Class Reunion

"Don't worry about it," he replied as he continued to study her. He put his forefinger against her jaw and moved her head from side to side. "Um, uh huh," he said.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, laughing out loud and trying to disengage her jaw from his grasp.

Kevin laughed and let go of her jaw. "I don't care what you say, I think you're very pretty and I'll continue to tell you that whether you believe it or not."

"I don't, but keep telling me and maybe someday I'll believe you." She hopped off of his lap and stood up. "I need some water. Want some?"

"No, I'm fine," he answered as he stood up and stretched. He meandered into the kitchen as Rachel was downing her glass of water. "So, you got any plans for tonight?"

Besides trying to get you to stay the night? "No, I didn't have any plans. I was just going to do some laundry, you know really exciting things like that." She had to keep her thoughts in check again.

"Well, I was thinking..."

"That's scary," she interrupted.

"Hey, no wisecracks from the peanut gallery," he said. "I was wondering if you'd like to take in a movie or something?"

"With you?"

"Now that you put it that way, I think I'll just go by myself. Yes, with me. Who else were you going to go with?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe I might get a better offer somewhere down the line."

"Go for it," he laughed.

"I guess I could go with you," she said grudgingly, but smiling, "but why don't we do a matinee and beat the crowd?"

"Sounds great. Break out the newspaper and see what's playing." Rachel found the newspaper and together, they checked out the local theaters for the movies that were playing nearby.

After they decided upon a movie that was agreeable to both, Kevin drove them there. It was a romantic comedy, not exactly Kevin's first choice in film genre, but Rachel pushed for it and he had read good reviews about it. It was a good movie and Kevin was glad to have gone. Her hand found his soon after it began and it felt good and natural to be touching her in such a casual way. A few minutes later, he switched hands and put his free arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. He remembered times when he and Annie would take in a movie and Rachel was acting almost in the very same way that Annie had in the past, holding his hand and placing her head against his shoulder. How could two women so utterly dissimilar in almost every aspect of their being still have some of the same gestures and ways of showing affection? Kevin didn't try to rationalize it, but it still puzzled him.

After the movie, they had supper at a small, family owned country kitchen and enjoyed the warmth and coziness of it, not to mention the food. Before they knew it, it was after eight o'clock before Kevin took her home.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked as they stood at the doorway.

Kevin thought for a few moments. He really wanted to come in, but he wasn't sure of Rachel's intentions. He thought that their relationship was going in the right direction, but he got the feeling that she wanted to speed things up and he just wasn't ready for that. "For a little bit," he said, "but I really can't stay too long."

"Okay," Rachel said, disappointed. She unlocked the door and they went inside.

After they settled in, they sat on the sofa and listened to classical music on the stereo, mostly Mozart and Rachmaninov. Together, they let the sweet strings of Mozart's violins wash over them and dance through their ears. After a while, Rachel was sprawled on the couch, shoes off and her head on Kevin's lap. His fingers traced her hair along her ears and forehead and eventually found her nose where he tweaked it once or twice. She wiggled her head back and forth to loosen his grip and smiled at him, enjoying his playfulness. They concentrated on the music again, getting lost in each other and the beautiful sounds that enveloped them.

When the last movement was completed, Kevin knew that he needed to leave. "Do you really have to go?" Rachel asked as she lazily sat up next to him.

"Yeah, it's getting late and I have a bit of a drive ahead of me."

"Oh, it's not that far," Rachel countered. "Can't you stay a while longer?"

"No, Rachel, I'm starting to get tired."

"You could stay here," she said, hoping he would stay the night.

"I really don't think I should..."

"Why not? I've got plenty of room."

"I don't know...I really don't think so, Rachel."

Rachel thought to herself for a second. She knew that she shouldn't push it, even though she really wanted Kevin to be in her house that night. She knew that he shouldn't be pushed into anything and she knew that he had reached his limit for that evening. She looked at him and smiled. Slowly, she reached forward, touched his face and kissed him softly. "I just want you to know that you are always welcome to spend the night."

"Okay," he said, looking down. "I'm sorry, Rachel, but I'm just not ready yet."

