Discovery

Richie, Libby, & Barth

by Atonia & Layne

Barth checked out of the hotel at 7:30. No sign of Libby…none last night either. Just as well, he thought. He needed to start concentrating on the job he had to do and quit worrying over her. He took a taxi to the marina, stopped by the coffee shop for breakfast and did a little shopping along the street.

Richie rubbed his eyes. He’d nearly fallen asleep on the bench. He got up and walked around, lit a cigarette and leaned over the railing looking out over the marina; still no sign of life on the Bountee. The marina was coming alive though, people carrying coolers and fishing gear getting ready for a day out. He had no idea what Barth looked like, except he was dark with tattoos. Hell half the guys on the dock were dark with tattoos. He flicked his ashes into the water and looked down. He was becoming anxious with the waiting. It had been a long time since he was on a stakeout.

Libby had dozed on and off, lying across the huge hotel room bed that was meant for two, but which she'd occupied all on her own last night. Last night. All she had this morning was another situation with a man that she really didn't want to think about right now.

Sitting up, she looked down at the pretty green dress she'd worn. So much for dressing up for a man, she thought. She stripped off the dress, got some jeans and a blue top from her bag. The hot shower and hair dryer that she'd been looking forward to didn't interest her at all right now. Her everyday clothes on, she stuffed the dress and high heels into her bag, brushed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. At the door, she took one last look around the room, then went down and checked out.

Breakfast was the last thing she wanted right now. She bought a diet coke, needing her morning shot of caffeine and headed toward the marina as she drank it. Picking up her things and talking to Barth was not something she was exactly looking forward to right now, but it had to be done.

She still couldn't figure out what it was that had made him so angry, when he'd known all along that she loved someone else. And just what was it she felt for him? Anything? There was something there, but did it go beyond physical attraction? One thing she knew for sure. Whatever it was, it didn't touch what she felt for Richie. In spite of everything that had happened over the past few days, he still had as strong a hold over her heart as ever.

Barth pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes and started down the walk to the marina. He had on a pair of faded khaki shorts and a black tee shirt, deck shoes and a baseball cap. He slung his bag on to the boat and stepped down with a carrier bag from the grocery.

Richie stood up straight watching him. Still no Libby.

Barth went through his bag and pulled out the rest of the money, Libby’s money. Stuffed it back in the envelope it came in and hunted out her bag and put it in the bottom. He didn’t want it. They’d only spent about $400 out of the 5,000. He put his groceries away and came back up. shading his eyes looking up toward the walk, wishing she’d come on and get her shit so he could pull out.

Richie hesitated a moment and walked down to the dock to get a better look at him. He passed by and walked to the end of the dock, and then came back and stopped at his berth. “Are you Barth Madison?” he asked.

Barth looked up, “You must know who I am or you wouldn’t have asked?’

“I wasn’t sure…”

Barth took off his sunglasses for a better look. “Long way from the court house ain’t you solicitor?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for Libby Tyler. She come up with you?”

“Yes she did, but she’s not here right now.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“I know where I left her…in a hotel room.” He smiled a little.

Something came up in Richie, hot and fast. He wanted to hit him, but he fought the urge and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “So are you expecting her back anytime soon? I need to talk to her.”

Barth looked up the walkway toward the street. “I expect she’ll be along soon, she had to take a shower and all, you know.”

“I’ll wait.” Richie answered.

“Suit yourself, I got work to do.” Barth went back to the cabin.

Richie took a deep breath and turned, looking up toward the walkway. It was her, walking slowly with a little bag over her shoulder. He took his hands out of his pockets.

Libby had taken her time walking, in no hurry to face Barth. All too soon, though, the marina was in sight. It didn't take her long to reach the berth where the Bountee was moored. She caught sight of Barth on the deck, headed in the direction of the cabin.

Taking a deep breath, she told herself that she'd get this over with quickly and then try to figure out where to go from here. It was then that her eyes fell on the man standing on the dock in front of the boat. A bit shorter than Barth, lighter hair, and she would have known him anywhere.

For a moment, Libby felt as though the breath had been knocked out of her. She paused and her bag dropped to the boards at her feet. She felt a strong urge to run--either into his arms or in the opposite direction. Both were equally strong, so she simply stood where she was.

Richie looked at her for a full minute before he moved. All the shit that had been churning through his mind and his gut-all the things he thought he’d say… Now that he’d found her, he’d lost his ability to speak, felt his feet walking toward her, felt his arms go around her and pull her in close. He moistened his lips, “Are you okay? You and I need to talk.” He was able to get out before he released her.

Still stunned, Libby let him hug her. She closed her eyes for a moment, wanting to let herself just sink into his arms but fighting that feeling, afraid to give in to it.

When he moved away from her, she just looked at him, drinking in the sight of him. "I'm okay," she finally managed to say. "What are you doing here, Richie? We've already talked."

“I don’t know." He felt stupid. “I mean- I was worried about you…I had to um.” He took a breath. “I had to find you…make sure you weren’t in any trouble. I, uh, left yesterday, borrowed a map from McGee and…damn it Libby.” He looked away for a minute. “Well I guess you’re okay and, uh, Barth’s been expecting you so…” He met her eyes.

