A/N: I don't own Dredd or anything but I did write this story. Its my First " Dredd" Fic. Be nice!
Fire & Ice
Almost dazed but not quit confused, Staring at a bright white ceiling. She blinked a few times adjusting her eye's to the almost blinding light She could hear a faint beeping sound. It was getting annoying. Made worse by this dripping sound like some one left the sink facet on just a little. Drip Drip Drip. UGH! Turning her head to find the source of the annoying sound She seen him. Sitting in a chair leaned forward. Staring. She couldn't see his eye's but She knew he was looking straight at Her. He's always looking at Her. She can sense some of his emotions. Its not like peeking in. She can't control what emotions She feels from other people. Its like water it just flows freely until you come across a dam. He was angry. But behind his anger was relief. And just beyond that something else but she couldn't make out the emotion. He was blocking her from it. Burying it under all his anger and pain.
She couldn't hear the dripping or beeping sound any more. All she heard was her heart beat and his breathing. It was like it filled the room.
Before his mouth was tense in a tight line. Worry maybe? But now it was turned down in a frown.
He sat straight up crossing his arms in front of his chest, His shoulders and biceps pulled tight in his leather jacket.
She swallowed.
" What happened?"
She moved to sit up but was over come by a fierce shock of pain. It came from three sides suggesting she had multiple wounds. She gasped. It was like the air had been ripped from her lungs.
An instant went by and she could feel his one hand pushing her shoulder down and his other on her stomach pressing down gently.
His hands were bare. Free from the thick leather gloves he wore. Physical contact increases the psychic power. If she hadn't been in so much pain she might have taken advantage of that but all she could see was white with black spots floating around her. All she felt was pain and fear both hers and his.
A few moments went by and she was able to let out the air she'd been holding in her lungs. She was afraid if she breathed it would cause more pain.
The spots started to fade away and she found his mouth again. It was in a tight line. All signs of anger gone. She could see the vain in his neck it was pulsating so fast. His heart was racing. She could feel Anxiety and Fear. It swirled around her. He cared about her. It also confused the hell out of her.
His hands still on her soft, gentle. Something she didn't think Judge Dredd capable of doing.
He hadn't spoken yet. But she could think more clearly now. She didn't need him to speak to know what he was thinking. She didn't mean to pry into his mind but with him touching her it just kinda happened.
She could see the way he saw her. How she looked to him. She felt this tugging pain coming from his chest. Like he wanted something but he was denying himself what ever it was. He was fighting some urge.
" I'm okay." She gave a weak smile and his mouth turned down again.
He lifted his hand's from her and pulled his gloves back on. He didn't move from where he was standing. Hovering over her.
" They set off a bomb before you had the chance to get a feel for what was going on." He paused his lips tight with anger again.
" You were ahead of me. You took the blunt of the blast. You suffered three broken ribs one on your left two on your right. You broke your right hip. You were out before you hit the wall behind us."
She got a flash of his memory. Her cross blocking the wall as she hit it. Her body falling limp face down next to him. The panic he felt as he reached out. She could see his hand pushing her hair out of her face. Checking her pulse. A sense of loss , pain and relief.
" They got away?"
" Yes " his answer short but she could tell even without her gift that he was livid about it.
" Sorry" She should have seen that coming. That should have been easy to catch. Every last one of them they were right behind were thinking it. " Get out before it goes off "
This was her fault. And guilt washed over her noticing the color of his neck. It wasn't the normal tan and healthy looking color it was a deep purple and dark blue color. Sickly looking.
Without thinking she reached out grasping his forearm gently.
" You okay?"
His body tensed at her unexpected touch. But he didn't flinch away. Worried he'd startle her and cause her more pain.
He was fine other than a broken collar bone he sustained when he hit the metal wall behind them when the blast hit them.
" Yeah. Just a break to the collar bone. I'll be fine "
She just nodded suddenly exhausted. Fighting to keep her eye's open.
She felt his hand brush her bangs out of her eye and trace from her temple to her chin before his hand disappeared. She forced her eye's to open and caught him sitting back down. Leaning forward towards her and resting his chin on his hands. Waiting.
The last thing she saw was his mouth turn into a tight line again.
