Vanished... Without a Trace 16/24
This is a moden day, Young Riders/Without a Trace crossover written by me andshantyrfan. All of your favorite characters (and a few not so favorite) are here, and alive and well. The non familiar characters don't belong to us (with the exception of the resort staff and the name of Tag's youngest daughter), they belong to the creators of Without a Trace. For those that aren't familiar with this story, it was inspired by this clip Kid and the Breakfast of Champions
Chapter 16
Tag lay in bed next to Lou for several hours unable to sleep. Had he known about Wicks when he and Lou ran into him, he would’ve risked the mission and his life to take care of the bastard personally. Once he had assured himself Lou was finally sleeping peacefully, he slowly crept out of bed and headed outside to think. Unfortunately he never made it farther than the bar.
“What can I get you?” the weary bartender asked as Tag sat down on a barstool.
“Whiskey,” he replied. “Make it a double.” Tag reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty and inserted it into the video poker machine built into the bar. He absentmindedly played until the bartender put the drink down in front of him. “How much do I owe you?” Tag asked.
The bartender shook his head. “As long as you play, the drinks are free,” he said before moving to the other side of the bar to help another customer.
Tag picked up the glass and looked at it. He hadn’t even had so much than a glass of champagne in over ten years, and now he was seriously considering downing it in one gulp and ordering another. Flashbacks of his father’s drunken rages didn’t even deter him from wanting to ease the pain he was feeling.
Tag wasn’t sure how long he sat there pondering whether or not to take the first sip when he heard a familiar voice.
“When can we go home? I miss Lou,” Jeremiah asked.
Tag looked over and saw Boggs walking through the casino with Teresa and Jeremiah. Both looked fine under the circumstances and he was relieved that Wicks was nowhere to be seen.
“I wanna go home. I don’t like it here,” Teresa said. Tag noted her voice was similar to Lou’s when she was trying not to cry.
“You ran away from home, remember?” Boggs replied. “You think Lou wants you back now? You’re just lucky my partner was the one who found you two and not some pervert who preys on little girls.”
Tag shuddered wondering how Boggs could lie straight out to someone he thought was his own flesh and blood.
“Lou isn’t like that. She’s probably worried sick about us, and you won’t even let us talk to her,” Jeremiah challenged.
Boggs stopped walking and grabbed Jeremiah by the shoulders. “I told you, I talked to her last night and she didn’t even ask about you.”
Jeremiah shook his head. “I don’t believe you!” he yelled breaking free of Boggs’ grip. “We want to go home.”
Tag couldn’t hear anymore as Boggs led them away. He knew going after them would blow the entire operation, but at least he could go back to the room and tell Lou they were okay. He stood up and was about to put the drink back on the counter when someone bumped into him from behind.
“Sorry,” he said drunkenly before walking away.
Tag looked down at the whiskey spilled on his shirt. Throwing a couple of bills down on the bar, he headed back up to the room.
~~ *~* ~~
Lou woke up realizing that she had slept through the rest of the night peacefully. She continued to have dreams, but instead of the nightmares she had been having lately, they were of her and Tag making love.
Lou panicked briefly when she realized Tag wasn’t in bed, but figured he had gone running. She looked for a note, her heart dropping when she couldn’t find one. She immediately got up and checked the bathroom, but found it empty and the shower dry. His running shorts were still in the drawer.
He left me, she thought. I knew he wouldn’t be able to stand the sight of me once he learned the truth. Lou sat down at the table and started to cry. Toughen up. You knew no one could love you when they learned what you really were. You were a fool to fall in love with Wicks and a fool to fall in love with…
“Lou?” Tag said entering the room. “Are you here?” He stopped as he saw Lou’s shoulders slumped over the table and trembling. Crossing the room, he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Lou? What’s wrong?”
Lou jumped at the contact, surprised she hadn’t heard him enter. She immediately stood up and hugged him. “I’m fine now,” she said as she kissed him.
Tag was surprised by her behavior. She didn’t seem fine, but didn’t want to push her.
Lou pulled back when she got a whiff of his soaked shirt. “You’ve been drinking?” she asked disappointed. “I can’t even get you to have a sip of champagne and you go off and drink as soon as…”
“Lou, it’s not like that. Yes I went to the bar and ordered a drink, but I couldn’t drink it. I kept thinking how my mom looked when my dad went off on one of his drunken rages, and I feared I’d see that look on your face.”
“Then how…”
“As I was leaving someone bumped into me and I spilled it. Lou, I saw Teresa and Jeremiah.”
“What? But you’re not in disguise? They could tell Boggs or Wicks. What were you thinking?”
“They didn’t see me, they walked past the bar with your father.”
“And Wicks?”
