"We Need to Talk..."
Disclaimer: Same as before...I also chose to borrow my favorite two stoners from Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob.
C.J. Sandiego - This is to make up for the frustration from the end of the last case.
~ ~ ~ ~
21 May 2000: Hal and Ivy made it to Heathrow International Airport without much in the way of conversation. The flight had boarded and they wound up sitting beside each other on the jumbo jet bound across the Atlantic for New York.
Hal couldn't stand the silence, but then he realized it was his own fault. He had violated the trust of his partner of three weeks by kissing her last night. That was one reason he hated losing control, especially since he was prepared to murder another man in cold blood again until last night. Ivy had saved him from making a big mistake.
Ivy hated the silence between them. The last couple of cases before this one Hal had proven himself to be not only a good partner, but also the start of a good friendship. Something had to give, there was no way that they were gonna go through this long flight without talking...
"Ivy, I...." Hal began.
"Hal, wait, I...." Ivy began.
"What did you have to say?" Ivy asked.
"You first." Hal replied.
"Chances are we're thinking the same thing." Ivy said.
"Let's start again....." Hal began.
"We need to talk." They said, simultaneously.
"I was out of line last night. I really shouldn't have kissed you." Hal replied, "It was selfish of me to...."
'I wouldn't apologize about the kiss itself, it was a damn good one, but...' Ivy thought, then said, "Apology accepted. You really missed her, that's all."
"I shouldn't have treated you like you were her, I was out of line for doing that." Hal replied.
"You already said that, and you were. Let me say it again, I forgive you." Ivy said, "But don't start treating me as if I were her. Just don't do that to me again."
Hal could see that he had hurt her the past night, "I can't take back what I did. Because if I did, I would take it back."
"It must have been hard, seeing her every time you saw me." Ivy began.
"Ivy, aside from looks, you two are nothing alike." Hal replied, "She was quiet and reserved where your gung-ho and take the chance if you were. She was average in the self-defense department where you routinely keep me on my toes. She tended to think things through where your impulsive. So, no, I don't always see her every time I see you." Hal replied.
"Do you now?" Ivy replied.
"As I said, occasionally." Hal said, "I need only talk to you and see you and Diane are nothing alike. Yes, I'll miss her....but."
"Hal? What about right now, who do you see?" Ivy asked, "I need to know."
"I see you, Ivy, only you. Last night was the last time I ever saw Diane in you. Yes I was kissing her last night, kissing her goodbye. That chapter in my life is closed, and nothing I can do can change it." Hal replied.
Ivy could see Hal's soul, laid bare, that moment. To have loved someone that dearly, then to lose them in an instant. She could see why things were bad for Hal. Ivy did the only thing she could think of. She hugged him and Hal returned it.
"Ground rules?" Hal asked.
"Let's just try to stay friends." Ivy said, "For now."
"Understood, I'll refrain from any sorts of affectionate acts of the nature of last night unless they're meant for you." Hal replied.
"Hal, if you ever need to talk...I'm there for you." Ivy began.
"That's very kind of you, but I'm not sure I deserve it, after I...." Hal began.
"Hal, while I'm still upset with you over last night, I still have to work with you, and I admit I enjoy working with you. When you're not shooting your way through a horde of rampaging dinosaurs, that is." Ivy began.
"Ivy!" Hal protested.
"On the good side of it, though, you saved my life that night." Ivy said, smiling a wry smile, "You've been there for me when it really counts."
Hal smiled back at her as the plane continued across the Atlantic. He went and grabbed a pillow and blanket from the overhead luggage bin and grabbed a second set to boot. He figured one, or both of them would be asleep for part of the flight, at least. Ivy really sounded like she meant that one. He'd laid Diane's ghost to rest last night, after Holbarth died it felt like a weight had been lifted from his soul. Now he could move on with his life.
Ivy had fallen asleep just then. Her half read copy of Lewis Carol's Through the Looking Glass was open and face down on the tray table. He put a worn, well used bookmark that she had lying next to the book into the spine, closed it and put it back on the table. He the moved the arm rest between them up and gently placed the pillow under her head. He covered her with the blanket as she muttered something in her sleep and turned towards him. He was rewarded with a sleepy smile and a yawn.
"One thing about yawns, they're bloody contagious." Hal replied, yawning as well. He watched Ivy's still form as she slept. She looked so peaceful, so delicate. Now at last, he knew he didn't see Diane when he saw her. They were two completely different people. Why that fact filled him with a certain peace, he didn't know, but he knew he'd worry about that some other time.
Hal yawned and fell asleep himself as the flight wore on. A short time later, Ivy woke up. She smiled again as she realized Hal must have tucked her in. 'I could really get used to him doing that for me.' Ivy thought, 'Whoa, where did that come from? At least now I know he did that for me.'
