muse_shuffle - Helpless
But lately I am beginning to find that // I should be the one behind the wheel.
(Incubus - ‘Drive’)
(Another for that storyline of doom with laws_of_dawes. Follows Pepper going to airport. Set day after the ball, before last nights prompt. Open thread for whoever he calls here.)
His fingers tightened against the steering wheel. He sat frozen in the car in Pepper's immediate departure. He really didn't know what to do. From the moment he and Pepper had started wondering where Rachel was, the moment that phone call came and even now - everything was spinning. The only single thought that was going round and round in his head in complete comprehension was -
Not Rachel. Not my Lawyer Rachel.
Horns blared behind him and an anxious airport worker waved him to drive away. He took a deep breath and moved along the roadway. It didn't do him much good to drive as he didn't know where he was going. He wasn't in a hurry to get back to Portsmouth. He needed to wait until he heard something. Wait until he could see Rachel was okay.
As soon as he was able, he pulled off into a parking lot and stopped the car. His fingers rubbed his eyes slowly.
He'd wanted to go with Pepper and help...help in any way he could, but she wouldn't let him. He understood it of course. This was her family, and he knew he'd only end up in the way of everything. It was hard, though, doing nothing. Waiting.
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at it. He made sure the volume was up loud so he would hear it when it rang. As he'd just dropped Pepper off, he knew he had awhile to wait. Dialing a number quickly, he held the phone to his ear.
"Zoe, it's Larry," he said to her voicemail. "I..I need..I don't know. Something's going on here and I won't be getting home tonight, I just...call me?"
He sighed.
He felt helpless.
He'd never been any kind of hero. Just a lawyer. Average guy. He'd never saved anyone. He didn't know how. And he felt so completely helpless to think his friend was hurt and he couldn't do a damn thing for her. That Pepper was probably going out of her mind, and he couldn't do a damn thing for her either.
He hated helplessness.
He dialed another number.
"Cora..it's...Larry. I, uh..shit. I don't know. I don't know why I'm calling you. I just...I don't know what to do.." his voice trailed off and he hung up quickly. Well that had been pointless and stupid.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. What the hell was he supposed to do?
After sitting there for what felt like forever, Larry turned the engine over and moved down the road. He really didn't know where he was driving to, but he had to move. He had to make time pass. He later found himself parking by his old apartment building, getting out, and starting to walk. He took out his cell phone once more and called one more number.
"It's Larry. Call me..when you know anything. And Pep...just...tell Rachel I'll see her soon, okay?"
He hung up and watched his feet as he walked. He still couldn't stop thinking, Not Rachel. Not my Lawyer Rachel. She'd always been so good to him. She got him. They could laugh and joke, have in depth conversations, or...just be goofballs together. She never hated him for being on the opposite side of the courtroom from him. She was just good to him. Good for him.
Rachel was one of those few kind souls, kind through and through, that he knew. This couldn't be happening to her.
He chewed on his lower lip as he continued his pointless walk. His helpless and pointless walk. Just waiting for his phone to ring.
606
(Incubus - ‘Drive’)
(Another for that storyline of doom with laws_of_dawes. Follows Pepper going to airport. Set day after the ball, before last nights prompt. Open thread for whoever he calls here.)
His fingers tightened against the steering wheel. He sat frozen in the car in Pepper's immediate departure. He really didn't know what to do. From the moment he and Pepper had started wondering where Rachel was, the moment that phone call came and even now - everything was spinning. The only single thought that was going round and round in his head in complete comprehension was -
Not Rachel. Not my Lawyer Rachel.
Horns blared behind him and an anxious airport worker waved him to drive away. He took a deep breath and moved along the roadway. It didn't do him much good to drive as he didn't know where he was going. He wasn't in a hurry to get back to Portsmouth. He needed to wait until he heard something. Wait until he could see Rachel was okay.
As soon as he was able, he pulled off into a parking lot and stopped the car. His fingers rubbed his eyes slowly.
He'd wanted to go with Pepper and help...help in any way he could, but she wouldn't let him. He understood it of course. This was her family, and he knew he'd only end up in the way of everything. It was hard, though, doing nothing. Waiting.
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at it. He made sure the volume was up loud so he would hear it when it rang. As he'd just dropped Pepper off, he knew he had awhile to wait. Dialing a number quickly, he held the phone to his ear.
"Zoe, it's Larry," he said to her voicemail. "I..I need..I don't know. Something's going on here and I won't be getting home tonight, I just...call me?"
He sighed.
He felt helpless.
He'd never been any kind of hero. Just a lawyer. Average guy. He'd never saved anyone. He didn't know how. And he felt so completely helpless to think his friend was hurt and he couldn't do a damn thing for her. That Pepper was probably going out of her mind, and he couldn't do a damn thing for her either.
He hated helplessness.
He dialed another number.
"Cora..it's...Larry. I, uh..shit. I don't know. I don't know why I'm calling you. I just...I don't know what to do.." his voice trailed off and he hung up quickly. Well that had been pointless and stupid.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. What the hell was he supposed to do?
After sitting there for what felt like forever, Larry turned the engine over and moved down the road. He really didn't know where he was driving to, but he had to move. He had to make time pass. He later found himself parking by his old apartment building, getting out, and starting to walk. He took out his cell phone once more and called one more number.
"It's Larry. Call me..when you know anything. And Pep...just...tell Rachel I'll see her soon, okay?"
He hung up and watched his feet as he walked. He still couldn't stop thinking, Not Rachel. Not my Lawyer Rachel. She'd always been so good to him. She got him. They could laugh and joke, have in depth conversations, or...just be goofballs together. She never hated him for being on the opposite side of the courtroom from him. She was just good to him. Good for him.
Rachel was one of those few kind souls, kind through and through, that he knew. This couldn't be happening to her.
He chewed on his lower lip as he continued his pointless walk. His helpless and pointless walk. Just waiting for his phone to ring.
606