"That's okay, Kevin, it really is. You were so good to me last night and I just wanted to return the favor, that's all."

Kevin looked relieved. "Maybe next time, okay?"

"Sure."

Rachel walked him to the door, but didn't open it, placing her back against it. She drew him close and kissed him softly and sweetly for several seconds, her arms around his neck. When she opened her eyes, his brown expressive ones were staring back at her.

"Maybe next time," he said softly before he began kissing her, this time a bit stronger and more urgent than he had in the past. His hands found her face and he massaged her cheekbones with his thumbs, moving them in slow, light circles. She ran her fingers through his short brown hair and enjoyed the sweet sensations that were infiltrating her. She longed to be kissed like this for quite a while, to feel her legs get weak and the heat build between her thighs.

Reluctantly and too soon, Kevin's lips slowly parted from hers, leaving her a bit frustrated but feeling oh so good. She hoped that someday that they would go further, a lot further.

"I really should be going," he said quietly, a bit out of breath. He knew that he didn't have much resistance left and if he didn't leave then and there, things might happen and he didn't know if he was ready to go that far with her.

"I know," she whispered as she turned and opened the door for him. He moved past her and stepped onto the porch, looking back at her as she leaned against the corner of the door.

"Is it okay to call you tomorrow?" he asked, his eyebrow cocked.

"Of course you can call me. You don't have to ask."

"Okay," he said, scuffling the ground with the toe of his shoe. "Well, I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow, then."

"Sounds good," she replied, wishing that he didn't have to go. She watched him get into his car and didn't shut the door until he was out of sight.

Kevin thought about her all of the way home, his face plastered with grin that stretched from ear to ear. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to know this woman. She was smart, articulate, and very funny. She challenged him mentally and sparred with him verbally and he was going to have a very difficult time getting her out of his mind when it came time for him to sleep. For someone who didn't want to get close to anyone, his feelings for her were rapidly moving toward intense like. Love was way too strong of a word to describe his feelings. He liked her very, very much and was happy with the way that their relationship was progressing. He sensed her disappointment when he declined her invitation to spend the night and now, he was disappointed too. He regretted saying no to her knowing that there was no sinister plot or ulterior motive on her part when she asked. It was simply a friend asking a friend to stay over. Nothing more. It made him feel good that she thought that much of him that she extended the invitation. He knew that she was as fond of him as he with her, maybe more. The warmth of her touch, the softness of her skin reminded him of how much he missed Annie and her tender kisses. He missed making love, one area where Annie was most loving and giving. Kevin wondered if he and Rachel's relationship would go in that direction. He sensed that it could, given the body language that Rachel exhibited whenever they kissed. He could tell that she was a very passionate, sensual woman who would probably be a wonderful companion in the bedroom.

It had been a very long time for him and he did miss the closeness and the excitement of being with Annie and sharing himself with her. He missed the soft curves of her breasts and the musky moistness between her silky thighs. Annie had a special scent all her own and his nose and mouth reveled in it. And most of all, he missed falling asleep in Annie's arms afterwards, his head against her naked breast, feeling safe and loved. Teary-eyed, he wondered if he would ever feel that safe and loved again.

It was a few weeks later and Kevin was deep in thought over their dinner date the previous evening. He was getting to the point to where he wanted to be with her every day and was very disappointed when they couldn't get together.

"2 Mary 37," the dispatcher said.

"2 Mary 37," Kevin answered.

"2 Mary 83 requests back up, 200 block of Montgomery. Man with a knife."

"2 Mary 37, clear."

Kevin flipped on his lights but left his siren off and hurried to the location given. He was careful while he went through intersections, blasting his horn to warn cars as he neared them. Most drivers pulled to the right, but some were slow to react. Once through an intersection, Kevin increased his speed. He was on the scene within minutes, coming to a stop behind a cruiser already parked.

He jumped out and looked ahead where he saw an officer with his gun drawn on a man who had a knife held in front of him. He was making slashing motions with knife, wide circular arcs. The officer kept a safe distance, all the while telling the man to drop the knife. Kevin kept his hand on his gun, unfastening the snap with his forefinger as he came behind the officer. He moved to the right, keeping his entire focus on the crazy, wide-eyed man as he continued to menacingly make wide, sweeping slashes with the knife.

