Apologize for the short, bad chapter. I just really needed a filler.
Astera stood with Joel, outside the local coffee shop. Both were dressed casually, and wearing mirrored sunglasses. This way they knew their eyes would definitely not be seen by someone whom they didn't want to see their eyes.
"Are we sure that following Mr. Yerks around all day is wise? As much as I do love David…this could go badly. Let's not forget what happened the last time we spied on Mr. Yerks. Fearless nearly broke his arm, and you and I were knocked out…" Astera said, pointedly.
"Its our best bet to catch him doing something stupid, or something illegal…" Joel said, looking at her.
"Which would be stupid," Astera commented. Joel showed her a small smile, before looking around.
"He passes through here on his way to the park. We just want to make sure there won't be anymore…stunts…before the trail next week," Joel said.
Astera leaned against the side of the building and folded her arms. "Which means that soon this will all be over," she stated.
Joel nodded his head in agreement. "Yea. Kind of hard to believe…" he agreed.
Astera sighed, and looked down at the ground. "Well, for what it's worth…this has been fun. You know, working with all of you…" Astera stated. Joel turned to face her.
"We are all going to miss you. Most especially David…" Joel commented.
Astera smiled to herself. All day yesterday she and David would give each other cute little smiles, and cute little touches. The whole group had come to some conclusions about Stacy that would hopefully help David win the case. After work, David had drove Astera home and gave her a sweet kiss at her doorstep, before leaving.
It excited Astera to know that she had found a new relationship, and she hoped this one would last forever. She wasn't exactly thinking of a wedding, yet. She knew that through this relationship she would get to spend more time with David and get to know him more.
"It's not over yet, Astera. Besides…you could always stay here and work with us. I'm actually looking forward to the next case we get…" Joel said, tilting his head slightly.
"I go where the FBI sends me. That's just the way it has to be," Astera said, with a faint smile. Joel had taken notice that her voice had cracked slightly.
Joel raised an eyebrow. "Are you…crying?" he asked. Astera stood up straight.
"Crying? Of course not…" Astera lied. She didn't like people seeing her cry, even though Joel already had before. Still, she didn't want people to think she cried at almost every little thing.
"Astera when I say we are all going to miss you… I really mean it. You brought something special when you came to work with us. I honestly mean it when I say that we all have this bond now. Just like Fearless said, we all stand together…" Joel finished.
Astera bit her lip. "I don't want o have to go…" she said. Joel smiled slightly, before stepping closer to her. "Aw, come here…" he said, giving her a tight hug.
Astera laughed, and hugged him back. Joel was a great man, a great partner, and a great friend. Teresa was lucky to have a man like Joel.
"Oh! How wonderful that is," came another voice. Joel and Astera separated to see an elderly woman. She looked like she was on her way to church, or she had just gotten out of church. She was also wearing a bonnet, to block out the sun.
She smiled at them. "The one thing that still touches my heart is the sight of young love…" she said, clutching her hands over her heart.
Joel laughed nervously. "Mam, we aren't a couple…" he stated. The woman waved her hand as if to dismiss the matter.
"Oh, its nothing to be ashamed of. It's a beautiful thing! Why don't you give her a nice little kiss. You'll see what I mean," she said, with a wink.
"Uh...sorry…but that's completely unnecessary," Astera said, shaking her head.
"Oh…but the two of you remind me of me and my husband when we were your age. He died last year, he had a stroke….please…it would help me so greatly to have a happy memory of me and the man I spent fifty years of my life with…" she said, looking crestfallen.
Joel and Astera turned to look at each other at the same time. They both knew that the woman wouldn't go away, and therefore they couldn't do their job. She obviously wasn't going to leave or stop tearing up unless she saw a kiss. She just had to play the dead husband card, didn't she?
Joel sighed, and Astera shifted awkwardly. Maybe one kiss wouldn't be so bad, and it wasn't as if they were doing it because neither were happy with their current relationships and they were just looking for good sex. It wasn't as if it were completely immoral.
Astera nodded at Joel and he stepped forward. She felt him pull her closer by her hips, and she held his face in her hands. His lips met hers in a soft, gentle kiss.
Betrayal. That was the first thing that came to Astera's mind. It was as if some devil had just hissed it in her ear. She had now officially just tasted the feel of cheating. What seemed like not such a big deal before, now sounded like a really bad idea. It wasn't that Joel was a bad kisser, but it just didn't feel right.
Joel pulled away and Astera looked at the ground.
"Oh…bless you both. Thank You," the woman said, before hurrying off.
"We…probably shouldn't mention this to anyone," Joel suggested. Astera nodded in agreement.
She and Joel began to scan the park, and both of their eyes landed on the same sight. Mr. Yerks was standing a few yards away. He had a creepy grin on his face, as he stared into the horizon.
"He's too happy," Joel stated.
'Which means that he probably did something horrible, or he's got something big planned…" Astera said, looking at Joel.
It was then that Mr. Yerks turned to face Joel and Astera. His creepy grin remained on his face, as she winked at them.
Astera felt a shiver go up her spine. "Okay, that's really creeping me out now…" she muttered. Joel grabbed her arm. "Well, I don't think that we are going to find out what he's doing today. Looks like we've been compromised. Let's get out of here…" Joel said, pulling her away.
"Joel, I have an idea…" Astera said. "I'm listening…" Joel replied.
"What about Teresa? I don't think Mr. Yerks ever saw her. Maybe she could keep an eye on him for the day…" Astera suggested.
Joel stared ahead in thought, before turning to look at her. "I'll give her a call as soon as we get back to the office. But lets get a hold of McNorris. We need to let him know that…unfortunately…his plan didn't work. At least today," Joel said.
Astera stopped walking, and looked at Joel. "What's wrong?" Joel questioned, sounding concerned again. That was one of the best things about Joel. He was always making sure that everyone was safe and okay.
"Joel…I hope that what just happened won't make this awkward. You know, you've been a fantastic partner and a great friend…" Astera said.
Joel showed her a small smile. "When what happened?" he asked.
Astera returned the smile, before the two of them walked away, laughing.