The Sun, The Sea, and The Red Bikini

Disclaimers: I've wanted to own 'The Rookies' since I was 12 years old. It doesn't look like it's going to happen in the immediate future. So, I still don't own them. However, I do own the story.

Author's Note: I specialize in angst. But, after writing so many angst-ridden stories as of late, I decided that it was time to write something light and fluffy.

This story is rated M. I mean, come on! The title says it all. When you have the sun, the sea and a red bikini, you can bet that Mike and Jill Danko aren't exactly going to be playing dominoes.

Chapter 1 – Planning the Surprise

Jill Danko was standing in her kitchen cutting up vegetables for a salad. The heat of the summer seemed particularly oppressive this year. Everybody seemed to be on edge and irritable from the heat. Especially her husband. He and his friends had been putting in an incredible amount of overtime lately due to the rising amount of crime. Mike had explained to her that when the temperature rose, so did the crime. Tempers flared, and fights often broke out. Just a few weeks before Willie Gillis had gotten hit in the head with a beer bottle while trying to break up a fight between two neighbors. Six stitches and a concussion later, he was none the worse for wear.

She looked toward the door when she heard Mike's key. He walked in, looking as if he was about to collapse. "Hi, sweetheart," she smiled as he placed his keys on the counter.

"Hi, baby," he stepped into the kitchen and gave her a brief kiss. "I'd really kiss you, but I'm afraid I'll combust."

"You look like you could use this," she handed him a beer.

"Oh, I could, but right now I want a shower even more. Do you think if I show up naked to work tomorrow that anybody would notice?"

"Lt. Ryker would. He doesn't miss anything," she looked at him. "Go take a shower and I'll finish dinner."

Jill watched as he left the room. What they really needed was a weekend on Catalina Island. She wondered how Mike would feel if she were the one to call his guy instead of the other way around. She had a three day weekend coming up and she knew that Mike had two days. Catalina would be much more pleasant than staying in the city. And, she smiled as she thought of the purchase she'd recently made while shopping with her sister Amanda. She knew that she'd probably have it on for less than five minutes, but she couldn't wait for him to see it. There was no way she'd ever wear it to the apartment pool, but it'd be perfect for Mike and Catalina.

Later that night, Mike lay in bed reading as he watched Jill digging through her bureau drawer. The racket she was making was deafening. "What're you looking for?" He finally asked as he watched her in amusement.

"Where in the hell did you hide your academy t-shirt? It used to be in my dresser drawer," she shut her drawer and pulled his open as she began rifling through it.

"You'd make a great narcotics detective. I haven't seen that t-shirt in months. Are you sure you didn't use it to polish silver or something?"

"Sweetheart, we don't have any silver. Did you loan it to one of the guys?"

"Why in the hell would Willie or Terry want to wear a t-shirt that has 'Danko' stenciled on it?" Mike asked her. "Hey, didn't you let Tori wear it as a nightshirt the last time she spent the night?"

Tori was Jill's six-year-old niece. The daughter of her older sister Amanda, the little girl was spoiled rotten by her aunt and uncle. "Yeah, I probably did," she admitted as she pulled another of Mike's undershirts from his drawer.

"What're you doing?"

"It's too hot for a gown," she looked at her husband as if he'd just grown a second head.

"I can turn the air up," he offered as she went into the bathroom to change. When she emerged moments later wearing just his t-shirt and a pair of panties, his eyes gleamed appreciatively. "Damn, if I knew you were going to look this hot, I would've given you one of my t-shirts to wear to bed a long time ago."

"I'm glad you like it," she smiled as he put down the book that he was reading and pulled her into his arms.

*****MJMJMJ****

Jill woke up the next morning, stretching languorously before rolling over toward Mike, only to find his side of the bed empty. She sat up, reaching for the shirt that had been discarded during the night and pulled it over her head. She smiled when she padded into the kitchen and saw Mike cooking breakfast. "Good morning," she greeted him as she came into the kitchen and kissed him. "What's all this?"

"This is called sustenance," he smiled as he pulled her close. "If you want to take a quick shower, we can eat breakfast before I take you to work."

"Okay," she kissed his neck before leaving the room.

By the time she came back to the living room half an hour later, Mike was putting breakfast on the table. "This is wonderful, sweetheart," she said as she put salt and pepper on her eggs.

"I thought you might be hungry after last night," he raised an eyebrow at her as she looked away from him.

"I am," she admitted as he laughed. "You still have Monday and Tuesday off, don't you?"

"Unless Ryker decides to change the schedule again. Why? What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know. I was thinking maybe we could hang out around the pool. Or go to the movies."

"The movies sound good. We'll have to see what's playing."

The heat was already stifling when they got into Mike's car to go to work. "I'd love to go to the beach," Jill fanned her face as Mike started the car.

"So would I, babe, but I haven't had time to call Larry."

"We could just go for the day. We've done that plenty of times," she pointed out to him.

"Uh-uh," he shook his head. "If we go back to the island, I want to stay at the SeaBreeze and do it right. The next time we have a weekend off, I'll call Larry and have him book us our usual room."

