Sully was just coming in the door when the phone rang. He set his bag of groceries down and grabbed the phone just before the machine picked it up. "Hello," he growled.
"John, I need a pep talk."
Sighing, Sully sat down on the couch. "Getting nervous again, Liz?"
"Yeah."
"And you want a pep talk from me?" he asked incredulously.
"It doesn't have to be a big speech, just talk to me until my pulse rate goes down."
"Why are you making this so hard on yourself?"
He heard her sigh on the other end. "John, put yourself in my place. How would you feel if you were going out on a date, a real date, for the first time since Tatiana died?"
Sully was silent for a moment as he mulled over the question. "Okay, I'd be very nervous," he finally replied. "But think of it as another night at Haggarty's and that put you more at ease."
"I'm going to try. So, what are you up to tonight?"
Glancing at the grocery bag in front of him on the coffee table, Sully answered, "Believe it or not, I'm going to cook."
"Oh? What's on the menu?"
"Beef stroganoff, bruschetta, and rice pudding for dessert."
"Sounds delicious, maybe you'll make it for me sometime."
"Maybe I
will."
He heard the phone beeping on
her end. "That's my call waiting so I'm
going to let you go. Bon appetite!"
"Thanks. Relax, tonight'll go just fine."
"I hope
so. Bye, John."
"Bye, Liz."
Faith was just going to hang up when her partner finally answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, Liz,
it's Faith. I was beginning to think
you weren't home."
"Sorry, I was just saying good
bye to Sully first. I was talking to
him on the other line."
Tucking
her hair behind an ear, Faith switched the phone to the other side as she
stirred the hamburger she was frying.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," she stated.
"It's okay, we were done. I
just called him for a pep talk."
"You called Sully for a pep talk?"
"Actually, just to talk for a few minutes to calm my nerves."
Fred came in to see how dinner preparations were going as Faith said, "You're getting nervous again, aren't you?"
"The
nerves come and go. Right now I'm just
waiting to get dressed and have time on my hands so they had the perfect
opportunity to attack."
Faith found herself smiling
because she could hear the nervousness in her partner's voice. "Everything will be fine, trust me. He's a nice guy."
"Yes, he is but I know I'm going to screw up somehow."
"Why?"
"I always do when I've got something good happening in my life."
Faith slapped Fred's hand away when he tried to steal some cheese as she replied, "Maybe it's time you change that."
"Easier said than done but I'll try."
"Good. How long until he gets there?"
"Half an
hour."
"Okay, I'll let you go. Call me tomorrow and tell me how it went."
"Yes, ma'am."
Faith laughed at the tone of Liz's voice. "Bye."
"Bye, partner."
As she hung up the phone, Fred asked, "Who was that?"
"Liz. I called her to see how nervous she was."
"Nervous about what?"
"She's
got a date tonight."
"Really?" Fred helped Faith
pull a couple of bowls out of the cupboard.
"With who?"
"One of the firefighters from the fire hall across from the station."
"That Walsh guy you've mentioned?"
Faith
shook her head as she put lettuce in a bowl.
"No, he's married and he's an old friend of Liz's. She's got a date with DK."
"Have I ever met him?"
"No."
"He a decent guy?"
"Yeah." Pausing while putting cheese in another bowl, Faith frowned at Fred. "What's with all the questions?"
Shrugging, Fred grabbed the bowls she's already filled. "I like Liz, guess I'm just curious," he stated as he carried the bowls over to the table.
Faith decided to not to question Fred anymore, afraid the conversation might turn back to comparing Liz and Bosco as it had in the past. She went back to finishing up dinner.
DK parked his car before checking to make sure he had the right address. After a quick confirmation he hopped out, glancing around at the neighborhood as he headed to the steps. He stopped at the bottom to check out the flower boxes filled with early spring flowers, smiling because he liked how cheerful everything looked. Finally he sauntered up the stairs to press the doorbell. While waiting for Liz to answer he suddenly started to feel a little nervous, just like he had the day before when he asked her out. As the door began to open he hoped his nervousness didn't show on his face.
