A/N: Hello my dear readers. This little fic is actually finished since the beginning of august. But my beta-reader was in holiday at that time. Well, he still hasn't looked it over so I warn you, mistakes will be ahead. I really can't wait any longer to upload it. I'm just too curious how you will like it. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy it. Just one hint: There will be cupcakes occur, which you can have a look at here: www . facebook FooodStyle/ photos/ a.276547042471445.65638.266550750137741/497097957083018/?type=1 (just remove the spaces)
Aaaand Fluff-N-Utter1 provided this picture so this story is partly dedicated to her. The other part is dedicated to YouHaveLovelyHair who has really a lot to bear with in RL at the moment and I hope this little story brings you a little joy. Rum and Coke for you!
Update: Now beta-read and I was stunned at how little mistakes I've made, according to the proofreader Dr. Teddy. :o)
Enjoy!
"... And then there was this old lady, well she wasn't really old, but definitely older than me, maybe in her late thirties or early forties. Anyway, we were both staring at those babycham pumps, those red ones with white anchors all over, and they were really perfect, because they are actually pumps but look like high heels and were so adorable, and there was just size 4 left and we were both going for them but I was faster. She was screaming: 'I've seen those first, they are mine!' and I replied: 'Come on, lady, I had them first and you wouldn't fit in them anyway!' and I was looking down on her feet and they were like size 6, and she just huffed and stomped off!" Jess ended her ramble, proud as a general leading his troops against the enemy confident of victory. Grinning like a Cheshire Cat and with her chest out, she grabbed her coffee, taking a large sip of the slightly cooled off drink, the frothy milk remaining at her upper lip. Using her tongue she licked her white beard off, grinning sheepishly at her opponent as she saw his respondent look, before taking another gulp.
The Captain only shook his head, smirking. "Buying shoes in a closing out sale really sounds like fighting a war," he remarked, taking a sip of his black coffee himself.
"You bet!" The petite brunette assured, nodding her head to underline her statement. "Only without the shooting, and the blood, and dead bodies at the end, but the rest is just war."
Becker laughed heartily at her words. Who would have known that his day could get any better despite the appointments he had to do. Well, he should have known that this day would switch to great as soon as he happened to see his young, competent co-worker and friend on the street; her arms packed with large shopping bags up to the crooks, her facial expression reflecting the exhaustion she felt after hours of her shopping tour, and still she managed to keep a smile on her lips, giving away the evidence of satisfaction she had inside.
As soon as she spotted the soldier her smile got even bigger, showing her teeth, and she waved at him. Becker waved back, wearing his own smile on the lips, which was reserved only for her. She not only brightened up the sky but also his mood switched instantly from annoyed to pleased, with a slight touch of happiness. She was actually on her way back home, meeting with a friend in a couple of hours and still had to get ready for it, but he couldn't just let her pass him by, he had to sit down with her at least for a couple of minutes to have some nice chat. No matter how fully packed his time schedule was, if it came to a certain FCO, he made sure to have some extra minutes to spend with her at work, so why should it be any different during their free time? Plus, Becker never liked doctors and dentists were always even more suspicious to him. What normal human being would like to work in another one's mouth, smelling their bad breath and fumbling with instruments on and in the other's teeth? No, Becker really disliked them, but still he took care of his body and that included his teeth, and going there twice a year wasn't that hard anyway. After all, he was a soldier, trained to withstand torture.
So here they were, sitting outside a little café at the corner of the main street, relishing the warm, sunny weather and drinking coffee while the Captain listened to Jess's ramble for nearly half an hour. Any other man would have been bored or bugged by now, but not Becker, he could listen to her voice 24 hours full of interest and with delight.
Jess told him as well about how she managed to get to the cash desk with seven pairs of shoes in her arms through a crowd of scary looking and almost fighting women and without letting one of them drop, each sentence accentuated with a sip of coffee. As she emptied her cup, she eyed her watch. "Oh, it's already after four," the young woman stated with a hint of disappointment, the corners of her lips moving south. "Becker I'm so sorry but I really have to go now."
The Captain laughed mildly. "Don't worry Jess. That's completely OK, after all it was me who talked you into staying and drinking coffee."
"Which was really delicious by the way," she remarked, standing up and grabbing her bags.
Becker stood up to hug her goodbye and Jess walked towards the pedestrian lights. He watched her leave, sitting back into his chair. As she reached the lights, she turned around, waving at him and smiling brightly, her head slightly bent to the side, before turning back around and walking across the street at green lights.
Becker was about to wonder how this tiny woman managed to wave her hand with all those bags on her arm as he saw a car approaching with high speed out of the corner of his eye and shooting towards the crossing walkers. All he could do was to scream her name as he saw Jess hitting the car at centre and flying through the air.
The soldier leaped to his feet, knocking the chair over as he spurted to his friend.
