Fandom: Murder Call (hint of Stingers)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters Tessa Vance, Steve Hayden, Malcolm Thorne, Dee Suzeraine, Imogen ' Tootsie' Soames and Lance Fisk. They all belong to Jennifer Rowe and Hal McElroy, and Nine Network. Kristine and Pete (Ellen Mackenzie and Peter Church) belong to the producers and writers of Stingers.
Rating: R (M) (Some adult themes)
Summary: Attending yet another mutual friend's wedding, Tessa and Steve decides to do something crazy.

"I always thought I was going to end up with kids and hubby one day. Maybe even a dog. Now look at me. I'm 37 and the only thing greeting me at home is my 123rd goldfish."

"Then quit."

CRAZY
Written by neela

FOUR

Almost straight after the ceremony, Tootsie and Fisk dragged them out to the pub and apparently called their other friends on the way seeing as Dee, Fabian, Pete and Kristine (who had just come back from the honeymoon) met them there. Even Bridget had showed up without her kids and hubby, pestering Tessa with questions until her head was swimming. There were drinks and champagne, and as the night wore on and more regulars showed up, the laughter and merriment grew to new heights. Everyone wanted to congratulate them and shake their hands. Tessa had trouble getting away from the rookies and resorted to white lies just to push them off her back.

Tucked next to Steve in the crowded booth, Tessa did her best to ward off the many off-handed comments on things like their past relationship and the suddenness of the marriage. Not only because she had no idea what to say, but also because she had half-way into the night realised why this rollercoaster of an affair had started in the first place. All because she felt left behind by all her friends and wanted to follow her childhood dream. And then she had gone and talked Steve into marrying her. He probably didn't even love her like that either.

Steve seemed to notice her mood and consequently made subtle suggestions to leave into her ear, all to which Tessa shook her head violently. She didn't want to spoil the night and it did seem he at least was enjoying it. It took several attempts before Steve gave up and settled for the champagne, his hand somehow ending up on her thigh, sending a hot shiver up her spine.

Drinking the champagne made her mood slightly fuzzy and out-of-control, occasionally giggling at something someone said and the next sulking into her glass. Whether their friends seemed to notice, Tessa didn't know, but after a while as the bottles became emptier and emptier, they started to tease them about leaving so they could start on their wedding night. Steve took it all in stride but Tessa wasn't quite so adept, blushing furiously underneath their gazes and Steve's warm hand still resting on her thigh. Still, she was grateful when people started to break off and head home.

"See you tomorrow, guys!" Dee called to them, waving as she and Fabian walked towards the door. Just as they went through it, Dee slapped him on his behind and then they were gone.

Tessa felt a stab of guilt for not having told her friends she'd resigned. She figured with the unexpected marriage between her and Steve, the fact they were also resigning and moving away was too much information for one night. Maybe tomorrow. Or later in the week. They hadn't decided which day they were moving yet.

"Wanna head home?" Steve murmured, putting his hand on her lower back. His eyes were dark and gentle. "I'll call a cab."

"Can we go to your place?" Tessa looked up at him. "I'm having a couple of potential buyers over tomorrow. The apartment's spotless now and I want it to stay that way." Steve nodded in understanding and went outside to call, the pub still loud with chattering and music.

Tessa returned to the booth and smiled at Kristine and Pete, who were last to leave.

"We're going to head home now," Tessa told them. "Steve's calling a cab. I doubt either of us can drive safely right now." Pete chuckled and said something below his breath which Kristine was quick to swat on him for.

"Don't mind this prick," Kristine rolled her eyes, Pete grinning at her. "Have fun. Enjoy your night. God know you deserve it."

Tessa blushed and said goodbye, picking up her things before heading outside. The air was hot still, but cooler than inside the pub. Involuntarily because of the champagne, she started to shiver as she stood next to Steve. When his arm went around her, Tessa leaned against his warmth without a second thought. Only when they were inside the cab (her overnight bag from her car slung into the trunk) did her world catch up with her.

They were married and going to sleep over at his place. Oh God.

Turning down dodgy Arthur Street after some fifteen minutes drive, the taxi stopped outside one of the more decent houses on the street. Tessa got out while Steve leaned over the passenger seat and paid, soon following and heading up the steps to his front door.

Steve locked the door behind him and followed Tessa into the kitchen, stopping as she leaned against the counter and peered at her curiously. "Okay, Tess, spill it. Something's eating at you."

