Lost and Found

Chapter 11

Sometime during the night…

Waking up and checking the bedside clock, Mikki saw that it was three-fifteen in the morning. She lay there, trying to go back to sleep as she listened to the quiet breathing of the man lying on his back, next to her. Oh Pete, how can this feel so right…yet be so wrong for us? Feeling a need to hold him, Mikki rolled over on her side and draped an arm over Pete's chest, causing him to slightly awaken.

"You okay?" He asked her in a sleep-fogged voice.

"Yeah…I just woke up for little bit and was just laying here, thinking."

"Mmm…any thoughts I can help ya' out with?" The places that his thoughts were taking him were making him become a little more alert. Turning over on his side so that they were facing each other, he smiled at her and reached out to caress her cheek. Don't analyze it, Peter J., just enjoy this time with Mikki…everything else will work itself out in time.

"I was just thinking about Monday. You know, going over in my mind how to pitch the request for help to your superiors. Do you really think that they will be open to letting some of the auxiliary officers help us out?"

You've gotta be kidding me…she's thinking about that! I figured she had other things on her mind…Letting out a tired yawn, Pete rolled back over onto his back, "Do you always wake up in the middle of the night and plan out your week? Wouldn't getting a good night's sleep be more productive?"

"Probably…if I slept for long periods of time…but I don't. Don't worry about me, you go ahead and get your rest, I'll lay here and think until I doze off again. It won't take that long."

Rolling back onto his side, "Tell you what, turn over and scoot over here, and I'll hold you while you think." Mikki did as Pete bid, and he folded his arms around her. "And to answer your question, I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems getting the brass to co-operate with your program ideas." He waited a moment for a response, before hearing the ever so slight sound of slow, even, breathing.

"Goodnight, Mikki." Pete whispered as he held her close while she slept. Now it was his turn to lay there awake for awhile.

The next morning…

Pete gently sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Mikki. He held the steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee near her face, hoping the aroma would wake her up. It had the desired effect on her and Pete watched as she yawned and stretched herself into the world of awareness. He was enjoying the show immensely and his body was letting him know it. Letting out a small groan, he caressed her bare shoulder, "Here's a cup of coffee for you…I'll save you some hot water." And with that, he stood up and headed for the bathroom, unaware that Mikki watching his retreat with desire filled eyes.

An hour later, both showered and dressed, they were in Pete's car and heading out to breakfast. Afterward, he dropped her off at her aunt's house and then went over to Jim's for a little bit. There had been very little conversation between the two of them in the car; both were lost in their own thoughts of where their relationship was headed.

Knocking on the Reed's door, Pete stood there in quiet thought waiting for an answer. The door opened a minute later, "Pete…come in…what are you doing out this early?" Jean Reed asked her friend.

Oh great! I can't tell Jean that I just brought Mikki home! "Uhm…hi Jean. How are you?" Pete gave the woman a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Fine, Pete; you didn't answer my question…what brings you out so early?"

Unable to come up with an explanation that wouldn't incriminate him, he just threw up his hands and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, come, we're just sitting down for breakfast, would you care to join us?

"Uhm, no thank you. Actually Mikki and I just finished having breakfast together."

"Oh, is she over here with you?" Jean was leaning out to look past Pete. "Where is she?"

"She's next door…we already had breakfast…we're back now." Pete knew his answer sounded questionable, and he could feel the heat creeping up his neck, but if Jean noticed anything amiss, she didn't comment, only stepped aside so that he could come in, "How about coffee, at least?"

"That would be great Jean, thanks." Pete followed her to the kitchen and greeted his partner and godson, who were sitting at the table eating pancakes.

Every so often, Jim or Jean would ask a question of Pete, or Jimmy would jabber something to him, but for the most part, Pete stayed relatively quiet, only speaking every now and then as he sipped his fast cooling coffee. C'mon Jim, I need to talk…give me the opening opportunity.

"Pete, is everything okay? You seem kind of quiet today." Jean ventured, as she was clearing Jim and Jimmy's plates from the table.

Pete flashed her a smile, "Yeah, Jean…I'm fine. Just a little tired this weekend…it was busy week, last week."

Jean raised her eyebrows at him and said "Oh," as she turned on her heel, and walked toward the sink with the soiled plates.

Jim, picking up on Pete's quietness, "Hey Pete, you haven't see how far I've gotten on the pickup truck restoration, have you?"

Thanks, Jim…I knew you'd come through. "Uhm, no, I haven't…why don't we go take a look at it. The two partners headed out through the back door and into the garage where the old pickup truck that Jim was fixing up was being kept.

Once inside the garage, Jim wasted no time in questioning Pete. "Okay, Pete; what gives? You were awfully quiet at the table. Did something happen between you and Mikki?" Jim wasn't used to seeing his normally confident and in charge partner, so distant and quiet. If anything, when he was around little Jimmy, he was like a big kid himself, but Jim didn't even see a shadow of that from him today.

