She's My Bodyguard

Ten

It was well past noon before I woke up. I was groggy from everything and only cared to go back to sleep.

I rolled over, my face now on Mason's shoulder. Guess he didn't get out of bed, either.

"Guess it's time to get up." He mumbled sleepily. I groaned, not wanting to. "Up and at em. I need a shower." I just rolled off of him, and rolled my face into the pillow, dozing back off... and was rudely awoken by a fur ball licking my toes.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" I pulled my feet back under the covers, sitting up, finding Spitfire staring at me with a smile and his tongue sticking out. "I'm going to nickname you toe licker." He leapt at me, trying to lick my face. "Gross! Down boy!" He did a few circles before plopping on his butt, waiting for me to get up. I got out of bed, and he hopped down with me, ready to go out, and right as I opened the door-

"Oh! Uh... Ms. Romera..." Right into Agnes.

"He... he didn't break the news, did he?" She looked a little confused. "Oh boy."

"I think... one of you needs to explain this to me."

*

I had to be the one to break it to her, since I was found walking out of his room.

"Well, I can't say I didn't see it coming." She said lightly, stirring sugar into her tea. "But, and pardon my language, that was bullshit what your Chief had did to you." I stifled a laugh.

"It's no big deal anymore. I've been registered Federally as a bodyguard, I just have to have state clearances. I try not to travel out of Texas often... but because I am registered with the government, I do not have to be employed by a company." I tidied up my coffee. "But... I'll ask around for quotes and meet with certain companies with him until we can find a fit... and one that won't let this happen again... and while he'll have one bodyguard employed by that company, non-live in, I'll just be his interpreter at work and help around wherever I'm needed."

"It seems more than reasonable... and let me be the first to say this, after all the years I've been with him, you don't know how happy it makes me to see him finally relax around someone... He hasn't been with anybody in five years, and I know he's been lonely, but he also didn't want to traumatize a Civi, as you call them." I knew full well that feeling because I did the same thing. "You two are more alike than you know it... and I don't want to see anything happen to either of you." I reached over, squeezing her hand.

"Thanks, Agnes."

*

While Agnes ran off to the store since it was already starting to warm up, Mason and I went on a small trek with Spitfire to let him go play in the remaining snow.

"Agnes knows." I told him. "She was there when I opened the door earlier, so I just broke the news." He looked shocked.

"How'd she take it?"

"Well, actually. She basically said you won't be a lonely grump anymore." He put a hand on his chest, mocking offense.

"Me? Grumpy? Okay, well... a little bit." I chuckled, walking close beside him as we came to the mid point of the trail, turning around to go back to the house. Forty degrees was still too cold for us southerners.

Back at the house, I dried Mr. Fluffball off and got him fed, while he searched for companies and got quotes put in.

I sat beside him on the sofa right as he finished, putting a mug in his hands of Kahlua hot chocolate, and sipped my own. I made sure to keep some guns hidden around the house now for ease of access. There was one in the desk right beside him, which was his 1911.