"You don't need to fuss over me like that.", Steve grunted in feign annoyance when Mike sprinted across the grill of the Galaxy to open the door for him.

Looking up to meet the Lieutenant's warm blue eyes, he shook his head and smiled, before turning around against the bench seat to retrieve his crutches from the back. Slowly inching over until he could reach the asphalt parking lot of the Cow Palace with his right foot, Steve shifted his weight and maneuvered the crutches out of the tan sedan, before sliding out.

The move proved to be more difficult compared to his much smaller sportscar that offered a ski-rack to hold onto, and Steve would have stumbled against the doorframe if it hadn't been for Mike's strong hand on his shoulders helping him to regain his balance.

"With that kind of grace and poise, I don't even want to know how you got into your Porsche…", the Lieutenant mumbled, half genially and half out of concern.

Shifting his weight evenly over his crutches, Steve hopped off to the side to allow for Mike to close the passenger door, before pointing his chin at the livestock pavilion a few yards ahead. Several stock trailers sat parked and ready at the previously deserted lot out back. A second camper had appeared next to Jordan's, equal in its rusty state, and hooked up to a large red truck.

Judging by the disapproving mooing echoing through the building, some of the livestock was about to get shipped back home for an early end of the season.

"Sounds like it's mooooving day.", Mike joked and put a gentle hand on his partner's upper back as they slowly made their way across the parking lot.

"You keep this up, you're going to run out of puns by Christmas.", Steve countered smilingly and glanced over at the Lieutenant, who walked beside him at a leisurely pace, more concerned about getting inside the building safely than the amount of time it would take them to cross the relatively short distance.

"You said the doctor will let you use a cane by Friday?"

"Yep. And not a minute too soon. Stitches coming out the end of next week too hopefully."

"Sounds like a reason to celebrate. We should head out to Tony's for dinner. They have enough food on the menu to cover my diet and your liver recovery period."

Grunting at the verbal stab about the implications of his exposure to large livestock medication and what they could do to the human body in a relatively short time span, Steve shook his head but gave up the fight.

If there was one fact that had remained consistent throughout this entire case, it was that Mike had been right about every prediction he'd made, every piece of caring advice he'd given and every threat he'd seen coming.

The very least Steve could do was to respect his partner's unmatched sense of seeing danger from a mile away.

"Here, be careful on that step…",Mike nudged well-timed, the hand on his beige overcoat tightening as they approached a curb leading up to the pavilion.

Even though he'd mastered countless obstacles in the four days he'd been on crutches, most of all the sheer endless stairway of agony leading up to his apartment, he allowed the Lieutenant to help him take the step, knowing it was more to soothe his friend's worried mind than for his own benefit.

Entering the doors to the livestock area felt strangely different this time around. Even though Steve couldn't put his finger on it, it seemed that the end of his undercover assignment had marked the end of his connection to this exotic world as well. Suddenly, the familiar faces of coworkers turned friends became witnesses again, the horse stalls crime scenes, the pungent smell of livestock unfamiliar and disturbing.

Mike must have sensed his hesitation and stopped in his tracks, ensuring that all was well, as he towered over his partner like a guarding shadow.

Meeting the blue eyes glancing down at him from underneath the fedora, Steve gave him his best reassuring smile, before continuing down the aisle toward the tack stall.

And then he saw her.

Standing on her tiptoes to brush off the back of a large gray horse, Jordan was dressed in her show outfit standing just a few feet away. Taking in the sparkly pink blouse and the light blue jeans accentuated by pointed black cowboy boots, Steve stopped in his tracks and just stood there to watch her brush away.

Mike followed suit, waiting by his partner's side patiently, not a sign of judgment or teasing in his body language.

It didn't take long for Jordan to notice her audience and her face lit up when she recognized the two detectives. Patting the horse reassuringly before walking away, her fast pace slowed down the closer she came.

"Lieutenant Stone!"