Jill smiled to herself as he continued toward the hospital. She'd quickly learned that her husband seemed to know a guy who knew a guy who could always manage to get things done. One time he'd called a friend who'd arranged a private tour of the Queen Mary for Willie and a girl that he was dating. If you wanted Rams tickets or Lakers tickets, Mike knew someone who knew someone. It never ceased to amaze her. She knew that some of these connections came via his parents, but he'd managed to make many of them on his own.

The first time he'd taken her to the SeaBreeze Inn on Catalina Island was after Jared Whitman's funeral. Jill had been so unsure that this was the life that she wanted to lead with Mike. By the end of the weekend, she still wasn't sure, but she was at least willing to try.

"Well, here we are," Mike broke through her reverie as he pulled up in front of the hospital entrance. "If I have to work overtime I'll call and let you know."

"Okay," she leaned over and kissed him. "Be careful. I love you."

"I love you, too. Have a good day."

Jill was working later that morning when she spotted Lt. Eddie Ryker stepping off of the elevator. The sight of him walking toward the nurses' station never failed to fill her heart with trepidation. "Relax, I'm not here with your husband or his cohorts," he was quick to assure her as she visibly relaxed.

"I wanted to talk to you, anyway," she bit her lip as he gave her a curious look. "Mike has two days off next week and I'd like to take him out of town."

"Is he acting like a bear these days?" The lieutenant asked in amusement.

"You could say that. He's usually the one who plans our little getaways, but I'd like to surprise him for a change. So, if you're thinking of putting him on the overtime schedule, I'll never forgive you."

"I'll see what I can do," the older man said as he patted her hand.

He'd no sooner left the nurses' station when Mike, Willie, and Terry stepped off of the elevator. "Hi, sweetheart," she greeted him with a kiss.

"I thought I'd see if you wanted to have lunch because I have to work tonight until seven," he grimaced as Jill looked disappointed. "I'm sorry. We were told that some of these family guys should be returning from their vacations next week. I hate that you have to ride the bus home in this heat."

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can get a ride. I'll have something cool for dinner waiting for you when you get home."

"That sounds great. Come on, let's go get some lunch."

Jill enjoyed eating lunch with her husband and his two friends. They always kept her laughing with stories of their exploits. "Didn't the guy realize that the freezer doesn't have a handle on the inside?" She asked after a story Terry and Willie had told her about a guy who'd locked himself in a built-in freezer to escape the heat.

"He knows it now," Terry said as he took a drink of iced tea. "It's the middle of June and the guy had to be treated for frostbite."

"He's lucky that someone came into the store and heard him yelling for help," Mike added. "The doctor said another half hour or so and he would've either suffocated or died of hypothermia."

"The doctor said he might lose a couple of fingers," Willie threw in.

"That's awful."

"Jill, I was thinking," Terry looked across the table at her. "If you want, I can drop by here and bring you my car. Willie and I can just ride home with Mike."

"You mean, you'd let me drive the Triumph?" She asked with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Man, you need to seriously think about what you're offering," Mike warned his friend.

"What time do you get off duty?" Terry asked.

"Four," she answered.

"I'll bring the keys to you at quarter till," he said as she continued smiling. "Am I going to come home to an empty gas tank?"

"I'll just drive it home. I promise."

****MJMJMJ****

Jill walked into the apartment at twenty after four, feeling windblown but happier than she'd felt in ages. To get to drive Terry's prized sports car was like a dream come true. In the year that she'd known him, she been a passenger in the car but this was the first time he'd ever handed the keys over to her. She'd always guessed it was some kind of a machismo thing. Boys and their toys, she thought as she went to find Mike's phone directory.

Mike's travel agent, Larry Holden, answered the phone on the second ring. "This is Larry. How may I help you?"

"Larry, my name is Jill Danko. My husband . . . "

"You're Underdog's wife!" Larry exclaimed happily.

"So, you know Mike from Vietnam?"

"Yeah, another lifetime ago. What can I do for you, Mrs. Underdog?"

Jill smiled at the use of Mike's army nickname. "I was wondering if I could reserve a room at the SeaBreeze for next Monday and Tuesday."

"The SeaBreeze on Catalina? Let me see what I can do and I'll call you right back."

Jill hung up as she waited for Larry's return call. He called 15 minutes later. "Hello?"

"You're in luck," Larry told her. "Most people want rooms for the weekend, so there are vacancies during the week. Did you also want reservations for the restaurant?"

"Yes, for Monday night," Jill felt like pumping her fist in victory.

"Is this under Underdog's name?"

"No, mine. And, Larry, can you please not tell Mike? I want it to be a surprise."

"Your secret's safe with me, Mrs. Underdog. You have a nice day and have a nice little vacation."

"Thanks, Larry," Jill smiled as she hung up the phone.

She couldn't wait to tell Mike. After all of the wonderful surprises that he'd given her since their reunion, it would be nice to give him something back.

Chapter 2 is the steamy chapter. Let me know what you think.