Ivy looked at him. Finally he seemed peaceful, after having been through the hardest two days of his life. He was definitely out cold, his eyes were closed and he was curled up under his own blanket.
The rest of the flight passed uneventfully, with the two either sleeping or passing the time with idle banter.
"So then Lucas mooned an entire contingent of European nurses." Hal finished his story.
"Those friends of your sound pretty wild." Ivy replied.
"Not nearly as bad as a bloke from B Squadron we knew. He was Warrant Officer Utterson, of Mobility Troop, a counterpart to my gang in G Squadron. He couldn't speak a lick of Spanish when sober, but any time alcohol touched his brain he instantly became El Supremo, the Mexican 'El Champion!' and he'd start tackling people around the base at random." Hal began.
"OK." Ivy said, "I'd love to spar this friend of your when he's drunk. He reminds me of two guys who work in the security department, Jay and Silent Bob."
"They sound like those two blokes from Mallrats." Hal began.
"They act like them too." Ivy said, "They're always a laugh riot whenever they're at the metal detector."
"Oh! You mean those two blokes! The fat bearded lad with the black trench coat and the blond wiry guy who uses the f-word as a punctuation mark?" Hal asked.
"Whenever ANYTHING goes wrong at HQ, Wells always yells at them." Ivy began, "I remember when he fell asleep on the night shift and they waxed his head."
Hal laughed and said, "Those two remind me of two Australian guys in B Squadron, they were the Fox twins, Freddy and Ferdy. I remember one prank where they put black shoe polish on the eyepieces of all the sniper scopes. They didn't obscure the sights, but whenever a sniper looked through the eye piece, they'd get black rings around their eyes."
"I wonder what would happen if Jay and Silent Bob ever met Freddy and Ferdy Fox." Ivy began.
"A great disaster." Hal replied, "Those two would get them plastered and then they'd go on a prank rampage."
"Don't remind me. Armando is still annoyed at Operation Bonkers." Ivy replied.
"Operation Bonkers?" Hal asked.
"That was when they left a spring loaded boxing glove in his desk drawer. It was really funny when he opened it to get a file, it came out and punched him in the eye." Ivy replied.
The plane touched down in San Francisco and Ivy dropped Hal off at his apartment before heading home herself. Despite all the drama that had occurred over the past couple of days, she was sure she had found a friend in Hal Olden, and friends forgave and took care of one another.
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC
Disclaimer: Same as before...I also chose to borrow my favorite two stoners from Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob.
C.J. Sandiego - This is to make up for the frustration from the end of the last case.
~ ~ ~ ~
21 May 2000: Hal and Ivy made it to Heathrow International Airport without much in the way of conversation. The flight had boarded and they wound up sitting beside each other on the jumbo jet bound across the Atlantic for New York.
Hal couldn't stand the silence, but then he realized it was his own fault. He had violated the trust of his partner of three weeks by kissing her last night. That was one reason he hated losing control, especially since he was prepared to murder another man in cold blood again until last night. Ivy had saved him from making a big mistake.
Ivy hated the silence between them. The last couple of cases before this one Hal had proven himself to be not only a good partner, but also the start of a good friendship. Something had to give, there was no way that they were gonna go through this long flight without talking...
"Ivy, I...." Hal began.
"Hal, wait, I...." Ivy began.
"What did you have to say?" Ivy asked.
"You first." Hal replied.
"Chances are we're thinking the same thing." Ivy said.
"Let's start again....." Hal began.
"We need to talk." They said, simultaneously.
"I was out of line last night. I really shouldn't have kissed you." Hal replied, "It was selfish of me to...."
'I wouldn't apologize about the kiss itself, it was a damn good one, but...' Ivy thought, then said, "Apology accepted. You really missed her, that's all."
"I shouldn't have treated you like you were her, I was out of line for doing that." Hal replied.
"You already said that, and you were. Let me say it again, I forgive you." Ivy said, "But don't start treating me as if I were her. Just don't do that to me again."
Hal could see that he had hurt her the past night, "I can't take back what I did. Because if I did, I would take it back."
"It must have been hard, seeing her every time you saw me." Ivy began.
"Ivy, aside from looks, you two are nothing alike." Hal replied, "She was quiet and reserved where your gung-ho and take the chance if you were. She was average in the self-defense department where you routinely keep me on my toes. She tended to think things through where your impulsive. So, no, I don't always see her every time I see you." Hal replied.
"Do you now?" Ivy replied.
"As I said, occasionally." Hal said, "I need only talk to you and see you and Diane are nothing alike. Yes, I'll miss her....but."
"Hal? What about right now, who do you see?" Ivy asked, "I need to know."
