Title: When The Heat Is On (15/?)
Author: Angela Penfold
Email: AngelaPRPiaol.com
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, not going to make any profit by writing about them.
Notes: This story is set the summer after Bobby's shooting. In this storyline he's survived.
Chapter 15
He was pacing around the apartment like a caged tiger, stalking from room to room in one continuous circuit. Dark eyes met the others' briefly, always skittering nervously back to the telephone. While Amelia and the cops, even Bosco, had gone out to grab Nova, Jimmy'd been told to stay put and co-ordinate things from the apartment. He hated it. Normally he was in the thick of things, first one into the most dangerous situations but today he was sitting it out on the sidelines and it was killing him. Must've been what it was like for the spouses of fire fighters and cops and the armed forces, anyone on the front lines, stuck at home, near hysterical, with no information while their loved ones were in the worst positions on this earth.
Jimmy's stride faltered as he turned and found Kim watching him from the study doorway. He slowed, and then stopped entirely a couple of feet away from her when it was clear Kim wasn't going to move. For now the circuit had been broken and the concern in her eyes had Jimmy wanting to back up. Over the years there'd been times when Kim's ability to see beneath his surface bullshit had been reassuring, tonight it just seemed to make him feel awkward.
"They finished up in there?" he asked softly. He gestured towards the study and its few remaining occupants with a nod. When Amelia and the others had secured the needed warrant and raced off, they'd left the others here to finish tying the details of the case to what they knew of Jacob Nova Lovavich. Doc, Alex and Bobby he could still see sitting around the table but Nieto was nowhere to be seen, was probably examining the few personal items on display in Amelia's apartment.
Kim shrugged and slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "Just finishing up. Carlos is playing solitaire or something. You're worried about her," she said softly, her words more a statement than a question.
A slightly bashful grin tugged at Jimmy's lips, dimples appearing and disappearing in a flash. The connection that'd always remained between them had always made discussing things like this awkward. Biting his lip, Jimmy glanced away. Things had been difficult to say the last with Brooke, his family nearly tearing itself apart, he didn't want the same situation happening this time. Nerves fluttered in his stomach as he turned back to Kim.
"Yeah," Jimmy finally admitted quietly. Even if he and Amelia hadn't got anywhere near serious yet there was still a close relationship there, one that had a chance of lasting. "That guy's had his attention focused on her from the start, she shouldn't be out there trying to take him down now. Nova's dangerous Kim but she wasn't gonna let anyone make her stay here." The worry about all the things that could go wrong with the arrest had been powering his pacing around the apartment.
"She's a tough lady, determined." Kim drew in a deep breath and smiled. "I'm glad you found someone like her to love Jimmy."
Jimmy stared at Kim in confusion, dark eyes searching her face for some sort of explanation. In the past jealousy had always caused problems for both of them whenever something, or rather someone, good appeared on the horizon, this time it seemed to be missing. "Kim, things haven't gone that far yet. Amelia and me are too new to start talking about that stuff yet. She hasn't even met Joey."
She shrugged again, the smile still curving Kim's lips. For once she really did seem happy for him. Maybe, just maybe, they'd both grown up enough to deal with moving on. "I've seen the way you've looked at each other, there's something special there Jimmy. As for Joey, all she has to do is let him play on that computer of hers and he'll love her forever."
A soft laugh finally emerged from Jimmy and he lifted a hand to massage the slowly relaxing muscles of his neck. "He's been going on about Adam's for months, keeps asking if he can have one for his birthday. I didn't know if you were gonna be OK with this." He gestured around the apartment with his hand as he returned it to his side. "With me and Mac seeing each other."
His words seemed to touch something inside Kim, suddenly softening her smile and making her turn to look over her shoulder, into the study. Seeing the movement at the door, Bobby's head rose, his face immediately lighting up as his eyes settled on Kim. Understanding burst through Jimmy like a firework exploding. Kim's happiness for him was stemming from what was obviously her own newfound joy.
Jimmy smiled, his eyes meeting Kim's as she turned back. "Always wondered when you'd get back with Caffey. He's a good guy."
"Is that it?" Kim asked, brows and voice rising in disbelief. In the past there'd always been far more mocking comments from Jimmy at the signs of a fledgling relationship between his ex-wife and her partner. 'Good guy' seemed like a seriously weak insult.
As if copying her earlier gesture, Jimmy shrugged and slid his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. He still felt awkward talking about this stuff with Kim but mocking the feelings growing between her and Bobby didn't hold the same juvenile pleasure it once had. "That's it. He cares about you Kim, loves you, always has." The words stuck in his throat slightly but the bright flare of jealousy no longer accompanied them. What was blooming between the pair now had been coming on for a long time.
"Cares about Joey too and he'll take good care of both of you," Jimmy continued. "Can't say I'll never feel jealous about what he's got with you but as long as he makes you happy I'm gonna support it."
