Chap 4
Congrats to Karama9 who totally guessed the upcoming scenario. People really should stop spying on my brain.. it's a scary dark place in here.
I'm glad that you're enjoying!
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"It's after nine," CoverGirl said. She peered at the haggard face. "You said we were stopping for the night at nine."
Beach snorted at her. "What's wrong? Gonna miss yer beauty sleep, Princess? Trust me, you can stand ta miss some."
"I think you just complimented me... but no. You look tired. And you told Duke we'd be stopping at nine, so what if Cobra destroyed everything and Duke needs to find us and the ONLY way is to figure out where we would have stopped, HAD we stopped at nine like you REPORTED to him?" She looked at him somberly. "The continued existence of the universe could depend on you following what you reported to Duke.. you know that."
"Why ya gotta be such a smart mouth all the danged time?" Beach began to work his way across the lanes of traffic anyway, preparing to get into an exit lane when he saw the next motel sign.
"Because you scare everyone else into not mouthing off at you.. so I have to make up the difference, otherwise there'd be an imbalance in the Force." He sighed at her reasoning and she continued. "And I really don't want you to get any crankier as you stay up past your bedtime. Annnnnd.. I'm tired and my foot hurts."
He glanced at the bandaged foot. "Did I wrap it too tight?" She shook her head. "If it's too tight, jus' tell me, I'd have rewrapped it fer ya."
"You just want to handle my pretty foot again. I think you have a foot fetish." She wriggled in the seat as he scowled. Any time she could get a rise out of the normally stoic Ranger she felt pleased.
"It ain't the foot, it's the bruises. I like the color purple all over yer skin." His snarky rejoinder made her grin. "I'm kidding.. Hey.. there.. Motel 8. We'll stop there."
She waited in the truck as he went into the lobby and paid. Once he moved the truck down to the end, he had to park across the lot from the door. There just wasn't any way to put a deuce-and-a-half into a regular parking spot.. unless he wanted to crush the sedans to either side. Once he'd locked the doors up, he clambered up into the back to retrieve their small bags. When he hopped down to the pavement, she swung alongside of him on her crutches. "What do you pack in yer bag? I swear, every woman's bag weighs twice what a guy's bag does."
CoverGirl looked over her shoulder at him coyly. "Bricks. It's just to keep up appearances, plus we all love to see our menfolk carrying heavy things, using their big ole muscles. Makes us all hot and bothered." He rolled his eyes and she grinned. "Where's the key card?"
He nodded downward. "Thigh pocket.. right side." She tucked a hand into his front pocket and he sighed. "Yer other right Cinderella."
"Oh shut up." She sounded embarrassed. He wasn't certain but he thought she was blushing. "Got it.." After a few tries, the light finally blinked green and she pushed it open. "Oh... uh-oh."
He put his shoulder on the door to keep it open as he stepped in. "What? Oh.. grrrreat. I told him two beds." Dropping the bags on the king sized bed, he picked up the room phone to punch the operator button. "Yeah, ya just gave me a single bed room... I asked fer two beds." He listened and grumbled. "Alright.. where's the next motel? What? WHAT? Yer kiddin' me.. whatever."
Hanging up, he stared at the wall. "This is the only room.. fer about the next fifty miles."
She eyed the bed and then his heavily muscled back. "It's okay. The bed is plenty big enough."
"I ain't sharing a bed with you." That would be a total disaster.. he was certain of that. Him and the tank jockey in bed together.. she'd already been acting weird and heck, he'd been acting.. odd. It wasn't that he didn't have any self-discipline but.. great gawd almighty he was human after all. He twitched and suddenly shrugged. "I'll sleep on the danged floor. You take the bed." He dragged the headmask off and stuffed it into a pocket. He took a second to unfasten the clasps on the ballistics vest and peeled off the body armor.
Flopping onto the bed, she applauded lightly. "Ooooo.. Ranger strip show! My favorite!" CoverGirl propped her chin in one hand and smiled at his scowl. "Come on!! Take it all off!"
