A Slip of the Tongue

By Z

Dee Dee McCall couldn't remember ever seeing a smile as bright as the one currently occupying her partner's face. Was it really only five months ago that everything changed? For the third time this year.
Captain Devane's office - seven months earlier...
"Are you sure this is really what you want, McCall? Have you talked it over with Hunter? You two have been partners for too long to do this on a whim." Captain Devane looked at her with genuine concern. He'd noticed the tension building between them the last couple of months, but left it to his two best detectives to work it out on their own. Now he was wishing he'd stepped in before things boiled over to this point.
"I tried, Charlie, but he won't talk to me. We used to be a real team, but lately I feel more like his secretary than his partner and I'm just tired of it. I think we both need a fresh start." The quivering in her voice betrayed the confidence of her words.
Devane shrugged his shoulders. "OK, if that's what you really want, I'll assign you new partners tomorrow." McCall turned and started for the door, catching a glimpse of Hunter sitting at his desk. An incredible sadness swept over her. She couldn't believe that their relationship had deteriorated to this point. But this was not an impulsive act. It had taken six weeks of sleepless nights to come to this conclusion. In hindsight, it was almost inevitable, although neither of them realized it at the time. Rick Hunter still didn't.
McCall's heart was racing as she approached her soon to be ex-partner. "Rick, I need to talk to you." She gestured with her head toward the conference room, but he didn't budge. His eyes flashed a look of pure anger. "You DID it, didn't you?! You asked Charlie for a new partner!" The bitterness in his voice choked her nearly to tears. She nodded her head in acknowledgment, unable to look him in the eye.
"Then I guess we have nothing to talk about, do we?" Hunter tossed his pen on his desk and stomped off, leaving McCall alone with her thoughts. She knew he wouldn't take this well, but by the way he'd been behaving lately, she thought it might be what he really wanted but was afraid to admit. As apparent as it had become to her that they could no longer function as partners, she hoped at least their friendship could still be repaired. It meant everything to her. It used to be a lot more important to him, too, she thought. She slumped into her chair and closed her eyes tightly trying to keep the tears from starting. Memories of the events that led up to this day began flooding her brain. She desperately wished she could change them and put her world back in its proper order.
Three months earlier...
McCall glanced at the rings on her left hand. It had taken her eight months after Steve died to take them off and seeing them on her finger again for the first time in seven years brought bittersweet emotions to the surface. The decision to take them off was one of the most difficult choices she'd ever had to make. At the time, she felt like she was betraying Steve, almost denying his very existence. But she was still alive and she knew she had to get back to the business of FEELING alive, not just passing the days.
"The things I do for my job," she said, shaking her head. It wasn't HER idea to go undercover with Hunter as a married couple. In fact, it didn't even start out to be their case. It was Coslin who'd talked Charlie into the idea of sending in undercover officers while he tracked down other leads in the deaths of Jeremy and Heather Olsen at the Bel Aire Hotel. Hunter came up with the plan of checking into the hotel under nearly identical circumstances as the Olsen's, a recently married couple visiting Los Angeles for the first time from Minot, North Dakota. They'd checked in flashing lots of cash, which wasn't particularly unusual for the clientele at the hotel, but the desk clerk remembered them very clearly. Rather than use a credit card for the deposit on their week's stay, they left hundred dollars bills. Six days later, a maid shrieked in horror at the sight of their bloodied bodies in the Jacuzzi tub. It appeared to Coslin to be a robbery gone bad, probably an inside job by a hotel employee. It was Hunter and McCall's job to lure the killer into the open.

******

"Hey, check out the wheels we got, McCall," Hunter said, pointing to the rented Jaguar parked in her driveway. "I could get used to this in a big way. You about ready to go, pookums?"
She eyed him suspiciously. "I think we should come up with some ground rules, don't you, Hunter? I mean, I wanna be convincing, but at the same time...well, you know."
Hunter grinned. "Mm mm. I DON'T know. Just how convincing do you wanna be, anyway? I hope you're not saying we won't be having sex. We're still newlyweds, after all."
McCall grabbed the pillow from her couch and with two hands, slammed it across the back of his head. "Does that answer your question? Seriously Hunter, don't you think it's gonna be hard pretending like we adore each other?"
It didn't sound like such a tough assignment to him. "Are you saying you don't adore me?" He thrust out his lower lip in a look of mock hurt, drawing a giggle from her.
"No, really. We've been friends for so long, I'm having a hard time imagining this."
"You're killing me, McCall," he said with a frown, "Come here." Hunter grabbed her hand and led her into the bathroom where he parked them in front of the mirror. He draped his arm over her shoulder. "See? That looks pretty natural, don't you think?" He pulled her in closer and the partners stared at their reflections. "I think we make a pretty cute couple, McCall, don't you?" She eyed the images facing her as Hunter placed a kiss on her cheek. She couldn't deny what he'd just said.
"Now look at me adoringly," Hunter ordered, turning her to face him. When her eyes met his, she burst out laughing and Hunter couldn't help but join her. "OK, I see your point, McCall," he said, slapping his knee. "I think we need to practice before we head out." His attempt to lock eyes with her didn't go any better, sending both of them into hysterics.
"Oh my God, Hunter! I feel like I'm on a bloopers show," McCall laughed, clutching her stomach. "OK, take three." She placed her hand on Hunter's arm and attempted another "adoring" look, managing to hold it for several seconds before the laughter exploded again. "I think we're in real trouble here, Hunter. No one's gonna buy us as lovers."
Her words sobered Hunter and he bent down and placed an unexpected soft kiss on her lips. He thought she might laugh him out of the room, but she was silent. He backed away searching her face for a clue as to what she was thinking. At the very least, she wasn't laughing anymore. He noticed her edging closer to him and met her halfway, their lips touching lightly. It wasn't exactly a kiss, really, just sensitive lips tenderly nuzzling each other's. McCall wrapped her arms around her partner's neck as their lips pressed hard against one another's. Hunter slid his hands around her back, pulling her impossibly close to him. A long minute later, they breathlessly parted and caught each other's eyes. Both of them nervously looked away, and back at the mirror. The image of the two lovers that were now staring back at them took them both by surprise and they nearly shoved each other away.
"Um... you ready to go, McCall?" Hunter's face burned hot as he exited the bathroom before she could get a glimpse of the red hue he was certain had spread across it.
McCall was grateful for his quick exit. She fanned her hand in front of her face in an attempt to cool off. "I'm right behind you, partner."
Hunter grabbed the bags from the living room and placed them in the trunk of the Jag, then opened the door for McCall. Before he closed it, she reached for his arm. "Hey, Hunter?"
"Yeah?"
"Um... no tongues next time, OK?"
'WHAT?' he thought. He'd been certain that she was into it as much as he was. After all, his wasn't the only tongue that had strayed. "Yeah, sure McCall," he said, sounding only slightly hurt. "It was just a little slip of the tongue, you know?" He chuckled at his play on words. McCall smiled as her partner made his way around the back of the car and into the driver's seat. Her smile unnerved him. He couldn't read her at all.

