Woman in Love Ch. 01

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Part 1 - Prologue

"I am a woman in love
And I'll do anything
To get you into my world
And hold you within
It's a right I'll defend
Over and over again..."
--- Barbra Streisand, 'Woman In Love'.

Sunday, May 17th. Callie Carrington woke up to see sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. She turned over to find that she was alone in the bed... the same way she'd gone to bed the night before.

Oh good grief, she thought to herself, don't tell me Cindy spent the night with Tim Jenkins and left Betsy alone with me.

She got up and checked the other bedroom. Betsy's bed was empty. As she went back into the main room, the front door opened and in walked Cindy Ross in athletic gear, and Betsy in her arms.

"Good morning." Cindy said. "It's beautiful outside this morning, so I took Betsy for a walk. Did you have fun, Betsy?"

"Yeah." Betsy said.

"When did you get home?" Callie asked.

"About midnight." Cindy said. "You were asleep, so I crashed on the sofa." It was only then that Callie saw the rumpled up sheet at the end of the sofa.

Callie made coffee while Cindy fed Betsy. As they sat at the breakfast room table, Cindy said "Bowser and Sadie Mae hooked up again, and they should have another litter of puppies in a few months. Should I tell Don we want one of them? Betsy loves Bowser and Buddy."

"Uhhh, I don't know." Callie said. "I have to travel a lot, your Police schedule is pretty much 'on call, all the time', and your mom has said she likes Bowser and Buddy, but she doesn't want to take care of a dog or cat full time. And you're going to have your hands full in a few months with the baby on the way."

"Yeah, that's a point." Cindy said. "By the way, there's one other thing I wanted to ask you about. With all the riots going on in the big cities, including Southport, Tim is going to be up here a lot more, at Jack Muscone's request. Why don't you come to dinner with us one night?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Callie said Cindy looked over at her, then peered at her.

"You don't like him, do you?" Cindy said.

"It's not that." Callie said. "It's... well, put it this way: if I started dating someone seriously, say Benny Black, and I asked you to come to dinner with us, how would you feel?"

"I... uh... well, I don't know." Cindy said. "If you were pregnant and he were the father, I'd probably understand and go to dinner with you."

"Really?" Callie said, a bit sharply. "You'd be okay with me seriously dating another guy, having another person in my life like that?"

Cindy looked at Callie for a moment, then said "You're worried that I would leave you for Tim?"

"I don't know." Callie said. "Look. I'm the last person on earth that can complain about you having sex with someone else, even another guy. After all, I make porn films every time I go to California. But you've been spending a lot of time with Tim, as if you're dating him, and you're pregnant with his baby right now. So yeah, I'm wondering where we are right now.

Cindy nodded. "Well... I never thought about it any other way than we are in love and going to get married, and hopefully soon. But yes... I'm having a baby, and Tim is going to be part of the baby's life."

"How much a part?" Callie said. "Is he more to you than a sperm donor?"

"Hold on." Cindy said. "First of all, yes he is... he's the father of this baby inside me. And yes, I'd like for him to be a father to the baby, for them to be in each other's lives."

"How can you say that?" Callie said. "What about me? What about us? And it's your baby, not his!"

That shocked Cindy. "No, it's Tim's baby, too. And he wants to be a father to it." After a pause, she said "Look, Don wants to be a father to Greta, but when Sandra Speer took her away to New York, and won't send Don so much as a picture of her, it hurt him, and it hurts him now that he can't be there for his daughter when she needs him. I don't want to hurt Tim that way."

"But what about us?" Callie said. "If we get married, that baby is mine too, isn't it?"

"And the flip side of that." Cindy continued. "Paulina Patterson kept Tasha away from Don for a while, then realized that Tasha needed a daddy, and Don was... and is... a great daddy. And Laura was good with that, and she and Paulina are close, like sister wives. Paulina knows she's not Don's wife, that she's not first in his eyes like Laura is.

Cindy went on: "That may not be the best analogy. Maybe like divorced parents with children, and one parent remarries. Anyway, what this boils down to is... I'm not asking you to be close with Tim, but just to realize he's going to be part of the baby's life."

After a long silence, Callie said she would go take a shower, leaving Cindy in a long reverie...

