Ticking Bomb

[brandon emmett larkin]

When Brandon had suggested the idea of being friends with benefits to Ember, he didn’t realise exactly what he was getting himself into. The girl was more intense than he had first thought and he was fairly certain that people in actual relationships didn’t see each other this much! It wasn’t even what he expected either; Ember was almost living at his place or hovering around the club waiting for him. It wasn’t in a clingy way either, but it did almost seem like she was scared to go anywhere else. In typical Ember fashion though, she would talk about everything but what was bothering her. She may not have been sleeping around anymore but she was getting worse; the other night she had turned up in the early hours of the morning with a busted lip, cut up hands and unable to breathe. Brandon had wanted to call for an ambulance but Ember was insistent that she would be fine. Every time he closed his eyes he saw what she was like as she clung to his doorframe, hand on her chest and shards of glass and dirt in her palms. She had been pale, barely able to focus and intent on getting through it by herself.

Brandon was still worried about her now and he could hardly focus on his job. The IDs were barely glanced at tonight and he was looking over the crowds in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the familiar blonde. Maybe she was resting, taking it easy. He didn’t buy her excuse of getting into a fight and finding herself outnumbered and in a bad part of town. It looked more as though she had fallen, collapsed even and collided with the pavement. He asked her about it when he cleaned her hands up but she remained evasive and vague about the whole thing. It was like he had her in the interrogation room again. She had been reluctant to let him help her at all, but she was in no state to leave and she could barely get up off the couch to fight him off when he did appear with the first aid kit. She had ended up spending the night, but left before he awoke the next morning. He didn’t know what was happening with her, but he knew that there was more going on than what she was telling him.

She seemed to be losing her fight; something he thought she had an endless supply of. Ember Thistle Grant didn’t run from fights, nor did she allow people to help her but it was suddenly appearing as though she was running out of options. He didn’t think it was people who were a danger to her either, but something else entirely. Whatever this was, she seemed to be doing it to herself, inducing problems and dangers that she simply shouldn’t have to start with. He did consider drugs to be a part of it, but there were no signs that he could use to pull her up with and he knew better than to take her on unprepared and with no real knowledge of the situation. Fight or not, she would have him beaten in just moments and then he may not have another chance again to help her with whatever it was that was doing this to her.

He let another young group of girls into the club and then heard a familiar voice; the heavy accent and flirtatious tone impossible to ignore. His head snapped around and he saw Ember dressed in another of her party outfits, though this was a lot more modest than normal. She had her hands wrapped around some drunk guy’s neck and her eyes were twinkling with a look Brandon knew well now. She didn’t look as though she was well enough for this and there was something else inside Brandon that stirred and left him feeling jealous, bitter that she went to someone else tonight. He stepped away from the door allowing his colleague to take over and moved to intervene. Clearing his throat when he reached the couple, he gently placed his hand on the small of Ember’s back as though to guide her, or show the other guy who he was about to mess with. “Ember, I don’t think you should be out tonight.” He said to her, keeping his voice soft and gentle to as not to alarm her or rub her the wrong way. He was treading on dangerous ground as it was and the last thing he wanted to do was to make things worse.

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Word count of 798
Written for Ember
Listening to Burn The Bridges by Feeder
Outfit to come later.

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[Ember Thistle Grant]

Ember knew she was getting worse and she knew she should start looking after herself before something happened that she couldn’t prevent. The problem was that stubborn trait of hers and the fact that every time she heard one of Andrew’s lectures or had to listen to what someone thought of her life she felt the need to stick with the rebelling and neglect her health again. She was being like a stupid little kid who wasn’t getting her own way and it was annoying herself too now, but she couldn’t stop. Every time Andrew pissed her off she went to Brandon, even if they just ordered take out and spent the night making out or sleeping side by side. It wasn’t soothing so much as it was what she needed. Knowing what Brandon used to be gave her a kick that she couldn’t quite explain. A girl like her with a ex-cop like him…she could imagine what her older friends would say and the look Zoe would give her if her innocent friend knew the truth. Not just them, but Andrew too - the thought would probably give him a heart attack and he’d have the company lawyers on the phone in seconds, preparing a defence just in case they needed one. It was the safest way she knew of rebelling and when the pain grew too great it was the best option that she had without killing herself.