Liz looked out at him through the glass of the screen door, a bright smile on her face. DK felt his lips form into an answering smile as she opened the door. "Derek, you're right on time. Come on in."
Liz opened the door wide to usher him in. Once inside DK looked around the hallway before settling his gaze back on Liz. She was wearing dark charcoal gray slacks, a lighter gray shirt of some kind underneath a turquoise long sleeved linen shirt, and black boots. Her red hair was loosely curled around her face. "What?" DK asked when he saw the amused smile on her face.
"We couldn't have coordinated our wardrobes better if we had planned it," she answered, starting to chuckle. DK looked down at his own clothes. He, too, was wearing dark charcoal gray slacks with a dark blue turtleneck sweater, black boots, and a black leather jacket. He began to see the humor too.
"Must be a good sign, huh?"
"Most definitely." Liz blushed a little, looking down at the floor for a moment to compose herself. She gave DK a shy smile when she looked back up. "So, would you like a brief tour of la casa del Magnuson while you're here?"
"Sure." DK followed her from the light colored, simply decorated entryway into the living room. He gave at a low whistle at the size of the room. "Good size place you've got here."
Liz gave a graceful shrug. "Paid for by my divorce."
DK just nodded in reply. He took in the furnishings of the room, walking over to the piano to glance at the sheet music on it. "Do you play?"
"A little," she answered with a chuckle, "Though I'm not very good. I wasn't very good at getting to my lessons when I was younger."
"You played hooky from piano lessons?"
"Yeah, I thought climbing trees was more fun." Liz led him into the kitchen that smelled of fresh baked bread. DK found himself smiling again as he looked around the very pleasant room, taking in a deep breath of the wonderful aroma permeating the premises.
"Smells like you made your cooking lessons though," he stated.
"Those were lessons of love from mi grand mère." She motioned for him to follow her out the back door. DK did so, finding himself in a well-tended jungle. There were a couple of dwarf apple trees blossoming, filling the air with a sweet scent. "And this is my relaxation," Liz stated, waving her hand to encompass the whole yard.
Taking in the beginnings of a vegetable garden, DK asked, "You get a lot out of your garden?"
Liz nodded. "I do pretty well. If you remind me, I'll give you a jar of tomatoes to take home or to work to make spaghetti sauce with."
"I'd like that." They went back in and Liz led him upstairs. She motioned for him to enter the first room off the hallway while she leaned against the doorframe. DK looked around the master bedroom, liking the dark forest green and gold color scheme and the large four-poster bed. He turned back to his hostess with a smile, "You like greenery, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. Reminds me of home."
DK frowned, realizing he didn't know where Liz was from originally. "Where is home?"
"Iowa."
"They have trees in Iowa? I thought it was all corn."
Liz rolled her eyes at his little joke. "I'll tell you about it over dinner." She motioned for him to follow. She showed him the guest bedroom and then her office. DK looked at all the books in the bookcases, finding himself whistling again.
"Have you read all these?"
"Yeah, but you have to realize that's at least thirty years of collecting and reading."
"Thirty?" DK echoed. "How old are you?" He held up a hand. "Wait, forget I even asked that, I've made the first faux pas of the evening."
Liz walked over the stand in front of him, looking up at him with a forgiving smile. "From what I've learned, I'm only a few years younger than you, my dear firefighter. I'm 35, by the way."
"You sure don't look it."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was meant as one."
Liz led him back down stairs to the entryway. She pulled a dark gray trench coat off the coat tree as she said, "Now you've seen were I spend my private time. Whadda ya' think?"
"I think it's very nice." He glanced at his watch. "I also think it's time to go to make our reservations."
Liz went back to lock the back door before grabbing her purse off the hallway table. She ushered DK outside then locked the front door. She linked her arm through his, "Take me away, ma chère."
DK just chuckled as they went down the stairs.
