TWO

A throbbing headache greeted Micah as she woke up a few hours later it was already almost ten in the morning. She lazily rolled over to reach for Thatcher but was surprised to not find him beside her. Micah sat up and looked around her to find herself in her new bedroom in her new apartment as if having to gather her thoughts together and remember where she was.

The smell of bacon cooking brought her back together and the radio playing some random Billy Joel song told her Thatcher was still here. Micah felt stuck now because walking into that kitchen would mean acknowledging what Thatcher witnessed just a few hours ago. Her stomach didn't seem to give a damn though as it pestered her to get up and go to breakfast.

Although she was still in her pajamas Thatcher was fully dressed again which meant him putting his shirt back on. It was a good thing because Micah planned on kicking him out as soon as breakfast was over.

"Morning Simmons"

Micah gave an internal sigh relieved that Thatcher went back to calling her by her last name.

"Morning"

"Looks like I'm staying for breakfast after all"

"And that's the last meal you're staying for"

"Ouch"

"You'll live" Micah said sarcastically as she went into the fridge to take out some orange juice

"It's going to sting my heart for a little" Thatcher teased her placing his hand on his chest

Micah rolled her eyes taking down plates and pulling out silverware. She figured the sooner they ate breakfast the sooner she could get him out of her hair.

"Did you sleep better with me beside you?" Thatcher asked as he scrapped hot bacon, pancakes, and eggs on to each of their plates.

There was no beating around the bush with Thatcher much to Micah's dismay, but she couldn't lie to him either

"Yes"

"Does that happen often?"

Micah squeezed the syrup bottle a little too hard giving her more syrup than she indented.

"Simmons---"

"You weren't supposed to see that" she said cutting off what he was about to say.

"You're right I probably wasn't supposed to see it" Thatcher said partially agreeing with her "but I did and I'm not going to ignore that"

"It's not your problem"

"Missing your sister isn't a problem Simmons it's normal. You're grieving"

"I just...I don't want to talk about it"

"Why don't you use the bereavement to find someone to talk to about it?"

"I'm not crazy"

"You're not" Thatcher agreed "you are stubborn as hell though"

"I'd rather use the time I have off to get settled"

"You know you're not due to come back until after New Year's, right?" Thatcher said "that's plenty of time for you to seek out counseling"

"Does it really matter?"

"I want my partner working at the best of her ability like I know she can"

Micah did her best to ignore the tone in Thatcher's voice...he really did care about her.

Micah and Simone were foster kids their mother died when they were only five years old and their father or rather sperm donor was never around so he might as well be gone too. Simone was the only biological family she had growing up and lucky that she had never been separated from her.

Micah did her best when she could, but she honestly did not know how she was going to live without her twin sister. She had her former foster parents she still contacted periodically, and they had attended Simone's funeral but that was about it.

Micah had only been working with Thatcher for two years and they kept things professional, so she was a little thrown off by him saying things like he just said.

"I'll be fine Montgomery"

"My offer still stands about Thanksgiving weekend"

"I can cook all that stuff right here myself"

"Sure you would" he teased her a little "I have a strong feeling it will involve calling seven digits and greasy brown paper bags"

Micah snorted at him and Thatcher chuckled. He knew her all too well.

Before Thatcher left he made Micah promise that she'd put his old pair of boots outside her door in the evening. To which Micah sarcastically responded "Yes Montgomery, God forbid I didn't"

It was time for him to go pick up his boys and he was also mentally preparing himself for any questions that his parents were going to have for him regarding Micah.

Thatcher had told them that he was going to be helping Micah move into her new place. Ever since Lorraine passed away his parents were always encouraging him to find a new woman to love. Thatcher knew that no woman would ever replace Lorraine as the boys mother and he wouldn't mind finding a new love but with the boys he would have to tread lightly.

"Daddy!"

Thatcher's heart melted hearing his sons call out for him as he got out his truck. TJ and Hudson ripped across the yard into their father's waiting arms and Thatcher swung both of them up.

"How are my two big guys?"

"We missed you Daddy!" Hudson exclaimed

"I was only gone for three days"

"Pop let us ride the tractor!" TJ added

"He did? I wasn't allowed to do that at your age"

"Nana let us make crusts for the Thanksgiving pies!"

"Sounds like you two were busy!"

"They were"

Thatcher let the boys slide down so he could greet his parents Bronson and Edith Montgomery; sensing it was grown up time to talk the boys scampered off to go play for a few minutes.

"Long weekend?" his mother asked

"Yeah and most of it wasn't even spent at work"

"How's your friend doing?" Bronson asked "she all moved in?"

