*one-shot with a lil bit of karmy and a little bit of laureo/thauren*
*lauren thinks theo is an undercover cop so amy agrees to help her find out*
True Blue, Baby, I Love You
Part I
"HE IS DRIVING ME INSANE!" Lauren screamed. Amy watched as Lauren threw her purse onto the bit of couch that she herself was not taking up. After that, Lauren stormed off to her room in an obvious rage.
"Oooooooh-kaaaayyy," Amy said, to no one in particular. The girls were alone for once. It was a rare occurrence to have both of their parents gone and also Karma and also anyone else who could be there like Theo or Shane or Lizbeth or even Liam.
"SERIOUSLY?! WHAT MORE DO I HAVE TO DO?! HOW CLEAR DO I HAVE TO MAKE IT?!"
"ARE YOU ASKING ME?" Amy was sitting on the couch, watching one of those shows where idiots get themselves lost deep in a forest or stuck high up a cliff. Currently it was two idiots bumbling through a desert with no hope insight. Amy loved this stuff. It was realistic and addicting.
"WHY AREN'T YOU IN HERE YET?!" Lauren screamed.
"Oh." Amy got up quick and went to her.
"Hey sis, howya doin'?" Amy feigned interest in Lauren's doorway, looking down at Lauren who was taking her heels off and sitting down on her bed.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?!"
"Who?"
"THEO!"
"Yikes, ya don't have to yell," Amy said. She walked to her and sat down by her side. For support she hugged her sideways and rubbed her thigh. "It's hard having a crush… I know."
"The crush is NOT the hard part."
"Okay, so what's wrong?" Amy was doing that thing where she was obviously pretending to be nurturing and motherly. Lauren did it too sometimes. They were both so alike. It was frightening and beautiful.
"Theo won't kiss me."
"Hmmm… Question… Did ya ever think that maybe Theo is gay?"
"What?! No." Lauren pushed herself off of Amy. "He's not gay. I can tell."
"Mmmhmmm, just like Karma could tell that I wasn't gay?"
"AMY! GODDAMIT! THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOUR FUCKED UP SITUATION! THIS IS ABOUT MY LIFE! GET WITH THE PROGRAM OR GET OUT!"
"OKAY! Okay, I'm sorry. Continue…" Amy calmed a little to try and get the whole story.
"He obviously likes me. We keep going out…"
"But?"
"But… Everytime I kiss him he gets weird and finds a reason to leave."
"Hmmm… Maybe…" Amy used her pinky to signal the possibility of Theo's awkward man-finger getting in the way of their romance.
"EW! NO! AMY!" Lauren was more frustrated now than she was before. She grabbed Amy's hand a pushed it down onto her lap so that she couldn't do that gesture any more. Theo's boner was not the problem.
"Okay, fine… I'll bite. What do you think it is, Lauren?" She read that question off in a monotone voice as if knowing that Lauren had been wanting her to ask that since before she burst through the door.
"Do you think this could be like 21 Jump Street?"
"Aca-scuse me?!" Amy joked.
"Theo is obviously hiding something and if he was gay for Liam I'd know about it so that's not the problem."
"You think he's an undercover cop?"
"Maybe…" Lauren said. She knew how foolish it sounded.
"No offense… And please don't kill me.. But what are the odds?"
"I dunno!" Lauren leaned back on the bed and held at her head. Amy looked down on her, wiping her hair from her face. "He is lying about something."
"You've always had good instincts," Amy tried to be a comfort.
"I just don't get it.. What else could it possibly be?"
"Wait, so… If he's following someone it's probably Liam right?"
"You think it could really happen?"
"I've been to Liam's house. His parents are loaded. What if they're into some corrupt stuff? Insider trading… Abuse… MURDER!" She suggested hungrily.
"Oooo…" Lauren was suddenly even more intrigued.
"We're going to need to investigate," Amy said.
"Really?"
"Of course! How else are we going to figure this out?"
"Are you really going to help me or is this you making fun of me in one of those confusing ways?"
"I'll help." Amy agreed.
"EEEEEE!" Lauren sat up and threw her arms around her, hugging her. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" She said.
"Okay, so, what's the plan?"
Part II
The next few hours were spent making checklists and brainstorming possibilities. Shane's mom sold sextoys out of her car but Amy and Lauren couldn't possibly see why that would be such an offense worthy of an undercover cop so Shane was definitely out.
Lauren was out because her father was boring. Amy was out because being a lesbian really wasn't a crime. Though, Lauren did try to make a case for Reagan being a suspect. Lauren was NOT alright with the age-gap between Amy and Reagan. She thought something must be wrong with the dj if she was scamming on a high school girl.
Amy insisted that Lauren was an ass. The conversation about Reagan pretty much dropped right there.
