Time will tell
Bang bang, the shot's being fired sounded loudly through the empty building. "Give it up, you have nowhere to go!" Hunter yelled at whoever was shooting at him. Bang bang, another two rounds were fired at him. This time he could see where they were coming from and returned fire. "Oooh." he heard someone cry out followed by a thump and then silence. Hunter walked up to where the sound came from very cautiously, when he saw the sight in front of him he lowered his gun and stared at the lifeless body of a young boy. Back at the precinct Dee Dee was waiting for him, she had heard what happened over the radio. The look on Hunter's face as he walked in scared her, for the first time she couldn't see any kind of emotion on it.
The two of them had been married for almost two years and still worked as homicide cops only with new partners. There was nothing they wanted more than starting a family, but after a year of trying getting pregnant was proving to be difficult and starting to put a strain on their relationship.
"Hi, I heard what happened over the radio," she said softly, ha gave her a quick hug and sat down burying his head in his hands. "Talk to me please Rick," he looked up at her with this empty look in his eyes. "He was just a kid Dee Dee, a boy. Fourteen years old and I killed him." "You weren't to know, you were just doing your job." "This isn't my job, killing fourteen year olds!" he raised his voice at her, it send chills down her spine. He was taking this very hard, "No it is not your job but it happened." "So learn to live with it? That's what you were going to say next right?" he was now yelling at her. She looked at him shocked, "No I wasn't Rick." "Yeah right," he said as he stood up and stormed out the office. Charlie heard the yelling and opened the door to his office to take a look. He saw Dee Dee still looking shocked and on the verge of crying, he motioned her to come in and she did. "He's taking it hard right?" "I don't remember ever seeing him like this Charlie." "Give him some time, it will blow over." she smiled at him and went back to her desk not feeling to reassured. While reading a file a nauseating feeling hit her, she could just make into the ladies room before throwing up. Charlie saw it happen and followed her, "Are you ok McCall?" He still called her that to avoid any misunderstanding about whom he was revering to. "Yeah I think so, I made it in time," she came out and got a drink of water. "Are you sure, you look pale." "Yeah I'm fine. I must be coming down with something." "I hope not, I can't miss you here right now. Heard anything from Hunter?" "No nothing," she said flatly.
Hunter had been driving around town, going nowhere. Finally he stopped his car at the beach and walked for hours just thinking. Playing the day's events in his head over and over again. He felt numb, emotionless, like he had lost control of his life and his work. Driving back into town he ended u in some bar doing something he wouldn't normally do, getting loaded. At six thirty Dee Dee was still at the precinct waiting for Hunter to come or at least call. She decided to go home, "Charlie, I'm going now," she said as she put her head around the door. "Ok, I'll tell Hunter when he gets back here." "Thanks, see you tomorrow." "Take it easy huh." "I will." When Dee Dee arrived home she was hoping Hunter would be there but he wasn't. After a shower she slipped into something comfortable, made an easy dinner and ate it on the couch while watching TV. It wasn't long before she dozed off. Hours later a noise woke her up, it was Hunter stumbling into the house very drunk. "Rick, is that you?" she said. "Who wants to know," he blurted out. "My god you are drunk." "So?" he said crashing next to her on the couch. The only thing she could do was stare at him speechless. This wasn't the Rick Hunter she knew and loved, this was someone else, someone she didn't like very much. A loud snoring sound brought her back to reality, Hunter had fallen asleep. She took off his shoes, lay his legs on the couch and covered him. Then she went up to the bedroom and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning Dee Dee was woken by the alarm clock, she got out of bed and went downstairs to see if Hunter was awake. The couch was empty and so was the rest of the house, he had gone. When she walked into the kitchen she noticed a letter on the kitchen table, it was addressed to her. With shaking hands she opened it and started to read:
My dearest Dee Dee,
I'm sorry about last night, I hurt you. That's all I seem to do lately, so I decided to go away for a while. The incident the other day was the final straw. I need to clear my head, straighten myself out. You know how hard it is for me to express myself, talk about my feelings. There's one feeling that will never change, I love you and I always will. I'll be back, I just don't know when.
Rick
Dee Dee sat down and cried, "Damn you Hunter, why can't you talk to me. I'm supposed to be the one you confide in and talk to. I'm your wife," she said out loud. After a while sitting and thinking she decided to call in sick, she didn't feel like facing Charlie and having to tell what happened. The desk sergeant picked up the phone, "Hi Bob, this is Sgt. McCall. I'm not feeling to good so I'm staying home. Would you tell Captain Devane for me? Thanks."
Charlie walked into the precinct, "Any messages for me Bob?" "Yeah, Sgt. McCall called in sick, upstairs wants a word with you and this letter arrived for you." "Thanks, McCall called in sick? Did she say what was wrong?" "No, just that she wasn't feeling to good." "Hmmm," Charlie put the letter in his pocket and left for the Hunter residence. He parked the car in the driveway, walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Dee Dee answered the door and was surprised to see him. "Good morning, Bob told me you called in sick. I wanted to make sure you were alright," he explained. "Come in Charlie. Do you want some coffee, I just made some." "Yeah I'd love some," he said as he sat down on the couch. She went to the kitchen and came back with two steaming cups, "Wanna tell me what's wrong?" he asked taking the cup from her. "He wasn't here when I got home," she started and looked at Charlie, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "I fell asleep on the couch and woke up in the middle of the night cause he had come home, drunk." "Drunk? That doesn't sound like Hunter." "Believe me Charlie he was drunk and didn't care about it. I couldn't and still don't believe what I saw. He sat down and fell asleep, I went to bed and when I got up this morning he was gone leaving this letter," she handed Charlie the letter. When he finished reading he looked at her, "We need to find him Dee Dee, he needs help." "I agree," she said softly "But it's gonna be hard to tr.." The same nauseating feeling she had the day before hit her and she made a run for the bathroom to throw up. Charlie followed her, "Are you ok?" "I will be in a minute," she said from the other side if the door. When she came out she looked as white as a sheet. "How long has this been going on McCall?" "A couple of days now." "Have you seen Beth about it?" "No." "We are going to see her now." But.." "No buts, you need to see a doctor." knowing arguing wasn't going to do any good Dee Dee went with Charlie to see Beth.
An hour later she was sitting on the exam table in Beth's office waiting for her to come back with the test results. Beth walked in with a huge grin on her face. "What's the verdict?" Dee Dee asked her. "Well we ruled out stomach flu or some other virus. I have to congratulate you Dee Dee." She looked at Beth with a questioning look, "You are eight weeks pregnant." The news hit her like she just ran into a brick wall, "Pregnant? Are you sure?" "One hundred percent," Beth noticed she wasn't too happy about it. "What's wrong Dee Dee. You and Rick have been trying for so long and now that it happened you look like you are not happy about it." "I am Beth. It's what I wanted for so long, the timing is just lousy." Tears started to well in her eyes, "Hey, don't cry." "Rick's gone Beth, he left this morning. I don't know where he is." She told her the whole story, "Oh Dee Dee, I'm sorry. You are right about him needing help, but knowing Rick it's gonna be hard to convince him." "That's what I hate about him, when it's obvious he needs it not wanting anyone to help him. It's like he's feeling defeated or something." "Men can be like that." Beth's remark brought a slight smile to her face, "You are so right." While he waiting Charlie remembered the letter in his pocket. He took it out and opened it. It was from Hunter:
Charlie,
By the time you read this I'll have gone. After what happened yesterday I need to clear my head, straighten myself out. Take care of Dee Dee for me.