“Was nowhere to be found. Lou, they looked fine. They miss you and want to go home, but as far as I can tell, he’s treating them all right.”
Lou sat back down at the table and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve been so worried about them.”
Tag sat down next to her and rubbed her back. “Well now you have one less thing to worry about.”
Lou nodded. “Thank you,” she said smiling. “Thank you for everything.” She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.
“Lou, stop,” he begged.
“That’s usually my line,” she said jokingly. But she noticed how serious he looked and pulled back. He doesn’t want me anymore, she thought. I can see it in his eyes.
“Tag, what’s wrong with you?”
“I’m fine, Lou,” he said standing up. “Do you want to order up breakfast?” He crossed to the phone and picked it up. He started talking before she had even decided what she wanted. When he finished he turned back around. “I’m sorry, was there something in particular you wanted?”
Lou shook her head. “No, I’m not real hungry. I think I’m gonna go grab a shower,” she said standing up and walking towards the bathroom. While she was bathing, she couldn’t help but wonder about Tag’s behavior. She had hoped things would be different with him, that he would still love her no matter what, but it was obvious he couldn’t stand to be with her. It would kill her if they had to abort the operation, but if he couldn’t even stand working with her, she didn’t see how else they could continue.
“Lou?” Tag said knocking on the door. “Breakfast is here,” he said.
“I’ll be out shortly,” she said turning the water off and reaching for her towel. An idea formed in her head, and after wrapping the towel around her and securing it, she walked out of the bathroom. She stopped at the sight in front of her.
Tag turned to see Lou and his jaw dropped as he saw her wearing nothing but a towel. He tried to shake the image of what was under it out of his mind. “After you went into the shower, I realized what a jerk I’d been, so I called back down and changed the order. I hope you don’t mind.”
Lou shook her head. Instead of the coffee and donuts he had ordered, there were several plates of fruit, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, croissants, and orange juice as well as coffee. In the middle of the table was a vase with a dozen red roses. Tag pulled out a chair for her and pushed it back in after she sat down.
“Thank you,” she said taking a grapefruit half.
“I know the roses aren’t original, but it was all they had on short notice.”
“They’re beautiful,” she said smiling at his thoughtfulness.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said honestly.
Lou blushed and looked down at her food as she began to eat.
“Lou, I’m sorry about earlier. Today’s just a rough day for me, and I guess I didn’t think about how me being in a sour mood would affect you.”
“I did dump a lot on you last night. It wasn’t fair of me and…”
Tag shook his head. “Lou, I wanted to know. I want to know everything there is about you. I hate what happened to you, but it’s in the past. Maybe now that you’ve told someone, you can put it behind you. At least you slept peacefully after you told me, that’s a start.”
Lou nodded and they continued breakfast in silence. “So what do you want to do today? Explore some more?” Lou asked after awhile. “Look for more secret doors?”
“Yes and no,” he replied. “I know you’ve mentioned how when you were growing up here, you loved the freedom of riding your horse. So I was thinking we could do some riding today and while we’re at it, explore the outer grounds.”
Lou’s eyes grew big in excitement. “I’d love to,” she said. “Even when I was on the mounted squad, I didn’t get the freedom to ride as much as I wanted to. It’s a good thing I brought some jeans and a pair of boots.” Lou stood up and kissed him on his cheek before heading to the dresser to remove items suitable for riding.
“Don’t forget your wire,” Tag said handing her the equipment trying not to gaze at where it would soon rest.
Lou blushed as she noticed where he was trying not to look as she took the wire and transmitter. She took her clothes and the wire and headed into the bathroom. Tag quickly attached his wire and changed clothes. He longed for this mission to be over, only so he and Lou could do activities like this without being wired. When he considered going riding he thought about packing a picnic, but the thought of where that might lead made him realized that being wired would not be a good thing.
“Are you ready to go?” Lou asked emerging from the bathroom. Tag sucked in his breath as he realized how tight her jeans were.
“Can you ride in those?” he asked.
Lou giggled. “Guess we’ll find out,” she grinned crossing and kissing his cheek.
“Where’s the transmitter?”
Lou playfully slapped his arm. “You couldn’t resist looking for it, could you? It‘s at my waist,” she said lifting her blouse enough so he could see the small antenna. “Do I get to see yours?” she whispered huskily causing Tag to groan.
“Later,” he growled as he led her out of the suite and to the elevators. Before long they were at the stables and he carefully watched her reaction as they entered.
Lou was surprised how little things had changed in the stables. She immediately recognized her old horse and went to its stall. “Hey girl,” she said as she rubbed the mare’s muzzle. “I can’t believe you’re still here.”
The horse neighed and tried sniffing her hands. Lou giggled as her horse seemed to recognize her, and the fact Lou would always bring her a treat.
