An Internal Affair

A/N: Silliness ahead, and a smiiiiiiiidgen of plot. But mostly just silliness.

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The feel of warm breath fanning over the side of her face woke her, and she blinked sleepily over at the clock on Chad’s side of the bed to see that it was still early and the alarm hadn’t gone off yet. Andrea smiled tenderly at her still-slumbering bedmate, who was lying on his side with his face inches from hers, and reached over to touch his arm. He stirred and muttered something, so she guided him into her arms where he snuggled against her and went back to sleep as she stroked his hair. The previous night’s conversation had been wholly unexpected, but she was glad he had finally told her; he was hers now more than ever and despite the fact that she usually avoided intimacy like the plague she felt completely at ease with Chad.

And he’d trusted her enough to open up to her. Andrea smoothed a palm down his back, welcoming the warm, solid weight of him in her arms. Their biggest test as a couple remained, since the news of their relationship was likely all over the precinct by now… but she could deal with it and knew that Chad could, too. Maybe it was time to finally admit to herself how she felt about him, and stop tip-toeing around the issue; the last few months with him had been among the happiest of her life. “I love you,” she whispered. Now I just have to get the courage to tell him while he’s awake. He sighed in his sleep and Andrea smiled, pulling the covers over them and settling back against the pillows, content to hold him until he woke.

When the alarm started beeping, Chad let out a soft groan of protest and buried his face in her neck. “What time is it?”

“Half past six. Good morning.”

Chad shifted his weight off of her, brushing his lips against hers before stifling his yawn against a pillow. “Morning - was I squishing you?”

“Just a little bit.”

“Sorry.”

“I don’t mind.” She gazed at him, reaching out to trace the line of his jaw where his shadow beard darkened his face. “Everyone’s going to know about us by the time we go to work.”

Chad sat up, rolling his powerful shoulders and arching his back to stretch while she admired the view. “After the singular beat-downs we gave out yesterday, I don’t doubt it. Shower?”

She nodded, slipping out of bed and following him into the bathroom where she noted that there were two matching towels. “Where’s my pink towel?” Andrea asked in mock-outrage. He tossed a grin over his shoulder at her as he stepped into the shower and flipped the water on.

“Don’t tell me you liked that thing; I got it for a buck at some street fair just to mess with you… hey, let me help you with that,” he suggested when she reached past him for a washcloth. “I’m a lot better than your standard sponge – everyone says so.”

“Everyone? You’re such a man whore!” Andrea laughed up at him, giving his chest a gentle shove. “Stay on your side; I’ve got to shave my legs.”

He gave her a disappointed look and picked up the soap, ducking beneath the spray. “Technically, the entire shower is my side since it’s my house… want me to turn the water down? And is that my razor?”

“Technically, yes. But I’m sure you wouldn’t mind sharing with me.” She made a show of batting her eyes.

“I’ll only share with you if you come over here and let me help wash you,” Chad bargained. Andrea admitted defeat and allowed him to pull her closer, finally chasing the amorous sergeant out of the shower when she realized that they’d only have a handful of minutes to get dressed and eat before they had to leave for work. “You need me to drop you off at your place or anything?” he asked when she flew past him into the kitchen in search of breakfast.

Andrea retrieved the carton of milk and shook it. “No, we can just drive in together – I’ve got paperwork to do today…and who left a teaspoon of milk in here?”

“Wasn’t me,” Chad replied cheerfully, looking in the mirror as he knotted his tie. “Guess that leaves only one of us as the guilty party.”

“You’re right – Meredith would totally do something like this. He’s been walked, right?” She ignored Chad’s headshake at her blaming the dog and went back to rooting around in the fridge.

“Yeah, I let him out when you were still in the shower. C’mon, we can stop for coffee on the way.”

I could get used to this, she thought with a smile, looking over at Chad as they drove into the LAPD parking garage. “So, what’re you working on; same Quai Long stuff, or is it anything new?” he asked. They walked out into the sunlight as they headed towards the main entrance, and the first few officers they met began to give them the strange looks that Andrea suspected would be the standard fare for at least the next month. Here we go… show time.

