Where There's Smoke

"That fire alarm wasn't part of a drill was it? It just didn't go off by accident? Because we know there wasn't an actual fire." Strickland asked Sandra as they sat on the sofa together after dinner. He was watching a football match while she immersed herself in a magazine.

"Do you really want to know the answer to that question?" she asked looking up from her reading material. She knew that he often looked the other way on many of the stunts her guys pulled but usually the less he knew the better.

"Yes I do," He replied more confident than he actually felt. He knew something was up and this time he wanted to know what it was.

"You have to promise not to do anything about it." She warned him, she didn't honestly think he would do much but she didn't need to hear it from the boys if Strickland decided to have a chat with them.

"I knew it. Gerry did it didn't he?" She gave him a look. "Yes, yes, I promise not to do anything." He sighed. He was smarter than that and he knew better. He knew how strong of a bond existed between Sandra and the boys and none of them not even Sandra would let it go if he said something.

"Of course it was Gerry." She told him with a smile. Her feet where resting in his lap and she stretch them a little. She was a surprised he even had to ask her, had she not been there she still would have known Gerry did it.

"Why the bloody hell did he do it?" he cried. He thought it was only stupid kids who went around pulling the fire alarm for no reason. Gerry knew better than that.

"For Jack" she replied simply.

"What does that mean exactly? Why would Gerry pull the fire alarm for Jack?" He asked her even more confused than he was when they started the conversation.

"Jack had no desire to get up and talk to another group of people, and certainly not a bunch of kids. I guess his talk didn't go so well the other day. Brian and Gerry had something to do with it but I'm not sure exactly what happened none of them will talk about it. But whatever happened Jack was not please with Brian and Gerry. I think Gerry was trying to make up for it." She had asked all three of them and they wouldn't tell her anything, not even Brian. She could usually count on him to let something slip but not this time.

"Pulling the fire alarm at the office is hardly the way to do it." He grumbled at her some times it really did feel like those three where over grown children.

"If I were you I wouldn't bother to asking Jack again. Brian's liable to actually burn down the place trying to help him." She warned picking her magazine back up from her lap.

"So what am I suppose to do with this information." He moaned he knew he shouldn't have asked he hated knowing things like this.

"Drink your beer and forget I ever said anything" she told him firmly.

"I think in this case you are right." He nodded in agreement he couldn't argue with her logic on this one.

"Not just in this case." She said smiling turning her attention back to her magazine once more. He chose not to comment because he didn't want to have to admit she was right about being right.

About an hour later the match was coming to an end and he surreptitiously looked over at Sandra. She was almost finished with her magazine. The timing was perfect he wanted to ask her something but he knew she wasn't exactly going to being receptive to the idea. Finally after mentally calling himself a coward a few times he just went for it.

"Sandra" he asked carefully, his tone more than her name caught her attention.

"Yes Robert" she replied looking up from her magazine giving him a questioning look.

"I…ah want to…um" he stumbled suddenly over come with nervousness. He always got this way when he wanted to talk about something she wouldn't like.

"Just say it Robert" she said with a laugh. She couldn't help but find him adorable when he got nervous.

"I want to ask you to do something that I know you won't want to do." He said quickly as if he where removing a bandage.

"I'm not sure what to say to that, if you know I won't want to do it then why exactly are you asking? Is this something to do with work?" She was stunned that he would come right out and say that.

"No Christ no I would never ask something like that at home, I know better."

"Then what could you possibly ask me to do?" She inquired confused as to what he wanted to ask her. She was beginning to worry a little bit.

"Just promise me you will think about it before you say no" he asked her taking her hand.

"Yes, yes, now just tell me what this is all about?" She snapped exasperated. He was not making her feel very comfortable.

"Come out with me on the boat again." He asked with a wince anticipating her negative reaction.

"What? Are you joking?" she practically yelled pulling her hand away. How could he possibly ask her something like that? To her his boat was evil and she wanted nothing to do with it.

"But-" he began but she cut him off.

"Have you forgotten what happened that last time?" she cried in shock. She would never be able to forget.

"You were pretty insistent that you didn't get sea sick you kept telling me it was a migraine." He reminded her hoping she would agree.

"So you want to try it again and prove me wrong?" she challenged. She felt no need to test her theory.

