Her One and Only part 4: Emergency
#4 of Her one and only
(Sorry for the delay, I'm a procrastinator.)
They caught Paul.
He was arrested. He said he was with his friends. His friends said they were with him. He said he went to the apartment to try and reconcile, but he was gone before Natasha came home. He said he got the address from his AA mentor. He said that he was told to apologize to all those he has hurt in the past. He says he did. Because of the conflicting stories, the hearsay of his friends, a lack of solid evidence, and the fact that the only truth he told-his mentor giving him the address for reconciling with Madeline-being enough to throw off any defense case, he wasn't even slapped on the wrist.
Paul was free.
In less than one week, they let him go. He was free, but at least there was a restraining order against him. He had to stay more than a hundred feet away. "Only a hundred feet?" Maddie said to the judge. They sat in his office, where a large desk separated the judge from the lovers.
Judge Germane was a male sheepdog, graying around the muzzle, and hazel eyes showing further proof that he has seen better days. "I'm sorry, miss DeLouise, but we can't force him out of state." The tone of his voice was almost monotone. It showed that this wasn't his first time dealing with something like this: Someone going free, despite knowing he was guilty. He had to.
"But..." Natasha stammered. "But, he slapped her! He was drinking! He was on parole! How could he get off?"
"Again, I'm sorry. I would ship him off if I could, but the system doesn't work that way." He tried to keep the air calm. He was failing.
"That bastard beats my girlfriend, and his wrists aren't even slapped? Fuck, knowing even that happens is enough to bring some closure, but this? A fucking restraining order?"
"Ma'am, just because you to say yes, six other furs said no. You have the police reports, but he had the witnesses. I wish it would have turned out better for you two, I really do. It's just an uphill battle for you two, one you can't really win. Hell, if an idiot defended him, the outcome would be the same. Just be glad it was a hundred and not ten."
***
The two entered Maddie's car. It was a dark blue sedan that she had since after college. Natasha restrained herself, but found it hard to do. She pawed her face in frustration. "They let him off! They let him the fuck off!"
This side of Tasha genuinely scared Madeline. Though she knew that she would do nothing to hurt her, she only saw this side of her once. That was in high school. Two concussions, a fractured skull, and a pair of ruptured testicles and a disconnected urethra resulted. "Please, calm down Tash. Just be happy that he has the order against him.
"I know, but...I can't just let him get away! You shouldn't, either!"
"Natasha!" Madeline retorted. This shocked her out of her anger, as she has never heard her lover's sweet voice yell. "Calm down! Listen, it's...it's over. He won't come after us, I know it. He's not stupid enough to go back to jail. Let's just go home. We have the rest of the day off, so let's just go home, order something for dinner, watch some movies, and not think about Paul.
***
Two weeks have passed. No more harassing calls from Paul. He was done. Everything was normal again. Maddie and Tasha awoke facing each other, their exposed breast pressed against each other. Natasha woke first, and woke Maddie with a gentle lick on her nose. "Wake up, sleepy."
She woke up slowly with a smile, a yawn, and a stretch. Natasha's paw began rubbing up her belly, and just when it was about to reach one of her lover's breasts...
"Sorry, I can't. We're late enough as is, and I'm still tired from last night."
Natasha looked disappointed at this statement. "Awww...Oh well. There's always tonight."
Maddie smiled back. "We'll see how bad today is, then we'll talk. Until then, we've got money to make, jobs to be done, things to do, and no time for fun."
Natasha chuckled at the short nursery rhyme Maddie made. Ever since they both started working, she said that if there was no time for them, and it always cheered up her lover.
Maddie went into the kitchen and made some breakfast as Natasha showered. She exited in time to finish the food as Maddie showered. They usually ate naked, dressing only after breakfast and before leaving for work.
***
Natasha sat at her desk, bored as usual. She was counting down the minutes. "Five minutes...three minutes..." she said as the minutes came closer and closer to the end of her day. "Done. Alright, I'm out of here, Allen," she said to the security guard. Allen was an emperor penguin working the next shift, and pulled a bit of a double-duty as a receptionist, but few people call during the night shift.
"So long, Tash," he replied.
Natasha revved her engine as she pulled to a red light. She planted her legs on the pavement and waited patiently for the light to turn green. Soon after stopping, she felt a buzzing on her leg, her phone. She removed her helmet and answered. "Hello?"
"Natasha Serov?" an official sounding female voice sounded.
"Yeah? Who is this?"
"Dr. McArthur at Santos Hospital, it's about Madeline DeLouise?"
She felt breathless and reluctant to continue. "Y-Yeah, about her?" Dear god, don't hurt her...
"She has been in a hit-and-run accident at her workplace. She's in stable condition, but the crash left her in rough shape. Mostly bumps and bruises, a few broken bones, and a concussion. She said to-"
"I'll be there," she replied urgently. She hung up her phone and replaced her helmet, squealing her bike in a half circle before heading to the hospital.
In five minutes, she was running through the halls of the hospital, trying to find her lover. When the nurses asked to help, she simply kept moving until she reached her room. "Maddie?" She called gently.
Madeline was on the bed, arm casted and face bruised and cut. "Tash?" She replied with tears in her eyes.
Natasha came in and hugged her lover. They kissed gently on their lips before Madeline pulled away. "It...It was him. It was Paul. He hit me with a truck, then drove away. I told them, but the cops... They said moment, and they'll talk to me after my stay..." She broke down. "You were right, Natasha! You were right, I was right, I...I just can't handle it!"
Natasha cuddled her, despite the rage she felt.
The next day, she woke up in the chair next to the bed. Maddie was sound asleep. She walked to the bedside and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey Maddie. I'm sorry, but I have to go to work."
Madeline smiled. "It's alright. Go right ahead."
She smiled down to her and kissed her forehead. "I've gotta go now. I'll come back here with your car to pick you up, ‘kay?"
She nodded before slipping back to a drug induced sleep.
Natasha walked out of the room, picking up her cell phone from her pocket. She called work to tell them she was taking the day off.
Part 5: Meat Market will come soon...