Breakable CH 2
All week the squad room was a buzz with stories about the certificates and officers who'd gone to test out the facilities. Alex was sick of hearing about it, but Bobby was absorbing it like a sponge. The only complaints that were bandied about were that the number of available free spots was pitifully small per week, and that the furniture was shabby. That was pooh poohed as petty because it was all discarded anyway. What did they care?
Several stories came in about officers who thought it was a good place and had set up regular visits. At least until the novelty wore off. Mike Logan was of the opinion that he would wait awhile to use his certificate. "I am not in a hurry to beat up on furniture." He said sarcastically.
By Tuesday evening, Bobby was deep in thought. How would he go about deliberately wrecking an entire room full of furniture? Being a large framed man, he'd accidently done it but never on purpose. Would he prefer to use a baseball bat or a sledge hammer. Both of them appealed to them in a different sort of way.
"Bobby." Alex said for the third time.
"What?"
"Where are you? I've been talking to you for the last five minutes."
"Sorry. My mind is…What were you saying?"
Alex sighed in exasperation. "Is this about that certificate? I suppose you won't be able to pay attention until you're done there."
"I-It does sound like an intriguing idea." Bobby admitted.
"Have you tried to call and get your appointment moved up?"
"I did. She said the only available ones were pay ones. I'd like to try it first."
"Do you remember the number?" Alex sighed, reaching for her cell phone. Bobby rattled off the number. She dialed it and put it to her ear.
"Breakable. This is Jennifer."
"Jennifer, this is Detective Eames."
"Don't tell me let me guess, your partner is just dying to get in and try this. Could I possibly squeeze him in?" Jennifer sounded patient and amused. "I'll have to tell you the same thing I tell everyone else. The only available slots I have are paid ones. No exceptions."
"When is your next one?"
"I can have one set up in an hour, but….."
"I'll take it."
"Come fifteen minutes early for the maximum time in the room. I'll be expecting you or is it for him?"
"Him."
"And he's sitting right there giving you the evil eye, isn't he?"
"Actually he is." Alex admitted, because he was.
"I'd rather have someone eager than reluctant. I'll have it ready for you."
"See you then." Alex hung up the phone. "You have an appointment in an hour to swing your heart away. We have to be there at quarter to."
"You should call her back. I-I can wait." Bobby stammered, touched by her thoughtfulness.
"Not and be any use to me." Alex reached over and patted his knee. "We need to go back to your place."
"For what?"
Alex eyed his expensive Armani suit. "Are you going to go in your suit? I think you ought to change."
"Good idea. I'll pay for this. I can't have you doing it. You were off those few days and you'll have a short check this week."
"You most certainly will not!" Alex said sharply. "This is something I want to do for you. Besides how can I know if I want to go if you don't tell me how it is?"
Bobbys huge grin was enough to more than make up for the $25.00 price tag. Alex called the squad room. She told them they were working on a lead on the current case and would be out of contact for the rest of the afternoon. At least it wasn't Ross on the line, he'd've demanded to know which case and which lead. She turned the SUV at the next light and made a beeline toward Bobbys apartment.
He bounded up the stairs to his second story apartment and disappeared into his bedroom. Alex was behind him and didn't even try to keep up with him. She sat on the arm of a chair in the living room and waited. He was back out in a few moments with jeans, a T-Shirt and a long sleeve shirt over the top. He was grinning and carrying athletic socks and tennis shoes. He sat down on the couch and put them on. He stood up looking ready for fun, grinning, eyes twinkling. "I'm ready."
"Then let's go." She couldn't resist his boyish grin and enthusiasm.
He tried to contain his excitement, he really did, but it was next to impossible. She noticed him twitching in his seat. She just hoped the experience was worth all that she'd heard about it.
Jennifer was looking slightly harried with the ringing phone, but she greeted them with a smile. "Welcome. Please come in. Shut up!" she told the ringing phone, irritably.
"It looks like you are about ready for that room yourself." Alex commented.
"Just about." She admitted. "Did you bring the forms?"
"Right here." Bobby produced them.
She scanned them briefly and pulled out a form of her own and made the necessary entries. "Just sign these where the X's are. Here's your forms. Did you want a video tape of this visit?"
"No."
"Okay. Give your partner your weapon, badge and anything else you think might get lost or broken and we can choose your weapon. That'll be $25.00. Do you have a preference of weapon you'd like to use?"
Bobby paid her and gave those items to Alex who stowed them away with hers. "I'm not sure."
"Okay. We have a selection of weights and sizes of both items. You'll probably like the ones I can barely lift but you don't have to choose anything you're not comfortable with. Come this way."
