Chapter 3
*********
Dorothy asked Kirei to come to the police station with her to keep her company. "It's always busy, Snowy, so I know there'll be a wait. Besides we can go out for lunch and shopping afterwards."
"Sounds good to me," smiled Kirei. "Shall I drive?"
As the two girls kissed Roger before leaving, Roger pulled Kirei aside fo a moment. "Keep an eye on things when you get there, Snowy--make sure Dorothy doesn't explain her way into a bigger fine, ok?"
"Don't worry, love," replied Kirei. "Pack is pack. We always watch out for each other."
Roger sighed, watching his girls leave. Somehow he still didn't feel any better.
~~~~~
Just as Dorothy had predicted, the station was busy. The new cameras had picked up dozens of people. As a result, Dastun had been forced to set up several officers to handle the tickets, each in their own little cubicle.
Dastun noticed the girls standing on line shortly before it was Dorothy's turn to pay, and came over. "Cleaning up after Roger again, ladies?" he teased.
Dorothy blushed. "No, it was my fault this time." She shrugged gracefully. "I'll be more careful."
Kirei suddenly spoke up. "Major, did that tip Roger gave you ever pan out?" (She was referring to some info Roger had gotten from Big Ear.)
Dastun nodded. "Yes," he said. "In fact, I have something for him too. Come with me to my office and I'll give it to you."
Kirei glanced at Dorothy. "Oh, go ahead," the pretty android said. "I promise I'll behave."
"I'll be right back," said Kirei, following the Major to his office. He dug through a huge pile of stuff on his desk. "Roger's quite a remarkable man, isn't he?" said Dastun, as he rummaged through everything. He glanced covertly at the slender shewolf.
"Yes, he is," she smiled, her dark eyes sparkling.
Dastun found the envelope he was looking for. "May I ask you something personal, Miss Snowolf?"
She shrugged. "Sure."
"What makes Roger so special that a woman like you would be willing to share him? Don't you want someone all for yourself?"
"But I'm in love with Roger, and I love Dorothy too. She's like a sister to me. Why would I mind sharing him with her? Why are you asking me these questions?"
Dastun shrugged this time. "Just curious, I guess." He handed her the envelope. "But if you ever decide you want more, you won't have far to look." He looked at her again, not so covertly this time.
Disturbed, Kirei quickly left to look for Dorothy. She spotted the lovely redhead entering a cubicle, and dashed over to join her. A very handsome young blond officer was behind the desk. He smiled at Dorothy, a very knowing smile.
That's strange, thought Kirei. She glanced at her packmate.
Dorothy's face was pale with shock, then she blushed deeply. "Leon..." the redhead whispered.
~~~~~
Roger suddenly realized the handwriting on the ticket matched that on the gift card that came with the roses. This was not good.
~~~~~
"Well, well." The officer tented his fingers, looking like the lightning-saix who ate the canary. "I see you still drive like Mr. Magoo."
"I see you're still a tease," Dorothy said softly, trying not to smile and failing. He had the kind of smile that demanded you return it.
"You look so surprised to see me, Red," he said, still smiling. "I would have thought you'd have guessed by now."
"Guessed?" she asked. "Guessed what?"
"That I was here." He arched a brow. "Didn't you get my flowers?"
"Flowers?" she asked, blinking cutely at him. "I haven't gotten any..." She blinked green eyes again, and something slid behind them. "They must have gotten lost," she finished. "Leon, I'm so sorry!"
"Sorry? Don't be! I'm sorry, I wanted it to be perfect." He stood and crossed in front of the desk, eyes suddenly sliding dark, for things whispered in quiet corners. "Why don't things ever go as I plan with you?" he said, the smile becoming a little wicked.
"Things rarely do," Dorothy said absently, the hand holding the ticket dropping to her side. Leon would have said more, but he caught a flash of movement. "Who's your friend, Red?" he asked, his eyes flicking jovially over to the side.
"Friend?" Dorothy asked, as if the word were alien to her. Then she seemed to wake like a dreamer, turning to the side and becoming the android who tripped on her own feet and sang the song from Ruroni Kenshin at the top of her lungs. "Oh! Kirei, this is Officer Leon S. Kennedy. Leon, this is Kirei Snowolf, my packmate and dearest friend." The redhead's smile could have melted a glacier.
The cop's own smile blinked back on, and Leon held a hand to Kirei. "It's nice to meet you."
"My pleasure," Kirei said, shaking his hand.
"So, Leon--Officer Kennedy," Dorothy corrected. "How much do I owe you?"
"Why don't you follow me, and we can discuss it in here?" he said, indicating the deeper recesses of the cubicle with a flick of his head, which sent his forelocks over his eyes. Seeing Kirei's apprehensive look, he gave her a wink.
"I'll just steal her away for a minute."
Once alone, the wickedness crept back into the smile. "Tell you what, Red," Leon said. "I'll rip this up for you."
"But how will I pay the fine?" she asked.
"You could have dinner with me." Truly wicked smile now.
She blushed bright as blood. "Oh...no...I couldn't. Leon, I'm involved with someone..."
His smile never dimmed. "Dorothy, I've missed you. Don't I at least get the joy of your company for a night?"
She smiled, couldn't help it. "You are going to get me in trouble."
"Because I love to get you out of it." He grinned. "Think it over." He gently disengaged her hand from the ticket. "I've got work to do. Worse drivers than you, even! See you around, Red." He left her with a wink.
Dorothy walked slowly out of the cubicle, eyes focused on the wall ahead of her, but not really seeing it.