"I see you, Ivy, only you. Last night was the last time I ever saw Diane in you. Yes I was kissing her last night, kissing her goodbye. That chapter in my life is closed, and nothing I can do can change it." Hal replied.
Ivy could see Hal's soul, laid bare, that moment. To have loved someone that dearly, then to lose them in an instant. She could see why things were bad for Hal. Ivy did the only thing she could think of. She hugged him and Hal returned it.
"Ground rules?" Hal asked.
"Let's just try to stay friends." Ivy said, "For now."
"Understood, I'll refrain from any sorts of affectionate acts of the nature of last night unless they're meant for you." Hal replied.
"Hal, if you ever need to talk...I'm there for you." Ivy began.
"That's very kind of you, but I'm not sure I deserve it, after I...." Hal began.
"Hal, while I'm still upset with you over last night, I still have to work with you, and I admit I enjoy working with you. When you're not shooting your way through a horde of rampaging dinosaurs, that is." Ivy began.
"Ivy!" Hal protested.
"On the good side of it, though, you saved my life that night." Ivy said, smiling a wry smile, "You've been there for me when it really counts."
Hal smiled back at her as the plane continued across the Atlantic. He went and grabbed a pillow and blanket from the overhead luggage bin and grabbed a second set to boot. He figured one, or both of them would be asleep for part of the flight, at least. Ivy really sounded like she meant that one. He'd laid Diane's ghost to rest last night, after Holbarth died it felt like a weight had been lifted from his soul. Now he could move on with his life.
Ivy had fallen asleep just then. Her half read copy of Lewis Carol's Through the Looking Glass was open and face down on the tray table. He put a worn, well used bookmark that she had lying next to the book into the spine, closed it and put it back on the table. He the moved the arm rest between them up and gently placed the pillow under her head. He covered her with the blanket as she muttered something in her sleep and turned towards him. He was rewarded with a sleepy smile and a yawn.
"One thing about yawns, they're bloody contagious." Hal replied, yawning as well. He watched Ivy's still form as she slept. She looked so peaceful, so delicate. Now at last, he knew he didn't see Diane when he saw her. They were two completely different people. Why that fact filled him with a certain peace, he didn't know, but he knew he'd worry about that some other time.
Hal yawned and fell asleep himself as the flight wore on. A short time later, Ivy woke up. She smiled again as she realized Hal must have tucked her in. 'I could really get used to him doing that for me.' Ivy thought, 'Whoa, where did that come from? At least now I know he did that for me.'
Ivy looked at him. Finally he seemed peaceful, after having been through the hardest two days of his life. He was definitely out cold, his eyes were closed and he was curled up under his own blanket.
The rest of the flight passed uneventfully, with the two either sleeping or passing the time with idle banter.
"So then Lucas mooned an entire contingent of European nurses." Hal finished his story.
"Those friends of your sound pretty wild." Ivy replied.
"Not nearly as bad as a bloke from B Squadron we knew. He was Warrant Officer Utterson, of Mobility Troop, a counterpart to my gang in G Squadron. He couldn't speak a lick of Spanish when sober, but any time alcohol touched his brain he instantly became El Supremo, the Mexican 'El Champion!' and he'd start tackling people around the base at random." Hal began.
"OK." Ivy said, "I'd love to spar this friend of your when he's drunk. He reminds me of two guys who work in the security department, Jay and Silent Bob."
"They sound like those two blokes from Mallrats." Hal began.
"They act like them too." Ivy said, "They're always a laugh riot whenever they're at the metal detector."
"Oh! You mean those two blokes! The fat bearded lad with the black trench coat and the blond wiry guy who uses the f-word as a punctuation mark?" Hal asked.
"Whenever ANYTHING goes wrong at HQ, Wells always yells at them." Ivy began, "I remember when he fell asleep on the night shift and they waxed his head."
Hal laughed and said, "Those two remind me of two Australian guys in B Squadron, they were the Fox twins, Freddy and Ferdy. I remember one prank where they put black shoe polish on the eyepieces of all the sniper scopes. They didn't obscure the sights, but whenever a sniper looked through the eye piece, they'd get black rings around their eyes."
"I wonder what would happen if Jay and Silent Bob ever met Freddy and Ferdy Fox." Ivy began.
"A great disaster." Hal replied, "Those two would get them plastered and then they'd go on a prank rampage."
"Don't remind me. Armando is still annoyed at Operation Bonkers." Ivy replied.
"Operation Bonkers?" Hal asked.
"That was when they left a spring loaded boxing glove in his desk drawer. It was really funny when he opened it to get a file, it came out and punched him in the eye." Ivy replied.
The plane touched down in San Francisco and Ivy dropped Hal off at his apartment before heading home herself. Despite all the drama that had occurred over the past couple of days, she was sure she had found a friend in Hal Olden, and friends forgave and took care of one another.
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC