Story: Of Snobs and Bodyguards
Rating: Rated High T for now... not sure if this should be M or not... Might be later...
Genre: Romance, Drama, Crime, Hurt/Comfort, Humor
Full Summary: Jack becomes Kim's personal bodyguard after an incident in a hotel. He thinks she's a snobby little bitch. She thinks he's an arrogant asshole. Can anything good come of this pairing?
Thank you for the kind reviews! I appreciate them very much :)
A/N: By the way, I ship Jika ALL THE WAY. Just fyi.
Wrote this chapter in an hour and twelve minutes! A brand spanking new record instead of the usual three hours! All because of my playlist being on loop playing BS and Cascada. I think I found my musical muse for this story!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It and am merely using the characters for your and my entertainment.
Jack took a deep breath and counted to ten, utilizing those anger management courses Rudy had once forced him to attend in the past. Fat lot of good that was doing. With each passing second as he stood outside the door, his bullshit meter continued to rise. There was only so much he could take before he blew. And right now, Kim was really trying his patience.
And the shower continued to run.
He banged on the door even harder, irritated that she wasn't bothering responding. He had been trying to use the damn bathroom for an hour but she'd been taking a shower for forever. What kind of person took an hour-long shower?! At this rate, she would be using up all the hot water of the entire building! Not to mention she was running up his damn bill! If his water bill was twice the amount he usually paid, he would definitely see to it that the little minx would reimburse him.
After their argument, she had stalked past him and grabbed the rest of her stuff from his car before locking herself in the guest room. She hadn't come out at all the whole day and that was fine by him. He had been going through some of his case file to give to whoever picked up where he had left off on the drug bust, when Kim had suddenly left the guest room in a flourish proclaiming that she would be taking a shower. In his mind, he had assumed that meant ten minutes. Fifteen max.
Clearly he had been very wrong.
"Can you get your fucking ass out of there?! It's been over an hour Crawford!" He banged on the door again, his anger mounting tenfold when she yet again, did not respond. Damn these apartments for only having single bathrooms…
He turned and looked out his living room window. In the time she had been in the shower, the sky had darkened. He had to get to the station sometime tonight to brief his replacement and request his relocation, and she was fucking with his plans.
He knocked harshly once more, and when there was no response, he made up his mind. "That's it. I'm kicking this door open. I warned you!"
Without a word, he planted his foot heavily in the middle of the door and it sprang open, slapping against the wall loudly.
And then Jack froze.
The shower was running alright. But Kim wasn't in there.
Her makeup was scattered all over the counter and there were a couple pairs of shoes on the ground and some outfits hanging off of the towel rack.
And the cherry on top?
The window was open, curtains billowing lightly in the night breeze.
"Hell no…" he growled under his breath. He could feel the rage building up inside of him. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number Rudy had forced her to program into his phone.
He heard the catchy pop tune of her phone going off in the guest room and for a second, he thought maybe she'd just left the shower running irresponsibly. He rounded the corner of the hall and ripped open her door, but the phone was just sitting on the dresser. And obviously, Kim wasn't there.
The voicemail went off.
"Heeeeeey, you've reached Kim Cuh-rawford. If you're hearing this message, it's cuz you're not important. Oh snap! Yeah, I went there. Oh. And this is my fake phone. Ha. A point for me. Kisses and Hugs. Mwah. Oh, right. And BOOM goes the dynamite. BOOM."
Jack shut his phone slowly, painstakingly. He stood there for a second, taking deep breaths, trying to figure out if this shit was really happening to him. She had played him. And he did not like that. Without a word, he left his apartment and hopped into his cop car, slamming the door in barely concealed rage. He contacted Rudy on the intercom, gritting his teeth so hard, he was sure he had worn a hole in the tooth by now.
"Sergeant Gillespie. State your case number and emergency."
"Rudy." He growled into the pager.
"Oh it's just you Jack! You scared me for a second. You sound like a bear! Do you need some lozenges? Cuz I have some lozenges."
