Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Two Weddings and a Honeymoon

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Two Weddings and a Honeymoon

Posted by Lieutenant Christopher Robins (Stellar Cartographer) in Two Weddings and a Honeymoon
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

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“Sign here, here, and here,” the booking officer slide three sets of documents to the three women standing on the other side of the desk. The room smelled musty and like bleach creating a scent that wrinkled up the nose. Ambient sounds varied from bouts of laughter among the other officers on duty to shouts about the parentage of ones mother as new arrestees were escorted in. This was not one of the clean pristine stations in the higher end of town. It was the people’s prison where a mix of everything wandered in and out. Kelly, Lexi, and Kylie looked like the women she had seen at every country club in Connecticut compared to the lower sort of women who could have either doubled as the convict or the one springing someone from jail.

“I still don’t get why Ian and Chris just showed up and decked Noah,” Kylie signed off in her set of papers as she eyed her surroundings for the fifth time.

“This will be expunged from their record correct” The lawyer from Lexi’s fathers company said. The man was as relaxed as if this was a daily occurrence. Hamsa Holdings has dealt several times with this precinct being downtown and this close to the academy. The right officers knew how to word things when required so that a brawl did not damage a newly graduated officers career. Hamsa Holdings knee how to bury the record so only an act from an all mighty could find it.

“Thank you Levi,” Lexi said hitching the baby up on her hip. Lexi felt so out of place. Never had she been in an actual jail or bailing someone out. The fact it was Chris made it worse.

“Don’t worry. Just save me a dance,” he kissed Lexi on the cheek as he exited the police station. “Toby going to be okay with this,” he swirled his finger.

“He has no choice,” Lexi state’s firmly. Ian had Kelly. Kylie has Noah. Lexi was not going to let Chris down whatever the cost especially since a nagging feeling in her tummy reminded her she was probably the fault all six of them were here in the first place.

Turning to Kylie she attempted to answer her question. “Do we ever understand men. Excuse me,” Lexi asked tentatively. “These three are not in the same cell are they,” Lexi inquired not looking in Kelly’s direction. Kylie was out of the loop but Kelly wasn’t. She would know exactly why Lexi asked this question.

in the holding room

“I have bail for a Bordeaux Ian, Stein Noah, and” he let his voice hang as he signed off on a few more documents. “Robins, Christopher. ladies,” he opened the cell force field and featured for the men to exit the room.

Lt. Lexi. Garfield.

“Finally! What took so long?” Ian said as he got up, Noah following close behind as Chris seemed to stay. He looked dour as he stood there as everyone left as Noah found Kylie and Ian went to Kelly.

“It took some time. We got a lawyer who worked a deal,” she air quoted the deal. “It will show up on your record as you were doing something heroic and got caught n the crossfire. I used Hamsa Holdings a lot as a cadet, junior officer, department head,” Kelly rambled off every level of her career. “So how is my jailbird Joey holding up,” she ran her thumb lightly over the crimson mark that was slowly turning more of an ugly purplish-green. “Brought you a present,” she fished in her bag extracting a frozen bag of peas. Holding it out, she glanced around the room. “Where’s Chris,” she said softly.

Noah exited as he saw Lexi and smiled. “I don’t know what is into him, but it’s good to see you, and this little one… you never told me she was so cute.” Noah said softly as he went to Kylie as he wrapped his arm around her.

“I think I do,” Lexi held her breath as she thought about the situation. “Noah I am really really sorry. Please accept my apology.” Kylie opened her mouth to reply as her eyes caught Chris looking at the group.

“What are you doing?” Ian said looking back, Chris seemed planted as any questions of what was happened seemed to vanish. The whole evening had been a roller coaster for Chris and the gang as he looked up, scanning everyone as his eyes fell on Lexi. Noah seemed anything but the father right now as he stood looking like he had never even seen the child before that Lexi held. Chris couldn’t help but notice this as he felt a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“We will catch up with you later,” Kylie reached out squeezing Lexi’s arm with a small smile. “Ian,” her smile became almost more devilish, “its always an adventure.” As Kylie walked out of the precinct with Noah she couldn’t help but think how lucky she was not falling for Ian like she had Noah. Ian was always fun but not the marrying kind.

