New Fic - Safety Net
Title: Safety Net
Category: Friendship
Pairings: None
Summary: "Every word out of your mouth is either a lie or designed to manipulate," he yelled at her, "And you just expect dumb gullible Tim to accept it."..."Why are you really here, Kate?" he demanded, "What scam are you here to pull? What do you want from me this time?" Sequel tom Illusions
Author’s Notes: - Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Number four in this series, I’m pretty amazed as I very rarely manage to stay on one topic so long.
I have one more story for this series I’m working on now.
Enjoy.
*********************************************
The train station filled the instant the doors to the train opened, people spilled out rushing to get to their jobs or to make a connection. At the back of the crowd walked one man, dressed casually or as casually as he could manage, he had a bag slung over one shoulder while he smiled, head tipped back slightly to enjoy the sun.
Tim couldn’t believe that not only did he have a whole month leave but his brother’s wedding fell in the middle of it. Speaking of Tim smiled as he saw his older brother leaning against the wall waiting for him.
“Timmy,” he cried the moment Tim reached him.
Tim rolled his eyes, “Hi Mike.”
Mike O’Neill grabbed his younger brother in a tight hug, “Come on. Mom is desperate to see you.”
Tim chuckled and walked with him to the car.
-
The last few weeks, or what felt like months to him, had been insane. Thinking that his family were all dead had been one of the worst things he’d experienced in that simulation. So he couldn’t wait to be home.
Tim’s home town had been built around a business that no longer existed. Unlike other places that had become ghost towns when a similar thing happened, because of its location only forty minutes train journey from the city the town boomed, settled by those who worked in the sprawling metropolis but didn’t want to live there. Finally Mike drew up at the house Tim had grown up in and he smiled.
“Good to be home?” Mike asked.
Tim grinned back, “You have no idea.”
As they jumped out the car Tim saw his parents at the window obviously waiting for him. Julianne and Andrew O’Neill were in their late-fifties, they’d married young and had four children Mike, the eldest then twin girls Helen and Sarah finally Tim who they hadn’t expected.
“Timothy,” his mother pulled him into a tight hug the moment he stepped into the house, “It’s so good to have you home.”
Tim hugged her back before he hugged his father.
“Glad to be here,” he laughed, “Especially since Mike’s big day is looming and I can watch him meltdown.”
As his brother punched his arm Tim laughed.
“Michael,” Julianne scolded her son, “At least let him put his bag away before you start.”
“Speaking of,” Tim replied, “Is my room available or have you finally changed it into the gym you always threaten to?”
Andrew laughed, “It’s there. Hurry the girls are meeting us for dinner.”
-
Tim stepped into his childhood bedroom, it wasn’t the way he’d left it, redecorated thankfully weeks after he’d gone to college but whenever he came home he stayed in here as it was comfortable.
“Is something wrong?”
Tim turned to where Mike was standing in the doorway, “What do you mean?”
“I know what you’re like when you come home and it’s not like this,” Mike told him.
Tim stared at him bemused, “I…”
“You barely spoke a word in the car,” Mike noted, “And normally you tell me the stories you don’t want to tell Mom and Dad before we get here. But today you didn’t tell me anything.”
Tim shrugged.
“Come on,” Mike said softly, “Did something happen?”
“It was an intense few weeks,” Tim confessed, “I’m not allowed to talk about what happened but it’s good to be home.”
Mike clapped his shoulder, “Then come on. Our sisters are waiting.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Tim promised.
Mike nodded and disappeared leaving him alone. Pulling out his phone Tim quickly typed in a message to Kate before pulling on a clean shirt and heading back downstairs.
*********************************************
The restaurant was almost completely empty as Kate and her date finished their meal. It felt odd being on a date when she wasn’t looking to con him at the end. Jason was smart, handsome, rich and completely mind-numbingly dull. Her phone buzzed and she hoped it was another message from Tim. He’d let her know he’d arrived home earlier and she was surprised how disappointed she was that he didn’t send her anything else.
Checking who was calling Kate grimaced, “Excuse me,” she smiled at him as she stepped away from the table and answered it, “I’m on vacation.”
“Kate,” Noyce said ignoring her annoyed tone, “I need you here now.”
“Why?”
“It concerns O’Neill.”
She sighed, “I’m about ten minutes away, I’ll see you soon.”
