to adapt. Be patient."

There was silence at the other end of the phone. "Suzanne?"

Her voice was trembling a little when she came back on. "You're a good man, Gary. You really do care."

He stopped walking as he reached his cruiser and took a deep breath.

"He's important to you and Samantha. He's also a pretty nice guy who had a crappy life so far yet turned out pretty decent. He deserves a chance. I want to help make a difference for him. We need to make sure he doesn't give up." He glanced at the time. "I promised him I'd collect his clothes from his locker at his work so he'd have something to wear tomorrow. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital, all right?"

"Thank you so much, Gary. It means so much to me—to both of us!" Suzanne gushed.

"My pleasure! Good night, Suzanne."

"Good night, Gary."

He hung up and drove over to the garden center. It was almost closing, so he hustled to get to the door before it was locked. There was only one older couple in the store buying some flowers. He spotted the owner and waved as the older man walked over.

"Mr. Polane, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm well, Sheriff Cooper. What can we do for you?" he returned.

"I was just speaking with Raphael at the hospital—"

"How is he?" Jackie asked in concern. "I called, but they said he wasn't accepting visitors."

"Yes, he went through a pretty rough time with the loss of his mother, but he's coming around now. He'll be getting out of the hospital tomorrow, and I promised him I'd pick up his backpack from his locker. Apparently, it contains the only clothes he now owns."

"The lockers have combination locks," Jackie stated.

"He gave me the code," Gary said, and Jackie nodded and guided him back to the locker room.

"This one is his," Jackie said, pointing to one. "Will he be able to come back to work soon?"

"He tore something in his knee, so he's been getting physiotherapy, and I understand for the first little while he'll be using a cane," Gary said as he worked the lock.

He opened the door, and something slid out and hit the floor with a thump. They looked down to see an envelope that had split open on impact. A large number of one-hundred-dollar bills were wrapped in a folded piece of paper. Gary and Jackie looked at each other in surprise.

Gary picked up the envelope and did a quick count. "There must be close to five-thousand dollars here!" he tugged the letter clear and opened it.

They leaned forward and read it together. It was from Emily Manning. The letter began with her expressing her thanks to Raphael for believing in her so much that she had to believe as well and escape from the horror that her life had become. They read on. Gary was grateful she didn't include any details on where she had gone.

Once they finished, they glanced at each other. With a sigh, Gary folded the letter and wrapped the money with it once more. Emily had explained in the letter that the money wasn't stolen. At least it wasn't stolen from the bank. Emily freely gave Raphael all the cash from their home safe. Cash that had come from her husband's personal account.

Everything went back into the envelope. He looked at Jackie as he tucked it back into the backpack after pulling the bag from the locker. "We never saw the envelope. Okay?"

"What envelope?" Jackie said with a grin. They shared a smile and walked back out to the front door.

Gary shook the man's hand and headed off to the station. He was still going to ask for his guys to pitch in a little cash. It would do them good to feel they contributed to the uplift of one of their citizens.

He was already feeling pretty good about it himself.

-=-

Raph was fading. He'd gone through his homework again after the sheriff left, and he was so fucking bored. The day had been one long, dull nothing peppered with physical pain (physio), emotional pain (recalling his mom), and raw nerves (the conversation with Gary), so he was worn out.

He reached for the pull chain for his overhead light when he saw he had another visitor entering the dimly lit room. He watched the big man walk up to the side of his bed. Out of context, he couldn't place him for a second, then it clicked. It was Yuri, the bouncer from the dance club.

"Apologies for late visit. Mr. Kirov, very sad. We are too. He will not come to hospital. He send me. Mr. Kirov say tell you she is missed. Her dance is like magic. Is beauty."

Raphael's raw emotions took another hit. He knew exactly what this man meant, and he gritted his teeth to contain the grief that swept through him once again. He nodded stiffly as a tear escaped to roll down his cheek.

"Mr. Kirov say, you need place to stay, job. Just call." Yuri continued.

In his moment of weakness, the offer sounded so easy he was severely tempted to say yes. These people appreciated his mother. Yes, they used her, but they knew her dancing was her art, and she was second to none.