******

"Well, Honey, are you ready for the week of your life?" Hunter asked as he pulled up to the hotel's valet parking.
McCall closed her eyes. "Oh, man! What have I gotten myself into? Why did I let you and Coslin talk me into this?"
"Come on McCall, relax! We're just here to catch a killer, remember?"
"As long as YOU remember, everything will be fine, Hunter." Two valets opened the doors to the jag welcoming them to the beautiful Bel Aire Hotel. Hunter pulled a money clip stuffed with cash from his pocket and tipped each of them twenty dollars along with the bellboy who removed their bags from the trunk. He wrapped his arm around McCall's shoulder and she placed hers around his waist as they walked through the lobby of the hotel to the front desk.
"Hi, we have a reservation for McPherson. I'm Rick and this is my wife, Dee Dee."
"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. McPherson. Which credit card would you like to bill this to?" asked Bill Andrews, the pleasant desk clerk.
"Oh, I don't believe in credit cards, Bill. It's cash all the way for me. How much do you need right now?" Hunter asked, pulling the money clip from his front pants pocket.
"I'll need a deposit for at least the first three days if you're paying in cash."
"No problem, Bill." Hunter counted out the amount in hundred dollar bills and set them on the counter. Two key cards and instructions on how to get to their room overlooking the garden replaced them.
Hunter placed the key card in the slot and opened the door. They took two steps forward and stopped, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. McCall turned to look at her partner. "Hunter, this is as big as my whole house!"
"I think we're in the wrong business, McCall." Hunter set the bags down where he stood and proceeded to explore the living quarters where they would spend the next week. "Charlie's gonna flip when he hears about this!" The entryway opened up into an expansive living room decorated with the finest furniture and oil paintings. There was a cozy fireplace tucked into the corner fronted by a polished granite hearth. The bedroom was nearly as large as the living room. In the center was a huge king sized four poster bed covered with a white down-filled comforter topped by a silver tray with assorted chocolates and a chilled bottle of Champaign. A full sized Jacuzzi surrounded by expensive Italian marble tile occupied one corner of the room and another fireplace balanced out the other side.
"My God, Hunter! This closet is bigger than my kitchen!" McCall said, with a look of astonishment. Hunter grinned at her. "Don't feel like you need to fill it up, OK?" She gave him a mock glare. "So far, I've counted three bathrooms and six phones in here, but only one bed. Why don't you take it, Hunter? I'll take the couch in the living room. It looks pretty comfortable."
"Separate rooms already, pookums? Don't you love me, anymore?" he teased. She just looked at him blankly.
"Geez, McCall, you're no fun at all. OK, why don't you take the bed and I'll take the couch? Let me be the gentleman here."
"Nope. There's no way you can fit on that couch. It's a done deal, Hunter. Just give up and count your losses, Big Guy." He eyed the empty king sized bed and thought to himself what a large loss it was, indeed.
They unpacked and got dressed for their first night on the town.
Hunter stopped dead in his tracks as his partner made her entrance from the bathroom. "Wow! You look beautiful, McCall!" She was wearing a black strapless dress that ended above her knees, showing off her shoulders and her shapely legs. Hunter wasn't sure which direction he should look. The view of either was stunning.
"Thanks, Hunter. You look pretty dazzling, yourself." He did, too, dressed to the nines in his Armani suit that was on loan to the department as was McCall's dress. "You think we're dressed to kill? Or is it BE killed?" she teased as she set her handgun in her purse.
Hunter holstered his gun on the left side of his belt and pulled his jacket over it. "That doesn't show, does it, McCall? I'm not used to wearing tailored suits."
"Let's see," she said, standing directly in front of him. She eyed him up and down. "I can't see it when you're standing still. Move your arms. Now walk around. Turn around. Let me see if it's noticeable from the back." He did everything she told him, waiting for what seemed an eternity for her seal of approval. "Now stand on one leg and flap your arms, Hunter."
He shot her a glare, then placed his hand behind her back, scooting her toward the door. "OK, if you've had your fun, can we just get on with this McCall? Let's be on our toes."
"Wait a second, Rick. I'm not in character, yet." She grabbed him by the arm, pulling him to a stop then closed her eyes. When she opened them they seemed to be inviting him to kiss her. It was an invitation he couldn't refuse. 'No tongues, Rick,' he reminded himself. He enveloped her in his arms and kissed her sweetly, then backed off gauging her reaction.
She had a cockeyed grin on her face, matching his. "My high school drama teacher would be so proud right now," she crowed.
"Yeah, mine too," Hunter added.
"You had drama in high school, Rick?" McCall asked, surprised.
"Nope." He paused for effect. "I had the drama TEACHER." A mischievous smile overtook his face, but was quickly replaced by a grimace as she smacked him hard on the shoulder.
"Yeah, right, Rick," she said, sarcastically. Let's get out of here before I decide to divorce you."
Hunter peered through the peephole, then slowly opened the door making certain no suspicious characters were lurking outside before exiting the room. He took McCall's hand in his and they made their way out of the hotel to the valet parking. He made certain to flash large amounts of cash at every opportunity and tipped generously.
After a meal at a five star restaurant and choice seats for Phantom of the Opera, they returned to the hotel at 12:30 without attracting the attention of anyone suspicious. They entered their room with guns drawn, letting their guard down only after finding it empty.
"I really had fun tonight, Rick." She gave him a kiss on his cheek, then turned toward the living room and her couch-turned-bed for the night. "Good night, Dee Dee," Hunter said quietly as she closed the door behind her.

Two hours later...
"Rick?" The voice was quiet and Hunter thought he was dreaming until he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Rick!"
"What? Is something wrong?" he asked, as he reached for the gun on the nightstand.
"No, it's OK. It's just that the couch isn't as comfortable as I thought. It's killing my back," McCall complained, rubbing her hands on her lower back.
"OK, I'll take the couch," Hunter offered, sleepily. She stopped him as he began to get up.
"You won't do any better than I did, Hunter. Just scoot over and let me in, OK? Do you promise to behave yourself?"
After a long silence, she asked again. "Well?"
"I'm thinking, McCall! Don't rush me!"
"For God's sake, Hunter! I'm tired! Just move over!"
He let out a deep sigh. "Sheesh! All right, already! I, Rick Hunter, do hereby promise to keep my hands and all other body parts to myself at all times. Are you happy now?" He rolled over to the left side of the bed and pulled the blankets up from the right, inviting her in.
It hit her that she wasn't at ALL sure that she was happy with his promise. She crawled in and made herself comfortable. "Good night, Rick," she whispered, as she snuggled in under the down comforter.
"Night, Dee Dee. Sweet dreams."