Putting the phone away Kate returned to the table, made her apologies and headed to find out what trouble Tim had got himself into now.
-
“Sorry to pull you away from your leave,” Noyce said as Kate walked into his office without knocking.
“Vacation. What has Tim gotten himself into now?” Kate demanded stopping as she saw the other occupants of the room, “Nathan, Lucas, what are you doing here?”
Lucas who was slouching in the corner gave her a bored wave while Nathan motioned her to join them.
“What’s going on?” Kate demanded taking a seat.
“We have a lead on the people who we believe are responsible for the VR simulation,” Nathan explained.
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Noyce took over, “But from the information we received…”
“Spit it out,” Kate snapped as he hesitated.
“They think whoever did it doesn’t know you got us out before whatever they expected to happen,” Lucas took over with an annoyed moan, “They’re worried someone is going to come after us.”
Kate turned back to Nathan and Noyce, “Meaning what?”
“We’ve got a UEO operative on each of them,” Nathan explained, “A guard to make sure nothing happens and we believe that you’d want to keep an eye on him.”
Kate winced, “You know he won’t be happy to have me there.”
Noyce shrugged, “He follows orders and this is an order. As soon as we have confirmation they’re safe you’ll be gone.”
“Oh this will be a fun couple of days,” Kate moaned.
-
“I was staying with the Captain for the first few weeks of leave anyway,” Lucas said as he walked with Kate through the corridors, “Though suddenly knowing I can’t go anywhere on my own is a pain.”
“At least it’s better than some random person intruding on your time with your family,” Kate reminded him.
Lucas frowned at her, “You and Tim are friends.”
“I’m not talking about Tim,” she laughed, “I’m talking about the others. I’m betting Ford is having fun being watched over by some drone.”
Lucas smiled slightly before he fell back into silence.
“Are you okay?” Kate asked the teen.
Lucas shrugged, “I’m still a little confused over what happened in that thing. It felt like every single bit of hope was squeezed out of me. Every so often I turn and I’m surprised to find Captain Bridger is still here. I’m so relieved that the world I know is still here and that he didn’t leave me…us.”
“Nathan thinks of you like a son,” Kate reminded him, “I wish I’d been that lucky when I was your age. I might have turned out differently.”
She hugged the teenager quickly, “If you need to talk, I’m not brilliant at it but I’ll do my best,” she winced suddenly awkward, “Or you could call someone who could actually help.”
“Teach me your drinking game and you’re on,” Lucas told her.
Kate shook her head, “Not until you’re twenty-one. Nathan would murder me.”
*********************************************
Tim sat on the porch staring up at the stars, as much as he loved his family and as much as he had missed them they were too overwhelming right now. He was trying so hard to push away the despair but it wasn’t easy. It felt like it he was disconnected from himself right now, he thought being here would help but it hadn’t.
“Why are you sitting here alone?”
Tim turned as his mother stepped out on the porch, “Just getting a breath of air.”
Julianne gently brushed her hand along his forehead, “You never were a good liar, Timothy.”
He dropped his head, “I have a friend who keeps telling me I can’t lie for toffee.”
“That’s a good thing,” Julianne wrapped her arm around him. “But you’re avoiding the question.”
Resting his head against her shoulder Tim sighed, “Mom, please don’t push. Not just now.”
“You’re my baby, Timothy,” she reminded him softly, “I worry about you every day because I know what a target the boat is.”
Tim looked up at her and smiled, “Mom, I love what I do. I love the Seaquest and the people I work with are my friends. I just realised recently how much I belong there.”
“But?”
“But something happened that shook me a little,” he finished, “I can’t explain it but being here is exactly what I need right now. You just have to let me work it out on my own.”
Julianne kissed his forehead, “Don’t sit out here too long.”
-
The next morning Tim woke up smiling as the early morning sun flooded through the thin curtains. He listened to the sound of his parents as they pottered around downstairs before mass. Picking up his phone he checked for any messages. There were a few from his friends telling him they’d made it home but none from the person he was hoping would contact him.
Sighing in annoyance both at the lack of message and the fact he was looking for it Tim pulled himself out of bed and into a shower.
“Good morning,” his father greeted him, “Sleep well?”
Tim nodded, “Yeah, Nice to see the sky in the morning.”
Andrew chuckled, “I’ll bet.”
