Semper Fi Pt. 01

Frank looked at his lover and wished he knew what she was talking about.

Caitlyn waited an eternity, it seemed, for Frank to lean over, one large hand supporting her neck and very gently, place his lips over hers. She wanted to cry from the tenderness of the kiss and instinctively moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her. She gave him a very strong hug, burying her face on his shoulder, smelling his clean, masculine scent.

Then, she kissed him, using her lips to softly graze the corner of his mouth, the roughness of his cheek, placing light kisses on his eyes and forehead before settling squarely on his mouth, her own urgency to incite a passion that was warm and low, something deeper and more profound than she'd though possible.

Frank closed his eyes, his head swimming. The taste, the smell of Caitlyn was intoxicating. His hands roved across the slight planes of her back and he groaned as she leaned backward, pulling him on top of her, one of her thighs pressing against him. His response was slow building as the blood flow increased with rushes and ebbs...

"Let's go to bed," she said, softly. Her hair was rumpled, her lips swollen, her complexion flushed, her breath coming in short gasps.

He touched her smooth cheek and then moved away from her. She took his hand and pulled him into the darkened bedroom, the glow from the entryway light guiding her. It was pure craziness... she tugged him down to sit next to her and then hugged him fiercely again. Frank closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her body encompass every part of him.

Caitlyn began to unbutton his shirt, her lips skimming across the bare skin underneath the collar of his shirt. He shouldn't be doing this... again. He didn't have time for love... or, did he?

Frank tried to make sense of what they were doing, of this beautiful woman disrobing him and herself, garment by garment but he could no longer think rationally.

As he gazed at her sheer bra, Frank swallowed, his senses highly aroused. Even though they had already made love once before, this second time was even more intense than he could imagine.

She came to him, completely naked, her perfect breasts taut with anticipation as she straddled his lap. He closed his arms around her, feeling himself swell with desire. The back of her hands smoothed over his chest and back, making the blood surge faster, giving her clear evidence of his arousal. Caitlyn softly kissed the back of his neck, his ear, his jaw as she pressed her body against his.

He rushed, trying to get the condom on and broke the first one.

Her body willingly opened for him, her gasps of pleasure enhancing his. He went slowly at first, feeling her, moist, tight, her heat easily felt through the condom. He kissed her face, enjoying the sensation of the most intimate of conversations, savoring her small moans, waiting for her to move with more urgency. It take long before she clutched at him, her body shuddering with the intensity of her orgasm, her firm contractions disengaging any control he'd had.

And then it was over. She lay panting next to him, her eyes glowing with an emotion too bright to look at directly, sending something to his mind. Love? He couldn't be in love. Not so soon... but, he pulled her closer, feeling her slender legs wrap around his, the warmth of her cheek resting on his chest.

Frank awoke to find her dressing quietly. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Caitlyn gave him a smile. "I thought it would be better to leave now," she said as she put on her shoes.

"You don't have to leave," he said, upset that she was leaving. He got up and pulled on his pants, reaching for his shirt.

"Don't bother to get up," she said and leaned over to give him a lingering kiss. She opened the door, stepping out into the chilly morning air and shivered. He put his arm around her and they slowly walked to her car.

"We should probably talk about this," he whispered.

She nodded. "I know," she said, lifting on tip-toe to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But, let's not talk about it too much," she said, with a wink before she slipped into her car and drove away.

Frank went back into the room. He had only a few hours before he had to get up and report but he didn't feel tired at all. He grinned, an unfamiliar lightheartedness filling him.

Back in the room, he lay on the bed intent on a couple of hours but sleep eluded him and he found himself getting up and reading the reports once again.

Four hours later, Caitlyn returned to pick him up. "There's been another one," she said.

"Where to?" he asked, settling inside her car. He watched her face, hoping to see some of that intensity present just a few hours earlier.

"Vista... an apartment house... the landlady heard some noise and called 911 but she doesn't speak English all that well."

"Spanish?" he asked.

"No, French."

"You're kidding."

"Her daughter's there and we can speak to her."

