[Rufiya] Faithfully [Shelby]

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That Gracie..Levi sighed in his mind. She was always quiet as opposed to her extroverted older brother and she was as curious as fox. He probably should have locked the door before proceeding to manually clean out his wounds with water but yet he had found himself reluctant to do so. Maybe he was scared to open that door and find they ran away, he was a murderer afterall, it was just an unsurprising effect of the shameful title.

He glanced at Tessalyn quietly before turning towards the mirror to examine the various cuts more. Admittedly some were developing a nasty discoloring that might eventually lead to an infection if not cleaned properly. He didn't ask her initially for treatmen because he felt like he was asking for too much already but seeing as it was her willing offer Levi nodded.

"Yeah." he replied gruffly, still refusing eye contact. He looked farther down the hall where Gracie watched intently and Levi offered a solemn smile. "Thanks for calling mommy for me, baby. Nothing to worry about.." He spoke maternally passing Tessalyn to meet her eye to eye. Gracie returned the smile.

"..You've been working out daddy," Gracue began, signalling to Levi's practiced abdomen. "is that where you got the cuts?"

Levi laughed. Running his hands through those precious ashy locks. "No, daddy just had some accidents, Gracie." He reassured but the look on her face told she was unsatisfied. She was the smart one afterall. Probably got it from Tessalyn.

"..Did you get this scar in the military - is that where you have been?" Grace finally spoke, pointing to a scar on his upper right chest where a shank was used a year ago. The automatic reference to his damned days in the service automatically soured Levi's expression but he attempted to hide it. He stood up from his crouched position.

"Daddy is going to go fix these cuts okay Gracie?" He spoke, though not in the tone he used before. He just wanted to drop the subject.
 
Again Tessalynn stayed silent and watched the interaction between Gracie and Levi, almost smiling at the concern Grace seemed to have about the situation. Obviously she cared for her father, which in all honesty shocked Tessalyn. Both of her children were caring people, she could already tell, especially with the ways they were dealing with their father. Most kids, she figured anyway, would have shunned the man out of their life, and maybe even despised him for leaving the family, but both Niko and Grace seemed to completely push those thoughts away and instead embrace their father's return. Apparently they were able to easily forgive him, but then again, she wondered if they would think the same if they knew he hadn't actually been in the military this entire time.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts before turning away, half listening to what the two were saying towards each other, before she walked off and headed toward her bedroom. Once she made it in there she headed to the bathroom and grabbed out a first aid kit she always kept in the house, just as a precautionary, and then headed back to the bathroom that Levi was in. Gracie was still standing there, though standing there with a bit of a doubtful face, but nevertheless she nodded her head before looking up to see that her mother had returned with the first aid kit. "Are you going to fix him, momma?"

She nodded before stepping into the bathroom, wincing as she took a look at the scars that adorned his body, especially the ones that seemed to be changing into different colors. Those needed to be taken care of as soon as possibly so that he could avoid having to go to the doctor to get them checked out. "Why don't you go watch tv Gracie? Your father will be fine; I'll take care of it."

Though she looked hesitant to do so, Gracie nodded her head before running off, probably towards the living room. When she was gone, Tessalynn set down the kit on the counter before opening it, grabbing out a few cotton balls along with the bottle of peroxide. "This will sting a little bit," she told Levi as she coated the cotton ball with the chemical. "But it shouldn't hurt too much." All too used to this was Tessalynn, fixing up wounds and just overall making sure that kids, mostly, were all right and healthy. After all, she was a pediatrician, so cleaning up wound was something she did fairly often.

When the cotton was damp with the chemical she looked up at Levi's face for a second before looking down at one of the scars and dabbing at the wound lightly.
 
He only grunted quietly under his breath as the cold liquid stung his open wounds. Levi thought back to how exactly he got so beaten up in order to take his mind off of the burning. Like he had told Tessalyn, his escape was heavily preemptive and planned. For months he managed to loosen a panel in the wall which would take him down to the tunnels. It was horribly hot, Levi guessed it was somewhere in the upper nineties at the worst while he crawled army style through the pipes and then there was occasionally broken shards of glass scattered for yards at a time. It was one of the physically excruciating experiences of his lifetime.

As his body adjusted to the pain, his reaction to the sting of chemicals grew quieter and he was able to think straight. But all he did was occasionally glance at his former significant other at times when she would not be able to notice. She looked focused and steady as she continued to clean his cuts but there was still a weariness in those damn beautiful eyes of hers.

Maybe it was because of those ever so familiar eyes or maybe it was because of how close she was to him at the moment but Leviticus' mind found itself thinking back to happier times. Like their honeymoon in Hawaii. He laughed in his mind at how pasty they were compared to the locals and how they had tried to adjust to the tropical weather as they always lived in Chicago. Levi even felt his cheeks warm as he thought back to the more intimate moments.

