Title: Stronger Together, Chapter 11/?
Spoilers: Up to 2x01 ~ Recovery
Warning1: This story involves a character with a leg amputation.
Warning2: This story is male/male fiction. Don't read if you don't like!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Night Shift, so I'm just borrowing the characters and ideas for the fun of writing, *but* I do own the original characters, original plot and other original ideas.
A/N1: I edited this, so all mistakes are mine.
A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D
...
A/N3: Thanks for all the support and warm welcome with my first update in years! I truly appreciate all the awesome comments; they help motivate me to keep writing! I'm sorry I'm not able to reply to everyone, but I try my best. Know that I love and appreciate you all! You can also friend me on Twitter (EJ8302) and we can chat there, too!
A/N4: It's so sad to say that the Night Shift has been canceled after 4 seasons, as of Friday, October 13, 2017. This show and God have gotten me through my mom's passing, my dad's amputations and so much more. I really am going to miss this show, but I'll continue to follow Brendan, Luke and other cast members on to their next projects... I've also made some amazing friends through this show (you know who you are!) and it's sad we don't have new episodes to talk about, but I'm blessed with their friendship and I know we can continue to talk about the show and keep in touch - Night Shift Family Forever! In the show, I will mostly miss Drew, Rick, their relationship and the family they've created! But don't fear! This will not keep me from writing 'Stronger Together'. I have things planned to cover the rest of the series and this opens more options and ideas for me to continue on in 'Stronger Together', even after I reach the end of the TV series... And who knows? Maybe Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or another TV network will pick it up and give us another season! Trying to stay positive!
...
Friday, August 15, 2014
With permission from Jordan, Drew slipped off to the locker room and changed into his street clothes. Gathering his things, he threw his bag over his shoulder and moved back towards the nurse's station, where Kenny and Krista were now standing.
"You're leaving already?" Krista pouted when she saw him grab his thermos.
"Yep, Jordan just gave me the green light to go," Drew nodded, drinking the last of his coffee.
"It'll be weird to not have you around for like a week," Krista admitted.
"I know, but I'll be back and you can always text me. I'll respond when I can," Drew replied, shifting his bag on his shoulder.
"I hope you guys enjoy your trip. Just think of us worker bees while you're up north, basking in the New Mexico sun," Kenny grinned, draping an arm around Drew's shoulders, "speaking of New Mexico, where exactly are you going?"
"That's for me and Rick to know and you guys to find out when I get back. I don't talk about where I'm from for a reason," Drew admitted.
"Apparently there's a lot you don't talk about," Kenny smirked, nudging Drew lightly, "oh come on. Is it like Albuquerque, Santa Fe or Carlsbad? Or Central New Mexico? Come on, give me something."
"No," Drew shook his head, "I'll tell you when I get back."
...
Drew parked in the driveway, happy to be home. It was still dark, now around two-am, but the living room light was on, so Drew was curious if Rick was still up or if he was in bed and had left the light on for Drew. Grabbing his bag, he headed inside, opening the door quietly, in case Rick was asleep. Dropping his bag by the door and closing it gently and locking it, Drew glanced around and saw no sign of Rick, so he moved towards their room.
Pausing in the doorway, he smiled, seeing his fiancé laying in bed. He was sitting up a little, a crossword puzzle book on his chest, a pencil in his hand and his glasses on his face. Rick rarely wore his glasses to read, not really needing them, but they helped his eyes focus. He could go without them, so he never took them on deployments, but since he'd been home, he been wearing them a little more, which was a change for Drew, but this was just another part of his fiancé that he loved.
The bedside table light was on, so it was easy to tell that Rick had fallen asleep while doing a crossword puzzle. Stepping in softly, Drew gently took the pencil and book from Rick and carefully removed his glasses, setting them all aside on the table and then turned the light down to its lower setting, before kicking his shoes off and crawling into bed next to him.
It was at that moment Rick stirred, having felt the bed shifting, "you're home," he murmured.
"Yeah, just got home. It's almost two. Go back to sleep," Drew replied softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Rick shifted closer to Drew and slid his arm around his fiancé, "now I have an even more comfortable pillow," Rick smiled, leaning his head on Drew's shoulder.
Drew smiled and draped an arm over Rick's body and looked at him, "talk to you in the morning."
"Okay," Rick nodded, drifting back to sleep within a few minutes.
Watching him for a few moments, Drew smiled again and closed his own eyes, letting his nerves for their trip wash away as he began to slip off to sleep.
...
The only thing the guys really knew about their trip up to New Mexico was they wanted to leave around noon. That would put them at Andi's place around eight that night San Antonio time, seven-pm New Mexico time, since they were in different time zones. They'd talked briefly about staying in a hotel, but Drew had never stayed in them, having always stayed with his parents, or Andi once she got her own place, so Rick didn't mind continuing that tradition; they also knew it'd save money they could put to vacations later in the year and their wedding.
When Rick's eyes opened a little after eight-am, he smiled at his fiancé. Drew was on his side, his left hand was resting on Rick's chest, so he could see his ring and he realized he never thought much about the next step with rings, "wow. I got the ring for him, but I can't believe I didn't think about how long he may wear it. I just planned to give it to him and hoped we'd get engaged, but I never thought about us getting wedding rings. Will we just get me one, and he'll continue to wear this one? Or will we get matching ones? I think I'd like to get matching ones, but I guess that's something we'll decide together," Rick smiled at the thought of making plans for getting married.
"What's on your mind?" Drew asked softly, waking up feeling Rick touching his hand, "you okay?"
"Oh yeah, I'm great," Rick assured him, "I was just thinking about rings. I never really thought that far ahead when I got this ring for you, so now I'm curious and definitely looking forward to exchanging rings when we get married."
Drew smiled and shifted his hand to take Rick's in his, "I'm looking forward to that, too. I'd hate to not wear this one, because I love it, but I want us to have matching rings."
"I think that can be arranged. You can wear this one on your right hand after we get married," Rick smiled, "uniform rules state we can wear up to two rings in uniform; one wedding band and one other ring."
