Disclaimer- The 'ardeur' belongs to L.K Hamilton; I'm just messing around with it. Pendergast belongs to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; I'm just messing with him too. Kel & Brett belong to me.

PART 3

They got to the System half an hour before the house lights were scheduled to go out, Kel had been hopping all over the place since they left her house. She kept saying Brett wanted to see her so she found the stage manager, a woman named Guigere, and produced a backstage pass from one of her many pockets.

"Hi Kellie dear, how have you been?" The woman asked.

"I've been fine. Where's Brett, he wanted to see me before the show began."

"He's by the dressing rooms, dear." She said. "Who's your handsome friend?"

Kel turned back to Pendergast; he'd been so silent she'd almost forgotten he was there. Not that forgetting a man like him was even possible, not with that aura. "This is Pendergast."

"Good evening ma'am." He said, shaking the offered hand.

"Good evening to you as well." Guigere said, holding onto his hand longer than was necessary. "Enjoy the show."

"Come on," Kel said softly, tugging his sleeve before sliding her hand down and into his.

….

"Brett!" Kel called and Brett poked his head out from behind a half-closed door.

His hair was pulled into a ponytail that gave him the illusion of having short hair (I liked it better long) and he was dressed in period clothing for the show which did look well on him. He gave me a mock bow and tried to pull Kel into a twirl but stopped when he realized we were holding hands.

Brett's eyes shot up to my own and then back down to mine and Kel's clasped hands. "So….does this mean you guys are together?"

I looked at Kel and she looked up at me, I didn't see that loneliness any more and that alone made me happy. I looked at our hands, gave hers a squeeze and she squeezed back.

"Yes," I said.

"We're together." Kel finished and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders I hadn't even known was there. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Nigel's coming down to visit." Brett chirped.

"And you couldn't tell me this on the phone? I mean I'm happy he's coming to see us again but-"

"Oh," Brett said. "I could have told you on the phone but I knew you were going to make Ally here tag along and I wanted to see if he'd asked you out yet."

"Manipulative bastard." Kel said, trying to hide a smile.

"I know." He grinned. "There was something else I was gonna tell you but I'll just wait till after the show. You had better find seats."

"Yeah, good luck Brett."

"Break a leg, my friend." I said, smiling slightly myself and he winked at me.

….

Kel led me back into the auditorium still holding my hand; we took our seats stage left near the front. A moment after the house lights went out Kel leaned gently into my side and my arm automatically found its way around her shoulders. To my surprise (and the ardeur's delight), she lifted up in her seat and kissed my cheek before sitting back down and putting her attention completely on the show.

The play was about a gathering of the National Mystery Solvers League for their first annual banquet to induct one of three finalists into the NMS Hall of Fame. Brett portrayed Nathan Wimberley, the president of NMS, who had a hatred for the vice president. When one of the finalists was introduced to be the great grand-nephew of Sherlock Holmes, an actress bounded onto the stage chanting; "Up with Watson! Down with Holmes!"

The new character was introduced as Jenny Watson, great granddaughter to Sherlock's partner. She claimed that Holmes had not been the actual master detective, but had been nothing more than a figurehead for her great grandfather. She then proceeded to march around the stage; "Up with Watson! Down with Holmes!"

At my side, Kel laughed along with the rest of the audience and looked up at me to see if I was laughing too. I had a sudden urge to be spontaneous and I pulled her a little tighter to my side and kissed the top of her head gently. She slipped her arm inside my suit coat and hugged me to her, turning her focus back to the show.

The altercation between 'Watson' and 'Holmes' had been solved by Brett's character, who then announced the winner of the hall of fame induction to be Foster Holmes. Suddenly the stage lights went out, there was a scream from on stage and when the lights came back on, Nathan Wimberley was dead with a knife sticking out of his back.

The audience gasped. The stage lights went out once again and the house lights came back on; intermission.

…

Pendergast was more engaging, more outwardly affectionate than her first impression had told her he would be, and Kel was thankful for that, his arm around her shoulder was a welcome weight to her tired body. The heat of him against her side was even more welcome in the cold air conditioned auditorium; she wasn't cold at all sitting so close to him.

"You guys look comfortable." Suddenly Brett was leaning over the row of seats in front of them. "What did you think of the first act?" He demanded eyes bright with exhilaration.

"You did quite well." Pendergast told him.

"Dude, that was so funny,"

"I know. I mean the accents, did they sound British or muddy? It's hard to tell when you're speaking and not really listening to what's being said."

Pendergast nodded slightly. "They were accurate enough to be acceptable."

"Great! Oh before I forget," He leaned over the seats and whispered into Pendergast's ear so quietly that Kel couldn't hear. "That okay with you?"

He nodded again, looking relieved. "Yes, that is fine. Thank you."

"Not a problem." Brett said. "Kel let me borrow you for a minute…"