"Ned, my office, ten minutes," LeTrai shouted as he blew by his desk, the breeze rustling papers and knocking a file onto the floor. "We need to have a little chat."
He had to stop himself from groaning internally before picking up the discarded papers and setting them onto the mess that was his desk. He knocked over a picture frame, hearing the glass break instantly upset him.
"Fuck—" He blurted out and quickly grabbed the frame off the ground, even more upset when he realized it was one of his many favorite pictures of Katie.
Even though it was almost two years old, it was the current one he kept at his desk because it was a beautiful picture. Asher was a newborn, lying on her chest, and she was contently watching him sleep. One of her favorite things to do.
After cleaning up the glass and making a note in his phone to remind him to pick up a new frame, Ned walked to his Captain's office at the end of the hall.
He had known this meeting was coming for the last week - his latest partner (of almost three months surprisingly) David Fisher had just abandoned him and accepted a position in the Narcotics unit in New York, moving on to what the man had proudly claimed to be bigger and better things than Grandview would ever give him.
It was only a matter of time before he was destined to get slated with the newest member of the force, a neverending punishment that had plagued him like a curse since Jameson had retired nearly a year and a half before.
"Sit down, Ned. You're making me anxious," LeTrai muttered as he flung his jacket over his chair and sat down with an audible exhale.
"Sorry, Cap," he replied and sat down into the uncomfortable plastic seat across from him. "Is this about my new partner?"
"I suppose you are used to this by now," LeTrai chuckled and flipped open a folder on his desk as he leaned back into his chair. "She's transferring from Chicago's tenth precinct. Not sure why so it must be personal, but she was there for three years and comes highly recommended by the folks out there and from the academy..." Flipping through the folder on his desk, the police captain pulled out a page and looked it over before staring him down. "You or Katie aren't going to have any issues with a female partner, are you?"
"No, sir." He replied. "Why do you think Katie would have a problem with my partner if she was a female?"
If Ned was being honest, he wasn't sure if she would or not.
He'd never had a female partner, but had worked with several female officers before. It had never come up in conversation between the two of them either.
Was there even a difference?
The Chicago streets had to be tough on any cop. It beat all the individuality out of a rookie, or so he'd heard from the very few colleagues who had come to Grandview from Chi-town through the years.
"Oh, I don't know… have you met your wife?" LeTrai chuckled and flipped the folder closed. "It's hard to get a full read on her."
"I won't disagree with you there, Cap." He sighed, itching the side of his neck. "Katie is a unique person, but I don't think she will have a problem with any partner of mine unless they make an enemy out of her first."
"Good. I don't want to be causing any problems in your home life," LeTrai explained with a nod and turned his head to the side as he logged into his desktop. "I have her on the roster to come tomorrow afternoon for a tour and then she is with you on the schedule. Any questions - come talk to me, got it?"
"Yes, sir. Of course," he responded briskly and stood up, "Just one question."
"What is that, Banks?" LeTrai's head flipped over for him to look at him.
"Her name?" He asked, opening the door.
"Rebecca Kane," LeTrai replied.
When Ned pulled into the driveway in front of his and Katie's home, he could tell from the lights on inside that he had gotten off at a good time to not only eat dinner with his family but to put his son to bed too. As he got out, he grabbed his briefcase and locked his car behind him as he walked up the front steps and went into the house.
After pulling off his shoes and jacket, he went into the dining room to tuck into a dinner of beef gorgonzola and potatoes, the latter of which Asher managed to smear all over himself and his high chair.
Katie finished eating first and went to the kitchen to bring back a damp dishtowel and sat back down. "You must get your table manners from your Uncle Aaron," she murmured, wiping mashed potato from between Asher's fingers and dabbing at a smear above his eyebrow.
"Mama, no!" Asher yelled.
The boy turned his head back and forth when she tried to wipe him clean, but then smiled when she finished and pressed kisses over his face. His chubby hands came up to touch her face and she cradled him in her hands, pressing kisses to them too.
"Mama loves you so much," she said as she wiped one more spot on his chin and he giggled along with her.
"Daddy loves you both," he spoke up, smiling as Katie turned to look at him and reached across the table to hold his hand.
