Reaction
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but Elena, Allie, and the plot.
Author's Note: I apologize profusely for the absurdly late update, don't exactly have any motivation.
Lindsay and Stella grinned at each other across the coffee shop table, the object of their joy lay between their forgotten mugs of tea. Lindsay rubbed her hands together in anticipation as the tip of her tongue darted out to corner of her lips in great evil… well, if anybody asked Elena.
But nobody did, so it was just maniacal excitement that oozed from their pores. The object in question was the "invitation" to the mandatory function in two days.
"Oh, no. No, no, no…" Elena denied, shaking her head in denial. Stella smiled winningly at her, "Come on, it'll be fun." Lindsay nodded and grinned, "Think about it, Sam can take Allie, you get the night off, and we get a girls' night out." At Elli's droll stare she amended, "Ok, girls' night out might be pushing it, but you do get the night off." Elena shook her head firmly, "No. I don't need the night off from Allie. Besides, I'm on call that night."
"Yep, but that just means you have to bring your badge and kit," Danny interceded, walking into the break room to grab a cup of coffee. Lindsay glanced back at her husband with a gleeful look of appreciation. Elena put her foot firmly down, "N-O, no, it's not going to happen."
"What's not going to happen?" Mac asked.
"The function," his wife replied succinctly. A grim smile, "Ah, yeah, the function. You don't have a choice, the mayor's party isn't optional attendance, even Sid is going."
"Then I'll be the first." Elena grabbed her cup of tea and went out the door.
Stella shook her head and tsked mock-regretfully.
"Well, she made us do this," Lindsay sighed.
Don, while confused at Stella's insistence that he take Elena out, dropped by the morgue after work anyway. Elena looked suspicious – scratch that, she looked downright wary. But she acquiesced, probably because she knew he was as confused as she was. Sam had called Elena earlier to tell her that she'd get Allie from school, so Elli had no reason to push off Don's invitation. She knew something was up the minute Don told her that Stella had given him tickets to the movie when she'd asked how he managed to leave during work.
After dinner and the movie, they swung by Sam's apartment to pick Allie up. Sam buzzed them up after a second. Allie was thrilled to see both her parents together and flung herself at her dad, "Daddy!" Elena smiled at the now familiar sight. Then her daughter turned to her in her father's arms, "Mommy, can I spend the night here on Friday?"
"Sure, what brought this on?"
"Aunt Sam said you and Daddy were going to a ball. Does that mean you get to dress up like Cinderella?" Elena shot Sam a dark look to which Sam shrugged innocently and smiled.
"Now what stories have you been filling her head with?" Don caught on now and finally understood why Stella had been so adamant: she'd wanted him to stall Elena long enough for them to recruit their daughter for the cause. He wisely stayed silent. Besides his daughter was as tenacious as he and Elli were, he didn't have to say anything.
Elena poked her head around the curtain of the dressing room for the umpteenth time, disgruntled and weary, "This one reminds me of a hippo." Stella and Lindsay laughed, "Elena you're a beanpole."
"I'm not saying I look like a hippo, I'm saying this dress reminds me of a hippo."
"Oh, this one will look perfect," Stella exclaimed. Elena had to admit that this dress was beautiful, a simple elegance. The gown was a shimmering black spaghetti strap, empress waist, the flowing skirt with an extra layer of filmy material. She tried it on and grudgingly had no complaints. She stepped out of the dressing room. Lindsay and Stella beamed at her and Elena decided that if a little sacrifice brought her pregnant and suffering friends such joy, she wouldn't begrudge them happiness.
"Don won't know what hit him."
"Wait, what?!"
"Oh, did we forget to mention that Don's picking you up tomorrow night."
"Stella…"
Allie squealed and clapped her hands in delight, "You look like a princess, Mommy." Elena rolled her eyes as she pinned her curls in a neatly casual pile with a few tendrils hanging by her cheeks. She'd put on minimum makeup, some eye shadow, a bit of blush, some lip gloss, and put on the simple diamond necklace and bracelet set Papi had given to her for her 21st birthday. She slipped on the two-inch stiletto sandals and grabbed her black purse with her badge and some money in it. A knock at the door sent Allie racing to the front door. Elena walked out just as Don knelt to his daughter.
Don looked up and simply stared. He wouldn't have been surprised if his jaw dropped to the floor. It took a very conscious effort to not drool. It didn't matter how many times he saw, she looked more and more beautiful everyday, though granted she could be stubborn as a mule and dense as a brick when she so chose, but he still treasured every moment. He honestly thought Elli was a fairy, even in black. Her smooth shoulders bared, delicate neck framed by the dark, shiny waves of her hair, the contrast simply set off her flawless porcelain skin that seemed to make her even more radiant.
Her appearance seemed almost ethereal.
He stood and she literally had to force herself to breath. Dressed in a tux, Don looked like a handsome prince straight out of a fairytale – and her sinking, pounding heart to something in his riveted gaze unnerved her even more than his looming presence. She smiled nervously, feeling ridiculous to boot, "We should probably head to Sam's now." He nodded and moved for her to get her coat.
She felt small and delicate next to him, even with the additional two inches. They were walking through the reception area, weaving through the masses. Don positioned himself slightly in front of Elena, one hand on the small of her back, his posture and gesture both possessive and protective. Elena spotted Stella and Mac and tugged on the edge of Don's jacket, nodding towards their friends.
Stella chuckled when she saw Elli and Don, they were a perfect couple, physically and otherwise, now if Elli would simply admit that and let it happen…
"What are you laughing about now?"
"Look at them, Mac, they obviously love each other."
"Stella…" Mac sighed, he loved his wife dearly and while she could be meddlesome, he hadn't forgotten that that was one of her many endearing qualities. He just didn't want her to be disappointed when her hopes were crushed. He could see his friend cared deeply for the woman he had a child with, he also knew that Elena still rated higher on his priorities by a 32nd of a millimeter than his daughter, but at the end of the day, it was up to Elena. She'd become an important member of the team and while she was hard to read, Mac knew that she used her casual friendliness as her wall, to protect herself from getting hurt again.
Or more accurately, to protect her heart from Don.
They reached Stella and Mac at the same time Don spotted Danny, Lindsay, and Sheldon. It took another 15 minutes for the rest of the gang to join them. When everyone was gathered they went off to find their table and Don, Elena, Stella, Mac, Sheldon, Lindsay, Danny, and Sid were seated at the same table with the seating arrangement in that same order at one of the circular tables. Elena unconsciously shifted a little closer to Don, sensing stares on her, making her uncomfortable.
Stella saw the tiny movement and grinned to Lindsay. Lindsay whispered to Sheldon and Danny, "How much do you wanna bet no one's had the guts to come any close to Elena tonight because of Don. He's practically oozing back-off-she's-mine vibes. I have to admit, he looked a little scary when he glared at that aide earlier. The poor guy just wanted Elena's name." Danny and Sheldon chuckled at their friend's expense, it was true, Don had been so completely possessive of Elena in the short span of time they'd been there it was hilarious to watch all the horny bastards pale and shrink under Don's stare.
"Well, well, such a surprise to see you here, Elena, my dear."
Tension gripped her fragile frame at the leery rasp, her tight fist hidden beneath Don's much larger hand. Her voice many degrees blow subzero, she said, "Hello, father."