Tessa sighed, chewing her lip, arms crossed across her slightly wrinkled blue dress. "It's nothing," she tried feebly but knew Steve saw straight through her lie. He stepped up and took her hand.

"If this is about tonight, don't worry. I'll fix up the other bedroom for you."

How did he get so bloody clairvoyant? Tessa nearly glared at him, cheeks aflame in shame. "Am I that easy to read?"

"Only to me," Steve replied teasingly. "Come on, let's get you settled in. You've got a big day tomorrow. I'll even tuck you in and sing you lullabies."

Tessa chuckled in spite of herself, letting Steve take her upstairs and helped making the bed. Once done, she stood up on her toes and hugged him.

"G'night. I'm sorry for dragging you into this," she whispered into his ear, the warmth and calm underneath the fabric of his suit rubbing off on her. Steve hugged her back.

"It's not so bad being married to you," he mumbled, drawing back to grin at her. "You haven't dragged me into anything, you know. I went voluntarily."

"Still..." Tessa drifted off, trembling below his stare. "If I hadn't pushed you-"

"Listen," Steve interrupted her, putting his finger to her lips. Both stared at it before Steve removed it consciously and continued, "You didn't push me. I'm not going to make this hard on you, but you're a very beautiful woman, Tess. And you're my best friend. What Diana and I had twenty years ago doesn't even come close to this."

Tessa felt her eyes burn and fought to hold back the tears. "You're too nice," she said, half accusing. Steve smiled. They stared at each other for a second more, and then Tessa felt the oncoming churning signalling she wanted to do something reckless again.

She kissed him.

Nothing too big, just a soft, grateful peck on the lips.

"Sleep tight," Tessa told him with a smile, extracting herself from his embrace and slipping inside the bathroom. Once the door closed, she leaned heavily against it, feeling surprisingly unsatisfied.

At the end of the week, Tessa's apartment had been sold to a young couple very much in love and absolutely delighted they got the place. The paperwork had been taken care of before the weekend, which meant Tessa had a few days to pack all her things in boxes for the moving company to store away until she and Steve were ready to move.

Kristine and Pete, who were also in the middle of selling their place since they obviously needed more space when the baby arrived, dropped by on the weekend and helped her out along with Steve. Tootsie made a visit amidst boxes and upturned furniture, bringing sandwiches for the 'hard-working, half-crazed friends', as she called them.

To see her life wrapped up in boxes reminded Tessa of a time when she had been young and brash, excitingly moving to the city after the transfer to Central Homicide. She had been so elated not even Brett's sour mood at the time could bring her down from her high. And yet now she was moving away for a whole other reason. There wasn't a lucrative job offer on the horizon this time.

Tessa stared down at the simple, golden band around her left ring finger. She had cornered Steve afterwards, at the pub, demanding to know why on earth he had accosted himself with such trouble. And like always, Steve brushed it off as nothing and that it was his gift for her. Every girl needed a ring, he said. Tessa even suspected he wasn't using his old wedding ring at the moment. The few times she had dared ask about Diana, his ex-wife and teenage love, Steve had told her he didn't miss her and that this was different. Tessa had always believed Steve didn't make commitments because of unresolved emotions for Diana. Had she been wrong?

Gazing at his laughing face as Pete cracked a joke on something, Tessa felt once more the swirl of something old and hidden tumble around her stomach. Her heart even skipped a beat. Steve Hayden had been her partner and best friend for ten years. They had never once spoken about love or unresolved feelings unless you counted the odd girl- and boyfriend over the years.

That's not entirely true, though. You did speak of it once.

Yes, they had, but not in the true sense of the word. Trapped in a freezer, they had been forced to share body heat as they waited to either be rescued or die. Towards the end their tongues had loosened and Tessa had told him her biggest regret and mistake. She had gotten together with her best friend Ezra at university and consequently destroyed their friendship. She didn't want that to happen and it seemed an unspoken agreement had settled between them at that time. Neither of them acted on the electrical tension between them afterwards, and now, ten years later, Tessa wondered if it even still existed.

"Earth to Tessa?" Kristine's voice broke through the time difference and Tessa turned her head slowly, almost drunkenly. "Good to see you're still with us and not ogling your husband every five seconds." She grinned and then held up several vases. "Where do you want these?"

