Caught Unawares
Part Four
By Cimerene
cimerene@gci.net

Thanx: To my beta readers, the ERFFCC newsgroup, and J.R. for her helpful comments.

A Special thanks to Cathy for the title. My humble apologies ahead of time for the grammar errors, I didn't flunk English in college, but I should have!

Spoilers - Homecoming

Previously on Cimerene's version of ER.
John and Kerry went on disastrous dates, only to hook up when their dates ditched them. After going to a local bar and playing a round or two of darts (the …ER.. American version of darts.. grin.. and Kerry won btw), they wound up at Kerry's house.. Where they shocked their neighbors by a soul searching kiss or two, only to be interrupted by their beeper's.

On the doorstep of Kerry's house


Backing away, slowly, in unison, both John and Kerry stared at their beepers. One set of brown eyes and one set of hazel mirrored the same type of irritation and frustration. With a sigh, Kerry reached for the door handle only to be stopped by a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Wait." John spoke softly.

"John," Kerry replied. "We're being paged, we need to call…."

The rest of her sentence was cut off by his kiss, soft and gentle against her lips. When it was over, John backed away, leaving Kerry with the lingering sensation of warmth where his fingertips had touched her skin.

"Okay, now we can call," he said quietly.

Kerry picked up her crutch and the crumpled rose and headed inside towards the phone. After a long and frustrating wait she was finally able to reach Frank.

"Uh huh," Kerry tried to pay attention to Franks long drawn out explanation, but failed the moment she felt John's hands gently caressing her back. "I'm here, go on."

She had a worse time ignoring John's his hands as they slid down her forearm, the feel of his fingertips against her flesh, the scent of his cologne which was currently causing shivers to race down her spine.

"Frank, get to the point." Kerry finally snapped.

John's his hands massaged the back of her neck, smoothing away her tensions, creating a different type of tension.

"No, I'm still here…" she heard herself replying, amazed that she was able to simulate attention. "Who hasn't called in yet."

Leaning back against John, she let herself feel the strength of his arms..

"Yes, I understand. I have Dr. Carter's number, I'll call him myself. You might try the Rolodex for Dr. Chen." Kerry said then hung up the phone. Turning to face John, she leaned against his forehead for a brief moment, before saying with resignation, "Staff meeting, 5:00 p.m. tomorrow."

John looked at the clock, it was barely midnight. "We're both on tomorrow night, right?" he asked her, already knowing the schedule, his mind was already darting ahead.

Kerry nodded slightly.

"I probably should let you get some sleep then, we could continue this another time?" John asked softly. His eyes dared hers to say no.

Kerry thought about what the future could be for them if they continued, and how much damage could occur if they continued what was so obvious on both of their minds. Coming to a brisk decision, Kerry twined her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

It was exactly the answer John was looking for.

3.am.


Kerry watched her lover's face.

He looked so peaceful lying there. She watched intently as he breathed, the soft gentle movement of his chest, the ways his eyelashes moved slightly from whatever dream had him so spellbound.

She'd been lying there pondering their relationship for over an hour. She knew it would end soon, of that she was certain. Every relationship she'd ever been in had ended early, prematurely, either through her stubbornness, or the general lack of give and take. As much as Kerry wanted this to continue, her history of stubbornness and intractableness had driven away everyone she had ever cared about.

His eyelashes fluttered as he dreamed unknown dreams. Last night, Kerry had felt a depth of passion for him that previously she could only have dreamed of. Feeling his gentle caresses against her skin, Kerry felt almost, as if this could happen. As if, what she was beginning to feel for John, could be something definitive, and distinctive, something that might last. But today, in the bold light of morning, her worries and fears, presented another story.

John was used to perfect girls, blondes with long hair, with perfect figures. Her figure was nothing to hide, it was also nothing she wanted to show off. Her limp, her attitude, her very essence was screaming at Kerry that this couldn't continue. Yet, watching John sleep, seeing the gentle smile upon his weary face, she wasn't able to resist touching his smooth skin beneath her fingertips.

The problem was, Kerry thought to herself, for the first time in years, she felt alive. She rolled over and stared at the clock. 3.a.m. She should be asleep, after the hectic day she had put in, from her disastrous date to the exhilaration of being found attractive and wanted, by what she now admitted, was the first guy she'd been attracted to in years.

Long slender fingers, touched hers, soft skin melted against soft skin, as John pulled Kerry closer to his chest.

"What's wrong?" His soft voice rumbled against her hair.

"Did we make a mistake?" Her answer came out unbidden.

"It doesn't feel like a mistake." His voices softly floated above her ears. "It feels right."

She rolled over, her hands gently feeling his chest hair, smoothing them out as she revealed in their softness..

Yes, she sighed, as she gave herself up to his touch, this feels right.

Hours Later


By unspoken consent, they said nothing about their newly found intimacy, instead they revealed in soft kisses and touches. Sitting at the table for an impromptu brunch, they sat closely talking little, laughing softly, but touching, always touching. Either with their hands or feet, once just by their elbows.

John leaning over Kerry's shoulders as she read the morning news. They argued lightly whether to read the sports first, or the financial pages. Neither one much interested in the answer, more lightly teasing than actually arguing.

"What were your plans for today?" John found himself asking softly, the smell of Kerry's perfume shampoo, bewitching his senses.

"Nothing really, I had planned on grocery shopping later on." Kerry said quietly, not wanting to voice how mundane and boring the actual activity was. Certainly not something that she wanted to do on her day off with a new lover.

"You want me to come along?" He found himself asking. Always before, while living in Kerry's basement, John had come along usually without asking, now however everything had changed.

