Chapter 2: Facing The Truth
Chapter 2:
Facing The Truth

It was Halloween. Rita had promised Cara that she would take her down to Palm Beach. The little girl counted the days until her mother would come to Fort Lauderdale to spend some time with her. Though Rita was longing for her child every minute she was away from her, she knew it was better for her to live with Megan. Dressed as a pretty fairy, Cara was waiting in the living room of Rita's apartment.

"Mommy! I wanna go, please!" she shouted.

Rita appeared in the living room, her long, brown, curly hair tied back to a pony tail. She was wearing blue jeans with holes and a black jacket with an eagle on the back.

"Before we go, I need to talk to you about something." Rita said. She kneeled down in front of her daughter and took her hands into hers. "You wanna help me surprise a good friend?"

"Who?" Cara asked curiously.

"Chris, my partner. I told you about him."

Cara nodded, hopping through the apartment. She jumped up one stair, than back down.

"Hey, Cara, would you please listen to me?"

"I am, mommy. We're going to surprise Chris!"

Cara reluctantly knocked at the door to Chris' loft. She turned her head to see if her mother was still hiding around the corner. She was. The door swung open and Chris appeared in the doorway.

"Trick or treat!" Cara yelled. She held her bag open for Chris and stared at him. Chris stared back at Cara, totally confused.

"Trick or treat!" the girl repeated, still holding the bag towards Chris.

"Huh? You're all alone?" Chris replied confused. "Did you get lost or what, little fairy?"

"I said 'trick or treat'. Don't you have some candy for me, mister?" Cara asked.

"No, I don't. You're the first kid ever to come here. Take this."

Chris handed Cara a dollar bill, then closed the door. Cara stood in front of the door, her mouth wide open. She turned to her mother. Rita motioned for her to knock again. So she did. Chris opened the door again a moment later.

"What? I said I don't have any candy for you. I am sorry."

Chris kneeled down. He smiled at Cara, who gave him a sad look.

"Mister, I don't know where I am." she said. "Can you help me?"

"You lost your mom?" Chris asked concerned. Cara nodded. Chris sighed and lifted her on his arm.

"What's your name?" he asked, still standing outside his loft with Cara on his arm.

"Cara." the girl replied.

"Okay, Cara, now let's see if we can find your mommy outside on the street. She's certainly worrying about you."

Chris closed the door to his loft. Then he headed down the hallway with the little fairy on his arm. He walked around the corner and bumped into Rita, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide there.

"Hey Sam, what are you doing here?" he asked surprised. He scrutinized his partner. Jeans with holes? Cara, on his arm, began to giggle.

"Uhm... I just wanted to ask you... you know... if you would like to go out with me. There's this party..." Rita stammered. Heck, she didn't sound very convincing.

"You could have called." Chris replied. "But now that you're here, you can help me find this fairy's mom. She got lost."

"You already found her." Rita uttered. She took Cara from Chris' arm. Then they both waited for his reaction.

"Oh yeah, nice try, Sam. Ha ha!" Chris exclaimed though the look on Rita's face told him a different story. She was serious about this, it couldn't be a joke. "You're not joking, are you?"

Rita shook her head no. This wasn't beginning very well. Now she wished she hadn't decided to tell Chris about Cara. He wasn't reacting like she'd imagined. At least not now.

"Uhm, Chris, I think I need to explain a little something to you."

"A little something? You need to explain a BIG something!"

Chris lead Rita and Cara into his loft. Rita stood her daughter on the floor. Cara looked through the loft. She turned her head, seeing that her mother and Chris had gone to sit down on the couch.

"Sam, you have a daughter and never ever thought about telling me? Hell, I thought I was your friend, not to say best friend!" Chris yelled, but lowered his voice when he saw Cara staring at them.

"Look, I am sorry, Chris. This always was my secret, nobody knew about her. No one in the department and I want to keep it that way. God, I was 20 when she was born and my foster parents had just died."

"You've been pretty good at hiding, huh?" he smiled a bit, gently stroking her hair. "Why tell me about her now?"

"I needed to tell someone. You're my best friend, Sam. I know you won't tell anybody. I didn't feel good not being straight with you. And after the case we had to work on a couple of weeks ago..."

"You lived with DJ Martin and never even mentioned it?" Chris asked astonished. "You should have told me, Sam?"

"There are a few chapters of my private life I would like to keep private." Rita responded, turning on the CD player.

"Why? Look, we're partners. No, you know, forget about the fact that we're partners, we're best friends."

"It was just a fling. Okay? It was short. It was intense. And then it was over. End of story."

"Now I know the end." Chris teased, taking off his jacket. "I just need the beginning and the middle."

Chris grabbed her wrist and whirled her around. Rita tried to free her hand, but Chris dragged her back. They began to dance through Rita's apartment to the slow music.

"You are really annoying, you know that?." she muttered.

"That's what friends are for. Now, spill it and don't leave anything out."