"Gawd.. yer just a pain in my rear.. why can't I ever get paired up with someone quiet and respectful?" Ignoring the catcalls, he pulled off his sweater and tossed it onto his bag. When CoverGirl wolf-whistled at him, he grinned and flexed his arms for her. "What? Ya want somma this?" His considerable set of muscles bunched up and he really wasn't posing at her, honestly. Just joking around.
She laughed at him. "You know, no one would believe you're so vain."
"Bah." He dropped to the floor in an easy movement and began his nightly push-ups. "I ain't vain. Yer the one keeps fussing over looking at me. I don't around showin' off ta everyone." As he passed the fifty mark, he felt the stiffness in his shoulders beginning to ease off. The long day of driving the old recalcitrant cargo truck had made him more sore than his typical day of running the PT courses repeatedly. When he flipped over onto his back to begin sit-ups, he found himself looking at CoverGirl who was laying across the bed watching him with frank appreciation. "Geez.. don't ya got something else ta do? I'm not yer personal cheesecake."
"Right now, you are." She smiled. "Does my watching you make you.. uncomfortable?" He grunted and she watched him finish the sit-ups. "Do you ever miss a day of working out?"
"Sure.. remember last time I got shot in the neck? I missed a few days then." Getting to his feet, he rolled his left shoulder a few times.
She snorted at him. "You missed a few days only because Doc put you in four point restraints and ignored your continuous screaming for him to let you up. How DO you yell for hours on end and never lose your voice?"
Beach stretched upwards and popped his shoulders and wrists. "I practice on the greenshirts constantly."
"You're just a freak." CoverGirl sighed lightly in regret as he stopped stretching and shook his arms out. She rarely ever got to oogle him shirtless.
His eyes slid over to look at her, catching her staring and giving her a smug look. "Ya want first shower?"
"Unless you want to share the shower in addition to the room...?" She was rewarded with a deep red blush. "Go ahead. If I go first, you'll pound on the door and rush me."
"Wouldn't have ta rush ya if ya didn't take a danged hour to wash yer hair." He plucked up his bag to yank it open. "Good thing I packed jammie pants." He dragged out a pair of pants and socks. She snatched the pants out of his hands. "Hey!"
"Ha! You have pj's with kitties on them!" She crowed as she held the flannel pants up. "That's soooo adorable."
"Oh please." He snatched them back. "They were a present a long time ago, and they're warm and comfortable."
"Who got you kitty cat jammies?" She began to unwrap her ankle examining the light bruising and poking at the swelling.
"No one. It was a long time ago, before you even joined the team." His evasiveness made her ears perk.
"Wait.. why won't you tell me?" She rolled onto her stomach on the bed and smiled at him. "Was it a GIIIIIIIRL?"
"Yeah it was." He paused and looked at the soft folds of cloth in his hands. "My sister got them. Happy? Anything else ya wanna pry about?" His eyes avoided her as he walked into the bathroom. The soft click of the door shutting sounded loud in the sudden silence.
She sighed and sat up, rummaging for her own clothing. He never talked about himself, and she'd only found out he had a sister from LadyJaye, who'd been the one to let her know the reason he never got letters at mail call was because his sister was deceased. Since she'd been about to make a snarky remark about it to him, she'd been grateful for once that LadyJaye had interrupted the squabble. She pulled out her shower bag and settled in the center of the bed to brush her hair while flipping through tv stations. Watching the Weather Channel for a few minutes, she heard the shower turn off and resisted the urge to go bug the Ranger just to get him wound up again. He came out scrubbed clean with wet hair in the ridiculous kitty pants.
He dried at his hair with a towel while she enjoyed the sight of the bare-chested man. Grumpy he might be, loud he always was.. but he was built like a brickhouse and she smiled as she looked over the slightly hairy torso with a great deal of appreciation.
"Hey Barbiedoll.. uhh.. can I ask a favor?" She narrowed her gaze, hoping he hadn't noticed her leering at him. "If ya don't wanna.. I understand.."
"I can't say yes until you tell me what you're asking, Beach." She watched him turn and tug the edge of the pants down just a couple inches on his side. "What the..? Beach.. you have stitches!"
