The Cable Car Chronicles present a new story, "No Stone Left Unturned". It's written by many of the writers that frequent this fandom from several parts of the world. The story is set around Christmas time and the theme is 'homecoming'. While it's well past Christmas, we bet that the sentiment carries year around. We hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your friendly San Francisco Cable Car operator welcoming you all aboard! Please note that we do not own any of the original characters, locations or canon information depicted in the series "The Streets of San Francisco". We are merely borrowing them for our tale and shall return them to their rightful owners upon reaching our destination. So sit back, hold on tightly to your belongings and enjoy the ride...
Chapter 1
"Of course I haven't forgotten!" Bill Tanner proclaimed just a little bit louder than intended. Detectives Dan Healy and Norm Haseejian pulled their eyes away from their work and knew by the tone of the conversation, the recipient of the exasperation was Mrs. Tanner. Bill lowered his voice to continue, "I'll drop by the toy store on the way home. That new bike for Billy is ready. We'll keep it in the garage for the next couple of days."
Dan and Norm heard only one side of the call as they split their attention between paperwork and Bill. "He won't see the bike, Pam. He never goes into the garage, plus we've got a tarp..."
After a few more minutes and a quick good-bye, Tanner turned to his colleagues.
"Too much trouble!" Norm announced. Bill rolled his eyes as he knew what was coming. "I have a date with a single woman on Christmas Day. It's a home-cooked ham dinner with no strings and more importantly no snotnosed bike-riding rugrats."
Bill knew Norm was kidding as he often teased his colleague about his family commitments. In reality, Haseejian and Healy, while both swinging bachelors (the former by choice), respected their colleague and understood the time commitment and pressure he was under being a cop, a husband and a father of two.
"Nothing like waiting until the last minute, Bill. What time does the store close?" Healy asked.
"I'm not sure," Tanner answered as he looked into the glass cubicle that housed their boss, Lieutenant Mike Stone.
"Stores have been known to be closed on Christmas Eve, so it could be a real madhouse today. I wouldn't wait too long," Healy said with a mischievous smile.
The trio of detectives now looked at their superior, hoping that he would exit his office and announce that they were free to go home for the day. After all, Christmas Eve was the next day and while Haseejian and Healy would return to provide skeleton staff coverage, life at the Bureau would likely be quiet over the holidays.
Mike looked up from his desk feeling the stare of his detectives. He tried to suppress a grin as he rose from his chair and made his way out to the main area. "What are you three looking at?"
The men were silent. "Well?" Mike asked again.
"Gee, Boss," Healy began. "It's like this: Bill needs to go pick up a bike for his kid and since me and Norm are on duty over Christmas, we thought maybe we could have the afternoon off." Tanner rolled his eyes at Healy invoking his child's Christmas present as a reason for leaving early.
"Me and Norm, huh?" Mike began as he made slight fun of Healy's street talk. "You two think you should leave early because of his kid's present?" Mike nodded over to Tanner. "Is it because you're on duty over the holiday?"
"Actually, Keller agreed to cover for me the afternoon of Christmas Day. I've got a date." He added, "Sure hope he gets back from his ski trip on time."
"Oh, he did, did he?" Mike continued his tough act. "Between the two of you, I don't know who is worse with the women: you and every single woman in the city over thirty or him and all the younger single women between here and Tahoe." Mike looked at his watch to check the time. "Actually, he should be back in the morning since he's having Christmas Eve dinner and then going to Mass with Jeannie and me tomorrow night."
"Since when does he go to Mass?" Norm asked with an equal mix of curiosity and suspicion.
"After a week in Tahoe with wine, women and song, I'm sure he'll need to pay a visit with the Man upstairs." Mike answered as he checked his watch again, realizing he was late. "Say, Jeannie's bus is due in from Tucson any time now. I need to leave."
Mike turned quickly on his heel, re-entered his office, grabbed his hat and coat and bolted out the door. The three detectives stood still, watching the activity and the door close behind their boss's back. They looked at each other wondering what they should do next.
Suddenly, the Bureau door opened and Mike poked his head back in. "I thought you three needed to leave. What are you waiting for?" The surprised looks on their faces made Mike's grin wider. "Get going or do you need a proclamation from the mayor?"
The trio hustled back to their seats to quickly wrap up their work.
"And Merry Christmas!" the happy lieutenant called out from down the hall.
Mike whistled one of his favorite Christmas carols as he walked towards his car parked in front of the building. Joy to the World, the Lord is come…
Oh, the joy of Christmas- Mike could feel it rising in him, like a bubble ready to burst. There was a spring in his step and his heart was light, full of anticipation. Isn't the anticipation almost the best thing about Christmas? Jeannie coming home today, Steve tomorrow… I hope the traffic is not too bad and she won't be late. What if Steve gets snowed in at Tahoe… Stop it Mike, it's Christmas! he reminded himself as he negotiated the heavy pre-Christmas traffic. Almost high noon, just a few more minutes until I see Jeannie…
Mike parked his car right under a 'no parking' sign and waved at a passing traffic cop on a motorbike. The officer of the law either recognized Iron Mike Stone or he was in festive mood: he only waved back and rode on, just as the Tucson bus pulled up.
Mike stood on the tip of his toes, trying to get the first glimpse of Jeannie's slender frame in the crowd of travelers, all burdened down with lots of luggage.
Here she was at last, struggling with a heavy suitcase and two big bags. Mike sprinted over to help her and she almost dropped the suitcase on his toes in her haste to hug him.
