Free to Love: A Second Chance Romance

by Cabe Sparrow

  Watson wasn't sure what to make of his words. They were certainly sweet, but she was not persuaded. She sighed against him, resting her forehead on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him, letting the heat from his body envelop and shield her momentarily from all her worries.

  "You're not convinced, are you?" He murmured knowingly against her ear and she let out a weak laugh.

  "No."

  "Stubborn woman," Turner said affectionately, lips brushing against her forehead. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, suddenly feeling fatigue. The clock on the microwave read 4:00 and her body was apparently catching up on how late it really was.

  ''Tell you what. If Harper does go to Rodrigues, I'll make a huge show of it. I'll tell everyone I seduced you and blackmailed you into being with me with something wicked from your past.''

  Watson looked up at him incredulously, but her green eyes were sparkling with amusement, a small smile stretched her pale pink lips.

  "You're crazy," She murmured, as if she was still surprised that it was Eric Turner in her kitchen, grinning at her, holding her.

  She reached up and gave him a very light kiss, before trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, and Turner decided that her fears could wait until morning. They walk back up stairs and Turner settled into bed with her, feeling like he could actually manage a few hours of sleep himself. When Watson curled her body into his, leg draped over his thighs with her head tucked under his chin, a favorite position of hers as he came to learn, Turner found himself thinking about her worries.

  He realized quickly that he never even once contemplated Harper outing them to Rodrigues, but the thought didn’t scare him as much as it should. He knew if he was off Watson's team, he would lose his link to the PPB and any actual connection to the Red River Killer, and although this should concern him, Turner didn't feel an impending sense of dread.

  He's managed to survive the case being handed over to Harper, and he had no plans to stop his search, but there was a strange sense of relief when he thought about being unable to have access to the Red River Killer files. This strange liberation should distress him, but it didn’t, because in the deepest caverns of his mind, he knew something had changed. He had a glimpse into a life not consumed by revenge and he found that he could breathe more easily.

  While Watson fell asleep concerned that their relationship will be exposed, Turner laid awake, smiling, thinking that it wouldn't be so bad not to hide his affection for the woman who was slowly chipping away at the shield vengeance had created around his heart.

  Despite his complete assurance that nothing would happen, to give Watson peace of mind, Turner decided they should ride into work separately. He rose just a few hours later, sliding out of the warm bed reluctantly, then after scribbling her a note, he got dressed. He pressed a soft kiss to her bare shoulder and left the house, hoping she wouldn’t be too upset that he left without waking her up.

  As it turned out, timing didn’t seem to work in his favor, and he could't help the smirk on his face when he pulled up into the PPB parking lot only to find Watson getting out of her SUV, obviously dreading what she thought would be a messy day at work.

  When she looked up, he was already walking towards her with two portable cups in hand; a smile on his face that caused her to roll her eyes and sigh.

  "Did you plan this?" Watson asked as soon as he approached, and he could't resist pulling her in for a quick, clandestine kiss. She swatted his arm in surprise.

  "Turner, this is so not the place."

  Turner handed her the coffee in his hand. Then he watched her take a sip and close her eyes contently, letting out a moan of appreciation that sent a shiver down his spine. The things she did to him without even knowing. Then the moment was gone and her eyes trained on his suspiciously.

  "You know a part of me really wants Harper to tell Rodrigues just to prove you wrong, know it all." She appeared serious, but the way she jabbed his chest with her elbow and walked just a little ahead of him let Turner know she was just teasing.

  Just before they get out of the elevator, he playfully pinched her side and whisperd in her ear, "You so do not want me to be wrong."

  His baritone voice evoked images from the night before and she sucked in her breath, in disbelief that just the slight intonation in his words could have her body humming. She looked at him over her shoulder, eyebrow raised in question, "You sure about that?"

  "You don't want me off your team; you'd miss me too much."

  "Unlikely," she scoffed in response, but Turner just smirked beside her, pressing his body just that much closer, dropping a kiss to her exposed neck. Her involuntary gasp and the way she unconsciously leaned back against him are all the confirmation Turner needed to know that she would be thinking of him all day.

  It was a little evil certainly, but seeing her blush as she moved away from him when the elevator door opened was just too priceless. There was nothing like a riled up Natalie Watson to brighten up his day. He caught up to her in the hallway.

  "So eager to get to your office?" He asked and Watson rolled her eyes, murmuring something that sounded like, "pain in my ass."

  Turner grinned, a retort at the tip of his tongue, but the two of them stopped next to her office to find Harper standing in front of them.

  “Sam, good morning.”

  Even though he caught her off guard, Watson remained courteous and Turner literally felt her body tense beside his, as if she was ready to move away from him at any moment.

  "Natalie, Turner," The older detective nodded in greeting and Turner mumbled something resembling good morning to him.

  He was certain that Harper wanted to speak to Watson alone and hoped Turner would leave, but for whatever reason, the advisor felt like being extremely obnoxious today. He saw how stiff Watson had become in Harper's presence and it unnerved him greatly that the older investigator had so much influence over her.