*********
Dorothy asked Kirei to come to the police station with her to keep her company. "It's always busy, Snowy, so I know there'll be a wait. Besides we can go out for lunch and shopping afterwards."
"Sounds good to me," smiled Kirei. "Shall I drive?"
As the two girls kissed Roger before leaving, Roger pulled Kirei aside fo a moment. "Keep an eye on things when you get there, Snowy--make sure Dorothy doesn't explain her way into a bigger fine, ok?"
"Don't worry, love," replied Kirei. "Pack is pack. We always watch out for each other."
Roger sighed, watching his girls leave. Somehow he still didn't feel any better.
~~~~~
Just as Dorothy had predicted, the station was busy. The new cameras had picked up dozens of people. As a result, Dastun had been forced to set up several officers to handle the tickets, each in their own little cubicle.
Dastun noticed the girls standing on line shortly before it was Dorothy's turn to pay, and came over. "Cleaning up after Roger again, ladies?" he teased.
Dorothy blushed. "No, it was my fault this time." She shrugged gracefully. "I'll be more careful."
Kirei suddenly spoke up. "Major, did that tip Roger gave you ever pan out?" (She was referring to some info Roger had gotten from Big Ear.)
Dastun nodded. "Yes," he said. "In fact, I have something for him too. Come with me to my office and I'll give it to you."
Kirei glanced at Dorothy. "Oh, go ahead," the pretty android said. "I promise I'll behave."
"I'll be right back," said Kirei, following the Major to his office. He dug through a huge pile of stuff on his desk. "Roger's quite a remarkable man, isn't he?" said Dastun, as he rummaged through everything. He glanced covertly at the slender shewolf.
"Yes, he is," she smiled, her dark eyes sparkling.
Dastun found the envelope he was looking for. "May I ask you something personal, Miss Snowolf?"
She shrugged. "Sure."
"What makes Roger so special that a woman like you would be willing to share him? Don't you want someone all for yourself?"
"But I'm in love with Roger, and I love Dorothy too. She's like a sister to me. Why would I mind sharing him with her? Why are you asking me these questions?"
Dastun shrugged this time. "Just curious, I guess." He handed her the envelope. "But if you ever decide you want more, you won't have far to look." He looked at her again, not so covertly this time.
Disturbed, Kirei quickly left to look for Dorothy. She spotted the lovely redhead entering a cubicle, and dashed over to join her. A very handsome young blond officer was behind the desk. He smiled at Dorothy, a very knowing smile.
That's strange, thought Kirei. She glanced at her packmate.
Dorothy's face was pale with shock, then she blushed deeply. "Leon..." the redhead whispered.
~~~~~
Roger suddenly realized the handwriting on the ticket matched that on the gift card that came with the roses. This was not good.
~~~~~
"Well, well." The officer tented his fingers, looking like the lightning-saix who ate the canary. "I see you still drive like Mr. Magoo."
"I see you're still a tease," Dorothy said softly, trying not to smile and failing. He had the kind of smile that demanded you return it.
"You look so surprised to see me, Red," he said, still smiling. "I would have thought you'd have guessed by now."
"Guessed?" she asked. "Guessed what?"
"That I was here." He arched a brow. "Didn't you get my flowers?"
"Flowers?" she asked, blinking cutely at him. "I haven't gotten any..." She blinked green eyes again, and something slid behind them. "They must have gotten lost," she finished. "Leon, I'm so sorry!"
"Sorry? Don't be! I'm sorry, I wanted it to be perfect." He stood and crossed in front of the desk, eyes suddenly sliding dark, for things whispered in quiet corners. "Why don't things ever go as I plan with you?" he said, the smile becoming a little wicked.
"Things rarely do," Dorothy said absently, the hand holding the ticket dropping to her side. Leon would have said more, but he caught a flash of movement. "Who's your friend, Red?" he asked, his eyes flicking jovially over to the side.
"Friend?" Dorothy asked, as if the word were alien to her. Then she seemed to wake like a dreamer, turning to the side and becoming the android who tripped on her own feet and sang the song from Ruroni Kenshin at the top of her lungs. "Oh! Kirei, this is Officer Leon S. Kennedy. Leon, this is Kirei Snowolf, my packmate and dearest friend." The redhead's smile could have melted a glacier.
The cop's own smile blinked back on, and Leon held a hand to Kirei. "It's nice to meet you."
"My pleasure," Kirei said, shaking his hand.
"So, Leon--Officer Kennedy," Dorothy corrected. "How much do I owe you?"
"Why don't you follow me, and we can discuss it in here?" he said, indicating the deeper recesses of the cubicle with a flick of his head, which sent his forelocks over his eyes. Seeing Kirei's apprehensive look, he gave her a wink.
"I'll just steal her away for a minute."
Once alone, the wickedness crept back into the smile. "Tell you what, Red," Leon said. "I'll rip this up for you."
"But how will I pay the fine?" she asked.
"You could have dinner with me." Truly wicked smile now.
She blushed bright as blood. "Oh...no...I couldn't. Leon, I'm involved with someone..."
His smile never dimmed. "Dorothy, I've missed you. Don't I at least get the joy of your company for a night?"
She smiled, couldn't help it. "You are going to get me in trouble."
"Because I love to get you out of it." He grinned. "Think it over." He gently disengaged her hand from the ticket. "I've got work to do. Worse drivers than you, even! See you around, Red." He left her with a wink.
Dorothy walked slowly out of the cubicle, eyes focused on the wall ahead of her, but not really seeing it.