Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Chasers: 2075 ❯ Chapter 37

Chasers 2075: Part thirty-six

 

Beth Harris smiled as she worked away in the computer center, the little redhead dressed in a conservative blouse and skirt. The reactions of her fellows, who were used to seeing the little redhead dressed in everything from micro mini-skirts to lingerie, were just priceless.

 

"Did you finally wear something so outrageous that Gwen had to have a talk with you?" Kate Williams had to ask Beth, the lanky brown haired woman looking her over curiously, taking in the happy glow around the younger woman.

 

"Huh?" Beth looked up at Kate, her green eyes sparkling. "No," she shook her head firmly, "everything's fine."

 

"So why wear the corporate drag?" Kate sounded exasperated. Then again, she rarely if ever deviated from jeans, T-shirt and a battered police jacket, so it was probably understandable she was a little confused by Beth's change.

 

Beth chuckled, "If it helps any, I need to go over to the regular police services today and try to patch the holes in their security."

 

Kate studied Beth a moment, then the taller woman smiled suddenly. "Something happened, didn't it?" she asked directly.

 

"What do you mean?" Beth replied unconvincingly as she blushed faintly.

 

Kate just smirked, "I'll find out eventually." Giving Beth a casual wave she headed up the hall to her little office.

 

Beth sighed to herself softly. Jennifer had been in earlier and had been even more merciless, if that was possible, and in such a good-natured sort of way it was hard to resist. She knew that Gwen wouldn't mind her telling the others that they were dating, but still....

 

"Good morning, Beth," Gwen Musashi strolled down the hall, the elegant Asian looking as lovely as ever dressed in one of her fine suits.

 

"Gwen," Beth smiled, meeting those surprisingly gentle eyes. "Hope you're feeling all right this morning," she continued.

 

Gwen paused by the computer, reaching out to set a hand on Beth's arm. "I'm more than all right," was the quiet answer.

 

"I'll say," Beth smirked.

 

Gwen chuckled softly. "So how long do I have to lend you to the regular police services?" she asked curiously.

 

"Most of today, I'm afraid," Beth conceded. "I need to get a overview of the system first, then I'll start problem solving," she explained.

 

"I'm a fair to good programmer myself," Gwen added, careful about something that was normally Beth's territory, "if I can help, I'd like to."

 

"I'd like that," Beth grinned.

 

Jen watched the two together, then as silently as possible turned away from the doorway and back along the office lined hallway. She tapped at Kate's door, "You in?"

 

"Yeah, come on," Kate answered.

 

"Did you see Gwen and Beth this morning?" Jen asked her curiously, smoothly sitting in the chair on the other side of the woman's desk.

 

"Yeah, why?" Kate said absent mindedly, running through her computer screen with a faint frown. Despite a disorganized appearance she really was good at this sort of thing, even though she also clearly disliked the paperwork their job required.

 

"So what's going on between them?" she asked, feeling a bit exasperated at Kate's firm refusal to be led into gossiping.

 

"They went out last night," Kate shrugged as if that explained it all. She frowned as she sorted files, shifting anything that was inactive to the storage archives.

 

Jen'e eyes widened slightly, "But I thought that was just a business diner."

 

Kate gave Jen a thoughtful look, making the younger woman squirm slightly. "You're a good officer," she finally said, "but I see we'll have a ways to go before you're a detective."

 

"Hey!" Jen protested.

 

"I'm going to explain this really simply," Kate took a pen and pointed it at Jen for emphasis, "Beth has been creaming her panties for Gwen for almost as long as I've known her."

 

"But..." Jen looked at her in confusion, "Beth has been dating around for months!"

 

Kate quoted, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."

 

Jen looked at her blankly, "What?"

 

"People just don't get the references," Kate shook her head. She smiled grimly, "If Beth was sure she didn't have a chance, of course she'd date around."

 

"Beth and Gwen," Jen shook her head, "I have a very hard time imagining that."

 

Kate actually smirked, "Oh, I don't know...."

 

Jen rolled her eyes, "You scare me occasionally." She leaned forward, "So what's on the job list for today?"

 

"We're both on call for emergencies, of course," Kate casually called up the office bulletin board as she read, "the rogue Recon androids are still a priority, as is the android flasher case in the business district."

 

"Flasher?" Jen found herself smiling slightly.

 

"A waitress droid who wandered away from work," Kate explained, "she's lost at least some of her uniform and is offering 'Coffee, tea or me?' regularly." She drummed her fingers on the console, "It may be a tampering case, so we'll need to bring the android here intact."

"It almost sounds like someone's idea of a prank," Jen thoughtfully noted only to freeze under Kate's ice-cold glare.

 

In clipped tones Kate said, "Most of those waitress droids have a hard enough time without customers tampering with their software."

 

Jen looked at Kate oddly a moment, wondering where this unexpected degree of compassion was coming from. Suddenly a light dawned, "Friend of Silver's?"

 

A bit of a blush colored Kate's tanned cheeks, "Well, yes. I met Jamie the last time I was in Lowtown visiting her."

 

Jen smiled slightly, studying the other woman's almost charming blush. "Are you and Silver seeing each other?" the question popped out almost against Jen's will.

 

"No," Kate answered her frankly, "we're friends."

 

"I'm sorry," Jen said faintly.

 

"Not your fault," Kate shook her head. She smiled grimly, "There are times you almost sound like that damn headshrinker they have me seeing."

 

"Rough?" Jen asked gently.

 

"More like relentless," Kate smiled wryly, "she seems determined to peel back my psyche and tinker with me."

 

"She can't be that bad," Jen said with a smile, amused to see such a look on her face.

 

"Oh yes she is," Kate answered. She shook her head, "Remember Grasshopper, Gwen is the one who sicked her on me."

 

"Grasshopper?" Jen blinked, "Another one of your historic references, right?"

 

"One of these days I'm going to lend you my data-cubes," Kate said with a sigh, "if only so that you'll understand my jokes."

 

Jen got up, stretching slightly as she headed to the door. "Or it could be," she shot back over her shoulder, "that you're just not that funny."

 

"A hit!" Kate cried dramatically even as a chuckling Jen left.

 

To be continued...