"I know," Drew replied, shifting to kiss him and took the ring off and put it on his right hand, "yeah I could get used to that once we get married," he agreed, before returning his ring to where it had been, and turning back to his side, "but I'll keep it here for now. Feels weird not having it on there."
Rick took Drew's hand and squeezed it gently, "I like seeing you wearing it, too. It means a lot for us and our future."
Drew nodded and looked at him, "it does. We're gonna be husbands one day. That's awesome!" He replied, pressing a kiss to Rick's lips, "I'm looking forward to that."
"Me, too," Rick agreed, returning his kiss, but as they pulled apart briefly, he eyed him, "what are you going to do with it when we get up to New Mexico? Are you going to have it on when you talk with everyone or wait until they know?"
"I'm not taking it off. If they want to ask and try to figure it out, that's fine. I'm not gonna hide it. That's as bad as not telling anyone about us for so long," Drew admitted softly.
Rick brushed his hand over Drew's cheek and nodded, "that's up to you. I'd understand if you wanted to take it off for a little while. I'm just following your lead on this trip."
"Thanks," Drew crawled over his fiancé and straddled his hips, "do we have to get up right now?"
Shifting a little and resting his hands on Drew's hips, Rick smirked, "I don't know. What do you have in mind?" He wondered curiously.
Drew leaned in and kissed Rick, "maybe staying in bed a little longer."
"A little extra rest before our trip might be a good idea," Rick eyed him, "but I'd have to check with my doctor if you were suggesting any physical activity."
"I think a bit of activity," Drew paused, grinning as he kissed him once more, "is just what the doctor ordered."
...
"Now we really need to get up," Rick murmured, seeing it was after ten-am, "if we're going to still leave at noon, we need to get ready."
Drew sighed, "but I'm comfortable."
"I know. So am I, but it's a long drive up there and you're the one who wanted to leave by noon," Rick smirked.
"Oh yeah," Drew sighed again and pushed himself to sit up in bed, "okay, I'm up. You want to shower first or eat first?"
Rick thought for a moment and sat up next to him, "shower first, get the Jeep packed up and then we can leave and pick up something on the way."
"Good idea," Drew agreed, turning to kiss his fiancé, "meet you in the bathroom?"
"Yeah, I'll get the shower started," Rick nodded. He could tell Drew was not up for moving, so he wanted to help gently nudge his fiancé so they could get going, though he wished he didn't have to get up either.
...
Rick and Drew were both used to taking quick showers and had gotten into a comfortable routine when they'd shower together, so it went smoothly. Rick had enough strength in his good leg to balance himself, but leaned on Drew for some support and Drew would help Rick where he needed it. This also gave Drew a chance to see how Rick's leg was healing.
Noticing it was taking a little longer than normal, Rick grew concerned and glanced at his fiancé, "everything alright?"
Drew stood back up with another staple in his hand, "yeah. Just another staple came loose," Drew replied, pressing a kiss to Rick's lips as he pinned Rick more against the wall.
Using every ounce of strength he had left, Rick pulled back, "baby, we don't have time," he muttered.
"Not even," Drew paused, pressing soft kisses down Rick's neck to his shoulder, "for this?"
Rick shifted and laughed lightly as the chains of their dog tags twisted together, "Drew, I want to, I really do, but we don't have time."
As much as Drew wanted to complain, he knew Rick was right, "alright," he conceded, "raincheck?"
Rick rested a hand on Drew's cheek and nodded, "of course."
...
The guys managed to get out of the shower and back to their room and Rick had a feeling he knew why Drew seemed to be stalling. After getting his briefs and shorts on, Rick paused and glanced at Drew who was halfway dressed, "okay, I can't wait any longer to ask," Rick started.
"What's up?" Drew wondered, grabbing the last few things he needed to get dressed and moved to sit next to Rick on the bed.
"Be honest with me," Rick looked at him, "do you have any reservations about going home to New Mexico? This is your thing. It's something you have to be ready to do yourself. I'm going along for moral support and to be by your side like I will be for the rest of our lives, but since we've been planning this trip, you haven't been acting very ready to go and I don't want you to only be doing this because we got engaged. You, yourself, have to be ready to come out to your family. I can't make that decision for you."
Drew gathered his thoughts as he continued getting dressed, until he had just his shoes to put on, giving himself time to think about Rick's words. As he finished, he sat up and rested his hand on Rick's knee, "I'm scared to death," he admitted honestly, finally saying what he'd been thinking since he decided it was time, "but as much as I'm nervous, I'm completely ready. I'm tired of keeping you a secret from them. You're the best part of my life," he assured him, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips, "however they take it, I want my family to know I'm extremely happy and I'm going to marry my best friend and man I love with all my heart."
Rick smiled and leaned in, resting a hand on Drew's cheek as he pressed their foreheads together, "I'm glad you feel that way," he murmured, shifting slightly so he could look into Drew's eyes, "I love you and you're the best part of my life, too."
"Good to know," Drew wrapped his arms around Rick in a tight hug, "so, I promise, no one is forcing me to come out. I'm ready to do this, no matter how nervous I am. I know I'll have you by my side, so it doesn't seem as scary and I also know that my mom and Andi are supporting us, so it's not like everyone will be getting this news. Part of me wished I did this a long time ago, but I think I just didn't have the confidence to do it until now."
"If I hadn't come out to my family when I did, I probably would just be coming out to them now, too. It's only been a few years since the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy ended, so I completely understand why you held on," Rick agreed, "being out to our families is also different than being out to everyone we know or work with and I've never felt like you were 'hiding' me'; we both had reasons to keep it from the people we worked with, but I'm glad we don't have to pretend anymore and that you're ready to finally share the rest of your life with your family. It's like telling them is one of the final pieces of our coming out as a happy gay couple."
Drew smiled and nodded, taking Rick's hand and lacing their fingers together as he gently squeezed it. Lifting their joined hands, Drew pressed a soft kiss to the top and took a deep breath, "it is one of the last pieces. I still need to tell my unit, but that can wait until later. This is more important to me," he told him, "so you ready to go to New Mexico?"
Rick nodded and let go of his hand so he could wrap his arms around his fiancé, "let's go to New Mexico."
...
