The Last Valentine
this is story #4 in the kara/beloved series. It helps to have at least read 'two as one' and 'my beloved' to know what's going on in this one.
Also- I had to update this a bit. The story was originally written and posted back in 2000, so I had to remove references to the first Valentine's of the millennium and the music/movie reference to the Spice Girls movie- HA! I feel very old. Anyway- all mistakes are mine and mine alone! Hope you enjoy.
(disclaimer: None of the Magnificent 7 characters belong to me, just borrowing them for fun)
part 1
The sun glistened beautifully off the fresh fallen snow as Chris Larabee steered his truck toward the interstate. Thursday morning traffic was clogged and heavy with workers making their routine journey into the city for the start of another week of work.
Chris flipped through the radio stations searching for a morning show a little less annoying than the one he was enduring now.
"Good Morning Denver!" Some irritatingly deep voiced male tried in vain to do an impression of Robin Williams that very few would recognize anymore. Chris grimaced and hit seek. Seeing his exit he changed lanes and easily maneuvered through traffic. He grinned, satisfied that his truck managed to intimidate other drivers into not cutting him off. He took the familiar streets instinctively as he drove through Purgatorio. He came to a stop in front of a battered building with the appearance of being ready to collapse with the slightest gust of wind. He beeped the horn once and waited only a minute before the slender form of Vin Tanner came out of the main exit and hurried to the truck.
"Morning," Vin said, climbing into the heated cab. "Thanks for the ride. The jeep just refused to brave the cold."
"Not surprising." Chris grinned and pulled away from the curb.
Vin reached back and bucked his seat belt as the truck picked up speed. "What are you listening to?" he asked his voice incredulous. "It sounds like the Katie Perry" He frowned hitting the seek button.
"And how would you know?" Chris raised an eyebrow.
"Got conned awhile back into taking a few of the girls from the building to see her movie." He admitted laughing.
"You're kidding."
"Nope. Now I know after sitting through that movie with 3 little girls, I can handle any torture thrown my way."
"You are a better man than I."
They fell into a comfortable silence listening to the news update on the latest station. "Today February 14, 2013. Valentine's Day gentlemen! Make it good one guys or she'll never forgive you. Happy Valentine's day." The DJ's voice faded out as a commercial faded in.
Chris groaned and flipped the radio off. "That cinches it. Buck is going to be intolerable today."
"At least the day only comes once a year." Vin smiled as Chris parked the truck in his normal spot.
"Hmm." Chris half snorted. He climbed out, closed his door and started for the elevator. Once on their floor the two agents walked quickly to team Seven's ATF office. Already they could hear Buck Wilmington's booming voice. As usual he was bickering with his roommate, best friend and youngest member of the team, JD Dunne.
"I'm telling you kid, this year is MY year." They heard Buck say.
"That's what you sad last year right before Mandy broke out into hives from the flowers you gave her." JD reminded. "Besides Inez has never even given you the time of day. What makes you think she'll start now?"
"Because it's Valentine's Day! Ole Buck's favorite holiday. No woman can resist my charms today."
Chris and Vin entered the office at this point and stood watching as the tall mustached man spread his arms wide as if to lay claim on the day.
"Morning Buck." Chris ' cool green-blue eyes took in the scene with a flash of humor. "Nice shirt." He added sarcastically as Buck quickly let his arms drop to his sides.
"You like it?" Buck grinned and ran a hand over the bright red fabric dotted with pink and white hearts of varying sizes.
"It's something else." Vin exchanged a look with Chris then headed for his desk.
Chris began shrugging his black leather jacket off, moving toward his office. "You can say that again."
"I thought it was perfect for today. At least I'm wearing red." Buck raised his voice at Chris' back.
From his office Chris yelled back. "You gotta problem with black?" His voice had lowered to a level a kin to a growl and he came to his door to shoot a threatening glare in his oldest friend's direction.
Buck just grinned at him. "Nope. Just saying."
"Well watch what you say or you'll end up with your jaw wired shut again." Buck knew he was joking but wisely kept his mouth closed. That was an experience he didn't care to remember or repeat.
"Morning." Nathan and Josiah came in together. "JD, I thought the therapist told you to use that cane." Nathan commented as he draped his coat over the back of his chair. The former medic was always concerned with the health of the others on the team and always first to point out if they weren't following doctor's orders.
"I can walk just fine now." JD complained "It's right there by my desk if I need it anyway." He waved a hand to the silver tipped can leaning against his desk. It'd been almost three months since he'd been shot. For a while he'd thought the cane, a gift from the team, was cool. Now he was just sick of it.
Nathan frowned but didn't say anything else. He knew that it wouldn't do any good to badger JD. He'd just watch for signs of limping or weariness and then mention the cane again.