"No I don't need any fucking lozenges. I need you to track the dumb woman. She ran off somewhere."
Rudy started laughing loudly, thinking the joke was pretty funny. "Jack, this has to be your best one yet."
"You think this is funny, Rudy? I found this little surprise today." Jack said lowly. He called Kim's phone again and held his cell phone up to the pager. "Heeeeeey, you've reached Kim Cuh-rawford. If you're hearing this message, it's cuz you're not important. Oh snap! Yeah, I went there. Oh. And this is my fake phone. Ha. A point for me. Kisses and Hugs. Mwah. Oh, right. And BOOM goes the dynamite. BOOM."
There was a moment of silence where neither Rudy nor Jack said a word. Then…
"You lost Kim Crawford?! Oh my God, we're fucking done!"
"None of this would've happened if you had just sent her off in some WPP!"
It sounded like Rudy was scrambling around for something in his office. "Well, if she's got another cell phone, that means she might be using some private family line to contact her friends. That might be why the paparazzi don't know where she goes all the time. I can try to track it and find out who she's called in the past hour or two."
"You better get on that Rudy. Because if something happens to her, we both lose our heads."
Rudy gulped noisily over the intercom and Jack could hear rapid keyboard clicking.
"According to the line, someone named Grace Kensington called her up for some party. She said yes by the way."
Jack's glare turned murderous, "What party…"
"They're going to Club Havana apparently. This is a pretty big party Jack. Advertised for weeks. You better go grab her before something gets ugly. Who knows how many people are going to be there, and if I were trying to get rid of Miss Crawford, this would be the place. Too many spectators to point out one perpetrator, too many people to distinguish faces, and so many people that the guy could easily slip away in the crowd. You catchin' my drift?"
"I'm on my way. But Rudy?"
"Yes, Jack…?" he sighed, already anticipating what his underling was going to say.
"When this whole night is over, you and I are going to have a long talk about my relocation because I won't put up with this shit any longer."
"Just go!"
Jack was sure he must have broken at least six rules of the road on his way to the club, but he didn't care at the moment. Not when he was so pissed off, the only thing going through his mind was to get Kim and possibly lock her up in jail. That way he could easily babysit her and he wouldn't have to use up the space in his home either.
When he got to the club, he stopped right in front of the valet and got out, a sour look adorning his face. The valet looked confused as to why there was a cop car, but he went to the driver's seat anyway.
Jack spun around and snarled at the man, "Don't touch my car. I'll be out in just a minute."
The valet swallowed thickly and nodded his head quickly, backing away without a word.
The bouncer let him in as soon as Jack turned his glare on him and he waltzed inside, his face curling in disgust. It reeked of body odor, sweat, liquor and most definitely weed. And he was pretty sure there was a couple having sex in the corner. His lip curled in disgust. Once upon a time, a long time ago, he had found the party scene to be the greatest thing ever. Looking at it now, he couldn't believe he used to think spending time in places like these was the life. It was disgusting.
A woman suddenly flung herself onto him, and Jack had to hold her to keep her from falling on her face. She was smiling goofily up at him and clinging to his shoulders.
"Hiya handsome…" she slurred, batting her eyelashes in an attempt to look sexy, "Can I buy you a drink?"
He recoiled from the sheer amount of alcohol on her breath and set her down on a stool, prying her deathgripping fingernails off his shoulders. "No thanks. Not interested." She pouted, but then found another specimen and turned away, smiling sultrily.
"Hiya handsome…"
He rolled his eyes and stepped further into the throng of people surrounding the bar.
Yet another reason why he stopped liking these joints. The women. Always acting loose. Always flinging themselves on him. Royal pains in his ass.
He tried to look out on the dance floor to see if he could find Kim, but there were too many bodies, and Jack didn't think Rudy would appreciate him shooting off a gun just to get everyone to shut up so he could find her. He would probably end up on probation for a while if he did that. Or lose his badge.
