by C Paradee
Plunging ahead, Brian said, "I’m going to have a patrol car follow you from the surveillance site to the garage to get your car and then home."
"Come on, Brian," Tony said, amused that Brian would even suggest such a ludicrous idea. "You got to be kidding. It was probably an isolated incident by a crazy. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Tony snorted when another thought crossed her mind, how the hell would she explain to Keith why she was being escorted around by the local cops?
Brian ignored her reaction and continued, "How about humoring me? What’s the harm?" He hadn’t expected Tony to accept the offer and knew he would have to work at it.
Megan looked at Tony while listening to her end of the conversation. Wonder what's up? She doesn’t seem very pleased whatever it is.
Tony glanced at Megan and saw the curious expression on her face. Suddenly her ego didn’t matter that much. There was something more important to consider, like Megan’s feelings. It would make her feel better, even if I think it’s ridiculous.
Wondering how she was going to explain this to the other agents, she said, "Ok. You already have the address. It’s on the report I filled out. I’ll wait until the car shows up before leaving," Tony said.
Brian couldn't believe she'd agreed. "Good. I’ll have someone there at 11pm," he said, hanging up. He didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind.
Tony hung up the phone and sat back down at the table. Smiling at Megan, she said, "If it makes you feel any better, Brian is going to have a patrol car follow me home tonight."
Megan felt like a tremendous weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She hadn’t known how she was going to get through the evening. She would have done nothing but worry. The relief evident by the warm smile that covered her face, she said, "It does make me feel better." The thought crossed Megan's mind that she would still worry some, until Tony was home safe that night.
* * *
Sherman sat slouched in the seat of the car, cleaning his fingernails with his knife. It wasn’t that he needed to, it was just something to pass the time. The streetlight reflected off the stainless steel Smith & Wesson 357 magnum laying on the seat next to him. It wasn’t his weapon of choice, but it would do the job. It was loaded with .38 caliber hollow points. Hollow points were such a nice invention. They go in small and come out big. Sherman smiled to himself. Wouldn’t be much left of her head once the bullet had completed its trajectory.
Sherman saw the agency car enter the garage at the same time his peripheral vision noticed a patrol car pull into a parking place across the street. Probably taking a break from patrol.
He sat up straighter and trained his eyes on the exit, waiting for his target to emerge in her new Jeep. He grinned sardonically, It was so nice of her apartment to have the parking places numbered for the tenants. Once he knew she was in the apartment, he had gone to the garage to see what vehicle was in the parking space. Leaving nothing to chance, he had doubled checked later by parking in the same space he was in now, waiting for her to arrive for her shift.
When the sienna Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited exited the garage, Sherman shifted the car into drive prepared to move in behind her once an adequate space had passed. He felt a brief flicker of surprise when the patrol car pulled in behind the Jeep. That was no coincidence. A slow smile covered his face. She was running scared. Just as he had suspected, all the rumors he heard about her over the years were exaggerated. Shifting his car into gear, he pulled out and drove back to the hotel strangely disappointed. So this wasn't going to be such a challenge after all. Scared people make mistakes.
* * *
Tony turned on the coffee pot and took out a couple of bagels. Megan had to work today and was getting ready. Tony was supposed to meet with the insurance adjuster, but other than that had no plans. She was just glad things seemed to be getting back to normal.
She had already fed the kittens, and they were contentedly sitting next to each other meticulously cleaning themselves and occasionally each other. Tony smiled at them. It really was nice having the kittens here. They had slept on the bed with them last night, Huggy next to Megan and Velcro next to her. Huggy seemed to be the more mischievous of the two, not that Velcro wasn’t quick to join in whatever trouble her buddy found.
Tony smiled at the lovely sight that greeted her eyes when Megan walked into the kitchen. Her partner was dressed in a casual, sapphire blue suit with the jacket worn open over the matching skirt and off white blouse. The rich blue color offset Megan’s blonde hair and highlighted the gold specks in her eyes.