"For the most part she's on bereavement for next month so she has enough time to get things together" Thatcher replied "I'm more concerned about her mental state"

"Losing her sister was probably a lot for her" Edith insisted

"Yeah I know" Thatcher agreed recalling Micah's episode from last night and his mother seemed to pick up on that

"You seem to care about her a lot"

"She's grown on me" Thatcher said "she's as stubborn as a bull though"

Bronson chuckled at that and playfully nudged Edith and said "Sounds like your mother; us Montgomery men just have thing for women like that"

"Oh Bronson stop" Edith laughed and a blush came across her face.

Watching the sweet moment between his parents made Thatcher miss Lorraine and also had his mind entertain what it would be like with Micah. Thatcher knew he shouldn't think that way about her because it wasn't professional but the way he felt when he held her last night....he hadn't felt that way in almost six years.

Thatcher wanted to feel that special kind of love again that only a wife can give.

As much as Thatcher wanted his boys to know and remember who Lorraine was; he also wanted a mother who could be there for them now.

Hell he wanted more children. Before Lorraine died they had discussed trying for more especially a daughter after having two sons.

"It will happen again son" Bronson said reading Thatcher's mind

"I know Pop....just taking it one day at a time"

"Probably sooner than you think" Edith added using her maternal intuition

"The boys and I are going to get going now" Thatcher spoke up "I'll let you know what the plan is for Thanksgiving. Some of the guys from the station and I are going to hunt the turkeys at sunrise that day if you want to come Pop"

"I sure would" Bronson agreed "I'm looking forward to the day we can bring the boys"

"Let me get them to their double digits first Pop"

Despite being sarcastic with Thatcher earlier, Micah did indeed follow his advice and placed the boots outside her door before that evening. Her new neighbor warned her not to be screaming late into the night or he'd file a noise complaint to the landlord.

She didn't really get much done today after Thatcher left because she ended up flipping through an old photo album. Most of the pictures were from her childhood growing up with Simone.

From their newborn photos, them as happy chubby babies being bathed in the sink by their birth mother. Pictures of them as five-year-olds both at their birth mother's funeral and first day of kindergarten the following month. Tenth birthday party when Micah wanted a Pokémon theme and Simone wanted a Cheetah Girls theme; their foster parents happily split down the middle.

The summer they were thirteen and went to both overnight camp and went canoeing. Junior prom when both chose not to have dates but just go with each other and it just be a sister's night. High school graduation cap and gowns, Micah's induction into the police academy, Simone finishing up grad school. Even pictures from their golden twenty-fifth birthday from five years ago were in there.

Micah quickly wiped away the tear that rolled from her face down to the photos; she didn't want any memories of her twin sister damaged. She felt rage build up inside her when she thought about the fact that Simone's ex-fiancé was still on the run. There was still an ongoing investigation as to where he was, but Micah wanted Keith Jones to pay.

"I miss you Monie" Micah whispered lightly grazing her fingers across the photo with Simone's smiling face "....I don't know if I can go on without you"

"Alright boys time for bed!"

Usually Thatcher would hear both of them whine from the living room to have ten more minutes so the lack of response made him investigate.

With the Lego movie still playing on the television both TJ and Hudson were fast asleep with Sarge snuggled in between them on the carpet. The German Shephard raised his head when he heard his master come and wagged his tail.

"You're the perfect babysitter Sarge" Thatcher chuckled scratching the dog's ears and he gave out a yawn in response. Since TJ and Hudson were already in their pajamas getting them in bed would be easy. Gently scooping up each twin Thatcher slowly made his way up to their bedroom without waking them up.

The boys bedroom was a dual theme with TJ's side being Batman and Hudson's side being Spiderman. Thatcher tucked the boys into their respective beds and gave them each a kiss on the forehead. Making his way down the hall to his own bedroom Thatcher pulled off his shirt to get ready to take a shower.

After his shower Thatcher pulled on some loose pajama pants and laid across his bed. His hand ran on the empty side that once belonged to Lorraine. It was cold and barren as it had not known the presence of a woman in almost six years.

"Our boys are growing up so fast Raine" Thatcher whispered as he looked out his window into the night sky "we named Hudson perfectly he looks just like you and it's almost scary how much he loves Rocky Road ice cream just as much as you did"

"TJ has your eyes but he's definitely a wild card and he's going to be the one giving me gray hairs sooner rather than later probably before I hit fifty"

Thatcher took note of how the branches of the tree outside the window slightly blew in the wind; he took it as a sign that Lorraine was listening from heaven.

 "SIMONE!"