Sighing in irritation, he knew he wasn't going to get any information standing around and looking for the blonde woman. He knew how these things worked. Grab a drink, get buzzed, hop on the dance floor, find a target, snag said target, and then shag them until the sun came up. No doubt that was the route Kim had taken. The only question was, what stage was she on? At least he figured she would've gone to the bar by now.
He leaned over and tapped the wooden counter. The bartender spun around, looking annoyed but then grinned up at him. "Oh wow. Never thought I'd actually see the day someone attractive came to this club."
"You know I've had a pretty shitty day. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't make any comments about my looks."
She licked her lips slowly, leaning across the counter with her chest pressed up against it, showing off quite a bit of cleavage. "Sure cutie. As long as you buy a drink. And give me a tip. A bartender's gotta make a living somehow."
"Then I'll take a water." He said decisively.
She pouted, "Aww you're no fun." She smiled and straightened back up, "Well if you're not here to drink, what would you like, sir?"
"I'm actually looking for someone. Blonde hair. Permanent bitch face. Probably barely dressed."
She frowned and gestured to the crowd of people, "You're gonna hafta be a lot more specific than that, cutie pie. As you can see, a lot of people match that description."
He was debating whether or not to mention Kim by name. Kim had a pretty bad reputation, and he didn't want to be lumped together with her in any way shape or form. No doubt, this bartender was a gossiper. Good thing he hadn't given her his name.
"Crawford. I'm looking for Kim Crawford."
The bartender's eyes widened. "Whoa. Don't you know she's a one and done kind of gal? I'm sorry she led you on, and I know she's beautiful, but you should really find someone else who can actually care about you."
"What… someone like you?" he said dryly.
She smiled charmingly up at him, "I am available."
He rolled his eyes. "Where is she?"
"VIP lounge upstairs." Jack began to leave. "Don't say I didn't warn you hotshot!" She called after him.
Jack stalked through the throng of dancing people, ignoring some starstruck gazes and clingy hands (he was sure someone pinched his butt a couple times too) and going straight toward the back, where some flashing winding stairs above the DJ led to the VIP lounge.
When he got to the top, a bouncer stopped him. Jack flashed his badge in annoyance. He didn't have time for this shit.
"Officer Brewer of the Seaford Police Department. Here to pick up Kim Crawford."
The bouncer chuckled and opened the line, shaking his head. "Damn. She hired a stripper? Where's your uniform man?"
Jack ignored his comment and walked inside the lounge, growing even more irritated because this floor was almost just as packed as the one below. It didn't help that it was dark, the only lights coming from the shining multicolored dance floor. Perfect concealment. He didn't want to have to do this, but there was no way he would find her this way. Going over to a table, he stepped up on the couch, ignoring the indignant cries of the patrons and peering over the bobbing heads.
And then he found her. Her hair looked green from the light, but there was no doubt that blonde loose ponytail bobbing near the DJ booth was Kim. He pushed his way past several people once again, stalking over to where Kim was, each step making his blood boil even more. She thought she could play games with him and get away with this? She had another fucking think coming.
He stopped next to her and found some guy disgustingly grinding up against her with his hands slowly slipping under her dress, but she clearly didn't care. The guy was super intoxicated. Without a word, Jack grabbed Kim by the arm and snatched her away from the guy. She squealed and stumbled forward, trying to catch her balance before she fell against his chest.
Jack glared dully at the offended guy, "Beat it."
Eyes wide, the man slunk away quickly, probably trying to find another girl to dance with.
Kim glared up at him in annoyance. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
"We're leaving."
"No we're not. You are! Go away! I'm hanging out with my friend."
He didn't notice the friend until she stumbled around and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. She was drunk out of her mind. Among her groping, she was also holding onto him for balance. Jack figured this must be Grace.
Grace grinned like a cat, leaning over in front of him to giggle up at him. "Holy shiiiiiit… Are you the God awful cop Kim was talking about? You're fucking hawwwwt. Kim!" Grace shouted at her and punched her shoulder drunkenly, "This guy is sex on a stick! What the hell were you complaining about living with this guy? I would loooooove to live withhim. He is soooo sexy."
