Ficlets for Season 1 Episode 2
I meant to post these a lot sooner, but here you go:
Title: Body of Frustration
Author: halfbloodme
Beta: sanctuary_sarah
Characters/pairing: Kate Murphy/Megan Hunt (unrequited?)
Rating: PG-13 (for this one)
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Episode 2
Summary: Kate is getting more and more annoyed with herself.
“There you are,” Kate was tired and angry with herself as she initiated the conversation with Megan. “Piaseki-Chapman murder-suicide.”
“Alleged murder-suicide, yes?” Megan said taking off her sunglasses and making Kate’s knees go weak. This really wasn’t helping.
“Get Ethan and Curtis to help you. I want this handled quickly and efficiently.” Every time Kate spoke to Megan these days she could feel her desire for the other woman growing stronger and it was getting harder to mentally shake herself.
“When do I ever do otherwise?” Megan turned round to Peter, giving Kate a second to steady herself.
“Well then, I have nothing to worry about, do I?” Kate stated as Megan smiled and walked away.
While Megan walked away, Kate took a deep breath, she hoped that Peter didn’t notice. How on earth was she meant to keep working with her subordinate if all she wanted to do was jump into bed with her? Wait, where had that thought come from? She had a crush, a crush didn’t mean wanting to jump into bed with someone, did it?
“Just out of curiosity it’s not a coincidence that we pulled Morris and Baker, is it?” Peter asked her, snapping Kate out of her thoughts.
“I spoke to their lieutenant, we agree that you four seem to work well together. Unless you think otherwise?” There was a challenge in Kate’s tone.
“I think if you’re trying to break Megan it won’t work.” Peter was being overly protective of her, or so it seemed to Kate.
“I’m not trying to break her; I’m trying to contain her. It’s better to knock heads with two detectives than the entire Philadelphia Police Department.” Kate answered firmly. Was he second guessing her decisions?
She walked away from Peter and headed for her office. What was going on there? Were Peter and Megan closer than just co-workers? Kate shook her head and tried to pull herself together. As she entered her office, she closed the door and headed for her desk and the pile of paperwork that sat there. The only way she could force her thoughts elsewhere was to get through the mountain that she was required to deal with daily. The first thing that was on her pile was the statement of procedures that had been used within the past month. As she turned it over she sighed. So much for not thinking about the brunette that was plaguing her thoughts and her dreams. It looked like once again Megan had been ordering tests that other Medical Examiners wouldn’t have. Either Kate needed to obtain a bigger budget or she needed to find a way to curb Megan’s spending habits and neither of those seemed like a likely possibility.
***
Kate was talking to Mr and Mrs Chapman about their daughter, and the Morgue’s latest victim, Linda, when Megan had walked past and joined them without invitation. Kate wasn’t sure whether to be angry at her or pleased that she had joined them. She couldn’t help but notice the fact that her employee was wearing a skirt that showed off two perfect legs, and the fact that Megan’s lab coat was slightly oversized which made her look incredibly sexy. Kate forced the thoughts from her mind as she listened to what Megan had to say to the Chapmans. It would not be good to be caught by a grieving family, or indeed by Megan, eyeing her up. As Megan asked about Linda’s past, Kate watched to make sure that the line of questioning wasn’t insensitive; she knew that they needed the information, but Megan’s brusqueness often took the place of much needed social etiquette. It was one of the many things Kate liked about Megan personally, but it had no place in their line of work.
Cutting off Megan to allow the parents more time to come to terms with what was happening and to let them escape was a difficult decision, but Kate knew that she had to remain objective, and if it had been any other Medical Examiner, she would have stopped the line of questioning before it began. Kate couldn’t help but indulge Megan. She knew that the other woman worked hard to be the best she could and to bring a sense of peace to the people that came across her table. The dead needing justice was obviously Megan’s philosophy, and Kate couldn’t help but smile inwardly at that. It was after all her opinion of things as well. The Chapmans left and Kate looked at Megan. She could see the annoyance on the other woman’s face and it made her want to sigh with frustration but she held it in, instead choosing to talk about the case.
“So where are the police on this?” Kate purposefully kept her voice steady and calm. It was slightly lower than usual, although that wasn’t deliberate.
“Running down Dave and Linda’s last meal.” Megan kept walking out of the door, showing signs of not wanting to be there.
“I saw healed Mallory-Weiss tears on the pre-lim. Maybe you and Peter should go and find this Bryan Hall and see what Linda was really doing to herself.” She was giving Megan permission as she said it, wanting to encourage her.
“Hmm. Exactly what I was thinking.” The small smile that was almost a smirk made Kate’s knees threaten to buckle.
As Megan left, Kate smiled and half rolled her eyes. She turned to the table to pick up the file she had left there and stopped for a moment. Megan was infuriating, troublesome, definitely the sort of employee that would drive others to distraction with annoyance, but Kate found her tenacity endearing. She sighed, picked up the file and headed for her office, time to head back to the mountain of paperwork.
***
An hour and a half later and Kate hadn’t gotten any further than the statement of procedures that was still on her desk. Every time she looked at it, she thought of Megan. Thought of those eyes, the way they could light up with a triumph or darken with annoyance at being reigned in. Those beautiful hands, so delicate and skilled, even when Megan was trying to hide the fact that they would freeze on her every now and again, particularly when she was frustrated. Kate loved to stare at those hands when she thought Megan wasn’t looking. They were beautiful, the way they held a scalpel, the way Megan would use them to tuck her hair behind her ear when she thought that no one was looking, the way that they moved effortlessly across a keyboard when typing reports. Kate found herself lost in the image of Megan’s hands. Her mind wandered to what other skill was to be found in those dextrous fingers. Kate slipped back in her chair and closed her eyes. Behind the closed lids, Kate’s mind wandered to a place she would never ordinarily let it go to at work, but she couldn’t help it and she certainly found no inclination to stop it.
