May 10th, 2001
Derek Barnes slowly walked threw his apartment. His bare feet echoed off the cold hard wood floor. He scratched his stomach and went into the kitchen. Derek opened his fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk. He slugged it.
"Didn't your mother teach you to drink from a cup?" Derek jumped dropping the milk. It shattered onto the floor. He looked up to see Lan standing in the doorway.
"Jeez, Lan! Didn't your mother teach you to knock?" He bent down and started to pick up the shards.
"Sorry." Lan said moving to help him. Derek looked up at her.
"What time is it?" He asked.
"Five."
"A.M.?" Lan nodded.
"Yeah. I can't sleep so I thought I'd take another look at that database." She said throwing glass into the wastebasket. "I might have a lead on it."
"Good." He scratched his head. "Candace Newbern needs to sleep at night." Candace Newbern had been stalked for about five months before coming to Freaky Links. Why you ask, Freaksters? Her stalker was a so-called man-bat. Man in the morning. Bat at night. This case intrigued Derek for he had never faced a man-bat before. One evening when taking her children to a restaurant, the man-bat visited Candace and attacked them. It killed her children and Candace was never the same. Derek was able to get a hold of the surveillance camera tapes but they were seriously damaged. It was Lan's job to try to get visible evidence of the Man-Bat.
"Yeah. I know." Lan washed her hands and looked at Derek, "Sorry for coming over so early."
"No...It's okay." Derek smiled at her. Lan blushed slightly and went to the computer to do her work. She popped the tape in and quickly began to work. Lan glanced behind her to see Derek yawning in the doorway. She smiled. He looked so cute standing there in his boxers and tee. Get to work girl. Stop fantasizing. She quietly typed at the computer as Derek placed his hand right next to the computer watching over her shoulder. She could see his muscular arm in the corner of her eye.
"You...ah...You can go back to bed." Lan stuttered. Derek glanced at her.
"No...I'm awake." He said, "having any progress?"
"I just started Derek." She said looking at the screen. Derek smiled and watched her work. Sure, he liked her. Sure, he thought she was gorgeous and sure he knew she had a thing for him, but he couldn't act upon it. They worked together. It would make the work place uncomfortable for Chloe and Jason if he indulged in his fantasies.
"Right." He said.
"Look." Lan pointed at the screen,
"What is that? A wing?" He squinted his eyes looking at it.
"It sure looks like it." She said looking at the fuzzy screen. Sure enough it was a bat wing. Derek smiled brightly.
"You're a computer genius, Lan." He kissed the top of her head. She blushed deeply again.
"Well, I try." She chuckled looking at him. Boxers...clingy tee shirt...sexy. "You should go get dressed." Derek looked at himself.
"Why? Don't appreciate a good pair of tweety boxers?" He asked.
"Oh I do...Just....Ah...Go get changed." Lan said. Derek looked at her.
"You've seen me in my boxers before." He said moving to the chair next to her.
"I know...It's just...I don't know." She quickly started typing again. Derek watched Lan intently. He could see how nervous she was. The glare of the computer illuminated the curve over her nose and chin. So perfect.... Derek took in a deep breath leaning close to her pretending he was looking at the screen. He hooked his finger underneath her chin and pulled her close. He planted his lips upon hers. Lan was taken off guard. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Derek was kissing her. Derek Barnes the man she's been pining for for awhile was kissing her.
Lan closed her eyes and gave into the kiss. Derek was relived she didn't freak out and murder him. His hand slipped behind her neck as he ran his tongue on the outside of her lips. Lan took a deep breath in and opened her mouth. Without hesitation, Derek plunged his tongue into her mouth. Lan moaned softly placing her hands on Derek's chest. Finally, they were kissing. Finally giving into the tension that had been building up between them. Derek would have taken this further if he didn't hear the front door open and someone clear their throats. Derek and Lan pulled away.
"Did we interrupt?" Chloe asked standing with Jason. They both had huge smiles on their faces. Derek wiped his chin.
"Ah...W-What are you guys doing here?" He asked glancing at Lan who still seemed to be stunned. Chloe chuckled and hung her jacket up.
"Candace's doctors called me and said she's going off the deep end." Chloe said Derek cocked her eyebrow.
"Deep end?"
"Spouting things about Bats being men." She said crossing her arms.
"All right. Lan, ah.." He began to blush. Jason and Chloe exchanged looks, "I w-want to show Candace the tape and um...Give me the tape. Jason get the cameras and maybe we can get some footage the Freaksters will like."
"I'm one step ahead of you, D." Jason held up a camera.
"Okay...Chloe stay here....and..." Derek scratched his head.
"I had no intentions of going." She smiled sitting on the couch, "If you guys get into trouble...which you probably will, cal me." Derek nodded and grabbed his jacket. Lan looked at him.
"Ah...Derek?" She said.
"W-What?" He stuttered.
"You need clothes before you go or you'll be arrested before you even step through the doors." Lan said with a slight smile.
"Oh...right."
* * *
Jason stared at Derek as they drove.
"What?" Derek asked. Jason chuckled.
"You and Lan were...kissing man." He said.
"Yes...and what of it?"
"I don't know." Jason said looking out the window; "She really lies you DEREK"
"And I really like her...Why do you think I kissed her?" Derek glanced at Jason.
"I don't know." He said, "but if you hurt her, I'm going to have to snap your neck." Derek sighed.
"I have no intentions of hurting her.": He said, "She's one of my best friends...that's why...i was so wary about starting anything with her...I don't want to ruin our friendship."
"I understand that, but you can't let this girl slip through your fingers." Jason said, "She's perfect. She's smart. She's funny. She's extremely hot." Derek smiled slightly.
