Trickz n Treats
'Would you choose water over wine
Hold the wheel and drive…'
'Drive' by Incubus.
Bec tried to block out the buzzing of the alarm clock, but with no avail. The sun was shining forcefully into her bedroom, and she seriously wished she had closed her curtains before going to bed, as the rays were penetrating through, and making her back hot.
Succumbing to the almighty alarm clock, she grunted and swung herself out of bed and turned the clock off. Yawning, she carefully made her bed, adjusting the blue eiderdown and plumping up the pillows. The blue eiderdown reminded her of the spiky blond, blue eyed stranger who had waltzed into her life yesterday.
Just thinking of Jack put a smile on her face, and her cheeks grew warm when she remembered the brief brush of lips at the doorway. The kiss had been simple, plain and sweet and made her quiver inside. She'd been touched when he'd asked her to the dance, not the giggly schoolgirl type, but she'd relished the way he'd tumbled over his words and suddenly gone shy.
The best part of the night however, was when she overcame her fear and talked to Carlos, and now she was satisfied that they could go back to what they were before. Friends. She bit her lip slightly at the thought, but couldn't stem why she suspected the word 'friend' was heavily loaded. She quickly hopped into the bathroom to shower, and to avoid examining her present situation with the word 'friend' and Carlos in the same sentence.
'Jilly! Get your red ass down here!' shouted Chris from the bottom of the stairs. He heard a noise of exasperation and a thud, and finally Jill came running down the stairs, beret in hand and her uniform on. She dropped to one knee and tied her shoelace, and pulled on her denim jacket.
'My ass is not red, I prefer to refer to it as rose-pink' growled Jill as she patted her foundation into her skin, to mask the redness of her still raw skin.
'Don't give me fancy shit Valentine, Miss Literature. You are talking to a jock here' Chris reminded Jill as they walked outside to Jill's convertible, giving her a lopsided grin that had enticed so many admirers.
Jill mock pouted, and put her hands on her hips and looked him square in the eyes.
'Don't pull that grin on me, Mr Left Quarterback, Miss Literature is clever enough to know when to keep her underwear on unlike the over processed blond cheerleaders you have successfully conquered over before' she said opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat. Chris shrugged and got into the driver's seat.
The couple were soon heading towards the RPD, the top down on Jill's red Mercedes-Benz (the government's way of thanking her after demolishing Umbrella), the morning sun warm on their backs. Chris pushed the speed limit slightly, as the road was clear except for the early morning joggers, visible from their neon running kit.
'What are we going to tell the others?' asked Jill as they drove down Spencer Avenue, and stopped at the traffic lights.
'Just that Becky and Jack hit off fine, and that Carlos happened to be there with Phoenix, but nothing happened' said Chris, driving the smart car fiercely as if it needed to be taught a lesson. Jill's brow furrowed in thought and she finally nodded.
The wind was whipping her hair back, and Jill looked out at the pleasant suburban landscape, the weak morning sun shining down on the placid streets. The only people out at the moment were the fitness freaks, stick-insect bodies dressed in clashing lycra, jogging to the beat of music coming from their earphones.
A young college aged student walked down to the convenience store with another girl. Jill strained her ears when she heard the topic of conversation.
'Apparently, she's pregnant' said the boy to the girl. The girl pouted her lips, her eyes levelled down in angry slits.
'He couldn't fertilise a garden' she declared, trotting down the sidewalk, her stilettos clicking on the pavement, making her walk seem demonic. Jill chuckled and sat back down in her seat.
'So Chris, you were a jock, huh?' she asked him, as they rounded a corner. Chris turned and gave her a strange look.
'Yeah, why?' he asked, puzzled, trying to figure out what Jill was up to. Jill tried hard to suppress her mirth, as she had extracted some information from Claire on one of her non-coherent times.
'Really tough and strong, yeah?' she said all big eyed. Chris eyed her suspiciously, and then swerved to avoid driving into a parking meter.
'What's with all the questions?' he asked, flicking up an eyebrow and squinting at her.
'Just that Claire told me that at your first day at Senior High you wet yourself because you couldn't find the bathrooms, then told everyone you'd fallen in a puddle' she said sweetly, giggling and prodding Chris. Chris gave her a dirty look and again swerved to avoid a traffic light.
'I'm gonna kill her….' He muttered, and then began tickling Jill with his free hand. Jill laughed girlishly and pinched him hard, making him stop and rub the sore area on his shoulder. The pair continued to drive to the PD, twittering and exchanging punches and/or insults.
'Claire, Baby don't make me get outta bed' moaned Leon from the depths of the duvet. Claire was trying in vain to rouse him, but as her persuasion wasn't helping, she took a running leap and bounced on the bed and pummelled Leon with a pillow.
'Leon, we'll be late for the 3rd time this week' yelled Claire, pounding Leon relentlessly with her pillow, and then her fists. She was already washed and dressed, but Leon hadn't stirred from the vicinity of the bed yet. Leon moaned again.
'Claire, my groin is killing me. And you pounding it isn't helping' groaned Leon, his eyes bleary and tired. Claire took pity on him and sat back on her heels, and regarded him. She placed a hand on his forehead, and drew it back quickly.
'Your coming down with something, maybe you better stay in bed…'she said, staring at him concernedly. At that comment, Leon jumped like a firecracker from the bed and dived into the bathroom.
