Second Chances: A PAVAD Duet (2 page)

She’d asked him to walk her
down the aisle. He’d walked his favorite girl down the aisle and
gave her to a man he wasn’t sure he understood. It had been one of
the hardest things Dan had ever done. But Lorcan appeared to be
taking good care of her.

Carrie wasn’t the only one
who glowed. Georgia’s cheeks had a particular light when she looked
up at the stage. The man next to her father had done a good job of
taking care of her. He hadn’t any doubts that Hellbrook would. His
unit chief and good friend absolutely adored the little
psychologist. He did some quick calculations in his head. They’d
married two weeks after he’d been shot, had been married about
twice as long as little Carrie. Dan’s eyes narrowed on Georgia’s
face as Norton passed his mug of coffee too close to her nose. Dan
smirked. He strongly suspected Hellbrook and Georgia were going to
give little Matthew―Georgia’s son―a baby sibling sometime in the
next year. He wondered if they knew yet. And speaking of pregnancy,
K.D. had quite the belly going. When he’d last seen her at Carrie’s
wedding, she’d only been showing a little. Now, though, it was
obvious. It was also clear that Norton was keeping a close eye on
her. That was good, too.

The only one ones on his
team who didn’t seem happy were two of the doctors. Bellows, Dan
couldn’t really get a handle on her, but he knew some of her
history. He understood pain. And then there was Josh. Closest thing
to a son Dan would ever have, Josh Compton had once been a happy,
enthusiastic kid. Kept the entire team entertained. Until the
events of last March. Events Josh still blamed himself
for.

Dan looked at him, seeing
how he held his body slightly stiff, slightly apart from the rest
of the group―especially from Georgia and Carrie. The two he loved
the most, Dan knew, and the two Josh felt like he’d
failed.

Dan sighed. He’d have to
work on the boy.

Ally wasn’t sure what to
think of the people surrounding her. For one thing, they touched
each other more than any other FBI team she’d ever seen. The young
redhead who’d first spoken to Agent Reynolds was almost curled into
the lap of the dark-haired guy on her left. It took Ally a moment
to see the matching wedding bands. A married couple in the same
unit? It was unheard of, at least in Ally’s experience. Of course,
she’d only worked in the Indianapolis lab, for the entirety of her
career. So what did she know?

There were also a lot of
women in the unit, she realized. Women were outnumbered in the
Bureau by eleven to one odds. Yet more than a fourth of the seats
in the entire room were occupied by women. Ally liked that. And the
fact that the heavily pregnant young woman across the table was a
supervisor―was great. Ally liked that female agents were apparently
granted a lot of opportunities in this office. Her boss Marianna,
had worked in thirteen different field offices through her twenty
year career―and she’d told the women of their team several
different horror stories. Some offices, she’d explained, were
nowhere near of progressive as the Indy one. Or, apparently, the
St. Louis branch.

Ally’s chair was directly
beside a young guy that had been introduced to her as Dr. Compton.
He seemed so sad, quiet. Ally wondered at what would make a man his
age seem so...lost. Agent Reynolds―Dan―was watching him, too, with
a clear look of concern in his eyes.

The men on the stage
straightened, an unspoken cue to the room’s occupants that the
meeting was about to begin. Ally’s stomach clenched. Would she fit
in here? She already knew her team, had a clear place with them,
but what of the rest of these people?

Dan leaned closer, “Just
relax, Doc. We’re a rowdy bunch but we rarely bite.” He patted her
on the back, a friendly, supportive gesture that she appreciated.
She felt the warmth of his touch long after his hand had dropped.
She peeked at his hands quickly, furtively, as he rested them on
the table. Ally had always loved a man’s hands. It told so much
about them. Dan Reynolds’ hands were full of character―scarred,
tanned, rough...strong.

She’d felt his hand on her
hip when she’d careened into him. It had actually felt like he’d
burned her skin.