"Yeah.. about that... I didn't get them out before we left fer Benning.. can you take 'em out? I wouldn't ask.. but they itch like the dickens.." She frowned at him and he rushed to explain. "Lifeline was gonna take 'em out.. so I ain't askin' them to come out early or nothin'.. they just itch. I can't reach or I'd get 'em myself."
She scooted along the bed to peer closer at them. "Well.. was Lifeline going to take them out.. or were you going to go tell him to take them out?"
"He said 'come back tomorrow morning and I'll pull those out'."
She looked at the hopeful expression. "Alright.. but if I get back to base and get into trouble for removing stitches.."
"Naw naw.. it'll be fine. Hang on.." After a moment, he pulled a sewing kit out of his bag and handed her the tiny scissors. She got tweezers out of her own bag. "Ya know how ta remove stitches?"
"Sure.. I did it once.. on the family dog.."
"Uhhh..."
"Don't be a baby.. lie down.. it'll be much easier than trying to grab them with you standing up.." She watched him hesitate but he stretched out on the bed, lying on his side so she could bend over him to grab the tiny sutures. Within a few minutes she had the row of stitches out. "There.. see? That wasn't bad."
He nodded and sat up, rubbing a hand over the scarring. "Thanks.. feels better already. I shoulda had the medics at Benning last night take 'em out.. but by the time I got done with all the danged paperwork they wanted, it was too late to bother."
"Anytime. Well.. anytime that Lifeline has already cleared them to come out but isn't available." He smiled at her qualification and she asked quickly. "You done in the bath?"
"Yep, all yours. This the Weather channel?" She nodded as she limped into the bath. He watched her go. "Be careful in the tub.. don't slip and fall.. ya ain't got but one good foot."
"Is that some sort of veiled offer to come hold me up in the shower?" She enjoyed the blush that spread across his face. "You're hysterical. I'll be careful.. and I won't even lock the door. So if I fall and crack my head open, you can come rescue me."
"Like that prissy door would stop me. The hinges are on the outside." He snorted at her foolishness.
Rolling her eyes, she closed the door. "Weirdo.."
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Beach stretched out on the bed propped up against the headboard, watching the weather for the area. He'd managed to turn his mind away from the mental images of CoverGirl showering. He wasn't much better than the grease monkeys in the motorpool if he was sitting out here thinking about her naked.. with water all over her.. and this wasn't helping. The water turned off in the bath and he tilted his head listening. There wasn't any yelping or thumping, so he turned his attention back to the tv, starting to feel sleepy.
"Beach!?" She yelled through the door.
He twisted himself upright. "Yeah?"
"You took the danged towels!" Her voice sounded extremely upset with him, way beyond just not having a towel, but then.. women were way more concerned with bathing details.
"Sorry.. hang on." Going to the vanity area, he plucked up the fresh towels and rapped the door with his knuckles. Just in case she decided to embarrass him AGAIN, he made sure he wasn't looking when she flipped the door open. She probably was behind the door, but he was unwilling to take the chance and just let her take the towels out of his hand and walked back to flop onto the bed again. From the grumbling in the bath, he'd judged correctly. The girl just downright TRIED to irk him and get him flustered.
Reaching down, he plucked up her boot that she hadn't been wearing. When she fell off the loading dock she'd scuffed the leather up rather badly. He'd already rubbed conditioner into it the night before, and now he could use a cloth to buff the scuff mark mostly away.
When the bathroom door opened up, he got to his feet quickly, going to offer his arm to help Courtney limp her way to the bed, ignoring the amount of skin she was showing in her loose shorts and tank top. "Ya alright? Did ya aggravate yer foot?"
She gave a sigh and pulled the towel loose from her head to begin vigorously drying her hair. "Not really.. it's just sore and standing in the shower made it more sore." She pointed across the room. "Would you hand me my bag? No.. the one over at the bathroom.." He fetched it for her, handing it over and then briefly considering where to settle. In an act of great daring for him, he decided the end of the bed was fine to sit on. She smiled at his back, amused by how twitchy he was over things. "I'm probably going to regret not bringing long pajama pants myself. These shorts are not nearly as warm." He turned his head to glance at her long legs folded up gracefully underneath her and then went back to watching the news and buffing the boot leather. "They never turn the heat up enough in these places."
