Mirror, Mirror

Author: eponinesghost (EppieG)
Title: Mirror, Mirror
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Notes/Summary: Missing scene from "Boys Will Be Boys." Written in response to a challenge posted on The Ladies of LAO: Trial By Jury LiveJournal forum.

Still smirking as she caught up to Tracey on the way back into their office, Kelly nudged her upper arm. "You're not, are you? Going soft?" Her voice held only the faintest hint of teasing.

"As if." Tracey was struggling to hang onto her scowl. Ana's parting shot had hit it's mark and she had left herself wide open to it. Some of the more pleasant memories involving her former co-worker washed over her and threatened to put a smile on her face.

Unceremoniously dumping her armload of work onto her desk, Kelly glanced back over her shoulder just in time to catch the light in Tracey's eyes.

"Good ... 'cause I don't want to be the 'bad cop' ... "

Tracey chuckled dismissively. "As if."

She dropped into her chair, relief seeping into her consciousness. With any luck, Ana would call her soon to let her know that the deal was solid and this whole sordid mess would mercifully be over. Not to her satisfaction, but at least some jail time for one of the people responsible for a young person's death would help ease the frustration of the case. It was jail time for the wrong person, perhaps, but sometimes those were the cards she was dealt.

"So ... how well did you know each other?"

Tracey's ears perked up at the strained casualness she detected in Kelly's question. A fishing expedition. She'd been expecting it from the moment in the courtroom when Kelly had curtly asked, "Who's she?" Draping her arms loosely on the chair, she swiveled more toward her partner.

"About as well as you get to know anyone you spend endless hours with, I suppose."

Tracey was being deliberately vague. It was perfectly natural for a colleague to be curious about one of her predecessors, but Tracey had an inkling that Kelly's current line of questioning was meant to uncover something ... more.

Nodding, Kelly looked away ... cursing inwardly at her clumsiness. She was a better interrogator than this, she knew. But her subject wasn't just anyone ... and she hadn't expected this sudden wave of jealousy. She was uncomfortably aware that that's what it was -- jealousy. Pure and simple. What was more horrifying than that realization was that she seemed to have no control over it.

"She's very attractive. Striking."

Her lips pressed together to keep from smiling, Tracey paused briefly. "Yes, she is. She's also quite intelligent and a damn good lawyer. I enjoyed working with her." She watched as her comments seemed to cause Kelly's shoulders to slump a fraction of an inch.

"Still ... as bright as she is, as talented as she is ... she wasn't cut out for this job. She just wasn't the right fit." Tracey's voice softened. "You can't possibly be wondering how you 'measure up,' can you?"

For the briefest moment, Kelly's eyes revealed the honest answer to Tracey's question. Before she could reply, Tracey leaned forward. "Kel ... there is no one ... past or present ... that'd I'd rather have at my side every day." She held Kelly's gaze as she watched the blush creep across her cheeks.

"Tracey ... I ... " God, what could she say?

"Besides, nobody else would have me. The turnover before you got here was embarrassing ..."

Recovering quickly, Kelly grinned across the room at her. "Well then. It looks like you'd better start being nicer to me."

end
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