It's been weeks, I know. R/L is kicking my ass and I've become embroiled in my Stargate Atlantis fic it just refuses to let me alone!
Forest Angel: Thanks for stopping in. I am issuing a fluff warning for this one! Angell's predicament just came to me one night and I decided what the hell! I'd take liberties with her character. AS long as it's not for my own profit it's ok, right?!
Katydid13: Thanks, glad to see people are still reading!
BEG75: I like Angell, she's got great potential. I can't help but be jealous of her though, she's so gonna hook up with Flack in Season 5. I think she's even going to be a series regular, although I could be wrong there so don't quote me! Thanks for the nice messages, it helps!
hope4sall: Thanks so much. I wanted to show that Don and Kate are strong enough to stand up to the fact that Kate's insecure about Angell (she's gorgeous, who wouldn't be!). And I think that it's a nice touch that they can be friends. I'm all for the happy endings!
Mrs Don Flack Jr: Some nice fluff just for you! And because I feel like it!
I'll reply to you all individually ASAP, just wanted to get some nice fluffy normality back into Kate's life! She needs it and so do I! Hope ye don't get cavities (",)
Chapter 29. Land of the Free
The faint sound of whimpering woke Flack out of a sound sleep. He immediately reached out for Kate, puzzled when she wasn't there. It was the first time they'd stayed together in almost two weeks. She hadn't wanted to leave Tara on her own and their shifts had been opposites for the last week solid. So when she'd told him to let himself in after he finished he'd jumped at the chance to spend a few hours with her where it was just the two of them. Kate had been so soundly asleep when he came in that he hadn't the heart to wake her. He'd merely curled up beside her, letting the warmth of her body lull him into sleep.
Blinking sleep out of his eyes, he peered at her bedside clock. Four am. He sighed. It had been only two hours since he'd fallen into bed beside her. He threw back the covers and went barefoot towards the noise that had woken him up. "Kate?"
He found her sitting on Tara's bed. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched as she held her trembling sister tightly and murmured to her softly. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away.
Finally, Tara relaxed and Kate tucked the comforter around her. She took Flack's outstretched hand and followed him back to her own bedroom in silence.
"How long has that been happening?"
Kate turned from her post at the window to look at him. He was sitting on her bed, hair messed from sleep and blue eyes watching her intently. "Since she got out of hospital."
"That's almost three weeks now!" Flack was horrified. "Is she seeing someone about it?"
Kate shook her head mutely. "Don, she doesn't even remember it in the morning. She screams in her sleep and she doesn't remember. " Tears of frustration spilled down her cheeks. "I can't help her, Don. I can't help her."
"Come here," Flack said softly, opening his arms.
Kate immediately went over and climbed into his lap, sighing against his chest when he wrapped his arms around her and closing her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For waking you," she replied, letting out a yawm. "I know you're exhausted."
"Baby, you can't fix this," he told her, stroking her hair gently. "She needs to ride this one out on her own. Just like you did."
"I had you," Kate replied softly, sighing as the soothing motion of his hands relaxed her. She stiffened suddenly, pulled back from him. "You're not sleeping with my sister!
Flack laughed at her disgruntled expression. "Thank God for that. I couldn't handle both of you!"
She smacked him hard on the chest and then simply dropped her head against his shoulder. "What do I do? She won't listen to me when I tell her to talk to someone. Dee says she won't talk to the hospital shrink."
"She'll talk when she's ready," Flack soothed, resuming his rhythmic stroking of her hair. "Kate, you need to sleep."
She nodded wordlessly, burrowing closer to him. "I just wish that I could do something."
"You can't tonight," Flack pointed out reasonably. "All you can do is talk to her in the morning and try get her to open up a little. Maybe Davis could help."
"Davis?"
"He's crazy about her," Flack stated matter of factly.
"How do you know?" Kate pulled back to look up at him. "Did he say something?"
Flack shook his head. "I have eyes, Kennedy."
Kate smirked. "Yes you do. Pretty blue ones!" She pinched his cheeks, laughing as he shied away from her. "Awh, come on, Donnie, you know everyone loves those baby blues!"
"Quit it," he growled, "or I'll..."
"You'll what?" Kate asked, wriggling away from him as he began to tickle her ribs. "No! Stop that!"
Flack gave up and drew her back into his arms. "I don't know what to do for her," he admitted. "I wish there was something I could do."
"You do?"
"Of course," Flack answered, looking at her as if she'd grown an extra head. "Tara's your sister. That makes her my business too."
