Disclaimer: I don't own Body of Proof and intend no copyright infringement.
After the unbearable heat and humidity of the city, the cool clear water felt like heaven against his skin, for now thankfully unrestricted by the need to wear far too much clothing. Drifting lazily in peacefully slapping waves he slowly felt his muscles relaxing. Ever since he had discovered the secluded little lake during one of their cases, Tommy had wanted to bring Megan here. Now the opportunity had finally presented itself and – oh wonder of wonders – she had accepted.
Floating on his back, eyes closed, he could hear the wind gently rustling in the trees that shielded this little bit of heaven, and feel the tension of the last couple of weeks of non-stop cases slowly dissipate from his body. Somewhere a couple of birds were chirping noisily, the sound somehow intensifying the tranquility of the scene by contrast. He knew if he opened his eyes, he would see Megan beside him, her hair floating around her head like a coppery halo, her eyes for once warm, inviting and happy instead of cold, hard and angry.
He wished they could simply stay here, secluded from the rest of the world, so that corpses, cases, rivalries and a need to "do the right thing" had no chance of getting in the way of their happiness.
Speaking of which…. the chirping tchew-wew of the birds had turned into the rich, throaty zwrack of a Purple Martin… and it was starting to grate on his nerves.
As if from far away, he heard a soft voice call his name…..
"TOMMY!
With an almost electric jolt he came back to his senses – and to the unwelcome reality of a precinct room that felt like the inside of a blast furnace thanks to a non-working A/C. Thank you municipal cost-cutting program. No, we don't want to end up like Detroit, but still… Instead of cool soothing lake water lapping against his bare skin, he could feel his shirt sticking uncomfortably to his back. And the voice turned out to belong to Adam, who had apparently been trying to catch his attention for the last couple of minutes.
"I don't know where the heck you've been, partner, but you better come back pdq, because Captain Martin is on the warpath – again. What did you do this time?"
Before Tommy had time to think of an answer, he could hear the Captain throatily zwrack through the whole room. "Sullivan! Where's that report I've been waiting for?" With a weary sigh Tommy grabbed the half-finished report in front of him and headed to the Captain's office.