"Jess! Jess, can you hear me?" he shouted as he reached the girl, lying unconscious on the ground. He grabbed her head with both his hands, keeping it and her neck in position in case her spine got any damage. He turned his head towards bystanders, screaming at them: "Call the ambulance! Someone call the ambulance!" People started to make calls and Becker turned his head back to the woman who was too important for him to be lost at such a sudden. His eyes wide open in shock, he looked over her body, seeing the blood on her legs coming out of the wounds where the car hit her. With a trembling voice he said, talking rather to himself than to her: "Don't worry girl, you'll be alright. You'll be alright."
/-/
Slowly Jess managed to open her lids which felt like huge rocks lying on her eyes. Her head ached worse than the tequila party she had on her 18th birthday, where she drank nearly two bottles herself throughout the night. "Ouch!" she grumbled as the bright light hit her pupils, making them contract and her headache even worse.
"Hello beautiful! Welcome back." A smooth dark voice greeted her.
Knowing already who belonged to that voice, Jess turned her head towards him, blinking several times to adjust her eyes and see him sharply. She smiled groggily at her favourite soldier, ignoring the pain her movements caused.
"Lie still, Jess. You really shouldn't move. The doctor's said you have a severe concussion," he tried to sound rebuking but the large smile that formed as soon as he saw her opening her eyes showed off his sheer relief.
"What happened?" the young woman murmured, closing her eyes shut again to ease the muscles.
Becker's face turned to one of the darkest shades he ever wore, he didn't want to think back at that moment for even one second but her simple question made the memories and pictures flood back into his mind like a tsunami hitting the beach. "You had an accident," he started, his voice already trembling, "a car hit you. There must have been a dozen of guardian angels at work at that time because you're perfectly fine, except for your concussion and, and this."
Jess opened her eyes again to see what he meant. Recognising that his forefinger pointed onto her blanket, she looked down onto the strange shape that was formed beneath the fabric. Slowly she grabbed the blanket with both her hands and began to pull it upwards, revealing what should have been her feet and lower legs. Instead there were two big casts, only giving her toes free. Jess's eyes got that big, they seemed to nearly fall out of their holes.
"Don't worry, girl," the Captain answered in a soothing tone as he spotted her shocked look. "Eight weeks and you'll walk on your feet again. You're shine bones are 'smoothly broken' as the doctor had said. You won't have any difficulties in walking afterwards. He only said that you should wear flats for at least three month after the casts come off, so your legs and feet can rebuild their muscles properly before you start to wear high heels again," he explained to her in detail.
Jess swallowed hard. She couldn't take her eyes off of the white blocks made of plaster. "I," she started but her voice broke down in an instant. She took a deep breath, trying to regain some composure before starting again: "I really had luck then." It sounded more like a question than a statement.
"Yes Jess. You had frigging great luck. Only one second later, one step further -." Becker stopped. The cloth in his throat was too large to speak on. He swallowed and breathed in deeply. The Captain didn't want to imagine what could have happened back then. But the young enthusiastic assistant doctor having his shift as Jess was brought in by the ambulance thought it would be essential for him to know. So he told him about the huge luck Jess had when she was hit by the car just in the right time; How fortune it was that it were the bags of shoes her head had landed on instead of the engine bonnet or windscreen, what might have damaged her brain; That he should thank god that only her legs had been broken due to the impact and not her neck. No, he really didn't want to hear all those stuff, which was now running inside his head over and over again. All he could do now was to make sure to keep those horror scenarios away from Jess. She only needed to know, that she was fine and that she would heal.
Colourless liquid filled the young woman's eyes and soon little tear drops were running down her pale cheeks.
"Jess, it's OK. You'll be fine, don't worry," Becker assured her once more, grabbing both her cheeks and wiping away the tears with his thumbs.
"I know," Jess answered, sobbing. "I'm sorry, really."
Becker was really worried now. He lowered his head, lessening the distance, while his thumbs steadily caressed the skin beneath. "Don't be."
"I know, I really should be thankful that I'm alive, but," her tears ran freely as she couldn't hold them back any longer.
"What is it?" he questioned, his voice nearly a whisper.
Jess's cheeks turned pink. She looked away from him, embarrassed at her own thoughts. "No, it's so silly and I probably sound like a weirdo."
Becker stopped in his movements and gently turned her head back to make her look into his eyes. "Jess, you can tell me anything," he affirmed her.
The FCO took a deep breath. Between sobs she finally explained: "I have to wear those things for eight weeks! I really wanted to wear my new shoes to the summer festival next week and not those ugly casts."
Becker sighed with relieve that the real reason of her tears were not regarding to pain or something much worse. He couldn't hide the smile that was forming on his lips now that his favourite field coordinator was already back to her old self.
Jess sighed as well, in sorrow about the unwanted turn of the day. Suddenly her head shot up, being reminded at something really important. "Becker, where are my shoes?" she questioned, her large blue eyes staring at Becker's full of expectation.
Little drops of cold sweat ran across the soldier's forehead, revealing that he was in the fix. He hadn't wasted one single thought at her shoes as he was fearing for her life. Who would blame him? "Well," Becker started. He didn't think it was appropriate to tell her that he left them lying on the streets, that they either had been thrown away or, most probably, collected by the bystanders by now. He didn't fear for his own sake but for hers, to be more exact, he was dead sure as soon as he would tell her, she would have a heart attack. Withholding the truth, he answered: "I'll buy you new ones."