Sully actually felt relaxed. He'd made dinner then turned on some music while he ate. Afterwards he had stacked the dishes in the sink, not in the mood to wash them right away. He'd settled down on the couch with a book and had intended to turn the TV on but decided he liked the music better.
He was beginning to feel like a normal person again. He hadn't actually cooked in a while, not having the energy to put anything together. Instead he'd eaten a lot at a little coffee shop around the corner where the food was nice and hot if a little bland. Some of the waitresses were pretty nice too.
Opening the book, Sully tried to concentrate on what he was reading but found he couldn't. His mind kept drifting back to his brief conversation with Liz earlier and how he felt about it. He realized he liked the fact Liz called him to be calmed down, it made him feel needed. He hadn't felt that way in a while, not since before Tatiana had left him the first time. After she'd come back it hadn't been the same, he didn't really trust her and she didn't ask for much except to have her son live with them.
Sully stopped himself from going down that road again, he didn't want to become morose. He picked up his book again, finally able to concentrate on it.
Faith felt guilty. It had only been her, Fred, and Charlie eating together and it had been one of the least stressful family meals they'd had in a long time. Emily had gotten a reprieve from her grounding to go to a friend's house to work on a school project so she hadn't been home for dinner and Faith hadn't had to endure the sullen looks or the little digs that had become the norm the last few months.
As Faith was washing dishes and Fred and Charlie were working on Charlie's homework, Emily came home. Just seeing her daughter walk through the door made Faith's shoulders tense. Emily sat down with her father and brother to do the rest of her homework, barely even saying hello to her mother. As the three at the table talked, Faith felt like she was shut out of their little circle again, a feeling she was really beginning to hate. Problem was she didn't know what to do about it.
DK was a content man. He'd taken Liz to an Italian restaurant over in Long Island City, an old favorite he'd visited many times. He'd been greeted like an old friend by the maître d' when they'd entered, causing Liz to grin at him. The food had been wonderful as ever, the company even more so. They'd talked about a lot of things over dinner from their jobs and coworkers to their families and friends.
"So,
you're the only girl in the family?"
Liz grinned. "Yeah, my two brothers only have boys so
far. Dale, the older one, has three boys, ages twelve, eight, and
five. My brother Steve has one boy age
three. He and his wife Kristi want more
but so far no luck."
"My family has a little more
variety. I've got three brothers, three
nephews, and four nieces."
"No sisters?"
"Nope, just burly, boneheaded boys."
"Ah, another household full of testosterone."
DK chuckled. "You better believe it. Do you miss home?"
"At times," Liz answered as she took a sip of her iced tea. "Mostly around the change of seasons. It's just not the same here."
Frowning, DK asked. "How so? The trees change here, we get snow, mud and rain in the spring. What's different?"
"Yes, the seasons change but things aren't as connected to the changes here as they are back home." Liz sat back in her chair, a far away look in her eyes. "I remember sitting in the kitchen listening to the radio in the morning before school. My dad always had it on this am country station and no one was allowed to change the channel. We'd be sitting around eating our various breakfast foods and listening to that radio. When it was late winter, early spring you knew you'd start hearing ads for fertilizers and weed control. I learned more about all the things used to control broadleaf than I ever needed to know.
She paused, smiling at the memory. "In the fall I knew I wouldn't see much of Dad or the boys unless I helped drive one of the trucks when they were combining or picking corn. I remember the smell of the dust from all the chaff, the golden color of the corn stalks after they'd fired. I remember the flurry of trying to get everything winterized before the first snowflakes fell but enjoying what came after that because Dad had a lot of time for us kids then."
"Are you and your dad close?"
Liz nodded. "I call him at least once a week. I've always been a Daddy's girl."
"That
doesn't surprise me."
Smiling, Liz replied, "It's
not something I hide. Dad and I did a
lot of things together, just the two of us.
We'd watch certain TV shows together, me sitting on his lap in his
recliner when I was still small enough for us to both fit. Sometimes I'd go out on the tractor with him
when he was planting in the spring, the two of us singing at the top of our
lungs to what ever country song was on the radio."
