First Date

These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.

"When you suffer an attack of nerves you're being attacked by the nervous system. What chance does a man have against an entire system?" Russell Hoban.

This is a Kanda and Roy story. Please share your thoughts with me through reviews. Thanks!

Chapter 1

Roy was in his bedroom getting ready when he heard the knock on the door. "Chris? Can you get that," he hollered down the stairs. He knew it was Johnny at the door anyway.

"Heya Chris," Johnny said as he stepped through the door. Looking around the cluttered living room he was glad to see that things had finally come back to normal in the DeSoto household. Memories of boxed up belongings, empty shelves and walls which had left him cold inside were now fading away as Roy moved on with his life post divorce. It was obvious that the kids knew exactly where home was as evidenced by the as sundry of dolls, trucks, baseball equipment by the door, school books on the coffee table and other miscellaneous items of childhood scattered everywhere.

Stepping over the makeshift house of Barbie's, Jenny slapped his leg, "You're smushing the flower garden Uncle Johnny."

He quickly moved out of the imaginary garden and apparently into the not so invisible kitchen as he nearly stepped on a little plastic chair. "Sorry Jenny. Quite a lovely house you have here."

"It's not a house; it's a castle for my princess."

Johnny knelt down for his hug, "We'll I see that now, it's lovely." He stood up and proceeded to work his way through the castle grounds. Ignoring the giant invading her home she continued with a doll in each hand as they argued over who got to drive the car to the imaginary store, somewhere over by the big chair.

Johnny looked over to Chris, "Where's your dad?"

"He's still upstairs," Chris said as he kept his eyes fixated to the television while relaxing on the couch.

"Rough day at school?" He knew it wasn't like Chris to lounge around the house.

"Had football practice today."

"Ahh," Johnny answered.

Johnny left the kids to their own devices and headed up the stairs and down the hall to the master bedroom. Finding the door open he propped against the frame and watched his friend tie his shoes then fidget with his shirt.

"I wonder if she is spending half as much time getting ready as you are."

Roy looked up, "I'm just getting dressed. I think I'm allowed to do that much." There was no way he was going to let Johnny know how much thought he did put into what he wore tonight. Trying to look casual he grabbed his keys off the dresser and walked to the door desperately hoping that Johnny couldn't see how nervous he was.

"Relax man, it's just a date." Johnny said with a smile slapping him on the back as he walked past him and down the stairs. Even though Roy had known her for quite a while now this was their official first date and Johnny was loving every bit of Roy's discomfort. Of course Roy knew that Johnny could see right through him and it was highly annoying at times. He had a bad feeling that this was going to be payback for all those years of him giving Johnny hard times about all the dates he'd been on.

"I know but it's really our first date. I've barely even seen her since the party." Didn't he just dry his hands, he thought as he ran them across his legs in an effort to wipe the sweat off again.

Johnny patted him on the shoulder, "Relax partner." The bond was already there for them, Johnny knew that much. He knew it when Kanda first told him of the strong sense of Roy's wellbeing she had right from the beginning. "Where are you taking her for dinner?"

He looked across the top of the mantle. "There's a new little Italian restaurant over on Torrance. Thought we'd try it out."

"Then?"

He knew that Johnny was just tormenting him, "I don't know." Turning to the kitchen he carefully stepped over the various Barbie accessories and looked all over the counters.

Johnny followed him. "Well dinner won't take that long. What about a movie?" It had taken them a long time to reach this point and he wanted them to have a nice first date.

Roy left the kitchen and started picking up magazines on the end table, sifting through them and looking very frustrated. "Maybe. I'll see what she wants to do." He stood up and put his hands on his hips for a moment. Next he re-stepped over the little imaginary rooms that his daughter had created and headed to the little table by the door and started rummaging around in the square shaped wicker basket. "I don't even know what's out."

Johnny leaned his hand on the mantle and furrowed his brow. "Dancing?"

Roy gave him an irritated look, "Dancing? If I want to blow a first date then dancing would definitely do it." He turned back to the mantle, then to the coffee table then considered going upstairs again. Suddenly he realized that Jenny was laughing at him. "What are you laughing at?" He said with a big smile as he bent down to her.

"You daddy. You're making me dizzy," she giggled.

"Have you seen daddy's keys honey?" He stood up to Johnny tapping him on the shoulder. "What?"

"Try your pocket Mr. I'm not nervous," he said with a smirk as he pointed to Roy's pant pocket.

He patted his hand over it, "Oh, yea." Grinning sheepishly he took a deep breath. "Okay, guess I'm ready. Thanks for babysitting Junior."

"Dad!" Chris protested at the very degrading 'baby' part. He was sure he wasn't a baby anymore.

"Sorry, kid sitting," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"Somehow I think that brothers are supposed to be threatening boyfriends at the door not kid sitting for them."

"Boyfriend, don't make me be 17 again. Once in a lifetime was enough." He looked past Johnny to the kids, "Keep him out of trouble you two."

