Charlie and Murdock barely made it to the end of Fenlon's street before their twin smiles faded. The arrival of Trent had made it abundantly clear to both of them that Rick was no longer a mere possible threat; Rick was now a definite threat, and given that he'd sent a man all the way to Montana to collect Charlie and kill her travel companion, neither Charlie nor Murdock had any doubts that Rick would do anything and everything necessary to exact his revenge and prevent Charlie's testimony.
Both passengers in the van were feeling more than a little shaken by the close call they had just experienced, and a few minutes of silence passed as they each worked to calm their nerves.
Once Charlie felt her anxiety beginning to die down, she turned to Murdock. "What now?'
Murdock's face was stoic. "We gotta get back to L.A. pronto," he asserted. "I don't know how the hell Rick knew to look for us in Montana – though I'm guessing he found out about the funeral- but the fact that he found us, and the fact that we have no idea where he is right now… clearly, the guy means business. He's got the upper hand, and we gotta take it from him."
"And how do we do that?"
A slow grin washed over Murdock's face. "We bring in the A-Team."
Charlie noted the pride in Murdock's voice. "You sure they'll be on board? This could get pretty dangerous."
"Trust me, danger is like an aphrodisiac to Hannibal," Murdock said earnestly. "Besides, the guys and I look out for each other. Trent made it pretty clear that you and I are both in danger, and that's all the boys need to hear to jump in."
The conviction in Murdock's words gave Charlie all the assurance she needed to hear.
Murdock gestured to the phone between the two front seats. "I need you to call Hannibal for me, honey. We gotta let him know what's going on. We'll start with Face's apartment; if Hannibal's not there, Face should be able to tell us where we can reach him."
"Right," Charlie affirmed, and picked up the van's phone, dialling a number Murdock dictated to her.
The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Face?" Charlie inquired. "Hi, it's Charlie."
"Charlie!" Face responded cheerily. "You decide you're ready for a date with the Faceman?"
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Hate to disappoint you, Face, but this is a business call."
Murdock smiled as he drove. He had a pretty good idea of how Charlie was disappointing Face.
"Aw," Face moaned melodramatically. "So, what's up?"
"Murdock asked me to call Hannibal with an update; there's been a slight change of plans. Is he around?"
Face's voice quickly shifted to a worried tone. "Everyone okay?" he asked with concern.
"Yeah, we're fine," Charlie was quick to reassure him, "but we did have a bit of a run-in with one of Rick's henchmen."
"Phew," Face breathed, his relief evident. "Okay, hang on a sec, Charlie, I'm gonna go get Hannibal."
There was a muffled sound as Face held the receiver to his chest and called for Hannibal. Returning the phone to his ear, Face assured Charlie, "okay, he'll be on in a second. B.A. went home to catch the football game, so for now it's just me and the Colonel."
"Thanks, Face."
It took less than thirty seconds for Hannibal to join the conversation.
"Captain?" Hannibal began jovially.
"Um, no, this is Charlie? Murdock's friend?" For some reason, Charlie was feeling suddenly intimidated by the older man.
"Ah, so you're the lady I've heard so much about," Hannibal replied.
"All good things though, right Hannibal?" Face chimed in.
"More or less," Hannibal said cryptically. "The lieutenant here seems to be a fan."
Charlie wasn't sure how to respond. "Hmm," she offered, a little awkwardly.
"So, Face says there's an update?" Hannibal prompted.
"Yes, right," Charlie answered, grateful for the change of subject. "Murdock and I ran into a bit of trouble at my brother's place," she explained. She quickly related the encounter with Trent. As she spoke, Murdock supplied any details she overlooked, which she promptly repeated to Hannibal and Face. A lengthy sigh signalled the completion of her retelling.
Following her story, a few moments of silence passed as Hannibal mulled over her words.
"Whaddya think, Hannibal?" Face eventually asked.
Charlie heard the flick of a match as Hannibal lit a cigar.
"Well," he began, voice slightly strained by the cigar clamped between his teeth. "I think this is definitely more dangerous than we first thought."
"And?" urged Face.
Charlie heard Hannibal laugh. "And I love it!" he proclaimed. "Where's the fun if there's no danger?"
Face groaned. "Already on the jazz, huh?"
Charlie frowned. "The jazz?"
Murdock chuckled as he heard Charlie's question.
"Ask Murdock later," Face told her.
"So, what's the ETA?" Hannibal wanted to know.
Charlie repeated the question to Murdock, then recited his answer to the two men on the other end of the phone. "Murdock figures we'll be back in less than twenty hours. We're gonna take shifts where one drives and the other sleeps so we can get back without stopping." Charlie noticed Murdock gesturing at her. "Wait, hang on," she said to Hannibal and Face. She turned to Murdock and he instructed her to say one more thing, which she promptly repeated into the phone. "Murdock also says not tell B.A. that I'll be driving the van too."
Face laughed. "Yeah, good idea. Make sure you thank Murdock, he might have just saved your life."
Back in L.A., Hannibal rolled his eyes. "I believe the Lieutenant may be exaggerating slightly," he informed Charlie.
"I am not!" Face cried defensively.
"Sure, Face," Hannibal soothed before redirecting his words back to the woman on the other end of the phone. "Don't worry kid, our lips are sealed. And tell Murdock I'm working on a foolproof plan."
"Will do," Charlie confirmed.
"So I guess we'll see you tomorrow?" Face asked.
"Yep," Charlie replied. "And listen, I really want to thank you guys for helping me here. I mean, you don't even know me… I owe you a huge debt of gratitude." Charlie's tone was sincerely grateful.
Face responded quickly, saying, "Just so you know, we do take cheques."
Hannibal snorted. "You're a funny guy, Faceman."
"Who's being funny?" Face shot back.
"Alright, Ms. Burchell, we'll see you tomorrow," Hannibal said with mild irritation. "Lookin' forward to meetin' you, kid."
"I'm looking forward to meeting you myself," Charlie countered. "Bye, guys. And thanks."
Charlie pushed a button to hang up the phone, returning it to the spot she'd acquired it from. She shifted her gaze to Murdock. "So, Hannibal says he has a foolproof plan." Her voice was decidedly hopeful.
Murdock nodded. "He always has foolproof plans. I should warn you that an awful lot of his plans are exceptionally crazy, but they always work. The man's a genius."
"Given what Mutton told me about your frequent escapes from the V.A., and given that you apparently always came back in one piece, I'm inclined to believe you," Charlie told Murdock. A lengthy pause followed before Charlie began, "Murdock, I… what will…" Her voice trailed off and she furrowed her brow.
It was obvious to Murdock that she had something to say, but was struggling to figure out how to say it. "What is it, Charlie?" he asked.
Charlie hesitated for a few more moments, then took a deep breath and blurted, "I don't believe in the death penalty."
Murdock looked at her blankly, trying to keep one eye on the road. "Uh…. what?"
"I… you know, when someone commits a crime, I believe they should be punished, but I don't believe in killing as a punishment."
