Chapter 23:
Sue munched on her bagel and kept an eye on the monitors while reaching for her cup of coffee. Tara handed her some files and smiled. "The entire file on Stanton, he has an impressive record."
Sue scanned the pages quickly before settling more comfortably in her seat. Beside her, Bobby took another look on his watch when the door of the van opened and Jack peered inside. "Took you long enough." Bobby mumbled and Jack shook his head and smiled a little, enjoying the look of surprise Sue had on her face.
"We're switching positions for the night." He explained quietly and Bobby rose from his seat.
"I'm gonna let them know." He said and Jack nodded his head and watched when his friend crossed the street and entered the ambulance station. Sue reached for his hand and squeezed it.
"Jack?"
He smiled, his hand grasping hers, his thumb caressing her knuckles. "Bobby is a good agent." He said. "He prefers not to lose his judgment."
Tara grinned. "He cares about her."
Jack nodded. "More then he cares to admit."
He found her on one of the beds, propped on her elbows, reading an old newspaper. Megan raised her head when the door opened and smiled at him. "You nearly gave Mrs. Rogers a heart attack."
Bobby smiled a little. "Sorry 'bout that." He sat beside her and she rose to a sitting position. "You took too long I thought something happened."
"It's okay, I guess…better safe than sorry, no?" She chuckled.
He reached his hand to caress her hair. "How are you doing?"
She sighed. "I think I'm way too calm." She admitted. "I just want it to be morning already. Time never moved so slowly."
He chuckled and moved closer, pulling her to sit in his lap and enveloping his arms around her. She rested her head against his neck and breathed his scent. Bobby leaned his back against the wall and just held her for a few minutes. Megan raised her head and lowered her mouth to his. He met her halfway and they both chuckled when their noses almost bumped into each other. Bobby kissed her softly before pulling away.
"I'm gonna switch places with Jack." He said quietly.
"Oh…" She nodded her head. "Okay."
He was relieved that she didn't ask him why and hugged her close. "I'm gonna pick you up in the morning and we'll get some breakfast?" He asked, making sure to use his best puppy eyes to convince her.
She laughed and pulled him for a kiss that made him breathless in a second. He growled and pulled her closer, his hands moving to her hair and angling her head to get better access. Her hands moved to his chest, trying somehow to bypass the vest he was still wearing, she gave up and moved them to his neck, holding on when he moved lower, his mouth creating a warm trail from her ear to her neck and back again.
"Bobby…" She whispered, trying to bring his mouth back to hers. He smiled against her skin and raised his eyes to meet hers, indulging her unspoken request and kissing her lips softly before moving to her other ear.
His voice was husky as he pulled her closer. "I love the way you say my name." He whispered. She shuddered in his arms and he grinned at the wicked gleam he saw in her eyes, right before she took control and moved her lips to his neck, making him pay for his earlier teasing.
The feather light touches shook him and he bit his lips, holding back a loud moan. His hands moved restlessly, roaming her back and he tried to move away from her before he will lose any sense of control. She seemed to sense his withdrawal and placed one last kiss to his throat before raising her eyes to meet his. He swallowed and then opened his eyes, smiling a little, trying to lighten up the mood between them. He pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers, enjoying the contact.
Knocking on the door broke through their mutual haze. "Megan we got a call." James said from the other side of the door.
Megan cleared her throat. "I'm coming, give me a sec." She smiled at him and rose from his lap. "Manning's pancakes?" She asked and he grinned, nodding his head.
"Whatever you like, Meg, your wish is my command."
She laughed. "See you in the morning, Bobby."
He followed her outside and avoided James' smiling face. The paramedic shook his head at his partner's disheveled appearance. "Fix your hair, Megan." He teased, following her outside towards the ambulance.
He knew she lived on the second floor. He could easily climb the emergency stairs and get inside, it shouldn't be so hard. She was working tonight, just like she did in the last few nights. He wondered where she was last night, wondered why she didn't came back home. Was she hurt? Did she stay at his place? Did she stay with her boyfriend?