So that left Karma and Liam. They were both connected in ways. Amy couldn't see how Karma could be under investigation. The most she could do was make a quip about how Karma was criminally attractive, to which Lauren just groaned.
So, Liam it was. It had to be his parents. Theo was spending all sorts of time with Liam. Theo had basically become Liam's new best friend in the past few weeks.
Amy got a kit together. They needed notebooks and binoculars, walkie-talkies, and a small list of excuses should either of them get caught.
At around 6pm Karma showed up out of the blue.
"What is she doing her?!" Lauren asked.
The girls had become paranoid in their time alone. Every one was a suspect and anyone could be in on it.
"I don't know…. What is she ever doing here?" Amy sighed.
"Get rid of her!"
"Can't I just tell her? She's good at this stuff"
"What if she's the suspect?"
"What if you're the suspect?!"
"I'M NOT!" Lauren insisted.
"Finnnnee," Amy groaned. She pulled the door open. "Karma. Hi."
"Hi… Why are you being weird?" Amy was standing in the door opening, blocking Karma's way. Usually the Raudenfeld/Cooper front door was unlocked and Karma could just barge right in unannounced and no one cared.
"Hmmm… About that… I'm kinda in the middle of something right now.. Can I take a raincheck?"
"Is Reagan here? Are you with her again?!"
"What?! No… Why… Would that be a problem?"
"What? Problem?! Nooooo, noooo, no problem. I'm happy if you're happy," Karma smiled creepily. She'd not been okay with Reagan stealing her best friend away. Karma was certain that Reagan was loving Amy all wrong from day one.
"Calm down, creepy," Amy said. "It's just me and Lauren. I'm helping her with something."
"Why can't I help?" Karma asked optimistically.
Amy looked back at Lauren and gave her that sad pouty face.
"NO!" Lauren screamed from somewhere off in the distance where Karma couldn't see her.
"FINE… KEEP HER… DOESN'T MATTER THAT I LOVE HER MORE…" Karma yelled back.
"GO AWAY!" Lauren yelled.
"Sorry," Amy sighed. "It's a small crisis."
"Amy…." there was a struggle in Karma's face.
"Are you okay?" Amy asked. Karma didn't usually look this bruised by something small like this.
"Can I come in for a sec… I just need to talk to you… Alone."
Amy looked back at Lauren, basically warning her that she was about to let Karma in. Lauren threw her binoculars back into her backpack and snuck off to the kitchen to hide the bag from prying eyes.
Amy leaned over on the door frame and pushed the door open with her arm so that Karma could crawl in under it and enter like she wanted to.
When Karma walked slowly back to Amy's room, Amy followed. Lauren was angry but Amy threw her hands up. Her friend was sad. These things happened. The plan would have to be on hold for now.
Karma made her way inside Amy's room and she paced a little bit, playing with her hands and avoiding Amy's eyes.
"What's wrong?" Amy stood back and crossed her arms. It made her nervous when Karma was upset.
"I… I don't know how to say it…"
"Say what?"
"I miss you," Karma burst out. She looked up at Amy awkwardly. She knew it was a ridiculous thing to say. Amy had been hanging out with her at any free chance she got. That had always been the case. But somehow, now, there was less time for Karma in Amy's life.
"Karma… I miss you too… All the time," Amy smiled knowingly.
"No, Amy… This is.. It's different."
"How?" Amy knew how she felt when Karma wasn't with her. It was like half of her heart was somewhere else and all day she had to feel that ache of it being gone. Karma held that other piece and it was like a strong magnet, all day pulling for her, no matter where Amy was.
Amy sat down on the bed next to Karma. Karma took her hand.
"I've been feeling, reeeally sad," Karma confessed.
"Awww," Amy whined, like a grown-up coos at a baby. It was cute of Karma to miss her. It was usually the other way around.
"I don't know why but I just feel like I need to be with you all the time and you're gone. You're everywhere else."
"Karma.. I'm right here," Amy said, squeezing her hand.
"I know," Karma sighed. "I'm crazy," tears rushed her but she smiled. "I just feel like you don't need me anymore."
"That's crazy," Amy smiled, wiping a tear from Karma's face. "I will ALWAYS need you," Amy insisted.
"I'm sorry, I know this is weird…"
"It's not.. I know exactly how you feel," Amy said.
"Really?"
"Why do you think I was so upset when you started seeing Liam?"
"I dunno, I guess I just thought you didn't like him."
"That was only half of it," Amy joked.
"Ha-ha," Karma teased.
"Not seeing you all the time was hard… I had to get used to it. Frankly, I'm still not. But we have to do what we have to do to make each other happy. I had to learn that. Slowly..."
"I don't like this," Karma confessed. "We've both been too busy for each other."
"I'll always make time for you, you know that."
"We were supposed to have time today," Karma reminded.