Barth. Libby let her eyes go up to the deck of the boat for a moment. Didn't see him there.

Her gaze moved back to Richie. "You...went to all that trouble? For me?"

“Yeah…and it was a lot of trouble too. I’ve been in and out of marinas… Have you any idea how many there are between here and Coffs? No, you probably don’t, and all the time I’m thinking that bastard could have just tied up to a damn tree somewhere and I’m fucked…I am anyway. I am Libby, and it’s all your fault. You’ve turned me inside out…made me see something I wasn’t looking for…didn’t want to see.”

What was he talking about? Her mind was so muddled, Libby couldn't make any sense of what he was saying.

"Richie... Why did you come? You said my being around caused problems for you. I thought it would be better for you-for both of us-if I just left. For awhile anyway."

Then a thought struck her. "Did Frank send you?"

“Frank…hell no…no, Frank doesn’t send me anywhere and yes, you do cause problems for me…”

“LIBBY”, Barth called from the boat. “If you want your shit come and get it, I gotta get out of here, if not…get on the boat.”

Richie turned back to her waiting to see what she would do.

Libby took a deep breath, feeling as though she were totally incapable of taking any kind of action, making any kind of decision. What the hell was Richie talking about? What was it he wanted to talk to HER about?

And Barth... Last night, he'd been pretty definite about her picking up her stuff and leaving the boat. Now, he sounded as though she still had the option to come with him if she wanted. What was she supposed to do?

All her emotions showing on her face at the same time--love, fear, indecision--she looked at Richie. "I need to get my things off the boat," she told him slowly.

“I’ll take you home,” Richie said quietly.

Home... Did she want to go there? First things first.

Getting aboard the Bountee, she went into the cabin. Rummaging in the cabinet under the berth, she pulled out her things, including her gun, and packed them into the bag she was carrying. The berth. The bunk she'd been sharing with Barth since she'd come aboard. What about Barth?

Hearing him come into the cabin behind her, she turned slowly to face him. "Barth. I-" She wasn't sure what to say.

“It’s been interesting…fun." He bent and kissed her cheek. “Looks like he cared after all. Go on if you want to go with him. If not I’ll see you around Coffs. You know where I stay.”

Feeling something she had no idea how to express, Libby took his hand and kissed his lips. She raised her hand and put it to the side of his face. "Yeah, I know where you stay. Good luck with your son. I hope you get custody."

At the door, she turned back. "Barth, you know where I stay too. If you want to come and visit..."

He grinned, “Yeah I know…luck to ya Libby.” He watched her climb up the ladder and handed her bag up to her. He climbed up behind her, just to make sure the solicitor didn’t walk off without her again. He didn’t trust him.

Richie reached over and took her bag from her and helped her step off the boat. He turned and looked at Barth and nodded his head slightly.

Barth saluted him and pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes.

Libby watched the boat and Barth a moment longer. Why should it be so hard to leave? This was Richie here beside her!

But she still didn't know why he was here. What was it that he wanted? She'd known Frank would find her eventually, but she'd never expected Richie to show up. Not after that talk they'd had in the tavern.

She was afraid. Afraid of them going through the same thing again. Of her wanting to be friends and him wanting nothing to do with her. Should she even be standing here next to him? Or should she be back on that boat? Or in Sydney? Or anywhere but right here next to him?

Looking at him a little warily, she asked, "So... What now?"

“That’s a good question, Libby and I don’t have the answers. I just know I couldn’t let you go off like that…especially with him…hell with anybody. I came up here with one thing in mind and damned if I haven’t forgot what it was.” They had to move for a party of people passing by. “Let’s at least get off the dock.” He took her hand and led her up the walkway. “There’s a little coffee shop- Maybe we can sit down and talk a little.” Richie was having a difficult time trying to express what he was feeling. She was wary of him, and with good cause he knew. Maybe she was even mad at him for coming. He didn’t know why this was so hard, coming to terms with his feelings for her…had they been there all along? He felt nervous and awkward around her.

Following him into the coffee shop, Libby wasn't sure if she liked the feel of her hand in his or not. It felt wonderful, but what was coming next? She perched on the edge of the chair, as though she were a bird ready to take flight if the slightest thing startled her.

As she watched Richie's face, it occurred to her how tired he looked. He'd said he left yesterday, checked out marinas along the way. Had he had any sleep at all? The concern she always felt for him surfaced.

"You look exhausted," was the first thing she said.

“I am, Libby,” he ran his hand over his face. “I didn’t sleep much last night, maybe three hours at the most. You want something to drink?”

She ordered her usual diet coke and tried to relax a little in her chair as he drank coffee. "Uh- I don't know what to say here, Richie. I'm not sure what it is you want to talk me about."