Though, the other night had been too close a call for the gunslinger. She had been walking around the city after finishing a shopping trip and was heading towards one of her favourite coffee shops not far from Brandon’s place when she felt the attack coming on. Everything began to spin and it was just a few seconds later when she hit the sidewalk, smacking her face and scraping her hands as she fought off unconsciousness, swearing loudly, pushing away the middle aged man who tried to help her and forcing herself back to her feet. Her chest was tight, her breathing ragged and she moved as fast as her unsteady legs would allow her until she reached Brandon’s apartment, where she banged loudly on the door, clinging to the doorframe with so much desperation that her knuckles turned white and hands hurt more as she pushed dirt and glass deeper into the cuts.

She had been so relieved when he was home, but she wasn’t about to let him do what was right either. She knew the phase would pass and she just needed a little time to recuperate. One of the best things about Brandon was that he didn’t know about her HCM and he didn’t have any reason to question her health. There was none of the fussing that came with Andrew and Zoe and she had the best chance to be free around him too. It was almost the perfect ideal of what she craved, but she didn’t do relationships, not even when they seemed convenient enough to actually work out.
It was only because she felt so weak that she allowed him to clean up her hands and her lip, but after that she basically passed out, the fatigue hitting her hard from running when she should have been dialling 911 herself. Admitting herself to hospital made the whole thing she had been doing redundant and the thought of hearing Andrew yelling at her again was enough to keep her fighting it off herself.

However, she knew Brandon would be suspicious of her now. The excuse she gave had been lame for her and his trained detective senses would be telling him otherwise again now. If she went back to see him he was bound to bombard her with questions as though he had arrested her or something. The whole idea of Brandon was that he didn’t know and Ember wasn’t about to tell him the truth, even if he worked it out for himself.
So, she avoided the Marquee that night and went to a bar next door instead. It didn’t have the same atmosphere as the nightclub, but at least Brandon wasn’t there to fuss over her and try and find out the truth about what had happened the other night. She thought her plan was foolproof until she left with the guy she had been flirting with and he suggested they go dancing for a bit. His eyes had drifted to the Marquee and Ember turned up the charm to try and entice him away from it. He was adamant though and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Before she could try anything else though she felt another hand on the small of her back; warm, firm and familiar. She knew who it was before he spoke, but his words only angered her. “And I really don’t think it’s any of your business, Larkin.”

[/color] She had taken to calling him Brandon now, but her anger fuelled her need for distance from him. Ember turned away from the guy she was with and faced him, arms folded across her chest as she tried to numb the ache hidden beneath them. “So, why don’t you just go back to work?”[/color] She suggested, as more of a command than a question.
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• • •

TAGGED! Brandon <3
WORDS! 912
OUTFIT! Hot Mess
LYRICS! Dustland Fairytale- - - The Killers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[brandon emmett larkin]

He knew better than to ignore what had happened the other night. There was something much more serious going on than Ember trying to find comfort in the arms of men, but she was so defensive about almost everything that it was impossible to be straightforward and just ask her about it. No, if you wanted to know something about Ember, you had to figure it out for yourself and Brandon had limited ways of studying the girl. She deserved her privacy and he wasn’t going to go searching through her bag when she was sleeping or anything like that, but he needed to know what she was keeping from him, especially after the other night.

He figured that it was fairly safe to say that there was a medical situation the other day, but in all the time that he had known Ember there had never been any signs that there was anything wrong with her health. She worked out at the gym a good few times during the week and she was out painting the city red during many of the nights he was working…usually, if someone was sick they were the two things they tried to avoid doing so much. It was hard to figure out and it wasn’t like her symptoms were obvious enough to make a home diagnosis. Shortness of breath, disorientation were just things that came with a lot of conditions and not all of them had to be medical emergencies. When he wanted to call the ambulance and Ember stopped him, maybe she was right. Maybe it was just an attack of sorts like those with asthma had; they knew how to deal with it better than those without.

Was he making a big deal out of nothing? Was it really his business to start with? He couldn’t help it. There was such an enigma surrounding Ember that his detective instincts were attracted to her and his need to solve this mystery was more than overwhelming for him. The more time that he spent with her, the more he felt he needed to know about her. It was impossible to explain this to anyone, but it was starting to become irksome with how much of his time was now devoted to thinking about the tall blonde and trying to piece together what he did know about her. She didn’t realise it, but she let little things slip through when they were together. Like, if they ordered pizza, she would pick the olives off or if they had burgers, she would ask for extra sauce. When a girl was as mysterious as Ember was, little things like that were like finding gold mines. He couldn’t exactly write her biography from those facts, but they were a starting place for getting to know her better.