"You look really nice," Tony said, quite taken with her partner’s beauty.
Cocking her head and smiling at Tony, Megan said, "This is just my work clothes."
"So. You look nice no matter what you wear," Tony said, walking over and kissing Megan before adding, "Coffee’s ready. Want some orange juice?"
Megan gave her partner a hug and said, "You’re so sweet," waiting for her lover’s cheeks to redden like they did every time she told her that.
Watching Tony’s face darken a few shades, she continued, "Orange juice sounds good. You’re really spoiling me having breakfast ready every morning."
Grinning wickedly, she added, "You know you really are cute when you blush."
Tony rolled her eyes, the action in contrast with the warm glow she felt at her partner’s words. Fleetingly kissing Megan before releasing her, Tony got the orange juice out of the refrigerator and poured them both a glass.
"What are you going to do today?" Megan asked, wishing she had another day off.
"Wait for you to get off," Tony answered, and grinned at the surprised look on Megan’s face. Gotcha.
"Very funny. I meant really," Megan said, laughing while looking into her partner’s twinkling blue eyes.
"That is really what I’m going to do," Tony said winking at Megan. "But while I’m waiting, I’m going to call the insurance adjuster and then probably kitten proof the apartment."
"Good. Those two are too curious for their own good."
Megan finished her breakfast, and got ready to leave. Kissing her lover before departing, she said, "I’ll call you later."
Tony savored the short kiss and said, "I’ll be waiting."
They were still doing construction on the interbelt and it was the usual bumper to bumper traffic, moving at a crawl.
The slow drive did not affect Megan’s extremely good mood. It had been so nice to have a normal morning for a change. That was the way she wanted to start every morning… feeling secure and very loved. She wondered if this was something everyone in love experienced. It was such a wonderful sensation, and one she would never willingly let go of.
Arriving at work, there was no more time for the warm thoughts. They were backed up on cases, and before she knew it, the morning had passed and it was lunchtime. Telling David they would finish the other cases after lunch, she shed her gloves and smock returning to her office in her scrubs.
Opening the door, all thoughts of the cases she had just finished left her mind. There in the middle of her desk was a slender glass vase containing a dozen long stem roses. They were a beautiful scarlet red. Walking over to her desk, she picked up the small envelope secured in their midst. Opening it, she read, "I love you," and it was signed simply, "Tony."
Holding the card tightly in her hand, she bent over to smell the sweet pleasant odor they emitted. I love you so much, Tony. Warm fuzzy thoughts began flowing through her mind intermingled with the image of her smiling partner.
Oh, she’d gotten flowers before. But none would ever hold the special meaning these did. Tony had never given her flowers before.
Megan sighed happily and sat down in her chair, her emotions still running rampant. Picking up the phone, she dialed her number.
"Hello."
Megan loved listening to the rich low tenor of her lover’s voice. Smiling into the phone, she said, "I love you. They’re so beautiful. You are so sweet," her words tumblin
g out in the order the thoughts left her mind.
"I love you, too," Tony said, smiling into the phone feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at the happiness she could hear in Megan’s voice. "I guess you like them."
"Like them? Are you kidding? I love them! They’re beautiful." Megan paused, momentarily at a loss for words.
The silence lengthened because a very pleased Tony was grinning into the phone. Breaking the short silence, she said, "No more beautiful than you."
Megan felt her heart flutter at the words. "Thank you, sweetie, but I better go now or I may decide to come home and I don’t think the boss would like that."
"Sweetie!"
Megan laughed, and said, "See you when I get home."
"Bye."
Tony hung up the phone shaking her head. Sweetie? What was with that? She grudgingly admitted that it did sound kind of nice the way Megan said it. But she’d just die of embarrassment if Megan ever called her that in front of anyone.