Finally ready to get going, the guys double checked they had everything packed and then Drew loaded his SUV, while Rick wandered around the house, making sure doors were locked, the stove was off and it was safe to leave. Once their bags were in the Jeep, Drew and Rick made one last walk-through before they headed out to the Jeep after locking their front door.
Piling in, once they were settled, Drew backed out of the driveway and they headed for a fast food place to get a late-breakfast, early-lunch that they could eat on the way out of town and soon were on Interstate-10 heading west.
It'd been quite some time since they'd taken a road trip together. Normally when they went on vacation, they got out of Texas and flew somewhere, so a long drive in the car was not something they were used to, but were looking forward to it together.
Drew was used to the long car drive on his own, listening to whatever music he could find on the radio to listen to, but now he had a passenger to enjoy the trip with. He and Rick were able to talk and joke around like they'd done in the past, even just as friends and they quickly settled on a country radio station they could get a signal for, leaving it down low so they could talk over it, but still hear and enjoy the music.
"How come you never fly home?" Rick wondered, "wouldn't it be faster?"
"Not really. With having to get to the airport early for a flight and then the three- or four-hour flight, plus waiting on someone to pick me up or renting a car, it makes more sense for me to drive. Then I've got my own vehicle while I'm there, and have a little more freedom," Drew explained.
"That makes sense," Rick agreed, shifting on his seat so he could look more at Drew.
Drew glanced at Rick, "how's your leg doing?"
"It's alright. The incision is still sore when I bump it, but I'm glad most of the staples are gone," Rick replied, "I've been trying to put a little weight on it, too, but it's still pretty fresh, so it hurts too much right now."
"That'll get better," Drew assured him, "I'm just glad you've gotten through the worst of the initial bone pain. Sure, getting up and walking with a prosthetic will be painful, but I don't think it'll be the same type of pain you first had."
"I can already tell it's not going to be the same," Rick admitted, "but if it gets bad, I've got you to distract me."
Drew smiled and reached over, taking Rick's hand in his, "I definitely can do that."
Rick settled into his seat and smiled, but after a moment, a thought crossed his mind and he stiffened up and closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Drew asked, noticing Rick's sudden change in mood.
Glancing out the windows, Rick couldn't avoid seeing dry, desert like surroundings, "I just had a flashback," he murmured, taking a deep breath and sitting up in his seat a little, nervously adjusting his sunglasses, "there's a lot of dry land out there... Reminds me of being in the desert."
Immediately the pieces fell into place and Drew remembered the first time he went back to New Mexico after he'd gotten back from his first deployment. He'd had a similar reaction, "hey," Drew reached over and rested his hand on Rick's shoulder, "I'm so sorry. I totally forgot I had the same reaction the first time I'd driven home after I got back years ago," Drew explained, "I should have warned you. You want me to stop?"
"No," Rick shook his head and took another calming breath, "I'll be okay and there's nothing for you to be sorry about. You couldn't have known I'd have this reaction," he explained, reaching up to rest his hand on Drew's, "I'm good. I know where we are and I'm with you. But, if you don't mind, I'm gonna close my eyes for a while and maybe get some sleep."
"That's totally alright," Drew nodded and took his hand in his again, "I'm here and you're safe with me."
Rick smiled at him and kissed his hand, "I love you."
Drew returned his smile and squeezed his hand gently, "back at ya, babe."
...
Drew was glad that Rick had drifted off to sleep. He felt bad he'd had a flashback and hoped he didn't have any more. Drew could handle them, but he hadn't been deployed as much as Rick had, so he just hoped Rick didn't have to go through anymore. The scenery wasn't all dry and sandy, but a large portion of what they passed was dry desert, so it wasn't surprising the soldier had flashbacks of being deployed.
About halfway into their trip, Drew neared the outskirts of Fort Stockton, Texas, a place he usually stopped to refuel and get something to drink. He hated to wake Rick up, but he didn't want to freak him out when he woke to them being stopped or him not being there, "hey, Rick," Drew reached over and gently rested his hand on his shoulder, "babe, wake up."
Rick jumped a little at the sudden touch, but once he heard Drew's voice he calmed down, "hey, I did fall asleep."
"You did," Drew confirmed.
"We're not there yet, are we?" Rick asked, glancing around and noticing a sign on the side of the road for New Mexico, and he didn't feel like he'd slept too long.
"No, about halfway. We're on I-10 still and once we get past most of Fort Stockton, I usually stop at a gas station to refuel and get something to drink. I didn't want you to freak out if you woke up and I wasn't in the car," he admitted, looking at him.
"Oh, thanks," Rick smiled, shifting a little and rubbing his neck.
"You want anything when we stop?" Drew wondered.
"I guess just a water, but I'm not gonna drink much," Rick replied, yawning a little, "sorry for sleeping. Probably not the most enjoyable trip companion."
Drew took Rick's hand in his hand squeezed it gently, "it's okay, babe. I'm used to this trip alone and I expected you'd sleep some of it, because it can get boring. It was nice to look over and see you here, even if you were sleeping, so don't worry about it. You can make it up to me tonight when we get there," he winked.
Rick laughed lightly, but nodded, "yeah, I can definitely do that," he squeezed his hand and resisted the urge of leaning over and kissing him; he didn't want to distract him from driving, "can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Drew nodded, glancing at Rick briefly before turning his eyes back to the road and the Friday traffic around Fort Stockton.
"Since you've never asked me about my deployments, are you just not curious or would you rather not know?" Rick asked.
"I'm definitely curious, but after talking with the guys I've met and know from my MMA / soldier support group, I know it's harder to talk about for some and I don't want you to bring up memories you'd rather forget, so I've always felt if you wanted to share something about it, you'd tell me. That's what we've done in the past, never figured it'd be any different," Drew replied, "is there something you want to tell me? I'll listen to anything you want to share, but I never wanted to push you for information."
Rick nodded, "right now I don't want to talk about it, but I just wanted to know if you even wanted to know. Some I can't share because it's classified, but what I can, I want to tell you, but I didn't want to if you didn't want to know," he explained, "my flashback earlier made me think about it or I would have brought it up sooner."
