Protection.

'This song is about someone I used to know, we used to drive to Mount Diablo when they came home from tour, it's a nice place to hang out and you won't get caught having sex, ok?' John looked up watching her as she kicked into the song, Living Happily Ever After, knowing every moment because he was the dumb fuck who she had been replaying We Looked Like Giants with, 'this is a cover right of a song?' knowing exactly what was coming, that song, 'A little Death Cab' kicking into the song, finishing the Set with Heroes, she wiped her head, 'you took it bad, didn't you?' John murmured, 'no, you are bad for people, you fucked uppedness is infectious' she sighed, 'did love you, just wasted my time, are you leaving, you never stop making me feel worthless' he looked at her, 'I'm sorry' 'you are not sorry, it's what you do best, plenty of practice, go'.

Vee walked to the car, seeing a rose on her roof, ‘what the fuck?’ throwing it in the bin next to her, calling John, ‘you know I’m allergic to roses, why the hell would you-’ ‘I didn’t, I’m a dick I know, but I’m not that bad’ ‘ok, well now I’m just a little creeped out’ she sounded a little panicked looking around her, she unlocked her car, ‘darling, keep calm’ ‘I’m sure it’s nothing’ confirming to herself, ‘you trust me then?’ ‘I know when you’re lying, that’s why we’re not together’ he smiled, ‘good good’ she nodded, ‘right, ermm, I’ll ermm, see you around’ she sounded genuinely worried at the prospect as she parked up she ran inside her apartment block and locked the door and bolts, looking around, ‘fucking hell’ she mumbled heading for bed, she couldn’t have a stalker could she? she tried to shake it off falling into troubled sleep.

John called her, ‘I know it’s not my business to care, but you have anxiety and that would have freaked you out and I know-’ ‘not had much sleep to be honest’ she sighed, ‘darling, would you like me to come over-’ ‘no, no, I’ll be fine’ ‘Vee, you go into yourself when you’re stressed, you need someone, sorry’ he sighed, ‘fine, come over bring the goonies with you’ he smiled, ‘I promise’ he grinned getting to her door he found an envelope stuck to it, with her name on, ‘I found this on the door’ passing it, she opened it a little, ‘ahh’ throwing it across the room, ‘what?’ ‘it’s got hair in it’ ‘as you can see’ ‘I know’ clutching a pillow, John used a pen pushing it, ‘you need to call the police, Vee’ she nodded looking scared, ‘pass me the phone’ calling the police, he held her hand, running his thumb in circles on her hand, like she liked, she smiled.

'We'll get DNA testing on this and there was a rose' 'it was on my car, I threw it away' she ran her fingers through her hair talking everything through, trying to think of anyone odd, 'I can't think of anything now' she nodded rubbing her head, 'thanks, we'll get on it as soon as possible, let us know if something else happens' 'thanks' John looked stunned, 'what if she gets hurt?' 'I'm sure nothing terrible will happen it's highly unlikely' John chewed his lip, 'but possible, god damn!' 'John' she murmured, 'sorry I just' 'it's ok'.

-x-

'Nothing!' she told her band, 'you're possibly being stalked?' 'it could be someone watching us or working or anything' she rubbed her head, 'I've not been sleeping, I've been writing though' she smiled rubbing her head, 'ermm, yeah, I'm sure you'll be fine' she smiled, 'I'll be alright, possibly' heading out on stage, she wasn't going to let some creep stop her life, especially when her band were just beginning to go places, heading into the set it was their last for a good while beofre January before the tour they were going to begin with A Day To Remember which they had got on, where she would be safe and away from home, where they were.

Waking up she heard the bell, ‘package for you’ the UPS guy looked a little odd, ‘some guy asked me to give this to you’ ‘what did he look like?’ ‘short, dark hair’ ‘can you do a sketch?’ ‘what?’ ‘it’s just’ trying to explain’ ‘I’ll stay for the police’ she nodded calling them she opened the package, ‘oh, my god’ she recoiled looking at all the photos of just wandering around Arizona with John, without him the police arriving, ‘this arrived with this poor gentleman’ ‘I was asked I had no idea, he said it was a birthday gift, I can show you on the van camera’ ‘you have a camera?’ ‘all UPS do’ the policeman going with him, as forensics took it, ‘I opened it with rubber gloves’ pointing at them, ‘good’ taking it for inspection, she called John explaining, ‘I’ll be over in 30’.

John hugged her tight, ‘baby, it’s ok’ nuzzling her neck, ‘he had pictures of everything, me and you everyting John’ he held her close, it’s ok babe, it’s ok, I’m staying with you until the creepy little fuck is gone’ ‘please John’ hugging him tight, ‘babe it’s ok’ ‘if you’d done this before’ ‘my one regret’ caressing her cheek, she smiled, ‘bed for you, you look a mess Vee’ she laughed, ‘always honest except the end’ he smiled weakly putting her in bed, ‘get some sleep darling’ laying on the sheets next to her holding her close, she snuggled into him, ‘I missed you here’ ‘mutual my darling’.

