Hunting Grounds

Chapter 30

"You…want to marry me?" Kate could barely breathe. It was as though she didn't remember how. "You're serious?"

Rick wasn't sure what to expect. He was hoping for a yes, maybe a no. But she seemed to be somewhere in-between. Or worse, it wasn't just no, but no-fucking-way no. "I'm sorry I asked." Rick went with the no-fucking-way for an answer after being asked if he was serious. It wasn't so much what she said but the way she had said it. So he started to get up and perhaps leave the apartment to let her think.

"WAIT!" Kate grabbed his arm. "I don't… I mean, I didn't. You actually want to marry me?" Kate tried this again.

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't? I know it's not that you're cop by day and hooker by night. You're not afraid. I've seen your strength first-hand. Or have you decided that you're not the marrying type?"

"It's not that. I mean, none of those. I think I can handle you being deployed, but you're talking marriage." Kate tried to explain what was going on inside her. "I've only just come to grips with you being my boyfriend, Rick, and maybe getting married one day. That's a lot for me, babe."

"I'm not asking you to marry me tomorrow or even next week. No sudden trip to Vegas where we get married and come back while you're suspended. Though maybe I could be talked into it." Rick grinned at her and watched her grin back.

"It can be a year from now, Kate. I just want to put a ring on your finger so that you know that you are loved and aren't worried that I'm not the committing type."

"Oh." She knew she still hadn't answered him and really needed to figure this out. "I need a drink." Kate was up and headed for the kitchen. She opened the cupboard, took out the vodka, and poured herself a drink. She took a swallow then looked and could see Rick still sitting where she had left him.

Marry him. She knew that she loved him more than she had ever loved any man. These stupid bugs had shown her just how much she needed him in her bed. That she had to have him in her bed. His time with the 54th had shown her how much she missed having him around.

There might be couples that needed time apart from each other. If anything, she was the opposite of that, and she had learned that lately as well. She had willingly given up finding out who had killed her mother. It was in the hands of the FBI now. So what was holding her back?

She downed the rest of her drink in one swallow. "Yes," Kate told him from across the room.

"Say that again?" Rick was up and walking toward her until he was right across from her. It was easy to do given that she was in the kitchen.

"Yes. Not that I'm not a little scared about it. I mean, to me, marriage is a big thing. I'm a one-and-done kind of girl, Rick. If this doesn't work out, I'll never be married ever again."

"I'm not asking frivolously. I believe in us. I saw you then, and I see you now. I might not know everything about you, but I know enough to want to stay and find out, to spend my life trying to find out. So, is that still a yes?" Rick waited patiently for her answer.

"Yes. I mean yes, and yes, and yes. I have to introduce you to Dad, though. He's not going to believe me." Based on what Kate had put her parents through, she knew he would either be happy for her or think she had finally lost her mind.

"Mother will be happy." Rick walked around into the kitchen, put his arms around her, and kissed her. "Since you're suspended, we can go looking for rings. I don't want some guy hitting on you. You want jealous? You haven't seen anything yet." Rick watched her grin at him.

"You still owe me a few dates, mister," Kate reminded him.

"I can't think of anything else I would rather do," Rick told her and kissed her again. "You wouldn't happen to have a key to Lanie's place so we can go get Rosie, do you?" He had questions for Rosie.

"She might have today off. I can call her," Kate told him.

[_] /\ [_]

"Girlfriend!" Lanie was indeed off today and was still at home. She did have plans for tonight, though. "Do you need some comforting? I hear Gates kicked you out again." Lanie had gotten a text from Javi. "Or not." She saw Rick right behind Kate.

"I'm fine, honest. We came to get my laptop back, and I need to talk to you about a few things." Kate looked at Rick, "Wine?

"On it. Two, three, or more?" He waited for her to decide.

Kate looked at Lanie and thought about all she needed to tell to her. "Better make it four."

"Oh, my!" That told Lanie something right there.

"I'll be back." Rick leaned in and gave her a quick kiss that had Kate kissing him back.

"You better sit down for this, Lanie, and get ready to chug some wine. We might be mainlining," Kate warned her.

Lanie was sitting next to her and waited for her to tell her whatever this was.

