Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters and stories belong to NBC and Dick Wolf.

A/N: Mike/Connie fluff post For the Defense. Please review. Thanks. Love, Lawabidingchild.

Pushing the Envelope

Connie fled Jack's office with a look of confusion spread across her face. She learned the truth. It came from Woll. Mike's feelings for her were hidden for so long that she couldn't come to face them. But that was alright with her. She didn't want the same thing to happen again.

Mike stared after her. Longing played with his face. The expression contorted his facial features. They followed Connie out that door and into the hallway. Jack's hallway.

"Why are you just standing in my office gawking after Connie?" asked Jack from the archway. He reentered his office. "Are you just going to stand there or take care of those appeals that are sitting on your desk? Connie looked like she wanted to get a head start on those."

Mike looked crestfallen. She just wanted to get away from him. Nothing could change the impact the trial had on the both of them. Feelings would just go unnoticed as they worked side-by-side.

Mike suddenly felt a hand clasp on his shoulder. "Go get her, Mike," ordered Jack. "Don't hold back. That might be an even bigger mistake than not taking the plunge."

"How do you-."

"I just do."

Oh, thought Mike, Claire. And with that final thought, Mike strode out the door.

Connie was leafing through the stack of appeals that Mike had on his desk. She continued to leaf through the appeals absentmindedly. Knowing that Mike might burst in the door, she pushed everything that happened out of her mind. Woll had come back. He'd come back to taunt her. To assure her that everything was falling apart. He was pushing the lid of an envelope open and she worked so hard to lick the seal shut. She pushed and pushed. She didn't want Mike to find out. Mike didn't need to know any of this. He didn't need to know her feelings. Didn't need to know her guilt. Didn't even need to know all that was set in stone. She didn't want him to be plagued by everything that happened in the trial. So many ghosts were flying out of the closet and skeletons were dancing and jumping out, screaming "BOO!" to every passing individual that could push their way through his path. Connie was shivering in pain.

The absentminded leafing continued. She wasn't even paying attention to the appeals that were sitting in front of her. She didn't even notice Mike's apparent appearance behind her. She continued to plow her way through them, picking one up on occasion and tossing in into a small pile right next to the larger pile of over one hundred appeals. She shivered in silence. "You gonna let me help you with that?"

Connie whipped around, her heart beating furiously as she stared back at the man who stood behind her. "Oh my God! Mike!" she scolded. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

His mouth contorted up into a smirk. "Then stop not paying attention to your surroundings." He noticed the pile she was preparing on the desk beside the larger one. "Planning on doing all of those yourself?" he asked her.

She flicked her eyes downward, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. Her heart was still beating at a much quicker pace. "Yeah," she answered quietly.

Mike let a scowl form on his lips. It wasn't for her. It was for himself. He knew why she wanted to work away from him. Why she was so determined to get away. Why she pushed so hard to stay away for the rest of the trial. Woll must have blabbed. Someone must have said something. She was just trying to push away feelings that could be more misguided than anything she'd ever felt. But they could be genuine. She couldn't tell. She thought it was that way with Woll, but it turned out not to be. She was misguided before. Now, as it turns out, she didn't want to be hurt again. She didn't want to make another mistake. She didn't want to screw up another chance she might get to prove herself.

Mike stared at her. She had her eyes flicked downward and away from Mike. He longed to put a hand on her shoulder. To wrap her in his arms. To kiss her. To never let go of that latina woman who stood right in front of him. "Connie, look at me." She brought her eyes up to him. It was an order that she could not resist. "I know what he told you."

Connie blinked blankly. She wasn't processing the entire conversation in her head. "He said you have feelings for me. Do you?"

Mike made no move to deny or confirm any of these allegations. He returned Connie's blank stare with one of his own. Connie turned away from him and grabbed the small set of appeals that she was going to carry to her own desk. She just wanted to absorb herself in her work and forget about all of the events of the past trial. These appeals would do that for her.

Mike reached his arms out for her. He enveloped her in a tight, unexpected embrace. She tensed her body up at the sudden contact, the appeals plopping on to the floor audibly. He loosened apologetically. He kissed her right temple. "It's true," he whispered, placing another kiss on her left temple. "I do have feelings for you."

Connie melted in his arms slowly. She could feel the circling of his arms slowly tighten again as he made the final move with his lips. He pressed a kiss to her own. She melted a little bit more, his embrace holding her up. She forced every single ounce of passion she could muster into the kiss as she returned his feelings. "I do, too," she whispered as she pulled away. She nestled her head in his shoulder and closed her eyes. Mike planted another kiss on her temple as she smiled. He rocked her in his arms and smiled to himself. Connie was there. She was where he wanted her to be. And she was willing.

Jack was standing outside, observing the scene with much exposed intent. "'Atta boy, Mike," he whispered. "You got her." Smiling to himself, he left before they even knew he was watching them.