Part 2

"Morning, Dee Dee."
McCall opened her eyes to find her partner grinning at her. She was startled to realize she was lying on her side, her head cradled on Hunter’s shoulder and her arm draped over his bare chest. She shook her head, attempting to clear the fogginess from it. "How did I get over here? I don’t remember... I mean, did I...? Hunter, SAY something!"
"Relax, McCall! I gave you my word, didn’t I? And don’t you think you’d remember if something happened, anyway? You just rolled over in your sleep and I didn’t feel like pushing you off." He flashed a smile. I kinda like it."
McCall opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. It was kind of embarrassing waking up cuddling with her partner. But the truth was, she kind of liked it, too. "Um, I think I’ll hop in the shower."
"Yeah, me, too," Hunter said. On her disapproving look he added, "in the OTHER bathroom."
They ate breakfast in the hotel dining room. Hunter pulled a wad of hundred dollar bills from his pocket and counted them at the table while McCall watched to see if anyone was paying attention. She made mental notes of the looks on the faces of the waiter and the busboy and memorized their names from their nametags. "You think we’re gonna get a nibble soon? You’ve been flashing that cash like there’s no tomorrow."
"Why? Are you in a hurry to leave this hellhole? I’m not." I hope it takes all week."
"Doesn’t it make you a little jumpy, though, Hunter? Knowing someone might assault us at any moment?"
"Hey, we’re trained professionals. Nothing’s gonna happen that we’re not prepared for, right? Besides, Charlie’s got a couple of LA’s finest watching our backs. Not to mention we’re watching each other’s. I, for one, am gonna enjoy every second of this assignment. You should, too. I thought you already were, anyway."
"I AM! I’m just a little jumpy out here, that’s all."
They spent their day doing exactly what the Olsen’s had on their second day in LA, from the tourist things in Hollywood to attending a taping of a television sitcom at Warner Brothers Studios. McCall was growning to love the feel of Hunter’s ever present arm around her shoulder and his periodic kisses. He was playing his role to the hilt and it left her confused. She never dreamed he could be THIS good of an actor. What was he thinking? Was he as confused as she was?
They returned to the hotel at 1:00 AM, just as the Olsen’s had, exhausted. "You know, it’s kind of weird reliving these people’s last days, Hunter. Do you suppose they were as tired as we are?"
His body plopped flat on the bed. "Ugh! He moaned. This tourist stuff is a killer! How about a Jacuzzi before bed, McCall?"
"I don’t think so. I think I’m just going to bed." She reappeared ten minutes later; her face washed clean of makeup and her pajamas on. Hunter was in the exact same spot he was before she left, smack in the middle of the bed, his arms and legs splayed. "Scoot over Hunter," she commanded, attempting to roll him over without success.
"Anyone ever tell you that you look beautiful without makeup, McCall? You look beautiful with it, too, just a different kind of beautiful."
She was taken aback by his compliment. This was a different side of Hunter than she was used to. She waited to see if there was a zinger coming, but there wasn’t.
"Thanks, Rick. Now, can I have some room, please?"
"Sure! See this spot right here?" He pointed to the space between his left arm and his side. Just curl up," he said, grinning.
"Curl THIS up, Hunter," she said, balling her fingers into a fist.
"FINE, McCall! It’s all yours. I think I AM gonna try the Jacuzzi out before I turn in." He got up from the bed, grabbed a pair of swim trunks out of the dresser and headed toward the bathroom to change. McCall couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he stepped into the Jacuzzi. ‘God, he's got a great body,’ she thought.
"I’m not keeping you up am I?" he asked as he pelted her with small talk from across the room.
"Yeah, but that’s OK, I’m enjoying it." Twenty minutes later he toweled himself off, changed into his pajama bottoms and climbed into bed. He picked up McCall’s hand with his left and placed a kiss on it. "Thanks for staying up with me, Dee Dee."
She eyed the wedding band on his ring finger. "Where did you get the wedding ring, Rick?" McCall asked, examining the etching on it. "It’s really nice."
"Thanks. It was my Dad’s. He was the only man I could think of whose ring would fit on my finger. My Mom wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of me borrowing it, though."
"Yeah, I know how she feels," McCall said. I wouldn’t want Steve’s ring to get lost." She frowned as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Why do you think your Mom never remarried?"
"I guess she just never loved another man as much as she loved my father. I never really gave it much thought." Hunter noticed his partner gazing at the pair of rings on her own hand. "Why haven’t YOU remarried, Dee Dee?" When her answer wasn’t forthcoming, he asked, "you’re not sitting there thinking that you’re gonna end up like my Mom are you?"
"Huh? Oh, I don’t know. I mean, I’d like to be married again. It’s just really hard, with me being a cop. A lot of men aren’t too understanding of the hours and the toll this jobs takes."
"Yeah, a lot of women aren’t, either."
She turned on her side to face him. "Why haven’t you ever married, Rick?"
He got quiet for a long moment. "I would have married Terri. I really loved her, you know. When she was killed, I felt like he’d put a bullet though me, too. I just haven’t met anyone since then that I loved enough to even think about getting married. Maybe I just don’t give myself a chance to fall in love with them, I don’t know."
McCall stroked Hunter’s arm. "Maybe we’re both in the same boat. We don’t wanna get hurt like that again, so we write them off before things get too serious."
"Yeah, maybe. But then there’s that other problem, McCall."
"What other problem?"
"I just told you."
"Told me what?" she asked, scratching her head.
"McCall! YOU’RE my other problem."
"ME?! How am I your other problem, Hunter? Geez, I feel like we’re doing a ‘Who’s On First’ routine here."
"I don’t want this to go to your head or anything, but the last two girlfriends I had gave me ultimatums -- them or you. They could accept that we were partners but they didn’t appreciate the time we spent together off duty. Let’s just say I didn’t choose them."
"You’re kidding! You chose ME? You have better taste than I gave you credit for, Hunter," she laughed. You know what’s funny? I’ve had three relationships end over the years for the same reason. They couldn’t accept how close we are. So how are we ever gonna get married if your problem is me and my problem is you?"
"We could always just marry each other," he offered. It didn’t sound like he was kidding.
"We just may have to, Hunter." An uncomfortable silence followed and they both turned on their backs and stared at the ceiling.
‘Marry Hunter?’ the thought didn’t seem entirely unappealing. McCall silently fingered her wedding band, rotating it around and around. ‘Hmm...’
‘Dee Dee Hunter. I wonder if she’d take my name? Get a grip, Rick! She’d never marry you. But still...’ He clasped his hands behind his head and turned to look at her. God, she was beautiful. And now that he was thinking about it, she WAS everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. He watched as a sweet smile grew on her face. ‘What’s she thinking?’ he wondered. He allowed his mind to wander into forbidden territory until she turned her head, catching him.
"What, Rick?"
"What WHAT, Dee Dee?" he covered.
"You were smiling."
"That’s not a crime, you know. Besides, so were you."
"Yeah, I guess I was," she chuckled. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Night, Rick," she whispered before turning her back to him, her smile completely overtaking her face.
Hunter closed his eyes. ‘Damn! There is DEFINITELY something going on here,’ he thought. He desperately wanted to explore the possibilities with her but kept reminding himself of his promise. ‘Keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times, Hunter,’ he chastised himself. ‘You promised. Yeah, but SHE never did, though, did she? If she makes a move, all bets are off.’ His heart was pounding at the thought.
‘God, I just wanna grab him! Don’t do it, Dee Dee! He’d make a move if he really wanted this to happen.’ After several minutes, she rolled on her back and peaked in his direction. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and deep. ‘Damn it Hunter, wake up!’ she thought. She closed her eyes, resigned to the fact that sleep was the ONLY thing she was going to get tonight.
‘Deep breaths, Hunter, deep breaths,’ he told himself. He opened his eyes and glanced at his partner. He hadn’t felt her turn over on her back. ‘She has the most kissable lips,’ he thought, as he examined her exquisite face. ‘I wish I were kissing them right now.’ Images of him doing just that filled his head as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

******

McCall yawned and stretched her arms, hitting Hunter in the chest. "Oh, sorry. I forgot you were there for a second."
He frowned at her. "I vote for yesterday."
"What?" she asked, with a confused look on her face.
"Waking up yesterday was better, McCall." They both flashed back to the morning before when they woke up, McCall cuddled up against Hunter. "You liked that better than a sock in the chest?" she teased.
"Infinitely," he responded. She pulled the covers down and headed toward the bathroom. Before she closed the door, she poked her head around the corner and grinned. "Me, too, Hunter."
"You’re KILLING me, Dee Dee," he whispered under his breath. His first instinct when he heard the sound of the shower running, was to just go in there and join her. He was usually pretty good at reading a woman’s signals, but with her it was different. How much of this was about the case and how much was it about Rick Hunter and Dee Dee McCall? He had no idea.