While the questioning was done 'officially' through the Vista Police Department, Frank took the lead but aside from knowing that it occurred at a little past one in the morning and there was a single person involved, there wasn't much to be learned.

"Damn," he said, "I was really hoping that we'd get something from her. This is ridiculous. And, these damn women..."

"Don't forget the man." Caitlyn looked at her laptop note.

"...and the man, you'd think they'd be more careful or just stay home or something. We're not getting anywhere. Lunch?"

"Let's go to Bruno's. Great Italian and they have an awesome buffet."

"Sure, that sounds great. Anywhere with you is great."

Bruno's buffet had everything Frank was hoping for: amazing fresh pizza, six types of pasta, fresh bread and a salad bar that seemed to go forever and he was frustrated. It was a perfect case of too many choices to choose from and he stood there, dish in hand with two slices of pepperoni pizza and nothing else.

Caitlyn walked over, took his dish, said "let me help you," and began to put food on his plate. "This is good... this is better... and this... is to die for."

Frank followed her around the dining room, watching as she put one thing after another onto his plate, stopping to get another plate when it looked like everything was going to slide away and finally sitting down with three dishes of Italian food. "This food is incredible. I love pizza where you don't see the cheese."

Stringing cheese across his chin, he took another bite. "God, this is good. Thanks."

Caitlyn watched him eat, thinking how his two appetites were so similar. She imagined his mouth on her, between her legs. Looking at her own dish, she forked a sausage and brought it to her lips.

"Would you like to go for ice cream? There's got to be a '31 Flavors' around here, somewhere?" He looked out the restaurant's window.

"You've never been up this way, have you?" she asked.

"Actually... no. I transferred to San Diego earlier this year from Pensacola and just started getting my bearings when all this started. I couldn't ask for a better way to learn the neighborhood."

Caitlyn blushed. His acknowledgment explained why he had so easily let her take the lead off-base. "They're not very good around here. I don't know why but the service bites. There's a Coldstone over on Main; let's go there."

A short while later, they were sharing a hot chocolate brownie covered in French Vanilla, caramel, whipped cream and pecans... Frank looked at her, wondering if she worshipped ice cream like so many other women, as she slowly licked the white cream from the dessert and smiled. Damn, he thought, intense. He closed his eyes, hoping to stop his rising arousal.

"Oh," she asked, "did you want some?"

"Watching you is treat enough, baby." He took a small scoop of ice cream, just to say he had some. "Do you think we're ever going to solve this mess?"

She stopped eating and frowned. "If they stop now, no. If they keep on going, maybe. California isn't very good on solving murders."

"You said 'they.' What do you know that I don't?"

"How long you've been doing this? It has to be more than one guy... just call it women's intuition."

**********

"What's going on, Garrett?"

"What's going on, Caitlyn? Where've you been? I haven't seen you in at least three days."

"You know... just doing field work, that's all. In truth, Garrett, I've got nothing. We're no closer now than we were the first day we started. This sucks." Caitlyn sat down behind her desk, wondering if this was all worth it. Philandering wives, cheating husbands, biblical payback... what more can you ask for?

**********

Chapter 7 Crazy, Patsy Cline

Crazy, I'm crazy for feeling so lonely
I'm crazy, crazy for feeling so blue
I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then someday you'd leave me for somebody new

Worry, why do I let myself worry?
Wond'ring what in the world did I do?
Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying

And I'm crazy for loving you
Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you.

Lying on the bed, their bodies pressed together, seemed to shorten their control and added urgency to their every move. Frank's kiss was hot and hungry, searing and searching as his tongue probed into Caitlyn's mouth. Her hands were demanding as they clutched at him, held him, pulled him closer than it was possible to be.

Then he was tugging off her jeans, she was pulling off his shorts until there was nothing between them. Flesh against flesh... hot need against moist hungry heat. Entwined, heart to heart, their bodies spoke to the other.

She never knew such hunger, such elemental need. It was if part of her had been missing and now was found and she wanted to touch him all over, to caress every inch of him and to know he came alive at her stroking.