"SIMONE!"

"SIMONE!"

"SIMONE!"

Thatcher followed Micah's cry as it cut through the hallway to her bedroom. He came to see Micah thrashing about almost fighting the bed covers back.

It was déjà vu all over again.

She was having that same nightmare.

A nightmare that would forever be apart of her

 Not caring if it was appropriate this time; Thatcher pulled the covers back and lay down next to Micah. He gently gathered her in his arms; she still sobbed and fought him.

 "I got you Micah. I got you"

Micah froze in Thatcher's embrace; he rarely ever called her by her first name

"Look at me Micah"

There was some hesitation but eventually she did look into his eyes

"I got you"

".... I miss her"

"Of course, you do" he reassured wiping her tears away with his thumbs "I'm here for you"

 Thatcher leaned and gently kissed Micah's forehead which confused her at first but felt good at the same time.

"Thatch..."

"Shhh"

 He continued kissing her moving from her forehead to her nose, to her cheeks, to her lips.

"I'm here" he kept repeating between kisses "I'm here Micah"

"Stop kissing me" Micah said trying to push him away "I have tears falling---"

"I don't give a damn" Thatcher said sincerely "I'll kiss all those tears away"

 Thatcher took Micah's hand and pressed it to his chest and whispered, "You feel that?"

"...yes"

"How about this?"

The next move was bold; but Thatcher needed Micah to really know how he felt about her.

It was deeper, it was physical, it was carnal, the most natural way a man can feel for a woman.

 Slowly Thatcher led Micah's hand down to his crotch and surely enough even through his sweatpants he was fully erect. Micah gasped in surprise.... she had a feeling that he well-endowed but she just wasn't sure how much he was packing....but now she knew.

 "I know you felt that" Thatcher said "Micah, I want you and I know you want me too"

"...Thatcher"

"Let me in Micah let me heal you"

"Heal me with your dick?"

"Ahh there's my sarcastic stubborn Taurus" Thatcher chuckled kissing her "lower your horns for me; you can be vulnerable with me"

 Micah felt her heart flutter and speaking of physical wanting she could feel her own arousal.

Warm heat pooled in between her legs making her folds slick and ready and moist.

Thatcher took note of how Micah's pupils began to dilate, and he knew it mutual; but he had to ask.

 "Are you wet for me Micah?"

"We can't---"

"That's not what I asked you little lady" he cut her off gently and firmly and slipped his hands underneath her pajama tights and into her panties.

Micah let out a sigh of pleasure when she felt Thatcher's fingers explore her moist folds and even teased her clit.

 "Looks like your pussy answered for you" Thatcher said leaning his forehead against hers "don't think right now just feel Micah"

Micah felt like putty in Thatcher's hands both literally and figuratively; but he was right she needed to just feel.....she needed him.

 It was suddenly a blur of both of them quickly getting out of their clothes. Thatcher was in awe of Micah's raw beauty; she was always beautiful, but he had no idea that she was hiding that curvy body underneath her uniform.

 "Beautiful" Thatcher murmured pinning her down "you're so beautiful Micah"

"....I do want to feel" Micah said succumbing to her own carnal needs "...I want you"

"You have me" Thatcher promised her "you have me and I'm going to satisfy you"

 Spreading her thighs Thatcher quickly and swiftly entered Micah and took them both where they wanted and needed to be.

It was the closest thing to feeling heaven on earth.

Fuck

Thatcher woke up to a brick hard erection and it was a little surprising; it had been years since he had morning wood. Looking under his pajama pants he could already see precum sprouting out from the flushed mushroom head of his dick.

Micah.

His wet dream had been all about her, which wasn't surprising since he had been thinking about her a lot for the past few days. It was the same scenario when he had to go comfort Micah from her nightmare only to end up in between her thighs.

It was already quarter to six which would give him enough time to take a cold shower before waking the boys up to get ready for school, feed and walk Sarge, and work his shift. However, at the same time Thatcher was curious to know if Micah in some way had the same wet dream.

Before getting in the shower Thatcher decided to text her:

"Morning. Sleep okay last night?"

After getting out the shower Thatcher checked for her response:

"Your text notification woke me up; but it was okay why do you ask?"

Thatcher: "I wasn't there"

Micah: "Wow Montgomery I'm glad you think so highly of yourself"

Thatcher: "Love you too Simmons"

Micah: Insert eyeroll emoji

As much as Thatcher loved Micah's sarcasm and witty dry humor, he knew most of the time it was just a defense mechanism. 

He wanted her to be vulnerable with him.

He wanted to be the closest thing to heaven for her.