"I know." He said pulling into a parking space.
"Then what are you waiting for then?" Derek looked at Jason.
"I don't know."
* * *
Chloe stared at Lan intently. So many questions flooded through her brain. Lan glanced at Chloe.
"First off, Lan, Why?" Chloe asked.
"Ah...I don't know. I haven't heard much about this man-bat."
"Ha ha. I'm talking about the kiss." Chloe said, "Why did you kiss Derek?"
"I didn't! Well I did, but he kissed me first." Chloe leaned forward.
"He kissed you first??" She smiled. Lan nodded. "Wow...I would have never thought he would be the first one to. What was it like? No wait...I don't need to know that...What are you going to do about it?"
"What do you mean?" Lan turned in her chair to face Chloe.
"I mean...Are you gong to pursue a relationship with Derek? Are you going to make a move?" Chloe asked with great interest."
"I...I don't know." Lan said scratching her neck. She still could feel Derek's lips upon hers. "I don't want our friendship to change, you know? I mean...I've been dreaming about this moment for a long time and now that it's here...I'm scared."
"What? Why? There's no reason for you to be. Derek is obviously into you." Chloe said, "You'd be stupid to let him go. Derek is a great catch." Lan smiled and crossed her arms.
"And tell me exactly why Derek is a great catch." Chloe cleared her throat.
"Ah...well...ah..." She racked her brain, "Derek is really funny. Ah...He's dedicated. He has a terrific smile...beautiful eyes.... Nice arms." Chloe sighed slipping slightly into her memory of Adam. She shook her head, "And most of all he's caring. He cares about his friends and family. He's a very loving person." Lan bit her lip.
"I know." She said quietly.
"So, what are you going to do Lan?" Chloe asked.
"I...I don't know yet."
* * *
Jason laughed heartily as he and Derek walked back into the apartment. Jason went to the fridge and got an icepack for Derek who sat at the kitchen table. Chloe frowned when she saw a large bump on his head.
"Derek, what happened?" She asked.
"Candace is what happened." Derek snatched the icepack and put it on his head, "I was just asking a simple question and she went bezerk."
"Derek wasn't asking a question. He showed her the videotape." Jason said. Chloe frowned.
"That wasn't smart Derek...but of course you're you." Chloe said with a chuckled.
"Funny." Derek muttered, "We'll go out tomorrow and go on a man-bat search. Interview Candace's enemies, friends, family, whatever."
"Well, since you don't need me..." Chloe said.
"You can go talk to Candace." Derek said looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Me? No."
"Yes you. You're the physiologist." Derek said. "Put that degree to work. You'll be helping her and anyone else that might get attacked by this thing." Chloe sighed.
"Fine. But you owe me." Chloe looked at Jason, "Jason and I are leaving."
"We are?" Jason cocked his eyebrow.
"Yes we are. We have that thing...remember?" She pointed her head towards the living room. It took a moment for it to click into his head.
"Oooooh. The thing. Right...Almost forgot." He got up, "I'll see you tomorrow, D."
"Sure." Derek mumbled. In an instant they were gone. Derek sighed still holding the ice pack to his head and went into the living room. Lan was still here. So that was the thing.... She was playing solitaire at the computer. When she heard him walk in, she turned around.
"Derek, what happened?" She stood up and moved towards Derek.
"Oh...got attack by some old lady." He said slightly embarrassed.
"I see." Lan nodded. Derek sighed.
"So...ah...What are you doing?"
"Solitaire, but I pulled up a list of Candace's nearby family members." Lan went back to the computer and pressed print. "I also pulled up some police reports of Candace. She had called the police several time last month about her 'stalker' and also her father-in-law was getting violet with her so she says." Derek nodded as Lan handed him the print out.
"Listen, Lan...We need to talk." Derek said looking at her.
"Talk? About what?" She asked. Derek put the ice pack down.
"About...Me kissing you. I shouldn't have done that."
"Oh." Lan looked down at the floor, hurt. "I-It's okay...I um...I should go." Lan quickly gathered up her things. Derek watched her. He watched the tears fill her eyes. She moved for the door.
"Lan, wait." Derek grabbed her hand.
"W-What? Are you going to fire me now?" She asked letting a few tears spill out.
"I'd have to be paying you in order to fire you." Derek said. "I don't want you to go. I want to talk with you."
"You already said you shouldn't have kissed me. What else are you going to say?" Lan looked at him.
"I shouldn't have kissed you... but that doesn't mean I didn't want to. I should have asked you first." Derek said feeling extremely nervous all of a sudden, "I like you a lot, Lan. I mean, I really like you, but...I like our friendship...and...I don't want to ruin that." Lan shifted uncomfortably on her feet for a moment.
"So...Are you saying...you'd never...w-want a romantic relationship with me because we're friends?" Lan looked at him.
"No! That's not what I'm saying. I would love...that kind of relationship with you." Derek said.
"Then what are you saying exactly?" Lan's heart pounded. Derek ran his hand through his head.
"I don't know." He said. Lan sighed out of frustration.
"What do you want, Derek? Just tell me." Derek looked up at Lan. He knew the answer to that.
"I want you, Lan." He said softly. Lan felt like she was going to faint. She had always wanted him to say that.
"And....and.."
"And if we can have a romantic relationship without jeopardizing our friendship...I'm all for it." Derek said not really believing these words were coming out of his mouth. "Lan...please stay...With me and try this relationship out." Lan nodded slightly.
"O-Okay." She said barely audible. "Keep the ice on your head." Derek smiled softly.
"Right."
To be continued...