The phone rang twice in the Lipshitz house before Harry reached over to the end table, still thoroughly engrossed in the baseball cards in front of him. He picked it up just as it was about to ring a third time. "Hello?" he mumbled, still concentrating on the new pile of cards he had been lucky to find at a flea market. He knew right away who was on the other end. Suddenly he began to feel his ulcer act up.
"Cap? I did something stupid just now!" Cap shrugged his shoulders, slightly annoyed. "Lorenzo...what's new about that. You have done many stupid things since the day I met you! Oh, boy," Harry said, rubbing his stomach now as he thought of something. Lorenzo had never called him before in any of those situations. If he was doing it now, he must have really have done a doozey this time. "Lorenzo! Just what did you do this time anyway!"
"Well...Rita met some guy, some Mel Gibson wanna be. Anyway, he's been calling her a lot lately ...and you remember the roses she got yesterday...they were from him. He's like a lost puppy the way he follows her around. And, well, today at lunch while we were eating outside by the roach coach, he just came right up to her and asked her if she would go out to dinner with him tonight!"
Harry could hear the strain in Chris' voice as he continued "He's all wrong for her Cap...and I don't like the looks of him... You should have seen how he was looking at her... like a starved wolf, and so... well...”
"Lorenzo, I'm a man on the brink of death here, I don't have forever. What did you do?!” Harry barked out.
" Well... I told him to get lost... and of course Rita didn't appreciate that."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he wiped away the nervous sweat that had suddenly appeared above his brow. "Lorenzo, you're right. That was stupid, and so is calling me at home when I'm off duty."
"Look, Cap... I'm sorry. It's just that now that I made Rita mad, she is trying to prove something to me. She said something like what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Cap, what do you think she meant by that?"
"Hold on Lorenzo. Let me get Franny on the phone." He scurried off, looking for Fran to come and help as only she could. She had the motherly knowledge that Chris needed right now, even if she wasn't actually a mother, or never had been. She thought of Chris and Rita as her own children, and that seemed to be enough to bring out any maternal instincts that existed within her. Not that he didn't care about Chris and Rita as his own, because he did... more then he probably should, being their captain, as he was.
Franny arrived a few moments later, wiping her hands on a dishtowel before picking up the receiver. "Chris dear? Heschy said something about you having trouble with Rita? What exactly did you say to her Chris?"
"Nothing really... I only took her aside and I told her I didn't like the guy. There is something about him... and she asked me what. It isn't anything I can put my finger on, but.... Fran, she got so hostile about it... well... I kind of forbid her to go out with him. I know...that wasn't the way to deal with it and all, but Fran, she made me so angry. And now she is going out with this doofus just to prove to me she can and that I have no say about it whatsoever.”
"Christopher Lorenzo! I 'm a bit disappointed with you, in your behavior......but not surprised really I suppose.." Chris had expected to hear words of advice, maybe even some sympathy, but not this. Fran usually understood him better then he did himself.
“Look, I know I goofed, Fran, but I was hoping you could help me. I need someone to try and talk some common sense into Rita before she goes out with this guy tonight. No matter what I did it for her, Fran, every instinct in me tells me to keep him away from Rita! I'm worried about her."
"Now Chris... listen to me... You know as well as I do why you hate the idea of Rita going out with this man. But until you are honest with your feelings and face up to it,then there's not a thing I can do to help you. Rita is an intelligent and grown woman... and it is her choice as to who she goes out with, not yours, and certainly not mine. You can't expect her to submit all her dates for your approval so you can grant her your permission to go out with them. The way you are, that poor girl would never get out."
"And there is something wrong with that?" Chris only meant it as a joke, but as he said it, he realized apart of him really did mean it. He hated to see Rita get hurt, and if he had his way, he would keep her from getting involved in any situation that ended with him having to to comfort her over.
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It was 7:15 and Rita was stalling. She had exactly 45 minutes to get ready for her date and yet she was still sitting on her bed, in her slip, staring at her hands. "Damn that man!" She whispered fiercely. "How could Chris do that to me?" She thought back to that afternoon. She closed her eyes. There he was across the table from her - smiling, laughing, as he shared his desert with her. And then there was the way he touched her hand, so gentle, yet with a hint of tender passion in what could be... in what she wished could be. She smiled to herself, before the sweet memory quickly faded. In it's place was what had taken place only a few moments later, when Justin Mitchell walked up to them and interrupted their lunch to ask her out to dinner. She could swear she heard Chris practically growl at Justin, as he sat there, sizing up the man who stood before them, his eyes leering lustfully at her body, but never meeting her own eyes. Chris had told Justin to "Get lost", his voice thick with anger and at first she was glad, almost appreciative of his support. But then suddenly, all these new feelings rose up from deep within her, and she couldn't help but feel an annoyance at Chris and the way he was acting...as if he was her father, or maybe her big brother...as if she was a helpless little female who needed his protection. She wanted to be more to him than that.
"You know Justin...I think I'll take you up on that dinner after all...I could useight out. What time did you have in mind?" Her words were out even before she had given them any thought. Chris stared hard at her, then excused them and pulled her away from the table.
"Are you crazy Sam? You don't even know this guy?"Chris urgently whispered His instincts had kicked into maximum overdrive.
