Cold Front

Chapter One

Eliot woke up with Kenna tucked underneath him. Sometime in the night she had pulled on a t-shirt and panties. He had gotten home late from a job and she had taped his ribs and cleaned out the gash in his head. Kenna had heated up some chili and they sat on the couch and watched old MASH reruns till he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Then they made their way to the bedroom where sleep wasn't the first thing they thought of doing. Now it was dawn and he needed to get up and get dressed but he didn't want to do either. Eliot ran his hand down Kenna's still flat stomach and thought about the fight they had had before he left last week.

(Flashback)

"You don't have to go to back to work Kenna." Eliot said as they cleaned up the dinner dishes,

"Eliot I can't sit around this apartment all day and twiddle my thumbs. The fire department offered me a dispatch job. I can't get hurt answering a phone."

"You don't need to work."

"I may not need to but I want to." She put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and slammed the door shut. "Just give me this. I promise the minute I feel like it's too much I will quit."

"Is that like the promise you made not to go back to the ER and stay out of the line of fire you made me last week?" Kenna slammed down the pan she was dying and turned around.

"You're going to keep bringing that up aren't you?" She wished she could just walk away. Today was one of those days she just wanted to walk out.

"I guess I am." He threw the towel he was holding on the counter. "How can I trust you to tell me when it's too much?" Something hit her just then, he could tell. Maybe a memory or something more profound but she reached up and brushed a strand of hair that had come loose from the band that held it back and kissed his cheek.

"Just don't forget that I did it for Nate." She turned and walked into the living room and never looked back. That night when he got into bed she was there but never said a word. She took him in her arms and made sure he would miss her when he was gone. The next morning she left him an apple, a note saying she loved him but she also loved her job and that she would see him in a week. It was the longest week Eliot had gone through in a very long time.

(Present)

Kenna rolled over and opened her eyes. She felt Eliot's warm touch on her stomach and smiled.

"We missed you cowboy." She arched her back and kissed him.

"I missed you too." Eliot pulled her closer. "What time do you have to go in?"

"If I tell you, are we going to fight?" She smiled.

"Only if you want to fight." He chuckled.

"I have off the next three days." Kenna curled up in his arms.

"Maybe Nate will be nice and not take another job for three days." The sound of his phone made Eliot think that Nate was already busy finding them another case.

"I'll make breakfast; you tell Nate you want a day off." Kenna kissed him and got out of bed as Eliot reached for the phone.

"Kenna says I need a day off Nate."

"I didn't know Kenna was in charge of giving days off."

"I think Kenna thinks she's in charge of everything these days." Eliot said.

"Women do tend to do that now and then. Especially when they're pregnant."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Anytime. I was just calling to tell you it's quiet on this end so why don't you take a day off and heal those ribs."

"Gee thanks Nate." Eliot tried not to sound too sarcastic.

"Anytime my friend. Tell Kenna is was my idea."

"Since when did you become a suck up?"

"Since I've see her pissed." Nate hung up and Eliot threw his phone on the bedside table. Topher jumped up and curled up next to him.

"Are you afraid of her too?" He asked the cat. The fur ball just blinked at him and rolled over. "Yeah she has that affect on me too." Eliot rubbed the cats belly for a few seconds and headed to the shower.

/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Are you sure he won't be mad?" Parker sat next to Kenna at the table.

"Who cares? You're my friend and I want to catch up. We haven't seen each other since last week." Eliot came out of the bedroom with his hair damp and just his jeans, his t-shirt in his hand.

"Hey, Parker." He said.

"Kenna said I could stay for breakfast." She said shyly.

"Great." He pulled on the shirt as he sat down. Kenna was smiling. "What?"

"Nothing." Kenna said as she got up and got the coffee pot. She poured him a cup and put it back on the warmer.

"Hardison didn't come with you?" Eliot asked.

"No, he thought you might still be mad about that missed camera." Parker said as she took a sip of her hot chocolate.

"Not mad, just frustrated. You could have gotten caught."

"You know he wouldn't let that happen."

"I know." He looked at Kenna who was strangely quiet. "Something bothering you darlin'?" Eliot didn't like when Kenna got quiet.