But, his hands cupped her breasts and he took the tender nipples into his mouth and she forgot everything else. She was all hunger and need, melting under his touch, becoming one with him.

Moving beneath him, she opened her heart and took him in and they became one, once again, their bodies pulsing in a timeless rhythm.

"This wasn't how I pictured this," Frank said, after a long moment.

She was still trying to catch her breath, her mind still fuzzy from the sex. "What do you mean?"

"You know... a romantic setting."

"This isn't romantic?"

"Actually, it's perfect... me and you."

**********

The following four days were filled with paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. Each time a city was added to the list, a stack of papers was added to the growing pile, even if it only existed on their laptops... and their desktops. The paperless office never arrived with the computer, it just multiplied it beyond all recognition and the printers never got a rest and they never got an arrest.

*********

It was a little more than a week later that Caitlyn and her best friend, Allison Carter, were having dinner at the Fish House in Carlsbad. "Honestly, waking up married to a complete stranger would be my worst nightmare. Do you love him?"

"I think so..." Caitlyn had the most anxious look on her face as she picked at her smoked albacore. "I don't know... I want to."

"It's a unique situation; you just have to give it time; you have to tell him," said Allison, smiling and then forking a tomato out of her salad.

"Telling Frank..." Caitlyn looked away from her best friend and stared at the patio's brick walls.

"Caitlyn, I swear."

Caitlyn blushed, amazed at her friend's intimation. "Allison, you're wrong." Caitlyn put her fork down forcefully, clattering the dish. What if she told him and he... damn it, she thought. She didn't have a clue what to do.

"No... I'm not. What are you going to do when this case is settled? One way or another, he'll be gone and then what? They all leave. They always leave."

"I don't know. He's stationed in San Diego. That's not so far away... just an hour, maybe."

"If he really cares..." Allison looked at her friend, wondering how such a smart woman could be so stupid. "Look, what could it hurt? He has to know or are you keeping it to yourself and just taking care of it... that way?" She shivered. "I did it and I've been regretting it ever since." Allison's face flashed a great sign of despair.

"I don't know... maybe nothing... maybe, everything. Are you sure?" Caitlyn stared at her food, hesitant. What if she was right?

**********

"...and, then we could go to dinner," Frank suggested.

It was a romantic thing to say and he had said it in a romantic tone of voice. For a fleeting moment, she imagined what it would be like kissing him goodbye in the morning and having him come home at the end of the day. The woman he went to sleep with and awakened next to in the morning. The woman he made passionate love to and in whose ear he whispered a lifetime of romantic words. The woman who shared his life, his home, his children. The woman he wanted to marry.

Caitlyn remembered last night. She had gone eagerly into his arms, ready and willing to love him. His hands were strong and possessive on her shoulders and their warmth remained even as his palms lifted to hold her face with possessive assurance. She was a willing participant and she began to tremble and her lips took the cue, breathing him in and then his mouth was on hers and her heart was beating, her head spinning.

Nothing had made sense and nothing else mattered. Except his lips, moving against hers, luring her deeper into his kiss, making her aware of him

"That's so sweet, Frank, but I can't stay." Caitlyn hated what she was doing. For the first time, she considered the possibility that this could become more complicated than she anticipated. He was handsome, good with her, intelligent and she was attracted to him and yet, she was suddenly afraid.

"All right," he said, dejectedly. "I guess I could do some paperwork. I'll see you, tomorrow?"

She didn't answer, hung up and looked out her window at the rain. It fit her mood, dark and dreary. She had no practice playing 'hard to get', never having been serious about someone since high school... and that had ended in disaster, staying home on Prom night, alone. She burned her pastel green gown the next morning, accidently setting her parents' garage on fire and being embarrassed in front of the whole neighborhood.

But, this was different. She was afraid he wasn't going to like what she had to tell him and began to retreat into that place she went to when she didn't to deal with something.

Caitlyn half-heartedly pushed some files around her computer desktop, rearranging them, right to left, top to bottom... and then, back again.

Garrett walked over. "Milky Way?" he asked, holding one out.