  She was strong, capable, and very independent, but in front of her old mentor, Watson reverted back to the insecure, precocious rookie, ready to play by the rules and obey orders. It upset Turner, because Watson doubted herself in front of Harper and she shouldn't. It also made him feel like he could't reach out to her, like she pulled away from him, as if she was ashamed of being associated with him somehow.

  He knew he was being irrational in his belief, but couldn't shake the feeling that if there was one person who could take Watson away from him, it was Harper. Despite the tension falling over the trio, Turner stood silently, sipping his tea, rolling back and forth on his heels and looking around, trying to appear as casual as possible. Finally, Watson broke the silence and looked over at him, "Turner, do you mind giving Harper and me a moment?"

  Of course, it would be her who spoke first. It confirmed what Turner already knew. She was too proper, too embedded in the notion that she had to defend her career. Although those were the traits he loved most in her, particularly her dedication to her job and her loyalty to something as intangible as justice and fairness. In this moment, he wished she could be more rebellious, have more of a devil may care attitude.

  Just to see her reaction, Turner wanted to lean over and brush his lips over hers, but he knew that would be crossing the line, so he settled for the gentle, barely perceptible brush of his hand over her lower back as he moved past them.

  "I'll just be over on my couch if you need me," He said, a bit too polite, letting her know he was not very happy that she chose to give Harper the time of day. Watson nodded and unlocked her office and Sam walked in behind her and closed the door.

  Turner laid down on the brown sofa, setting his tea on the table next to him, and closed his eyes. The bullpen was quiet, not even Cranston was in yet so he had a few moments of peace. Despite what Watson might think about Sam, how well she thought she knew him, Turner knew from the moment Harper met them in the hallway that he did not intend to go to Rodrigues at all.

  At best he wanted to talk to Watson to warn her, caution her agains
t any further entanglements with Turner, and Turner found himself more concerned that Watson would listen to Sam rather than any threat that he may get reassigned.

  Watson really hoped that as soon as they walked into her office, Harper would start talking. Alas, the detective was way too polite and waited until she put her things down and was situated at her desk.

  Only then did he take a tentative seat across from her as Watson tried very hard not to feel that unpleasant the pit of her stomach. She may be sitting on the other side of the desk, and her name may still be on the office door, but Harper's penetrating gaze was enough to make her feel like she was just a rookie cop again in for a stern reprimand.

  The thought angered her not only because she wished she wouldn't feel this way around her old mentor, but also because she'd seen the flash of disappointment in Turner's eye when she dismissed him. His knowing how vulnerable she felt in front of Harper didn’t feel right, it made her doubt herself even more, but she put those thoughts to the back of her mind, saving them for later as she focused on Sam.

  Harper watched her for a moment and when she clasped her hands over her desk and gave him a tight smile, he returned it, trying to relieve the apparent tension in the room.

  "So what could I help you with?" Watson asked diplomatically and gave herself a pat on the back for containing her anxiety.

  Harper cleared his throat and looked at her before speaking. He was not as good as Turner at reading people, but he's been in his fair share of interrogation rooms and could spot someone masking their discomfort from a mile away.

  He's also known Watson for almost a decade, so when she could't resist twisting the ring on her finger, a nervous habit she'd picked up years prior, he knew she was anxious and that worried him. He disliked the situation, loathed it in fact, didn’t want to add to her anxiety or to be another reason she had to watch over her shoulder, or defend her professionalism. He didn’t want to be another Eric Turner for her.

  He didn't like Eric when he first met him. He was far too pretentious, too much of a showman, a nicely wrapped package with nothing inside besides anger and a thirst for revenge, but Harper would be a fool not to notice the way Turner's entire demeanor changed whenever he was around Watson.

  It was no wonder Watson was the only one who could restrain the consultant. Sometimes, the man was like her shadow, trailing beside her and always a little too close for comfort. His gaze was just a touch inappropriate, as if he was thinking wicked thoughts about the brunette detective.

  That was why Harper shouldn't have been surprised when he saw the two outside of work, acting like a normal, happy couple just out for a bite while holiday shopping. He shouldn't have been so caught off guard by the genuine smile he'd seen on Natalie's face as Turner leaned in to kiss her, but he was. Harper had been genuinely shocked when he saw the two.

  Later that night, as his wife chatted on and on about how lovely Eric was, Harper realized it didn't surprise him that Turner was smitten by Watson, but it was the fact that she let him in that bothered Sam so much.

  It made him aware that the ambitious rookie he trained and shaped into the detective sitting across from him now is as much of a mystery to him as Turner. He could say with certainty that he knew who detective Natalie Watson had been but he had no idea who Natalie Watson is now and that worried him.

  "I just thought I'd share with you some of my concerns." He began and he saw Watson's stoic demeanor falter just a little.

  She must've been waiting for a confirmation that this is what he wanted to discuss and her calculated gaze was evidence that she was ready to rebut if need be.