"Ohhhhh." Understanding finally dawned on Murdock. "You're asking if the Team plans to kill Rick, right?" Seeing Charlie nod, he reached his hand out and rested it on her thigh, giving her leg a little squeeze, hoping the move would help reassure her. "We don't kill people, Charlie," he explained. "All four of us had to kill men in 'Nam, and…" Murdock's voice trailed off, and Charlie watched as a haunted look briefly flared in Murdock's eyes. Then, the change in Murdock's expression disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, and he glanced furtively at Charlie. Seeing the concern written on her face, he felt immediately vulnerable and rushed to finish what he had been saying. "Let's just say we got our fill. But make no mistake, Rick and his buddies will be punished," Murdock asserted with a conviction that left no room for doubt, even as he experienced an unfamiliar and utterly irrational twang of jealousy over Charlie's concern about Rick's life.
Fortunately, Charlie flashed Murdock a warm, trusting smile, and he felt his envy make a rapid retreat. "I think I might be looking forward to that a little," she admitted.
Murdock chortled. "I think I'm looking forward to that a lot," he returned. "Now then," he said, turning to take a quick look at the bench seating behind them to confirm that there was nothing on it. "I'll take the first driving shift, and you get back there and try to get some sleep."
"But I'm not even tired!" Charlie pouted.
"I could sing you a lullaby," Murdock offered, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning wickedly.
Charlie adopted a look of terror. "Alright, alright, I'll try to sleep!" she yelped. "There's no need to threaten me!" She unclipped her seatbelt while Murdock's laughter rang in her ears. She got to her feet as best as she could, and squeezed between the front seats.
"I left a fire blanket under the seat," Murdock tossed back, still chuckling.
Plunking down onto the bench seat, Charlie reached down and rooted around under the seat until her fingers came in contact with some scratchy fabric. With a tug she freed the blanket. She removed her jacket and balled it up to make a pillow, then reclined and dragged the blanket over herself. Now that the makeshift bed was complete and she was lying down, Charlie discovered that she was in fact incredibly tired, and she swiftly felt every ounce of energy begin to drain from her body. As she began to drift off, she called drowsily to Murdock. "Don't let me sleep too long, okay? You need to sleep just as much as I do. Make sure-" She paused for a moment as a yawn emerged, then resumed the sentence. "Make sure you wake me in a few hours so we can switch." Her eyelids felt immeasurably heavy.
"I'll take it under advisement," Murdock replied. When no response was forthcoming, he shot a quick look behind himself and found Charlie fast asleep.
*****
"Charlie? Charlie, sweetheart?"
Charlie was dreaming she was in her father's house. In the dream, Charlie was in Fenlon's room, but it was decorated the way it had been when he was a little boy. Train tracks criss-crossed the wallpaper, and the shelves were lined with things like stuffed dinosaurs and painstakingly assembled model cars. She could hear her father calling out to her, but no matter how hard she pulled, she couldn't open the door of Fenlon's room to answer her father's searching cries. "Sweetheart? Charlie?" her father called again.
As she battled the immovable door, Charlie felt herself beginning to emerge from sleep, rising slowly back up to consciousness as she became increasingly aware of her real surroundings.
Her eyes opened slowly, and she realized that it had not been her father calling her; it was Murdock, trying to wake her. She blinked a few times as Murdock's face came into focus. A surge of warmth swept her body as it occurred to her how much she enjoyed waking up to his handsome features. "Hmm… hi," she breathed sleepily.
A lazy grin spread swiftly across Murdock's face. "Hi," he murmured, gently tucking an errant strand of auburn hair behind Charlie's ear. A strange silence descended as they looked at one another, both briefly lost in the intimacy of the moment and the undeniable feelings it evoked.
Charlie ultimately broke the silence, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. She surveyed her surroundings and saw that Murdock had pulled the van into a little highway truck stop; she realized with a start that it was daylight. "Murdock, I told you not to let me sleep too long!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you drove straight through the night!"
Murdock shrugged. "Couldn't bring myself to wake you up," he told her. "You just looked so peaceful, I figured I'd let you sleep." He gestured to the driver's seat. "But you get to drive now," he informed her. "I'm having a tough time keeping my eyes open, so saddle up!"
Charlie's annoyance quickly dissipated. She stretched and rose from the rear seat; Murdock stepped out the side door to allow Charlie space to exit the van.
As Charlie kneaded a knot in her neck, Murdock pulled a rolled-up map from a back pocket. He unrolled the map and stood next to Charlie, tracing a route with his finger. "So, we're here," he said while pointing to an interstate which cut across Utah. He then briefed Charlie on the rest of the driving directions. She nodded and moved around the van to hop into the driver's seat, and Murdock took Charlie's former position on the bench seats.
Murdock removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair while Charlie watched in the rear view mirror. "Alright, make sure you wake me if you see anything even remotely suspicious," Murdock warned.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Promise?" Murdock asked.
"Promise."
"Good," he declared. "'Night!"
"Good night, Murdock," Charlie answered with a smile.
Less than ten minutes later, Murdock was sound asleep.
*****
It appeared that luck was finally on the side of Charlie and Murdock, as the remainder of the drive back home was entirely uneventful. The pickup truck that had followed them on their drive to Montana did not make a return appearance, and no other vehicles in pursuit were seen. Murdock's nap had been considerably shorter than Charlie's, placing him behind the wheel as the pair arrived at Face's latest scammed apartment. Charlie had phoned about an hour prior to their arrival, ensuring that when she and Murdock finally came to the end of their journey, all three other team members would be waiting in Face's apartment to discuss and strategize about their next move.
With the sun just beginning to disappear over the horizon, Charlie and Murdock entered the parking garage below Face's apartment building. Murdock manoeuvred the van into a parking spot and killed the engine. Neither Charlie nor Murdock made any immediate effort to move. Instead, they turned to look at one another. Though both were relieved to have made it back to L.A. in one piece, they shared a certain degree of disappointment over the realization that their time alone together had come to an end; looking into one another's eyes served as a wordless acknowledgement of that mutual disappointment.
Eventually, Murdock sighed mightily and broke the gaze. He reached for the keys in the ignition, but dropped them before he could put them in his jacket pocket. He released a grunt of frustration and ducked below the dashboard. Unable to see where the keys had gone, he resorted to plunging his hand into the darkness below the seat, groping blindly.
As Charlie watched Murdock feeling around under the seat, she suddenly saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She twisted and gasped as she discovered the source of the movement: a mammoth black man sporting fatigues and wild hair was running towards the van at full tilt, looking angry and determined. Charlie realized with horror that Rick must have tracked her down, and sent this man to collect her. "Murdock!" she squeaked, frightened. "Murdock!"
Murdock did not lift his head. "One sec," he muttered without looking up. "… almost got 'em…"
Turning her eyes back to the approaching stranger, she gasped when she saw how terrifyingly close he was now; Charlie knew he'd be on them in less than ten seconds. With lightning speed, she reached across the seats and tugged at Murdock's jacket, pulling until she had access to the inner pocket. "Hey! Charlie, what-" Before he could finish voicing his surprise, Charlie had grabbed Murdock's pistol and jumped from the van. She adopted what she hoped was an intimidating voice and shouted, "Freeze!" at the man sprinting towards the van. She levelled her gun at the man, who immediately stopped dead in his tracks, raising his hands in surrender, looking far more angry than scared.
Seconds after Charlie had grabbed the gun, Murdock had snapped to attention and was now bolting from the van, swiftly coming around the side of the vehicle so he could get a look at what Charlie was doing.
"Murdock!" a furious voice barked, just as Murdock rounded the van.
Murdock looked from the man to Charlie and back to the man, then doubled over, shaking with laughter.
"Murdock, you crazy fool! Tell this lady I ain't the enemy!"
Gasping for breath, Murdock turned to Charlie, who now looked completely perplexed. Between giggles, Murdock managed to say, "Charlie, this is B.A. B.A., meet Charlie."
Charlie flushed a deep red and immediately dropped the gun to her side. "Oh my God, I am so sorry," she quickly told B.A. "There were people following us before, and I thought…" Charlie was clearly flustered as she raced to explain. "I'm really sorry," she finally finished. She walked hesitantly towards B.A. and offered her hand to him. "Charlie Burchell," she said nervously.
B.A. frowned at her for long seconds, scrutinizing the woman in front of him. After what seemed like hours to Charlie, he reached out for her hand at last and shook it slowly. "B.A. Baracus," he grumbled.
Murdock, meanwhile, was still laughing, though he was clearly trying to get his mirth under control. "Stop laughing, fool!" B.A. ordered. The command inexplicably set Murdock to laughing again.
When his chuckles finally subsided, Murdock took a deep breath and walked over to B.A., holding out his arms for a hug. "Miss me, big guy?" he gleefully asked the scowling sergeant as he moved towards him.
"Back off, fool! Ain't nobody missed you! And don't even think about hugging me unless you want your arms broken." B.A.'s tone was distinctly menacing.
To an outsider like Charlie, the exchange between Murdock and B.A. was both shocking and bewildering. These two are actually friends? she wondered.
As though reading her mind, Murdock turned to her, saying, "Don't worry, Charlie, this is just how the big guy shows affection."
B.A. looked as though he was going to object to Murdock's claim, but seeing the need for reassurance on Charlie's face, opted to say nothing. "Came down to check on my van," he stated, turning back to Murdock. "Better be in perfect condition."
"'Course it is, B.A.!" Murdock drawled. "You go have yourself a little look-see, and me and Charlie will meet you upstairs."
B.A. grunted something Charlie assumed was a response, and headed for the van.
Murdock offered his arm to Charlie. "Shall we?"
Charlie looked at Murdock with slight hesitation, then linked her arm with his. The pair began to move towards the elevator on the other side of the garage.
As they strolled, Charlie looked up at Murdock with a grimace and said woefully, "I cannot believe I just did that to B.A."
Murdock chortled. "Are you kidding?" he asked with clear delight. "That may have been the highlight of the trip!" He paused and looked at Charlie. "Wait, scratch that, I can think of several other highlights." His voice was unmistakably suggestive, and Charlie had no trouble figuring out what other highlights he was referring to. She blushed. "Still, definitely in the top ten," he concluded.
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Let's just hope I don't make a fool of myself in front of Hannibal."
"No need to worry about that!" Murdock exclaimed, just as they reached the elevator. "Hannibal loves fools! Why do you think he keeps me around?"
Charlie giggled as Murdock pushed an elevator button. "Here's hoping," she muttered as the doors slid shut.
*****
Face's apartment was on the seventeenth floor of the towering high-rise, and the lengthy elevator trip gave Charlie plenty of time to cultivate her nervousness. She wasn't entirely sure why her stomach was flip-flopping like crazy. Perhaps it was because she was about to meet the legendary A-Team, whose exploits she had read about hundreds of times in the paper. A voice in the back of her head, however, nagged at her. It's because you want Murdock's friends to like you. You want his family to like you, and this is his family. Charlie tried desperately to push the voice from her head, and realized with a start that they were standing in front of a large oak door. Murdock raised both hands to the door, but instead of knocking, he starting rapping out the William Tell Overture with his knuckles. Charlie laughed. "Trying to trick Face into thinking the Lone Ranger's at his door?"
Murdock smiled at her. "You can be Tonto!" he suggested with excitement.
An irritated voice within the apartment yelled, "Alright, alright, I'm coming! Take it easy!"
The door was yanked opened a few seconds later, and Charlie was greeted by the familiar face of Templeton Peck. His annoyed expression melted as soon as he saw Charlie.
"Hi, Face!" she greeted him.
"Faceman!" yelped Murdock before engulfing his friend in a smothering bear hug.
"Hi, Murdock," Face replied dryly from the confines of the hug. When he realized Murdock had no intention of letting go any time soon, Face began struggling to get out of the smothering grasp. "Alright, Murdock," he grumbled, pushing against the pilot. "Alright!" he finally yipped, tearing himself from the hug. Once free of Murdock, Face automatically smoothed his hair down, then turned to Charlie. He opened his arms, and stepped towards her, saying, "What, no hug from you?"
Charlie grinned. "I think Murdock hugged you enough for both of us," she quipped.
Murdock stretched his arms towards Face again, saying, "I got more if that wasn't enough!"
Face whipped back around towards Murdock, throwing up his hands. "No, no," he was quick to answer, shaking his head frantically. "I'm good, I'm good."
Charlie's laugh was loud and tinkling. Face looked at her with a scowl, then looked back at Murdock. "What did you do to her?" he moaned. "You turned her against me!"
"Nah," came a slightly gravely voice from the other side of the room. "He just Murdock-ed her up a bit." A silver-haired man chomping on a cigar stood, and strolled towards the group in front of the door. "And don't forget, Lieutenant, all red-blooded Americans find it hilarious when Murdock drives you crazy."
"Colonel!" Murdock chirped, extending a hand. The older man quickly grabbed it, pulling Murdock in for a quick hug, punctuating it by clapping a firm hand across Murdock's back before releasing him. The man then turned to the lone woman in the room. "You must be Charlie," he surmised, speaking around the cigar clamped between his teeth. He reached up a hand covered in a black glove and took the cigar from his mouth, reaching with his other hand to offer Charlie a handshake. "Hannibal Smith."
Charlie smiled warmly and clasped the hand he had put forth. "Charlie Burchell," she reciprocated.
Hannibal returned the smile with genuine sincerity. He pumped her hand a few times, then let go and turned to Face. "Wow, you were right, Face," he remarked, his gaze deliberately wandering from Charlie's head to her toes and back up again. "She really is cute."
Charlie's face quickly turned bright red. Her reaction frustrated her; she did not want to come across as some helpless damsel in distress, awed by big, strong men. Determined to prove she was the equal of the four men, she smoothly said to Murdock, "and Murdock, I can't believe you didn't tell me how handsome the Colonel is." She raised her arm and moved her index finger in circles. "Give us a turn, Hannibal," she requested. His eyes twinkling, Hannibal complied. Charlie let out a low whistle. "Yowza!" she said smugly.
A flash of clear envy appeared in Murdock's eyes momentarily before he registered the imploring look on Charlie's face and recognized what she was doing. "Well," he said clearing his throat, "I just didn't think words could do Hannibal justice."
