Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The Monday after the memorial, both Team one and Team Three officially returned to duty since the bombing had taken place. Although they had been cleared earlier in the week, the remaining members had been given the time off so they could properly grieve for their fallen teammates—and to ensure they would all come back with clear minds.
"If you'll take your seats, we'll get started." Ed announced, sitting at the head of the table as he watched both teams and new recruits exchange greetings as they settled into their seats. "We have a few things to go over." Clearing his throat of emotion, he happened to peer over at the empty chair between Spike and Sam. Someone had taped a piece of paper with Donna's name on it—the same one she usually sat in during their meetings. "As many of you know, I've taken over for Greg Parker for Team One, while Sam will be taking over for Team Three. We'd also like to extend a welcome to our new recruits—Ben Saffron, Mallory Jones and Aaron Fackrell. I expect you all to teach them the ropes."
He paused a moment before gesturing to Sam, who was rocking back and forth in his chair. "There's a high possibility of chaos associated with our job, which means we are all responsible for keeping the peace. If you have any questions—you can come to either me, Ed, or anyone on Team one or Team Three. We've pretty much been through it all."
"I have a question—" Ben raised his hand slowly up in the air. He had striking blue eyes, had a a clean shaven buzz cut, wore a white shirt and jeans. "How do you each deal with those tragedies when they happen?"
"Good question. Team?" Ed responded, looking over at his original team members.
"We deal with everything as a team." Jules spoke up first as she exchanged a glance with Sam, who nodded in agreement.
"You'll learn pretty quickly that we check up on one another, especially when tragedy strikes." Sam's voice broke, the pain still fresh. "For example—when we lost two members of our team this last week, we debriefed as a team, talked together about what happened and ever since then we've talked."
"So there's really no dealing with it alone." Spike shook his head adamantly. "You might want to deal with everything by yourself, but what we see on a daily basis is enough to drive anyone to the brink."
"The reason we work so good together, is that we're not just a team but a family." Leah concluded for Team One.
"Everything they just said." Tom gestured over to Sam, Spike, Jules and Leah, before turning his attention back to Ben. "I do want to add that you couldn't have joined a better team. Hopefully that answered your question."
"It did, thank you."
"Good." Ed piped up, finally pulling a chair up to the table. "We don't have any active cases, so I suggest you take this time to get settled and acquainted with your teams. Look around, because these are the people you will be working with starting now."
APRIL 10, 2011
"I'm glad we finally got that walk on the beach." With the waves washing around our bare feet, he squeezed my hand as we strolled down the sandy beach. "Although a day late."
"I like it." Gazing over at the growing waves in the distance, I let my mind wander momentarily. "We got to spend time together, just you and me. No work, cooking, or responsibilities."
"I did like that we ordered room service." We walked further down the beach as he gave his afterthought. "Now that I think of it, that's the first time I've ever done that."
"Even when you go on your business trips?"
"I have business partners that come, so we'll usually choose a good local restaurant to go to. Not the healthiest option, but it's only for three or four days out of the entire year."
"So when do you have to go next?" I asked, already not looking forward to coming home to an empty house. In fact, it gave me a bit of a perspective to what Hank came home to every day when I worked long hours.
"Probably not until after New Year's, so we'll be able to enjoy our first Christmas together as a married couple." Hank mentioned as he stepped into the ocean.
"Can't believe that's coming up." Shaking my head in disbelief, I stared out at the horizon.
"Me either." He smiled, hands dripping with water. "We still have about seven months to let that sink in."
"You make that sound so far away."
"We've never talked about traditions before we got married, so maybe we should start." Hank shrugged, wiping his hands on his shorts. "With our jobs everything will go by in a flash, and pretty soon we'll be setting up the Christmas tree."
"You're probably right." I relented, dipping my own feet into the water. "You know this water feels good."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
"Except we forgot to bring towels, so I'm sure we'll have sand feet when we go into town."
"I'm sure the locals see it all the time." He half-joked, slowly straightening to an upright position. "So you going to tell me what traditions you had when you were a child?"
"You really want to know?"
"I really want to know."
"Okay. We didn't have a lot, so my parents did their best to make it special for me and my sister. My mom would turn on the Christmas music and we'd laugh and decorate the tree. She said that having all the lights and ornaments on the tree would light the way for Santa."
"That sounds like a wonderful tradition."
"It was." Sitting down in the sand, he sat down next to me."We kept the tradition up even when we both moved out of the house. And when Emily went to live overseas, we skyped with her as my parents and I decorated the tree."
"Were you and your sister close then?"
"To a certain degree, yes. Emily was born a month after I turned six, so it took a few years before she was officially able join in the festivities. Even then, she made the traditions interesting."
"How exactly did she do that?" He asked, a slightly amused look on his face as the sand ran through his fingers.
"For starters, she broke ornaments on the tree. And one year, she thought she'd help out and started the mixer when we were making cookies for Santa." I couldn't help but laugh now; although at one point I was furious at her. "I remember the flour hadn't been all the way mixed yet, so a fine coat of flour got all over us because the lid wasn't on."
"She sounds like she didn't know any better. How old was she?"
"I believe she was four. Yes, she was four and I was ten because I remember I was wearing this beautiful black and gold sweater that I had been eyeing for ages. I had finally saved up enough money from my birthday to buy it, and I remember my mom warning me that I should change before we started making the cookies, and then-"
"Your sister turned on the mixer."
"She did." Drawing my knees to my chest, I found myself staring at the horizon again. "Thankfully dry flour comes out relatively easy—and all was not lost with the sweater."
"And when you grew out of it?"
"Oh, I kept it. Pretty sure I put it on an old stuffed bear that's in the basement somewhere. It's probably the only two things I kept when I moved out, besides my mom's wedding ring and a photo album."
"I bet she would be so proud of you right now."
"That I got married, yes. That I'm sitting on a beach in Hawaii because I was suspended from my job, that's where I'm sure she would be rolling around in her grave."
"Donna." He protested, raising my chin so I couldn't look away. "You can't keep beating yourself up, especially over something that was out of your control."
"It's not just that." I began, feeling the frustration rising in the back of my throat. "You know what, forgot I even said anything. I need some air."