“Only slightly new, but it looks like it’s connected – mountains of paperwork await me, and I guess I should get to it,” she sighed. “See you for lunch?”

“Yeah, sure – just come on up and we can order in if you want,” Chad offered, lifting his chin in farewell. “Later.”

Andrea smiled back at him and turned to head for the elevators when a small group of officers intercepted her. “Hey, Battle…” She rolled her eyes and stepped in as they followed her inside. “So, we hear you’re bangin’ Shelten? Never thought you’d go for someone like that nasty bastard,” one of them cracked.

“Hey, maybe she’s just doing him so she can get away with shit,” another laughed.

“That’s gotta be it – she turned me down flat a few weeks past.”

She shook her head and prepared to leave the elevator as the doors slid open and she saw Hopper heading towards her. “See ya later, boys.”

“C’mon, Battle… guy that size, you just know he’s packing about as much punch as a cap gun. What’s he got that keeps you around?”

Hopper reached them just as she turned to confront the grinning idiots. “Actually, Phelps, he’s perfectly in proportion.” She held her hands apart to demonstrate. “Plus, he goes down… and he’s very, very good at it.” Turning, she left them gawping in disbelief as the elevators doors closed.

“I didn’t just hear that,” Hopper griped.

“Just pretend you didn’t, then.” Andrea surveyed her partner’s bruised nose interestedly. “Did he break it?”


_ _ _ _ _ _ _


“That should do it – keys are on the desk, and they should be by sometime next week to put your name on the door,” Chad told Preisser who was fidgeting nervously and rubbing his palms together. “What’s wrong with you?” he finally demanded.

The smaller man cleared his throat. “Nothing, I just-”

“Just what?” He glanced at his watch; he’d be taking Andrea out later and didn’t want to be late. “You’re not worried that no one will respect you, are you?”

“Well…”

“Just haul in at least three people first thing Monday morning. If you’re nasty enough, they’ll spread the word… maybe get some beat cops in here. They scare easily,” Chad suggested. “Any questions, you know where to find me.” He hoped he wouldn’t have to come back up to haul Preisser’s fat out the fire if he messed up too badly, but maybe he’d get lucky – he’d trained the man, after all. With a nod, he swung his suit jacket over one shoulder and left his office for the last time. Walking out the main doors, he was mildly surprised to see Rita waiting just outside. “Hey, Rita,” he greeted courteously as he walked past.

His ex-wife turned to look after him, obviously expecting him to stop and talk to her. Like I’m just going to forget what she told Andrea about me… Hiding a smirk, he kept going. Thankfully, the SWAT guys had decided to leave his car alone this time – earlier in the week when news of his involvement with Andrea had gone wide, they’d walked back to the garage to find that Second Team had decorated the SUV with signs proclaiming “Just Married” and “D2 + S2 = 4ever”. They’d even taken the trouble to decorate the bumper with a string of baby shoes, to Chad’s dismay. Andrea had apparently thought it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen in her life.

After picking up some flowers for her, he stopped to shower and change before heading to her place – as he turned the corner of her block, he noticed a beat up car leaving her place and frowned. If that was who he thought it was… he found Andrea wide-eyed and trembling, and sighed. Damn it. “What’d Eddie want this time?” He tucked her head under his chin as he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back soothingly. The subject of her ex-boyfriend was still a sore spot even though she’d told him everything – she felt responsible for not realizing it when the idiot had gone off the deep end into his addiction.

“He wants more money to pay his debts; I don’t know what he’s trying to pull. He started getting aggressive, telling me he knew about you and…” She pressed her face into his chest and exhaled hard. “I’m worried he might do something to hurt you.”

