Fic: Peacocks and Chiefs (The Closer- Will/Sharon) M 2/4
Title: Peacocks and Chiefs
Part: 2
Fandom: The Closer
Characters: Sharon/Will
Word Count: 3033
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Closer. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary- Written for the FID Anniversary Challenge- Prompt: Sharon seduces Will on a team building conference. I think the prompt explains premise of the story, I changed it to a teambuilding course instead of a conference and I sort of kind of got around to the seducing eventually.
Afternoon trust building exercises with Raydor’s bar owl was interesting. The guy kept saying how great Sharon was, and how wonderful she was and Will wanted to smack the guy each time he called her by her first name. This guy got to call her Sharon and all Will got to call her was Raydor or Captain, even in his mind she was never just Sharon. Not even in his dreams was she anything but Captain Raydor, and he had some very vivid dreams of her in nothing but a pair of white lace panties, her uniform shirt undone, opened in a way so he could see the curve of her breasts, her hair hanging messily around her shoulders and a police baton in her hands. Not that he thought the real Sharon Raydor would play dress-up with him. She was his colleague and it seemed she went for the weedy wire-rimmed glasses sort and that wasn’t him.
Will applied a massive amount of self-restraint and didn’t drop Raydor’s bar owl when it was his turn to catch the little twerp during the show of trust exercise, but he did think about it; more than once. He noticed how Course Instructor Harry kept giving him questioning looks, so Will pasted on his best politician’s smile, refocused his energies and kept the funk that was threatening to ruin the rest of the afternoon for him at bay.
When the day’s activities were complete, everyone got a chance to sneak away and shower and change for dinner. Will took his time, showered, changed into a pair of dark grey slacks, a light white buttoned-up shirt, and pulled a deep blue sweater over it. It got rather cold late at night, even in California and the skies had looked iffy earlier in the day. The weather report playing in the background as he applied cologne and made a final appraisal of his appearance in the bathroom mirror said there would be a storm tomorrow. Will hoped that meant that tomorrow’s outside activities would be altered for the inside or either scrapped all together.
The whole peacock thing kept was running in his head as he made his way to the lobby where his group of officers should all be waiting. He made the lobby their meeting point, just to make sure no one was feeling left out, they were to all have their evening meals together, he thought it would give them a sense of unity. He saw Taylor immediately, the man was wearing a purple sweater and Will could see the shine on his shoes from a distance and he shook his head thinking Raydor was right about Taylor being a peacock if only in the way the man dressed and the posturing he did.
Taylor made some joke about cabbages and kings and peacocks and chiefs when Will made his way over to the group of officers. He did a headcount and saw that one of his guys were absent. “Anyone seen Raydor?”
“You know women.” Taylor laughed, “She’s probably still doing her hair.”
Michaels frowned at Taylor’s statement. Will liked Lieutenant Michaels, the man had an exemplary record, was second in command of the Counter Terrorism division and very much an owl. “She was here before me but she needed to take a call. I think she went outside for some privacy.”
“Okay, well you guys go ahead in, save us a seat as I go find the Captain.” Michaels pointed in the general direction the Captain had gone and Will waved them off to the dining area before heading off to locate Raydor.
Will went out a side door that led to the pool area. The steam coming up off the water seemed to suggest the pool was heated, the cool night air mixed with the raising heat created a slight foggy mist a couple of inches above the water and seeing Raydor on the other side of the blue water her back to him talking on her cell was an enchanting image. Her hair was up once more, some sort of French twist, and she was wearing a strapless light gray dress that stopped a couple of inches above her knee; it was demure and sexy.
Will walked up behind the Captain and he was going to make his presence known but stopped short when she used the word sweetheart. She had a sweetheart; he wondered if bar owl knew she was taken. It was obvious from the warmth in her voice that she cared for whoever was on the other end. He hadn’t known she was involved with someone and he really didn’t know why he felt angry knowing she was. He wasn’t as if he had a right to be upset that Captain Raydor had a boyfriend.
He huffed out a breath when she laughed at something said on the other end of the line; she turned to look at him over her shoulder, noticing him for the first time. Raydor’s brows furrowed as she eyed him with concern and he tried to school his features into a more neutral expression. Thinking he succeeded, he met her eyes before bringing his watch up and making a gesture of checking the time before looking back at her pointedly. “Honey, I have to go, it seems I am late for dinner with the Chief.” She turned her back to him and tilted her head listening to what was being said before giving another warm chuckle, “I love you too, remember to let Max out before going to bed and tell Kate, she and I will be having a talk about clothing choices when I return home.” Raydor ended her call and turned on her heels to face him, her phone tight in her hand and her jaw clenched tight.
