An Internal Affair

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“Ready to go?” Chad stuck his head through the door and looked around for Andrea. He heard her yell issuing from the direction of the bedroom, so settled on the arm of the couch to wait while she dressed and came hopping out on her good leg. “You know, that’s sort of why I brought you those crutches,” he teased, watching her jump around looking for her shoes.

She scowled over at him. “I know, but I want to walk!”

“You call that walking?” he leaned over to pick up her shoes. “I’m guessing these are what you were looking for…” Andrea swiped them from his hand irritably, but allowed him to tuck her against his body as she tried to bend to put one of them on. She fooled around a few minutes more until he tapped his watch and moved to simply haul her out to the car when she showed no signs of being ready to leave. “Let’s go, Battle – I’ve got things to destroy, people to terrify.”

Andrea stuck her tongue out at him childishly, but obediently grabbed her crutches and followed him out the door. “I can’t wait to get this thing off so I can walk properly,” she grumbled as he lifted her into the car and buckled her in. “I can do that myself, Granny!”

Chad just shook his head and smiled – she’d been complaining about her cast for weeks now and he just let her irritability slide off him. “I know you can.”

“So why did you do it?”

“Because I love you.”

“Oh.” Andrea fell silent when he started the car, and he felt her eyes on him as he drove to the hospital. Her arms came around his neck, immediately contrite when he came around to lift her from her seat. “I haven’t been that nice; I’m sorry.”

He smoothed a hand down her back. “It’s okay, I don’t mind when you’re cranky.”

“Really?”

“That doesn’t mean you can be cranky 24/7, though… I do need a smile every once in a while.”

Andrea laughed, then gave him a big goofy grin. “Like this?”

Chad bent down to kiss her. “Like that.” He handed her the crutches with one last rumple of her curls and smiled. “Let’s go get you walking again, Hop-along…ouch! What did I tell you about detectives hitting sergeants with crutches?”

“That it was hilarious and I should do it more often?” she said helpfully.

“Not exactly. Get in there,” and he gave her a playful push towards the doors.

He lounged against the door, ever-watchful as the nurse removed Andrea’s cast. “Just be sure to take it easy – well, as easy as you can,” the other woman said, smiling at both of them in such a way that Chad wondered what tales Rita had been spreading about them. Well, it didn’t matter anymore.

The nurse left and he held out his hand to Andrea. “Let’s go; I don’t like hospitals.” She hopped down from the exam table and ignored his outstretched hand in favor of snuggling against his side as they walked out the doors.

“Do you know what time you’ll be home tonight?” she asked softly as he stopped the car in front of the Central Community Station and turned to her.

“Not sure – we’ve got some warrants to serve…”

She leaned over to kiss him. “You can come spend the night at mine, if you want – I’ll even cook for you.”

Chad snorted. “I’ll cook. Now get out of here; I’ve got manly tasks to accomplish,” he ordered imperiously. Andrea gave him a parting nuzzle and got out of the car, still limping slightly as she got used to walking again.


_ _ _ _ _ _


The first thing she did when she got home from work – Graves had still given her piles of paperwork to wade through even though her cast was off and she was actually grateful – was to head straight to the medicine cabinet and dig out some aspirin to take care of the dull ache in her leg. Chad had called minutes ago to tell her that he would be later than expected because he had to pick up food and spare clothing, so she ran a hot bath and sank into it gratefully. After washing herself tiredly, she leaned back and closed her eyes after running some more hot water.

She wasn’t aware of dozing off, but when she opened her eyes next she noticed that the shades in the bathroom window had been pulled down and three small candles she kept on the side of the tub had been lit. Even the water was still warm. “Chad?” she asked, sitting up and looking towards the open door.

The big sergeant’s frame filled the doorway moments later. “Hi. Feeling any better?” Chad came in to kneel at the side of the tub, tapping his finger on the end of her nose lovingly. “Maria said she stopped by to see you and it looked like you were having a rough day.”

“Yeah, I’ve had better,” she joked. “Been here long?”

He winked. “Enough to get an eyeful of some naked chick in your bathtub.”

“You, sir, are a rogue through and through,” she laughed, holding up a hand for him to help her up. Chad pulled her to her feet and held out a towel, stroking his fingers across her cheek – they smelled vaguely like garlic, and that reminded her about his earlier promise. “Is there food? You can’t spend the night if you didn’t make food like you said you would.”

Chad pretended to be taken aback. “No, I actually meant that I would cook for myself – I don’t have anything for you! You mean, I have to go back to my cold, lonely bed with only Meredith for company?” he sounded horrified.

She pretended to consider it. “Well…”

“…it’s a good thing I have enough leftover, then,” he smiled.

They’d finished eating and were splashing each other while they did the dishes when an unexpected knock on the door made her wriggle out of Chad’s embrace. “I wonder who that is…” He snapped the dishtowel at her and went back to drying the plates, and she walked to answer the door; she immediately wished she hadn’t. “Eddie, what are you doing here?”

Her ex pushed past her, running his hands through his hair agitatedly – she wondered if he was high again. “Andrea, you gotta help me.”

“We’re done, remember?” She folded her arms across her chest. “Look, you can’t come around here anymore.”

Eddie’s eyes narrowed at her. “Why? You got someone here? Don’t tell me you’re serious about that chingado Shelten.”

“It’s none of your business who I…” Andrea sighed. “Just leave, Eddie.”

Chad came from the kitchen, dishtowel in hand. “Everything okay in here?” He leaned against the doorway and rested a challenging stare on the other man, clenching his fists and making his biceps swell. His posturing might have been funny if she hadn’t seen the way her ex was looking back at Chad.