Next to him, Mike nodded cordially, as he reached forward to shake the young woman's hand.

"Steve…"

Her body language changed completely when she said his name, the warm cadence in her voice giving life to the forbidden relationship going on between them. The one that was never supposed to happen to begin with.

And yet it did.

Steve watched her look him up and down, as if the sight of the dress suit was perplexing. Finally convincing herself that he was still the same man she'd met a few days ago, Jordan walked up and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"God, I am so glad you're alright…"

Her muffled sobs against his chest weren't lost on Mike, who raised his eyebrows in surprise. Being unable to reciprocate her tight hug with crutches under each arm, Steve lowered his chin to the top of her head, enjoying the smell of straw and leather in her hair as they stood there for many long moments.

Closing his eyes when he felt her warm fingers form circles on his back, Steve drew in a deep breath and felt Jordan do the same.

"You sure look different…all dressed up. But you still smell good.", she finally whispered and pulled away, but kept her hands wrapped around his waist like a much-needed lifeline. Judging by the stickiness on his dress shirt, their emotional reunion wasn't just eating away at his nerves.

Jordan glanced up, her bright blue eyes full of sorrow, as they shared a not-so private moment in Mike's presence. Leaning forward as much as the crutches allowed, Steve nudged her forehead with his, their noses almost touching, close enough to share a kiss but knowing it wasn't an option for either one of them anymore.

Instead, they just stood there staring at each other, waiting for the right words that never came.

Their intimate moment was disrupted when he felt Mike's firm hand on his elbow. Looking up, he saw the Lieutenant point his chin at a tall figure approaching from the end of the aisle, clearly headed into their direction.

Even without an introduction, Steve could tell by the facial features that Russel Henderson had arrived, more than likely after getting a frantic phone call from his daughter about what happened.

"You must be the two San Francisco Detectives.", the tall man with the medium black hair and striking blue eyes said, as he joined the group.

Taking off his leather work gloves and wiping his sweaty hands on the worn-out blue jeans, he wrapped a protective arm around Jordan's shoulders as he faced the police officers "I am Russel Henderson. I can't begin to thank you enough for keeping my daughter safe. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this wasn't something we expected to deal with here…"

"It can be difficult, sometimes impossible to put yourself in the mind of a sick man like Robert McAllister.", Mike explained professionally and flashed his badge for the tall man to see, "I am Lieutenant Mike Stone, this is my partner, Inspector Stephen Keller. Steve was the undercover agent present during this case."

Nodding at the other man cordially, Steve took a symbolic step back to put more space between Jordan and himself, causing her to let go of him.

"I am glad you weren't injured more seriously, Inspector.", Russel said and pointed his thumb at the opposite direction, "Them bulls are unpredictable, especially with people they don't know. You were very lucky. I hope you will make a full recovery."

"Four to six weeks and I will be as good as new."

Steve cursed himself for almost sounding stoically, because he couldn't take his eyes off Jordan.

"This was a very challenging case and in the end, all we can do is to be thankful that nobody else was hurt.", Mike continued his spiel undisturbed, "There is one piece of good news I'd like to share with you though."

Waiting until he had everybody's attention, Mike smiled and reached inside his breast pocket to retrieve a handwritten note.

"See, I spoke with Mitch Howard immediately after McAllister's arrest. As a matter of fact, he and I will meet for a full discussion of the case this afternoon. In the meantime, he asked me what to do about Sally's horse. Mitch is a business man and not set up to look after it. He felt that it would be best to return it to the person who sold it to Sally, so that some other talented lady can show it and maybe make a career out of it…"

Steve could see Jordan's eyes light up in joy and relief, only to have her spirits dampened when Mike raised a stern index finger.

"That is under two conditions, young lady…", handing her the piece of paper containing a phone number, the Lieutenant looked her deep in the eyes, his features turning fatherly in an instant, "First rule is that livestock drugs are for livestock only. They're not for you to take, or to give to anybody. They are not meant to be taken by humans and they in fact cause a lot of harm inside you."