Drew changed lanes so he could take the exit to the gas station he always used and then glanced at Rick, nodding in understanding, "I'm all ears whenever you're ready."
Shifting in his seat, Rick took a deep breath and glanced out the window, "okay. You'll be the first to know."
...
Filling up with gas and getting some refreshments, Drew and Rick were back on the road, but this time, they turned off I-10 and onto US-285 North, the way Drew always took to drive home to New Mexico. "So in about three hours we'll be there," Drew explained.
"Sounds good," Rick replied, "we're going right to Andi's? Or did you have other plans?"
"I figured we'd go to her place for the night and I'd overwhelm you with the town tomorrow," he explained.
Rick laughed lightly, "how come you never say the town's name?"
"Would you?" Drew wondered, glancing at him, "would you advertise you grew up in a place most known for aliens?"
"I'm sure there's a lot more to Roswell, New Mexico than just aliens. It gave me you," Rick smiled, looking at him, "even though I do check for green skin and glowing eyes once and a while," he winked, breaking out in a laugh, "oh my God! I've been waiting years to say that!"
As much as Drew wanted to glare at his fiancé and stay serious, he couldn't help the blush on his cheeks as he began to laugh lightly, "apparently I passed inspection?"
"You have in Texas and Washington, but both are far from Roswell, so when we get there, I'll have to check again to make sure. Things could be different when you're closer to home," Rick grinned, eyeing his fiancé to see how he'd react.
Drew laughed again and reached over, resting his hand on Rick's shoulder, "how do you know that all aliens have green skin or glowing eyes? Couldn't they look human and blend into the rest of the population?"
"They very well could," Rick agreed, "I'd imagine, since the crash happened in 1947, they could have adapted over the years to be able to take on a human form to walk among us. Is there something you'd like to share with me?"
"Yes, Rick, there is," Drew replied, keeping his eyes on the road, and trying to remain serious without cracking a smile, "Andi and I, we weren't born in 1988. We hatched from incubation pods in 1988, 41 years after our family's spaceship crash landed in the desert outside of Roswell, New Mexico," he explained, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
Rick eyed him in disbelief, totally shocked at how serious he was being; a total stranger would believe what he'd just said, but Rick could tell by the twinkle in his eye that he was joking around, "I definitely will have to do a thorough inspection when we get to town," he grinned, winking at him.
"I love you," Drew smiled, and when he saw Rick's devious grin, he burst out laughing, "sorry, I couldn't hold it anymore."
As Rick joined his laughter, he nodded, "love you, too," he replied, "and I never teased you because I didn't want to piss you off, but I'm glad you're comfortable to joke about aliens."
Drew blushed and ducked his head briefly, turning back to the road ahead of him, "if it was coming from anyone else, I'd probably roll my eyes and try to change the subject, but with you, I don't mind talking or joking about it. It's been a long time since I've been able to joke like this, too."
Rick took Drew's hand in his and squeezed it gently, "the couple who can joke together, stays together, right?"
"Oh yeah, that is so true," Drew nodded and laced their fingers together, not wanting to let go of him just yet, "I love that I can be who I want to be with you. I don't have to hide or pretend."
"I only want you to be who you want to be. That's the Andrew Michael Alister I fell in love with and all joking aside, you grew up in Roswell and became the man you are today by living there for most of your life," Rick explained, "so for that, I already love the town, even though I've never been there before and I'm glad you're finally ready to share that part of your life with me."
Drew smiled and lifted their joined hands to kiss his hand gently, "and I'm happy to finally share it with you. I'm sorry it took me so long."
"Don't be," Rick shook his head, "you had to be ready and now you are. It's another step we're taking in our lives together."
...
They finally crossed over the state-line and once they were through Carlsbad, New Mexico on US-285 North, Drew rubbed his neck and adjusted his back a little, "you wanna take over for a while?" He asked softly.
Rick raised a curious eyebrow at him, "take over what?"
"Driving," Drew replied, "and no, I didn't forget what happened. It's an automatic transmission and I've been using cruise control, so you should be fine to drive for a while. I could use a break. My back's a little sore."
"Uh," Rick thought for a moment. He was tired of being the passenger, but he just wasn't sure it was a good idea, "um, I guess I can use my left foot, but are you sure it's a good idea?"
Drew nodded, "I think you can do this," he admitted honestly, smiling at him, "you don't have to if you don't want to, but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you up for this."
Taking a deep breath, Rick let his thoughts settle and nodded, "okay. I'm in."
"Okay," Drew returned his nod and signaled to pull over to the shoulder of the road, "now that we're through Carlsbad, all you do is follow this road and it'll take you right into Roswell. I can direct you from there, if you are still driving when we get to town," Drew explained, "you sure you're up for this?"
"Yes, I'm ready," Rick smiled, "I'll crawl over when you get out."
At his words, Drew checked to make sure it was clear and climbed out of the Jeep, shutting the door and jogged around to the passenger side as his fiancé crawled into the driver's seat. Once he was settled, Drew got in and hooked his seatbelt, "you good?"
Rick took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself, "I think so," he replied, buckling himself in and looking to see where all the controls were, since he hadn't paid too much attention to everything a driver would need, since he'd always been a passenger, "you sure about this?"
"Yes, I am," Drew nodded, reaching out to rest his hand on Rick's hand on the gearshift, "if you do get uncomfortable, you can always pull over, but I think you'll do just fine."
Glancing to make sure it was clear, Rick put the signal on and shifted the car into 'drive', slowly putting his left foot on the gas pedal and moving off the shoulder and onto the main road. Growing up in the Seattle area, gave him a different perspective about driving. With so many hills in towns, it wasn't uncommon for him to use both feet while driving an automatic transmission, sometimes needing the break on, while accelerating to keep the vehicle from sliding backward down a hill.
It was different driving now, but with a little adjustment, Rick quickly fell into a comfortable spot and brought the car up to the speed limit and put it into cruise, keeping the speed the same, and leaving his foot near the break in case he had to stop, "okay, I guess this answers my question from a few weeks ago about driving again."
"I think it does," Drew agreed, settling into the seat.
"Your back okay?" Rick wondered.
