#zach garrett

The exception to that rule had been if one of them was too ill or got stuck at work. Otherwise, the start of the weekend was a sacred time for them both. In the near fifteen years that they had been friends, that hadn't changed. No one else was allowed to encroach on the time. And no one ever had. Relationships came and went, each of them thinking that they had found somebody only to have Things fall through for one reason or another. Through it all, the Friday night get togethers never ceased. It was the one thing that they could each rely on no matter what happened in life.

That was until now. When she had called and said that she wouldn't be able to make their Friday get-together, Zack had thought that she was sick. He had offered to bring her whatever she needed, making the assumption that she was staying home. When she had told him that she was meeting up with a guy, a tightness in his chest formed. That wasn't right. Still, he managed to be a good friend and congratulated her. He was able to spit out the words that he was happy for her, even if they felt like acid on his tongue. He's supposed to should be thankful. She hadn't done it in person, which made it much easier to be able to lie. She would have known right away that he wasn't being genuine if she had been able to see his face. So, Zack did the only thing he could think to do. He picked up a shift at Smith Grove for Friday night. It would at least keep his mind off everything. There was a small selfish part of him that hoped it didn't go well, and if it didn't, he wouldn't be available for a phone call. The thought did make him feel a little guilty, but at the same time, it was fueled by hurt.

Friday night came and went, and there was no phone call. He felt it was safe to assume that everything had gone well. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse. Though he didn't have to wait long to get more information. Midday Saturday, he had received a text from her. It was another apology for cancelling last minute, but in addition it included how wonderful the date had gone. Another false sentiment of happiness was given. Then she confirmed that they were indeed on for the following friday, that she wouldn't be cancelling and that she would be buying drinks. Zack didn't have the heart to say anything else to that besides agreeing. Maybe this thing with this guy would fizzle out, as they often did. If he could consider his luck with relationships bad, hers was worse. Maybe things could have been different, could be different if he could get his head out of his ass and actually say something to her. But the fear of ruining the friendship was far too high.

*******************

Things felt odd all week, something that he couldn't seem to shake. Like something was looming overhead, await that was pressing down and affecting every aspect of his life. Well, Fridays had always been that chance at releasing anything and everything that had built up during the week. This Friday almost seemed to be adding to the pressure. Deciding to have a fuck all attitude, Zack had invited her over to his place for the night. He did not feel like being out among the public or dealing with anybody else. And the thought of running into whoever it was that she was seeing made his stomach churn. Safety of his home was far better.

A knock on the door was the only signal that he got that she had arrived. Nothing about the fact that she had made her way inside with a simple knock to announce her presence was unusual. Hell, they even had spare keys to each other's places if something were to go wrong or the other needed something. But something about tonight felt just as off as the rest of the week had. He shoved it to the back of his mind for now, wanting to focus on having a pleasant Friday evening with her. There was plenty to drink in his fridge, and by the sounds of it, she had brought even more. She had said that she would be buying so he wasn't all that surprised. Coming out of the office, he found her setting a couple of bottles on the counter and two cases of beer in the fridge.

"Hey, was wondering where you were," she greeted softly with a smile. The one that he always enjoyed seeing. It softened her face a bit, brightened her eyes.

"Sorry, was just finished up some things needed for work."

"They got you pulling mandated overtime again?"

"Nah, that was all last week." She scoffed, and he couldn’t help but smile. Always worried about him and the work that he did. It seemed that wouldn't change.

"Got your favorite, figuring that I owed at least that much." He shook his head and leaned against the counter as she finished up in the refrigerator.

"It's really no big deal, you know that."

"See, that's how I know you are wrong." There was a pause between them, but it didn't feel awkward like Zach half expected it to after last week. Instead, the silence that stretched between them held the same level of comfort that it always did. There was not always a constant need to fill that stretch of time with sound. A rare occurrence that he found. Most people seemed to always feel the need to ruin a quiet moment. She never had, contented to move through time on the same level that he did. "You know I wouldn't have canceled unless it was something important."