"No but every time I go out on the Last Minett and I'm alone I miss you. You're not there with me and I wish you were." He explained he was trying to be romantic but she clearly didn't see it that way.

"I know I'm usually here on the sofa enjoying a bottle of wine and not throwing up." She informed him folding her arms in front of her and glaring at him.

"But I want to be out there with you" he moaned. He got tired of being on the water alone he wanted to share the beautiful scene with her.

"You want to go sailing again with me and risk me getting sick and being miserable?" She asked him continuing to glaring at him she still couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes" he said foolishly.

"Do you hate me that much?" she cried. It was not possible that the man she loved would put her through that again.

"No I love you and I like sailing and I want to do things I like with you." He tried to explain to her once more, he was asking her to do this because he loved her.

"I thought we agreed that sailing is a thing you do on your own and with the kids." She replied suddenly feeling exhausted at the thought of it all.

"Yes I know but I really want to take you back out." He took her hand once more hopeful when she didn't pull away.

"Again I ask, do you hate me that much?"

"No I just think you would really like it if…"

"If I don't throw up" she said finishing his thought for him.

"Yes" he answered softly.

"But if I do throw up it isn't going to be fun at all." She reminded him yet she already felt defeated he would beg and eventually she would give in.

"I think we can find a way to stop it. If you do get sick and it could be a big 'if' because you could be right and it was a migraine. But if you do start to feel sick at all you just take one of the motion sickness pills and you will be all better." He told her quickly he wanted her to know that he had thought this through it wasn't just a spur of the moment crazy idea.

"See that doesn't sound fun" she moaned.

"Please" he begged.

"Oh fine but I am doing this under protest." She almost couldn't believe she was agreeing to his stupid idea.

"But you'll come?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, on one condition" she warned him.

"Yes of course sure." He would agree to almost anything even going to see Les Mis again.

"If I do get sick again that's it no more, no third time's a charm, no more boats." She was willing to do this if only to prove him wrong and put an end to it once and for all.

"Yes of course just one more try" he promised her. That was all he wanted was one more chance.

"Then fine I will go with you" she agreed. She knew this would not go well but she clearly was the only one who thought so.

"I promise I will bring real food this time. So you won't get hungry and get a headache." He added he really had given this a lot of thought and was trying to prepare for everything.

"Are you trying to ensure I have plenty to throw up?" She moaned at the thought of getting sick on a full stomach.

"How about crackers?" he asked amending his thoughts.

"That will work" she agreed. She still thought the idea was terrible but she was willing to try for him.

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"I really thought the sea sickness pills would work." He commented holding her hair back as she threw up her lunch over the side of the boat. "I'm sorry." He tried to apologize but he could tell she wasn't about to accept it.

Once she was finally done being sick she slowly turned back around and slumped down on the seat breathing heavily. Her stomach was still unsettled but there was nothing left for her to throw up. She felt exhausted and in needed of a shower.

"Here drink this slowly." He suggested handing her a bottle of water. "You should probably take another pill." She nodded weakly and swallowed the pill he handed her. "I think you were supposed to take it before we got on the boat." He said sheepishly as he read the directions on the box.

"I hate you and I hate this boat." She growled glaring at him. She pushed him off the bench and proceeded to curl up. She knew from the previous trip that nothing she did would help so she did what her body wanted.

"I'm sorry I will take us back to the club. It may take a little while." He apologized to her, he felt terrible, she was sick and it was all his fault.

"Whatever, this sick feeling isn't going to go away once we get there any way." She moaned, she was furious at him for this whole mess.

"I really am so sorry." He bent down and brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her on the forehead."

"I am so mad at you right now." She growled closing her eyes desperately trying to shut out the water and the boat.

"I am so sorry." He said softly as he stood up.

"Never again" she replied angrily.

It took nearly forty minutes to get the yacht back to the club and some time along the way she managed to fall asleep. When they finally reached the dock rather than wake her immediately he let her sleep right there as he secured the boat and cleaned up. Once he was finished he bent down and woke her gently kissing her on the forehead once more.

"Sandra wake up its time to go home" he said softly.

"What?" she asked barely conscious as she opened her eyes just a little to look at him.

"We are back at the club it's time to go home you need to get up so we can get you to the car."