"Yeah, I was just getting stiff. It's one of the drawbacks to a long drive. Sometimes I stop to stretch, but I didn't think of it today," he admitted.
"I did, but I figured you would stop if you needed to, so I didn't bring it up," Rick replied, shrugging, "we're almost there, right?"
"About an hour away now," Drew nodded, "so yeah."
"Cool. I'll give you a back massage when we get there," Rick winked.
Drew groaned a little at the thought and smiled, "that sounds really good right now."
Rick returned Drew's smile and continued to drive, "you deserve it. Are you glad you've got some time off from the hospital?"
"Yeah, kinda. I mean," Drew took a deep breath and sighed, "I love being a doctor, I love helping people and I didn't want to take time off, but I needed a break. I just hope this doesn't affect me getting some of the holidays off this year. I lucked out and didn't have to work last year and I hope it works out the same this year. I really want to spend them with you and our families."
"I do, too, and," Rick glanced at Drew as he spoke, "if you can't get time off this holiday season, we'll still celebrate it together. I know my family wants us to come to Washington sometime to see them and I'm sure your family will want us back, but this is the first year we're out to the world. I don't know how you feel, but you're my family and if you have to work, I'm not going anywhere without you. We've already missed too many holidays while I was deployed, so I don't want to miss this year. I know once you go active duty, there's a chance you could be deployed over the holiday season, so I want to spend as many holidays together as we can."
Drew smiled, "I think that sounds perfect. I know we've done a few holidays in Washington together and then been apart for a few, because we were at home with our families individually, on top of the ones you were deployed for. I like the idea of spending as many holidays together as we can," Drew reached over and took Rick's hand in his, "because you are my family. We've been family for a long time."
Rick smiled at him and nodded, "we definitely have been."
...
Continuing their drive, Drew and Rick talked and enjoyed each other's company as they got closer to Roswell, Drew's hometown. As the signs on the road counted down the distance, and the large flashy billboards began to display advertisements for businesses and things to do in Roswell, many with green cartoon aliens as part of the ad, Rick pulled over and the guys switched drivers again, since Drew knew his way around town and because Rick was too uncomfortable driving in town; it had been his first time driving since he'd lost his leg and he wanted some more practice behind the wheel before he even attempted going into a town to drive.
"You want to go right to Andi's or grab something for dinner first?" Drew asked, "I'm open to either."
"Why don't we find out if she's off work and wants to go to dinner," Rick suggested, "I can text her and find out."
"That works," Drew agreed, "we're gonna be there in about fifteen minutes."
Rick nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Andi a quick text message, hoping she'd be able to respond soon.
Rick: Hey, Andi! Drew and I are about 15 minutes from town. Want to join us for dinner?
Andi Alister: Awesome! Yes, I'd love to! Can you guys pick me up at the station? Drew knows where it is. I walk to work because I don't live too far from here.
Surprised with such a quick answer, Rick relayed the message to his fiancé, "yeah that's fine. Tell her to meet us out front in a few minutes," Drew replied.
Quickly Rick replied to Andi and then looked around, taking in the surroundings. It was looking more and more like they were coming into town. Businesses and homes began to grow closer together as they continued and traffic thickened as they got more into populated areas.
After a few moments of passing through some of the outskirts of Roswell, Drew reached over and took Rick's hand in his, laced their fingers together and smiled at him as they passed the 'Welcome to Roswell, NM' sign, "welcome to Roswell, babe."
Rick smiled at Drew and squeezed his hand happily, "thank you. I'm glad to be here."
"Right now we're still on US-285, but in town it's also 'Main Street," Drew explained, motioning out to the road as they parted hands, "and RPD is easy to find. It's the first left after the 'International UFO Museum and Research Center'."
The moment Drew said that, Rick burst out laughing, "are you kidding me? There is such a thing? I thought that was just in the movies!"
"Nope," Drew shook his head and grinned, "it's real. You never looked up Roswell?"
"No. I thought I'd experience it for the first time with you," Rick replied, "then I can get a real Roswellian's perspective and not just what a website says," he replied as they passed the UFO Museum he had mentioned, "oh my God. It's real!"
"It is," Drew nodded and laughed lightly as he turned and headed down the street, pulling into the public parking lot of the police department and saw his sister walking outside, dressed in jeans and a blue polo shirt, her gun attached to her hip and badge attached to her waist band. Coming to a stop in front of the building, Drew rolled down his window as she walked towards the SUV, "hey, sis!"
"Hey back! So glad you guys are here!" She grinned, reaching for the back door and climbing into the backseat, "welcome to Roswell, Rick."
"Thanks," Rick smiled, turning to nod at her, "glad to finally be here."
"I bet! Only took someone what? Five years of your relationship to get you guys up here together? That's gotta be a record for the time it takes to meet the family," she teased, "but that's in the past. You're here now," she added, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her brother's cheek and then Rick's, "how was the trip up?"
"It was relaxing," Rick replied, "and I drove some of it."
"Awesome!" Andi grinned, "your leg doing okay?"
"Yeah, sounds like the next visit in a few weeks they're gonna take a mold of my leg, so they can start making it," Rick replied.
"That's great news!" Andi smiled, settling into her seat, "you'll be walking in no time!"
"That's my hope," Rick agreed.
Drew smiled at them, so glad she was so supportive of their relationship. "I'm glad you two get along so well," Drew commented, glancing at them, "I don't know what I'd do if you didn't support us."
"Well, you never have to worry about that, because we do get along. Rick's my brother, too," Andi replied.
Rick smiled at that, "and I have another sister; we're definitely all family."
...
Leaving the police station, the three talked briefly about where they'd like to have dinner and settled on a casual place not too far away. It was a little after the usual 'dinner' time for many, so it wasn't hard to get a table right away and soon the three were sitting down. Andi sat across from Drew, Rick sitting beside his fiancé.
"So, how big is Roswell, population wise?" Rick wondered as they began to look over the menu, ordering drinks from their server.
"Just under fifty-thousand," Andi replied, "it's grown a lot since we grew up here," she motioned to Drew.
"A lot has changed, but some has stayed the same," Drew added.