Kate wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "You're a very good man," she whispered. "A very good man."
"I've been known to have moments," he agreed, lying down and pulling her against him. "Kate, you need to sleep, baby."
She reached over and pulled his head across so she could kiss him. "Later, " she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and laughing softly as he flipped her over onto her back, pinning her to the bed.
Tara wandered into the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes. Dee had already left for work, so it was just Kate who sat there, sipping at a mug of tea and reading the paper. She looked up as her twin approached, smiling at her. "Hey."
Tara reached for the mug and took a gulp. "Hi. Where's Don?
"He got a callout. He left earlier. Said to say goodbye."
Tara nodded and sat at the table across from Kate, her hair hanging limply in her face. She looked exhausted, Kate thought, watching her as she stared into space.
"Sleep ok?" Kate asked carefully.
Tara shrugged. "I guess."
"Tara, you had another nightmare," Kate set down her mug and faced her. "I was in your room at four am. You don't remember?"
A mute shake of her head was Tara's only answer. She took her mug and went to leave the kitchen, but not before Kate saw the sheen of tears in her green eyes.
"Tara, talk to me," Kate pleaded. "You can't go on like this. Do you think I haven't noticed that you can't even go outside the front door? Or that you panic when you hear loud noises? Or that you pace around your room at night when you can't sleep?" She was standing, blocking Tara's way out of the little room.
"I'm fine," Tara told her flatly, attempting to walk around her. "Just let me deal with this my own way, ok?"
"Tara," Kate held her stance firmly, forcing Tara to look at her. "I don't think that – "
"I said leave me alone!" Tara hurled her mug to the ground, shattering it and sending hot tea splashing all over the floor. "Don't tell me what to feel, what to do! Don't!"
"Tara." Kate stared helplessly at her. "Tara, I didn't mean..."
"Just leave it." Tara held up a hand when Kate started towards her. "Katie, please. Just leave it for now. Ok?"
"Ok," Kate repeated in a whisper. "Ok." She watched as her sister disappeared into her bedroom and pressed her shaking hands to her stomach. Reaching for her cell phone, she dialled quickly. "Hey. It's Kate. Can I ask you a favour?"
Tara heard the knock on her bedroom door and growled in frustration. Couldn't they just leave her alone! She threw back the covers on the bed and stalked to the door. "Katie, I told you!" She yanked the door open and stopped short when she saw Ty Davis standing outside it. "What are you doing here?"
He was dressed in sweatpants and a grey PD t-shirt with running shoes. "I wanted to see you. Haven't heard from you in a while."
"Kate called you," Tara said, fixing him with an accusing glare. "Didn't she?" She shoved past him into the hall. "You can come out now, Kate!"
Kate's door opened and she peeked out, a guilty flush staining her cheeks. "Sorry, T. I didn't know what else to do."
Tara turned hot green eyes back on Davis, who had the grace to blush. "Ok, so she called me." He shrugged. "I did want to see you, though. I missed you. We haven't talked in a while." He reached out to tuck an errant strand of red hair behind her ears. "How you doing, Shorty?"
Tara looked up at him and burst into tears.
"Hey," he said in surprise. "That's not the reaction I was hoping for!" Reaching out, he wrapped her in his arms and rocked gently. "C'mon, Tara. Am I that bad?"
"No," Tara sobbed, burrowing against his chest. "But I missed you too. And I didn't want to. "
Davis laughed softly. "Good to know." He tipped her head up so he could see her face. "Next time, just pick up the phone, ok?"
"I'm sorry, T," Kate ventured, coming towards them. "I didn't know what else to do. And Ty was so good to you in the hospital, I just thought-"
"Thank you," Tara whispered softly, taking her sister's hand in hers and squeezing. "Thank you, Katie."
"Ok," Davis interjected, sensing a crying jag coming on. "Enough of this. Tara, what are you doing on Friday night?"
Tara looked up at him warily, knuckling a tear away from her eye. "Why?"
Kate, sensing what was coming, bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. "Answer the man, T!"
"The charity ball," Davis explained. "I've got two tickets and the night off." He winked at her. "Just need a date that won't spoil the photographs now."
"A date?" Tara stiffened immediately. "Ty, I'm not sure that I-I mean I can't...I don't want to..."
"I want you to come with me," Davis told her firmly. "Tara, you need to get out of the house. And Kate and Dee will be there. Do you really want to stay in on your own?" He turned dark eyes on her. "Tara, you have to get out. Do you want him to win?"
