This is my answer to the BCRUS challenge: Write a story, any pairing, any topic, any length and rating containing the following words:

Card - Tea - Glasses - Receipt - Phone Number - Hard Candy

in no particular order!

As usual, I don't own any of the characters, I make no money by using them

The Best Laid Plans

By Akasha

A Cupcake Story

It's been a while since I've had this kind of time to myself to look forward to. Usually, I enjoy my job, but lately, it's been a little hectic. In my line of work, hectic means dead bodies, so it really hasn't been my week.

It's not like I want time to sit around sipping tea or playing cards, but getting home at a reasonable hour would be nice every now and then. That and having time for the nicer things in life.

I haven't seen Steph in almost a week. We talk on the phone every day, but I haven't seen her and I miss her. I know she trusts me, but my excuses sound old to my own ears by now.

So as I'm finishing up the last report, I'm feeling antsy to get out. And I'm going to turn off my pager too, let someone else pick up the slack for a change, I'm going to have a weekend.

Technically, I should do my expense report now too, I have all the receipts ready, but that would mean spending another hour or so at my desk. And that's just not going to happen.

Granted, my plan isn't fool-proof. If there's anything you can be sure of with Steph, it's that you can't be sure. She might be doing her Friday night routine tonight, but then again, she may not be.

Her job as her bounty hunter means her hours are even more erratic than mine, and God only knew what other little odd job she could be doing, so it was a bit of a risk. She may have a surveillance job tonight, or one of the little favors she did for RangeMan.

But I felt I had something to make up for, so I was going for the surprise effect.

"Half day today?" Carl Costanza joked as I passed him in the lobby.

It was a quarter of six. I grimaced. "If you tell anyone you saw me leave I'll have to shoot you."

I was only half kidding. I needed some time to decompress.

Carl grinned and nodded. "Your secret's safe with me."

I knew he understood, he had been a cop long enough himself. It's hard to explain.

We certainly don't stay for the money or the fringe benefits. And ten years ago, if someone had told me I was going to become a cop for life, I would have laughed at them. And now, I couldn't imagine any other life.

Used to be, when a woman gave me her phone number, she wanted to go out with me. Now it was most likely the number of an informant or the number where she would be if I had any more questions regarding a case.

I sigh and cross the cop shop's parking lot to get to my SUV. And then I have to smile as I unlock my car. For all the whining and bitching I do, I'd never once thought about quitting.

It's just a sign that I needed a break, is all. And a sure sign I need to see my girl, that's for sure.

Funny thing is, for all the bitching I do about her job, I never expect her to quit either. Yeah, I would love for her to have a safer job, but I know she wouldn't be happy at some nine-to-five. God help the boss that would be in charge of keeping her in line!

I burn rubber out of the lot and make it to 'Rosie's Roses' in record time. There are a number of pre-arranged bouquets and I just pick one with a lot of yellow in it and pay for it, I have no time to have one made for me.

Dinner at the Plums is at six, I have about seven minutes left to make it there. Hopefully, Steph is going to be a few minutes late so I can catch her outside her parents' house, because I have no interest in sharing a meal with her family tonight. I like her family, I don't mind spending time with them. But not tonight. Tonight, it's supposed to be only Steph and me.

I have no idea where I'll start looking for her if she decides not to have dinner at her parents' house, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

When I park in front of the Plum house five minutes later, there's no sign of Steph. Shit. I'd have to call her to find out where she is, and there goes the surprise effect.

Just as I'm trying to formulate a Plan B, I hear the familiar noise of Big Blue, probably still half a mile away but unmistakable, and I smile. That can only be her.

"Okay, show time. You know what to do!" My special pep talk. And why the hell am I nervous, it's not like it's a first date or something.

Big Blue rumbles around the corner, and it's impossible not to think of a big battle ship, Old Ironsides maybe. There are similarities. Big Blue is also indestructible, sometimes the only thing between Steph and harm's way.

I take a deep breath, grab the flowers, and get out of my car, so that I'm standing on the sidewalk when she parks the Buick at the curb.

She hasn't seen me yet, and the frown on her face tells me she's had one of those days as well. Perfect. We can cheer each other up.

Steph parks, kills the engine and just sits there. I know the feeling. She's readying herself for a meal with her family.

A front door behind me opens and I don't have to turn around to know it's her mom and grandmother, not alerted by the car's noise like I was, but by some weird inner radar, just knowing when she would arrive.

Before they can ask me what I'm doing standing on the sidewalk, I walk over to the Buick and wrench the driver's door open.

Steph flinches, but I'm happy to see as soon as she recognizes me, her face softens.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, smiling. Happy to see me. Score!

"Trying to convince you to have dinner with me instead," I say. "Look, I even brought a bribe."

I hold out the flowers for her to see and her smile gets wider.

"What's this for?"
Always suspicious. That's part of why she usually gets her FTAs. That and her unwillingness to quit and accept defeat, I guess.

"This is for not seeing you all week and now really, really missing you."

Steph takes the flowers and sinks her nose into them, inhaling deeply. Her hair falls over her face and I'm getting all kinds of ideas.

"Thank you," she beams when she raises her head again. "You coming in for dinner?"

"I have a better idea," I almost whisper, encircling her waist with my arms. "We'll skip dinner here and I'll treat you to something better."

"I don't know," she says slowly, wrinkling her nose as if in deep thought. "I'm really hungry. Can you offer me pot roast?"
"Nope," I admit. "But something better."

"What's better than pot roast?" she asks, grabbing her shoulder bag and slamming her car door shut behind her.

I take her elbow and lead her over to my car, waving at Mrs. Plum and Mrs. Mazur as we walk past. The look on their faces is priceless. We'll explain later.

Steph lets me seat her in my car, still holding on to the roses.

"Well?" she asks when I take my seat next to her and start the car. "What do you have to eat for me?"

Oh, she's making this to easy. I turn to her with the widest grin, I can't help myself.

"Hard candy."

Her laughter fills the car and I reach over to grab her hand. "I've missed you Cupcake."

Reviews are always welcome...