You guys enjoy the ultimate finale of the final season? I do. Yeah, it's a little bit rushed but the ending is a great closure. Ah, the baby girl. So cute...Aw... Too bad they didn't show the scene where Clark and Dean enter the Academy, though.
Anyway, here's another fic, post-finale. So there will be spoilers. Have fun reading! ;)
Summary : Sam and Ed are abducted by a group of hostile strangers. How are the two SRU officers going to convince their abductors that they have taken the wrong men?
"Ed?"
"Yeah, Samo?"
"I'm not sure I'm ready for this."
Pausing at the entrance of the supermarket, Ed Lane turned to frown at his teammate. "You're not ready to go diaper shopping?"
"No, what I mean is…" Sighing, Sam Braddock jammed both hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Never mind. Let's just get this over with."
Ed grinned. "I know what's bothering you, buddy. You think you're not prepared to be a Daddy yet."
Sam emitted a rueful smile. "Is that too obvious?"
"Well…" Throwing an arm around Sam's shoulder, Ed urged his mate to continue walking inside. "That hangdog and I'm-scared-shitless expression is a total giveaway, for one. Secondly, you have grown very quiet as Jules' due gets closer. Don't worry, okay? Both mother and child will be fine, you'll see."
"I'm not worried about them," said Sam, reaching for a shopping cart on an auto-pilot. "I'm worried about me. I have no idea how to take care of a baby. I never even hold a baby in my life!"
Chuckling, Ed patted Sam in the back. "Then you're gonna learn, starting tonight. That's why I'm here. Look, I'll buy you the book, Taking Care of Baby for Dummies, whatever. But before that I will teach you how to shop for the necessities. Jules is now eight month along so you guys should prepare a hospital bag, just in case. The baby might come earlier than its due."
Sam stumbled to a halt, turning deathly pale. "Earlier? As in, premature? Oh, god…"
"Hey, hey, buddy. Don't freak out on me now. Come on, Samo. Sniper breathing. Yeah…that's it. Feel better? Good. Let's start shopping. Jules would shoot your ass if you come back empty handed."
As they were speaking, Sam's wife was currently sitting in the Lane's living room, happily surrounded by her close female companions. Sophie and Leah had meticulously planned the baby shower for weeks and they didn't want the guys' presence to spoil it. And so, after Jules had been dropped off at his house, Ed was given the mission to distract Sam elsewhere. That was how the two men had ended up in the supermarket.
For the next hour Ed steered his mate down the aisles, giving helpful pointers and suggestions on the items that the father-to-be needed to purchase in preparation for the childbirth. Ed wasn't sure that Sam was paying full attention, but at least the poor guy had stopped looking so panic-stricken.
Having gone through it twice before, Ed could relate to what Sam was feeling. When Sophie was pregnant with Clark, he hadn't acted that much different. In fact, he had been a whole lot worse. Every first time father would experience it, the fear and anxiety brought by the great anticipation. But in Ed's case, the fear was more to do with missing all the actions. And that was exactly what had happened. He hadn't been there to hold his wife's hand when she gave birth to their son, something that Ed still regretted to this day. So when Izzy was born, he had insisted to stay by Sophie's side despite a serious gunshot wound in his arm.
Glancing at his watch, Ed noticed that it was already quarter to nine. The baby shower should have wrapped up by now, though knowing the women they might want to linger and gossip for another hour. Ed decided that he still had time to take Sam to a bar for a quick drink.
Bending over the shopping cart, Ed inspected the items they had gathered. "Diapers, check. Baby formula, check. Blankets, check. Bottle warmer, check. Socks for mommy, toiletries, lotion, lip balms, candies…check, check, check, check, check."
"We've got everything?" Sam asked, concerned to get it all right.
"Yeah, except for one. Maternity sanitary pads."
Sam blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. We can find them in the ladies section. Right over…here."
Stubbornly, Sam planted his feet. "I'm not venturing in there."
Standing at the middle of the aisle flanked by rows of sanitary pads of numerous brands, Ed rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Sam, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"I'm not embarrassed. I'm just…this is not right."
"Buying personal things for your own wife is not right?"
"That's just it. It's too personal."
"Exactly. That's what marriage really is."
"I know that, but…" Sam cringed. "Seriously, Ed, I've never entered this particular area before. Never."
"There's a first time for everything, buddy. Besides, you're doing Jules a lot of favor. You don't expect her to shop for sanitary pads right after she delivers, do you? It is better that you do it now, as we're already here." Ed clamped a hand around Sam's arm and yanked him over. "Go on, pick her favorite brand. Do you even know her favorite brand?"