"You ever have someone come into your life like a 5 alarm fire, where everything burns up before you can stop it ?"

"Yeah, as somewhat of an expert on emotional pyromania, I can relate to that."

There was silence in the room, filled only by the soft music playing in the background.

"You really liked this gus, huh, Sam?" Chris finally broke the silence.

"Ah, I don't know. I mean, it all happened really fast. He was like this shooting star."

Chris whistled softly, as Rita went on further, "It was a hell of a ride." Rita smiled a bit. "But, you drive in the fast lane, you eventually crash and burn."

"Drugs?"

"Yeah, he didn't see a problem with that, but I certainly did. Case closed."

"You aren't over this guy yet."

"Oh, would you stop?!" Rita demanded. She turned away from him and walked over to the stereo. "C'mon, Chris, I'm not some school girl with a crush. I mean, some things went down between us that I would like to forgive, but I don't know if I can forget."

Chris walked over and took the glass out of Rita's hand, "Something tells me these are the parts of the story that you are never gonna tell me about."

"And something tells me you are absolutely right." she teased.

"What does the case with DJ Martin have to do... Wai.. wait a second. Do you mean to tell me he is her father?" he exclaimed.

"Shhh, please, Cara doesn't know who her father is, and I want to keep it that way."

"I don't get it, Sam, sorry. She doesn't know about him and he obviously doesn't know about her either. What is this?"

"You want the truth, Chris? Okay. I already told you what happened between DJ and me. When I realized I was pregnant, I had to make a decision. Either tell him or not. I chose the latter. He took drugs and I didn't want my child to be near him." She took a deep breath, looking over to Cara. She stood at the window and looked outside. Rita turned back to Chris, "There are only a few people that know about her. I can count them on my fingers." She showed him two fingers. "One is my father's cousin Megan, that's where she's living. The second person is you."

Chris shook his head, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"Ugh, Sam, can I ask you a question?"

"Go on."

"You know, the other day, when DJ cleaned your kitchen, what really happened between you two? Is there even a small chance that will Cara get a little brother or sister soon?"

"Chris!" Rita exclaimed, playfully slapping him on the arm. "This is not funny, you know that." She paused a moment. "And no, you don't have to worry. He slept on the couch."

"I am relieved, Sam, I am relieved."

In Rita's face, Chris saw that speaking about DJ Martin still affected her in a strange way. He always thought he knew her really well, but now he realized how little he actually knew. He rubbed the back of his head, wondering how the hell she could keep this secret from him for the past 4 years.

"You know, Sam, now I really know that you can keep a secret. 4 years and I never EVER thought about you being a mom... I think from now on I don't have to worry if I tell you a secret." he teased, making her smile. He shook his head, stretching his arms. "But I am still wondering about one thing. Why isn't she living with you?"

"She's living with my dad's cousin in Lauderdale. We moved there shortly after she was born. When I went to the Academy everything was all right. Then I got accepted here in Palm Beach and things got more complicated. I was a young cop, working vice. You know the hours we put in. I decided to let her live with Megan for the time being. Now that I am working homicide the hours aren't any better. I can't care for her the way I want when I work. She's better off with Megan. And on the weekends, I visit her. Sometimes she comes up to Palm Beach, but most of the time I go to Lauderdale."

"You miss her, don't you?" Chris asked.

Rita nodded, "Yeah, every second of the day that we're apart, but I know it's the best thing for my little girl."

They both glanced at Cara. Chris waved for her to come over. The girl moved to the couch. She stopped right in front of Chris. The look she had on her face was just like her mother's. Chris smiled at her, lifting her onto his lap.

"Okay, I think we need to start over again, little fairy. I am Christopher Lorenzo and it's a pleasure for me to meet you." he smiled, shaking Cara's little hand.

"I am Cara Sue Lance. And it's my pleasure to meet you, Christopher Lorenzo." Cara replied, grinning at Chris.

"Gosh, Sam, she knows how to handle a man..." he teased.

"She's 7 years old, she knows nothing about that."

"Oh, I know, mommy." Cara objected. "You told me, remember? About what you do to get a man's attention."

"Sam, you told her already?" Chris laughed. "Isn't she a little too young for that?"

"I told her what to do to get YOUR attention, Sam, not a man's attention."

"Ain't I a man, Sam?"

Cara lay across Chris' couch, dozing. Rita and Chris sat in front of the tv, watching a movie. The credits rolled when Rita realized how late it was.

"Geez, it's already past 11!" she exclaimed. "I needed to get Cara back by 9. Megan is probably worried sick."

"Sam..."

Chris held her back from getting up. He pushed her back down next to him.

"Knock it off, please. I need to get Cara back to Lauderdale. She has to go to school tomorrow."

"I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed Halloween night. This was better than a night out at a party. Definitely. I had the company of two beautiful women." he smiled.

Rita smiled back. Then she got up. She bent down to Cara and whispered something in her ear, "Cara, sweetie, it's time for us to go home."