"What TV shows did you two watch?"
"Gunsmoke, can you believe it?" At DK's grin she added, "I've always loved westerns while my brothers couldn't stand them. We also watched "Emergency!" together, Dad had a thing for Julie London. Mom used to tease him about it."
"Did you have a crush on any of the characters?"
Liz blushed crimson. "Yeah, Dr. Brackett and Mike Stoker, the engineer. I liked fire fighters even back then."
DK laughed out loud. "Does that mean you still like them now?" he teased.
"What do you think?" she retorted.
"I'm
hoping you do," he answered with a smile. Just then the waiter returned, asking
if they wanted any dessert. "Liz?"
Shaking her head, Liz stated,
"No, I'm too full from dinner. The food
was wonderful."
"We'll pass on dessert." The waiter left the check with him before
walking away. As he pulled out his
wallet, DK asked, "The night's still young, what else would you like to do?"
"You up for some exercise?"
"Depends on what you have in mind."
"How about going for a walk?"
"That sounds nice." He paid the bill and they headed out into the mild weathered evening.
They'd walked for almost two hours, sometimes talking, sometimes just walking. Liz had tucked her arm into his again, making DK smile. He was still smiling as he drove back to her place.
He got out to open the door for Liz, getting a shy smile from her for his manners. DK took her hand as they walked up the stairs. When they reached the top he felt her stiffen slightly and he knew she was getting tense about what was going to happen next. He remembered Walsh asking him to be patient and he realized he was very willing to be, not wanting to do anything to make Liz not want to go out with him again.
DK
squeezed her hand gently. "I had a very
nice time tonight."
"I did too, Derek. Thank you."
"Enough of a good time to want to do it again?"
He was happy when she didn't even hesitate in saying, "Yes, I'd love to go out with you again."
"Great, so would I." He reached down to take her other hand in his before moving slightly closer, but not too close to make her panic. She continued to look up at him as he slowly bent forward, gently pressing his lips to hers. He kept the kiss soft and she didn't pull away. When he did move away he saw she had closed her eyes. She reopened them and he asked, "Will you call me tomorrow?"
"Sure," she answered softly, smiling now. "Any certain time?"
"Naw,
when ever you have time."
"Okay." He was surprised when she suddenly pulled
him closer to press her lips against his again. This kiss was gentle but had a little more pressure behind it,
causing them both to blush as they pulled apart. "Bon soir, Derek," Liz
practically purred.
"Do you know how it makes me feel when you speak Cajun to me?" DK asked quietly.
"No,
how?"
"Just like that last kiss."
"Guess I'll have to do it more often then."
DK chuckled. "Good night, Liz."
Liz smiled as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. She watched from the door as DK walked to his car so he gave a little wave before climbing in. He was smiling as he drove home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
DK was whistling as he came up the stairs at the beginning of shift. He'd stowed most of his gear downstairs and was just carrying his clean uniform, heading towards his locker. The rest of the crew was already there, donning their own work togs. Jimmy grinned at DK as he walked into the room. "Sounds like your date went well."
DK just smiled as he opened the door to his locker. Logan popped his head around the door of his own locker, tucking his shirt into his pants. "So, how did it go?" he asked with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.
As he hung up an extra shirt, DK replied, "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
"Since when?" Jimmy asked, a disbelieving look on his face.
Pulling his t-shirt over his head, DK didn't answer right away. He glanced at Walsh, who was giving him a very steady look, before he turned to Jimmy. "Since now," was all he said as he slipped his feet into his shoes. Jimmy gave a grunt but didn't ask him anymore questions. He motioned for Logan to follow him downstairs and the older man fell in step with Jimmy, Lombardo close behind them, leaving DK and Walsh alone.
Walsh shut the door to his locker before sitting down on a bed, his gaze once again falling on his friend. DK finished putting his stuff in his locker then sat on the bed across from Walsh to tie his shoes. Walsh cleared his throat. "So, how did it really go?"