"Chris, I've run into him several times already. He works downstairs in the records department. He seems nice enough."
"Nice enough? Rita, how would yorly 'm telling you Sam, I don't think it's a good idea to go out with him...I've got bad vibes about this guy... No, no Sam, the more I think about it, the more I know I'm right. Tell him you just remembered you have plans."
"Chris! I'm not gonna tell him that.. Besides, I don't have plans" She hesitated, before hopefully adding "That is unless you want to do something together... maybe we could have a movie and pizza night at my place?"
Chris winced. That plan sounded great to him... anything to keep her from going out with this guy... but then there was Jackie... and he had waited two weeks to get the chance to take her out... Besides, he owed her that, being called away last week for another homicide. He wouldn't get another chance with her again. “Ah... Sam, I can't... sorry, I got plans."
Rita took a deep breath inwards as she straightened her posture. "Ah...right. Jackie...I forgot. Well see then, this works out perfectly, doesn't it? You go out with your date, and I'll go out with mine." She turned to walk away.
“Rita, I don't trust this guy," Chris' voice took on a more authoritative tone. "I forbid you to go out with him... I mean it!" Rita turned to face him, and he could see the rebellion and hostility she was feeling appear on her face, but he didn't care. He was only looking out for her...
Rita couldn't believe his audacity. Sure, he was her best friend, and she understood that his protectiveness came as part of the package, but damn....he had no right!
"No Sam, don't give me that look... ,he's not your type and you know that! Where is your common sense?" That was it... the words were out of his mouth before he had the chance to think them through first.
"Why don't you ask Jackie that question?" And then she was gone.
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This whole thing had gotten out of hand. Chris had gone way too far this time. Why was it alright for him to date every Bambi and Candy that came his way, and her dates had to pass his approval? She needed to prove a point to him. She couldn't back down then, so she had mumbled something inane about "goose and ganders" and then stormed off back to Justin so they could plan their evening out.
Rita stood up and made her way to the mirror- smoothing down the short blue sequin dress she was wearing. She reached for her perfume, dabbed some on her neck, behind her ears, and on her wrists. After a moment of debating about it, she dabbed a bit more behind her knees as well. Who knew what the night would bring? Justin was a nice looking man...and she was a grown woman who could make her own damn decisions. As she fixed her hair one last time, she thought of Chris' great Lorenzo smile.
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Rita was dressed and nervously waiting by 7:45. At exactly 8 0' clock, her doorbell rang. She put on her smile and opened the door. Justin Mitchell was a nice looking man at least, she thought. And he was sweet in an over eager kind of way. He just needed more confidence, Rita decided. He was just different from Chris. That's all.
"Hi Rita. You look lovely! He smiled shyly at her. "I hope I'm not late." He stared at her, but still his eyes couldn't directly meet hers. For some reason this bothered her, but she shrugged it off.
"Oh! I got these for you." He handed her a dozen roses.
Rita took them, They're beautiful," she whispered, thinking about the single rose Chris brought to her every day...except today... She put the roses into a vase, and Justin chivalrously helped her put a light wrap around her shoulders before they walked out the door. He was very charming, Rita thought... and when he opened her car door for her and helped her to sit, Rita couldn't help but be impressed by his gentlemanly ways. Chris had been raised the same way by his grandmother. What was Chris' problem anyway? He's just too protective of you, she told herself. They would need to have a talk, and soon. Best friends or not, he just had no right to tell her who she could date and who she couldn't. After all that was all they were... just each others best friend... nothing more, right?
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Justin drove them to THE BELMONT INN, a new restaurant over in West Palm Beach, that had once been an old barn, but was now converted into the newest rage for fine dining. After being escorted to a table in a corner by the firplace, Justin pulled out her chair, and Rita sat down, impressed by her surroundings. She smiled as Justin seated himself across from her, and the waiter handed him the wine list.
An hour later, after they had eaten all of the delicious lobster dinner that Justin had ordered for them, Rita excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. Justin stood as she left the table and watched her go into the ladies lounge. He glanced around, and then unseen by anyone, he took a tiny bag from his pocket and poured it's contents into her wine glass and then added more of the wine. He quickly stirred the powder and sat back to wait for his date to come back.
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At first he was just going to take Fran’s advice and give up...after all, he knew she was right about one thing. Rita was a grown woman, and he had no right to decide for her who she dated. She could take care of herself. Besides, he had a date with Jackie tonight, and the thought of her, the the way she had swung those hips of hers as she walked away from him ....Chris smiled to himself as he stared into the mirror and tightened his tie. He had been looking forward to this night all week. All he needed to do now was to put any thoughts of Rita out of his mind.
It wasn't as easy though. Remembering the way she had smiled at him that day at lunch... the way she nodded her head slightly at something he had said... how soft her skin felt when he held her hand for that brief moment... and then the fire he saw in her eyes as he forbid her to go out with Justin. Oh Sammy.... he thought to himself.
What was he doing? As hard as he tried, he couldn't get her out of his mind. And why did it bother him so much when she had been so delighted over the dozen of roses Justin had sent her yesterday? Didn't he bring her one every day ?
