Part 13
Sofia leant on the frame of the door to the garden, watched her dogs play in the morning sunlight while she sipped her coffee. Another warm and sunny morning in L.A., another morning she had to leave her dogs alone and catch bad boys. Was she doing the right thing? Was this really the thing, she wanted to do for the rest of her life? Chasing killer, bringing the news to people, that their loved ones were killed? Did she really want to handle violence until the end of her career? Was it worth going all the way up to captain to walk through blood and countless bodies? Or should she start to think about an alternative? Like Sara had. Could she imagine to be something else than a cop? And if so, what would it be? What – that had nothing to do with law enforcement – was something she enjoyed, knew how to do? A job in a lab? No, she wasn't made to work in a lab the whole day, to stay inside. She was an active person, she needed to be on the road.
Suddenly the ground under her feet disappear, she felt something embracing her, lifting her up and spin around.
"What the…?!"
"Got you!" Don kissed her. "You were dreaming, didn't pay attention to your surrounding. That's not very good, lieutenant. You've to be alert all the time."
"If I can't trust my detective and my CSI, I've to think about getting new people in my team. You're supposed to watch each others back and not assault the other one."
"You want to tell me, if I had been a burglar, you had heard me?"
"If you had been a burglar, the dogs would have killed you."
"Yeah, the dogs. The lieutenant was somewhere in never-never land."
"Aren't you due to leave? Like five minutes ago?"
"I've to say bye-bye to my landlady and remind her, not to give my room away."
"Depends on who'll knock on my door and ask for a room. Right now, you're not very popular, I might give the room to anybody, who'll pay the rent."
"No you won't, you'll miss me too much."
"Isn't that your cab?"
"It is. I've one more thing to do." He smiled.
"What?"
"Hold still." His hands took her shirt and he started to pull it up.
"Don, what are you doing?"
"Trust me."
"If you don't stop right now I'll hurt you."
"Stay cool, I've seen you in your underwear." When he took off her shirt, she had fight the urge to slap him. It was true, he had seen her in her underwear, but that wasn't a reason why he was allowed to undress her whenever he felt like it. Only the little voice deep in her head, that told her, Don was joking around, made her not slap him. He turned the shirt inside out and put it back over her head.
"Better."
"I wore it inside out? Ooops."
"You did." He kissed her. "Say goodbye and that you'll miss me."
"Goodbye and that you'll miss me."
"Funny girl." Don hugged Sofia again. "I'll call you when I'm in New York. Anything I should bring you from there?"
"No, all I want is you back in one piece."
"I can do that. Take care, Sofia. Of the four of you."
"The dogs and Sara?"
"Yes."
"Will do."
"Bye." He kissed her again.
"Don't forget to come back in one week, Don." Sofia kissed him. "Your lieutenant won't allow you to stay away for more than one week. If you're late, you'll lose your job!"
"I like this no pressure attitude you have." He blinked at her and left the room. The cab was waiting and he had a flight to catch. One week in New York, one week to visit old friends, his family and try to chase some demons away.
Sofia knew, it was important for him to go there, to work some things out and she understood, that he wanted to do that alone. At the same time, she didn't like the fact, that he was on his own. Okay, he had his family and friends there, but she wanted to be there too, make sure, he was alright.
Now she was here without him, had to wait until he was in New York. His flight was due in almost three hours, five hours of flight, another hour to be out of the airport, so she had to wait until the late afternoon before she heard something of him. Didn't she just behave and think like a mix between a mother, who had to let go of her baby boy for the first time summer camp and a girlfriend, who couldn't imagine to be without her new lover for a second. The bad thing was, she wasn't neither one that these two things. She was plain crazy. And she liked it, it felt right.
"He's gone." Sara joined her in the living room. "Don."
"Yeah, this week will be good for him."
"He didn't seem to be very happy the last days. I hope that will be changed when he's back." Sara sat on the couch, pulled up her knees and watched Sofia, who was back at the door frame with her coffee. Thanks goodness she had put away the cup before Don got her in his arms. Otherwise she could clean the living room now.
"He'll be better, I hope."
"You weren't that happy neither."
"Life isn't always sunshine and roses."
"No, it isn't."
Sofia finished her coffee, whistled once to get the attention of her dogs. It was time for a walk with them. She had the day off, no reason not to spend time with her dogs.
"I'll take the dogs out for a long walk, time for them to spend time with their mommy."
"They'll like it. Will you have a minute or two when you're back for a talk?"
"Want to talk now?" Sofia sat next to Sara.
"I don't want to stop you and the dogs."
"Don't be stupid, Sara. They won't mind to wait a little bit longer."
"Maybe you mind to talk to me."
"Nonsense. Why should I?"
"Because you act a little bit…I don't know how to say it… weird? Strange? Reserved."
"I don't. I…" Sofia stopped. Okay, she wasn't the same, maybe she was a little bit different then usually. "I'll be fine."
