Here's part #16 of Essential. Sorry it took so long. A new muse came out of
the woodworks and he's been making it hard to write sweet Gabe. Hopefully
the next part won't be as long in coming.
"You know," Danny griped as he handed Sara a Powerpuff Girl backpack, "my daughter's gonna meet this Gabriel guy before I am."
Sara accepted the pink bag and put it on the table. "Surprised you aren't sticking around."
"We're going to have brunch with Leigh's parents and then the rest of the day is just us," Danny told her, the grin on his face telling her just what he had planned for him and his wife.
Leigh elbowed him. "Ignore him, Sara. Thanks for taking Jenny."
Sara shook her head at Danny's wounded look as he clutched his side. "Not a problem, Leigh. I'm not sure when she'll be getting home, but I'm guessing around 4 or 5. If it's any later, I'll call."
Leigh nodded her assent as Danny knelt down to give his daughter a hug. "Remember what we talked about?"
Jenny nodded seriously. "Be good for Aunt Sara and her friend and ask his name so you can run with him."
Danny chuckled at Sara's outraged gasp. "That's right, kid. We'll make a cop outta you yet."
Jenny giggled and flung her arms around his neck. "Bye Daddy, bye Mommy."
Leigh shook her head at her husband as she bent to give her daughter a kiss. "Bye sweetie. Be good for Aunt Sara."
"I will, Mommy." Jenny wandered to the table and climbed up on a chair to make sure she had absolutely everything she needed.
"You know, if I wasn't having brunch with the in-laws, I'd probably be planted on your couch waiting for your Gabriel." Leigh elbowed him again as he stood up and he clutched his sided. "I trust you. You know I do! A partner has certain responsibilities and. Hey!" he protested as Leigh pulled him out of the loft.
Sara chuckled and had closed the door behind him when she heard Jenny.
"Sara, can I have a drink?"
Sara turned and made her way into the kitchen. "Apple juice okay?" Jenny nodded ad Sara grabbed the container out of the fridge along with a couple of the plastic cups emblazoned with cartoon characters that she kept for the little girl. From experience, she knew to pour just a small amount of the juice into Jenny's cup before handing it to her. "Think you're gonna have fun today?"
Jenny nodded after sitting with concentration. "I like the zoo. Aunt Sara, why does Daddy wanna run with your friend?"
"He doesn't. That's just your father being juvenile."
"Joove-nile?" Jenny did her best to repeat the word as she'd heard it.
Sara thought for a minute before answering. "Acting like a kid," she finally decided on.
Jenny considered the answer. "Like when he plays tag or leapfrog or tickle monster with me?"
"Yeah, something like that," Sara answered as she choked back a laugh. Just what she needed: the mental images of her partner playing tag or leapfrog with the suspects.
Jenny took another sip of her juice. "What did Daddy mean if he didn't wanna run with him?"
Sara looked at the pint-size girl next to her. The kid definitely had her father's patience. Danny joked about raising his daughter to follow in his footsteps, but this was the first time that Sara saw the makings of a cop instead of a father's plans. "It's something police officers do," she told Jenny, deciding to try to explain it. "They run someone's name through the computer to find out if they did anything bad."
"He wants to run him not run with him?"
"Right," Sara answered as she looked up at the clock. "Finish up your juice; Gabriel should be here soon. We can meet him downstairs so he won't have to trek all the way up here if he already has his rugrats."
Jenny giggled and obligingly finished her juice before jumping down to the floor. "I'm a rugrat!" She pointed to her bright yellow T-shirt that had Chuckie and Tommy from the Nickelodeon show 'Rugrats' on it.
Sara chuckled and scooped the little girl up in her arms. "Yep, you're definitely a rugrat. And today, you're my rugrat!" Jenny giggled and grabbed her backpack when Sara leant down for her.
Sara was sitting on a curb by a grouping of empty parking spaces and watching Jenny, who was play hopscotch on a faded line of chalk squares. Sara wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that one of her little neighbors had drawn it out yesterday or the day before. Maybe a friend? All of the tenants of the building kept this section clear of vehicles for small kids to play hopscotch or jump rope or be outside. It was by a wall, protected on one side, and close enough to the apartments for parents to be able to see their kids.
Gabriel pulled up in a golden yellow minivan, eliciting a wry grin from Sara. Gabriel Bowman, driver of minivans. Even seeing it in front of her, Sara had trouble reconciling the man she knew with a man who was comfortable driving said vehicle.
"I know, too suburban," he offered by way of greeting as he jumped out of the driver's side and walked around to open the front door and the sliding side door. Jenny raced over and scrambled inside the van, saying a shy hi to Gabriel and a chorus of them to the other kids as she found a seat next to another little girl. "What, you thought we'd be taking your bike and my bug?"
Both of the adults chuckled as Sara leaned in and made sure the belt was buckled before giving Jenny the pack. Gabe slid the door closed and opened the front passenger side for Sara, gesturing her in with a small bow and a quick kiss on her cheek. The group of kids in the back laughed and squealed at the romantic gesture, the boys making faces that all too clearly said a resounding 'ew!'
Sara shook her head and glanced back at the sea of small faces. "Just a bit," she told him, responding to the suburban remark as she buckled herself in. "No, I didn't think we would. I just can't. You aren't the type of guy I think about when I think 'van' okay? Not one geared towards kids without weird fabrics and posters and pillows in the back." Before he could comment on her teasing remark, she continued. "You sure about what we're doing here?"
Gabe shut her door and went around the front of the car to his own, climbing in and buckling his own belt. "Not really, but it'll be an adventure. You like adventures, don't you?"
Sara glanced over at him before looking behind her again, making a face at the kids. "Depends on if this adventure's going to be anything like the horseback riding one."
"You liked it!"
"During it, not after," she reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah. Everyone have your seatbelts on?" He sent the question back to the kids, all of whom chorused 'yes!' to him. Receiving the answer he was looking for, he checked the mirror for oncoming cars and pulled into traffic.
"What's your name?" The question came from the back, causing Gabriel to look back at the small Asian girl in the mirror.
"Gabriel," he answered easily, obviously used to the bluntness of children.
"What about your last name?"
Gabe glanced over at Sara when she groaned softly and wiped a hand over her face. The gesture alone instantly made him wary. "Why?"
"So Daddy can run with you," was the answer.
Gabe was still trying to figure out what the little girl meant when Missy, his ten-year old niece, answered for him. "Uncle Gabe's last name is Bowman."
Sara's second groan, louder this time, caused all the kids to laugh even louder as Gabe made a mental note to ask what the name thing was about.
TBC
"You know," Danny griped as he handed Sara a Powerpuff Girl backpack, "my daughter's gonna meet this Gabriel guy before I am."
Sara accepted the pink bag and put it on the table. "Surprised you aren't sticking around."
"We're going to have brunch with Leigh's parents and then the rest of the day is just us," Danny told her, the grin on his face telling her just what he had planned for him and his wife.
Leigh elbowed him. "Ignore him, Sara. Thanks for taking Jenny."
Sara shook her head at Danny's wounded look as he clutched his side. "Not a problem, Leigh. I'm not sure when she'll be getting home, but I'm guessing around 4 or 5. If it's any later, I'll call."
Leigh nodded her assent as Danny knelt down to give his daughter a hug. "Remember what we talked about?"
Jenny nodded seriously. "Be good for Aunt Sara and her friend and ask his name so you can run with him."
Danny chuckled at Sara's outraged gasp. "That's right, kid. We'll make a cop outta you yet."
Jenny giggled and flung her arms around his neck. "Bye Daddy, bye Mommy."
Leigh shook her head at her husband as she bent to give her daughter a kiss. "Bye sweetie. Be good for Aunt Sara."
"I will, Mommy." Jenny wandered to the table and climbed up on a chair to make sure she had absolutely everything she needed.
"You know, if I wasn't having brunch with the in-laws, I'd probably be planted on your couch waiting for your Gabriel." Leigh elbowed him again as he stood up and he clutched his sided. "I trust you. You know I do! A partner has certain responsibilities and. Hey!" he protested as Leigh pulled him out of the loft.
Sara chuckled and had closed the door behind him when she heard Jenny.
"Sara, can I have a drink?"
Sara turned and made her way into the kitchen. "Apple juice okay?" Jenny nodded ad Sara grabbed the container out of the fridge along with a couple of the plastic cups emblazoned with cartoon characters that she kept for the little girl. From experience, she knew to pour just a small amount of the juice into Jenny's cup before handing it to her. "Think you're gonna have fun today?"
Jenny nodded after sitting with concentration. "I like the zoo. Aunt Sara, why does Daddy wanna run with your friend?"
