Temperance didn't know where she was.
She knew she was inside a hallway of some type. It was dark, both inside and out. At regular intervals the length of the corridor, she could see the pale white glow of moonlight filtering in through lacy shrouds covering the windows. There were no exits from this corridor save the closed, massive door at the end of the hall. She turned around, seeing the hallway behind her disappear into darkness. 'Did I just come from there?' she thought. And then she thought, her eyes searching the darkness, 'No windows?'
Turning back around, her eyes adjusted to the broken light. Old, thread worn carpeting spun out in front of her, covering the center path of the hardwood floor. On both sides of the passageway, wood gave way about halfway up the sides to the rich fabric of darkened wallpaper. Here and there along the exterior wall, between the windows, stood an occasional hallway display table. A light layer of dust lay sprinkled atop the tables. Buttressed along the interior wall, other tables and loveseats lined the wall. As she passed, she saw vases, set as display pieces atop the tables. Some crystalline, others merely colored glass. Some stood empty, others holding dried and decaying fronds of long-dead flowers. Her nose tickled at the aroma of old fabric, wood and dried herbs.
'Where is Seeley?' she wondered. Oddly enough, she knew he was close. She just didn't know where. Looking at the only exit from the path, she saw the door seemed to be a part of the surrounding walls. She surmised, 'The door must open outward, with the hinges on the other side.' She edged towards the closed portal. Her footsteps seemed muffled within the hallway. A large, ornate doorknob, brass and cut crystal, seemed to grow out of the locking mechanism on the right-hand side of the door. Below the doorknob, what looked like a large skeleton key rested within an old style keyhole. 'Keyhole', her mind tickled at the word, although she didn't know why.
Looking down, she could see silvery light flickering from under the door, broken by shadows moving back and forth. She froze. Then she heard his voice…low…muffled. She moved closer, pressing her ear to the door.
"No!" It was Seeley! "Leave her alone!" There was something about his voice. She had never heard him like that. 'Concern?' Yes, she had heard that before. But there was something else in the timber of his voice. 'Fear?' she asked herself. "Don't touch her!" Seeley yelled. And then, she heard his voice cut off in a sob.
Without thinking, she reached out and grasped the doorknob. Frantically, she turned it first one way and then the other; the latching mechanism just would not disengage. Belatedly, she twisted the key in the lock, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Finally, she heard the locking mechanism click; she turned the doorknob savagely. The door opened silently.
She didn't know what she would find on the other side. She certainly didn't expect to be outside in a garden. And she surely didn't expect to see her husband, bound spread-eagle, tied upright to a metal latticework attached to the stone blocks comprising the side of the building. Seeley was shirtless, bleeding from multiple stab wounds. His left eye swollen shut. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth. He didn't see her, or give any indication he saw the door open. A figure, indistinct, reached out towards him. But Seeley wasn't concerned with the spectre. He screamed at someone else, past where the figure stood, "Leave my daughter alone!" Temperance could see him struggle against his restraints. Light glinted off metal lunging from the figure's outstretched hand. She saw the knifepoint disappear into Seeley's side.
"No!" she screamed.
Seeley heard. He turned. Fear painted his eyes. "Save her, Temperance!" She didn't understand. Then she heard the baby crying. She turned to see a figure cloaked in black raise a child from a pure-white cradle. The child, swaddled in pinks and powder blues cried as the figure moved away from Seeley and Temperance. "Get Christy! Save our daughter!" Seeley yelled.
'Our daughter!' Temperance thought, trying to get her head around the idea. 'Christy!' She knew the name instinctively. She saw the glint of metal arcing its way towards Seeley again. She also saw the dark figure, and pastel colors of the child becoming smaller as their distance increased.
She felt the gun in her hand. She didn't know how it got there, or where it came from. She raised it towards the retreating figure, growing ever smaller. 'I can't! I may hit her! Christy!" She moved and sighted in on the shadow attacking Seeley. Too late, she fired as she saw the knife blade enter Seeley's chest and then withdraw with a spurt of blood. The gun leaped in her hand. The flash, bright in the garden blinded her.