Asher squealed and then pounded his fists onto the tray of his highchair. A lump of food fell to the floor and Stitches was waiting under the highchair to lap up, sitting back on his haunches with eager anticipation shining in his eyes.
"Oh, Stitches… no!" Katie cried out, scoffing. "He's fat enough as is…"
"It's long gone by now," Ned chuckled as she leaned back into her chair with a sigh and pulled her hand away to reach for her glass of wine.
"He smells a sucker," Katie scoffed, swirling the wine around in her glass. "When daddy comes home it's open season in the kitchen." She threw the rag over at him and rolled his eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, feigning innocence and opening up his empty palms to show Stitches who had moved over close to him, most likely looking for him to drop scraps to him. "Sorry Stitch, you're outta luck." He stood and took Asher out of his high chair, hitching him up on his hip before pulling Katie up from the table. "And what was that you called me?" he rumbled out, snaking a hand around her waist and burying his nose in the loose hair above her ear. "Daddy, hmm? Usually, you don't call me that unless you are talking to Ash."
"Uh oh," she said, bracing a hand against her husband's chest. "Daddy is in a mood again… did something happen at work?"
"Work," Asher mumbled in reply. The sixteen-month-old had a habit of repeating words he'd heard others say and had the knack of saying a few of his own together, but not much and only to family. He was shy around new people. "Work!"
Ned groaned and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "Nothing that we can't talk about later. I need a scotch."
"You're such a drama queen," she laughed, gently pushing away to begin clearing what was left on the kitchen table. "But I'll get you one. Go sit in the living room with him…"
He stayed where he was, for now, Asher content on his hip while he watched his wife walk toward the kitchen, turning to throw him a coy glance over her shoulder from the doorway. "I think I'll stay right here," he said with his eyes glued to the sway of her ass as she walked away from him.
"Don't worry, baby… you can come out to play with me when he goes to bed in his crib tonight," she said before disappearing into the kitchen, and Ned turned to press a kiss to the tip of Asher's nose.
"Daddy's still got it," he said, grinning when son burst into a fit of giggles.
"Got it!" His son repeated with a squeal as well."Oh, Stitches… no!"
At half-past nine, her husband was dead to the world and snoring on the couch while the Discovery Channel drones on in the background. Katie shifted a sleeping Asher around in her arms and stood up, stepping over Stitches to make way for the stairs. She flicked off the living room light as she passed, leaving Ned bathed in the flickering blue glow of the television.
He would get up and come to bed in a little while, she knew, but for now, she let him doze. He told her he took his best naps on the living room couch, so she wouldn't wake him. Asher doesn't stir beyond a few snuffles while she eased him out of his clothes and put her son in a fresh diaper and pajamas. He went down in his crib without a fight and brought his fist up to her mouth, halfheartedly sucking on it in her sleep.
Katie smoothed her thumb over the thatch of blond hair on the baby's head, reveling at how perfect he looked when he was sleeping. He was always perfect to her, but extra perfect when sound asleep. Tiny little ears like his daddy and her own smile hidden in the sweet bow of his mouth.
Everybody always told her and Ned that Asher was a perfect mix between both of them, and she found herself hoping that extended beyond their baby's looks. She wanted him to take after both of them in life and form his own path. With one last glance at her son, Katie turned on the baby monitor and walked out of the nursery, leaving the door ajar as she walked down the hall to her and Ned's bedroom.
After having been up since six-thirty that morning, she told herself that a hot bath was more than well-deserved and turned on the tap to start filling up the tub. The running water created a comforting backdrop of white noise while she stepped out of her clothes and piled her hair on top of her head, tying it up in a messy bun to keep from getting damp.
She turned the lights down low and held a lighter to the few candles scattered around the tub before stepping into the bath, gradually sinking down in the steaming water to lean back against the warming porcelain. She was happy—happier than she'd ever been, she knew that, and any weary ache in her bones felt like natural growth and something along the lines of a newfound blessing.
Motherhood was a quick change in gears, true enough, but holding Asher in her arms for the first time and seeing her husband's face radiating with love for their son had felt like something she'd been waiting for her entire life. Especially since they had lost Charlie. It made her heart pinch every time she thought about her lost son. The one she never got see open his eyes or smile at her. She only got to hold him for a few moments, her sweet little Charlie, but that was enough on that.