"He doesn't. That's just your father being juvenile."
"Joove-nile?" Jenny did her best to repeat the word as she'd heard it.
Sara thought for a minute before answering. "Acting like a kid," she finally decided on.
Jenny considered the answer. "Like when he plays tag or leapfrog or tickle monster with me?"
"Yeah, something like that," Sara answered as she choked back a laugh. Just what she needed: the mental images of her partner playing tag or leapfrog with the suspects.
Jenny took another sip of her juice. "What did Daddy mean if he didn't wanna run with him?"
Sara looked at the pint-size girl next to her. The kid definitely had her father's patience. Danny joked about raising his daughter to follow in his footsteps, but this was the first time that Sara saw the makings of a cop instead of a father's plans. "It's something police officers do," she told Jenny, deciding to try to explain it. "They run someone's name through the computer to find out if they did anything bad."
"He wants to run him not run with him?"
"Right," Sara answered as she looked up at the clock. "Finish up your juice; Gabriel should be here soon. We can meet him downstairs so he won't have to trek all the way up here if he already has his rugrats."
Jenny giggled and obligingly finished her juice before jumping down to the floor. "I'm a rugrat!" She pointed to her bright yellow T-shirt that had Chuckie and Tommy from the Nickelodeon show 'Rugrats' on it.
Sara chuckled and scooped the little girl up in her arms. "Yep, you're definitely a rugrat. And today, you're my rugrat!" Jenny giggled and grabbed her backpack when Sara leant down for her.
Sara was sitting on a curb by a grouping of empty parking spaces and watching Jenny, who was play hopscotch on a faded line of chalk squares. Sara wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that one of her little neighbors had drawn it out yesterday or the day before. Maybe a friend? All of the tenants of the building kept this section clear of vehicles for small kids to play hopscotch or jump rope or be outside. It was by a wall, protected on one side, and close enough to the apartments for parents to be able to see their kids.
Gabriel pulled up in a golden yellow minivan, eliciting a wry grin from Sara. Gabriel Bowman, driver of minivans. Even seeing it in front of her, Sara had trouble reconciling the man she knew with a man who was comfortable driving said vehicle.
"I know, too suburban," he offered by way of greeting as he jumped out of the driver's side and walked around to open the front door and the sliding side door. Jenny raced over and scrambled inside the van, saying a shy hi to Gabriel and a chorus of them to the other kids as she found a seat next to another little girl. "What, you thought we'd be taking your bike and my bug?"
Both of the adults chuckled as Sara leaned in and made sure the belt was buckled before giving Jenny the pack. Gabe slid the door closed and opened the front passenger side for Sara, gesturing her in with a small bow and a quick kiss on her cheek. The group of kids in the back laughed and squealed at the romantic gesture, the boys making faces that all too clearly said a resounding 'ew!'
Sara shook her head and glanced back at the sea of small faces. "Just a bit," she told him, responding to the suburban remark as she buckled herself in. "No, I didn't think we would. I just can't. You aren't the type of guy I think about when I think 'van' okay? Not one geared towards kids without weird fabrics and posters and pillows in the back." Before he could comment on her teasing remark, she continued. "You sure about what we're doing here?"
Gabe shut her door and went around the front of the car to his own, climbing in and buckling his own belt. "Not really, but it'll be an adventure. You like adventures, don't you?"
Sara glanced over at him before looking behind her again, making a face at the kids. "Depends on if this adventure's going to be anything like the horseback riding one."
"You liked it!"
"During it, not after," she reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah. Everyone have your seatbelts on?" He sent the question back to the kids, all of whom chorused 'yes!' to him. Receiving the answer he was looking for, he checked the mirror for oncoming cars and pulled into traffic.
"What's your name?" The question came from the back, causing Gabriel to look back at the small Asian girl in the mirror.
"Gabriel," he answered easily, obviously used to the bluntness of children.
"What about your last name?"
Gabe glanced over at Sara when she groaned softly and wiped a hand over her face. The gesture alone instantly made him wary. "Why?"
"So Daddy can run with you," was the answer.
Gabe was still trying to figure out what the little girl meant when Missy, his ten-year old niece, answered for him. "Uncle Gabe's last name is Bowman."
Sara's second groan, louder this time, caused all the kids to laugh even louder as Gabe made a mental note to ask what the name thing was about.
TBC