**Author's Note: For ProfR and Jolo. Enjoy, you two. :) I don't drink, so I'm not sure exactly how quickly and how much tequila can cause drunkenness. I'm assuming it depends on the person, so just go with it in this story please. Lol :)
Crane, Abbie, and Jenny sat in an ice cream shop. Jenny's treat. Abbie and Crane were across from her in the booth.
"Thanks, Jenny."
"Hey, we deserve it after that demon fight last night," she said as she ate some ice cream. "This is a one-time thing though, so enjoy it while you can. You alright, Crane?"
Abbie turned to face him in the booth. He was staring at someone. It was a woman with long, curly red hair. She held a baby in her arms. It was a boy. She knew who he was thinking of. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
He glanced at her, squeezed back. "I'm alright, Leftenant."
He let go of her hand. She knew he wasn't okay, that he was thinking about Katrina and Henry and the life they could have had a long time ago. He ate his ice cream, but he didn't talk like he usually did.
Jenny glanced at Abbie, then at Crane. "Why don't we all go to the bar tonight? We can have a couple of beers and sing karaoke. What do you say, Crane?"
"That may not be a good idea, Jenny."
"It'll be fun."
She knew her sister had good intentions, but she didn't want Crane to burry his sorrow in a bottle. She didn't want him to shut down and keep everything to himself. It scared her.
"Don't worry, Leftenant. A beer and karaoke may do us all some good."
"If you're sure, Crane."
Crane seemed to enjoy their night out at the bar. He drunk a beer and even sung a bit. Abbie and Jenny clapped for him as he got off stage. He was getting better at picking modern songs.
"Nice job," Abbie said.
He sat beside her at the table.
"Thank you, Leftenant." He grinned.
They both turned to look at the person who would sing next. This time a lady walked on stage. She had long, red hair also. Abbie stopped smiling. She glanced at Crane. He wasn't smiling either. She touched his hand again. Crane got up.
"I need to excuse myself for a moment, ladies. I'll be in the male facilities." He walked away without looking at either of them.
Before Abbie could follow him, her phone rang. She told Jenny to check on him while she stepped outside to talk to Reyes about a case. She was worried about him.
When Abbie came back thirty minutes later, Crane was singing on stage again and serenading a woman he didn't know. He has too happy and appeared drunk. He wasn't singing as clearly. She turned to Jenny, who was laughing.
"What did you do to him, Jenny?" Leave it up to her sister to have something up her sleeve while she was gone.
Jenny held up his beer with a grin.
"You slipped something in his drink?"
"Just a little bit of tequila." She glanced back at Crane. He was dancing with the lady now. "Or a lot. Three sips was all it took."
"If he passes out, you're helping me with him." Abbie turned her attention to him. She was beginning to smile. He was happy for the moment.
"You know he needed it." Jenny smirked.
"Just don't do it again."
"You know me better than that, Abbie."
"Jenny does what Jenny wants."
"Damn straight."
Abbie continued to watch Crane again. He came towards her and started singing to her. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, something he's never done. That tequila must have been really strong.
Abbie and Jenny swung the door open to Crane's cabin. She had one of his arms around her shoulder while Jenny had the other around her shoulder.
"I can't believe you slipped tequila in his beer, Jenny. Who knows what that could do to his system," Abbie said as they laid him on the couch.
"He needed to loosen up. I did him a favor." Jenny smirked.
"No, you didn't. Now, he's passing out."
"You're welcome."
Crane was muttering something about Ben Franklin and Facebook. Abbie shook her head and crossed her arms. He was a mess.
"We have to get him to bed."
Jenny nodded. "That's fine. Just don't ask me to put on his jammies. I don't need the image of half-naked Crane in my head."
"That's the least you could do. It is your fault. Remember?" Abbie said as she and Jenny pulled him up from the sofa. They dragged him to his room and flopped him on the bed.
"For someone so skinny, he sure is heavy."
"You're telling me." Abbie said. She began to take off his shoes. She stopped and stared at Jenny, whose hands were on her hips.
"Alright. Alright. I'm not touching his pants though."
Abbie rolled her eyes at her sister. "At least help me put on his shirt. There are some in his drawer."
