Of course, the day that he'd made plans was the day everything that could go wrong, did. That morning, the Crown Vic wouldn't start, so he had to ask his mom to take Alexandra to daycare and drop him off at the motor pool on her way out to run her errands. Then his computer glitched, causing his report listing the potential candidates for secondment to the intelligence sector to be closed without saving. It took him another hour to compile the report, which put him behind on his other tasks for the day. Beckman later called a last-minute conference call to go over the report he'd submitted and rake his ass over the coals for submitting it late.
"Captain, if you cannot manage to submit your reports on time, you just may find yourself demoted," She'd threatened.
He'd barely made it out on time to go home and change for his date, unfortunately the car he'd gotten from the motor pool decided that it was time for one of the tires to go flat. Not only that, but the spare had not been checked and was also low. He had to call a petty officer from the motor pool to come, bring yet another vehicle, so he could go home while the petty officer dealt with the multiple flats on the car.
The shirt he'd intended to wear had apparently picked up a stain across the front of unknown origin, causing him to have to find a different shirt to wear at the last minute. After a bit of consideration, he settled on a pale blue button-down shirt, dark chinos, and a pair of dress boots. He quickly showered and got dressed. He was fastening his watch to his wrist as he left his room and noticed that he only had about 25 minutes to get out of the house, off base, and to the Doc's apartment in Oceanside. He knew he wouldn't have time to stop and pick up flowers.
Almost as if reading his mind, his mother stepped out of the kitchen holding a wrapped bouquet of tulips and peonies and handed it to him, "Good thing I thought to pick this up," She smirked at him, "Knock her dead, John."
John grunted is thanks to her, kissed her cheek and sought out his daughter, who was coloring at the kitchen table. He kissed her on the head and made her promise to be good for her nanna before heading out. Seeing the car, he was stuck taking until he could figure out why his gorram car wouldn't start, he grimaced. With an exasperated huff, he climbed in, placed the flowers gently on the passenger seat and headed towards the south exit gate which was the closest to the area the pretty Doc lived in.
"Oh, just pick something already," Becca huffed from her reclined position on Ellie's bed. "You're going to look amazing in whatever you wear!"
"That's not helping, Becca," Ellie protested, "He said it wasn't a fancy place, which rules out a good bit of my already limited date wardrobe, but I don't want to go clear to the other end of the spectrum and be too casual…" She held a few dresses in her hands, alternating through them, holding them in front of her body before groaning and throwing them on the bed and flopping down beside them. "I have nothing to wear."
"My God, you're dramatic," Becca rolled her eyes and climbed off the bed. She looked through what was left in Ellie's closet for a moment before picking out a dark sun dress with vertical rows of purple flowers running down the bodice and skirt, "Wear this," She instructed, pushing Ellie towards the ensuite bathroom. When Ellie emerged, Becca handed her a pair of black strappy sandals and a lilac cardigan, "Put these on and I'll do your hair."
Ellie gave her a thankful look, shrugging on the light cardigan before sitting down at her desk to pull her sandals on. Once she was upright again, Becca made quick work of curling her long brown hair in loose waves that framed her face perfectly. In the back of her head she knew Becca had chosen this outfit because she'd worn a purple blouse to work that day and her makeup was already done with complementing colors.
"Just put on some darker eyeliner and touch up your mascara and lipstick, and you'll be good," Becca advised before exiting the bedroom to answer the knock that had just sounded at the door.
Ellie could hear the deep rumble of John's voice along the lighter voice of her roommate as she quickly touched up her make up. Once she was satisfied that she was a good as she was going to get, she made her way down the hall to the living room where John was standing, looking dapper as ever with a bouquet of colorful flowers clutched in his hand. What was even better for her ego was how his eyes widened a bit and his jaw dropped slightly at the sight of her.
"You look beautiful, Ellie," He complimented her, reverently.
"You look pretty good yourself, John," Ellie smiled up at him before gesturing towards the flowers, "Are those for me?"
