A/N Sorry for delay, I know I am still aiming for one a day but hopefully an (attempted) extra long chapter will make up for it? I have been busy sorting university stuff, baby cousin's birthday, babysitting and a load of other boring stuff. Also I hit a mind block…. apparently my brain could not form a coherent sentence in such a state of utter exhaustion.
September 11th 2015
Megan carefully carried Kate Murphy into the bedroom and lay her on the bed, leaving the agents to deal with Ian Faulkner. The Medical Examiner briefly left Kate's side to go to the closet and move the chair that had been blocking the view to the white, wooden doors. She pulled open the doors whilst reassuring her daughter that it was only her and as soon as the doors were open, the young girl had flung herself into her mother's arms and clung on tightly.
Lacey had been through a lot over the past few months, first she had witnessed her father acting rather aggressively and threatening towards Kate, then she had been forced to deal with him leaving the state and moving to the other side of the country. Lately she had to deal with Kate's abduction and torture, then this. The young girl was shaking slightly in her mother's arms as the woman lifted the young girl onto the bed and placed her between herself and Kate.
Doctor Hunt wrapped her arms tightly around the both of them, tugging Lacey to lay on her so that Kate was pressed firmly into her side and lovingly she placed a kiss to each of their heads. It had of course had an effect on her too but she was choosing to stay strong for her daughter and lover instead. It had been the second time that she had been faced with the possibility of losing the blonde woman beside her and that thought scared her. The concept of not being able to spend the rest of their lives together now that they had finally come to the point where they could love each other openly and admit their feelings was unbearable.
The Chief Medical Examiner turned her head in order to press a soft kiss to the other woman's cheek before Megan turned to look at her with a bright smile and Kate took the opportunity presented to her, to press her lips eagerly against Megan's.
Outside of their bedroom, in the living room was two agents and a dead body. Blood painted the thick white carpet which meant that it would be ruined and need replacing if the crime scene cleaners weren't able to get the large quantity of blood from the material. One agent was on the phone by the door whilst the other was beginning to clean up the damage that had been caused by the serial killer who had come to finish the job he had started on Kate Murphy.
It wasn't long before the body was taken away by the medical examiner on call and the apartment was being cleaned by professional crime scene cleaners who had the correct chemicals and equipment to get the blood out of the carpet where the man's skull had come into contact with a heavy ornament.
Usually there would be an element of sadness at any scene where there was a body but in this case there truly wasn't because it was extremely hard to feel sorry for a man who took such pleasure in torturing and murdering women before tossing them aside as if they were cheap garbage that needed to be disposed of. It was even harder to feel any sympathy for the man due to what he had done to the Chief Medical Examiner and her family.
Kate buried her face in the crook of her girlfriend's neck and in the Medical Examiner's mass of red curls as the banging began. It was the sound of the front door being replaced under the supervision of the FBI agents involved in the case. The two men who had been observing the apartment on stakeout had remained behind to ensure that the apartment was cleaned thoroughly for the woman and that it was secure with a new door and stronger locks. They knew that the danger had now been eliminated by a heavy ornament and a Medical Examiner with a rather good swing but they still felt the need to provide extra protection for the family.
Lacey had been emotionally exhausted and fallen asleep whilst listening to her mother's heartbeat so the woman slid her daughter from her body to put the young girl beside her, on the opposite side to Kate and then pulled the blankets up to almost completely shield her daughter from view. It was a very protective motion which made the young girl smile softly in her sleep and snuggle up closer to the woman's side.
Doctor Murphy had one arm over Megan's middle and her hand came to rest on Lacey's waist in a manner that held the young girl close to them. It was her way of reminding herself that the young girl was safe with them and that Ian Faulkner had not managed to physically harm the young girl in any way.
A light knock sounded on the door, making Kate sit bolt upright with wide blue eyes which were filled with fear until she heard the gentle voice on the other side of the wooden barrier, "It's Agent Jackson, please may I come in?", he asked politely.
Kate hesitated and nodded despite him being unable to see her, "Erm… yes", she said before clearing her voice, "You may". Her thigh was pressed to Megan's side and her hand was by the woman's head in the position she was currently sat in.
Agent Jackson entered slowly and carefully in a way that it was clear that he didn't wish to spook or scare the three occupants of the room. He couldn't see Lacey from his position in the doorway but he assumed that the young girl was asleep under the blankets were a lump was formed beside the redheaded Medical Examiner. "I just wanted to let you know that we've cleaned up the apartment and replaced the front door", the man said softly and handed the key to Kate, "We've put extra security looks on the door including a couple of deadbolts just to give you peace of mind".