After Jenny and Abbie took off his shoes, Jenny got him a night shirt. Luckily, the shirt he already wore was a button down and slide off easily. When his chest was revealed, Jenny and Abbie paused. They stared at his scar. Abbie wanted to follow its beginning and end with her finger, but she didn't. She definitely wouldn't do that in front of Jenny. Abbie cleared her throat and reached for his pajama shirt. When they had it on him, Jenny stood by the door.
"I'll let you do the honors. I'll give you some privacy." She stepped out to fix him a glass of water and find some aspirin. He would need it in the morning.
Abbie removed his trousers. He had on boxers, so she didn't bother with putting on his night pants. She knew he would be uncomfortable finding himself exposed in his underwear, but he would be alright. At least he wasn't wearing briefs. He would definitely be embarrassed if he knew Abbie saw that much of him. She felt warm and took a deep breathe. The hard part was over. Picking up his clothes, she threw them in the hamper by his drawer. There was a blanket in the chair in his room. She covered him up with it.
"All clear?" Jenny stood in the doorway with both items.
Abbie nodded her head. "I didn't bother with the pants. He had on boxers."
"Oh, did he? Do tell." Jenny smirked and walked into the room. She put the water and bottle of pills on the night stand. She knew where her sister was going. It wasn't like that between her and Crane.
"Don't start, Jenny."
"I didn't. You shouldn't have told me he wears boxers. Did you peek?"
"Jenny." Abbie smacked her sister's arm. She felt her face get warm.
"Was it a nice size?"
Abbie got off the bed. "Where's my gun?"
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me."
"This conversation is over."
Jenny laughed at her sister. "It's so fun teasing you. Are you blushing?"
Abbie walked out of the room. She needed some water. She needed to get away from Jenny.
"Someone has Crane on the brain."
"Shutup, Jenny." Abbie fixed a glass of water and sat at the table. Jenny followed.
"That's no way to talk to your sister, Abbie. Manners."
"It's not like that between me and Crane. We're friends. Really close friends."
"With feelings. He may still be grieving his wife, but he has a thing for you. He kissed your hand. That extra alcohol revealed some of his feelings for you. He would have never done that if he was sober. We both know that."
"He was caught in the moment." She drunk some more of her water.
"Whatever you say."
Abbie was close with Crane, and sometimes they were physical with each other. They would grab the other's hand or hug each other, but it wasn't anything romantic. It was comfort and calming. Would it bother Abbie if Crane had feelings for her? Would it bother her if she had feelings for him? She didn't think it would too much. It didn't seem like a bad thing. It definitely wasn't. She was just unsure right now.
"Shouldn't you be getting home?"
"You don't live here either, Abbie."
"I have to stay here for the night."
Jenny raised her eyebrows.
"To make sure he's okay and that he takes his medicine in the morning."
"All I heard was 'I love you, Crane.'" Chuckling, her sister stood up.
"Go home, Jenny." Abbie stood up as well and led her to the door. She opened it for her.
Jenny was getting ready to leave, but she turned around to face Abbie. "Jokes aside, I know you've been worrying about him since Katrina and Henry, but he'll be okay. He's strong because you're with him. You two have always been better together."
Abbie smiled at her sister and pulled her in for a hug. "Thanks, Jenny. I'll let you know how he is in the morning."
Jenny nodded her head. Abbie closed the door when she saw Jenny get in her truck and leave. She sighed. Then she went to check on Crane. He was still asleep. Abbie grabbed his night pants on the bed and searched through Crane's drawers for a night shirt. She didn't have any spare clothes over here this time. She meant to bring some more, but there was no time due to all the demons creeping around. Crane wouldn't mind her wearing his clothes again. He didn't wear most of them anyway.
Abbie got into bed with him, but she couldn't sleep. She's been more worried about him than anyone. He was still grieving the loss of his family. Some days were good; some days were bad. On the good days, they would sit and talk if he was up to it. Other times, they'd sit in silence with their arms around each other if words weren't enough. On the bad days, Crane wouldn't talk to her at all. He wouldn't even sit in silence with her. He would go outside to chop wood, or he would shut himself up in his room. Abbie could do nothing but wait around when there wasn't any research to be done. When there was research, Abbie couldn't do all of it by herself, so Jenny would help her until Crane came around.