Kim made a gag motion and snatched her arm out of his. "Hell no. He's an insufferable butt wad."
Jack's patience was starting to wear thin. She was pissing him off. A lot. He already had to deal with a lot of shit on the regular. He really didn't want to deal with this. Not now. Not here.
He pulled away from Grace and tugged on Kim's arm again. "We're leaving Kim."
"No! You can't just ruin my fun life just cuz my dad's freakin' out!"
"Haven't you learned anything from what happened?!"
She stuck her tongue out at him and ripped her arm out of his grasp, turning around and ignoring him again. Something in him snapped. That was it. Annoyed, and having had enough, he yanked her straight up off the ground and threw her over his shoulder without prelude. He was sure her heels had probably kicked some bystanders in the head, but he was past the point of caring. She wouldn't listen, so now he was using force.
Kim screamed and pounded on his back, kicking her legs.
"Let me go you big oaf! You asshole! Put me down! I'll call the cops!"
"I am the cops. Shut the hell up."
Jack trudged through the group, people watching in amazement at the scene that was unfolding in front of them. The dancing seemed to stop and even the DJ was missing some of his beats because they were all staring at the random guy who just snatched up Kim Crawford and carried her away. It just wasn't something you ever saw. Grace trailed after them, smiling annoyingly up at Kim.
"Kim how do his muscles feel?! Oh my God! I bet it feels like heaven!"
"Shut up Grace! Can't you help?! I'm clearly being abducted!"
They left the VIP lounge, and Jack continued to walk past the dancing throng of people, many of whom stopped and stared at the strange scene. He was going past the bar when another bartender stopped him.
"Um sir, she owes me three hundred dollars in drinks, sir."
Jack glared at him, "Put it on her fucking father's tab. Does it look like I'm made of money?"
The bartender nodded rapidly and went back to taking care of the drinks. The female bartender from earlier sent Jack two thumbs up from behind her post, and he rolled his eyes.
Kim continued to shout at him and she grabbed a handful of his hair at the back, yanking harshly. He grunted in pain and jolted her roughly, making her cough and let go.
"You're a brute! If I get bruises, my father's gonna have your head!"
Her father was gonna have Jack's head anyway for letting his princess out of his sight for one moment. They exited the club, and he ignored all the people's stares and slackened jaws as he went to his car. He swung open the passenger door and dropped her unceremoniously in. She squealed and yanked down her dress.
"Careful! You're going to make me flash everyone!" she huffed.
"How is that any different from every single day of your life?" He turned to Grace who was loopily teetering on her heels, looking in her clutch for the ticket to give to the valet to bring her car around. Jack walked over and snatched it out of her hand, "You're picking up your car tomorrow. Get in my car. I'm taking you home."
It didn't take much to squeeze her in the backseat and before long, they finally left. He got Grace home safely and once she was situated in her home, they finally left from her hotel.
His police radio went off.
"Hey Jack, Ralph's got something in that skeevy hotel on the corner of Devon and Werkheiser.* Can you go check it out?"
"I'm on it." He shut the PA system and made a U-turn toward the direction of the hotel in the seedier part of the Glum. Kim sulked in the front, glaring out at the window. He rolled his eyes. She was acting like a petulant child.
Once they got there, he parked a few paces away and cut the engine. Kim hadn't moved from her position and was pouting.
"Stay in the car."
"Why should I?" she muttered.
"Because you're drunk, and I don't want to have to spend days looking for you again."
"I am not drunk!" She turned to him, her cherry brown eyes blazing. "I'm one hundred percent sober."
He narrowed his eyes, "Then why did you owe three hundred to the bartender?"
"Because Grace wanted to fucking drink! I don't drink. Ever."
"Well then that's even more reason to do this."
Before she could ask what he meant, he had pulled a pair of handcuffs out from his back jean pocket and clamped one end to her wrist and the other to the metal grate behind their heads. Kim's jaw dropped and her face burned red.