In her mind’s eye, she saw Megan walk into her office, close the door and lock it. Completely uninvited and yet completely welcome. Megan’s eyebrow rose as she moved towards Kate’s desk. There was a playful look on her face and it made Kate quiver inside, both fantasy and real life Kate’s stomachs turned over at the suggestion that lay in that expression. Without saying a word, fantasy Megan moved around the desk and sat on its edge, just close enough for Kate to feel the heat of her body next to hers but not close enough for them to be touching. Kate looked up into those green eyes and smiled softly. Megan smiled back, her lips so very inviting.
”Dr Hunt, how may I help you?”
“Well, Dr Murphy I was hoping....”
“Dr Murphy, Dr Murphy, there’s a phone call for you and it sounds urgent.” Kate’s assistant snapped her back to the real world and with an exasperated sigh she picked up the phone.
***
The next case progress meeting was a hard thing for Kate to swallow. She was trying to remain professional, the police were present and she couldn’t lose her objectivity but the unfinished fantasy was still on her mind. It didn’t matter that a day had gone by, she hadn’t been able to lose it and to see the cause of that fantasy so close to her and yet so completely unreachable was enough to make the normally calm and demure woman go slightly crazy. She took a deep breath before entering the room and then moved quickly to the head of the table.
“The thing you need to know about me, detectives, is when I promise something I deliver. And I promised the Chapman’s that they would have their daughter back soon, so where are we?” It was almost second nature to be forceful in the work place and Kate found it easy to come across this way, but she barely even listened to the detectives’ answers.
“And you?” She asked Megan, suddenly aware that her attention had been on her subordinate the entire time even if she hadn’t been looking at her directly.
Kate had been listening to Megan instead of the detectives. She had been listening to her breathing, peripherally watching her, noticing the way she moved and the way she cocked her head ever so slightly when she listened to the detectives. Kate sighed inwardly, something would have to be done about this and fast.
“Linda was bulimic. All signs are that it started when she hooked up with a restaurateur named Ryan Hall.” Kate tried not to focus on Megan’s lips as she spoke.
“You didn’t say anything about that yesterday.” Detective Bud Morris looked furious and the Chief Medical Examiner wanted to jump into defend Megan but it wasn’t necessary.
“We didn’t confirm bulimia until last night because her body’s had three months to recover from starving itself.” Megan wanted to roll her eyes, the man irritated her greatly.
“The same three months since she broke up with Hall.” Peter Dunlop added.
Kate nodded; she wanted to show her approval of what she was hearing. Wanted to show that her team were, in her eyes, completely capable. But she obviously hadn’t done that. Undetected by everyone else, it seemed, Kate noticed the way that Megan’s heckles went up as she nodded her approval. She noticed that Megan seemed to be fighting something. For the second time since this case had started, Kate wondered if Megan and Peter were more than just colleagues. He had, after all, just jumped to her defence, again. An irrational pang of jealousy hit Kate in that moment and she tried her hardest to push it down to where it could be ignored. It wasn’t like she and Megan were dating and it wasn’t like they ever could be.
***
When Megan came to Kate later with a case update, Kate knew there was something more behind the update but she didn’t say anything. This was the game they played, Megan would indulge Kate’s need to know exactly what was going on and in return she would request a favour that was out of the ordinary and not something she would ever hear from another Medical Examiner.
“It’s too bad you can’t get a print off the eyelid.” Kate said, humouring her employee.
“Well, I did a swab for DNA.” Kate turned to face Megan, curious as to why. “Hey, he must have been sweating to take off that much eye shadow, so if we’re lucky we may get a stray epithelial or two.” Megan shrugged and Kate wondered if there was anything the other woman didn’t think of when it came to forensic evidence.
“You still think it’s Bryan Hall?” Kate asked.
“It’s a theory, presuming his new girlfriend is lying for him, but in order to prove that, I’m gonna need your help.” Kate noted the way Megan looked at her hands and then smiled at her, almost like a school girl begging to be indulged.
Kate folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, a sign that she was listening and prepared to say no if needs be. But she already knew, just from the way Megan had acted so nervously, obvious nerves that hadn’t intentionally come out, that she wouldn’t refuse her. Megan was sweet when she was relaxed enough to show her true feelings and it made Kate’s heart pound heavily beneath the calm exterior she was showing.
***
It turned out the favour meant helping Bryan’s latest girlfriend, Nina, and Kate couldn’t deny that. She hated to see women that had gotten themselves into abusive relationships couldn’t find a way out. She instinctively wanted to protect them. Kate was aware that she was overly familiar with Nina, was aware of the minute change in Megan’s breathing. Was her employee disapproving of the physical contact she made with Nina? Why would it bother Megan how Kate reacted? It bothered Kate more than it should have done. If Nina hadn’t been there she would have questioned her. But Nina was there and even after the young woman left, Kate couldn’t find the words to challenge Megan with and so she told Megan she needed to find a new theory and left the room.
Kate headed back to her office, she told her assistant that she did not want to be disturbed under any circumstances and locked the door to her office as it closed behind her. Balling her hands into fists in anger she turned, leaned against the door and slid down it. As she reached the floor, Kate’s head came to rest in her hands. This had gotten beyond a joke. She needed to find a distraction, needed to stop thinking about Megan, the sooner the better. The tall blonde took a few deep breaths and stood once again. She headed for her desk drawer and pulled out her contacts book. She smiled to herself as she realised that it really was a little black book, but when buying it she had reasoned with herself that it was elegant, smart and small enough to fit in her purse. Flicking through the pages, Kate found herself having to ignore the ‘H’ pages all together. There, in the ‘K’ pages she found the person she was looking for, the person who wouldn’t mind a night or two of helping her relieve her tension so that she could focus on work.
Title: Body of Confusion
Author: halfbloodme
Beta: sanctuary_sarah
Characters/pairing: Kate Murphy/Megan Hunt (unrequited?)
Rating: PG-13 (for this one)
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Episode 2
Summary: Megan feels like she's going crazy.
“There you are,” Megan noticed the tone of Kate’s voice and felt her heart sink. “Piaseki-Chapman murder-suicide.”
“Alleged murder-suicide, yes?” Kate said taking off her sunglasses and preparing for battle. If that’s the way it was going to be, then so be it.
