Chapter Twenty-Five
She pushes the off button on the remote and sits back. The governor handled the conference well. Karabu won't like what's happened but he won't take action with this kind of exposure. She had recorded it and has watched it several times in the last few days. She's been avoiding the team since she took her leave before the press conference. They've been leaving messages, as has the governor, but she has not been up to talking. She left a message for the governor, thanking him for his gratitude. She smiles, getting up and walking to the bedroom. It looks empty with just the bed and side table. She'd had the rest of the furniture removed or given to his friends. It was hard to look at it every day and if she stays, she'll bring over her own and get rid of the little that's left. IF she stays. Going into the bedroom, she sits down on the bed, feeling the emptiness surrounding her. She'd moved out of Steve's house before he had a chance to stop her. She needed to be on her own. She has big decisions to make and needed to know if she can live in this house, on her own, without breaking down. So far, so good! She stands, her phone ringing. Seeing the name on the caller ID, she takes a deep breath.
"Finneran."
H50H50H50H50H50H50H50
She walks in through the main double doors, looking down at the big seal on the floor and almost feels home, as if this is where she belongs. I want to stay, but the pain in my heart for the last few days has been hard. And walking in here every day will only remind me of what I'm missing. Of course, going back to DC will remind me of what I'm giving up here. The potential of living MY life and not someone else's. For the first time since my teens, it would be my life. The case we just cleared brought up all kinds of issues and, though Steve knows what those issues are, the rest of the team don't know and I feel that's wrong but Steve felt it best not to tell them at this time.
**********************flashback
He'd not noticed when she left but looking around he can't find her. "Any idea where Maggie is?" He asks out at the table.
They all shake their heads. "Didn't see her leave, boss."
He nods, heading out the door. They'd finished interrogating the couple, let HPD take them to be booked and he had gone to his office to start the paperwork. He'd seen her moving around and his focus went back to his computer. He calls her phone, which goes to voicemail so he heads back to the house. Pulling in, he doesn't see her car so he turns around and heads windward.
Pulling up outside her house, he sees her car and knows she's here.
"Maggie? You here?" He calls as he walks in the front door, using his key. "Maggie!" He moves through the house quickly and then heads out back. The sight he sees scares the hell out of him. She's kneeling in the middle of the yard, butt on heels, head on knees and arms wrapped around her knees. He approaches her, crouching down beside her. "Maggie?" He places his hand on her back. "Hey, you okay?" He shakes her gently.
She mumbles, raising her head slightly. "Steve? What're you doing here?" She straightens her back, sitting up.
"Worrying about you. You disappeared and I wanted to be sure you're okay. You seemed to take this case hard." He leaves his hand on her back.
"Yeah. But I'll be okay. Don't worry." She avoids looking at him.
He nods, "Okay, well how about we go back to my house. I'll grill us up a couple of steaks and we have a great dinner. Been awhile since we sat down to a good meal."
Pausing for just a moment, she finally nods, getting to her feet. He stands, hand remaining on her back and guides her back through the house. Waiting while she locks up, he holds the door to the truck open for her and then climbs behind the wheel. They ride in companionable silence all the way to his house. She moves quickly out of the truck, using her key to get in the front door and through the house. By the time Steve catches up, she's heading out the back lanai door to the beach. He goes into the kitchen, pulls out the steaks from the fridge and works up a marinade for them. Placing them in the container, he glances out and is puzzled by her. She's not sitting in one of the chairs but out on the beach, six pack next to her. He puts the meat back in the fridge and joins her on the beach. "Hey, whatcha doin' out here?" He notices the empty bottle, the one in her hand almost empty. "Save a couple for me." He laughs. She glances up at him then finishes the bottle in her hand. "Well, if all you wanted were a couple of beers, we could've just stopped at a bar instead." He sits down next to her.
Opening a third bottle, she takes a long drink, handing him an unopened one. He takes it, opening it and taking a sip. "How can people do that to their children?" She asks, looking out at the ocean. "How can they profess to love them and then set up to sell them all for some drugs? How?" Her voice catches on the last question.
"I dunno, Maggie. Always baffles me how people can treat their children. All in the name of love." He thinks back to his parents.
"Love." She murmurs. She draws her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "Some parents will do anything for their children in the name of love. Even send them away to keep them safe."
Steve starts at that comment. How could she know what I'm thinking? "What do you mean?"
She takes another drink, swallowing hard. "I have a son, Steve. A son who went away when he was very young." She continues to stare out at the water.
A/N: A short, holiday chapter. This first part of the collection will be finishing soon and the next one starting. Hope you stick around. The next starts off with a bang! ...and major whump.