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Chapter 8 – My shadow days are over
That was…that was…humm.
Brittany has her arms around me and her head on my shoulder. I guess I wouldn't be able to think about anything else even if I tried.
That was the most amazing…I can't even think properly, do you know when that happen for the last time? Yup, me neither.
I should move but I don't want to wake her. Good think I turned the sound of my phone because it's blinking wildly in my night stand.
I look at the clock. There's only one reason somebody would call me at 4 am, they must have found another body.
What now I think? It was only an hour ago that we finally fell asleep, after…well… we did what we did and what I'd never done with another girl. I would like to say that she was not being cocky last night, she was being realistic. I don't anything or anyone could be any better than that at this…like ever.
I was half expecting there was a new alignment of the galaxy to explain how I felt. However when I opened my eyes everything seemed the same but, at the same time, I felt like everything was forever changed.
I'm struggling now if i should pick the phone or not. I have Britt here and Laura needs to be taken to school, it's not like I can actually leave in the middle of the night so what good could come of taking that phone call so early. The person was most certainly already dead, and you can't get dead-er.
But then, I saw Dave's ID. He always frowns and sweats so much when he is worried, he must be feeling really lonely there. People respect him in a bad way (according to him, I take any sort of respect any day), they don't talk to him they just lower their caps and go "yes detective, no detective". Nobody knows he is a softy and he cries when our victims are badly injured. You try telling him it was probably post-mortem when he is wailing in your shoulders. Nobody, except me or Blaine, have seen him break down for real and I know Blaine is probably not picking his phone.
I decide that he is my friend, so I'm getting it. But I'll probably wake Britt if I talk here so I send I'm a text telling him I'll call him in 5 minutes. I try to snake out of Brittany's grip without waking her, it's like playing the mikado with limbs instead of sticks. I manage to complete the task but she stirs and whines at my absence. She must be so worn out, I cover her and whisper "I'll be right back" but she keeps pouting. I decide to whisper "I love you" because she will obviously not remember it in the morning and that pout she was sporting turns into a little smile.
I manage to find a t-shirt and some shorts before sneaking out of the room towards the living room to call Dave.
I get myself a glass of water while dialing, why am I so thirsty? Oh…must be the exercise. Damn, Lopez, stop thinking about it.
"Hello?"
"Oh my god 'Tana, thank God. Blaine isn't answering his phone." What did I tell you? Always the same. If Blaine says "call me anytime it" means "call me anytime I'm not with Kurt". Which would be fine by me if he didn't do this for a living, we are not dealing with clothes, we are dealing with people and you answer people's calls if they are in a crime scene specially if you are their partner and he is busting your ass so you can….you know what I'm not even making that joke. Must be Brittany's effect on me to pass this opportunity to rant over Blaine, I'm going back on track.
"What's up?"
"They found another same M.O. but this time in the sewer. It was in na intersection and he wrote on the wall "taking scum to where scum belongs."
"Do we have an ID?"
"No but she looks like all the other girls. But I did find something, Artie will have a blast at the lab. This girl is in show tunes wardrobe, she looks like she got into a fight with our killer."
"FINALLY, we'll have something to work on. How did you know it was one of our girls? I wasn't expecting one of them to appear in the sewer."
"I was at…I was at this bar and I met a…a…guy and when I left to go to this place I saw the fuss and came to see what was happening." Aww Dave is so cute when he is embarrassed but since it's such a great step for him to get out of the house and get himself a man I'm not making a scene out of it. I guess some of Brittany's goodness is rubbing off on me…no pun intended.
"What's the dude's name?"
"Se-Sebastian"
"Like The Little Mermaids crab?" I supress a laugh.
"Someone is watching too much Disney channel…" He doesn't sound that amused.
"Yeah, because it's better than other channels, do you like him?"
"He's really cute but I don't know, I guess I'm grateful I didn't go with him. I wouldn't know what to do." He sounds sad.
"Well, I can tell you that sometimes it's even better when you don't know what to expect…I mean it from my very recent experience." I feel like Dave is like my best friend and I want him to know I trust him enough to share and thank him for telling me the truth of how he got there.
"How recent?" He says and I know he means "how am I only hearing this now?".
"An hour ago."
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAH, we needs to celebrate 'Tana. I'm glad you finally got your lady loving on. Was it good?" His mood changed and all of a sudden I regret thinking that sappy bullshit about friends. He will never get his mouth shut about this now. I'm flushing so hard I think my face will match Brittany's red lace panties. OH WILL I STOP THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
"Dave, I will address this subject one time and I will never speak of it again to you. I hope you understand that this is a very narrow window of opportunity and it will be closed as soon as I stop talking. It was the best night of my life. Over and out."
"I'm so happy for you, you do deserve it."
"Now, enough of this. I hope you now appreciate the fact that I had to leave someone's arms to get to talk to you. Now see you at the department as early as I can. You know I have to take Laura to school. After that, I'm all yours."
"And Brittany's" he says with his huge smile shining through his voice.
"And Brittany's" I agree quietly.
"All right, see you tomorrow 'Tana. Have a nice cuddling."
I had just dropped the phone when I hear some stirring in Laura's room.
"Ma?"
"Yes, sweetie, I'm coming."
I went to her room to find her holding her teddy bear to her chest. I sat beside her and pulled my arm around her.
"What's wrong baby? You had a bad dream?"
I feel her tiny head nodding against my shoulder.
"What was it, do you want to tell Mommy about it?"
"Where's Brittany? Is she back at her home?" I was startled, I took my time answering this question. I pondered about making Britt sneak off the house before Laura woke up but it was too risky. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to do that Britt, she loves honesty more than life. And I, I'm not lying to my baby.
"She's still here, Laura. She's spending the night with mommy." My hands are shaking. I'm feeling so nervous my voice breaks as I speak.
"Good." That was not the answer I was expecting but it was sure as hell was what I was hoping the most.
"What does have to do with your dream, was she in it?"
"I dreamt a bad man hurt Brittany. I don't want anyone hurting Brittany, we'll protect her won't we, mom?"
"We will, of course we will." With that, she relaxed and I stayed until she fell asleep again. I went to my room trying not to think about what my Abuela used to say about dreams sometimes being omens.