Hunter
'Of all the foolish things you've ever done Hunter,' Charlie thought to himself. At that moment Dee Dee and Beth came out the door and walked towards Charlie. "If there's anything you need or just want to talk call me ok," Beth said to her. "I will, thank you." they hugged. "I'll see you on your next appointment." "Ok, bye." "Next appointment?" Charlie asked her as they walked down the hall "Is it that serious?" "Just a checkup Charlie, nothing major." "Hold on here," he stopped her "What's going on." "I'm pregnant." Charlie's chin dropped to the floor, "That's great McCall." She looked down to the floor and the tears started to come again, "How am I gonna tell Rick, he needs to know. Maybe it will bring him home," she sobbed. Charlie put his arm around her to comfort her, "I put the word out and every available officer is looking for him. He will turn up." Time passed, days became weeks, weeks became months. Dee Dee was now five months along and starting to show. Much to her dismay Charlie had put her on desk duty. He was looking at her through the office widow thinking, 'If only you knew what she's going through Hunter you would never have left.'
Outside the building a heavily bearded man was sitting on a bench, he had been there every day for the last two weeks. Looking at the people going in and out, nobody was taking any notice of him. He was making sure no one would recognize him. Sitting there his mind wandered to a day three months earlier, when he left his house and the one he loved more than anything in the world.
Hunter had woken up around six with a terrible headache, 'That's your punishment for drinking too much,' he thought to himself. The previous night was a blur to him except for one thing, the look on Dee Dee's face when he walked in. The mixture of anger and hurt was printed in his mind, 'I'm gonna have to deal with this one way or the other,' he thought and decided to take the easy way out, leave. He gathered some stuff, wrote the letter and left. He knew he had to get out of LA, cause every cop would be looking for him once the word got out, so he drove to San Diego. Getting a place to stay wasn't too hard; he found a cheap but neat two room apartment. But getting his life back in order was something else, it proved to be difficult. Every time he closed his eyes at night he saw the shooting, the fight with Dee Dee and the look on her face, then he'd wake up sweating. He spend his days in front of the TV with a drink within reach. The rare occasion he did get out was to get some groceries. One day there was a knock on the door and when Hunter opened it, as far as the chain would let him, he saw a young woman standing there. "Hi, I'm Madeline, but call me Mandy. I moved in next door and I'm inviting all my neighbors for a drink tonight at seven." "Oh. Sorry I can't come," he said and closed the door. Mandy stood there for a second, dumbstruck by what just happened. She couldn't remember ever seeing such sad, empty but beautiful blue eyes. She also noticed the ring on his finger. It didn't let her go the rest of the evening and when she asked some of the other neighbors they told her they didn't know him very well. He never left his apartment. The story made Mandy more curious and she decided to get to the bottom of it. Later that night she lay awake in bed thinking about how to make contact with her new neighbor. She could hear his TV, there was an old movie on. Meanwhile Hunter was thinking about Mandy, that he hadn't been very friendly to her. Somewhere deep down the old Hunter was trying to find his way back. The next morning Mandy decided to make her move, at around eleven she knocked on his door. The knocking woke Hunter from a restless sleep, 'Wow my head,' he thought as he dragged himself off the couch to the door. Opening it he saw Mandy standing there, "Morning, I was headed for the store to get some groceries. Can I get you anything?" Hunter looked at he wearily, "No, thank you." and closed the door. "Suit yourself," she said to herself and turned around to walk to the stairs. On the other side of the door Hunter could just slap himself, 'You did it again you fool.' He opened the door and saw Mandy heading for the stairs, "Mandy, could you bring me some aspirin," he called after her. She turned around, "Any particular kind?" "No, just the kind that works." The remark made her laugh, "Ok, consider it done." Twenty minutes later she knocked on his door again, this time he opened it without the chain. "Thanks for bringing me the aspirin, how much do I owe you?" Hunter asked her. "One ninety nine." He turned around and walked to the kitchen to get the money. Mandy took a peak inside the apartment and saw an untidy living room. Bottles lying everywhere, dirty plates piled up, it looked like he was living his whole live on the couch. Hunter returned with two dollars, "Keep the change," he said with a smile. "Would you like to come for that coffee tonight?" she tried again. "I don't know," he started "I don't." "It's just a cup of coffee. I'm not gonna ask you to tell your life's story," she interrupted him. "In that case I will." "Ok, see you at eight?" "That's fine." He closed the door, 'Welcome back to the real world Rick Hunter.' There was another knock on the door, Mandy again. "I forgot, what am I supposed to call you. You must have a name." "Yeah, I do have a name it's Rick, Rick Hunter." "Well Rick Hunter, see you tonight."
The next few weeks Hunter got to know Mandy better, she had moved from the country to San Diego to go to university. She wanted to be a lawyer some day. One night he decided it was time to tell her about him. They were sitting on the balcony of Mandy's apartment, "I think it's about time I told you about me," he said. "Only if you want to." "Yeah I want to. I'm not from San Diego, I used to live in LA with my wife." "I figured as much," Mandy said, Hunter looked at her with a frown. "The ring." "Ah. Well I am still married and very much in love with her," he showed her a picture. "She's beautiful." "Yeah she is. We are both police officers working in the homicide department. About a month ago I shot a fourteen year old boy in a shootout, he died." "I'm sorry." "So was I. Dee Dee and I were trying to start a family for a long time and that didn't work out as we thought. It put a lot of strain on our relationship and the shooting was the final straw, I broke down and left." Mandy looked at him, "I know, it's the easy way out." "You could have gotten some help, your wife would have helped." "I know. I did something the night before I left that I'm not too proud of. I got drunk and really hurt her feelings. Going back is gonna be hard." "It will but I think you have to. If you really love her and she loves you the two of you will work this out." "You are right, but I'm not ready yet." During the next two months Hunter slowly regained control of his life, he stopped drinking and took better care of himself. Whenever he felt bad he'd talk to Mandy, who was a willing listening ear. She knew he had to go back soon or else he might never, she told him and he agreed. He left for LA the next morning, "Don't be a stranger huh," Mandy said as he got in the car. "I won't. Thanks for everything."
