"Is everyone ready?"
"I've been ready for a month now, Briggs." Johnny finished strapping his vest and nodded at Briggs.
"Let's get this done." Charlie was getting antsy.
"On my count. 1..2..3.." The team burst through the front door. They each took a room and searched for Robert. They found him hiding in the basement. Briggs cuffed him and dragged him out of the house.
Robert found himself sitting in an interrogation room. He smiled to himself, gladly accepting the coming punishment. Charlie, Johnny, DJ, Paige, and Briggs sat on the other side of the one way window.
"He's a psychopath." Paige glared at the man.
"We can nail him for the," Charlie swallowed nervously. "The murderer of a Federal Agent."
"I want to interrogate him." Paige pulled her hair back into a ponytail and walked into the room. Before she could say a word, Robert spoke.
"Yes, I killed Michael Warren. My duty to Bello is finished." Robert smiled. Paige rushed forward and started punching him. Her grief and anger mixing together. Briggs rushed in and grabbed Paige and pulled from the room. Robert called after them.
"I want to charge her with assault!"
"You had those when you came in." Briggs slammed the door. And turned around to see Paige sobbing.
"He killed Mike, and he's happy about it. I want him dead!" Briggs pulled Paige into a hug.
"We all do." Everyone joined in and they all mourned over Mike.
Three months had passed and Mike's room remained empty. Robert had been convicted and sent to life in a federal prison. Every time anyone would pass by Mike's room they would stop and think of the good times. The house didn't seem the same anymore. Briggs always hid in his room and Charlie didn't cook as often. They barely went out for drinks and even DJ stuck around the house more. Johnny wasn't as happy or energetic. Paige hadn't taken on any new cases and mopped around the house all day.
It was a Tuesday night and Charlie had actually made dinner. They sat around the table eating quietly, when Briggs phone rang.
"Briggs."
"An agent is on their way to Graceland."
"What do you mean?"
"Another agent will be living with you. They are being assigned to Graceland."
"They're coming tonight?"
"Yes."
"What about their file or information?"
"The agent is bringing it with them."
"Does this agent have a name?"
"I'm sorry agent Briggs, I have to go." The line went dead.
"Who was that?" Charlie stared at Briggs.
"The Bureau."
"What did they want."
"They are sending an agent over tonight."
"What?" Paige dropped her fork.
"Yea. They are assigning and new agent to Graceland.
"It was bound to happen sometime." Johnny kept his eyes on his dinner. Everyone agreed quietly. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"I guess that's the newbie." Briggs rose and walked to the door.
Everyone stayed in the kitchen and listened.
Briggs pulled open the door and froze.
"Mike?" Mike smiled and walked in the door. "But, you were shot and they told us you were dead."
"I'll explain it one time to all of you."
Everyone froze in the kitchen. The voice sounded like Mike's.
"Where is everyone?"
"In the kitchen." Mike set his bag down and entered the kitchen. "Hey, I'm home." There was a series of shocked and the happy faces. everyone got up and ran to give Mike a hug. He managed to get everyone to sit down in the living room.
"Ok, I know all of you are wondering what happened." Mike sighed and began his story. "When I was shot, the surgery took 12 hours and it was touch and go. The bureau had a theory that Bello was behind it, so they staged my death. I had no say, I was in a coma for 2 weeks and then I was moved to a safe house. When they were certain that I was safe, they told me that I could come back."
"We missed you Mike." Paige gave Mike another hug. "Your room is exactly how you left it."
They spent the whole night talking and finally went to bed at around 3a.m. Paige slept soundly for the first time in months. In the morning she ran to Mike's room to make sure it wasn't all a dream. When she opened the door, he was sound asleep. Paige entered and closed the door behind her. She slipped into Mike's bed and cuddled close to him. Mike rolled over and looked her right in the eyes.
"It killed me, not being able to call you and tell you that I was alright."
"It killed me, thinking that you were dead." Mike smiled and gave Paige a kiss.
"I'm glad to be back." Paige snuggled closer to Mike.
"Let's spend the day like this." Mike smiled.
"That's fine with me."
FIN
