Steve came into headquarters followed by Danny. They stopped at the front desk and he set down a large manila envelope with the word 'Evidence' scribbled on the front. It was the last piece of business from the case they had just closed.
"Hey John," he said to the officer behind the counter, "Can you log this for me please? The case number in on the cover sheet."
"Sure Commander."
"Thanks." He went to turn when a wadded up piece of paper hit him in the chest. He looked over in the direction it came from and held his arms out wide, "What?"
"Don't what me," Sarah Hickey said as she came from around her desk. She was one of only a few people who worked on the first floor of the station that was not an actual police officer. She worked as a processor that logged the cases once the evidence was passed over from the arresting officer to another. It was examined and then the paperwork was given to her. She loved the atmosphere and the people she worked with but had no desire to be a police officer herself.
Steve groaned as she came toward him, knowing he was in trouble. Her auburn hair was up in a ponytail that day which was a second choice of two; the other was a semi-loose bun. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen it down before. The thin frame glasses she only wore while working matched the color of her hair and made her face seem longer than it actually was. The freckles on her cheeks were more apparent than usual which told him she had been out in the sun recently. Her white teeth weren't perfect but the smile that illuminated from her made him smile every time he saw it. She was a couple of inches shorter than he was and always wore clothes that seemed a size too big for her small frame. She was plain-looking by most opinions but she had the personality that could suck you in, and she was fine with that, knowing most men always saw her as one of the boys first and then a woman second. They just never looked at her any other way.
"I swear," Steve said, holding up his hands as she approached from around the counter, "I'll bring it tomorrow."
"I can't believe you would lie to my face like that."
He tried a new approach for an excuse. "I've been really busy on this case."
Sarah looked over at Danny as he leaned against a desk and checked the messages on his phone. He didn't even bother looking up to reply. "We weren't that busy."
Steve glared at him. "Thanks for the backup. Partner!"
Danny replied by giving him a thumbs up on his free hand.
She looked back at Steve with a scowl.
He pulled up his best smile trying to patronize her. "Sarah," he said, oozing with sweetness. "Who's your favorite detective, huh?"
"Danny," she replied grinning.
Danny grinned and pointed at her with his eyes still focused on his phone screen.
"Danny," Steve practically laughed, "that's a lie." He came over and put his arm around her shoulder. "You're trying to hurt me aren't you?"
"When Danny asks me for a special favor and says he'll bring me a Puka Dog in return," she glanced over her shoulder at him, "he always brings it the next day."
Steve and Sarah both looked at him as he blew on his knuckles and then rubbed them on his shirt as if giving himself a pat on the back.
Steve growled at him and turned Sarah so she couldn't see him anymore. "I'm sorry. I know I owe you. How about if Friday night at happy hour, it's my treat."
"He never brings his wallet," Danny blurted out.
"I know," Sarah laughed.
"Will you shut up!" Steve blasted him and then quickly focused back on Sarah. "I swear," he held his hand up, "I will bring my wallet and I'll buy. I promise."
She crossed her arms and walked back towards her desk. "Okay, we'll see."
He started walking backwards with Danny toward the stairs, "Friday night," he called out, "Donner's. The checks mine."
She sat down at her desk and watched him climb the stairs up toward the Five 0 offices. She felt that familiar flutter that he always gave her whenever they were together. She sighed, focusing on her computer deciding not to go there, she had too much work to do, besides it was a waste of emotion to feel over someone that was so completely unattainable and so out of her league it was laughable.
She looked over the top of her computer and saw John smiling at her. She smiled back and ducked down like she was busy. He was the type of man she should have been attracted too, the same as he was to her. He didn't set his sights on impossible women like Katie Harper for instance. Sarah looked over at her as she stood at the printer. Her long tanned legs looked stunning in the blue skirt she had on with her dark hair hanging perfectly down her back. She was in Steve's league, Sarah thought, if she only looked half as pretty as Katie he would be falling at her feet. Katie probably could have had him too if she wanted, but to Sarah's relief Katie had a girlfriend. She was pleased about that, because she wasn't sure she would be able to stand watching them together. Sarah laughed to herself thinking if she were gay she probably would have tried for Katie too, she just didn't know her limitations.