She was livid.
"What. The fuck. Is this?" she seethed, yanking her wrist forward.
"Maybe if you behaved, I wouldn't have to take such drastic measures like this."
"Fuck you!"
"Sorry. I don't think you're qualified for that kind of action with me." He responded arrogantly, enjoying Kim's loss of control.
"As if! You think I'd ever want to sleep with a bullheaded jackass like you?"
He smirked and left his car, ignoring her comment.
She gasped. "Wait! You're not seriously going to leave me like this are you? Jack! Jaaaaack!"
He ignored her and locked the door, leaving her in there. Why hadn't he thought of handcuffing her earlier in the first place? And while he was at it, he should have duct taped her mouth shut too. An image of Kim handcuffed to his bedpost and blindfolded in that mini dress of hers popped into his mind, and he quickly forced it out before it gave him an issue. Now was not the time to be having thoughts like that. And especially not about the pest.
He walked into the dingy hotel lobby, feigning nonchalance in case he met trouble from the start. The lobby was clear, save for some rats gnawing on the wall in one corner. The front desk was also empty. He walked over and rang the bell on the counter.
"Hey, I'm looking for somewhere to buy some cigarettes. Know any good places?" Jack called out.
"Did you try the convenience store down the street?" A gruff voice responded, "They've got lots of different brands. They've even got coffee for late night partiers."
Jack's eyes narrowed, "Not a fan of coffee."
A scruffy looking man wearing a doorman's uniform came out of the small office behind the desk, fake reading a newspaper.
"Took you long enough, Jackie."
"So what's the deal, Ralph?"
"I dunno man. A bunch of guys and gals came into this hotel all of a sudden with huge bags."
"Huge bags of what?"
"What d'you think? Huge bags of money, dude."
"Did you contact, Rudy?"
"No good… He's not on evening shift. Pretty sure he's honeymoonin' it up with his gal." Jack and Ralph both shuddered.
Ralph sat comfortably in the torn leather chair, pulling down a corner of the newspaper to speak to Jack. From any outside viewers, their interaction probably looked like a frustrated man trying to book a hotel room from a lazy doorman.
"It's been a while since I seen ya, kid. Hey, how'd that 5th and Wayne case go?" Ralph asked.
Jack's face turned murderous, "I got reassigned before it was closed. I don't know what buffoon is assigned now, but I'm pissed about that shit."
"You and me both man. I've been undercover here for months, but no shit happens that I can jump in. I wish I could be reassigned. Hey, what're you doing now?"
Jack thought about the annoying little blonde that had been throwing a hissy fit in his car, "Nothing important. Lemme go check this out."
Ralph nodded, turning back to his newspaper, "Third floor. Room next to the laundry chute."
Jack rolled his eyes, "How convenient." In past chases, the laundry chute had always been a perfect way to stash any goods and send them off unnoticed. He quietly climbed up the stairs to the third floor and crept around the corner, sneaking over to where the room Ralph had mentioned was. There was loud laughter and definitely the sound of raucous merrymaking.
"So what's…plan?"
"…punk ass will…know what…him. We'll get…Glum…and…he…trash family…gonna get what's…to 'em."
Jack couldn't really hear the muffled speech through the door very well, but he could make out plenty enough to figure out what they were saying. He leaned forward a bit to try to see if he could capture some more of the speech, but the ground that he placed his foot on squeaked noisily and he froze.
"Hey. Wait a second… you hear something?"
That? Jack heard perfectly. And it was right by the door. He leaned one hand against the wall and hunched over, closing his eyes, pretending to heavily dry heave just as the door flung open and a guy peered outside.
"Aw jeez." he sounded disgusted, "Do you have to do that shit right by our room, man?"
Jack feebly raised his other arm, flapping it weakly, "S-sorry dude. Something was in that fucking vodka." He spoke thickly, pretending to dry heave again.