He turned the radio on to distract his mind while he finished getting ready, but every song he heard reminded him of her, and his mood didn't change any for the better. He just felt worse. What was she doing at that moment, he wondered? This Justin character had better not try anything with her, or else...." Or else what, Christopher?" he could hear Rita’s words in his mind
Or else I'll kill the bastard. Chris said aloud to his reflection in the mirror.
In the background, a song began to play on the radio. All these songs about love.....Chris had enough, and walked over to turn it off... no matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking of her....
The words of the song currently playing caught his attention. Of course he had heard the song before, but now suddenly it held a new meaning for him and hit close to home. He pulled his hand away from the button....listening as he heard the word friendship.
I can't fight this feeling any longer,
I only wish I had the strength to let it show, ,
I tell myself that I can't hold out forever,
I say there is no reason for my fear,
'Cause I feel so secure when we're together,
You give my life direction,
You make everything so clear,
And even as I wander,
I'm keeping you in sight,
You're a candle in the window
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for,
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for,
And if I have to crawl upon the floor,
Come crashin' through your door, baby,
I can't fight this feeling anymore
My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you,
I've been runnin 'round in circles in my mind,
And it always seems that I'm following you, girl,
'Cause you take me to the places
That I know I'd never find,
And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight,
You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might
And I can't fight this feeling anymore,
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for,
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars forever...
'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore,
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for,
And if I have to crawl upon the floor,
Come crashin' through your door, baby,
I can't fight this feeling anymore .
As he sat there listening to the song play, Fran’s words came back to him.
"You know as well as I do why you hate the idea of Rita going out with this man. But until you are honest with your feelings and face up to it, there's not a thing I can do to help you. "
Yes, it was true, and he had to admit it to himself. Rita had become more to him then just his best friend. He had been having feelings for her that one shouldn't have for a friend, and his dreams of her at night continued to torment him during the days. Hell, the thoughts he had been havingof her lately were more like what he had accused Justin of today. No...not quite,he placated himself. There was a difference between him and Justin Mitchell , one that he was positive of. Justin was after only one thing with Rita. He didn't know her, didn't know how special she was, and he couldn't care less what happened to her after he was done with her.
Chris's only consolation was that he did know Rita, and he knew she wasn't likely to cooperate with Justin’s plans for the night .One thing he was sure of was that whether she was out to prove a point to him or not, Rita had a good head on her shoulders, and she could handle any doofus that came her way.
He cancelled his date with Jackie. He just didn't have the heart to go out with her anymore, not when his mind whirled with so many conflicting feelings for Rita. Besides it really wouldn't be fair to either of them. He needed to do some heavy thinking about these new found feelings for his best friend. Damn, he thought...what was happening to him?
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Rita stood in front of the mirror, pretending to fix her hair as she stalled before having to go back out to Justin. Going out with him had been a mistake, and she felt bad to have used him just to prove something to Chris. She wasn't even sure what it had been she had set out to do anyway at this point. All she knew was that poor Justin was waiting out there, trying his best to impress her, and all she could do was think about Chris.
Justin had spent the evening trying to make pleasant conversation with her, and for the most part she sat and pretended to be engrossed with his small talk while she sipped at her wine. How much had she already drunken? She wasn't sure.
Sighing, she knew she couldn't hide in there forever, and she decided she would simply ,apologize to him, and then ask him to take her home, maybe tell him she wasn't feeling very well. She would thank him for the evening, and insist on paying for her own dinner, but she couldn't keep up the pretense that she was having a wonderful time with him any longer. He was a charming man, and he probably could date any woman he chose, if he only had more confidence in himself. His date shouldn't have another man on her mind.
Justin rose when she came to the table, and before Rita could end the evening, he pulled out her chair for her again. "I took the liberty of ordering the most delectable chocolate mousse for our desert. Ah, ah, ah" he said shaking his finger at her as she started to protest. "Don't tell me your watching your figure, Rita. Trust me darling, you have nothing to worry about, and the chef won a blue ribbon for this mousse....I insist you try it, really, you'll find it just melts in your mouth."
Rita sighed, and gave in. What was a few more minutes when he had gone to so much expense for her this evening, offering her only the best. He had already ordered it, and she hated to disappoint him. Besides, perhaps the evening would end on a better note for him if she at least finished the dinner with him. Their desert arrived, and Justin watched as she took a small bite. The mousse was heavenly, but Rita didn't think she could manage any more of it. All she wanted to do was to go home and crawl into her bed. With Chris...the thought actually shocked her. Christopher Lorenzo... her best friend...her partner.... and yet she couldn't deny what she felt for him any more. Every waking thought was of him. He was in her every dream at night... Damn, Rita Lee Lance, what is wrong with you?! He is your best friend....and besides, he doesn't feel the same way about you, and if you don't find a way to get over this ,your gonna loose him for good. At this very moment, he is out with Jackie.....
Rita reached over and sipped some more of the wine. It had a soothing affect on the turmoil that was within her. She slowly finished the rest, and as Justin offered her more, Rita smiled shyly. One more wouldn't hurt........
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Chris found himself in his car, first driving to his and Rita’s spot on the beach, staring solemnly out into the dark ocean, wishing that she was there with him. He didn't stay long there though, it just wasn't the same when Rita wasn't there with him.