Part 2 - Unpacking Adjectives

"I unpacked 'frustrating' first.
Reached in and found the word 'worst'.
Then I picked 'soggy' and
Next I picked 'foggy' and
Then I was ready to tell them my tale.
'Cause I'd unpacked my adjectives."
--- Schoolhouse Rock, 'Unpack Your Adjectives'

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Tuesday, May 19th, from atop the building at Riverside and College, with Police Headquarters in the distance behind her. "The Police Union has denounced the Inspector General!"

Bettina began: "Inspector General Horace S. Wellman has been condemned for his findings, issued yesterday, that Commander Troy did nothing wrong when he physically attacked a Police Sergeant who the Union contends was making a lawful stop of a black man believed to have abducted a child. The Union has filed several grievances against Commander Troy, and meetings to resolve those issues are expected today or tomorrow. Commander Troy has suspiciously refused to respond to repeated requests by KXTC Channel Two News for comment on the matter."

Bettina: "And now let's go to trusted political reporter Lester Holder, for more on the protests occurring in many parts of the State and the Nation. Lester!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said Lester 'Penis' Holder from the parking lot of the 'Jasmine' jazz club. "An unarmed black man, who was handcuffed and forced to lie prone on the ground, was choked to death by a Wilmington, Delaware Police Sergeant by putting his boot on the man's neck for over eight minutes. After the incident was posted to YouTube and other social media outlets, the four Police Officers involved were arrested, but so far have not been charged. As a result of the murder as well as the slow response to arrest the murderous Officers, riots are beginning to break out over the Nation as the frustrations of blacks erupt over the brutal tactics of Police aggression against People of Color."

Penis Holder: "Several blocks in The City just southwest of City International Airport have extensive fire damage as rioting and looting goes unchecked there. In Southport, marchers attempted to approach the wharf and docks areas, including the renowned Dagny Piers, but were savagely beaten back by Police and what are being described as 'security forces'. Experts are saying that those security people may have Mob ties, and are exercising brutality against peaceful black protesters at the direction of white Organized Crime bosses."

Penis Holder: "In Midtown, the Inner Midtown and East Midtown districts suffered major fire damage as protests erupted there again. Those areas had been designated 'Police free zones', but Midtown Chief Frank Soltis ordered his shock troops in to savagely quell the peaceful protests there. However, the Midtown Police are no longer attempting to interdict protesters there, but are containing the protests to the Inner Midtown area."

Penis Holder: "State Representative Tasheeka Harris of Inner Midtown is furious with the Midtown Police, and has demanding that the Midtown Mayor and Council fire Chief Soltis and order the MPD to withdraw from their lines and not harass the peaceful demonstrators. So far, the Midtown politicians have declined to show any backbone and stop the Police brutality."

Penis Holder: "Channel Two News has also learned that City Mayor Lucian Phelps has sued deeply unpopular Governor Val Jared after Jared told the State National Guard to prepare to be activated, with the intent of sending them in to violently end the peaceful protests in the City. Superior Court Judge Mohammed Omar of that District issued a stay enjoining the Governor from sending in any State troops or State law enforcement entities. Back to you, Bettina!"

"Thank you for that insightful report, Lester!" Bettina said. "And now let's go to Amber Harris for more on the local situation. Amber!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the athletic blonde from the same rooftop Bettina was on, but positioned to show the State Office Building in the background. "Here in our Town & County, it's been relatively quiet. Police have allowed peaceful protests during daylight hours, but have strongly enforced what is supposed to be a dawn-to-dusk curfew. However, they are not strictly enforcing the curfew until midnight."

Amber: "Police Chief Sean Moynahan, responding to a request for comment by KXTC, said the curfew was being eased in the early evening hours to allow restaurants and bars to remain open and conduct business while School is still in session. This is Final Exams week, and Graduation is Saturday at the University."

Amber: "And in local politics, Dr. Joseph E. Williams has refused to concede the primary race in the district to replace Reginald B.F. Lewis, and has refused to endorse the winner of that race, Edgar Silas, despite calls by the State Democrat Party and local Civil Rights leaders to do so. Silas won by 228 votes, and a recount was ended when a water pipe malfunction damaged nearly half the paper ballots cast and the State Democrat Party declined to pay for another election. Let's go back to you, Bettina!"

