Last Song
The door flew open as Alex Eames entered her apartment. She dropped her purse on the floor, content spilling everywhere. A drink, a drink, she needed a drink before she collapsed.
Reaching the couch, she fell down hard, sobs finally escaping her body in a rush of relief.
Damn him! Damn Bobby Goren! She could have killed him! It was weeks later, and still every day it was a struggle to enter the precinct calmly, go through the motions of partnership and detective work. She knew she was hurting him with her silence, and her question, "Are you sure you need both of us for this?" Good! She was suffering too.
She spent a long time on the couch deep in thought. Finally she reached a decision. It would hurt, but it was time for them both to move on. She would tell Captain Ross as soon as she got into work tomorrow.
Feeling no better but slightly emptier, she got up from the couch. She would feel better for a shower. But she could feel (how could she feel at a time like this?) guilt tugging at her. She had not checked e-mail in a few days. It in fact had been before what she called in her own mind The Discovery. She still got bills and other legal papers by snail mail, but still she worried that she had missed something important.
Sighing, she sat at her desk and logged on. A few e-coupons from her favorite shoe store—and one from her soon-to-be-former partner. Dated, hmm, a day after he had gotten his badge back. Erase it? It was probably an apology, but its subject line, "A Quick Song," had her intrigued.
"Dear Eames, I heard this in a used bookstore the other day and the words just came into my head. I don't really know why exactly, but I thought I'd share them with you. Please read this. And, please forgive a fool."
Puff the Magic Dragon
Lived by the Sea
And protected all the innocent
in the land of Brave and Free.
Little Alex Dutton
loved that dragon true,
he brought her sugared coffee,
and rainbow skittles, too.
Together they would travel
in a car of magic wheels
And Puff would do his magic tricks
While Alex Dutton steered.
The innocent were joyful,
the bad men shook with fear,
When Alex and her dragon
In the city would appear
A dragon lives forever,
Friendships seldom do,
and bad mistakes and angry words
replaced a love so true,
As one black night it happened,
Alex turned away,
No sugar cups or magic words
Were enough to make her stay.
Puff's head hung with sorrow,
tears fell on the floor,
he knew without his little friend
His magic was no more,
Without his partner by his side,
His magic spells went too,
And Puff knew that all his life,
He would miss her love so true.
"This might be the last true thing I am allowed to share with you. It's a silly thing, but why not something silly? You always did love my silliness."
Alex logged off her computer, feeling rather misty eyed. Now was time for a good shower. As the water misted up around her, she remembered hearing that song growing up, occasionally tearing up in sympathy for the poor abandoned creature. Was that what she was doing? Abandoning him? Suddenly she thought of how happy he'd been on the day he got his badge back. Had he thought she had forgiven him? She told him quite succinctly that she hadn't. But if she had, that day could have been different. She had stolen that happiness from him. He probably hadn't deserved that. No, she knew he didn't. And how many other days had she taken from their partnership?
She dried her tears as the faucet was turned off. Enough wasted days. One more chance. For both of them.