A/N: Hi to all of you.
Actually, this story should have been a one-shot. But, because of SAndyLeePotts, who asked me to write what happens to them (or more between them) after the clear-out, I couldn't resist. So here is the answer. If anybody doesn't want to know, then please don't read any further ^^.
SAndyLeePotts I hope you'll enjoy and I hope you'll like the ending, if not then I'm sorry, but I definitely don't change it :P
And special thanks to lovingthis for the beta-read and for suggesting the meal, my mouth was nearly watering while writing it (except for the meat-thing).
To all of you: enjoy, I hope you like it ^^
It was Monday morning, not yet 7 o'Clock and Jess sat already at the ADD busy as a bee, running her fingers over the keyboard, checking the CCTV's and reworking the mission reports from the weekend. Lost in her work, she didn't hear the foot steps coming closer and closer.
"Hi Jess." The sudden voice behind her head made her jump out of her skin and breath.
"Becker! You nearly scared me to death." She said short-temperedly, turning towards him and trying to regain her composure.
The captain only grinned cheekily. "Sorry, sorry." He apologised and positioned one hand on her back, trying to comfort her.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have some security stuff to do?" She asked with a smile on her lips.
"I just wanted to ask you about how your parents reacted on my," he cleared his throat, "little accident." He replied a little bit nervous while he pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.
"Well, I talked to them yesterday in the evening. At first I only said that the vase was unfortunately broken during the clean-out. My mum instantly burst into tears and cried for almost half an hour. Then she yelled at me for 20 minutes without even once taking breath, that was really impressive. After she calmed down a little, she asked how this happened and I told her that you accidentally fell over the doll sitting on the stairs. Immediately, she went to the garage, there we store the boxes momentarily, searched until she found her and burned her in the fireplace, mumbling something about evil karma."
He raised an eyebrow by surprise: "Wow, pretty ferocious your mum."
"This was nothing," she carried on speaking, "after I told her, we threw the shards away, she commanded me to make sure that you're 'not coming back during your next mission', exactly her words." Jess grinned.
Becker gaped, he was struck dumb with horror.
Jess added quickly: "Don't worry, I don't let something happen to you."
After he calmed down, he asked seriously: "So you told your mother about your work?"
"No, no. Only that I'm working for the government and ordering a couple of soldiers around." She said teasingly.
"And how did your father react?"
"He sat calmly in his armchair and said," she imitated a low voice, "'Thank God! This ugly thing is gone.'"
"Your dad is really to my liking!" Becker smirked.
"I thought so."
"And the vase meant a lot to you as well?" He asked tentatively.
"Me? No way. I didn't, … well, … let's say it wasn't to my liking. But every time I went to my granny, she told me about the vase and that I, after my mum dies, inherit it." She said and looked aversely.
"So I don't have to make amends to you?" He looked at her expectantly.
"Of course you have to do! I had to listen to my mum's yelling and crying for nearly an hour. You have a lot to make up for that!" Jess said with a cheeky smile.
"OK, then what about dinner today? As a redress. I'll cook."
"You can cook?" She asked in disbelief.
"Of course. My mother taught me."
He was about to tell something more as a sardonic, annoyed voice sounded behind their backs.
"If the two love birds of you would have the kindliness to end your conversation. I pay you for working, not for sitting around and flirting."
Jess and Becker began instantly to chuckle.
"I'll come to your home at 7? Abby and Connor have already moved on, right?"
"Yes, they have. Will you give me the list, so I can buy the food, at least?"
"Nope. This evening you're getting the full service from me. I don't do things by halves." He grinned.
"So, see you then."
"I'm looking forward to it." Jess replied.
Becker gave her a last smile and then went to the armoury, passing a grimly looking Lester.
/-/
As the doorbell ran Jess scurried to the door to open it. With a bright smile on her face she greeted Becker and let him in. Both went to the kitchen and Becker put his grocery bag on the worktop.
"So, what are you going to cook?" Jess asked full of anticipation.
"Chicken cacciatore." He replied with a grin and placed the food on the table.
"How can I help you?" She asked.
"Not a bit, just sit and watch."
"But I can't do nothing."
"Jessica," he calmly answered with a smile, "like I said this morning, you're getting the full service now and that doesn't include helping with cooking." He determined, letting no room for her to counter. "Just sit back and enjoy."
Jess sat down on one of the stools and watched Becker. Forward-thinking, she had laid most of the cooking utensils on the table before he arrived so he didn't had to search much.
"The casserole dish?" He asked looking in one of the cupboards.
"The next one right, in the lower back. Shall I show you?"
"No. Relax."