“Yeah, it’s fine…Eddie was just leaving.”

Eddie glared at Chad, then at her. “I’m not done with you – we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“You’ll stay away from her, is what you’ll do,” Chad interrupted calmly.

“Hey, rulacho; this ain’t your business. Go find someone else to impress, yeah?”

Andrea shook her head, getting more worried by the minute at the amount of aggression that Eddie was putting out… he had to be more drugged up than usual, to try to take on Chad. “Get out of here, Eddie – you’re not welcome here anymore.”

“Puta barata,” Eddie hissed, lunging at her.

Chad was on him as soon as the other man moved, grabbing both ends of the dishtowel and throwing it over Eddie’s head. The big man twisted it like a garrote and pulled Eddie away from her, forcing him to the floor and placing a knee in the small of Eddie’s back as he yanked on both ends of the towel. “Now, that wasn’t a very nice thing to do,” Chad said conversationally; Eddie pawed the air wildly as he tried to breathe. “You come in a woman’s house uninvited, insult her, and try to attack her. I’m guessing that your mother never taught you manners.” He pulled on the towel again, harder. “Apologize.”

“Just throw him out,” Andrea began, raising her hand – all she needed was for Chad to get too carried away and snap Eddie’s neck right there in the living room. She’d never seen Chad like this, and it was more than slightly frightening; even his confrontation with Hopper hadn’t brought out…whatever side of him this was.

“No, he’s going to apologize,” Chad growled, jerking the towel once more. Eddie flailed as Chad pressed a knee harder into his back, forcing more air from his lungs before releasing him to flop down on the floor. He wheezed out something, and Chad picked him up by the hair to force him to look at Andrea. “What was that? She didn’t hear you.”

The towel tightening around his neck again, Eddie decided to give in – whatever drug he’d been high on had probably been frightened right out of him, Andrea decided. “S-s-sorry,” Eddie coughed.

Chad released his hold on the smaller man and dragged him to the door to push him outside. “Next time I’ll break your scrawny little neck,” he snarled.


_ _ _ _ _ _ _

He turned from the door to find Andrea pale and wide-eyed. “You let me know if he tries to find you tomorrow,” Chad growled, still pissed beyond belief that Reyes had dared to approach her again… he’d probably wanted more money for his habit or something. The evening was pretty much spoiled now, but maybe they could salvage what was left of it. He flipped the door lock and made to go back in the kitchen to finish drying the dishes, but stopped dead as Andrea backed away from him. “Andy? What’s-” Chad reached out to touch her reassuringly, and she shrank away.

“Look, I’m kind of tired so I think – don’t touch me! ” she yelled as he tried to reach out for her again.

Chad snatched his hand back as if burned. “What’s wrong? Andy?” Why was she acting like this? He’d gotten rid of Eddie like she’d tried to do… but now she was acting like she was afraid of him or something. She backed up further, looking uncomfortable, and it slowly dawned on him that she was reacting to the force he’d used against her ex. But what was he supposed to do? “I didn’t mean to-”

“You could’ve killed him, Chad!”

“And why do you care so much about it?” he flared, not knowing what he was supposed to do to fix this and saying the first thing that came to mind. “People threatened you on account of that asshole, Andrea – he was going after you! Think I was just going to stand here and let him attack the woman I love?” Chad shook his head, frustrated. What was he supposed to do? “I’m going to finish the dishes and then I’m going to leave, okay?”

He strode past her and tried to resist the urge to break something as he picked up a clean towel. Breathing deeply, Chad tried to calm down enough to focus on getting done and getting out of there – it had all seemed so simple when he’d been still single – when he reached his left hand down into the sink and sliced one of his fingers on a steak knife hidden beneath the dishwater.

Andrea had trailed after him into the kitchen and jumped in surprise as he swore angrily and jerked his bleeding hand from the water. “Goddamnit!”

“Let me see,” and she was there to take his hand in both of hers and peer down at it. “Come here, I’ve got band-aids in the bathroom.” Andrea made him sit on the edge of the bathtub as she pulled a first aid kit from underneath the sink and bandaged up his finger. “It’s not that deep so it should heal in a few days since you’re right handed,” she assured him.

“Thanks. I’d better go,” he reminded her.

Strangely enough, she hung onto his wrist when he tried to pull his hand from her grasp. “You…you don’t have to.”

Chad sighed, unable to deal with any more mixed signals or whatever the hell he was dealing with here. “The way you didn’t want me near you pretty much says that yes, I do.” He didn’t want to leave, but…

Andrea slowly uncurled her fingers from his hand, biting her lip as she looked up at him through big brown eyes that were starting to get all misty. “No. Stay,” she said firmly, like he was a dog she was training.

He reached up a hand to touch the side of her face gently. “I’m sorry if I upset you, but I’d never hurt you – please believe that.”

“I know you wouldn’t, I just… it was surprising, that was all.” She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. “You can be one scary mother sometimes, you know that?”

“Sorry.”

“Me too.” Andrea flung herself at him and Chad wrapped her up in his arms, hoping that all their future arguments could be resolved by something as stupid as getting sliced up by a steak knife in the sink. “Can we go to bed now?” she asked anxiously.

Well, that was one olive branch he didn’t mind taking.


tbc…
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A/N: I was just going to go ahead with a nice night of domestic 'cozitude' after Eddie was tossed out on his ear, but then I thought - you know what? She's never seen him really get nasty... and that would freak a lady out. So ---> minifight. Why's it mini, you ask? Ummmm.... who can stay mad at Big Bad Chad? :D