“So what’s the plan for today?” Tim asked as he moved into the kitchen and grabbed some tea.
“Everyone is coming for dinner,” Andrew told him, “Other than that I have the usual and so does your mother.”
Tim sighed in relief that he wasn’t being dragged from pillar to post by his parents as they tried to set him up with the daughters of their friends. It was a normal occurrence when he visited home but then again he was rarely at home for this length of time.
And there was a wedding coming up where all their mothers’ friends would be. At that thought Tim groaned.
-
Kate stared at the house in front of her. It was a beautiful house set in a large garden looking like a dolls house she remembered wanting when she was a child. It seemed perfect that it was Tim’s childhood home. Stepping onto the porch that even had a porch swing on it, Kate admired the white washed house with the climbing plants at one wall and the flower beds all around the edges she tried to imagine him growing up here.
About a year or so ago she wouldn’t have had any qualms about picking the lock and waiting inside for him but considering she really didn’t want to shock his poor parents or give him an aneurysm Kate simply sat on the top step pulling a leg to her chest and resting her chin on her knee to wait.
-
Tim smiled as his mother took his arm while they walked home from Mass. It was so nice to be home after everything that had happened. They’d left his father talking with some friends so Julianne could have some time alone with him for a while. He’d always been close to his mother, his ability and love of languages stemmed from her and as he grew up she was the one person he could always talk to. When they turned the corner and they could see the house he’d grown up in Tim frowned as he saw someone sitting on the top step of the front porch. Moving closer he recognised the woman who was sitting staring at the flower beds. They reached the gate and Kate turned seeing them, she quickly jumped up and held her hands up in a gesture of surrender.
“This wasn’t my idea,” Kate said, “I promise.”
“Hello?” Julianne smiled at Kate who smiled back charmingly.
“Hi.”
“Wait here,” Tim frowned at Kate hustling his very interested mother into the house so he could find out what was going on without revealing anything he didn’t want her to know.
“Mom, please just give me a few minutes,” he begged, finally the door closed and Tim looked back at Kate, “Why are you here?”
“Well,” she grimaced, “It’s because of what happened recently. They think they have a lead on the people who grabbed you guys. All of you have been assigned a UEO operative to keep an eye on you until they know there’s no danger.”
“And they sent you here?” Tim demanded.
Kate shrugged, “They’ve sent the least conspicuous person to each of you.”
“You?”
“Well, Lucas is being watched over by Nathan,” Kate listed harshly, “Ford took Brody with him and coincidentally two UEO security guards are working towards their promotions at Ford’s fathers place. An old friend of Henderson’s who also signed up has gone home for a vacation while Tony took Dagwood home. I’m the least conspicuous to stick to you.”
“What about Miguel?” Tim shot back at her.
Kate folded her arms across her chest, “He volunteered to find these guys so you’re left once more with me.”
Tim grimaced, “How do I explain this to my family?”
Kate chuckled taking a small step closer to him and pushing herself onto her toes so she could almost be eye to eye with him, “I’m a UEO Special Operative. Because of a recent event that you can’t talk about I’m here for a few days. Okay?”
Tim looked down at her, “Fine.”
-
Kate followed Tim into the house. She was trying to think how to act around Tim’s family, assuming how Tim introduced her to them.
Entering the kitchen that looked like it belonged in a magazine Kate straightened up slightly hoping she at least gave off some kind of air of responsibility.
“Timothy?” his mother asked, making Kate smile slightly at the way he winced at the use of his full name.
“Mom, this is Kate King,” Tim introduced her, “Because of a few things that happened at the end of my last tour she’s been assigned to me for a few days.”
“Are you in trouble?” Mrs O’Neill asked worriedly.
Kate laughed slightly, “No. Tim and his colleagues were witnesses to something, the UEO have assigned a Special Operative to watch over each of them until it’s over.”
“Is there any danger?” Tim’s mother hadn’t lost her worried look.
“No,” Tim hurriedly assured her throwing Kate an annoyed glare, “It’s just a precaution. Kate was sent here because Admiral Noyce didn’t want anyone who would intrude too much. Kate is a friend, kind of so she was sent.”
Kate grimaced at the ‘kind of’ he tagged onto friend but instantly saw surprise fill his mother’s eyes before she smiled at Kate, “Well, Miss King where are you staying?”