Judging by Russel Henderson's frustrated eye roll, this wasn't the first time the concerning topic was raised.

"If you get hurt during one of your stunts, give us a call in Homicide and I will personally put you in contact with one of my doctor friends who will look after you. I promise you it will be affordable and far better for your health."

Mike waited until the young woman nodded obediently, sharing a quick apologetic sideways glance with Steve, before focusing back at the Lieutenant.

"Second, I gave you Mitch Howard's phone number. All he asked is that sometime when you get a chance, that you…"

Steve was surprised when he heard his partner's voice break. Looking over just in time to see him blink, Mike struggled for a moment, his lips pursed to a thin line, as he channeled the pain Mitch Howard must feel.

"…that you call him and tell him about Sally's time here. Her goals, her dreams, anything that would help to keep her memory alive in his mind. Do you think you could do that?"

Fighting the tears herself, Jordan nodded quietly and stared at the piece of paper for a while, before putting it into the side pocket of her jeans.

"You have my word, Lieutenant."

"That's good enough for me. What do you say, Buddyboy?"

Having regained his composure and now smiling faintly, Mike looked over at him, the twinkle in his eyes causing Steve to snap out of his brooding state momentarily.

"I say it's a deal. I couldn't think of a better owner for Starburst than this lady right here."

His well-intended comment caused an awkward silence to spread amongst the four of them. Following the strange exchange with great interest, Russell tightened his grasp around his daughter's shoulders a bit more, his eyes narrowing faintly as he looked at the young Inspector, before moving his focus back to Mike.

"Well, I certainly appreciate everything y'alls have done to help my crew here and keep everybody safe. Now we just have to wait out on what happens with this place. I made some phone calls while I was back home and there are some new opportunities for us, some tours out east perhaps. So if this gig ends, at least it's not the end of the world for my guys. Quite honestly, I was getting tired of the cold and fog out here. Do you guys ever see the sun or does it rain all the time?"

Although he'd been trying to be subtle, Steve found himself losing track of the conversation going on next to him, his eyes glued on Jordan, the young woman sharing the same problem. As seconds seemingly turned to hours, he found himself getting drawn deeper and deeper into her beautifully immaculate features. Begging to touch her soft skin one more time but knowing better than to move, Steve sighed imperceptibly, as Mike continued to ramble on about weather patterns and not having to worry about getting a sunburn.

Eventually, another tug on his elbow signaled that it was time to leave dreamland.

"-ty-seven days in a row. We couldn't believe it either…", the Lieutenant continued and finally paused, his hand moving up to Steve's shoulder, as their conversation came to an end.

"Well, hopefully the weather will hold out for our trip back. No snow in the forecast in the mountains so far. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days to gather everything up and bring the bulls home. Then we'll grab the horses. Jeffers and I will stay back here with 'em till the guys return. You've got my office phone number in case you need anything from Jordan for the court thing and all."

Russel's voice had grown slightly more distant as he rubbed his daughter's upper arm, before pulling her into a tight hug. Getting a very distinct idea of what the gesture was meant to convey, Steve tightened his jaws, before taking his eyes off her for a moment, hopefully enough to ease the other man's worry.

"You guys have a safe trip. Here is our card in case you have any other questions."

Mike resurfaced a business card from his wallet and handed it over, before shaking Henderson's strong hand one last time, then reaching for Jordan's.

Steve mimicked his partner's move and almost cringed, when the tall man's hand threatened to break every bone in his, the stern warning in his deep blue eyes coming across loud and clear.

"Thanks very much, Lieutenant, Inspector. I have to give it to you. I thought our jobs are hard, but you cops, you got the raw end of the deal. One more reason why my daughter will never marry a cop."

Meeting Jordan's teary eyes at the words that seemed to be directed at him, Steve nodded faintly, the quietest and most peaceful goodbye he could manage considering the circumstances.