For a moment Kim stared at Jimmy in silence, probably waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn't come she simply stepped forward and engulfed Jimmy in a brief hug. Her lip was quivering when she moved back. "Thanks Jimmy," she whispered.
The spell of calm and civility broke with an almost audible pop. From within the study one voice boomed out, loud and instantly grating on the nerves. It was Carlos. "Oh ... my ... God!"
Irrational fear unfurled in Jimmy's stomach as he rushed past Kim and into the room. It was unlikely Carlos had found anything that would prove dangerous but his voice of words had been poor. Nieto turned as Jimmy steamed towards him, a grin spreading over his lips. He gestured with the leather bound volume he held open in his hands. "You dog," Carlos crowed. "You should've shared the goods man. There was me thinking she was a butch ice queen but damn ... who knew she was hiding those kinda goods." Playfully sticking his tongue out in a slightly lewd gesture, Carlos held up the photo album.
Jimmy felt a flash of lust as he studied the candid shot of Amelia. Taken pre-building collapse, she wasn't looking at all self conscious in the bikini she was barely wearing, no scars to cover up then. Instead she looked happy and content and beautiful. In an instant the lust was gone, replaced by a longer lasting glow in his chest and a red veil over his vision. Something in his expression, some change, must've tipped the others off because Bobby and Doc were instantly reaching for him.
"Jimmy," Doc warned softly, trying to protect his partner. "He's just running off at the mouth, he didn't mean anything."
Slowly Jimmy shrugged the two men away. In his condition he wouldn't be able to kick Nieto's ass as thoroughly as he'd usually want to anyway. "It's OK," he muttered. "I'm not gonna hit him."
The two paramedics continued to eye him warily but they'd moved back enough to give him room to move. Of course Jimmy took the opportunity to launch himself forward. The photo album hit the floor as Jimmy's fists grasped Carlos' shirt, the smile fast becoming a grimace on the younger man's face as he was slammed back into the bookcases with a resounding thud. Doc and Bobby were instantly on Jimmy, breaking his grip and dragging him back but he'd already attained his goal. Carlos backed towards the rear of the room, fear flickering in his dark eyes.
Shrugging off the hands for a second time, Jimmy held up a hand to signal he was done. A tight grin curved his lips as he pointed a warning finger in Nieto's direction. "Talk about a woman I love like that again and I'm gonna tear you a new asshole. You hear me?"
Trying to win back some semblance of bravery, Carlos smoothed a hand over the front of his shirt, attempting to erase Jimmy's touch. "I didn't know man."
"Now you do," Jimmy said softly. "Keep your mouth shut from now on."
Author: Angela Penfold
Email: AngelaPRPiaol.com
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, not going to make any profit by writing about them.
Notes: This story is set the summer after Bobby's shooting. In this storyline he's survived.
Chapter 15
He was pacing around the apartment like a caged tiger, stalking from room to room in one continuous circuit. Dark eyes met the others' briefly, always skittering nervously back to the telephone. While Amelia and the cops, even Bosco, had gone out to grab Nova, Jimmy'd been told to stay put and co-ordinate things from the apartment. He hated it. Normally he was in the thick of things, first one into the most dangerous situations but today he was sitting it out on the sidelines and it was killing him. Must've been what it was like for the spouses of fire fighters and cops and the armed forces, anyone on the front lines, stuck at home, near hysterical, with no information while their loved ones were in the worst positions on this earth.
Jimmy's stride faltered as he turned and found Kim watching him from the study doorway. He slowed, and then stopped entirely a couple of feet away from her when it was clear Kim wasn't going to move. For now the circuit had been broken and the concern in her eyes had Jimmy wanting to back up. Over the years there'd been times when Kim's ability to see beneath his surface bullshit had been reassuring, tonight it just seemed to make him feel awkward.
"They finished up in there?" he asked softly. He gestured towards the study and its few remaining occupants with a nod. When Amelia and the others had secured the needed warrant and raced off, they'd left the others here to finish tying the details of the case to what they knew of Jacob Nova Lovavich. Doc, Alex and Bobby he could still see sitting around the table but Nieto was nowhere to be seen, was probably examining the few personal items on display in Amelia's apartment.
Kim shrugged and slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "Just finishing up. Carlos is playing solitaire or something. You're worried about her," she said softly, her words more a statement than a question.
A slightly bashful grin tugged at Jimmy's lips, dimples appearing and disappearing in a flash. The connection that'd always remained between them had always made discussing things like this awkward. Biting his lip, Jimmy glanced away. Things had been difficult to say the last with Brooke, his family nearly tearing itself apart, he didn't want the same situation happening this time. Nerves fluttered in his stomach as he turned back to Kim.
"Yeah," Jimmy finally admitted quietly. Even if he and Amelia hadn't got anywhere near serious yet there was still a close relationship there, one that had a chance of lasting. "That guy's had his attention focused on her from the start, she shouldn't be out there trying to take him down now. Nova's dangerous Kim but she wasn't gonna let anyone make her stay here." The worry about all the things that could go wrong with the arrest had been powering his pacing around the apartment.
