Locked Away – Chapter Twenty

It was far later in the morning when he woke. He vaguely remembered her leaving with no mention of her intended destination, but she was back – naked in his bed, in his arms. Her smooth, warm tanned skin contrasted against his pallid coloring. She slumbered deeply and a light smile played across her lips; an expression he'd not noticed on her before. She was more than content; she was happy – with him.

This rabbit hole they were about to go down would steal that smile from her face. Her frown would mar the beauty of the gentle curves of her cheek and deeply troubled coffee colored eyes would replace her smiling ones - and for what? He would not go back there even if he could get back there. She was his now, she was his tomorrow and every day after that. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and felt her lean into his hand. Her lids fluttered and those deep, dark eyes looked up at him. Her smile spread as she stretched and yawned.

"Hi," he said simply when her eyes returned to his.

"Hi," she returned a tiny bit of shyness still in her face after this long together. But more and more they were together in a way that could not be mistaken for casual sex or ships that pass in the night. There was affection beyond lust, concern beyond capriciousness and a commitment they both felt, but neither gave voice to.

"Where'd you go?" he asked rolling away onto his back.

"To see her," she answered honestly.

"Her – who?" he sat up attentive and interested.

"You know who," she told him her thoughts directly. She didn't filter; she didn't lie. His expression held a question so she answered it for him. "Yesterday was accidental," she explained. "Today I went to make a point."

"Which was?" he led.

"Back off," she returned his intent stare with one of her own.

Moments passed and finally she gave him the rest. She hated having to admit it to him. It gave him far too much pleasure.

"That you're mine. Okay?" she gave in and vocalized while rolling her eyes.

"Yes," he smiled. She'd gone there to warn Connie off – him. She was letting the attractive, accomplished woman that she considered her rival know he was not up for grabs. "I'm…definitely taken."

"More like….owned," she smiled with a predatory grin, pushed him onto his back and kissed the smirk off his face. This time it didn't lead where it usually did, but the kissing brought him a great deal of joy. He remembered being a gangly high school boy back when kissing Jen used to make him dizzy and lightheaded. It was like that.

He lay still holding her against his chest and breathed deeply before going where they had to. "Dani, your father…"

"He's going to end up in prison," she finished his sentence, "or worse."

"Nothing's worse than prison," he told her.

"Dead's worse," she argued.

"No," he told her, "it's not." Her stare demanded more in explanation so he gave it to her. "Dead is over, done, finished. Prison isn't over; it's never over; it never gets better and it never stops."

She considered what he said and impulsively hugged him tightly, nodding her agreement against his chest. "He's done some bad things Charlie – to you, to his family, to this city."

He interrupted her, "I don't want you to be the one who has to bring him in."

"I don't want to. I should, I'm a cop and I know I should…" she admitted. Her honesty was a gift freely given; one that he thought he'd never earn and yet here it was. He was both humbled and touched that he'd penetrated so deeply behind the walls Dani Reese built to keep the rest of the world out.

"Shhh," he kissed her forehead, held her close and made an admission of his own. "I'm not even sure I want to do it."

This puzzled her, "after everything he put you through?"

"He also got me out of prison," Charlie offered, "and I don't know why."

"Will knowing change anything?"

"No," he admitted. "But haven't you ever just wanted to know something?"

"Yeah," she sighed knowing that there was a part of him that was just as human and flawed as the rest of the world. "Do you know how to find him?"

"Uh-uh," he confessed. "But I know someone who does…"

"Don't you say that woman," she warned. Her dark eyes glittered dangerously.

He didn't say a word, but she knew he was right. Constance Griffiths might be the only one who knew how to reach Jack Reese right now.

"Shit," she swore softly.

"It's okay," he told her, "I got an idea."

"You want me to do what?" Ted repeated incredulously as he swung his head back and forth in a "no" gesture – all the while knowing he'd go anyway.

"Charlie," he whined. "Do I need to remind you of the black eye and beat down I got when Jack Reese had my parole vacated and I ended up back inside?" Jack Reese scared the daylights out of Ted.

"That's not gonna happen again, Ted," Charlie assured him.

"How do you…." Ted stammered.