She couldn't think about him for too long without that darkness creeping up on her. The one she didn't like to think about. Instead, Katie turned the water off and sunk lower in the tub, letting the water full cover her and her face. After a few, silent moments, she came to the surface and relaxed. She even closed her eyes, meaning to only rest for a few moments, but it wasn't until the bathroom door creaked open that she stirred again.
"You asleep, babe?" Ned asked, breaking into her thoughts, and she shifted in the water, turning to find her husband leaning in the bathroom doorway. He was barefoot now but still in his work trousers and undershirt, one leg lazily crossed in front of the other.
"For a bit there. I was just relaxing and must've drifted off for a little bit," she murmured, sitting up slightly. "What time is it now?"
"Just a little bit after nine," he said, pushing off the wall. "Is your water still warm?"
"Mmm-hmm," she said, hooking one leg over the edge of the tub. "You wanna soak with me for a little bit?"
"You don't even need to tempt me," he said as he pulled his shirt over his head and then leaned down to shuck his pants off.
She watched him tug his boxers down until he's stripped down to nothing, just a freckle-dusted visage of broad shoulders, strong stomach and white thighs that taper down to a perfect bow. The sight of him alone stoked something hot low in her belly and she pulled her leg back into the tub, shivering despite the steaming warmth of the water.
"Scoot up just a bit," he said, touching two fingers to her shoulder and she eased forward in the water so he could slide in behind her. "Today was rough," he said, sighing, and she sunk down low to rest her head in the junction between his neck and shoulder. "I was assigned a new case. Sexual assault. The victim doesn't want to press charges, for now, but I'm keeping it open in case she changes her mind."
"Well you're home with me and Asher now," she said, reaching to trail her fingers along the side of his face. The gesture was an intimate one, and Ned leaned into it, taking her hand to press a kiss into the palm. "Now back to what you said about your case at work. That's terrible, but it's a lot on a victim to come forward. You just have to give her some time and then she may come to you. Don't go chasing after her just yet."
"I know," he replied.
"Do you, Ned?" She challenged as her hand ran across his chest and gave it a light pat.
"This isn't my first rodeo, Katie. I know how to handle this," he replied flatly, a bit more anger hidden in his tone than he would have usually had with her.
She sighed in response. "Okay... I wasn't trying to step on your toes." She reassured him, turning him slightly to look up at him as she talked to him now. "Hey, baby, I know that you care about your job and take it very seriously, but still, please take my advice." She ran her hands up his chest to touch his face again. "Don't go running after this girl just yet. Give her time. Everyone processes and heals differently. She may just not be ready."
He nodded, feeling a bit of weight rise off his back as he smiled at her. "Yeah, okay. I will give her a couple of days before I stop by her apartment."
"Thank you. I just think it's for the best to give her some time," she whispered, smoothing her hands back down over his chest. "So... I put Asher in his crib before I came here."
"I saw. I went to check on him," he said and hummed in contentment, leaning down to press his lips to her temple, then the corner of her mouth when she turned into his embrace.
"And was he still asleep?" She asked, brushing her lips against his but not quite kissing him.
"Yes. He looked like an angel," he breathed out as he pressed his mouth to hers with ease, and she felt him hard for her against the small of her back, burning hot like a fired brand. "I can tell we aren't going to get much soaking done," he groaned as she twisted to slide in tight against him, pressing their chests flush together.
Water began to slosh over the rim of the bath and she stilled herself, sucking at the pulse point on his neck. "We gotta get out of this damn tub," she said, nipping at the underside of his jaw.
"Not a problem," was his reply as he pulled her up with him in one fluid movement, quickly drying off before they disembark from the bath and chase one another into the bedroom.
Ned opened his eyes the second he heard the shower. When he rolled over, he fell right into Katie's side of the bed. The sheets were still warm from the heat of her body, and they were fragrant with the familiar scent of honey vanilla that clung to her. The scent of sex was there too, musky and sweet, from the night before.
He rose, somewhat reluctantly, leaving that warm and cozy spot. Her water glass was on the nightstand, and he took a sip to clear the night's sleep from his mouth. The flavor of her mouth was there on the rim, and even though he would taste from the source in a moment, he licked that spot, tasting the anise flavor of her daily meds she took before bed.