"I thought you hated shopping?" Kerry replied softly, remembering how John had once remarked that grocery shopping was about as exciting as watching mud.

"That was before." He said lightly.

Reaching up to kiss him slightly, Kerry replied. "I guess I need to make up a shopping list then."

Later at the grocery store.


Even in the grocery store, they felt the need to touch. When Kerry's purse had slipped off of her shoulders, Johns fingers had lightly moved the straps back in place, his hands doing so unbidden, the unconscious act of a lover.

When John had got sidetracked at reading a label on a can of pea soup, it was Kerry's hands had lightly moved him out of the way of an elderly couple, her hands soft, gentle, yet firm.

Kerry was starting intently at her shopping list, marking off each item in the produce section when she looked up to see John picking up a avocado's, placing them down. She watched curiously as he picked up the fifth one in the row examined it closely then put it down again.

"John? What are you doing?" Kerry couldn't resist asking she took the latest avocado out of his hands, testing it slightly, surprised when he took it back, his fingers slightly touching hers. "I was trying to figure out if they are ripe or not.

Their fingers touched longer than normal, Kerry found herself remembering their night of passion, the way his fingers had molded themselves unto her skin. Hastily she removed her hands from his when she heard her name being called.

"Dr. Weaver?" Dr. Corday's brisk clear British voice rang out.

"What are you two doing here?" Kerry looked and felt shocked. Her mind numbly came up with an d discarded replies, eventually a quick unconscious lie sprang forth.

"I thought I'd prepare something for dinner tonight, sort of an office appreciation thing…." Her voice shook only slightly as she realized that now, instead of spending her remaining free hours with Carter, she was going to be cooking.

"And you Carter?" Elizabeth said quietly. Elizabeth found herself watching them intently, noting how nervous they were, almost as if they shared a secret, and weren't about to share it with anyone else.

"I uh, promised Dr. Weaver, I would help." John found himself lying to back up Kerry's previous lie. "What are you here for?" He asked Elizabeth hastily, changing the subject fast and furiously.

Elizabeth looked down at her small handcart, containing a single container of milk. "Mark drank all the milk again." She laughed softly. "You too need any help, I'm not on shift for another few hours, Rachel is in visiting this week, and she and Mark have ditched me for the carnival in town."

Kerry glanced over at John's expression, daring him to speak, finally realizing he was leaving the ball in her court, she replied firmly. "Thanx, but I think we have it covered. You could bring some rolls if you want to though.. That's the only thing I don't have time to make."

Elizabeth nodded as they headed toward the bread aisle.

"What kind of rolls were you looking for? Potato, Garlic or plain old dinner rolls?" Elizabeth asked.

The next morning.


John leaned his forehead against his locker as he dialed the lock. He was so tired he had trouble dialing the combination, briefly he wondered where Kerry was. The last time he had seen her was several hours ago, during a messy trauma.

Openly listening to the conversation, he over heard Jing-Mei telling Malucci, "Well she could be."

"I'm telling you Chen," Dave said quietly, "Your facts are so wrong. She's way to good looking to be a dyke."

"I heard she's been spending her free time with the new therapist from upstairs, so, I'm beginning to think you're wrong." Jing-Mei told Dave.

John listened to their conversation with amusement. He tried to figure out whom they were talking about, as he opened his locker and placed his satchel inside.

"You're way off base Chen." Malucci said laughingly. "There's no way the Chief is gay."

John choked as he tried hard not to laugh, carefully he stared at the contents of his locker, hoping they wouldn't drag him into the conversation.

"Hey John, what do you think? I mean you used to live with her." Jing-Mei asked him suddenly. John shook his head slightly as he looked over at her..

"Are we talking about Dr. Weaver?" His voice held amusement.

"Well, I've never seen her dating anyone, and sometimes I wonder.. I mean she does hang out with the new therapist upstairs a lot, I overheard one of the nurses say she even ate dinner with the new blonde once." Jing-Mei replied as she placed her lab coat in her locker. She put on her winter coat and scowled when the buttons refused to cooperate with her newly rounded figure.

"I don't think, she's gay." John replied, a little louder than last time.

"Time for a new Jacket Dr. Chen?" John looked up to see Kerry standing there, amusement evident in her tone of voice. She looked pointedly at Jing-Mei's figure.

Kerry watched, as Jing Mei looked shocked then worried as she hastily replied. "Yes, I'm amazed at how fast everything grows smaller on you when you're pregnant. Well, uh I'll see you tomorrow." She hastily left the room followed only moments later by an openly laughing Malucci. Who yelled out as they left. "Thanx for the grub chief!"

Shaking her head at Malucci, Kerry opened her locker and placed her lab coat inside and took out her purse and coat. She looked up when she felt rather than noticed that John was standing nearby watching her.

John said nothing for several moments, amusement evident in his soft brown eyes. "If it helps, I'm positive she's not."

Amusement and a sly grin were evident on his handsome face. Kerry scanned the small room quickly before reaching up and patting his cheek softly.

"Let's just say that if she did have any thoughts that way, and then someone like you came along…" she paused and shut her locker before turning to face him. "She might change her..uh.." she paused dramatically before continuing.. "inclinations."

Laughing John ruffled her hair, then asked her suddenly, "Do you need any help cleaning up?" He mentioned briefly the mess in her kitchen that hadn't had time to clean up, after their impromptu cooking spree.

Kerry put on her coat, at the same time absently looked at her watch, thinking different thoughts completely. "Well, if you're offering." Her eyes and demeanor, openly telling him, the mess in the kitchen was the last thing on her mind.

John smiled at her open invitation, "Sounds like a plan."



--
It was an attitude adjustment, it will work every time.
Hank Williams

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