John gave her a sheepish smirk and handed them to her, "Yeah, wish I could take the credit, but to be honest I was running behind due to a series of unfortunate events. Luckily, my mother had the foresight to pick some up on her way home."
"Well, be sure to thank her for me," Ellie gave him a soft smile, "They're beautiful."
"Here, I'll put them in water for you so you crazy kids can go do whatever it is you are gonna do," Becca offered, taking the flowers from Ellie and handing her purse to her, "You know, necking at the drive-in, reenacting 'From Here to Eternity,' or some such thing."
Ellie's eyes widened at her friend and roommate, "Becca!" She scolded, her cheek flushing prettily at the insinuation.
"What?" Becca gave her an innocent look, "You two go have fun." She leaned in to give Ellie a hug as an excuse to whisper in her ear that she'd made sure to put a couple condoms in the purse, which only served to heighten Ellie's blush. "John, it was nice to meet you."
"Likewise," John nodded curtly then turned to offer his hand to Ellie, "Shall we?"
Ellie nodded, "Yeah, let's go." She accepted his hand as he guided her out the door, closing it behind them. To her delight, from the door to the car, there was not a moment they didn't have some kind of contact. Either her hand in his, or his hand on the small of her back, even assisting her into the car he'd come in to pick her up.
"I have to apologize for the car," John rolled his eyes when he got in and turned the engine over on the candy apple red mustang. "This thing is a bit ostentatious for my liking. Only redeeming quality is that it's a Ford. I normally drive a classic Crown Victoria, but the old girl decided she didn't want to start up this morning."
"You don't have to explain," Ellie assured him, "It's a nice car, but I do have to agree that these newer Mustangs are a bit much. I'd much rather my dad's old 1968 model. It was a cherry red convertible with a racing stripe and blue leather seats… I'd give anything to ride in that car again."
"Preferably with your old man driving, I'd wager," John remarked as he turned out onto the main street.
"Maybe," Ellie shrugged before changing the subject, "Where are you taking me?"
"Trattoria Bella," John informed her, "It's down by the pier, and if my C.O. is to be believed, has some of the best Italian food you'll get stateside."
"I'm looking forward to it, then," Ellie smiled over at him. The rest of the ride to the restaurant was made in companionable silence as Ellie watched him drive. He was so focused on the road, and she was mesmerized by his left hand on the steering wheel. The way his right hand caressed the knob of the gearshift made her wish for him to touch her with such reverence. Every so often he would look over and give her a small smile, his blue eyes twinkling in such a way that butterflies would begin to dance in her stomach.
The ride seemed to stretch on for a while yet was over in blink as John guided the car into a parking stall just outside of the restaurant. John killed the engine and got out of the car, rounding the front hood to open Ellie's door for her and offering a hand to assist her out. He loved the feel of her delicate fingers caressing his palm as she accepted his help and gracefully rose from the sports car. Once he armed the car, he offered her his arm to guide her into the restaurant. He could feel her hand on his bicep, gently squeezing the muscle there, whether consciously or not.
Seeing as it was Friday, it was one of the few nights a week that couples were more likely to be able to enjoy a meal out and a late night without having to worry about waking the next day for work. They approached the hostess stand and John informed them that he'd made a reservation.
The hostess smiled hospitably to him and looked over her book before grabbing a menu and inviting them to follow her. She quickly seated them at a table near a large window overlooking the beach and the ocean beyond.
"Can I get you anything to drink while you look over your menus?" The hostess asked.
"Water?" John checked with Ellie, who nodded her agreement, "Yeah, water for now until we get a better idea about what we want to get."
"Of course, I'll have that right out for you," The hostess nodded and headed towards an archway that they assumed led to the kitchen area.
The hostess returned a moment later with their requested waters along with a loaf of dark bread and a dish of butter for them to enjoy while they decided what to order. In the end, John ordered steak medallions with a side of linguini and Ellie got basil and garlic chicken with spaghetti, which they enjoyed with a nice bottle of Sangiovese.