The same ones she tried to get him to take but never did even though he knew that he ought to. Some nights he still couldn't sleep well, even though it had been almost five years since Arrow and Mason were both out of their lives, but the nightmares of his torture stayed with him – stayed with them both.
It had dwindled down to only a few nights a year, but Ned still sometimes woke to the sound of Katie's screams, her body violently shaking as she clutched her chest. Usually reliving the days that Mason had held her captive, though sometimes it was reliving the pain of Arrow breaking into her parents' house when she was there alone with her youngest siblings.
"Ned, is that you?" she called from the bath.
God above, the woman could hear a pin drop. "Yeah. My alarm just went off," he said as he walked toward the door. "I have to be in early to give a tour to my new partner."
"New partner? You didn't tell me about that," she said as he came into the bathroom.
"Oh, I didn't?" he tried to play dumb the best he could, but he had totally forgotten to mention it to her the night before and hadn't wanted to in the heat of the moment.
"No, you didn't. So, who is he?" She asked, her voice floating to his ears over the water as he began to brush his teeth. "Where is he transferring from?"
"She is transferring from Chicago," he corrected outright, not wanting to hide anything as he spit into the sink and the shower cut out a moment later, the sliding glass door opening.
He already knew what that meant.
She was probably upset. LeTrai was right and she didn't want him spending that much time with another woman, especially when things weren't perfect for them at home.
"Hmm, interesting" she hummed, nodding, shrugging.
"Interesting?" He mimicked her, grabbing his deodorant. "What does that mean?"
"Only that it is interesting. I just was only thinking about her and the fact that she is your first female partner. "Does she have a name?" she rolled her eyes and walked up to grab a towel from underneath the sink. "When does she start?"
"Her name is Rebecca," he said, blinking dumbly at her as his eyes raked over her wet and naked body that was just inches away from him. "She is coming in today for a tour, but her first day isn't technically until tomorrow."
She nodded, indicating she was listening to him while drying herself off and propping her leg up on the closed toilet, ultimately distracting him from saying anything further. "I think this will be good for you. Like I said before you have never had a female partner before." She cleared her throat and allowed his eyes to finally meet hers again. "Now, if you'd grab my robe instead of staring at me… maybe I'll go make some coffee for you before you have to leave and still have some time to spare with you before Asher wakes up."
"You enjoy it when I stare at you," he said as his cock stiffened at the thought of getting a few more minutes alone with his wife.
"I never said that I didn't, love," she giggled and smirked, her eyes trailing down. "Is someone excited to see me?"
"I always am," he said, pulling her in and their lips melding together. "Good morning, love."
"Dirty boy," she sighed against his mouth, her fingers lightly skimming against where he was hard in his boxers.
His breathing became rougher as her hand closed around him, tugging him slightly. "Katie," he groaned as their kiss broke.
"Is it bad that I want to mark you? Let the world know that you belong to me?" Her voice was so innocent that Ned would have doubled over in a laugh if she hadn't started stroking at the same moment.
"I think that's okay as long as they are hidden," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. "It wouldn't be professional for the tour."
"Hmm… it wouldn't?" Her other hand moved to where he wanted it to, to the smooth skin at the apex of her thighs.
He had to fight the urge to fall to his knees and suck it between his lips. "It wouldn't," he repeated, swallowing.
"Don't act like you never get too over excited with me," she hummed, squeezing her hand slightly.
"Sometimes I do," he chuckled.
The evidence of his own excitement was on her neck and around her nipples from the night before. Unable to resist, he raised his hand and rubbed his finger over one of the bright pink marks, watching it blanch slightly with the pressure.
It would go away in a few days or even sooner if she used the cream she kept by the bed. Ned knew she wouldn't, though. They were always hidden from anyone's eyes but his.
"I think you get very excited, don't you?" She whispered.
"I love you, you know? And I wanted you for a long time before I finally got y-y-you." Ned's voice caught when she squeezed him tightly on a downward stroke. "Every day I feel like the luckiest man alive."
"I do too. I feel like the luckiest woman alive," she sighed. "I wanted you too, but you knew that…" She'd slipped a finger inside herself, her hand slowly working it in and out.
He licked his lips, groaning. "I'd like to show you if you'll let me."