Jess burst out in tears again and the room was filled with loud, heart wrenching sobs. After they subsided a little, she replied: "No need to. I wouldn't be able to wear them anyway." Fresh tears ran across her face.
Becker couldn't take it any longer, he stood up and, despite the order to not to move her, he took her into a tight hug, kissing her head. "Jess, I'm so sorry."
Jess snuggled up into his chest, whispering desperately: "Three month! How can I survive that?"
/-/
"Hi Jess," Becker greeted her as he entered the room, carrying a box and a bunch of flowers.
"Hello Becker," Jess greeted him back friendly. She watched him placing the box on the side table and adding the flowers to those standing in the vase.
"I see the others were already here," the Captain stated.
"Just Abby and Connor. Matt and Emily called. They will visit me tomorrow. I even got a card from Lester," she said with joy, pointing onto the table.
Becker took it, reading: "Get back to work!" He chuckled. "Typically. Such a 'get well soon' card could only come from our boss.
"I'm sorry," Jess declared all of a sudden.
Becker was taken aback, he had no idea what she meant. "What for?"
"For yesterday, my outburst. And thank you, for staying at my side."
"Jess," Becker responded, "you don't have to apologise. You were just hit by a car. You still had a shock, plus I would have been really worried if you hadn't cried about your shoes," he paused, then added, "and no problem. I would have stayed the night if the nurse hadn't thrown me out." He leaned forward, kissing her head.
Jess smiled at his kind words, breathing in his scent of gunpowder and sweat and relishing the brief caress before he let go of her, stepping aside.
"What is in the box, by the way?" she looked at him, curious.
"Oh this." He tried to sound nonchalant as he stepped forward, shielding her view, and rummaged inside of it.
Becker turned around, holding a plate with two cupcakes. Each one had a flat waffle stuck inside with another round one beneath the end of the first waffle, making them look like little high heels. The cream was red with a little ankle made of sugar garnishing the top.
Jess's eyes widened in astonishment. Her smile reached from ear to ear and her eyes sparkled like little diamonds. "Oh my gosh!" was all she managed to say.
"Well, since you can't wear any shoes any time soon, I thought you might like some to eat."
"No, no! I can't eat them. They are gorgeous." In awe she took them from his hands. "Where did you buy them?" she questioned wondering, still admiring her present.
Becker's eyebrow shot up. "Bought?"
The young woman looked up, slowly recognising her mistake. "I thought?"
"Jess, I made them! For you!" he declared, being taken aback at her assumption. After all he put all his heart into it.
"Really?" Jess wanted to sound astonished, wanted to bring out her big surprise that he had made something so sweet for her, instead her question sounded like she doubted his ability to do so.
"Yes!" the soldier confirmed once again, hurt sounding clearly in his voice.
"But they are so perfect," she replied, digging deeper her hole.
"Excuse me?" Becker straightened himself and folded his arms, putting on a soldier face. He should be offended, he really should. But the face she did while trying to get out of her fix was too cute to look at, how could he be mad at her for one second with such a face?
"Noooo," Jess was desperately trying to save the situation. "Becker, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to. Please, don't be upset. They are so perfect. I absolutely didn't know that someone could be able to make them rather than a machine. Really, Becker, it was no insult. They look stunning. I love them. Thank you so much and," her voice switched from soothing to wondering, "since when can you bake?"
There it was, Jess's ramble again, that made Becker smile pleased. "My mum taught me when I was little and I took a bakery course in school. I was fancied by all the girls for my cupcakes," he told a little proud, then switched the topic. "Well, I actually wanted to give you another pair as soon as you finish them off, but since you won't eat them," he shrugged off with a grin.
Jess was flabbergasted. "Another pair? As in, you made more than those for me?" seeing his large smile she added: "How many pairs?"
"Won't tell," the soldier denied, shaking his head.
"Becker, please!" Jess urged looking at him with large puppy eyes as if to say 'I'm hurt, you have to tell me'.
"Nope," he replied teasingly, popping the p.
"Alright!" Jess knew she wouldn't get anything out of him. There was only one way to find out. She took one of the cupcake-shoes and led them to her mouth. She hesitated for a moment, taking in the view of the perfect little item before biting delightfully into it. Savouring the taste for as long as she could, she finally stated: "Oh my god, Becker. They are so delicious!"
"That's good," the man replied with a chuckle.
"Really! If I had known you could bake such mouth-watering cake, I had never ever left your side." After finishing it, she placed the second one onto her side table. "Do you have pictures of the other shoes, I mean, cupcakes?"
"Maybe."
Taking that as a 'yes' Jess clapped her hands in joy. "Can I see them?"
"Maybe."
"Becker!" she cried in frustration, not liking his teasing at all.
"Jess," he sing sang jollying.
"Please!" Jess now begged, looking like a little child whining for her lolly-pop.
His reply was a heartily laugh and a kiss on the forehead.
"I'll come back tomorrow," Becker said his goodbye and left.
A/N: That's the end. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a reply and feed my muse ;) and keep away from fast driving cars.
Have a nice day!
:o)