"Have you seen that guy on the bench?" Kitty asked Dee Dee, "He's been sitting there everyday for the last two weeks watching people. I wonder what he wants." The two of them were looking out the window of Charlie's office. "What man?" he said as he joined them. "The one with the beard," Kitty pointed at him. "Shall I ask him what he wants?" Dee Dee suggested wanting to show she wasn't completely helpless being pregnant. "Give it a go," Charlie said. She went down and walked up to the guy, "Excuse me sir, are you looking for someone? Can I help you?" Hunter recognized her voice and looked up. Their eyes met and Dee Dee didn't believe what she saw, "Hunter," she whispered and felt the blood drain from her face. She turned around and ran back inside, "Dee Dee wait!" he called after her but she didn't hear him. Kitty and Charlie saw what happened and looked at each other, "What was that all about," Charlie said to her. "I'll find out," Kitty replied and made her way down to the hall. She found Dee Dee sitting on a chair staring into space looking very pale, "Dee Dee what's wrong?" she asked as she knelt down next to her. "That man. It was Rick," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Meanwhile Charlie had joined them, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere Charlie." He went outside, took a look around and came back in, "He's gone. Why don't you take the rest of the day off." "And do what, sit at home wondering, driving myself nuts. No thank you, I'd rather stay and do some work to keep busy. Stop treating me like I'm made of glass, I'm only pregnant." "Sorry McCall, you are right." "Come on let's go up and I'll get us some coffee first," Kitty said to her. "Thanks partner, that sounds good to me." Back upstairs Kitty got them their coffee, "Did he say anything?" she wanted to know. "He called after me when I ran from him but I couldn't hear what." At that moment emotions got the better of her and she started to cry, "Ok Kitty, I don't know what to do. I love him, but I also hate him for what he did. It's so confusing." "I wish I could do something for you that would make this go away but I can't." "No you can't but thank you for trying," she let out a smile. "Do you want some company tonight? We could rent a lousy movie and have something disgusting for dinner." "I would like that." The rest of the day passed quickly and at around six they left. When Dee Dee got to her car there was a note behind the windscreen wiper, It was from Hunter:
Dear Dee Dee We have to talk. Please meet me for lunch tomorrow at our café. Love Rick.
She got into her car, drove home and forgot all about the movie she was supposed to pick up. When she got there Kitty was already waiting. The look on Dee Dee's face when she got out of the car worried her, "Dee Dee?" "I found this on my car, It's from Rick," she handed Kitty the note, unlocked the door and went in. Kitty followed, "Are you going to meet him?" "I don't know. Part of me wants to, part of me doesn't." "You two have to talk." "I guess." Dee Dee sat down on the couch, "What did you bring for dinner?" she asked trying to change the subject. "Greasy burgers and fries. Did you get the movie?" "The movie! I forgot. I was so into the note that I forgot." "Nice one Dee Dee." "Oh I have a copy of Pretty Woman lying around here somewhere." "I'll look for it, you get us some plates and accessories." "Good idea." she got up and went to the kitchen to get everything. The rest of the evening Dee Dee kept thinking about the note, 'Should I go? Kitty is right about us needing to talk. To be honest, even though I'm mad at him for what he did, I need him. I love him." The movie had ended and Kitty looked at Dee Dee, she could see that she was a mile away. "Still not decided yet?" "Yes I have, I think I should go and talk with him." "Good for you. Do you mind if I stay over? It's kinda late and I don't like driving to the other side of town at this hour." "Sure you can, you can use the guestroom."
Hunter had gone back to the motel he was staying at, he was feeling confused. 'Why didn't you go after her you fool,' he thought. Lying down on the bed he stared at the ceiling, 'I hope she read my note. What if she doesn't show, what if she doesn't want to talk with me, what if. That's a lot of what ifs Hunter, think positive she will show and you know it.' Still staring at the ceiling, his mind completely blank, a single tear found it's way down to the pillow. It was hard to admit he was actually feeling scared, scared of what might happen, scared that he might lose her forever. He fell asleep and didn't wake until the next morning. Taking a shower he decided to get rid of the beard and let a little of the old Hunter out.
The following morning Dee Dee woke up from sounds coming from the kitchen, she got out of bed and went down to take a look. "Good morning," she said to Kitty who was busy making herself some breakfast. "Sorry, did I wake you?" she asked. "Kinda, what are you doing up this early?" "I remembered last night that I promised Brad I'd help out on a stakeout in the Howard case. I'm supposed to be there by six." "You better hurry then it's a quarter to." "Don't tell me, I know. I'll see you later at the precinct." she said as she stormed out the door. "Bye," Dee Dee shook her head and went back up to get another two hours of sleep. At work time just didn't seem to go very fast, Dee Dee tried to keep her mind on her work but it kept drifting. She was thinking about what to say to Hunter and had it all worked out in her head. At eleven thirty she left to meet him. Hunter's car was already there when she drove into the parking lot at Roofs. It had become their new hangout after Sid's burned down two years ago. Dee Dee parked her car and went in, she looked around and saw Hunter sitting in their usual booth at the end. Joe, the owner, spotted her. He knew about the situation, Dee Dee had told him when he had asked about Hunter not being with her. He had made sure they had the place practically to themselves. Joe looked at Dee Dee with a 'Good luck' look on his face; she smiled at him and walked towards the booth. The first thing she noticed was that the beard was gone. "Hi," she said, he looked up from the menu. "Hi, you look beautiful." She was wearing something that didn't reveal her pregnancy too much, "Thank you," she sat opposite from him. A waitress came to take their order, "Coffee please," Hunter said to her and looked at Dee Dee. "Tea for me thanks," Hunter looked surprised, "Tea?" "I'm trying to lay off the caffeine," she explained. "Any particular reason?" "No," she wanted to tell him, but couldn't. Not yet. The waitress brought their order and they sat silently for a while until Dee Dee started to talk, "There are so many things I want to know Rick, but the most important one to me is why couldn't you confide in me, didn't let me help you. I'm your wife remember." He looked at her; saw that pain in her eyes again. He swallowed and started to talk, "I was so angry with myself that day, first the shooting then the drinking and hurting you by coming home drunk. I took the easy way out by running, running from my problems, running from you. You are right, I should have talked to you, confided in you, but that's easy said afterwards." Dee Dee looked at him, he looked so sad it broke her heart; she knew it was difficult for him to open up like this. Costumers kept their distance as if they could feel the tension around them. "I did get some help," Hunter continued. "I drove to San Diego and rented an apartment there. One day I got a new neighbor, Mandy. She became my listening ear so to say and dragged me out of my shell, she was also the one who said I should come back here. I don't know if I would have. I never stopped loving you Dee Dee believe me, but I know I hurt you so bad that I was afraid to come back." "You did hurt me Rick, but I love you and I need you with me. I guess me not being able to talk to you about not getting pregnant didn't help either, it put so much strain on us." " I just couldn't take anymore," he took her hand very carefully, she put her other hand over his. "Can we survive this?" he asked her. "I hope we can, but time will tell. We are going to need you." "We?" She stood up and showed him her belly; he looked at her with a surprised look. "How." "Five months now Rick, we did it," she smiled her famous smile at him. He turned his head so she couldn't see his tears, he felt so guilty for leaving her this way. Dee Dee could tell how he felt, "Don't feel guilty, you can't change what happened, but you can be there for me now." "Believe me, I will." he reached out his hand and touched her cheek. Cas, the waitress, gave Joe and elbow in his side, "I think we have a winner," she motioned to the Hunters. "I think we have," he replied. "Now I have to talk to Charlie," Hunter sighed. "You have some good explaining to do, he was pretty mad at you for leaving." "Do you think he'll be as understanding as you?" "He'd better be, or I'll give him a piece of my mind." They both laughed.