Lexi watched the slow almost lazy pace which Chris crossed the room. There were at least two dozen people in the room, maybe more yet all ambient sound seemed to be sucked from existence. The clicking of a stylus on the keyboard, the plaintive wailing of the woman being booked for prostitution, the man in the corner boasting he was going to get off of the charges: These sounds and more were sucked into a soundless void. Even Ruth settled on her head on her momma’s shoulder as Chris closed the distance between him and Lexi.

“So… you wanna spin me something else.” Chris asked Lexi as he stood up looking at her. “You gotta start telling me the truth one of these days.” Chris said as he walked past Lexi brushing her aside as he walked past the group, grabbing his stuff from the front as he put back on the watch and rings as he looked back at them. It seemed cold and quiet as everyone seemed to be waiting for what was going to happen next.

Lexi felt a cold trickle of adrenaline course down her spine. It was the feeling one learned early on in life that meant you had done something wrong and were caught. She had never believed the lie would cause this much collateral damage this fast. If she hadn’t been holding Ruth, Lexi would definitely be fidgeting under the scrutiny of what felt like all the eyes in the room on her. She felt sick watching Chris gather his things without any outward show of concern like Kylie gave Noah or Kelly gave Ian. “Chris I think I need to explain,” she started and was abruptly cut off.

“Save it, I don’t wanna hear another lie or story, you don’t wanna tell me what happened fine… just don’t lie to me…” Chris said as he cut off Lexi as he began to make his way out of the building.

Christopher Robins

“I never lied to you,” Lexi yelled as Chris walked out of the building.

“What was that about,” Noah asked as Chris pushed past him. Spinning around everyone’s eyes landed on Lexi.

“Does it matter,” Lexi hefted Ruth on her hip. “He is just being Chris,” she gestured to the door. “Chris does something or has something happen to him that does not go the way he thinks it should and off he goes: Two days, two weeks, two years. You can count on him showing up,” Lexi could feel her chest tightening as she spoke, “but you can’t expect him to stay.”

Ruth was way past her nap and nuzzled her mom’s neck sticking her thumb in her mouth. Looking at Ian she had a small frown. I don’t like mommy sad, she said knowing Uncle Ian would have a way to fix it. He always fixed things when Mommy couldn’t.

“I mean yes I caused this but he…why can’t he just get mad,” Lexi yelled. “Why can’t he just one-time show something other than that laid back don’t worry thing he does.” Lexi knew if Chris hadn’t gotten everyone’s attention with his comment to her, she had put a spotlight directly on their group. The clicking, yelling, crying, and comm calls all seemed to end. The only sound that broke the silence was a small cry that got louder and louder with each sob.

Mommy, Ruth’s mood barometer shifted from quiet and settled to full on tears and wails. She had no idea why everyone was staring at Lexi and her but it scared her a lot. None of the men in here looked like Uncle Ian or Uncle Noah. Her eyes settled on the large Orion in the corner with the black marker all over his arms. He was not smiling and had three men all surrounding him in strange clothes.

“I get it. I messed up. So why doesn’t he just once tell me to go take a flying leap and wait for my answer? Anyone,” Lexi hyperfocused on Ian and Noah. Irritation with the situation and Chris was causing her to ignore Ruth as she flailed pushing off Lexi and throwing herself backward.

“How did you mess up,” Noah looked from Lexi to Ian. “Did you tell him to show up and deck me?” Noah’s face held a look of confusion. “Were you in on this,” he snapped at Ian.

“Don’t look at me, I was trying to stop something not start it.” Ian replied to Noah.

I want to go home. I want Bubbe. I want Bubbe, Ruth belted out turning her sobs to shriek. As her head looked around everything seemed scary and was getting scarier. Her mommy said that these people took Daddy Chris away. What if they took her? What if they took her mommy?

“Hey shut that baby up or I will. I have a headache,” a deep male voice yelled out from somewhere. His comment was followed up by several officers screaming back for the Orion to stop talking. More individuals being processed added their own parts to the conversation creating a cacophony of foul language and threats.

Everywhere she looked people were just getting madder and madder. Ruth put her feet into Lexi’s side and used it to lever her away from her mother’s arms. “Ruth stop,” Lexi said sharply trying to get a hold of the squirming, tantrumming infant.

“Lady can I call you a vehicle,” an officer approached her seeing the situation quickly disintegrating on the black and white tiles of the lobby.