Hannibal tilted his head and slid the cigar back between his teeth, looking critically at Charlie for a minute. He knew exactly what Charlie was trying to assert with her brash actions. Impressed, he gave her a slow nod to communicate respect to her. As Face stared with mouth agape, a slow grin split Hannibal's face. He laughed and Charlie relaxed. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!" he declared jovially.
Murdock released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He felt immensely relieved by the fact that Charlie and Hannibal appeared to approve of one another. With the initial meeting of the two out of the way, Murdock turned to Face, and announced, "Faceman, I am starving! This apartment come with any grub?"
Face shook his head. "Nothing that counts as dinner food, unless you want some shredded wheat or beef jerky," he said woefully.
Murdock looked over at Charlie, who shuddered and stuck out her tongue. "Bleck," she blurted. "Shredded wheat is awful! It's like eating a bale of hay."
Face guffawed and walked to a phone perched on a mahogany end table next to a plush sofa. "Chinese food it is," he announced, and began to dial.
*****
Try as she might, Charlie could not remember the last time she had spent a more enjoyable evening. B.A. had resurfaced just as the Chinese food was being delivered, and the ensuing dinner had been highly entertaining, playing out like a rowdy family reunion. The men had teased one another mercilessly, and all four had been eager to regale her with accounts of their time together in Vietnam, and tales of their A-Team missions. Face and Hannibal had also delighted in telling Charlie as many embarrassing stories of Murdock as they could come up with, continually trying to outdo one another with increasingly embarrassing occurrences. In keeping with his nature, Murdock didn't shy from such stories, and opted instead to laugh right along with everyone else. Throughout the meal, Murdock had also spent a fair amount of time pushing B.A.'s buttons and driving him crazy, while B.A. reacted predictably by threatening to beat the tar out of Murdock. It was abundantly clear to Charlie why Murdock considered these men his family. Amidst the noise and the teasing, an obvious bond between the members of the Team was clearly apparent, and there was little doubt about the affection they all felt for one another.
When the last egg roll had been snatched up by B.A., the group moved at a leisurely pace to the living room, all five of them feeling lethargic and sated by the dinner they had just indulged in.
Face headed for a nearby liquor cabinet and returned with glasses and brandy, while Hannibal lit a cigar. Each person took a seat on one of two couches. Murdock took his seat next to Charlie, sitting closer than necessary and stretching an arm casually along the sofa behind her. The implication appeared to go unnoticed by B.A. and Face, but Hannibal spotted the subtle body language between the pair almost instantly. He raised his eyebrows and looked meaningfully at Murdock, but said nothing.
Snifter in hand, Face took a healthy swig from the glass, then sighed wearily and said, "Guess we gotta talk shop now, huh?"
Hannibal nodded. "Yep," he affirmed.
"Well, we're just security detail now, aren't we?" Face put forth. "So all we have to do is set up some security here and stick close to Charlie, and wait for Rick to come to us, right?"
"Wrong," Hannibal corrected him. "Classic military strategy, Face: the best defence is a good offence."
Murdock coughed. "Uh, Colonel, I'm pretty sure it's 'the best offence is a good defence'."
Hannibal appeared to mull this correction over for a few seconds, then replied, "No, I like mine better." He took a lengthy drag from his cigar.
"So how do we get this sucker, Hannibal?" B.A. asked, punching his right hand into the palm of his left in a menacing fashion.
"Hannibal, we don't even know where this guy is," Face pointed out.
Hannibal smiled around his cigar. "We're going to fix that, Lieutenant." He turned to Charlie. "I want you to make me a list of any friends of Rick's that he might be staying with here in L.A. You'll also need to write down his favourite places to hang out."
"Then what?" asked Face, furrowing his brow. "We just run around door-to-door until we find him?"
"More or less," Hannibal said with a sly grin.
Face bristled. "Don't you smile at me like that, Hannibal," he warned the Colonel. "I hate that smile. You're gonna make us do something awful, aren't you?"
"Awful compared to what?" Hannibal asked evasively.
"Hannibal…" Face began warily, but was cut off by Hannibal before he could finish his objection.
"Alright, you and B.A. are going to let Rick know that you want to get in on his little operation." As Hannibal spoke, he gestured broadly with his cigar. "You go to all the places Charlie lists for you, you knock on the door, and you ask for Rick."
"Hannibal, a guy like Rick ain't gonna just come running when a stranger shows up looking for him," B.A. protested.
Hannibal nodded. "Ah, but that's the beauty of this plan, gentlemen. You're gonna leave a message at each place you go: you'll tell whoever you talk to that you've got a large shipment of heroin coming in two days and you want Rick for the distribution end. Then you tell the person if Rick wants in on the action, he can meet you at the wharf at noon the next day."
Murdock considered the plan. "You sure he'll come?" he asked Hannibal. "I mean according to Charlie, he's got quite a lucrative operation as it is."
Charlie shook her head. "Trust me, he'll show if he gets the message. No matter how big his racket was, he was always looking for ways to make it bigger. He's too greedy to pass up making more money."
"So what do we do when this dude shows up, Hannibal?" B.A.'s voice held a slight scepticism.
"I'll let you know once phase one is complete," Hannibal informed the group. He looked at Charlie. "I like to keep 'em guessing," he explained to her, smiling mischievously. "Makes things a little more fun." He punctuated his words with a wink directed at Charlie.
"Fun for you, Hannibal," Face grumbled.
Hannibal chuckled. "It most certainly is, kid."
A yawn escaped B.A.'s mouth. He stood and stretched, running a hand over his face. "We start the plan tomorrow, Hannibal?" B.A. asked. When Hannibal nodded, B.A. continued. "Right. We'll all meet here by, let's say, 9 a.m.?"
"Sounds good," confirmed Hannibal before he stood and stretched as well. His gaze swept across the group in front of him. "I feel good about this guys," he told them confidently. "Real good." Chomping on his cigar, Hannibal then affixed his gaze to Murdock. "You two need a ride somewhere?" he asked Charlie and Murdock.
Murdock shook his head. "Thanks, Colonel, but I'm shacking up with the Faceman tonight. Right, oh Facial One?" He turned to Face, who nodded.
Hannibal's eyes turned to Charlie. "You here too, kid?"
Charlie opened her mouth to speak, but Face jumped in before she could answer. "Of course she is!" he said enthusiastically. "We'll have a little slumber party!"
Charlie rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile that arose. "Well, I guess that answers your question," she remarked dryly to Hannibal. "Evidently, we're going to braid one another's hair and talk about boys."
"I've always thought B.A. was real dreamy," Murdock chirped, clasping both hands over his heart.
B.A. growled at Murdock.
Hannibal and B.A. moved towards the main door. B.A. opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Hannibal stopped in the door frame and pivoted back to the three people in the living room. "Make sure you get some sleep guys," he ordered. "I want my team rested for tomorrow." He took a drag from his cigar. "And Charlie," he said with evident sincerity, "we will get this guy. We'll get him, and we'll keep you safe the whole time."
Charlie nodded and said whole-heartedly, "I know, Hannibal."