Part 3

"I can’t believe we’re getting paid for this, Hunter," McCall said, as she spread her towel on the sand at Dockweiler Beach. "How long do you think Charlie’s gonna go along with this? I mean, we’re on our third day and we’ve got nothing, so far."
He stared at her as she pulled the beach cover up over her head. "Well, hopefully you’ll at least get a tan out of this before he pulls the plug, McCall. Geez, when was the last time your body’s seen the light of day?"
"Oh, just shut up and help me with this," she ordered, handing him a bottle of sunscreen, as she turned her back to him.
"It’s a tough job, but I guess someone’s gotta do it." He poured the lotion onto his hands and spread it across her shoulders and down her back. He worked it in under the straps of her bikini top and along her sides, then handed the bottle back to her. "Is that good?" he asked.
‘Better than good,’ she thought. "Yeah, thanks. Now do you want me to do you?"
Hunter smiled brightly. "You mean right here in front of all these people? Well, if you insist."
McCall shook her head. "You know what I meant, Hunter. Yes or no?" she asked, smacking him in the chest.
"You got anything less than 30?" He was disappointed to find that that was the lowest SPF she had. As much as he wanted her hands on his body, he wanted to add to his already golden tan. "Pass," he said and he joined her lying on the sand.
30 minutes later...
"I’m getting hot, McCall. I’m going in the water. You coming?"
"Sure," she said, and they walked hand in hand the few feet to the shore. Before he knew it, McCall took off running into the waves and dove under the first one she met. It surprised the heck out of him. He’d been perfectly content to slowly get used to the cold Pacific Ocean water before plunging in, but she’d just made him look like a wimp. He took off after her, catching up a few seconds later.
"I love the ocean!" McCall yelled. Hunter looked at her pale skin and shook his head. It made no sense at all.
"Behind you, McCall! Here comes a big one." Before she could react, the wave slammed into her knocking her into Hunter. "Now, this is more like it," he said, as they clung to each other. Her hands were resting on his chest and his arms were around her waist.
"Thanks for saving me, Big Guy." She drew her hands down his chest and settled them around his waist, then kissed him. It was a kiss less chaste then the ones that had come before on this assignment. He moved his hands around her lower back, as the kiss became more passionate. Something about being in the water seemed to release their inhibitions. "Damn, you’re beaut... Shit!" Hunter attempted to shield her from the incoming wave, but they were sent tumbling. They crawled to shore, laughing.
"NEVER turn your back on a wave, Dee Dee! You’d think we’d have learned that the first time."
"Ah, but the consequences weren’t too bad the first time, were they, Rick?"
He grinned. No, I guess they weren’t."

Eight hours later at the hotel bar...
"Hey, they’re playing our song, Rick. You wanna dance?"
"I didn’t know we HAD a song. I don’t think I’ve ever heard this one before." McCall shot him a glare. "Neither have I. Are you gonna dance with me or not?"
He got up from the table and extended his hand to her, leading her onto the dance floor. He pulled her close and she nestled her head on his shoulder, swaying to the rhythm. She felt so comfortable in his arms, like she’d always belonged there. She ran her hand up along his shoulder and dug her fingertips into the hair at the nape of his neck. He pressed his body closer, his hand dropping to the small of her back. She closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his warm breath on her neck. There was no use denying it, anymore. It wasn’t about Rick and Dee Dee McPherson; it was about Rick Hunter and Dee Dee McCall. She wanted him and she knew he wanted her, too. His lips surrounded her earlobe and she tilted her head back in pleasure.
Hunter gazed down at the beautiful woman in his arms. With her head tilted back, her lips were practically begging him to kiss her and he was more than happy to oblige. He kissed her softly for a moment then pulled away. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted. He lightly ran his middle finger over her lower lip, and she drew the tip of it into her mouth, moistening it with her tongue. She looked up at him. His deep blue eyes were like tractor beams pulling her in, giving her no choice. She kissed him like there was no tomorrow, tongues freely exploring and hands ending up in places they had no business being in public.
They were shaken out of their reverie by a new song, one they had no interest in dancing to. Hunter kissed her again and led her off the dance floor toward their table.
A tall, dark-haired man gesturing with his head toward the men’s room, caught Hunter’s eye. "I’ll be right back, Dee Dee."
Hunter entered the bathroom and checked the stalls to make sure they were alone. "What’s up?" Hunter asked Lt. Don Jackson.
"Just thought you should know the bartender’s been keeping a real close eye on you two tonight, so heads up."
"Thanks, Lieutenant. We’ll keep an eye out for him."
As Hunter headed for the door, Jackson stopped him. "Hey, Hunter..."
"Yeah?"
"You two were putting on quite a show out there. You’re not f...ing her are you? Cuz’ that would be against depart..."
Before Jackson could finish, Hunter shoved him hard in the chest sending him sprawling into a stall, his anger overwhelming the illogic of putting his hands on a superior officer. "Shut the hell up, Don! You don’t know what you’re talking about!"
Jackson took a step forward and glared at him. "That one was free, Hunter! The next one costs you more than you can afford. That’s a promise!" He dusted himself off and left, leaving Hunter alone with his anger.
"What’s going on, Hunter?" McCall whispered, as he returned to the table. "Lt. Jackson didn’t look too happy when he came out and neither did you."
"Nothing." Hunter growled. "He just said ‘watch out for the bartender’."
She looked at him suspiciously. "There’s something you’re not telling me."
"Yeah and I’m not GONNA, either. I’m tired. Are you ready to call it a night?"
"I suppose," she said with a frown. She sensed there was no use in trying to get it out of him.

*********

McCall glanced at the clock on the nightstand. She’d already been in bed for ten minutes and Hunter was still in the bathroom. The sound of the door opening made her feel unexpectedly nervous. He moved toward the bed, grabbed a pillow from his side and walked out.
"Hey! Where you going, Rick?" She got out of bed and followed him to the living room where he had already seated himself on the couch.
He looked at her a long time before opening his mouth. "If I climb in there with you tonight, you’ll make a liar out of me, Dee Dee," he said in a voice so soft she could barely hear him.
"What?" McCall furrowed her brow until it dawned on her exactly what he was talking about. "Oh, that," she whispered. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his cheek turning his face toward her. She drew a circle around the edges of his lips with her thumb, then leaned in and kissed him. He inhaled sharply at the first touch of her lips, then took her mouth fully with his. McCall pulled back and whispered, "I won’t hold it against you if you break your promise."
Hunter gazed deeply into her eyes. "I’m not playing here, Dee Dee," he said, seriously.
She ran her hand along his arm. "Neither am I, Rick."
‘Oh my God,’ he thought. ‘This is really gonna happen.’ A search of her eyes confirmed that she really meant it. Without breaking eye contact, he picked up her hand, placed a tender kiss on it and led her into the bedroom. They stood facing each other in the dark, Hunter’s hands on her shoulders, hers on his naked waist. He took a deep breath. "I love you, Dee Dee. I really do." Her eyes misted over. "I love you too, Rick." She placed her hand behind his head, guiding his lips to hers and they fell onto the bed.
Hunter brushed the hair from her eyes and kissed them. He wanted to kiss every inch of her body and he had every intention of doing just that -- all in its proper time. He slid his hands under her silk pajama top and she arched her back in response. He kissed her hard on the mouth as he removed his hands from the inside and unbuttoned her top. She sat up as he slipped her top off of her shoulders. "God, you’re so beautiful, Dee Dee." He showered her with kisses that were rewarded with small moans of pleasure.
"I love you, Rick," she whispered, as she lay back down, pulling him on top of her.
He smiled. "I know. I love you, too."