She nodded and a deep groan filled the small space when he dropped to his knees. He didn't push her fingers away, in fact, he grabbed her wrist, making them move at his own speed.
"Ned, I want your mouth on me," she moaned, her free hand now in his hair, pulling his head closer to her core.
He smiled, relaxing just as he always did whenever he was this close to his wife's nude body. He rubbed his nose along her thighs, taking in what he considered her true scent – that fragrance that had nothing to do with her perfumes, soaps or lotions.
This was her essence: warm, musky, utterly female, and it only got stronger the closer he drifted to the spot where her fingers were sliding in and out of. He took sly licks whenever they reappeared, taking in the soft and salty flavor that he craved whenever he was mandated for an overnight shift twice a month.
"Ned… please …" She begged, breathlessly.
"Please, what?" he murmured, pulling her hand from its work and slipping her slick fingers into his mouth.
Katie lost the ability to speak then, only making a series of guttural cries as he sucked her fingers just like she would his cock. Lust ripped through Ned's body, straight to his groin, and even though he hadn't thought he could get harder than he'd been when she stepped out of the shower, he could feel himself stiffening even more. Fantasies flashed through his mind, thoughts of what he could do to her in the time before he had to go to work in this bathroom.
"Fuck – I want you… inside me … please …" She jabbered.
He nodded, knowing that he was going to come on the floor of the bathroom if he didn't focus on the present. Carefully, he stood, bringing Katie to bend over the bathroom counter and parting her legs with his, relying on his senses to guide his cock to her.
He knew her body so well now that he could navigate it by memory, and with a few nudges, he sank inside of her, pushing until his thighs met her soft backside. She sighed, arching back against him as he began to thrust, her hips easily catching the rhythm of his until they were both lost in the sound of their hips slapping together.
"Hard… like steel, Ned…" She gasped, moaning and licking her lips as she cried out. "So good, baby… you feel so good…"
"So do you," he whispered, reveling in the heat that surrounded him every time he entered her, missing it the second he withdrew.
Her orgasm came fast and was so beautiful that he had to see it again. His hand on her hip moved downwards, easily finding where she needed them most between her thighs. He found her center and flicked it, wishing he could lick and suck it while he fucked her senseless.
When he felt her tighten around him again, heard the high cries that she only made when coming and he let go, this time coming with her while crying out her name. As they stayed together for a few blissful moments, she gasped and moaned as he pulled from her and brought her to lean against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and the slope of her neck, smiling.
"Do you have to go in today?" She asked, her voice very small like it was when they first got together.
"You know I do. I have my walk-through tour with my new partner," he sighed, cupping her breast as he kissed her mouth this time, his tongue sliding lazily against hers.
"Rebecca..." she turned her head to break their off, distracted as his lips moved to her neck, his teeth nipping gently.
"Don't be jealous, you know I love you," he said, knowing he would move mountains to make sure she knew this in her soul.
"I am only jealous she will be spending so much time with you, but I'm not worried about it. I love and trust you," she said, slowly turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Women have always had a knack of flocking to you… you're a nice, handsome man and I am lucky to be with you after everything we have been through."
He nodded, leaning down slightly to press his forehead against hers. "Never. I would never. You are… my beautifully gorgeous wife whom I am excited to introduce to my new partner when you come by for lunch," he said, smiling.
"Okay. I think I can agree to that," she said.
"It's not like you don't come to share lunch with me every day," he spun her around to cup her cheek and claim her lips again.
Katie rushed as she pulled in around the back of her mother's store and got out quickly, unbuckling her son from his car seat and pressing a kiss to his cheek as she held him close to her chest. She grabbed his diaper bag and quickly made her way to the backdoor, punched the passcode in and walked inside. She could tell from the sounds of shoes scuffing and shuffling against the floors that the store was particularly busy. She could only hope that her mom would be incredibly busy and upset she was late.
God, she was thirty minutes late and it was all Ned's fault. Well, it was both of their faults, but mostly his if Melinda ended up scolding her.
As she placed down Asher's diaper bag by her mom's desk while she moved to hold him better, and tickled his sides. "Are you excited to see Nana?" She asked, sitting down in the empty desk chair
Her little boy nodded eagerly and scooted closer to her once he was sitting on her lap. "Yes... yes... yes!"