“In the bed and breakfast near the centre of the town,” Kate replied softly, “And Kate is fine. I’ve to be as unobtrusive and blend in as much as possible.”
“Is Kate short for something?” his mother asked, making Tim grimace.
“Kathleen,” Kate replied, glancing over at Tim with confusion.
His mother smiled, “Well as that is the name your parents gave you then Kathleen it is. I’m Julianne and we have plenty of room here for you. So you can stay in the spare room.”
Kate looked at Tim slightly panicked before turning back to his mother, “Julianne, I appreciate that but you don’t have to.”
“Timothy, fix the room while I make us all some lunch,” his mother ordered, “Timothy’s father and brother will be home soon so why don’t you head back to the B&B and get your things. I’ll have lunch ready for us all by then.”
Tim caught Kate’s arm and pulled her out of the kitchen into the front room out of his mother’s hearing.
“Sorry.”
“Tim, I’m not sure staying here is a good idea,” Kate grimaced, “I mean your mom is lovely but…”
“She’s a little overwhelming,” Tim said sympathetically, “But she’s right about you staying here. There’s plenty of room and if anything does happen then it’ll mean you will be here.”
Kate rolled her eyes at him before giving in, “Fine.” She turned to leave before turning back, “Your brother still lives at home?”
“No, he’s getting married in a few days and his fiancé decided they were living apart until the wedding to make it more special,” Tim explained, he smiled suddenly; “You’ll like Mike.”
“Really?”
Tim nodded his grin becoming smug, “He’s a cop.”
*********************************************
Julianne O’Neill was enjoying having her boys at home grateful it was only for a short time and that the girls weren’t back as well but enjoying it. Michael she saw all the time but Timothy was away for months at a time. There were times she wondered when she’d get to see him and she worried about him as he lived under the water in a big tub that everyone aimed at.
She stood watching her sons as they talked, catching up with one another so different in so many ways but so similar in others.
“It’s nice to have them home,” Andrew hugged her.
Turning to her husband of over thirty years Julianne kissed him, “We’ll see if that’s still your attitude by the time the wedding gets here.”
The doorbell ringing interrupted them and Julianne saw her youngest jump to answer it. She assumed it was the young woman she’d met earlier, although she was worried that Timothy was being watched over by the UEO operative Julianne had instantly seen something else between them.
“Mom,” Timothy called, “Kate’s here. I’m going to show her the spare room.”
“I’ll heat up some lunch for her,” Julianne called back, smiling at Andrew who was waiting for an explanation, “I’ll tell you in a minute.”
-
Kate dropped her bag on the bed and turned to Tim.
“This is not a good idea,” she told him, “I don’t do families. At all.”
Tim shrugged, “But you’re here.”
She glared at him for a few seconds before groaning dropping onto the bed and lying back to stare at the ceiling. Tim lay at her side taking her hand in his, a comforting gesture that had become the norm between them.
“Family is something that I have not had in a very long time,” Kate reminded him, a little surprised that he had taken her hand she was the one who usually initiated any contact, “And as much as I adore you, Tim this could turn into a disaster.”
“Timothy,” his mother’s voice floated into the room, “Kathleen’s lunch is ready.”
Kate sighed that Julianne couldn’t just call her by her chosen name.
“It’s her thing,” Tim explained softly, “People used to always call her Julie and she hated it because that isn’t her name. So she refuses to call us anything other than our full name. I know you hate your mother but trying to explain that to her isn’t something you want to do.”
Kate sighed again and sitting up she looked down at her friend, her sweet brilliant slightly naive friend.
“Tim, you do realise that Kate isn’t actually my real name,” she asked him, “Don’t you?”
He stared at her and Kate sighed again.
“After they abandoned me I didn’t want anyone trying to send me back to them,” Kate explained, “So I changed my name. I’m really surprised you hadn’t worked that out.”
“What’s your real name?”
“No.”
Tim stared at her.
“You would try to find them,” Kate told him stopping him as he tried to protest, “And I don’t want you to. Your mom is waiting for us. Come on.”
As she hustled him downstairs Kate wished she hadn’t had to remind him of how much difference there was between them.
-
“Kathleen,” Julianne greeted her with a smile before turning to the other two men in the room, “This is Andrew my husband, and Timothy’s older brother Michael.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kate nodded politely.
As she slid into the seat Kate felt the sudden urge to flee as she became the centre of attention.
