DEVOTION

by Eternal

Ok people this is my first shot at this so please be kind. I'd like to here your thoughts so feel free to E-Mail. I write pretty good short stories but this is my first try elaborating on a TV show.

     Blood ran down the side of Kyle Morse's mouth as he steaded his hand on his 32 caliber revolver.

     "Hold it!" He said glaring at the woman not more than 10 feet away form him. "Not another step!" The anger raged in his voice as he took a step forward. The only street light illuminated his every feature. Accenting his dark brown eyes that were now filled with an unimaginable hate.

     Rita slowly turned, raising her hands a little as she did so. "Now hang on a second Kyle, it doesn't have to come to this. You don't..."

     "Shut Up!!" he yelled. "I know who you are..." his voice now becoming lower, "You're a cop. Your a frekin' cop!!"

     "Damn it!" Chris said out loud as he slammed his head set on the floor of the van and opened the door. As he drew his gun he stuck his head in the passenger window. "Notify all available units, tell them we got an officer in trouble." The driver of the van nodded and picked up the radio. "I'm coming Sammy." Chris said as he turned. He checked the ammo in his gun and a second latter was tarring down the wet sidewalk.

     Chris' mind raced with every pounding step. "Please just let her be ok." He thought as he approached the ally where Kyle and Rita were.

     "Look Kyle, you don't have to do this," Rita desperately tried to keep her voice from trembling. She took a deep breath an continued. "If you put the gun down now, there still might be a chance I can..."

     "What!!" Kyle's voice cracked with anger. "Your saying you just want me to give up, just like that. After all the crap I've been through?!!"

     "It's not too late." she said, in a futile attempt to reach him. "Hell no." Was his response.

     Kyle chuckled as he pulled back the hammer of his gun. Rita closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Where are you partner." she thought.

     "Hold it Kyle!!" Chris shouted from about 30 feet up the ally. His gun was aimed directly at Kyle's head. Kyle turned to look at Chris but kept his gun aimed at Rita. "Put the gun down!!" Chris shouted taking a few steps forward.

     Kyle turned back to Rita and a cold calculating grin spread across his lips. "I'm taking you with me." He whispered. The words sent a horrifying chill up Rita's spine. "Come on Kyle!!" Chris yelled again still moving closer but Kyle paid no attention to his words and pulled the trigger.

     "NOOOOO!!!" Chris yelled as the blast from the gun echoed through the ally. Chris ran towards Kyle firing, once, twice, a third time. Kyle Morse fell to the ground, dead. One second Chris was with Rita, cradling her in his arms.

     "It's gonna be ok Sammy." he whispered as he genteelly brushed the hair away from her face. He quickly grabbed the radio out of his back pocket. "This is Sgt. Lorenzo requesting immediate medical assistance, I've got an officer down! I repeat, officer down!!!"

     "Chris..." Rita began, wincing in pain.

     "Shhh. Don't try and talk right now Sammy." he put his finger over her lips and began to stroke her face. "Every thing is going to be alright." He had said the words but could only half believe them, Rita saw this in his eyes right away.

     "Its pretty bad, isn't it?" she said her voice growing weaker. Chris looked down at the at her side and saw the blood spilling over her fingers and his eyes suddenly filled with tears.

     Rita felt herself growing weaker. Every thing had started to get blurry but she managed to focus on Chris' face. The tears had now overflowed his eyes and were running down his cheeks. As she faded in and out something came to her that helped her hold on. She had managed to block it out of her mind for a while but now, it was as clear to her as if it had happened the day before, instead of two months ago. It was the time that she and Chris had kissed. She remembered it well. They had just finished eating dinner at her place , after wrapping up the Jaki McMillin case. She had walked him to the door and he was about to leave when he suddenly asked her a question about destiny. Then, almost out of no where, he leaned forward and their lips met in a passionate embrace that she could still feel even after the kiss had ended. The kiss didn't last very long, but it ignited the spark that existed in side of both of them. "Chris..." she began but was all she could manage.

     Some how Chris had been thinking of the exact same thing. He wanted so badly to tell her how he really felt that night and now it might be to late. Then he suddenly began to see the life slipping out of her body. He continued to stroke her face, hoping that she would at least be able to sense his love for her.

     "Rita don't leave me." he said his voice shaking uncontrollably. He had never been so afraid in his life. At that moment every thing they had ever been through together flashed before him. "Please Sammy, I need you...I...I..." He began again but was interrupted by the blaring sirens.

