Disclaimer: I don´t own anything more than just the idea and a few made-up character.
AND PLEASE: In my fiction Callahan is single and so is Tackleberry. (Easier that way)
AND 2nd PLEASE: Things I don´t know, I make up.
Love Is Lovely, but Gives You a Lot of Trouble
Chapter 2
Waking up at 6 am was never something Captain Debbie Callahan appreciated but there was nothing to do if you wanted that pay check once a month. She hadn´t slept good, haunted by Eugene's smile.
After the meeting, the day before, she actually managed to avoid him until dinner time. That could be because she locked herself away in her room. She wasn´t going to go down to the mess at dinnertime if not Hooks and a instructor named Karen North had fiercely knocked on her door until she opened it and came along.
Hooks was Callahans best friend but she hadn´t told her about what happened with Tackleberry that spring night. It wasn´t that they had sex but she knew that if Lassard hadn´t came along with his damd fishbowl, they would. If Callahan told Hooks about their little "thing" she wouldn´t hear the end of it.
At dinner she sat at a four table with Hooks, North and Nick. Nick flirted shamelessly with Karen but she didn´t really cared about him at all. Hooks had noticed that Callahan sneaked away after the meeting and that her happy mood had left after the same time as well. After dinner they left for her room to talk.
"What happened? You was so happy on the ride back from the airport and now you look like the wind has left the sail"
Callahan looked at Hooks. It was just her that could use a metaphor like that in this situation. "Is something wrong?" She didn´t know what to say. Everything had become wrong but she couldn´t tell Hooks that, or could she? If she gave a hint so she wouldn´t actually have to say it...
"It´s just that I didn´t really expected something coming back when we got here" Now she was a little clever, she said something, not someone.
"What? The only new thing back is Tackleberry..." She put her hand over her mouth and looked shocked at Callahan looking for a confirmation. That she got when Callahan avoided her eyes and looked down on the floor looking embarrassed. "But... how... when... what... You didn´t tell me?"
"Nothing really happened. Nothing to worry about"
"Of course something happened! I know you, you wouldn´t get this worked up about something if 'nothing' had happened" She did have a point there.
"I really don´t know what to say. It was at the goodbye-party we fixed for him when he left. "
"When? I don´t remember seeing you do something special, and believe me, I would remember that"
Callahan had no doubt she would have. "You remember when we left the mess and all just split up?"
"Yes..." Hooks looked like she was thinking really hard to remember anything improper happening then.
"All you guys left and it was just me and Tackleberry left. Then he offered me a nightcap. I think I said something about having a hangover the next day. I´m not really sure about exactly what we said but I remember him putting a hand on my back and the next minute we were kissing like maniacs"
Hooks gasped. "You did? I never thought you liked him like that!"
"Neither did I. But... when we kissed... I knew I felt something for him"
"Naw... That´s so cute! And now he is back" Callahan could here the exited tone in Hooks voice.
"Well... you really haven't heard what happened next. It was son embarrassing" she put her hands on her face, almost blushing just remembering.
"Do tell me!" Hooks was very interested now and wanted all the nice details.
"He had me up at the wall, my legs around him and then we heard someone saying 'Oh my Good'. We looked up and it was the Commandant. With his fishbowl. He stood there looking really shocked"
Hooks giggled "I think I would be slightly shocked to. I mean you and Tackleberry! The two toughest polices at the academy making out against a wall." Now they both laughed.
"Yeah, I see your point" Callahan said, still laughing.
They talked for a while after that and when the clock was almost midnight they had called it a night. It felt like everything would be alright.
Now, lying in her bed, Callahan wasn´t s sure anymore. She had thought it before; this 'term' was going to be hell.
Getting up, showering, putting on her uniform and fixing her looks took almost an hour. Then she went down for breakfast, not because she was hungry (actually quite the opposite) but she promised Hooks to go down there. Hooks sat at a larger table today, accompanied by Jones, Hightower and Nick. Callahan picked up her breakfast, a bowl with a little yoghurt, and went to sit on Hooks side. The place next to Callahan was still empty but otherwise the table was now full.
"Had a good sleep?" Hooks asked Callahan with a look of concern in her eyes.
"Not very but I can handle it" The guys obviously didn´t notice this little exchange of words.
"So how do you think this new 'term' will be like?" Nick asked.
"Probably like they always have been" Jones said. "We have to make theme feel at home and be nice while training. This time we won´t scare the shit out of theme within a week. Right Hightower?"