Chad laughed, startling her. “What could he possibly do to me? You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” he joked. “Don’t worry, Andy. Nothing’s going to happen to me.” She relaxed slowly under his touch, and he bent to kiss the top of her head. “We could just stay in, if you want.”

Andrea shook her head, drawing back from him slightly. “No, let’s just go… oh, you brought me flowers?” She smiled happily as he handed them to her, and he followed her into the kitchen to watch her search for a glass large enough to hold them. Chad made a mental note to buy her a vase since she didn’t seem to have any. “Where are we going?”

He guided her out of the house and to his car. “It’s a surprise.”

She started to smile as he pulled up outside a pottery studio. “Chad, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What? What’s going on? You like pottery, right? I thought everyone liked pottery,” he teased. He was actually quite proud of himself for thinking up such a thing, figuring that she’d never done anything like it – he hadn’t either, but thought it might be fun. Andrea’s eyerolls and giggles made the whole thing worthwhile when they were directed to a pottery wheel and given a lump of clay, but she settled down upon seeing the other couples present and they watched a short demonstration before he poked a finger at their clay. “What d’you want to make, a plate or something?”

“I don’t know…. Oh, wait, wait!” Andrea flailed her hands at him excitedly. “We can make a cup, and call it ‘The Love Mug’!”

He grinned. “Yeah - we can paint a ‘53’ on the side when we’re done.” The petite detective settled between his legs on the bench and leaned towards the pottery wheel, following the lead of the other couples around the room. After a few minutes, he frowned over her shoulder at their…whatever-it-was. “This does not look like a mug.”

“Why don’t you try putting your hands around it to hold it into shape, while I make the inside hollow? I think that’s how she said to do it,” Andrea mused.

“Okay…” They tried it and it certainly seemed to work, but he was growing steadily more distracted by the feel of an excited Andrea squirming between his legs as the shape emerged from the clay and he nuzzled the back of her neck.

“Chad.”

He sighed. “Sorry.” To take his mind away from the way she was moving, he leaned forward and started humming ‘Unchained Melody’ directly in her ear. What was to be The Love Mug wobbled dangerously as she started laughing so hard she almost lost control of the pottery wheel altogether.

“Chaaaaaaad!”

This time, he smirked. “Sorry.” At length, after more hysterics at several failed attempt at making a mug handle, Andrea went to wash her hands while he carefully painted the monstrosity they’d created. “This has to be the ugliest mug I’ve ever seen in my life,” Chad informed her as she came back to grin at the lopsided piece of crap.

“Love isn’t always pretty,” she reproved him as she gazed at what they’d made. “I like it.”

“It can stay at your house, then,” Chad offered.

“You are generosity itself, Sergeant Shelten.”

“I try, you know?” He tried not to laugh as one of the shop attendants came by to give them a bag for The Love Mug and stared at it incredulously. “Yeah, we know it’s ugly.”

“Chad! How can you say that about our mug? We’re like its parents now or something, since we made it together. You can’t be mean to our child,” Andrea snickered as she placed it in the bag carefully and slipped her hand in his as they walked out. “We can have joint custody of it.”

He opened her door for her and rolled his eyes. “Fine, but it’s your week first.”

“Then we have to discuss mug support.”

“Okay….what?” They haggled over the mug all through dinner until they were both nearly breathless with laughter at the scandalized looks they were getting when others thought they were discussing custody of a real child. When they arrived back at her place and The Love Mug was put in a place of honor above the television, he pulled her into his arms. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

Andrea fluttered her eyelashes at him playfully. “To know me is to love me,” she teased before her eyes went wide as she realized what she’d just said. “I mean…”

Chad leaned down and touched his lips to hers. “To know you is to love you,” he said softly. He’d been unsure just how to say it, but he’d wanted to let her know for some time now.

“You…you…huh?” She sounded startled.

“I love you,” he repeated.

Andrea hauled his head down to hers for a kiss. “Love you, too.”

“Glad to hear it.” She pulled him behind her to the bedroom and he followed, turning off the lights as he went.


tbc…
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