"I know. And you know that you don't need to go apologizing. Really, it is okay. You're here now, and that is what matters, right? So, why don't we crack open one of these bottles and get started while waiting for the rest of that to cool down?" He reached for one of the bottles of whiskey. Seemed like a good place to start as any. She held up her hands in a gesture of surrender before moving to grab them both some glasses as he opened the bottle and reached for his phone to order some pizza. If the plan was to drink even half of what she had brought, they would need some food. Thank God he didn't have to go to work tomorrow. It wasn't as easy to pull off this shit as it had been even just a few years ago. Not that they always drank heavily, but it looked like the night's aim would be to make up for the missing day last week.

That observation hadn't been all that far off. A bottle down along with a couple of cans of beer and Zach was feeling the pleasant haze of being drunk beyond a shadow of a doubt. Relaxed on the couch beside his friend, thoughts were anything but platonic. She was nearly plastered into his side, laughing as they talked about some of the ridiculous things that they had done when they were younger.

"You remember when we were out for my twenty-first, and that asshole at the bar wouldn't leave me alone?" Zach chuckled and shifted an arm around her, keeping her close to this side, even if the action was unnecessary. There was nothing strange about cuddling. Nope.

"Man would not take anything for any answer. Still swear I shoulda knocked the shit out of him."

"Yeah, but that would have gotten us kicked out. Instead…" He shook his head a little and squeezed her shoulders.

"Instead, I pretended to be your boyfriend. We didn't hear the end of it that night." It wouldn't have been a bad thing, but all of their friends had thought it was ridiculous. Why had Zach listened to a single thing that had been said that night? How different things could be.

"It's your fault for just coming up and kissing me without saying a damn thing!" She laughed. While the memory had been amusing, it was also one of those that Zach replayed over and over again in his mind. Especially when he was drinking and alone. He swallowed hard for a moment and glanced down at her. She was snickering and laughing a little too hard at the memory. Now would be an embarrassing time to let any arousal cloud over what little judgment was left. But did it matter?

Captivated. That was what he was as he watched her fondly, all while his fingers moved absently against her arm.

"It shut him right up and right down though, didn't it?" he could lean in and kiss her now. It would be so easy. As the thought became more and more enticing by the second, he had to be content with the way that he she was turning more into him, pressing into his side and wrapping an arm around his waist. Why was it a bad idea? Liquid courage at its finest, though that was not what registered in his brain. All that kept playing on repeat was that previous kiss. It would be so much better now, wouldn't it? They were closer and knew each other so much better than even then. They had been through so much more.

Before he could second guess the action, Zach was leaning in and brushing his lips over hers. The soft little gasp of surprise sent a shiver down his spine and shot the last little bit of control or thought that his brain could muster. A more insistent kiss was pressed to her lips. Much to his utter joy, she was kissing him back, that soft hand coming to rest against his neck. Nothing outside the two of them mattered. Actions were a little sloppy, the effects of the alcohol apparent, though it wasn't anything that he could give two shits about. He had her here, in his arms, kissing her with her returning the affections.

His currently unoccupied hand lifted and gently carded fingers through her hair. Giddiness, like he was a teenager all over again, forced everything else into the deep recesses of his mind. Finally. After all this time, it was finally happening. For a mere second, there was a break, both gathering their breath. Not a word was uttered. It wasn't needed. Then, she was pressing into his with far more enthusiasm, practically crawling her way into his lap and Zach had to quickly adjust, though it ended with him on his back, waist straddled and his hands against her hips. A position that he would not complain about. Ever. It could have been hours or minutes, but Zach wasn't able to tell. There wasn't any desire to pull back or shift her from his lap. Though eventually, oxygen was needed. The two were silent, looking at one another, soft smiles shared without having to say anything. Fingers gently ran over her cheek, the moment seared into his brain. He felt sleepy, warm, and comfortable. She settled down against his chest, sprawled out over him, allowing him to wrap an arm properly around her waist.

The next thing that registered was the painful bright light that came streaming through the window. With a pained wince, it took effort to manage to open his eyes. There was a warmth atop him. What had happened? Glancing down, he was greeted with the sight of air. Oh, that was right. They must have fallen asleep after drinking and…shit. They had been making out. In the light of day and with a sober mind, he realized that perhaps neither of them had made good decisions last night. Or maybe it was the best decision that he had ever made. Things were yet to be seen. He would have to wait for her to wake up to make that determination. For now, he was going to enjoy the few moments that he was gifted.