Back at the precinct Charlie saw them coming out of the elevator holding hands and smiled. He was relieved to see they had a good talk. Dee Dee sat down at her desk and Hunter walked to Charlie's office, he knocked on the door. "Come in," he heard from the other side and went in. Charlie was standing and looking through the window into the squad room. "Hi Captain," Hunter said. "Did you two work it out?" he asked looking at Dee Dee. "We had a good talk." Charlie turned around and sat down, "Sit down Sgt. I think you have some pretty good explaining to do and give me a good reason why I shouldn't fire you." Dee Dee couldn't concentrate and kept looking at Charlie's office, she could see Hunter telling his story. "Are you sure you don't need any professional help?" "No, I'm alright. This won't happen again." "Ok, you can stay, but it will be desk duty for the rest of the month starting tomorrow and then we'll see." "Thanks Captain." He left the office and gave Dee Dee a look of relief, "What?" "Desk duty for the rest of the month starting tomorrow," he said. "That's not so bad, I have to sit here a while longer," she complained. "But that's for a good cause," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders, "Yeah you're right." Kitty walked in and saw the two of them, she smiled. "Does this mean you had a good talk?" she asked. "We did," Dee Dee told her and put one of her hands on his, "Taking it a step at the time." "Good, I'm glad to hear that." Charlie opened the door to his office," McCall could you come in here please?" "Sure," she said as she looked at Kitty and Hunter. She entered the office, "Why don't you take the rest of the off, O'Hern can handle the case. You two spend some time together, you need it after the rough couple of months you had." "Thanks Charlie." Just as she wanted to walk out he called after her, "Dee Dee," she turned around. "Make sure you work this out, I don't want to lose the both of you." Her smile said more than words could have, Charlie knew they were going to try. "What did he say?" Hunter wanted to know. "He gave me the rest of the day off, wanna go somewhere?" They spend the rest of the day together at the beach, walking and talking some more about what happened and how to go on. Later that evening, after dinner, Hunter dropped Dee Dee off at their house. They said good bye and he left for the motel. In bed he lay thinking, 'I'm glad we talked. I think we're gonna be alright in time.' At the same time Dee Dee was sitting up in bed thinking, 'It's been a good day, I'm glad I decided to go talk to him.'
A week later Dee Dee drove into the parking lot at the precinct, Hunter was already there leaning against his car obviously waiting for her. She parked next to him and got out. "Morning Sgt." she said playfully. "Morning yourself, ready for another day of excitement?" "I sure am," she laughed and slapped his arm. It made her stop, 'What did I just do?' she thought. Hunter looked at her like it was a normal thing for her to do, well it used to be anyway. "It's ok Dee Dee," he said to her. "It happened before I knew it did," she said softly. "Maybe it means we're on the right track." "I hope so." Hunter put his arm around her very carefully, she didn't resist and they walked into the precinct. After a busy day Hunter had finished his paperwork and looked at the clock, it was five thirty. He was wondering if Dee Dee was ready to let him move back in, 'Nah, it's too soon,' he thought. It was like she could read his mind, she had walked up to his desk and sat down on the corner of it. "Are you coming home tonight?" she asked softly. "Only if you want me to." "I want you to, please." "Ok, I'll get my stuff from the motel and be there." The look she gave him was one of relief.
Hunter had brought some take out with him and while they were eating Dee Dee noticed he was a mile away. "What's on your mind?" he looked up at her. "How about w go to San Diego for the weekend, I can show you where I lived and you can meet Mandy. I promised her not to be a stranger. Think of it as some kind of closure." "I think that's a good idea, I would love to meet her. She was responsible for where you are now, home." So Friday when work was done they drove to San Diego and checked in to a nice little hotel for the weekend. Because of the time they decided to have some dinner and turn in. That night at around two Dee Dee was wide awake, something that happened a lot lately since the pregnancy. She lay in the arms of a sleeping Hunter thinking, 'He has only been home for a few days, but it's like he never left. It feels so comfortable having him with me and holding me. He did say yesterday, It's like that Joni Mitchell song, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.' Finally she fell asleep again. The next morning, after a nice breakfast, they went to the apartment building where Hunter had lived during those months. The apartment he lived in had new residents. He knocked on Mandy's door, but there was no answer. "Maybe she's at the University," Dee Dee said. "Could be." One of the other neighbors just got off the elevator and recognized Hunter, "Mr. Hunter, nice to see you again." "Nice to see you again Mrs. Thomas. How are you and your husband?" "Fine thank you." "I'd like you to meet my wife, Dee Dee." "Nice to meet you," Dee Dee said as she and Mrs. Thomas shook hands. "Likewise," she said and turned to Hunter, "You never told us you were married?" "That's a long story. Do you happen to know when Mandy is coming home?" "Mandy? Oh, you mean the girl in 201. She left two days after you did, I don't know where she went." Hunter looked at Dee Dee and then to Mrs. Thomas, "What? She left? But she was going to University here." "I'll ask my husband, wait a second. Al, do you know something about the girl in 201?" Al Thomas joined them and after they said their hello's he told Hunter that Mandy had told him her work was done here and she had to move on. "It was like she had finished something important." "Hmmm. Thank you for telling me and it was nice seeing you both again. Take care." Back in the car Hunter turned to Dee Dee, "I don't understand, why would she leave like that." "You know, this may sound stupid, but it's like she was meant to be there and put you on the right track." "I was thinking the same thing actually. There are things in life you just can't explain sometimes." A silence fell over the car as they drove back to the hotel. "Rick," Dee Dee broke the silence after a while. "Yes." "Let's go home." he looked at her. "Good idea, we have nothing else to do here." At the hotel they packed their stuff, checked out and drove home.
It was late that evening when Dee Dee was standing on the deck overlooking the ocean, Hunter came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, his hands on her belly. He kissed the top of her head, "I love you," he said softly. "I keep thinking about Mandy and the way she left. Do you believe in guardian angels?" Dee Dee asked him. "Do you think I met mine?" "Well, I heard once that they make themselves known when you really need them." "Hmm." "Ok, I'll shut up." They stood there for a moment enjoying the view and the sound of the ocean. "Oops, did you feel that?" Dee Dee said putting her hands over his. "Yeah I did. Someone is having a busy night in there."
That night they slept under the stars knowing that there was someone watching over them. When they would meet again? Only time would tell.
