Looking into the mirror, she saw the scratches on her face and noticed her left shoulder was sore from the attack. She had some blood spots on her clothes from Buck’s stab wounds. She looked tired and wondered if she would ever catch up on her rest.
Katie followed John’s instructions, took off her clothes, and slipped her sore body into a luxurious bath. She could catch the scent of lavender and something else that was a little bit citrusy. It was soothing and relaxing. She felt the heat permeate her body and began to relax with her eyes closed. She fell into a light sleep, aware of the fact that she was soaking in a tub, but deeply relaxed enough to put everything from the investigation on pause.
Without her permission, random thoughts of the case bombarded her mind: the gravesites, the attack from the man in black, and Buck’s condition in the hospital. They became frantic, bloody, and even aimed at Katie herself. This was one of thefew instances Katie was scared. After a minute, she gasped for air and abruptly awoke, still with the bloody face of Buck in her mind.
Katie wasn’t sure how long she had been soaking, but she could smell something incredibly good coming from the kitchen. She decided to get out of the tub. Her body felt better, but she also felt a bit shaky after her nightmares. She wanted to be with John, when the horrible images would fade.
Wrapping herself up in her robe, she opened the bathroom door, where Cisco had been lying in the hallway waiting for her.
“Cisco,” she said, petting him. She quickly went into the bedroom, changing into something comfortable. She combed through her wet hair, hoping the images would dissipate.
Walking to the kitchen, Katie saw John cooking at the stove. He wasn’t aware of her presence and she admired him for a moment. He was wearing sweats and a T-shirt and was barefoot. His undeniable strength showed through even when he was cooking them dinner.
Katie tiptoed up to John, wrapping her arms around him. “Hi.”
“Hey, babe,” he said.
“This is all incredible. I feel so spoiled.”
John turned to embrace her and whispered in her ear, “You deserve to be pampered, Detective.”
She gently kissed him, feeling his warmth and strength. Suddenly, she felt that dinner could wait.
“This may not be gourmet, but I picked up a few things.”
Katie looked at the skillet and pot boiling. He had gone to all this trouble to cook. “Thank you. It looks fantastic and… I’m hungry.”
“Me too,” he said and smiled.
John finished preparing their meal and they sat down to eat. They enjoyed the meal and kept their conversation aboutanything and everything that wasn’t related to work. She could definitely get used to this. Being with John felt comfortable and relaxed, making Katie relax herself.
“I don’t want to talk about today, but… I’m so glad you’re okay. It could have been much worse. I worry about you, even though I know you can handle yourself.”
Katie reached out her hand and touched his. “I’m fine. A little bruised and tired,” she said.
There seemed to be something on John’s mind, but he kept it to himself.
“I’m surrounded by the best people I could ask for with you and Gav, along with the other officers at the department.”
“You know we have your back. Just don’t go off on your own. These cases seem different and more intense than the usual.”
Katie nodded. “I know. You’re right,” she said, thinking about Buck’s story.
John smiled. “I bought dessert.” He got up and returned with two small bowls of custard with fruit.
Katie dramatically gasped. “Not my favorite?”
“Of course.”
She had needed the distraction of a lovely bath, simple dinner, followed by her favorite dessert.
Katie sat outside on the patio on her swing. It was always where she felt the safest and where she also would think about things, whether it was work or personal. She loved the darkness and the cool night air. It made her feel alive and present.
Cisco came up, snuggling against her. She wanted to sort a few things out about her day. Decompress. If she didn’t think about what had happened and what the next moves were going to be, she would never get to sleep. Rest and re-energizing was absolutely essential to stay focused and not make any mistakes.
It was clear this case was unlike any cases they had previously investigated. It wasn’t just that their bodies had been found, but that it was likely Meredith and Misty Collins were killed by Bruce Collins—and he too had been murdered. Katie was sad there wasn’t going to be any justice for the mother and daughter directly. She had never faced anything like it before in her career.
Katie slowly rocked the swing, getting the information straight in her mind. Something tugged at her about her conversation and experience with Buck at the hospital. Was he telling her the truth? Was he part of the murders? Was he trying to throw their investigation off track? Everything told her that Buck was genuine, telling the truth, and had been victim to a horrific event in the Marines, so she didn’t know why she felt this way—that he was capable of telling such intense stories. He had defended her against the attack by the man in black, and when he abducted her he had known they would find out who he was.