Kate held her breath, watching as Tara struggled, torn between wanting to stay in where she felt safe and take the hand Ty was offering her. Finally, she shook her head. "No."
"No?" Davis prompted gently. "No, what?"
Tara looked up at him. "No, I don't want him to win."
Kate threw her arms around her twin. "That's my girl. Now, go get dressed. We have to get something for you to wear!"
"Kate." Davis pulled her aside as Tara disappeared into her bedroom again. "What happened?"
Kate quickly filled him in on what had happened in the kitchen. Davis' face was grim when she finished. "Sounds like she needs to talk to someone."
"She won't," Kate said glumly. "Don says she has to ride it out by herself, like I did."
"You had him,"Davis felt compelled to point out.
"She's got me," Kate retorted, more sharply than she intended. She sighed and leaned against the wall. "Sorry, Ty. I didn't mean to sound like a shrew. It's just that we've been able to tell each other everything, our whole lives. I've never had secrets from her."
"This isn't a secret," Davis interrupted calmly. "Sometimes, when you're hurting, you just can't tell the person you're closest to." He looked over his shoulder when he heard the sound of the shower starting. "What do your parents say?"
"They wanted to come out," Kate answered. "I told them we'd be home as soon as we could coordinate vacation time."
"Maybe you should shoot for that soon," Davis suggested. He pulled on his baseball cap. "I'm going to leave you two ladies to your shopping."
"Thanks, Ty," Kate said gratefully, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."
"You'd have figured it out," Davis said confidently. "Tell her I'll call her later."
"This week flew," Kate said, fussing with her dress and peering at Tara's reflection in the mirror. "Didn't it?"
"Yeah." Tara was staring at her reflection. Her eyes were huge with what Kate thought was a mixture of fear and doubt. "Kate, I don't think I can..."
"I'll get it!" Dee called as the doorbell pealed. She peered through the peephole and her eyes lit up. "Well hello, boys!"
Flack and Brian stood outside, wearing full dress blues. Brian swept her into a bear hug, laughing as she squealed out a protest. "You'll crease me!"
"Let me look at you," Brian ordered, setting her back on her feet and holding up one of her hands so she could twirl around. "Wow."
"Wow is right," Flack agreed, whistling at her. "You look hot, Dee!"
She rolled her eyes, blushing. "Stop that!"
The red dress with its scoop neckline and full skirt was perfect on her slender figure. Her hair was scooped back and pinned up, leaving her pretty face exposed. Minimal make up and twinkling stones at her throat and ears finished off the outfit. She turned her face up for Brian's kiss, still blushing. "You look pretty hot too, Cambelli."
"I'm going to have to buy me a cattle prod," Brian predicted, "They'll all want a piece of my girl."
"They will," Flack agreed seriously. "Deanna, I want one dance."
"Get your own woman," Brian warned. "This one's mine!"
"Stop that!" Dee repeated, elbowing him. "And answer that while I finish getting ready."
"What's wrong with you the way you are?" Brian demanded, going to answer the door. He let Davis in. "Hey, buddy. Don't you look pretty! All dressed up in the blues for your first date!"
"Bite me," was Davis' polite suggestion, but he was grinning as he took a seat in the living room. He whistled when Dee hurried in. "Nice!"
"Thanks, Ty," she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "Have a seat. Tara will be ready in a minute. Kate is finishing with her hair." She shook her head. "Those girls can never once be on time!" She scurried out again when Kate's voice was heard calling her. "Coming!"
"Women, "Flack said, shaking his head. "They're a constant puzzle."
"They're not," Brian argued. "Dee is as straightforward as they come. No hidden dramas, no deep seated issues…" He lifted his beer and took a long gulp. "She's amazing."
"Except for Sam," Flack reminded him, watching his friend's mouth harden. "Sorry. Had to point that one out"
"Sam is a horse's ass," Brian said dismissively. "She's worth a million of that other woman. Damn fool is blind."
"Agreed," Davis said. "Dee is great." He shifted uncomfortably. "How do you get past the issues part of it?"
"Talking about Tara?" Brian asked sympathetically. He shook his head. "Dee had nightmares for weeks after Kate was taken. She couldn't sleep the entire time Tara was in hospital." He took a swig out of the beer bottle Flack handed him. "I can't tell you how to help Tara with this one, son. I've got nothing." His eyes darkened. "Thank God. I think if anyone did that to Dee, I'd..." His unspoken threat hung in the air.
