It Takes All Kinds
part 4
by Ri
Please see part one for all disclaimers.
Liz's internal clock woke her up at 5am as usual but now she had a nice warm human blanket lying on top of her. She smelled the scent of her beloved and sighed. She carefully brought Toni as close to her as possible while still allowing the sleeping woman to breathe. Liz had never felt herself so overwhelmed by her own emotions as she did at this moment in time. She knew she would do anything in her power to protect this woman, anything. Right now she had to figure out a way to gently wake the beauty up. Since they met one distinct difference that had come to light was Toni’s need to sleep long and deeply, unlike Liz who slept light and fitfully and who rarely got more then four hours sleep. That had extended to at least 6 hours since she met Toni but she still found herself watching Toni sleep for hours. Normally she would let Toni indulge this need but this morning she wanted to check out her lead and get to the mall before Jean, so she needed to wake Toni now.
Gently she began to make a path with her fingers up and down Toni’s back while kissing her neck with little butterfly kisses. She was only rewarded by a sweet sigh and Toni’s head nuzzling deeper into her neck. Liz lifted an eyebrow, ‘This is not working,’ She thought both amused and perplexed. ‘Well if first you don’t succeed, Then try, try,try...’ She thought smiling as she wiggled down to position her head between the petite woman’s breasts. A tongue nipped out and licked the sensitive skin. This time she got a sigh and a wiggle.
‘You're one tough cookie, My love.’ Thought Liz as she flicked her tongue across a nipple, and not being able to resist the sweet taste she began to suckle it. She was so involved in this pleasant activity she didn’t see aroused green eyes flutter open until a moan of pleasure was heard above her. Her eyes lifted but she just couldn’t stop and the blonde's wiggling became more pronouced. Then a sudden tenseness coursed through Toni’s body and she screamed Liz’s name from the passion of the moment. Liz crawled back up to Toni, cradling her and gently stroking her hair. She was stunned by how responsive Toni was to her touch. Though she was very experienced, someone climaxing so easily shocked the older woman. ‘I wonder if responsiveness is part of being in love?’
"Good morning," Liz said gently into an ear that was nestled against her.
"Good morning, how did I rate such a delightful wake up call?" Toni asked hoarsely.
"Mmm.?" Liz was distracted by the scent of her lover's hair that she was nuzzling.
Toni turned gently till their eyes met, the bright smiles on their faces matched exactly. "I think I’ll return the favor," She started to bring her arms around the taller woman’s neck to bring her closer so she could give Liz the same pleasure she had just enjoyed.
"Oh no you don’t. I’m way too distracted already." Said Liz catching the tiny hands in her larger, stronger ones.
"But..."
"I need us to get moving....I uh...well I didn’t mean to go quite that far. I just wanted to gently wake you, not...well not.."
"Awaken all of me, including my libido?"Toni asked in a gently laughing voice.
"Yes..sorry..."
"What on Earth are you sorry for? That was the best wake up call of my whole life!" She replied with a huge smile. She disentangled herself from Liz then took the older woman's hands gently pulling her to her feet. "Come on lets start our day."
Liz shook her head and gladly allowed the blonde to pull her toward the bathroom. ‘We’ll continue this later, I promise you that Toni, my sweet.’ She thought to herself with a wicked gleam in her startling blue eyes.
* * * * *
After a playful time in the shower and a quick breakfast the two were standing in the administration building of the University. Gone was the playful of the woman of the morning in her place strode the brisk professional into the offices of the computer sciences department.
"Ms. Campbell?" Liz asked the older woman behind the counter at a file cabinet. Toni was behind her quietly watching the older woman. She actually saw the transformation before her eyes and still was amazed that this was the same person. "My name is Liz Wagner and this is my partner Toni Hepburn. We are from Anex insurance on an investigation. Is there some place where we could speak privately, please?"
Liz smiled just barely at Toni’s reaction to being called her partner. She made the decision yesterday after their day working together. She felt that Toni was her partner in everyway, so why not give her the title she deserved?
Mrs Campbell was startled by many things about this brisk young investigator. That she was so intimidating and powerful but she did nothing that was out of the norm. There was no outward threat and yet the older woman felt it. The slight smile really threw her because it brought out the young woman’s beauty as well. All in all it was a disconcerting display,"Yes, we can...uh, we can use my office."She stuttered and led the two woman down the hall to her private office.
Toni followed automatically. She was deep in thought and barely heard the conversation. ‘Liz called me her partner. Her partner. The loner, the one who said I could do this till my writing took off just made me her partner. Wow! I knew she loved me but ...this means so much! She respects me. I’m important to her work as well as her personal life, Wow!’
Liz seemed not to take notice of Toni’s distraction, but in fact she delighted in it. She knew that her calling Toni her partner confounded her; that in Toni’s mind she felt they were not equals and this statement made the young blonde realize that Liz thought they were. Liz gently brushed her arm against Toni’s till green eyes met blue and the raise of an elegant eyebrow made Toni realize she was with in her own thoughts to long, she was here for a reason. Toni nodded slightly and listened as Liz began her investigation.
"Ms. Campbell, one of your students here has been implicated in a tip of a crime. What I need is some more information from you to ascertain her guilt or innocence."
"What kind of information?" The older woman behind the desk asked quietly.
"I need the personal behavior and abilities comments that I know you retain in her personal records. I can get the rest from the computer. This is for a serious crime. If I can get impressions of her teachers I might be able to figure out if she’s guilty. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated." She knew the woman would not be thrilled by this request but she also knew that computer records were too dry to get real information on her suspect. She needed the personal notes that teachers always kept on file.
"Do you have a court order?"
