BUT YOU KNEW THAT BEFORE...
By
Robin Carter
Timeline: Years after
Author's E-Mail: rbncrtr@ix.netcom.com
BUT YOU KNEW THAT BEFORE...
by Robin CarterHe was waking up earlier and earlier these days. *Hell,* he thought, *Why do I even bother with going to bed in the first place? Since I'm up, I might as well get downstairs and get coffee on.* Throwing on a pair of pants and shirt, he padded down to the kitchen to make a pot of Bess's coffee.
Bess's coffee. He had to chuckle. All these years and it was still 'Bess's Coffee'. His mind flicked back in time, remembering is if it was yesterday, Bess Martin all excited and glowing (*yeah, but then again she ^glowed^ all the time.* he thought, shaking his head, with a smile.) coming into the mess tent with these little ugly pod things.
"These," she announced, "are going to be the coffee of the day."
"That's fine Bess," he told her. "But do you have to show them to us before we sample it? I could have gone all day without seeing 'That'," pointing pod-things in her hand.
"Now hush up. These are going to be terrific,.... this time. I promise."
"O.K., Bess. Just don't make me look at them again *before* you prep them."
But those ugly pod things turned out to be some mighty fine tasting brew,...not quite coffee-not quite chocolate-but with enough caffeine kick that got ya started in the morning. From then on, a lot of anxious moments, worry, grief and hell were spent with 'Bess's Coffee'. But a lot more good decisions, holidays, joyous occasions and happiness were celebrated... with 'Bess's Coffee'.
Bess's coffee....How long ago was that?....Dear God, was it really 40 years ago we were killing ourselves to get here.?
He just smiled, and shook his head again. Looking up at the ceiling where he knew she was still sleeping, he smiled even bigger. But *that *smile on his face started to look more like a leer. It did that when he thought of her....yep, even after these 40 odd years, he still got excited just thinking of her. 'Must be all this fresh air and sunshine' he thought.
Refilling his cup, then filling the extra mug that said 'MOM' on one side, he made his way back upstairs to the woman he still referred to after all these years as 'BOSS', just like it said on the other side of the mug. He made it 'special' for her five years ago.
"Hey, grumpy," he softly called, putting the mug on the nightstand beside her with one hand, patting her rump with the other.
"Are the kids o.k.?" She mumbled, still in twilight sleep.
"Yea, Boss, the kids are fine, grandkids are fine, but," and he paused with a wicked grin, "the grendler's pillaged the village and raped the women."
"Grendler's? What did they get off with?" she woke with a start.
"I knew that'd get you up."
"Damn it, Danziger. "
"Heh, heh, heh. But you only got shook at the word grendler and pillage-not rape...why's that?" he asked with *that* smile.
"John, you are terrible, just terrible."
"Yea, but you knew that before you married me." Chuckling deep in his throat, he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her deep and long.
"Good morning, dear" she whispered against his chest.
"G' morning, Boss. How far do we go today? 12 or 15 klicks?" he teasingly answered in her hair.
"Oh, I think that the group needs to take a day off. What do you think?"
"Adair, when did it ever matter what I thought?" Damn, it still felt good to play with her. "But, since you asked, for once I agree....heartily agree!" and with those words he enveloped her in his arms, gently lowering her back in bed.
-The End-
Robin Carter
rbncrtr@ix.netcom.com
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.