'I'll be down in 15 minutes' he shouted, and then Claire could hear the noise of the shower being turned on. She sat down on the unmade bed and prided herself on her tactics. Leon would never take a day off work; he couldn't let his tough image be ruined. Though Claire couldn't place what he thought was his tough image, if being tough involved tripping up and giggling like a schoolgirl.
Chris ducked behind a corner and kept close to the wall. He looked sideways then slunk into the infirmary and crouched behind a bed and waited for the others to arrive. As if on cue, he heard footsteps outside, and peeked around the bed and saw Carlos dive behind a bed.
'Chris, man you there?' whispered Carlos from behind a bed.
'Here' whispered Chris back. Carlos crawled over, his form noiselessly sliding across the vinyl floor, clutching a bag containing all the props. He slid the bag under the bed and sat hunched up, hugging his knees with a boyish grin on his face.
'I feel so stupid hiding behind a bed, what if someone finds us?' he whispered to Chris who was looking at his watch.
'They'll think we're not the stud heterosexuals they know us to b, that we hide behind beds in our breaks to catch up on….stuff' muttered Chris, looking at his watch exasperatedly, shaking his wrist. 'Where is Leon?'
'He should be here soon, he was trying to get out of Claire's clutches' replied Carlos, staring at the floor, waiting for Leon to show. There was a noise in the corridor, and Leon's dishevelled form waddled in and looked conspicuously around.
'Guys?' he asked tentatively, looking around the room.
'Over here' answered Chris, poking his head from behind the bed. Leon waddled over and flopped himself down next to Chris and gave a wry smile.
'Sorry I'm late, I tried to sneak out without arousing Claire's suspicions' said Leon, trying to arrange his legs in a comfortable position in the cramped room of the bed.
'We're all here now. Let's go over the final plans' broke in Carlos, eager to get the meeting over. He was unsure about hiding out here, as if they were caught, then all rumours would start flying.
'Okay, first the lights cut out. That's Carlos's job, so you gotta be outta the room and give the signal when you're about to leave so we can get ready' Chris said, ticking off an item on the list.
'Then when the lights are out, Leon, you should leave to 'check the fuse box' and then go get your costume on, okay?' continued Chris, smiling devilishly at the quivering Rookie.
'And when me and Leon are out, you Chris make the 'adjustments' to the statue of Lincoln in the room' said Carlos, relaxing against a cupboard.
'Then I'll leave the room, and together me and Carlos will get the lights on again, and then Leon you perform your stuff' finished Chris, smacking the Rookie lightly on the back. Leon looked as though he was having a seizure.
'I can already imagine spending that money right now' mused Carlos, thinking of what he would buy with the prize money from Barry.
'Perfect way to round off the evening' commented Chris, looking at Leon's glazed eyes and silent face.
And with that, the trio snuck out of the infirmary and out in the corridor, Carlos stashing the 'props' in his locker, and then following the others back to the office.
'Can't believe it's tomorrow!' exclaimed Claire, bouncing up and down on her desk, in danger of toppling backwards off the small table.
The three women were discussing the upcoming dance, which was looming for them the next day, and were already getting themselves psyched up for the much anticipated event. They were holding court on a couple of desks, as the others were out in the cafeteria, and the guys had disappeared somewhere. It was prime time to muse over the event, whilst eating a modest lunch of sandwiches and mountain dew that Claire had bought from the nearby convenience store.
Rebecca took a bite out her ham and salad baguette and took a long gulp of mountain
Dew, swinging her booted feet off the end of the desk.
'And I find a date just in time' cut in Bec, from Claire's monologue.
'You do?' asked Claire curiously, cocking up a well-plucked eyebrow. Claire cracked open her can of Mountain Dew, and regarded Bec with patented Claire inquisitiveness.
Jill prodded Bec and gave her a probing look. Bec said nothing and continued to drink her Mountain Dew under the stare of the two curious women. Claire chewed thoughtfully, never taking her eyes off Bec and Jill took a slurp of Dew through a straw, eyes pinned on Bec.
'Don't keep us in suspense' said Claire, rolling her eyes and throwing her wrappers in the trashcan. Jill finished her Dew and tossed it away. Bec lethargically walked across to the trashcan and disposed of her rubbish, so slowly until Claire's fiery temper finally cracked.
'C'mon already, don't do this waiting game to us!' she exclaimed, lying down on the desk thumping her fists on the desk rhythmically.
Bec sat down on the desk and resumed swinging her legs. The ticking of the noise was the only noise in the room, and it sounded loud in the still room.
'Jack asked me to go with him-' started Bec modestly, looking at the ground, a smile creeping up her face, and Claire cut in and almost toppled off the desk.
'Nice one! Give me the details' she pleaded, landing on the floor with a thud, scrambling up quickly and crouching on the floor in front of Becca, eye alight and excited.
'-And I said yes' finished Bec simply, much amused with Claire kneeling at her feet and with Jill's satisfied look. Bec got up and walked across to Jill and hugged her gratefully.
'Thanks for setting me up Jill' she said quietly.
'No prob. anything for a friend' said Jill patted Bec's shoulder, and smiling.