He twisted again to look at her. "I can turn the heat up. Dunno how well it works.." She shrugged at him. "Don't matter much to me either way. I got thick skin, cold is fine."
She drew the brush through her damp hair a few times. "I'm sure I'll be fine. There's extra blankets." He nodded and it was quiet a few minutes as he finished with the boot and set it aside next to her other one. "Why don't you comb your hair out?"
"Why bother? It's just gonna be under the mask tomorrow anyway." One hand went up to rake the half curly locks back despite the casual dismissal.
She scooted forward and reached to fiddle with his hair. He shrugged her off. "Get off me."
"I'm just going to straighten it out.. sit still." Ignoring his ducking, she settled herself behind him and reached to mess with his damp hair again.
He sighed, sounding very put out that she was going to fuss over him. "It don't need straightening out.. it's fine." Although he twisted away once more, he gave in when she put a hand on his forehead to hold him still while she brushed through the tangles. "Ouch.. don't pull it."
"Well if you'd comb it, it wouldn't be tangled and I wouldn't have to pull it." She ran the brush through a few more times. "You have very soft hair.." His back twitched and she ran her fingers through it a few times, smiling as he tilted his head a little. "For someone who cares very little for it, you have nice hair. I wish mine was this soft and thick without all the fuss I have to do to it." He muttered something indistinct while leaning back a bit to encourage her. She obliged him, raking her nails over his scalp a few times and giving a soft laugh as he shivered. "If you didn't have all these cowlicks all over, it'd look great. With them.. it's just going in all directions."
"Yeah.. I know." He pulled away finally. "Barber always complains when I go get it cut. He keeps telling me I oughta just shave it short. But I hate that, still have the cowlicks.. and it gets all sticky under the mask." One long deep breath in and out and he turned to look at her. "Ready fer lights out? I'm tired.. wanna get some sleep sometime tonight."
"What? No movie?" She gave a fake pout at him and he rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure.." She scooted under the covers on the bed while he pulled one of the extra blankets loose and shook it out. "You're not really sleeping on the floor."
He settled the blanket in neat folds next to the bed and got one of his handguns out before double-checking the door locks and peering out the window at the secured truck across the small parking area. Flicking the lights off, he moved back to next to the bed. "I'll check the truck about two.. doubt anyone will mess with it, those crates are pretty secure." Settling onto the blanket on the floor he tucked the gun under the edge of the bed out of the way and stretched out a hand to her up on the bed. "Gimme a pillow."
"Wayne.. seriously." His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her using his given name and she felt her back stiffen up in response. "Sleep in the bed. I'm not going to bite you." He held out his hand patiently and she snatched up a pillow and threw it into his face. "Stubborn Ranger." Flopping over into the covers, she rolled over and got comfortable. "Night Beach."
Beachhead curled up in his blanket on the floor, tucking the pillow under his head. "Night Barbiedoll." He yawned and shifted around a little, already feeling the chill seeping up through the floor.
CoverGirl laid still for a few minutes then rolled over and poked her head over the edge of the bed to look down at him. "Aren't you uncomfortable?"
"Naw." His eyes stayed closed.
"You have to be cold down there." She watched him shift around under the edge of the blanket and felt guilty again. "I don't like you sleeping on the floor like a old dog or something." His breathing seemed to slow and deepen as he slipped into sleep. "Beach.. Beach.. Beach.."
"What?" His voice seemed sleepy and distant. "Go ta sleep.."
"I can't sleep.. you're laying on the cold floor." She scooted around and dragged her pillow over to prop her head on while she watched him. "It's bugging me.. I can't let you sleep on the floor."
"I've slept in worse places.. " He still sounded half-asleep and she reached down to poke him in his side. "Stoppit.." She poked again and he swatted in her general direction. "Stoppit.. go ta sleep.."
"Name one place worse than the dirty floor of a cheap motel that you've slept." She poked him again just to be sure he wasn't asleep.