Hannibal grinned broadly, then disappeared down the hall with B.A.
*****
Just after Hannibal and B.A. had left for the evening, a dark look passed briefly over Charlie's face; Murdock picked up on it immediately. "Charlie, what's wrong?" he was quick to ask, watching with concern as she unceremoniously flopped onto Face's couch.
She sighed, then brought her thumb and index finger to her nose and pinched the top of it as though trying to ward off a headache. "It's Jake," she grumbled. "I gotta call him."
Across the room, Face was standing behind a small bar. He had picked up a wine magazine and had been leafing through it as Charlie spoke, but swiftly swivelled his head in her direction upon hearing the name of an unknown male. "Jake?" he queried. "Who's Jake?"
"He's the cop who hid me in the V.A."
"Cop?" Face spat, as though he had just tasted something unspeakably awful. "Murdock, she's still with the cops?!" Having dropped the magazine on the bar, Face wheeled on his friend, an accusatory look in his eye.
Murdock opened his mouth to speak, but before he could reassure Face, Charlie jumped in. "Face, I promise, you don't need to worry. He doesn't know where I am or who I'm with. And even if he did, I'm not entirely sure he would do anything about you and the team. He's a good guy, Face." Charlie's voice carried a tone intended to soothe.
Face looked less than convinced. "He can be the nicest guy around, Charlie, but he's still a cop. He's got a job to do, and that job includes arresting criminals."
"Face, there is no universe in which I would ever put you or any of the team in danger." She paused and looked from Face to Murdock.
"And why do you need to call him?" Murdock asked.
Charlie sighed. "I just want to see if he's got any updates on Rick or the trial. For all I know, Rick could have knocked over a convenience store last night and bought himself some jail time, in which case, I could get out of your hair," she said matter-of-factly.
As she spoke, Murdock moved across the room to stand close to her. "Well, she's got you there, buddy," he said with an unmistakably mischievous light in his eyes. "You know how much you hate it when stuff messes up your hair."
Face's mouth compressed to a thin line as he scowled at Murdock. "You're not helping," Face informed him ruefully.
"You're just gonna have to trust me on this, Face," Charlie said with finality.
Face crossed his arms, his expression uncertain. "What if he traces the call?"
"I'm calling him at home, not at the precinct." Charlie stood and walked to her duffle bag, dug through the contents, and returned with her wallet. After shuffling through a myriad of cards, she finally produced the one she was looking for and held it up. "He gave me his home number for emergencies, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have equipment lying around his house to trace phone calls with."
Silence reigned for a minute while Face mulled over Charlie's assurances. Murdock knew Face was going through a mental list in his head of all the possible ways Jake might discover the team's location.
Finally, Face came to the end of his list. Barring anything completely inconceivable, he could see no way the call might result in the team's capture. Though he still had reservations about Charlie contacting a police officer, he could see no immediate danger in it and said to Charlie, "Alright, I'm trusting you here. Just watch your words really carefully; any little thing could tip this guy off about us. There's a phone in the master bedroom you can use."
Charlie nodded, then flashed Face an appreciative smile before turning towards the room Face had specified. "You're a doll, Face."
"Ah, but what kind of doll?" Murdock quipped. "Chatty Kathy? Raggedy Andy?"
"Murdock…" Face said in a voice that was half-warning, half-irritated.
The tone did not slow Murdock in the least. "Wait, are there any dolls who are dandies? Like a doll called 'Dapper Dan' or something?"
Giggling helplessly, Charlie excused herself to go find the phone. When she reached the doorway of the master bedroom, she glanced back towards the living room just in time to see Face land a flying tackle on Murdock.
*****
Charlie's fingers moved very slowly as she dialled Jake's home number. A big part of her hoped desperately that he wouldn't be home, knowing that if he answered, she was going to be faced with a very unpleasant conversation. Still, the more rational voice of her conscience knew she would have to face the man at some point, especially given that she really did need to know how the situation with Rick was progressing, if indeed it even was.
On the third ring, a slightly grouchy sounding male answered the phone. "Hello?"
Charlie swallowed. "Jake?" she asked rather timidly.
"Yes?"
"It's Charlie."
"Charlie?!" Jake's voice conveyed a tone of both surprise and anger. "What the hell is going on? Where are you?"
"It's a long story," Charlie replied apologetically.
"You better believe you're going to tell me that story right now," Jake growled. "How about you start by telling me why the V.A. seems to think you and another patient are in Russia?"
Recalling the ridiculous escape story Jake was referring to, Charlie almost burst out laughing, then quickly sobered when she remembered why she had needed the cover story to begin with. "Jake, I'm sorry. I needed to go to Fenlon's funeral. I had to say goodbye." Much to her chagrin, Charlie began to tear up as she spoke.
There was a momentary silence, then Jake blew out a long breath and said, "I don't like what you did Charlie, but I understand it."
"Thank you, Jake."
"Don't get me wrong here, I'm still angry," Jake clarified almost immediately. "I put myself out there to keep you safe, and you repay me by disappearing."
Jake's assessment of her actions made them sound far more cruel than Charlie had considered them to be. "That was never my intention, Jake," Charlie offered sincerely. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about it like that; all I thought of was getting to Fenlon."
"And who's the guy you left with?"
Charlie paused a moment, wanting to choose her words carefully. She slowly said, "He was just my neighbour in the V.A., Jake. He had access to a vehicle, so he drove me to Montana."
Jake's instincts told him that Charlie wasn't telling him the whole truth about the man she escaped with, but suspected he wouldn't get anything more out of her if he pressed the issue. "Where's this guy now?" Jake wanted to know.
"Beats me," Charlie lied. "For all I know, he could be back in the V.A. as we speak."
"He's not."
"Huh," Charlie replied, trying her best to sound apathetic about Murdock.
Again, Charlie's response rang untrue with Jake, but he opted to move on to more pressing problems. "You realize Rick could have easily found you and turned your lights out for good?"
"Um… he did kind of find me," Charlie confessed.
"What?" Jake blurted, his earlier annoyance resurfacing. "What do you mean he 'kind of' found you? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
Charlie immediately offered reassurance. "I'm fine, Jake, I'm fine. It was one of his flunkies. It was a guy named Trent, working for Rick. He caught me at Fenlon's house, but I was lucky enough to get away."
On his end, Jake narrowed his eyes. "And just how did you manage that?" he asked suspiciously.
Frantically, Charlie searched her brain for a plausible explanation. Twisting the phone cord nervously around her fingers, she returned, "He… was distracted for one moment, and I saw the opportunity and took it. I ran."
Jake skipped calling Charlie out about the obvious lie, deciding to focus on Charlie's safety. "He didn't hurt you at all?"
"No, thank God."
"And I'm guessing no one saw him confront you?"
"You guess right," Charlie confirmed.
"Damn," Jake muttered. "That means we can charge the guy, but it'd never stick. He could deny it flat out, or say he was just visiting you. Either way, there's no evidence."
Charlie had suspected as much: Rick had been skirting the law for so long, she knew he would never be stupid enough to leave behind any sign of his involvement with a criminal activity, and would have advised Trent about how to do the same. "It doesn't matter, Jake. Once Rick's in jail, his lackeys will topple like dominoes."