Brandon flicked his serious eyes to the guy Ember was in the company of. “Do you mind giving us some privacy?” It wasn’t really a request and the tone of authority rang within his voice as though he still had the badge around his neck. He took Ember’s arm gently and led her away from the guy and the crowds that hovered outside the night hotspots. “You are not okay, Em. I’m trying to look out for you.” He said, trying to make her understand what he meant and how worried he was after the other night’s incident. “And that may as well be my damned job with the amount of times I find myself doing it.” He added, raising his eyebrows and taking a chance at staring her down.

[/justify]

Word count of 628
Written for Ember
Listening to Burn The Bridges by Feeder
Outfit to come later.

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[Ember Thistle Grant]

This was what Ember had predicted would happen. Brandon Larkin was the kind of guy who would stick his nose in where it didn’t belong the second he picked up a scent of a mystery. She didn’t know if he was like this before the NYPD or not, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was for him to get off her case and leave her the hell alone. She didn’t need anyone else fussing over her and trying to tell her how to live her life. Ember was capable of taking care of herself and she had been having a perfectly good time until the rugged ex-detective showed up, hell bent on interfering in her business. Her mood instantly turned sour and all she wanted to do now was get away from both of these men before either of them could ask anymore questions or try to control her again.

It wasn’t like the other day was the first time something like that had happened. She had been through the same medical crisis time and time again and pulled through it without anyone’s help or without any lasting problems. Why was it so hard for Brandon to understand that and why did he feel the need to act like he was her protector all of a sudden?
They didn’t exactly know each other as well as some people did. Sure, they spent more time together now since he had suggested their ‘arrangement’ but that didn’t mean that he knew her or who she was beneath the mask she wore. It wasn’t like she let her guard down when she was around him and they didn’t exactly cuddle on the sofa sharing intimate stories or talking about their deepest dreams and ambitions. She wasn’t one of those girls and she never would be. Some things were private and Ember liked to keep the reminiscing to herself.

Her jaw fell slack for a moment and then tensed, just as the first drops of rain began to fall from the dark sky. Her blue eyes narrowed at the slightly taller man and she stepped closer, narrowing the space between them, but not in a positive manner. She was trying to square up to him and stare him down. Brandon had crossed a line and she was about to let him know about it. “Actually, he doesn‘t have to go anywhere.”

[/color] She said, her tone dark and serious as she held the glare with Brandon. Vaguely, she heard the man from the bar mumble something and then she felt him move away from her and make his way into the club without her. The whole thing only heightened her mood and she took a deep breath to try and calm her temper, but failed. “You have some nerve, Larkin.”[/color] She stated, snarling slightly at him.
She wrenched her arm away from him and stepped back, her eyes daring him to touch her again. She didn’t care who he was anymore and she was only seconds away from throwing a solid punch at him and showing him where he could shove his so called ‘care’.
“Listen, I’ve never asked you to look out for me and as far as you should be concerned, I’m fine. This isn’t a relationship and you don’t get to dictate when I’m okay.”[/color] She told him sternly, her fists balling at her sides as she came to pause for breath. “Now, try to pull a stunt like that again and I’ll break the hand that touches me.”[/color] She threatened, her darkened eyes telling him just how serious she was about the matter.
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• • •

TAGGED! Brandon <3
WORDS! 641
OUTFIT! Hot Mess
LYRICS! Dustland Fairytale- - - The Killers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[brandon emmett larkin]

Brandon never meant to feel anything for the young woman who he was sleeping with. It was just meant to be a physical connection they shared and nothing more, but with so much of his time being spent with her, it was starting to become difficult. He knew the way she liked her coffee, her favourite order of pizza and had noticed how many times she fluffed up her hair when they were just sitting there, relaxing. When you started to notice the little things about a person, it became harder to feel nothing for them and whilst Brandon couldn’t classify his feelings for Ember as anything more than friendship, at least for now. However, what she couldn’t understand was that even friends learnt to care for each other, whether they wanted it to happen or not.

She definitely wasn’t the easiest of people to show consideration for and Brandon did wonder if he was wasting his time trying to make her understand why he was worried about her in the first damn place. He didn’t care that she was keeping secrets from him, however large they might be. What he was worried about was her ignorance to her own health and the neglect to look after herself that he was starting to see more and more of as the weeks passed by. If it was as trivial as she was trying to tell him it was then why hadn’t she already explained it to him? He knew there was more to this than she was letting on and this time he wasn’t about to let her get away with keeping it a secret now. If she was so content to risk her health with a shrug of her shoulders then he deserved to know exactly what she was risking, especially after she had turned up on his doorstep looking as though she was only three steps away from death.

