Time was passing far too slowly for Jim. He'd been patient before but now that he knew where Ellie most likely was, he was ready for action. It didn't help his restlessness that Nancy was agitated too.
As Nancy listen to his frustrated sighs and caught him glancing at his watch several times in less than ten minutes, she knew how anxious he was. But as impatient as she had been before Ellie's john had returned, her impatience now wasn't about finding Ellie. Her mind had been playing and replaying their earlier conversation. She really hadn't appreciated anything Jim had tried to do for their marriage, not even his willingness to overlook the fact that Ellie was not his biological daughter. She'd been relieved, of course, but had simply taken his acquiescence as another sign that he really didn't care. Now she realized he did care, very much. And if his behavior now was any indication, he still cared. Looking back, Nancy realized she probably had never really given him a chance to be a good husband and so he'd put all of his ambition and energy into being a good cop.
"Jimmy..," she said softly
"Yeah?" he responded as quietly, his eyes still fixed on the building.
"Earlier…what you said about me not appreciating anything…that I thought you didn't give me anything to appreciate…"
"Yeah, what about it?" he asked bitterly.
"I…well … I think maybe you're right. I couldn't see that you were trying…that you did care about me…us…I was so locked in to the way I thought things oughta be…I couldn't see how good they could be."
Jim watched her face as she spoke, saw the honesty in her words, and yet, somehow none of it moved him. Shaking his head, he shrugged. "It was a long time ago Nancy. Maybe we should just …"
"Just what?" she asked as she looked at him brightly.
"Let it go," he answered in a gravely voice. He'd spent all the emotion he had for her years ago. No sense reviving old feelings, he thought. But as she continued to look at him, study him for deeper meanings, he felt his neck growing warmer. Maybe should did still have an effect on him, he mused derisively.
He heard her sigh. "I don't think I can," she muttered quietly.
Closing his eyes momentarily, Jim quelled the emotions that suddenly sprung up within; he couldn't go there…not again. Knowing that if he sat here any longer things would get said that couldn't be taken back, he began to move. "Come on, I'm tired of waiting. Let's go get Ellie."
Startled by his sudden change, Nancy climbed out of the car, bewildered. "But I thought…"
"Yeah, but I don't think he's leaving anytime soon and ….the sooner we talk to her, the sooner we can both relax."
Nancy eyed him cautiously. She knew this mood; it wouldn't take much to set him off. Realizing that, she wondered if going up to the apartment made any sense at all. But Jim was already half way to the entrance to the building and she knew there was no stopping him. So she hurried to catch up.
They were quiet as they rode the elevator up. Jim walked ahead of her as they moved down the hall to the john's door. Stopping, Jim took a deep breath, glanced at Nancy to see if she was ready and then knocked. He heard shuffling sounds from inside and then footsteps. The sound of the door lock being disengaged was loud in the quiet corridor. The door opened and suddenly Jim and Nancy were face to face with their daughter.
Her shocked look, complete with eyes wide with fear and mouth opened with a no, told Jim she didn't know how to take their presence. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled as she glanced over her shoulder nervously before turning back to them. "Ellie?" Nancy said softly.
Her mother's voice seemed to snap Ellie into action. "What are you doing here?" she hissed as she stood there in a short robe and little else.
"We…we were worried," Nancy answered.
"Who you talking to, Babe?" came a question from inside.
Speaking over her shoulder, Ellie replied. "Nobody important…some people I used to know."
"Well, tell them to go away and come back to bed," said the voice.
Turning back to her parents, Ellie glared. "I'm okay. Now go away," she said as she started to close the door.
But something was wrong, Jim's gut told him and he stuck his hand out, holding the door open. "You sure you're okay?"
Frowning at him, she huffed. "Like you care…you're only here because she needed your help to find me."
"Ellie….look, that's not true. I've been looking for you for a couple of months."
"Right…." She snarled. "Well, you found me, now go…away." She glanced again over her shoulder and that's when Jim saw it, the mark on her neck. It disappeared under the fabric of her robe but from the quick glimpse he got, he'd swear it was a whip mark.