He found it and put it on the gas ring, added oil and the chicken pieces and let them cook brown over a medium-high heat.
"So, you always liked to cook?" Jess asked trying to start a talk.
"No, not at first, but my mum made sure that I can cook all meals from her cookbooks, she had 11, by memorizing until I turned 18. And after a while I started to like cooking." He answered while chopping the onion, celery, carrots and pancetta.
"You know them all from A to Z?"
"Oh, yeah. She used to say that the fastest way to the heart of a girl is through her stomach by cooking a perfect dinner."
He transferred the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set them aside, then he added the onion, celery, carrots and pancetta pieces to the pan to cook them over low heat until the onion softens.
"Your mother is a really wise woman." She replied astonishingly.
"Yeah, she was." He corrected with melancholy.
"Was?" Jess replied with surprise.
"She died when I was 17." He answered gloomily, thinking about the memories. "It was a car accident. I hold her in my arms until she was gone."
"Becker, I am so sorry for you." She offered her condolence.
"Never mind." He put a smiling face on and added three crushed garlic cloves and sliced mushrooms to the pan and cooked them a further minute.
After a few minutes of embarrassed silence Jess started another talk.
"So you were with your father then?"
"No." He now grinned at her. "He died when I was 11, during a mission, he was a soldier. Like my grandfather."
Jess mentally slapped herself for putting her foot in it, again. She watched him returning the chicken pieces to the pan and pouring 100ml dry white wine to allow them simmer. The air was filled with the delicately aroma of the food.
While he diced the tomatoes he carried on speaking.
"After my mum died, I started my A-levels a year earlier. And after I finished them, I was accepted at Sandhurst. So, since then, there was just me and the army. They were like my surrogate family and I never thought about doing something else."
He added the tomatoes, a half teaspoon of brown sugar, a teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 150 ml chicken stock and several herbs to the rest and brought them to the boil.
"Wow." Jess finally managed to say.
He looked her in the eyes and asked wonderingly: "What?"
"This is the first time you talk about your family." She replied astonishingly.
He reduced the heat to low, covered it and let the food cook.
"It was about time." Was his only answer. Then he grinned at her and asked "Wanna taste?"
She nodded impatiently. He stirred the food, took a spoon and fed her, commenting: "Careful, it's hot."
Jess groaned, rolling her eyes. "This is so delicious."
The picture she gave let him chuckle.
She looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"Nothing, you're just looking so, … so sweet." 'Adorable' was what he really wanted to say, but he kept it private.
Jess smiled widely.
"Want you tell me about Sandhurst?" She then asked.
And Becker told her, about the time being there, his friends he made, the missions, the lost of members of his team, the funerals of his friends he had to attend. After 20 minutes cooking the food, he tried to add olives to the rest but Jess protested.
"Please no olives, I hate them."
Becker grinned like a Cheshire cat, placed them aside and asked: "So, what else don't you like?"
It was Jess turn to speak and she told him about her boarding school life, about the dresses she hated to wear, because they didn't suit her and had no colours. About the food she had to eat everyday, how the cook took orange or orange aroma on every meal and that she since that time hated everything with orange in it. Becker laughed aloud as she told him that part. And that she were treated like a little child, because all her classmates were three years older than her, and when the others went out on their dates, she had to stay in her room, which made her really hate being alone.
In the meantime he transferred the chicken to a platter, to reduce the sauce over high heat for another five minutes and then he poured the sauce over the chicken.
As Jess ended he said: "The food has been prepared, milady. Would you follow me to the table?"
Jess chuckled. They sat down and enjoyed the meal.
After the dinner Becker was adamant that he cleaned the dishes. Jess accepted reluctantly, sat back on the stool and watched him washing up while they kept on talking and drinking the rest of the white wine he brought with.
They finally sat on the couch, next to each other. Becker placed one arm on the seat back. They both enjoyed the evening wholeheartedly. Sitting so near to each other, looking deep into each others eyes, they both could feel the upcoming heat between them. Jess waited for him to end what he started on Saturday, they leaned forward reducing the space between them, but then Becker suddenly said: "Time for me to go home."
Jess was flabbergasted but didn't show it. They went to the door and he said goodbye with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. Jess smiled saying goodbye to him and gently closed the door as he walked away, letting her dumbfounded behind.
Standing in the hallway she gaped and finally managed to say: "What the hell was that?"
She checked her breath, but she didn't smell bad.
"On Saturday he behaved like a cat in heat and today?" She didn't find the right words.
Jess sat back on the couch and thought about the whole evening, trying to understand his completely change of behaviour. 'Abby! Tomorrow is definitely the time for a girls talk in the menagerie.' She thought and finally went to bed.
