Rescue
part three
by mardel
I just borrowed them for the story.
Bobby drove himself home. He was so tired he wasn't even hungry. They had spent the
day tracking down leads, interviewing people about the man they were attempting to
locate.
He sighed once he was home, locked his door and removed his jacket. He went to the
fridge for a bottle of sport aid, and drank half before going to his bedroom to change.
He'd installed a weight bench in his bedroom. He'd been working out on and off
most of his life. But after that scare a few months back, and he'd noticed his wind
wasn't what it use to be, he'd decided it was time for him to whip himself back into
shape. He changed into his sweat shorts, no shirt and took up position on the bench.
He'd been surprised how he'd let himself get out of shape. It took the better part of
a month to get back to his fighting weight. He ran three mornings a week, and he was
working his muscles the days he didn't run. He hated running, but it was the only way
he knew to keep his stamina up, for when he had to chase the bad guys.
The weight training was different, he enjoyed it. He also liked the results, he was looking
buff, if he did say so himself. It was a shame he didn't have a lady friend to impress.
What had that been about with Darien? Did he have the hots for the Keep?
Why else would Fawkes ask him if he liked Claire?
Claire. Bobby paused in his reps, he'd just broken out into a mild sweat. He sat up
his legs spread wide on the bench to give him leverage for the bench pressed he'd
been doing. It wasn't a good idea to think about Claire when he was working out.
He'd learned that lesson already. The sweat from his chest trickled down, sliding
over his ribs and down his abdomen. He wiped his forehead with a towel and
tried to not think about her. But it was already to late. The image of her at the
beach that day, her hair blown out in the breeze, her face flushed from her rush
to help him with the boy that had almost drowned. He loved her eyes, they
were so expressive, big brown eyes that made his heart melt.
Yeah, they made his heart melt, but they had an entirely different effect on
another part of his anatomy. Here he was a grown man, day dreaming about
a woman he was never going to be with and getting an erection. He put
off the rest of his bench presses and moved on to the arm curls.
When Bobby was done with his work out, he took a shower, a cold
shower.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Claire was having a difficult herself that evening. She was attempting to put Bobby out of
her mind with meditation. But it only worked for a short period of time. She almost called
Darien, thinking if she told someone about her feelings it might help. She jumped in her
seat when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Claire how are you doing?"
"Darien? Why are you calling me at home is something wrong with your arm?'
"No, well maybe it is itching a lot, but I called to ask you what you were going to
say when Hobbes came in."
"Your injection site is itching, why don't you meet me back at the lab?'
"No, I'm OK."
"I'll come over to your place then I want to check your arm."
"Sure if you want." Darien wanted her to open up to him, maybe if she was away from
work she could.
"Hi, come on in." Darien answered the knock at the door.
" Hello, now tell me what does it feel like, ichy or irritated?" Claire reached for him
bandaged arm. She unwrapped the gauze and looked the red area.
"It looks better than before."
"Yeah, maybe the itchiness was just in my head." Darien smiled, "Why don't you sit
down and talk to me. I can offer you a soda or tea?'
"You weren't really bothered by this were you?" she re wrapped his arm just to be on the
safe side.
"Come on Keep, you were going to tell me something before?"
Claire sighed, it might help, but she didn't want him to hold it against her.
She took a seat on his sofa. Darien sat next to her, watching her face closely.
" I do have feelings for Bobby, you are correct about that. But even though he has
flirted with me in the past. I don't think he means it. It's part of his personality, his
coping mechanism in dealing with his mental state."
"Whoa wait a minute is that what this is about? You don't want to hook up with Bobby
because he's a little off center? I didn't think you would hold that against him."
Darien was on the defensive now, for his partners sake.
"NO! no that's not it at all. Wait, I'm not saying that. I am attracted to Bobby, but ever
since that rescue on the beach last week." She paused thinking how to word it, so he
wouldn't over react again.
"You got an eye full, Hobbes looks good all wet and half naked." Darien goaded her.
"Yes, he does but normally that wouldn't bother me. I've seen you half naked many
times. I'm a doctor I'm use to seeing bodies." she struggled to find the words.
"I don't want to chance hurting him again. He's been through so much in his life.
I have reasons of my own, that will make a relationship between us difficult. He
deserves someone that it's loaded down with her own baggage. He has problems
of his own to deal with. He shouldn't also have to worry about mine."
Darien believed her, because she was about a half minute away from crying. Her
eyes were full of unshed tears. "Hey, Claire I'm sorry. I though it was because,
well never mind." He reached to touch her hand in her lap.
"Man if we aren't the sorriest bunch of co-workers when it come to our love life's."
He tried to joke.
" I'm sorry I shouldn't be bothering you with this." Claire shook her head. Darien
handed her a tissue from the box on the end table.
"It's OK, what are friends for?"
It was another hour of talking and sharing before Claire became sleepy. Darien didn't
have the heart to wake her up. He just settled her on the sofa and covered her with
a blanket. Then he went to his bed.
end part three