"Thank you, Amber!" Bettina said as the feed returned to her. "And in the Council race for Kelly Carnes's seat, Republican Bill Redmond filed complaints with the Federal and State Election Authorities, accusing Mrs. Carnes of money laundering violations. The Carnes Campaign issued a statement saying "The Redmond Campaign is already showing its desperation by making these scurrilous, false accusations..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Adjectives." I said as we drank coffee in the Chief's Conference Room. "Lots and lots... of adjectives."

"What do you mean, Crowbar?" asked Sheriff Griswold.

"When the Media begins using a lot of adjectives," I replied, "then we know they are not reporting facts, but their opinions. In fact, the adjectives themselves are opinions; ergo, proof of my concept, there. All of that was opinion propaganda, not accurate news journalism."

"Yes sir, you got that right." said Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle. "Those KSB and national reporters are using the adjective 'peaceful' to describe these protests... while right behind them on the camera are burning buildings, people looting, and other people throwing rocks at each other and the Police. It'd be funny if people weren't getting hurt and even dying."

I said: "My adjectives for the Press are 'frustrating', as in my frustration with them; 'worst', as in the level of their reporting; and 'foggy', as in the state of their mental capacities."

"I hope you are not frustrated with the relative level of quiet in this County, Mr. Crowbarrrr." said the Chief.

"I'm hoping it'll remain that way, sir." I said. "But it won't take a lot for them to go off on us."

"Out of curiosity," said Command Cindy Ross, "maybe even as an intellectual exercise... why is it so relatively peaceful here?"

"Because the TCPD crashed down on that 'Police-free zone' like a ton of bricks." said Captain Tanya Muscone. "And that's my favorite FBI Agent's opinion as well as mine. We're allowing peaceful marches, and they know we'll crack down hard on violence, so they chant their slogans, march their signs down the road, and go home after dark like the rest of us do."

Teresa said "I'll add to it that the TCPD's hard crackdown on the Media helped greatly. The Agitators know that they need Media coverage, but any Media covering them is specially targeted by LEOs."

"And we need to be carefullll about saying that out loud, Ms. Croyle." drawled the Chief. "KXTC is already threatening to sue us over firing beanbags, rubber bullets, and tear gassss at Lester Holder and his news crewwwww."

"Bring it on." I said. "I'd love to get their asses in Court and barbecue them."

"Our taxpayers have to pay for that, Mr. Crowbarrrr." replied the Chief.

"Point taken, sir." I said, 'conceding' the argument.

"So what's going on with the Union?" Cindy asked. "Now that the IG has found that McCombs tried to murder an unarmed black man, though KXTC didn't include that in their report this morning, will the Union drop their silly grievance?"

The Chief said "So far, they have not. And they're still pushing McElwane's grievance... hard."

Cindy said "Even if they win that, the McElwane complaint, what of it? Is it really that bad?"

"It's piling on." I said. "And trying to drum up support among the Rank and File. Trying to created divisions, and discord."

"And speaking of the Rank and File," Teresa said, "I'll be meeting with the Precinct Leadership this morning, and I'll get an idea of how much trouble the Union is ginning up over all this."

"Changing the subject," said Tanya, with the merest twinkle in her eye, "when are Commander Ross and Callie Carrington going to set a date?"

"Uhhh, we're looking at this Summer." said Cindy. "When my father's back in-country."

But there was something about the way she'd said it, and I permitted myself to turn my head sllloooowwwwwlllyy to look at her. My gray eyes locked with her ice-blue peepers. We engaged in a 'blink' contest until everyone could see what we were doing.

The Sheriff broke the awkward silence as he got up and said "I'm going to go across the street and see how our EMS friends are doing." The coffee klatch broke up after that...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7:55am, Tuesday, May 19th. Cindy Ross knocked on my open door and came on in.

"Good morning." I said. "Feeling okay? Morning sickness still an issue?"

"Not as much," Cindy replied, "but you'll understand if I rush out of here during the Angels Meeting." I nodded. Cindy then said "And don't say anything." She mean about our 'Blink' contest earlier.

"I haven't said a word, and I'm not going to." I replied. "Unless you really want me to by saying you don't want me to."