'Anything else happen?' questioned Claire, having reclaimed her position on the desk and was sitting in a locust position, cupping her cheeks with her hands.
'Nothing much' said Bec discreetly, taking pleasure in teasing Claire with her simple answers. Jill cocked up an eyebrow and looked doubtful.
'He gave you a lift home…' said Jill lightly, letting the sentence trail unconcernedly.
'And then he asked me, I said yes and he went home' stated Bec, emphasising the home part.
Jill and Claire still looked doubtful, but no more musing could continue as the arrival of the three males stopped them.
Chris, Leon and Carlos almost slunk into the room and avoided eye contact with the women, and conspicuously sat down on the spare desks, not talking.
'Where'd you guys go off to?' asked Claire, the ever tactful one, prodding Chris who looked surprised.
'Weapons locker. Checking the Berettas for shooting practice today' cut in Carlos swiftly, nudging Chris and flashing them a confident smile, like an advertisement for a toothpaste company.
The three women shared a glance and shrugged. Jill searched each one of the men's faces carefully, trying to pick up on what they were planning. They had been acting strange for the past two weeks, their secretive behaviour going unnoticed by nobody.
'Yeah' added Leon, his cheeks burning red, biting his knuckles. Claire opened her mouth to interrogate her love god, but was interrupted with the arrival of the rest of team, entering the room noisily, fresh from their lunch break. Chris immediately stood behind his desk and motioned to everyone to get into place.
'Listen up! Everyone's on the shooting range this afternoon, except for Carlos and Claire, you're acting as back up for any situations that involve the PD, so head down to the Control Room for now' ordered Chris to the see of faces in front of him.
The team grunted in response, making Chris grin at their communication techniques, consisting of animal grunts and guttural noises. The team rose to leave the room, Claire and Carlos gathering necessary files to work on while waiting in the Control Room.
Bec sauntered down the hall with Jill, turning off to the Weapons Lockers to grab fingerless gloves and the ammo caches and boxes of well-used Berettas.
'What's up with the guys?' asked Bec and she counted the number of fingerless gloves in the box, sorting through them quickly.
'No idea, I think we'll find out tomorrow' replied Jill, heaving the ammo cache up onto one arm and a couple of Berettas on the other arm.
They both headed out to the shooting range with the others, both trying to figure out what was up with the guys.
'Whassup Spanish Amigo?' asked Claire, nudging the dazed Carlos. 'Spacing out about a certain red headed girl again, are we?'.
Carlos jumped, thinking that Claire had guessed he was thinking about Becca dressed up in her dress last night. He tried to gather his thoughts and come up with a suitable reply.
'She was wearing a really nice dress' returned Carlos, chewing on his pen frantically.
'And I bet it was on your bedroom floor afterwards, huh?' quipped Claire, lounging back in her chair, watching him closely.
Carlos was at a loss to say, and gaped. He could see Claire was watching carefully, and tried to seem nonchalant and carefree.
'Jack gave her a lift home' he said quickly.
Claire looked confused and furrowed her brow in thought.
'But I thought Jack gave Bec a lift home?' she asked, puzzled. Her green eyes so like Chris's, were staring at him, the identical green pools eyeing him shrewdly. Carlos gaped again and the realisation hit him she was talking about Phoenix, and that he had let some stuff slip about Bec.
'Right…'affirmed Claire, her green eyes still probing him. 'You still have a thing for Bec, don't you?' she asked, with the tact of an army truck. She waited for his answer, no emotion in her eyes.
'That obvious?' he wondered out loud, chewing the pen hard.
'Only to me. Listen, she has Jack now, you have Phoenix, don't mess everything up for her' Claire almost pleaded, green eyes solid and hard. Carlos was thrown by her reaction, expecting her to start giggling or act the wise guy.
'I won't, I'm not that stupid. The dance is tomorrow, I won't ruin it for her' said Carlos, nearly whispering. Claire dropped her head to catch his words. Claire gave him a warm smile, which was, as close to a thank you Carlos would get from her.
Carlos tried to break the tension with a joke. 'Claire, I know you loooove me' he said winking at the gum chewing girl, swinging his arm around her. Claire removed his arm and dropped it like it was dead carp and eyed him.
She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and smiled flirtatiously at Carlos.
'You really wanna know how much I like you, huh?' she asked naughtily, leaning close to Carlos so her nose nearly brushed his. Carlos looked taken aback, and he composed himself quickly.
'Go ahead, Mi Chica' he drawled, winking at her.
'I'm about as attracted to you, as I am attracted to Hannibal Lector' she said swinging her chair round and beginning to work. 'And that isn't a good thing'.
Carlos let out a low whistle and picked up his pen and stared at the page.
The pair began to work through paper work silently, thinking of what the next day might hold.
'Another day over. Tomorrow evening…' said Bec, wiping the sweat from her face, and slouching against her locker in the changing rooms.
Chris grunted an affirmative, and stuck his head in his locker to dump off his gloves and vest. Jill walked out of a cubicle in a red RPD t-shirt, throwing her blue STARs shirt into her locker, running her fingers through her red hair. Leon sauntered out with Claire on his arm. It was the end of the day and they were all heading home, back to a good dinner and an early night.
Gradually the room became empty and only Bec was left struggling to take her gloves off. They were a size too small for her, and were clinging to her skin with sweat and she was almost spinning in circles to try and get them off.
