Disclaimer – I do not have the copyright for the characters etc. Just borrowing them for a while. The story is set after the conclusion of season one of the show.
It was also planned out and/or written BEFORE the episodes of season two were aired so there may well be inconsistencies between this story and the actual season two.
This story is a loose sequel to The Switch. The story will stand alone but if anyone is confused by Richard's out of character actions that is explained in The Switch. Cassie was introduced in The Deception and will only make a brief appearance in this story. I think I have included enough information in this story to explain who she is.
I love hearing from people who read any of my stories so be sure to leave a review if you do read this. Incidentally I have set up a Tru Calling C2 if you want to check it out in my user profile. If you like Harrison focused fics I hope you will consider subscribing.
Thanks and enjoy!
The Cruise
"You're going to be late," Davis warned Tru as he saw that she was still not moving from the computer in the office morgue. She shrugged in reply; she was in no real hurry for a family dinner with her father.
"You ready Tru?" called Harrison from through the doorway.
"Yeah, I just need to finish this," Tru replied with about as much enthusiasm as Harrison was showing, which was very little indeed.
Finally she could put it off no longer and stood up to join her brother.
"Jeans?" she asked as soon as she saw him. "They're never going to let you in wearing jeans."
"So?" Harrison replied with a small smirk. "I guess they won't let me in then and I get to miss Dad's lectures about my lack of a job. What a shame."
"Leaving me and Meredith to put up with the lectures. Thanks a lot."
"Knew you'd appreciate it," Harrison grinned as Tru hooked her arm through his and they headed outside after saying goodbye to Davis who was once again engrossed in his work.
They arrived at the restaurant a short while later to find Meredith standing at the front desk waiting for them.
"You're wearing jeans," she pointed out to Harrison the minute she saw them.
"Yeah, I know," he replied, clearly not the slightest bit bothered by either of his sister's opinions on his appearance.
"I'm afraid you can't come in dressed like that," the female host at the desk said with a regretful shake of her head.
"Oh well," Harrison shrugged turning away and walking straight into his father who had come in unobserved behind them.
"Not leaving already?" Richard Davies asked casually steering Harrison back around towards the desk.
"We have a dress code here," the host explained with a shake of her head. "Jeans are simply not allowed."
"Now I'm sure you can make an exception just this once," Richard said, casually handing over a substantial bribe.
"I guess, just this once," the host smiled before leading the party through to a table in the far corner of the restaurant.
"Nice try," Tru whispered to Harrison whose face had fallen at the host's decision to let him in after all.
"Isn't this nice?" Richard said after they had ordered. "A pleasant family meal. I thought it would be nice to start to get to know my older children again. We've spent too much time apart the last few years. We need to make up for that."
"That's hardly our fault," Tru pointed out. "And why isn't the rest of your family here?"
"Our family, Tru," Richard amended with a strained smile. "They're at home. I wanted this time to be for just us four."
"So what do you want?" Tru asked. She was eager to get the evening over with and not too concerned that her abruptness might trigger an argument. They usually ended up arguing anyway so this time would be no different. They might as well get it over with as soon as possible, instead of dragging it out for the entire evening. They had smoothed things over a little recently but they all knew that nothing could make up for the lack of interest Richard Davies had shown in the lives of his eldest three children for the last few years.
"What do I want Tru?" Richard replied. "A pleasant family meal with my children. And, later on, I have a surprise for all of you."
"What sort of surprise?" Meredith asked, sounding slightly suspicious. She glanced around the room and Tru had the distinct impression she was looking for a blind date her father might be trying to set her up with. She had been putting up with lectures about marriage for some time and with their father in the strange mood he was in, there was no telling what he was plotting.
Meredith was still looking around the room when their orders arrived and Tru didn't fail to notice that their father had managed to neatly avoid the question.
The rest of the meal passed fairly pleasantly. Other than being asked if he had a job yet, Harrison managed to avoid the usual lectures. Tru also found that her life and choices were not being criticised quite as much as they normally were. There was also little mention made of Meredith and her lack of a suitable husband.
The only problem that Tru could see was that the man chatting amicably with them was nothing like the father they had known for the last few years. It made her deeply suspicious, especially as she watched both Meredith and Harrison warming to their father as he finally announced the surprise.