When She came to again Dredd was gone. She didn't deny the fact that she was disappointed. But it gave her a chance to sort something out.
Ever since PeachTree they've been partnered up. Not to say Dredd was happy about it either. He fought it briefly.
He was the best Judge the Captain had. Strong fast and Smart. He was dedicated Loyal.
She was the weapon the Captain wanted to keep secret. So working together made sense.
They spent every twelve to twenty hour shift's together. They were always in some kind of life or death situation. High stress work environment.
As partners they became very close. PeachTree formed a bond and they grew off of that.
As close as they were as partners he still held her at arms length. Some times further.
There had only been two times in the last year and a half they've been working together had he shown any kind of outward affection.
Once at Peachtree when she'd been shot. It pissed him off and he killed MaMa by giving her a dose of slo-mo and throwing her through a window.
He Carried her to the elevator gentle not to bounce her around to much. Her head fit perfectly in the crease between his neck and shoulder. She felt his grip tighten when she gasped a little when he pushed the elevator button. The way he tilted his head towards hers when she hugged his neck just a bit tighter pulling her self closer to him trying to limit the pain she was in. He was gentle with her as he field dressed her wound. And gave her a dose of pain medication. It made her foggy. She didn't like it.
But that was it until she almost got blown up and saw Dredds memory of his reaction to what happened to her. She knew he cared about her. She'd get a glimpse of something every once and awhile. And notice him staring at her. Some times she'd sense affection or pride almost. But this time she felt something stronger than affection. The pain he felt the loss he felt was to much for simple affection.
It mirrored how she felt about him. She knew she had strong feelings for him. Much stronger than just a partners bond. It was almost love though she wouldn't admit it. Not even to herself.
But now she knew he felt something stronger to and she needed to work it out in her head.
Should she try and act on her feeling's and risk him pushing her all the way away or just ignore the fact that she might be inlove with him. That he might love her back. That maybe they could be together.
She covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head back and forth. Tear's welling up in her eyes.
Her ribs started to ache. Making her breath catch.
She brought her other hand up and covered her other hand and began to cry.
She was exhausted and in pain and emotionally overwhelmed.
She felt stupid and weak but she couldn't help it.
She felt a wave of worry and knew she wasn't alone any more. She turned her face away towards the wall. Hiding her face.
She heard heavy foot falls they stopped next to the bed.
" Do you need a medic?" There was worry in his voice. She liked that.
She cleared her throat quietly.
" No. I'm fine. "
" Alright " he moved to the chair and sat down.
She laid there for a few minutes listening to him breath. She wasn't getting any vibes from him.
She started to get frustrated then. Why was he still here? How Long had she been here anyways and how much of it did he spend sitting there staring at her?
" Dredd?" She didn't turn to face him she laid there staring at the wheel on a chair.
" Anderson? "
She felt the change in his mood. The vibe she got was that of worry.
" How long have I been here? "
" Two day's "
She shrugged her shoulders then winched as her ribs protested.
" How long have you been here?"
There was a pause in his response.
" Two day's minus a couple hours "
" Oh. Thank you. But you should go home and get some sleep. "
She could hear him straighten up his leather jacket giving it away.
" I should yeah"
Her heart sank at the idea of him leaving. And she could feel his hesitation. She could tell he didn't want to leave but he suddenly felt like he needed to.
But before he could say anything a medic walked in.
" Judge Anderson Good news you can leave when ever feel up to it." He handed her a bag and a folder.
" Your breaks were clean and your blood work was good. As long as you stay off your feet until your hip hills up a bit you should be fine. "
" Feel free to stick around if you don't feel up to leaving just yet. "
She raised her hand to silence the medic.
" No I'm going home. " She slowly raised herself onto her elbows and felt the anxiety from Dredd as she whined to herself.
She huffed. Who was she kidding? She could hardly sit up. How was she gonna get herself home?
The medic nodded in a sarcastic kind of way and walked out of the room.
She snorted " Smartass "
Dredd smirked and she gave a weak smile as she continued to sit up.
Winching every other inch she moved.
He moved to her side and placed his hand between her shoulder blades and helped her sit straight. Her hip was screaming in protest so she reached over and hit the key to give her another dose of pain medication. The room started to fog over and she swayed a bit as the medication reached her brain.