'Need a hand?' asked a deep voice, with a hint of laughter. Startled, Bec looked up and saw Jack standing by the door, chuckling at her exhibition of 360-degree turns.
'You scared me! I can't get these gloves off' she explained, yanking at the tough leather straps. Jack reached forward and expertly pried open the loose clasps, and had pulled the gloves off, and tossed them in the glove compartment.
'Thanks' Bec said gratefully, rubbing her hands lightly. Jack leaned forward and tickled her chin lightly, before stooping down to kiss her. As they drew back, Bec slid her fingers into the front pockets of his jeans.
'So what are your plans for tonight?' he asked idly, ruffling her hair slightly.
'Nothing' said Bec simply, smiling shyly at her blue eyed prospector.
'How about dinner round my place?' he suggested, shrugging lightly.
'Sounds great. I have to pick up some stuff from my office, how about I meet you out the front in five?' she said, trying to suppress her excitement.
'Sure, I'll see ya there then' he said, nodding. Bec walked out through the locker room, trying to take the spring out of her step, but was unable to. She half danced into the office, where Carlos was stacking his stuff together.
'Letter came for you' he said, handing her a white envelope. Bec frowned, wondering whom the sender might be. She opened her shoulder bag and threw it in, noticing the 'Washington' address on the envelope.
'Where you off to?' asked Carlos absently as he pawed through files and folders.
'Jack's place for dinner' Bec replied, tying up her bootlace so that Carlos couldn't see her expression.
'Have fun' he said simply as she left the room. Before she left, she turned around and looked at him.
'Yeah?' he asked, wondering what was up. Bec had a naughty smile on her face, and had one arm on her hip.
'You wouldn't mind doing my paperwork tonight?' she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him. Carlos was tempted to say yes, but decided a better comeback.
He grinned at her, and laid his hands flat down on the desk. Bec stepped in closer, and stared at him wide eyed.
'I love to do it' he said simply, smiling. Bec narrowed her eyes and looked at him disbelievingly.
'Well' she started, but Carlos's laugh broke in.
'I love to do it, as much as I'd like to give a constipated goose a suppository' finished Carlos, laughing and opening his eyes wide.
Bec looked at him angrily, and lunged at him across the desk. Carlos stumbled backwards as he caught her flying form, and proceeded to chuckle as she play thumped him and soon they were having a friendly fight, like they used to.
He lowered his arms and began tickling her, till she dropped backwards and was lying on the floor, giggling uncontrollably. Carlos crouched down next to her and planted his arms either side of her body and leaned forward.
Bec drew back, surprised at his seriousness and waited for him to speak. He leaned in close until he was close to her face.
'Boo!' he whispered, making her jump violently. She hit him again and they were rolling over laughing, until they separated, lying on the floor next to each other, heaving with laughter and breathless. Carlos reached for her hand and looked at her.
'I've missed being your friend' he said quietly, looking at the floor. Bec sat up and gave his hand a squeeze.
'Me too' she agreed. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and stood up to leave.
'Have a good time tonight. And don't be shy…your mother wasn't!' he teased, standing up.
Bec tossed her head and laughed, before leaving the room. When she had left, Carlos put a hand to cheek and sighed. He smiled weakly, and sat down to work.
'Life isn't perfect, but it's as good as it could be' he mused, leaning back in his chair. He rummaged in his drawer, and came up with the invitation to the RPD Dance, which was commencing the next day. He traced his fingers around the gold and writing, and smiling thoughtfully he stashed it away in his desk. A lot of stuff was going to happen tomorrow, and it'd definitely be a night to remember.
'Hannibal Lector eat your heart out' he said to the empty room, as he began to do his paper work. The radio was fainting playing, and Carlos picked up the lyrics of the song. The song was 'Drive' By Incubus.
"It's hit me before, it seem to have a vague
Haunting mass of appeal,
And lately I'm beginning to find that I
Should be the One behind The Wheel.
Whatever tomorrow brings
I'll be there,
With open arms and open eyes,
Yeah.
Whatever tomorrow brings,
I'll be there,
I'll be there….yeah"
Carlos listened to the song until the end, and then got up and turned the radio off.
'Bec, I'll always be there' he said, watching her through the window get into Jack's car, the pair of them driving off.
Chicky sez: Whoooah! I'm on a roll, I've gotten the past two chapters out really quickly! Must be my sugar high. Well, this chapter is a bit lighter hearted than the past couple, and soon the dance will be upon our favorite heroes! Don't expect this fic to end at the dance, what happens at the Dance and afterwards is when this story ends! More comedy and hilarity from the gang.
The song at the end: Okay, a bit sappy to use this song at the end, but hey, It's one of my favorite songs! It's not a tearjerker; it sums up Carlos's feelings that he'll always be there for a friend.
Reviewers:-
Christie Redfield: Thanks for the kind emails and your reviews on my fic.
Fle: Thank you for being faithful and waiting while I got chapters ready, and keeping up with this everlasting story.
Chris 'n' Jill: Chris-Chan, I hafta kill you make you review my fic, but hell, I promise not to kill you.
Darth Bond, Sakura, Lily, Jilly Bean, Karol Nibelhim, thank you for the kind words on my fic.
Next Chapter out soon….watch this space!