Josiah greeted the others and moved quickly to the coffee pot. "Happy Valentine's…" he started but was interrupted.
"Good Lord." Ezra stopped in the doorway and stared disbelieving at Wilmington.
"What?"
"What on earth are you wearing?" Slowly the southerner stepped forward.
"It's my Valentine's shirt."
"I wouldn't give that offending article the benefit of being labeled a 'shirt'." Ezra grimaced and began to settle in at his desk while JD laughed.
"Yeah well you just don't know a good thing when you see it." Buck protested rather lamely. Everyone knew, including himself, that Ezra prided himself on his "attire". The cost of his shirts alone would shock the normal man, not to mention the price of his suits.
Ezra just shot Buck an amused gaze and began to rifle through the paperwork on his desk. "Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath. At least he'd managed to make it in almost on time. The clock read 9:15 am...Close enough.
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Chris leaned back in his chair and listened a moment to the men outside. Finally they were settling into the quiet murmur of work. He enjoyed the camaraderie and closeness they tended to have but some days it made getting down to business the hardest thing in the world. Trying to get himself into work mode Chris started to pull up a file on his computer. A knock on the door interrupted. He looked up at the young man standing in the doorway. He was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt with Florists R Us printed on the front.
"Delivery for you sir."
"For me?" Chris repeated.
"You are Chris Larabee right?"
"Yes." He admitted almost hesitantly.
"Happy Valentine's Day then." The boy looked nervous as he handed Chris the single red rose with a pink lacy card attached. He realized the kid was probably around the same age as JD.
"Thanks." The delivery boy left rather speedily while Chris looked at the flower in his hands. "Buck." he muttered tossing the rose onto his desk and flipping over the card. Before he could read the calligraphy he realized he was bring watched. All six of his agents seemed drawn by curiosity to his door.
"So who's it from?" Buck asked.
"Like you don't know."
"What? I don't know anything about this." Buck protested, failing miserably in his attempt to look innocent.
"What's it say?" JD asked. His eyes twinkling with mischief.
Somehow Chris knew there was no way out with out reading the card to the others.
"It says;
'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
for the ends of Being and ideal Grace
I love thee to the level of every day's
most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right,
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
with my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath,
smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.' "
"That sound familiar." Buck smiled.
"I'm sure it does." Chris glared. "Who'd you get to make the card for you?"
"I didn't do it Chris."
"Sure." Nathan grinned. "You're the only one who loves Valentine's day so much."
"Did you write it yourself Buck?" JD asked.
"Hell no! I didn't send it."
"It's a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, JD." Ezra filled him in.
"Browning." Josiah snapped his fingers making the connection then. He knew he should know who wrote it. It was so familiar.
"Well, whoever sent it..." Chris let the threat hang uncompleted.
"I didn't send it Chris." Buck said again but couldn't contain his smile.
"Uh huh. Get out of here and back to work." Chris ordered reaching for the phone that had just begun to ring.
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Chris let the phone receiver drop back into place and sighed heavily. A new case. Right now he knew that though the team wasn't involved in something major they were swamped with busy work and research and smaller cases. This case was only going to add to the load. 'Better tell the guys.' he thought standing slowly. As he made his way toward his door the discarded rose and valentine caught his eye. He stared at is a moment. It reminded him of Sarah. She had always loved to send him flowers all the while insisting that they weren't just a good gift for women. Valentine's day had been one of her favorite days. 'Should probably stick the thing in water.' he thought but brushed it all aside. Business first.
"We got a new case." He said it loud enough to catch everyone's attention. He leaned against the doorjamb and waited for Nathan to finish a phone call and Ezra to stop typing.
"A new case? What about the old ones?" Josiah was first to mention their current workload.
"I know, but we've been 'asked' to make this a priority." He emphasized 'asked' clearly indicating that no request had been involved.
"What's up?" JD tapped a rhythm on his desk with a pencil.
"I only caught a brief run down for the fire chief but it's an arson case. He'd like us to go over the files and details from his arson investigators. Then move in and check out the scenes."
"What's so important about this arson?" Vin asked.
"These arsons." Chris corrected. "There have been five in three days. Appears there's no rhyme or reason for any of it but due to the frequency and timing the investigators are looking for a single suspect."
"Do they have any specific perpetrator in mind for us to focus our attention on?" Ezra asked pinching the bridge of his nose as if to ward off a headache.
Chris shook his head. "We'll know more when we get the files. They're on their way over now." A sound at the door caught his attention. Thinking it was the files he'd mentioned, he was surprised to see the same delivery boy who'd been there about an hour before.
"Not again. " Chris growled. "Buck."
"What?" Buck raised his hands in surrender.
"I'm looking for Ezra Standish." The boy read his clipboard with a trembling voice.
