Happy Valentine's Day to All!

Previously:

Jo grinned with mischief. "This weekend is the NYPD Benefit Gala. Reece wants us all to go. I was going to go stag but… I'll pick you up at 6:30. It's black tie." She leaned into Henry and whispered in his ear, "You're cute when you babble." With a quick kiss on his cheek, she turned and made her way out of the morgue.

Henry watched her walk away, head tipping sideways. Having been out in the field with her often, Henry knew Jo's walk. But what he saw walking out of his morgue was not that walk. Jo's hips never swayed quite that much. He suddenly realized that she must have known that he would be watching her. Henry jerked to regain his balance when his hand slipped off the exam table from leaning too far. Henry smirked to himself and shook his head.

Cheeky, devil woman. You will be the death of me.

CHAPTER 14

The rest of the day after making their impromptu date had gone relatively uneventfully. The rest of the week had, really. Barring one straight forward shooting with plenty of evidence, motive and witnesses, it had been a quiet week. Jo shivered inwardly. The "Q" word. She was secretly just as superstitious as the thespians of the world, avoiding wishing anyone on call a "quiet" night just like one would avoid telling an actor "good luck".

But, she was no longer on call and this weekend was free, minus one departmental gala. Said Gala was the reason that Jo now found herself climbing out of a taxi which had come to a stop in front of a certain antique store.

Asking the cabbie to wait for her, she made her way up to the door. Looking down at her dress one last time, she took a deep breath to steel herself. Here goes nothing. She turned the doorknob and entered the store.

The ring of the bell over the store door alerted Abe to the arrival of his next potential customer. He looked up and was instead greeted by the site of a very dressed up Detective Jo Martinez. His expression softened immediately as he came around the counter to greet her.

"Well look at you!" Abe approached her, eyes beaming with what looked like pride. After a peck on the cheek, he held her at a slight distance to look at her. He spun her around to view her dress. "You clean up nice, Detective."

Jo chuckled, feeling carefree. Abe was always so sweet to her and brought out a girlish side in her. Jo found that she kind of liked it. She did, however, have a feeling that the older Morgan had been just as full of mischief and likely a ladies' man in his youth.

"Henry's still upstairs getting ready. He can be such a girl." He gave Jo a wink and led her further into the shop. Jo followed, grinning even more. The relationship between the two Morgans was a joy to behold. They obviously cared about each other but neither would let the other get away with anything!

"Are you making disparaging comments about me again, Abraham?" Henry's question drifted down the steps before he did. Precisely accented words lead the way for a finely tailored tux. Jo would have expected nothing less from the typically impeccably dressed M.E. The man wore suits to crime scenes, after all, and this was a black tie dinner. The crisp tuxedo was cut to fit him perfectly. His bowtie was perfectly tied. Neither was a surprise. The most shocking thing about Henry's appearance was his clean shaven face. He appeared so young; a strange contrast to the wise and sometimes world weary look in his eyes. Henry Morgan was a constant contradiction.

"I have no idea what you are referring to." Abe spoke up, interrupting Jo's slight daze. "No matter, Henry, your date is here. It's rude to keep her waiting." Abe held out a hand, presenting Jo as if she belonged to him. "Isn't she a vision?"

"She is at that," Henry replied almost dreamily. He was staring at her in awe as he approached, taking her in. There was no calling it anything else. Once he had reached Jo, Henry kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear "You look lovely, Detective." His breath tickled the fine hair of her cheek, sending a tingle down her spine. Henry usually kept himself very much under control. He also very rarely invaded another person's space. This was somehow intensely intimate. "Not so bad yourself, Dr. Morgan," Jo whispered back to him.

"Well. I guess I'll go get the corsages." And good feeling gone, Jo thought to herself, smirking when she saw the confusion on Henry's face.

Henry turned away from Jo to address his older friend. "Abe?"

"What? You two look gawkier than two teenagers waiting to go to prom." When the only response he received was a frown, Abe continued. "Oh nevermind. You probably never went to your prom. Relax, Henry. I didn't get corsages." He turned to Jo again. "Have fun tonight, Kiddo. Make sure this old fart has a good time too. He can be so stuffy." A wink and he was gone back upstairs.