“Lou?” Tag asked approaching her.
“This is Thunder. She was my horse when I was younger. I can’t believe dad kept her,” she said quietly.
“Can I help you?” a stable hand asked approaching them.
“Yes, my wife and I would like to go for a ride. Is this horse available?” Tag asked indicating to Lou’s horse.
The stable hand shook his head. “I’m sorry, she’s not available for guests.”
Lou sighed. “Figures,” she mumbled. She smiled as she remembered something. “She has such a gentle disposition, is there another one like her?”
The stable hand nodded. “Actually, she has an offspring. Are you both experienced riders?” Lou and Tag nodded and followed the stable hand a few stalls down. “I suggest Lightning for you Mrs., and Katy here for your husband. Both are gentle but prefer experienced riders.”
“Perfect, thank you,” Lou said grinning. She and Tag stood aside while the stable hand saddled both horses.
When he was finished, he handed them a map. “Here’s a trail map that lists the levels of difficulty. If you have any problems or if something happens, the stable number is on the bottom, just give us a call and we’ll come out and help you.”
“Thank you,” Tag said as he took the beautiful paint that he was presented with. In one swift movement, he swung up and mounted and grinned at Lou who was still on the ground. “Darling, hurry up,” he said chuckling.
Lou gave him a sassy look and grabbed the saddle horn. Before Tag realized it, he was getting a nice view of her rear as she mounted. “Was that quick enough for you?” she asked noticing he was blushing. “Well I guess the honeymoon’s over if you wouldn’t even offer me a hand up,” she teased.
Too quick, he thought. “Let’s get going,” he said before gently squeezing Katy’s flanks to get her walking and Lou soon followed. The horses quietly along a scenic route but after awhile, Lou spurred Lightning into a gallop.
“Goin' awfully slow there, Tag,” she said looking back smiling at him.
Tag tried catching up with her and smiled. “Just admirin' the view.”
Lou slowed her horse some to let him come next to her. She reached over and playfully tugged at his baseball cap. “Got somethin' on your hat,” she said flipping it off his head and started to gallop again.
Tag caught his hat and rode after her. “Hey!” he called out, spurring Katy to go faster, but Lou was just too fast. She disappeared around a bend and as Tag finally rounded it, he saw her jump a fallen tree and lose her balance causing her to fall.
Tag immediately slowed his horse as he watched her lying still on the ground. “Lou?” he called out. He dismounted Katy and started running towards Lou calling out her name. When he finally reached her, he gently turned her over, looking for any serious injuries.
Lou couldn’t help it as she felt Tag’s hands roaming her body and she started squirming and giggling. This only encouraged him as he continued to tickle her ribs. Before long, she was sitting up looking into his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Tag was both angry at her and relieved that she was okay. He moaned as she deepened the kiss. “God Lou,” he said breaking the kiss. “You scared me when I saw you fall. Don’t do that to me again.”
“I’m sorry,” she said smiling. She looked down and frowned. “I broke the transmitter,” she said.
Tag looked down and chuckled. “You’re lucky that’s all you broke. It’s okay, I have a spare back in the room. Cody,” he said speaking into his mic. “Since we’re alone, I’m taking mine offline for now,” he said pushing the power button.
“Why’d you do that?” she asked questioningly.
He shrugged. “Figured it would be better to talk without prying ears. So tell me about growing up here. It can’t have been all bad,” he said pushing away some hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.
“It wasn’t when I was little,” she said leaning back onto her elbows. “Even when my parents fought, I’d just come out and saddle Thunder and go for a ride.”
“How’d you know about Lightning?”
“She was born shortly before I left. I helped deliver her and Katy before that. Katy’s mother was my mother’s horse.”
“Do you miss having a horse?”
“Sometimes. If things were different, I’d love to be able to have a couple. Let Teresa and Jeremiah learn to ride. My mom wanted them to have every advantage possible, but without the environment and influences I grew up in. She kept only enough money to make sure she and the twins were taken care of, and gave me the rest. She…” Lou noticed Tag’s mind had started to wander. “Tag? What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Oh sorry, guess my mind was elsewhere.”
“Where?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said shrugging.
Lou sat back up and tried to meet his gaze. “Yes, it does. Tell me. I’ve unloaded everything on you, it’s your turn to cry on my shoulder.”
“I’m fine, all right?” he snapped. He immediately regretted his tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He decided to change the subject. “I wish you had some pictures of you when you were younger. I mean other than the ones Jack sent.”
“What would you say if I said I did,” she said quietly.
“I’d want to see them,” he said almost begging.
“Only if you tell me what’s been bothering you.”
