Bookends: Hello, Lovers
By Shotzette and Missy

Hello, Lovers
By Missy


"I wanna get away."

He turned over and stared at her for a moment. "Where?"

"Somewhere where Shirley doesn't re-arrange my towel drawer."

Lenny smiled into his elbow. "You know she means well."

Laverne knew that. She also knew that her towels weren't exactly April fresh, and that Frankie had
forgotten to do his laundry...again.

She grumbled against the inside of her arm.

"Aww, come on. Whattya got to complain about?"

A semi-murderous glance.

"You ain't the one spending time with Doctor Walter."

"Okay, okay; we're even," Laverne had forgotten how boring Walter Meaney was. One week together only served as an excellent reminder. Lord, was he long-winded. And exacting. And unable to talk with comfort about anything beyond his years in service.

"MARCHING songs, Laverne. He was talking about MARCHING SONGS all night."

"He thought you'd like it." Laverne shrugged. "It was about music."

"I'm sorry. I just dunno what it is about him. The way he talks when we're all together, like someone turned a key in his back!"

"He's just don't feel comfortable. He doesn't really know us, after all."

Lenny nodded, leaning back against his bed. Laverne and Shirley were getting along famously nowadays, after years of estrangement and bitterness. It helped that their grandchild and son were now dating, Lenny mused wryly. A horrifying thought fled through his mind of a lifetime of Holidays listening to Walter Meany drone on and on.

But you thought that about Paul, He remembered. He supposed it would be best just to sit and try to wait it out.

"So why are you sittin' in here, hiding from him?"

A little smile crossed Laverne's lips. "I'm not. Andy wanted a little time alone with Caitlyn, so I thought I'd give it to him."

Lenny's eyebrow went up. "Where are they?"

"Len, they're almost seventeen years old. What did YOU want to do with your girlfriend when you were seventeen?"

Lenny's mouth fell open, and he blushed. "I was kinda hopin' he'd wait until the wedding night." He finished quietly.

Laverne rose up off of the bed, eyebrow arched. "I didn't think they were doin' THAT..."

"Vernie...you're sweatin'."

"What if he...and they..."

"I taught the boys where the condom aisle was in Wal-Mart. They're smart kids. You don't hafta worry."

Laverne rose an eyebrow. "You taught them?"

Lenny sighed. "Yeah. I may be hopin' they don't do anything, but I wasn't gonna let them go past thirteen without knowin' what's what."

"Remember how we were?"

Lenny smiled. "Yeah; you had hairy legs until you was fourteen!"

She elbowed him as she lay back down against his chest. "And you didn't know anything about girls. Admit it."

"Like ya didn't know that! Two years in California taught me."

She smirked. "Uh-huh."

"Well..." He put his hand on the inside of her thigh. "You are a satisfied customer." He pointed out.

"One of..."

"Five." He admitted. "I'm not even gonna ask..."

She put her index finger over his lips. "Before don't matter. I got you now, and always." And she kissed his lips around the finger. When she moved her finger aside, he was panting.

"And you got me."

The kisses increased in heat and depth. When he pulled himself away from her, it was to wonder on a fleeting breath, "Where's Frankie?"

"Band practice."

"Shirl and Walter..."

"...Looking at an exhibit at the sub museum in Del Mar."

Relief touched his smile as the hand began to ghost its way up her thigh.




To Long Distance

To We Gather Together











(Close This Window To Return To LAS Fic)