Losing All But The Fight. (complete) updated.

Chapter 16.

Chapter 16.

"So you've known Tom that long?" Ally asked with disbelief.

I smiled at her as we walked up to my apartment. "Yeah. He grows on ya." Tom thought it was a good idea to tell Ally about how we all met when I was 17 and Vance was 16 at some party and how he'd gotten in a fight with some kid and Vance and I dragged him to the gym. He made it sound like we saved him and how having a place to fight was like therapy to him. How he stayed out of trouble hanging at the gym with us because he had a place to channel all his hatred.

See Tom was emancipated at 16. His dad was a crappy drug dealer and his mom was drunk most of the time. He didn't have much of a defense against trouble at that age and the boys at the gym became his family. Sure not all of us are still around but Rick's is still like home to us. It had a comfortable feel to it because all of us got past our own demons at one time or another there.

Tossing my keys on the table I slipped my jacket off and offered Tom a beer. "I like what you've done with the place." Tom admired the space.

"When did you get so much done?" Ally looked awed.

I chuckled at her. "Here and there. I had the sofa sent from my old apartment with some of my stuff its still kind of bare. The color makes all my old crap look fresher somehow. Good choice."

She continued to look around and I watched her trail a finger over the sofa. "Your brother was no help you know? Something along the lines of..." She changed her posture to imitate, Vance. "I don't know? You're a chick. Isn't this your thing?"

Both Tom and I burst out laughing. "That was perfect." He agreed. I nodded.

"Hey Ally?" She looked sad for a minute and then looked up. "You can just grab a few things and shower here if you want? Your ribs need taken care of." She nodded with a weak smile and made her way to the hall. I stopped her before the door and Tom stepped into the kitchen for another drink knowing we needed a minute.

"It won't be so bad to tell us. You'll see." I hugged her again and when we pulled apart I had the full concentration of her deeply blue eyes connect with mine. My brother was right and I think I'm still falling. She gave me a brief look of caution before relaxing. "I'm really sorry about how I handled the argument at the gym. I know you care enough about my brother that this must be something really hard for you to deal with."

She nodded."I know. It's ok."

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

"Yeah, you pick." Her smile brightened a bit.

As soon as she left I pulled my phone out to dial my brother. Two tries and he finally answered. "Yeah!?" There was background music and high chatter when he answered.

"Are you downstairs?"

"Yeah, what's up? Stacy is coming in to close up in about a half hour and then I'm off."

Ok, that didn't sound to bad. "Come upstairs when your done. We're all having a night in."

"What?" He responded to the downward tone of my voice.

"Ally wants to talk." I stated emphasizing the word talk so he would understand its importance and I knew he would. She never wanted to actually talk, she just, responded, distracted, avoided, evaded, and often enough just dropped the idea of it.

"Now? Is she ok? She hurt?" He was fishing for an explanation out of disbelief over her change of heart. He wanted to know what happened to set it into play.

"She's fine. She's here." I sighed. "Just come up when your done."

"Ok. Ok."

Ally fluttered past us without a word, clothes in her hand, and right through my bedroom to the shower. Tom and I sat on the couch.