"A vacation?" Harrison asked. "Just us four?"
"That's right," Richard confirmed with a smile. "A week long cruise, just us. It'll be great."
"I have work," Tru pointed out.
"Me too," Meredith added, with far more disappointment than Tru had shown.
"I'm sure you can get a week off," Richard insisted. "It won't be the same without my two favourite girls there."
"I guess I can get cover," Meredith agreed with a bright smile across to Tru. Tru ignored her as she repeated that she had to work and that it was far too short notice to suddenly leave Davis in the lurch.
"Davis 'll give you time off," Harrison said to Tru before their father had chance to respond. "Come on, it won't be the same without you."
"What's the catch?" Tru asked, turning to her father with a stony expression.
"No catch," he replied with a sad smile. "I'm sorry you'd think there is one, though I guess I can see why you might. I hope this vacation will just be the start of my making things up to the three of you."
She wasn't convinced; it was just so unexpected and so unlike him. There had to be a catch, but she couldn't see what it was. She looked again at Meredith and Harrison who had already committed themselves to the cruise. What harm could it do to join them? If their father was up to something, as she strongly suspected he was, it was only sensible that she join them and try to limit the damage that was sure to ensue.
"He's up to something," Tru repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"So you keep saying," Harrison replied from where he sat waiting for their father to show up for their departure on the cruise liner that was docked nearby.
"Did anyone ever tell you, you're kind of suspicious?" Cassie, Harrison's new girlfriend asked Tru. Tru rolled her eyes in response whilst Harrison grinned. She had supposedly come to see them off, though Tru suspected that Harrison had brought her along with the additional purpose of winding up their father. Tru knew, and she was well aware that Harrison knew as well, that nothing would wind up their father like producing a steady girlfriend with as little by way of job prospects as he himself had.
Tru had noticed that when Cassie's name had been brought up during the meal at the restaurant Harrison had carefully failed to mention her budding interior design business and instead only mentioned she worked as a waitress at his local diner. Their father had actually been very pleasant about her, much to the astonishment of both Harrison and Tru who had both been waiting for comments about his being young and should be playing the field, or worse still, raising his standards, but they hadn't come.
So Harrison had decided to bring Cassie along to see them off. Tru hoped he was doing the right thing, she didn't want their family problems to spread to others. She still recalled the problems their father had caused between Harrison and Lindsay, although Harrison himself didn't remember as the day had been fixed when it had rewound, thanks to a little intervention from Tru. She hoped that this time it would not be Cassie that was hurt.
Meredith arrived at the dock a short time later with her matching luggage. She looked at Harrison who was now engrossed in saying his goodbyes to Cassie.
"Oh for goodness sake, get a room," Meredith muttered as their father finally arrived with the tickets.
"Ah good, everyone's here," Richard called as he pulled his case from the taxi.
"You must be Cassie," he greeted the dark-haired girl with an open, friendly smile that was totally unlike him. "You sure you can part with Harrison for the week? You don't want to join us?"
"I thought this was a family vacation?" Meredith asked with a disdainful scowl towards the waitress. Tru recalled that, like herself, Meredith had done little to get to know Cassie. Meredith's reasoning had been that with Harrison's track record, by the time she got to know her he would have moved onto another girl anyway.
"Well, she's practically family anyway," Richard said with another smile. Tru watched as Harrison blanched white, whilst Cassie tried to stifle a grin at his discomfort.
"I have to work anyway," Cassie finally replied, regretfully shaking her head once she had got her facial expression under control.
"Maybe next time?" Richard asked with another pleasant smile. Tru felt herself becoming more suspicious by the minute. Something wasn't right, something was seriously wrong with their father's attitude and opinions. He was acting nothing like himself and nothing seemed to be shaking him out of the new attitude.
Tru picked up her own luggage, as Cassie said her goodbyes and secured the taxi Richard had arrived in to take her home. Tru's suspicions were mounting by the minute and when she watched her father put his arm around Harrison's shoulders and congratulate him on finding such a pleasant girl she knew without a doubt that something was seriously wrong.
The only thing that made her feel slightly better was recognising the look of confusion of the faces of both Meredith and Harrison as they boarded the ship for the family vacation.