He pulled the hat on his head and tightened the black coat around his body. Looking around him and reached up and pulled his body upwards, towards the flight of stairs. He was very quiet when he climbed the rusty stairs and managed to reach all the way to the second floor. He looked at the closed window and opened the small black bag he brought with him. All he had to do now was to open the window and get inside.
"I didn't tell Sharon what's really happening." James said quietly, looking at the woman who sat beside him and then averting his eyes back to the road.
"I know." She said. "I'm not sure if I agree or not but it's not my decision to make."
He turned the corner and stopped in front of the building. "I keep on thinking that if anything will happen tonight, she will be devastated and I keep on thinking that I need to survive so that she won't lose another baby…it's been so hard on her that I wanted to stop trying all together…"
"She'll be fine, James, she's already passed the first trimester. The doctor said that the chances are very good that she will have a normal pregnancy." Megan reached to touch his arm. "Whatever happens, you'll get over it together."
"You're a good friend, Megan, don't do anything stupid."
"What do you mean?"
"If what Jack and Bobby said is true and we're talking about the same man who attacked us then I know you'll be angry and I know you well enough to know that you might try…" He trailed off, confused by the sadness in her eyes.
"You know what hurt me the most?" She whispered. "I finally grasped the idea that was going to be a mother, at that morning I went to the mall and looked at baby clothes and I was happy, genuinely happy for the first time that I was having a baby, I was prepared to raise her on my own." She lowered her head. "He took that happiness away from me. When I woke up at the hospital I wanted to die, nothing made sense. I was upset to hear that he was dead because I wanted to kill him with my bare hands." She grew silent, surprised at herself for revealing so much. "I have no intention to do something stupid. I have a date on Friday and I saw the perfect dress to buy." She grinned, moving their conversation to a safer ground.
James snorted. "I missed working with you, Meg." He smiled fondly and she returned the gesture before reaching for the radio.
"Washington 47. In the scene."
Myles took a seat on one of the plastic chairs, refusing to pay attention to the mess that went around him. It was obviously a busy time in the ER and patients came and went so quickly he felt his head was spinning. He breathed deeply and pretended to stare into a point on the white wall while he listened to his ear piece. Tara informed him that they were heading towards the hospital again and Myles shook his head with amazement, how many calls did they have in the last four hours? Five? Six? He lost count.
He checked his watch; he had a good ten minutes before they'll get there and decided to head towards the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and something to snack. Nodding to one of SOG's agents he headed outside the ER and down the hallway. The cafeteria was empty and he smiled at the lonely employee who raised his head from the paper he was reading.
"What can I get you?" The tall man asked and Myles ordered a cup of coffee and a muffin. He sat down next to one of the tables, not feeling like eating and drinking in the ER. The coffee was good and strong and he appreciated the muffin that was surprisingly good for a hospital cafeteria.
He took another drink from his coffee, trying to ease the sudden tiredness that spread in his body. He frowned to himself when he raised his head and a wave of dizziness attacked him. He sniffed at the coffee and slowly registered the presence of someone who stood behind him. His movements agonizingly slow; he tried to reach for his gun. Blinding pain exploded in his head and he collapsed to the floor, darkness enveloping his mind.
"Have you seen James?" Megan wrapped her hands around herself and took another look around the ER, trying to find her partner.
"I thought I saw him walking towards the bathroom, Meg." Dr. Meyer said as she passed by her. "How do you feel?"
"Good. No thanks to you, Sharon." She made a face at her.
"Is that the way you talk to the woman who took care of you?" She faked insult and backed away when Megan approached her.
"What did I tell you when you stitched me?"
"No morphine it makes me all funny." She quoted, grinning.
"Oh, so you did listen to me." She frowned. "It does make me funny, Sharon. I was dizzy and all blurry for hours afterwards."
"Yes, but were you in pain?" She quipped. "Come on, Megan, I know you for how many years now? Didn't you once tell me that I shouldn't really pay attention to everything you say?"
"That was on the night before you got married and we were both drunk and horribly giddy and girly…" She rolled her eyes at her wide grin. "If you see James, tell him I went to get some coffee, okay?"
Sharon nodded her head and grabbed one of the files from the counter. "Sure thing."
"Manning." He answered, looking at the deserted street.