"Of all the careers in the world, how did you land on Marine?" Ellie asked, taking a sip of her wine.
"My pops was a Marine, as was my Granddad," John shrugged, "Plus I wanted to protect this great nation from those who would seek to harm it. September 11th happened a few years after I'd signed my commissioning paperwork; made me even more sure in that decision. What about you? What led you to become a doctor?"
"I've wanted to be a doctor since before I could remember," Ellie smiled, "I've got another year or so before I can technically hang my shingle out as a full-fledged pediatrician, but I'm hoping that I can get into the Pediatric Neurology fellowship at UCSD."
"Why Neurology?" John asked, "I mean, based on our first meeting, you are a great pediatrician."
"Thank you," Ellie blushed, "My younger brother, Chuck, has an eidetic – nearly photographic – memory. When he was younger, it sometimes would cause his brain to essentially overload, causing epileptic-esque seizures. We spent a lot of time at L.A. Children's' Hospital while he underwent treatments and testing to figure out how to reduce the frequency of his seizures."
"That's rough," John commented.
"He eventually grew out of it," Ellie shrugged, "Or so we think. He hasn't had a seizure since he was ten, I don't remember much about how that came about, though. Just that over time, he was able to step down and stop taking his anti-seizure meds. The doctors couldn't really figure out why, and you know what they say about gift horses... we didn't question it."
"I'm glad to hear he's okay, now," John commented, "So that's how you got interested in neurology?"
"Partly, I tease Chuck that, I'm determined to find that screw he's got loose up in that big 'ol brain of his, so that's why I'm determined to be a neurologist." Ellie giggled, "I'm also fascinated by how the human brain works and develops. We know so little about how it works, its limitations and abilities... I could spend my whole life studying it, intend to spend my life studying it, and never know everything."
"That's very ambitious of you, Doc," John smiled at her. "Well for what it's worth, if you're half as good of a neurologist as you are a pediatrician, you'll be amazing."
"Thank you," Ellie blushed.
They continued eating for a while longer, enjoying their food while trading stories of Ellie's patients, and the men and women John served with. Ellie shared about how she and her last serious relationship had ended, the distance and their schedules being too much for them to continue their relationship.
"Devon is a good guy," Ellie gave a sad smile, "and I wish him all the happiness in the world, but I think if we were truly meant to be together, we would have found a way to make it work."
"So, being involved with a Marine isn't intimidating to you?" John asked.
"Guess it would depend on the Marine," Ellie gave him a small smile, "I mean if I cared enough for someone to stand by them through deployments, natural disaster responses, and terrorist attacks, no amount of time apart would make much of a difference. Sure, I'd miss them and worry about them, but I would also look forward to welcoming them home. Besides, it's not like I'd be doing nothing but sitting at home all day, I have my own career to focus on, maybe even a family to take care of. I'd imagine that if I was dedicated to stand by my Marine through all that is required of him, we would have at one point made a pretty serious, till-death-do-us-part type of commitment to each other."
"Well, from where I'm sitting, any Marine lucky enough to have you waiting back at home for him would be a damned lucky bastard," John stated, then cleared his throat, "Pardon my language, with the exception of the last few months, I've more or less been surrounded by Marines and Sailors who have no filter whatsoever. Since finding out about her, I've been trying to learn to reign in my language for the kid's benefit, but it's a bit of a struggle at times."
"'Finding out about her?'" Ellie questioned, "What do you mean, did you not know about Alexandra before?"
"I only found out about her a month or so before her last birthday," John shook his head, "I was called back from deployment and told that I had a daughter that I now had to take care of."
"Didn't her mother tell you?" Ellie asked.
"That's a bit of a long story," John admitted, "She tried to, but there were circumstances that arose that prevented the information from reaching me. I can't give you any more information as to those circumstances at this time as it is highly classified."
Ellie looked confused, "John, where is Alexandra's mother?"