Bang bang, the shot's being fired sounded loudly through the empty building. "Give it up, you have nowhere to go!" Hunter yelled at whoever was shooting at him. Bang bang, another two rounds were fired at him. This time he could see where they were coming from and returned fire. "Oooh." he heard someone cry out followed by a thump and then silence. Hunter walked up to where the sound came from very cautiously, when he saw the sight in front of him he lowered his gun and stared at the lifeless body of a young boy. Back at the precinct Dee Dee was waiting for him, she had heard what happened over the radio. The look on Hunter's face as he walked in scared her, for the first time she couldn't see any kind of emotion on it.
The two of them had been married for almost two years and still worked as homicide cops only with new partners. There was nothing they wanted more than starting a family, but after a year of trying getting pregnant was proving to be difficult and starting to put a strain on their relationship.
"Hi, I heard what happened over the radio," she said softly, ha gave her a quick hug and sat down burying his head in his hands. "Talk to me please Rick," he looked up at her with this empty look in his eyes. "He was just a kid Dee Dee, a boy. Fourteen years old and I killed him." "You weren't to know, you were just doing your job." "This isn't my job, killing fourteen year olds!" he raised his voice at her, it send chills down her spine. He was taking this very hard, "No it is not your job but it happened." "So learn to live with it? That's what you were going to say next right?" he was now yelling at her. She looked at him shocked, "No I wasn't Rick." "Yeah right," he said as he stood up and stormed out the office. Charlie heard the yelling and opened the door to his office to take a look. He saw Dee Dee still looking shocked and on the verge of crying, he motioned her to come in and she did. "He's taking it hard right?" "I don't remember ever seeing him like this Charlie." "Give him some time, it will blow over." she smiled at him and went back to her desk not feeling to reassured. While reading a file a nauseating feeling hit her, she could just make into the ladies room before throwing up. Charlie saw it happen and followed her, "Are you ok McCall?" He still called her that to avoid any misunderstanding about whom he was revering to. "Yeah I think so, I made it in time," she came out and got a drink of water. "Are you sure, you look pale." "Yeah I'm fine. I must be coming down with something." "I hope not, I can't miss you here right now. Heard anything from Hunter?" "No nothing," she said flatly.
Hunter had been driving around town, going nowhere. Finally he stopped his car at the beach and walked for hours just thinking. Playing the day's events in his head over and over again. He felt numb, emotionless, like he had lost control of his life and his work. Driving back into town he ended u in some bar doing something he wouldn't normally do, getting loaded. At six thirty Dee Dee was still at the precinct waiting for Hunter to come or at least call. She decided to go home, "Charlie, I'm going now," she said as she put her head around the door. "Ok, I'll tell Hunter when he gets back here." "Thanks, see you tomorrow." "Take it easy huh." "I will." When Dee Dee arrived home she was hoping Hunter would be there but he wasn't. After a shower she slipped into something comfortable, made an easy dinner and ate it on the couch while watching TV. It wasn't long before she dozed off. Hours later a noise woke her up, it was Hunter stumbling into the house very drunk. "Rick, is that you?" she said. "Who wants to know," he blurted out. "My god you are drunk." "So?" he said crashing next to her on the couch. The only thing she could do was stare at him speechless. This wasn't the Rick Hunter she knew and loved, this was someone else, someone she didn't like very much. A loud snoring sound brought her back to reality, Hunter had fallen asleep. She took off his shoes, lay his legs on the couch and covered him. Then she went up to the bedroom and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning Dee Dee was woken by the alarm clock, she got out of bed and went downstairs to see if Hunter was awake. The couch was empty and so was the rest of the house, he had gone. When she walked into the kitchen she noticed a letter on the kitchen table, it was addressed to her. With shaking hands she opened it and started to read:
My dearest Dee Dee,
I'm sorry about last night, I hurt you. That's all I seem to do lately, so I decided to go away for a while. The incident the other day was the final straw. I need to clear my head, straighten myself out. You know how hard it is for me to express myself, talk about my feelings. There's one feeling that will never change, I love you and I always will. I'll be back, I just don't know when.
Rick
Dee Dee sat down and cried, "Damn you Hunter, why can't you talk to me. I'm supposed to be the one you confide in and talk to. I'm your wife," she said out loud. After a while sitting and thinking she decided to call in sick, she didn't feel like facing Charlie and having to tell what happened. The desk sergeant picked up the phone, "Hi Bob, this is Sgt. McCall. I'm not feeling to good so I'm staying home. Would you tell Captain Devane for me? Thanks."
Charlie walked into the precinct, "Any messages for me Bob?" "Yeah, Sgt. McCall called in sick, upstairs wants a word with you and this letter arrived for you." "Thanks, McCall called in sick? Did she say what was wrong?" "No, just that she wasn't feeling to good." "Hmmm," Charlie put the letter in his pocket and left for the Hunter residence. He parked the car in the driveway, walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Dee Dee answered the door and was surprised to see him. "Good morning, Bob told me you called in sick. I wanted to make sure you were alright," he explained. "Come in Charlie. Do you want some coffee, I just made some." "Yeah I'd love some," he said as he sat down on the couch. She went to the kitchen and came back with two steaming cups, "Wanna tell me what's wrong?" he asked taking the cup from her. "He wasn't here when I got home," she started and looked at Charlie, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "I fell asleep on the couch and woke up in the middle of the night cause he had come home, drunk." "Drunk? That doesn't sound like Hunter." "Believe me Charlie he was drunk and didn't care about it. I couldn't and still don't believe what I saw. He sat down and fell asleep, I went to bed and when I got up this morning he was gone leaving this letter," she handed Charlie the letter. When he finished reading he looked at her, "We need to find him Dee Dee, he needs help." "I agree," she said softly "But it's gonna be hard to tr.." The same nauseating feeling she had the day before hit her and she made a run for the bathroom to throw up. Charlie followed her, "Are you ok?" "I will be in a minute," she said from the other side if the door. When she came out she looked as white as a sheet. "How long has this been going on McCall?" "A couple of days now." "Have you seen Beth about it?" "No." "We are going to see her now." But.." "No buts, you need to see a doctor." knowing arguing wasn't going to do any good Dee Dee went with Charlie to see Beth.
An hour later she was sitting on the exam table in Beth's office waiting for her to come back with the test results. Beth walked in with a huge grin on her face. "What's the verdict?" Dee Dee asked her. "Well we ruled out stomach flu or some other virus. I have to congratulate you Dee Dee." She looked at Beth with a questioning look, "You are eight weeks pregnant." The news hit her like she just ran into a brick wall, "Pregnant? Are you sure?" "One hundred percent," Beth noticed she wasn't too happy about it. "What's wrong Dee Dee. You and Rick have been trying for so long and now that it happened you look like you are not happy about it." "I am Beth. It's what I wanted for so long, the timing is just lousy." Tears started to well in her eyes, "Hey, don't cry." "Rick's gone Beth, he left this morning. I don't know where he is." She told her the whole story, "Oh Dee Dee, I'm sorry. You are right about him needing help, but knowing Rick it's gonna be hard to convince him." "That's what I hate about him, when it's obvious he needs it not wanting anyone to help him. It's like he's feeling defeated or something." "Men can be like that." Beth's remark brought a slight smile to her face, "You are so right." While he waiting Charlie remembered the letter in his pocket. He took it out and opened it. It was from Hunter:
Charlie,
By the time you read this I'll have gone. After what happened yesterday I need to clear my head, straighten myself out. Take care of Dee Dee for me.