“Get Ethan and Curtis to help you. I want this handled quickly and efficiently.” There seemed to be a nasty bug crawling up her employer’s backside, Megan decided.
“When do I ever do otherwise?” She turned round to the floor, feeling slightly irritated and annoyed.
“Well then, I have nothing to worry about, do I?” Kate asked and Megan smiled and walked away.
It had been an exchange lasting no longer than a minute and yet it left Megan feeling bitterly disappointed and angry in herself. She couldn’t understand why she had expected anything other than the cool calmness with which her boss normally treated her. It had been a week since their little exchange when Kate had told her to get some friends. The exchange that had led to a fantasy Megan shouldn’t have had and still haunted her dreams. She was so hung up over Kate Murphy that it wasn’t funny and if she wasn’t careful, Megan knew it would lead to problems in the work place.
***
The problem was that even when Megan knew that Kate was angry, she was finding herself inexplicably drawn to the other woman. Before entering the meeting room that contained the Chapmans and Kate, Megan took a deep breath. She needed to focus on her job, to make sure that she did everything in her power to help the grieving parents, and yet she found herself fighting to focus on them, all she wanted to do was take in the sight of Kate and what she was wearing. That crisp cut suit with the purple shirt, the look of pure compassion on Kate’s face as Mr Chapman talked about their daughter. Megan shook herself inwardly, she should not be thinking about Kate and she knew it.
Kate was watching her as she asked about Linda Chapman’s past. Megan could feel those eyes boring into her, the heat they left on her skin was making her uncomfortable, but she chose to try and ignore it. It was all she could do given the circumstances. Why was Kate so irritated with her? What had Megan done to cause it? The questions that had begun to seep through had to be pushed aside as soon as they arrived or Megan would never be able to do her job and she would stand to lose yet another career she was good at. When Kate cut her off just as she started to ask another question, Megan wanted to leap at her over the table. She was trying to do her job for crying out loud, trying to fill the position Kate had hired her for. It was hard enough concentrating on that task when all she wanted to do was to explore Kate’s lips with her own, as irrational as she knew that was, but to have Kate silence her as well, Megan was boiling over inside.
The brief exchange of details that happened between them was hostile, Megan noticed. The tone that Kate used was hushed and rushed. She seemed to want to get Megan as far away from her as possible and Megan decided in that moment that she wasn’t going to give Kate a second thought. After all, it wasn’t like she was really attracted to the tall blonde. It had just been one fantasy and that was all. There were more important things in life than sexual fantasies. Work had always taken precedence and it would do so now. And if Kate decided to order her to do something she was already going to do, she’d take it with a pinch of salt.
So why was it that an hour later when she was interviewing a suspect in a restaurant, Megan found herself silently wondering what Kate’s favourite meal was? She shook herself mentally yet again and tried to focus on the task at hand. This would not do her any favours and she knew it. She had to snap out of it. Kate Murphy was off limits and she would not go down that path. After all, her last relationship had been destroyed by the job and she wasn’t going to let herself fall for someone who was unobtainable because of the job. It was time to focus on the facts and the science.
***
She succeeded, for a full day, Megan actually succeeded at doing what she had set her mind to. She was meticulous in her working and all thought of the leggy blonde was pushed out of her mind. That was until the next investigation status meeting was called and Kate took charge. Megan felt her throat constrict as she watched Kate tell the detectives she didn’t break her promises. That attitude made Megan’s knees go weak and she once again found herself staring at those full lips, her mind wandering to what it would be like to kiss them softly and tenderly.
“And you?” Kate turned to her and Megan found herself suddenly drawn back into the conversation.
“Linda was bulimic. All signs are that it started when she hooked up with a restaurateur named Ryan Hall.” Megan was silently thankful for the fact her mind had obviously been able to keep up.
“You didn’t say anything about that yesterday.” Detective Bud Morris looked furious.
“We didn’t confirm bulimia until last night because her body’s had three months to recover from starving itself.” Megan wanted to roll her eyes, the man irritated her greatly.
“The same three months since she broke up with Hall.” Peter Dunlop added.
Megan noticed that Peter’s addition to the conversation, as the legal support for the department, seemed to gain Kate’s acknowledgement and approval a lot quicker than her own did and that stabbed her heart a lot deeper than it should have. As soon as the meeting was over she walked away, her heart hammering inside her chest like a sledgehammer pounding steel rock. Why did it bother her that it was so easy for Peter to get recognition from Kate? Why should it bother her? Megan knew she was good at her job and she knew she got results even if she trod on people’s toes. This obsession with Kate was beginning to drive her round the bend. A deep breath and a quick cup of coffee before heading out to investigate further and once again Megan could breathe and focus on the task at hand.
***
Watching the way Hall’s waitress cowered around him, Megan decided there and then that in order to get her to talk, he would have to be removed from the equation and that meant distraction and removal of the young woman. For this she would need to employ Peter as the distraction and ask Kate for her help. At the very thought of asking Kate for her help, Megan’s respiration and heart rate increased and the poor woman had to stop and collect herself for a minute. This was proving impossible to deal with. Somehow she had to rid herself of this infatuation. After all she was a grown woman and not some silly schoolgirl. After checking the eyelids for gunshot residue, Megan took a deep breath and headed for Kate’s office. She found her walking the corridors and decided to give her an update before proceeding into the real reason she wanted to talk to her.
“It’s too bad you can’t get a print off the eyelid.” Kate said, obviously feeling the stress of the situation.
“Well, I did a swab for DNA.” Kate turned to face Megan, curious as to why. “Hey, he must have been sweating to take off that much eye shadow, so if we’re lucky we may get a stray epithelial or two.” Megan shrugged.
“You still think it’s Bryan Hall?” Kate asked.
“It’s a theory, presuming his new girlfriend is lying for him, but in order to prove that, I’m gonna need your help.” She smiled at Kate, hoping to win her over.
As Kate raised her eyebrows and folded her arms over her chest in a stance of ‘I’m listening’, Megan felt her heartbeat quicken once again. There was just no denying how strongly she was beginning to feel for her boss and that could only lead to more problems.