Steve was a good fantasy, but in reality it was also working against her. She never dated because of her crazy crush, not that she would ever admit her lack of a social life was because of him. She blamed it on her lack of girl qualities that attracted the opposite sex. She grew up with four older brothers and spent more time playing football then painting her nails. She could walk, talk and play like one of the boys, but when a pretty girl walked by and the men she was with all stopped and took notice she would cringe, knowing none of them saw her that way. She was a buddy, not a girl.
Still, if she could have given her left arm for just one man to notice her that way, it would have been Steve, but that arm would just have to stay intact because they had crossed over to the 'friend zone' a long time before, and that was her reality with him and that's all she had resolved it would ever be. He saw her as a little sister, the same as Danny and all the rest of them. She glanced over her computer again at John, 'well except for him,' she thought, wishing she were even the slightest bit attracted to him. He was a nice guy.
"Happy Hour with Steve on Friday huh," Carol, another evidence processor said, squatting down next to Sarah's chair.
Sarah smiled at her, "We're just friends."
"I know but every girl in here is jealous of that friendship. Well, except for maybe Katie," she chuckled. "We all wish he'd put his arm around us."
"He doesn't mean anything by it."
"Come on Sarah," she pushed. "He's a cute guy, nice smile, good body. He could see you that way too if you'd just give him a chance." She nudged her. "Show off the goods a little."
Sarah laughed at her. She had sexy clothes that hung in her closet, but that's where they remained, in her closet with the tags still on them. She just couldn't bring herself to wear them out of the house. Being raised with all boys and growing up in jeans and T-shirts might have seemed normal for her back then, but it was a curse now. She never felt comfortable showing off her body. She was still one of the only people her age on the beach in Hawaii that wore a one-piece bathing suit, besides the ones that really should have and even some of them still braved the bikini. "There is nothing under here to show off, and besides," she lied, "I don't see him that way either. It would be too weird to date him."
"Well, if I were twenty years younger I would have at least given it a shot."
Sarah looked over her shoulder at her, "Maybe your husband will give you a free pass."
"Or maybe I could live vicariously through you." Carol patted her arm before she walked off. "You need a boyfriend." She playfully pointed at John who simultaneously dropped an armful of papers as they scattered on the floor in front of her desk.
Carol laughed at the timing of it as Sarah got down and helped him clean up the mess.
"Thanks Sarah," he said blushing. "They just slipped out of the clip."
"Happens to me too," she lied, not wanting him to feel foolish. She looked up at him and smiled, but felt the same for him that she knew Steve felt for her, nothing.
'Mother Nature is a bitch from hell,' she thought humorously.
Sarah sat across from Steve in Donner's Bar. They were alone after the others had just left. She reached for the last chip that had been a pile of chicken nachos a half hour earlier, popping it in her mouth and then washing it down with the remains of her Long Board beer. The waitress set the check down and as Steve went to reach for it Sarah put her hand over it first. "Hold on."
"What? I thought I was buying?" He gave her a wry smile, reaching in his back pocket and displaying his wallet. "I brought it, see!"
Sarah chuckled over that joke. "I knew you would, but," she bit her bottom lip, "I was hoping that maybe you would let me pay. I kind of changed my mind on the return favor."
Steve sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "You are just now telling me this? Good strategy, wait until I'm relaxed with a full belly."
Sarah grinned because that is exactly how she had planned it.
He motioned with his hand for her to bring it on. "Okay, come on, let me have it."
"Well," she said, "as you know I do some volunteer work up at Queen's hospital."
He nodded, "Yeah, very commendable." He could sense a community service to be in his near future.
"There is this little six year old boy named Jacob that comes in for treatment. He has leukemia." She saw his face wince over that piece of information. "He asks me all the time about police stuff. He's just a fanatic his mom said about police shows and movies. I guess whenever he sees a police officer he freaks out."
He raised an eyebrow, patiently waiting for her request, "Okay."
"So…I was wondering if you guys would be willing to take him on a ride or let him come up and spend a few hours with you?"
