Author notes: This takes place during "The Worst Night of Your life." One thing though, Hanson doesn't take the high school girl to the prom.
"Ehhh, how you doing smoky" Hanson asked as Judy walked in.
"Medium well, thank you"
"Third fire this week right?" I asked.
"Yeah, Whoopty doo."
"Hoffs!" Yelled Jenko. She looked at him, grabbed a bag of chips and went to his office full of somnolence.
"Alright Hanson, tonight is your night." Said Penhall.
"Is that right?" He replied catching the soda Penhall threw at him.
"Hey trust me on this. Were talking my talk." He picked Hanson up and dropped him on the table.
"Idiot speak?" Ioki threw in.
"Hey come on Harry tell the man. I made this guy a legend. Half the girls in town now call him gun slinger." Penhall said making his fingers into a gun, and blowing at the tip.
"So what do you say huh?" He asked Hanson
"Look I appreciate the offer and everything, but tonight's my bowling night." Hanson shrugged
"Bowling?"
"Bowling?" Ioki mimicked.
"Did he say bowling?"
"Yes! Bowling! I'm in a league."
"A bowling league!" Penhall exploded.
"A bowling league?"
"Yes!" Hanson said Defensively.
"Hanson, Hanson, Hanson, Hanson. I'm trying to save your life here. But you're gonna have to give me a little help. Bowling? I once knew a kid whose father was a bowler. He ran away from home. He was three. His mother helped him!"
Hanson looked at me and I looked down at my paper quickly. Neither Penhall nor Ioki noticed.
"Listen Penhall maybe there's still time. Maybe Thomas here isn't any good"
Hanson looked at him, and smirked.
"You want to know what my handicap is?"
"Yeah bowling," Said Penhall grabbing his attention. "Come on Hanson I'm talking about a skunk cut here. Girls. You, me, out there in the trenches. Sign out for a tranquilizer gun because I'm very, very, good at this. Remember, they call him the gun slinger."
"Some other night, tonight, is my bowling night."
"Hanson tonight is Friday night! And I don't want you to waste it in the gutter. Come on, two guys always make out better then one."
"So why don't you go out with the Gun Slinger?"
"Wait a minute no way!" Said Ioki repositioning himself. "Kay, the last time I shot myself in the foot. And I did it on purpose.
"She wasn't that ugly," Penhall said in defense.
"Doug, the lady had the warning from the surgeon general, tattooed on her chest," He said pulling his shirt so we could see his chest."
I watched mournfully from my desk. I wish that could be me over there with Hanson. But we agreed to keep our distance at work. So, I decided against socialization, and was going to finish my report.
Jenko walked in. "Alright gang. Jane, tell daddy what went down at the school house."
"We found a teacher Od'd with another student. The teacher okay. The drug of choice, LSD. The teach sold me some. 2 pounds of it actually." I said sliding a bag full of Acid to Jenko. "I got something better up my sleeve though. I think he is forcing it into the kids. The other four kids that were found OD'd were star, anti-drug students. With the first two my thought was that maybe they dropped too much, you know trying it and had a bad trip. With the teacher OD'd next to the last kid, made me think he forcing them. Were looking at four charges of first degree murder."
"You got some evidence to back up that theory peaches?"
"During the autopsy they found that the jaw was forced closed, and there were hand indents on each of the kids. Matching the teacher. I got this file from the morgue" I said passing it to him.
"LSD usually leaves a small trace in the brain. If you look closely, you can tell if they've dropped it at least three times before, that's when the brain starts to decay from all of the Acid. The teacher, though, is not only our dealer and supplier, but also an avid user. He could take the trip better then the others could."
"You got him in custody?"
"Yeah, he's in the hospital, and in two days their moving him down to the county jail."
"Hey, wicked trick peaches. You got him straight. Alright gang, get out of here, go home."
I walked back to my desk. I looked at a picture of Kamani. He just found out about Hanson two weeks ago, and couldn't stop smiling. He's a cute kid. Hanson walked over to me. "Need a ride?"
"Depends, you staying for dinner tonight?"
"I need some meat in my system."
"Were ordering pizza, I'll get you some peperoni."
He smiled. "Okay."
"I'm gonna go outside, finish up." I said. I grabbed my bag, went outside, and lit a cigarette. God knows I needed to.
"Hanson. I see you eyeing her. And I must ask. What's going on between you two?"
"She doesn't have a car, and I drive past Kamani's school so I take them home sometimes."
"Kamani?"
"Her son."
"Oh that's his name huh? Cute."
"Yeah he's adorable," Said Judy coming in.
"Yeah." Hanson chuckled.
"You know, you two would be good together Hanson."
"Jane? Hanson? What you take some of that Acid or something?"
"Penhall!"
"Listen, I gotta to go get home, I have a date."
"With Jane?"
"My cat. He needs to go to the vet."
"Some date Hanson." Said Judy laughing. Hanson ran outside and saw me standing there smoking. I stubbed the cigarette against my jeans. I followed Hanson to his car. When we got in he broke to silence. "They think we'd be good together." He said
I smiled. "They were right." I kissed him. We drove down, picked up Kam, and went back to my apartment. Hanson and I talked, while Kamani played with his toys, as we waited for pizza.
"Jane, what exactly happened when I left?" Hanson hesitated while asking this, as if he was walking on eggshells.
"When I told my foster parents I was pregnant, they kicked me out. I lived in and out of homeless shelters, on Taylor's couch for a long while. Finally I got a job, got this apartment. I take classes at night and through the mail."
