AN: This story is written for "Jodm" and "meixel" and is a response to a writer's challenge.

Special thanks in advance to my readers for reading :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters, locations or canon information depicted in the series "The Streets of San Francisco". I'm just borrowing them for my pleasure and hopefully the enjoyment of others.

Revelations

Upon reaching the doorstep Jeannie Stone dug her hand into her purse in search of her house keys when to her surprise the front door opened. "Well, you're home early!" She beamed.

"And aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Actually I wasn't expecting you to be back for a little while myself," Mike let out a nervous chuckle, checked his watch then stepped back and ushered his daughter inside.

Jeannie knew her father better than anyone and if there was one thing that Mike was not good at, it was his attempts at hiding something from her. "Mike?"

"Why don't you relax on the sofa and I'll make us some coffee." Before Jeannie could reply, Mike quickly headed toward the kitchen.

"Coffee? It's a million degrees! How about a glass of cold water and a block of ice?" Jeannie called out. Sighing, she threw her purse on the sofa then sat down.

Making sure his daughter was settled on the sofa, Mike hastily opened the fridge door then reached inside and grabbed the chilled bottle of water. He couldn't help but take another quick glance at the large sponge and cream cake taking up residence on the centre shelf. A smile spread across his face as he re-read the words, Happy 21st Birthday Jeannie, decorated in pink icing. Tearing his eyes off the cake, Mike closed the refrigerator door.

"How was your day, Sweetheart?" Mike asked as he reappeared with two glasses of ice cold water in his hands. He handed Jeannie a glass and placed his down on the coffee table.

Jeannie took a few gulps of water before also setting her own glass down beside her father's then folded her arms and recounted her day in an exasperated tone. "Well, aside from wasting a trip all the way down to Sunset District, my bus was delayed and the guy I spoke to yesterday sold the car a couple of hours before I reached his house. You would think he at least had the decency to call me before I made my way over there."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!" Mike stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jeannie's shoulders. "Listen, I have some old records sitting on the shelf in the garage. How about you pick out a couple of good tunes for us to listen to and I'll see if I can whip up something quick for dinner?"

For the second time since Jeannie walked inside the house, she sensed something was definitely amiss with her father. "Mike, is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No, no everything is just fine. Now go on and get those records and liven the place up a bit huh?" Mike drew away from Jeannie then turned around and headed into the kitchen.

Well, it's one thing to forget his daughter's birthday but please don't let him be going through some kind of a mid-life crisis! Jeannie groaned inwardly then pulled herself up from the sofa and grabbed the keys to the garage which hung from a hook on the wall next to the coat hanger.

Mike checked the clock once more. It was almost time for Jeannie's surprise party to commence and he hoped that Steve had everyone in position in the garage. His responsibility was to mount the candles on the cake, light them then take it to the party. So far he had managed to fool Jeannie into believing he'd forgotten her birthday and everything was more or less going according to plan. What could possibly go wrong?

Although the sun had almost disappeared below the horizon, the sweltering heat lingered and Jeannie wiped a thin sheen of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. When she reached the side door of Mike's detached garage, she slipped the key in the lock but discovered to her surprise that it wasn't even locked. Odd. Brushing aside her suspicions that someone must've tampered with the lock and broken in, Jeannie turned the knob and wrenched the door open. She stepped inside and searched the wall for a light switch when the door suddenly shut behind her and a noise caused her to gasp out loud. Suddenly she felt someone wrap their arms around her. Her survival instincts kicked in and memories of Steve teaching her basic self-defence lessons came rushing back in a timely fashion. Stepping back, Jeannie stomped her boot down hard on her captor's foot, eliciting a growl of pain before driving back her elbow, in the hopes of catching the intruder in the ribs. To her satisfaction she heard an umph as the air was forced from the intruder's lungs. The grip around her waist loosened before several things happened all at once and it began with Jeannie spinning herself out of her captor's grasp completely then swinging her arm across with her fist firmly clenched.

