Gideon quickly grew tired of the EMTs probing superficial cuts he’d gotten when a few panels of his greenhouse exploded. He’d ducked for cover in time to avoid a bullet, not so much the glass. Unfortunately, Joker took one to the shoulder, and they were threatening to sedate him. Harper was doing her best to calm him down enough for the paramedics to at least take care of it. Joker’s touch aversion was making his need to be a patient impossible.

“Man, I’m fine, I don’t even need stitches, just knock the shit off,” he growled.

He just wanted to get to Harper. She was distracted by her job as Joker’s Keeper for the moment, but soon it was going to hit her. He needed to be there when she needed him.

“Percy, take a walk.”

He’d never thought he’d be happy to hear Pelter’s voice, but right then he’d kiss the man. Okay, maybe not.

“Thanks, Cam.”

“What the fuck happened, I can’t get any answers while Joker is threatening to break the arm of anybody who touches him. Harper is trying to calm him down, so I can’t get a statement.”

“I don’t know much other than there were gunshots and windows exploded.”

“Bill?”

“I can’t say for sure, but it’s a pretty damn good guess. This was supposed to be Harper’s safe place and—”

“Don’t start blaming yourself. We’d been waiting for this. Although, I wasn’t expecting a shootout.”

“Shootout implies we were able to shoot back.”

“Yeah, yeah, Linus called a friend of his, we got some guys bringing out some plywood to cover the windows. We didn’t know what to do about your greenhouse.”

“In the morning, I’ll get out and get some new panels. It was only a couple. I got some plastic to cover them. Everything should be fine until then.”

He stood, and moved around Pelter and headed in Harper's direction. Pelter walked beside him. Thankfully, the man didn't talk or attempt to interrogate him. He stopped behind her. Normally he'd embrace her and tug her back to him, but after the night they'd had he erred on the side of caution.

“Harper, baby,” he said her name and then he had an arm full of Harper. She had her face buried against his neck. Her body shook, and tears were warm against his skin. He held her tighter. He knew it was going to happen and even though her crying broke him, it was the silence with which she cried that hurt the most. He raised his hand and cupped the back of her head, stroked her soft hair as he let her get it all out.

“Just give me some goddamned tweezers, and I’ll take it out my fucking self.”

“Quit being a fucking dick, Joker, let them take you in,” Bull growled as he appeared next to the gurney.

“Fuck you, man.”

“Ghost, we set up Psycho’s old trailer for y’all to crash at tonight until we can get everything cleaned up and fixed.”

“I appreciate that. Where’s Gregory?”

“Putting in supplies for the night. Lily sent out a little medicine if Harper needed it.”

“I’m not hearing this,” Pelter shook his head and stormed off.

“Knew that would get rid of him. Linus said Bill set up on the Northeast side of your property. Signs of a camp, maybe a few days’ worth of trash.”

“Any other sign of him?”

“Liv said it looks like he’s cleared out. They did a perimeter search, no sign of a vehicle, just some tracks.”

“We’ll go pack a bag for a night or two.”

“Y’all taking Killer with y’all,” Joker asked.

Harper’s anguish suddenly turned to laughter, and his own lips started twitching. Why he was surprised, he didn’t know.

“Who the hell is Killer?”

Someone produced the one-pound Killer and Bull lost it as Joker held the puppy to his chest.

“Don’t make fun of my dog. Don’t underestimate her, just because she ain’t big.”

Just then Killer went on the defense and let out the cutest warning growls anyone would ever hear. But what he noticed more was the way Joker gently scratched Killer’s back and gave the barest smile.

Bull leaned to the side and whispered, “He’s smiling, should we take it away from him?”

“Naw, he’s fine. We’ll take Killer and Tiny with us don’t worry about it. I’m going to take Harper inside, grab some things.”

Bull nodded in answer never taking his gaze off Joker and the man’s new friend.

He led Harper toward the house. She held tight to him. When they were inside, she pulled him to a stop. He smiled as he looked down at her, and raised his hands to wipe her tear-stained face. She was slightly snotty, and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, but still beautiful. He opened his mouth to tell her, to say he loved her, but she deserved to hear it when they weren’t standing on broken glass with police and paramedics outside, not to mention a whole crude mouthed and foul tempered security team.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“This is all my fault, I brought him out here. Your home wouldn’t be ruined if you hadn’t have been nice to me.”

“You stop that now. It’s our home. Windows and everything can be fixed, your safety and happiness is more important than some four walls. We’ll go stay out at Bull’s place for a few days while we figure out what needs to be done. After that, we’ll come home.”

“Maybe I should go back to Kyle’s or see if I can get my apartment back.”

“No, Harper, we knew something would happen, so it’s a little more extreme than we probably anticipated. That doesn’t mean anything has changed.”

“You still want to be with me?”

“Of course, that hasn’t changed. Now, what we’re going to do is take Bull up on the offer of the trailer. So, go pack a few things, and we’ll get going.”

She nodded and rose on her toes and gave him a quick kiss before hurrying away.

This might have turned into a step back, and he was going to have to fight against her guilt, but that didn’t change the fact he thought she was worth it. They’d catch Bill. He’d make Harper his, and he’d prove all he wanted was her. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t gone into a relationship with Harper knowing things would be equal parts familiar and different.

He loved Harper, everything about her, and all he wanted was her to be herself. She might not think it, but she was a strong, amazing woman. Surviving in Powers as the only out transwoman took courage and strength she didn’t realize she possessed. He saw her and loved her for her.

He hurried off to their room. When they returned home, he’d talk to her about moving her things. He needed more than her presence in their bed. He wanted her to comprehend that this was her home. That they were together. He didn’t know if she quite got it yet. He was patient with her, understood this was all new to her. It was new to him too.

If he were honest with himself, his relationship with Joe had existed too long as a youthful crush that turned into routine. What he felt for Harper was stronger—different—and everything he’d always dreamed of when he thought about the perfect partner.

He opened drawers, stuffed a few days’ worth of jeans and t-shirts, and essentials into a small duffel bag. He heard Harper moving around the kitchen, he was sure she was gathering what the puppies needed. Zipping the bag closed, he picked it up and jogged downstairs.

She was moving around the kitchen, and Tiny running around her feet.

“Man, take this thing.” Bull held out Killer.

The man acted like it was going to go for his throat. Killer was trying to shake out of his hands. Her tiny body twisted back and forth as she snapped her microscopic teeth.

“How the hell did you find a rat with Joker’s personality?”

“She’s just fine,” Harper said and removed Killer from Bull’s huge hands, then set Killer on the floor. “Go play with your sister.”

“He didn’t want to give her up, but the paramedics wouldn’t let him take it. Y’all about ready, Gregory is tearing my phone up wondering are we headed that way yet.”

Bull smiled every time he said Gregory’s name. The mean and rough man softened at every mention of his husband or when they were together. It was like Bull was two different people, the one with Gregory and the one away from Gregory. It was odd and sometimes disconcerting to see.

“I’m ready. Harper, do you have everything?”

“Yeah.”

He watched as she carefully put the puppies into the carrier, grabbed the basket with everything the animals would need, and then slipped her own bag onto her shoulder. She seemed sad and defeated, but she attempted to hide it. It didn’t work with him, and they’d talk when they got to Bull’s place. He stepped forward and grabbed the carrier.

Harper needed her rest. He nudged her forward, and they followed Bull outside. Gideon talked to Pelter for a few minutes, thanked everyone, and wanted to get somewhere else so he could take care of his woman.