Hunter
'Of all the foolish things you've ever done Hunter,' Charlie thought to himself. At that moment Dee Dee and Beth came out the door and walked towards Charlie. "If there's anything you need or just want to talk call me ok," Beth said to her. "I will, thank you." they hugged. "I'll see you on your next appointment." "Ok, bye." "Next appointment?" Charlie asked her as they walked down the hall "Is it that serious?" "Just a checkup Charlie, nothing major." "Hold on here," he stopped her "What's going on." "I'm pregnant." Charlie's chin dropped to the floor, "That's great McCall." She looked down to the floor and the tears started to come again, "How am I gonna tell Rick, he needs to know. Maybe it will bring him home," she sobbed. Charlie put his arm around her to comfort her, "I put the word out and every available officer is looking for him. He will turn up." Time passed, days became weeks, weeks became months. Dee Dee was now five months along and starting to show. Much to her dismay Charlie had put her on desk duty. He was looking at her through the office widow thinking, 'If only you knew what she's going through Hunter you would never have left.'
Outside the building a heavily bearded man was sitting on a bench, he had been there every day for the last two weeks. Looking at the people going in and out, nobody was taking any notice of him. He was making sure no one would recognize him. Sitting there his mind wandered to a day three months earlier, when he left his house and the one he loved more than anything in the world.
Hunter had woken up around six with a terrible headache, 'That's your punishment for drinking too much,' he thought to himself. The previous night was a blur to him except for one thing, the look on Dee Dee's face when he walked in. The mixture of anger and hurt was printed in his mind, 'I'm gonna have to deal with this one way or the other,' he thought and decided to take the easy way out, leave. He gathered some stuff, wrote the letter and left. He knew he had to get out of LA, cause every cop would be looking for him once the word got out, so he drove to San Diego. Getting a place to stay wasn't too hard; he found a cheap but neat two room apartment. But getting his life back in order was something else, it proved to be difficult. Every time he closed his eyes at night he saw the shooting, the fight with Dee Dee and the look on her face, then he'd wake up sweating. He spend his days in front of the TV with a drink within reach. The rare occasion he did get out was to get some groceries. One day there was a knock on the door and when Hunter opened it, as far as the chain would let him, he saw a young woman standing there. "Hi, I'm Madeline, but call me Mandy. I moved in next door and I'm inviting all my neighbors for a drink tonight at seven." "Oh. Sorry I can't come," he said and closed the door. Mandy stood there for a second, dumbstruck by what just happened. She couldn't remember ever seeing such sad, empty but beautiful blue eyes. She also noticed the ring on his finger. It didn't let her go the rest of the evening and when she asked some of the other neighbors they told her they didn't know him very well. He never left his apartment. The story made Mandy more curious and she decided to get to the bottom of it. Later that night she lay awake in bed thinking about how to make contact with her new neighbor. She could hear his TV, there was an old movie on. Meanwhile Hunter was thinking about Mandy, that he hadn't been very friendly to her. Somewhere deep down the old Hunter was trying to find his way back. The next morning Mandy decided to make her move, at around eleven she knocked on his door. The knocking woke Hunter from a restless sleep, 'Wow my head,' he thought as he dragged himself off the couch to the door. Opening it he saw Mandy standing there, "Morning, I was headed for the store to get some groceries. Can I get you anything?" Hunter looked at he wearily, "No, thank you." and closed the door. "Suit yourself," she said to herself and turned around to walk to the stairs. On the other side of the door Hunter could just slap himself, 'You did it again you fool.' He opened the door and saw Mandy heading for the stairs, "Mandy, could you bring me some aspirin," he called after her. She turned around, "Any particular kind?" "No, just the kind that works." The remark made her laugh, "Ok, consider it done." Twenty minutes later she knocked on his door again, this time he opened it without the chain. "Thanks for bringing me the aspirin, how much do I owe you?" Hunter asked her. "One ninety nine." He turned around and walked to the kitchen to get the money. Mandy took a peak inside the apartment and saw an untidy living room. Bottles lying everywhere, dirty plates piled up, it looked like he was living his whole live on the couch. Hunter returned with two dollars, "Keep the change," he said with a smile. "Would you like to come for that coffee tonight?" she tried again. "I don't know," he started "I don't." "It's just a cup of coffee. I'm not gonna ask you to tell your life's story," she interrupted him. "In that case I will." "Ok, see you at eight?" "That's fine." He closed the door, 'Welcome back to the real world Rick Hunter.' There was another knock on the door, Mandy again. "I forgot, what am I supposed to call you. You must have a name." "Yeah, I do have a name it's Rick, Rick Hunter." "Well Rick Hunter, see you tonight."
The next few weeks Hunter got to know Mandy better, she had moved from the country to San Diego to go to university. She wanted to be a lawyer some day. One night he decided it was time to tell her about him. They were sitting on the balcony of Mandy's apartment, "I think it's about time I told you about me," he said. "Only if you want to." "Yeah I want to. I'm not from San Diego, I used to live in LA with my wife." "I figured as much," Mandy said, Hunter looked at her with a frown. "The ring." "Ah. Well I am still married and very much in love with her," he showed her a picture. "She's beautiful." "Yeah she is. We are both police officers working in the homicide department. About a month ago I shot a fourteen year old boy in a shootout, he died." "I'm sorry." "So was I. Dee Dee and I were trying to start a family for a long time and that didn't work out as we thought. It put a lot of strain on our relationship and the shooting was the final straw, I broke down and left." Mandy looked at him, "I know, it's the easy way out." "You could have gotten some help, your wife would have helped." "I know. I did something the night before I left that I'm not too proud of. I got drunk and really hurt her feelings. Going back is gonna be hard." "It will but I think you have to. If you really love her and she loves you the two of you will work this out." "You are right, but I'm not ready yet." During the next two months Hunter slowly regained control of his life, he stopped drinking and took better care of himself. Whenever he felt bad he'd talk to Mandy, who was a willing listening ear. She knew he had to go back soon or else he might never, she told him and he agreed. He left for LA the next morning, "Don't be a stranger huh," Mandy said as he got in the car. "I won't. Thanks for everything."