"Just listen to her," Flack suggested. "And provide a shoulder. She needs a friend right now, I'm guessing. But if you hurt her, l'll have to shoot you." He grinned at Brian, who laughed at Davis' face. "I've gotten kind of fond of her."
"Listen to us," Brian scoffed. "Talking like a bunch of girls! Deanna!" He hollered her name. "Let's go! I'm starving!"
"Stop always thinking about your stomach, Cambelli," Kate scolded. She stood in the doorway, a shy smile on her face.
"Wow," Flack was speechless for a moment. He was aware of his friends' admiring whistles and Brian's teasing compliments. "You look… wow."
"Wow," Kate said, leaning forward to kiss him, "is good." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and twirled around gracefully. "You like it?"
The midnight blue dress was nipped at the waist and fell in grecian style folds to the floor. Her hair was spilling over her shoulders and down her back in a riot of curls. She'd pinned it back at the sides with sparkling combs to match the glittery blue and diamond drops in her ears.
"Are those real diamonds?"
"Do they look like them?" Kate asked Davis, who was staring at her. "No, Ty, it's called costume jewellery. Think I could afford the real thing on a public servant's salary?"
"Fair point."
"Wait until you see Tara," Kate told Davis with a wink as she took a sip of Flack's beer. "You're going to swallow your tongue!"
Tara appeared moments later, fidgeting nervously with the sash on her jade coloured dress. The front of it covered the scar on her chest where she'd had the central line in the hospital. The silk material was slashed at the back, revealing her shoulders and the curve of her spine. Her hair was pinned up in a similar fashion to Dee's, and she carried a small clutch bag. "Are we all ready?"
"You look amazing," Davis told her quietly.
"Thanks," she said,almost shyly. "You look pretty good, too. You all do," she added, raising her voice. "Amazing what dress blues can do for a man. Katie, you don't look that hot in yours."
"Hey!" Kate protested, tossing a throw pillow at her. "Easy on the insults, there, little sister."
"Can we please go?" Brian demanded. "I'm dying of starvation here!"
Kate looked around the big ballroom admiringly. "We need a night off like this," she whispered to Dee, who nodded vigorously. "Tara really needs this."
"She's doing ok so far," Dee pointed out, looking over at where Tara was chatting to Lindsay. "Lindsay looks great, doesn't she?"
"She's really starting to look pregnant," Kate agreed, smiling.
Lindsay's pink dress was gathered under the bust, flowing neatly over her tiny bump. Danny kept a protective hand on her arm, his eyes straying constantly to her stomach.
Stella, dressed in a black halter dress, looked stunning. Her curls were swept up into a loose knot and she was chatting animatedly to Peyton and Mac.
"Who's on sitter duty tonight?" Kate asked Flack as he handed her a glass of wine.
"Adam," Hawkes answered, having heard her question. He ambled over to where they were standing and introduced his date, a pretty dark skinned woman named Moira. She smiled shyly at them all and took the scene in with her dark eyes.
"Lot of cops here," Kate said kindly, noting that she seemed a little intimidated. "It can be pretty scary at first. Where did you meet Sheldon?"
Moira smiled, her face lighting up. "At the hospital. He was coming in with a body."
"Sheldon!" Kate exclaimed, elbowing the grinning Hawkes. "You picked up your girl in a morgue!"
"Nope," he replied, still grinning. "I picked her up in the ER when she threw up on me and fainted."
Moira blushed furiously. "I had a bug," she defended herself. "I was hospitalised for a week!"
"And Shel here kept you company," Danny cut in, high fiving Hawkes. "Nice work, my friend."
"I have my moments," Hawkes said modestly, making them all laugh.
"We've been assigned seats," Flack reported, joining them in time to catch the end of the conversation. "Mac, Peyton, you're with the big wigs, not with us mere mortals."
"They joys of being married to the Chief Medical Examiner," Mac said with an exaggerated sigh.
"Do shut up!" Peyton exclaimed, elbowing her husband. "You love it. Especially," she added with a pointed look at Mac, "when I get you tickets to all those football games!"
"I'll marry you," Brian volunteered to gales of laughter. "If you get me season tickets to the basketball!"
"i've got those already," Dee said nonchalantly, struggling not to laugh as Brian's jaw dropped. "If you're good, I'll take you to the next one."
"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice boomed over the PA system. "Could you all take your assigned seats and we'll open the festivities."
"That's Chief Sinclair," Flack whispered to Kate as they took their seats at the huge round table they'd been assigned. "He's going to give a long speech and then we'll get to eat."