'We have a picture, we're showing him mugshots but it's hard to say right now' 'ok' she nodded trying to be calm, 'are you leaving soon?' 'I am, beginning of next month' 'good, it will take your mind off things' she nodded, 'yeah, it will' John smiled.

-x-

Getting home Vee picked up her post John waiting in her lounge, she checked through, sifting between handwritten and typed, opening the letters handwritten using the kettle to open them, ‘oh no’ she chewed her lip going through her wardrobe and pulling out a box, ‘what the hell, you have a gun?’ John looked at her, ‘I don’t like the idea of using it John, but look’ passing him the letter in gloves he rested it not touching it, ‘oh, god babe, police now’ she messily put bullets in her dad’s old service revolver and put it in the drawer next to her bed, ‘I’m not leaving’ ‘we need to check if this cut key works’ a key and a warning in the envelope to keep away from John.

John held her but woke gingerly, hearing someone in the apartment, he thought it might be her cat Sukie, but it was too loud, ‘Vee’ waking her up, ‘hmm?’ he pressed her lips closed with her finger, ‘drawer’ she put it in the back of her trousers, hearing the bedroom door open, ‘I told you to keep away from him, you’re breaking my heart’ a menacing voice chilled the ear, a man standing as John held his phone, she hit call as the guy produced a knife, ‘you can’t have her’ Vee took the gun as he moved forward, shooting with her eyes closed she heard a scream, hitting him the knee getting out of the bedroom sharply and finishing the phone call, they heard movement from their room and sirens as the guy came out, ‘you fucking slut’ ‘don’t you dare come near her’ John protecting her, she held the gun sweaty in his palm as a guy lunged toward them, Vee pulling him away in time, the police bursting in.

Vee quaked with tears holding the revolver a policeman took it from her, ‘why didn’t you just kill him?’ ‘cos it’s not how I was brought up, also I want actual justice, I’m not a vigilante’ having the gun removed from her hand, ‘for evidence, obviously it’s self defence’ she nodded, ‘the knife’ the policeman nodded, ‘we can see, you’re not in any trouble’ ‘I should hope fucking not, he’s been torturing her for 6 months’ ‘yes sir’ the policeman nodded, she was still crying, ‘Vee you need sleep’ ‘not here please’ ‘my place, darling’ picking her up as the house was turned into a crime scene, and heading for the car John laid her in bed she clung to him, ‘thank you’ ‘no problem baby’ laying in next to her, ‘I love you’ ‘I love you too, never changed’ ‘I did’ he grinned kissing her softly.

-x-

A year later:-

'Johnny!' he grinned picking her up and kissing her, 'I love you' 'I love you too' her red hair blew softly in the breeze, he smiled, 'you are beautiful and talented, how are you real?' she giggled, 'I could the same for you you old charmer' 'hey less of the old, you're 23' she laughed, 'I am but you're like ancient' he smirked, 'you like 'em ancient though' she kissed him deeply, 'clearly' they giggled, 'I'm in love with you Vee' 'I'm in love with you too, darling' he grinned nuzzling her neck, 'I have missed you baby' 'missed you too, but at least it's sweet sorrow' he grinned, 'I love your way with words' 'it's Shakespeare' 'didn't hear that' she giggled as he picked her up bridal style, 'come on home, we're going home I have plans for tomorrow' putting her in the car.

Vee smiled waking up to pancakes, her back hurt from last night with John, ,’Johnny’ he grinned, ‘we’re heading for Mount Diablo’ he grinned, ‘oh, really?’ ‘indeed and you’ll want a copy of Transatlanticism’ ‘glad we’re so much closer’ he smirked, ‘me too you cheeseball’ she smiled, ‘get dressed’ slinging on a dress she kissed him sliding on ballet pumps and heading for the door, ‘come on then’ he grinned, ‘we’re stopping over as we normally did darling’ ‘I know, I’ve put some clothes in a bag and my purse’ he grinned, ‘good’ heading for the car staying in the little motel they normall did and headed for the mountain, ‘I fell in love with you here’ he grinned, ‘I wish I had’ he grinned looking at her, ‘I’ve never met anyone like you Johnny’ he grinned, ‘mutual babe, and I doubt I ever will’ sitting on the car bonnet, ‘Vee’ ‘yes?’ ‘will you marry me?’ ‘absolutely’.

'We really did' 'that can't be our first dance darling' she giggled, 'I think Ever Enough by those friends of yours' he grinned, 'I like that' he grinned kissing her deeply, kissing her neck, holding her naked body to his, 'good?' 'very' kissing her chest, she giggled capturing his lips, 'the flavour of your lips is enough to keep me here' he grinned, 'I feel the same'.