'Would you choose water over wine
Hold the wheel and drive…'
'Drive' by Incubus.
Bec tried to block out the buzzing of the alarm clock, but with no avail. The sun was shining forcefully into her bedroom, and she seriously wished she had closed her curtains before going to bed, as the rays were penetrating through, and making her back hot.
Succumbing to the almighty alarm clock, she grunted and swung herself out of bed and turned the clock off. Yawning, she carefully made her bed, adjusting the blue eiderdown and plumping up the pillows. The blue eiderdown reminded her of the spiky blond, blue eyed stranger who had waltzed into her life yesterday.
Just thinking of Jack put a smile on her face, and her cheeks grew warm when she remembered the brief brush of lips at the doorway. The kiss had been simple, plain and sweet and made her quiver inside. She'd been touched when he'd asked her to the dance, not the giggly schoolgirl type, but she'd relished the way he'd tumbled over his words and suddenly gone shy.
The best part of the night however, was when she overcame her fear and talked to Carlos, and now she was satisfied that they could go back to what they were before. Friends. She bit her lip slightly at the thought, but couldn't stem why she suspected the word 'friend' was heavily loaded. She quickly hopped into the bathroom to shower, and to avoid examining her present situation with the word 'friend' and Carlos in the same sentence.
'Jilly! Get your red ass down here!' shouted Chris from the bottom of the stairs. He heard a noise of exasperation and a thud, and finally Jill came running down the stairs, beret in hand and her uniform on. She dropped to one knee and tied her shoelace, and pulled on her denim jacket.
'My ass is not red, I prefer to refer to it as rose-pink' growled Jill as she patted her foundation into her skin, to mask the redness of her still raw skin.
'Don't give me fancy shit Valentine, Miss Literature. You are talking to a jock here' Chris reminded Jill as they walked outside to Jill's convertible, giving her a lopsided grin that had enticed so many admirers.
Jill mock pouted, and put her hands on her hips and looked him square in the eyes.
'Don't pull that grin on me, Mr Left Quarterback, Miss Literature is clever enough to know when to keep her underwear on unlike the over processed blond cheerleaders you have successfully conquered over before' she said opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat. Chris shrugged and got into the driver's seat.
The couple were soon heading towards the RPD, the top down on Jill's red Mercedes-Benz (the government's way of thanking her after demolishing Umbrella), the morning sun warm on their backs. Chris pushed the speed limit slightly, as the road was clear except for the early morning joggers, visible from their neon running kit.
'What are we going to tell the others?' asked Jill as they drove down Spencer Avenue, and stopped at the traffic lights.
'Just that Becky and Jack hit off fine, and that Carlos happened to be there with Phoenix, but nothing happened' said Chris, driving the smart car fiercely as if it needed to be taught a lesson. Jill's brow furrowed in thought and she finally nodded.
The wind was whipping her hair back, and Jill looked out at the pleasant suburban landscape, the weak morning sun shining down on the placid streets. The only people out at the moment were the fitness freaks, stick-insect bodies dressed in clashing lycra, jogging to the beat of music coming from their earphones.
A young college aged student walked down to the convenience store with another girl. Jill strained her ears when she heard the topic of conversation.
'Apparently, she's pregnant' said the boy to the girl. The girl pouted her lips, her eyes levelled down in angry slits.
'He couldn't fertilise a garden' she declared, trotting down the sidewalk, her stilettos clicking on the pavement, making her walk seem demonic. Jill chuckled and sat back down in her seat.
'So Chris, you were a jock, huh?' she asked him, as they rounded a corner. Chris turned and gave her a strange look.
'Yeah, why?' he asked, puzzled, trying to figure out what Jill was up to. Jill tried hard to suppress her mirth, as she had extracted some information from Claire on one of her non-coherent times.
'Really tough and strong, yeah?' she said all big eyed. Chris eyed her suspiciously, and then swerved to avoid driving into a parking meter.
'What's with all the questions?' he asked, flicking up an eyebrow and squinting at her.
'Just that Claire told me that at your first day at Senior High you wet yourself because you couldn't find the bathrooms, then told everyone you'd fallen in a puddle' she said sweetly, giggling and prodding Chris. Chris gave her a dirty look and again swerved to avoid a traffic light.
'I'm gonna kill her….' He muttered, and then began tickling Jill with his free hand. Jill laughed girlishly and pinched him hard, making him stop and rub the sore area on his shoulder. The pair continued to drive to the PD, twittering and exchanging punches and/or insults.
'Claire, Baby don't make me get outta bed' moaned Leon from the depths of the duvet. Claire was trying in vain to rouse him, but as her persuasion wasn't helping, she took a running leap and bounced on the bed and pummelled Leon with a pillow.
'Leon, we'll be late for the 3rd time this week' yelled Claire, pounding Leon relentlessly with her pillow, and then her fists. She was already washed and dressed, but Leon hadn't stirred from the vicinity of the bed yet. Leon moaned again.
'Claire, my groin is killing me. And you pounding it isn't helping' groaned Leon, his eyes bleary and tired. Claire took pity on him and sat back on her heels, and regarded him. She placed a hand on his forehead, and drew it back quickly.
'Your coming down with something, maybe you better stay in bed…'she said, staring at him concernedly. At that comment, Leon jumped like a firecracker from the bed and dived into the bathroom.