"We will dad," they laughed in unison.

Roy climbed in the car and headed toward Rampart to pick Kanda up. She was getting off duty and instead of driving all the way out to the ranch they agreed to meet in the lobby. His nerves only got worse as he got closer to the hospital. He kept moving his hands off the steering wheel as they sweated under his grip. They had now known each other for over a year but it seem that the only time they had shared was getting through one crisis or another. It was always about what was going on around them and never about them and what they might be feeling. Then there was the party.

He remembered that night like it was a photograph in his mind. They danced out in her backyard, the sky full of stars and the trees full of twinkling lights. Having her in his arms was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. Dixie had asked him an important question that night, 'what was he waiting on?' The more he thought about it the more he realized that he no longer knew. For that brief moment in time she had been there for more than a hug of support and the incredible feeling of her in his arms made him ache for more. His biggest fear was rushing her. They both had been through a marriage once. Both which ended in tragedy of their own kinds. Not knowing anything about hers or her husband Roy felt it added to the blank spot of what he really didn't know about her, which included her past on the reservation. The healing ceremony pointed that out clearly. How little he did know about her.

But the first time he saw her something happened to him. It was like a linking of their souls that had never let go. Pulling into the parking lot he took a deep breath, dried his hands one last time and walked in to meet the woman that now occupied his thoughts day in and day out.

She stood in the doctor's lounge and groaned at what she picked out to bring to wear. With no closet at hand she had no other choices, but then that could also be a good thing. It was just dinner, right?

"You look beautiful."

Surprised she turned to see Dixie coming up behind her. "Are you sure it looks alright Dixie?"

Dixie looked at her in the simple cotton sleeveless dress, fitted at her trim waist, a rich teal blue. No lace, ribbons or flowers were needed. "It looks great Kanda, don't worry." She reached up and helped her clip the teal colored beaded barrette at the bottom of her French braided long hair.

"I feel like a school girl again," she said with some frustration. She had waited what seemed like an eternity for this date.

Dixie shook her head, "Well you definitely don't look like a little school girl anymore." She looked up at the clock. "What time are you meeting him?"

"Seven," she turned to see the clock. "Oh no, I'm late."

Dixie laughed with a shake of her head, "Calm down. I have a feeling he'll wait."

She took one last look in the mirror and decided that it wasn't great but this was as good as it got. Her own confidence in her natural beauty had never been strong but after her difficult childhood with her father it was pretty much squashed. "Okay, guess I'm ready."

Roy walked around the lobby. He wasn't worried about her running a little late knowing that anything at work could put her behind schedule. Every time the elevator dinged his head popped up to see if it was her but this last time it actually was and she took his breath away. Her dress brought out the rich tan of her skin, her hair pulled back letting her cheekbones shine as the smile that came on her face when she saw him made her radiant.

She saw his face light up as she stepped out of the elevator. Good, she thought, at least he's glad to see me. He was wearing tan pants and a button down blue shirt which brought out his vivid blue eyes. He met her halfway and took her hand, "Ready?"

"Yes," she replied. The spark went up from her hand and coursed through her body. She couldn't believe she was finally going on a date with him.

He helped her into his car then after closing her door he went around to his side of the car and stopped cold. "I can't believe this."

She sat up, "What?"

He stood there with his hands on his hips, "I seem to have a flat tire."

She tried not to laugh, "It's alright. Need any help?"

"No. It'll just take me a few minutes to change it," he said with a hint of exasperation in his voice. Not a good way to start this first date.

She climbed out of the car and moved over to his side as he reached into the trunk for the spare and tools. She leaned against the car next to them as he worked. Of course she had no trouble changing her own tires but being in a dress she decided to let him be chivalrous this time.

"So what do you have planned for us this evening?"

He worked on getting the tire off, "I hope you like Italian."

"I love Italian," she said.

"Well there's a new little place I thought we could try out, called Provino." He got the old tire off and slipped on the new one.

"I've heard of it but I hope you have a reservation."

He looked back and smiled, "Sure do."

She knelt down next to the tire and traced her finger around it. "Roy look at this."

He turned more in response to the change in her voice than what she said. There was concern in her eyes as she pointed to the tire. As he turned it over he could see the multiple large slashes in it. He stood up and looked around the nearly full parking lot and didn't see anyone suspicious. It bothered him though that he wasn't in the lobby for very long which meant that someone had managed to work pretty fast. He instinctively turned to Kanda, "Go ahead and get in the car I'm almost done."

She sensed his concern and walked around and got in. He finished tightening down the lug nuts and put the tools up, including the slashed up tire in the trunk. Climbing in behind the wheel he cranked it and pulled out. Feeling her warm hand cover his own he turned to her.

"Let's not let it ruin our evening," she smiled at him warmly as she squeezed his hand.

He visibly relaxed and took a deep breath, "You're right. We've been waiting too long for this huh?"

"You better believe it." She said with a sparkle in her eyes.