"Put the knife down," Kevin said in a quiet, controlled voice. "Put it down. You don't want to hurt anyone," he said as he pulled his Glock from it's holster and held it in front of him.

"No," the man replied, smiling crookedly as he shifted the knife from his left hand to his right, and then back to his left. He moved a few steps forward toward Kevin and slashed at the air with the knife. Kevin moved back a couple of steps out of harms way.

"Come on, buddy, you don't want to do this. Put the knife down and we'll talk about it."

"No." The knife swished through the air. Other police cars arrived at the scene.

"No one's going to hurt you," Kevin said, glancing at the other officer. Unbelievably, the man took this moment to scream and rush Kevin, knife in front of him. He was perhaps twenty five feet away.

"Stop!" was all Kevin could manage to say, his finger on the trigger of his gun. The other officer shouted a warning also, but the man paid no heed to it. He was less than ten feet away when Kevin and the other officer each fired. The man dropped to ground instantly, the knife falling harmlessly to his side with a thud. An angry pool of blood began spilling it's way through the white tee shirt of the man that ceased to live.

It was an early Friday evening when Rachel stepped into her house. She had a long day of collecting data and looking through microscopes and she looked forward to a long bath and a restful evening. She saw the light of the answering machine immediately and thought of Kevin. He almost always left a message for her and she was getting used to them. They were usually sweet and funny and they put a smile on her face. They had supper together at her house the previous night at her house and they planned to go shopping the next day. When they didn't meet, they usually talked on the phone at least once a day. They had been dating for over a month now. She pressed the "play" button and listened in anticipation for another witty remark or comment from him.

"Rachel, it's 5:45. Please, please call me as soon as you can. It's very urgent."

Alarmed at the tone and the urgency of it, Rachel knew that something was terribly wrong. The first thing she thought was that he was injured, but the caller ID showed his number. His number was in Annie's first initial and maiden name in the phone book, thus keeping his address a secret to the general public. But, if he was calling from home, he wasn't hurt enough to be in the hospital. Rachel dialed his number swiftly and he picked up on the first ring.

"Rachel?" he answered.

"Kevin, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he said, "it's just that...I...damn."

"What Kevin? What's wrong?" she asked, very scared.

"I had to kill someone today..."

"Oh my God," Rachel exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth.

"I didn't want to..."

"How?"

"Can you come over? I'll tell you everything," he pleaded, trying to keep from crying.

"Of course I will. I'll be right over. Are you okay?"

"I...I just don't want to be alone right now."

"I'll be there before you know it."

"Thanks Rachel. I really need you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thanks."

Thousands of thoughts were running through her mind as she raced to her bedroom to change clothes. The thought of him actually killing someone sent chills through her. The thought of him being in that much danger scared her beyond belief. It was then that she truthfully realized how dangerous his job really was. The time that she was with him on patrol was a routine day, or so she thought. But, she now knew that no day was routine with him and every call could put his life in danger. She sat down on the bed and began to cry, partly from him having to kill someone, but mostly because she thought about what would happen if she lost him. The fear of being without him just when things were going so well was almost more than she could bear. She knew then that she loved him and desperately wanted him in her life.

After a few minutes, she composed herself and continued to change clothes. Without giving it a second thought, she placed a pair of pajamas in a plastic bag along with some toiletry items. She was going to stay overnight with him whether he wanted her to or not. She would sleep on his porch if she had to.

She drove quickly , but carefully, to his house. As she pulled into the driveway, Kevin was waiting for her at the door, hands in his pockets. Leaving the bag in the front seat, she slammed the door shut and ran to him, throwing her arms around his upper back and hugging him tight. Nothing was said as he led her into the living room after he shut the door. They held each for the longest time, each just grateful to be together.