"Let's hope so," Jake told her warily. Changing gears, his voice perked up slightly as he declared, "I've got news about the trial."
"What is it?"
"Trial's been moved up," he said.
Charlie felt a mixture of gratitude and anxiety at the sound of Jake's words: the idea that the danger she was in should be over sooner than expected was a relief, but the knowledge that she would be confronting Rick in a courtroom earlier than anticipated unleashed a barrage of butterflies in her stomach. "So, when is it happening?"
Jake, on the other hand, had felt only appreciative when he had been advised of the new court date; he had awoken this morning to find a new sprinkling of grey hairs on his head, and was sure they'd sprung up as a result of the stress brought on by Charlie's disappearing act. "A week from today," he said in response to Charlie's question.
Charlie sat stunned for a moment, the fingers twirling the phone cord stilling. "Next week?" she said in disbelief.
"Yup." Hearing the silence on the other end of the line, Jake pointed out, "That's a good thing, Charlie." When no reply was forthcoming, Jake repeated, "Charlie?"
"Hmm? …yeah, I'm here. It's… yeah, it's good," she said absently, her mind conjuring up images of the courtroom, of Murdock returning to the V.A. without her, of her return to a very lonely life.
Jake waited for Charlie to say something more, but she vocalized no further reactions. "Wow, your enthusiasm is overwhelming," he said flatly, his voice conveying obvious sarcasm.
Charlie sighed. "Sorry, Jake. The earlier trial is great news. I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Okay then," he said, his voice weary. "Just tell me where you are, and I'll come get you, so we can put you back in a safe location."
Jake's request brought Charlie back to the matter at hand. "I can't tell you where I am, Jake."
Jake sat bolt upright in his chair at home. "What do you mean, you can't tell me?" He demanded with clear irritation. He brought his hand to his head and tried to massage away the throbbing headache he had suddenly developed. "You need to tell me right now."
Charlie sighed. "I can't," she said again. "I promise I'm somewhere safe, but that's all I can tell you."
"Charlie," Jake warned. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to do here, but you better stop trying to do it, and tell me where you are."
"Can't do it, Jake," she replied. "Just know that I'm safe, I promise. I'll call and check in with you in a few days, okay?"
"Charlie!" Jake barked. "Tell me where you are! Don't you dare hang up on me! I swear to God, Charlie…"
Charlie took the phone from her ear while Jake raged on his end. She could still hear him shouting as she replaced the phone in its cradle, and hoped she hadn't just burned a very important bridge.
*****
Face shifted his gaze from the TV to Charlie when he heard her re-enter the living room. "How's your cop buddy?" he asked without bothering to hide his disdain.
Charlie plopped down on the opposite end of the couch that Face was sitting on. "Furious," she said with a sigh. Looking over at Face, she saw that the corners of his mouth twitched into a tiny smile upon hearing her response.
"And he doesn't know where you are and who you're with?" Face probed.
Charlie smiled. "That's why he's furious." She glanced around the room. "Where's Murdock?" she asked, furrowing her brow.
Face gestured to a room across from the master bedroom. "Gone to bed," he told her. "The guy looked pretty beat."
Charlie ran a hand through her hair and tilted her head back against the top of the couch. "Yeah, he's had a long couple days," she responded, her own eyes involuntarily drooping.
"So have you," Face reminded her, his tone softening slightly. "You oughta get some sleep as well."
Charlie yawned. "You won't get any argument from me." She stood and stretched, picking up her duffle bag from a spot near an end table where she had left it. "Just point me in the right direction."
"I already have," he told her, his expression slightly amused. "You're sleeping in the same room as Murdock; the place only has the one bedroom."
"What?" Charlie blurted, blushing, even as she tried to act nonchalant. "Murdock and I aren't… well, we can't share a bed." Her words tumbled from her mouth at lightning speed, and sounded guilty even to her own ears.
"Funny," Face said, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Murdock said the exact same thing in almost the exact same way when I told him about the sleeping arrangement."
Somehow, Charlie managed to blush an even deeper red.
Face finally took a little pity on Charlie, telling her, "Don't worry, I found an air mattress in one of the closets. Don't ask me why the guy who lives here would have one, but he does, so one of you can sleep on that." Seeing that Charlie's body language still suggested that she was not convinced about the merits of the idea, he added, "Look, it's better than the couch. Plus, the set of linens I left in there is pure Egyptian cotton."
Realizing Face was right about the couch being a poor choice for a bed, she sighed and nodded. "Fine," she conceded. "But there won't be anything going on in there besides sleep, just so you know." She turned and started for the bedroom.
She had her hand on the doorknob when she heard Face call out, "Murdock said the same thing!"
*****
Murdock had just finished dressing the air mattress with the linens Face had given him when Charlie walked into the room. "Hi!" he said cheerily when he looked up.
Charlie felt inexplicably shy in his presence. "Hi," she returned.
"If it's alright with you, I thought I'd take the air mattress," he told her.
"Fine by me," she replied far too quickly, noticing how small the room was, noticing how close the make-shift bed was to the actual bed. She looked down at the duffel bag she was holding. She reached the traditional bed in two short strides and dropped the bag on it. She unzipped it and rummaged for her pyjamas, focusing far more attention than necessary on the act in an attempt to avoid focusing on Murdock. She turned, pyjamas in hand, and said, "Gotta go put these on. Back in a sec." She left the room, heading in the direction of the bathroom. Murdock took the opportunity to change into his navy blue sweat pants and doff his t-shirt. He turned on a bedside lamp, turned off the big overhead light, and settled himself onto the air mattress. The change in lighting bathed the room in a soft, golden glow.
Charlie rejoined him a few minutes later, clad in a tank top and loose, black flannel pants. She sat down on the bed, dropping the duffel bag on the floor near the foot of it. She tucked her legs beneath her and looked over at Murdock, discovering that he too was looking at her. Earlier that day, she had resolved to have an honest conversation with him about whatever it was that was going on between the two of them. Now, face-to-face and alone in a bedroom with him, her brain seemed to be having difficulty stringing together coherent sentences. Her mind was evidently far too occupied with losing itself in the warm, compassionate brown eyes staring back at her; it occurred to her that his eyes had become so familiar to her, she knew every golden fleck and nuanced emotion in them by heart.
Long seconds ticked by as the pair stared into one another's eyes. Murdock thought of the old cliché about eyes being the windows to the soul. Though the notion had always seemed fairly cheesy to him, he had to admit now that Charlie's eyes relayed truths to him that did not coincide with her attempts to deny her feelings, and imagined his own eyes were probably mirroring the same reality.
It was ultimately Charlie who broke the silence. "Face said that when he mentioned the sleeping arrangements, you immediately informed him that we don't share a bed."
Murdock looked at her askew, puzzled. "Well, I… wait, why would Face tell you that? Seems like a weird thing to let you know about."
Charlie's eyes darted around the room, suddenly finding it hard to maintain eye contact with Murdock. "Because, uh…" She cleared her throat, feeling slightly nervous. "Because I did the same thing." She finally found the courage to return Murdock's gaze.