"Probably piss. Can you seriously find somewhere else to do that shit?"
"Who's out there?" a voice from inside called out.
The guy at the door turned around, heading back in and letting the door start to swing close on its own. "Just some drunk dude 'bout to empty his stomach."
Before the door closed, Jack stood straight up and peered through it. He couldn't see anyone else except for one bulky man with an aging hairline. The man had a jagged red scar from his upper lip to his chin. It looked like an old wound.
He figured they wouldn't continue discussing it anymore, especially if they knew someone was outside, and he left from his position, going back the way he came to get to the lobby. There was a drunk teenage couple who wouldn't stop touching each other and giggling in each other's ears looking at the catalog of a few of the rooms.
Ralph looked up in disinterest, "I take it the room wasn't to your liking?" Find anything?
Jack glared at him in annoyance. "You should really make sure to check each room. You're not gonna get any business with roaches hanging around." Keep an eye on them. Something's fishy.
Ralph nodded once curtly, before turning to the couple to try to placate them into staying. After Jack's comment, they had suddenly stopped goofing around and were staring in disgust at the room catalog.
Leaving the hotel, Jack came back to his car, not really paying attention until he reached the front door and looked in the windshield.
Kim was gone.
The door was unlocked and the handcuffs were empty.
Kim. Was. Gone.
Jack ran his fingers through his hair, his frustration starting to build again. Was she fucking kidding him? Was she fucking kidding him? This was beyond not funny.
"Where the fuck did she go?" he growled under his breath, clenching his fist.
He heard the sound of heels behind him and he spun around, seeing Kim walking down the street with a coffee in her hand. She looked up and saw him next to his car and froze, her eyes widening.
"Shit… I was hoping you'd still be gone."
His eyes looked crazy, and he laughed a bit maniacally, "That's it. You're never leaving my sight again. How the fuck did you get out?"
"My dad didn't want me to get kidnapped for ransom when I was a kid. He had a habit of locking me in rooms and shit. I had to learn to adapt."
"A cop car, though?"
He didn't want to admit it, but he was impressed. Even some seasoned criminals were never able to figure out how to break out of the cars or the handcuffs. But if a simple snob bitch was able to get out of the car and cuffs, then they definitely needed to reinforce the equipment. Perhaps an entire squad upgrade was in favor.
"I've had my fair share of experiences in a cop car."
"You've been arrested before?"
He'd never heard of her getting arrested before in the police station and no doubt, that would have had high publicity.
She winked, "Not quite."
His lip curled. He didn't even want to know. "Get in the car."
"No way! It's hot and cramped in there."
Taking a deep breath, he stalked over to her and towered over her, trying to intimidate the rebellious woman. "Get. In. The. Car. Or I'll make you."
"I'll splash this hot coffee on you if you ever lay a hand on me again!"
"Crawford, you are only making this shit harder for yourself. If you just act like a good little girl and just listen to what I tell you, we wouldn't have these problems." He hissed, taking another threatening step towards her.
She sneered and backed up, holding her cup menacingly, "Don't patronize me. I'm not a kid. And I definitely don't need a fucking babysitter."
"Get in the car."
"If that didn't work the first time, what makes you think it'll work the–EEK!"
He didn't wait for her to finish before he grabbed her free arm and pulled her to the car, forcing her to take wide, long steps to keep up…or lose her arm.
"OW! Okay Jack! Stop pulling! It fucking hurts!"
He didn't say a word and yanked her around to the passenger side of the car. He ripped open the door and all but shoved her in there, slamming it shut in her face. He walked to his side and slammed his own door shut, igniting his car and peeling out with such force and anger that Kim stared at him in shock. He was gripping the while so tightly, his fingertips were white while his jaw was clenched.
"I'm done fucking being accommodating." He grit out.
She snorted, "Oh biiiiiig surprise. Big bad Officer Brewer can't handle a little lip once in a while."
He didn't say a word and only upped his speed to the police station. She saw the tips of his ears were somewhat red. She held back a smile at that. It was honestly so much fun to rile him up sometimes. He was cute when he got mad.