/-/
Abby just checked the feeding-reports for the new creatures as she heard a voice behind her back.
"We need to talk." Jess said in an upset tone as she entered the menagerie.
"What happened?" Abby asked worriedly.
"Becker."
"OK. Shall I go and get Emily and a big cup of coffee?"
Jess just nodded and settled down on the wall. As Abby went out, Rex flew to Jess' side nudging her hand until she petted him.
Shortly after, Abby came back with Emily in tow and two big coffees in her hand. Emily had her own. They both sat down next to Jess on each side and Abby handed over a coffee.
"OK. Tell us. What happened." Abby gently started the conversation.
"You remember, I asked you and Connor to help clean out the house, but you had no time?"
Abby nodded.
"Well, after that I asked Becker. And he said yes. And he helped me with the clean-out. Well, to be exact he and 20 soldiers he ordered because my grannies house was chock-a-block with furniture and little things."
The two other girls started to chuckle and Jess sipped her coffee.
"And he kissed me, twice, because he broke a stupid vase."
Jess tried to ignore the squeals of the women, but she couldn't help laughing.
"Go on, go on." Emily pushed her to continue.
"And yesterday he came to me to cook for me to make up for breaking the vase."
"He can cook?" They asked simultaneously full of surprise.
"Oh, yes. It was so delicious." She groaned with pleasure thinking back to the taste of the food.
"So good?" Abby asked.
"Oh yeah. But that wasn't the fact." She said to get back to the point.
"He behaved completely odd!" She complained. "No touching, no kisses, just a nice talk. He didn't even allow me to help him. There was always a yard gap at minimum between us." Jess was completely frustrated. "And after the dinner as we sat on the couch drinking wine, and we finally came closer and closer ..."
The two other girls got wide eyes, fraught with tension of what happened next.
"... he just said goodbye and went home." She ended fully disappointed.
"Like I told you before, he is a complete emotional retard!" Abby declared.
"Maybe he just wanted to take it slow." Emily tried to defend him.
"Emily, when he's going to take it more slow, he'll regress." Abby determined.
Jess kept on sipping on her coffee. Abby and Emily, both patted her arms, trying to cheer her up.
Suddenly Connor stepped into the room.
"Becker's behaving odd." He declared.
He looked puzzled at the girls, sitting on the wall completely depressed, so he decided to sat down in front of them.
"Didn't you hear me?" He asked.
Abby looked him in the eyes. "OK, Connor tell us."
"Well, he did something on the laptop, watching something when I entered the room. I couldn't see it, so I came closer. But then he abruptly closed it and glared at me, like I did something bad."
"Did you ask him what he was doing?" Jess asked.
"No!"
"Come on, Connor. I know you." Abby looked at him expectantly.
"Right. I tried to have a look, and asked him what he is doing. But he only put his EMD on the table and said 'I give you three seconds to leave'."
"So you did leave?" Now Emily asked.
"Of course I did. I actually ran out of the room."
The girls looked at him questionably.
"Come on. This is Action Man we're talking about. The guy with the guns!" He defended.
The group remained in silence, drinking their coffee.
/-/
"... We come to the next item number 7723." The auctioneer said in a bored, monotonic voice. "A Cloisonné Vase, Meiping from the Ming Dynasty, 16th Century. Its decorated with three registers of stylized scrolling lotus in white, green, blue and green enamel, reserved on a blue ground, upright lappets at the foot and at collar with ying-yang symbols on a green ground. The trumpet neck has scrolling flower heads. The total heigh is 30 cm and the Estimate is between £3,100 and £4,400. We start with an offer of £3,000." He paused to see that he has the fully attention of his bidders. "3000 pound bid, will you give me 3?"
An old man raised his number.
"3 bid by 237, now 3.1, now 3.1." He paused again. "3.1 bid by 162. Now 3.2. Now 3.2, will you give me 3.2?"
An old lady raised her number.
"3.2 bid by 141. Now 3.3. 3.3 bit by 162. Now 3.4. 3.4 bit by 248. Now 3.5. 3.5 bid by 141. Now 3.6 bid, will you give me 3.6?"
A young woman raised her number.
"3.6 bid by 215. Now 3.7 bid, will you give me 3.7? 3.7 bid by 162. Now 3.8 bid, 3.8 bid, will you give me 3.8? 3.8 bid by 141. Now 3.9 bid. 3.9 bid by 162. Now 4 bid. Will you give me 4?"
"4.4." A young man said as he raised his number, visibly amused by the old lady, who darted a glance at him.