After a moment, she could see again. Blinking, willing the bright spots to go away, she saw the dark phantom was no longer there. All she could see was Seeley, trussed up against the wall. She didn't need to go to him, to check his vitals. He was dead. Their daughter was gone. She dropped to her knees, and then fell into a sitting position. Her nerveless fingers dropped the weapon and moved to either side of her head, clutching at her hair. She rocked silently back and forth. "Seeley…" she cried as her tears flowed. "Christy…" she anguished. Then, more softly, "Seeley…"
Week 2 - Sunday, Early Morning
"Seeley," she murmured.
"I'm here," he said quietly. "Sorry I'm late."
Temperance opened her eyes. She twisted her head on the pillow, unsure, for a moment, of where she was. In the dim light she could see him, near the closet, undressing. 'It was a dream! A nightmare!' She turned to see the clock, '12:11.' "It's okay," she said sleepily. Her mind already at work evaluating what had just seemed so real. Hiding her distress, she said, "It gave Cricket and me some 'girl time'." She started to sit up.
Seeley, in the middle of removing his pants, began to hop over to her and finally gave up trying to remove his pants. He moved swiftly over to her, his pants bunched up on one leg. He pressed her back into the bed. Softly, he said, "Go back to sleep."
His closeness brought his aromas fully into her nostrils. She scrunched up her nose and raised the back of her hand to her nose. She made a sound, "Mmmph,"
Seeley nodded in the darkness, "Yeah…gunpowder, sweat and gun oil don't make for very good cologne." He continued as he began moving away, "I'm going to take a shower. Go back to sleep." He hopped on one leg, finally removing his pants completely.
She drifted back into the pillow, "Did you get anything to eat? After cleaning and storing your rifle?" Seeley shook his head. He didn't realize she couldn't see him. "Seeley?" she repeated, an echo from her dream.
"No," he said. "How about you and Cricket?"
She sighed, almost in a singsong, and then said, "We ordered in a salad."
Seeley said, "I'll be right back," as he moved to the door and opened it to leave. The light from the hallway spilled inside.
She saw Seeley in the light; his bare torso and muscular legs set stirrings of passion inside her alight. The only part of him unseen to her hungered eyes was covered by his black boxer briefs. "Seeley?" she said.
He stopped and looked back to his wife. He saw her arm upraised, her hand motioning him to come over. He padded over to her, "What is it?"
She slid her upraised arm around his shoulder and cupped the nape of his neck. She pulled him to her. As she did, Seeley meekly protested, "Come on, Temperance! I really stink! Let me get cleaned up for you!"
"Do you really think I care?" she murmured through their lips.
Seeley stood in the tub, letting the water rain down upon him. He stood with his hands holding onto the shower piping, letting the water hit his shoulders and upper back. Occasionally, he raised his head, letting the water hit his face and cascade down the front of his chest. He rotated his shoulders, working the muscles in his upper chest and back.
It had been a good day. Good, but tiring. He had forgotten how much target shooting took out of him. While not as strenuous as, say, digging a ditch. Nonetheless, the amount of energy for muscle control and mental requirements were fatiguing. 'No wonder Cricket had begged off, needing a nap,' Seeley thought. And of course, Temperance left to keep her company. 'Gave Jon and me some time to clean all our guns. So at least that isn't something hanging over my head.' All told, only Jack, Angela and Chaz made it to the bar with Zack. 'We'll have to make it up to him sometime,' Seeley thought.
Seeley's mind worked its way toward Sully. 'What has he gotten himself into now?' he thought. He felt a twinge of guilt. 'Maybe if I had maintained contact with him his life wouldn't have been so aimless. Falling in with the wrong kind of people...' Seeley brought his face up, letting the water wet his forehead. He let his head fall forward. The water cascaded from his scalp. He watched as the droplets fell. 'I didn't trust her. I was afraid if he came back into our lives Temperance would pick up where she left off with him.' Warm water rolled down his back as he curled his hands into fists, leaning his weight forward against the wall. 'Now he may be involved in the murder of a marine,' Seeley shook his head. He debated whether he should try to warn him. Just in case the perpetrator was someone else. 'Maybe he wasn't even around when the murder happened.' Then he thought, 'What was he doing at the club last night?'