His face burning, Sam prayed that no one else was looking as he reached up for a blue colored package.
"That's for normal menstrual, dummy," Ed said, grabbing the package before putting it back. "You need to get the ones specified for post-natal. The blood flow is heavier."
Blushing, Sam glared at his team leader. "Have you any idea how awkward this is?"
"Yeah, I sure do." Ed grinned back. "And I'm enjoying it immensely."
Fighting the wild urge to smack the other man's head with the arsenal of womanly things, Sam stared closely at the array of packages until he found what he looked for. "Got it."
"Great. Mission accomplished. Now let's go pay."
Noticing the admiring gazes that the female cashier was furtively giving Sam as she checked out each item, Ed couldn't resist teasing his handsome teammate. He draped an arm around Sam's waist and happily announced, "As you must have noticed, we are having a baby."
Though a bit crestfallen, the pretty young lady managed to smile back. "Oh. Congratulations then."
Turning as red as ripe tomato, Sam sputtered his explanation, "No! We are not having a baby. I mean, I am having a baby, but not with him. He's just—"
"Come along, muffin. We have a Lamaze class to attend, remember?" Ed sweetly said, giving Sam's waist a quick squeeze before he grabbed the shopping bags and strode for the exit.
With an audible sigh, Sam looked heavenward.
Why do I even bother?
Without uttering another word, he gave the cashier a weak smile and grabbed the remaining bags. So anxious that he was to escape the girl's interested stares, Sam rushed out the door as if his heels were on fire. He found Ed already sitting inside the car, leaning heavily against the steering wheel as he laughed his head off.
Grumbling in annoyance, Sam dropped the bags into the back seat before strapping himself in next to Ed. "Oh, yeah. That's real mature. Very funny."
"I know, right?" Ed wheezed as he straightened up, wiping the tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. "You should see the look on your face. It was awesome!"
Sam shot his friend a glare. "Can't take you anywhere. Feel free to embarrass me next time, Boss."
"Aw, come on, Samo," Ed said as he eased the car out of the parking lot. "That was fun, admit it. The girl was clearly so taken with you. I was just saving you the trouble so you don't need to decline when she offers to jump your bones. Imagine how Jules would react if you said yes?"
"Why would I say yes?"
"Honestly, Sam, a girl that pretty and you are not the least bit interested?"
"Absolutely not."
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." Ed chuckled. "She looks a lot like Scarlett Johansson. And the whole team knows you have the hots for the Hollywood bombshell."
"Not anymore," Sam replied with a sheepish smile. "I'm a married man now, remember?"
"Right."
"And I'm a good husband."
"If you said so."
"Besides, my wife is a sexy sniper chick. Kicking ass and crunching balls are her favorite pastime. You think I have the guts to even glance at other women?"
"You got a point there." Ed nodded in agreement. "Say, what happened to the photo of Scarlett you had taped at the back of your locker? I haven't seen it there for months."
"Jules found it the week before the wedding."
Ed gasped. "She broke into your locker?"
"Yep."
"What did she do with the picture?"
Sam grimaced. "She took it home, blended it in with her famous mango smoothie and forced me to drink it."
Ed's jaw dropped as he stared wide-eyed at his teammate, mere seconds before he burst into uproarious laughter. He laughed so hard that the car nearly swerved into the back of a slow moving bus.
"Hey, watch it!" Sam yelled, grabbing the wheel to steady it.
"Oh, God…that's hilarious." Ed moaned as he rubbed his stitching side. "No wonder you are immune to the charms of hot chicks. Jules is one scary woman. You're lucky she didn't add your nuts into the blender!"
"Tell me about it." Sam shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Scary Jules really turns me on, though."
Ed scoffed. "Buddy, you know what you need?"
"What?"
"You need a drink, that's what. A real big one. Remember that bar we went together earlier this year?"
"The bar where we got stinking drunk? Of course. How could I forget the mother of all hangovers the day afterward?"
"How about another trip there? Come on, I'm buying."
Sam hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"It's just one drink, Sam. We won't get drunk like before."
"But what would the wives say? I can still recall Jules being so pissed when she found us out there, howling to the moon like lunatics."
"Our wives won't say a thing if they don't find out, would they? It's gonna be our secret."
Sam started to laugh. "Our secret. Yeah, let's do it."
An hour later, Ed and Sam were still nursing over a tall glass of beer each when Ed's cellphone suddenly buzzed. He winced when he saw the caller ID.
"Uh…hey, Soph."
"Where the heck are you guys?" his wife demanded to know.
"We're still downtown, just finished shopping."
"Oh, that's good."
"Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, but Jules is getting tired. She unwrapped lots of presents tonight. Sam needs to take her home so she can rest."
"10-4. We'll get moving now. ETA fifteen minutes."
"Eddie?"
"Yes, honey?"
"I don't speak code," Sophie drily shot back and ended the call.
Chuckling, Ed rose to his feet. "Let's go home, buddy. The wives are getting antsy."
Sam also got off his stool. "Do they know where we're at?"
Gesturing at the noisy surroundings of the bar, a cacophony mixed sounds of loud music and exuberant conversations, Ed said, "I think Soph can tell. I married a very smart woman. Nothing escapes her notice."
"Then we are screwed."
"No argument there."
Still laughing, they exited the bar and made the long walk back to Ed's car which he had to park in a public garage two blocks away. They were just yards from the garage entrance when a white panel van braked to a screeching halt alongside them. The two SRU officers instantly snapped to full alert, sensing danger, as the door slid open and four men wearing balaclavas jumped out and aimed loaded guns at them.
"On your knees! Hands behind your heads!" the men were screaming, their weapons at the ready.
Knowing that they were unarmed and outnumbered, Ed gave Sam a barely noticeable nod. Reluctantly, both SRUs got to their knees as they were told, their arms raised in submission.
"Look, guys, what is this about?" Ed calmly asked.
"Be quiet!" one of their assailants shouted in response as the others yanked Ed and Sam's arms behind their backs.
"Can't you at least tell us who you are and what you want?" Sam wanted to know.
"I said, be quiet! Shut the fuck up!" barked the first man, slamming the butt of his gun into Sam's temple.
"No!" Ed cried out as his teammate crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Shrugging the men's hands off him, Team One's team leader rushed forward to crouch over his friend. At the sight of blood trickling down Sam's face, Ed raised his gaze with a growl of anger, "Bastard. You didn't need to hit him!"
A heavy blow slammed Ed in the crown of his head then. And his lights went out.
When he finally came to, Ed thought that his brain was going to explode from the incessant pounding inside his skull. Stifling a groan, he blinked his eyes opened to find himself in a darkened narrow room. He was sitting on the floor with his back leaning against something, his wrists tied behind him. As he struggled with the bonds, his elbows bumped into someone, eliciting a low moan.
Ed froze. "Sam? Is that you?"
"Ungh…" The younger man weakly raised his head, slowly coming around. "Ed…what…what just happened?"
"Well, buddy, I think we have been kidnapped."
Assailed by nausea, Sam swallowed hard against the hot bile in his throat. A sure sign that he suffered a concussion. "Kidnapped? Why?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea." Ed shrugged, or tried to. His movements were limited by the thick ropes tied fast around his chest. He and Sam were bound together, back to back.
"Did you piss off anyone lately?" Sam asked, his voice still sounded weak.
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
The door suddenly flew open. Two of their abductors entered, their faces hidden behind the balaclavas.
"Good, you're awake," one of them said. From his voice, it was the same man who had hit Sam earlier. "We're gonna make the call to your father now."
Sam was surprised to realize that the man was actually talking to him. "M…my father?"
"That old man needs the proof that you're still alive. To keep you that way, he has no choice but to release our people."
That caused Sam to frown in incomprehension. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The man slapped him. Hard. "No more questions, kid! Just do what I told you to do and say what I told you to say, you understand?"
"No, I don't understand!" Sam fumed, and he got slapped again.
"Stop hitting him, god damn it!" Ed shouted. "What do you guys want?"
"You be quiet," the other man hissed at Ed. "You're just the watch dog."
Ed blinked.
A watch dog? Seriously?
The first man started dialing on a cellphone. Moments later, the call was connected and he barked, "You still don't believe me, old man? Now talk to your son!"
Sam flinched as the phone was jammed against his right ear. No one spoke on the other end, but he heard someone breathing. "Uh…hello?"
"Son? Are you okay?"
"Yes, but—"
"Hang on, Joey. I've gathered our men and we'll be right over. We're gonna kill those sons of bitches!"
"Wait a minute, I'm not—"
"That's enough!" The cellphone was wrenched away and the abductor yelled into it, "You heard your son's voice, now release our men! You have one hour or your son dies!"
With that, the two men stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut. For several heart beats, the two SRU officers were stunned into silence until Ed asked, "Sam, what did your Dad just say? Did he tell you what's going on?"
Sam shook his head, greatly puzzled. "That's the thing, Ed. It's not the General."
"What? Come again?" Ed was understandably shock.
"The man on the phone just now," Sam added, "He is not my Dad."
TBC...
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!