Before he knew it, he found himself sitting in his parked car, staring at her windows. There was a single light on, but he knew she wasn't home. She always kept that light on. Damn, Sammy, he thought to himself. How could you go out with that guy? A thought came to him then. How could he consider going out with Jackie though? He had even bragged about that date all week to Rita. And then today he had practically ordered her to stay home alone... What a jerk he was. When Rita got home, he knew he had to at the very least apologize to her, and maybe ,maybe.......should he tell her what his feelings were for her? He turned on the car radio, then settled himself back to wait for his partner to come home,listening to the radio as memories played across his mind.
What if I never knew
What if I never found you
I'd never have this feeling in my heart
How did this come to be
I don't know how you found me
But from the moment I saw you
Deep inside my heart I knew
Baby you're my destiny
You and I were meant to be
With all my heart and soul
I give my love to have and hold
And as far as I can see
You were always meant to be my destiny
I wanted someone like you
Someone that I could hold on to
And give my love until the end of time
But forever was just a word
Something I'd only heard about
But now you're always there for me
When you say forever I believe
Baby you're my destiny,
You and I were meant to be
With all my heart and soul
I give my love to have and hold
And as far as I can see
You were always meant to be my destiny
Maybe all we need is just a little faith
'Cause baby I believe that love will find the way
Baby you're my destiny
You and I were meant to be
With all my heart and soul
I give my love to have and hold
And as far as I can see
From now until eternity
You were always meant to be my destiny.
It was a very pretty song , Chris thought He wished he could say those exact words to Rita. Memories of her flashed through his mind as it played. Her smiling back at him... .the way it felt when he held her in his arms.......Hell, everything reminded him of Rita these days.
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Rita knew she had had too much wine after all. She felt a bit woozy, and nauscius. Great she thought... at least now I have a good reason for Justin to take me home. She leaned on his arm as they left the restarant, and tried clearly to make her wished known to him. Justin patted her arm and assured her he didn't mind taken her home. He helped her into the car, and Rita leaned back, closing her eyes. She was feeling worse every minute and couldn't wait to get home. As the car started up and Justin drove her home, she tried to keep herself from feeling sick. It wasn't easy. Several times she must have drifted off, because she would awaken with a start, fighting the waves of nausea that arose with her. She must be coming down with the flu, she thought. No wonder she hadn't been feeling herself all night.
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Justin stopped the car, and got out, walking over to the passenger side and opened the door. Rita had drifted off to sleep again, and he shook her slightly .He smiled to himself. She was struggling to stay conscious now, and soon she would be completely out of it. He pulled her out, and she awoke, the fresh air, and his shaking her, bringing her around briefly. She looked at him, and for a second didn't know who he was, or why he was there. She almost didn't care either. All she wanted was to be left alone so she could go back to sleep.
"Come on Rita, I'll help you up to your place." Justin’s words sounded mumbled, but still they echoed in her ears, and she shook her head, not really comprehending them. She allowed him to support her with his arm around her waist as they walked into her building and up the stairs.
Justin took her keys from her purse. It was always so easy, he thought. Let a little charm ooze ...add a little powder into their drink, and they were all yours. Everything was going along as planned. Then again, it always did.
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Chris watched as a car pulled up, and then Justin Mitchell stepped out. He went around to open Rita’s door. What a crock....Chris thought. Who did this guy think he was fooling? He still couldn't believe that Rita was being led on by him. She usually had better instincts then that. Then again, Rita hadn't heard the way he talked in the men’s locker room, or the way he bragged about his lady conquests. Not that anyone actually believed him...Up until today, Chris had thought the guy was all talk,and he was a pretty good judge of character himself. However....today as Justin was looking at his Sammy...he saw the look in his eyes, and what he had seen there, he didn't like at all.
Chris watched as Rita leaned into Justin, holding him close.......as they walked up to her apartment building... saw how he held her tightly to him. Her head was down, but he saw Justin smile as he looked down at her. He wanted to go after them, to kick the shit out of Justin, but he couldn't move. What was Rita thinking?
Another memory came back to him now What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Rita’s exact words....
And then as he watched them through the glass door as they climbed the first set of steps that led to her landing, he saw Rita stumble up the step. She straightened up, but a few steps later, she stumbled again. Chris saw Justin reach down to help her up, saw that he was practically pulling her at her shoulders. He sat there, debating for only a second or two about what was going on, but by the time he was out of the car and in the building, Rita and Justin were already inside and the door closed. Last minute thoughts forced him to ignore every instinct in him and turn away. If he was wrong, and he interrupted them, Rita would be more angry with him than she already was. This was just something he would have to learn to deal with. He slowly walked down the steps, noticing something gold on one of them. Rita’s detective shield. It must have fallen out of her purse.....maybe she hadn't stumbled after all.....had just dropped her purse and then leaned down to pick up the spilled contents. Then again, it wasn't like Rita to overlook anything, especially her gold shield. Surely that would have caught her attention over a brush or compact.
Chris picked it up, and decided to go back and give it to Rita. He would pretend that he had just arrived from his date...wanted to apologize to her for his behavior that afternoon, which wasn't a lie. He would tell her he found this... nothing wrong with any of that. It was the truth. Well, most of it anyway.
