How I Met Your Father

The four of them were doing their nightly bonding ritual--well it was more like a Q & A time for them to answer their inquisitive eldest daughter's questions and putting their younger one to sleep--when her beautiful little girl asked a question that made her burst into laughter.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you and Daddy meet?"

The couple exchanged one incredulous look and then their frames shook from boisterous laughter. Taking a steadying breath while her husband still chuckled, she answered honestly. "Well... I slapped him twice and he dunked me into a pool of cold water."

It was her first time seeing a skeptical look on an eight year old.

"What? You don't believe your mommy?" he tickled his little girl's side, making her giggle. Pulling her onto his lap, she replied, "Well, I don't think I'd like it very much if a boy dunked me into water..."

"If a boy did, I would hang him upside down above a pool of sharks." her father promised, grinning. The sound of a child's laughter was beautiful, she thought.

Smiling, she asked her eldest child, "Would you like to hear the story of how your Daddy and I met?" Caramel locks bounced as she nodded vigorously. "Okay, come and sit between Daddy and I and I'll tell you."

"It began like this--"

Grumbling, she once again glared at the man/boy/guy who she just couldn't not hate, even if everyone around him treats him like an idol or something. He was sitting on the bench with legs wide apart, shoulders slightly hunched as his wrist flicked a dagger round and round agitatedly. His mere presence was just so annoying--and when he opened his mouth it was even more so.

Why oh why couldn't she get stuck with someone else? Anyone else would be a relief compared to him--it could even be a dog or pig or something...

"Could you stop with your staring? It's bad enough to have to put up with you, but having you trying to burn a hole through my head with your eyes even though I'm doing this to help you is grating on my nerves." He snapped.

"Are you really an FBI agent? Because I would've thought someone from the FBI would be able to tell the difference between a glare and a stare!" She snapped back.

He gripped the handle of his knife just a wee bit too hard. He tried to resist the temptation to throw the thing at her as he narrowed his eyes. He'd been through every kind of endurance test, but none of them had prepared him against this stupid, ignorant little girl.

He had been so proud when he was promoted to fully-trained FBI after only three and a half years worth of training. It had been a record and some had been worried if he was up to it, but he had proven himself to be fast enough, skillful enough, and sly enough to go on missions fully-trained FBIs went to.

But due to lack of experience, he had been assigned to a girl who was under Witness Protection Program after she witnessed a serial killer killing a man. At first they had thought the killer didn't know she saw his crime, but a few hours ago a sniper had tried to take her out. Protocol decreed that he had to take her somewhere safe and isolated until they were sure the coast was clear--she was the only one who could identify the killer and absolutely couldn't be compromised.

Which is why they were inside an old public indoor swimming pool that people rarely used because of a story of how a girl was murdered in this very pool. Funny how that might actually happen... he slid a glance to the girl who was pacing around impatiently. ...if she pushes me again.

Suddenly she stopped, squatted and curled herself into a ball with a sigh. He momentarily sympathized with her. Normally seventeen-year-old girls worried about boyfriends and zits rather than psycho killers. She must be pretty bored too. Deciding to get a moment's rest, he lied back on the bench and closed his eyes.

There was nothing but the sound of water lapping quietly in the pool, lulling him to sleep. Chiding himself for allowing himself to relax on the job, he straightened and promptly froze.

The door was wide open.

He gaped and quickly strode towards the door, She didn't... He glimpsed a petite figure vanishing round a corner. She did.

Even if the killer didn't, he was so going to kill her.

Heart pounding, she tried to run as quickly and as quietly as she could. The dude didn't even notice her slip away! Ha, take that, stupid FBI agent! She knew she shouldn't but it was so unfair--she had to be stuck with a grumpy old coot while it was her best friend's birthday! She was not going to sit around doing nothing but being bored out of her mind--after what she'd been through, and having the courage to tell the authorities what she'd seen, this is what she gets in return? No. Way. No freakin' way.

Considering for a moment, she decided to head downtown, where there were lots of people. She'd be safe there, she doubted he'd risk exposure to get rid of her... She had actually wanted to go home, but--

Thud.

A familiar solid wall of male stood before her, and when she peeked at his face she knew she was toast. A growl emitted from the back of his throat, and his entire presence screamed dangerous. She involuntarily took a step back in reflex and he misinterpreted it as another attempt to run. His eyes narrowed into slits as his temper finally snapped.

Without further preamble, he grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his shoulder, ignoring her yelp. Quickly he strode back into the indoor pool and unceremoniously plucked and dropped her roughly on the ground.

Mortified at being caught like a child in wrongdoing, indignant at being manhandled, and having all the pride and ego of a seventeen year old, she did the first thing that came to her mind and drew back her arm.

A surprised look momentarily wiped off the angry look on his face when her backhand caught him full on the side of his face. Then it returned fiercer than ever. It took every single ounce of some very, very hard earned self-restraint to not to do anything that he would regret... much, much later. Grabbing both her wrists, he drew in a deep, soul-calming breath and gritted out in a rough, stony voice, "If you do that again, I will throw you headfirst into the pool."

He let her struggle in his grip for a while, wanting her to be fully aware that he was much, much stronger than her and that she was powerless against him. When he felt his temper slip back into his control--though only a bit of it--he let her go.

She went for his left cheek this time.

That is it. He lifted her up easily, and while holding her like a sack of potatoes,he chucked her into the pool headfirst. She had a fifth of a second to scream before she was engulfed in cold, cold water. Gasping and flailing, she said shrilly in a disbelieving tone, "I can't believe you actually chucked me into the pool!"

He stood right at the edge of the pool, and looked down at her. She was glaring up at him, but what with her flailing and her soaked hair, she was amusing at the most. If anything, she looked like a soaking wet kitten sulking. He smothered a smile. "I'm a man of my word." He said dryly.

She snorted.

"The end!" She grinned at her child, who was taring open-mouthed at her. Well, she did edit a few details, but even with just a rough idea of what happened, it must have seemed... perplexing for a kid her age, at the least. Abruptly, a childish smile adorned her kid's chubby face as she gushed. "Wow, Mommy, that's so cool! I want my future prince and I to have an interesting story like that, too!" The parents chuckled. Then her father swept her into his arms, and said, "Okay, enough storytelling. Time to go to bed." "Aww..."

She was about to go with them when her six-month-old baby started wailing. Gently, she held him and rocked him back to sleep.

As she settled her baby into her crib, she felt strong, warm arms wind around her waist and smiled. Pressing a kiss to the crook of her neck, he murmured, "But it is an interesting story, don't you think?"

Placing her arms on his, she said, "I do think so... And best of all," she turned and held his face, "it's our story." Then kissed him on the lips.