Pearce Hudson: #1 My Italian Devil

14.The truth must come out

"You what? Hudson this is a team effort you can't choose when to share information and when not to!" Jones shouted.

"Punish me all you want just tell me what to do now."

"Go to the hospital. I'll have Jessica meet you there. I'll send Ross and Green to keep an eye on Capaldi's mansion. And I'll go over to the crime scene and manage the blow."

We pulled up to the hospital, Will barely hanging on. "Come on I got you."
The hospital doors opened up with a cool breeze.
"Hey we need some help here!" I yelled.
Two nurse came running. "Get him on a gurney," one of the shouted. "What happened?"
"He tripped onto his glass table. A piece of glass was stuck in his back. I pulled it out and packed the wound. He lost a lot of blood. I also think he hit head."
"What's his name?"
"Will Crawford."
"Will can you hear me? You're at the hospital. We're ganna take good care of you. We got it from here."
I stopped waking as they sped the gurney through the double doors.
"Hey don't worry honey," a nurse told me. "He's ganna be fine."

"Pearce," Jessica called my name. "How is he?"
"Jessica...I...think...I'm in shock."
Jessica took me by the shoulders and guided me to the bathroom. She placed a cupped under the facet. She splashed the water in my face.
"You're alright now Pearce it was the adrenaline."
"They took him to surgery. He lost a lot of blood. There was a shard of glass stuck in his shoulder."
"Let's get you cleaned up," Jessica said placing my hands under the facet, warm water ran over them.
"Is this Will's blood?"
"Some Will's some belong to the men I shot."
"Pearce look at me," Jessica insisted. I looked up into her eyes. "You are an FBI Agent. You had to shoot them or they were going to kill you. I'm going to check on Will okay?"

I nodded as she left.

I looked at the bathroom mirror and I hated what I saw. What I had become. Blood streaked my collarbone and parts of my face. Most of Will's blood was absorbed by the T-shirt I was wearing. My jacket was shredded and the knees of my pants were ripped. My hair had blood and wood splinters in it.

Salty water streaked down my face. I blinked hard to stop my tears but the harder I tried more poured out. What was I doing? Was my life really worth Dante's capture? What was I doing here?!

"Alessandra Katerina DeNiro," I said looking in the mirror.

"You'll be mine again," Dante's voice echoed in my brain.

"Alessandra Katerina DeNiro."

"You'll be mine again."

"Alessandra Katerina DeNiro!"

"You'll be mine again."

"Shut up! Shut up!" I lunged at the mirror with my already bruised fist. I broke the glass and blood poured from where my fist hit it. I washed my hands once more and slammed the bathroom door as I left. Jessica and Jake were talking to a man in scrubs (who I assumed was a doctor).
"How is he?" I asked as the doctor left.
"He's doing well? The surgery went fine. He's head injury was minor. Doctor said he should be out by the end of the week," Jessica replied. "Go see him I have to fill out some paperwork."
Will was lying in bed watching TV. His head was wrapped in a bandage. He looked paler than usual. It was weird seeing him like that, he looked weak. Nothing like the big buff DEA agent he proudly showed off.
"Hey big guy," I said.
"Hey kid," he said.
"How are you feeling?" I took a seat.
"Do I still look handsome?"
"Devilishly."
We shared a small laugh.
His face turned serious, "Thanks for getting me out of there."
I reached out and took his hand, "I know we don't know each other well but we were partners in that house. And I always have my partners back."
"Still thank you."
"Pearce," Jake stood at the door.
I smiled at Will and told him to get some rest.
"I know this is a bad time but your niece's birthday..."
I rubbed my eyes tiredly, "Right."
"Jessica had me bring you some clothes."
"Thanks."

The skin over my ribs were black and blue. I put the top Jake brought, along with pants, shoes and jacket. I washed all the visible blood on my body and smoothed back my hair. I didn't look glamourous then again I didn't really care.

Jake smiled as he saw me, I didn't smile back. Every muscle in my body hurt.

"We don't have to go," Jake said placing his hands on my shoulders. I placed my head on his chest. He hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around me.
I sniffed, "No we should go."

We pulled up to the house. The front door was open and music and laughter were pouring out. Jake reached back into the back seats and pulled out a bright coloured gift bag.
"Oh shit I forgot to buy a gift!"
"I got you covered."
"What did you get?"
"It's a stuffed Olaf doll that says Hi I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."
I looked at him like he spoke gibberish.
"What's an Olaf?"
"You the snowman from Frozen."
"Frozen?"
"The Disney movie about two sisters. One with ice powers and the other had red hair." he paused. "And the song let it go."
"I have zero idea what you're talking about."
"The song let it go," he belt out a few notes. "Let it go, let it go. Can't hold it back anymore. Let it go, let it go. Turn around and slam the door."

I burst out laughing, "Oh that was precious. Of course I know what Frozen is I just wanted to hear you sing Let it go. Ha. Ha. Ha."
"You little-"
"Come on Disney princess," I pulled his arm.

"Hey baby sis," Peter greeted us at the door. He swept me into a hug and winced in pain, and let out a little scream. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Pete meet Jake. Jake this is my twin brother Peter."
"Hey man," Peter stuck out his hand.
"Good to meet," Jake shook his hand.
"Look who it is. It's Auntie Pearce," Paul cooed in a baby voice, with baby Pearce in his hands. She was wearing a pink poof princess dress and a matching tiara.
I stood on my tip toes and gave Paul a kiss on the cheek. "Doesn't the birthday girl look pretty in her dress. Look what I have for her." I pulled out the little Olaf stuffy and pressed the stomach. Pearce laughed as the snowman's voice spoke.
"You must be Pearce," a woman with luscious red hair said. "I'm Mackenzie."
"Hi," I said.
"I'm sorry I'm a hugger," she said pulling me into a hug. I clenched my teeth to stop me from yelling in pain. "Come lets get you two some cake."
"So this is where you grew up," Jake looked around.
"Yeah. Six generations of DeNiros have lived in this house."
I picked up a cake from the table as a few toddlers ran around my legs.
"Did you know Alessandra's mom?" Jake asked, while I chewed cake.
"Peter and I were 9 and she died while giving birth to Alessandra."
My face scrunched up, "This cake is shit. Do you want to go upstairs?"
"Sure."
As we went up the stairs, the pictures changed from our baby pictures to toddler, kid, teen and adult pictures. The second last picture was my wedding portrait. I pulled it off the wall, pulling along a bit of drywall.
The upstairs hadn't changed much in 7 years but Alessandra's room had. All her posters were no longer on the walls. Her bed was gone, so was her desk, desser and bookshelf. All her trophies and bits and bobs, gone. The walls were colored yellow, before it was purple. There was a crib, rocking chair, a chest of drawers and enormous stuffed animals scattered all over the floor.
"Um...wrong room?" Jake suggested.
"No this was Alessandra's room," I assured him. "I can't believe they changed it."
"Hey are you looking for your room?" Mackenzie questioned stepping into the room.
"No just looking around," I replied.
She smiled and went over to the dresser to grab something.
"I can't believe they changed this room."
"Oh was this room important because it's been like this for the past 5 five years I think," Mackenzie replied.
"I guess the pain was too much for Paul."
"What pain?"
"Oh you know Alessandra."
"Alessandra?"
"Yeah...Alessandra..."
"Who's Alessandra?"
"Paul's daughter."