She’d not felt that in a
long while. At least...not since long before Jack the Jerk had
left. She’d honestly thought that their relationship was a good
one, thought that they were comfortable together, making a home and
life for their kids. Apparently, though, after fifteen years, Ally
wasn’t what Jack needed anymore. Jack apparently needed the cat.
And his personal assistant.

Ally pushed thoughts of her
ex away as the silvery-haired man on stage began to speak. “Good
morning.”

Various good mornings were
heard throughout the conference room. The man continued. “A few
things to impart then I’ll let you all get to your units. First, I
want to congratulate the CCU on yet another month with a ninety-six
percent solve rate, the entire unit for their eighty percent solve
rate, and I want to welcome the new ERT units from the Indianapolis
field office who’ve joined us for the first time this morning. Dr.
Glendower, if you and your people will stand, everyone, please make
them feel welcome as they get settled in.”

Ally felt eyes on her as
she stood slowly. Her cheeks heated, she was the only one not
sitting with her team, so it was easy to see she’d the one to get
the most stares. As soon as possible she dropped back to her seat,
thankful the eyes were no longer trained in her direction. Usually,
it was Kelly who received most of the stares, both for her Goth
appearance, and for the fact that even with the drastic personal
appearance―Kelly was one of the most beautiful women Ally had ever
met.

Ally wasn’t blind to her
own physical appearance. She knew she looked ok. But she was
thirty-six years old, had little to no curves, had a few lines
around her eyes―and dressed exactly like what she was―a soccer
mom.

Ally was used to being
overlooked when with the team―and she liked that. She was the last
one to get looked at. Even Marianna, a decade older than Ally,
received her fair share of appreciative glances. Ally liked being
the one who didn’t attract attention. Having a roomful of people
staring at her―even briefly―was not her idea of a good
time.

She looked down at the
table, took a deep breath, then felt it―someone was still looking
at her. She glanced around, but didn’t have to look far. Dan was
watching her, a faint glint of amusement in his eyes.

Ally’s brow rose
questioningly.

She really was a sweet
little thing, Dan decided. Shy, but not easily cowed. He liked
that. He nodded at her, then turned his attention back to the men
on stage, as they listed what the entire team would be working on
for the next little while.

It was good to be back. Dan
knew he was one of those men who needed a clear purpose. And since
he no longer had his girls, his entire purpose rested in seeing
that scum was removed from the streets as fast as
possible.

Hellbrook seemed to
understand that, and Dan knew this was the place where he would
spend the rest of his days. Until they pushed him out in
retirement, that was.

Soon, though, the Monday
morning briefing was done and the conference room was set to clear.
Little Doc Brewster smiled at him, thanked him quite prettily for
his help, then wandered away toward her team.

He was sorry to see her go.
He may have been too old for her, but a man liked having a pretty
woman around. And the women of his team were too much like his
daughters, for him to be having those kinds of thoughts.

Doc Brewster had smelled
nice, felt nice, and even though Dan wasn’t much of a gambling man,
he strongly suspected she’d taste nice, too.

Make a man like him feel
alive, he knew she would.

That’s why it was probably
best to stay far away from her. The tan line where a ring had
obviously rested for so long had not yet faded from her left hand.
Dan didn’t need that kind of trouble. He had enough troubles of his
own.

“
She seems nice.” Georgia
broke into Dan’s thoughts, bumping his shoulder as the two of them,
and her little friend Ana Sorin McLaughlin headed toward the
elevator. Everyone else had other places to be,
apparently.

“
She does. Bit of a
whirlwind, though. Kind of like little Ana, here.” Dan tapped the
heavily pregnant redhead on the shoulder.

“
Not so little now, Danny.”
Ana’s slightly accented voice held the tiniest touch of
exasperation.

“
Should you even be here
right now?” Dan was concerned, and he didn’t bother to hide
it.

“
Not you, too. I told Fin
that I’m working until the day the kid pops, so that I can spend
all of my leave time with him after he’s born. I’ll be fine. And
it’s not like the entire department isn’t watching me with baited
breath, just to see if I’ll explode.” She was cranky, and Dan bit
the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Every pregnant woman
he’d ever known had had just that same tone near their dates. From
what he could remember, the due date was way too close. He was
honestly surprised her husband was letting her out of his sight,
though.