Dredd supported her so she could adjust. His arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him. His scent assaulted her nose. Some kind of aftershave maybe? It smelled amazing to her and she signed.
" You smell..great. "
She got a strange vibe from him. But she forgot about it as soon as she realized she'd said that out loud.
She sighed and pulled away from him. She grabbed the blanket and uncovered her legs.
They were bare and she felt Dredd tense up and shift away from her but he never took his hands off of her.
She froze for a second when she felt a wave of attraction coming from Dredd. He liked what he saw and it made him uncomfortable. She dropped the blanket and Looked at Dredd.
" I'm going to need your help. If you don't mind "
He cleared his throat and nodded.
" Do you need help getting home?"
She wanted to tell him No she could handle it on her own. But the truth was she couldn't and she didn't really have any one else to call. If he wasn't already there she might have called him anyways.
" Yeah. I don't really have any one else to ask " He moved away from her out the door. She suddenly felt very alone. The room got a little colder and her head started to spin.
But he came back in a minute later with a wheel chair and another medic followed behind him.
Dredd moved to the other side of the bed and put his hand under her knees and the other around her waist. The medic followed suit and Dredd frowned when the medic's hand grazed the sensitive skin behind the knee a second longer than he should have.
She smirked when she felt a twinge of jealousy coming from Dredd.
They lifted her up and put her in the wheel chair. Her backpack Dredd had gotten from her locker hung from his shoulder as he wheeled her to his bike.
He frowned at his bike. How was she going to ride with a broken hip?
He came to a stop next to it and she looked up. Thinking the same thing he had just a few seconds ago. He smiled.
Reaching down her lifted her up she gasped but nodded and he kept moving.
He stood next to his bike and pulled her tight against his chest and lifted his left leg over his bike and sat down holding her in his lap both legs resting next to his right leg.
" Hold on."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face in his chest.
The bike fired up and he rolled it out of its parking spot and started for her apartment.
He got her into her bed and she curled in on herself. She was in a lot of pain.
He tore the bag open and pulled out a box set of needles.
He pulled her shirt up a little and pressed the needle to her skin and pressed the button releasing the medication He caressed the red mark the needle left softly before pulling her shirt back down. A few minutes later she relaxed a little and she rolled her head facing him.
She felt like he was going to walk away and she didn't want him to. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted him to lay down with her to take off that stupid helmet so she could look him in the eye's and then she could go to sleep and he could leave if he wanted to.
He stared back at her. He was struggling with something but she didn't look in his mind for the answer. She wasn't going to intrude like that so she waited.
He shifted from one foot to the other once before taking a step back and She called out.
" Stay?" She didn't mean to say the word but she was glad she had. He stopped and looked back at her. His jaw tense his mouth in a hard line. A minute or so goes by and he looks at her bedroom door then back at her. He shifts his body weight and then moves back towards her.
He sat down on the edge of her bed faced the wall. His back straight, he pulled his gloves off.
A rush of heat floods her body. She felt silly thinking anything would actually happen not with him being Him and her current state.
But she couldn't help it.
" Can you help me straighten out a little this is starting to hurt."
He turned his body towards her and crawled to the side of the bed she was on and gently straightened her legs out. They were bare and silky smooth under his bare hands.
They were cream colored and it took everything he had to let them go when he was done.
His body started to react and he shifted sitting down next to her leaning on the bed frame.
His right leg bent to cover his groan area. He was a man after all. He had urges just like any other human he just choose to ignore them.
But It was very hard to deny what she woke up inside him.
He just wanted to groan and smack himself but he just sat there.
He turned one of the dim lights off and covered her up and waited for her to fall asleep.
But after a a little while he realized she was still awake.
He shifted. He wanted to take his helmet off. He'd had it on for almost three days now aside from the shower he took yesterday.
" You okay? " His voice was barely above a whisper.
" Yeah... You can go home now. I shouldn't keep you here. Im sure your really tired. Thank you for taking care of me. " she reached over and rested her hand on top of his that was resting on his knee cap.
She gripped it for a second and then let his hand go and brought it back to where it was before.
He didn't make a move to leave and she tried to close him off to her so she couldn't feel the disappointment when he decides to leave.