"What a sight for my sore old eyes! You look prettier every time I see you!" He held his daughter at arm's length and scrutinized her lovingly. "Come on, we'd better move the car, I'm kinda blocking the exit."
He took the heavy suitcase and a bag and rushed on. Jeannie followed slowly, looking around, as if she was searching for something.
"Have you lost something, sweetheart?" was Mike's concerned question.
"Nooo…. I just thought that Steve would be here, too!" Jeannie answered.
"Oh, your old father isn't enough, you are looking for Steve!" Mike pretended to be annoyed, though he couldn't hide the grin on his face.
"Aw, Mike, you know what I mean! It is just that last year and the year before when Steve was on call over Christmas and he never got to finish his dinner…" His daughter sounded apologetic.
"Yep, that's exactly why Steve got a week off this year so that he could go skiing!" Mike tried to sound serious.
Jeannie's face fell with disappointment and Mike decided to stop teasing her. "He'll be back tomorrow after lunchtime, I guess."
Jeannie gave him a dig in the ribs on her way to the passenger side of the car, while Mike stowed her luggage in the trunk.
"Disappointed, sweetheart?" he asked kindly.
"Well, a little bit maybe. It would have been nice to have him here[3] for decorating the tree," she admitted.
"Sure! I would have liked someone younger here[4] too to climb up the ladder and stretch over to put the angel on top of the tree." Mike agreed.
"And someone to disentangle the fairy lights" Jeannie added.
"And someone to get the tree to sit straight in the stand…" Father and daughter laughed as they recalled all their little Christmas traditions.
"I can't blame him for absconding tonight, he probably knew that you would land him with all the crappy jobs!" Jeannie quipped, doubled over with laughter.
"Ah, no, just the jobs that don't require any specialist training. I would never leave it to an amateur to sample your sugar cookies!"
"Sugar cookies? That reminds me of something. Mike, I need to go shopping!"
"Women and shopping…" Mike muttered under his breath but obligingly pulled the car over when he saw a convenient and even legal spot.
"How about if I take my beautiful daughter out to lunch and buy her a piece of jewelry as an early Christmas present from one of the stalls over there?" he pointed at a row of vendors displaying their handmade crafts.
"Yes to all, but could we make it a hot dog? There is so much to do this afternoon!"
An hour later father and daughter were strolling back to the car. As promised, Mike had bought Jeannie a pretty silver bangle. He was so full of Christmas cheer that he felt he needed to share it now; he couldn't wait until Christmas Day! Mike was carrying a small grocery bag from a corner store in one hand; in the other hand he held the remains of a hot dog. Jeannie was already licking the last smear of mustard off her fingers.
"I still don't understand why you need sour cream for a Christmas Dinner. It definitely wasn't on the mile long shopping list you gave me over the phone…" Mike was puzzled.
"Oh, I'm trying a new recipe for ginger bread, you know." Jeannie explained.
"Sour cream in ginger bread? Whatever next?"
"Remember last Christmas after Steve returned from a call out, and I heated up his dinner for him?" Jeannie asked.
Mike remembered well and decided to keep his mouth shut.
"When he praised my cooking? He talked about his aunt's ginger bread then."
He sure did and in all innocence mentioned that nobody made ginger bread like his Aunt… Buddy boy has a lot to learn about women! Mike thought.
"I asked him to get me the recipe and I thought I might try it out."
"How kind of you. I'm sure he will really appreciate it."
Jeannie eyed him with a hint of suspicion and decided to change the subject. "Now Mike, I hope you didn't buy Steve tickets for a ball game again!" His daughter had been at him about using more imagination in buying presents for his partner. "And besides, you only buy him tickets for the games you want to see!"
Mike chuckled. "You will be so proud of me. I bought him something really special, a novelty, you might say."
Jeannie's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Go on, Mike, do tell!"
"I got him," he paused for effect, "one of these new-fangled digital radio alarm clocks!"
"Mike!" Jeannie squealed. "You are mean, you are wicked!"
"Mean? How dare you? It cost me a lot, but it will be worth every cent to see his face!" Mike laughed out loud. "And it is so practical, it needs to be plugged in, so he can't put the clock in the wardrobe or fridge and pretend he didn't hear it!"
"We'll go right back to the shops and I'll buy him an extension cord to go with it!" Jeannie joked. "What you should have got him is a tape with your voice." She tried her best Mike imitation. "Get up now! Get your sorry ass out of bed or do I have to drag you?"
Mike put his arm around her and pulled her close. How he had missed his daughter and the laughter and companionship they shared.
"You won't find it so funny when he oversleeps tomorrow morning and our dinner gets ruined!" Jeannie grew serious of a sudden. "Now, that's no laughing matter, Mike!"
"Well, sweetheart, we really shouldn't expect him too early. It will take him at least five hours to drive back from Tahoe and the mountain roads could be bad." Mike felt the tiniest spark of worry when he thought about the roads. "I told him not to set out in the dark and not to drive when he is tired…"
"Come on, Mike, Steve is an excellent driver, and he has driven on those mountain roads before!" Jeannie reminded him.
"I know" Mike sighed. "It's just the idea of that little tin box he calls a car and the bad roads…"
"You old worry wart. It's Christmas, let's take a holiday from worrying!" Jeannie slipped her arm through her father's and gave it a fond squeeze. She started whistling Joy to the World, as she opened the car door.
But some of the overwhelming joy that Mike had felt earlier on had evaporated and made room for some niggling worry about the safety of his partner…