Pete threw up his hands in exasperation, "Jim, I…I, uhm…wow, this is harder than I thought…I don't know what it is about your neighbors niece, but I just…well, I just really like her…a lot. We've uhm, been spending a lot of time together, and I just…well, I just think that she and I can't see each other anymore and I just don't know how to tell her. There, I said it…I don't feel good about it, but at least it's out there now.

Jim gave a half-hearted laugh, "Then tell her, Pete. You are both adults, I'm sure that she can handle hearing what you have to say…unless of course you professed declarations of undying love to her and now you're having buyers' remorse, so to speak."

"No, Jim! It's nothing like that. I didn't profess anything to her, and as for buyers' remorse, as you call it, there's none of that, from either one of us."

"So then what's the problem, Pete? If the two of you enjoy each others' company, and I'm guessing that you do since you seem to be inseparable, why shouldn't you spend time together?"

"I don't know, Jim…I just don't know. I really do enjoy spending time with her, but…"

"But, what, Pete?" Jim was a bit concerned now; this really was not like his friend at all. This girl has really gotten under his skin…

"Jim, she's an FBI agent…a cop, Jim; she's a cop…I can't date someone in law enforcement. It just wouldn't work."

"Why not, Pete? Why wouldn't it work…cops get married all of the time."

"Whoa there, partner…nobody said anything about marriage…I'm just talking about dating."

"Okay, so why won't it work out for the two of you to just date each other, and enjoy each other's company…and whatever else you two enjoy together?" The last part was punctuated with a snicker from the younger man.

Pete shot him a nasty look before continuing, "Because…she could get hurt…or worse, that's why it won't work out. She's a chance taker, a maverick, a…."

"A what…a cop, Pete? Is that what you're getting at? You're afraid to get too close to her because you might find yourself out of your own comfort zone, is that it? I mean, as long as you aren't close, if something happens to her, well then you're far enough removed from the situation that it won't affect you any more than it would if it were some other cop from some other division. Sure, you'd be upset at losing a fellow brother, or sister, in this case, but not as upset as you would be if it was someone from your own turf…am I right?"

Pete slowly nodded his head and then just stared at the garage floor for a minute before speaking, "You know what we did last night, Jim?"

No, but I can probably guess if you're this torn up over your date! "No, what?"

"We went out for pizza, to Mom & Pops' Pizzeria. We hadn't even been there for barely a half-hour before a couple of gunmen held the place up. It was just us and the owners in there with the gunmen."

"You're kidding? The place got robbed while you were there?" Jim's voice was tinged with disbelief. Okay, so I didn't see that coming!

"No, I'm not kidding, Jim. Anyway, they had me nailed as cop and took my off duty weapon. They had no idea about Mikki and she used their ignorance to her advantage and quickly managed to get the upper hand. She made short work of turning the situation around with a surprise head butt to the one, and a well placed round to the other one."

"So it turned out okay, then? Nobody but the gunmen were hurt, right?"

"Yeah. And then I blew up at her on the way back to my place. And she blew up right back. And I really like this woman. And I think she feels the same. And it just can't work out. And I…"

"And that's what's bothering you? That the two of you had a stand off? Pete, I would think that…"

"Jim, it's not the stand off that's bothering me…it's the 'what ifs'; what if her plan had backfired, what if the gunmen would've started shooting at random, what if…what if she'd have been hurt…or worse? Jim, I've already watched one friend die needlessly at the hands of gunman, I don't want to relive that ever; not with another partner, not with a friend, and especially not with someone that I am romantically involved with!"

Jim knew that Pete was thinking back to the partner that he had before Jim came out of the academy. That loss had nearly caused Pete to give up his police career, but the powers that be had seen to it that he had a reason to continue being a police officer; they had teamed him up with a young, eager, fresh out the academy, Jim Reed.

"Have you talked to her about all of this?"

"We've touched on the situation and she pretty much feels the same way…she doesn't want to date someone in law enforcement any more than I do!"

"So then, why are the two of you still seeing each other?"

"Because we enjoy each others' company, that's why."

"Well can't you enjoy each others' company without the complications of dating and romantic involvement? Wouldn't that solve all of the issues at hand? I mean, look at it this way, she's only going to be in L.A. for what, a couple of months. You heard her tell Mike that she'd go back to Denver when this assignment's over and try to settle back into her old job. I'd say that things would end between the two of you at that point, after all, Denver isn't exactly within an hours driving distance."

"I guess you're right…we could just date, as friends, while she's here. Who knows, maybe someday she'll come back to visit her aunt and then we can go out and 'catch up' on where life has taken us. Thanks, Jim…for listening."

"You'll get my bill in the mail. Hey, you want to go to the park with Jean, Jimmy and me? Jean's packing a picnic lunch and we're going to let Jimmy play on the playground and feed the ducks. C'mon, what d'ya say?"

"I say count me in. What time are you heading out?"

"We'll head over there about noon. I figured we set out the picnic blanket over near the pond. You want to ride over with us or just meet us there?"

"I'll just meet you there. What do you want me to bring?"

"Nothing…we invited you, remember."