***
As Nina, the waitress from the restaurant, reluctantly entered the morgue with Peter Dunlop, Megan and Kate were waiting for her along with the body of Linda Chapman. Nina recoiled slightly, the whites of her eyes showing as she took in the sight of the dead body on the slab, but Megan continued, knowing that they had to get answers.
“What am I doing here?” Nina asked, her dark face showing her fear.
“I want you to meet someone.” Megan said and turned to remove the sheet from Linda’s face.
Nina stepped further forward and took a sharp intake of breath as she realised why she had been brought to the morgue. She felt herself wanting to run and yet she couldn’t.
“This is Linda Chapman,” Megan’s voice was level and calm. “You know who she is?” Nina nodded in shock, her hands clasped to her mouth.
“Extensions, bulimia, the uniform, it’s all Bryan isn’t it?” Megan’s distaste for Bryan Hall was obvious in her words.
“She’s a beautiful girl,” Kate said softly.
“So are you.” Megan added. “I can’t stand the thought of him doing to you what he did to Linda.” There was force in her tone which came from the gut twisting feeling that she had inside.
“Do you have somebody to help you, Nina?” Megan’s tone softened, she was concerned for the beautiful woman in front of her.
Nina shook her head and burst into silent sobs. She saw her future lying on the slab in front of her and the realisation cut through her like a knife. She hated being stuck in a controlling relationship but there was no way out, not that she could see.
“Has Bryan threatened you? Have you tried to leave him like Linda did?” Megan was matter of fact, her level of concern there but alongside it the desire to make Bryan pay for what he’d done.
Nina shook her head sadly. “I don’t know how to get away from him.” She was desperate.
“We do,” Kate was soft and gentle with her words. “and we’ll help you, with counselling, with resources, with whatever you need. Listen, we’ve all done stupid things for men, but don’t let this jerk tell you how to feel about yourself.”
Nina looked from Kate to the body lying there in front of her and she took a sharp intake of breath before whispering “Oh God.”
“You’re safe now. Okay?” Kate approached Nina and reached out to comfort her, her hand resting on Nina’s arm.
It was in that instant that Megan had to stamp on a pang of jealousy. She was in complete adoration of Kate and the way she was so gentle and so loving, but she also found herself wanting to be the one that the blonde was reaching out to. Not that she’d ever want to find herself in an abusive relationship, but to have that much of Kate’s concern was something Megan could never hope for.
“And you can tell us the truth,” Kate said softly. “Was Bryan with you, the night of the murders?”
“Yeah, he was. He really was. I’m sorry. He... he won’t let me out of his sight.” Megan tried not to show her disappointment at the news.
“Okay. Listen, I’m gonna send you to the women’s shelter. There’s a woman there named Anne White and she’ll take care of you.” Kate gently stroked Nina’s arm again.
“Thank you.” Nina whispered.
“You’re welcome.” Kate replied and gave her a gentle smile.
Once Nina had left with Peter, Kate turned round to face Megan. She was glad that they had been able to help the young woman and Megan could see that in her eyes-but there was also something else there for a fraction of a second, at least Megan had thought there was, but it was gone too quickly and now she was left to wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her.
“Looks like you need a new theory.” Kate sounded tired as she said it.
Megan just smiled defeatedly at her. This was proving to be a frustrating case and a frustrating time being in the same room as the object of her desire.
***
As Kate walked past with Mrs Chapman, she nodded to Megan and used her eyes to say ‘Follow me’. Megan took a deep breath and finished giving orders to her team, her heart once again sounding loud in her ears. She knew she shouldn’t be focused on her feelings, but she couldn’t help it. Megan followed on and soon found herself sat with Kate and Mrs Chapman. The meeting was brief and to the point, Megan and Kate found out that the Chapman’s knew about the abuse that Linda had received at Bryan Hall’s hands but because it came from her ex who had then become her current boyfriend again they hadn’t believed it. Megan was grateful to see that Kate was as infuriated as she was, even though both women kept that fact hidden from Mrs Chapman.
***
It was with a heavy heart that later that day, Megan waited for Kate to enter the room with the Chapmans. And when she did, Megan sighed internally. This case had had its fair share of wrong turns and red herrings and now at the end of it all she had to deliver the devastating news to Mrs Chapman that it had been her husband that had killed Linda and her fiancé. She had to sit there and watch as Mrs Chapman crumbled and try to ignore the way Kate’s face too was contorting. Her peripheral vision was focused on the tall woman, and it was hard not to move her entire focus point to her. It broke her heart to see Mrs Chapman upset, but more so to see the way Kate was trying to put a brave face on it all as she stood beside her. Tears were forming in Megan’s eyes as she spoke and the overwhelming desire to have Kate hold her was making her want to run from the room. It was a harrowing end to the day and as soon as she could, Megan packed up for the day, phoned her daughter, leaving a message and headed home.
***
When she got home, Megan closed the door behind her and locked it. She looked around her apartment and sighed. She still couldn’t believe the fact Mr Chapman had killed his own daughter and feeling as torn up inside as she did, Megan felt justified in going to the wine rack and pulling out a bottle of Bordeaux. She popped the cork and poured herself a large glass before collapsing into a comfortable chair and staring out of the window. As she sipped, her mind moved from Mr Chapman and back to Kate Murphy. Kate in that wrap around blue shirt and that skirt which showed off those perfect legs. Kate who held so much compassion in her and so much love for humanity, Kate whom she wanted to hold and comfort and to be held and comforted by. Kate who even when angry with her, made Megan go weak at the knees. Those blue eyes and that perfectly formed mouth. Megan found herself wondering if Kate was as dominant in the bedroom as she was at work, or if at home she showed a more sensitive and subtle nature. Sighing heavily, the tired M.E. sipped her wine and tried to focus on anything but her boss, finding that it was harder to do here, at home, alone, than it was at work where she ran the risk of bumping into Kate at any moment. There had to be a way to nip this in the bud, because if she didn’t, Megan was going to do something she regretted very soon.
Title: Body of Frustration
Author: halfbloodme
Beta: sanctuary_sarah
Characters/pairing: Kate Murphy/Megan Hunt (unrequited?)
Rating: PG-13 (for this one)
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Episode 2
Summary: Kate is getting more and more annoyed with herself.
“There you are,” Kate was tired and angry with herself as she initiated the conversation with Megan. “Piaseki-Chapman murder-suicide.”
“Alleged murder-suicide, yes?” Megan said taking off her sunglasses and making Kate’s knees go weak. This really wasn’t helping.
“Get Ethan and Curtis to help you. I want this handled quickly and efficiently.” Every time Kate spoke to Megan these days she could feel her desire for the other woman growing stronger and it was getting harder to mentally shake herself.
“When do I ever do otherwise?” Megan turned round to Peter, giving Kate a second to steady herself.
“Well then, I have nothing to worry about, do I?” Kate stated as Megan smiled and walked away.
While Megan walked away, Kate took a deep breath, she hoped that Peter didn’t notice. How on earth was she meant to keep working with her subordinate if all she wanted to do was jump into bed with her? Wait, where had that thought come from? She had a crush, a crush didn’t mean wanting to jump into bed with someone, did it?
“Just out of curiosity it’s not a coincidence that we pulled Morris and Baker, is it?” Peter asked her, snapping Kate out of her thoughts.
“I spoke to their lieutenant, we agree that you four seem to work well together. Unless you think otherwise?” There was a challenge in Kate’s tone.
“I think if you’re trying to break Megan it won’t work.” Peter was being overly protective of her, or so it seemed to Kate.
“I’m not trying to break her; I’m trying to contain her. It’s better to knock heads with two detectives than the entire Philadelphia Police Department.” Kate answered firmly. Was he second guessing her decisions?
She walked away from Peter and headed for her office. What was going on there? Were Peter and Megan closer than just co-workers? Kate shook her head and tried to pull herself together. As she entered her office, she closed the door and headed for her desk and the pile of paperwork that sat there. The only way she could force her thoughts elsewhere was to get through the mountain that she was required to deal with daily. The first thing that was on her pile was the statement of procedures that had been used within the past month. As she turned it over she sighed. So much for not thinking about the brunette that was plaguing her thoughts and her dreams. It looked like once again Megan had been ordering tests that other Medical Examiners wouldn’t have. Either Kate needed to obtain a bigger budget or she needed to find a way to curb Megan’s spending habits and neither of those seemed like a likely possibility.
***
Kate was talking to Mr and Mrs Chapman about their daughter, and the Morgue’s latest victim, Linda, when Megan had walked past and joined them without invitation. Kate wasn’t sure whether to be angry at her or pleased that she had joined them. She couldn’t help but notice the fact that her employee was wearing a skirt that showed off two perfect legs, and the fact that Megan’s lab coat was slightly oversized which made her look incredibly sexy. Kate forced the thoughts from her mind as she listened to what Megan had to say to the Chapmans. It would not be good to be caught by a grieving family, or indeed by Megan, eyeing her up. As Megan asked about Linda’s past, Kate watched to make sure that the line of questioning wasn’t insensitive; she knew that they needed the information, but Megan’s brusqueness often took the place of much needed social etiquette. It was one of the many things Kate liked about Megan personally, but it had no place in their line of work.
Cutting off Megan to allow the parents more time to come to terms with what was happening and to let them escape was a difficult decision, but Kate knew that she had to remain objective, and if it had been any other Medical Examiner, she would have stopped the line of questioning before it began. Kate couldn’t help but indulge Megan. She knew that the other woman worked hard to be the best she could and to bring a sense of peace to the people that came across her table. The dead needing justice was obviously Megan’s philosophy, and Kate couldn’t help but smile inwardly at that. It was after all her opinion of things as well. The Chapmans left and Kate looked at Megan. She could see the annoyance on the other woman’s face and it made her want to sigh with frustration but she held it in, instead choosing to talk about the case.
“So where are the police on this?” Kate purposefully kept her voice steady and calm. It was slightly lower than usual, although that wasn’t deliberate.
“Running down Dave and Linda’s last meal.” Megan kept walking out of the door, showing signs of not wanting to be there.
“I saw healed Mallory-Weiss tears on the pre-lim. Maybe you and Peter should go and find this Bryan Hall and see what Linda was really doing to herself.” She was giving Megan permission as she said it, wanting to encourage her.
“Hmm. Exactly what I was thinking.” The small smile that was almost a smirk made Kate’s knees threaten to buckle.
As Megan left, Kate smiled and half rolled her eyes. She turned to the table to pick up the file she had left there and stopped for a moment. Megan was infuriating, troublesome, definitely the sort of employee that would drive others to distraction with annoyance, but Kate found her tenacity endearing. She sighed, picked up the file and headed for her office, time to head back to the mountain of paperwork.
***
An hour and a half later and Kate hadn’t gotten any further than the statement of procedures that was still on her desk. Every time she looked at it, she thought of Megan. Thought of those eyes, the way they could light up with a triumph or darken with annoyance at being reigned in. Those beautiful hands, so delicate and skilled, even when Megan was trying to hide the fact that they would freeze on her every now and again, particularly when she was frustrated. Kate loved to stare at those hands when she thought Megan wasn’t looking. They were beautiful, the way they held a scalpel, the way Megan would use them to tuck her hair behind her ear when she thought that no one was looking, the way that they moved effortlessly across a keyboard when typing reports. Kate found herself lost in the image of Megan’s hands. Her mind wandered to what other skill was to be found in those dextrous fingers. Kate slipped back in her chair and closed her eyes. Behind the closed lids, Kate’s mind wandered to a place she would never ordinarily let it go to at work, but she couldn’t help it and she certainly found no inclination to stop it.