Seeley stood up, allowing the warm water to hit him flush in the face. He twisted his head, allowing the water to drench his face and run down his body. He jumped at the feel of Temperance's hands sliding across his abdomen. He quickly turned his head, spraying droplets into his wife's hair and face. She laughed, "What kind of LEO are you if I can get the drop on you this easy?" She pulled her body into his back. He could feel her nipples pressing into his back.
He smiled and turned back towards the shower, "I didn't hear you come in." The shower hit him in the chest. He continued, "I thought you were going back to sleep?"
"I just thought you might like some help washing your back," she kissed his shoulder. "As well as maybe some other parts of your anatomy," her hands moved from his abdomen to a lower appendage.
Seeley smiled, at both her words and her ministrations. He moved his hands to her forearms. Keeping them in place, he edged their bodies around until Temperance's back was now the recipient of the warm spray. She pulled his lower torso back into her as she pressed her pubis into him. Seeley pressed his hands against the opposite wall. He leaned forward slightly as her hands worked their magic and he felt her rhythmically pressing her hips into him. He felt her lips and teeth kiss and gently bite at his muscular back.
He disengaged her hands and turned to face her. Her hands moved to hold him again. Her sensuous smile seemed to make him even more erect, if that were possible. She laughed delightedly as her hands felt him seemingly jump. He covered her mouth with his. She accepted his tongue, entwining it with hers in her mouth. The warm rain beat down upon their two bodies. She whimpered when he removed his mouth; and moaned as she felt him tattoo her body with kisses as he moved to kneel before her. Her eyes rolled back as he nuzzled his head within her pubis. She jumped and squealed, one hand extended against the shower wall, the other grasping the shower rod. The metal hooks holding the curtain rattled against the rod as she gasped, "Oh, Seeley…Oh my God…"
Seeley sat in the chaise out on the deck. Clad only in his boxer briefs and terrycloth robe, he felt the spring air washing over him. A faint light filtered from the open glass door behind him. "Are you sure you don't want any help?" he called into the house.
"Almost done," Temperance's muffled voice sounded from within the condo. "Do you need another beer?
Seeley raised the bottle; noting the half-full level of the liquid, he called back, "Please." And then, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"
Temperance appeared in the doorway, "You've done more than enough, thank you very much," she said reassuringly, breathlessly and matter-of-factly.
He turned to see her, also dressed in her terrycloth robe, carrying an unopened beer, glass of lemonade and a tray of food. Seeley started to get up to help her when she moved out onto the deck, "Sit," she said in her best hostess voice. "You need to save your strength."
Seeley smiled, "You got some work you need me to do?" he said; the words dripping of innuendo.
Setting the tray onto the table next to the chaise, she said, "I don't know if you would really call it 'work'." She extended the unopened beer to him.
Seeley took the bottle, "What would you call it?"
Temperance took a drink from her lemonade. She reached down and took Seeley's thigh. Motioning for him to open his legs, Seeley complied. She slid to a seated position in the space between his spread legs, leaning back against his chest, "Well," she said thoughtfully. "Banging your brains out comes to mind. You really won't have much to do…except maybe try to stay awake." She took another sip of lemonade.
"Well, too late as far as 'banging my brains out'. 'Try to stay awake?'" he repeated incredulously. "You're kidding, right?" He kissed her neck.
"It's happened to me before," she said. She quickly added, "Not with you, mind you. But it has happened before."
Seeley took another pull from the bottle. "Whoever it was, the guy had to have been an idiot."
Temperance smiled, "Turns out, he was."
Seeley turned to the tray of food, "What've we got here?"
"Some grapes, celery, apple slices," she could feel Seeley's face turn to one of mock disgust. She smiled and continued, "Capped strawberries, cheddar cheese, summer sausage, sliced pepperoni, Ritz crackers…"
He reached out, placing a piece of sausage and cheese on a Ritz, "Ahh…nothing says 'I Love You' like fatty meats." Finished putting his hors d' oeuvre together, he picked it up and began angling it towards his mouth when Temperance reached out and intercepted it long before it made to Seeley's waiting mouth. "Hey!" he said as Temperance bit the morsel in half. "I thought you were vegetarian?"