"Have you seen that guy on the bench?" Kitty asked Dee Dee, "He's been sitting there everyday for the last two weeks watching people. I wonder what he wants." The two of them were looking out the window of Charlie's office. "What man?" he said as he joined them. "The one with the beard," Kitty pointed at him. "Shall I ask him what he wants?" Dee Dee suggested wanting to show she wasn't completely helpless being pregnant. "Give it a go," Charlie said. She went down and walked up to the guy, "Excuse me sir, are you looking for someone? Can I help you?" Hunter recognized her voice and looked up. Their eyes met and Dee Dee didn't believe what she saw, "Hunter," she whispered and felt the blood drain from her face. She turned around and ran back inside, "Dee Dee wait!" he called after her but she didn't hear him. Kitty and Charlie saw what happened and looked at each other, "What was that all about," Charlie said to her. "I'll find out," Kitty replied and made her way down to the hall. She found Dee Dee sitting on a chair staring into space looking very pale, "Dee Dee what's wrong?" she asked as she knelt down next to her. "That man. It was Rick," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Meanwhile Charlie had joined them, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere Charlie." He went outside, took a look around and came back in, "He's gone. Why don't you take the rest of the day off." "And do what, sit at home wondering, driving myself nuts. No thank you, I'd rather stay and do some work to keep busy. Stop treating me like I'm made of glass, I'm only pregnant." "Sorry McCall, you are right." "Come on let's go up and I'll get us some coffee first," Kitty said to her. "Thanks partner, that sounds good to me." Back upstairs Kitty got them their coffee, "Did he say anything?" she wanted to know. "He called after me when I ran from him but I couldn't hear what." At that moment emotions got the better of her and she started to cry, "Ok Kitty, I don't know what to do. I love him, but I also hate him for what he did. It's so confusing." "I wish I could do something for you that would make this go away but I can't." "No you can't but thank you for trying," she let out a smile. "Do you want some company tonight? We could rent a lousy movie and have something disgusting for dinner." "I would like that." The rest of the day passed quickly and at around six they left. When Dee Dee got to her car there was a note behind the windscreen wiper, It was from Hunter:
Dear Dee Dee We have to talk. Please meet me for lunch tomorrow at our café. Love Rick.
She got into her car, drove home and forgot all about the movie she was supposed to pick up. When she got there Kitty was already waiting. The look on Dee Dee's face when she got out of the car worried her, "Dee Dee?" "I found this on my car, It's from Rick," she handed Kitty the note, unlocked the door and went in. Kitty followed, "Are you going to meet him?" "I don't know. Part of me wants to, part of me doesn't." "You two have to talk." "I guess." Dee Dee sat down on the couch, "What did you bring for dinner?" she asked trying to change the subject. "Greasy burgers and fries. Did you get the movie?" "The movie! I forgot. I was so into the note that I forgot." "Nice one Dee Dee." "Oh I have a copy of Pretty Woman lying around here somewhere." "I'll look for it, you get us some plates and accessories." "Good idea." she got up and went to the kitchen to get everything. The rest of the evening Dee Dee kept thinking about the note, 'Should I go? Kitty is right about us needing to talk. To be honest, even though I'm mad at him for what he did, I need him. I love him." The movie had ended and Kitty looked at Dee Dee, she could see that she was a mile away. "Still not decided yet?" "Yes I have, I think I should go and talk with him." "Good for you. Do you mind if I stay over? It's kinda late and I don't like driving to the other side of town at this hour." "Sure you can, you can use the guestroom."
Hunter had gone back to the motel he was staying at, he was feeling confused. 'Why didn't you go after her you fool,' he thought. Lying down on the bed he stared at the ceiling, 'I hope she read my note. What if she doesn't show, what if she doesn't want to talk with me, what if. That's a lot of what ifs Hunter, think positive she will show and you know it.' Still staring at the ceiling, his mind completely blank, a single tear found it's way down to the pillow. It was hard to admit he was actually feeling scared, scared of what might happen, scared that he might lose her forever. He fell asleep and didn't wake until the next morning. Taking a shower he decided to get rid of the beard and let a little of the old Hunter out.
The following morning Dee Dee woke up from sounds coming from the kitchen, she got out of bed and went down to take a look. "Good morning," she said to Kitty who was busy making herself some breakfast. "Sorry, did I wake you?" she asked. "Kinda, what are you doing up this early?" "I remembered last night that I promised Brad I'd help out on a stakeout in the Howard case. I'm supposed to be there by six." "You better hurry then it's a quarter to." "Don't tell me, I know. I'll see you later at the precinct." she said as she stormed out the door. "Bye," Dee Dee shook her head and went back up to get another two hours of sleep. At work time just didn't seem to go very fast, Dee Dee tried to keep her mind on her work but it kept drifting. She was thinking about what to say to Hunter and had it all worked out in her head. At eleven thirty she left to meet him. Hunter's car was already there when she drove into the parking lot at Roofs. It had become their new hangout after Sid's burned down two years ago. Dee Dee parked her car and went in, she looked around and saw Hunter sitting in their usual booth at the end. Joe, the owner, spotted her. He knew about the situation, Dee Dee had told him when he had asked about Hunter not being with her. He had made sure they had the place practically to themselves. Joe looked at Dee Dee with a 'Good luck' look on his face; she smiled at him and walked towards the booth. The first thing she noticed was that the beard was gone. "Hi," she said, he looked up from the menu. "Hi, you look beautiful." She was wearing something that didn't reveal her pregnancy too much, "Thank you," she sat opposite from him. A waitress came to take their order, "Coffee please," Hunter said to her and looked at Dee Dee. "Tea for me thanks," Hunter looked surprised, "Tea?" "I'm trying to lay off the caffeine," she explained. "Any particular reason?" "No," she wanted to tell him, but couldn't. Not yet. The waitress brought their order and they sat silently for a while until Dee Dee started to talk, "There are so many things I want to know Rick, but the most important one to me is why couldn't you confide in me, didn't let me help you. I'm your wife remember." He looked at her; saw that pain in her eyes again. He swallowed and started to talk, "I was so angry with myself that day, first the shooting then the drinking and hurting you by coming home drunk. I took the easy way out by running, running from my problems, running from you. You are right, I should have talked to you, confided in you, but that's easy said afterwards." Dee Dee looked at him, he looked so sad it broke her heart; she knew it was difficult for him to open up like this. Costumers kept their distance as if they could feel the tension around them. "I did get some help," Hunter continued. "I drove to San Diego and rented an apartment there. One day I got a new neighbor, Mandy. She became my listening ear so to say and dragged me out of my shell, she was also the one who said I should come back here. I don't know if I would have. I never stopped loving you Dee Dee believe me, but I know I hurt you so bad that I was afraid to come back." "You did hurt me Rick, but I love you and I need you with me. I guess me not being able to talk to you about not getting pregnant didn't help either, it put so much strain on us." " I just couldn't take anymore," he took her hand very carefully, she put her other hand over his. "Can we survive this?" he asked her. "I hope we can, but time will tell. We are going to need you." "We?" She stood up and showed him her belly; he looked at her with a surprised look. "How." "Five months now Rick, we did it," she smiled her famous smile at him. He turned his head so she couldn't see his tears, he felt so guilty for leaving her this way. Dee Dee could tell how he felt, "Don't feel guilty, you can't change what happened, but you can be there for me now." "Believe me, I will." he reached out his hand and touched her cheek. Cas, the waitress, gave Joe and elbow in his side, "I think we have a winner," she motioned to the Hunters. "I think we have," he replied. "Now I have to talk to Charlie," Hunter sighed. "You have some good explaining to do, he was pretty mad at you for leaving." "Do you think he'll be as understanding as you?" "He'd better be, or I'll give him a piece of my mind." They both laughed.
