Monster

Hearing his name, Alec stops and spins around to look back at Ryan. He knew he shouldn't have kissed her. He knew it had been foolish, he...

Her words catch him off guard, and for a moment, he doesn't even know how to respond. She...did want to see him again? She was actually looking forward to it? But... then what was Eli's threat all about? Why had he pounced, if Ryan wasn't bothered? Alec didn't have an answer. But what he did know was that his heart had just gained back a new sliver of hope.

A genuine smile creases his lips and he returns Ryan's wave. "Me too." Forcing himself to turn back around again, he returns to his bike to mount up and start the engine. As he pulls from the lot, he takes one last look before speeding up down the street.


Back inside the shop, Leo's eyes watch for Ryan to return, while he tries to concentrate on the engine he'd been working on. Inside, there was a strange churning though. Was he the only one that had seen Alec and Ryan kiss? He wasn't sure. But what he did remember was when Ryan had broken up with him because of Alec. And right about now, he wondered if the same thing was going to happen to Tal. What was it about Alec that made him so irresistible? Leo didn't know. But maybe only a woman would know. It didn't make sense though, that Ryan would get close to a man like that again - a man who had done such terrible things. Was she really that in love with him? Was it really that her heart had always belonged to him? It seemed the only explanation. Leo only hoped that no one would get hurt through this. He didn't know Tal well, but he'd been there before and knew it could really hurt. And Ryan was one of his closest friends, and he certainly didn't want to see her hurt by Alec again.

"Ack!" Leo cries out in pain as he scrapes his knuckles on part of the engine as he retrieved his hand. With his mind so far away, he'd been paying very little attention to what he was doing. Muttering under his breath, he grabs a relatively clean rag to press against his couple bleeding knuckles. 


Con recoils slightly, surprised by Katie's bluntness. He couldn't remember a time she'd talked to him like this and... it did sting. Looking down, he thinks for several moments before responding quietly. "Thanks for wanting me around, Kat. I appreciate that. But whether or not this is a first mess-up, it almost got Dalton killed. I can't live like that, never knowing if I'm gonna do that again. I can't go out on cases anymore - I can't trust myself. The only job left is here and... I thought I could do it. But I've gone stir crazy and Reese finally let me back out in the field, despite my hearing loss. And now look what happened." 

He shakes his head slowly, his eyes remaining dim. "I also shot a guy in the back and if I hadn't resigned, I might have lost my job anyway. That has yet to be decided by the board. But not only did I not hear what I was supposed to, I got angry and I acted on that anger. It's been a long time since that monster came out and I gotta stop it before I do something stupid."