"Ahh," Murdock said with a broad grin. He stood up and moved to the bed, sitting down next to Charlie on the edge of the mattress. He could smell the strawberry scent of her shampoo. They turned and looked at one another, though both kept their bodies facing out from the bed. "Why do you suppose we did that?" Murdock asked.
Charlie shrugged, all too aware of Murdock's proximity. "Why did you?"
Amusement flickered across Murdock's eyes. "You know, in zee V.A., vee call zat deflecting," Murdock informed her in his very best, over-the-top, Sigmund Freud accent.
Charlie rolled her eyes as she giggled. "Who's deflecting now, Freud?" she countered.
"Oh, right," Murdock conceded. He paused thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Well, in the first place, Hannibal has a rule about not getting involved with clients." Hearing his own words, he immediately blurted, "Not that we're involved or anything… I mean, involved, per se… I mean, it's not that-"
Charlie felt slightly amused at Murdock's nervous, befuddled clarification and raised a hand, signalling him to stop. "Just go on, Murdock," she prompted.
Murdock flashed a self-deprecating grin. "Gotcha. The other reason, though, is just that…" His voice trailed off as he considered his next words very carefully. "The other reason is just that whatever this… thing we have going here is, I'm not ready to let the boys in on it." He frowned. "I mean, I wouldn't even know what to tell them, given that I'm still not sure what exactly it is I'd be telling them about."
Charlie nodded. "I hear you. I think that may be part of the reason I reacted to Face the same way you did." She looked past Murdock to an art nouveau painting on the wall behind him. "And I guess the other part is that I feel like I wanna… impress the team, you know? Those guys are your family. If they don't think much of me… well, I'm guessing I won't see much of you if that happens."
Murdock reached up and took her chin gently with his thumb and forefinger, turning her focus back to him. "Listen," he said insistently. "I don't care what they think. I know what I think."
Charlie drew her face from his hand. She stood, running her fingers through her hair with agitation. "You can say that all you want, but let's be real here, Murdock." She looked down at him. "The truth is, I can't even figure out how this will work. You live in the V.A. I'm running from a drug-world king pin. Those worlds don't fit."
"Stop it," Murdock snapped, rising to stand next to her, facing her. "You're over-thinking this. It's like you're counting on getting hurt or something. It is possible for two people to have a relationship without it ending in tragedy, you know." His face was inches from hers, his hands gripping her upper arms.
She found herself incapable of looking anywhere but directly into his eyes. She released a frustrated sigh and reached up to cup his cheek with her hand. "I'm just trying to be real, here, Murdock," she murmured.
Murdock felt her warm breath on his face. "Charlie, you want real?" he growled. "This is real." He sealed his lips with hers, kissing her with a passion that made her knees so weak, she actually slumped against him for support. His arms immediately encircled her, pulling her flush against him.
As she opened her mouth to Murdock's insistent tongue, Charlie slid her arms up his bare chest and around his neck, gripping his head to pull him into an impossibly deeper kiss. Their tongues intertwined and explored, both Charlie and Murdock savouring tastes and textures.
Murdock's hands roamed across Charlie's back, leaving searing trails of heat in their wake. Charlie felt like every nerve ending in her body was firing at once. He slid one hand up the side of her body, beginning at her hip, travelling upwards until he grazed the side of her breast. The other hand came to rest near the small of her back. He pulled her to him, lifting her slightly and bringing her with him to sit on the edge of the bed, his lips never leaving hers.
Charlie clutched at Murdock, bringing her hands to the front of him, running her fingers through the soft thatch of hair on his chest, caressing him while feeling the heat radiating from his skin beneath her palms.
Murdock broke the kiss just long enough to remove her tank top. He sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her exposed breasts, beautiful alabaster orbs, pert as they rose and fell with Charlie's laboured breathing. He returned to Charlie's mouth, sucking her tongue, nipping at her lower lip. Charlie felt an overwhelming heat uncoiling in her belly.
As the kiss continued, each of Murdock's hands sought out a breast. He felt Charlie gasp into his mouth as he began to knead. He ran a thumb over each nipple, feeling them stiffen beneath his touch. He finally moved his lips from her own, and began kissing her neck, forging a trail downwards with his lips and his tongue, his fingers continuing to caress her breasts as he made his way.
Charlie began to whimper, arousal screaming from every pore in her body. She threw her head back to grant Murdock full access to her neck, feeling a need grow that was so powerful, it was almost frightening.
Murdock took his time, wanting to savour every square inch of her body. He moved at a deliberately slow pace, straining to keep his own desire in check. His kisses reached her breasts, and he eagerly drew one into his mouth, one hand still lavishing attention on the other breast. His mouth pulled at her nipple, his tongue flicking at it, laving at it. Charlie buried her fingers in his hair, writhing, on fire. He gently grazed his teeth across the peak of her breast, then swirled his tongue around the dusky nub. Soon, he moved to the other breast, repeating the same exquisite torture with it.
By the time he brought his mouth back to Charlie's, her moans had grown louder, her need undeniable. He began to kiss her again, then brought his lips to her ear, tracing the delicate bones with his tongue. "Careful you don't wake up Face," he murmured before nibbling on the lobe.
Charlie squirmed, her body vibrating with the hum of desire. "Murdock, please…" she begged.
The sound all but destroyed Murdock's control. He groaned and stood for a moment, rapidly stepping out of his sweat pants. Charlie gasped at the sight of him naked and aroused. She greedily drank in his form, his trim hips giving way to long, powerful legs, balanced perfectly by the lean-muscled chest and arms she was now so familiar with. When her gaze fell upon his erection, she swallowed, excited, yet simultaneously nervous about whether or not she would be able to accommodate him, given what she was seeing in front of her.
Murdock moved back onto the bed again, engulfing her in his arms, drawing her into another heated kiss. As though reading her mind, he moved his lips from her mouth to her ear and whispered, "We'll fit perfectly, Charlie."
Grabbing his head and pulling him back to her for a deep kiss, she held tight as she eased herself back on the bed, bringing him with her. Their lips still sealed and searching, Murdock brought his hands to her waist, tugging gently at her pyjama pants. He looked down at her as he slid them off her hips, rewarded with a tiny pair of cotton panties decorated with little cartoon frogs. He bit back a smile. "Cute undies," he teased.
"Shut up," she flung back with a smirk.
Murdock hooked his thumbs into the band of her underwear, and slowly slid them down her long legs. When he reached her feet, he pulled the undergarment from her, and zealously sent it flying across the room. She giggled at the evident joy he took in the action.
Her mirth evaporated a second later, however, when Murdock's tongue began to trace a delicious trail up the inside of her leg. He moved slowly, Charlie arching and gasping in response. He reached the creamy, silky skin of her inner thigh, where he took his time, savouring the taste of her beneath his lips.
Charlie felt him push her legs apart with his hand, and when his fingers parted the flesh around the warm, moist place at her core, she nearly hit the ceiling. His capable fingers probed and searched, delving into her as she began to buck beneath his touch. She instinctively started to grind herself against his hand, desperate for a relief she couldn't even fathom.