The next morning...
"Mmm. Morning, Rick."
Hunter’s body was wrapped around hers in a spoon position. He gave her a squeeze around her waist. "Morning." He lifted the hair from her neck and placed a kiss behind her ear. "You doing OK?"
She turned to face him. "Couldn’t be better. You?"
"Same here. You make me so happy, Dee Dee." He didn’t really need to say it. The look on his face said it all.
McCall grinned and pushed Hunter off of his side and onto his back. She rolled over on top of him and kissed him, lovingly. "I still love you, Rick," she whispered, before rolling off and heading for the shower. He watched her naked form retreat to the bathroom. He lay paralyzed for a moment. ‘What have I done to deserve all of this?’ he asked himself.
"Mind if I join you?" Hunter asked, as he pulled the shower curtain back. She was already soaked, her hair wet and slicked back, her perfect body glistening with droplets of water. She took his hand and he stepped in and let the warm water run along his side. She ran her hands over his muscular chest and kissed him at the base of his neck. There was no masking his excitement as his hands traced the outline of her smooth curves. "I still love you, too. Dee Dee," he said, as he backed her into the shower wall.
45 minutes later, as the water began to run cold, they stepped out of the shower and got dressed. They strode arm and arm into the elevator where they were joined by two men on the sixth floor, one a slight blonde and the other heavier set and darker. The heavyset one moved to the rear of the car while the other pushed the button for the third floor. As the doors began to open, Hunter felt the cold jab of a gun at the back of his head.
"I think you’re getting off here, aren’t you?" whispered the voice behind Hunter. Hunter looked over at McCall, who now had a gun pointed at her chest. "Don’t do anything stupid and you’ll be fine. Act like nothing’s wrong and move when I tell you," ordered the gunman. The second man had moved behind McCall and shoved the barrel of the gun into her back. "Let’s go!" he said, pushing her forward. She glanced over at Hunter whose eyes beckoned her to do as she was told for now, but they both knew there was no way they were going into a room with these guys. They wordlessly made their way to the door of room 316 and with nothing more than eye contact, formed their plan. As the blonde pushed the key card into the slot, the partners whirled, reaching for their guns and at the same time attempting to knock the weapons out of their assailants’ hands. The sound of gunfire echoed through the hallway until the two men fell to the ground, mortally wounded.
"Shit! That was too close for comfort, Hunter," McCall yelled. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her partner drop to one knee.
"Hunter?! Are you all right? Oh my God!" The sight of the blood gushing from the side of his head scared the s--- out of her.
"I’m OK," he said, wincing, as he pressed his hand against the side of his head. She helped him to a sitting position against the wall. He moved his hand in front of his face and was surprised at the amount of blood on it.
McCall pushed open the door of room 316, called for help then rushed back to her partner’s aid. She pressed a washcloth against his head and was shocked at how quickly it filled with blood. She closed her eyes as if he couldn’t really be bleeding if she couldn’t see it, and said a silent prayer.
Within minutes, the hallway was filled with police officers and paramedics. "I don’t think it’s too bad," commented Paramedic Johnson after examining Hunter. "It doesn’t look like the bullet entered your skull. It looks like it just grazed you. Let’s get you down to the hospital. At the very least you’re going to need some stitches.
"See? I told you, McCall. I’m fine." Her worried expression didn’t really change much. "Pick me up at the hospital when you’re done here, OK?" She didn’t immediately respond. "OK, McCall?"
"Um, yeah. I’ll be there in a little while." She watched intently as Hunter was wheeled down the hall on a gurney. She wouldn’t feel any real relief until she knew for certain that he was fine. She glanced down at her blood stained hands. It was Hunter’s blood and the sight of it made her own run cold. "Damn it!" she said out loud. She excused herself from the crime scene and went into the bathroom in the hotel room. She turned the water on and ran it as hot as she could stand it before washing the blood from her hands. She toweled them dry and examined them. Streaks of red were still embedded in the area between the diamond of the engagement ring she wore and the setting. She suddenly felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. "Oh my God," she whimpered, as she slumped to the bathroom floor."

"Hey, where’ve you been? They’ve been through with me for almost an hour." Hunter noticed his partner’s bloodshot eyes. "What’s wrong, Dee Dee?" he asked, his voice showing his concern.
She stood slumped in front of him. "I couldn’t get your blood off my ring," she said solemnly, staring at her outstretched left hand. "It wouldn’t come off no matter how hard I tried." She sucked in her bottom lip in an attempt to keep from crying.
Hunter closed his eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking and it scared him. "Dee Dee, I’m fine. It’s just a few stitches," he said, pointing to his head. "I’m just parting my hair on a different side, now."
She looked at him with a sadness he’d only seen once before, as she inhaled deeply. "Last night was a mistake, Rick."
Hunter’s heart sank into his stomach. "Not to me, it wasn’t, Dee Dee." He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away.
"I can’t do this. I just can’t." She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her by the arm.
"Don’t do this. PLEASE! I love you and I know you love me, too."
Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Just let me go, Rick. I have to go."
"Damn it, Dee Dee! I’m not Steve and I’m not gonna die."
She pulled away from him and ran out of the room, sobbing uncontrollably.

Part 4

"Hey Charlie, can you give me a ride home?"
"Sure, Hunter," answered Captain Devane. "But I thought McCall was gonna take you home."
"Yeah. She had something else she had to take care of." Hunter pushed himself off of the table, onto his feet. He had a grim look on his face.
"You OK, Hunter? You don’t look too good."
The truth was, he didn’t feel too good. He felt like bawling his eyes out. How could McCall do this to them? It had taken them almost six years to come to terms with their feelings for one another, and she’d thrown it all out the window for a close call -- for twenty stitches. Big Deal! It was just another day in the life of a cop. She knew that. "I’ve just got a headache, Charlie. I’m fine."
A nurse walked in pushing an empty wheelchair and Hunter took a seat. He didn’t even attempt to argue his way out of being pushed out of the hospital. She handed him a prescription for a painkiller. "The doctor wants you to take it easy for a few days -- no work. Take the pain medication as needed and make an appointment with your own doctor in the next couple of days." He nodded his head and she called an orderly who pushed Hunter out to the hospital entrance.
"You want me to bring the car around, Hunter?" Devane asked.
"I’m not an invalid, Charlie. I can walk."
The twenty-minute drive to Hunter’s house was interrupted by a call on the radio. It was Coslin, asking to be patched through. Hunter frowned at the sound of his voice. If it hadn’t been for Coslin and his brilliant idea, Hunter wouldn’t be in this position at all. Last night he’d felt like thanking him, but today he just wanted to kill him. "We got IDs on the two DOAs, Captain. One of them just happens to have a brother who works at the hotel. He’s a bartender who was on duty last night when Hunter and McCall were in there. We just got a search warrant for his house as well as the two dead guys’."
"Good work, Coslin. Let’s hope something turns up. I’d like to see somebody get prosecuted out of all this."
"How’s Hunter doing, Captain?"
Devane looked over at his grumpy passenger. "I think getting shot really pissed him off. He’s right here. You wanna talk to him?"
Hunter tried waving him off, but Charlie had already handed the microphone off.
"What’s up Riley?" he asked, flatly.
"You just heard the news?"
"Yeah."
"I just wanna say thanks, buddy. We couldn’t have solved this without you guys. Sorry you got shot, though. I heard you got it where it couldn’t do any damage."
"Real funny, Coslin. Just let me know what happens with the bartender. I have a vested interest in this, now." With that he signed off and hung up the microphone.