"Thank you Agent Jackson", Megan said softly from her position, lying on the bed beside her daughter's sleeping form.
The blonde was clearly exhausted physically and emotionally but remained sitting up in a defensive stance, ready to protect her family at a moment's notice despite there being no true immediate threat and the worry being in her head at the time.
"We've also arranged therapists for when you're ready to talk, to help you come to terms with everything that has happened", the man said softly, slightly worried that the woman would shut him down but surprisingly both of the women currently residing in the large bed, simply nodded in confirmation, "One of the agents also went out and picked up some things for you so we've put those in the fridge and cupboards for you".
Kate smiled softly, "You didn't have to do that", she said gently although her facial expressions showed appreciation for the gesture, "But… thank you".
Agent Jackson nodded, "We didn't have to but we thought that you might need some groceries so we clubbed together and sorted it out for you Doctor Murphy".
Megan smiled towards the kind gentleman who stood in the doorway to their bedroom, "Thank you Agent Jackson".
"Please pass on our gratitude to the other agents", Kate said with a soft smile to which the man nodded in response to.
"We have to go so if you want to lock the door when we leave", he said softly, not sure on how the women would react to entering the living room so early after what had happened but wanting the door to be strongly locked from the inside when he left.
Kate Murphy nodded, "Yes… of… of course", she said softly, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness as she gradually stood from the bed.
The agent escorted the Medical Examiner from the bedroom and towards the newly replaced apartment door, once the men had exited the apartment the woman hastily locked the door whilst using the new additional high quality security bolts and locks before rushing back to the bedroom and sliding beneath the blankets to press up against the warmth of her girlfriend. Kate was trembling slightly as her anxiety level had shot through the roof at having to go through the room where her life had recently been threatened yet again.
Megan wrapped her arm tightly around the blonde and pulled her to lay partially on top of her body, the blonde woman's head was positioned perfectly above Doctor Hunt's heart in a position that would calm her as much as possible.
It had taken the crime scene clean up crew quite a while to fully get the blood stains out of the thick carpet and so the sky was beginning to get quite dark now. Lacey was already fast asleep and Kate was beginning to drift off after having taken comfort in the other woman's embrace and heartbeat. Megan however took a very long time to get to sleep as her body was on high alert and in a protective mode where she felt the need to watch over both of the warm bodies in her bed. Kate had only been able to fall asleep as she felt the protective arms of Megan around her and so knew she would be safe. Seeing the amount of strong and durable locks that were currently on the apartment door also helped her feel safe and secure enough to sleep.
September 12th 2015
Lacey was stood in the kitchen, having woken up earlier than the other two and she had the silver fridge door wide open. Her eyes glanced around, looking at all of the food that was now in the fridge before choosing to pull out some fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. She poured some strawberry yoghurt into a bowl and sliced some fruit before throwing that in the bowl too.
The young girl moved towards the living room, she never knew that it was where the man had died or where blood had previously painted the soft material of the carpet because her 'Mama' had protected her by hiding her as quickly as she could in the closet that resided in Megan's bedroom or as it was now referred to as 'Megan and Kate's' bedroom.
On the way into the living room, the young girl noted the new front door and the much larger quantity of locks that now had their place on the door on all four sides of the door. She smiled at that fact because she could see that nobody would be able to get through that door, especially as easily as Ian had managed to get through it the previous day.
The dark haired girl placed her bowl onto the coffee table, and grabbed the television remote in order to turn it on. She flicked on the menu before she scanned through to find something to watch, she curled up slightly on the sofa and tugged the blanket over her that had been resting on the back of the sofa before rearranging the cushions so that she was comfortable. She had chosen a movie that she had watched many times before and was a happy family movie in order to counteract the nerve wracking events she had recently faced.
She glanced towards the bedroom door and smiled softly knowing that both her Mama and Mom were safe inside. That knowledge helped her to relax in front of the tv set as she began to eat her breakfast. She did find herself wondering how so much food had suddenly appeared in the kitchen when it hadn't been there before. Then again she hadn't been into the kitchen much the day before because the FBI agents had brought lunch and dinner into the bedroom for the three of them. They hadn't finished all of their meals because they were too on edge to eat but it was a very nice and very much appreciated gesture by the men who were helping them and protecting them.
*FLASHBACK*
A soft knock was heard on the door before Megan granted the person entry to the room.
"We thought you might want something to eat for dinner", the agent said softly as he cautiously moved forward as to not spook the three of them and gently placed two large 'Rizzoli's' pizza boxes on the bed.
