Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.
A/N: I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this, but I felt the need to write something since I haven't in so long and since I just watched this episode/movie, whatever they're called and a conversation with my sister spawned this. So…I can't remember what the episode/movie is called, but it's…I guess a TV movie, with Ken and the older Perry and Della. Anyway, Perry and Ken are in Paris because one of Perry's friend's son is charged of murdering a Nazi man who Nazi hunters have been hunting forever. Making any sense? No? Well, the important thing is that Perry went off with someone shady alone. My sister said, "He's going to get into trouble! This is what happens when Della stays home." And I said, "No, Della wouldn't have let him go in the first place!" And after that, I thought of this. So after this long and rambling author's note, enjoy!
"He did what?" Della exclaimed.
Ken's eyes widened and he took a deep breath. He thought Perry had told her. No, scratch that, he should've known Perry didn't tell her. But now Ken had and Perry would have his head. If he was lucky.
Della's voice, saying his name ("Ken!") brought him back to the present. "What?"
"You know what!" Della said. "Perry went with that man?"
"Yes," Ken admitted. He figured the direct approach was the best. Yes, Della was in America but he knew she would be on the next flight out if she didn't get answers. In fact, she might be on the next flight out regardless because he had inadvertently informed her Perry could be in some type of danger.
Ken hadn't really meant to worry Della. He was nervous himself and he didn't think Perry should've gone with the man so he called Della. Ken didn't understand Perry half the time (that was why he loved working with him so much) and Della always seemed to, so he had called her with the hope that she would be able to tell him why this was a good idea. Obviously that had been a mistake.
"And you let him go!" Della asked, unbelieving. It took a minute for Ken to remember what he had said (and then what she had said) previously, but once he did he tried to answer to the best of his ability.
"I couldn't stop him!" Ken responded.
Della sighed. She knew that much was true. Perry always did what he wanted when he wanted and sometimes even her best persuading tactics didn't make him change his mind. She was pretty sure that was why Perry hadn't told her. She would've tried to stop him and—since she was still in America—this time she would've had ammunition to stop him from going (like threatening to leave all their clients and pending cases and come to Paris right away). "Couldn't you have gone with him?"
"No," Ken replied. "Mitchell and I came to see him off, and I did try to tell him going with this man was dangerous, and as soon as the man came, he reminded us that Perry was supposed to come alone. Perry and the shady man wouldn't have let me come. If I fought them the man would've left and Perry would've killed me. Not that I'm going to be alive after tonight anyway."
Della couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't sure if Ken meant that Perry was going to kill him or that she was. Right now she wanted to hurt their little P.I. for letting Perry go alone. "Couldn't you have followed them or something? Or let, who was it, Mitchell? Follow them?"
Ken bit his lip. That would've been smart. Then again, he wasn't sure it would've worked. "I think the man probably would've figured it out. He's pretty skilled in following people. He had been following David's girlfriend for days."
"Perry said you sneaked up on him," Della reminded Ken.
"Only because he was focused on David's girlfriend," Ken pointed out. "Tonight he'll be thinking someone is going to follow them."
"Obviously he has nothing to worry about," Della muttered.
"Don't worry, Della," Ken said. He felt he kind of had an obligation to calm her down since he was the one who worried her in the first place. "That man returned David safely just like he said he would. I'm sure Perry will be returned safe as well."
Della clenched her free hand into a fist. She had to get off the phone before she did or said something she would regret. "Have Perry call me the minute he gets in!"
Hearing the dial tone, indicating Della had hung up, Ken winced. He knew she was annoyed and he wasn't sure whether it was with him, Perry, or herself for not protesting more when they left her behind. He just knew that the level of her anger when Perry called her would determine whether he was going to be fired or killed (Perry hated it when Della was mad, especially at him, and woe to the person who made Della mad at him).
Ken shook his head and blew out a deep breath. Yes, he loved working with Perry and he was learning a lot, but sometimes he wondered if this was more trouble than it was worth.
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After Della had hung up the phone, she squeezed her eyes shut, but they popped open almost immediately, having seen images of Perry hurt and stranded behind her closed her lids.
Della shook her head. Part of the reason she loved Perry so much was because he always did anything and everything he could to prove his client's innocence. However, there were times when his anything and everything worried her to death. This was one of those times.
Bringing her hands up to rub her temples she realized she was still clutching her ever-present pencil in one of her fists. She slapped it down on Perry's desk (she always liked to sit at his desk and in his chair when he wasn't there) and reveled in the slapping sound it made. "This is why I don't stay home when he and Ken are off gallivanting in some foreign country."