"I can obtain one within an hour if nesscary but it will go on the state's insurance records as being uncooperative, you are a state funded university, I believe?"
Ms. Campbell’s eyes widened, "Wh...Who are you investigating?"
"Jennifer Harrison."
"Jennifer? She’s a good student...I..."
"No doubt. That has nothing to do with this investigation, Ma’am. I need those files. Are you going to help me?" Liz asked knowing that the older woman would. No one wanted to be responsible for state cut backs.
"I...Uh...yes....Um, please wait here." She hurriedly left her own office.
Toni shook her head, "Wow, you are a scary force of nature, did you know that? You always know what buttons to push."
Liz fully smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Yep, part of my job."
"Partner?" Toni asked.
"Partner." Liz replied with a nod of her head her smile broadening.
"When did I get the promotion?" Toni asked slightly overwhelmed.
"I’ve been thinking of it for about 24 hours. You helped yesterday alot, and well...you're my partner in life, why not in work? I , uh ...Toni your...well....shit there goes my mush brain again!" Liz uttered in frustration.
They both quieted when they heard the clicks of Ms. Campbell’s shoes against the tile of the corridor as she returned to her office. The door opened on two quietly waiting woman. There was no sign of the intimate conversation from seconds before.
"Here are the personal files of all her professors on her, I ..uh how long will you need them?" She asked as she handed the files to Liz who handed them off to Toni.
"Not long, I just need to read them and pick out the parts I need for my records. You will probably have them back by tomorrow."
"That’s good. Is there anything else I can do for you?" The administrator asked nervously.
Liz smiled, not her sweet smile that Toni was privileged to see, but the smile of a predator, "Nope, thats all for now. Thank you for your cooperation." She said extending her hand to gently shake hands with the older woman.
Toni nodded and followed the already briskly walking Liz down the hall. Once she caught up she grabbed Liz’s sleeve and asked, "Why the hurry?"
"I want to make it to the mall and map it out before lift off."
"Are we going into orbit?" Toni asked with a smirk.
Liz affectionately smiled at her beloved and replied with a wink, "No, but Jean just may."
* * * * *
The parking lot at Woodfeild was pretty empty when they arrived. This was not surprising since the mall had only been open a little while. The women walked to the Penney’s door. Toni was stopped by Liz and asked to stand right in front of the door. Liz then proceeded to check on every angle offered against someone standing in Toni’s position. She nodded her head once she felt she had it down pat and returned to her confused companion's side.
"Come on," She said leading Toni through the entrance and then told Toni to wait by the door while she checked out every angle and hidden spot by the entrance inside the store. Once satisfied she had checked every single angle she asked the agitated blonde casually, "Want something to eat?"
"Oh, sure, that...uh...sounds great,"She stuttered as she felt herself being led through the store to huge mall beyond.
"What would you like to eat? You want fast food? How about A and W?"
"Sounds good, but it’s morning."
"They serve breakfast to compete with McDonalds."
"Oh," Toni nodded her head in approval as they walked through the mall to the restaurant. Toni pulled her tall companion to a stop and asked a little annoyed, "Are you going to explain what you just did or not?"
"Sure, come on lets get our food first." Liz answered a smirk and started to walk again.
Toni rolled her eyes and muttered under breath, "Wise guy."
Liz smiled, she heard her and for some reason she enjoyed the slight confusion that she had caused Toni. It was cute.
* * * * *
Once settled with their food, Toni took a huge bite and then asked with her mouth covered by her hand, "Well?"
Liz laughed, "Ok, ok." She took a sip of coffee, then she tilted her head to one side and asked with a wide grin, "What do you think I was doing?"
"Making plans on installing your own Mall entrance?"
Liz burst out laughing grateful she didn’t have anything in her mouth. Then she simply lifted and eyebrow and waited. She knew Toni had more of an idea then that.
Toni giggled and shook her head drinking some orange juice. "I know that you were checking out angles and hiding spots. What I don’t understand is why? What on earth do you think Jean is going to do?"
"Do you really want to know what I think? You won’t like it."
"Probably, but I still want to know."
"I think she plans on kidnapping you and hurting me." Liz was really pretty sure that the lunatic wanted her dead for what her warped little mind thought of as stealing what was hers. Liz didn’t think Toni really needed to hear that though.
"Liz...That’s crazy..."
"Toni, she is crazy."
"How do you know that you’ve only met her once?"
"My instinct again, Love. Hey, she’s crazy about you. I saw that the first day. She thinks I stole you from her and she....wants to ....uh make me suffer for it. She wants you to be tortured by watching it." Liz was now staring into her food. She knew that she was causing Toni pain and she didn’t want to but at the same time she wanted her to be prepared for the worst.
"But that’s crazy...I never...Why?"
Now Liz lifted her eyes to meet scared green ones, "I know that it is crazy. I just want to make sure you understand what is going to happen over there. She is crazy. The day I helped you move I felt her eyes watching me from the kitchen. The one time I caught them...well she could of killed me with that glare. All I wanted to do was to get you far away from her...I..." She looked down again. She felt tiny hands take her own and gently kiss her palm.
Liz lifted her eyes and Toni smiled sweetly. "I know you only want to protect me. I...why...I mean I hardly talked to her. I really couldn’t stand her...I just don’t understand."
"You don’t have to talk to her, you're sweet and kind and very pretty. She has a dangerous imagination. I also feel she is sneaky and very physically strong. I know she called that tip on you..."
"Why?"
"Cause she could warn you about me, make her a hero. She thought it would get her close to you."
"Well that sure failed." Toni said with a huge grin.
Liz smiled back as they looked in each other's eyes and quietly muttered, "Yep."
To be continued......