A small groan told him that she was waking up. A part of him wanted the moment to last just a little longer, selfishly enjoy something that would likely be ripped away from him in mere seconds. But there wasn't anything to do as she shifted. He could feel her lift a hand, rubbing her face.

"Morning," he murmured gently, not wanting to startle her. There was a dull throb in the back of his head, a sure sign of the hangover that would be plaguing them both as soon as they actually started to move around. There was a small grunt given in response, and he had to do his best not to laugh. It would have been a little too painful right then. She just seemed to nuzzle closer instead of pulling away. Not what he expected, but maybe she hadn't quite come out of whatever dreamland that she had been living in. While it wasn't common, it wasn't exactly unheard of that they ended up cuddled on the couch or passed out and waking up like this. He just figured it wouldn't be the case when she had whatever it was that was developing with whatever his name was.

"Shit…" She managed to slowly pick her head up before realizing what position they found themselves in. Another second, and she was picking herself up off of him. Zach immediately missed the heat. "How much did we drink last night?" His heart sunk a little when that was the first thing that she asked. Did he say anything? Would it be smart?

"Probably too damn much," he offered with a slightly pained chuckle. Zach ran a hand over his face and forced himself to sit up, where, as expected, the throbbing in his head immediately worsened. "If you feel anything like I do, I have a feeling that you'll agree."

"Yeah, okay. We overdid it." He didn't watch as she moved towards the kitchen, listening to the steps that wandered off. Perhaps she was ignoring the elephant in the room. Perhaps it was a simple case of her not remembering. Zach wasn't sure which he would prefer it to be, which might hurt a little less. Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind in favor of heading to the bathroom, Zach could worry about it later. Things were normal otherwise this morning so why bother messing with the status quo.

*****************

She never mentioned what happened, and after a week where things weren't awkward, he figured that she simply didn't remember what had happened. He did, and it was just making things a little more difficult for him. Sure, it happened when they were both drunk, but Zach really wanted to believe that even with alcohol, she wouldn't have done anything that she didn't want to do. But, like the good friend that he was, he didn't say anything since her relationship seemed to be progressing instead of ending like things had over the last few years. She was happy, so he had to suck it up.

A few weeks went by, and everything seemed typical. Work was work, life went by, and Friday nights continued to be a source of enjoyment. He had gone on a few dates, though nothing really stuck. Everyone ended up compared to her and always fell short. Not that the reasoning was ever fully explained to her when they got together. That would ruin the whole thing that he was trying to do.

It was when a Friday night was skipped without warning that Zach began to feel a little uneasy. At first, he thought it was something that he had done. Maybe she had remembered and had decided that it was something that she couldn't handle anymore. A spiraling thought pattern that he was able to recognize. Zach had to give the benefit of the doubt, calling her to check in and see if she needed anything the next morning. That uneasy feeling grew, though, when she had said that she had forgotten to let him know that she hadn't been able to make it. Her voice sounded off. Off in a way that he couldn't place but enough to make that pit in his gut grow. The sort of off that he heard at work at times, when someone was worried or trying to hide something.

That worry grew into an all out concern when she started to not return texts and when more get togethers were missed without any sort of warning or explanation. All the way, this guy was still in her life. Concern remained present but began to share space with suspicion. Zach was simply a security guard at Smith Grove. It wasn't like he had a lot of reach or ability to look into things. But he was owed a few favors with some people who did have those abilities. Now was the time to call them in. He needed some background information on this guy that was becoming a major part of his friend's life. One that he had yet to meet, one that there was always an excuse so he couldn't. Red flags slowly began popping up left and right but until he had information and some concrete evidence.

****************

Poignantly, information came to him on a Friday night. Another night that was meant for them to spend together, and there had been nothing but radio silence. While suspicions weren't entirely confirmed, Zach didn't like the information that had been given to him. The guy had a record, and there were some things on there that were enough that it wouldn't take a leap to putting hands on someone.