Della shut her eyes again and decided to voice her last thought out loud since no one was there to hear her anyway. "In times like this I miss Paul more than ever!"
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Pacing the floor, Ken looked up at the clock again. The longer Perry stayed away—whether against his will or not—the angrier Della was going to be. Ken's certainty about the end of his life grew as the seconds ticked slowly by. He was pondering the thought of making a will and trying to decide who he would leave his possessions to when the door opened.
"Thank God!" Ken sighed in relief. Perry had just walked through the door.
Perry smiled. "Did you not think I would make it back in one piece? I still have my wits about me, you know."
"Well…I may have had my doubts in the beginning, but it's Della who was really worried," Ken hesitantly said.
Perry immediately stopped shuffling the papers on his desk and leveled a hard look at Ken. "Della?"
Ken swallowed at the look in Perry's eyes. "I called her."
"Why the devil would you do that?" Perry asked. He was trying hard to control his anger, knowing that getting angry at Ken would only make him clam up. Not to mention he was sure he would need to call Della so she didn't feel the need to jump on a flight, if she wasn't already (it wasn't that he didn't want her there, it was just that someone had to be at home watching over pending cases and to report information to David's mother).
"I don't know," Ken admitted. "I guess I was worried and I just thought you would've told her. As soon as I mentioned it I knew it was a mistake and I should've known you didn't tell her. I just…wasn't thinking."
"That much is obvious," Perry responded sarcastically.
"I'm sorry!" Ken apologized. "She wants you to call her."
"Of course she does," Perry muttered. He couldn't help but smile as he saw Ken trying to slip away. Perry decided to let him…for now. He could decide what to do with him later. Right now he had to calm an anxious woman.
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The startling ring of the phone made Della jump. She bit her lip staring at it. She sent a quick prayer up to the heavens that this phone call was Perry and not Ken. At the last second she decided to cross her fingers for extra security.
She picked the phone up, but her throat seemed to have closed. She couldn't make her vocal cords work. No sound was able to come out of her mouth.
On the other end of the line, Perry frowned. The phone wasn't ringing anymore, but he couldn't have been cut off either. "Della?"
Every muscle in Della's body seemed to uncoil. She had been so tightly strung since Ken had called her. She felt as though she would slip from the chair. Unknowingly repeating Ken, she sighed. "Thank God!"
Perry couldn't help but smile. He decided to tease her a little bit. "Don't you say hello anymore, sweetheart?"
Della knew Perry's term of endearment was supposed to make her smile and relax her, but it had the opposite effect. "What were you thinking? You could've been killed!"
Perry sighed. He had no idea what to say. The truth was, she was right! He didn't actually think that man would've killed him, but if he had wanted to, Perry would've had no way out. "Della…"
"Don't you Della me!" Della exclaimed. "Why why would you do such a thing?"
"I had to," Perry responded. It was the only thing he could say. Following that man was the only way he could get answers.
"No, you didn't!" Della argued. She could feel tears coming to her eyes. She was glad he couldn't see her. "There must've been some other way!"
"I made it back in one piece," Perry reminded her. "I'm fine. He didn't even try to hurt me."
"He could've," Della whispered, closing her eyes, trying to erase those horrible pictures out of her consciousness. "And you would've been alone. In some foreign country. Stranded, without any form of help."
Perry sighed again. He could hear the tears in her voice and knew that if she wasn't crying, she would be soon. He felt bad for making her cry, but really, he was fine and there really was no other way. "Della, please."
"I was so worried," Della said as a tear slipped out of her closed eyes. She was sure it was going to be the first of many. She hadn't planned to say that, but it seemed to be the only thing she could voice right now.
"Della, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Perry apologized. He really was. He hated it when she cried and he hated things that made her cry. He briefly wondered if that meant he hated himself but then decided he hated Ken. After all, it really was all Ken's fault that she was worried (Perry himself had no part in it, really, none at all!). "Please don't cry."
Taking a deep breath, Della tried to calm herself. In all reality, she knew she had no reason to cry. Not now, at least. She should be thankful Perry had made it back and thankful that he was calling her. "I can't help it."
"I'm going to kill Ken," Perry growled.
At that, a small laugh did escape Della. Poor little Ken. "Can I help?"
Perry smiled. "Yes. We'll do it just as soon as we get home. You know I'd do anything to make you happy."
A smile broke out on Della's face, among her slowly drying tears. Yes, she did know. She had absolutely no doubt that Perry would do anything for her if he thought it might possibly make her smile. He always had. Still though, killing Ken probably wouldn't be the best course of action. "By then, I probably won't be as mad at him anymore."