The side door to the garage opened at what everyone would later perceive to be the worst possible moment as Mike took a step inside, Jeannie's cake held out in front him when a figure barrelled straight for him! Someone had switched on the lights and a chorus of: "Surprise!" rang out loudly and jubilantly.

Jeannie stood frozen on the spot, completely bowled over by the spectacle before her eyes as the familiar grinning faces of those from the SFPD's homicide department as well as that of Irene Martin met her gaze. "I…I…I don't know what to say," Jeannie stammered, unable to find the right words to express just how overwhelmed she felt right at that moment. Mike! Wheeling around in search of her father, Jeannie's eyes widened and she clamped her hand over mouth to keep from crying out while her face reddened with embarrassment. There stood before her at the doorway of the garage, her father with his hands still held out in front of him holding onto a large round silver tray and beside him was Steve with a hand over his eye. Both men, she noticed with rising guilt were covered in what she could make out to be cake and cream. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

As the shock of what had occurred wore off, Mike looked down at the tray then at the mess on his shirt, before a grin dispersed the clump of cake from his mouth and chin. Out of reflex he licked his lips. "Mmm."

Even though his eye felt like it had swollen up to the size of a watermelon, his foot throbbed and his ribs were aching, Steve was unable to contain himself any longer and broke out in peals of laughter, pointing at Mike's face.

Mike turned his head slowly to one side and stared daggers at Steve, then with a mischievous grin he planted the tray against Steve's chest, taking great care to smear the remainder of the cake all over his protégé's shirt and chortled heartily.

Relieved and amused by her father's behavior and Steve's, Jeannie let out a nervous giggle that was joined by the laughter and whistling of Mike's colleagues behind her.

"Aw, Mike, that was my best shirt!" Steve whined, picking at the remains of the cake from his brand new dress shirt then licking at his fingers. "Hmm…You're right, this is good cake."

"Oh Steve, I'm really, really sorry," Jeannie said apologetically as she eyed the mark her fist had left over Steve's left eye.

It was Steve's turn to go bright red in the face when all eyes turned his way and a series of collective winces broke out.

Still holding the rim of the tray in one hand, Mike used the other to hold Steve's jaw and angle the young man's face toward him. "What did you do to yourself, Buddy Boy? I leave you alone for a few minutes and you're already walking into someone's fist."

Steve rolled his eyes and mumbled incoherently under his breath.

"I thought he was an intruder. I heard a noise then felt someone grab me!" Jeannie tried to explain what had happened.

"I tripped when I was reaching for the lights. My bad," Steve added.

"You really should get some ice on that," Bill Tanner advised in between fits of laughter.

"Yeah, no one's going to want to go out with a face looking like that!" Norm Haseejian called out.

"Come on guys. How about showing some sympathy for the walking wounded, huh?" Steve protested.

"Jeannie, have you ever considered joining…" Lee Lessing began but was cut off immediately by Mike's booming voice.

"Oh no. No, no, she hasn't considered and she won't be considering a career where she'll start beating on her colleagues. I won't be held responsible, no way, fellas!" Mike countered with enough of a hint of seriousness behind his words that everyone knew what he really thought if Jeannie had turned around and said she wanted to join the force.

"Well you know, Daddy, I'm legally old enough now to make up my own decisions," Jeannie teased with a pout.

"Really now? We'll see about that," Mike scoffed, earning him the glowering look of not just his daughter but Inspector Irene Martin who had sidled up to Jeannie's side and noisily cleared her throat. "Well, I mean, regardless of whether or not she's legally of age, Jeannie is just too young to be making up that sort of life changing decision right now…"

"Oh I agree," Irene nodded. "But if I find out you're benching you daughter because she's a woman, then…"

"Yes, yes, women's lib, I know all about that," Mike cut in, admiring the way Irene had her hair pinned on my side with a diamante clip that sparkled like her eyes.