* * *
Tony opened the oven door and looked at the lasagna. It would be done in about ten minutes. She had gotten the recipe Sunday when she talked to her mother. Thinking about the conversation, she smiled. Her mother wanted to come and visit. Tony knew Megan liked her mother, and had repeated the question for her partner’s benefit. Megan had smiled and… well, she really didn’t need to say anything. The expression on her face was all Tony needed to see. Her mother had sounded so pleased when she told her she was more than welcome to visit. So many things had changed in such a short time, first meeting Megan, and then the reconciliation with her mother. Life was good.
Her thoughts turned briefly to the inexplicable accidents. The bruise on her leg was still painful, and probably would be for a while. At least it didn’t hurt to walk on it anymore. Tony still couldn’t make any sense of the bizarre events and just wanted to get their lives back to normal.
Last night, while on surveillance, she had decided to surprise Megan with the roses and a nice dinner, then spend a quiet evening together and maybe watch a movie or something. Lately it seemed like all they did was manage crisis after crisis and then the aftermath of each. She could do without all the excitement and knew Megan could too.
Once Tony had everything ready, she walked into the living room to check on the whereabouts of the rambunctious kittens. She spotted them curled up against each other sleeping in the recliner.
Megan had informed her that cats slept 20 hours a day. She wanted to know 20 hours of what day. The kittens seemed to have unlimited energy, and it was a job sometimes to keep them out of things. Not that she minded. Tony was actually quite taken with the kittens. It was really funny that each kitten had seemed to gravitate toward one of them. Velcro always sought out Tony. Huggy seemed to adore Megan, and you could tell she felt the same way..
Tony looked around the apartment once more after meeting with the insurance adjuster. She had spent the better part of the day kitten proofing the apartment, and Huggy and Velcro had been only too happy to help. For some reason cords seemed to hold a special interest for the kittens. Well, at least now they wouldn’t have to worry about them hurting themselves while they were at work.
Tony turned toward the door when she heard the key in the lock. Megan walked in carrying the vase of roses with a smile that lit up her whole face. Walking over to her partner she wrapped her arms around her still clutching the vase in one of her hands. "I missed you. I really love the roses," Megan said relaxing against the tall familiar body.
Tony returned the hug, enjoying the feel of her partner wrapped comfortably in her arms. Looking into the sparkling hazel eyes, she said, "I missed you, too." Lowering her head, she met her lover’s lips and enjoyed a sweet, very satisfying kiss.
Megan laid her head against Tony’s chest smiling contentedly. "I guess I should set the roses down."
Smiling Tony said, "That might be a good idea. They are kind of prickly."
"Oops. Didn’t think about that," Megan said, releasing her partner.
Noticing the dining room table was set, she raised her eyebrows and walked into the kitchen to set the vase down on the table in there. She and Tony usually ate in the kitchen and she was surprised to see the dining room table prepared for dinner.
Turning to face her partner, she asked, "What’s the occasion? Are we having company?"
Tony looked at the curious expression on Megan's face, and smiled. "No. I just thought it would be nice to eat in the dining room tonight. Just something a little different."
Tony was sure full of surprises today. "Umm… smells good in here. What did you make?" Megan said, her mouth watering.
"Mom’s lasagna," Tony said, her smile widening at the delighted look on Megan’s face. "I thought you really liked it."
"Oooh good! I loved it," Megan said, giving Tony a big hug.
Tony kissed Megan, then released her saying, "It should be ready by the time you change clothes."
A short time later, Megan sighed happily and sat back in her chair. Smiling at her partner, she said, "That was delicious."
A warm smile covered Tony's face and she said, "Thanks, Love. Ready for desert?"
Placing her hands over her stomach and widening her eyes, Megan said. "You're kidding, right? I'm stuffed!"
Tony laughed at the expression on her partner's face. "I am too. Want to watch a movie? We haven’t done that for a long time."
Megan grinned, and said, "Sounds good. Do you have one in mind?"