She didn't like seeing Crane the way he was with Katrina. He shut her out because of what she put him through. All the lies she told him, the deceit, the betrayal. Crane was such an open person sometimes. He trusted her, gave her chance after chance. But she was too caught up in her son. It's a wonder he didn't shut her out completely or washed himself away in alcohol.
She glanced at him. Carefully, she rubbed her fingers through his hair. "What did she do to you?" She leaned down to kiss his forehead.
Crane began to squirm; he sighed. "Abbie. My dear Abigail."
She removed her hand. She wasn't expecting him to wake up. Was he even awake?
"Crane?"
"Abbie." He placed her hand on his cheek.
"What are you doing, Crane?"
"My light, you're my heart's desire."
Abbie's heart thumped. Crane didn't know what he was saying. He wasn't even fully awake. In addition, he was mumbling a bit. He could've said anything. "You're tired."
"Still quiet time," he said as he dozed off. She smiled at his remembrance of those words. She said that to him when he was sick in the archives.
"Goodnight, Crane." She kissed his forehead again; then laid down beside him to go to sleep. She wasn't worried about what he said. He didn't mean it. Perhaps he meant Katrina. He was half-sleep and probably still tipsy. Tequila can be strong.
When Abbie woke up, she saw Crane sitting in the chair reading a book. He had on pajama pants this time. She took at the night stand. The glass was empty; the pills were gone.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said.
Abbie chuckled, stretched. "Good morning to you too. I take it the medicine kicked in."
"It worked rather quickly. I didn't even have to regurgitate yesterday's meals and beverages. Thank you, Leftenant. Can I retrieve something for you?"
"No. I'm okay. And thank Jenny. She got that stuff for you."
"I'm assuming you both helped to undress me also."
Abbie stood up. "You're welcome." She went into the bathroom.
She wondered how long Crane had been up. He was an early riser. She found some spare toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet. She bought plenty in bulk for Crane. As she brushed, she thought of what he said last night. He said she was his heart's desire. She didn't think he remembered it. He couldn't because he was half-sleep. However, he did have a photographic memory. Did it work well while he was drunk? She hoped not, but she did at the same time. It was like when they played Uno that night. She had the same feeling. She wanted to ask, but she was afraid of the answer. She didn't want to push him either. It wasn't like Abbie to be a coward, but sometimes she was.
When she finished brushing her teeth, she walked into the kitchen. There were two plates on the table, the tea kettle was boiling, and she smelled French toast. She didn't know Crane knew how to make French toast. She didn't even know he knew how to cook.
"Breakfast will be ready momentarily, Miss Mills." He glanced at her.
"Thanks, Crane."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Much so."
They were silent for a while. When he was done with the toast, he placed three pieces on each plate. He poured each of them a cup of tea, too.
"This is good."
"Thank you. I viewed it on the Food Network channel."
"Cable isn't all bad, is it?"
"I suppose not."
"Do you remember much of last night?"
"My memory blurs some, but I remember certain moments."
Abbie was nervous to ask, but she did anyway. "Like what?"
"A little bit of karaoke. Everything seemed quite unclear after I returned from the bathroom. I believe the strangeness started when I drunk a bit of my beer. I think it was altered. I do recall hearing Miss Jenny's voice. However, I have no recollection of her exact words. I was surprised to find myself," he paused, "indecent when I woke up. I must have had some night." His cheeks were red.
Abbie blushed, too. She didn't want him to feel embarrassed and didn't want to think about the conversation she had with Jenny about him.
"That's more than what most people would remember. Is that it?"
"I heard you speaking, too."
Abbie stopped chewing, put her fork and knife down. "Really?"
"Really." He didn't touch his food anymore either.
"What did I say?"
"'What did she do to you?'" He stared at his plate.
Abbie didn't know to say. She wasn't going to apologize, but she felt like she should say something. "I should've kept that to myself."
"No, it is a most appropriate and fair question. I wonder about that myself. I don't mean to burden you with her, Leftenant. My sincerest apologies when I do."