He had to see her and had to check on her after not seeing her for nearly three weeks. It was the longest time that they had gone without seeing one another for almost ten years. Armed with the knowledge that there could be a potential problem when he showed up, he was prepared for all possible outcomes. Arriving at her home, the first thing that he did was try to see if the lights were on. Some sort of sign that she was there. Check. There was a soft glow coming through the curtains. Someone was home. Now, the question was if he used the key or knocked on the door. The key would give him the element of surprise, but if his concerns were correct, that sort of action could make things way worse for her. Knock on the door it was.

He waited patiently, glancing around for a moment as there was nothing but silence on the other side of the door. Another car sat in the driveway, one that he wasn't familiar with but assumed it belonged to the boyfriend. Seconds passed, which turned into two minutes before the door finally cracked open. Zach had been about ready to go for the spare key before he could see her face around the crack in the door. His stomach dropped to his feet as she seemed panicked. Not outwardly, but he could see it in her eyes. The way that they were darting back and forth, fingers fidgeting at the door. Something was very wrong.

"Hey, sweetheart. Hadn't heard from you in a bit and wanted to check in. Was worried about you." She still hadn't fully opened the door, something that hadn't escaped his notice. "Think I can come in?" Under any other circumstances, Zach would have respected whatever answer that she gave but tonight? He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Now really isn't a good time, Zach." The words shook, causing him to square his shoulders. Resolve washed through him, reminding him why he was where and why he was doing this.

"I'm gonna say it again. I'm worried about you." He tried to get the point across without saying it outright, but at this rate, it looked like she was going to make him. The sounds of heavy footsteps caught his attention. Whoever was in the house with her was coming to the door.

"Zach, please. Now isn't a good time." It was almost a plea. Enough so that it caused him to press his hand to the door, applying some pressure to be able to get her to open it more. A brief struggle before his willpower was the one that won out.

"I don't care what you think, I'm not leaving you like this. Not when I know something is wrong." Maybe he should have given it a little more thought, but his overriding concern was your safety. And right now? She was not safe. He could hear the angry words that were coming from the hallway right before the man appeared. All before his brain could register the bruise that was forming on the side of her face.

"What the hell is this?" Zach's eyes finally locked on the man that had been causing so many issues and found exactly what he expected. A larger than average frame, both height and weight and a look that screamed rage. Experience told him that this was going to turn into a fight rather quickly. Squaring his shoulders a bit, he was already trying to assess which would be the safest way to get her out of the line of fire and what at hand weapons were closest to grab. None of the options were particularly good, but what was he supposed to do? He was in the thick of it now. There wasn't any turning back.

"I think it's about time for you to leave." The asshole had the audacity to laugh. As much as he wanted to react harshly and immediately, Zach knew that he couldn't. He had to be the one with the level head, thinking clearly would be the thing that got them both out of this safely. It was the same as if he was handling a patient at work. The only difference? He wasn't armed with a loaded shotgun, permission to shoot if things were getting out of hand. So, the next best thing had to be done. Though, it wasn't entirely clear besides getting her out of harm's way what that thing was.

"And just who the hell do you think you are? No one. She's the one who owns this place and decides who comes and goes. And she doesn't want me going anywhere, do you, sweetheart?" Zach didn't miss the way that she seemed to cringe at the pet name, something that she had never done when he used it. It was just another sure sign that his gut feeling had been right.

"See, I know she is entirely capable of making her own decisions, but do you? Because it seems to me that she isn't overly fond of your presence."

"Fuck off and get out of the house." It was Zach's turn to make an amused sound.

"I'm not letting you hurt her anymore. So, either you get out of this house or I call the cops. And I'm not sure that you can really afford another hit on your record right now, can you?"

"Is that a fucking threat?"

"Take it as you want." The man closed down the distance, and Zach tensed, prepared to take a swing or move out of the way as quickly as possible. A good thing too as the punch came without any warning, the arm barely cocking back before flying at his face. While he attempted to dodge, he wasn't able to get out of the way of the full blow, getting clipped on the jaw. Shit, that was a hell of a punch. Probably a good thing he had not taken it full on, otherwise he might have been unconscious on the floor. With the first punch thrown, he quickly moved to put some distance between them while reaching out to grab the closest item that could be used as a makeshift weapon. "Guess that racks up assault." Maybe he shouldn't be taunting the man but he couldn't help himself.