The look in her eyes was one he had seen before, but not for many years now. He knew exactly where this was going to go and he knew that this was a sign of Ember going out on an all out offensive, possibly complete with aggressive actions, yelling and Ember potentially throwing a punch or two his way. He watched as the guy walked away from Ember and saw the anger flicker through her eyes again. Maybe he was out of practice when it came to dealing with violent Ember from start to finish considering he was usually the one who got the last part of it these days, but he couldn’t back down from this now. “Looks like he wasn’t interested in sticking around anyway.” He said with an arrogant moment of confidence as he folded his arms and almost mirrored Ember’s stance. “Did you warn him that you’re prone to collapsing these days?” He questioned, raising his eyebrows as he leaned closer to her, challenging her again, though it may not have been a smart idea.

“Well, someone clearly has to because you’re not!” He knew he was crossing a line with the feisty blonde, but he couldn’t hold back now. Someone needed to tell Ember this and make her actually listen. Brandon could possibly be the only one who knew how to handle her when she snapped and what he was doing was certainly going to make her snap. “Look, I’m not doing this for the good of my health. In fact, having you in my life probably makes mine harder, but I’m not about to let you walk about the city if you’re about to collapse! What happened the other day, Ember?” He asked, his tone of authority slipping through as though he was back in the precinct again. “Listen to me, you’re acting like an idiot. If you’re sick then you need to do something about it and not just screw every guy you meet.” It was a low blow, but Brandon was fired up now and he was prepared to give Ember as good as he got.

[/justify]

Word count of 704
Written for Ember
Listening to Burn The Bridges by Feeder
Outfit to come later.

[/size]

[Ember Thistle Grant]

There was a sharp stab in her chest that Ember refused to succumb to. She had already appeared weak in front of Brandon once before and she wasn’t about to let it happen for a second time. He was messing with her head as it was without needing any more ammunition to use against her. She had already turned to him more times than she promised herself that she would and the mornings after the nights before were some of the most relaxing moments in recent weeks, which was worrying to say the least. She wasn’t supposed to be feeling relaxed or opening up emotionally around Brandon, yet it was happening almost automatically, which both annoyed and frightened her a little. She had guarded her true feelings and her heart for as long as she could remember and even more so in recent years so it was hardly fair that one guy got to suggest a casual relationship and by doing so was able to chip away at the wall she had built around her heart.

She shot Brandon a dark glare and clenched her jaw even more. He had no right to be here, to be doing this to her. What did it matter if she slept with someone else? What did it matter if she collapsed? None of it was any of his business yet it seemed to be as though that was how he was trying to make everything. He was trying to fight his way into her life more than she had previously agreed to and it frightened Ember more than it should. If he wormed his way in, she wouldn’t be able to get him out and she had spent the last three years doing everything in her power to keep people like Brandon out of her life, or at least at arm’s length. She wasn’t going to let herself become vulnerable again, no matter how badly fate seemed to want it.
“I don’t need you to act like I’m some damsel in distress. You’re not a cop anymore and I’ve done nothing to deserve this interrogation.”

[/color] She hissed, stabbing his chest with a manicured nail, her eyes never leaving his in the hopes of delivering her message loud and clear. “You know nothing about me, Larkin.”[/color] She hissed, wishing more than ever that he would drop this and just let her get on with her life and how she was ruining it.

“I never asked to be in your life!”[/color] She screamed, finally breaking as the pain in her chest increased tenfold. She gasped slightly, but forced herself to fight through it, determined to get all of this out and get away from Brandon before he felt as though he needed to try and save her or something equally as morose in the opinion of the tall blonde. She shot him a look that spoke volumes and shook her head, her voice now low and tainted with a slight hint of hurt. “You didn’t complain when it was you I was in bed with.”[/color] She said, stepping away from him and trying not to let the physical pain show on her face as her heart tightened more and breathing became harder. “I don’t owe you any explanations, Larkin. You knew the kind of girl you were choosing to get tangled up with long before anything happened between us. So don’t try and act like you’re a victim.”[/color] She stumbled backwards, needing to get off this street and away from him, but it was suddenly like her body wasn’t working with her, the pain only growing as she tried to fight against it and put on the brave front she was infamous for.