"4.4 bid by 162. Now 4.5. Now 4.5. Will you give me 4.5?"
The old lady raised her number.
"4.5 bid by 141. Now 4.6. 4.6 by 162."
The young man grinned at the old lady.
"Now 4.7. Will you give me 4.7?"
The old lady raised her number, grumbling something in the direction of the young man.
"4.7 bid by 141. Now 4.8. Will you give me 4.8?"
The young man raised his number and said: "4.9."
"4.9 bid by 162. Now 5. Now 5. Will you give me 5?"
The old lady glowered at the young man, but didn't raise her number.
"Going once, going twice. Sold! for £4,900 to 162. Would you please come of and give your personal data." The auctioneer asked the young man and paused the auction.
The young man headed to the little room. Spending one last look at the old lady, who now sent him death glares. He stepped to the assistant.
"Would you please give me your full name."
"Captain Hilary James Becker." He answered and watch the other man writing down.
"Your ID card, please."
Becker handed it over, the other man took a copy.
"We need this to make sure that we find you, in case your check is insufficient." He explained at the questionably look of the soldier.
"I'll pay cash." He replied.
Now the assistant was baffled.
"OK. Here is your release note. In the ground-floor you go left until the end. The last door on the right. There you'll give the note to the custodian and you'll get your item." He friendly answered.
Becker took the note and went down, where he paid and left the auction house with his new vase.
/-/
It was half past ten and Jess was watching a rom-com as the doorbell rang. She went to the door, wondering who it could be at such a time, and opened it.
Fully surprised she looked at him. "Becker. What are you doing here?"
"Um. Can I come in?"
Jess now realized that she blocked the entrance and quickly stepped aside, gesturing him to come in.
"Hi." He said with a friendly smile.
"Hi." Jess answered. "What's this?" She gestured to the bag he hold in his left hand.
"Um. This is um, a um, present for you, um, actually for your mum. To make her lenient." He stumbled.
Jess was slightly surprised, the Captain never stumbled like a little shy boy. She followed him to the table where he unpacked the bag. Then she saw the vase and gasped, eyes and mouth wide open.
"Becker?" Was the only word she could speak.
"This is a ming vase. Not a quing. But it looks really like the one I broke and she is bigger." He explained.
"Where did you get this from?" She asked, taking a proper look at the vase.
"Um. I bought it at an auction."
"How much?"
"She has a value of £3,100 to £4,400, but I paid £4,900."
Jess was flabbergasted.
"What, … Why did you, … but you...you didn't need to." She now stumbled.
He grinned. "Do you think she will like it?"
"She definitely will love it." She looked at him with her bright blue eyes, a big smile on her face and Becker felt his self-confidence turning back.
"I hoped so." He replied with a grin.
"And I hope the check is covered."
"Err, I paid cash."
"You had £4,900 in your wallet?"
"Actually I had £10,000 in my wallet, I didn't know how much it will cost."
Jess was shocked. "What were you thinking? Running around on the streets with £10,000. What if you were robbed?" She asked, totally worried about him.
"Jessica." He answered calmly. "If ever a person would have the courage or stupidity to try to rob me, a special force soldier, and would have success, then I would give him the money voluntarily."
"Oh, right." Jess looked at the vase, she still couldn't believe that the Captain was willing to buy a vase just to comfort her mum.
"Thank you so much for this." She smiled brightly at him.
"You're welcome." He replied, placing one hand on her lower back, gently stroking her.
"She will be really in for the surprise." Jess said, fully excited.
"I wish I could see that."
"Um, actually you can. My mum is celebrating her birthday tomorrow. So, this would be the perfect chance for you to give her the vase."
"Me? Did you forget, that it was your mum who wanted me to be dead."
"Nah. As soon as she sees the vase you will be her best friend, I promise." She answered grinning brightly.
"Is there any possibility that I can welsh that?" He felt very insecure by the thought at her mum.
"No way." She answered and to make it definite she added: "Tomorrow you'll come with me to my parents' house. Pick me up at 7 pm."
He looked at her full of fear.
"Don't worry, Becker. I'll protect you." She grinned cheekily and pecked him in the arm.
The soldier grinned at her words. "OK. Then tomorrow, meeting the Parkers."
"Yes. Meeting the Parkers." She returned the joke.
Becker looked in her eyes and started to realize how close they actually stood and he once more decided to go.
"Um, I have to go now, Jess. Have a nice sleep, bye."
"Yes, you too. Bye." She replied., watching him leave.
A/N: Sohooo. There is one chapter left. What will happen at the party.
Thanks a lot for reading.
Please hit the review-button and tell me what you think. :o)