Jennifer opened the door to the weapons room. She left it open so Alex could see inside. There was a cabinet like a gun safe that opened to reveal several size and styles of sledge hammers and baseball bats. Bobby moved over toward them with fascination. Jennifer wisely stood back out of swinging range. He did indeed choose the heaviest bat, nearly a club. Jennifer nodded, taking it from him.
In spite of what she said, she didn't appear to have any trouble carrying it. She locked the weapons room and asked Bobby in passing. "Is your Will in order?" she said with a straight face.
"My Will?" Bobby asked in confusion. "I need a Will to do this…. Ah, very funny."
Jennifer was grinning at him. "Gotcha. No, you don't need a Will. We've had people come in with helmets, knee and elbow pads and safety goggles. Then we've had the ones who want to do it without a stitch on. Those I have serious doubts about. You aren't one of those, are you?"
"No. No, I'm not." Bobby colored.
She appeared to like to tease. Bobby stopped next to Alex and gave her a quick kiss. "Thanks." He whispered.
"Would you like to see the room before he gets in there or after?"
"Can I do both?"
"Sure, as long as he doesn't mind. It's his time."
Alex joined them in the room. Jennifer kept a hold of the bat and pointed out the emergency features, reinforced the safety and handed Bobby the bat. "Just let us out before you have at it."
"I'd never…." Bobby began. Jennifer put her hands on her hips and gave him a mothers stare. "Ye-Yes, ma'am." He said meekly.
Alex preceded the other woman out the door. Jennifer closed the door. "Can I watch on the monitor?" Alex asked her.
"No. This can be very private and intense and the person in that room deserves privacy. Unless you make arrangements first. There are magazines and things on the table over there or you're welcome to go and come back. If you do, please leave a number that I can contact you if I need to."
"I'll stay."
The phone rang again and Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, please." She went to get the phone.
There was a huge crash from the room. Any other time, Alex would've charged inside, but Jennifer glanced at the monitor and kept on talking on the phone. A series of crashes were sounding in the room. By and large Jennifer ignored them unless there was a particularly big one or silence for any length of time. At one point she pushed a switch and Alex heard a fan go on. She imagined it might be getting warm in there. Jennifer spoke into an intercom near the end of the hour. "Five minutes left. Finish whatever you need to."
Alex was really curious as to how Bobby was. And what damage he'd done. "Five minutes. But the weapon down, please, and relax."
She smiled at Alex. "I hope you're not as worried now."
"I wasn't worried." Alex said.
"Whatever you were, I hope you don't think we're the bad guys anymore. It sounds like an odd business, I know, but it really is cleansing. We can go in now." She led the way, opening the door carefully.
The room was a total disaster. Splintered wood and stuffing was all over. There was shards of shattered lamps and legs everywhere from the table. And Bobby standing in the middle of the room, soaked with sweat and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Jennifer picked up the bat and looked around. "You sure did a thorough job. Thank you."
"Thank you?" Alex asked.
She nodded. "Our dumpster is nearly full. It saves us money when we can put more kindling in it so it doesn't waste space."
"It is a little splintered, isn't it?" he asked proudly.
"Just a tad. Come on out. We'll need to get this cleaned up."
Once they were back into the front office Jennifer closed the door to the room and joined them. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Alex asked.
"I did." He admitted. "This is a great idea. I'm surprised no one has thought of this before."
"We deal in anger. We try to give people a place and a way to release the anger before it boils over into your realm. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes not. And if I ever need a release, I'm going to have a whole office of phones so I can beat them to death." She said when the phone began to ring again.
"So can I still come on Thursday?"
"Sure. The time is still yours. Just call me if you change your mind. Do you still want a living room or do you want to change it?"
"Do you have a couch with a wooden frame?"
"I do. Those are popular throw aways. Do you want that?"
"I do."
"It's yours. See you then. Breakable, this is Jennifer."
Alex gave Bobby back his badge, gun, wallet and keys and they went outside. She kept looking at him, he seemed very pleased with himself. She drove back to his apartment and followed him back inside in silence. He was in an unusual mood. She was tempted to ask how he was, but she figured she'd find out in due time.
As soon as the door was closed and locked he swooped down on her, lifted her by the hips and twirled her around the living room grinning from ear to ear. "It was wonderful! I could hit that stuff as hard as I could and it wasn't hurting anyone, no one to yell at me and it didn't hit back. Thank you, thank you, thank you." He kissed her with every thank you before locking his lips to hers in a long, deep passionate kiss.
"Put me down." Alex grinned at him. "No wonder that's all they can talk about at the precinct."
"I want to make love to you. Now, right this minute." Bobby said euphorically.
"It's the middle of the day." Alex said.
"So? Live a little, Alex. Come on, whadda ya say?"
"I say….okay."
Bobby grinned, scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.
TBC