Post by jessa4865 on Dec 29, 2004 20:46:56 GMT -5
______continued from 4a_______
"You planning on shooting me?"
"Huh?" He followed her eyes and realized she was staring at the gun clutched in his hand. He tucked it into the holster he'd never removed from the previous day.
"Maybe you just wanted me to get up so you could get dressed. But really, you don't need to resort to violence." She sat up and stretched her arms out over her head; her slow, relaxed movements belying the tense situation.
"Yeah, I, uh, I'm going to take a shower." He had no excuse for why he'd been watching her; he could only be thankful that she hadn't called him on it.
She stood up and cross the room to where the cats were still sleeping. She bit her lips as she looked back at Scotty. "I'm really sorry about this."
"About what?" His mind searched for what she could be sorry about; the cats had been model guests as far as he was concerned. She was shoeing them away from the spot they'd curled up on - one of his black suit coats. He watched as she brushed her hand across the fabric, sending fur flying in every direction. She looked truly apologetic and he felt bad that she even thought he'd be mad. "Don't worry about it. It'll come out at the cleaners."
She grimaced. "Not necessarily. I'll buy you a new one if it doesn't."
"You're not buying me a whole new suit. If it doesn't come out, then I've learned an important lesson about hanging up my clothes."
"But you looked so nice in this one."
He smiled at her words - she probably hadn't meant to say them. He was glad she'd noticed because it was one of his favorites and he'd always thought he looked good in it. "I look nice in all my suits, don't I?"
"That's true." She blushed and dropped the jacket back on the floor before she turned it back on him. "I bet you'd look good in anything, Scotty."
He didn't have a comeback ready. He hadn't been expecting her to flirt with him like that. He stepped past her and picked a suit out of the closet. "I'm taking the first shower cause I think you'll use up all the hot water. I know about you girls and your long showers."
"I don't think I'm going to bother with a shower. Somehow looking disheveled when you're clean seems more pathetic than when you're dirty." She looked down and picked at the hem of her oversized sweatshirt self-consciously.
He blamed it on the lack of sleep when he approached her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before she had a chance to look up at him. "I think you look adorable."
Her eyes met his and he could almost see the myriad of emotions dancing across them. One side of her mouth crept up in a wry smile. "Let's just hope Stillman feels the same way."
He shrugged. "Or not." He didn't want to think of anyone else feeling the same way about her. He knew it was odd that he wanted it to be exclusive; he wanted to be the only one to protect her. He decided it was because he didn't trust anyone else to do it right.
"Yeah, maybe not." Her eyes darted to his lips for a moment. "I think it might be a little awkward if he kissed me." Scotty grinned on his way into the bathroom - to him, her comment meant that his kiss hadn't been awkward.
The conversation returned to their normal level of banter after he showered. Scotty actually enjoyed getting ready for work with her there - especially when he was shaving and she popped her head in the bathroom to ask if she could borrow his toothbrush. He nodded and went back to shaving, making room for her to join him in front of the sink. While she brushed, Scotty said a silent prayer that she never peek in his medicine cabinet and discover the spare toothbrush he kept for mornings when a woman spent the night. He liked the idea of her using his, but he quickly ignored the thought. He was glad for the relaxed mood, for the calm that seemed to exist between them. After not getting any sleep, he wasn't really in any shape to deal with stress.
But the calm didn't last long. They'd already decided to talk to Stillman first thing and Scotty had already decided he was going to insist that Lilly be placed in protective custody, although he kept that to himself. The lieutenant hadn't arrived yet when they walked in; in fact, there were only a few cops in the building at that early hour.
Scotty saw the box first and unconsciously reached for Lilly's arm, wanting to keep her from seeing it. Under normal circumstances, he would have had a good time teasing her for the long box with the beautiful box that only came from florists. It wasn't normal circumstances, though, and he had to watch in horror as Lilly slowly lifted the lid.
She was scared; he could tell by the way she held his eyes as she opened it. Her chin trembled when she looked down, taking in the dozen dead roses inside.