Hightower raised his eyebrow looking at Jones "I just helped those guys to understand why you take orders"
They all laughed. Callahan remembered what happened. A few cadets didn´t want to go out there and run in the mud one day when the rain was pouring down, so Hightower decided to help theme understand that you do as you're told at the academy. He made those guys go out there in nothing at all and made theme do push ups in the mud before they had to run ten laps around the school grounds chased by his police dog. It was actually funny. It seamed mean but it wasn´t.
"Sorry I´m late" Callahan was snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. Oh yes, Tackleberry stood there with his breakfast trey, ready to join theme. Now she realised that the only place that was empty was beside her. This day couldn´t start any better, could it?
He sat down. Callahan looked down in her yoghurt, feeling her appetite leave.
"So how was L.A.?" She think it was Nick that asked, but wasn´t really sure. She didn´t really pay attention.
"It was okay. Warmer than here but I missed you guys." At this, under the table, he put a hand on Callahans knee. Her eyes snapped up from the bowl at Eugene. He was eating his cereals not looking like anything was going on.
"Did you meet any gals down there?" Jones sounded interested, she knew these guys attitude. They talked openly about that sort of stuff, but she didn´t think that Eugene said anything about what happened between them. At least they never said anything even hinting that they knew.
Tackleberry looked up at the smiling Jones "Nah. Didn´t feel interested in something like that when I was gone" All the boys looked chocked at this statement. Obviously, they didn´t understand that!
"Why not?" Nick asked. Tackleberry shrugged "Had my mind on something else" Callahan could feel his hand squeezing her knee. Why didn´t she just take his hand away? This wasn´t right, but she just couldn´t bring herself to do it.
"Okay. Didn´t you even kiss someone?" Callahan felt like this was a conversation she really didn´t want to hear and on the look on Hooks face, neither did she.
"No" he simply said. The mouths of Nick and Jones opened in shock. To them, this was an unimaginable situation. Hightower looked shocked as well but nothing compared to the other ones.
"Oh my god! When did you last kiss anyone?" Of course, her normal luck, that the conversation was coming to this.
"Around a year" While he said this his hand moved further up Callahans leg. That was it. She stopped his hand and put it back on his own leg. The conversation continued, thank god they left that subject. The problem was that Tackleberry at one point put his hand back on her thigh. She put her hand on top of his and grabbed it and made it go back to his own leg.
"Hooks, let´s go. I wanna talk to you before the cadets be here" At this both of theme stood up and left.
Of course Callahan told Hooks everything when they left the building.
At 10 am the first busses started to role in, soon followed by a few private cars. Like Lassard said, there was a lot of noise and disorganisation. Callahan and Tackleberry were at the busses, greeting cadets and make theme to get to right place. After three busses there was a pause. They were just standing by a tree waiting for next buss (They said it was going to be like six, but you´re never sure)
"So, how have you been this year?" Tackleberry seemed nervous.
"Okay I guess. Hooks and I was in Greece a few days ago"
"Sounds nice. That´s why you´re so tanned?"
She just nodded and looked against the gates. Two hands were placed on her hips. She felt him standing just behind her head over her right shoulder. "Did you miss me?" She could feel the warm breath on her neck. She didn´t know what to answer. She did but how would she say that. Did he miss her? Why did he do this to her? Did he still want her? The last thing made her think. If so, was it just for sex or for something more?
"I... ehm..." she said. One of his hands caresses its way to her stomach. "Why do you do this?" she suddenly asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
"I missed you" he simply said. She could hear that he smiled. He kissed her neck. She shivered, that felt so damn good.
"Eugene... Please stop" she said. What if someone saw this? They should do their job and not this. Better stop know before it´s to late.
"Why?" He kissed her neck again.
She detached herself from his arms, stepping away and turned around. Now facing him she said "It´s not right. I´m not willing to risk my job for this"
He stepped closer to her, putting one hand on her shoulder and the other on her back. "You were willing to risk it a year ago"
She closed her eyes and swallowed. That argument was the only one that she didn´t know how to answer. "That was then, this is now" A weak argument and they both new it.
"Debbie..." He was talking slowly and low. That voice was so sexy.
Suddenly a horn chimed and they moved quickly away from each other. There were no more pauses between the busses from then, much to Callahans delight. After the late buss she joined the other polices on the great lawn were the cadets lined up. She stood next to Jones.
Tackleberry had she gotten rid of, for now.