Rick nodded in understanding, "that's the same with where I grew up in Seattle. From what little I've seen so far, looks like a nice place," he admitted.
"It has it's ups and downs. All towns do, but I like it here," Andi replied.
"I do, too," Drew smirked, "but I needed to get out for a while. I'd love to visit a few times a year, but I don't think I could ever live here full time again."
"Many feel that way. I'm surprised Liz and Maria stuck around. I really thought they'd leave, well, I didn't expect Maria to come back after she went to school in Albuquerque," Andi replied, "you, I knew would leave, because I knew you were joining the Army, but it's nice to have you home once and a while," she added, smiling at him.
"I promise I'll come home to visit," he assured her, turning to look at Rick briefly and rested his hand on Rick's knee, "we'll come visit."
Rick nodded in agreement and was surprised to feel Drew's hand on his knee. He hadn't expected Drew to share any physical contact that might draw attention to them, but he welcomed the touch and patted his hand briefly, before continuing to flip through the menu.
Moments later their server appeared with their drinks and took their meal orders, before taking back the menus and going to put their orders in.
"Have you let mom know you guys are here?" Andi asked.
"Not yet," Drew replied, "probably should. You should probably let your family know, too," Drew added, glancing at Rick.
Rick laughed lightly, "I already did. Told Gabby and she was gonna pass it around."
Drew pulled his phone from his pocket, sending Wendy a quick text message to let her know they were there and with Andi at dinner.
"Um, so... I saw someone today," Andi commented, biting her lip.
"By someone who do you mean?" Drew asked, eyeing her skeptically.
Taking a deep breath, "Monica Ortiz," she replied.
"Oh," Drew nodded, putting his phone away and gathering his thoughts.
"She asked about you," she said softly.
"I'm sure she would," Drew looked at his fiancé, "Monica was the last girlfriend I had in high school; we broke up just before I went to Basic."
"The one who had your lives all planned out?" Rick wondered, remembering a few conversations he and Drew had when they'd first met about past relationships, "didn't she figure you guys would get married and she'd follow you around the world while you were in the Army?"
Drew nodded at him, "yeah. I didn't know if you'd remember."
"You never said her name, but you did say she was the last girlfriend you had in high school," Rick explained, shrugging.
"You're not mad?" Drew bit his lip nervously.
Rick laughed lightly, "mad about something that happened over seven years ago, before we'd even met? No, I'm not mad."
"But Drew might be," Andi replied, and when Drew and Rick turned their attention to her, she sighed, "she asked about you. Wondered if you were still in the Army. I told her you were in the reserves and working on being a doctor."
"What did she do? Did she start planning again and figure we'd get back together?" Drew sighed.
"She did, so I shut her up when I told her you were engaged and bringing your fiancé home to meet the family, so it was serious. I didn't say anymore, but don't be surprised if she tries to add you as a friend on Facebook or send you a message," Andi warned.
"Oh wonderful," he sighed and sipped on his soda, "there's a reason I'm not friends with her on Facebook. Speaking of Facebook," he looked at Rick, "we should change our profiles."
Rick raised a curious eyebrow at him, "to what?" He asked, but as he did, he quickly realized what Drew was meaning, "oh, we could, but I suggest we wait until after you tell your family."
"Okay," Drew nodded, "just know I'm ready."
"I'll keep that in mind," Rick smiled, taking a drink of his lemonade, "I am, too."
Drew smiled at him and looked at his sister, "so where did you see her?"
"Where Max and I went for lunch today," she replied, "he says 'hi', by the way. He was gonna be here when you got here, but I told him he could see you tomorrow at dinner. I didn't want you bombarded by family the minute you guys got into town."
"Thanks," Drew smiled, "is mom going all out for dinner tomorrow?"
Andi laughed, "yeah, she is. It's summer, so she's gonna barbecue. Dad got home a few hours ago and she's already got him getting the grill ready."
Drew was silent for a moment, the mention of their dad, bringing him back to the reality of why he and Rick had come up in the first place, "well, I wasn't nervous for five minutes."
"Everything is going to be fine," Andi replied, reaching over to rest her hand on her brother's, "just relax."
"I'm trying," Drew replied, "I just wish I could be as positive as you two."
Rick rested his hand on Drew's shoulder and rubbed in gently, "we got your back. No matter what."
Drew smiled at Rick and nodded, "I know. Thank you. I should be able to do this on my own, but I'm glad I've got you guys to be there for me."
...
Drew, Rick and Andi chatted lightly and continued once they got their dinner, even joking around like old friends. They were all comfortable being around each other and enjoyed the time to just 'hang out'.
When their server came over to get their plates, she offered dessert and though normally they'd skip it, for something different they decided to each order something. As the server went to order their desserts, Andi groaned and sunk down in her seat.
"What's wrong with you?" Drew asked, noticing her quick mood change.
"You're probably gonna be pissed here in a few minutes," she replied, "I'm so sorry."
Drew raised a curious eyebrow at her and casually turned to glance around the room they were in. A few of the tables were full, some empty with dirty dishes an employee was collecting and further towards the exit of the room, Drew saw three women sitting down at a table. Immediately, he turned back to his fiancé and sister and groaned himself, "damn it," he hissed, glaring at his sister, "did you tell her we were coming here?"
"Hell no!" Andi shook her head, "why would I do that? I'd like to enjoy my meal. Besides, I didn't even know we were going to dinner. I figured you guys would end up at my place, I'd come home and then we'd order pizza," she assured him.
"What are you talking about?" Rick asked.
"Monica and two other high school classmates just sat down at a table over there," Drew nodded his head towards them.
"Ah, I see," Rick nodded, shrugging, "it's not surprising you'd run into people you knew in your hometown. It's Friday night. Not everyone works the night shift," Rick winked at him.
"I know, but, I just... She's the last person I ever wanted to see," Drew sighed.
Rick rested his hand on Drew's shoulder, "well, you wanna keep her away?" He asked curiously.
"What do you mean?" Drew asked and when he turned to look at Rick he figured it out and smiled, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, "I didn't just do that because of her. I'm proud of our relationship."
"I never doubted that. I've just been letting you take things the pace you wanted. You know Roswell better than I do," Rick replied.