"Because all we need you to do is have him call me," Dani explained. "We'll do the rest. Charlie can't go there," she looked at her partner who winced at the thought, "because…well, you know why. And I can't go there…" she was at a loss for words about why that was.

"Because she and Connie don't exactly get on," Charlie softened the ferocity of the two women's dislike for one another. He steered Ted by the elbow to the side and whisper quietly to him of Dani's second visit to Connie – the one to her home.

Ted looked over his friend's shoulder at the diminutive brunette and gulped.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. "I'll do it. I won't like it, but I'll do it." His voice was loud enough for Dani to hear and satisfied he agreed she turned away to gather her things. Ted then asked a question only for Charlie's ears. "Are you sure you want Jack Reese to find you? Does he know you're….you know? With his daughter?" Ted left out the words he was uncomfortable with but the meaning of his question was not lost on Charlie.

"No," he said frankly, "no, he does not."

"Don't you think that's gonna be a problem?" Ted followed up softly. "Charlie, he'll find out. You know he's gonna find out," his fear caused his voice to tremble slightly.

"Yep," Charlie agreed. "She's worth it."

"Worth what?" Ted wondered how bad Charlie thought it would be.

"Worth anything," his friend said plainly. His gaze and attention was no longer Ted's instead it was fixed upon the young woman standing there staring at them both like they were dolts.

Charlie smiled and she scowled, but under her scowl her eyes smiled – for him, at him and only Crews could coax that kind of expression from the moody Detective. Ted hid his apprehension and hoped his friend was right.

They were waiting for Ted; one was patient, the other fidgeted. Charlie decided to distract his partner with a conversation they needed to have before her father talked with them. "Listen…" he began, "about your father," he risked a glance at her.

Her expression was inscrutable, but her eyes were dark, narrow and concerned demonstrating her level of interest in where this was headed. They never talked about her father.

"Before we talk with him about this…I think we should talk about how we deal with…or rather how we tell him about…us," he offered the opening sally of what he feared would be a long and heated debate.

"He knows," she said bluntly.

"He knows?" Crews repeated dully. "He knows….what exactly?"

"That I love you," she said plainly like she was telling him their order at a drive through.

"How?" he asked with equal measures of wonder and concern in his voice.

"I told him," she now held his eyes. "When I went there to see her, he was with her. He asked me - so I told him."

"Was he mad?" Charlie asked and his eyes wide at the possibilities her answer held.

"I have no idea," she replied, "and what's more I don't care. He chose to get in bed with a bunch of crooked cops, break the laws he swore to uphold, break my mother's heart…" she catalogued her father's many sins.

"…and he hurt you," Charlie interrupted, stepping close and clasping her hand. The intimacy would have resulted in her bolting only weeks earlier. This time, however, she simply smiled shyly and ducked her head to hide her shame, but did not flee.

"Hey," he raised her eyes back to his, "no one gets to hurt you Reese."

"Don't kill him Charlie," she demanded with a sly smile.

"Scout's honor," he grinned holding up two fingers.

"You were never a boy scout," she challenged.

"Maybe, maybe not," he teased. "But you have my solemn vow, I will not harm him…provided he doesn't try to take me out when he finds out I'm your…" he trailed off uncertain of the right word for what they'd become.

"Yeah about that…" she was equally unsure. "Lover? Boyfriend? Partner?" she tried on some terms, but stopped when she got to the one that fit them. It's what they began as and what they still were. Nothing had changed and yet, everything had changed.

"Will you be my partner forever?" he asked somewhat innocently unaware of the enormity of what he'd just said.

Her head canted sideways, "like as in…as long as we both shall live?"

"No," he laughed and she exhaled in relief. He hugged her against his chest and when he felt her relax he gave her the rest. It was less threatening, but just as serious, "just for as long as I live."

Dani didn't look up, she couldn't. He was talking marriage, it was code, but that's what he was saying. She'd never even toyed with the idea of settling down with just one man, now she was having a hard time imagining her life without him in it. It was a big step – one they were both dancing around, but Crews had just laid his level of commitment right out there. He also knew her well enough not to press the issue. But he'd said it and neither of them would forget it.