“Okay,” Tim spoke up, “Kate, you eat lunch. Mom, Dad, Mike can we talk in the other room?”
Kate smiled slightly at him as he led them out of the room. Picking up her phone she quickly dialled waiting for the call to be connected.
“Noyce, I’m here,” she told her boss, another concept she’d never have thought of a year ago, “Please tell me I can leave?”
Bill Noyce chuckled, “We’re working on it. All you have to do is spend some time with a friend.”
“Well Tim is not happy having me here and his mother insisted I take their spare room,” Kate told him.
“Means you’re close in case someone does come after him,” Noyce replied.
Kate groaned, “I hate you.”
-
“Who is that?”
Tim sighed at Mike’s question as he closed the door, “Kate is here under orders from Admiral Noyce. Please understand that we can’t tell you why but she’s here for a few days and it has to look as though there’s nothing unusual in it.”
He grimaced as his family stared at him.
“I invited her to stay here,” Julianne spoke up.
Mike frowned, “Is that wise?”
“Its fine,” Tim frowned at him, “I just need you to not bombard her with questions about why she’s here or,” he turned to his mother, “Her personally.”
“Timothy…”
“Please,” was all he said, “Just please.”
They all nodded.
“What about the girls?” Andrew asked, “Do you want them to know or we could just introduce her as your date for the wedding?”
Tim frowned at his father, “Hopefully she won’t be here that long.”
“I’m just saying…”
“We tell them the truth,” Tim replied, because there is was no way Tim was letting Kate pretend to be his girlfriend. He had enough problems with her as it was.
*********************************************
“So,” Yvonne, Mike’s fiancé asked after they’d all ordered dinner, “Kate, how do you know Tim?”
At the annoyed groan from Tim Kate chuckled, “He was assigned to keep an eye on me when I visited the Seaquest. He saved my life for the first time and when we ran into one another a few months after that we stayed friends.”
“What does a Special operative do?” Sarah tossed in from across the table, she along her twin sister Helen were the image of their mother and Kate couldn’t stop smiling at how they greeted their baby brother so enthusiastically despite having seen him the night before.
“Whatever Admiral Noyce tells me to do,” Kate replied, “I’ve only been working for him a short time so we’re still working out the rules.”
“What did you do before you joined the UEO?” Helen threw in.
Kate could see Tim gritting his teeth begging her not to say something that would cause more questions.
“I used work on Darrow,” Kate said seeing relief fill Tim’s eyes, “Waitress, in the casino, whatever they needed in fact I learned almost every job. Including security.”
As a waitress brought over the drinks the questions stopped and Kate caught Tim’s eye, she decided to try and push the conversation away from her for the moment before he had a heart attack so turned to Mike.
“Tim says you’re a cop,” she asked, “What made you decide to join the police?”
“Following in Dad’s footsteps,” Mike replied.
“What?” Kate felt panic fill her.
Andrew nodded, “I was injured about ten years ago so I retired and I consult with a security firm.”
“Wow,” Kate threw a glare at Tim who was smiling at her discomfort.
Sarah laughed, “It was even worse when I married one too,” she tilted her head at her husband Jason.
Kate checked her watch, “I need to check with Noyce. Tim, want to hear any information first hand?”
-
“You bastard,” Kate snapped as they reached a corner where they could talk privately.
“What?” innocence filled Tim’s eyes.
Kate pulled out her phone so if anyone was watching they’d think she was making a call, “You have three cops in your family and you didn’t think to warn me?”
Tim shrugged.
She kept a smile on her face so no one would be suspicious, “Tim, considering my previous occupation some warning might have been useful. If any of them decide to look into me then I won’t do you any good in a prison cell.”
“I thought you’d never been convicted?” Tim said.
“No,” she gritted her teeth, “But I am the suspect in a hell of a lot and I’m not sure exactly how much of it Noyce knows about or got rid of.”
He stared at her.
“You knew exactly who I was from the moment I met you,” she reminded him, “I have known you for over a year so surely in all that time you could have mentioned your family connections to the police.”
Tim shrugged, “It didn’t occur to me. Sorry.”
Kate rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Okay, then try and help me a little.”
“Sure.”
As he headed back to the table Kate frowned, there was something wrong with her friend. There had been since he’d been released from the simulation.
Part Two