In record time, they reached the station. Without a word, he slapped the handcuffs around both her wrists and only glared when she gave him an incredulous, questioning look.
"Really? Do you really think I'm going to run off right now?"
"Get out."
Rolling her eyes, she did the best she could to climb out of the car all while holding her coffee cup and keeping her dress from flying up and showing that she had actually gone commando. He waited impatiently by his side and when she reached him, he tugged on her elbow and pulled her roughly through the doors and the corridor, once again, forcing her to take wide steps to avoid crashing to the ground.
He opened the door roughly and everyone inside on night shift and night duty stared at them in shock. Kim in handcuffs and Jack looking like he wanted to crush some rocks with his bare hands.
Jerry looked impressed, "Duuuude! Already got to handcuffs and everything?! Mad impressive."
Jack ignored him and threw Kim into a vacant chair near Jerry. A few drops of coffee skipped out of the cup and if she hadn't moved her hand at the last minute, it would have spilled onto her dress.
"Careful you brute! This is silk!"
"Shut up and stay there. If you move an inch from that spot, I swear you'll never leave your room again."
Jerry whistled suggestively, "Damn Jack. You are one aggressive dude. I never would've expected that from you." He turned to Kim, "Does he leave bruises?"
She pouted, "He does! He's so rough with me and even though I asked him to stop, he only was more rough! Doesn't he know how to treat a lady? What a brute."
Jerry nodded sympathetically, "Yeah, what a brute. Jack c'mon. You have to be gentle with ladies, or they'll never have a good time."
"Would you two stop talking like that?!" Jack snapped, "People might get the wrong idea."
Kim shrugged nonchalantly, sipping her coffee. The motion looked strange because of her wrists being bound together. "Let them. My rep is already trashed anyway."
Jack stopped himself from retorting when he realized something was off about the way she had made that statement. Like she was trying hard to make herself believe it by saying it a bunch of times. In reality, she sounded kind of bummed. From the confused and questioning looks on some of the other patron's faces, they had also picked up on that odd quirk in her voice.
"Jerry, who's in today?" he asked, breaking the silence, though he was still scrutinizing Kim's expression.
"Sergeant Ty. Watch out. Rudy apparently sent him a picture of him getting laid and now Ty is out for blood."
Jack shook his head in disgust. He didn't understand Rudy and Ty's rivalry at all. There were rumors in the past that they used to just bicker about small things but they had transcended that and were now into comparing rather private (and honestly disgusting) things.
Jack walked to Ty's office further in the room and knocked twice on the glass window of the door before coming in.
"Yo, Ty."
He looked up from his paperwork. His brows were set in a deep furrow and there was the unmistakable glint of irritation in his features. Yupp. He was probably out for blood. "Oh it's just you Brewer."
"Who's been reassigned to my old position? I have some notes on the case that might come in handy."
Ty sighed, not bothering looking up, "I don't know. You'd have to ask Lieutenant Wasabi for that information." Jack cringed. Bobby Wasabi was not someone he enjoyed talking to. "Also, do you know any women who are looking to get laid tonight?"
Jack frowned slightly, not even wanting to answer that question. No doubt, Ty was looking to settle the score with Rudy. "No clue."
"I swear that little chipmunk man gets the greatest kicks out of shit like this." He grumbled under his breath. Ty sighed again and rubbed his temples. "Did you need something else, Brewer, cuz I get the feeling you didn't come here for a friendly chit-chat."
"It's about Crawford."
Ty smirked, "Oh yes. Jerry told me all about how earlier today, you two were all over each other."
Jack glared at him, "He said what?"
"I know what he was implying was not true, of course. I take it neither of you are particularly keen on the other?"
"Exactly!" Jack threw his hands up in frustration, "I can't take it anymore! She's pissing me the fuck off, and I'm fed up with her constantly acting like an immature little priss!"