"Where?" she moaned her head hurt and she felt like she might be sick. She couldn't think straight her mind was all foggy and all she wanted to do was go back to sleep.

"Come on let's sit you up" He said helping her sit up. "Good you ready to stand up?" He didn't want to rush her but he knew she would feel better once she got to the car.

"Yeah" she answered as she slowly stood up with his help. He very carefully helped her off the boat on to the dock. Together they made their way up to the car. Strickland had barely started the car and pulled out of the car park before she was once again asleep. He repeated the process once more when they made it home. He was able to get her upstairs and into the bed before she fell asleep.

He would have preferred to lay there next to her watching her sleep but he knew she would be less than pleased with him when she woke up and found him hovering. Instead he settled on the sofa with a beer and turned on golf. He decided to at least try and enjoy the rest of the day till she woke up and yelled at him. He felt horrible for what had put her through that afternoon but he honestly thought she would be alright this time. She had been convinced it wasn't sea sickness the last time and he had started to believe her. He should have known better, he was thankful that at least the motion sickness pill might have helped enough to put her to sleep. Yet he still felt terribly guilty for what she had gone through, his intentions might have been good but he still ended hurting her.

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A few hours later he heard the water turn on upstairs and it sounded to him that Sandra was awake and taking a shower. He hoped she felt better after her nap yet he didn't think a nap was enough to allow her to forgive him. He continued to sit on the sofa feeling like a condemned man as he waited for her to come down and yell at him.

He had to wait another half an hour before he heard her foot steps on the stairs. She was dressed in far more comfortable clothes than he left her in, her hair was wet and if he wasn't in trouble he would have been trying to get her back upstairs. She silently sat down next to him without saying a word.

"How are you feeling?" he asked cautiously.

"Better, less like I threw up over the side of your boat." She replied without a hint of emotion making it impossible for him to know what she was thinking.

"That's good" he replied. He knew she was still upset but he didn't know what to do to make her feel better.

"Yes it is." She replied and they were both silent for a little while. Strickland decided to let Sandra take the lead if she was going to yell at him he was going to let her. "So I'm going to ask again, do you hate me that much?" She asked finally looking over at him. He was so on edge he jumped a little when she spoke to him. But he couldn't miss the look she was giving him. He would have felt better if she glared at him. Instead she still looked a little tired and she looked hurt. If possible he felt even more guilty.

"No of course not I love you." He cried taking her hand. She shot him a look and he quickly let go.

"Then you have a very funny way of showing it. I seem to remember telling you it was a bad idea and I didn't want to go." She shot back at him she couldn't understand why he hadn't listened to her in the first place instead he begged and pushed her into getting on that stupid boat.

"I know but you seemed so convinced that it wasn't sea sickness that I believed you and thought we could have fun." He tried to explain weakly, even to him it sounded like a pretty bad excuse.

"Well thank you for proving me wrong." She spat starting to get a little angry. The day would have been a lot nicer had he just left things as they were. They could have gone for a walk in the park or even had a picnic. Instead she ended up throwing up over the side of the boat.

"I am so sorry. I will never ask you again." He promised he didn't know what else to say to make her understand how sorry he was.

"That's good seeing as that was what we had agreed to in the first place" she replied dryly.

"You have every right to be mad at me but I really did think it would be different this time" he begged.

"So you said" she wasn't quite ready to forgive him just yet.

"I thought the motion sickness pills would have stopped it once you where feeling sick." It was the truth he really had wanted this trip to go well instead it fell apart right in front of him.

"Clearly not" she sighed at him.

"At least they managed to put you to sleep for the rest of the trip so you didn't get sick again."

"Yes lets be thankful for that small favor. Saved me from having to throw up overboard again. Do you think I like throwing up over the side of your boat?" She growled at him how could he thing she would be happy.

"No of course not" he professed he would never intentionally cause he to get sea sick.

"It is actually quite embarrassing" she cried angrily.

"You shouldn't feel embarrassed lots of people get sea sick." He told her he really didn't want her to feel embarrassed on top of everything else.

"It is embarrassing to be hanging over the side of a boat losing your lunch for everyone on the river to see. And you could get away with saying that after the first time it happened. But not this time not when you dragged me out there." To her great dismay a few tears escaped down her cheeks and she angrily wiped them away.