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• • •

TAGGED! Brandon <3
WORDS! 622
OUTFIT! Hot Mess
LYRICS! Dustland Fairytale- - - The Killers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[brandon emmett larkin]

Nothing that was happening made sense to Brandon. He tried so very hard to keep emotions out of the mix here, but it was impossible for him, even with the way Ember treated him on this night. She could push, but he could push harder and it would be a long time before either of them willingly gave in, but it was a challenge that Brandon was happy to accept if it meant he might find out exactly what Ember was trying to hide from him and the rest of the world. It wasn’t even something he could let slide, or something trivial that they might laugh at. He had concluded that it was serious; the kind of serious that you didn’t keep from others unless you didn’t want them to worry. It might have worked that way if Ember had not shown up at his door in such a state, spurring him on to discover her big secret and why she was such a fighter with those who only wanted to help her out from time to time.

Taking Ember on was a big deal and quite possibly a big mistake, but Brandon wasn’t regretting it so far. She was intriguing, a reminder of his old life and a challenge to keep him on how toes. He wasn’t about to lose her now though just because she was psychotically determined to run. Try all she wanted, Brandon wasn’t going anywhere. He had chased through the streets once or twice before and caught her eventually, so why she thought it could be different how that he didn’t have a badge was beyond him. It didn’t change the relationship between them and he wasn’t about to ignore someone who needed help, even if Ember was adamant that she did not.

“If this was an interrogation I’d have handcuffed you and dragged you away from here already.” He said in a deep voice, warning her silently that he did still have connections with the NYPD and if they looked carefully, there were probably some charges they could pull the statuesque blonde in for. One way or another Brandon was determined to get his confession from her and there were several ways in which he could do it. He grabbed the hand that poked his chest and held it there, his eyes burning into hers. “I know more about you than you think and I will find out what you’re hiding from me about the other night.” He said quietly, hoping the message would be enough to make her talk, though he really did know better. “I’m not letting you get away from me Ember, not until I know you’re alright.”

Despite how she tried to hide it, he saw the flicker in her mask as the pain struck her. His eyebrows arched for a second as concern flooded his gaze. Ember, as expected, remained angry, seemingly refusing to succumb to the pain that was racing through her body. It didn’t matter what she said now; he wanted to make sure she was alright. “Of course I knew the kind of girl I was tangled up with! I needed to keep my eye on her to make sure she didn’t find herself on the wrong end of a gun, or face down in the harbour!” He confessed, trying to move closer to calm her down, assess her health at the moment. “Obviously, I should have been more worried about the harm she could do to herself. Ember, seriously, what is wrong? You’re not okay, I can see it as clear as day that you’re in pain so why the hell won’t you let me help?!” He watched as she stumbled backwards and he followed her. She wasn’t okay, she was sick and she needed help whether she wanted to accept it or not. People may have been staring at them both now, but Brandon was solely focused on the tall blonde, determined to get through to her.

[/justify]

Word count of 694
Written for Ember
Listening to Burn The Bridges by Feeder
Outfit to come later.

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[Ember Thistle Grant]

Her chest felt constricted, her breath was coming in short ragged gasps and her palms were clammy as she desperately tried in vain to control her heart. Ember closed her eyes tight and bit down hard on her lip, breaking the skin as another sharp pain shot through her chest. Never had it been like this. She had never had it come on so suddenly, so forcefully and in a way that stopped her from fighting like she always did. Whether she liked the matter or not Brandon was going to be witness to one of the worst moments in her life. The rain water felt icy on her burning skin and she couldn’t tell if the beads trickling down her neck were water or sweat anymore. A soft gasp left her lips along with a quiet whimper and she met Brandon’s eyes with almost a desperate glare.

“Why won’t you just leave me be? I just want to be alone.”

[/color] Ember had cracked and her eyes were glassy with pain and fear induced tears as she begged Brandon to vanish from her life. It was also the first time she had ever told anyone the truth about how she felt. Not even Robert had heard the statuesque blonde make such a confession. Ember had hurt people throughout her life and pushed them away and Robert had died because of her heart. She didn’t want anyone else near her in case she ruined their lives too. Playing with daggers and risking her own life was one thing, but she had vowed never to let anyone else get so close to her that she could destroy theirs too. It had worked well too, until Brandon had rolled back along. He seemed hell bent on tearing down the defences she had carefully put up and exposing her for what she really was.