"I know," Amy confessed guiltily. "And there's nothing I would rather do than cuddle up with you and watch idiots accidentally almost killing themselves in ridiculous ways, you know that," Amy reminded.
There was a long pause. Karma and Amy just sort of stared at each other lovingly.
"I know," Karma said mournfully.
"Please don't be sad," Amy begged. A huge part of her wished she could kiss her. "There will be plenty of time after this crisis of Lauren's is averted. I promise," Amy insisted.
"Okay…" Karma smiled. "Just know, if it doesn't end soon I might have a mental breakdown."
"Come 'ere," Amy said, holding her arms out so that Karma would hug her. More and more these hugs were helping to heal all the wounds they both seemed to have. "I love you…"
"I love you too…" Karma sank into her. She really didn't want to leave. "Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah, we have a mission," Amy said confidently.
"Can I stay here?"
"Sure…" Karma sometimes liked to be out of her house. Amy liked that she felt safe in her room.
"If I'm not back in a couple hours call me, okay?"
"K…"
Part III
Amy left and found Lauren in the kitchen fixing up sandwiches.
"About fucking time," Lauren cursed.
"Sorry… I just haven't had much time for Karma lately. I think it's affecting her."
"Serves her right," Lauren said. She was licking mayonnaise off of her thumb and sounding spiteful.
"Hey now," Amy scolded.
"What?! She's the one who's been pushing you away and ignoring your wants and needs for over a year now. You'd think you'd feel vindicated but noooooooo, Amy Raudenfeld is a motherfuckin' saint."
"Wait… Did you want me to help you or…" Lauren was saying all of the wrong things and Amy could easily change her mind and walk away from the Theo mess if she wanted.
"I'm sorry, I'm just crabby," Lauren sighed. "Sometimes when I don't eat I turn into a bitch."
"Right…" Amy said.
"Here," Lauren lifted a sandwich up and handed it to her. "MMM! Nummy!" The sandwich was like artisan gold. "Can we do this now?" Amy asked. Her mouth was half full already and she really did want to get back to her weepy Karma. If there was one thing that bothered her it was upsetting her one true friend.
"YES! Lets go!" Lauren said, pulling Amy's lil backpack up over her shoulder and leading the way out to the car.
They drove for a long time. Amy actually remembered exactly how to get to Liam's house. It was kind of creepy.
"Okay, now what?" Lauren asked.
"Well, we can wait out here or we can try and break in…"
"Break in?!" Lauren was surprised. Why would Amy even suggest such a thing?
"What? Like I care?!" Amy scoffed. She had already been to that mansion and despite everything she had been welcome with open arms. Liam's mother dressed her up like a princess and fed her shrimp and booze. It was a goddamn fairytale. Up until the part where Liam's sister was his mom and Liam's dad was his grandpa but that's neither here nor there.
"Oh oh oh!" Lauren spotted Liam getting into his car. They both ducked down but he wasn't looking at them.
"WE SHOULD FOLLOW HIM!" Amy insisted.
"But we know it's not him. What could Liam Booker possibly be doing wrong?"
"I dunno, he ruined my life, maybe he's ruining someone else's," Amy shrugged.
"This has to be about his family."
"Fine," Amy shrugged… "But aren't you curious to see what Theo and Liam do when you're not around? I mean.. He is ALWAYS with Liam."
"THEY'RE NOT GAY!" Lauren screamed.
Amy had to smirk and laugh. "Whatever you say," she shrugged.
"Fine, if I have to prove it to you. FINE!" Lauren sat up and turned the car on. Liam had already backed out of the drive and he was looking to head in the direction of the school.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaait, a second," Amy said. She moved her hands over and pushed the car into park.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Lauren demanded a reason for her meddling.
"Look, look, look, look, look," Amy said.
Lauren looked at Amy's eyes and noticed that she was staring up into the rearview mirror.
"What the-"
"Act normal," Amy said, grabbing for Lauren's hand and trying to brace her for some tough news.
"HOLY SHIT- I'M RIGHT!" She screamed, sitting up straight and seeing that Theo was sitting in the driver's seat of the car parked right behind them. He had big headphones on and he looked up just in time to see Lauren's eyes as they locked on his face.
"Oh fuck…" Theo said.
Lauren plainly saw it. He was there. He was there all along.
"I WAS RIGHT!" She screamed again, unbuckling fast and hopping out of the car to approach him. He was in a mini-van and Lauren knew that it wasn't his usual car.
"GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" She yelled.
Amy popped her head out the door and waited. Whatever was happening, it probably wouldn't be good.
"What are you doing here?" Theo asked.
"What am I doing here?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
"I-I came to see Liam," Theo stuttered.
"LIES!" Lauren yelled. She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him out of the car. "YOU ARE GOING TO TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR I AM NOT GOING TO TALK TO YOU ANY MORE!"