**********

"You sure you don’t need anything, Hunter?" Devane asked as he dropped him off at his house."
"Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks for the lift, Charlie." Hunter turned the key in the front door lock and went straight for the phone. He sighed when McCall’s answering machine picked up on the fourth ring. "Dee Dee, I’m home. Please call me."
He sat down on the couch and didn’t move for an hour, then tried calling again. "If you’re there, please pick up, Dee Dee. I need to talk to you." There still was no answer.
Hunter looked at his watch. He’d been sitting in the dark for a long time, but he was surprised to see it was 11:00. He’d already tried calling her 5 times. "Enough of this crap," he said out loud. He grabbed his keys and took off for her house. The lights were off, but the Jaguar was sitting in her driveway. He thought she would have returned it. He didn’t bother knocking, using the key that she’d given him years before. He opened the door and flipped on the light, finding her sitting on the floor in front of her couch, her arms wrapped around her knees, pulling them to her chest.
"Why aren’t you answering your phone? I’ve been calling all night."
She didn’t answer, just rocked back and forth.
"Dee Dee, talk to me! I know you’re scared, but it’s not gonna help things if you don’t talk to me."
She sniffled and wiped the latest tears from her face. "I just can’t go through it again, Rick. It would kill me."
He walked over and extended his hands. She took them and stood up momentarily, then the two of them sat on the couch.
"There’s nothing to go through, Dee Dee. I’m fine."
"Yeah, this time. I WON’T bury another man I love, Rick. I CAN’T." She stopped bothering to wipe the tears from her face.
"But you ALREADY love me. You told me so. If I die next week and we’re not seeing each other, how is that gonna be different than if we’re together? I’m still dead and you’re still burying me, but you would have thrown away a week’s worth of happiness. I’d take that week anytime. Especially if it were with you."
"You don’t understand, Rick."
"Yes, I do. I know what you went through after Steve was killed. I saw it first hand, remember?"
"Then you should understand why I can’t be with you. I told you before, that I could never be with a cop again. I don’t know what I was thinking last night. I never should have let it happen."
Hunter started to get angry. "I’ll NEVER regret last night! I LOVE you, Dee Dee and that’s not gonna change, no matter what you say. And I know you love ME. If you think you can just turn that off and pretend like you don’t, you’re wrong." He got up from the couch and headed for the door. "Call me if you change your mind." He slammed the door behind him and peeled off down the street, screeching to a stop two blocks away. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel, lowered his head onto it and cried his first real tears in many years.
McCall flinched at the sound of the slamming door. It brought back the memory of the gunshots echoing in the hall that morning. "What are you doing, Dee Dee?" she cried. She grabbed the pillow from the couch, curled into a ball around it and cried as hard as she ever had in her life.
The next morning...
McCall picked up the phone and dialed the number. The phone had felt like an intruder yesterday when Hunter kept calling and leaving messages. But its silence since he stormed off was somehow worse, even though she knew she wouldn’t have answered, anyway. "Hi Charlie. I’m not feeling too well. I’ve been up all night. I hope you don’t mind if I don’t make it in today."
"That’s all right, McCall. Feel better, OK? See you Monday."
She tried to justify calling in sick with the fact that she wasn’t really lying. She hadn’t slept even a minute all night and her face was swollen from crying. She needed some time to get herself back together. Time to figure out what she was going to say to Hunter when they saw each other, which they surely would by Monday.
The weekend passed without a single phone call between them. Hunter had thrown the ball in her court. "Call me if you change your mind," he’d said. She wanted to call him, but she hadn’t changed her mind, so what was the point? He would have just gotten angry again.
Her heart sped up as she pulled into the precinct parking lot and it nearly jumped out of her chest as the elevator door opened. Hunter was already sitting at his desk. She hoped she’d beat him in this morning. Somehow it seemed to her that it would have been easier that way.
Hunter glanced up from his desk. "Morning, McCall. How was your weekend?" There was a flat tone to his voice, but nothing truly out of the ordinary for a Monday morning.
"Um, OK. Yours?" she asked.
"Fine."
And they got down to work. But things had changed. The playfulness that was once such a large part of their relationship vanished and a level of discomfort took its place. They didn’t know how to be around each other, anymore. Hunter was quick to anger and place blame for the smallest of infractions and he didn’t seem to care what she thought, anymore. He’d been emotionally separating himself from her the first few weeks, then physically did it, too. They split up more often, Hunter working one side of a case, McCall the other until the time spent together diminished to almost nothing. Hunter giving her orders punctuated their conversations. She let it slide at first, thinking he’d get over his anger at her, but when it continued, she tried to talk to him about it. It just made him angrier. He didn’t see it her way at all. The last thing she ever wanted to do was to permanently break up their partnership, but it had become clear that there wasn’t a choice. They hadn’t really been partners since the night they made love at the Bel Aire Hotel.

*********

(Flash forward. Hunter has just stormed off after McCall has given him the news about asking for a new partner)
"You OK, McCall?" Charlie laid his hand on her shoulder. "How did Hunter take it?"
McCall peered up from her desk. "He got angry and left, Charlie."
"About what you expected, huh?" Devane wasn’t much older than Hunter, but he had a fatherly quality to him that was comforting.
"He’ll come around, McCall. Don’t worry. Why don’t you get out of here? Get an early start tomorrow."
She squeezed his hand and nodded. "Thanks, Charlie, I think I will."
"By the way, I’m thinking of teaming you up with Whitaker. What do you think?"
"Fine. Whatever you think, Charlie." She didn’t really care. Whoever it was, it wouldn’t be Hunter and it broke her heart.

Part 5

One month later...
"McCall, Homicide. Oh hi, Mom. Um, yeah. I guess I can meet you for dinner. 7:00 sounds fine. See you there." She hung up the phone, wishing she hadn’t picked it up in the first place. She knew her Mom had been concerned about her for awhile, but she just didn’t feel like confiding in her -- or anyone, for that matter.
McCall arrived at the restaurant to find her mother already seated. She gave her a kiss on the cheek and sat down. Mary Kramer didn’t even allow her daughter time to look at the menu before starting. "So when were you planning to tell me, Dee Dee?"
McCall frowned. "Tell you what, Mom?"
"Don’t be coy, honey. It’s really not becoming."
"Oh. I guess you mean about Hunter and me not being partners, anymore? Who told you?" She seemed mildly irritated.
"I was worried about you, so I called Rick."
"WHAT?! Why would you do that Mom? What did he tell you?"
"He told me that you asked for a new partner. And got one. Why didn’t YOU tell me?"
McCall closed her eyes and took in a breath. "Because there’s a lot to it that I don’t really wanna get into."
Mary took her daughter’s hand. "Dee Dee, whatever it is, it’s obviously made you very unhappy. You haven’t been yourself for a couple of months, now. Please tell me what’s bothering you. It might make you feel better to talk about it -- I know for sure it would make ME feel better." Mary smiled. "And after all, isn’t it really all about ME?"
McCall smiled back. Her mother had always been about the most selfless person she’d known. "I guess you’re right, Mom. What was I thinking?" She paused before beginning, choosing her words carefully. "You remember that assignment I told you about where Rick and I were going to be undercover in Bel Aire?" Mary nodded her head. "Well, we spent a lot of time together -- alone. We were supposed to be convincing newlyweds. Um, let’s just say we were really good at our jobs, OK? Even before we checked into the hotel, I knew something was gonna happen unless I made sure it didn’t. And I was pretty determined to make CERTAIN that it didn’t. But there was just something amazing going on between us and I couldn’t stop it. We ended up sleeping together. I fell in love with him, Mom. He told me he loved me, too. Maybe we always WERE in love and we just admitted it, I don’t know."
Mary tried to act surprised at the news, but she’d always guessed there was more to their relationship than just friendship. "Then what happened to make you so miserable, honey?" she asked.
"Rick got shot. He wasn’t badly hurt, but it really scared me. I could picture him dying just like Steve and I panicked. I told him I couldn’t see him, anymore – that I couldn’t bury another man I loved. I guess he thought I’d change my mind and when I didn’t, he got really angry. It got so bad we couldn’t work together. We’re not even friends, anymore." The words echoed in her head. ‘Not even friends’. "God, I miss him so much, Mom." Up until that point she’d managed to keep her emotions in check, but saying the words out loud released the floodgates. She grabbed a Kleenex from her purse and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Oh, honey... Why do you do this to yourself? You can’t live your life with 'what ifs'. Look at how unhappy you are. You’re mourning him like he really WAS killed, so what’s the difference? You might as well sneak in some happiness while you’re sitting around waiting for him to die. Not that he’s going to any time soon."
"That’s pretty much what Rick said," McCall whispered between sniffles.
"Rick’s a wise man, Dee Dee. You should listen to him. So what are you going to do? You can’t mope around for the rest of your life."
"I don’t know. I’d settle for just having my friend back -- if he’d have ME. He’s still so angry."
Mary looked her daughter squarely in the eye. "Do you really blame him, Dee Dee?"
"No, I guess I don’t."
"Then go tell him that! What do you have to lose, anyway?"

