9
Every Dark Cloud
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A/N: Thank for the reviews—keep 'em coming! I'm also tickled pink at the number of readers who have put this story on alert. Comments are welcome!
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Chapter 3
It was 7:15 a.m. Lucy exited the elevator and hurried to the bullpen. Rounding the doorway, she stopped to scan the room. Her shoulders slumped. No Sue…no Bobby.
Still early, the only other member of the team there was Myles. Dropping her jacket and purse on her desk, she headed straight towards him.
"Myles?"
"Good morning, Lucy," he said pouring himself a cup of coffee. "You're here early."
"I could say the same for you."
"Had a 7:00 meeting that was cancelled but no one bothered to notify me," he said obviously annoyed. As he took a sip, he noticed Levi and the worried look on her face. "Why do you have the canine wonder again? Where's Sue? And by the way…you look terrible!"
"Why thanks, Myles," she retorted with a sardonic smile. "I didn't notice when I looked in the mirror this morning!"
"Hey, I didn't mean that as a disparaging remark," he defended himself. "It was just an observation. You look as though you didn't sleep a wink last night."
"I didn't."
"Why not? Last night's storm kept you up?"
"Sue didn't come home."
"What do you mean she didn't come home?"
"She didn't come home last night!" she said in exasperation. "How much clearer can I be?"
"She's a big girl. She's allowed to stay out all night if she chooses."
"Not without calling me first."
"I repeat…she's a big girl and you're not her mother."
"Myles!" she said in exasperation. "I…"
"Lucy!" called out Jack as he strode into the bullpen. "By any chance…"
"No!" she answered whirling around to face him. "Is Bobby…?"
"Nope," replied Jack shaking his head. "I swung by his place last night and this morning. Nothing."
"She hasn't been answering her Blackberry."
"Same with Bobby."
Myles' eyes darted between his two colleagues trying to figure out what the conversation was about.
"Wait a minute," he interrupted.
Lucy and Jack turned simultaneously towards him.
"Are you trying to tell me that Bobby and Sue haven't come back from their road trip yesterday? They haven't even called in?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you for the past five minutes!" said Lucy in frustration.
"Now I understand the comment about the terrible morning," he said knowingly. "So what do we think happened?"
"Good morning!" said Tara cheerfully as she joined the group. "Thought I'd come in early knowing the traffic would be terrible in this rain," she remarked as she hung up her raincoat. "Why's everybody looking so worried? Is it a case?"
"No one's heard from Bobby and Sue since their last check-in at 3:00 yesterday," Jack replied grimly.
"Sue didn't come home last night and neither has Bobby," a worried Lucy contributed.
The quartet exchanged concerns looks. Could their friends have been in an accident going down the mountainside in this rain?
"Can we contact Pearson to find out if they even ventured out into the storm?" suggested Myles. "Maybe they're riding it out at his place."
"We were given a number to be used only in emergency situations," said Jack.
"Don't you consider this an emergency situation?" Lucy demanded.
"I'm with her," said Tara jerking her thumb towards Lucy.
"I hate to admit it but I'm with the girls on this, Jack," Myles agreed.
"Okay…so who's going to call?"
All eyes swiveled to Jack immediately.
"Why are you looking at me?" he asked uncomfortably.
"In the absence of our esteemed leader, the mantle of responsibility has fallen upon your shoulders by unanimous vote," Myles stated.
"It can't be unanimous," Jack grumbled. "I didn't get to vote."
"It was a secret vote," explained Tara immediately.
"Where is D?" asked Jack reluctant to phone.
"I heard my name," answered D joining the group. "Can't a man come to work late once in awhile and since it's only 7:25 I'm not even late?"
"Bobby and Sue haven't been heard or seen since yesterday," Lucy said point blank.
"What!"
"Neither one has been seen or heard from either one since their last check-in yesterday," explained Jack.
"You sure?"
"Sue didn't come home," contributed Lucy.
"And I checked Bobby's place," Jack added. "No one's there."
"Not good," D stated thoughtfully.
"No, it isn't," said Lucy.
"Jack was just about to contact Milt Pearson to find out when Bobby and Sue left," Myles supplied helpfully.
"Better you than me," replied D. He knew the restrictions about using the number.
Eyes rolling, Jack reached for a phone and quickly punched in a number.
"Sid? Jack Hudson.
"You know that emergency contact number for Milt Pearson?
Yeah…can I have it?"
The rest of the team blatantly listened to the one-sided conversation. They could only imagine what was happening on the other end.
"It is an emergency. We have two agents unaccounted for since yesterday afternoon. Their last assignment was interviewing Pearson at his mountain retreat."
Jack scribbled down a number.
"Thanks, Sid. I owe you one."
Jack hung up then hit the speakerphone before dialing the number on the slip of paper. His gaze swept the concerned faces of his team as he waited for the call to go through.
"Pearson." He'd answered on the fourth ring.
