Holiday in Handcuffs

Chapter 8

"Oh, wow. You're really going to take the handcuffs off now?" Derek asked sarcastically as Meredith slid her hand behind the shower curtain, the key to the handcuffs gripped between her fingers.

"Alright, smart ass, you have a choice. You can unlock the handcuffs, towel off and get dressed, or... I can slip this key right back into my pocket and leave you handcuffed to the freaking shower head all day, dripping wet. With the heater off." She told him adamantly. She only had to wait a second or two before she felt his fingertips on her hand as he pulled the key from her grasp. He unlocked the handcuffs and slid them, and the key, back to her as she slung a towel over the top of the shower rail.

Once Derek dried himself off, he slung the towel back over the shower. "Hand me my clothes." He said with a sigh.

"Hmph. 'Please hand me my clothes' would be better." She replied as she handed his clothes to him over the shower curtain.

"Oh, excuse me for not saying please. I just figured, what with the gun in my face and the handcuffs on my wrists, that we weren't exactly being polite here. My mistake." He shot back, glaring even though she couldn't see his face.

"Such a temper." She replied. "Did your mother teach you no manners?" She asked, releasing a bitter laugh.

"She certainly didn't teach me to put a gun to someone's head and kidnap them two days before Christmas." He replied as he pulled his jeans on and then reached for his shirt, unaware that the woman on the other side of the curtain was now sticking her tongue out at him. He pulled his shirt on and then opened the shower curtain, sending it flying to the other end of the shower rod. "All cleaned up. Now what?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest to mimic the way his kidnapper was now standing.

"Just step out of the tub and follow me." She said as she moved towards the door. She turned around abruptly, nearly making him collide into her as she faced him with her finger pointed in his face. "No funny business. No trying to escape or call for help. And no questions." She told him hurriedly. "Got it?"

Derek held up his hands to her and gave her a wry smile. "Got it." He repeated as his wry smile turned into a scowl.

She led him out of the bedroom door and into the quiet hallway. He followed her closely as they passed several guest rooms and then descended the stairs to the foyer. She made a left turn into the living room, and Derek followed her, his eyes falling upon the heavily decorated room.

The entire room was filled with Christmas-y things; garland on the mantle, beautifully stitched stockings hanging from the shelves to the left of the fireplace, and a Douglas Fir decorated with red and gold ornaments was nestled into the right corner of the room, presents lying underneath waiting to be opened. The logs in the fireplace were surrounded by red and orange flames, which clued Derek in on the fact that he and his kidnapper weren't alone in the house. As he glanced around, he wondered who else could be here with them. The house was so quiet that it didn't appear that anyone else was here at all. But, Derek could sense it. He could sense that there was another presence in the house.

He took a few steps forward until he reached the middle of the room and then stopped when something caught his eye. There was a picture placed on one of the shelves to the left of the fireplace, and in that picture was someone that Derek recognized. His attention was first drawn to this person, but then he noticed someone else in the picture and his heart began to beat faster. He walked closer to the shelf and took the picture into his hands. He turned to question his kidnapper, his eyes wide with disbelief.