Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

America- Have A Fancy?

The slope of the driveway was steep and Neil was out in front by a good couple of lengths. John slowed a tad, he wasn't much of a runner, hated exercise in fact and this was ridiculous. Louise would be sitting in the bar of some posh swank hotel in downtown LaLa Land .... not sitting in the bloody gutter waiting for the cops to open the gates, wouldn't she?

Wouldn't she?

But that reporter was describing her, her eyes, her cheek bones, the way she glared as he passed. Something twigged after the fourth time the reporter had approached with the enquiring description.
Something in the way the reporter pursued the matter, not backing down. Pursuing to the point the pushy fellow even asked for a bloody photograph of Louise to confirm his thoughts. John sent Mal to trudge down the halls to Eves room, find her mummy's photograph and bring it back.

She was barmy that girl.

Louise wanted to experience the show from the bleachers, never backing down, not taking his word that it was a fools caper to do so. She went and now, at two in the morning, his brain thought more and more about her whereabouts to the point of standing, staring out the bloody front window overlooking LA.

And then the reporter...

Perhaps I should have listened a little more closely, but what do reporters know.

Neil tookthe moment to yell in the direction of the bobbies, coppers, whatever... "Louise!!"

And that's when John saw her, head ducked to be pushed into the back of a bloody police car.

If it wasn't so late, and he could see her face he would have laughed at the scenario but he instead yelled her name in time with Neil. In harmony like one of the songs he had sung earlier. The police officers pulled her about like a ragdoll and turned her toward the gates.

"Louise. Let go of her you goons. Fucking hell Louise why didn't you just tap on the door like a normal person" John grouched but he was feeling the love too. Lou rolled her eyes as one of the officers pulled her back from stepping forward again, toward her husband, toward the ninny who just said something about knocking on the front door like a blasted Avon lady.

John then bellowed louder as he watched them rip her about "Take your bloody hands off my wife!!!"

Slow motion seemed to swallow her, one moment she was being swung around like a ragdoll then the next she was hands and knees on the ground. After John had bellowed at them, both officers released and Louise hit the pavement hard.

"Do you know this woman sir?" The burly sergeant still hadn't cottoned on to the situation, radio in hand as he pulled the cord tight out the window of the police cruiser, leaning heavily against the front door, he lifted his cap and scratched his forehead slowly.

Movie Star constable reached with John to rescue his wife "Take your hands off me missus. Gee Lou are you ok, how long have you been out here darlin?" The look she gave him, all at once he was knocked for six.

Her eyes held him swirling, mixing with hurt, tension, fear and exhaustion, all mingling, pulling at him, making him lift her close against his body "Baby, you good?"

Lou squeezed him tight, struggling to keep the composure harnessed. Struggling to appear calm and collected. She tore her gaze from the dirt and blood on her hands that clung to his shoulder to look at his face, to find her anchor.

John marched her off up into the darkness of the driveway, leaving Neil to sort the policemen out.

"Talk to me luv" Johns hands rubbed her arms as she clung on to him, he didn't need to hold her she was doing an amazing job of wrapping herself to him, legs binding his waist, sore hands cinching his neck. "How long?"