In her mind’s eye, she saw Megan walk into her office, close the door and lock it. Completely uninvited and yet completely welcome. Megan’s eyebrow rose as she moved towards Kate’s desk. There was a playful look on her face and it made Kate quiver inside, both fantasy and real life Kate’s stomachs turned over at the suggestion that lay in that expression. Without saying a word, fantasy Megan moved around the desk and sat on its edge, just close enough for Kate to feel the heat of her body next to hers but not close enough for them to be touching. Kate looked up into those green eyes and smiled softly. Megan smiled back, her lips so very inviting.
”Dr Hunt, how may I help you?”
“Well, Dr Murphy I was hoping....”
“Dr Murphy, Dr Murphy, there’s a phone call for you and it sounds urgent.” Kate’s assistant snapped her back to the real world and with an exasperated sigh she picked up the phone.
***
The next case progress meeting was a hard thing for Kate to swallow. She was trying to remain professional, the police were present and she couldn’t lose her objectivity but the unfinished fantasy was still on her mind. It didn’t matter that a day had gone by, she hadn’t been able to lose it and to see the cause of that fantasy so close to her and yet so completely unreachable was enough to make the normally calm and demure woman go slightly crazy. She took a deep breath before entering the room and then moved quickly to the head of the table.
“The thing you need to know about me, detectives, is when I promise something I deliver. And I promised the Chapman’s that they would have their daughter back soon, so where are we?” It was almost second nature to be forceful in the work place and Kate found it easy to come across this way, but she barely even listened to the detectives’ answers.
“And you?” She asked Megan, suddenly aware that her attention had been on her subordinate the entire time even if she hadn’t been looking at her directly.
Kate had been listening to Megan instead of the detectives. She had been listening to her breathing, peripherally watching her, noticing the way she moved and the way she cocked her head ever so slightly when she listened to the detectives. Kate sighed inwardly, something would have to be done about this and fast.
“Linda was bulimic. All signs are that it started when she hooked up with a restaurateur named Ryan Hall.” Kate tried not to focus on Megan’s lips as she spoke.
“You didn’t say anything about that yesterday.” Detective Bud Morris looked furious and the Chief Medical Examiner wanted to jump into defend Megan but it wasn’t necessary.
“We didn’t confirm bulimia until last night because her body’s had three months to recover from starving itself.” Megan wanted to roll her eyes, the man irritated her greatly.
“The same three months since she broke up with Hall.” Peter Dunlop added.
Kate nodded; she wanted to show her approval of what she was hearing. Wanted to show that her team were, in her eyes, completely capable. But she obviously hadn’t done that. Undetected by everyone else, it seemed, Kate noticed the way that Megan’s heckles went up as she nodded her approval. She noticed that Megan seemed to be fighting something. For the second time since this case had started, Kate wondered if Megan and Peter were more than just colleagues. He had, after all, just jumped to her defence, again. An irrational pang of jealousy hit Kate in that moment and she tried her hardest to push it down to where it could be ignored. It wasn’t like she and Megan were dating and it wasn’t like they ever could be.
***
When Megan came to Kate later with a case update, Kate knew there was something more behind the update but she didn’t say anything. This was the game they played, Megan would indulge Kate’s need to know exactly what was going on and in return she would request a favour that was out of the ordinary and not something she would ever hear from another Medical Examiner.
“It’s too bad you can’t get a print off the eyelid.” Kate said, humouring her employee.
“Well, I did a swab for DNA.” Kate turned to face Megan, curious as to why. “Hey, he must have been sweating to take off that much eye shadow, so if we’re lucky we may get a stray epithelial or two.” Megan shrugged and Kate wondered if there was anything the other woman didn’t think of when it came to forensic evidence.
“You still think it’s Bryan Hall?” Kate asked.
“It’s a theory, presuming his new girlfriend is lying for him, but in order to prove that, I’m gonna need your help.” Kate noted the way Megan looked at her hands and then smiled at her, almost like a school girl begging to be indulged.
Kate folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, a sign that she was listening and prepared to say no if needs be. But she already knew, just from the way Megan had acted so nervously, obvious nerves that hadn’t intentionally come out, that she wouldn’t refuse her. Megan was sweet when she was relaxed enough to show her true feelings and it made Kate’s heart pound heavily beneath the calm exterior she was showing.
***
It turned out the favour meant helping Bryan’s latest girlfriend, Nina, and Kate couldn’t deny that. She hated to see women that had gotten themselves into abusive relationships couldn’t find a way out. She instinctively wanted to protect them. Kate was aware that she was overly familiar with Nina, was aware of the minute change in Megan’s breathing. Was her employee disapproving of the physical contact she made with Nina? Why would it bother Megan how Kate reacted? It bothered Kate more than it should have done. If Nina hadn’t been there she would have questioned her. But Nina was there and even after the young woman left, Kate couldn’t find the words to challenge Megan with and so she told Megan she needed to find a new theory and left the room.
Kate headed back to her office, she told her assistant that she did not want to be disturbed under any circumstances and locked the door to her office as it closed behind her. Balling her hands into fists in anger she turned, leaned against the door and slid down it. As she reached the floor, Kate’s head came to rest in her hands. This had gotten beyond a joke. She needed to find a distraction, needed to stop thinking about Megan, the sooner the better. The tall blonde took a few deep breaths and stood once again. She headed for her desk drawer and pulled out her contacts book. She smiled to herself as she realised that it really was a little black book, but when buying it she had reasoned with herself that it was elegant, smart and small enough to fit in her purse. Flicking through the pages, Kate found herself having to ignore the ‘H’ pages all together. There, in the ‘K’ pages she found the person she was looking for, the person who wouldn’t mind a night or two of helping her relieve her tension so that she could focus on work.
Title: Body of Confusion
Author: halfbloodme
Beta: sanctuary_sarah
Characters/pairing: Kate Murphy/Megan Hunt (unrequited?)
Rating: PG-13 (for this one)
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Episode 2
Summary: Megan feels like she's going crazy.
“There you are,” Megan noticed the tone of Kate’s voice and felt her heart sink. “Piaseki-Chapman murder-suicide.”
“Alleged murder-suicide, yes?” Kate said taking off her sunglasses and preparing for battle. If that’s the way it was going to be, then so be it.