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     48 hours after the night in the ally Rita awoke to find herself in an all white room. After the few seconds it took her to remember where she was and what happened, she realized that some one was holding her hand. She didn't even have to see the person's face to know who it was. It was her partner, her best friend, her Sam. Chris was asleep in the chair next to her bed, never once had he left her side. She stroked his hand lightly, "Hey" She said softly. He awoke immediately, surprised at first, and then relieved to finally see her green eyes starring up at him.

     "Morning sunshine." he whispered, loud enough for only her to hear. "How do you feel?"

     "Ok I guess...considering." She couldn't help but smile, she was so glad that he was there with her.

     "Good." Chris said. He gave her his usual smile, the one he saved only for her. It always made her blush and look away, but much to his surprise, this time she didn't. Instead she stared directly into his eyes with a look that completely took his breath away. This time, he was the one who suddenly became nervous. After a second or two, Chris took her hand in both of his and kissed it softly.

     "You know you scared the hell out of me Sam." he leaned closer to her "I thought I was going to lose you."

     "Well," she said, sitting up. "It's going to take a lot more than a little 32 to get rid of me Sam."

     The entire time they were talking Chris had been desperately trying to hold back the tears that were building up in his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep one from falling. Seeing the tear Rita genteelly brushed it away and kissed his cheek where the tear had been. After she pulled away Chris could still feel her lips on his face. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her every thing right then and there, but he knew that would be way too much to lay on her right now. So he pushed the thought back to the back of his mind, like he had been doing for the past five years.

     "I want to hug you but don't want to pull out you IV." he said once again flashing her that patented Lorenzo smile.

     "I'm willing to take that chance Christopher." she said, grinning back at him. Chris was more than happy to hold her in his arms.

     "Well I can see someone is feeling better." The booming voice coming from the doorway, forced Chris and Rita to break their embrace.

     "Hey cap." Rita said with a smile

     "Hey." Chris replied, slightly annoyed that Captain Lipshitz had interrupted a potentially intimate moment.

     "How do you feel Rita?" he asked in a concerned tone.

     "I'm ok Harry, really."

     "Well what did the doctor say?" his voice became lighter but concern was still on his face. Rita looked to Chris for the answer to this, she had not yet had a chance to speak with the doctor.

     "Well," Chris began "when you were shot," he squeezed her hand tighter as he re-lived the terrifying moment. "the bullet passed clean through. The doctor said there was only minor muscle damage."

     "So that means a fairly quick recovery, right?" Harry said rubbing his chin.

     "Yeah... fairly quick." Chris said as he began to lightly rub her hand.

     "Well exactly how long am I down for?" her tone was now more serious.

     "Doc says you'll be outta here by Friday." Chris said looking into her eyes with a huge grin on his face.

     "Three days Rita, I'd say your getting a pretty good deal." Harry said also smiling. But Rita kept her serious tone.

     "How long until I'm back on the job?"

     "A week after you go home Sam, and that's at the very soonest."

     Harry saw the disappointment in Rita's face when Chris told her this. "Rita it could have been a lot worse."

     "I know Cap." Rita said looking down at how Chris' fingers were locked around hers.

     "Ok how does this sound," Harry began again. "Once you're home, and rested, I'll see if I can get you permission for non-active duty. That way..."

     "Great Cap!" Chris interrupted with a smile "That way you can rest and still help me out on this case!"

     "Yeah, what Lorenzo said."

     "Sounds like a plan to me." Rita said, once again regaining her cheerful mood.

     Just then both Harry's and Chris' beepers went off. "Great." Chris said with a frown. "We got another one Lorenzo." Harry said as he turned and headed of the door.

     "What's up?" Rita asked, a little disappointed that they had to leave.

     "Got a DB on the beach." he leaned forward to give her a hug. "I'll try to get back latter on tonight." He didn't want to let her go but she started to pull away, so he reluctantly released her. But much to his surprise she pulled him back to her and kissed him softly on the lips. Chris couldn't believe what was happening when she turned the kiss in to a passionate embrace. He could believe the moment had come after so long. Rita let the kiss linger a little longer before slowly pulling away. Chris stared at her breathlessly for a second and then leaned forward to kiss her again. Rita put her fingers over his lips.

     "Lipshitz is waiting Sam." she said softly and kissed his cheek. Chris backed away and stood up. He stared at her in total shock, his heart was pounding like a drum and his mind was spinning so fast that he couldn't focus on one thought .

     "Umm...I...uhh...." he couldn't put together a whole sentence at that moment if his life depended on it.

     "We can talk later on Sam." Rita said with a smile. (She was very pleased at the fact she could disorient him to the point where he could barely remember his own name.)

     "Ok." was all that Chris could manage to say. Still in shock he turned and walked out the room.

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CONTINUED...