"That didn't work," Andi muttered, shifting to sit up a little.
"Oh my God, Andi! Twice in one day, this has to be a record," Monica's peppy voice exclaimed. Drew quickly realized she hadn't changed one bit and he couldn't figure out how or why he was ever interested in her at all. She was definitely not his type, in many ways.
"Yeah, it does," Andi agreed, nodding at her, "nice to see you again," she said politely.
Monica turned her eyes on Drew, "and Drew! I'm so glad to see you! It's been way too long! I hear you're becoming a doctor," she commented, sing-songing with excitement
"Nice to see you," Drew nodded, "yeah, I am. I'm a second-year resident," he replied, deciding not to mention where he was; he didn't really trust her.
"But you're still in the Army?" She wondered.
Drew nodded, "I am. Well, I'm in the reserves right now, but once I'm done with residency, I'll go active duty again."
"Oh that's awesome!" She smiled, "and who is this?" She glanced at Rick.
Without hesitation, Drew smiled, "this is my fiancé, Rick. Rick, this is Monica."
"Fiancé? Oh wow! Um, hi! Nice to meet you," she admitted, nodding at Rick as she stumbled over her words, "I... I had no idea..."
"Likewise," Rick replied, returning her nod and could tell she was caught off guard, but he was used to that, "our personal life isn't something we've shared with many until recently," he added.
"I see. I admit, I'm totally shocked," she looked at Drew, "I had no idea, but I'm glad you seem happy. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Drew smiled, "been the best years of my life. Couldn't ask for a better person to spend the rest of my life with."
Andi noticed the look on Monica's face and held back a laugh, "I knew it! She was hoping to get back to with Drew! She just realized it's definitely not gonna happen," she thought, sipping her water, "they're amazing together," Andi added, deciding to remain civil to her and Drew's former classmate.
Thankfully their conversation was interrupted when their server brought over their desserts, "well, I'll let you guys finish eating. Nice meeting you, Rick. Nice to see you two again, Drew, Andi," Monica nodded, smiling.
"You, too," Drew waved as she walked away and smirked at his sister, "you catch what I did?"
"If you mean she totally realized she's got no chance of getting back with you, then yeah, I caught it," Andi nodded.
"I saw it, too," Rick replied, resting his arm on Drew's shoulder, "and I agree with you. You're the only one I can imagine spending the rest of my life with."
Drew smiled at Rick and leaned in slightly to press another kiss to his lips, "good to know we're on the same page."
"Babe, we've been in the same book for years," Rick winked.
"We have been," Drew agreed, "and I'm looking forward to writing the rest of our story together."
...
Finishing up with dessert and light conversation, their server brought over their check and as Andi went to reach for it, Drew grabbed it, "I got it, sis."
"You sure?" Andi raised a curious eyebrow, "I don't mind."
"Yes, he's sure. It's the least we could do after you, Gabby and our moms spent all that money on everything while you were visiting," Rick explained.
Andi giggled, "alright," she looked at them, "already answering for each other, I see."
"Kinda," Drew smiled, taking his wallet out and slipping a card into the folder and set it back on the edge of the table for their server, "we already agreed on that. You guys, okay, well I know you were only there for a few days and mom, Gabby and Terry were there a lot longer, but we wanted to pay back some of that, because you all didn't have to pay for it all. We could have covered something."
"And I have fourteen months of paychecks sitting in my bank account, minus a few things I had to pay each month," Rick added, "there's not a lot to spend money on during a deployment like that."
"I can't imagine being over there. There's a few guys in the department who served for a while. One was a Marine and another was Army, both joined RPD after they finished their enlistment. They're from around here and they talk about things they saw and did over there and it definitely makes me appreciate the life I have and am thankful to you guys who serve," Andi told them, "I couldn't do it, so, I don't think I said this while I was down there, but thank you."
Rick smiled at her, "you're welcome," he replied, as their server got the bill folder and went to get a receipt, "I'm happy to serve. Not sure what the future holds for me, but I know I've made a difference in the time I was in."
"Speaking of future, have you two set a date?" Andi asked, "you know mom's gonna ask."
The guys laughed lightly as their server returned and set the folder back on the table with a pen and the copy Drew had to sign, and he quickly did, adding a nice tip and then pocketed his card and the extra receipt, "we haven't even figured out where we're going to have it, so no, we haven't figured out a date," Drew explained.
"Our anniversary is gonna be a Sunday next year. Maybe we could think about doing it then," Rick commented softly, looking at Drew, "I've been meaning to mention that."
Drew returned his gaze and thought about his suggestion, "that sounds perfect," he replied, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips, "it's a date."
Rick smiled, "really? You wanna go with that?"
"Really," Drew nodded, "I love that idea," he assured him as Rick got his crutches and the three stood up to get ready to leave.
Andi moved first, and Rick followed her down the aisle to the front of the restaurant and Drew followed behind them, hoping his ex didn't stop them on the way past her table, but just as the three began to pass her, Monica gasped, "oh my, God! Rick, what happened?!"
Rick paused and glanced at his fiancé, before returning his gaze to her, "lost my leg in a bus accident just after I got home from deployment."
"I'm so sorry!" She said standing up, "you're in the Army, too?"
"I am," Rick nodded, "and in a few months I'll be back walking around, so the crutches are just temporary."
"Good luck," she smiled.
"Thanks," Rick nodded at her and followed after Andi, leaving Drew standing there for a moment.
"Drew, I... I can't... This is a lot to take in," she admitted.
"Yeah, I know. It was a shock to me, too," he glanced at Rick, "and it was worse, because he came into my ER and I couldn't save his leg," he explained, knowing she wasn't talking about that, but went with it for the moment.
"Oh, yeah, um, that, too, but I meant..."
"Me being gay? I've known since high school, just chose to pretend I wasn't, but I got tired of hiding and Rick came into my life at the right time," Drew told her.
Monica nodded, "so you knew when we dated? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wasn't telling anyone back then. Hell, my mom and Andi didn't figure it out until a few years ago," Drew told her, "so I never would have said anything."