She held her eye's shut tight as she felt him shift. He was leaving. Tears started to well up under her closed lids. Grateful he'd turned the light off so it was to dim for him to see her.
But then she heard the familiar sound of boots being undone. The buckles snapping open. He slid his foot out and the boot being set down on the floor beside the bed and then the other.
Her heart began to race. It took all of her control not to breath heavy and alert him to her reaction to him taking off his gear.
She heard the zipper to his vest the sound the leather made as he pulled it off his shoulders. And then she heard something heavy being put down aswell. It was his helmet.
She could barely breath. Her ribs were on fire. But she refused to show him she was in pain that it was because her body was reacting to him nearly naked next to her with out his helmet.
He pulled his lower body back onto the bed and pulled the blanket over himself and laid flat on his back his hands behind his head staring at the gray ceiling above him.
While she was next to him turning blue.
She started to let the air she's been holding out in little gasps and she hoped he didn't hear it but he had. He shifted his body towards her and leaned over her.
" Are you ok?"
She gave a weak laugh.
" yeah Im Okay"
" Do you need another dose?" He sat up reaching for the box of needles.
" okay... I guess." She was in pain but she didn't want to be drugged up with Dredd laying in bed next to her.
She felt him pull the blanket down and him pull her shirt up. His bare arm brushed her side and she shivered.
Then she felt the sting of the needle as it bit into her skin.
Mood killer.
He replaced the needle back in the box and put it back on the stand next to the bed. He went to pull her shirt down at the same time she was and their hands came together for a brief moment. He pulled back first. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it back over her.
Returning to his laying down position.
Her head was swirling again as the medicine reached her head and all she wanted to do was roll on her side and cuddle up to him. The idea made her warm but she knew he would react badly. He'd pull away and maybe leave so she settled for him being a few inches from her.
She did how ever manage to roll onto her left side a little facing him. She peeked through her lashes at him. He was stiff his eyes focused on the ceiling. She wanted to reach out and see what he was thinking but she didn't. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and noticed her looking at him so he rolled his head and faced her.
He stared at her like he was thinking about something really hard.
" What are you thinking?" Her voice was tired.
" What not reading my mind?" He'd meant it as a joke but his voice was rougher than he'd meant. He was tired and stressed laying in bed next her.
" I never peek in your head. Not unless I half to anyways. I don't want to invade your personal space. My guess would be as good as the next guy " She was kind of hurt that he would think she was snooping around in his mind for answers she shouldn't have until he speaks them.
" Your thoughts are safe around me. I'd never do that " She started to ramble.
" I was wondering what you were thinking about "
She stopped talking. Silence fell between them for a while.
" If I were being honest i'd tell you that I cant stop thinking about what's going on in your head"
And the Silence stretched on forever. She started dozing.
" I don't know what to say"
"hmmm? " she was groggy from the pain killers and being so tired. She couldn't even get her eye's to open.
He could tell she was well on her way to lights out. He was almost sad by that fact. He wanted to tell her he cared for her to let his body react the way it wanted to. To reach over and brush her hair from her face. Something he always loved doing but rarely did.
Or to kiss her lips when he caught her staring at his. Which she did often.
He wanted to find out how soft the rest of her body was. To follow every curve of her body. To feel the way her body felt under his. The way it felt between her smooth legs To see her eye's when he makes her climax. He wanted to hear her cry out in pleasure instead of pain.
He was so deep in thought that he jumped when he heard her cry alittle. He rolled over propping himself up on his elbow and looked at her. She was still fast asleep.
A small smile on her face. It was fading. And Her body twitched. She cringed in pain. But then relaxed.
He just kept watching her. Her chest rising and falling gently. Her shirt was thin and he could see the outline of her breasts. His eyes hovered there. They looked small but plump. His pants started to get tighter as he started thinking about all the things he wanted to do but knew he wouldn't be able to. He was torturing himself and he knew it.
She moved a little her bangs falling into her eye's.
He was just starting to imagine what she tasted like when she whimpered. Her hand sliding down her side. Slipping her hand into her shorts below her pantie line. He almost died from shock as he watched. She must be sensing or peeking into his mind in her sleep. She was dream snooping. And she was seeing his fantasies.
She frowned and pulled her hand free of her shorts and brought it back to her chest. He watched.