"Then come to Paris," Perry told her. "We'll do it now."
Della wrinkled her forehead. "Don't tease."
"Della," Perry said, "I'm being serious. Come to Paris." He knew that after tonight, Della wouldn't really feel better until she could see for herself that he was alright. Really, it worked out well for him too. He wanted to see her. He had been away from her too long (even though it had only been a few days).
Shaking her head, Della said, "Pending cases…David's mother…"
"David's mother is going to have to come anyway," Perry told Della dismissively. It was true and though he hadn't planned out exactly how she was going to get here, he knew it was necessary. His escapades tonight had only solidified that thought.
Della narrowed her eyes. Sure, she wanted to go and see him—even if just to see for herself he was perfectly fine—but the way he told her to come rather than asked her irked her a bit. "I tried to come before, but my boss told me I had to stay here and watch over our pending cases."
Perry shook his head. Did she have to make this difficult for him? "Della," Perry whispered. "Please. I miss you."
Squeezing her eyes shut, Della's heart started beating double time at his tone. She had the fleeting thought that he wouldn't have had to miss her if he would've just let her come in the first place, but she pushed that thought out of her head. Now he asked rather than told and she didn't want to refuse him. "Okay."
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"Della is going to be here any second," Perry told Ken. "If you value your life, I suggest you make yourself scarce."
Ken's eyes widened and without even saying goodbye, he quickly left the room. Perry smiled. While he was pretty sure Della wouldn't kill him (at least not anymore), he did enjoy making the boy squirm. In Perry's view, he deserved it after what he did to Della. In all fairness though, Perry knew he would let him off the hook the next time he saw him. By then, Perry would've seen Della and all would be right with the world.
The sound of the door opening had Perry looking up. He smiled when he saw Della standing in the doorway, looking critically at him. He knew she was looking for injuries, so he got up and hurried to round the desk. He wanted to show her that he was fine. The quicker she saw that, the quicker she would be in his arms.
Narrowing her eyes, Della walked slowly toward Perry. She had to admit, he didn't look hurt from his late night adventure. It wasn't that she didn't believe him when he said he was fine, she just knew he had a way of minimizing things when in the throes of a case; things that tended to get worse when minimized. "You…you don't look hurt."
Perry tried to hold in a laugh. "Did you not believe me when I said I was fine?"
"I did," Della assured him. "I just know you."
"Come here," Perry whispered.
In movements that were too sudden to describe, Della was in Perry's arms. To a person watching them, it would seem they hadn't seen each other in weeks, not days.
Della turned her cheek so it was resting against Perry's chest. She liked hearing his heart beating. She smiled when she faintly heard Perry breath in. His face was buried in her hair and she knew he enjoyed the smell of her shampoo. She may have washed it that morning just for him…then again, she may not have.
Pulling back, Della fixed him with a glare. "You don't get to leave me at home ever again. Not when you find it necessary to go running off to a foreign country. I don't care how many pending cases we have!"
Perry tried not to let his grin break through. He wasn't necessarily grinning at what she said, but more how she said it. He thought she was probably right. He really needed to learn to listen to her. It always turned out well for him. "If I say I promise not to, will you kiss me?"
Della merely raised her eyebrows.
"If I say I won't and mean it, will you kiss me?" Perry amended. He knew he could say he wouldn't, but unless he meant it, it wouldn't matter. As a lawyer, he knew the importance of words that were said, but especially words that weren't. She really had learned from him.
"I'll think about it," Della said.
Wanting to roll his eyes, but knowing it would not be appreciated, Perry merely agreed. "I promise to never leave you at home again."
"Do you mean it?" Della asked. She knew he did, but she wasn't going to leave anything to chance. She just had to make sure.
"Of course," Perry assured her.
Della looked at him critically before she was satisfied. She gave a decisive nod. "I'm glad that's settled."
Perry groaned. "Now will you kiss me?"
"Oh, I guess," Della said in exaggerated annoyance. She knew she wasn't pulling it off very well because she could feel the corners of her mouth twitching.
Shaking his head, Perry pulled her into him. Before Della could say anything to express her surprise at his sudden move, Perry had claimed her lips with his. Della found that she didn't have it in her to break the kiss for any reason at all, not even to continue her teasing. This was perfect.
The beginning of this got written forever ago and then the end got written a few days ago. Merely because I was watching the black and white Perry Mason's and I got inspired. I really want to write a story about TCOT Angry Mourner, but I'm not sure how that's going to go. I guess we'll see. If you liked, if you read, I'd really appreciate it if you'd review. Thanks for reading!