The two women giggled and Irene wrapped her arm around Jeannie's shoulder. "Happy birthday, honey."

Jeannie thanked Irene then turned to face her father. "I'm sorry about the cake, Mike. It smells delicious."

"Uh…that's er…that's quite alright," Mike stuttered, dancing from foot to foot and looking nervously at Irene then at Steve who avoided his gaze.

Jeannie immediately put two and two together. "Oh no! Irene, I had no idea you made the cake and I just ruined it…I'm so sorr…"

"Oh honey, don't apologize! It was an accident. Besides, it was worth seeing the look on your father's face," Irene snickered, brushing Jeannie's apology aside and giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Now come on, it's your birthday and the birthday girl never apologizes, alright?"

Jeannie sighed in relief and out of gratitude then nodded.

"Good!" Irene exclaimed delightfully then turned he attention to the others, "Come on guys, how about a song?"

Jeannie's cheeks burned fiercely as the crowd around her bellowed a happy birthday tune and cheered.

Amid the clapping, cheering and laughter Steve surreptitiously stepped forward, took hold of Jeannie's hand, leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek, whispering in her ear, "Happy birthday, beautiful."

Jeannie's heart skipped a beat and a tingling sensation started at the corner of her eyes while butterflies fluttered their wings in her stomach. She took a deep breath to compose herself and inclined her head to meet Steve's eyes but he had already stepped back and blended in with the crowd.

"Okay, okay!" Mike hollered. "Since we'll be skipping cake, let's move on to the next phase, shall we? Would you do the honors, Buddy Boy?"

"It'll be my pleasure,"Steve replied enthusiastically with a wink directed at the birthday girl as he walked past her and through the crowd that dispersed to form a clear path for him.

Jeannie tried to peer around Steve as her curiosity got the best of her.

A silent countdown seemed to be at hand before Steve grabbed the end of an old tarp covering a large object beneath then pulled it, unveiling a shiny, four wheeled two-door vehicle.

Jeannie's jaw dropped to the floor when she saw the familiar machine and its glossy red paint reflecting off the lights overhead.

"Well, what do you think? Did I pick up the right car?" Steve demanded playfully, grinning from ear to ear.

"You….you bought me a car? The one I was meant to pick up today. Steve, I…I…" Jeannie was at a loss for words.

"Not just me. Your father and Irene pitched in," Steve explained with a nod toward his partner and Inspector Martin.

Mike moved up to his daughter and placed both hands on either side of her shoulder. "Happy birthday, Sweetheart."

Glowing with happiness, Jeannie spun around and hugged her father. "Thank you, Mike, for everything. I love you." Then after releasing her father, Jeannie took Irene's hands and warmly thanked her.

"You're welcome, honey. Happy birthday." Irene replied then leaned forward and kissed Jeannie's cheek.

There was one more person Jeannie wanted to thank and it sent a thrill through her as she met his eyes and closed the short distance between them.

"I take it, you like the car?" Steve quipped, knowing full well that Jeannie was ecstatic. She'd been saving up for a new car for little over a year, even taking a casual job in between her schooling. When she saw the ad for this particular car, Jeannie was determined to purchase it even though Mike preferred she bought something that didn't stand out so much and with less horse power. Of course, when Irene overheard a conversation between Steve and Mike, Irene had sided with him about purchasing the car for Jeannie's birthday, reminding Mike just how much Jeannie reminded her of herself when she was her age. Steve had also been noticing Mike turning into a great big marshmallow in recent weeks, whenever Irene was around and took the most of every opportune moment to tease his partner about it. Mike had, of course, denied he still bore feelings for his ex-fiancé which did nothing to convince Steve otherwise.

"Are you kidding? I love it!" Jeannie exclaimed then threw her arms around Steve's neck.