She was angry, and she did have a right to be, he had been more than a little rude. It’s just the whole sweetheart and honey thing had thrown him for a loop. Nevertheless, he would be damned if he apologized, she was late and she had been laughing at him all day. So there they stood, eyeing each other. He wondered if she was going to yell at him or maybe push him into the pool. Will watched as she picked up a black cardigan from a lounge chair and placing her cell in her black purse before giving him a look that spoke volumes. She made a hand gesture to indicate she would follow him but he remained rooted in place.
“I didn’t realize you were one of those people that used words like sweetheart. Does the besotted bar owl know you have a honey at home?” Will watched as Raydor took a couple of steps away from him and sat down on a lounger with a look of stunned disbelief on her face.
“By chance have you been drinking?” Her question was sharp, “Because you aren’t making any sense. Who is this bar owl and what concern is it of yours if I have a honey at home or not.”
“Mr. Wire-rimmed Glasses from the bar last night.” Will knew he was being unreasonable but really what did she expect from a peacock, “I had to listen all afternoon as he talked about how wonderful you are. Guess that one drink with you last night got him hooked, to bad you were just leading him on.”
“Seriously, are you drunk?” Raydor stood up and walked along the poolside away from him before walking back and stopping a step away from him. “Phillip Morrison bats for the other team, so I don’t think I was leading him anywhere.”
“Phillip Morrison?” Will questioned, who was Phillip Morrison.
Raydor gave him a look that suggested she thought he was drunk and stupid, “Mister Wire-rims, who I have worked with closely for seven years, and had a glass of white wine with last night.”
“He’s gay.” The penny had finally dropped and he was an ass.
She sighed and shook her head, “Want to tell me what all this is about?” She waved her hand between the two of them, “Because I am not a mind reader and for some reason you seem angry with me and I can’t fathom a reason why.”
“I’m hungry.” Will shrugged his shoulders and gave Raydor a pathetic look, “I get grouchy if I don’t eat and you were an easy target. I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you. I am sorry and I hope you will accept my apology.”
The apology was genuine, the reason why a total lie, but he hoped she bought it. She seemed to consider it, as her green-grey eyes tried to search his blue ones for the truth. She gave a soft sigh and a small nod. “Okay.”
He offered her his arm and she smiled up at him before taking it. “So this sweetheart of yours, is this someone I may have met before?”
She laughed and shook her head. She looked up at him and bit her bottom lip. “Have you met my son?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.” Will was puzzled, what did her son have to do… “You were talking to your children on the phone just now, when I rudely interrupted.” He held the side door open and she gave him a smirk and a nod before heading into the lobby.
“My son and daughter are with their mother this weekend.” Kids were a safe topic; most parents loved talking about theirs and Will hoped this would make up for his jackass behavior. “Are yours with their father?”
They had been walking side by side when Raydor’s steps faltered. Her hand slipped from his arm and she looked hurt. Will wondered what on Earth he could have done this time. “Their father, my husband has been… Dan died when they were little.”
“Oh, God! I didn’t know. I thought you were divorced like me.” How many times was he going to make a mistake with this woman, first he’d been an intentional ass now he was an unintentional one.
“It’s okay.” Though he could tell by the trace of anguish visible in her eyes and the false smile she tried to force that it wasn’t, “It was a long time ago. Ten years is a long time. Dan was a cop...”
Will didn’t know what to say, his first impulse was to pull her in her arms, but that would be completely inappropriate, so he just stood there and waited for her to give some indication on what she needed.
“My daughter thinks its time I started dating again. She’s been hinting around that I shouldn’t be alone forever. Which is the reason why I have this dress to wear, Kate, my daughter, helped pack my garment bag for this trip and this,” Raydor made a gesture with her hand. “Is what I got. I think it shows a little more skin than should be exposed on a work trip, but the other two in my case were far more risqué and this one seemed the more moderate choice.”
“I think you look lovely.” Will held his breath as her lips parted and her tongue slipped out to wet them. He was thinking about lowering his mouth to hers and taking a small sample to see if she tasted as good as he fantasized she did.
They were both startled by the arrival of Taylor at their sides, “I was sent as a search party for you two. Everyone kept asking where you were Pope, guess you promised to finish that story about some fraternity prank you pulled in your younger days.”
Raydor shook her head and laughed, “I am sorry I have delayed you from you adoring public, Chief. I suggest you get in there and beguile your audience before the natives get restless. I think I have had enough this evening and will be retiring early.”
“You haven’t eaten yet.” Will stressed not wanting her to go.