His hidden gaze returned to Tessalyn and he knew exactly what he felt in his chest. There was a physical attraction to it of course, he was a man who just left prison and she was a very very attractive woman, yes. However there was an emotional attraction that went so much more then simple lust, he loved her. But it was the very same feelings that kept him from telling her how he really felt about himself and her. Because either way, he would eventually have to leave. And the last thing he wants is to break Tess' heart again.

As the bandages were finally wrapped around his wounds he got up quickly. It was already nighttime. He glanced off in the direction of the kids for a moment before turning to Tessalyn.

"I'll..uh, say goodnight to them and then I'll retire to the attic.." He told her. Despite the current events the sharp bite of fatigue knawed at him physically and sooner or later without rest he might just collapse.
 
As she continued to tend to his wounds, Tessalynn couldn't help but think about all the times she ended up worrying about him when he was on the job, before and while he was in the military. Often times when he was away she wondered if he would even come back; most of those night having been long, drown out ones where she hardly found herself any type of sleep, and when she did find herself sleeping the dreams she would have worried her. But even when he was just a police officer she worried about his health, just hoping and praying that he would come home with no injures or anything wrong with him.

But even during that time, there was always something telling her in the back of her mind that he would be fine, and that he would always come home. He was strong, and she had confidence in him. Besides, she had known all along about his occupation, and she knew the hassles that would probably come with it, and she had always been able to accept it. Even now she worried about him though, when he was in jail. She just... Didn't want to lose hope in him, despite the fact that he had killed someone and that everyone had been telling her to just forget about him completely. She didn't want to lose hope in what she once had with him.

She had almost been on autopilot at that point, her hands working seamlessly on the wounds, and when she would throw the used cotton balls away, she never even paid attention or thought to look in the trash. When she was finished she took a step back and closed the kit before looking over at Levi, her eyes traveling down his tattered form. It was still a wonder how none of those cuts had been bothering him, or if they had been bothering him he was definitely able to put on a food facade.

"You don't..." She sighed, her hands laying flat on the kit as she looked down at it. That didn't seem right, to just let him sleep in the attic, at least in her mind. But could she really trust him to stay in the main part of the house with them?

She was beginning to have that same feeling she had at the train station when she decided to actually allow him to come to the house; the sense of unease and uncertainty. "The attic is cold, especially with this weather. You'd probably freeze up there, and the cot up there isn't very comfortable either..." She looked back up at him and bit her lip before she sighed again. "You can stay in the guest room, if you want to anyway."
 
So she at least didn't want him to die from frostbite. There was still no implications of how she responded to Levi being there, or at least he has missed all of them. He could tell of some kind of remorse or apprehensiveness somewhere deep into her tone. He offered her a small smile but shook his head quickly there after. "No..no it'd be the best if I stay up there, less windows." He spoke in his soft spoken voice. Though the thought of a guest bed was extremely tempting, he didn't want Tessalyn worrying especially about him.

He turned away slightly before remembering the revolver in the trash bin. He cursed in his mind before turning back to Tess. "..If it'll put your mind at ease, I'll take up a blanket and some more medicine." Leviticus told her, he wasn't too sure whether it'd actually relieve her but he needed an excuse to get to the medicine cabinet. With her leave he went over to the bathroom in a slightly hurried pace, letting out a sigh of relief as the gun was still there. He tucked it into the back of his pants and hurried on towards the second floor bedroom where he grabbed the warmest comforter possible (Tessalyn was hardly lying about the cold) and proceeded down the hall to the attic access until he was stopped by Niko who had already changed into his pajamas.

"Daddy? Where are you going..?" he asked innocently, his tone unsure. He thought he was leaving again. Levi sighed before smiling.

"Daddy is going to sleep upstairs okay. I'm not leaving yet. Now why don't you come and help me bring this up the ladder yeah?" He said cheerily though all he could think about was the bitter irony. Niko nodded slowly before offering a questioning look like Gracie had. He kept quiet though until he was up in the roof with his father, preparing the cot.

"How come you aren't sleeping in mommy's room? She's been awfully lonely while you were gone." Niko finally spoke as he stepped back from their finished product. Levi felt a hard pang of guilt as he glanced at his child who looked so much like Tess as that very child stared at him curiously.

"..I would if I could, Nik. I really would.." Leviticus began before biting his lip in silence. What else could he say? "Its getting late Niko, you and Gracie should get some sleep. Go on ahead to bed and I'll see you in the morning okay? " Levi spoke ending the conversation. It aches to much to dwell on it after all. Niko nodded offering an unsuspected hug before quickly heading down the ladder. The look on his face showed he still wanted a real answer. But Levi couldn't supply it, at least not yet. So he simply sat on the side of his lumpy cot and stared at the small window across the room.

He wished he could show Niko that everything was okay and intact but really, as the seconds tick by slowly, he knew he wouldn't be able to. They are a broken family and it's all entirely his fault..damn it stung.
 
"Oh, right." Tessalynn nodded her head in slight understanding. He had a point, she had to admit, about there being less windows up in the attic. That would mean lesser of a chance of him being caught, which, though she wasn't sure why, brought a little relief to her. Still though, she couldn't help but think just leaving him up in the attic was even morally right, no matter the circumstances, especially with this weather. But what would the kids think if they notice him being in the attic? Would they think something odd about that? More than likely, but maybe they would let it pass? No, that was doubtful. The both of them were too curious for their own good.

