Chapter 8

PROMPT: Someone's Cranky (Everybody Loves Raymond)

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"Did you really have to bite that kid's head off?"

Dave looked over at Emily's raised eyebrow, her ever-present Blackberry in her hand. Dave was packing up his latest presentation in Charlotte, North Carolina, their third stop in three days after Washington. He sighed. "Probably not."

Emily watched him for a moment. They were close, like siblings that enjoyed pulling each other's hair, and Emily had always been able to tell when there was something wrong. "It's a Jen thing, isn't it?"

"Why is that your first assumption? I've never needed a woman to make me happy," he replied snappishly.

"Your grumpy response tells me that it was her, for one thing," Emily replied, one eyebrow cocked upwards. "We left DC three days ago and you've been a right grouch. Ergo, since you and Jen broke up three days ago – and I mean broke up, you can't deny that – and you've been cranky for three days... there's a connection Dave."

Dave huffed out a breath. "Okay, Jen and I broke up," he said, rolling his eyes as he used her terminology. "It's not the first time a relationship in my life came to an end."

"But did it end for the right reasons?" Emily shot back an eyebrow arching up in the air.

"What do the reasons have to do with anything?" he snapped.

"Enough with the grouchy," Emily shot back, taking a moment while her thumbs flew across the keys of her Blackberry. "I'm just calling you on your idiocy."

"Idiocy?" Dave sputtered.

Emily hummed her agreement, unfazed by his indignant voice. "That is what I said."

"I'm your boss you know," he grumbled.

Emily snorted inelegantly. "What are you going to do, fire me? Then who would do your press work, schedule your appearances, and who, may I ask, is going to step in for you when your editor or your publisher gets on you about late submissions?"

"Look, whatever my relationship is or was is none of your business." He snapped his bag closed thankful for technological advances so he carried a USB key and his laptop instead of boxes of handouts and overheads. He pushed by Emily and headed out of the room. The sound of Emily's heels on the floors of the university.

Okay, so he was short, snippy, cranky, but everyone had their down days. It was just a coincidence that it happened after he and Jen had shattered everything between them. It wasn't the first time a relationship had ended. Though, admittedly, it was the first time that a woman had haunted him for so very long. He'd anticipated his time in DC for months, looked forward to it, actually avoided his usual string of flings leading up to his DC presentations.

Neither of them said anything until they were in the car on their way back to the hotel.

"Dave," Emily began. "What happened?"

The writer shrugged. "We talked."

"How much did you talk?"

He sighed. "A lot."

"You told her about Emma."

Dave looked out the window, aware he really didn't have to answer.

"So what?"

That made Dave look at her.

Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look, you know I'm not one for clichés, but maybe this is an actual chance for a happily ever after. And don't tell me your marriages convinced you 'happily ever after' doesn't exist. Ella and Jackie... didn't want you, Dave and we both know it. Jen's never been like that. You like her. A lot. You always have... She's not like Ella or Jackie. She's like Emma."

"Emily," Dave growled. "Drop it."

She rolled her eyes and shut her mouth. She wasn't dumb. She knew when Dave was closing down and well aware that talking to him then was useless. But as they pulled into the hotel, Emily reached over and put her hand on Dave's arm.

"This is the last thing I'm going to say on the matter, I promise," she said. "We're both getting tired of the constant travel, Dave. We're both tired of constantly moving around, of a new hotel every couple of days or weeks or whatever." She sucked in a deep breath. "Aaron mentioned his unit had just lost two agents and they're looking for replacements. He asked me if you were willing to return to the Bureau, if you'd consider it." Emily met his gaze squarely. "It would be a home base. You'd be in DC and then this distance this travel... It puts you close to Jen too."

She slipped out of the car and was gone before he could say anything to her. He ran a hand over his head.

Emily spoke as if Jen was far from his mind. It couldn't be any further from the truth, and even if he refused to admit it, it had everything to do with his cranky disposition. Emily, in many ways, was right. He was getting tired of the constant travel, of the fans, the press, the publicity... He hadn't been to his cabin in almost four months. He wasn't even sure if his dog, Mudgie, remembered who he was at this point.

It was a tempting offer, returning to Washington, even if it was simply because he wanted stability for a change. That made Dave pause. Stability... stability was something he associated with Jen. He couldn't lie, it was part of the draw of a more stable life. Learning about her, knowing secrets like her broken engagement...

Making his home in DC would truly allow him to make things real between them, between him and Jen. He could put down roots, actually sleep in his bed, go hunting... Hell, he could live in the house he paid taxes on! He could go hunting with Mudgie. He could cook his own meals, create a permanent life.

And then maybe he could create a more permanent life with Jen.


This has one more chapter. Just the next one, then we're allll done!

Early thank you for those of you who stayed along for the extremely long ride, even those of you who lurk and don't review. The fact that you read this, especially since it's an AU, means a lot.