Chapter Text
Karen was just finishing (or so she thought) packing for the weekend when she heard her apartment door open. "Kare?" Came Elektra's voice.
"In here." She called back from her bedroom with a laugh. "You know, you could have knocked." She teased her as Elektra handed her an Iced Latte and smirked.
"Yes but I have a key so...." She jangled her keys at her and tucked them in her purse before setting it on a chair in her room and started looking at her suitcase.
Karen frowned and sipped her latte. "What's wrong?" She asked her with a raised brow.
Elektra held up a plain, blue one piece suit and rolled her eyes. "We're going to the lake Kare, not joining a convent." She teased her as she began unpacking everyting she had packed rummaged through her drawers and closet.
"Hey.... We're going with High School kids. I don't want to be sexy." She protested as Elektra began packing her some tank tops, shorts and a sundress.
"Where's that cute bikini you wore when we went to Mexico earlier this summer?" She asked her. "You know, the blue and white one?"
"I um.... I don't know." She stammered. She knew exactly where it was. "Why are you packing that?"
"Never mind. I found it!" She trimumphantly smiled at Karen and tossed it in her suitcase. "Because... Frank needs to see you in it. How else are you two going to get together? Besides.... It's not like I'm packing inappropriate clothes. These are all family friendly. I promise."
"El.... We've been over this. I'm not going to make a move on Frank he's.... Mourning still." She insisted.
"Karen." She rarely used her full first name unless she was being serious. "It's been over a year for him. And I don't think he wouldn't be bringing you gifts and coffee and food if he wasn't interested." She told her as Karen sighed.
"You're insane." She told her.
"Maybe. But you love me." Eleketra told her with a grin. "Do you have everything else?" She asked her.
"Yup." She popped the last letter loudly and zipped up her bag. "Let's go. We have to meet them at the school." She reminded her and grabbed her purse and keys as Elektra took her purse and lugged Karen's suitcase down to her car while Karen locked up her apartment.
They got to the school quickly and Frank, his kids and Curtis were there with the bus running. Lisa held their family pitbull, Max on a leash.
"Hey Coach. Coach." Karen greeted the two men when they got out of Elektra's car.
"Why hello Karen. Elektra." Curtis greeted the women genially and waved.
"Hope you don't mind we brought Max again." Frank told Elektra and she shrugged.
"I figured you would. He's more than welcome." She told him and knelt to greet Max and then hugged Lisa and said hi to Frankie.
Frank turned and smiled at Karen. "You look nice." He told her and Karen blushed. All she was wearing was denim shorts and a loose fitting vintage Guns 'N Roses t-shirt and flip flops.
"Oh um.... Thanks." She told him and glanced at him. God, he looked good in his cargo shorts and his own t-shirt. "So do you." She returned.
"Hey Castle, since I'm leading the bus in my car, you want Max in my car in the air conditioning?" Elektra called to the football coach.
"That'd be good actually. Don't want him overheatin'." He nodded and mentioned for Lisa to follow her coach and get Max settled in her car.
"Who's driving the bus?" Karen asked Frank once the kids started arriving and loading up the bus.
"Curt. He's driven it more than me for field trips and all that." He said with a shrug.
"Well... I'll ride in the bus. Help keep the kids in line." She assured him.
"We can keep each other company then." Frank told her with a smile before he went to go collect all the permission slips from the kids.
"Yeah....." She said to his retreating form as she smiled at the entire squad of her girls fawning over Max in Elektra's car, his happy face poking through her open window and seemingly loving all the attention.
"The Lieberman's are all set at the house. They got all the groceries for the weekend for now. And David even made sure the boats and jetskis are all fueled up." Came Elektra's voice as she shook Karen out of her haze of Frank's statement.
"Hmmmm? Oh.... Great." Karen told her. "I'm going to help Frank keep the kids in line on the bus since Curtis is driving." She explained, hoping to sound nonchalant while she shrugged.
"Really?" She asked her with a smirk and Karen rolled her eyes at that.
"Come on." She scoffed at her.
"What? I didn't say anything." Elektra said with a sly laugh and held up her hands.
"You said everything without saying anything." She explained with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey." Came Frank's voice from behind them. "I got everyone ready to go. One of my guys couldn't make it since he already had a family vacation planned but everyone else is good to go." He explained as he bounded over to the women and rubbed Max's ears who was content in the air conditioning of Elektra's car.
"Okay well, just tell Curtis to follow my car." Elektra told him and moved to get into her car, but not before winking at Karen in front of Frank. Much to Karen's horror. She was going to kill her later.
"What's um.... What was with the wink?" Frank asked curiously as Karen snatched her purse from Elektra's car before following Frank to the bus.