He was just about to knock on her door when he heard something crash, and then a small cry...no more like a helpless whimper. His key was out and the door crashed open against the wall inside all with ten seconds. He saw Rita, laying on the sofa, the coffee table pushed out of the way, and a small lamp knocked to the floor. Justin was over her, undoing his belt. A blinding hot white anger rose from within him as he realized that Rita hadn't moved when he barged in. She seemed to be asleep, or unconscious... and her dress was torn open, revealing the soft white flesh underneath.
"What the hell..." The words were cut short from him as he began to understand what was going on. He pounced on Justin like a raging bull, knocking him to the floor, his clenched fist smashing into the man’s face as he cried out in shock, and then pain. If it wasn't for the fact that he saw Rita still laying there motionless on the sofa, Chris could have easily beaten the bastard to death, he believed. However his concern was more for Rita, and so he yanked Justin up with his hair, and pulled him along over to Rita’s desk ,where he knew she kept an extra pair of handcuffs. He dragged the wailing man outside to the terrace and cuffed him to the railing. Justin looked at him, wiping away the blood that was running down his face.
"What's your problem, man....You can't just barge in here, and go off like some wild animal, Lorenzo!"
Chris had acted so fast, was so furious, that he was out of breath. He breathed heavily, as he looked at Justin. "Be grateful your still alive. Do yourself a favor and shut up....or I swear, I'll throw you head first over this railing."
Justin knew when he was beat, at least for now, he thought. He shut up, and using the sleeve of his shirt, wiped more of the blood that was running down his face.
He wasn't prepared for the final assault from his captor, as Chris kicked him right in his middle .
"That's from Rita." Chris said, unable to control his desire to do this man harm. He fought the urge within him to do anymore, and went inside, pulling the glass door closed. He walked over to Rita, who hadn't moved an inch.
"Sam? Sammy??? Can you hear me?" He shook her, hoping to revive her, but got nothing. Man, if this bastard hurt his Sammy, he didn't care what happened to him, this guy was dead meat. “Rita, answer me, please, honey... wake up." Chris lifted her arm, checking her wrist for a pulse. It was there, strong and steady, even if it seemed a bit slow. He laid her on the sofa in a more comfortable position, covered her with a throw blanket, then went to the phone to call for backup and an ambulance.
The rage that he had first felt continued to build within him as he made his way to the phone,never taking his eyes off his Sammy.After he had made the calls, he took Rita’s gun from the drawer and opened the terrace. He walked over to Justin and pulled the gun from his pocket holding it against the guys throat.
"What the hell did you give her ,you maggot?"
Justin smiled. "Nothing. She had too much to drink though. The lady’s a lush."
Chris took the safety off, readying to pull the trigger, as he grabbed at Justin’s shirt. "You tell me what drugs you have in her, or I swear, you won't live to regret those words."
"I slipped her a mickey man.....It won't hurt her...she'll just sleep through the night. She won't remember any of this." Justin chuckeled, as if letting Chris in on a joke. "No harm done, really. Just a little fun, that's all."
Chris grabbed at Justin’s shirt harder, twisting it until he could hear the maggot choking. "I'll show you what harm it's done," he grunted, feeling a desperate need to pull the trigger.
It was the sirens pulling up that saved Justin’s life, and nothing else. Chris saw the ambulance, and again he focused on what his priority was, and let Justin go, shoving him. This sicko disgusted him so much, hell, he wasn't worth it, he thought. Chris went back inside to lead the paramedics up to Rita.
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Three hours later, Chris, Cap and Franny had just about driven the hospital staff crazy as the anxiously waited word about Rita. Chris had objected every time the door was opened and he was prevented from going inside to where Rita was, while Fran became a permanent fixture at the nurses station as she tried to pry anything and everything out of them, even offering her own suggestions for Rita’s treatment. Meanwhile, Cap either paced around the hallway with Chris, them both getting into trouble, or he was on the phone issuing orders to his officers back at the station that Justin was to get the full extent of every possible charge brought against him.
Finally a doctor came out, and the three quickly gathered around him as he told them that Rita’s stomach had been pumped, and that she would be perfectly fine in a day or two. She would probably remain groggy through the night, and would need to rest tomorrow.
"She can go home tonight, if she has someone to look after her. She shouldn't be left alone for twenty -four hours. Is there someone who can keep an eye on her?"
Dr. Kelley wasn't surprised that all three nodded, relieved and already planning for Rita’s care. He went over her discharge instructions with all three of them, and signed the papers, wishing that all his patients were so lucky. This lady had had a close call, and perhaps she might be traumatized by it, but at least she had a close family to see her through.
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Chris walked into the room where Rita was laying on a bed, her eyes closed. She looked vulnerable to him now, in a way he had never seen her before. He swallowed hard, feeling a lump growing in his chest. Someone had tried to hurt his Sammy. What if he had just walked away as he had first intended to? A tear rolled down his cheek as he thought of what could have happened. He gently took Rita’s hand into his, and brought it to his lips, placing a tender kiss on it. As he lowered her hand back to her side, he noticed her eyes open.
"Hey you?" she smiled weakly at him.
"Hey! How are you feeling?"
"Well..." she lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed "exhausted... a little confused...and a lot embarrassed."