It was the card that finally made the tears fall - it simply read "See you soon, my dear."
"You planning on shooting me?"
"Huh?" He followed her eyes and realized she was staring at the gun clutched in his hand. He tucked it into the holster he'd never removed from the previous day.
"Maybe you just wanted me to get up so you could get dressed. But really, you don't need to resort to violence." She sat up and stretched her arms out over her head; her slow, relaxed movements belying the tense situation.
"Yeah, I, uh, I'm going to take a shower." He had no excuse for why he'd been watching her; he could only be thankful that she hadn't called him on it.
She stood up and cross the room to where the cats were still sleeping. She bit her lips as she looked back at Scotty. "I'm really sorry about this."
"About what?" His mind searched for what she could be sorry about; the cats had been model guests as far as he was concerned. She was shoeing them away from the spot they'd curled up on - one of his black suit coats. He watched as she brushed her hand across the fabric, sending fur flying in every direction. She looked truly apologetic and he felt bad that she even thought he'd be mad. "Don't worry about it. It'll come out at the cleaners."
She grimaced. "Not necessarily. I'll buy you a new one if it doesn't."
"You're not buying me a whole new suit. If it doesn't come out, then I've learned an important lesson about hanging up my clothes."
"But you looked so nice in this one."
He smiled at her words - she probably hadn't meant to say them. He was glad she'd noticed because it was one of his favorites and he'd always thought he looked good in it. "I look nice in all my suits, don't I?"
"That's true." She blushed and dropped the jacket back on the floor before she turned it back on him. "I bet you'd look good in anything, Scotty."
He didn't have a comeback ready. He hadn't been expecting her to flirt with him like that. He stepped past her and picked a suit out of the closet. "I'm taking the first shower cause I think you'll use up all the hot water. I know about you girls and your long showers."
"I don't think I'm going to bother with a shower. Somehow looking disheveled when you're clean seems more pathetic than when you're dirty." She looked down and picked at the hem of her oversized sweatshirt self-consciously.
He blamed it on the lack of sleep when he approached her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before she had a chance to look up at him. "I think you look adorable."
Her eyes met his and he could almost see the myriad of emotions dancing across them. One side of her mouth crept up in a wry smile. "Let's just hope Stillman feels the same way."
He shrugged. "Or not." He didn't want to think of anyone else feeling the same way about her. He knew it was odd that he wanted it to be exclusive; he wanted to be the only one to protect her. He decided it was because he didn't trust anyone else to do it right.
"Yeah, maybe not." Her eyes darted to his lips for a moment. "I think it might be a little awkward if he kissed me." Scotty grinned on his way into the bathroom - to him, her comment meant that his kiss hadn't been awkward.
The conversation returned to their normal level of banter after he showered. Scotty actually enjoyed getting ready for work with her there - especially when he was shaving and she popped her head in the bathroom to ask if she could borrow his toothbrush. He nodded and went back to shaving, making room for her to join him in front of the sink. While she brushed, Scotty said a silent prayer that she never peek in his medicine cabinet and discover the spare toothbrush he kept for mornings when a woman spent the night. He liked the idea of her using his, but he quickly ignored the thought. He was glad for the relaxed mood, for the calm that seemed to exist between them. After not getting any sleep, he wasn't really in any shape to deal with stress.
But the calm didn't last long. They'd already decided to talk to Stillman first thing and Scotty had already decided he was going to insist that Lilly be placed in protective custody, although he kept that to himself. The lieutenant hadn't arrived yet when they walked in; in fact, there were only a few cops in the building at that early hour.
Scotty saw the box first and unconsciously reached for Lilly's arm, wanting to keep her from seeing it. Under normal circumstances, he would have had a good time teasing her for the long box with the beautiful box that only came from florists. It wasn't normal circumstances, though, and he had to watch in horror as Lilly slowly lifted the lid.
She was scared; he could tell by the way she held his eyes as she opened it. Her chin trembled when she looked down, taking in the dozen dead roses inside.
It was the card that finally made the tears fall - it simply read "See you soon, my dear."