"Mister Henderson, it's safe to say that you and I have a lot on common.", Mike chuckled knowingly, continuing on the conversation for as long as possible, but losing the battle fast.

"Well, we better get going, don't we sweetheart?...One more show tonight and that's it before we pack up. Gotta make it a good one. Feel free to come back and get some tickets on us, if you like."

Not waiting for Mike to answer, Henderson spun around, holding his daughter tightly against his side as if he was afraid she'd run back to them. When they passed by the horse Jordan had been grooming and quickly disappeared around a corner for a much overdue father-daughter conversation, Steve let out a deep breath and bit the inside of his cheek, hoping to keep it together.

Next to him, Mike lowered his head, trying to look over at him but finding that Steve continued to stare straight ahead, unwilling to move.

"This one…eh…this one's stinging a bit more than usual?", he nudged and received a faint nod in return.

"Yeah…", Steve breathed, feeling his eyes burn when the busy aisle ahead turned into a fountain of blurry colors.

"I…eh…I really wish you would have yielded my warning on that subject matter. All of them actually. You sidestepped my direct orders repeatedly and that wasn't a smart thing to do. As a matter of fact, it got you into a lot of trouble, could have gotten you killed even. I thought you knew better than that. I hope that fancy scar you're going to take away from that will serve as a reminder next time."

"Yeah…I know…", Steve countered apologetically and let his head drop to his chest, trying to prevent his heart from breaking over something he knew was never going to work out.

They must have stood there for many quiet minutes, before Mike raised his voice again.

"She was something to look at though, wasn't she? I bet she looked breathtaking riding those horses. Pure…unbridled…beauty. A wild heart. An unbreakable spirit. Makes it tough to say no when the opportunity arises."

"You can't begin to imagine."

Biting his lip when the emotions threatened to overtake him again, Steve resumed his brooding in the middle of the aisle undisturbed.

"Even back in the day, my father warned me about cowgirls. Son, he said, they steal your heart and break it just as fast. Better make a biiig circle around them."

Smiling faintly at his partner's genial efforts to cheer him up, Steve nodded stoically.

"The cop and the cowgirl. Would have made a nice novel, I admit. The rough farm life nitty-gritty lady meets the idealistic dreamer righting all the wrongs in The City with relentless passion…Kind of catchy.", Mike then continued soothingly and grabbed him by the back of the neck, shaking him just enough to not pull him off balance, "That's the bad thing about novels though. They're not real. They exist in our minds only. I'll tell you what is realistic though…my hunger. Feel up to some late lunch before we head back downtown? We could do one of your ultra-healthy chicken-turkey-veggie wraps. What do you say, Buddyboy?"

Swallowing hard, Steve slowly straightened back out, meeting his partner's mile-wide grin with unmasked disinterest.

"I think I'll just head back home."

"And spend the afternoon sulking shamelessly? No sir, I have far more productive things to do for you than that."

Shaking his head firmly, Mike began to walk back toward the exit of the building, nudging his partner along as he did.

"First off, there's a big backlog on reports to write, and really, we owe it to half of the department to return the favor of their tenacious effort and support in this case. So I thought I'd take the guys out bowling tonight. You being the one with the bad leg, well…I thought you could keep score for us. It'll make you feel useful, you know? Give you something to do."

"Give me something to do…", Steve repeated mantra-like as he limped alongside his best friend, "As in, get my mind off things. Do something fun instead of moping in the quietness of my apartment. Spend the evening with my partner instead of sulking in the dreadful loneliness of a broken heart?"

Mike stopped in his tracks for a second, grimacing facetiously, before turning around and patting him on the cheek.

"I couldn't have said it quite so romantically, Smiley, but yeah…something like that. What do you say?"

Returning the sincere smile that was every bit as warm and caring as the person owning it, Steve nodded without hesitation.

"I'd like that very much; I think it'll be terrific."