Author's notes: Thanks to the three of you that reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback. Would like to see even more. (Hint, Hint) Only ½ day of school left….then I start teaching driver education for the summer…pray for me!
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Megan kicked off her shoes and bent over to pick them up. There was no use getting the insides of her shoes sandy. Making her way across the short stretch of beach she noticed how the sun's setting rays still illuminated the small inlet area; it was almost like it was pulling all of the available light towards this small section of the coast. The sand felt warm and smooth beneath her feet; it also served to muffle her approach.
She could see him sitting in the sand, posture straight and proper as befitting the ex-soldier that he was. Even when he relaxed, Colby Granger looked anything but at ease. Megan wasn't surprised to see a six pack of beer sitting next to him. She sighed inward; Colby's normal form of stress reduction was a good workout, not alcohol. Three of the beers were already drained and he was working on the fourth. At least it wasn't a twelve pack.
Drawing next to him, she would see that he was aware of her presence, but he didn't speak. Dropping down lightly into the sand next to him, Megan spoke lightly in her normal teasing tone. "Granger, you're a hard man to find."
He took a deep pull off of the beer and without looking at her muttered darkly, "That was the general idea." Another drink, "How did you find me?"
"The GPS system in your cell phone. There are advantages to working for the FBI you know." She smiled, hoping to elicit one in return.
"I'll remember to leave it home next time. I hope Larry appreciates your mothering ways, but I don't Megan."
Grabbing one of his beers and twisting off the cap, Megan took a drink. "You know, you've been a real dick lately Colby. It's making it hard for some of your friends to turn the other cheek."
"Then why don't you just haul yourself back to your car and go home and watch in your telescope for your boyfriend to zip by."
"You know you can get as pissy as you want, but you're not going to get rid of me that easy." She took a sip and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Problem is, you've only got one beer left and I'm awfully thirsty. I suggest we talk a little while and go back to your place or mine and have another beer."
"I could just leave you here with my last beer and I could go find some more someplace else." Colby shot back.
"But I've parked behind you and you won't be able to move your vehicle until I move mine."
Turning to look to see if she was telling the truth, he groaned when he saw Megan's car pulled up close to the back of his. He would not be going anywhere until she let him. He drained the last of his bottle and slid it back into the holder. Pulling out the last beer he twisted off the top and slid the cap into his pocket.
Megan watched the sun sink low onto the horizon, the last amber rays giving a surreal look to the beach. She waited, letting Colby decide when he would talk.
After minutes of silence Colby shifted slightly. "You can be a pain in the ass Reeves."
"So I've heard." She fell silent again.
"Remember when we talked about Rachel and I told you we had gotten close?" Colby saw Megan nod slightly, "Well the more I think about it, the crazier it makes me. When I found out she had resigned and no one would tell me where she was, I thought 'hey it wasn't meant to be'. I buried it with everything else and put on a happy face and went about trying to save the world. But here recently I watch you and Larry, Charlie and Amita, Don and Liz, David is getting his groove on with Claudia, Alan and Millie, everyone is pairing up and I'm the odd man out. I go out on a date and all I think about is Rachel. I guess I'm jealous of what everyone else has and what seems to be out of my reach."
"Colby," Megan started only to be cut off.
"No, don't tell me to give her time." The words seemed to be rung from Colby's soul. "Damn it Megan, it's been over 7 months since I last saw her. I don't understand why she won't let me have a chance to be there for her. It sounds so damn cliché, but what we experienced brought me closer her than I had ever hoped to be. When we talked, before you found us, she told me she felt the same way and that she would like to work on a relationship. But now nothing, and I'm angry and confused and I just don't know. I've been sitting here thinking about it over and over. I can't go on like this."
"Sometimes life is like that Colby." Megan put her arm around her friend. "I wish I had the answer, but I don't. All I can tell you is that anything worth having is worth waiting for."
"Are you talking about Rachel and me or you and Larry." Colby looked at Megan, who took a quick drink on her beer.