"That would be me." Ezra shot a glare at Buck as he took the crimson rose and lacy card from the boy. He scrawled his signature on the board and took the rose to his desk.
"Well?" JD asked failing to suppress a wide grin. "What's yours say?"
"Must I?" Ezra protested.
"I had to" Chris was unsympathetic.
"Good lord." The southerner sighed and proceeded to read the poem out loud.
" First time he kissed my, he but only kissed
the fingers of this hand wherewith I write;
And ever since, it grew more clean and white.
Slow to world-greetings, quick with it's "oh, list",
When the angels speak. A ring of Amethyst
I could not wear here, plainer to my sight,
Then that first kiss. The second passed in heights
The first, and sought the forehead and half missed,
Half falling on the hair. O Beyond meed!
That was the chrism of Love, which love's own crown,
with sanctifying sweetness, did preceed.
The third upon my lips was folded down
In perfect, purple state; since when, indeed,
I have been proud and said "my love, my own.""
There was a moment of silence before Buck started laughing "Geez Ezra! Who you been kissing?"
"A grand attempt at humor I assure you, Mr. Wilmington." Ezra dropped the valentine onto his desk and twirled the rose in his slender fingers. "I'd have thought a Bird of Paradise was more your style."
Buck stopped his laughter and with difficulty forced a serious look. "I'm telling you guys, I'm not sending these. " He shot a look around the room but saw only doubt. "Fine, don't believe me. Sure wish I'd thought of it though." He laughed but stopped short at the look from Chris.
"Do you recognize the poetry in this one?" Vin asked.
Ezra nodded. "It's Elizabeth Barrett Browning again I'm fairly certain."
"Same person then?" Vin looked from Ezra to Chris. "Sending them I mean."
"Most likely," Chris answered.
"Maybe some of the office secretaries have teamed up?" JD offered in defense of his roommate.
"Thank you JD for your support." Buck said with mock indignation directed at the others.
"Don't mention it."
Chris groaned and ran a hand through his blonde hair. He needed a day off but it was only Thursday. "I'm going to call the florist. Let me know when those files arrive."
The florist sounded haggard and busy. "Happy Valentine's Day. How can I help you?"
"I'm trying to find out who sent me a flower and valentine." Chris explained. "My name is Chris Larabee. A second flower same type and all was just sent to my co-worker Ezra Standish. We believe they're from the same person."
"Can you hold please?" She didn't sound like she'd even been listening to him.
"Yes."
Chris picked up the card and scanned the poem again. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. He'd heard of her, and this poem, but not Ezra's. He wondered a moment about the woman behind the words. What was she like? Did she really know this kind of love or just long for it? He ran the possibilities of who could have sent it through his mind. For a second he thought of Mary but shook his head. It wasn't Mary's style. She would have written something original. Not to mention they weren't that close. He didn't think anyway.
"Florists R Us, Happy Valentine's day. How can I help you?" The tense voice returned.
Chris explained again what he wanted.
"I'm sorry sir, that information is confidential."
"I'd just like to know who it's from so I can." He paused a moment. "Thank them."
"I understand that sir but when specifically instructed by the customer we aren't allowed to divulge any information regarding the order." Her voice was rising slightly.
"Specifically instructed?"
"The order was placed as anonymous and the customer asked to keep it that way."
"And you can't give me any information at all? Not even a description of what the customer looked like?" He was tempted to pull rank and insist it was needed for an investigation but the clamoring background noise on the other end of the line stopped him.
"I'm sorry sir, even if I could there have been so many people in here today I wouldn't be able to recall one customer from another."
"Thank you for your time." He'd send Ezra in and let him charm the information out of her after they'd gone over the arson files. Buck might be the office lady's man but if he was behind the joke it'd do no good to send him for the information. Chris smiled in spite of himself. Leave it to Buck to come up with something like this.
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Chris set the stack of manila file folders on the glossy surface of the conference table as the rest of the team filed in and took their usual seats.
"Okay here's the deal." He flipped open the top file and pulled out the summary from the arson investigators. "So far there have been five fires started in three days and the report sights two more today that may fit the case."
"Damn." Buck swore under his breath.
"The locations appear random," Chris continued. "Churches, homes and stores."
"Anyone hurt?" Nathan asked. Chris could see the sadness in the former medic's eyes. It hadn't been that long since he'd been an arson victim himself.
"No, so far the most serious injuries have been minor burns and a few incidents of minor smoke inhalation. There were no obvious steps taken to hide that these were all arsons. The accelerants used are basic. A small explosion fueled by a gas or fuel source."
"Any ideas on why?" Josiah asked as Vin handed him a file.
"Not yet, like I said before, there's no rhythm or reason."
"Excuse me?" There was a timid knock on the door frame.
Chris couldn't believe it. The damned delivery boy again. "This is a restricted area." He growled.