“Get Ethan and Curtis to help you. I want this handled quickly and efficiently.” There seemed to be a nasty bug crawling up her employer’s backside, Megan decided.
“When do I ever do otherwise?” She turned round to the floor, feeling slightly irritated and annoyed.
“Well then, I have nothing to worry about, do I?” Kate asked and Megan smiled and walked away.
It had been an exchange lasting no longer than a minute and yet it left Megan feeling bitterly disappointed and angry in herself. She couldn’t understand why she had expected anything other than the cool calmness with which her boss normally treated her. It had been a week since their little exchange when Kate had told her to get some friends. The exchange that had led to a fantasy Megan shouldn’t have had and still haunted her dreams. She was so hung up over Kate Murphy that it wasn’t funny and if she wasn’t careful, Megan knew it would lead to problems in the work place.
***
The problem was that even when Megan knew that Kate was angry, she was finding herself inexplicably drawn to the other woman. Before entering the meeting room that contained the Chapmans and Kate, Megan took a deep breath. She needed to focus on her job, to make sure that she did everything in her power to help the grieving parents, and yet she found herself fighting to focus on them, all she wanted to do was take in the sight of Kate and what she was wearing. That crisp cut suit with the purple shirt, the look of pure compassion on Kate’s face as Mr Chapman talked about their daughter. Megan shook herself inwardly, she should not be thinking about Kate and she knew it.
Kate was watching her as she asked about Linda Chapman’s past. Megan could feel those eyes boring into her, the heat they left on her skin was making her uncomfortable, but she chose to try and ignore it. It was all she could do given the circumstances. Why was Kate so irritated with her? What had Megan done to cause it? The questions that had begun to seep through had to be pushed aside as soon as they arrived or Megan would never be able to do her job and she would stand to lose yet another career she was good at. When Kate cut her off just as she started to ask another question, Megan wanted to leap at her over the table. She was trying to do her job for crying out loud, trying to fill the position Kate had hired her for. It was hard enough concentrating on that task when all she wanted to do was to explore Kate’s lips with her own, as irrational as she knew that was, but to have Kate silence her as well, Megan was boiling over inside.
The brief exchange of details that happened between them was hostile, Megan noticed. The tone that Kate used was hushed and rushed. She seemed to want to get Megan as far away from her as possible and Megan decided in that moment that she wasn’t going to give Kate a second thought. After all, it wasn’t like she was really attracted to the tall blonde. It had just been one fantasy and that was all. There were more important things in life than sexual fantasies. Work had always taken precedence and it would do so now. And if Kate decided to order her to do something she was already going to do, she’d take it with a pinch of salt.
So why was it that an hour later when she was interviewing a suspect in a restaurant, Megan found herself silently wondering what Kate’s favourite meal was? She shook herself mentally yet again and tried to focus on the task at hand. This would not do her any favours and she knew it. She had to snap out of it. Kate Murphy was off limits and she would not go down that path. After all, her last relationship had been destroyed by the job and she wasn’t going to let herself fall for someone who was unobtainable because of the job. It was time to focus on the facts and the science.
***
She succeeded, for a full day, Megan actually succeeded at doing what she had set her mind to. She was meticulous in her working and all thought of the leggy blonde was pushed out of her mind. That was until the next investigation status meeting was called and Kate took charge. Megan felt her throat constrict as she watched Kate tell the detectives she didn’t break her promises. That attitude made Megan’s knees go weak and she once again found herself staring at those full lips, her mind wandering to what it would be like to kiss them softly and tenderly.
“And you?” Kate turned to her and Megan found herself suddenly drawn back into the conversation.
“Linda was bulimic. All signs are that it started when she hooked up with a restaurateur named Ryan Hall.” Megan was silently thankful for the fact her mind had obviously been able to keep up.
“You didn’t say anything about that yesterday.” Detective Bud Morris looked furious.
“We didn’t confirm bulimia until last night because her body’s had three months to recover from starving itself.” Megan wanted to roll her eyes, the man irritated her greatly.
“The same three months since she broke up with Hall.” Peter Dunlop added.
Megan noticed that Peter’s addition to the conversation, as the legal support for the department, seemed to gain Kate’s acknowledgement and approval a lot quicker than her own did and that stabbed her heart a lot deeper than it should have. As soon as the meeting was over she walked away, her heart hammering inside her chest like a sledgehammer pounding steel rock. Why did it bother her that it was so easy for Peter to get recognition from Kate? Why should it bother her? Megan knew she was good at her job and she knew she got results even if she trod on people’s toes. This obsession with Kate was beginning to drive her round the bend. A deep breath and a quick cup of coffee before heading out to investigate further and once again Megan could breathe and focus on the task at hand.
***
Watching the way Hall’s waitress cowered around him, Megan decided there and then that in order to get her to talk, he would have to be removed from the equation and that meant distraction and removal of the young woman. For this she would need to employ Peter as the distraction and ask Kate for her help. At the very thought of asking Kate for her help, Megan’s respiration and heart rate increased and the poor woman had to stop and collect herself for a minute. This was proving impossible to deal with. Somehow she had to rid herself of this infatuation. After all she was a grown woman and not some silly schoolgirl. After checking the eyelids for gunshot residue, Megan took a deep breath and headed for Kate’s office. She found her walking the corridors and decided to give her an update before proceeding into the real reason she wanted to talk to her.
“It’s too bad you can’t get a print off the eyelid.” Kate said, obviously feeling the stress of the situation.
“Well, I did a swab for DNA.” Kate turned to face Megan, curious as to why. “Hey, he must have been sweating to take off that much eye shadow, so if we’re lucky we may get a stray epithelial or two.” Megan shrugged.
“You still think it’s Bryan Hall?” Kate asked.
“It’s a theory, presuming his new girlfriend is lying for him, but in order to prove that, I’m gonna need your help.” She smiled at Kate, hoping to win her over.
As Kate raised her eyebrows and folded her arms over her chest in a stance of ‘I’m listening’, Megan felt her heartbeat quicken once again. There was just no denying how strongly she was beginning to feel for her boss and that could only lead to more problems.