Jo chuckled at the incredulous look that Henry was shooting at Abe's retreating form.

Left to themselves, Henry and Jo returned to staring at each other, neither sure of exactly what to say. Henry's eyes travelled down the length of Jo's body, taking in every detail.

Jo's gown was long, a deep royal purple that went very nicely with her brown hair and warm, chocolate eyes. The fabric wrapped around her waist in the front and hugged its way across her hips. A shawl was wrapped around her slim shoulders, but Henry could still tell that the dress was strapless, showing off smooth skin and slim but strong shoulders. Though he had seen her wearing much less, Henry was still mesmerized. She looked even more beautiful now. His eyes followed the folds of the gown as they wound their way back up to Jo's face. His eyes stopped at her neck, along her collar bones.

"Hey. Eyes up here buddy." Jo grinned at him gesturing at her face but was beginning to feel slightly self-conscious. She didn't normally dress up. This was entirely more formal than she was used to. Even at her wedding. She and Sean had been married on the beach in a very simple ceremony, wind blowing in their hair and sand between their toes. Plus, she hadn't gone to the Gala last year because of Sean's death. And the years before that... well, she didn't feel nearly as awkward. This year, it felt very much like a date. An official date. Out in public. With their co-workers.

She took a deep breath, squirming under the weight of Henry's gaze. The way he was looking at her, slight frown to his eyebrows, she hoped he did not disapprove.

Henry walked up to her, still staring. His hand reached out towards her neckline but pulled back almost immediately. Face looking concerned, he made another attempt, his hand hesitantly reaching for her. He ghosted a thumb across the skin just above her left collar bone. "Your necklace," he asked in a whisper. The necklace, with Sean's ring on it, was conspicuously missing.

She shivered at his light touch, and then shrugged. "Didn't go with the dress. But I still have it... elsewhere." Jo blushed. She wondered if Henry could figure out somehow that she had it safety pinned inside her bra. She felt embarrassed and guilty. "I just couldn't go without it. Not yet." Here she was going out with Henry and she was could not let go of her dead husband's wedding ring even for one night.

Henry's safe softened. "You don't have to explain, Jo." His smile was part sympathy and part understanding. He stood looking at her for a moment longer, eyes distant. He finally refocused and looked up into her eyes earnestly. "I have something... wait here?" He was away before she could answer.

"Oo- Okay." She was left standing alone in the store, a little dumbfounded and pouty. Jo had no idea what could have caused Henry to run off. She could hear the occasional scuffle upstairs, almost like he was searching for something.

Suddenly, Henry reappeared on the stairs, carrying a small box. He offered the box to Jo awkwardly. She claimed it and opened the lid to see the contents. Inside was a beautiful necklace; sparkling diamonds comprising the entire length with three suspended gems in the center looking like glistening drops of dew.

Henry shifted awkwardly. "It was Abigail's," he finally blurted as Jo continued to admire the necklace.

At Henry's admission, Jo looked at him with regretful eyes. She held the box back. "I'm not Abigail, Henry," Jo reminded him gently.

"I know, Jo." Frowning, he stood looking at the necklace. A myriad of emotions crossed his features. Loss. Fear. Tenderness as he stroked the bright gems of the necklace. He composed himself. "I am not trying to replace her. Abigail was and will always be a part of me. I'm trying to share that part of me with you." Henry looked at her, pleading that she understand and accept his offering.

Jo looked at him for a long time, lip drawn into her mouth in indecision. Henry did not strike her as the type to use her as a rebound. It could not have been easy for him to make this decision; to let her borrow something of Abigail's. They were both still healing, but were healing together. He was letting her in, just like she had wanted. Looking back at the necklace she admired it. "It's beautiful."

Henry reverently lifted the necklace out of the box. "May I?" Jo nodded and watched Henry out of the corner of her eye as he walked behind her. She felt his slightly trembling fingers brush her skin as he placed the necklace around her neck. Fastened in place, he looked back at her. "It suits you."

Jo touched the jewels around her neck. "Thank you, Henry. For this." Jo put her hand to the precious necklace around her neck. "And for this." She took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Henry squeezed her fingers in return. "My pleasure." He offered Jo his arm and his grew. "Shall we?"