"You into S&M now?" he asked darkly.
"What? No! Not that it is any of your damned business…now go."
A shadow followed by a full bodied man appeared behind Ellie. "Babe?" he asked. Jim looked at the guy, tall and lean, dark haired and entirely too smooth to be real. Everything about him screamed phony at Jim.
When Ellie didn't say anything, just looked down, the man looked first at Jim and then at Nancy. "Who are these people?"
Ellie became even more nervous but didn't answer. The man glared back at Jim. "Who the hell are you and why are you here?"
Glancing at Ellie, seeing how frightened she was Jim tried to keep his cool, even though all he wanted was to grab her and run. Somehow he knew she'd only run back to the jackass as soon as she was able. Now looking straight into her eyes, he sighed. "You know…if you need anything, you just call….right?"
Ellie blinked in surprise and Jim felt Nancy shift next to him. "Jimmy, no…" she said. Then turning to her daughter, Nancy reached her hand out to touch her but Ellie took a step back. "Honey, we're just worried….we want to know you are okay, that's all."
"Right," Ellie snarled sarcastically. "Look, I'm with Frank now and we're good, so you guys can just go away."
Sensing Nancy's frustration and feeling some of his own Jim had to try one more time. "So, maybe we can get a bite… go to dinner some night? Catch up? Maybe even get to know Frank here?" he said in a desperate effort to leave an opening.
"Sure…whatever," Ellie said rolling her eyes. "I'll call you." Then stepping back, she slammed the door shut.
Jim stood there for a moment contemplating busting through it. But he knew that would be a mistake on many levels so he heaved a sigh and turned to walk away. Nancy walked beside him, her dissatisfaction apparent. "Well at least she was okay…" Nancy said in an obvious attempt to find something good in the exchange.
As they stepped into the elevator and Jim reached over to push the button, he grunted. "Not really," he said darkly. "I saw a mark that looked like a whip mark on her neck…if that bastard is…."
"Jimmy," she exclaimed, "you don't think she's…he's not…we have to get her out of there…"
"Yeah, we do," Jim agreed. "But me charging in like an avenger always seems to end badly so we gotta find another way."
"But you're not giving up?" Nancy asked.
Shaking his head grimly, Jim replied, "not a chance in hell…"
"So what are we going to do?" she asked as they exited the elevator.
"I don't know yet but I know somebody that maybe can help."
Nancy hurried to keep up with Jim as he walked rapidly to his car. "Where we going?" she asked as they climbed in.
"To bed," Jim said commandingly. "And tomorrow, I'm going to see a lady about a whip."
Nancy watched his expression as he turned the ignition. She didn't understand what he meant exactly and judging by his face, she didn't want to know either.
Twenty minutes later Jim pulled to a stop in the motel parking lot. Taking a deep breath, he decided to do something his gut instincts told him was a really bad idea. But he charged ahead anyway. "Look, instead of staying here…. I have a spare bedroom at my place. Why don't you come stay there with me? That way, we could maybe be more to the point in our efforts with Ellie."
Shocked by his suggestion, Nancy stared at him curiously. "You sure about this, Jimmy?"
Not feeling sure about anything in that instant, he shrugged. "Sure."
Nancy frowned and then chuckled darkly. "Okay…" she drawled, "if you think we can stand being under the same roof again…"
"Separate bedrooms and a neutral corner…I think we can manage," he quipped. "Besides, it seems senseless for you to be here when I have a perfectly good but unused extra bed."
"Okay then. Give me a few minutes to throw everything back in my bag and I'll be right out," she said energetically."
"I'll be here," he told her as she climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her. Watching her walk away, Jim rolled his eyes and sighed. What the hell did you do that for, he mentally snarled.
Hmmm... so what next? I have several directions I could go with this or I could go in all directions, lol. Most of you will guess where he's going next. But then what? And Jim and Nancy living under one roof? Awkward! But it could be explosive too;) So many things to consider...what do you think?