"No, I'm just happy you all got home safe." She picked at her breakfast. As Eliot ate he wondered if there was more to it.

"How was your first week at dispatching?" He asked her.

"Good. It wasn't as mundane as I thought it might be. Max is a little upset because I'm not riding shot gun."

"He'll get over it." Eliot sat back and took a sip of his coffee. "So Nate gave us the day off, what should we do?" He looked at the two women in front of him.

"When was the last time you went to the Zoo?" Kenna asked. Parker's eyes lit up.

"No, absolutely, positively not." He shook his head.

"Come on Eliot. You can't not have fun at the zoo." Parker pleaded.

"You promise you won't try to steal any animals?" He said sternly. She was nearly giddy.

"Yes, yes, I swear…no stealing the animals."

"Even the cute fluffy ones." He scolded.

"I promise. Can we ask Nate and Sophie come?" Eliot looked at Kenna.

"If they want." The thief bounded out the door,

"You know you just made her day, don't you." Kenna said as she curled her legs under her.

"You made the suggestion."

"But you said yes." She smiled and took the coffee cup she had hidden behind the canister on the counter.

"She still won't let you drink your coffee in piece?"

"Nope." Eliot laughed. "You think it's funny but she stole ever bean we had in the house."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I woke up Tuesday morning with nothing but coco in the cupboards." Eliot laughed. He motioned her over and she came over to him.

"Did she find the stash in the liquor cabinet?" He pulled her onto his lap.

"You have a stash in the liquor cabinet? You've been holding out on me." She kissed him.

"I thought you knew." He laughed. "You better get ready."

"Maybe we should get Nate and Sophie to take Parker." Kenna ran her hand down his cheek.

"You promised her." Eliot kissed her one last time and pushed her off his lap. "Now get dressed." Kenna laughed and headed to the bedroom.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Ohh look a baby hippo." Parker ran ahead of Kenna and Eliot.

"I can't believe everyone else bailed." Eliot watched the thief bound up to the hippo enclosure.

"If they only knew how much fun we were having." Kenna said as she leaned into him.

"She is having a really good time."

"You have to be the one to tell her that she can't bring home the hippo." Eliot laughed.

"As long as I have her back on the next job, I think she's okay with leaving the two thousand pound animal where she belongs." Kenna watched Parker as she tried talking to the beast.

"How come Hardison didn't come with us today? Those two are barley apart for more than an hour."

"He's still thinks I want to kill him."

"What happened?" They both sat on a bench not far from the hippo enclosure.

"The job was in and out. Parker had to pop a safe in the courthouse and she would have been free and clear but Hardison missed looping a camera outside of the office."

"A rookie mistake, not a Hardison one."

"No." He looked at Parker trying to feed the hippo the popcorn they had just bought her. "Especially when it was Parker's ass on the line."

"She seems no worse for wear."

"You know Parker. She lets things slid off her back when she feels like it." Eliot pushed his sunglasses up on his head. "It was a glitch but it was a dangerous glitch. I had to go back for her."

"It's done and over, did you tell him that you forgive him."

"No. I don't think I'm ready for that quite yet."

"You always did hold a grudge." Kenna looked at him. "Families forgive and forget."

"I'll forgive; I just want to let him simmer a little." Eliot's phone rang. "I guess Nate is pulling the plug on our day off." He said as he answered his phone. "Yeah Nate."

"How's the zoo?"

"Fabulous. You should have come along." Eliot answered sarcastically.

"Maybe next time. We have a client."

"Day off, remember."

"If I tell you it involves puppies and small children would you reconsider?"

"Maybe."

"Well it doesn't but it does involve a night guard at the docks who has kids and cats. I know you're warming up to the cat idea." Nate said.

"Can I at least get though the monkey house before we head in."

"What the hell have you done with my hitter?" Nate laughed. "Sure, go to the monkey house. We'll see you when you get here." Eliot put his phone back in his pocket.

"That was nice of you." Kenna kissed him.

"I couldn't deal with her pouting if she didn't get to see the baby monkeys."

"You are going to be one hell of a daddy Eliot Spencer." Kenna kissed him and they headed to the monkey house.