"It went fine," DK answered, his smile widening. He could tell Walsh was getting exasperated by his sparse answers so he relented. "We had a very nice evening that ended with me walking her to the door and giving her a kiss before I left."
Walsh visibly relaxed. He frowned at DK. "Why didn't you say so? Or do you want the guys to think something more happened to help your reputation with the guys?"
DK shook his head, his smile now gone. "No, that's not why I wouldn't answer. I figured it's between Liz and me how it ended, no one else needs to know. Except you, of course."
Walsh smiled finally. "Thanks, I was afraid I might have to defend Liz's honor."
Putting his hand on Walsh's shoulder after he stood, DK gave it a little squeeze. "Hey, I respect Liz alot, you don't have to worry about me stepping out of line."
Standing too, Walsh's smile turned a little sheepish. "I know you aren't a player like Jimmy. It's just that I've always had a soft spot for Liz and I feel like I need to protect her, always have for all the years I've known her."
"I'm developing a soft spot for her too, Bill," DK stated as he headed towards the stairs. "Come on, we're gonna be late."
Walsh hurried after him, once again smiling.
Carlos grabbed the ringing phone since he was the only one in the area at the time. Doc and Kim were out on a run and Lt. Johnson had the fire crew cleaning hose and doing other housekeeping duties which left him alone with nothing to do and no one to do it with. He put the receiver to his ear. "Squad 55, Nieto speaking. May I help you?"
"Hi, Carlos, it's Liz Magnuson. How are you?"
"Uh, I'm fine." He paused, surprised she asked. "Uh, how are you?"
"Pretty good. Is DK around and could I talk to him?"
"He's cleaning hose, just a sec." Carlos put the phone down before he could hear Liz protesting on the other end of the line. He thumped his way down the stairs, looking around the bay for the wanted firefighter. He finally saw him rolling hose with Lombardo. "Hey, DK!"
"What?" DK hollered back, not even looking up from what he was doing.
"Can you take a break for a minute? There's a phone call for you."
"Take a message," DK replied.
"I think you might want to take this one," Carlos stated cryptically, causing DK to finally look at him. Carlos wasn't sure why he just didn't tell DK it was Liz on the line but he'd sensed earlier that DK wanted to keep the relationship quiet. DK finished the roll and handed the hose to Lombardo.
"I'll be back in a minute."
Lombardo shrugged. "Take your time, I could use a break too."
Chuckling, DK followed Carlos up the stairs. Carlos waved at the receiver lying on the table as he headed towards the frig for a drink. DK put the phone to his ear. "DK here."
"Hey, Handsome, how's your day going?"
DK smiled as he recognized the voice. "Much better now."
"Sorry to drag you away from the hose, Carlos took off before I could tell him to just tell you I called."
DK glanced at Carlos as he leaned against the wall. "That's okay, I needed a break. What's up?"
"I forgot to give you some tomatoes last night before you left so I thought I'd do one better today."
"Do one better?" he echoed, a puzzled look settling on his face.
"Yeah. Who's supposed to cook dinner tonight?"
"Walsh with me helping. Why?"
"How 'bout I bring dinner over for the group?"
"You'd do that? Why?"
"Because I feel like cooking and I don't want to be faced with tons of leftovers. What do you say?"
Just then Lt. Johnson came up, heading towards his office. "Hang on a sec," DK said to Liz. He put his hand over the phone to call out, "Hey, Lieu!"
"Yeah?"
"Would it be okay if Liz brought us dinner tonight? She wants to."
"What would she be making?"
DK put the phone back up to his mouth. "Liz, Lieu wants to know what you'd be making."
He heard her chuckling on the other end. "Is he gonna say no if it's something he doesn't like?"
"Naw, I think he's just curious."
"Tell him Creole chicken, nothing spicy, with a couple of sides and dessert."
DK relayed this to his lieutenant, who cocked his head. "Sounds good. What if we're not here but out on a call?"