He gave a yawn before he answered. "Beruit.. the rubble of a burnt out buildin' while the CO argued with some jackhead about whether we was allowed to camp out there. I slept on the broken concrete blocks piled up in the corner.. and there was snow not five feet away. AND I didn't have no pillow nor blanket.. but.. " He paused. "I also didn't have no annoyin' tank jockey jabbing me with her finger." He waited until she jabbed him for the remark. "I slept onna tree limb while feral pigs tried to get to me to eat me.. and I once slept in cold mud so deep I hadda wake up ever' five minutes so I wouldn't drown in it." He rolled just enough to peer at her in the dim light filtering in through the curtains from the parking lot security lights. "So shut up.. it's warm enough in here.. I gotta blanket an' a pillow.. go.. to.. sleep."
She huffed out a breath and rolled over, dragging her pillow with her to lie on the far side of the bed. Even so, she could clearly hear him as he shifted around on the floor again and then listened to his breathing become more shallow as he easily went to sleep. She rolled back over again to look at him, his body outlined under the blanket. The dim light was enough for her to see his rugged features softened as he relaxed into sleep.
After a few minutes he grunted softly. "Stop starin' at me.. it's creepy.."
She protested immediately, startled by how he knew she'd been looking at him. "I can't help it! I feel horrible, cause you're laying on the floor like a dog! I can't sleep."
"Try staying quiet fer five minutes.. " He took a slow breath, still relaxed and unperturbed by her fussing.
She reached to pluck at his blanket. "Beach.. I can't sleep with you lying on the floor. Sleep in the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."
"Don't be ridiculous." At least he sounded slightly more awake.
"I mean it.. I can't sleep up here.." She grabbed a blanket and got out of the bed, arranging herself on the floor next to him. "I'm sleeping on the floor too. Happy? Huh? Now I'm on the floor too."
He looked at her from his spot a foot away as she laid herself down on the carpet. "Yer nuts.. get back into bed."
"No! Not unless you sleep in the bed too. It's not fair for you to sleep on the floor." She set her jaw and tried to find a comfortable spot to lie on.
"Suit yerself. Ain't no never mind ta me.. sleep on the danged floor." He closed his eyes and she cursed under her breath before settling in to rest.
Five minutes later she rolled over again. "It's cold down here!" He grunted softly. "Beach.. Beach!" She reached to poke him in the forehead, making him jerk away and snort. "It's cold on the floor."
"So.. get back inna bed.." His eyes shut again.
"Beach.. the floor is all hard." He ignored her. "How can you sleep on the floor? It's cold and hard and uncomfortable and it smells bad. Hey.." She reached to poke his arm. "Hey.. how can you sleep down here on the floor?"
"I could sleep jus' fine if you'd shut up." He'd finally begun to sound irritated.
"But I'm cold and the floor's all hard." She shifted around and got a fold of blanket under her hip and had to roll onto her back to straighten it.
"Get back inna bed if'n yer not comfy." He sounded tired and she huffed at him. "Sleep in the bed."
"Are you going to get into the bed too?" She sounded hopeful.
"No." His short reply made it clear he was uninterested in discussing it.
Setting her jaw, she replied determinedly. "Then I'm sleeping on the floor too."
"Fine."
"Fine... be that way.. I'm gonna be miserable and cold all night." She shifted around and then peered under the bed itself. "What's that under the bed?"
He grunted. "My gun." Beach was trying to get to sleep in between her pestering him. He was failing miserably, although the cold coming up through the floor definitely put a welcome damper on any unwanted reactions. She was awfully bare.. and.. and he needed to think about the cold floor. Very cold floor.
She pursed her lips. "Not your gun, I know what your gun looks like.. there's something way underneath.." She clambered halfway on top of him to poke her head under the bed. "It's like a crumpled bit of.. OH GOD!!" Yanking out, she banged her head on the bedframe and kneed Beach in his ribs.
"Ow!! Dang it!! What's gotten into you! Crazy danged woman!" Beach pushed her further from him with one foot. "Get offa me!"