“No, we have one. We are leaving,” Kelly took on her command posture and walked across the room.

The man approaching sent Ruth into a fit to which Lexi could barely hold on to her. “I mean it. Stop you are fine,” she felt her tone rising the longer Ruth seemed to be panicking. “Because I can’t run away…from this. I can’t just walk out like he does because I am responsible to someone which is the one thing Chris has never been.”

Lt. Lexi Garfield.

“Lexi, give me the baby. Ian,” Kelly ordered sending him a look to bring Lexi. The last thing they needed was for Lexi to blurt out something instead of being rational. Heading towards the door carrying Ruth, Kelly and the group headed back to the hotel. While everyone had the gist of the situation no one had any real answers as to why Chris did what he did. Only he would know and Lexi was going to ask him why.

NEXT MORNING 24 hours before the wedding

“Ruth I am not in the mood,” Lexi said firmly as she tried to press the squirming baby into the curve of the stroller. “We have a lot to do and I don’t have time to fiddle-faddle with you. Now sit back.” Like with all kids, some days were good and some days not so good. Today was one of those days. A week of being off schedule was taking its toll. After yesterday’s tantrum at the police station, Ruth seemed extra grumpy and irritable. Placing one hand on Ruth’s tummy, Lexi finally secured the straps to hold her in and began to walk towards the door.

I wanna watch Rover’s Rangers, she stuck her foot out to the side so that it caught the door frame. With her foot out, Lexi could not maneuver the stroller out the door without bending or twisting ruth’s foot. He was using the fireman’s house to put the fire out in the grumpy bird’s treehouse, she moaned pushing hard so that the stroller was slightly caddy corner to the exit. Groaning, Lexi pulled the stroller back into the hotel room so that she could adjust Ruth’s foot. Okay so it’s on the…wait stop Ruth glared at her mom realizing they were not going back to the bed to watch the show but still out the door. As soon as Ruth was able, she swung her leg out the side again stalling the forward progress. A loud moan by Lexi made Ruth lock her leg so that the stroller did not move any farther forward.

“I swear if you don’t move your foot,” Lexi said firmly deciding to try and reach forward over the top of the stroller instead of going backward to extricate Ruth’s foot. While this did remove the tiny toes from the spot on the jamb, the leaning motion caused Lexi’s purse and diaper bag to slide forward emptying the contents onto the hallway further preventing the stroller from moving forward.

I will move my foot when we watch Rover rescue the bird, Ruth demanded.

“Ugh,” Lexi felt her patience slipping away as Ruth babbled in what could only seem like a pissy baby tone.

Lt. Lexi Garfeild

“Here… lemme help.” came a voice behind her, one that she would know from all the years instantly as Chris pulled up behind the pair, one hand filled with a large bag of greasy looking fast food and the other held a tray of coffee and orange juice. Putting the bag and tray down Chris pulled up aside to the pair as he looked at Ruth as she seemed to be extra fussy at this moment. “Not now little one, your mommy needs to out and you are coming with.” Chris said, his voice seemed to have both a gentle quality meant just for kids mixed with an almost commanding fatherly tone. It wasn’t a suggestion as he helped to pull her foot back into place as he eyed the little girl with a stern look before moving in and kissing the top of her head.

“Sorry, I should have asked before I jumped in but… well you seemed to need just a little help…which… where is Toby?” Chris said looking around, for someone about to get married the two never seemed to be anywhere near each other.

“Oh, well… I came to apologize, and I even brought gifts…” Chris said as nodded to the floor to the bag of food and beverages. “Here let me take that.” he said, grabbing the baby bag he wrapped it around his shoulders as the bag settled on his side before leaning down to grab the food and drinks. “Where are we headed butter cup?” he asked as he placed the back under his arm in a feat of dexterity as he handed her the cup of coffee meant for her, grabbing his out the tray as well he looked around before peaking into her room to place the cardboard near the trash by her entrance.

“Before you ask, yes it’s a triple shot blonde with cream and sugar… I made sure it was extra strong cause I know how you dislike their coffee. Nothing every beats NebulaBucks but hopefully it works in a pinch, plus the food....” he said as he shook the bad, the smells wafting of eggs, cheese, sausage hitting them made slight beads of drool form from their lips, “…is to die for here, you could never say no to Taco Mart breakfast.”

Christopher Robins