Chapter 5
*********
" 'Go LIGER!' "
The TV blared loud enough to compensate for the silence of the girl watching it. She sat motionless, not even smiling at Harry's antics.
Kirei was even more unnerved by the silence than she had been by the earlier outburst. She peeked in, and the girl on the sofa offered a chocolate from the mysterious candy box without taking her eyes off the command wolf.
Kirei accepted the chocolate and sat down beside the redhead.
" 'Looks like the only one who got any target points was...Leena,' " came the voice from the TV.
Dorothy gestured to the television. "I don't understand. I KNOW that's funny, but I just can't laugh..."
Kirei rubbed a gentle hand up and down her packmate's back, and it seemed to comfort the redhead.
"I'm sorry about before," Dorothy said, turning liquid green eyes on her packmate.
Kirei put a reassuring hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "When you're ready to tell me, I want to help."
Dorothy smiled. "Hopefully there won't be anything to help with," she said, as the teaser for the next episode came on. She rose and walked towards her room, as Roger stepped in front of her.
" 'Ready........fight!' " the TV blared.
"How'd it go today?" the negotiator asked.
"Fine," she answered, looking with empty eyes at his face. "Snowy and I went shopping after..."
He smiled at her. "Oh? Did you have a good time?"
She smiled. "Yes, there was a beautiful dress, you would like it on me..."
He grinned and kissed her hand. "You'd look beautiful in anything..."
She blushed.
"...just as long as it's black," he finished.
Dorothy's eyes widened, waiting for the joke. "Roger! Honestly!"
He shook his head, still smiling. "You know the rule," he said as he kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Do you love me?" she said, softly, looking up at him.
He was confused by the question, by her tone. "Of course I do. You know I do."
"Say it." Her voice was flat.
He touched his lips to hers, so gently. "I love you," he said, pronouncing every word, that she might hear and understand.
She nuzzled his cheek, absently.
~~~~~
Meanwhile, Kirei was debating whether or not to tell Roger what Dastun had said to her in the precinct. This whole situation was a mess.
"Snowy?" Roger asked, running a hand through his hair as he walked into the room. "What happened today? Dorothy isn't herself."
That, Kirei thought, was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.
~~~~~
Dorothy looked at the bag on her bed. Reaching in, she brought out a soft cinnamony something to drape in soft folds over her hip.
(You'd look beautiful in anything...I love you....of course I do!....)
How did she know he wasn't lying about that too?
Her entire body felt tired and weak. And she couldn't tell Snowy, at least not yet, couldn't talk to anyone....
....well, there was SOMEONE.....
(No,) she told herself fiercely. (No. You can't.)
(He lied to you!) another voice argued. (He deserves it! What's the difference?)
She shut her eyes tight. "No. No..."
She was all alone. No one to turn to.
Almost drowsily, she picked up the phone.
"I'll put you through. Please hold."
There was silence, then, "Kennedy."
Dorothy took a breath. "I have an outstanding traffic ticket I need to take care of," she said.
She could hear him smile over the line. "Well, ma'am, I'm not at liberty to discuss that here."
She couldn't help smiling too. "Where can I meet you?"
"How about here, tomorrow night? I'm off early. We can go out for dinner."
She felt her lips twist. "I know exactly what to wear."
*********
" 'Go LIGER!' "
The TV blared loud enough to compensate for the silence of the girl watching it. She sat motionless, not even smiling at Harry's antics.
Kirei was even more unnerved by the silence than she had been by the earlier outburst. She peeked in, and the girl on the sofa offered a chocolate from the mysterious candy box without taking her eyes off the command wolf.
Kirei accepted the chocolate and sat down beside the redhead.
" 'Looks like the only one who got any target points was...Leena,' " came the voice from the TV.
Dorothy gestured to the television. "I don't understand. I KNOW that's funny, but I just can't laugh..."
Kirei rubbed a gentle hand up and down her packmate's back, and it seemed to comfort the redhead.
"I'm sorry about before," Dorothy said, turning liquid green eyes on her packmate.
Kirei put a reassuring hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "When you're ready to tell me, I want to help."
Dorothy smiled. "Hopefully there won't be anything to help with," she said, as the teaser for the next episode came on. She rose and walked towards her room, as Roger stepped in front of her.
" 'Ready........fight!' " the TV blared.
"How'd it go today?" the negotiator asked.
"Fine," she answered, looking with empty eyes at his face. "Snowy and I went shopping after..."
He smiled at her. "Oh? Did you have a good time?"
She smiled. "Yes, there was a beautiful dress, you would like it on me..."
He grinned and kissed her hand. "You'd look beautiful in anything..."
She blushed.
"...just as long as it's black," he finished.
Dorothy's eyes widened, waiting for the joke. "Roger! Honestly!"
He shook his head, still smiling. "You know the rule," he said as he kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Do you love me?" she said, softly, looking up at him.
He was confused by the question, by her tone. "Of course I do. You know I do."
"Say it." Her voice was flat.
He touched his lips to hers, so gently. "I love you," he said, pronouncing every word, that she might hear and understand.
She nuzzled his cheek, absently.
~~~~~
Meanwhile, Kirei was debating whether or not to tell Roger what Dastun had said to her in the precinct. This whole situation was a mess.
"Snowy?" Roger asked, running a hand through his hair as he walked into the room. "What happened today? Dorothy isn't herself."
That, Kirei thought, was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.
~~~~~
Dorothy looked at the bag on her bed. Reaching in, she brought out a soft cinnamony something to drape in soft folds over her hip.
(You'd look beautiful in anything...I love you....of course I do!....)
How did she know he wasn't lying about that too?
Her entire body felt tired and weak. And she couldn't tell Snowy, at least not yet, couldn't talk to anyone....
....well, there was SOMEONE.....
(No,) she told herself fiercely. (No. You can't.)
(He lied to you!) another voice argued. (He deserves it! What's the difference?)
She shut her eyes tight. "No. No..."
She was all alone. No one to turn to.
Almost drowsily, she picked up the phone.
"I'll put you through. Please hold."
There was silence, then, "Kennedy."
Dorothy took a breath. "I have an outstanding traffic ticket I need to take care of," she said.
She could hear him smile over the line. "Well, ma'am, I'm not at liberty to discuss that here."
She couldn't help smiling too. "Where can I meet you?"
"How about here, tomorrow night? I'm off early. We can go out for dinner."
She felt her lips twist. "I know exactly what to wear."