DK pointed to Carlos. "Nieto will be here, he can let her in."
"Okay, tell her we'd love it." He continued on to his office.
"He says that would be great. Around 6:00-6:30?" DK told Liz.
"Sure. I heard what you said about Carlos letting me in if you're on a call. That's fine, the food will keep till you guys get back."
"Great. I'll see you later then?"
"Count on it, cher ami. Au revoir."
"''Bye." DK hung up the phone before addressing Carlos. "Liz will be here around 6:00, let her in and help her carry everything up, okay?"
"Sure, anything for some good cooking around here."
DK shook his head and turned to go but then stopped. "Hey, Carlos."
"Yeah?"
"Let's keep this a secret, you know, a surprise for the guys."
Carlos gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"
"For the hell of it."
Not really caring, Carlos shrugged. "Okay."
DK nodded then headed to Lt. Johnson's office. "Hey, Lieu?"
Lt. Johnson looked up from the clipboard he was reading. "Yeah, DK?"
"Can we keep it a secret that Liz is bringing dinner over?"
Frowning, Lt. Johnson gave DK a long look before replying, "Sure, but why do you want to do that?"
"Thought it might be a nice surprise for Billy and the rest," DK answered with a shrug. He really didn't have a better answer for why he just wanted to keep it quiet.
"Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut. What about Nieto?"
"He already agreed, he doesn't care as long as he gets to eat." With that, DK ducked back out of the office, heading back downstairs to help Lombardo with more hose.
At 5:40 PM the tones went off, sending them on a MVA at 158th and Lexington. As everyone was climbing in the truck Walsh commented, "Looks like dinner's gonna be a little late tonight."
Lt. Johnson turned in his seat to look at DK, whose face remained blank. As the rig pulled out of the station DK looked out the side window and caught a glimpse of red hair before the truck turned away.
When the crew returned an hour later, everyone was talking about how hungry they were.
"Maybe we should just order pizza," Lombardo suggested. "It'll get here in about the same time it'll take Billy to make something."
"That sounds good," Logan agreed.
"Let's wait until we get upstairs to decide," stated Lt. Johnson.
After the rig was parked and their gear stored, the company trooped up the stairs. Lombardo was in front and he suddenly stopped, sniffing the air while the others protested behind him. "Sorry, but I smell food."
"Don't tell me Nieto tried to cook," groaned Jimmy. "If he did we're definitely ordering pizza."
"Smells too good to be Nieto's cooking," Logan stated.
"How 'bout we move, people, and find out," suggested Lt. Johnson, turning to look at DK who was going up the steps beside him. DK gave him a small grin.
The crew hurried up the stairs into the kitchen area to find the table set, Carlos and Liz looking over a book together at the counter. "Hi, guys," Carlos acknowledged them, "How was the run?"
"Two
extractions, only one person seriously injured enough to go to the hospital,"
answered Walsh as he moved to Liz's side to give her a hug. "What brings you by, gorgeous?"
"Please tell me you cooked and
not Nieto!" exclaimed Jimmy, causing Carlos to glare at him.
Liz smiled at Carlos before looking at Jimmy. "He did help with the biscuits. Go wash up while we put out the food."
Surprisingly everyone did as they were told, though DK stayed to help. As he was washing his hands in the sink Liz stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek. "By their reaction I take it you didn't tell them I was coming."
DK grinned. "Naw, thought we'd surprise them. Didn't Carlos tell you?"
"No, I was too busy teaching him how to make biscuits then he was teaching me some medical stuff."
"What? You two were playing doctor?"
Carlos whirled around with a bowl of potatoes in his hands, almost sending the contents flying. "We were-" he started to protest until he saw the teasing look on DK's face.
Liz grabbed the bowl to keep Carlos from dropping it. "Sorry, Carlos, he's just making a bad joke." She gave DK a reproving look as she slipped a serving spoon into the potatoes. "Put these on the table, please."