'I'll be down in 15 minutes' he shouted, and then Claire could hear the noise of the shower being turned on. She sat down on the unmade bed and prided herself on her tactics. Leon would never take a day off work; he couldn't let his tough image be ruined. Though Claire couldn't place what he thought was his tough image, if being tough involved tripping up and giggling like a schoolgirl.
Chris ducked behind a corner and kept close to the wall. He looked sideways then slunk into the infirmary and crouched behind a bed and waited for the others to arrive. As if on cue, he heard footsteps outside, and peeked around the bed and saw Carlos dive behind a bed.
'Chris, man you there?' whispered Carlos from behind a bed.
'Here' whispered Chris back. Carlos crawled over, his form noiselessly sliding across the vinyl floor, clutching a bag containing all the props. He slid the bag under the bed and sat hunched up, hugging his knees with a boyish grin on his face.
'I feel so stupid hiding behind a bed, what if someone finds us?' he whispered to Chris who was looking at his watch.
'They'll think we're not the stud heterosexuals they know us to b, that we hide behind beds in our breaks to catch up on….stuff' muttered Chris, looking at his watch exasperatedly, shaking his wrist. 'Where is Leon?'
'He should be here soon, he was trying to get out of Claire's clutches' replied Carlos, staring at the floor, waiting for Leon to show. There was a noise in the corridor, and Leon's dishevelled form waddled in and looked conspicuously around.
'Guys?' he asked tentatively, looking around the room.
'Over here' answered Chris, poking his head from behind the bed. Leon waddled over and flopped himself down next to Chris and gave a wry smile.
'Sorry I'm late, I tried to sneak out without arousing Claire's suspicions' said Leon, trying to arrange his legs in a comfortable position in the cramped room of the bed.
'We're all here now. Let's go over the final plans' broke in Carlos, eager to get the meeting over. He was unsure about hiding out here, as if they were caught, then all rumours would start flying.
'Okay, first the lights cut out. That's Carlos's job, so you gotta be outta the room and give the signal when you're about to leave so we can get ready' Chris said, ticking off an item on the list.
'Then when the lights are out, Leon, you should leave to 'check the fuse box' and then go get your costume on, okay?' continued Chris, smiling devilishly at the quivering Rookie.
'And when me and Leon are out, you Chris make the 'adjustments' to the statue of Lincoln in the room' said Carlos, relaxing against a cupboard.
'Then I'll leave the room, and together me and Carlos will get the lights on again, and then Leon you perform your stuff' finished Chris, smacking the Rookie lightly on the back. Leon looked as though he was having a seizure.
'I can already imagine spending that money right now' mused Carlos, thinking of what he would buy with the prize money from Barry.
'Perfect way to round off the evening' commented Chris, looking at Leon's glazed eyes and silent face.
And with that, the trio snuck out of the infirmary and out in the corridor, Carlos stashing the 'props' in his locker, and then following the others back to the office.
'Can't believe it's tomorrow!' exclaimed Claire, bouncing up and down on her desk, in danger of toppling backwards off the small table.
The three women were discussing the upcoming dance, which was looming for them the next day, and were already getting themselves psyched up for the much anticipated event. They were holding court on a couple of desks, as the others were out in the cafeteria, and the guys had disappeared somewhere. It was prime time to muse over the event, whilst eating a modest lunch of sandwiches and mountain dew that Claire had bought from the nearby convenience store.
Rebecca took a bite out her ham and salad baguette and took a long gulp of mountain
Dew, swinging her booted feet off the end of the desk.
'And I find a date just in time' cut in Bec, from Claire's monologue.
'You do?' asked Claire curiously, cocking up a well-plucked eyebrow. Claire cracked open her can of Mountain Dew, and regarded Bec with patented Claire inquisitiveness.
Jill prodded Bec and gave her a probing look. Bec said nothing and continued to drink her Mountain Dew under the stare of the two curious women. Claire chewed thoughtfully, never taking her eyes off Bec and Jill took a slurp of Dew through a straw, eyes pinned on Bec.
'Don't keep us in suspense' said Claire, rolling her eyes and throwing her wrappers in the trashcan. Jill finished her Dew and tossed it away. Bec lethargically walked across to the trashcan and disposed of her rubbish, so slowly until Claire's fiery temper finally cracked.
'C'mon already, don't do this waiting game to us!' she exclaimed, lying down on the desk thumping her fists on the desk rhythmically.
Bec sat down on the desk and resumed swinging her legs. The ticking of the noise was the only noise in the room, and it sounded loud in the still room.
'Jack asked me to go with him-' started Bec modestly, looking at the ground, a smile creeping up her face, and Claire cut in and almost toppled off the desk.
'Nice one! Give me the details' she pleaded, landing on the floor with a thud, scrambling up quickly and crouching on the floor in front of Becca, eye alight and excited.
'-And I said yes' finished Bec simply, much amused with Claire kneeling at her feet and with Jill's satisfied look. Bec got up and walked across to Jill and hugged her gratefully.
'Thanks for setting me up Jill' she said quietly.
'No prob. anything for a friend' said Jill patted Bec's shoulder, and smiling.
'Anything else happen?' questioned Claire, having reclaimed her position on the desk and was sitting in a locust position, cupping her cheeks with her hands.
