But it's there in his face, a fleeting reluctance that matches her own. - Jennifer E. Smith
"What d'you think, Hannibal? It's been almost four months now."
The colonel puffed thoughtfully at his cigar, surreptitiously watching the couple through the curtains.
"I think she might actually be the one, BA. She's sure good for him."
"At least he don't complain about being stuck with the 'soft stuff' any more. Damn fool, thinking getting gut shot wouldn't change things."
"I didn't think he'd ever accept the limitations. Vicki couldn't have had better timing."
BA huffed. "Just hope he's got sense enough to hang on to her."
Hannibal smiled, almost sadly. 'I hope she does, too.'
*****
"Vicki, you know Face loves you."
"Richard. His name is Richard."
Hannibal sighed. The only place Face used the Bancroft name was in Vicki's world. She'd wanted everything "legitimate", and, of course, Face had agreed. Hannibal wasn't sure why it irritated whenever she'd 'correct' him on that, other than he would've liked a little 'give' on her part.
"Richard loves you. He would never cheat on you. Believe me, when he decided to marry you, well, that was something he'd never do unless he meant every word of those vows. This thing tonight is strictly business. We need him to get the info from the guy's secretary."
"Yes, I know - his 'special skills' with the ladies."
"He's the one who set up the signal for an emergency phone call once he's got what we need. If he can't get it before dinner's over, he signals anyway. He does not want to leave the restaurant with her. He won't. Period."
"Then why does he seem so eager for this?"
Hannibal heard the fear in her voice. He couldn't really blame her, considering Face's history. And they hadn't been married that long. Time to do his job as leader of the team, which now included a wife.
"Because he doesn't get the chance to be an active participant very often. You know how hard it was for him, being on the sidelines." Hannibal actually felt the bile in his throat but continued. "You saved him, Vicki. Gave him something that filled the void. There's no way he would jeopardize that for a one-night stand. He loves you too much for that."
Vicki looked away, blinking quickly, then nodded.
"You're right, Hannibal. I'm just being silly." She smiled wryly. "Just bring him home in one piece, okay?"
*****
"A baby?"
Vicki laughed. "Yes, a baby. It's about time we got started, isn't it?"
Face ran a hand through his hair. "I guess. I mean, it's a little sudden. We've only been married - "
"Seven months next Friday. Okay, look, I want to go off the pill now. I could get pregnant within a month or two, or it could take longer. And then, of course, it's the whole nine-month thing. But we can take our time getting a nursery set up and picking names - maybe look at a bigger house, and - "
"Vicki."
She stopped, startled. "What's the matter, Richard?"
"I know I said I wanted a family. Kids. But I was thinking we'd adopt. I thought we talked about that."
She frowned. "I thought that was only if there was a problem getting pregnant. I want something that's actually ours. Not someone else's..." She trailed off, suddenly aware of the minefield she'd walked into.
Face stared at the floor for a long moment. Taking a deep breath, he moved toward the door.
"I just remembered I have to pick up some... stuff for BA. I'll be back in a little bit."
Vicki grimaced as the front door slammed.
*****
"I just... I thought we had everything worked out before we got married. I wanted to... to be sure, you know?"
"I know, kid. So what happened?"
"I don't know, Hannibal. We were fine, at first. Mostly. I know there were parts of the job she didn't like. Parts of my job, anyway. But I swear, I never - "
"I know you didn't, kid. I made sure she knew."
"She talked to you about it?"
"Yeah. A couple times. In the beginning. I thought it was straightened out."
"I did, too. But then, she started talking about kids. That opened another can of worms. Suddenly she didn't want to adopt. She wanted 'our' kids. Kids that were part of us, not someone else's. Her words." He rubbed his face, hard. "I guess that was when I dropped the ball. I just... I just didn't want to talk about it. Not right away. I needed some time to think. Guess I took too long."
"That's why you started coming with us on jobs? I wondered about that."
"Yeah. I shouldn't have. But she won't let me work at home any more. I try to make calls, do paperwork, whatever - she decides we need to go out for lunch or go to a movie, or just walk along the beach. But it's only when I'm trying to work. It feels like I have to be ready to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. If I don't have prep work for a job, she doesn't have any problem calling her friends and going out with them, or just laying out by the pool, or... It drives me nuts, Hannibal!"
"Well, maybe we could stretch this job out a few days. Give you guys a break from each other."
"You think that's wise?"
Hannibal smiled and shrugged. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?"
*****
"How long will you be gone this time?"
Face continued packing, mentally counting to ten before answering. "Four, maybe five days. I told you that yesterday, hon."
"And you have to go with them? I thought you did that 'intel' gathering already. You don't have to go with them for that."
"Vicki, please, you knew how things worked before we got married. I can't always sit home and wait - "
"Yeah, because that's such a chore, staying home with your wife instead of sitting in a car, watching while your friends play shoot-em-up, wishing you could play right next to them!"
"Now wait a minute -"
"No! Tell you what - when you get done, whenever that might be, you call me and let me know how long you can spend at home. I'll try to rearrange my plans to fit you in."
*****
She should have known it was too good to be true. Oh, sure, he kept telling her it was just part of the job. So did Hannibal. And Murdock. Even BA. But that's what guys do, right? Stick up for each other. Lie for each other.
No wonder he didn't want any kids. That whole hissy fit about adopting was just another lie. Nobody would let him adopt, not with his history. He knew that. He just didn't want any kids holding him back. He was already getting tired of her. Tired of being tied down. Whenever he was home, if he wasn't working on some project for Hannibal, he was moping around. It was like pulling teeth to get him to do anything with her.
Damn it, she was his wife! She was supposed to come before all others. "Forsaking all others". That's what their vows said.
Leopards didn't change their spots. He was a womanizer, married to The Team. Nothing's more important to them than that.
Not even marriage vows.
*****
BA drove by the house. Past the newly plastered "Sold!" sticker on the real estate sign. Growled at the moving van parked in front.
Face had an apartment in LA. Somewhere. Never told them where, never asked them over, never had them meet him there. They'd call him. Sometimes he'd call back. Always if Hannibal had a prospective client, but otherwise...
He never went on any jobs with them.
Living like a damn monk.
Vicki had done what no one had ever done before.
And BA hated her for it.