Hanson looked at me. He held my hand, and grabbed it tight. I grabbed onto his lap and sat there, listening to his heart beat. I love him. I really do. I always have. "You still going bowling?" I asked.
"Not if I get this all night." He said caressing my cheek. I smiled.
"Well, well, well. Far Out" Said Jenk, as the guys came down the stairs in their tuxes. Ready for prom.
"Looks like we got a Japanese Elvis Presley" He said looking at Ioki.
"A pimp. And the butler."
"With the budget we got your lucky we could afford to rent the pants" Said Hanson adjusting his tie.
"Maybe you should go without the pants. Tell them you're a poor butler."
I walked in, my heals in my hands. "Sorry guys, I missed the bus."
"You know you should really get a car." Said Ioki.
"Maybe my next raise." I said winking at Jenko.
He laughed.
"Judith Ester! If you don't get that dress on soon girl, I'm gonna come up there and staple it on." Yelled Jenko.
She came downstairs, and Penhall glared at her. "Huminu, huminu"
She rolled her eyes.
"Alright, Harry your Judy's date, Lucky Ms. Jane gets the butler, and Casanova you know who you're with." I went and stood by Hanson. It seemed appropriate he is my date after all. Judy walked down. "So, what do you think?"
"Hello Judith" Said Penhall. He whistled at her. "I wish I didn't get Ms. Crazy"
"Put your tongue back in your mouth Penhall." Said Hanson.
Jenko laughed. "Alright, be on the look out for anything suspicious. When Ms. Pyro makes her appearance get everyone's Asses out of there, ya dig?"
"Alright Jenk." Said Ioki.
I walked with Hanson to his car and got into the passenger seat. "Whose watching Kamani?" He asked.
"I got Taylor too."
He smiled at me. "Guess this should make up for the prom we didn't go to." He put his arm around me. "Hanson, they can see through the windows." I said.
"Psh will you relax? It's not like they're gonna look in the car." He said kissing my cheek softly. I smiled. "Your right, your right."
We drove to the dance, which was held at the girl's catholic school. I got out of the car. Hanson smiled at me.
"Guess we got to make the best of it in secrecy."
"Yeah. That's okay though. We can have our own after party when we get home." I said.
"Hey guys." Said Judy coming up to me.
"Hey," I said quietly.
We walked into the prom. I stood up against the wall. These heals are killing my feet. Hanson stood next to me. "You look great," he said.
"Thanks Tommy. So do you. Even if you do look like a butler."
He laughed. "I'd be your butler all you want."
"Part of me feels like your not just talking about serving up drinks"
"You got me." He said putting his hands up. A slow song came on. "Come on Hanson, let's dance."
"No, no. I don't dance."
"Oh you will tonight." I said pulling his hand onto the dance floor.
He put his arms around my waist. Mine were around his neck. We swayed unsure of what we were doing. But it didn't matter; I was with Hanson, even if we were undercover looking for a pyromaniac.
He moved me closer to him. "Come on Hanson, we can snuggle when we get home, but were at work."
He sighed. "Can't wait."
Everyone backed against the wall; someone was making his or her big entrance. Hanson and I watched Penhall move over to Judy. "That's your date," She said to him.
Penhall's face turned into disgust. "You've got to be kidding me."
He walked over to her. "Hi. I'm your, uh, date." He said.
"Don't touch me!" She screamed firmly, pulling a lighter out and running to the hearts on the wall, open flame. Penhall chased her, and grabbed her. But it was too late. She lit the hearts on fire. The flames bursted out, yelling for a great escape. Feeding on the oxygen around it, as if it was a drug. You could see the relief on the Penhall's dates face. As if all the stuff bottled up inside her exploded out. Like she was now a feather, floating away from all the pain and misery around her. "Everybody out of the building!" Ioki yelled.
"No shit!" someone yelled back. Hanson and I ran with fire extinguishers, trying to tame the fire. But it was spreading. Feeding of more party favors. Begging for fuel to keep it alive. It became so big Hanson and I had to leave. The fire department had more experience. We ran out side to six ambulances, and fire trucks spraying the building. Penhall's date was in handcuffs being taken to jail. "Fun prom." Said Judy.
"Yeah, at least your date wasn't crazy" Said Penhall.
"Come on gang, let's go have a real party." Said Jenko.
"Let's go bowling!" Said Hanson.
And that's exactly what we did.
"Some party" I said to Hanson as we walked into his apartment. He threw his keys on the counter. "Yeah." He said. He pushed me against the wall. "But now were alone." He whispered nuzzling right below my left ear. I smiled. I wrapped my arms tight around his lean body. He moved his way to my lips. It was a battle of teeth and tongue. His tongue naturally explored the inside of my mouth. Tracing my teeth. When we kiss there is a spark between us that only love can justify. His hands traced the curves of my body. I moved my lips to his neck, lightly biting his skin. We moved to the couch. I pushed him down and crawled on top of him. "Spend the night." He pleaded into my ear. I pulled off his jacket from his tux. I was still in my dress. I undid the clip on bow, and then unbuttoned his shirt slowly. I started at the bottom, kissing the bottom of his stomach. I unbuttoned the second button, and kissed his belly button. And so on, until his shirt was lying on the floor somewhere. He pulled off my dress. I was in my bra, and basketball shorts'. He smiled. I snuggled close to him. Our sexual experience was going to end here tonight. I held me close, and we fell into a deep sleep. Thank god for the weekend.