"I'm s-sorry. I have a delivery for Vin Tanner." The boy held up a rose and card. His hand was shaking.
"Vin" Chris nodded for Tanner to get rid of the boy.
"Aw hell." Vin stood and motioned for the kid to follow.
"Buck, it's one thing to do this to a couple of us but to have them delivered all day?"
"Chris, dammit. I'm telling you I'm not the one behind the valentines."
Their eyes met a moment. Old friends sized each other up.
"All right." Chris believed him. "But if it's any of you…" He pointed a finger.
"It's not."
"No way!" Denials around the table.
Vin returned sans rose but with the card in hand. he tossed it to Ezra. "Figured you'd all insist on hearing it and since Ez here has such a pretty voice I'll let him read it."
Ezra rolled his eyes but read the poem.
"I think of thee- my thoughts do twine and bud
about thess, as wild vines about a tree,
Put out broad leaves, and soon there's nought to see
Except the straggling green which hides the wood.
Yet, O My palm-tree, be it understood
I will not have my thoughts instead of thee
Who art dearer, better! rather, instantly
renew thy presence. As a strong tree should,
Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare,
And let these bands of greenery which in sphere thee
Drop heavily down, - burst, shattered, everywhere!
Because in this deep joy to see and hear thee
And breath within thy shadow a new air,
I do not think of thee-I am too near thee."
"Oh My Palm tree?" JD's eyes danced but he was able to keep from laughing.
It appeared they all might get a rose today.
"Same poet?" Nathan asked Ezra.
"I believe so. If memory serves me I think these have all been poems from 'Sonnets from the Portuguese.' "
"What does being Portuguese have to do with it?" Buck asked.
Ezra groaned. "It's the name of her work, like a title." He explained. 'Buck definitely wasn't behind these poems.' he thought.
Chris cleared his throat. It was enough to regain everyone's attention. "Before we get back to the case." He looked at Vin. "Did you happen to ask if he planned on making anymore deliveries here today?"
"Yup. Said he just did what he was told, but he thinks he's scheduled to deliver here all day."
"So far it's been about every hour." Josiah added.
"Wonderful." Chris looked down at the file.
"It's gotta be the secretaries. You know how they are." JD thought out loud.
"Whoever it is we'll figure it out later. Right now this case is suppose to be our priority. JD, there isn't much to work with but start cross-checking what you can. Josiah and Nathan I want you to start mapping out locations. See if you can find anything that ties them together. Anything, even if it's only that they had the same building inspector. Check it out." He paused a minute gathering his thoughts before going on. "Vin look over the accelerants used and see if you can find any pattern. Ezra and Buck get on the phones. Call the buildings owners. There's a list of people in the area at the times, I'll start on that. When you finish with the owners I'll give you more names." He glanced a the clock on the wall. "Let's get at it."
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Chris had just hung up the phone and was finishing some notes from the call when he heard the familiar groaning and knew another valentine had arrived. He had to find out who was behind this. He got up and stretched, rubbing his neck as he walked to the door. He'd made five calls so far. Thought he'd never get rid of the one little old lady. Well he assumed she was little anyway. Obviously lonely she'd prattled on for fifteen minutes giving him lots of information he couldn't use.
JD was sitting on his desk bopping a rose against his leg as he silently read his valentine.
"Got one!" He waved the valentine in Chris' direction.
"Same delivery boy?" Chris asked sitting on the corner of Vin's desk. Vin was just returning with a cup of coffee.
"Yeah." JD giggled. "Booked out of here pretty fast though. I think he's afraid of you."
"Good."
"Well go ahead and read us the poem JD." Josiah nodded to the paper in JD's hand. "You're dying to and its lunch time."
JD grinned. "Sure!
' If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
"I love her for her smile-her look-her way
of speaking gently,-for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day." -
For these things in themselves, beloved, May
Be changed, or change for thee, -and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheek dry-
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
They comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
thou mayes loveth on throught love's eternity.'
Same lady?" he looked at Ezra who merely nodded. "She's talking about me loving her instead of her loving me like the others." JD looked at Buck.
"Love's a two way thing, Kid."
"Casey's gonna flip if she finds out about this." JD rolled the silky petals of the rose in the palm of his hand.
"Maybe she sent it." Nathan said.
"Casey?" JD thought a moment before tossing the flower and poem onto his desk. "Naw, too sappy. Are we going to lunch?" With that he jumped up, ready to go. "I'm hungry. Besides I'm telling you it's gotta be the secretaries from second floor. They're probably trying to set Buck up." He kept talking as he led Nathan, Josiah and Buck out of the office.
Chris shook his head. He could use some of that energy. Looking at the Vin adn Ezra he smiled almost mischievously. "Care to join me at Florists R Us?"
tbc...