"Beach!" She sounded outraged. "It's a rubber!! There's a RUBBER under the bed!!"
He frowned and shifted himself around to lie back down and close his eyes. "Well.. so what? It's not hurting you."
"Oh come on!! It's a CONDOM!! Beach!!" She reached out and shook him. "It's gross!"
He groaned at her. "Stop. I know what a rubber is.. and it certainly ain't my rubber so it ain't my problem." Pushing her hand off of his shoulder, he tried to ignore her.
"You can't just leave it there! It's disgusting!" She insisted on shaking him again, just so he would understand she was upset over it. "Beach!"
"Oh good GAWD, Cinderella!!" He rolled over and stuck a arm under the bed to snatch up the offending bit of garbage, got up and took it to chuck into the garbage can. "There! Happy now? Should I go shampoo the danged carpets for your Highness also?" He started to settle back onto his blanket and she pointed at the bathroom. "What? What now?"
"GO wash your hands! I can't believe you touched it! That's disgusting!!" She shook her hands and was a bit disgusted with her own reactions. Somehow she wasn't bothered by blood and viscera.. but a used condom was just the limit. "Eww!"
Returning again, Beach dropped back onto the floor with a thump and rolled up in his blanket to sigh. "There.. the nasty bit of trash is gone and I washed my hands.. now get back into the bed and go to sleep and shut up."
She glared at him and arranged her blankets again. "I'm not sleeping in the bed unless you're sleeping in the bed."
"I'm fine on the floor."
"I can't believe you're being so stubborn!! Don't you CARE that I'm laying on a dirty carpet being cold?" She laid her head onto her pillow and gazed at the unperturbed Ranger.
"I ain't makin' ya sleep onna floor.. " He finally opened his eyes briefly. "Yer jus' bein' a pain fer no reason."
"I'm sleeping on the floor because YOU'RE sleeping on the floor." She tried to roll around and find a softer section of carpet futilely. "If it was SnakeEyes instead of me in here.. would you be sleeping on the floor then?"
He gave a short mirthless laugh. "Naw.. I'd be sleepin' in the danged truck.."
She grinned even though she was irritated with him. "What about if it was.. Scarlett?"
"I'd sleep in the truck.. parked in the next county... Snakes can be real jealous-like when he's in a poor mood." He closed his eyes but she could see his smile.
"You're a big jerk. Get in the bed."
"No! How many times I gotta tell ya 'no'?""
"BeachHead! If you don't get in the bed.."
"You'll what? You can't even lift me into the bed if I didn't fight back.. so shut up and sleep in the danged bed and.. and... shut up." He rolled over and put his back to her.
She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head. "BeachHead.. you can either sleep in the bed.. or I'm going to tell everyone in the Pit that you suck your thumb when you sleep."
"No one is gonna believe that." He didn't quite sound certain of it.
"Really? Then you won't care that I tell everyone. Oh I know, you'll deny it.. but then if you really did suck your thumb, you'd deny it, wouldn't you?" She smirked when he rolled over to glare at her.
"That's a bold faced lie. You ain't gonna do it."
She smiled sweetly. "Not only will I tell them.. I'll tell them I got a picture of it, but you found out and destroyed it before I could make copies."
"You.. I oughta.. dammit girl! I swear.. fine." He got up and tossed the pillow onto the head of the bed. "Blackmailin' me jus' to get me in a bed with ya.. " He threw the blankets to her side and sat down to shake his out over himself, flopping over and rolling onto his side to get comfortable. She got up on the bed and crawled under her blankets, smiling at the broad back as he snorted and mumbled to himself. "Ya got issues, girl.. issues.. I tell ya.."
"Good night Beach."
"Whatever." His grumpy voice continued to mutter for a few minutes before it trailed off. The angry breathing began to slow and deepen as he fell asleep.
"Good night Wayne." She spoke very softly to not wake him back up.
His voice was soft as he sighed in his sleep. "Night Courtney.."
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End Chapter
Annnd... so it goes.. one day they'll figure it out.. until then, they'll just be entertaining to the rest of us.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to review or message.