Chris wiped some hair off her forehead. "No...Sammy...you have nothing to be embarrassed of......you did nothing wrong. I'm just so sorry ......for everything, Sammy." Chris couldn't stop the tears now as they broke through.
Rita reached up, wiping away his tears. "Chris...please...don't...." She began to cry at seeing him cry. "Chris...it's not your fault... you have nothing to be sorry for... you were there for me.... as always... thank you, Sam," She whispered.
"No need for thanks, Sammy. Anytime." Chris said, forcing himself to stop feeling so emotional at the moment. . He knew once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop, and now wasn't the time to bring up everything he wanted to tell her. She was weak and exhausted, and mostly, she just needed her best friend right now. And he was determined that it was her best friend who was by her side now.
"Ready to go home, Sammy?" he asked.
Rita nodded, at the same time that she frowned. Chris noticed ."What's wrong, sunshine?"
"Chris...could you .....would you stay over tonight.....you could sleep on the couch...would you mind?" she asked hesitantly.
"Oh, hey... Don't worry, Sammy... doctor’s orders, you know." Chris shrugged, then gave a small chuckle... "Unless, of course, you'd rather have Franny there. Her being an ex-nurse and all......I'm sure she already has your complete recovery all planned out ,right down to those special herbs of hers to clean out your system...Ha!."
"Don't you dare leave me alone with her ,Sam!" Rita whined, as she playfully slugged Chris' shoulder. He caught her hand, giving it yet another kiss, as they both looked into each others eyes, their hearts speaking words to each other that they couldn't say out loud.
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Cap drove them back to Rita’s place, and Franny supervised from the passenger seat. She divided her attention equally between her husband’s driving, and the couple in the back seat. Chris sat close beside Rita, his arm draped over her shoulders, as her head rested against his shoulder. She had her eyes closed, but she wasn't truly asleep. Just tired and weak, and wishing she could already be home in her bed.... and remembering that her last conscious thought from earlier that evening had been the same .
Every few minutes, Fran would turn around to ask her if she was feeling alright, or would chastise Chris for one reason or another. The first time had been because he should wrap his jacket around Rita...the second because he should have opened a window back there maybe an inch..... and then the third, because he had opened it a bit too much, and Rita could easily catch cold in her weakened state. Finally, Rita had to speak up. "Franny...I'm fine...really.'' She snuggled closer to Chris. "I'm quite comfy" Chris wrapped his other arm around Rita’s back, her chest now against his. He smiled gloatingly at Fran, who was watching from the rearview mirror.
She smiled back, wearing an even more gloatful smile at the same time as her "I know it all " look.
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Cap was the one who helped Chris to convince Franny that he and Rita would be just fine together that night without her help. After all, they wouldn't need anything, other then sleep.
Franny reluctantly gave in to their insistence that she go home with her husband, but only after she had assured them that she would be over first thing in the morning, no arguements.
Chris closed the door behind them, and went to sit with Rita on her sofa. She was quiet, and he grew concerned .
"You okay, Sam?" he asked as he sat beside her and drew her close to him.
"Yeah, I am...thanks to you" she smiled slightly at him. "Chris...It's so weird... I honestly can't remember any of it....except feeling sick and wishing I could be home....it's like after that...it's all a blank, you know? Like it never happened."
Chris placed a kiss on the top of her head, grateful that she couldn't remember anything. This would be hard enough to get past. "It's the drugs he gave you.... apparently they make a person so totally out of it.. and when they wake, they feel as if maybe they had too much to drink... and they don't remember a thing....It seems Justin used that on a lot of his dates...Cap said he had two other charges brought against him in the past, but nothing would stick on him....By the time the woman awoke ,any trace of the drug was gone, and because she had been drinking the previous night... on a date with the guy......He just walked, because nothing could be proved....It's date rape, Rita.....I'm just so glad you weren't his next victim."
"Me too...Chris....somehow, even though I don't remember any of it...and nothing happened...I'm still scared. I feel violated in some way....like he took something from me.....I don't know...maybe it's just because I have a gap in my memory....He took that time from me." Her voice began to fade, as if she was sure she wasn't making any sense to him....as if she was questioning her own feelings.
He hugged her tightly, understanding more then she knew. "It's okay for you to feel that way Sammy...he did take something from you...and not just some of your memory, but also your trust ,your sense of security....you lost that tonight. It's okay to feel afraid...Sammy....just know that I'm here for you...now and always, you know that, right?"
Rita smiled ,he thought maybe a bit sadly, as her arms wrapped around him and tightened in a fierce in a hug.
"Thank you Sam....I don't know what I'd do without you."
Chris stared across the room, thinking the same thing, as he held her in his arms. "Sammy, that is something neither of us will ever have to know....I promise you that."
Chris wanted so much to tell her right then, but he could see she was forcing herself to stay awake as her eyes would close, then quickly flutter widely open again. He laughed. "Come on Sammy...let's get you up to bed and tucked in. You need to get some sleep now."
He stood up, and pulled Rita with him. “Yeah...I am pretty beat. See ya in the morning Sam. Night." Rita’s words slurred together. She leaned in for a goodnight kiss and then swayed as she tried to keep herself balanced upright. Chris leaned down, and swept her into his arms. She must have been too tired to even protest, because she let him carry her up to her room and place her on the bed. She sat up, looking drowsily over to her dresser, and tried to stand again. Chris smiled at her. "Sammy...what do you need. I'll get it for you."