"Danny, stop!" She had reached out to grab Danny, and Zach had to grit his teeth as the man shook her off, sending her into the wall. Just what he had been trying to avoid.

"All right, asshole. This ends now. I'm not letting you hurt her again." Instead of responding, Danny simply took a few more swings. Noot the easiest to dodge but he managed for the most part. There was one blow to his side that had the air knocked out of his lungs entirely, causing him to swing in reaction. It caught Danny on the side of his face, though given that it was an umbrella, it didn't do all that much damage. Enough to make him back off a few steps though, and it opened a cut along his cheek. The opening was enough for Zach to duck by the hulking frame. Taking a whack at Danny's legs from behind, he reached for the phone to call 911. Just two seconds were needed to make the call and get the police here.

*****

The last thing that he wanted to do was deal with paramedics or the hospital. So, as soon as Zach was able to sign the consent form, he did so. Thankfully, it didn't seem like she needed to go. The blow to the head hadn't been recent, so there was no concern for any concussion. There was still a possibility, but the chances were far lower.

Danny was hauled off to sit the night in a cell at the very least. A problem for another time at this point. Zach wanted to focus on getting her back in the house and settled for the night. Actually relax and not have to worry about anything at all.

Ushering her back into the house, the first thing that he did was make sure to remove any trace of Danny. The man had certainly made a mess of a few things. Zach knew that she wouldn't have ever stood for the beer cans laying around or the few articles of clothing that were tossed over furniture. That kept him busy and kept him moving. Preoccupied, really. That worked for a distraction while the silence between them stretched on. She hadn't said much, and it was driving him crazy. Anything would have been taken at that moment. Anger, happiness, anything. But there was nothing. He finally had to break it just to know what was going on in her head.

"Are you going to say anything?" It probably wasn't the right thing to say exactly, but it was what came to mind. A knee-jerk sort of response.

"What do you want me to say?" Her voice was soft, barely audible, but he managed to catch it. Shoulders fell, and he let out a small sigh before moving over to her.

"Anything, sweetheart. Anything at all." There was a hesitation to reach out to her like he wanted to, a nagging doubt in the back of his mind that had never been present during their entire friendship. He hated it. "Just...talk to me? Please?" If he hadn't been that close, he wouldn't have heard the sigh that slipped. Her eyes were focused down on the floor, not raising to look at him.

"I don't know what to say, Zach. I mean, you saw what happened, what he was like." She swallowed hard but didn't break. Not yet. "It's a lot to have to process, and I don't even know where to start." That was understandable and couldn't be argued. Getting over the doubt, he reached out and rested a hand against her shoulder, giving a small squeeze.

"You know that I'm here for whatever you need. I'm sorry about having to force my way in here before. It's not what I wanted to do, but I was worried about you."

"I know, thank you." After a second, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Zach immediately returned the hug, holding her close and tightly.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Zach. He would still be here." Her body went slack against him further, her head resting against his shoulder, face practically in the crook of his neck.

"You deserve so much more than that, sweetheart." This was not the time that he needed to be doing this, but the words were beginning to flow without thought. He couldn't stop it now that it had started. "Someone who knows just how special you are and can appreciate everything about you." She sniffled, and his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't intended to have her cry.  She didn't say anything right away either, making him a little worried that he had indeed said the wrong thing. A little more sniffling as he held his breath, all before she was finally speaking.

"I know that, at least logically. It didn't start out like this."

"It never does. None of that is your fault. You know that, right?" He needed to hear that she knew that. She would be carrying around enough as it was. She didn't need the extra burden.

"I know that. I'm just upset that I let it get this far to begin with. I should have kicked his ass out weeks ago." He could feel the shudder that ran through her and, in response, tightened his arms around her frame. Reassurance was only going to do so much. Thankfully, she was calming down. Zach felt grateful for that, at the very least. It was something. A few more moments passed by before she sighed and pulled back a little bit. "I don't know what I would do without you, Zach." Words that he appreciated and liked hearing, but they were not exactly what he was holding out hope for. He was jumping ahead of himself right now. After what had just happened, it was the last thing that should be on his mind.