Ty rolled his eyes, "We all end up with some shitty jobs once in a while, Brewer. It's part of being a cop. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it. The only thing I can tell you is to work hard on finding the threat. The sooner you find them, the sooner you can ditch the blonde."
Jack sighed in annoyance. Looks like he was stuck with her for however long this stupid job went on. But Ty was right. If he could just find a way to stop the threats and find the perpetrator and quell the attacks, then he'd be able to get rid of her faster. He could finally have his life back and go back to his plans. He had someone he had to find, after all.
Jack left Ty's office shortly after and walked back to the main room, half expecting Kim to be gone, but she was still there, sipping her coffee in that weird handcuffed way, playing a quick game of poker with Frank and Jerry. Jerry was holding her cards for her while she dictated what he played. Frank was losing really badly, and when he whimpered once she won another hand, she laughed merrily, her melodic voice filling up the room, much to everyone's shock. They all paused and stared at her. Jack was caught off guard, because the smile was not like her usual cat-like grins or haughty smirks. This was a real, genuine smile and laugh that made her eyes sparkle and made her seem for once like a normal young woman and not the pompous daughter of a multibillionaire.
She turned her gaze to where she saw him in the corner and just like that, her face fell.
"Oh no. The Neanderthal is back. Guess it's time to go back to his smelly man cave."
Jack didn't say a word and unclipped the handcuffs from her wrist with his keys. Kim was surprised and her eyebrows rose as she looked up at him questioningly. He didn't respond to her questioning gaze and instead began to leave the room. What had that been all about? She rubbed her wrists as she stood up and followed at a slightly farther pace, wondering what had made him change his mind.
"Yo Jack, don't forget about Mika and my baby shower this weekend."
He stopped walking. Shit, he had forgotten.
Jack groaned, "Can't I just skip?" Parties at Jerry's house were the worst. Mika's crazy girlfriends would always be crawling all over his lap and acting like fools just to try to seduce him. It was very stressful and it often made him feel like he was back in college being forced to be the rope in the girls' tug of war games.
"You are not leaving me there by myself in a place crawling with crazy women. Bring Kim too! Nobody will believe me that I played cards with the Kim Crawford!"
Kim laughed, "I'd like to come. I want to meet your wife and tell her how you shamelessly flirted with me on the first day you met me."
Jerry grimaced, "On second thought, maybe you shouldn't come Jack."
Jack's eyes narrowed, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. I'll see you this weekend, Jerry."
"Damn you Kim…" Jerry mock whimpered.
She waved goodbye and followed Jack out the door and the building to his old car instead of the cop car that was resting in the parking lot. She hopped into the passenger seat, and he drove off back to his home.
Once they got back, the first thing Kim did was crash onto the couch, letting out a loud, tired moan. Even though she had acted rowdy, she was still hella exhausted and after partying, she usually found herself in need of a long night of sleep.
Jack went straight to take a shower, hoping to wash the grime off of his skin. When he was done, he thought Kim would have gone to bed by then. She hadn't said anything during the entire ride back and he had caught her nodding off multiple times. But the lights in the living room were still on. He walked quietly out there and saw her conked out on the couch.
"Hey, Crawford… Go to bed." She grunted softly, but otherwise remained dead asleep. He nudged her lightly, "Crawford." A snore.
Sighing in annoyance, he rolled his eyes and picked her lightly up bridal style and carried her to the guest room bed. He set her down softly, and then turned around to leave. He had been planning to leave her as is, but she let out a little shiver, and he could see goosebumps on her skin. Shoulders slumping, he stopped and came back around, pulling the covers out from under her and settling them on top of her body. She snuggled into the covers and curled up into a cute ball, a contented sigh escaping her lips. Her face relaxed into her sleep, and she mewled like a cat.
"Thanks…" she mumbled quietly.
Jack tried not to smile as he cut the lights and closed her door.
*If you got this, then props to you. You get a cookie ;P
I love writing childish Jack and Kim. Moar coming soon.
Questions? Concerns? Lemme know :)