She listened to what he said, her eyes fixed on his as his lips moved. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why would he do something like that? Why would anyone put themselves out there and in such a position for someone else, someone who they hardly knew? Another surge of pain hit her chest and it was with a small whimper that she looked at Brandon with a decision made. Hell, if anyone who knew Ember well saw this, they’d probably be shocked to death! She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly as the pain rocked her body, the street spinning dangerously fast as she realised that this would be one of the few fights that she lost. “Just, just please, don’t…go.”[/color] Ember knew what was happening right now and she knew that she had played with fire too many times to emerge from the flames now. The world was flickering, the lights of New York twinkling behind her eyelids as she struggled with the agonising pain she was in. It seemed fitting that she would go on the same streets that she raised herself on. Gasping for air, she released his hand and whimpered in pain as her legs gave way and everything started to fade; the lights, the sounds, even the pain.
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• • •

TAGGED! Brandon <3
WORDS! 563
OUTFIT! Hot Mess
LYRICS! Dustland Fairytale- - - The Killers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[brandon emmett larkin]

Someone needed to do something. Ember was not well, at all. In fact, he had seen corpses that looked healthier than her as the pain overwhelmed her slender body. He watched, eyes filled with concern as she quickly worsened and what he saw now made the other night look like nothing at all. He heard the small noises that she made and quickly he reached out to grab her arms, to balance her and hold her up. If she could fight this sort of thing off then she was doing a pretty damn bad job of it right now! “Em? Ember are you okay? She seemed to be weakening and her eyes were glassy as though she could hardly focus.

He strained to hear her faint words, wincing at the pincer grip she had on his hand. Don’t go? What? Wait, what she trying to say? He watched in confusion as he tried to decipher the implications of her words, but they quickly became apparently as her eyes finally left his, rolling back as her body crumpled to the floor. “Ember!” He dropped to his knees at her side, the hard concrete hurting his knees, but Brandon didn’t focus on his own pain right now. “Ember?”He shook her shoulders gently and then frowned when she didn’t move. Bending over her, he listened for her breathing, his fingers skimming her neck to seek out a pulse but neither sign of life appeared. “Shit. Call an ambulance! Now!” He shouted to where a small crowd outside the Marquee stood watching them. His colleague quickly flipped out his phone and made the call, but Brandon wasn’t focused on him or the others anymore. All that mattered right now was Ember. Readjusting her body, he quickly began CPR, giving silent thanks that his first aid training had been retaken a few weeks ago since it was a requirement of the job.

“Come on, Ember! This isn’t how it goes.”He spat out between compressions, waiting for a sign of life from the motionless blonde. Her hair lay scattered around her head in the street and her eyes were shut as though she was only asleep. Her body jolted slightly with each compression, but none of it was more than the force Brandon was exacting. “No. I am not losing you!” He had seen Ember survive a lot over the years and he wasn’t about to let whatever this was win. They still had to talk about things like her need to be alone in life and his determination to never let that happen, but they couldn’t talk about it if one of them was in a grave.

He could hear the sirens over the music, but he didn’t ease up the CPR. Ember still seemed unresponsive and whilst she may have given up in those final few seconds, he wasn’t about to let it all go. The noise got louder and his arms were growing tired, the strength quickly draining from them, but he didn’t let up and there was a snowball’s chance in hell of him easing off now. He couldn’t let her go, not now and not like this. The blue lights reflected off her pale skin and Brandon glanced up to see the large vehicle parked on the street, the two men quickly jumping from the ambulance, grabbing necessary equipment before rushing over to where Brandon was. “She’s twenty one but been having health issues for a few weeks. I don’t know if they’re part of a long term condition or something different, but she’s been out for five minutes or so now, she wasn't breathing and I couldn’t find a pulse before I started CPR.” He said breathlessly as he moved away, falling back against a car whilst he regained his strength. He watched as they fussed about her, checking stats and everything else before cutting her shirt ready for the defibrillator. He wished that Ember could have more modesty and quickly ushered the crowds away from where the blonde lay in her bra, the EMTs fighting to bring her back from the brink. “There’s a pulse!” Three words had never sounded so incredibly relieving before and Brandon sighed, quickly walking back to where Ember lay. “I’m coming with you to the hospital. I’m a detective with the NYPD and she’s supposed to be in my care.” It was only partly a lie and he had friends in the NYPD who would let this one slide if they found out. Right now, he didn’t care about any of that; he just wanted Ember to be okay again.

[/justify]

Word count of 792
Written for Ember
Listening to Burn The Bridges by Feeder
Outfit to come later.

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