Back at the precinct Charlie saw them coming out of the elevator holding hands and smiled. He was relieved to see they had a good talk. Dee Dee sat down at her desk and Hunter walked to Charlie's office, he knocked on the door. "Come in," he heard from the other side and went in. Charlie was standing and looking through the window into the squad room. "Hi Captain," Hunter said. "Did you two work it out?" he asked looking at Dee Dee. "We had a good talk." Charlie turned around and sat down, "Sit down Sgt. I think you have some pretty good explaining to do and give me a good reason why I shouldn't fire you." Dee Dee couldn't concentrate and kept looking at Charlie's office, she could see Hunter telling his story. "Are you sure you don't need any professional help?" "No, I'm alright. This won't happen again." "Ok, you can stay, but it will be desk duty for the rest of the month starting tomorrow and then we'll see." "Thanks Captain." He left the office and gave Dee Dee a look of relief, "What?" "Desk duty for the rest of the month starting tomorrow," he said. "That's not so bad, I have to sit here a while longer," she complained. "But that's for a good cause," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders, "Yeah you're right." Kitty walked in and saw the two of them, she smiled. "Does this mean you had a good talk?" she asked. "We did," Dee Dee told her and put one of her hands on his, "Taking it a step at the time." "Good, I'm glad to hear that." Charlie opened the door to his office," McCall could you come in here please?" "Sure," she said as she looked at Kitty and Hunter. She entered the office, "Why don't you take the rest of the off, O'Hern can handle the case. You two spend some time together, you need it after the rough couple of months you had." "Thanks Charlie." Just as she wanted to walk out he called after her, "Dee Dee," she turned around. "Make sure you work this out, I don't want to lose the both of you." Her smile said more than words could have, Charlie knew they were going to try. "What did he say?" Hunter wanted to know. "He gave me the rest of the day off, wanna go somewhere?" They spend the rest of the day together at the beach, walking and talking some more about what happened and how to go on. Later that evening, after dinner, Hunter dropped Dee Dee off at their house. They said good bye and he left for the motel. In bed he lay thinking, 'I'm glad we talked. I think we're gonna be alright in time.' At the same time Dee Dee was sitting up in bed thinking, 'It's been a good day, I'm glad I decided to go talk to him.'
A week later Dee Dee drove into the parking lot at the precinct, Hunter was already there leaning against his car obviously waiting for her. She parked next to him and got out. "Morning Sgt." she said playfully. "Morning yourself, ready for another day of excitement?" "I sure am," she laughed and slapped his arm. It made her stop, 'What did I just do?' she thought. Hunter looked at her like it was a normal thing for her to do, well it used to be anyway. "It's ok Dee Dee," he said to her. "It happened before I knew it did," she said softly. "Maybe it means we're on the right track." "I hope so." Hunter put his arm around her very carefully, she didn't resist and they walked into the precinct. After a busy day Hunter had finished his paperwork and looked at the clock, it was five thirty. He was wondering if Dee Dee was ready to let him move back in, 'Nah, it's too soon,' he thought. It was like she could read his mind, she had walked up to his desk and sat down on the corner of it. "Are you coming home tonight?" she asked softly. "Only if you want me to." "I want you to, please." "Ok, I'll get my stuff from the motel and be there." The look she gave him was one of relief.
Hunter had brought some take out with him and while they were eating Dee Dee noticed he was a mile away. "What's on your mind?" he looked up at her. "How about w go to San Diego for the weekend, I can show you where I lived and you can meet Mandy. I promised her not to be a stranger. Think of it as some kind of closure." "I think that's a good idea, I would love to meet her. She was responsible for where you are now, home." So Friday when work was done they drove to San Diego and checked in to a nice little hotel for the weekend. Because of the time they decided to have some dinner and turn in. That night at around two Dee Dee was wide awake, something that happened a lot lately since the pregnancy. She lay in the arms of a sleeping Hunter thinking, 'He has only been home for a few days, but it's like he never left. It feels so comfortable having him with me and holding me. He did say yesterday, It's like that Joni Mitchell song, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.' Finally she fell asleep again. The next morning, after a nice breakfast, they went to the apartment building where Hunter had lived during those months. The apartment he lived in had new residents. He knocked on Mandy's door, but there was no answer. "Maybe she's at the University," Dee Dee said. "Could be." One of the other neighbors just got off the elevator and recognized Hunter, "Mr. Hunter, nice to see you again." "Nice to see you again Mrs. Thomas. How are you and your husband?" "Fine thank you." "I'd like you to meet my wife, Dee Dee." "Nice to meet you," Dee Dee said as she and Mrs. Thomas shook hands. "Likewise," she said and turned to Hunter, "You never told us you were married?" "That's a long story. Do you happen to know when Mandy is coming home?" "Mandy? Oh, you mean the girl in 201. She left two days after you did, I don't know where she went." Hunter looked at Dee Dee and then to Mrs. Thomas, "What? She left? But she was going to University here." "I'll ask my husband, wait a second. Al, do you know something about the girl in 201?" Al Thomas joined them and after they said their hello's he told Hunter that Mandy had told him her work was done here and she had to move on. "It was like she had finished something important." "Hmmm. Thank you for telling me and it was nice seeing you both again. Take care." Back in the car Hunter turned to Dee Dee, "I don't understand, why would she leave like that." "You know, this may sound stupid, but it's like she was meant to be there and put you on the right track." "I was thinking the same thing actually. There are things in life you just can't explain sometimes." A silence fell over the car as they drove back to the hotel. "Rick," Dee Dee broke the silence after a while. "Yes." "Let's go home." he looked at her. "Good idea, we have nothing else to do here." At the hotel they packed their stuff, checked out and drove home.
It was late that evening when Dee Dee was standing on the deck overlooking the ocean, Hunter came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, his hands on her belly. He kissed the top of her head, "I love you," he said softly. "I keep thinking about Mandy and the way she left. Do you believe in guardian angels?" Dee Dee asked him. "Do you think I met mine?" "Well, I heard once that they make themselves known when you really need them." "Hmm." "Ok, I'll shut up." They stood there for a moment enjoying the view and the sound of the ocean. "Oops, did you feel that?" Dee Dee said putting her hands over his. "Yeah I did. Someone is having a busy night in there."
That night they slept under the stars knowing that there was someone watching over them. When they would meet again? Only time would tell.