John sighed, "Kathleen died about six months ago in a car accident. A drunk driver hit her head-on. Thank God Alexandra was with my mom at the time, and not in the car with Kath." He shook his head, "Bastard survived the crash with barely a scratch."
"Oh my God," Ellie gasped, "I am so sorry!"
"Thank you," John nodded, "Mom took care of Alexandra until I was brought back stateside and reassigned to Camp Pendleton. Between coming back stateside and reporting to my new duty station, I met Mom in Chicago where I met Alexandra for the first time. About a week after we arrived at Camp Pendleton, I received an updated birth certificate and social security card for Alexandra listing her as 'Alexandra Marie Casey,' the circumstances I illuded to a moment ago play a part in necessitating the change."
Ellie nodded, not quite understanding, but trusting that if and when she had reason to know the full story, John would tell her. "I never would have guessed that you're new at being a parent," She commented, "You seem like a natural with her."
John grunted a snort, "Nah, I just have good back up. A few months after Alex and I moved out here, my mom followed. She's staying with us for the time being until escrow on her condo closes in a couple weeks. I have no idea what I'm doing."
"Well, you could have fooled me," Ellie smiled at him, "You're doing better than you think, John."
"Thanks, I appreciate you saying that," John admitted, "It's nice to hear it from someone other than my mom, who's more than a little biased."
"I don't know," Ellie tilted her head, "She raised you and your sister, and you turned out alright enough. I'd say she probably knows what she's talking about."
John grunted a laugh, "Maybe."
When the waiter appeared to clear their plates, they ordered a tiramisu to share and coffee as they turned to lighter topics. Once the check was paid, they headed out.
"I know it's terribly cliché, but would you care to take a walk with me?" John asked, nodding toward the beach beyond the parking lot.
"Flowers, dinner by candlelight, and now a moonlit walk along the beach," Ellie grinned up at him, "You're an old romantic, aren't you?"
John blushed and shrugged sheepishly.
"Let me slip my shoes off so I don't get sand in them," Ellie nodded toward the car, "Do you mind if I leave them in the car?"
"Sure," John nodded, unlocking the mustang and waiting for Ellie to slip off her sandals and toss them on the floor of the passenger side of the car. Figuring it wasn't a bad idea, he quickly unlaced and toed off his boots and pulled off his socks, tucking them inside one of his boots before locking up the car and joining Ellie for their walk along the beach. He offered his arm to hold onto as they crossed the loose sand on their way to where the surf rolled up on the shore.
Ellie giggled softly as the surf licked at her bare toes, tickling them as they walked, the sound was like music to John's ears. He couldn't help but smile at the contentment he felt, just being in her presence even for such a short amount of time. True, he had loved Kathleen, but even then, he didn't remember feeling nearly as calm or at peace around her as he did around the Doc.
They didn't speak as they walked down the beach, enjoying each other's company and the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore. After about 20 minutes, they turned back to head to the car. Unlocking the passenger door, John assisted Ellie in sitting sideways in her seat, with her bare feet still dangling out of the car. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he knelt and meticulously brushed the sand off of Ellie's feet before buckling her sandals back on to her feet. Once she was seated forward again, he closed the door and rounded to his side of the mustang. Retrieving his socks and boots, he quickly smacked the loose sand from his feet and threw on his socks and boots, lacing them up quickly.
He could still feel some sand between his toes as he pulled out of the lot, but at least he wouldn't be returning the car to the motor pool filled with sand. Seeing as it was nearing 2200, he drove her home through the quiet streets of Oceanside. Feeling a little braver than he had when he'd first picked her up, when his hand wasn't on the gearshift, he subtly reached for her hand, gently holding it in hers as he drove. Up until this point he didn't mind manual transmissions, but was now looking forward to getting his Vic fixed so that he wouldn't have to deal with a gear shift when out with the lovely Doc.
Pulling up to her apartment building, he put the car in park and opened her door for her, assisting her out. They walked, again in comfortable silence, to her front door. Before she put her key in the lock to go in, she turned to face him.