Steve shrugged, "Sure, we could do that?"
"You would?" she said overly pleased and a little surprised at the quick yes.
"Of course, it would be pretty cool." He leaned forward resting his arms on the table, "You know what would be one better, is if we made up a case and let him solve it."
"Oh my god," Sarah exclaimed, "that would be so great! You are going to love him Steve, he's the cutest little thing in the world." She clapped her hands happily. "I'm so glad you agreed to this."
He looked at her oddly, "Why would you think I wouldn't?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I just know how busy you are."
"This is going to be fun. To tell you the truth, I thought you were going to say the pediatric wing needed new dry wall or something like that."
Sarah laughed reaching for the check. "I would have cornered Danny for that one."
Steve grabbed the bill before she could, pulling out his credit card. "See," he said knowingly, "I knew I was your favorite."
Sarah rolled her eyes at him; "I like you both equally for different reasons."
He handed the bill to the waitress who Sarah caught looking at him again in that familiar way, trying to pass on some vibe. Women were always doing that. The part she hated the most was the way they looked at her. She could just read their minds, wondering what SHE was doing with HIM.
"You have to say that," Steve continued, "like a mom has to say she loves both her kids equally. You would never admit that one of your big brothers was your favorite but you have one, and Danny's the little sister you always wanted."
She laughed with him on that one, but it stung a little too, it was the first time he ever actually verbally compared himself as a brother to her, but just as she had expected, that's exactly how he felt.
He waited for the waitress to return with his card, looking at Sarah as she walked to the bathroom before they left. He couldn't help but remember the last time they had been in this bar together. It had been her birthday a little over a month before and he and Danny had arrived late for the party after closing a case. She was sitting at the bar with a couple of officers from work and he laughed remembering her turning on the bar stool to greet them and almost falling off. They had been steadily buying her drinks and it was obvious she was drunk.
"Don't let her drink anymore," he warned them as they set another shot of tequila down in front of her. "Come on guys," he laughed, moving it before she could see it.
"I can drink them under table," she slurred, "under this table," she corrected herself, slapping her hand on the bar, unknowingly knocking over a bowl of popcorn. The two at the bar with her cracked up as they scooped up the mess.
"I'm sure you could," Danny agreed, "if they were drinking too!" He reached over and playfully shoved one of them on the shoulder. "She's going to puke if you don't knock it off."
"I have to go to the bathroom," Sarah announced, sliding off the bar stool and putting a hand on Danny's shoulder as she wobbled.
"Got it there sister?" he said, holding her by the arm.
She let go, steadying herself and then smiled brightly, "No problem." They watched her walk toward the bathroom and almost run into a wood beam, but catching herself at the last second. They both turned and glared at the accomplices.
"We got to take off," one laughed. "You guys get the second half."
Steve recalled sitting at the bar, finishing off his first beer, knowing she was going to need looking after. The two that had done the damage had left early and he and Danny and a couple of others still remained to finish off her birthday celebration, even though he was pretty sure she wouldn't remember any of it the next morning. He watched her stand at the jukebox trying to pick out songs with the money he'd given her. She had one hand braced against the glass dome and the other holding a plain diet coke even though he told her it was rum and coke, forgoing an argument that it was her birthday and all. She had no clue.
Do you want to do rock, paper, scissors to see who's getting her home tonight?" Danny asked him.
Steve laughed, "No, you have to pay a babysitter. I'll take her." He looked back over at her as Tommy; a rookie in their department who was standing dangerously close to her. She looked over at him and laughed at something he said as he moved a little closer, whispering something to her and then she laughed again. This time his hand went on her back and slowly made its way south.
"What the hell," Danny said, setting his beer down.
"I got it," Steve said, coming off the bar stool and walking toward the jukebox. By the time he got there, Tommy's hand had already begun to gently caress her. He leaned against the machine and glared at him. "Hey Tommy. You have a drink somewhere waiting for you?"
He looked up, seeing it was Steve and stood erect, quickly taking his hand off of Sarah. "Hey Commander. Ahh, yeah, I have one over by the pool table."
"You better get back to it then before something prevents you from being able to finish it."