*******

McCall pulled up alongside the curb in front of Hunter’s house. His car was in the driveway and the lights were on. She’d almost been hoping he wouldn’t be home. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves and got out of the car. "God, I’m so NERVOUS," she muttered as she held her hands in front of her and watched them tremble. She inched her way up the sidewalk to his front door and stood there for a moment before summoning the courage to knock. Her face fell when a shapely blonde answered the door. She wanted to turn around and run, but held her ground. It was too late to do anything else.
"Hi. I’m Dee Dee McCall. Is Rick here?"
"Uh, yeah. Just a sec, I’ll get him." She gave McCall the once over before retreating to the kitchen, trading places with Hunter who came out alone. He was wearing the shirt that McCall had given him last Christmas.
Hunter looked surprised to see her. Hadn’t the blonde told him who was here to see him? "Hi, McCall. What are you doing here?"
McCall felt a bit of panic sweep over her. "I shouldn’t have come, Rick. I caught you at a bad time." Her face was filled with a sadness she couldn’t hide.
"No, it’s OK. Cheryl and I were just gonna have some ice cream. Why don’t you stay and have some?"
Ice cream with Hunter and his date wasn’t at all what McCall had on her agenda tonight. "Um, I don’t think so. This was a bad idea, me coming here. I’ll talk to you later."
She turned to leave and he watched her get all the way out to her car before the debate raging in his head spurred him into action. "Dee Dee, WAIT! Don’t go." He jogged over to her and grabbed her by the elbow before she could get into her car. "You came over here for a reason. Just tell me what it is."
"I don’t know if I wanna do this in the middle of the street, Rick. And what about Cheryl, anyway?"
"What ABOUT her? If she gets hungry, she knows where the freezer is."
McCall let out a deep sigh. This was not how she envisioned this going. She leaned back against the side of her car and looked skyward, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say.
"Dee Dee, just talk to me. I can’t stand this, anymore. I miss you. I miss my friend."
Tears began welling in McCall’s eyes. "I’m sorry, Rick." Her voice choked with emotion before any more words could make their way out. He opened his arms and she fell into them. "I’m sorry, too, Dee Dee. I’m sorry I got so angry. You just really hurt me, you know?" She looked up at him and nodded. She’d hurt them both.
The sight greeting Cheryl when she peeked through the blinds did not please her at all. "Oh, that’s just GREAT!" she said sarcastically. She placed her dish full of ice cream in the sink and grabbed her purse. She’d been hoping to get to know Rick Hunter better tonight -- a LOT better. "Don’t mind ME, guys," she said, as she walked to the driver’s side of her car, which was parked right in front of McCall’s. "Call me, Rick, OK? Later, Dee Dee." ‘MUCH later,’ she thought.
Hunter looked at Cheryl apologetically, but did nothing to stop her from leaving. "Yeah, I’ll call you." She stared into the rearview mirror as she drove away, watching Hunter escort McCall back into his house, his arm around her shoulder. "So much for THAT," she said out loud.
"You want some coffee?" McCall nodded her head. "Have a seat and I’ll be right back." Hunter started a pot then sat down on the opposite end of the couch. She looked straight at him – the first time she’d been able to look him in the eye in months. "I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am and that I don’t blame you for being mad at me. Is there anyway you could find it in your heart to forgive me? I really miss you."
Hunter’s face visible softened. "Dee Dee, there really isn’t anything to forgive you for. You did what you had to do. I just wish we’d been able to talk about it. I’m sorry I shut you out. It just hurt too much to be around you." Uncharacteristic tears briefly welled in his eyes before he willed them away.
"Can we start over, Rick? Can we be friends again? The last couple of months have killed me." "Me, too," he said, softly. He got up from the couch, reached for her hands and pulled her up to a standing position. They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged tightly, swaying from side to side.
"Thank you, Rick. I was so nervous about coming over here."
"I’m really glad you came. You still want that coffee?" She nodded and he headed out to the kitchen. He returned carrying two cups in one of his large hands and a bowl in the other.
"What’s that?" McCall asked eyeing the milky liquid in it.
"It’s ice cream. Or at least it WAS before you ran Cheryl off. He flashed her a familiar grin. I think you should finish it. I hate to see good food go to waste.
"Bleck! No, thanks! I’ll buy you a whole new carton if you just get that out of my face." Oh, it felt great to be talking to Hunter again -- to experience his lopsided grin face to face instead of just in her memory. They spent the next hour talking and joking -- almost, but not quite like old times. It would take more than a few hours to repair two months worth of hurt feelings.

Two days later...
"Hunter, McCall! In my office." They glanced at each other from opposite sides of the squad room. It had been a long time since they’d heard their names yelled together by the captain. It usually meant they were in some kind of trouble. They shrugged their shoulders, signaling their confusion and met at the doorway to Devane’s office. "What’s up, Charlie?" Hunter asked, poking his head in.
"I have an assignment for you two."
"Together?" they asked in unison.
"Yes, together. I’m pulling you off your current cases so you can give Narcotics a hand. They need a male/female team to go undercover in Brentwood. There’s a suspected drug lord living in a real ritzy neighborhood and the folks who live on that street are none too pleased. We’ve received permission from the Wrights who live across the street to use their house to keep surveillance on this guy. Your cover is that Hunter’s their cousin and McCall, you’re Hunter’s wife. You’re housesitting for them while they’re on vacation in Europe.
They stared at each other in disbelief. Had Charlie gone insane? It had only been two days since they’d even started speaking civilly to each other. McCall spoke first. "Uhhhhh...Charlie, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. I mean, Whitaker and I have a lot of work to do on the Garcia case."
"I wasn’t asking for volunteers, McCall. Whitaker can take care of Garcia. You’re on THIS case." He tossed a file folder at her. "You got anything to add, Hunter?"
Knowing defeat when it stared him in the face, Hunter shook his head, picked up the folder and walked out of the office. McCall stood there for a moment with her right hand on her hip and a puzzled look on her face. "Don’t you have some work to do, McCall?" Devane asked, gruffly.
"But Captain..."
"Get out of here, McCall!" he ordered. She had no choice but to do as she was told. She met Hunter at his desk and suggested they meet in the conference room. "Are you OK with this, Rick?" she asked.
"I am if you are. I mean, we ARE adults here, aren’t we?"
"Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of." She could already feel it starting – the butterflies in her stomach at the thought of being alone with him again.

Part 6

Hunter pulled into McCall’s driveway in a rented Mitsubishi Gallant. The Wrights of Brentwood may have been well to do, but Cousin Rick and his wife apparently were decidedly middle class. He felt a sudden surge of adrenaline as he approached her door. "Your chariot has arrived, McCall," he said, sweeping his hands toward the car. "It’s no Jaguar, but you should hear the engine purr." He found himself babbling, just to divert attention away from his nervousness. He had no idea what the next few days would bring, but he was damned if it would end up anything like the time before.
McCall’s bags were packed and already sitting by the front door. Before Hunter had stepped even a foot inside, she picked them up and started for the car. She had no intention of reliving the whole bathroom scene again, and the less time spent at her house, the better.
They pulled up to the large white colonial home that was to be their headquarters for the next several days. The large homes with their manicured front lawns smacked of money and lots of it. "What kind of people can afford a house like this?" McCall asked, eyeing the two-story structure.
"I’m guessing mostly showbiz people," Hunter ventured. He looked across the street to the target house. "And drug runners."
The opulence that greeted them when they opened the door stirred a sense of déjà vu, causing them both to subconsciously lean away from each other. "Um, I’ll get the rest of the bags," Hunter stated. He returned to the car while McCall brought the bags that she could carry upstairs. He joined her with four more, two filled with surveillance equipment.
"This looks like a good room to set up in, Hunter." He agreed and they unpacked the suitcases, setting up the recording devices and other equipment in a bedroom facing the house occupied by the suspected drug dealer.
"Now, which room do you want, McCall?" Hunter asked. "You get first dibs." There were five others to choose from, all nicely decorated and about twice the size of any bedroom in either Hunter or McCall’s home. She chose one overlooking the gazebo and Jacuzzi in the backyard, while Hunter picked one on the opposite side of the house, about as far away as he could get -- a fact that did not go unnoticed by her.
They spent the next two days listening and recording phone calls made to and from the residence across the street, videotaping the parade of visitors, peering into open windows and tiptoeing around the discomfort they felt every time they’d catch each other staring. It hadn’t taken long at all to know that Charlie was right. Mr. Sampson had quite an illicit business going on across the street. It was just a matter of documenting it all until the evidence was strong enough that the prosecutor felt she’d get a sure conviction.