"It isn't easy watching you handle that, especially when you don't talk to me. Some days, you don't even want to sit with me. She's really putting you through it, Crane, and she's not even here anymore."
"Does it anger you?"
"More than you know."
She didn't hate Katrina. She could never hate her. She just wished she would have made better choices that didn't impact Crane so much. She should have told him the truth from the beginning. It would've saved him so much loss, second guessing, and hurt in the end.
"I'm sorry I'm letting her get between our bond." He grabbed her hand.
Abbie nodded her head. She accepted his apology. "Just at least sit with me, so that I can keep an eye on you. It'll save me a ton of worry."
"You have my word."
She released his hand. They ate the rest of their breakfast. Crane put the dishes in the sink and sat down at the table with her.
"I remember something else, too."
"What's that?" Abbie moved in her seat.
"I can recall every word I said about you."
Abbie didn't say anything; she wanted him to finish. Her breathing slowed down. She kind of wished he didn't have that eidetic memory or if it had anything to do with it. Maybe the tequila wore off quicker than she thought. Perhaps it wasn't strong enough. She wasn't sure where this conversation was going to go. She wasn't sure if she was ready to go there with Crane.
"I called you my light and my heart's desire."
"Did you mean it?"
He paused. "Every word."
Abbie didn't say anything; she didn't know what to say. He's left her speechless again. Crane didn't speak either. They only stared at each other. In that moment, Abbie felt a change; it was a terrifying change, but a good one. It was comfortable, but strange. Is this what it felt like to be between friends and something more? There, but not there yet? The transitioning phase?
He didn't say it, but he said it. He had feelings for her. He didn't see her as a friend anymore. She wasn't sure how she saw him now. It was all too much, but it was a relief to know the truth.
"It's fine to not have words at the moment, Abbie. I simply wanted you to know. I remember, and I do not regret what I said about you."
Before Abbie could work up a response, there was a knock on the door. It was probably Jenny. Abbie got up to get it. She was kind of relieved, but disappointed. She wanted to see where this conversation would have gone. Maybe it wasn't time yet. Abbie was okay with that. She wasn't in a rush. She wanted to really think about what Crane said, what it meant. There were so many questions running around in her head. How long has he known his feelings for her? Was he ever going to tell her if Jenny didn't mess with his drink? Did she even have feelings for Crane? She knew there was something there, but she didn't know how deep they went. She wanted to find out. She opened the door for Jenny.
"I've been calling you all morning. You didn't answer. You and Crane okay?"
"Good morning, Jenny." Abbie walked away from the door and back into the kitchen. She heard Jenny's footsteps behind her.
"I was worried. I didn't get a text. You weren't answering my calls. Neither was Crane. I wasn't sure if something got a hold of you two."
"We're fine. Eating breakfast."
"Next time, pick up your damn phones when I call."
"We are sorry to have caused you so much distress, Miss Jenny. We were in the middle of a conversation."
"It must've been one hell of a conversation to ignore my phone calls and text messages." Jenny glanced between Abbie and Crane. Crane's face was red and her sister wouldn't look at her. "It was, wasn't it?"
"Not now, Jenny."
"No wonder. Did you talk about your feelings for each other? Is it official yet?"
They didn't answer.
"Fine. Don't tell me. I'll find out eventually. I know something's going on between you two. Something is different. You both are too quiet." She sighed. "Anyway, I'm glad you two are okay, especially you Crane. I did lace your drink last night."
"That explains a lot. Thank you for filling in that piece of the puzzle. Would you like some breakfast, Miss Jenny?"
"Sure." She sat down.
"He made French toast. It was decent." Abbie was glad to have a change in the subject. However, she wanted to spend time alone with Crane to figure out what was growing between them. It excited her and horrified her all at once. They'd take it step-by-step. She knew Crane would prefer it that way, too.
"I'll take your word for it."
"Words can change everything," Abbie took a seat, thinking about the conversation she had with Crane before Jenny arrived.
"They can indeed." Crane glanced at her before he stood up.
As he made more French toast, Jenny filled him in on his karaoke performances last night.