Lacey's eyes went wide, "Rizzoli's pizza?", she said with a smile, "You got us Rizzoli's?". She seemed amazed at the gesture.
The agent smiled at her enthusiasm, despite everything the young girl had gone through, she seemed rather resilient and strong. He nodded, "When you have pizza", he said softly, "It just has to be Rizzoli's".
This statement made the young girl smile brightly and nodded, "Definitely", she agreed making both women smile, "Have you tried their cannolis?", the young girl asked, "Angela is the head chef and her cannolis are amazing".
The unnamed agent nodded, "I sure have and if you check that third box I think you'll find something extra that you'll love", he said with a slight smirk.
Lacey reached forward and opened it carefully, peeking inside before throwing it open to reveal three cannolis, "Wow, you are officially the best", she stated without taking her eyes off of the pastry treats.
He chuckled, "Any chance you can tell everyone else that?", he joked, "Although I have to admit this wasn't me… Mrs Rizzoli heard that this pizza and cannoli was for you and she insisted it be on the house and that you all go in and see her when you get chance". "I better get back, enjoy your meal", he said before leaving the room and leaving the family to eat their dinner.
"Thank you", Kate said softly as he exited the room.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Once she had finished her breakfast, she stood up and took it into the kitchen. She smiled brightly when she saw both her Mama and Mom come out of the bedroom, "Good Morning Mama", she said softly, "Good Morning Mom". The young girl hugged them both in turn with a smile, glad that they were both okay and happy to feel the warmth of them in her arms along with their arms around her as it confirmed the fact that they were both safe.
"Have you seen the amount of locks that they've put on the door?", she asked with wide eyes as she indicated to the door that would give a secure prison door a run for its money.
Megan's eyes went wide upon seeing it, she had heard briefly what it was like from the agent and from her girlfriend but this was the first time she had actually laid eyes upon it, "Wow they sure went all out didn't they", she stated with a smile and a slight shake of her head.
Lacey nodded, "And you should see how much food is in the kitchen", she stated, "We could feed an army". The young girl was clearly amused by the quantity of groceries that had appeared and ran to open cupboards and the fridge to show both her Mama and Mom who were both amazed at the amount. They had known that the agents had purchased groceries for them but hadn't imagined it to be that much.
"Also", the young girl said with more excitement, "We have a gift card for Rizzoli's". She announced it as though she had won the lottery rather than pizza.
Kate laughed softly at the enthusiasm that the young girl was showing for her favourite Italian restaurant and take away place. "Well Angela does want us to go visit them so we'll take that with us when we go and make a night of it, how does that sound?", she asked her stepdaughter. To which the young girl nodded eagerly.
September 13th 2015
Megan, Kate and Lacey were all dressed in smart casual wear as they stepped into the family run Italian establishment known as Rizzoli's. Within moments, Angela had rushed out and was embracing the youngest in an enthusiastic and loving manner. The Italian matriarch was always very affectionate towards the child.
*FLASHBACK*
Kate was sat at the table with Todd opposite her and Lacey beside her, they had been in an argument since the moment they sat down although their voices had not gone above a level that would disturb other people in the restaurant.
Angela watched with curiosity and concern from the hatch that led to the kitchen. She decided that she couldn't sit back and do nothing when she realised that the young girl was beginning to get more and more agitated.
The head chef stepped out of the kitchen and went towards the table where the arguing couple sat, watching the male with caution as he seemed to be attempting to dominate the blonde woman and intimidate her. Angela stopped at the table, "We are testing out a new idea to allow select children to have a tour backstage and let them make their own pizza and dessert", she said softly, "I was wondering if your daughter would like to be the first to try it… it would of course be free of charge".
The blonde who the question had been directed to, glanced over to the man before looking back at the woman stood by their table, "That sounds lovely", she commented, knowing from the woman's facial expressions that it had been a lie, "What do you think Lacey?".
Todd didn't look impressed that he seemed to have no say in this concept, and in turn no control over his daughter or girlfriend. This woman who seemed to be a chef had taken this control away from him in an instant.
Lacey nodded, "That sounds amazing, I love your pizza", she said with a bright smile. It was the first smile that Angela had witnessed on the girl's face since they had sat down. She had seen the little girl smile as they entered but then the heated debate had begun.
Angela put her hand out to the young girl and was soon escorting her out into the kitchen. "Are you okay?", the older woman asked her softly as she looked into her eyes with concern etched on her facial features and laced in her voice.