"I'm sorry I am so sorry. I honestly would never have put you through that again if I thought you would end up getting sick." He said frantically pulled her into his arms as he apologized, he felt terrible already and her tears only me him feel worse.

"Maybe next time you will listen to me." She replied softly but she didn't try to push him away she allowed herself to melt into his arms.

"I will I promise" he told her emphatically he would never do something like this to her every again.

"And don't you dare ask me to go on a boat with you ever again." She growled slightly pushing back so he was looking into her eyes.

"I won't I promise, what can I do to make this better, make you feel better? How is your stomach and your head?" He asked desperate to do anything he could to help her feel.

"They seem to be better, I think the three naps cleared it all up."

"Does that mean you are up for some real food for dinner? Whatever you want, curry, Chinese, pizza, I can even run down the road to that little place you like and get you some soup, tell me what you want and I will get it for you." He begged her he needed to do something.

"Well now that you mention it I could really go for a nice greasy pepperoni pizza." She told him with a big smile.

"You sure?" he asked a greasy pizza didn't sound like the best option after what she had been through.

"You said anything I wanted" she complained.

"Just checking that your stomach will enjoy it as much as you will." He asked her, he was willing to do whatever Sandra wanted he just didn't want to do anything to make the day worse.

"I'm good we're not on the boat anymore" she reminded him.

"As I said just double checking, your wish is my command." He replied flashing her a smile.

"My hero" she said sarcastically.

"While we wait I could always give you a back rub?" he offered. He was searching his mind for anything he could do to make it up to her.

"I threw up because of your boat I didn't get hit by it."

"Are you telling me your muscles aren't tight from all the stress you were put through today?" He said as he began to rub her shoulders. "Cause they feel very tight."

"I suppose my body has been through a lot today" she admitted to herself and him.

"I will go make the order, you go upstairs and get comfortable." He suggested as he stood up smiling at her.

"Alright but this is in no way going to lead to sex" she warned him.

"Of course not this is all about you relaxing" he replied. He honestly just wanted to help her relax and feel better. It was his fault she was in the condition she was.

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"How is it I say no sex and yet that is exactly what happens." She couldn't help but laugh. Even she had to agree she felt much more relaxed now.

"Seemed to me you changed your mind" he pointed out.

"Well you already had my clothes off and it felt quite good when you were rubbing that lotion on my back. It did seem like a waste not to" she admitted playfully.

"I completely agree" he sighed contently

"I don't think I have ever eaten pizza in bed naked before." She told him as she took a bite of her pepperoni pizza.

"I find it a great way to eat" he laughed as he ate his own.

"I'm not surprised, please don't get any grease on the sheets I don't want them stained." She warned him.

"Yes ma'am."

"While I will say the afternoon did not start off very well this evening has made up for it a bit." She told him as she ate, she was furious at him earlier but she was much calmer now.

"Does that mean I am forgiven?" he asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't go straight to forgiven, I am significantly less angry with you." She informed him with a smile.

"I was thinking we should do whatever you want tomorrow." He knew he needed to do something more to make it up to her for ruining her day. The best choice was simply to let her decided what she wanted to do.

"Anything?"

"Yes anything" he confirmed he was truly willing to do whatever she wanted he honestly felt that bad.

"Even shopping?"

"Yes even that" he said with a laugh.

"And you will hold my handbag if I need to try something one?"

"Yes I will" he agreed with a nod. He really didn't like having to hold her bag but he was willing to do even that it she wanted him to.

"It is the end of the season I bet I could find some boots on sale and then I could find some new sandals for the summer." She said thinking out loud her mind already determining which stores she wanted to visit with him the following day.

"If you want to" he said trying to sound excited.

"That could be a fun way to spend the day" she grinned at him.

"You are going to make it torture for me aren't you?" he whinged.

"Yes and yet it won't even come close to throwing up over the side of a boat in the middle of the Thames." She told firmly.

"That is true" he had to concur and a pang of guilt washed over him.

"Glad we agree."

"I really am sorry about today I never meant to put you through that." He told her taking her hand and kissing her palm.

"I know but please next time just listen to me" she asked him softly.

"I promise."

A/N I probably should have put a note on the previous story explaining it was one of the original add on that I wrong, it was the only one without Strickland's kids in so I hope I didn't confuse anyone. Thanks for reading and Reviewing.