Cara stirred, "Hmm?"

"Come on, get up, honey."

Cara moaned, sleepily shaking her head. Chris watched them. He cleared his throat. Rita turned to him, "What?"

"How about if I carry her to your car? Would that be okay?"

"Oh, that would be great! The car is parked in front of my apartment." Rita replied, grinning.

"Huh? And how did you get here?"

"We walked. You know, kids love to knock at every door at Halloween to get candy."

"Then I am going to drive you."

Rita began to laugh, "With your car? No way! Cara should live to celebrate her 8th birthday."

"Funny." Chris played hurt. "Do you need to get her back to Lauderdale or not?"

Rita thought for a moment. It would take her about an hour to get Cara back to Lauderdale with the car, but how to GET her car? Another problem was that Cara was already asleep, and how could she sleep in the jeep?

"Okay, give us a lift to Lauderdale, but I warn you, I will kill you if that piece of junk you call a car does something strange while Cara is on board..."

Chris shook his head, "Sammy, Sammy, you hurt me..."

Cara was sleeping in the back of Chris' car. Rita really wondered how she could sleep in there, the engine was as loud as a plane! Suddenly the engine began to stutter and small clouds of steam rose from the hood.

"Chris..." Rita began, but immediately was cut off by Chris.

"How far, Rita?" Chris asked. "This baby will make it for another mile."

"Two blocks down, then turn left. It's the last house on the right."

The car sputtered around the corner, small clouds still rising. The breaks screeched when Chris stopped the car in front of Megan's house.

"Parfait! We made it." he laughed, opening the door.

"Yeah, we made it to Lauderdale, but how do we get back to Palm Beach, ever thought about that?"

Rita leaned on the roof, watching Chris getting sleeping Cara out of the car. He placed her over his shoulder as he glared at Rita. He blushed, "Uhm, actually... no."

"Great, we're stuck in Lauderdale past midnight!" she uttered, pushing the door shut. They walked to the house. Rita opened the front door. The light in the hallway was still on.

"Megan?" she called, as a middle-aged woman appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Rita, it's past midnight. What happened?" she asked, rushing down the stairs.

"I am sorry, we forgot about the time." Rita apologized. She indicated Chris, "Megan, this is my partner, Chris Lorenzo."

"It's nice to meet you." Chris smiled, extending his hand. Megan took it.

"Rita told me a lot about you. I am pleased that I can meet you after all these years."

"Well, I would like to say the same about you, but to be honest, Rita never mentioned you."

"Cut it out, Sam." Rita said through gritted teeth. She took Cara from Chris' arms.

"I'll put her down and you, my friend, will see how we can get back to Palm Beach."

Chris and Megan remained in the hallway while Rita brought Cara upstairs.

"You must know that you're someone special to Rita, Mr. Lorenzo." Megan began as they walked into the living room. "She never told anyone about Cara."

"I know. And please, it's Chris."

"Okay, Chris. I am Megan. Chris, there's one thing I need to ask you. Cara means a lot to Rita. As I know you mean a lot to her as well, keep her secret for god's sake, but some time soon, this secret will be too much for her to handle. She needs a friend to help her."

"She can count on me, and she knows it."

They sat down on the couch.

"You know, she never told me about any other person she was involved with."

"Oh, we're not involved, we're just good friends." Chris cut in immediately.

Megan raised her eyebrows, "You should hear her talking about you. Her eyes practically begin to glow every time she talks to Cara about you. Don't break her heart."

Chris shook his head as Rita appeared in the doorway, "I certainly won't. She means too much to me."

"You talked about me while I was away? So, how bad did I do this time?" she teased, sitting down in the armchair.

"Oh, terrible, terrible!" Chris grinned.

"Ha ha." she uttered. "So, Christopher, where's our lift back home to Palm Beach?"

Chris grinned and turned to Megan, "Would you mind borrowing me your couch for this night?"

"Sam!" Rita exclaimed. "There's a huge pile of files waiting on our desks. Hutch will get an ulcer if we don't show up on time."

"You have a better idea?" Chris objected. "Please, I am all ears."

Rita remained silent. She stared at Chris, groaning silently.

"Okay," she said after a little silence in the room, "You take the couch and I will go sleep with Cara, but YOU are going to explain this to Hutch tomorrow."

"I'll get you a blanket." Megan smiled, leaving the living room. Rita stood up. She saw Chris getting up as well. He approached her.

"Rita, I know this decision wasn't easy for you to make, but you told me and I am glad you did." He brushed a strand out of her hair. "You have a wonderful little daughter. You should be proud of her."

Rita smiled, "Good night, Sam." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Yeah, good night, Sammy. Sleep well."

End Of Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimer: The characters of Christopher Lorenzo, Rita Lee Lance, DJ Martin and Benjamin Hutchinson belong to Stephen J. Cannell and USA Network. However, Cara Sue Lance and Megan Lance belong to me. No infringement intended. Thanks to Karen for editing this little piece.

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