November 17th, 2001, Saturday:
"Cabe." Rebecca called to him as he sat at the small bench before their daughter's tombstone.
Cabe looked over at her and then looked back at the stone.
"Cabe, I know this is hard and horrible, but I need you. If you need to come here every day and grieve that is fine, but when I'm home, I need you. Just like you need me but won't admit it. We can't keep going on like this. We got to support each other. Please." Rebecca asked and not for even close to the first time.
"I know Becca. I just can't seem to get past it." Cabe said softly.
"Then come with me to get counseling. A friend of mine recommended a partnership counselor she'd met last year. She says he is quite brilliant." Rebecca told him.
"You know I don't put much stock in that hokum." Cabe told her.
"It isn't hokum Cabe." Rebecca said, getting miffed. "It isn't any different than talking to a priest about something, except Dr Rizzuto is trained for this type of thing. But even speaking with a priest would be better than what you are doing. Please Cabe."
"We can talk about it when I get home." Cabe said tiredly.
Rebecca sighed as she shook her head and walked away. She wasn't sure how much longer she could deal with this.
Cabe felt some relief as he heard Rebecca walk away and then his phone rang. Cabe sighed as he pulled it out and saw "Secret Service" displayed and a number he didn't recognize.
"Cabe Gallo." Cabe said as he pressed answer.
"Agent Gallo, this is Lieutenant Katherine Cooper. How are you doing Cabe?" Katherine asked.
"I'm trying to get by Ma'am." Cabe told her.
"I understand Cabe, I am so sorry for your loss. But I'm afraid we're really needing to get you back to work. Your leave time is just about up. John Negroponte is the new Ambassador to the UN for the US and he's requested your service." Katherine told him.
Cabe kind of chuckled.
"You can drop the pretense Lieutenant, I know this is at the behest of Ralph Dineen." Cabe told her.
"Well he may have wanted you reassigned but, Mr. Negroponte honestly has requested you on his detail. He said that you were part of a small Marine strike force that had gone into Honduras and rescued him and his wife during a bit of strife in the region back in the early 80s." Katherine told him.
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that. I'll think about it Katherine, thank you." Cabe replied.
"Cabe, I'll need an answer soon, by the close of business Monday." Katherine warned him. "Or the Service might have to terminate your employment. I don't want that to happen to you Cabe."
"By the close of business Monday then." Cabe told her. "Thank you." Cabe pressed the hang up icon.
Megan smiled at Billy as they sat on cushions on the floor of his small apartment over his parent's general store. He'd seen a magazine once where they showed the home interior of a Japanese home and fell in love with the way they sat or kneeled on the floor at a low table to eat. And so they sat on small cushions at the table he'd modified to look like the table in the picture. They had been dating for over a month and a half and he had been completely sweet and smitten with her. She relished in it, she finally felt like she knew what her little sister and brother felt from each other. She wasn't sure she felt for him that way, but she was determined to make the most of it.
She'd fixed a pot of lamb stew for them to have for dinner. Billy had surprised her, he'd built a pulley system to allow her to sit on a small bench and he pulled her up to the landing of his door so she wouldn't have to climb the stairs.
"So is your place always this clean?" Megan asked with a grin looking around the small loft as they ate.
"Not very often to be honest." Billy blushed. "I worked pretty hard all week tending to the things I sometimes neglect."
Megan smiled. At least the place smelled clean but not chemical clean as if he had done something harsh to clean a mountain of grime from the loft.
"I love that you are honest with me Billy." Megan told him.
Billy blushed as he sat his spoon down in the empty bowl before him.
"Well there is one thing I haven't been completely honest about." Billy told her.
Megan smiled as she sat her spoon down and looked at him to give him her undivided attention.
"What would that be?" Megan asked, a bit amused.
"This." Billy said before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.
Megan was surprised and quite pleased. They'd kissed tenderly many times but Billy had been so worried about going too far or hurting her and he never went beyond polite kisses. But this kiss wasn't a polite kiss. It started as tender, but changed, quickly, with a wet hunger and it continued to grow in energy.
Megan lay half reclining into his lap from how he pulled her over. But he cradled her tenderly with his right arm. She grinned as their kiss continued and then she felt his left hand touch her stomach. This had been the side of Billy she had been wanting and waiting to see. She brought her hand up and caressed the side of his neck using her fingernails very lightly. She felt him shiver and then she felt his hand slip under the hem of her shirt and travel up along her ribs. Her breathing increased quickly almost matching his and then his hand was cupping her breast through her bra.