He nodded and smiled at Sarah, "Bye Sarah."
She looked over her shoulder at him as he walked away. "What?" She looked back at Steve, blinking several times trying to get him in focus. "He was nice."
"He wasn't nice Sarah," he said, shaking his head as he led her back to the bar by her forearm.
"Yes he was. He wanted to talk to me."
"He was taking advantage of you being drunk."
She laughed, "No he wasn't. How do you know?"
Steve and Danny both stared at her, grinning as if telling her, they knew! She turned around and yelled out at him. "You big jerk!"
"Okay," Danny said, throwing some money on the bar. "I think we call it a night."
"Agreed," Steve said, taking her by the arm again as Danny grabbed her purse. "Say good night to the birthday girl," he yelled to the patrons that were still hanging out. They cheered her on as she waved over her shoulder while being led out of the bar, yelling just a little too loud. "Good night! Happy Birthday!" She looked up at Steve and laughed, "It's my birthday." She started giggling over her mistake. "Did you hear that," she could barely contain herself. "I said happy birthday to them, but it's my birthday."
"Yes," Steve said humoring her, "that was very funny."
Danny leaned over and kissed her cheek before departing to his car. "Happy Birthday Sarah. Sorry you won't remember it."
"Danny!" she yelled out, grabbing him around the neck and hugging him. "Thank you for coming! You're the best! The best! The best!"
He winced from the tight hold, looking over her shoulder at Steve's amusement over her drunkenness. Danny mouthed the words. "She's going to puke in your truck," and then grinned as Steve's smile slowly faded over that piece of information.
She let go and stumbled backwards as they both reached out, steadying her. "I think I drank too much," she mumbled as the parking lot began to spin.
Danny opened the truck door as Steve held her around the waist with one arm, tossing her purse in the front seat. "You got this?" he laughed as her eyes began to flutter.
"Yeah, but if she pukes I'm going to kill her," he said jokingly.
"Good luck." Danny waved over his shoulder as he headed to his car.
Sarah looked at up at him, "Are we leaving?"
"Yes. Get in." He watched as she tried to step up on the side rail of his truck and then slipped off. "Come on tipsy," he chuckled, taking her arm and wrapping it around his shoulder, lifting her and setting her inside on the seat. He went to pull away as she spoke to him.
"You are soooo cute. You know how cute you are?"
He just laughed over her slurring of the words and not necessarily the meaning.
She grabbed on to his shirt as he reached over to do her seat belt. "I love you Steve."
"I love you too Sarah," he said amusing her as he locked her in and made sure it was secure. He went to get out and she held on firmly to his shirt.
"No!" she shook her head, trying to get her point across. "Me," she put one hand on her chest and then on his, "love you. I'm love with you."
He stared at her as she tried to focus on him for about three seconds and then her head began to bob up and down and her eyes became heavy until it finally fell forward. "Sarah?" he asked, bending down, seeing that she clearly had passed out. He stood just outside her door, trying to decipher the words that just came out of her mouth. 'She's drunk,' he told himself, not wanting to admit what he heard. He never had, nor could he see her in that way. She was Sarah. She was like Mary. He shook his head closing the door, 'She's just a happy, loving drunk.'
He watched her walk back toward the table from the restrooms as he slipped his credit card back into his wallet. He never mentioned that incident to her or anyone else. He quizzed her the next day on what she remembered about the night before and it was very little. She had no recollection of even leaving the bar that night, so he knew she didn't remember that. He just let it go; telling himself again it was because she was drunk. She had never given him any kind of signal that she ever saw him any other way than a friend.
"Are you ready?' she asked, standing next to the table.
He pushed his chair back and stood up. "Yep." The thought slipped out of his mind as she leaned into him.
"I think that waitress would have forgone a tip for a date."
He looked over at her. "What?"
"Never mind," she chuckled, loving the fact that he was completely oblivious to the chaos he caused over women. It made him even more appealing, which she hated.
He was more occupied by the fact that she was trying to hook him up than he was to take a second look back at the waitress. It only solidified his thoughts that Sarah saw him as friend and nothing more.