Disclaimer: JE owns the characters. Dave Gahan owns the song.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been following this long journey of song fics. Here's the last one. I hope that you all enjoy it. Thank you, Linda.
It was only Tuesday, and I was having the week from hell. I've been hip deep in garbage for the last two days and I'm tired of it. I've spent more time in the shower than I have actually spent working. That just isn't right. I stormed into the bonds office at four in the afternoon, completely ignoring the Merry Man that was sitting in the chair in front of Connie's desk.
"I've fucking had it!" I shouted to Connie as I handed her two body receipts. "I want fruity drinks with little umbrellas! I want dancing to cover songs by a local band! I want to forget the last two days! I want to find a man that can help me forget the last two days! We need a girls night out at Tiki Bob's!"
"I'm in!" Lula cheered from the couch.
"My apartment. Seven o'clock," I said as I grabbed the two checks that Connie was handing me.
I hit the drive thru at my bank and then headed back to my apartment for another shower. I shaved, scrubbed, and exfoliated myself to within an inch of my life. I needed to get out and actually have fun. I didn't think that it would have been a great idea to smell like garbage. Especially if I was trying to find a new man for myself. Ranger was 'in the wind' and Joe was definitely out. You can thank Terri for that one. I'm single, sexy and determined. Tonight was going to be fun.
The girls showed up at my front door at seven on the nose. We were all glammed out and ready for a night of drinking and men. Thank God I have such great friends. I really don't know what I'd do without them. We all climbed into Lula's firebird and motored off to the bar.
Tiki Bob's is just what it sounds like. The exterior of the building actually looks like a tiki hut. Fake bamboo lined the walls, and plastic hay adorned the roof. When you walked through the door, there was always a girl standing there handing out leis. We took the offered flowery necklaces and made our way to a table near the stage.
I knew a couple of the guys in the band on stage from high school. The drummer was an ex-boyfriend that I was still on good terms with. I smiled and waved at him. His eyes lit up and, for a moment, I felt wary. I could tell that he had something up his sleeve. I dismissed the feeling as Lula arrived at the table with our first round of drinks.
I was feeling pretty good after a few fruity drinks and a couple of dances from some pretty cute guys. The last two days were fleeing my memory as I sat back down at the table with Lula. Connie was still living it up on the dance floor. I really just needed a break for a minute to rest my feet. My FMPs were killing me. I guess that's the price that you pay for great shoes.
Lula and I started talking when things quieted down as the house band took a break. The bar was hopping, but we were still able to talk without shouting at each other. Lula was in the middle of telling me about her last date with Tank when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the bar and saw a small group of Merry Men. I caught Lester's eye and he simply smiled at me as he wiggled his eyebrows in my direction. I really hoped that they weren't following me. It was bad enough that I saw them all the time when I pulled search shifts at RangeMan. They were great guys. Don't get me wrong. It's just that sometimes, I end up spending too much time with them.
I was contemplating approaching the guys and finding out what was up when the band came back on stage.
"We have a special treat tonight," the lead singer said. I can't remember his name off the top of my head at the moment. Four fruity drinks can do that to a person. I turned in my chair to look at the stage and my mouth fell open. The lead singer continued to tell us what was unfolding on stage. "A good friend of mine has begged me to let him sing a song for a very special girl that has captured his heart. This song is for Bomber. I hope she likes it."
I felt Lula's hand reach around and close my mouth as I watched a man that I had spent a lot of time with take his place behind the mic as the drummer and bassist started playing slowly. His eyes locked with mine as he started singing to me.
"I need some company. I need you tonight.
You don't have to talk to me. And don't be polite.
Take my body and soul.
I feel so old."
His voice was amazing, and I couldn't stop the smile that slowly started to work its way across my lips. No one had ever sung a song for me. It was perfectly romantic. The keyboardist and the lead guitarist started in with the chorus of the song.
"Down on the ground.
There's no one around.
And the snow is falling.
Down on the ground.
It's where I'm bound.
To end up by morning.
Down."
He walked down off of the stage, with the mic still in his hand, and came towards me. I knew that every eye in the bar was on the two of us, and I couldn't have cared less. He reached his hand out to me and I took it without a second's thought. He pulled me up out of my chair and wrapped one of his arms around my waist as he started singing again.
"Just lay down beside of me. Know what I like.
Take what you want from me. We don't have to fight.
Take my body and soul.
I feel so old."
I could have listened to him sing to me all night long. His voice was hypnotic and soothing. I felt myself turn into a puddle of goo in his arms as we started dancing together. The rest of the band started singing the chorus along with him as we stared into each other's eyes. I had never known that he felt anything for me other then friendship.
"Down on the ground.
There's no one around.
And the snow is falling.
Down on the ground.
It's where I'm bound.
To end up by morning.
Down."
I unconsciously licked my lips as the mic came back up to his mouth as he got more into the song. I trailed my finger up his washboard abs to his rock hard chest.
"Oh, down. Oh, down."
His hand had slowly trailed up my back, over my shoulder, and up to cup the side of my face. It was like there wasn't anyone else in the room but the two of us. He had drawn me into himself. His eyes softened, and I saw the raw emotions that he had held in for lord only knows how long. It all poured out of him as the words fell from his mouth.
"And she'll comfort me. Until my legs go weak.
Hold me closer. We won't speak."
He slowly leaned down so that our faces were just inches away from each other. I had not only shocked myself, but him as well, when I started singing the chorus one last time with him. I had heard the song a few times before. So I knew most of the words by heart before he ever sang the song to me.
"Down on the ground.
There's no one around.
And the snow is falling.
Down on the ground.
It's where I'm bound.
To end up by morning.
Down."
He pulled the mic out from between us as his lips caught mine in a sweet, tender kiss. I vaguely registered the whistles and applause from the crowd around us. I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him closer as his tongue slid into my mouth. It was at that moment that I knew that there wasn't any going back for me. The song had said it all. He needed me, and that's all that I needed to hear from him.
"What do you say, Steph?" he whispered against my lips.
"It looks like you've found someone to be on the gound with."