***
As Nina, the waitress from the restaurant, reluctantly entered the morgue with Peter Dunlop, Megan and Kate were waiting for her along with the body of Linda Chapman. Nina recoiled slightly, the whites of her eyes showing as she took in the sight of the dead body on the slab, but Megan continued, knowing that they had to get answers.
“What am I doing here?” Nina asked, her dark face showing her fear.
“I want you to meet someone.” Megan said and turned to remove the sheet from Linda’s face.
Nina stepped further forward and took a sharp intake of breath as she realised why she had been brought to the morgue. She felt herself wanting to run and yet she couldn’t.
“This is Linda Chapman,” Megan’s voice was level and calm. “You know who she is?” Nina nodded in shock, her hands clasped to her mouth.
“Extensions, bulimia, the uniform, it’s all Bryan isn’t it?” Megan’s distaste for Bryan Hall was obvious in her words.
“She’s a beautiful girl,” Kate said softly.
“So are you.” Megan added. “I can’t stand the thought of him doing to you what he did to Linda.” There was force in her tone which came from the gut twisting feeling that she had inside.
“Do you have somebody to help you, Nina?” Megan’s tone softened, she was concerned for the beautiful woman in front of her.
Nina shook her head and burst into silent sobs. She saw her future lying on the slab in front of her and the realisation cut through her like a knife. She hated being stuck in a controlling relationship but there was no way out, not that she could see.
“Has Bryan threatened you? Have you tried to leave him like Linda did?” Megan was matter of fact, her level of concern there but alongside it the desire to make Bryan pay for what he’d done.
Nina shook her head sadly. “I don’t know how to get away from him.” She was desperate.
“We do,” Kate was soft and gentle with her words. “and we’ll help you, with counselling, with resources, with whatever you need. Listen, we’ve all done stupid things for men, but don’t let this jerk tell you how to feel about yourself.”
Nina looked from Kate to the body lying there in front of her and she took a sharp intake of breath before whispering “Oh God.”
“You’re safe now. Okay?” Kate approached Nina and reached out to comfort her, her hand resting on Nina’s arm.
It was in that instant that Megan had to stamp on a pang of jealousy. She was in complete adoration of Kate and the way she was so gentle and so loving, but she also found herself wanting to be the one that the blonde was reaching out to. Not that she’d ever want to find herself in an abusive relationship, but to have that much of Kate’s concern was something Megan could never hope for.
“And you can tell us the truth,” Kate said softly. “Was Bryan with you, the night of the murders?”
“Yeah, he was. He really was. I’m sorry. He... he won’t let me out of his sight.” Megan tried not to show her disappointment at the news.
“Okay. Listen, I’m gonna send you to the women’s shelter. There’s a woman there named Anne White and she’ll take care of you.” Kate gently stroked Nina’s arm again.
“Thank you.” Nina whispered.
“You’re welcome.” Kate replied and gave her a gentle smile.
Once Nina had left with Peter, Kate turned round to face Megan. She was glad that they had been able to help the young woman and Megan could see that in her eyes-but there was also something else there for a fraction of a second, at least Megan had thought there was, but it was gone too quickly and now she was left to wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her.
“Looks like you need a new theory.” Kate sounded tired as she said it.
Megan just smiled defeatedly at her. This was proving to be a frustrating case and a frustrating time being in the same room as the object of her desire.
***
As Kate walked past with Mrs Chapman, she nodded to Megan and used her eyes to say ‘Follow me’. Megan took a deep breath and finished giving orders to her team, her heart once again sounding loud in her ears. She knew she shouldn’t be focused on her feelings, but she couldn’t help it. Megan followed on and soon found herself sat with Kate and Mrs Chapman. The meeting was brief and to the point, Megan and Kate found out that the Chapman’s knew about the abuse that Linda had received at Bryan Hall’s hands but because it came from her ex who had then become her current boyfriend again they hadn’t believed it. Megan was grateful to see that Kate was as infuriated as she was, even though both women kept that fact hidden from Mrs Chapman.
***
It was with a heavy heart that later that day, Megan waited for Kate to enter the room with the Chapmans. And when she did, Megan sighed internally. This case had had its fair share of wrong turns and red herrings and now at the end of it all she had to deliver the devastating news to Mrs Chapman that it had been her husband that had killed Linda and her fiancé. She had to sit there and watch as Mrs Chapman crumbled and try to ignore the way Kate’s face too was contorting. Her peripheral vision was focused on the tall woman, and it was hard not to move her entire focus point to her. It broke her heart to see Mrs Chapman upset, but more so to see the way Kate was trying to put a brave face on it all as she stood beside her. Tears were forming in Megan’s eyes as she spoke and the overwhelming desire to have Kate hold her was making her want to run from the room. It was a harrowing end to the day and as soon as she could, Megan packed up for the day, phoned her daughter, leaving a message and headed home.
***
When she got home, Megan closed the door behind her and locked it. She looked around her apartment and sighed. She still couldn’t believe the fact Mr Chapman had killed his own daughter and feeling as torn up inside as she did, Megan felt justified in going to the wine rack and pulling out a bottle of Bordeaux. She popped the cork and poured herself a large glass before collapsing into a comfortable chair and staring out of the window. As she sipped, her mind moved from Mr Chapman and back to Kate Murphy. Kate in that wrap around blue shirt and that skirt which showed off those perfect legs. Kate who held so much compassion in her and so much love for humanity, Kate whom she wanted to hold and comfort and to be held and comforted by. Kate who even when angry with her, made Megan go weak at the knees. Those blue eyes and that perfectly formed mouth. Megan found herself wondering if Kate was as dominant in the bedroom as she was at work, or if at home she showed a more sensitive and subtle nature. Sighing heavily, the tired M.E. sipped her wine and tried to focus on anything but her boss, finding that it was harder to do here, at home, alone, than it was at work where she ran the risk of bumping into Kate at any moment. There had to be a way to nip this in the bud, because if she didn’t, Megan was going to do something she regretted very soon.