"She's a tough lady, determined." Kim drew in a deep breath and smiled. "I'm glad you found someone like her to love Jimmy."
Jimmy stared at Kim in confusion, dark eyes searching her face for some sort of explanation. In the past jealousy had always caused problems for both of them whenever something, or rather someone, good appeared on the horizon, this time it seemed to be missing. "Kim, things haven't gone that far yet. Amelia and me are too new to start talking about that stuff yet. She hasn't even met Joey."
She shrugged again, the smile still curving Kim's lips. For once she really did seem happy for him. Maybe, just maybe, they'd both grown up enough to deal with moving on. "I've seen the way you've looked at each other, there's something special there Jimmy. As for Joey, all she has to do is let him play on that computer of hers and he'll love her forever."
A soft laugh finally emerged from Jimmy and he lifted a hand to massage the slowly relaxing muscles of his neck. "He's been going on about Adam's for months, keeps asking if he can have one for his birthday. I didn't know if you were gonna be OK with this." He gestured around the apartment with his hand as he returned it to his side. "With me and Mac seeing each other."
His words seemed to touch something inside Kim, suddenly softening her smile and making her turn to look over her shoulder, into the study. Seeing the movement at the door, Bobby's head rose, his face immediately lighting up as his eyes settled on Kim. Understanding burst through Jimmy like a firework exploding. Kim's happiness for him was stemming from what was obviously her own newfound joy.
Jimmy smiled, his eyes meeting Kim's as she turned back. "Always wondered when you'd get back with Caffey. He's a good guy."
"Is that it?" Kim asked, brows and voice rising in disbelief. In the past there'd always been far more mocking comments from Jimmy at the signs of a fledgling relationship between his ex-wife and her partner. 'Good guy' seemed like a seriously weak insult.
As if copying her earlier gesture, Jimmy shrugged and slid his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. He still felt awkward talking about this stuff with Kim but mocking the feelings growing between her and Bobby didn't hold the same juvenile pleasure it once had. "That's it. He cares about you Kim, loves you, always has." The words stuck in his throat slightly but the bright flare of jealousy no longer accompanied them. What was blooming between the pair now had been coming on for a long time.
"Cares about Joey too and he'll take good care of both of you," Jimmy continued. "Can't say I'll never feel jealous about what he's got with you but as long as he makes you happy I'm gonna support it."
For a moment Kim stared at Jimmy in silence, probably waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn't come she simply stepped forward and engulfed Jimmy in a brief hug. Her lip was quivering when she moved back. "Thanks Jimmy," she whispered.
The spell of calm and civility broke with an almost audible pop. From within the study one voice boomed out, loud and instantly grating on the nerves. It was Carlos. "Oh ... my ... God!"
Irrational fear unfurled in Jimmy's stomach as he rushed past Kim and into the room. It was unlikely Carlos had found anything that would prove dangerous but his voice of words had been poor. Nieto turned as Jimmy steamed towards him, a grin spreading over his lips. He gestured with the leather bound volume he held open in his hands. "You dog," Carlos crowed. "You should've shared the goods man. There was me thinking she was a butch ice queen but damn ... who knew she was hiding those kinda goods." Playfully sticking his tongue out in a slightly lewd gesture, Carlos held up the photo album.
Jimmy felt a flash of lust as he studied the candid shot of Amelia. Taken pre-building collapse, she wasn't looking at all self conscious in the bikini she was barely wearing, no scars to cover up then. Instead she looked happy and content and beautiful. In an instant the lust was gone, replaced by a longer lasting glow in his chest and a red veil over his vision. Something in his expression, some change, must've tipped the others off because Bobby and Doc were instantly reaching for him.
"Jimmy," Doc warned softly, trying to protect his partner. "He's just running off at the mouth, he didn't mean anything."
Slowly Jimmy shrugged the two men away. In his condition he wouldn't be able to kick Nieto's ass as thoroughly as he'd usually want to anyway. "It's OK," he muttered. "I'm not gonna hit him."
The two paramedics continued to eye him warily but they'd moved back enough to give him room to move. Of course Jimmy took the opportunity to launch himself forward. The photo album hit the floor as Jimmy's fists grasped Carlos' shirt, the smile fast becoming a grimace on the younger man's face as he was slammed back into the bookcases with a resounding thud. Doc and Bobby were instantly on Jimmy, breaking his grip and dragging him back but he'd already attained his goal. Carlos backed towards the rear of the room, fear flickering in his dark eyes.
Shrugging off the hands for a second time, Jimmy held up a hand to signal he was done. A tight grin curved his lips as he pointed a warning finger in Nieto's direction. "Talk about a woman I love like that again and I'm gonna tear you a new asshole. You hear me?"
Trying to win back some semblance of bravery, Carlos smoothed a hand over the front of his shirt, attempting to erase Jimmy's touch. "I didn't know man."
"Now you do," Jimmy said softly. "Keep your mouth shut from now on."