"Mr. Pearson? This is Special Agent Hudson with the FBI."
xoxoxoxoxo
It must be time to wake up, thought Sue drowsily as she began surfacing to wakefulness. A tiny frown dotted her forehead. Why was her wrist throbbing? Why did her bed feel different? Why did she feel different? She wasn't uncomfortable but she felt a little…arms! She could feel an arm around her. Who…what…?
Cautiously she opened her eyes only to meet blue-grey eyes staring back. Abruptly, she sat up.
"Wha…!"
"Bobby!"
Anxiously, Sue leaned over the edge of the sofa to peer at her fallen teammate.
"Ouch!"
"Ow!"
"You, Miss Thomas," Bobby remarked as he rubbed the top of his head, "have an extremely hard head."
"Sorry," she replied as she rubbed her forehead. "I just didn't expect to see you."
"After pushing me off?"
"No! I meant waking up. You…you were there."
"Of course I was there."
"Excuse me?"
"You fell asleep in my arms."
"I did?"
"You were coughing," he said helpfully. "Sitting up seemed to help," he added at her blank look.
"Oh! I….fell asleep in…"
"…my arms."
"Oh! I'm sorry!"
"Why? I'm not," he grinned. "Sleeping with a beautiful woman in my arms is always a pleasure."
"Oh!"
"Plus, it had the added bonus of keeping quite cozy and warm through the night," he stated tossing her an impish smile. "However, now I feel a bit nippy." The blankets had pooled around his waist in his struggle to sit up.
"Sorry," apologized Sue. "I didn't mean to…." her voice trailed off when she became distracted by his proximity. He was so close she could clearly see the color of his eyes. "They're blue."
"What?"
"Huh?"
"You just said they're blue," he repeated as he hitched a blanket over his bare shoulders.
"Oh!" Darn! Did she say those words out loud?
"What's blue?"
"Um…your eyes."
"My eyes?" He was startled. She noticed the color of his eyes?
"They're blue today," she said in embarrassment.
"They're grey. Says so on the driver's license," he said as he plunked himself onto the couch.
"Not today."
"No?"
"No, not today. Today they're blue."
"They are?"
"It's the blanket. Blue blanket…blue eyes."
"Really?"
"Really."
"And how do you know this?"
"I've…uh…noticed the color of your eyes change with the color of your shirt."
"Very observant of you," he replied lightly. "Must be that FBI training"
"Sure…right…of course." She could feel her heart beat faster. The tug was growing stronger with each passing minute. Move! she told herself…before you do something you'll regret.
"I'll…um…check if our clothes are dry," Sue volunteered.
Before he could say a word, she'd gathered her blanket around and began to rise. In her haste, she stepped on an edge of her wrap.
"Oh!" she cried as she pitched forward.
Instantly, Bobby lunged to break her fall.
"Ouch!"
"Oomph!"
It took a moment and a breath or two to regain her equilibrium. When the pain in her throbbing wrist subsided, it suddenly hit her—she was wrapped in Bobby's arms and this time she was awake to appreciate it. It felt right…deliciously and dangerously right.
"Sue?" he asked anxiously when she remained silent. "Are you…?" His voice trailed away. It took every ounce of his willpower not to kiss her. "Sue?"
As though a light had switched on, suddenly she became aware of their compromising position. Awkwardly she scrambled off. "I'm…"
"Ow!"
"Oh!" cried a mortified Sue when she realized what had happened. Instantly, she hovered over her curled up companion, "Bobby! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Is there anything I can do?"
"Just…just give me a minute," he panted.
Anxiously, Sue waited uncertain what to do.
"Are you okay?" she asked when his breathing slowed down.
He peeled open one eye. "Next time you want to get off, could you just…roll off?"
"Next time?"
"This seems to be a morning of accidents," he remarked as he rolled into a sitting position once again.
"I'm so sorry, Bobby!" she said contritely.
"No harm done…I hope."
"Bobby!"
"Couldn't resist."
"Are you really all right?"
"I'm fine," he assured her. "And to show you how fine I am," he declared gathering the blanket around him as he stood, "you stay and I'll check on our clothes."
"I can…"
He held up a hand. "Whenever you move, I get hurt. Wait right there," he ordered.
Obediently she waited while he collected their clothing.
"Dry?"
"Enough."
Her clothes felt cool to the touch but it would be better to be clothed….a lot safer, she thought.
"If you need help with the buttons I'll be more than happy to help," he teased.
"I think I'll be able to manage," a flustered Sue replied tucking the bundle under her arm. "My wrist feels better."
"You let me be the judge of that," he said noting how she held her hand, "after we change." He flashed an impish grin. "My offer to help still stands."
"I…I…" She stared at Bobby for a moment then darted towards the bedroom.
His eyes followed her until the door closed. It would be safer…much safer with clothes on, he thought as he reached for his boxers.
xoxoxoxoxo