Though she wanted to say something, Tessalynn figured that it would just be best to let things be. Besides, it was probably better that he stay up there anyway, and not just because of the lack of windows. She nodded her head at his comment before leaving the bathroom, leaving him to get some of the medicine and other things that he needed before he headed up to the attic.

With the little time she had left on her hands, she decided to clean up a few dishes that were stacked in the kitchen, her mind still racing with thoughts, but doing something productive, even doing dishes, almost kept her from getting too jittery. Didn't seem to help much, especially after she got finished with it all. Oh, she hated this! Feeling so out of place even in her own house, her mind wandering back to the past, back to thoughts she used to cherish and dream about. Her wedding day, the honeymoon, finding out that she was pregnant for the first time... Why did him being here make her think of all of that so suddenly?

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Tessalynn sighed before shaking her head. This was a mess. Why did she allow Levi to come here? What was he really hoping to accomplish with Niko and Grace?

"I don't know..." She dropped her hand before walking up the stairs to go to tell Niko and Gracie that it was time for bed. Luckily, Gracie went to bed with no qualms, though she did ask a few questions here and there about her father, mostly wondering if he was going to be there in the morning when she woke up. To that, Tessalynn answered yes before telling her to not worry about anything and just head to bed. Then she went to Niko's room, watching how he just seemed to sit on his bed, looking before he turned his attention to his mother.

"How come daddy isn't sleeping in your room? Did you two get into a fight."

She didn't know how to answer the question, and honestly it took her by surprise. She sat down on Niko's bed and ran a hand through his hair before smiling. "It's just... It might just be best that he stay up there for a while. Just for... Our own sake."

"But why?"

"Niko.." The look in his eyes said that he wanted an answer, but Tessalynn wasn't willing to give anything up. "Just get some sleep, okay? Everything will start making sense soon." Maybe, she wanted to add, but decided to leave that out and simply kiss his fore head before heading out of his room. As she walked out her eyes caught notice of the ladder that lead to the attic, her feet stopping her in place. Levi was up there, her former husband. She wanted to go up there, to just say something to him, but after thinking she decided against it. She didn't want to cause any more trouble than need be, so after shaking her head she headed to her room, closing the door behind her.
 
The cot was truly uncomfortable. He managed to somehow keep himself from freezing by curling into a fetal position while wrapping himself tightly with the blanket. He did get some sleep, though hardly enough. He woke up every couple of hours, silently checking on the children whenever he did. They both slept quietly and Levi still had this sense of happiness that at least before his death he would be able to experience the wonder of seeing your own child dreaming. Levi only hoped that those dreams were much better then his.

During the moments when rest would find him, he would be riddled by the memories that caused the aches in his chests - in his heart. They were heart-wrenching to watch over and over again. To see his units get ambushed and massacred, to see the horror of Tessalyn's face while he was being dragged from the living room, his first riot. The worst part was that they didn't even follow chronological order. It was just flurry of horrible images and videos it took time for Levi's subconscious to remember just when did each flash of faces took place. These dreams - they haunted him. One particular moment stood out tonight though, just like how other regretted actions had the hard nights before. This specific one was a different kind of bitter however. It was the kind of bitterness that came after seeing how things used to be, the worst kind in Leviticus' opinion.

It was kinda hazy in his mind but he could easily tell out two figures, a tall broad man who stood much higher then the woman next to him. The man was returning something that had fallen from the woman's pocket. It was her business card, the both of them clearly had been attracted to each other the moment he tapped her shoulder. The man had offered to buy her some coffee, but she declined. Instead leaving the business card with him as her schedule had been to crazy at the time. But then something happened, something that never happened before in Levi's dreams. The haze surrounding his vision turned an inky black and now he was in the middle of a war-torn field.
Oh no.. Levi's eyes betrayed his mind and automatically flashed among the dead uniforms that surrounded him. Each had a face, a name and a background, all of which known by Leviticus. Then unintelligible words suddenly came to his mind, repeating louder and louder until he was forced from his sleep back into the attic. He was drenched in sweat.

Then suddenly this feeling of anticipation and worry came over him. As if the loved one just a floor below were harmed. He jumped up as quietly as possible, admittedly hurrying to Tessalyn's room before the children. There was a little guilt in his sudden change of priorities but he could suddenly breathe again as he slowly peeked through the door to see the faint frame of her delicate body draped in the blankets of the bed. She slept cast to one side and Levi couldn't help but feel that the other side was his, but he knew that privilege was lost long ago. He turned towards the children leaving he door slightly ajar, finally relaxing after knowing they were all okay. Judging by the slowly brightening dark blue sky however, morning was on its way. So instead of returning to his attic he sat in the downstairs kitchen. Glancing at the old memorabilia across the walls sadly once again reminding himself that he really fucked up.
 
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