'Nothing much' said Bec discreetly, taking pleasure in teasing Claire with her simple answers. Jill cocked up an eyebrow and looked doubtful.
'He gave you a lift home…' said Jill lightly, letting the sentence trail unconcernedly.
'And then he asked me, I said yes and he went home' stated Bec, emphasising the home part.
Jill and Claire still looked doubtful, but no more musing could continue as the arrival of the three males stopped them.
Chris, Leon and Carlos almost slunk into the room and avoided eye contact with the women, and conspicuously sat down on the spare desks, not talking.
'Where'd you guys go off to?' asked Claire, the ever tactful one, prodding Chris who looked surprised.
'Weapons locker. Checking the Berettas for shooting practice today' cut in Carlos swiftly, nudging Chris and flashing them a confident smile, like an advertisement for a toothpaste company.
The three women shared a glance and shrugged. Jill searched each one of the men's faces carefully, trying to pick up on what they were planning. They had been acting strange for the past two weeks, their secretive behaviour going unnoticed by nobody.
'Yeah' added Leon, his cheeks burning red, biting his knuckles. Claire opened her mouth to interrogate her love god, but was interrupted with the arrival of the rest of team, entering the room noisily, fresh from their lunch break. Chris immediately stood behind his desk and motioned to everyone to get into place.
'Listen up! Everyone's on the shooting range this afternoon, except for Carlos and Claire, you're acting as back up for any situations that involve the PD, so head down to the Control Room for now' ordered Chris to the see of faces in front of him.
The team grunted in response, making Chris grin at their communication techniques, consisting of animal grunts and guttural noises. The team rose to leave the room, Claire and Carlos gathering necessary files to work on while waiting in the Control Room.
Bec sauntered down the hall with Jill, turning off to the Weapons Lockers to grab fingerless gloves and the ammo caches and boxes of well-used Berettas.
'What's up with the guys?' asked Bec and she counted the number of fingerless gloves in the box, sorting through them quickly.
'No idea, I think we'll find out tomorrow' replied Jill, heaving the ammo cache up onto one arm and a couple of Berettas on the other arm.
They both headed out to the shooting range with the others, both trying to figure out what was up with the guys.
'Whassup Spanish Amigo?' asked Claire, nudging the dazed Carlos. 'Spacing out about a certain red headed girl again, are we?'.
Carlos jumped, thinking that Claire had guessed he was thinking about Becca dressed up in her dress last night. He tried to gather his thoughts and come up with a suitable reply.
'She was wearing a really nice dress' returned Carlos, chewing on his pen frantically.
'And I bet it was on your bedroom floor afterwards, huh?' quipped Claire, lounging back in her chair, watching him closely.
Carlos was at a loss to say, and gaped. He could see Claire was watching carefully, and tried to seem nonchalant and carefree.
'Jack gave her a lift home' he said quickly.
Claire looked confused and furrowed her brow in thought.
'But I thought Jack gave Bec a lift home?' she asked, puzzled. Her green eyes so like Chris's, were staring at him, the identical green pools eyeing him shrewdly. Carlos gaped again and the realisation hit him she was talking about Phoenix, and that he had let some stuff slip about Bec.
'Right…'affirmed Claire, her green eyes still probing him. 'You still have a thing for Bec, don't you?' she asked, with the tact of an army truck. She waited for his answer, no emotion in her eyes.
'That obvious?' he wondered out loud, chewing the pen hard.
'Only to me. Listen, she has Jack now, you have Phoenix, don't mess everything up for her' Claire almost pleaded, green eyes solid and hard. Carlos was thrown by her reaction, expecting her to start giggling or act the wise guy.
'I won't, I'm not that stupid. The dance is tomorrow, I won't ruin it for her' said Carlos, nearly whispering. Claire dropped her head to catch his words. Claire gave him a warm smile, which was, as close to a thank you Carlos would get from her.
Carlos tried to break the tension with a joke. 'Claire, I know you loooove me' he said winking at the gum chewing girl, swinging his arm around her. Claire removed his arm and dropped it like it was dead carp and eyed him.
She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and smiled flirtatiously at Carlos.
'You really wanna know how much I like you, huh?' she asked naughtily, leaning close to Carlos so her nose nearly brushed his. Carlos looked taken aback, and he composed himself quickly.
'Go ahead, Mi Chica' he drawled, winking at her.
'I'm about as attracted to you, as I am attracted to Hannibal Lector' she said swinging her chair round and beginning to work. 'And that isn't a good thing'.
Carlos let out a low whistle and picked up his pen and stared at the page.
The pair began to work through paper work silently, thinking of what the next day might hold.
'Another day over. Tomorrow evening…' said Bec, wiping the sweat from her face, and slouching against her locker in the changing rooms.
Chris grunted an affirmative, and stuck his head in his locker to dump off his gloves and vest. Jill walked out of a cubicle in a red RPD t-shirt, throwing her blue STARs shirt into her locker, running her fingers through her red hair. Leon sauntered out with Claire on his arm. It was the end of the day and they were all heading home, back to a good dinner and an early night.
Gradually the room became empty and only Bec was left struggling to take her gloves off. They were a size too small for her, and were clinging to her skin with sweat and she was almost spinning in circles to try and get them off.