"He does love the sound of his own voice," a voice chimed in.
Kate turned to see Jessica Angell standing there, a small smile playing about her lips. She looked stunning in a pale pink halter dress, her dark hair swept up from her face in a sleek knot. "Hey."
Kate squeezed her hand tightly. "I'm glad you're here, Jess. You look great."
"Well well, Angell," Flack teased. "Who knew you could look so hot!" He grunted as both Jess and Kate elbowed him. "Hey!"
"Flack!" Stella hissed, giving him an evil stare. "Be quiet!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow officers of the New York City Police and Fire Departments, it is my honour to welcome you all here this evening," Sinclair began. He looked around the room, taking them all in with one sweeping glance. "As you all know, this is a charity fundraiser for the families and victims of the terrible events of nine eleven."
The room fell silent as everyone there reflected on the dark hours following the collapse of the towers of the World Trade Centre.
"We all knew people who perished in that building," Sinclair continued, "and we know the effect that it continues to have on our city."
"He's good," Tara commented in a whisper, leaning in towards Dee, who nodded, enraptured by the events before her.
"I ask you all to stand and observe one minute of silence for our fallen comrades and all the victims of that terrible day."
The entire room rose in one single fluid movement, facing the podium as a single unit. A buzzer sounded, and Tara and Dee watched as the various members of the police and fire department immediately saluted sharply.
"Wow," Tara whispered, watching as her sister and Kate's workmates saluted along with the rest of the room. A glance around told her that Brian was following suit.
The buzzer sounded again and Sinclair lowered his hand. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to invite Detective Kate Kennedy to come onstage and I ask you all to remain standing for our National Anthem."
"When did that happen?" Flack demanded, watching as Kate made her way to the podium. He applauded along with the rest of them as she took the mike from Sinclair and smiled graciously.
"Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light..." Her voice rang through the huge room, swelling with the notes of the familiar song. Flack stood to attention along with his colleagues and watched her.
"Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave..." Kate's eyes met his and she smiled at him. "O'er the land of the free..."
"Wow," Lindsay whispered as her voice soared.
"And the home of the brave." Kate finished and took a bow to more applause. Making her way back to the table, she grinned at them. "How'd I do?"
"You were great," Tara told her, hugging her sister. "I'm proud of you. And I'm glad I was here to see it," she added with a smile at Davis.
"It wouldn't have been the same without you," Flack pointed out, making Tara smile. "It's good to see you getting on your feet again."
"I had help," Tara replied with another smile for Davis. "I didn't do it on my own."
"Dance with me?" Flack offered Kate his hand and smiled as she rose to join him on the dance floor. The strains of 'Love Me Tender' filtered through the crowded room and the dance floor was full of swaying couples. Kate tucked her head under Flack's chin and rested her other hand on his heart, smiling as he covered it with his own.
"You were amazing," he told her as they moved slowly. "Really amazing."
"Thank you," she smiled. "Sinclair asked me to do it during the week. I wanted to surprise you all!" She tilted her head up to look at him. "It was an honour to be asked."
Flack looked over her shoulder to where Danny and Lindsay were locked together, moving in unison to the music. Flynn and Stella were nearby, Stella's head rested almost dreamily on Flynn's shoulder. "Look at that," he whispered to her, turning her around so she could see what he was looking at.
Kate watched as Davis held one hand out to Tara, who was watching the dancers with a small smile on her face. She looked startled, then shyly accepted. Kate grinned as they took to the floor.
"Don't go buying a hat," Flack warned. "Tara's been through hell. Davis is crazy about her, but I warned him to be her friend and not to rush her." HE grinned. "I said I'd shoot him if he hurt her."
Kate stopped dancing and stared up at him. "You did what?"
"Told him to take it slow or I'd shoot him." Flack repeated, looking puzzled. "Kate, I don't think that she's ready for...I don't want to see her hurt."
"I love you." She said the words softly.
"You said what?" Flack did a double take. "What?"
"I love you," Kate repeated, her eyes shining up at him. "I know it hasn't been very long, and you don't have to say it back. But I wanted you to know. I love you."
Flack closed his eyes as something inside him clicked into place. He drew her into his arms again, breathing in the smell of flowers and the hint of vanilla in her perfume.
"I love you too."
Sorry, fluff all the way but I am having a bad time of it in r/l and I wanted to at least live through Kate!! Hope you're all keeping well. All the lurking people please leave a review, I could do with them!