"I think Tootsie was packing the glassware. Just put them in the same box. Thank you," Tessa smiled as Kristine sauntered off, happy she had such great friends.

As predicted, it had caused quite an uproar when Tessa and Steve announced their moving away as well as resignation. Dee seemed the most snubbed at having them gone from office, probably because there wasn't anyone left to tease of the old crowd now Fisk was teaching and Thorne mingled with the brass.

Kristine and Pete hadn't taken it so bad, but Kristine revealed later that was because it took the pressure off their shoulders when they broke the news of intending to move back to Melbourne. Tessa was sad to hear about it, but also knew how much the two had missed their friends down under and wanted to get closer.

Actually, when she thought about it, Tessa realised they were all coming to a crossroad in their lives.

Of the "oldies", Tootsie and Fisk were getting married and Tootsie planned to follow Fisk into teaching. Thorne had already been out of touch since his promotion to Assistant Commissioner. Dee and Fabian were as unpredictable as ever, but their steady relationship spoke of something and Tessa was quite literary counting the days till they started travelling the world or something equally crazy. Bridget was all settled down with her family in one of the outer and less troubling suburbs, working as a general duties detective at the local police station.

Of the "newbies", Kristine and Pete were moving away and settling down miles and miles away in the State of Victoria.

And then there was her and Steve: impulse marriage, buying a house, moving away, quitting the police force. They hadn't even talked about love or intimate issues, and Tessa couldn't help thinking about Steve's dare at the wedding day of Kristine and Pete when he told her to have babies. At the time he had spoken hypothetically, probably about someone else, not expecting her sudden proposal. What was he thinking about that aspect now?

Probably nothing. You're still second-guessing his every move, every word. You don't trust him.
I trust him!
Not enough.

Tessa shook her head, willing the nasty comments away from her mind, not feeling up to it at the moment. She was in the middle of packing her life away. Everything was stowed together and put on top of each other, marked impassively on brown cardboard boxes. Books ranging from childhood till present, sheets of music and CDs from a time she loved to play and sing, the dinner set her and Brett had bought as a housewarming gift... It was all being carefully wrapped in bubble plastic and old newspapers. Stored away for a new life.

It could have been worse, she supposed. She could have been utterly alone, trapped in a city and a job without her close friends as they went on with their lives. Tessa had to remember she had actually gotten part of what she asked for.

And Steve wasn't that bad-looking.

On the night before the moving company were going to take them away to the as of yet unexplored north, Tessa and Steve had been invited over to Kristine and Pete's for a moving-away party. Standing in Steve's second bedroom, the room almost completely bare except the unmade bed and suitcase propped up against the wall, Tessa chewed her lip.

She didn't know what to wear.

It was ridiculous and Steve would most likely laugh at the issue, but the truth was Tessa owned very little casual wear. In her years as a Homicide detective, she had rarely had use of casual skirts or fancy dresses, meaning her wardrobe consisted mostly of trouser suits and matching skirts for hot or feminine days. Of course, Tessa had jeans and sweaters that were practically years old, reminders of optimistic and young days when her days were police work and nights were dates. But it had been thrown in the garbage bin when she packed up her apartment.

Right now she cursed her decline to Tootsie's offer on taking a day off to go shopping. As Tessa had no idea what kind of society she was going to face up north, whether it was a new Oakdale or Sydney suburb (which she highly doubted), she really ought to have been for some final rounds to her favourite shops before leaving the city. There was no telling what shops they had up there.

Tessa looked at her watch. If she was really quick, she could make a quick sweep of one or two clothes store and get back to change before heading over to Kristine and Pete's. Steve could go ahead and she'd meet him there.

Picking up her handbag and keys, very conscious she was heading out it another of her sober trouser suits (no way she was wearing some of her older, less fashionable jeans out on town), Tessa went downstairs and found Steve in the kitchen doing some last-minute packing.

"I'm just going to head out for a little while," Tessa told him. "See you at Kristine and Pete's?"

"Sure," Steve said easily. "Where're you going?"

Tessa couldn't stop the blush on her face as she replied, "Shopping."

She wasn't about to tell him about her wardrobe problem and fortunately Steve didn't ask. He only nodded and Tessa left the house, picking up her phone to call Tootsie as she unlocked her car.

