Caught Unaware

CHAPTER 3

HOME OF COL. JOHN CASEY: ECHO PARK, LOS ANGELES, CA

Casey opened the door to his home and allowed Amelia to enter first. He noticed Morgan, Chuck's lifelong friend and nerd companion, on his couch, eating chips with his girlfriend, Casey's daughter Alex. Both looked up at the nervous, exhausted girl and the man who stood silently behind her.

"The bathroom is at the end of the hall on the right, there are towels there if you feel like getting a shower before I show you to your room," Casey explained and Amelia nodded her thanks before disappearing behind the closed door. Morgan sat up straight.

"Hey, big guy...what's...uh... What's she doing here?"

Casey grunted as he lowered his day-bag onto the floor of the home before looking at both of them.

"Yeah, so here's the thing. She's on my watch for at least a week."

"That's great, no one will get to her with you in the way!" praised Morgan, who leaned back against the cushion of the sofa as he turned to continue his movie date.

"And that means," continued Casey, "You take your Star Wars blanket out of the room and find another place to stay in the meantime."

Morgan looked at his girlfriend before looking back at Casey, his mouth agape with surprise at the sudden rejection.

"Wait... Where am I supposed-"

"Not my problem," John stated. He walked towards his own room before stopping, turning quickly around and setting a finger into his roommate's face.

"Unless you think you are getting a free pass to stay at my daughter's. You can stay anywhere but there." His face was a mask of seriousness and Morgan nodded and raised his hands in defense. Casey looked over to Alex and let his mouth relax into a small smile before kissing the top of her head and continuing his way to his own room.

"Enjoy the rest of your date, then leave," he called to Morgan over his shoulder.

Morgan looked sheepishly at the brunette with doe eyes beside him.

"It's really no big deal, I was actually thinking about bunking at Sarah and Chuck's for the week anyway. They have a window unlocked that I call the 'Morgan Door' which is just as good as a key and an invitation so..." Alex smiled and nodded to him, satisfied that her boyfriend wouldn't be out of a place to stay. They finished their movie and before long, were saying goodbye outside Chuck's bedroom window.

Morgan leaned in for a kiss and Alex closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his softly. Just as things were starting to heat up between them, Morgan glanced in the direction of Casey's window, catching Casey glaring at him. He pulled away and smiled nervously at Alex before saying goodnight and climbing into the dark room of his best friend's house.

Alex turned to catch her father's look at Morgan before Casey realized he had been caught. He smirked at her, winked and closed the curtain. She shook her head with a large smile, loving her protective father's old-fashioned ways of doing things.

**

Casey turned towards his bed and headed out of his bedroom when he heard the shower stop, signaling the end of Amelia's shower. He felt a rush of anticipation at seeing her clad only in a towel, when his cold common sense crept back into place and he reached back into his dresser, withdrawing a large shirt and some gym shorts he had stashed for his workouts.

Amelia walked out of the bathroom timidly, checking around corners to ensure Casey's guests wouldn't see her only in her towel. She clutched the top of the towel and headed towards the room she thought the Colonel had pointed towards, only to almost run into him as she entered it.