Taken by the moment, Steve wrapped his arms around Jeannie. He wanted nothing more than to hold on to her for as long as he could but he knew that would be inappropriate. Before it became too difficult for him to extricate himself, Steve gently pulled away, only to be caught by Jeannie's brilliant blue gaze. "The party's waiting for you," he croaked with a crooked grin.

Jeannie drew herself up on her tip toes and felt compelled to kiss Steve. It was as if no one else were in the room until the sound of a Champagne bottle being uncorked, followed by cheers erupting brought her back to reality. Flushed and a little disappointed that the moment dissipated into nothingness, Jeannie cleared her throat and pretended to pick at the remnants of cake from Steve's shirt before excusing herself then joining the party and thanking everyone for being there for her.

"You know, Mike, there is something I've been wondering about. Where did everyone park their cars? I didn't even see Steve's or Irene's cars parked out front," Jeannie asked curiously as she slid into the driver's seat of the her newly acquired car, while Mike held the door open for her.

Just at that moment Bill Tanner passed Mike a glass of Champagne and caught Jeannie's question. "That's because he made us park in the side streets and walk all the way here. Now, the boys and I aren't complaining since this is your birthday bash but if it were Mike's….well…let's just say that would've been an entirely different story."

Jabbing his finger into Tanner's chest, Mike replied, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that!"

"Happy twenty-first, Jean," Bill smiled down at the birthday girl and raised his glass in a toast.

Leaning against the garage wall and holding a glass of Champagne in one hand, Steve watched the party hit full swing.

"Earth to Steve. Earth to Steve." Irene waved her hand up and down in front of the young Inspector's face.

"Sorry. I guess I was off someplace else," Steve said apologetically. "So what's going on with you and Mike, huh?" He flashed a grin at Irene who looked down, trying to hide the color appearing in her cheeks.

"Well, I don't know. I mean, it's complicated," Irene replied, looking up to face Steve.

"Oh come on, now. You've been stealing my lunch partner for the last, what? Two weeks? It can't be that complicated. You know, Mike really likes your home made lasagne. If you want a little advice, don't you think it's time you moved on to dinner now? Maybe light some candles, listen to some jazz and open up a bottle of wine…" Steve teased in a quiet voice, giving Irene a soft punch on the arm.

Irene's eyes twinkled and she let out a laugh. "You're really a sweet guy, Steve. I never took you as a true romantic at heart."

"Oh really? I'm surprised Mike hasn't told you about that side of me. It really does exist contrary to rumors at the station."

"Actually, Mike is a little worried about you. Apparently you've been at the office the last few Friday nights instead of out on a date." Irene eyed Steve as his expression changed and took on a more serious look. Worried that she had hit a nerve or over stepped the boundaries and pried into Steve's personal life she continued, "I'm sorry, it's probably not my place. Forget I said anything. Mike was just kidding around. You know how he is."

"No, it's okay. Don't apologize. I'm just a little surprised that Mike took that much of an interest in my love life to talk about it with you. It just goes to prove my point that he really cares about you and feels close enough to talk to you about his concerns for me."

Irene noticed that Steve was trying to switch the conversation back to her. Call it women's intuition, she thought, but there was no question in her eyes that Steve was hiding something. Something that he didn't want Mike to know about and she had a strong inclination of what that something was. "Steve, can I offer you some advice?"

"Sure." Steve took a sip of Champagne and waited for Irene to continue.

"Don't wait too long."

Steve gave Irene an inquiring look.

"I've seen the way you look at her and you know what?" Irene leaned in closer to Steve and directed his attention to the girl sitting in the driver's seat of the 1970 Ford Maverick. "Don't you think it's time it's time you moved on to dinner now? Maybe light some candles, listen to some jazz and open up a bottle of wine…" Giving Steve a friendly pat on the arm, Irene smiled triumphantly at the look on Steve's face, adding, "Bill's right. You should get some ice on that eye," before walking off to engage in a conversation with Mike, leaving Steve in a state of utter speechlessness.

END