"I had a good time tonight, John," Ellie gave him a soft smile.
"I did too," John agreed, "Would you possibly be interested doing it again sometime, schedule allowing?"
"I would love to," She nodded.
He couldn't help the soft smile that spread across his face as he brushed a strand of hair off of Ellie's cheek, letting his thumb caress her soft cheek. He loved the light flush that graced her cheeks at his action, "There's something I've wanted to do all night, if you would allow me."
"What's that?" Ellie asked, tilting her head up, anticipating his request.
"Would it be to presumptuous to kiss you?" John asked her softly, leaning down slightly, giving her a moment to step away if she wanted to. To his delight, she took a small step forward, nodding as she rose up on her toes to meet him part way.
He closed the gap, cupping the back of her head in his hand, his fingers tangling in her soft hair. She let out a soft whimper as he pressed his lips tenderly to hers in a chaste kiss that seemed to go on for a while but ended quickly. John stepped away letting his hand drift down her neck over her shoulder and down her arm until her small hand was nestled in his larger one. "That's probably where I should end things for the night."
She pouted slightly but knew that they shouldn't allow the kiss to progress further than it had and risk rushing things between them. If their relationship wound up succeeding, they'd have their whole lives to take things further. Ellie's eyes widened slightly at the thought that she really hoped that there was some kind of future for them, one that had them in each other's, and Alex's, lives for a good long time. "That's probably best," She admitted, "Thank you for a nice night."
"You're welcome," John smiled down at her, raising her hand to his lips and kissing the back of her hand, "Good night, Ellie."
"Good night, John," She responded, puling her keys out of her purse, unlocking and opening her front door with her free hand before giving his occupied hand a slight squeeze, "Drive home save."
John returned the affectionate squeeze and nodded, watching and waiting until she entered the apartment, and he heard the tell tale click-thunk of the deadbolt being engaged. Satisfied that she was home safe, he made his way back to the borrowed Mustang, and headed back to his home on base.
Pulling into the driveway, he took a seat on the outside bench and removed his socks and boots, he grabbed the water hose from the side yard and quickly rinsed off his feet before entering the house.
The living room was dark, except for a small lamp in the corner of the living room where his mom sat on the recliner reading a novel.
"How was she?" He asked her softly.
"She was good, went to bed on time," Helen assured him, "How was your night?"
John couldn't suppress the smile.
"That good huh?" His mom grinned, "Are you going to see her again?"
"Yeah, we basically ended the night agreeing on that," John nodded, "Figured I'd give her a day or two before making plans again. Don't want to completely monopolize what little time she has outside of her residency."
"Reasonable," Helen nodded, "Or you are scared she'll come to her senses and back out before you get up the nerve to make plans for your next outing."
John gave his mom a surprised look, which earned him a chuckle.
"I know you better than you know yourself, Johnny Boy," Helen book marked her place and stood from her chair. She walked over to her son and placed her hand on his cheek before dropping a kiss on his forehead, "Let your heart guide you, our brains will mess us up every time. It's late, so I'm going to head to bed. Don't forget to kiss Alexandra good night before you go to bed."
"Yes, Ma'am," John nodded sitting back on the couch. He heard her bedroom door close and a moment later felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw he had a text from Ellie.
Hey Marine, thought I'd wish you sweet dreams before I head off to bed. I hope to see you soon. – XX Ellie
John smiled softly as he typed back his response, I enjoyed spending time with you tonight, Doc. Sweet dreams, I'll talk to you later, beautiful. – XX John
His phone vibrated again, and he saw another message from Ellie, Sleep tight and give Alexandra a hug for me in the morning. I look forward to our next date – Ellie
Will do, I can't wait for our next date either. He admitted over text, Good night. – John
He waited until his messenger app showed that his last message had been read then headed off to hit the rack, wondering if his dreams would be filled with a certain pretty doctor as he drifted off to sleep.