Sara looked her quietly, her eyes became sad. She swallowed a few times, then stood up. "Okay, have a nice day."
"Sara…"
"No, Sofia. I understood, you don't want to talk to me about what's bothering you. I've to accept that."
"Sara…" Sofia tried to stop Sara, but the brunette had left the room and closed the door behind her.
"Shit." Sofia sighed, leant back and closed her eyes. How could she end up in this position? Why didn't she do anything to avoid that? Now she had not only damaged the friendship they had built up in the last days, she had also damaged the fragile trust, Sara had in her. How could she be Sara's safe person when she hurt her feelings? When she wasn't honest with her. Or, Sofia didn't lie, she didn't tell her everything. That wasn't the same, was it?
"I messed it up, guys." She petted Rantanplan, who laid his head on her left knee. "I'm a stupid woman, Ran, a true blonde. Tell me what to do, please. I can't let her leave like that, I can't tell her the truth because I try to avoid and ignore the truth myself. It's a damn perfect catch-22. Any plans?"
Rantanplan whined quietly while Scooby came to them and poked Sofia with his nose, like he wanted her to get up.
"We'll go for a walk, guys. I'd like to work the problem I got myself in out before we do so we can all enjoy the walk. Any suggestions?"
Both dogs started to bark.
"Talk? Because I said the wrong things I'm in this trouble."
Both dogs didn't stop barking and poked Sofia.
"Okay, I'll talk to her but if I mess it up completely, you'll tell Don tonight when he calls. If I tell him, he'll come back and I'll get a patada…You heard that? Isn't it great, she makes me remember Spanish words." Sofia got up. "I'm such a hopeless case." She left the living room, checked the kitchen. Empty. Probably Sara was upstairs in her room. With the dogs right behind her, she went up the stairs, knocked in Sara's door and waited for an answer. Nothing happened. She knocked again. Nothing.
"Sara?" Carefully Sofia opened the door. The room was empty, there was no sound coming out of the bathroom. It seemed like Sara had left house.
"Great, I messed up big times. Scoob, Ran, we need to find Sara. Get your leashes, please!" She got her cell phone out of her room, no message. Like usually when she told them to get their leashes, the dogs sat in front of the front door, leashes on the ground, barking, waggling, excited.
"Okay guys, where is Sara? Can you find Sara for me? Find Sara, go!"
They weren't search dogs, Sofia knew, they wouldn't start to run and get her straight to Sara, she had to use her own head. After all, she got herself in this situation. With her bike and her car still in the garage, she was sure, Sara was gone on foot. That meant, she wasn't that far ahead.
There were two, no three places, Sofia could imagine Sara went to. First to the motel, but that wasn't very likely. She wasn't looking for a room for the night. Number two was her therapist. She had an appointment this afternoon, there was no reason to go there now. Doctor Weinberg had no time for her. That left her with place number three, the dog's playground. The brunette liked that place, she liked to watch how all the dogs got along without a problem and played.
Her dogs pulled her automatically to the dog's playground, as it was their favorite spot too and they were very happy, when Sofia didn't make them walk around the reservoir first, but went straight to the playground. She took another road so that – in case Sara sat on her favorite bench – she didn't see them coming down Silver Lake Boulevard.
Sofia smirked when she saw the back of her new housemate. She had been right, Sara went to her favorite spot in Silver Lake. She took her dogs off the leash when she opened the gate and both ran straight to Sara, ruining Sofia's little surprise.
"Scooby, Rantanplan, what are you doing here?" Sara turned surprised.
"They missed you."
"No, they wanted to be here to play." She petted the dogs, magically had two treats in her hands and after the dogs had eaten them, they went off to explore who else was around and with whom they could play.
"Mind?" Sofia pointed of the empty place next to Sara.
"No, of course not."
"Thanks." What now? How to start? What to say? This wasn't a comfortable situation, Sofia hated to be in situations like this. It felt a little bit like, you were about to end a long term relationship, trying not to hurt the other one, also you knew, you'd hurt him or her anyway. No matter which words you chose.
"I'm sorry, Sara." An apology was always a good way to start.
"What for?"
"Being me."
"Usually it's my part to apologize for being me."
"You don't have to apologize for anything."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Sofia, I'm not stupid. I've realized since when you behave strange. Wednesday. It wasn't your job and it wasn't the food in the restaurant that made you act weird. It wasn't the news, that I've got a job, that made you act strange. It was this stupid kiss I gave you. Since that time you're reserved."
Sofia sighed. The problem with Sara was, this woman was simply too damn smart. There was no way you could play her, she knew when you tried to pretend something, that wasn't real. Not the best thing. At least not for Sofia right now.
"I didn't want to hurt your feelings or give you the feeling I play you. It was just…I wanted to prove you wrong. I'm sorry, it wasn't a smart thing to do."
"It's not your fault, I've no idea what's wrong with me, how can you know?"
"Are you in love with me, Sofia?"