The young girl nodded, she understood why the other woman had asked her to come and make pizza with her and she appreciated the gesture, "Yeah", she said simply with a smile.
"What's your name?", Angela asked with a slightly tilted head, "My name is Angela".
The dark haired girl smiled at her, "Lacey", she replied simply, seemingly comfortable in the presence of the woman.
The older woman nodded, "How about we make that pizza?", she said with a smile before grabbing a lump of pre-made dough and placing it on the metal counter in front of the child. She grabbed one herself too and began to show the young girl how to make it, step by step. She went through how to create a pizza shape but pointed out that she could make it any shape she wanted to. Lacey chose to make a heart shaped pizza.
"That is very pretty Lacey", Angela commented with a smile, "I created a Valentine's Day pizza this year and that was heart shaped with a choice of toppings on the top".
Lacey smiled, "We had one of those", she pointed out happily, "Kate and I had a BBQ chicken one with extra cheese on Valentine's Day when my Mom had to work late".
The older woman began to curl the edges of her pizza shape so that it would have a crust but she put cheese inside her crust, "Is that your Mom out there?", she asked softly as she watched the young girl.
The Medical Examiner's daughter shook her head as she began to curl over her own pizza crust after putting BBQ sauce and cheese in her crust, just like the one that they had eaten on Valentine's Day, "No, that's Kate", she said with a smile, "She's dating my Dad". She frowned once she had said it and sighed before she turned and looked through the hatch.
"You don't like her dating your dad?", Angela said softly as she watched the young girl frown.
Lacey smiled when Kate looked up and smiled at her, "Kate deserves better", she stated simply before she gave the blonde woman a small wave.
"How comes?", the woman asked curiously, "Is he always like this to her?". She was concerned for the child and for the woman in the other room.
The young girl turned back to the pizza and began to spread BBQ sauce on the pizza, before nodding, "Lately he is".
Angela found herself having to ask the question that she wasn't sure she wanted to, "He… doesn't hit her does he", she paused glancing through the hatch before back at the child, "Or you?".
Lacey looked up and shook her head, "No, he's just rude to her a lot and moans at her for everything".
The Italian woman chose to change the topic slightly, "Your pizza is coming along very well", she commented with a smile, "What else are you going to put on the top of it?".
The young girl smiled at her before turning her attention back to the pizza in front of her, "Cheese and Chicken", she said softly, "Then it will be the same as the one we had on Valentine's Day because that one was Kate's favourite".
Angela smiled, "That was a one off wasn't it with the BBQ sauce and cheese in the crust", she commented, "and you want to share it with her?".
Lacey Fleming nodded, "It will make her smile", she pointed out happily, it was clear to Angela that this young girl loved Kate and thought very highly of her.
The older woman smiled, "That's very nice of you", she said softly.
The young girl shrugged, "She's always doing nice things for me so I should do some for her too", Angela rather liked how kind and polite the young girl was and it made her smile.
The head chef smiled, "What kind of things does she do?", the woman asked as she finished off her pizza.
Lacey smiled as the other woman put the pizza's on the tray and slid them into the pre-heated oven, "She comes to all of my horse riding competitions to watch with my Mom", she said softly, "and she watches me whenever my Mom gets stuck at work". The young girl's smile was growing as she spoke, "She lets me pick what we have for dinner and what movies we watch, she takes me out places like to the cinema and bowling", she said happily, "and she even has my favourite candy in her desk drawer at work….".
Angela chuckled gently, "She sure does sound great doesn't she?", she commented.
Lacey nodded, "The very best", she said simply.
The Italian woman smiled, "How about you take this out with you?", she said handing the girl a basket of garlic bread, "and I'll bring out the pizza for you and Kate along with the pizza that your dad ordered for himself".
The young girl nodded and suddenly embraced the older woman, "Thank you", she said softly.
"It's just pizza", the woman commented but she knew that to the young girl it wasn't just pizza.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Kate smiled brightly at the woman and briefly embraced her before Angela moved on to also hug Megan. "How are you?", the woman asked Kate with concern etched upon her features as she gently placed her hand on the blonde woman's shoulder.
The Chief Medical Examiner smiled, "Much better thank you", she said softly.
Angela smiled as she led the three of them to the 'best table in the house', and handed them the menus, "Would you like to come into the kitchen to make your own pizza?", the Italian woman asked with a smile, knowing that the young girl would say yes as she always did. Often Kate would also join them in the kitchen as the blonde would take the young girl there alone more often than with anyone else. Todd had only been with them twice and he had decided that he didn't like it because he considered Angela to be too nosey.