"Rick proposed today. About an hour ago, actually." Kate started there.

"GIRLFRIEND!" Lanie crushed her in a hug. "Please tell me you said yes. That man loves you. You two just radiate that you belong together."

"I said yes," Kate admitted and was crushed yet again. "I wasn't ready for it, but I said yes. He wants to go shopping for rings while I'm suspended again."

"Girlfriend." Lanie crushed her yet again. "So when is it, or have you gotten that far?"

"He only just proposed, Lanie! Give us a chance. I still have to take him to my dad and tell him, and then go tell his mother. But there's something else." She couldn't tell her about the ship. That was still off-limits for everyone but them.

"Let me guess. Gates." Lanie might not work there, but she was still in the know.

"Yeah, Gates," Kate confirmed. "I kinda blew up at her after all the degrading insults she'd sent my way. I guess I finally reached my breaking point. She had this Serena added to our team for this one case. Now it looks like she might be our thief and could have killed our victim.

"I sorta told her that adding Serena was her idea," Kate said. "So she suspended me for being insubordinate for two days. That was when I blew up at her, and she increased it to a week."

"That woman." Lanie shook her head. "I may not work there, but I hear things. Did you know you're not alone? I know of officers that have put in for transfers."

"Really!" Kate didn't know that. "Coming from Internal Affairs wasn't going to win her any fans, but she seems to be going out of her way to make sure everyone's miserable."

"It gets better. A little birdie tells me that Jenny wants out of New York City. She's pressing Kevin to resign so they can move. She wants to have a baby, and babies cost money. New York City is expensive, so if they move…" Lanie trailed off.

"I didn't know that. Javi definitely isn't going to like that. Those two are close," Kate told her just as someone banged on the door. Lanie answered it and found Rick doing his best to hold onto four bottles of wine.

Soon the three of them were sitting there with wine glasses. All four bottles and a corkscrew were on the coffee table. "I've got one more for you." Kate knew she had hit Lanie with a lot already, but she had one more that she had to tell her.

"Rick has suggested that I could resign to get away from Gates and move somewhere. Gates is just… I don't want to work with her. I suppose I could put in for a transfer, but moving is an option."

"Gates." Lanie shook her head. "What about your mother's case?" Lanie knew Kate was committed. Almost vengeful about it.

"I gave up. Once the FBI got involved, I decided I was out. I just have to hope they can get him and tell me. I want to know who, so I can direct my anger at one person, but I'm not going to get him.

"So, married?" Lanie smiled at Rick, who suddenly drank some of his wine to hide. "I wholeheartedly approve. As for resigning, that's up to you. If you move, I'm going to miss you. However, if you move to say Miami or somewhere similar, I could come visit and get to see topless men on the beach." Lanie grinned wider and listened to Kate chuckle.

Kate just knew Lanie would think of topless men on the beach.

"You know, if you move to Hawaii, they have lots of beaches filled with topless men. I might even be persuaded to move with you." Lanie grinned again, and now Kate really was laughing.

"Hawaii is kinda far, Lanie." Though, suddenly Rick's idea of just taking the ship and finding out what was out there was even more out there.

"Just so long as you invite me to the wedding." Lanie was still happy for her.

"I promise. Lanie? Would you be my maid of honor?"

"Oh, Kate! Yes, yes! I'd love to. Plan your last day as a single woman. It will be epic! Naked men everywhere." Lanie just needed to plan it.

"Lanie!" Kate motioned at Rick, who was sitting right there.

Lanie waved a hand at her. "Like he and his boys aren't going to have naked women all over the place. PLEASE!" Lanie even rolled her eyes just like Kate had taught her.

"So, what else, girlfriend? We still have two bottles to use up. Suspended, getting married, thinking about resigning and moving to somewhere warmer that has a beach because I won't come visit if you move to the frozen north."

"I'm not Canadian, so that's out." Kate killed that idea. The fact that space was even colder didn't enter into it. "I'm not sure resigning is the best plan. But it's gotten to the point where I can't take much more from Gates. They're not going to fire her before I lose my mind. I'm starting to wonder if she has it out only for me or if it's everyone in the precinct." Kate honestly wasn't sure.