"That sounds like one of Carole's games." Cindy said as she sat down. "Anyway, 'The Vision' has its summer camps most weeks of the summer, but my father has said he'll clear a weekend for me... what?" She saw that I was peering at her.

"Those camps are reserved months in advance." I said. "That's a lot of people to tell that their camp has been canceled."

"No, we wouldn't cancel anything." Cindy said. "But to your point, we don't have anything set in stone yet."

The entrance of my other Angels saved Cindy from being peered at even harder. We moved along to business.

"I have a question." Teresa said. "I don't think the McCombs grievance is going to be routine. What's happening there?"

I nodded and said "Yeah, it's getting... 'complex', to coin a phrase. First of all, we really have two grievances and two issues: McCombs, and McElwane. The McElwane grievance should be routine: it should go to a panel hearing, then maybe up to the Public Safety Review Board, the short panel or the full meal deal."

The Public Safety Review Board consisted of 13 persons: the Sheriff, his Chief of Staff, Police Chief, Fire Chief, EMS Chief, Public Health Officer (PHO), Police Commander, Police Deputy Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, Assistant EMS Chief, and two Assistant PHOs. The 'short panel' would be the Sheriff and the four Chiefs of his Departments.

I continued: "The McCombs situation is very complex, because McCombs has been charged with felony crimes, as well as criminal insubordination and other LEO-specific crimes. Normally that would be allowed to play out in Court, and that would usually take care of the rest of it."

I went on: "However... the Union is trying to wrap the two together into one, and make me the object of both the grievances. That means that the I.G.'s Office would assign someone to investigate it and handle it, and not as a mediation but as a full-bore Internal-Affairs-ish investigation. We're going to try to sever them into two cases, but we'll have to see how that works out."

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

It was my Police iPhone, and it was FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone calling. "Hi Jack." I said as I answered it. "I'm in a meeting with your Boss, Mrs. Muscone." Tanya grinned at me.

"Put me on speaker." Jack said. When I did, he said "We're having an 'all hands on deck' meeting at the Federal Building. Any of you with Top Secret clearance are invited to come over. EAD Owen Lange is running the meeting, and he, I, and SSA Melina Allgood are guaranteeing your safety, Don."

"All the same," I replied, "I'll bring Angels to watch over me."

"Awwwww." said all three of my Angels at once...

Part 3 - All Hands On Deck

9:00am, Tuesday, May 18th. We congregated in a large meeting room on the second floor of the Federal Building. The Sheriff, Chief, me, my Angels, Jerome Davis, and Joanne Warner were there. Jack Muscone's team of Karina White, Julius Jefferson, Melina Allgood, Ted Crenshaw, and Tim Jenkins were present, as well as Ashton Cardigan and Lindy Linares. Dwight Stevens was there as the DEA rep. And to my surprise, my wife Laura and Callie Carrington were in the House.

Naturally, I went and sat by Laura in the back row of chairs. "Wow, they got you out of bed early, eh? It must be big." I said. Laura tried to pinch me on the hip, but the 'girdle' saved me... I knew there was a good reason for wearing it!

Callie was sitting on Laura's other side, and Cindy went up to sit with her. The rest of the TCPD contingent were right in front of us, except for Tanya, who'd parked at the end of the front row.

Laura said "EAD Lange called me and asked me to bring Callie. From what I'm understanding, the physical safety of the Federal Buildings in the City and Southport are in question from all the rioting, so Jack had the people he needs come here." I nodded.

A moment later, Jack Muscone and Karina White came in, and Jack went to the podium. "Thank you all for coming." he said. "Don, you're hiding in the back with the CIA, there?"

I took Laura's hand in my own and said "I'm sitting with my wife, so that all of you can see that I'm the luckiest man in the room." All the women giggled. Laura smiled and squeezed my hand.

Jack said "I'm taking over the title of the lucky one, with my lovely wife here with us." That also got a round of "Awww"s from the ladies.

Jack said "Okay, I invited the TCPD people as a courtesy, but I'm glad to have you in the loop on what we're doing. We've got several things going on, most importantly these riots in the State as well as all over the Nation. EAD Lange will be talking about that in a moment. We also have some drug-operations-related news that Dwight Stevens will be getting us up to speed on in a minute."