Carlos nodded, heading towards the table. Liz motioned for DK to grab a plate of chicken as the rest of the crew started trooping back in. Lombardo stopped at the fridge to dispense drinks while everyone else sat down.
"What smells so good?" Logan asked , eyeing the plates being placed on the table.
"Creole smothered chicken, roasted potatoes, green beans, biscuits with jelly and bread pudding with brandy sauce still in the oven for dessert," Liz answered as she sat down between Walsh and DK.
"Why did you cook all this for us?" Lombardo asked, quickly adding, "Not that I'm complaining, mind you, just curious."
Smiling, Liz replied, "I woke up with a strong urge to cook that I couldn't ignore and I didn't want tons of leftovers so I asked DK if I could bring dinner over. Lt. Johnson graciously agreed and here it is."
"Thank you, Liz, and thank you, Lieu," retorted Walsh as he began to eat. "You both were life savers today."
They all began to eat, calling out compliments to the chef from time to time. Lt. Johnson stopped suddenly, looking over at Liz. "Is this all of it or is there more for Doc and Kim?"
"There's more in the oven for them, Carlos and I set it aside since we knew they wouldn't be back with the rest of you."
"Thank you," he waved his hand at the table, "and thanks for all this."
Liz grinned. "It was my pleasure."
"Feels like old times, doesn't it?" Walsh asked between mouthfuls.
"Sure does and it feels wonderful," she answered.
Walsh nodded, grinning. "Still have the midsouth hospitality instinct, huh?"
"Midsouth?"
echoed Jimmy while Liz blushed. "What
the hell is that?"
Chuckling, Walsh explained,
"Liz here is from the Midwest but also has roots in the South. Both cultures will never turn anyone away
who shows up on their doorstep and will always try to feed them. Liz can't help it, she has a double dose in her
blood which we've always called her "Midsouthern Instinct"." He paused, grinning at Liz. "We never did
convince you to wear one of those hoop skirts, did we?"
Liz's blush deepened. "À ca oui, mi cher 'tit chou!" she growled out huskily.
"I don't know what you just said, but could you say it again? Rrroowwl," Lombardo purred. Liz ducked her head as Walsh threw a biscuit at Joe. Joe caught it with a grin, splitting it to butter it.
"Simmer down," ordered Lt. Johnson but he was smiling too. Everyone turned when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Doc and Kim walked in, talking softly between them. "How's the kid?" Johnson asked.
"Lucky, only a separated shoulder and a mild concussion," answered Doc.
Kim looked around the table, puzzled. "Where did dinner come from?"
DK put his arm around Liz's shoulders. "Our lovely Officer Magnuson here."
Doc smiled. "Hey, Liz."
"Hi, Doc, Kim. There's more in the oven for you two."
"Really? Thanks." Kim headed to the oven , grabbing a pot holder as Doc moved over to the sink to wash his hands. They joined the group at the table with their share, joining in the conversation.
After
dinner Lt. Johnson stopped Liz when she moved to help clear the table. "Cook doesn't do clean up," he stated
simply. He motioned for her to follow
him into his office. Once inside he
gently closed the door, indicating she should have a seat. Liz gave him a puzzled look as she sat down.
"Is there something wrong,
Lieutenant?"
Lt. Johnson sat down in his desk chair, turning to look at her with a small smile on his face. "No, I just wanted to thank you again for the delicious dinner. Could I get the recipe for the bread pudding for my wife some time?"
"Sure, I'll drop it off next time we're both working."
Sobering, Lt. Johnson moved his chair closer to Liz. She gave him another puzzled look but didn't say anything. Johnson leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Liz, I want to come clean with you."
"About
what?"
"I know who you are." Liz went
so pale and still Lt. Johnson reached out to put his hand on her arm. "Liz, are you okay? Do I need to get Doc in here?"
Liz shook her head. "No, sir, I'll be okay," she stated quietly. She reached up a shaky hand to push her hair away from her face. "Can I ask how?"