"Lauren, come on… I can't."
"Why can't you?!" Lauren was looking down at him since he had slid out of the car and sat down on the ground the way a child does when the don't want to fight anymore.
"Everything will make sense soon. I just can't."
"Are you a cop?!" Lauren asked.
"What?"
"If you're a cop and I ask you if you're a cop. You have to tell me you're a cop. That's the law."
"Why would you think I was a cop?"
"Just answer the fucking question." Lauren said point-blank.
"Maybe." He said. She had him stuck between a rock and hard place.
"Ew!" Lauren yelled.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Amy asked loudly from her spot in the car.
"I WAS RIGHT!" She yelled back.
"Lauren, please. You can't tell anybody. I'm undercover. This is a very important case."
"And I'm just supposed to let you ruin my friend's life?"
"Liam isn't your friend," Theo felt irrationally angry at the thought of Liam actually being her friend.
"Sure he is," she fought. Liam had said some nice things to her once or twice. He was annoying but their lives did cross.
"Look, I can't. I can't tell you what's going on but it's not about Liam."
"Not about Liam?!"
Everything had just gotten even more confusing.
"Was this a game for you? Am I a game?!" Lauren asked. She was ready to storm off and burn everything he ever touched of hers.
"No, you were… A surprise," he smiled.
"You're not allowed to be cute right now," she said angrily.
"I didn't mean to have these feelings. And Lauren, I CAN'T have these feelings."
"Why not?"
"I'm 19. You're 16."
"Oh…" She thought back on how annoyed she was with Reagan for being an old perv and kissing up on Amy. "So what!" She insisted, forgetting her previous problem with an age-gap like that. She did need a mature guy. All the boys at Hester were like Liam or even worse. At least Theo wasn't like that.
"Lauren.. I'm also a cop…"
"I really fucking hate you right now…" Lauren said.
"You have no idea how hard it has been to resist…" He started.
"Really?" She perked up. "How hard? How hard has it been?" She asked. She wanted to know it had been hard. She wanted to know exactly how much he had wanted to take her. In a matter of moments her life had gone from dull to interesting and she could have her very own romance novel based on truth thanks to Theo the, horny and attractive, undercover cop.
"The other day when we were hanging out and you crawled on top of me? Oh God… You have no idea…" He was obviously very conflicted.
"Hmmm… Pervert," she smirked with a glow in her eye. "I can't believe you let me like you. You're really fucked up, you know that right?!" In the end, the situation was giving her pleasure. Of course a 19 year old stable cop would be attracted to her and not anyone else.
"I know… I'm sorry."
"Fine…" She said.
Turning in her spot she pivoted and began to walk away.
"So that's it?!"
"What else can I do?! You're old. You're a cop. You can't go around fucking underaged girls. If I push that at all I'm the asshole."
"So that's it?"
"Guess so," she shrugged.
Amy tucked herself back into the car. Lauren was storming back rather quickly. Theo followed looking desperate.
"Look, if there was any way we could get around it-"
"We can't," she said. "You're a cop. You'll get fired."
"We only have to wait two years," he said.
"Ha! You wish! I am not wasting my teenage years just so that you can have a young wife when you're 22. If I'm still single and we happen to meet in some bar on my 18th birthday? Fine. But for now... It's just done Theo."
"Don't tell Liam."
"Fine…"
"And you," Theo said, pointing over at Amy. "This never happened."
"Got it," Amy said, holding her hands up in surrender.
Lauren watched in amusement as Theo returned to his car and his stakeout.
"So, he's a cop?"
"Guess so…" Lauren said. She started the car back up and began to drive off.
"Are you okay?"
"I think so…" Lauren sighed. It was somehow okay that he was old and that was the reason.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm just glad I know why," she said.
"Me too…" Amy felt better knowing that she had at least tried to help.
"Thanks for coming… I really wouldn't have done this without you. I would've waited at home, gotten even madder, maybe found him and beat him up later..."
"It's no big deal, really. I was just watching tv anyway-"
"No, you ditched Karma for me."
"Only this once," Amy smirked.
"Shut up. You love me."
"Maybe a little," Amy agreed grumpily, leaning back in her chair.
"You didn't have to come.. But you did."
"Can we skip over this part?"
"If you want," Lauren smiled.
They wound their way back to their house and walked quietly back inside a little more settled with themselves after all they had been through.
The End
*if you haven't already figured it out: "true blue" is supposed to be a reference to cops wearing blue uniforms and theo truly being a cop. And the "baby, I love you" has to do with lauren, amy, and karma's situations where they are all hopelessly in love. It's a Madonna song and I can't stop imagining lauren singing along to it in her room and thinking about theo.*
*THANKS FOR READING!*