"It's Richards, I just saw someone trying to break into Miss Paul's apartment." The SOG agent reported from his position around the building. Bobby tensed in the driving seat, considering his options. He had two more agents with him, one in the car with him and the other inside the building.
"Can you give me a description?" He asked.
"Not really, he's tall and dressed in black, I think he just gave up trying to open the window and simply broke it."
"Keep your post, I'm going in." Bobby said, hanging the phone. The agent who was with him stayed in the car while Bobby went inside and motioned the agent who pretended to clean the stairway to join him. He picked up the cell phone and dialed again. "Jack, someone just broke inside Megan's apartment, I'm going in."
"You think it's him?" Jack sounded surprised.
"I don't know anymore." Bobby mumbled. "But it has to be more than a coincidence."
"I agree. Be careful Bobby."
"I will." He hung up the phone and grinned to himself when he picked up the lock quietly. The agent beside him chuckled and pulled out his gun. Bobby listened before fully opening the door. He could hear heavy steps and movements as the man inside obviously looked for something. He took a deep breathe before kicking the door open.
"F.B.I, Freeze!"
"Denvort reports that Megan is heading towards the Cafeteria, James was seen heading that direction as well. Myles is there, he should keep an eye on them, just in case." Tara turned to look at Jack and frowned at his troubled face. "What?"
Sue glanced up from the report she was reading when Tara touched her forearm. She touched his hand. "Jack? What is it?"
He shook his head. "Something is wrong. Bobby just saw someone breaking into Megan's apartment. He's going in to check it out."
Sue bit her lips. "It doesn't make any sense."
"We know he's listening to the ambulance radio. He knows they're both here tonight, why would he get into all that trouble of breaking and entry?" Tara shook her head and looked at her friends.
"Maybe he's up to something else." Jack pondered.
The radio woke into life. "47 Washington."
Tara looked out from the window. "They're still inside, they deserve a break."
"Maybe he knows we're backing them up and he's working on a surprise of his own." Jack speculated and the two women nodded their heads.
"He just never thought we'll monitor their apartments as well." Sue grinned.
Jack snapped his fingers and grinned. "This is it! We got him!"
Guns drawn, they broke into the dark apartment, startling the tall man who stood in the middle of the living room. Bobby aimed his gun and the man tried to run towards the kitchen. Booby shook his head and leaped after him. "Freeze!"
The dark figure stumbled on the carpet and tumbled down with a cry of pain. Bobby knelt beside him and cuffed his hands behind his back before he pulled him upwards from the collar of his shirt. Charlie Rash, the SOG agent returned to the living room, shaking his head. "It's clear." He said, holstering his gun.
Bobby turned on the light and took a first look at the man they all looked for in the past week. He felt his stomach clenching at the sight in front of him. "What the hell are you doing here?" He exclaimed, his eyes widening with surprise.
The man glared at him. "I forgot my key, that's all." He sneered. "That's police violence." He said.
Bobby's eyes turned deadly steel as he smiled tightly. "Lucky me…I'm not a cop." In one movement he had him against the wall, holding him from the collar of his shirt. "I'm gonna ask you one last time; what are you doing here?"
"I deserve to meet my child." He sneered, coughing when Bobby tightened his hold. "Are you her boyfriend? She wasn't here yesterday…was she with you?"
"It's none of your damn business." Bobby spat. "You are under arrest for breaking and entry. She's not your wife and thankfully doesn't have to raise your child."
Brian Ford looked surprised at first and then a look of understanding crossed his features. "An abortion." He whispered. "She killed it…that little…" Bobby pushed him harder against the wall and backed away, letting him tumble to the floor.
"Take him to the car, we'll get him down town." He said, his voice calm and steady despite the anger he felt inside. The desire to toss his badge aside and simply hit the man in front of him was too tempting. He swallowed hard, turning his back to Rash and Ford while he tried to compose himself. Remembering his conversation with Megan he whirled around, a grin covering his face. "By the way, you never deserved her." He said, watching with satisfaction as Ford opened and closed his mouth several times before scowling at him as agent Rash led him outside.
His cell phone ringed twice. He looked at the screen, a string of curses streaming from his mouth. James' GPS has been activated.