“Today’s my birthday,” he said quietly. “As much as I enjoy being with you, this wasn’t how I originally thought I’d be spending it.”
Lou nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I knew it was coming up, you just never told me when. Happy birthday,” she said before leaning over to kiss him gently.
“So where’s my present,” he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.
Lou leaned back and reached into her back pocket for her wallet. She opened it and after flipping it around, pulled out two photographs. “I’ve had these hidden in my wallet all these years,” she said handing them to him.
Tag looked at the first one and smiled. Lou had to have been around five or six, and her long blonde hair was in pigtails. “You really were a blonde,” he said smiling and Lou nodded. He noticed something about the photo and looked at her questioningly. “Lou?”
Lou instantly knew what he was talking about. “I didn’t know it at the time, but the night Wicks found us, that wasn’t the first time he’d caused my mother to have a miscarriage,” she said very quietly. “Looking back, I guess he was scared if she had more children, it would screw up his chance at my father’s fortune. Mom had said that the last miscarriage was the sixth one he had caused.”
Tag felt so bad for all of the siblings Lou never got to know, and it made him wonder about his own long lost brother. “Your dad never questioned it?”
“Wicks threatened to kill me if she ever told him.”
Tag nodded and moved on to the next picture, surprised she’d carry it, even hidden in her wallet. “You looked beautiful even then. Maybe more so,” he said smiling. He tried picturing how she would look pregnant today, possibly with his child, and found himself starting to get aroused. “How far along were you? Eight, nine months?”
Lou chuckled. “Five. I was huge. I was so tiny and I nearly doubled my weight early in my pregnancy with the twins.”
“Teresa looks just like you.”
Lou nodded. “Except for they both have his eyes and smile. It used to haunt me at night.”
“You never regretted having them?”
Lou shook her head. “Never. No matter what I went through, no matter how they were brought into this world, I’ve loved them since the moment I learned of their existence. The only thing I regret is not being there more for them before my mom died,” she said quietly. “I’ve thought a lot about what you said. When all this is over and I have them home safe and sound, I’m going to tell them everything. I want them to start thinking of me as their mom, not just their best friend or their big sister who had to take them in.”
Tag shook his head and lifted her chin. “They know you took them in because you loved them, not because you had to.”
Lou nodded and then chuckled. “Who knows, if anything at least they won’t come to me with any problems they’re having with their love lives anymore.”
Tag pulled her into his arms and began kissing her. Lou pulled him down on top of her as she laid down. “Lou?” he asked breaking the kiss and looking down at her. He didn’t want to rush or scare her.
“I’m fine,” she said pulling his head back down to hers, resuming the kiss and letting her hands began roam his body.
Tag pressed his waist against her, wanting her to know how she was making him feel. She started chuckling and Tag looked at her surprised. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
“You’re so happy to see me, you’re vibrating,” she said breaking out into full laughter.
It took a second to realize his phone, which had been set to vibrate, was ringing. He groaned and sat up to answer it. “This better be good,” he snapped without looking at the caller ID and setting it to speaker phone.
“Something good must be happening if both of your wires are dead,” Cody said chuckling. “What happened?”
“We were out riding and Lou fell of her horse. She’s okay, but she busted her transmitter.” Tag replied.
“What about yours?”
“I told you I was turning it off.”
“Were you out on a coffee break or something?” Lou asked giggling.
“Hey, not everyone gets to eat as well as you two are getting to.” Cody said. “My mouth is watering just thinking about that prime rib.”
“Cody, is there something important you wanted or are you just annoying us?”
“Just making sure my friends are okay. Didn’t want to have to call for back up to have them find you two in a… compromising position.”
“Is that all you ever think about, Cody?” Lou asked chuckling.
“Either that or food. We‘re fine, Cody. We were just about to head back to the resort,” Tag said solemnly.
“Check your email when you get back. Jack sent you some more information.”
“Thanks, Cody. And if we go out again, we’ll both be wired. Odds are we’ll be staying in and doing some more research,” he said winking at Lou causing her to blush.
It was Cody’s turn to chuckle. “Not too much research. Then again, you two are on your honeymoon.”
“Good-bye, Cody,” Lou said shaking her head and closing Tag’s phone. Lou stood up and reached out for Tag’s hand, helping him up.
Tag stood and cupped her face. “Thanks for making my birthday better.”
Lou grinned at him playfully. “The celebration hasn’t even yet started.”
Tag and Lou walked to where the horses had roamed and mounted back up. “No more scaring me like earlier, remember?”
Lou spurred Lightning into a gallop. “Last one back has to tell Jack what we were doing when you turned off your wire,” she called over her shoulder disappearing around the bend.
Tag spurred Katy into a gallop as well and chased after Lou, determined not to be the one who told Jack anything.