"Are you now?" She giggled and rubbed her nose against his. "She will be back here in a minute."
"Don't go!" Asher cried, shaking his head. "No mama…. no… no... no! Don't go!"
"Oh, Ash, it's okay. Mama is not going anywhere yet, but I do have to go to work." She whispered holding him closely and wiping his tears away. "I thought you love spending time with your nana?" He slowly nodded his head silently against her. "Yeah. It'll be okay. Mama will be back to get you and if it's not me, it'll be daddy."
"Daddy?" Asher asked, his little head perking up excitedly when he heard her mention him in the end.
"Yes, mama or daddy will pick you up again a little later. I promise," she reassured him and kissed both of his cheeks several times until he started to giggle. Then she moved to tickle his sides to make him giggle more. "There's that smile I love so much…" She pulled out her phone and got a few quick, cute photos of him before she noticed Delia had made her way into the back of the store, startling her when the floorboards creak. "Oh, hey! I didn't see you there. How's the morning been so far?"
"You coddle him too much," Delia tsked at her instead, something that annoyed the crap out of her. "And you're late. Like by thirty minutes. Your mom had to bring Mackenzie to school."
She didn't hide her eye roll but didn't say anything more than, "I won't be scolded by you. You aren't my mother," because she didn't have the energy or the time to fight with her mother-in-law. "My first class begins at nine. It's only eight twenty."
"What's going on back here?" Melinda said before Delia had the chance to open her mouth, but the tension was reeling in the room.
"I was only making an observation to Katie before she got upset," Delia said, arms up in defense.
"I'm not upset that you made an observation, but it's not okay when it's about my parenting skills," she muttered and could see her own mother's eye roll from here.
"How about you go out front and deal with the customers? I'll deal with my daughter, hmm?" Melinda said, eyes trained on her friend until she walked past her and the doors to the back room were closed. "If you'd been on time you wouldn't have seen her, but it isn't a big deal that I had to bring Mackenzie. I just wasn't planning on it."
"I feel like every time I talk to her since Asher was born it's a fight," she sighed, groaning. "And that's the least of my problems. I wanted to talk to you."
"What problems could you have holding the sweetest boy ever in your arms?" Melinda cooed as she picked Asher up and spun him around. "What's wrong?"
Being a grandmother suited her mother, just as motherhood had.
"Very good point," she said. "He is just the sweetest, but my latest pothole in my week is Ned's new partner assignment."
"Oh?" Melinda looked confused. "Why is that a problem? Is he racist or something?"
"No, she is just fine. For now. I haven't met her," she sighed. "I don't have anything to say about what I think about her yet until I do."
"Oh, is that why you were late today?" Melinda chuckled, shaking her head. "I thought I raised you better than to judge a book by its cover."
"What? No. I'm not doing that. I just don't know how I feel about her," she muttered, standing up from the chair. "Ned's never had a female partner before. How do we know how this will go?"
"I think it will go fine. Don't you, Ash?" Melinda asked the little boy, who was mostly consumed in playing on his grandma's phone that she'd given him.
"I hope it does, and by the way… I was late because I was… you know… doing things." She said, coming up with a pretty lame excuse.
"Oh yeah? Things? Don't you mean Ned?" Melinda loved to tease her. It was a gift of hers, being her mother.
"Maybe, maybe not," she shrugged, smirking. "I am sorry I ruined your time with dad this morning."
"It's fine, Katie. Don't worry about it, babe," Melinda said, leaning up to kiss her cheek. "I'll just go see your dad on his lunch a little earlier… that's usually when he's in his office so I'd be able to get him alone."
"Okay, enough details." She said, covering her ears. "You make me feel like the Virgin Mary. I should get to school before I'm late. Plus I know a couple of students who will get there fifteen minutes early to eat their breakfast at their desks." She gave her a kiss on her cheek along with Asher's as well. "Thank you, mama, for clearing my mind of these worries about Ned's new partner. I'll see you later."
"Happy to help. Now drive safe and text me after you meet her later, okay?" Melinda said as she gave her a quick hug before Katie walked towards the back door.
"Okay. Okay. I will." She said, turning back to wave to Asher. "Bye, Asher. Mama loves you. I will see you later. Have fun with your grandmas."