*********

McCall yawned and glanced at her watch. It read 2:47 AM. "It looks like Sampson just went to bed. I think I will, too." She set the binoculars down on the dresser and turned to leave. For the third night in a row she felt anxious as she left Hunter and headed toward her bedroom, a small part of her hoping that he might follow her. As she got to the door, she turned to face him. "Are you turning in, too, Hunter?"
"Naw, I’m not all that tired. I think I’ll check out that Jacuzzi first. Good night, McCall. See you in the morning."
"Night," she said and disappeared down the hall into her room. She climbed into bed, and just lay there, staring at the ceiling. She hated feeling uncomfortable around Hunter. It came in waves. When the lights were on and they were busy, it was fine, almost like old times. But at night, it was different. There was a subtle tension that filled the air and she was sure he could feel it, too.
McCall’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Jacuzzi jets firing up. She got out of bed, went to the window and peered through the slats of the wood blinds into the backyard. The green, iridescent glow of the Jacuzzi light painted the gazebo and Hunter’s face with moving waves of brilliant color. It gave the scene something of a surreal feeling. Hunter’s long, muscular arms were draped around the edge of the spa, his head was tilted back and his eyes were closed. She watched intently as his broad chest expanded with every breath. All she could think about was getting her suit on and going down to join him. Her hands were aching to caress his bare chest, her lips dying to kiss him. She shook her head. "Bad idea, Dee Dee," she scolded herself. Even if she wouldn’t allow herself to put her hands on him, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She studied his handsome face and the creases that ran down both sides, remnants of the dimples that drove her crazy when he smiled. With his eyes closed, he looked almost angelic, boyish. McCall knew the Hunter that everyone else did, the tough, fearless police detective, but the truth was that she was probably the only one in the world who also knew and understood the Hunter who appeared in front of her now. The one who trusted her with his heart only to have her dropkick it. She took in a breath then let it out as a deep sigh. "You’re an idiot, Dee Dee," she said and removed her fingers from the space between the blinds.

*********

Hunter opened his eyes at the undeniable sensation that he was no longer alone. McCall was standing on the opposite side of the spa, barefoot and clad in a white terry cloth robe. "Hi," she whispered.
"Hi," he returned. More was said with that one word than they’d communicated in the entire last two months, their raw emotions being telegraphed by the inflection in their voices and the expression on their faces.
"Please don’t come in here, Dee Dee if you’re gonna leave me again. I couldn’t take that." She didn’t say a word, just slipped the robe off her shoulders, letting it drop to the ground. She stood naked and vulnerable in front of him and watched his eyes widen as they took in her body. He stood and opened his arms as she stepped into the Jacuzzi, swallowing her up.
"I’ll never leave you, Rick. I promise," she whispered. "I love you."
It was almost a sense of relief that swept over him, overwhelming him and bringing him nearly to tears. "I love you so much, Dee Dee. I told you before that I always would and I meant it." He gazed into her expressive dark brown eyes and took her hands pulling her toward him as he sat back down. She stood in front of him, the roiling water covering her to the waist, her bare breasts at eye level. She laced her fingers around his neck while his hands started at her shoulders and moved slowly over her breasts, caressing and teasing their way down her stomach and abdomen, along her pelvis and thighs. He wrapped his legs around her lower back, pulling her closer, trapping her in his personal prison. Her pulse quickened as his lips repeated the journey his hands just took, in reverse order -- at least the parts that were above water. She moaned in pleasure as his lips and tongue found all the sensitive spots on her body. She returned the favor, unlacing her fingers from around his neck and running her hands over his chest, along his ribcage and under the waistband of his swim trunks. He took in a breath as she teasingly stopped just short of sending him into a frenzy and moved her hands around his hips and up his back, pulling him as close to her as humanly possible. She playfully nipped at his earlobe and kissed him along his jaw line before making her way to his lips.
Kissing Rick Hunter was unlike kissing any man before, even Steve. He had a way of communicating with his lips and his tongue that made her feel incredibly special and loved. And wanting more. The look in her eyes told him so. He released her from her temporary jail, kissed her a final time and stepped out of the spa. He leaned down and held his hands out to her. She took them and stepped back into his arms, her naked body pressed tightly against his warm, wet skin. He grabbed her robe and draped it over her shoulders, then picked her up and carried her into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. He set her down and cupped his hands around her face, kissing her softly, sensually.
McCall’s heart was pounding as Hunter slid his trunks off and left them in a wet ball on the floor. He slipped her damp robe off her shoulders and ran his hands over her soft skin. They made their way onto the bed, Hunter hovering over her, plying her with kisses. She playfully rolled him over on his back and straddled him, the wet ends of her hair tickling his chest and neck as she lowered herself to kiss him. He looked up at her and smiled. "God, I love you, Dee Dee. And I love THIS. You have no idea how much!"
"Oh, I think I DO," she laughed. "I think it’s perfectly obvious," she said, glancing down toward his hips. She grew serious. "I really love you, Rick -- with all my heart and all my soul."

*********

The phone rang way too early. Hunter reached around the groggy McCall and picked it up.
"Hello?"
It was Captain Devane. "Morning, Hunter. We just got the warrant for Sampson’s arrest. You and McCall wanna do the honors?" Hunter looked over at McCall who was stretching her arms. "Naw, I don’t think so, Charlie. I think we’ll just pack up and get out of here if that’s OK with you."
"You sure? We wouldn’t have this guy if it weren’t for you two."
"Well, hold on a minute. Let me go check with McCall." He placed his hand over the receiver and kissed her good morning, then waited the appropriate amount of time before finally coming back on the line. "McCall says ‘pass’, too. We were up pretty late last night. We’d just like to go home and catch up on our sleep."
"Whatever you say, Hunter. Nice work."
"Thanks, Charlie. Catch you later."
Devane hung up the phone and smiled. "Nice work, Charlie," he said out loud, patting himself on the back.
Five months later...
Dee Dee McCall couldn’t remember ever seeing a smile as bright as the one currently occupying her partner’s face...
"You may kiss your bride."
‘My BRIDE,’ Hunter thought. ‘Holy shit!’ He didn’t hesitate a second before wrapping his arms around McCall and sharing their fist kiss as husband and wife. He kissed her hard and deep and WAY too long for a wedding kiss. They didn’t break it off until they heard the minister clearing his throat and the catcalls from some of the wedding guests.
"Uh, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Rick Hunter." The look on the minister’s face was priceless. They turned to face their guests, their faces flushed red with embarrassment. As they slowly walked out of the church, McCall whispered to Hunter, "I thought we said no tongues. It doesn’t look nice for the camera."
Hunter grinned at her. "Sorry, it was just a little slip..."
"Hey! That was what got us in trouble in the first place," she interrupted.
"I KNOW!" he laughed. "Believe me, Mrs. Hunter, I KNOW!"
The End