Then another idea struck him.
He started to think about them being together. He knew she would respond sexually she just proved that one and he smirked. Please with himself.
Now he could see how she'd react if they were to go further than this internal battle their both having about what they are to each other.
He knew to most people he was cold and distant. He was all about the job. He had no out side life like most of the others and he had no relationships to speak of. He wasn't a virgin by ay means and very good in bed but those encounters were one night stands. Not whore's just two people getting together.
He thought about the best way to open up to her. To tell her that she makes him feel human again. That she's the reason he cant sleep at night when he does go home instead of the nightmares about the deep end. That she's the only person he trusts. The only person he cares about. That he'd trade places with her right now if he could. He'd give anything to take her pain away.
At first she looked confused and he almost stopped. But as he went on her face relaxed. She smiled when he thought about telling her she keeps him awake at night and then she frowned a little. He could see her eyes twitching and rolling like she was trying to keep up with a fast light.
His thoughts trailed off to what they would look like together. He hadn't thought about covering his face or blurring it. He kind of wanted to see how she'd react to that. He was bracing himself.
Her mouth twitched. His jaw was square and full bottom lip he had a roman nose his eyebrows were dark and made his hazel-green eyes look intense. His skin was tan and fairly scare free. He had one long scare near the hair line on the left side of his face that went below his eye curving inward slightly. His hair a coal black. Buzzed short but enough to get a handful if she wanted to. She smiled and he couldn't help the smirk.
She liked what she saw. It wasn't really about her seeing his face because he was ashamed it was simply he doesn't want people to know what he looks like. Can't find any one if you don't know what they look like. She frowned again.
He laid his head down on her pillow and rested his arm along her stomach. She tensed and then relaxed back into him. Whining a little as she moved and guilt washed through him.
He closed the distance between them in one motion. Pressing himself up against her. She was warm and it felt amazing. She grabbed his hand and slowly pulled it to her chest. He froze.
Cuddling is one thing. Groping was another.
It wasn't like he was palming her breast. She was holding his hand. But he wasn't sure what to do.
Her eye's flew open as the bed shifted. She rolled her head to the side and for a second she was in awe.
Dredd was laying on his stomach. The only thing covering him was his boxers.
His back was lined with fleshly pink and white scare's. But what wasn't scared was smooth and a golden tan. His shoulder's were broad and thick with muscles. His arms were crossed under his pillow. She could hear soft breathing almost like a snore. His legs were scared to. But well toned.
He worked out. A lot.
The sight stole her heart.
Slowly her body started to remind her that it was broken and in pain.
She reached for the needle on her night stand. She slowly pulled her shirt up and firmly placed the needle to her side. She squeezed her eye's shut and pressed the button.
She jumped a little.
Dredd flew up facing her.
She nearly through the needle. His sudden motion scared the shit out of her and sent a shock of pain through her system and she cringed into the bed.
" You okay?" His voice rough with sleep.
She nodded. She didn't trust her voice.
He Looked at the needle in her hand and his mouth turned down.
" You should have woken me up. I would have done that " He took the needle from her hand and replaced it in the case.
He stood up and pulled his pant's on. Her eye's never leaving him as he pulled them up over his butt.
She didn't look away until he spun around zipping his pants up.
Then she just stared at his stomach and chest and then found his face and her face suddenly flushed.
He smirked.
" Whats the matter Anderson? Your redder than my helmet" He glanced down at the heavy thing sitting beside the bed and then back to her.
She'd faced the other wall. Her neck and ear were beat red, He could tell that she was grinning. He had embarrassed her. And he found he enjoyed it.
" Nothing's the matter. I just didn't expect to see Dredd almost naked in my bed this morning..Is all.."
She could feel him. This new vibe she got was something close to happy but closer to satisfaction
She turned back and looked at him. He was pulling his shirt over his head. She could almost See the smirk on his face.
" Your in a good mood?" She poked.
He shrugged his shoulders and padded barefoot out of her room. She could hear him moving around in her little kitchen.
She face palmed herself with both hands and started shaking her head back and forth.
The dream she had about Dredd last night weighting on her. And she couldn't shake the feeling that Dredd was the reason.
She didn't think she could get any redder.
A/N: Thanks for Reading!