"A nightshirt. Top middle drawer."
Chris pulled out a light blue nightshirt for her, and brought it over to her. “Call me if you need anything else, Sam...I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you, ok?"
Rita nodded. After Chris left, she managed to take off the sweat shirt that Chris had brought for her to come home in and pull on the nightshirt. She still had to take off her jeans, but all her energy had been spent, and she laid back, just to rest for a moment before she took them off. When Chris came back in five minutes later, he found her sprawled across the bed, fast asleep, with her jeans still on. Chuckling to himself, he took them off for her, and positioned her more comfortably on the bed. She never awoke. He brought the covers over her, and kissed her forehead, and then her cheek. "I love you my sunshine. Sweet dreams." He hoped for her sake.
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Knowing her history with nightmares, he decided to sleep on the chair that sat next to her bed, just in case. He couldn't fall asleep, and so he watched her as she breathed softly, but never tossed or turned. Never once did she wake up crying, and Chris was thankful. This wasn't going to get the best of her, he realized. It had probably affected him more. The thought of what had almost happened to her still left a bitter feeling in his stomach. He loved her so much......he had come very close to killing Justin Mitchell tonight...well, last night...it was his last thought as he noticed that the clock read almost 3:30 am. .His eyes finally closed and he didn't wake until the sun was shining on them the next morning.
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Rita was still asleep when he woke, and he quietly tiptoed out of the room, and went downstairs. The smell of bacon and coffee greeted him, as well as Franny’s delighted smile. She was in a wonderful mood, happy to have the chance to play nurse for the day.... to someone other then her husband. Already she had a tray made up for Rita, sitting on the table, still waiting for the eggs to finish cooking. Poor Rita, he thought, already knowing what was in store for her that day, as he remembered the time Franny had nursed him .
Chris saw the roses that Justin brought to Rita the evening before. He dumped them into the trash, and after kissing Franny on the cheek and greeting her good morning, he dashed outside. He sneaked over to the yard next door, glanced quickly around, and snapped the biggest and prettiest rose off the bush. Only one.
Fran had just finished with Rita’s breakfast ,as Chris hurried inside and put the rose in a water glass and set it on her tray.
"Christopher...how sweet of you...but where did you get it?" asked Franny. She had noticed the dozen roses in the trash, and understood they must have been from that creep last night.
"Shh...don't tell.... I stole it from next door." Chris grinned sheepishly. Fran gave his butt a swat before ordering him to take Rita her breakfast.
"Hey... sleeping beauty... rise and shine... It's time to wake up... Fran made you breakfast." Chris whispered in to her ear, "Come on, Sammy... time to wake up."
Rita rolled over and groggily opened her eyes. Seeing Chris brought an immediate smile to her face.
"Morning Sammy...How ya feeling?" Chris asked, getting a kick at the way she was rubbing her eyes to wake up....almost like a child he thought.
"Morning already? Uhhh...." she said as she stretched "Umm...what's that I smell...coffee?" She asked, the smell waking her up more. She sat up, ready to get out of bed, but Chris pushed her back down. “No, no, Sammy...rest today, remember...I have your coffee right here." He placed the tray on her lap. Seeing the coffee right away, Rita reached for it. As she sipped the hot steaming liquid, she noticed the rose on the tray.
"Ah, Chris... you did this?'
"Fran made the breakfast....Oh, you mean that" he grinned as she took the rose and held it up to breath in it's scent.
She didn't know why exactly it's fragrance made her cry... partly because it brought back the image of the roses Justin had sent her...She thought of the dozen that she had left sitting on her desk yesterday....and suddenly she knew why the sight of that one single rose made her cry. Yesterday, Chris hadn't brought her one.......she remembered seeing right away the dozen of roses that had greeted her that morning. She remembered noticing though that the ever present vase that sat on her desk and usually held one single rose had been empty. She had noticed it's absence, but then the every day grind and routine had caught up with her, and she had forgotten about it...until now.
"Hey....what's wrong Sammy?" Chris gently wiped the tear away that he saw rolling down her cheek.
Rita felt embarrassed suddenly. How could she explain it to him...without giving away her true feelings? "It's nothing.....I'm sorry." She tried to change the subject.
"No Sammy, if something is making you feel sad, then I want to know what it is.... Did you remember something about last night?" His voice began to tighten with anger and worry as she spoke. He worried what she would tell him.
"No...it's not that...it's nothing really...silly actually." She said as she sniffed, and tried to force herself under control.
"So tell me then...What is it Rita?" He took her hand in his "You know you can tell me anything."
Rita smiled. "It's just that yesterday... when I came in to work...I looked for the rose, but it wasn't there..... and... and I guess I missed it. She sighed before going on. " Seeing this one just reminded me of that....I told you it was silly."
Chris swallowed hard. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He had bought a rose for her, as he did every day, but then he had come in to see the dozen of roses sitting on his partners desk waiting her arrival.... placing his one and only rose next to that beautiful bouquet just seemed a bit silly to him then....and if he admitted it to himself...maybe he had felt a bit sorry for himself........He had tossed the rose into his wastebasket where it stayed all day, slowly wilting. After he and Rita had had the argument yesterday, he had taken the rose with him, though he really wasn't sure why. It now rested between the blindfold over the drivers seat, and the roof of his car.