He laughed nervously, “I seem to be having a hard time here. You know, I don’t think I ever took you seriously. You came up with this friends with benefits thing and I got off on the benefits part of it and played out the rest. I’m not saying we aren’t friends,” he fiddled with his cup a minute and looked up at her, “but I think we’re friends of a different kind. It bothered me a lot for you to go off with Madison, especially when I found out you went voluntarily. I know I hurt your feelings and I can’t take back what I said. Words are like that you know. I’m asking you to forgive me for being such a blind ass. Sometimes, when you aren’t looking for something, you can’t see it, or maybe you don’t want to see it. I fought this thing all night and I knew when I saw you today…I care a lot about you, Libby. My life is so fucked up right now, but I know one thing for sure…I want to see you.” He swallowed and looked into her eyes. “I don’t want you to be my best buddy, that don’t work for me. I want something more than that.”

A thousand things leapt into her mind, but one question came up first. "Does Nonnie know you're here?"

Richie bit his lip. “Yeah, she knows. I called her last night and she hung up on me. She wanted to know why I was here looking for you instead of there with her, and I guess my answer didn’t suit her. I worried over that question all night; why was I here and I think I know why…I didn’t want to let you get away…”

Libby took a gulp from her glass, rather than just a sip. "I've been thinking about things a lot over the past few days." She laughed a little. "So much I thought my head would explode."

Meeting his eyes, she explored them carefully. "When we first became 'friends with benefits', I wasn't thinking very well. Later...when I discovered I'd fallen in love with you, and that was a surprise to me, Richie, it really was... When I told you I wanted to be friends-" She was having a hard time going on.

"You and Frank have been friends for years, haven't you?" At his nod, she continued. "And you've told me about other people you've been friends with for years, some of them since childhood. With you, Richie, friends are around a long time, sometimes your whole life."

Now she dropped her eyes and traced little circles around her glass on the table. "But wives, girlfriends, lovers... They don't have a very long shelf life around you. I thought if we were friends, it'd be easier for you. I want to be around you a long time, Richie. I don't wanna have something for awhile, then break up and never be able to see you again."

“I don’t have a good track record, nothing at all to recommend me, but I can’t just be your friend. There’s a difference between me and Frank and me and you. I understand what you’re saying and I don’t blame you.” He took a drink from his cup. “I don’t blame you for wanting to protect yourself. I wouldn’t blame you if you told me to fuck off…I deserve it.”

"You're wrong there, Richie. You have a lot to recommend you. You're a good man."

She smiled at him. "You know when I fell in love with you? It wasn't in the beginning when we were having sex all the time. Although that was great, and I'm very much looking forward to more of it." Libby was beginning to feel a little more relaxed, a little more hopeful.

"It was that six weeks after I lost the baby. There you were--bringing me dinner, sitting around watching TV, listening to music, talking to me. Nobody had ever taken care of me like that before. And we couldn't even go to bed then. You weren't getting anything out of it, but you kept coming back. I saw a side of Richie Roberts that was different from anything else I'd seen. It gave me a clearer picture of what the whole man was like. And that was the man I fell in love with."

"So, no... I'm not gonna tell you to fuck off." She grinned.

“A very wise woman once told me that sex was not everything, that everything couldn’t be solved in the bedroom, and in the end she told me to fuck off and she knew me about as well as anybody ever has. Don’t be afraid to step on me when I need it. Don’t let me have my way all the time.” He reached for her hand, playing with her fingers, “I got all kinds of problems, Libby and I need to be set straight every now and again.”

"That makes two of us." Her grin changed to a serious expression. "No. Everything can't be solved in the bedroom. Very few things get solved there."

Libby looked down at the table again, still holding his hand. "Richie, sometimes stepping on people, setting them straight- That can involve trying to turn them into something they're not. I- I still don't expect you not to see anyone else but me. Especially not knowing how you feel about Nonnie."

"It's not that I don't care." Her eyes came up quickly. "It's just that- I think seeing more than one woman just may be a part of who Richie Roberts is, that maybe asking him not to be that way is just asking for trouble."

“I’m not sure what’s going on between me and Nonnie right now.” He looked away for a minute. “I wasn’t just talking about setting me straight about other women. When I’m working, I don’t screw up. Too many people are depending on me, sometimes for their life, but when I’m home it’s a different story. I can screw my private life up in a heartbeat. I need help, you know? You have to be strong with me. Otherwise, I’ll walk all over you. I’m just trying to let you know some things I need from you.”

"Okay." She smiled. "Do I need to make a list? Here I am, a reporter without a notebook!"

She made a show of ticking things off on her fingers. "Be strong. Don't let you screw up. What else?"

He smiled, “Let’s get in the car and go back to The Glen. I’ve seen enough of Queensland.”

"Okay." She stood up and held out her hand. "Give me the keys."

“I will, because I think I’d be seeing double before long.” He stood up and fished the keys out of his jeans, picked up her bag and led the way out to his Rover.

As they got into the SUV and she slid behind the wheel, Libby sighed. "I guess we both have a lot to face when we get back."

She leaned over and kissed him briefly. "Maybe you can get in a good nap. It's a long drive."

“Yeah, a lot to face,” he said, and leaned back in the seat. He already knew Nonnie was not going to take this at all, and then he’d left Miss Peeg in a lurch. She wasn’t going to be happy either. Of course Frank would be happy, damn his eyes.