"Okay, but... this is all a shock, but now a lot of things I wondered back then are so much clearer," she admitted, "do you... Could we talk about this sometime?"
Drew took a deep breath and nodded, "yeah, I guess, sometime. I'm on Facebook. Don't use it much, but if you message me there, I'll see it."
The woman nodded, "well, it was good seeing you again. You look good and I'm glad to see you happy. I mean that," she smiled at him.
"Thank you," Drew smiled, "and it was nice to see you again," he glanced at the other two familiar faces, other classmates, but ones he didn't know as well, "and you two, also. See you all around," he said, before following the path Rick and Andi had taken and moved out of the restaurant to find the two leaning against his SUV in the parking lot, "thanks a lot, you two," he muttered, unlocking the doors.
"What? You had to talk to her without us around at some point," Rick commented as they climbed inside.
Drew sighed, "yeah, but now I feel horrible."
"Of course you do. Once you figured out you were gay in high school, but continued to have girlfriends, you realized you were using them to hide your secret," Rick explained, having not realized he was gay until college, but then when he did, he thought back and wondered if he always knew, but used the girls to hide because he wasn't ready to come out back then, so he understood what Drew was thinking.
"That's not helping," Drew replied quietly as he started the engine and backed out of the space.
"Sorry, babe, but I get it. I had a similar thought process to deal with when I first realized I was gay," he paused, reaching over to rest his hand on Drew's shoulder, squeezing it gently, "but this might help. You were a different guy back then. Now you're not as scared of being gay, and it's not going to affect your career like it would have a few years ago. Sure, you feel bad because you know you used the girls you dated, but you can't change your past," he told him as Drew drove through the streets of Roswell, "everything you did made you who you are today. At the time, you were scared, nervous and probably confused, so you tried to pretend you were someone else by dating girls. Now you're finally able to do what you want and aren't letting peer pressure drive who or what you want to be," Rick explained, taking a deep breath, "I know deep down in your heart, you never would have done that to them if there wasn't as much negativity in the world towards people being gay. There is a lot more acceptance now than there was even seven years ago, so you need to let those exes know if you ever do talk to them that you're sorry for what you did, but back then, you did what you had to do to keep from being outed. You also need to show them that you've changed; and I can say from personal experience that you have. I met you just after you graduated high school, when you had recently broken up with Monica and was probably just trying to deal with joining the Army and hiding your sexual preference any way you could and I've seen you grow into a strong, confident, lovable, caring, friendly, trustworthy, responsible, and sometimes stubborn guy who knows who he is and who he wants to spend his life with. That's the Drew your exes need to see, and if they still are upset about the past, that's their own damn fault, because you can't change what you did and you need to focus on your present and your future and not worry about the 'what ifs' of your past," Rick finished, looking at him and deciding it was Drew's weekend and not the time to bring up his own past to explain exactly how he understood; he hoped Drew would get it from what he'd already said.
By the time Rick was done speaking, Drew was already parked in Andi's driveway and the two siblings were waiting to hear what Rick had to say before they got out. Drew soaked in what Rick was saying and realized he was exactly right; he 'hit the nail on the head' so to speak and was thankful to have Rick understand what he was dealing with. Leaning over, Drew wrapped his arms around his fiancé and pressed a kiss to his lips, not caring that his sister was sitting nearby, "I love you."
Rick was caught off guard by his fiancé, but happily returned the affection and smiled, "love you, too."
"I never imagined someone could get me like you do. I know you've dealt with stuff in the past like this and I'm so glad I have you here for support. You're helping make this a lot easier on me than it would have been if I had done this without you. Thank you and I wish I could have been there for you when you came out," Drew told him honestly.
"I wish you had been there, too," Rick agreed, reaching up to rest his hand on Drew's cheek, "but since we can't change the past, I'm glad I can at least be here for you."
Andi listened to the guys talk; she didn't want to interrupt and felt like she was intruding, but being in the car, she couldn't help hearing. What she did hear, made her extremely happy. She was so glad her brother and Rick had found the other; she could tell without a doubt that they were meant for each other. "You guys are gonna make me cry," she admitted, leaning forward to look at them.
The two guys turned to look at her and smiled, "sorry, sis, but it's an emotional weekend and I'm really glad he's here with me," Drew commented.
"You don't have to apologize. I'm glad you're here, too," Andi replied, looking at Rick, "and I am so glad you're in my brother's life. I couldn't ask for a more perfect partner for him. Just promise me you'll take care of him."
Rick smiled at her and shared a look with his fiancé, before looking back to his fiancé's twin, "I promise I'll do my best to take care of him and love him with all of my heart for the rest of our lives."
"Good," Andi grinned, "I'll hold you to that, Lincoln," she winked, before moving to the door and opening it, "now come on. No need to sit outside all night."
...
A/N5: This chapter and Drew's hometown is a nod to the show Brendan Fehr (Drew) was in that started 18 years ago, Roswell. I've been a Roswellian since day 1 and when I began sorting out their past for this story, I knew right where Drew would be from. I've been a fan, follower and supporter of Brendan Fehr's for 18 years and he was the reason I came for Night Shift, but the whole cast was the reason I stayed... And I absolutely love Drew and Rick! OTP for life!
A/N6: Yesterday (Friday, October 13, 2017), was an up and down emotional day. It started the night before when news surfaces that CW is 'rebooting' Roswell, but using a different set of characters and storyline, so it's not really a reboot... Long story... So bummed about that. Now we're all on a mission to get Netflix or Hulu to pick up Baron and Toluca, the series Brendan is working on with his Roswell costar Majandra, which is a nod to Roswell. Thus far we haven't heard anything, but we're trying! I also scheduled tweets to post while I was at work and on my breaks tweeted during the re-watch of a Roswell episode with the major fan site Crashdown; that was fun and I enjoyed it... Just when I put things down, on a happy note, I go grocery shopping, I get what I need and come out to the car and go to Facebook to see Brendan has posted a photo and a description that ended with 'RIP Night Shift' so I hopped on Twitter (in the parking lot of the store) and spent the next hour crying and tweeting with fellow Night Shift fans about how sad we are to hear that it was canceled (and on Friday the 13th! What a crappy day for this news!).
...