After a few moments she replied, "I guess it would apply to both of us." She stood up and dusted herself off. "I've got tomorrow off. What do you say I drive you home and we have a few more of these?"
Colby stared out towards the darkening ocean. His rugged features were unreadable; the inner struggle ended when he stuck out his hand to Megan. "Help me up and let's go. I'll drown my sorrows and pull my head out of my butt."
"Always said you were flexible, but I never knew how flexible." Megan smiled warmly and pulled him up. The momentum caused Colby to bump into her, reacting, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a friendly hug. "Thanks Megan. I appreciate your efforts to keep me from self-destruction."
Leaning into the hug and giving his back a rub, Megan found herself unwilling to break the embrace. Chastising herself, she forced herself to pull back. "Not a problem. Besides I don't know if David is up to training another rookie."
Colby laughed lightly and reached down to pick up the empty six pack. "Glad to know you'd miss me Reeves."
"Sure. I'd miss the fact that you'd be the one buying." She played it off lightly, her own mind spinning with the implications of her feelings. It was crazy she told herself, 'I like Larry and Colby is just my co-worker and friend'. "Come on, you can show your gratitude."
"You're all heart Megan."
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The beach house that Rachel had rented after selling her small home had a small deck facing the water. It was on this deck that she slowly lowered herself into the lounge chair so that she could watch the sunset. Every night without fail she had made a routine of watching the sun sink into the surf. It was peaceful and it allowed her time to reflect. What would she do with her career now that she had left the FBI, what would she do once the baby came, what would she tell her parents and the one that she was most unsure of, what should she tell Colby?
In the past months she had picked up the phone a million times to call him, several times she actually stayed on the line until he answered. But each time she froze, the words refusing to leave her mouth. The longer it had been, the easier it was to just tell herself that she no longer cared. It was a lie. She and Colby had shared so much more than just a casual sexual dalliance. Before that moment they had talked at length while they had been held together. The short but intense experience bonded them together in many ways, now one more and she couldn't find the words to tell him that he was going to be a father.
The phone sitting on the table next to her chair rang and she startled. She glanced at the caller id and recognized the number, she answered. "Hello Mom."
The conversation was relatively short, her mom called her several times a week since her return from captivity. Each time the talk included the open invitation for her to return home to Illinois. Each time Rachel was able to come up with several reasons why the time wasn't right. After bidding her mother goodnight, Rachel groaned as she pushed herself up to a standing position. The sun had completely set and there were no lights on in the house.
Walking through the dark house, the streetlight outside illuminated the parked car just across the street. Rachel paused for a moment as the car caught her eye. She stood to the side of the curtains and watched for a few minutes. Her patience was rewarded as the man sitting in the front seat finally came into view.
A sharp intake of breath seemed to echo through the house. Rachel recognized the face. The man sitting across the street was one of the disciples who had kidnapped her. She could have recognized him anywhere. Moving quickly away from the window, she pulled the curtains closed. Her heart was beating quickly, what should she do?
Grabbing the phone, she flipped open the phonebook and dialed the number for the airline that she knew serviced the area where her parents lived. After booking a flight, she rushed to her bedroom and started throwing clothes into her suitcases. Satisfied that she had everything she would need, she picked the phone back up and contacted a taxi service. In a half an hour she would be headed to the airport.
One more call. Picking up the phone she dialed a number that was now ingrained in her memory. Three rings and it was picked up, "Hello, Colby's place." A female voice greeted Rachel's ear. Unable to speak, Rachel let the phone drop back onto its cradle. Who had she been kidding; it was obvious that Colby had moved on.
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Megan stood with the phone next to her ear. No one had responded and now all she had was a dial tone. Colby hollered from the kitchen where he was putting a frozen pizza into the oven.
"Who is it Megan?"
"Must have been a wrong number." She lowered the phone back to the charging base and headed into the kitchen to help.
Author's Note: Hey check out that button in the corner. What do you think it does? Why don't you click on it and see!