"I put it together from something Walsh said and from a few things Swersky said the last time I talked to him." Lt. Johnson patted her on the arm before removing his hand. "I won't say anything if you don't want me to. And you don't have to call me sir, you can call me Lieu or Frank"
"You have rank and though you're not my supervisor you still deserve respect, at least that's what I hear from your guys."
It was Lt. Johnson's turn to be uncomfortable. He cleared his throat before replying, "They say that, huh?" At her nod he smiled. "Thanks for telling me. But, from what I know, you are actually of equal rank to me."
Shaking her head, Liz stated. "Not right now I'm not. And I couldn't call you by your given name in your station."
"How 'bout we compromise? You call me Lieu in the station and Frank in social situations. Deal?"
Liz smiled despite how she was feeling. "Deal. Will you do something for me?"
"Sure, if I can."
"Please
don't say anything to your crew, especially DK. I will tell him when I'm ready.
I promise I won't wait too long and hurt him."
Lt. Johnson took her hands in
his. "I never thought you would, you
don't strike me as that kind of person.
Besides, he's a big boy, it takes a lot to hurt him." He stood, drawing Liz up with him. "Are you okay to join the others?"
Liz swallowed hard. "Yeah."
They walked out of the office, both plastering pleasant facades on their faces. Walsh gave them both a strange look but didn't say anything as Liz joined him and DK while Lt. Johnson went downstairs. Lombardo and Logan had gotten stuck with washing the dishes and were playfully griping at each other. Liz noticed Carlos wasn't around anywhere. "Where's Carlos?" she asked.
"I think he may have gone up on the roof," Walsh answered, just noticing the paramedic wasn't there anymore.
"DK, will you take me up there so I can thank him?"
"Sure, come on." DK took her hand, leading her up the stairs. Once they were on the roof they found Carlos looking down at the city, lost in thought. They approached him quietly, so quietly that Carlos jumped when Liz put a hand on his arm
"I'm sorry, Carlos, I didn't mean to startle you."
"That's
okay, I didn't hear you come up." He
looked at DK then back at her. "Did you
want something?"
"Just to say thanks for all
your help and the info you gave me," Liz said with a smile.
"Yeah, thanks, Carlos," added DK.
Shrugging, Carlos replied, "No problem. Thanks for the biscuit recipe."
"You're welcome." Liz surprised both men when she stood on tip toe to kiss Carlos on the cheek. "Hang in there, okay?"
Carlos looked at her in amazement, unable to reply. He just nodded at her. Liz took DK's hand again and lead him toward the door. Carlos watched them go then turned back to watch the traffic below again.
Alex helped DK and Liz carry out the empty dishes to Liz's car. "Are you like Superwoman or something?" she asked the red head when everything was stowed away.
"I don't even want to know what "something" is," Liz retorted, giving Alex a puzzled look. "Why?"
"Well, is there anything you can't do? I mean, you're a great cook, you kick ass at darts and aren't too bad at pool, and you're smart. You've gotta have a flaw somewhere or you're Superwoman!"
"Believe me, I have my flaws, but I'm not going to tell you what they are in front of DK here." Liz nudged him with an elbow "He has to find them out on his own after I do my darndest to keep them hidden."
They all laughed. "Thanks for dinner," Alex stated again.
"Thanks for eating it."
"That wasn't a problem. Good night."
As Alex headed back inside, DK pulled Liz into his arms. "It was very thoughtful of you to cook dinner for us."
Liz
shrugged as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "You guys saved me from a lot of leftovers. Besides, it gave me the opportunity to see
you again."
"Lucky me." He pulled her in for a kiss and this time
there wasn't anything hesitant about it on either side. When they broke apart DK glanced up and saw
they had an audience, causing him to chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"We have an audience."
"Oh." Liz glanced over her shoulder to see some of DK's coworkers standing at the windows watching, causing her to shake her head. "I swear you men are worse then a group of old biddies at times."
"We have our moments." He gave her a wicked grin. "Wanna give them something to talk about?"
Liz didn't bother to reply verbally, she just pulled him in for another kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