"Ask them. If Kevin is actually going to leave the city, then get him to ask them," Lanie suggested. "What can she do, suspend him? He's resigning anyway, so what can she do to him? Or do it yourself. If you decide that resigning is the best idea, what have you got to lose?"

"Nothing, I guess," Kate said thoughtfully.

[_] /\ [_]

"Good luck ring hunting and when you select one and are wearing it, I want to see it. I have planning to do. YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!" Lanie crushed her one last time.

"That went well." At least Rick thought it did.

"Yeah, surprisingly. We don't have to go ring shopping immediately, you know." They still had the rest of today and another week.

"Yes, we do," Rick countered. "Or maybe go home first with Rosie and start searching. You need a new job."

"Can we ship your truck again? Seven hours was bad enough. Do you have any idea just how far away Miami is? My butt will never survive it," Kate pleaded with him.

"Well, if you get a job far enough away, then the house in Maine is out and we need a new plan for the ship. I can understand letting the aliens find it. But allowing the U.S. Government to find it is absolutely out." Rick still believed this planet had enough trouble without doing that.

"Resign." Kate was still trying that on for size. It seemed Gates was deliberately pushing her buttons. Kate felt Rick put an arm around her as they walked, and she leaned into him. She loved him, loved being his his arms, loved making love to him. So getting married didn't seem that big of a jump after all.

[_] /\ [_]

Kate was leaving it to Rick to talk to Rosie while she went out to get more wine and beer for later.

Once she was back she stood behind him. "Anything?"

"Rosie says congratulations." Rick tilted his head up to look at her. "She has also found a way to select a programmed course that will allow us to set it and get off the ship. Then we can watch it take off, fly into the sun, and burn up. The only real question is where do we do this from? We do it where it's sitting, and it means a long walk there and back again.

"But any other way means one of us flies it to somewhere else while the other drives there. Then we drive home. The only place that comes to mind is the house we might not end up buying."

"Rosie doesn't have to be on it, does she?" Kate absolutely wasn't allowing Rosie to kill herself.

"No, she just has to show us what panels to press and then get out," Rick assured her.

"Good. So what about her power requirements?" Kate inquired hopefully. "Can she be charged using our power? Just plug her into an outlet?"

"She says there's a way. It means more building for me, but it can be done. I'm thinking more than one, so we can move her around. So, any ideas about Gates? Maybe if I a find a chemical that causes her kidneys to fail?" Rick knew he was joking, but maybe she didn't see it as a joke.

"Rick!" Kate glared at him. She may hate her, but she didn't hate her that much.

"It was just a thought. I didn't think you would go for it. So, are we getting a new job somewhere else? Or are we waiting out Gates to see if they fire her sorry ass?"

"I don't know. I should probably call Kevin to see if Lanie's little birdie is correct. What ever the answer, it might help me decide what to do." Kate got out her cell phone and called him right then and there.

Rick only heard her end of the conversation and not what Kevin was saying, till she finally hung up.

"Lanie's little birdie is correct. Jenny wants out of New York City, and she's already found two job opportunities for Kevin. Her job opportunities are more open. One is in Key West, and the other is in the U.S. Virgin Islands." Both were a bit of a shock for Kate.

"U.S. Virgin Islands. I didn't see that one coming. Only the one opening?" Rick thought he could go with her.

"Yes, just the one." Kate was thinking of going with him as well. "I don't really want to risk taking a job away from him, so I need somewhere else. Or if he accepts one before my suspension is over, then I can apply for the other. I can always say no if they offer."

"Let's see what Rosie can find for you, and then we can go find dinner." Rick found a silver lining to their situation. "At least if we don't go out often, then they can't come check on their bugs."

"True." Kate could agree with that.

"Work your magic, Rosie," Rick typed and sat back and waited.

[_] /\ [_]

Rick read off the first one Rosie had found. "Bureau Chief in Kew Gardens, New York."

"Queens!?" Kate was shocked. "I'm not sure I'm qualified for Bureau Chief. What else?" She let him tell her instead of reading them for herself.

"OCWI Investigator in Phoenix, Arizona." Rick cocked his head as he waited for her answer.

Kate killed that one. "Great. I go from freezing to baking. Next."