The young girl went out into the kitchen with Angela and was greeted by the restaurant staff who had come to love the young girl and rather enjoyed it when she was in the kitchen with them. Angela's curly haired daughter was sat down at one of the counters and grinned when she saw the dark haired child enter the room, she moved closer to the girl and embraced her, "Hey Lace", she said softly.
"Hi Jane", the young girl said softly, "Are you not working today?". She was still being embraced by the woman who rarely hugged anyone.
Gradually she let the girl go but nodded her head, "Yeah I am, I'm just on break", she said softly, "I needed a cannoli". She had her trademark grin on her face.
The Detective smiled, "How's Kate?", she asked softly with her hands on the girl's shoulders, and her head tilted slightly.
"She's doing good, she's dating my Mom now", she said with a huge smile as she was clearly pleased with the developments in the romantic relationship of the two women.
Jane grinned, "Woo Hoo finally", she commented happily, "They sure took their time didn't they?".
September 14th 2015
Kate rolled over in their bed so that she lay above the woman she was sharing a bed with and placed a leg in between Megan's with one leg beside her. She lowered herself slightly before she kissed her to wake her up.
The blonde woman had her thigh pressed against the other woman's centre, and their tongues were duelling for dominance within seconds. Megan had come to rather enjoy waking up with the blonde in bed beside her but this wake up was even better.
Megan reached her hands down to cup the behind of the Chief Medical Examiner and tug her closer, whilst lifting her leg up to bend at the knee and press more against Kate. The added pressure caused a moan to escape from the blonde woman's soft lips.
The lack of clothing allowed for full skin on skin contact and the ability to feel exactly what effect they were having on each other.
Their breathing was becoming heavier and harsher as their grinding became more erratic and rushed. Their kisses became deeper and much more passionate as Megan's hand slipped down to glide into the depths of the beautiful blonde who was using her thigh to get closer to her climax, "Megannn", the blonde moaned out as she felt the medically trained fingers delve inside her without warning, her eyes closed briefly and she clenched around the fingers within her.
The blonde woman copied Doctor Hunt's actions and was soon sliding her own fingers into the other woman whose own natural lubricant made it easy to thrust inside with the same level of warning that she herself had given Kate.
It was nearly two hours later before they both lay out of breath on the soft egyptian cotton sheets of their bed with a sheen of sweat glistening on their skin, "Wow", Kate gasped making Megan smirk at what she'd said. The blonde woman saw the smirk and playfully hit the woman beside her on the arm whilst shaking her head lightly.
September 15th 2015
Kate awoke early in the morning with a gasp as she sat upright, her breathing was heavier than normal and her eyes were glancing around in pure fear. It was yet another night terror. She had them most nights ever since she had been taken by the psychotic serial killer known as Ian Faulkner.
Sensing the movement beside her, Megan opened her eyes gradually as they adjusted to her the light that was just starting to filter through their curtains. Upon realising what had happened, she sat up and carefully wrapped her arms around the blonde woman, like she had many times before.
*FLASHBACK*
The sound of a woman whimpering filled the bedroom and the bed moved unnaturally. Megan awoke a little dazed and confused in her sleepy state of mind before she realised that the woman beside her was squirming in her sleep and whimpering in pain.
Doctor Hunt wrapped her arms around the blonde woman and began to gradually try and wake her carefully. At first the woman fought against the firm grip that Megan had on her but after a few minutes she calmed and began to wake.
As soon as Kate saw the worried eyes of Doctor Megan Hunt, she began to cry and clung to her tightly.
It took almost an hour to calm her that night enough for her to sleep, some nights it would take three or four hours and even then Megan wouldn't be able to sleep afterwards because she would be too worried about her lover and would end up watching her sleep for the remainder of the night.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Megan sat up against the headboard of the bed with pillows behind her back and Kate positioned between her legs. The Medical Examiner had her legs wrapped firmly around the blonde's waist as Kate leant back against Megan's chest. Doctor Hunt's arms were around Kate and the blankets had been pulled up to cover the blonde. Kate was effectively in a warm, secure and very human 'cage'.
Kate turned her head so that her ear was pressed to the woman's chest and she could hear the calming heartbeat of the live, beating heart in Megan's chest cavity. The knowledge that Megan was safe helped calm her and even more so was the fact that Megan was protecting her. Like she knew Megan always would. Like Megan had promised her.
A/N This story will soon be over… I think I may do ONE more as an 'in the future' chapter because I'm not sure about doing all the 'therapy' sessions etc… but I'm not sure ideas are welcome ;)