"Yeah, give me a couple."

Astonished, Garrett opened his desk drawer and passed three candy bars across the way. "Here," he said, "take what you need."

The monotony of one day passed into another as she found one excuse after another... until she realized she was being an idiot. After the second week of her self-imposed exile, she called Frank but only got his voice mail. "Ooooffff," she moaned, putting her cell down.

"What's the matter?" Garrett asked.

"Fran... Agent Carlson... I can't seem to reach him."

"Oh, them... they left, said they were reassigned. I thought you knew. There wasn't enough progress being made and it's all gone cold, anyways."

"Reassigned? I didn't know..." Her voice trailed off into silence. "Gone..."

The phone rang and Garrett answered.

"There's been a killing over at the 7-11. Night clerk, botched robbery..."

"Give me a minute," Caitlyn said, finishing her candy bar. "I've got to go to the bathroom."

"Take your time, the dead guy's not going anyplace."

She looked in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled and wisped around and away from her face. She thought of him. When she had been with him, it had been the most pleasure she had in her life. The thought brought her up short.

*********

Frank looked at her. "I'm upset because you made a decision without talking to me. I can't understand that..."

"You're upset," Caitlyn snapped, "because... because...

His anger flared again. "I think you're skirting the real issue."

"Do you?" She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "Maybe I am. Frank, maybe this whole thing has been a mistake."

His stomach knotted. "You can't be serious."

"Can't I? What guarantee did I have that you'd still be around a month from now?"

"Is that what's upsetting you? You were afraid I was going to bail on you?"

Her breasts rose and fell rapidly. "Don't you see what's happening?"

He clenched his hands to keep from reaching out to her. "Why weren't you happy that we were together? We had something pretty good. At least, I thought we did. I think you're afraid of getting too close and you're using this to pull away."

She backed away. "You're not listening to me."

Frank looked at her for a long time. His gaze flicked over her eyes, her lips. "If you were that convinced I was going to leave eventually, you don't trust me. And if you don't trust me, what kind of relationship did we have?"

"Can you honestly say you trusted me?" She stared at him.

"Yes, I did," he said.

The look on her face said it all.

Pain and frustration combined to push him over the edge. "If you're trying to get rid of me, at least be honest about why. Don't use this as an excuse."

Her face reddened. "I am not!" she shouted. "This conversation is over!"

"You're right," he said. "It's pointless." He looked around the room at the other detectives. "I've got to hand it to you, you're timing is... ah, shit."

He stormed out of the police station but it didn't heal the gaping wound where his heart had been only minutes before.

**********

Frank was upset with himself. He had worked with attractive women all the time and never mixed business with pleasure... until now and she had broken up with him. What had he done, he had no idea and it bothered him.

She could have least said 'goodbye' instead of just brushing him off... not that it mattered, he thought. The case had gone cold. Whoever the killer was, he... or she, he realized... had gone to ground.

The phone on his desk rang. "Carlson."

"Frank, there's been another one."

"Ah, Jeez..." Frank stood up, took his gun out of his drawer and whistled at Cynthia. "C'mon, time to go. There's been another one."

"Oh?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's a guy, married to a Navy reserve nurse in Afghanistan. Two to the crotch, one to the head." Frank headed out his office.

"Are we hooking up with those two cops?"

Frank hesitated. "I... I don't think so. I don't see any reason, do you?"

"I just thought..."

"Don't think. When this is over, I'm transferring somewhere else, maybe Honolulu or Seattle or something... anywhere but here.

**********

"Hey, Caitlyn, there's been another one. Some guy in San Diego."

"Drop it, Frank. It's out of our jurisdiction; we've got our own to worry about and..."

"...and, you're just angry about Frank. What did that guy do to you that you dropped him? I thought..."

"Don't think, Garrett, just leave me alone about that."

Garrett knew something had been bothering his partner for the last few weeks but he couldn't determine whose fault it was until now... and, now he knew. What to do about it, though, was a completely different question.

They spent the rest of the day finishing reports about the 7-11 homicide.