Fin McLaughlin was
extremely protective of his pint-sized wife. Even though that
pint-sized wife could break a two by four with little thought―when
not pregnant, that was. It was good they’d worked things out
between them.

First McLaughlin and little
Ana, then Hellbrook and Georgia. And Carrie and that Lorcan. Dan
wondered who’d be next to pair off, if the romance was contagious.
He half hoped Josh would find someone, help him get over the guilt
he still felt.

The elevators were in
sight, and Dan ran a quick eye over the group milling around
waiting. Doc Brewster and her team were chattering animatedly, the
doc standing beside a taller girl who had, if Dan’s eyes weren’t
playing tricks on him, purple and orange hair. Dan wondered what
type of establishment that girl had come from. He’d never have
allowed purple and orange hair. It just wasn’t done.

Still, it wasn’t his
responsibility and if the kid―and she wasn’t any older than
Carrie--knew her job, what would it affect him any? It wouldn’t.
He’d probably never have occasion to speak with the
girl.

McLaughlin himself stood
talking with an older woman and Doc Brewster near the farthest
elevator. His face broke into a grin seeing the redhead at Dan’s
side. “Here’s my wife, now. Ana, remember me mentioning my friend
Marianna Glendower? Marianna, this is my wife Ana, her friend
Georgia, and Dan Reynolds.”

Dan shook the woman’s hand,
as the elevators pinged behind them. All but their little group
piled in, leaving Dan, Georgia, the two ERT ladies, and the
McLaughlins to catch the next one.

Ally stood between Marianna
and Dan Reynolds, more conscious of his cologne than the
conversation going on around her. He reached behind her, resting
his free hand on the elevator rail, as the pregnant redhead shifted
awkwardly in front of him.

Ally looked her over
carefully. She had to be close to thirty-six, thirty-seven weeks.
She was small framed, and at least four inches shorter than Ally.
Her baby belly stuck out considerably. Her face was pale, probably
paler than normal. Ally’s eyes narrowed as the woman’s face
tightened then relaxed.

Before moving to forensic
work, Allison had worked as a regular MD. Then Jack the Jerk
complained about the hours, so she found something else. Taking a
serious pay cut, but it had worked out well, letting her spend more
time with her children.

But she didn’t forget the
years she’d spent in med school or as an intern.

The woman before her was
having contractions. Ally stepped closer, just as the elevator gave
a horrific jerk, sending her falling backwards. Dan caught her, his
warm hands wrapping around her waist as he pulled her to rest
against his chest. “You ok, Doc?”

“
Yes.” She resisted the
urge to squeal as the elevator jerked again, and a cruel shrieking
echoed through the cart. She heard Dan’s cane hit the floor, felt
his strong hands wrap around her waist even tighter, and felt him
pull her against his braced body. She felt safer, then. But still
it scared her out of her wits.

Agent McLaughlin had braced
his own body, close to Dan and Ally. He’d pulled his wife and her
brunette friend close, trying to protect them as best he could.
Marianna braced herself in the corner near the buttons.

No one spoke, as the
elevator gave one last jerk. A bad one. Ally closed her eyes,
turned herself slightly, wrapped one hand in the cotton of Dan’s
green shirt. The elevator bounced three times, which shocked her,
because most elevators were no longer the pulley system type seen
in movies, most elevators were hydraulic, and lifted from beneath
the cart. It was just safer that way. “Oh, God.”

“
I got you.” Dan whispered
in her ear, his breath warm. “It’ll be ok.”

“
I hate elevators.” She
whispered back. “And I’m never riding one again.”

“
I’m afraid that’s not an
option for me.” He kept his tone soothing, something she definitely
appreciated. Nothing like a man who could remain calm, especially
when in danger. Especially considering that it was taking all of
Ally’s strength to not panic. “Bum leg and all.”