A/N: My brain got hijacked and I had to get this out.
To those reading Lines, don't worry it's still progressing.
This one gets a little sappy at the end.
Denise rented out a local bar as a thank you to the office's staff for a job well done. They had successfully prosecuted a very high profile murder case, Denise prosecuting with Jill as her second chair. The case had been front page for months with everyone from the Mayor to the Governor watching the outcome. Needless to say Denise had been quite tough on the staff for the duration of the trial so to make it up to them she was springing for this little shindig. She of course thought the whole thing was unnecessary but someone had convinced her it was good to be one with her people, whatever the hell that meant. And when the Mayor had actually accepted his invitation to attend Denise decided it wasn't such a terrible idea.
Jill had talked Claire and Lindsay into attending with her, they had been instrumental to the case after all, so while Denise hobnobbed with the politicos three fourths of the club sat in the back and celebrated on their own. That is until the fourth member crashed the party and joined them at their table.
"Does Denise know you are here?" Lindsay questioned.
"Kinda." Cindy admitted. "With all the great press you guys got during the trial I told her I should be allowed."
"And what did she say?"
"Well she didn't actually say no, so I took it as a yes." Cindy reasoned.
"Of course you did." Jill shook her head. "I can't believe she did this," she commented as she looked around the room. "This is not something she would normally do."
"Yeah, I wonder where she got the idea." Claire replied with a grin at Cindy.
Cindy thought she had snuck in unnoticed until Denise made her way over to the table. "Ladies," she addressed them as she sat in the empty seat next to her.
Noticing Jill's unease Claire decided to calm any tension, "very nice party Denise. Thanks," she offered.
"Yes well." Denise gave a quick sideways glance to Cindy. "It was suggested that this would be a good way for the office to come together after a difficult time."
"Good for office morale." Lindsay deduced.
"And interoffice cooperation." Denise directed toward Lindsay and Claire.
"Well you got the Mayor to come at least." Jill interjected.
"Yes. The Mayor. Speaking of which," Denise finally turned to Cindy. "The Mayor commented to me that before he was elected he liked coming to this bar."
"Why's that?" Cindy asked, because she never met a statement that didn't require follow-up.
"Well, since you asked, they sometimes have live music." Denise answered as she pointed to a piano in the corner, next to the bar. "Part of the reason he accepted the invitation was in hopes of hearing some."
Cindy glanced at the piano then looked back at Denise. "No." she answered simply.
"Yes." Denise said with a grin.
"Come on." Cindy pleaded.
"You know, the Mayor has an announcement coming up that would be a great exclusive for someone." Denise tempted.
The reporter immediately perked up. "And he'd give it to me?"
"Depends on how well you play. Besides, I bet the posse would love to hear you."
"Fine." The redhead finally relented. "But not too long."
"Thank you." Denise said as she stood up.
"You going to accompany me?" Cindy questioned before Denise got too far away.
Denise turned back and leaned over Cindy's shoulder, "no. And don't even think about it." She threatened.
Cindy growled as she stood up from the table. "Things I do for that woman," she grumbled.
Seeing the look that statement put on Jill's face Claire once again broke the tension, "so Denise sings?"
Cindy giggled at the question. "Let's just say she likes to sing."
The three women watched their friend walk off before Jill broke the silence, "so we're a posse now?"
"It's better than a club." Lindsay replied.
"You would think so." Jill teased.
Claire watched as Cindy sat down at the piano and started playing. "Just so you know. They are pretty good for each other."
"Shut your mouth." Jill whined.
"On one of our date nights, Ed and I ran into them. They seemed really happy."
Jill observed the way Denise was watching Cindy, and the way Cindy kept glancing back at her and it was getting harder for her to wish the whole thing didn't exist. Because they really did seem happy.
"Plus Cindy hasn't been in jail once since Denise bailed her out last time." Lindsay smiled, remembering the look on Cindy's face when it was Denise standing on the outside of the cell. "So that's a good thing in my book."
**
By midnight the party had cleared out, Claire went home to the family and Lindsay had finally talked Jill into accepting a ride home. Cindy told them to go ahead, she was just going to hang around a little longer.
A few minutes after leaving Lindsay came back in to retrieve Jill's forgotten jacket. The bar was pretty empty except for a few neighborhood regulars so she was a little surprised to see Cindy back at the piano. She was about to sneak back out when she heard Denise actually singing, she wasn't terrible but Lindsay understood why she didn't want to sing in front of her subordinates, much less the Mayor. She stood and listened for a few minutes and when she heard Denise sing And I love it all, every line and every scar she found herself wishing that Jill could see them like this, just once.
Then remembering a drunken Jill still sitting in her car and decided she better get her friend home.
She was still smiling when she climbed back into her car and even in her current state Jill was able to pick up on the meaning behind it.
"She's still not joining the club," was all Jill said.
Lindsay smiled as she drove away, not really needing any further explanation.
A/N: I know the piano is becoming it's own character, but I listen to music when I write.
Just be glad I went with 'Come Down to Me' by Saving Jane and not 'I Grieve' by Peter Gabriel.