Taylor looked between the two officers, trying to decipher what the heck was going on with them, in any other circumstances than the one they were in Will might have felt generous enough to fill the other man in, but not on this.
“I’m not hungry.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand and he nodded letting her know he did. “Goodnight, gentlemen.”
Will watched as Raydor walked toward the elevators, and kept his eyes on her until the doors shut. He turned to see Taylor still there waiting, questions burning in the man’s eyes. “What can you tell me about Dan Raydor?”
Taylor blinked and Will guessed he had surprised the Commander with his question, “Why do you want to know?”
Will sighed wondering if he wanted to get into the whos and whys with Taylor, wanting to know more about the woman who had been frequenting his dreams, more and more since Christmas, outweighing any heckling he may get from the Commander, “She mentioned him just now.”
Taylor nodded, “He’s been dead for about ten years now, I think.”
“Yeah, so she said.” Will pressed on, “She also said he was a cop.”
Taylor eyed him suspiciously, “He was. Quite a conversation you and Raydor were having if she was talking about the spouse.”
Will rolled his eyes, “I made the mistake of asking her if her kids were with their father.”
Taylor winced, “Ouch.”
“So what can you tell me about the guy, so I don’t put my foot in my mouth again?” Will wondered if he was laying it on too thick. Taylor liked being the one in the know, he liked others to know he knew stuff; Will just didn’t want the man to know what his true interest in Raydor was.
“I don’t know a lot about him. I know more about her, if you are interested.” Will noticed the sly smile Taylor’s shot his way and if the man thought, he’d take the bait he didn’t know him to well.
“I’m not. So why don’t you tell me what you do know about Dan Raydor instead.” His tone of voice was cool steel letting Taylor know it wasn’t a question, more a command from higher-ranking officer.
“He was a good guy and they looked happy, I guess. Had two kids, one girl and one boy, the American dream complete with a white picket fence, except they didn't get a happily ever after. Raydor was out with his partner, a drug bust gone bad, he took the bullet meant for his partner; he bleed out before the ambulance could arrived.”
Will grimaced he looked back at the elevators and thought about going up to her room, maybe check on her. “If you want more info than that, I suggest you ask her. Or his old partner, Tommy Delk.”
Will’s head snapped back to look at Taylor who had a smug expression, “Delk?” at Taylor’s nod, “He made her come to this course. She’s the only one who didn’t volunteer.”
Taylor’s eyes widen, “And you think that means something.”
“I don’t know. We all know that I am not Delk’s favorite person. I practically had to beg the man to get his approval for this course and he agreed as long as he got to pick one of the participants. He picked her, and with their history, you have to admit it’s all a little suspect.” Will didn’t like where his mind was going. Maybe he was twisting this all about, distorting it from facts.
“What are you going to do?” Taylor looked worried, “You going to confront her with your suspicions.”
“Not tonight.” Will rubbed the back of his neck and gave a humorless chuckle, “I think I’m going to head up. Tomorrow’s the last day of this course, plenty of time to talk to Raydor about why she’s here in the morning.”
“Okay, Chief.” Will felt Taylor’s eyes on him as he walked to the elevators, but Taylor and whatever he was thinking wasn’t high on Will’s priority list. Raydor was. He pressed the button for the third floor and waited impatiently for the doors to open again.
Room 306; that was Raydor’s room number and he was standing outside her door, debating rather to knock or not. He rapt softly on the wood, maybe she would be asleep and wouldn’t hear. He was being pathetic but still he was a little surprised when the door opened to reveal a robe clad Raydor. She looked good in pale blue silk and little else. He tried mentally to compose himself, but the dip in the collar and the pink tint of her skin wouldn’t allow him to.
“I was about to have a bath.” His eyes locked on hers. She looked as shocked and confused by his presence at her door as he was.
“I just wanted to check on you.” The words sounded foreign to him and he watched as she scrunched up her nose. She leaned against the door jam, her hand holding the vee of her robe closed. She was biting her bottom lip again and he had almost forgotten why he’d come up to her room. “Delk!”
“What about him?” Raydor questioned softly. He could hear the running water in her room and he blushed, thinking about her sliding her nude body in a water filled tub. That wasn’t something he should be thinking about with her this close to him in nothing but a silk robe. He looked her up and down and her slight shiver and the taunting of her nipples against the silk material transfixed him.
“I...I...you know what…we’ll talk about this in the morning. I think I need to go lie down or something.” The look Raydor gave him suggested she thought he might have lost his mind. “Goodnight, Captain. I hope you enjoy your bath.” Why he added the part about her bath was beyond him. He was clearly losing it. He heard the quiet click as her door closed and the whole way to his all he could picture was her standing their in her doorway with nothing but that robe on.