Monday:
"Are you serious?" Paige asked Walter as they worked together to tidy up the guest room they had been using for their times of pleasure at the Dineen home.
Walter nodded.
"I didn't ask her of course. But the way she acted Saturday night after Billy brought her home, it reminded me a bit of how you were after we made love the first time." Walter told her as he tucked the new sheets into the bed.
"Wow, I figured she'd tell me they were getting to that point first, or at least after." Paige continued grinning as she looked around and nodded. "Let's get the clothes in the wash. Dad will be home soon." Paige looked at her watch.
Walter nodded as he picked them up and they moved downstairs to the laundry room.
"Well don't forget it took something pretty major to get you to tell her we first did it." Walter smiled.
Paige blushed as she nodded walking into the laundry. She set the machine up and Walter started putting the clothes in as she got the detergent out.
"Maybe we can talk Wednesday after Mom and Dad go shopping. Think you can wait until Friday?" Paige grinned as she poured the detergent into the wash.
"For you, I'll wait for as long as it takes." Walter told her as he stepped up behind her and hugged her tightly.
"Have you been cavorting with a leprechaun and picked up a bit of blarney Walter O'Brien?" Paige asked with an amused lilt to her voice as she enjoyed feeling him engulfing her as his lips brushed her neck.
"No, but my tongue has certainly learned a lot from you." Walter teased.
"Oh gross, you two." Happy said as she walked in with her martial arts gear. "Other people do live here, you know."
Walter blushed as Paige laughed with a nice tint of blush to her own cheeks.
"Cabe." The Ambassador greeted him as he walked into his office late Monday afternoon.
"Mr. Ambassador. Thank you for your request. It came at the right time." Cabe told him as he shook his hand.
"Yes, the wife and I were so saddened when we finally heard of your daughter's passing. How are you and your wife holding up?" The Ambassador asked.
"It is a struggle sir, but I'm ready to get back to normal." Cabe smiled.
The Ambassador nodded.
"Well, for right now I want you to head up the details. You know the logistics and problems and we trust you." The Ambassador explained.
"Thank you sir, I won't let you down." Cabe told him before leaving the Ambassador's office and going down to his office. He sat down in his chair and put his face in his hands as the last time he'd spoken with Rebecca came to his thoughts.
2 days ago:
"Really Cabe? All this time moping about. Going to the cemetery everyday for hours and hours and then coming home and acting like a dead man, unable to give me anything. Now you are just going to accept this job and move to New York without even talking to me about it?" Rebecca demanded.
"I don't know what else to do, Becca. My little girl is gone. I don't want to do anything, I don't want to go on. But more importantly, I can't give you what you need and it isn't fair to you. I squandered all this time away when I should have been trying to make things somewhat better between us. And now I have to choose. Get fired from the Secret Service, resign or take this job." Cabe told her in anguish.
"Cabe, first, she was OUR little girl, not just yours. And I get all of that and yes you did squander this time. But how is that supposed to help? Going to New York, fine, but why couldn't you talk to me first? I could have been transferred to the New York office." Rebecca asked.
"Because you deserve more and better than what I can give you right now. I'm not right in the head, can't you tell?" Cabe yelled at her.
"Of course I can tell you aren't right, but I am your wife, you are my husband. For better or for worse, until death do we part." Rebecca froze on that word. "Are you saying that her death has ended our lives together?" Rebecca choked out.
Cabe turned as tears ran down his face.
"I don't know what I'm saying. I'm lost." Cabe told her.
"Fine whatever Cabe. But, if you wait too long I won't be here." Rebecca told him as she left the kitchen.
Present day:
Cabe inhaled sharply as someone knocked on his door.
"It's open." Cabe called out.
"Hey Happy." Toby typed into MSN Messenger.
"Hey Toby, I thought you had to work today?" Happy asked.
"Yeah I am. It is my proctology rotation this week. So you can imagine how my day has gone." Toby told her.
Happy laughed at that thought.
"So are you saying you are behind today?" Happy asked with a smirk.
"Hahaha, good one!" Toby typed back. "But sometimes it is looking up."
"Oh booo, that was a bad one." Happy typed back.
"Sometimes it is just easier to pick the low hanging fruit." Toby laughed.
Happy blushed as she quickly got that image.
"Pass." Happy typed back.
"Sorry. How was your Karate class today?" Toby asked. Pass had always been her code word for a topic going someplace she wasn't comfortable with.