"I'm so glad that you're okay," she said, choking on her words slightly. Tears were welling in her eyes from the relief of seeing him. She held his face in her hands and kissed him passionately, hoping that she could somehow erase the pain that he was feeling. He held her close and returned the kiss, brushing aside the tears that were rolling down her face. Kevin led her to the sofa and they sat down before he began to recount the events. He didn't hold back, telling her every phase of what happened right to the point of him pulling the trigger.

"He was DRT," he said, his head bowed. "Both shots were right through the heart."

"What's DRT?" she asked, sniffling, even more scared from truth of the story.

"Dead right there," he said quietly, grimacing.

"Oh," she said as she looked down. She looked back him and sighed. "So, what happens now?"

"Lots of things. There'll be an internal investigation, although it's just routine and I've been told nothing will come of it. The tapes from all of our vehicles will exonerate us from any wrong doing, plus all of the officers that were there will be interviewed. I'm on administrative leave for two weeks and I'll have to see the department's psychologist to make sure that I'm competent to go back on duty. Then, there's the possibility that I'll be sued for his death."

"You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed. "How can anyone sue you for this? You had no choice."

"I know, but usually the family will sue when someone is killed. Right, wrong , or indifferent, that's the way it is. The funny thing is, this was the first time that I've ever fired my weapon on duty. Over twenty years on the force and this is the first time! I just can't believe it." He shook his head and sat back into the cushions, staring off into space.

The phone rang and Kevin jumped at the sound. He looked at Rachel, then slowly got up and went to it. He looked at the caller ID before answering. Kevin spoke low and Rachel couldn't make out what he was saying and he hung up quickly. Coming back to the sofa, hands in his pockets, he looked at Rachel sheepishly.

"That was my sergeant checking up on me, making sure I hadn't eaten my gun or something."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, clearly confused.

"Nothing, Rachel, just a little police humor."

"All right," she said softly, seeing no humor in it at all.

"I called Jackie and she wanted to come over, but I told her that you were coming. I think she hates you now," he said, smiling a little.

"Why would she hate me? We've never met."

Kevin sat down next to her. "I was kidding, Rachel. She doesn't hate you. She's very happy that you're in my life."

"Why are you making jokes? You were almost killed today and you're cracking jokes." She looked down, her hands against her forehead shaking her head back and forth.

"Rachel," he said, "I have to joke about this otherwise I'd go crazy. I see so much destruction and depravity everyday. If I didn't joke about it, I doubt that I could handle it for much longer. It's a stress relief for me. It's a stress relief for all of us. We have to joke about it. Don't you have inside jokes about your job that other people might not understand?"

Rachel nodded, "But, it's nothing like this."

"Is my job like yours?"

"No."

"Then, I guess it would be hard to understand. Annie didn't understand for quite a while, either."

Rachel nodded again and laid her head against his shoulder. She didn't feel like joking. This was much too serious to be joking and she didn't like it that Kevin was making light of it. Didn't he know how much he meant to her? She was so glad that he wouldn't be allowed to work for two weeks. She didn't know if she could stand the thought of him on the road again. She wouldn't have a minutes rest worrying about him.

Kevin wrapped his arms around her, hoping to ease her mind. He knew that she was upset, but he didn't know what else to do. Police work and it's humor were new to her and he felt that she would understand in time. Hopefully, the administrative investigation of the shooting would be swift and they would be exonerated and he could go back to work without delay. He knew that he needed to get back to work as soon as possible before he got gun shy and was unable to do his job. He had heard that it had happened to other officers who had shot someone and he didn't want it to happen to him. Rachel kicked off her shoes, stretched her legs, and nestled into his chest. He kissed her softly on her forehead and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes.

"Thanks for coming over," he murmured. "I really need you. I feel better with you here."

"I'm glad you called me. I would have been really, really upset if you hadn't." She moved her arms around to his back and hugged him tightly. "You mean so much to me!" she said softly.

Kevin sighed quietly at her revelation and took it at face value. He looked down at her and smiled, knowing that he was starting to fall in love with her. He liked her from the start, even from their first phone call and he felt that it was okay to start loving her. He wasn't there yet, but he wasn't afraid to let it happen, wasn't afraid to let his feelings show for her. Kevin had lost one love in his life and he realized how lucky he was to have found another lovely person.