Rick read the following one, "Supervisory Police Officer, Lieutenant. Tucson, Arizona."

Kate killed that one, too. "Still freeze to bake. Next."

Rick read this one. "Police Detective, Montgomery, Alabama."

"Keep going." Kate would at least think about that one.

"Another Police Detective but this one's in Charlotte, North Carolina."

Kate shook her head. "Next."

"St. Louis, Missouri?" Rick skipped the title since it looked like Kate was just focusing on where they were located and heard, "Next."

"Hamilton, Ohio," Rick told her and heard, "Next."

"Joliet, Illinois." Rick heard, "Next," again.

"Osage Beach, Maryland." Rick looked over at her.

"Hang onto that one," Kate said. "Next."

"Lansing, Michigan." And Rick heard, "Next."

"Corrigan, Texas." Rick glanced at her.

"Where the heck is Corrigan, Texas? Never mind. Next." Kate was getting tired of this.

"Ruidoso, New Mexico." Rick waited till he heard, "Next."

Rick read off the next one on the list. "Orono, Maine."

"Never heard of it. If we decide to keep the ship, maybe. Save that one for now. Next." Kate told him.

"Washington, DC." Rick heard, "Next."

"Martinsburg, West Virginia." Again he heard, "Next."

"Key West, Florida. That one might be the one Jenny found. I know, keep it, but Next."

Rick kept reading and felt Kate kiss the top of his head.

"Frederiksted, Virgin Islands. That one might be the one Jenny found, too. I know, Next."

Rick continued reading. "Police Captain, Bluffton, South Carolina."

"I'm not a captain. I haven't taken the Captain's Exam yet. Though I suppose I could." Kate actually thought about that. "Maybe get my own precinct and get away from Gates. I'm just not sure how long that would take."

"If they fire her you might get the 12th." Rick was ready to back her if she did.

"Except everyone will be transferred or resigned by then. I'll think about it. Next." Kate unexpectedly had something to really think about.

Rick read the next thing on the list, "Chief of Police, Ovid, Missouri," and Kate didn't say Next immediately.

"Save that one for now. Next."

"Oak Ridge, Tennessee," Rick read and there was another, "Next."

Kate knew she was bring picky, but she wanted to be picky if she was going to do this.

"Ooo, U.S. Secret Service. El Paso, Texas." Rick liked the sound of it. But he heard, "Next."

"They want the same in Baltimore, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte." Rick saw she had found a lot of them but heard, "Next."

"Hey, how about this one? New Orleans. They call it Criminal Investigator." Rick looked up and saw something different about her.

"Let me see." All of a sudden, Kate was interested in a location besides Key West and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kate read it to herself. "I might qualify for that one. It doesn't give the pay scale, though. Save that one and put it at the top of the list." Kate kissed the top of his head again.

"Canon City, Colorado."

"Next."

"Jacksonville, Florida." Rick read that one and she didn't say anything at first.

"Save it for later. I'll think about it."

"San Francisco, California." Rick heard, "Next," a moment later. He didn't understand why not there, but it was her job.

"Seattle, Washington," Rick told her, and she said nothing.

"Let me read it," Kate said since Seattle didn't sound so bad. It wasn't Key West or New Orleans, but it might be nice. "Save it for now and move on."

"Boston?" Rick questioned, but heard her say, "Definitely not. Not a chance in hell."

Will had left her to go to Boston. He might be back in New York, but he may have gone back. She didn't even want a slim chance that she ever ran across him again.

"Okay." Rick didn't get it but he could ask her about that later.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma."

"Next."

"That's it for now." Rick read his list, "I have Key West, the Virgin Islands, New Orleans, Seattle, Jacksonville, and Ovid, Missouri which was Chief of Police. Rosie is already creating a résumé for you. All you have to do is read it after she's finished, and then find a way to print it." Rick turned to look at her. "Got a preference?"

"Captain of my own precinct might be nice. After that… Key West, the Virgin Islands, and New Orleans make it to the top. If Kevin leaves, Javi might stay and transfer if I don't get the 12th. Can Rosie look up what it takes to take the Captain's Exam?" Kate watched Rick turn back and begin typing.

Now she only needed to decide if resigning was the best idea.