"Oh she's just.... It's nothing." She said with a wave of her hand and smiled. "Just Elektra being Elektra." She waved as she sat in the seats right behind Curtis.
"Okay... Well, I think we need to make sure we establish all the ground rules on the way there. Don't need any kids actin' out." He reminded her.
"Sounds good. I'll let you give the annual speech since you're so feared and intimidating." She teased him as Curtis followed Elektra out of the parking lot. The lake was only a few hours outside of the city.
"Oh yeah?" Frank chuckled as he glanced back to make sure all the kids were at least seated. Most of them had earbuds in and were listening to or watching something on their phones or iPads.
"Yeah.... They're all terrified of you." She teased him again and laughed. That was actually not true. Everyone considered Frank a 'cool' teacher for the most part and liked him a lot. Even if his class was tough.
"They better be." He told her with a smirk and stood once they got on the freeway. "Hey kids." He called out in a booming voice, followed by a loud whistle. "I'll let you get back to whatever shit you kids are watching or listening too in a minute. Just gotta go over the weekend rules." He told them, a groan sounded through the bus as the kids all reluctantly pulled out their earbuds.
"First rule: This is Coach Elektra's family's lake house we're going to. Respect it. Don't trash it. Rule two: No boy/girl sleepovers for you all. One of us adults catches that. You'll be getting detention on your first Saturday of school being back. Bunk with your teammates. Which means, my guys will room together as will you girls. Rule three: There is no alcohol allowed for you all. Same dentention punishment is going to be applied if any adult catches you with any. Rule four: Curfew will be at midnight. Be in the house by then and keep it to a reasonable noise level for everyone else, yeah?"
He looked at all the kids with a serious look. "This is gonna be fun. We've got four coaches goin' and two PTA parents already there who have generously picked up food and shit for you all to enjoy. If you forgot somethin' let one of us know, we'll take you to the store near the lake and get you what you need. Yeah?" He asked them and all the kids nodded or verbalized that they understood and then immediately began listening to music or chatting with their friends.
"Wow. Tough rules." Karen teased him and playfully nudged him in the side before she drank from her water bottle.
"Same rules we had last year." He reminded her with a smirk and chuckled as he nudged her back.
"So... How was your summer before tryouts and shit?" Frank asked her.
"It was fine. Elektra and I went to Mexico for a week." She told him.
"Yeah? Sounds like fun. Got pictures?" He asked her.
Karen blushed and nodded as she showed him their vacation photos. Beach pictures, hiking, seeing the ruins. Karen was quite distracted by how close he was to her, smelling his aftershave and cologne was killing her. Damn Elektra, she was in her head now.
"What um..... What about you and the kids?" She asked him as she pulled away a bit.
"Oh.... Went to see my parents in Philly. Took 'em camping. I suspect Lisa won't want to camp anymore. Getting too cool and girly for that." He said with a chuckle.
"Yup. She's at the age where she'd rather hit the beach." Karen affirmed with a laugh.
Frank loved hearing her laugh, her smile warmed his heart. No woman had been able to do that since Maria. Well, no woman that wasn't Lisa. This was.... Different. And he liked it.
"Good to know. Got any more tips for my teenage daughter?" He joked.
They spent the majority of the drive chatting amicably. Frank, ignored Curtis' knowing looks he kept catching and keeping an eye on the kids.
Once they pulled into the driveway, the bus doors opened Frank stood but nearly got trampled by all the kids. Causing him to get pushed up closer to a standing Karen.
"Hi." He greeted with a chuckle and ran a hand through his short hair.
"H-Hi." She returned, his hand on top of hers and she blushed.
"Sorry about that." He apologized as they could hear the teams shouting about changing into their swimsuits and hitting the lake.
"It's fine." She assured him as Curtis cleared his throat.
"I'll um.... See you two inside." He told them with a smirk and exited right before Max bounded up on the bus and greeted Frank with a bark and a wag of is tail.
Karen could see Elektra outside smirking at her and Karen blushed harder.
"We should go inside." Karen finally spoke, breaking the tension as Max barked again.
"Yeah. Yeah...." Frank agreed reluctantly and tore his hand off of Karen's. His finger grazing over hers as he did. Was he trying to kill her? Karen couldn't help but wonder.
He and Max finally exited the bus and Frank slung his bag over his shoulder as Karen dragged herself out as well.
"What?" Karen asked Elektra who was standing by her car, smiling smugly at her friend.
"Have a nice drive up here Kare?" Elektra asked her teasingly as Karen grabbed her suitcase out of her friends car.
"Shut up." She snapped at her and blushed as she went inside the house to unpack and change for the lake.
"You'll thank me for packing that bikini later!" She called back to Karen.
"This is going to be an interesting weekend." Karen muttered to herself and went inside.