An hour and a half later and several frenzied visits to some of their favourite clothes stores, Tessa and Tootsie pulled up in front of Tessa's old block and got out of the car. Tootsie's eyes were twinkling in Tessa's direction with knowing secrecy as they made their way inside and up to the third floor, making Tessa blush heavily and walk a bit faster. Needless to say, Tootsie had talked her into visiting some other stores as well despite Tessa's great reluctance. Not that anyone would ever know, least of all Steve!

Still hot-cheeked and fuming, Tessa rang the doorbell on Kristine's apartment and waited for the deadlock to turn before entering, Tootsie close on her heels.

"Tessa! You look smashing!" Kristine exclaimed as soon as the door closed, hugging her with a bit of unshed tears. It seemed someone was feeling a bit all over the place today. Tessa grinned. "I didn't know you owned clothes like that!"

Tessa looked sheepishly down on her snug, comfortable dark slim jeans and fancy short-sleeved blue floral tunic, completed with a simple woven brown waist belt. With her hair all curly and fluffy, new elaborate ear rings and long brown beaded necklace that hung over her bosom, Tessa felt spunky and chic. She also wore high heels to match the outfit. All in all, the shopping trip had taken at least five years off her age.

"I didn't until forty minutes ago," Tessa revealed lowly. "Had to call Tootsie and make her come with me. Someone had thrown away all my clothes!"

"Don't look at me," Kristine rebuffed, smirking. "You told me to. And I don't blame you. Some of that must've been from the Stone Age!"

"Don't remind me," Tessa huffed, looking around the apartment. It was just like hers, only the layout was slightly a reflected image. Everyone else was already here and Tessa met Steve's eyes in the kitchenette, obviously sizing her up. She felt her face grow hot.

"So when're you gonna move?" she asked Kristine casually as Tootsie made her way towards her fiancée, most likely to rescue him from Dee's no doubt exciting tale on something she and Fabian had done.

"Next week, maybe. The place we're buying isn't ready yet, so we're just waiting for the green light." Kristine stroked her belly lovingly and glanced at Pete who stood together with Steve.

Tessa wanted to tell her how lucky she was, but reigned it in. She didn't think Kristine would understand and she wasn't prepared to spill everything either. Instead they settled for talking about their respective houses and renovation as the evening started.

When Tessa got to Steve's house that night, giggling at something he had said but not exactly remembering what, she stopped inside the open kitchen/living room and sobered. Her head was only slightly fuzzy from the wine Tootsie had nearly literary poured down her throat, but her mind was strikingly clear as she surveyed the bare walls, marked cardboard boxes and scarce furniture.

"Can you believe it took you six years to finish the renovation?" she asked Steve, her voice sombre and reminiscing.

"Eight, actually," Steve said ruefully. "I started before you moved here, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. I'd forgotten." Tessa tilted her head and looked at him, taking in his wonderful ruffled state. Corduroy jeans and navy blue shirt, the top buttons open to reveal tanned skin and hint of dark hair. Steve really was handsome. "It seems I've forgotten quite a few things over the years," she added without explanation and withdrew her glance.

The room fell to silence, yet Tessa couldn't tell whether it was uncomfortable or not. It didn't feel like their usual bouts of silences and then again it didn't scare her. Apart from the mournful air surrounding them and the practically empty place glaring at them, it could almost be described as tranquil.

The past month had been marked by the many sudden transformations as their little group of friends came slowly but steadily to a crossroad and tonight had been the turning point. They had all said their goodbyes and started down different paths.

Ten years ago Tessa would have bawled her eyes out. Now she only felt empty. And she hated it. Homicide had screwed her up royally. She had become one of those cynical career women who had long since turned their back on love and adventures.

Tessa suddenly missed her old self, the emotional wreck that pulled whims out of a magic hat and drove everyone around her crazy. Sure, she'd been impulsive in the past month, but it was all due to Steve. Steve who pulled her out of misery and offered to help with her childhood dream, making her excited again, surprising her with all the little things and telling her so incredibly sweet things.

And why? Tessa still didn't know, nor did she understand, but she couldn't find the courage to ask. Too many heartbreaks in the past. If possible, she wanted to believe this marriage of theirs was going to work, even if it would only be a fancy, a folly like her blue straw hat with wisps of veil and little flowers.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Tessa shed the tears she had held back, the sensation strange and shameful. She leaned back against the kitchen counter, face in her hands, trying her best to keep the hiccupping at bay.

Then Steve's arms were around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug and rubbing her back soothingly. Tessa crumbled into his embrace and sobbed.