"I'll be right back,...I forgot something." Chris said as he quickly left her room. Rita closed her eyes, regretting that she had acted in such a way. Before she knew it, Chris was back . He hid something behind his back, as he approached her .
He seated himself by her side, and brought his hand out, holding a rose that was now practically dead. 'This was yesterdays rose....I threw it away because I thought me giving you just this one rose seemed kind of silly when you had that huge bouquet on your desk already......I didn't forget Sammy....Here" He said as he placed the rose in her hand.
Rita’s lower lip came out, and she made a sad, pathetic face for him, one that reminded him of the time he had given her a weed after being shot. He laughed, causing her to suddenly smile then, as she looked up into his eyes. Oh God......She had a way of just looking at him in a certain way and he would wilt ....just like the rose she held in her hand.
"Thank you Sam," she whispered softly. "It's really beautiful."
He smiled. "Ahh, Sammy...it's practically dead."
"No....I mean that you brought it to me....that you saved it.....It means a lot to me that you didn't forget it yesterday." She began to get misty again. I would rather have the one rose from you every day, then a dozen from anyone else in the world Sam. Oh darn...." she sighed,wishing that she could be more honest with him about why she wanted only his roses.
"Rita...did you really think I forgot?" He asked sadly. He hadn't realized that such a simple everyday gesture would make a difference to her. Or that his tossing the rose away would somehow hurt her. "I didn't think my one and only rose would matter to you, with all those others...I'm sorry Sammy."
"Chris...." She spoke, then became quiet again, and looked away from him. Should she tell him just how much it did matter. It wasn't the rose itself that she loved so much.,it was him.
Chris tilted her chin up so that he could see her eyes again. Her eyes had a language all their own . "What is it, Sammy?" He asked gently, not that she didn't need to say a word now... he knew what she had almost said. She was a reflection of his own soul.
He leaned in close to her and kissed away a teardrop, and then another, and another, his lips slowly trailing down her tearstained face to her lips. Her hand reached up behind his head, and her fingers played nervously in his hair. The kiss became more intense, and each could taste the promise of a lifetime. They quickly pulled apart, each staring questioningly into the others eyes.
She brought both hands to his face, tenderly caressing his cheek, both of them unable to tear their eyes away from the others. The words that each wanted and needed to say to the other weren't spoken aloud, but were understood anyway.
Chris tore his eyes away first, ending the moment with a kiss on her forehead before hastily getting up from her bed. Rita buried her face in her hands ,shaking her head. Anxious over what had just happened, he turned away, unsure of what he should say to her now. Rita was just as quiet. Neither of them were willing to be the first to deny the truth to the other, just in case....
They both knew what each felt for the other, and they both knew that the feelings they had for each other couldn't go any further. They were partners.... not to mention each others best friend.....there was a line that just couldn't be crossed, no matter what. Their relationship was about so much more.
Relief flooded into each of them as a knock sounded at the door. It was Franny. "Hey Chris...You left your cell phone downstairs and it just kept ringing, and ringing so I thought maybe it was Heschy. I answered it. A girl named Jackie called...said something about a third chance, that it must be destiny ... Make any sense to you?"
Fran glanced at Rita, then back at Chris “I'll tell her you'll call back later... maybe" she added as she was about to close the door. She wanted to kick herself..... Something had been happening with those two, and the way she figured it, it was about time. She only hoped she hadn't ruined things now by giving Chris that message. She knew she should have listened at the door first before knocking. Darn that Heschy, making her promise to behave herself over here!
Chris looked at Rita, but he could see none of what he had seen a moment before. Her eyes betrayed nothing now, and he knew she saw the same as she looked back at him. They smiled at each other.
"No Fran, that's all right...I'll take it." Chris called out to her before she was gone.
He looked back at Rita, sitting in the bed,and forcing a smile just for him. His happiness was all that mattered to her. She was amazing. What the hell, he thought.... "Que sera sera...whatever will be, will be..."
"Be back in a second Sammy" he said. "I think I have a date with destiny after all...." he said jokingly, his Lorenzo grin smiling back widely at her.
Jackie would have to look for her own destiny elsewhere.
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The End. ........Or is it?????
Well, I hope this one pleases all of you "happily ever after people" at least enough that I don't get yelled at anymore...hehehe. I took my beating on the Too Late story, and once again, I apologize for that!!!! Sheesh!!!
I told you all Rita wasn't really dead...see, I brought her back in this story! Loosen up gang! As you all know,I don't own these characters,blah,blah,blah,...wish the one who did would appreciate them more though! I would like to thank my partner in crime,Linda ,for the fantastic job she did of editing this story,she really did a wonderful job. Linda....."Thanks for everything...you know what I mean!" I would also like to thank the cool silk chat list for thier help in my spelling of "que sera sera" Which,of course isn't mine either. Niether is 'Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore by REO Speedwagon or Destiny by Jim Brickman. Thanks Lorry for giving me the words to the song! Now, I appreciate any and all comments, so feel as free as you did the last time..... I can take it! LOL
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