Murdock brought one hand to her stomach, splaying his fingers across the smooth expanse and applying slight pressure to still her fevered movements. "Slow down," he said softly. "We've got all night."
"No, Murdock… I need…" Her plea trailed off; she was unable to even complete a thought as she was swallowed up by pleasure. She reached down and tangled her hands in Murdock's soft hair, moans of ecstasy tumbling from her lips.
Just when she was certain that she had reached the peak of arousal, Murdock took his hands from her and replaced them with his mouth. Charlie gasped with shock. She had never experienced this most intimate of acts before, and her initial reaction was one of embarrassment; she suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. It did not take long for the feeling to pass, however. With his lips and tongue, Murdock brought her to places she had never even imagined possible. He took his time, worshipping like a man at an altar, tasting her, sucking and nibbling and licking. The noises she made grew increasingly louder, her fingers twisting in Murdock's hair. "Oh my God, Murdock," she whimpered over and over. She felt like she was standing on the very edge of a towering cliff, teetering, on the brink of plunging into some endless abyss. "Murdock," she pleaded. "Please, Murdock, I need…" Again, she found herself incapable of finishing her sentence, wild for release.
Murdock finally brought his lips back to hers, on the verge of losing his own control. He positioned himself above her, and looked down at her, staring into her eyes as she returned his gaze. His lowered his mouth to hers and, at long last, thrust into her. He swallowed her moans as he began to move within her, his movements quickening as their mutual need grew. Charlie wrapped her legs around his hips, digging her fingernails into his back.
They moved together with an increasing frenzy, their pleasure reaching dizzying heights, their moans mingling together in a symphony of ecstasy.
They reached their climax simultaneously, an unimaginably powerful release that left both Charlie and Murdock entirely spent, their bodies shaking as they gasped for air. They lay joined for a time, both needing time to come back to earth.
Eventually, Murdock withdrew from Charlie as their senses returned, and slid his arms around her to hold her tight to him. She nuzzled into his chest, sighing contentedly. She looked up at him with a sensual smile and purred, "Oh Captain, my Captain."
Murdock chuckled, stroking Charlie's hair. "That's right, darlin'," he drawled. "I'm all yours."
It wasn't long until the fog of sleep descended on the couple, and they drifted off blissfully, wrapped in one another's arms.
*****
Charlie was the first to wake the next morning, and when she did, she felt sated and happy, warm and secure in the arms still holding her. Though she was loathe to leave the room and rejoin the rest of the world, she knew it must be nearly time for Hannibal and B.A. to arrive. She rolled to face the little bedside table to her right, where a small, old-fashioned clock told her it was just past eight. She sighed and slid from Murdock's grasp, moving around the room stark naked as she hunted for her discarded clothes.
Finally unearthing all three items of clothing, she dressed quietly, trying hard not to wake Murdock.
Despite her best efforts, however, Murdock slowly opened his eyes moments later, and looked around sleepily, trying to orient himself. "Where are you going?" he mumbled drowsily when he spotted Charlie. "Come back to bed."
Now fully dressed, Charlie bent down and smoothed Murdock's hair back from his face. She dropped a kiss on him and told him, "Hannibal and B.A. will be here soon."
"Let them get their own bed," Murdock scoffed, reaching up to pull Charlie back to him for a long kiss. It took mere seconds for their respective passions to flare, and Charlie pulled back from him, wanting to leave before she gave in to temptation. Her face still close to his, she whispered against his lips, "I gotta go make coffee."
Murdock pulled his most woeful, pathetic pout. "Aw," he whined.
Charlie rolled her eyes. "You should probably get dressed. B.A. has a hard enough time dealing with you when you've got clothes on." She reluctantly walked to the bedroom door.
Murdock appeared to mull this over. "Hmm… that might be fun…"
Charlie picked up a throw pillow resting on an armchair near the door and threw it at him. "Dressed. Now," she ordered, his laughter following her out of the room.
She moved down the short hallway, hearing a rush of water that told her that Face was in the shower. Her movements were a little stilted, her sore muscles a poignant reminder of the ecstasy she and Murdock had found with one another last night. She felt light, unable to stop smiling; the turmoil looming ahead of her felt suddenly conquerable. Still, she tried not to think too hard about what the previous evening meant in terms of the relationship she shared with Murdock.
Charlie flitted around the unfamiliar kitchen, scrounging up a coffee filter and a bag of fresh ground coffee beans. It wasn't long before the delicious aroma of coffee permeated the apartment. Charlie looked through several cupboards until she found a row of mugs, and had just pulled down a pair when a knock sounded at the door. She glanced up at an elaborate antique clock above the stove and furrowed her brow as she saw that it was 8:45 a.m. She assumed it must be Hannibal and B.A. at the door, arriving early. She walked to the living room, listening for the shower. The squeak of a faucet signalled the end of Face's shower, but she decided not to interrupt his morning routine, and padded to the front door.
When she first peered through the peephole, she saw no one, but then she looked down and saw a little boy with tousled blond hair; he couldn't have been more than ten years old. She removed the dead bolt, and swung the door open, her expression curious. "Hi there," she greeted the child. "What can I do for you?"
He looked shyly at his feet and thrust his arm out to her. In his pudgy little fingers he clutched a small package. Charlie crouched so that she was at the boy's eye-level, and gently took the package from him. "What's this?" she asked, completely confused.
The boy raised his chin, his wide blue eyes connecting with hers. "Man downstairs asked me to bring it to you," he said matter-of-factly.
Charlie frowned. "What man?" she queried.
The child shrugged. "I dunno." He puffed out his chest with pride, before continuing, saying, "But he gave me ten bucks to do it!"
Charlie felt a mounting fear nagging at her, but she carried on questioning the boy. "There's a few of us in here," she said lightly. "Do you know which one of us it's for?"
A broad grin appeared on the cherubic face in front of her. "Yes ma'am," he said, feeling very grown up. "It's for you! He said it was for a lady with red hair, and that's you!"
Charlie smiled, struggling to maintain a pleasant face even as bile rose in her throat. "Well, thank you young man," she said, holding out a free hand to shake his. The child placed his tiny hand in hers, and shook it with a very serious expression on his face, his expression making clear just how important he felt. Charlie grinned in spite of her worries, and said, "Just a minute." She dashed to the kitchen and grabbed a cookie jar she had come across earlier. She selected three cookies and wrapped them in a napkin, bringing them back to the boy. "These are for you, young man," she told him, placing the napkin-clad treats in his hand.
He peaked beneath the napkin, and his eyes lit up at the sight of his reward. "Thanks!" he chirped happily, then turned and ran down the hall. As he disappeared around a corner, Charlie realized she had forgotten to ask him how he'd gotten into the building in the first place.
Charlie closed the door and peered down at the white cardboard box she held. She held it to her ear, but heard nothing, and gave it a nervous shake. She could hear something thumping around inside as she moved the box up and down.
Finally, she took a deep breath, and brought her quivering fingers to the lid. She lifted it so slowly, it hardly seemed to move at all.
Murdock and Face were both emerging from their respective rooms, when a blood-curdling scream assailed their ears, and they set off at a dead run towards the living room.