'Need a hand?' asked a deep voice, with a hint of laughter. Startled, Bec looked up and saw Jack standing by the door, chuckling at her exhibition of 360-degree turns.
'You scared me! I can't get these gloves off' she explained, yanking at the tough leather straps. Jack reached forward and expertly pried open the loose clasps, and had pulled the gloves off, and tossed them in the glove compartment.
'Thanks' Bec said gratefully, rubbing her hands lightly. Jack leaned forward and tickled her chin lightly, before stooping down to kiss her. As they drew back, Bec slid her fingers into the front pockets of his jeans.
'So what are your plans for tonight?' he asked idly, ruffling her hair slightly.
'Nothing' said Bec simply, smiling shyly at her blue eyed prospector.
'How about dinner round my place?' he suggested, shrugging lightly.
'Sounds great. I have to pick up some stuff from my office, how about I meet you out the front in five?' she said, trying to suppress her excitement.
'Sure, I'll see ya there then' he said, nodding. Bec walked out through the locker room, trying to take the spring out of her step, but was unable to. She half danced into the office, where Carlos was stacking his stuff together.
'Letter came for you' he said, handing her a white envelope. Bec frowned, wondering whom the sender might be. She opened her shoulder bag and threw it in, noticing the 'Washington' address on the envelope.
'Where you off to?' asked Carlos absently as he pawed through files and folders.
'Jack's place for dinner' Bec replied, tying up her bootlace so that Carlos couldn't see her expression.
'Have fun' he said simply as she left the room. Before she left, she turned around and looked at him.
'Yeah?' he asked, wondering what was up. Bec had a naughty smile on her face, and had one arm on her hip.
'You wouldn't mind doing my paperwork tonight?' she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him. Carlos was tempted to say yes, but decided a better comeback.
He grinned at her, and laid his hands flat down on the desk. Bec stepped in closer, and stared at him wide eyed.
'I love to do it' he said simply, smiling. Bec narrowed her eyes and looked at him disbelievingly.
'Well' she started, but Carlos's laugh broke in.
'I love to do it, as much as I'd like to give a constipated goose a suppository' finished Carlos, laughing and opening his eyes wide.
Bec looked at him angrily, and lunged at him across the desk. Carlos stumbled backwards as he caught her flying form, and proceeded to chuckle as she play thumped him and soon they were having a friendly fight, like they used to.
He lowered his arms and began tickling her, till she dropped backwards and was lying on the floor, giggling uncontrollably. Carlos crouched down next to her and planted his arms either side of her body and leaned forward.
Bec drew back, surprised at his seriousness and waited for him to speak. He leaned in close until he was close to her face.
'Boo!' he whispered, making her jump violently. She hit him again and they were rolling over laughing, until they separated, lying on the floor next to each other, heaving with laughter and breathless. Carlos reached for her hand and looked at her.
'I've missed being your friend' he said quietly, looking at the floor. Bec sat up and gave his hand a squeeze.
'Me too' she agreed. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and stood up to leave.
'Have a good time tonight. And don't be shy…your mother wasn't!' he teased, standing up.
Bec tossed her head and laughed, before leaving the room. When she had left, Carlos put a hand to cheek and sighed. He smiled weakly, and sat down to work.
'Life isn't perfect, but it's as good as it could be' he mused, leaning back in his chair. He rummaged in his drawer, and came up with the invitation to the RPD Dance, which was commencing the next day. He traced his fingers around the gold and writing, and smiling thoughtfully he stashed it away in his desk. A lot of stuff was going to happen tomorrow, and it'd definitely be a night to remember.
'Hannibal Lector eat your heart out' he said to the empty room, as he began to do his paper work. The radio was fainting playing, and Carlos picked up the lyrics of the song. The song was 'Drive' By Incubus.
"It's hit me before, it seem to have a vague
Haunting mass of appeal,
And lately I'm beginning to find that I
Should be the One behind The Wheel.
Whatever tomorrow brings
I'll be there,
With open arms and open eyes,
Yeah.
Whatever tomorrow brings,
I'll be there,
I'll be there….yeah"
Carlos listened to the song until the end, and then got up and turned the radio off.
'Bec, I'll always be there' he said, watching her through the window get into Jack's car, the pair of them driving off.
Chicky sez: Whoooah! I'm on a roll, I've gotten the past two chapters out really quickly! Must be my sugar high. Well, this chapter is a bit lighter hearted than the past couple, and soon the dance will be upon our favorite heroes! Don't expect this fic to end at the dance, what happens at the Dance and afterwards is when this story ends! More comedy and hilarity from the gang.
The song at the end: Okay, a bit sappy to use this song at the end, but hey, It's one of my favorite songs! It's not a tearjerker; it sums up Carlos's feelings that he'll always be there for a friend.
Reviewers:-
Christie Redfield: Thanks for the kind emails and your reviews on my fic.
Fle: Thank you for being faithful and waiting while I got chapters ready, and keeping up with this everlasting story.
Chris 'n' Jill: Chris-Chan, I hafta kill you make you review my fic, but hell, I promise not to kill you.
Darth Bond, Sakura, Lily, Jilly Bean, Karol Nibelhim, thank you for the kind words on my fic.
Next Chapter out soon….watch this space!