Tony smiled back at her partner. Megan looked relaxed and happy, the stress of the last few days gone from her face. A sudden thought occurred to her, It's a simple equation really. When Megan is happy, so am I.
With that thought in mind, she said, "Why don’t you pick one?
Megan's forehead creased momentarily and she turned her eyes upward as she feigned deep thought, "Hmm… a comedy, huh?"
Laughing at the amused look on Tony's face, she said, "How about Sister Act? I love that movie."
Teasingly, with her eyebrow raised, Tony said, "I'm so glad you could think of one."
Megan was sitting in her favorite position, relaxing on the couch against Tony with her lover’s arm resting on her shoulders. She could watch this movie a million times and never tire of it. And somehow it was even more enjoyable watching it with her partner.
She loved the rich sound of Tony’s laughter and she had been pleasantly surprised when Tony joined in with the songs. I just love her voice. Lately there had been so little time for the simple things in their life. She had really missed this part of their relationship, and it felt really good to have it back.
Tony wasn’t sure if she was laughing more at the movie or at Megan’s delighted laughter. This felt so right. All the tension of the last few days was finally gone. One of her most frequent thoughts made an appearance in her mind, how did I ever get so lucky?
When the movie ended, with a smile still etched on her face, Megan said, "I just love the first time she leads the choir in church. The look on the Mother Superior’s face is too much."
Tony grinned and said, "Yeah. And the part when they’re cleaning up the neighborhood is really funny, too."
Looking at the mellow, contented expression on her partner's face, Tony felt a sense of peace. Leaning over and kissing Megan, she said, "How about desert?"
"You mean that wasn’t desert?" Megan asked, grinning.
Tony quirked a half smile and drawled, "Well…"
Megan winked at her partner and said, "I think I want to save the best for last. So what desert did you have in mind?"
Tony shrugged nonchalantly, "Just something I thought you might like." Standing up, she said, "I’ll go get it."
"I’ll help. I want to see what it is anyway," Megan said, wondering what surprise her partner had planned.
Tony opened the refrigerator and took out two pieces of carrot cake specially made by the bakery at the Giant Eagle grocery store. Each piece was totally covered with the rich cream cheese frosting that
so enhanced the taste of the moist cake.
"Ooh. My favorite. How did you know? I never told you," Megan said, surprised.
Tony winked and said, "I have my sources." Actually Ashley had told her last time she happened to answer the phone when her partner was out on a case.
Megan sat at the table and pulled the plate in front of her, taking a bite of the delicious cake. "Let eat in here."
Tony chuckled and joined her partner at the table.
Megan savored each bite of the rich cake. Finishing she asked, "Feel like some tea? It’ll only take a couple of minutes to make some."
Before Tony had a chance to answer, they heard a dull thud coming from the living room. Tony rolled her eyes and grinned, saying, "I’ll go see what they did now."
Megan chuckled at the expression on Tony’s face. The kittens were always in to something. "Ok. I'll put the tea on."
Huggy sat on the coffee table looking at the silk flower arrangement. A white paw hesitantly hit the green leaf before quickly pulling it back. The eyes watched the quivering leaf and the paw reached out, more confidently now, and batted the leaf harder. Her head tracked the movement of the leaf and when it slowed, she struck it again.
Velcro crouched on the floor, body motionless, watching the movement of the leaf, her tail twitching back and forth. Suddenly, the black and white fur ball streaked across the floor and leaped up onto the coffee table. Sliding across the smooth surface of the table unable to get purchase, she slid into the basket housing the silk flower arrangement propelling it across the table and onto the floor before following it with an ungraceful landing. Standing up, looking indignant, she batted the offending leaves.
The original culprit, startled by the unexpected arrival of her playmate, jumped straight up into the air before landing on her toes back on the table. Crabbing sideways, all the hair on her tail standing on end, she danced across the table, and looked over the edge. She watched Velcro playing with the leaves for only a moment before jumping to the floor and joining in the fun.