"Mmmmm," she said while chewing. She swallowed, and said, "I know…there's just something about this that looks and smells so good." She inspected the rest of the snack.
Seeley smiled as he made another one. "Today was a good day, wasn't it?"
He could hear the smile in her voice, "Yes, it was. Educational, too. How come you never mentioned NCIS before?" Temperance finished off her tidbit.
She could feel him swallow a piece of snacks, "We've never had any dealings with them on any of our cases before," he said. "We haven't mentioned the CIA or NSA either, but that doesn't mean I don't know any of those people over there, either."
Temperance reached over for a slice of pepperoni. "Gibbs seems like one of the good guys." Her hand moved over to the cheese.
Seeley nodded, reaching for an apple slice, "Yeah, from some of the stories I've heard, he's got a tough history."
"Have you had any dealings with NCIS where I wasn't on the case as well? I mean where I wasn't involved in the case?" she popped the cheese and meat in her mouth.
Seeley nodded again, "Not too many, but some." Chewing on the apple slice, "Some people in the bureau don't care for them." He explained, "Some think they're nothing more than retired MPs or retread cops. But every time I've dealt with them, they've been pretty professional."
"The woman, Ziva? I think she's from Mossad," Temperance said.
Seeley nodded, "Wouldn't put it past them." Changing the subject, Seeley said, "Jon said something to me today…"
"Uh-Oh," Temperance countered. "Why do I get the feeling this is trouble?"
Seeley squeezed her, "No," he said. "This is actually something I had been thinking about before he brought it up."
"Okay…what's on your mind?"
"Well, I know we talked about this a long time ago. And I truly like the condo…"
"Will you just spit it out?"
"I was going to bring it up about a week ago…how do you feel about moving?" Seeley asked.
"Do you have someplace in particular in mind?" Temperance asked, suddenly aware of what Seeley was getting at.
"I was thinking a house," Seeley said. Temperance turned to him. "I mean with the baby coming, I was thinking a child should really grow up in a house." He watched her closely.
Temperance sat up and looked at him, "I agree." She lay back down against his chest.
"You wouldn't mind moving again? After only five years?"
"Seeley," Temperance said, "when we first started working together I lived in 3 different apartments in the first two years. This is the longest I've stayed in one place since before…"
"What?"
"Since before my parents disappeared."
"Really?"
"I guess I didn't feel anyplace was like a home for me. So I kept it easy to just pick up and move," Temperance said subdued. "But now with you, anyplace can be a home for me." She sat up again and looked at him. "Let's do it."
"Yeah?" Seeley smiled.
"Yeah," Temperance smiled back. She lay back down again.
"So, I guess we'll need to find a realtor to find a house," Seeley said.
Temperance shook her head. "Why don't we build a place?" Seeley's heart skipped a beat. "We've got the time, before the baby is born. And we'll have exactly what we want."
Seeley smiled, "Jon said if we wanted, he could help us out with the down payment for a house."
"We probably won't need it, Seeley. Besides," Temperance said, "this is going to be our house. We'll need to make it on our own."
"By the way," Seeley continued, "What are you doing Tuesday afternoon?"
Temperance smiled, "Got any plans in mind?"
"Jon told me his lawyer in Florida got an expedited hearing for the adoption."
"His lawyer called him today?"
"Yesterday…Friday," Seeley explained. "Jon didn't check his messages until this morning." He sighed, "Yesterday morning."
"We going to do anything special in celebration?"
Seeley said sardonically, "I'm sure Jon will have something planned."
"So…" she said, changing the subject yet again, "Have you thought about baby names?"
The rest of the world fell away. And Temperance and Seeley lost themselves in the small talk and interaction lovers invariably experience when they find themselves with the Love of Their Life. All that existed were the laughs, hugs and kisses that make life worthwhile. They watched, drinking in the nectar of Love, as the sun rose.