"Good, my sensei is very pleased with my progress. He says I'll have my orange belt in a couple of weeks at my rate of progression. About two weeks early. He said he'd like to give it to me already but Karate has some strict time requirements." Happy typed back.
"That's great. So have you given any more thought to college?" Toby asked.
"I'm thinking I want to do my first two years here in Ireland and maybe go to MIT in the States." Happy typed back.
"Well you should just come to MIT, with your brain and skills you'd do well." Toby told her.
"Well it would depend on my sister and her boyfriend. If they move to the States for college I might do that. But she's still talking about staying in Ireland. She had to move around so much growing up, she's really enjoying staying in one place." Happy explained.
"Well, you know me, so even if they didn't, you could come over and I'd give you whatever assistance you need." Toby told her.
"Haha. Good one. Speaking of that, how is the counseling for the drinking going?" Happy asked.
Toby smiled as he read her reply.
"It is going pretty good actually. I've been completely sober all of November so far." Toby told her.
"I'm really proud of you Toby!" Happy told him.
"Thanks, sorry it took you to make me see the light. Oh I got a date this Friday by the way." Toby told her.
"Really? Like with a real person?" Happy grinned.
Toby laughed as he read her question.
"Yeah, she's real. You're thinking of my Mom. haha" Toby typed back.
Happy felt a little pang at the thought of Toby going out with some girl.
"What's she like?" Happy asked.
"She's a college student, microgenetics is going to be her doctorate. She's gorgeous, slightly taller than the average, blonde, intelligent and has a great sense of humor. Not as good as yours though." Toby typed back.
"She sounds pretty awesome." Happy sighed.
"Too early to say awesome. I'll wait until after the date to make that call." Toby told her.
"Well I need to get my homework done. Hiney a great rest of your day." Happy typed with a smirk.
Toby laughed.
"Thanks for that. Hope we get a chance to chat tomorrow." Toby sent back.
Happy sighed as she disconnected. She knew Toby was too old for her. But something about him appealed to her. She thought maybe it was just the fact that he was willing to try to quit drinking for her. Something her own Father wouldn't do. But she knew she was only ten and didn't need to think about this kind of stuff for a few more years.
"Dr Tobias Curtis?" A man with an obvious law enforcement bearing and suit stood there behind Toby.
"That would be…me." Toby said as he looked up from signing off with Happy.
"Agent Nick Manas, Secret Service." Nick held out his hand.
"Secret Service? That's a new one. How can I help you?" Toby asked as he shook his hand.
Nick gestured towards the spare chair Toby smiled with a nod.
Nick sat down.
"Do you know anything about your records being deleted from the local authorities?" Nick asked.
"That's a bizarre question, what would a Federal agent be doing looking into some kind of local mishap?" Toby asked.
"That isn't an answer." Nick pointed out.
"No, that is a very intriguing question." Toby smiled.
"Do you know who Happy Dineen is?" Nick asked.
"My guess is you already know who she is, so why would you need to have me tell you?" Toby asked.
"I don't need you to tell me, I'm just wondering what it says since you are communicating with a ten year old minor." Nick told him.
"Ten? She's supposed to be fourteen." Toby frowned.
"You think four years makes it any better?" Nick asked.
"Whoa, back the accusation truck up. We haven't done anything wrong. And if she was fourteen that would make her four years younger than I am. But she was part of my dissertation project as penpals. Since we got an odd number of students and my algorithm wasn't able to match her with anyone I wrote to her to let her know. We just talk sometimes. Nothing more." Toby defended himself.
"Eighteen?" Nick asked not altogether believing him.
Toby just nodded.
"Well I'm sure her Father might not see it as harmless as you. So, just take it easy from here on out." Nick told him before he stood up. "Have a great rest of your day." Nick smiled and left.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
RiseOfDespair - LOL Well, normally when I start a new story I start it labeled as "Secrets 01" and each chapter goes 1 up. When I started Callan I started the first chapter as "Callan 0001". That was how excited I was with the idea. Most stories I have a set idea of 10-20 chapters. Callan I have no idea of how many chapters there will be. I would be disappointed if 200 was the end but, I have no idea, as long as it speaks, I will write it.
Railman - He was rather remarkable. Let us hope it sticks!
Pearliegirl - Sadly this site strips emails and websites from communications, including private messages. So I have no idea what your email is. Some links can be put into a profile such as I have my Twitter link in mine.
2LawDog - He did good!
Margaret - Absolutely!
To the Adventure! -Tim