  "Concerns about what, exactly?" Her diplomacy was chipping away and she was powerless to stop it. Her trapped beast reaction was coming out slowly and she was ready to defend herself and others she needed to.

  "You know about what, Natalie. I want you to know the only reason I am talking to you instead of Rodrigues is because your relationship with your advisor is not exactly against PPB protocol."

  "Oh really?" Watson nodded, mostly for affect, "So if it was, you'd have tattled on me by now?"

  Her scoff irritated him, but he didn’t show it, compensating for her emotional reaction with a stern, professional disposition.

  "Let's not skirt the issue here. I had my reservations about Turner's methods of police work a long time before I realized you two were involved, but now I'm even more concerned."

  The way he said 'involved' made Watson want to throw her paperweight at him, but instead she bit the inside of her cheek to deter a frown and continued to listen.

  "I could understand more clearly now why you let him get away with more than other detectives here-..."

  "Are you really implying that? For your information, Sam, my personal relationship with Turner is new and I let him "get away with more" way before that, and it's not like it hurt the unit's track record. We still close more cases with Turner than we ever did before."

  "Although, that may be true-..," He began, but Watson cut him off, rubbing the bridge of her nose in exhaustion.

  She wanted this to be a cordial conversation. Despite everything, she wanted to be okay with Sam, wanted the old relationship they had, but she realized that any hint of friendship was impossible with her former mentor, because he does not see her as his equal. While she wanted to move forward, he was still living in the past, still concerned for her, still trying to be somehow involved in her career, and her personal life. While his gesture was sweet and she knew that he meant well, his condescending tone and pedantic demeanor were too much for her.

  Her relationship with Turner was personal and so far it had not affected her work or his for that matter. They still bickered like 12 year olds and he still managed to piss her off. He didn’t follow protocol and she still yelled at him for his antics, but they always got the job done, and everything else should be irrelevant.

  Watson suddenly realized that she didn’t need to be here, didn’t need to be talked down to, and she understood that Harper had come here not as a warning, but because he knew there was nothing he could do to stop her relationship with Turner.

  He admitted himself it was not against the rules, and since Rodrigues and he didn't usually see eye to eye, he knows the department director will most likely shrug at any suggestion of Harper's to separate her and Turner. So in essence, he came to talk to her as a last resort, because it was his only chance to ensure that Turner didn’t manipulate her too.

  The thoughts ran through her mind so quickly, Watson didn’t even realize she interrupted Sam until she was speaking.

  "There are no 'althoughs' here, Sam. You said yourself my personal relationship with Turner is not against PPB rules and until it starts to interfere with my unit's work to the point that my boss becomes concerned, then and only then will there be reason to discuss this. Otherwise, my personal life is off limits to you and you need to accept that."

  She said it all in one breath, leaving them both bewildered. She took a tentative sip of her coffee and refused to tear her eyes away from Harper, even as he tried to process what she said. They both realized very quickly that since he had been back to the PPB, Harper and her have engaged in two very heated arguments, both of which were centered on Turner. Watson swallowed back her doubt, the same feeling of uncertainty she got around Harper when she thought about Turner.

  She didn’t want to fight with Harper, didn’t want to have these drained talks but it seems like now their relationship had shifted. The power balance had tipped in her favor and Harper had a hard time understanding that she was not an inexperienced cop anymore. She worked her way up using her own wit, intelligence, and had made her own decisions.

  Watson sincerely hoped that's all Harper was concerned about, that this wasn't some vain attempt to dissuade her from being with Turner for personal reasons. She didn't even want to venture there, entertain the thought that this could be a territorial thing.

  She watched the flash of emotions on the other detect
ive's face and reclined in her chair, taking a deep breath. She knew she should leave it at that, but she couldn't, she needed to say everything else because she will likely never to have the opportunity again.

  "I'm not a rookie cop anymore, Sam. You need to realize that."

  Her soft tone and the truth catch him off guard. He looked at her, gray eyes communicating his struggle with this very issue.

  "I do understand that, Natalie. I just never thought…"

  "You never thought what? That I could be capable of sticking to my principles and following rules and still have Turner on my team?"

  She closed her eyes for a split second, hoping that's all Harper was concerned with, but his brief silence is too long, too indicative of the fact that it was not the entire reason he's worried.

  "I just want you to be careful." Harper replied and when Watson caught his eye, her heart sank.

  His vague response confirmed everything that she has been afraid of. This wasn't about her career and Turner's impact on her ability to do her job. This was about so much more and she didn’t want to believe it.

  "I appreciate your concern, Sam, but I'm a grown woman, and I don't need you to be worried about me. I think I've proven that I could take care of myself."

  She wanted to say more, but felt like anything else would cross the line, would be an inadvertent justification of her relationship with Turner, her rank and she was sick of it, didn’t want to fall into this trap.

  The man in front of her represented every criticism she ever received and every sideways glance she got when people learned her rank or assumed that she and Turner were some how entwined beyond their working relationship. Therefore, the knock on her door had never sounded better than it did at that moment.