Mike was surprised when he heard Steve's phone ring on the way out of the bullpen.
Still shaken from his earlier meeting with Rudy, he backtracked a few steps as he approached his partner's desk before lifting up the receiver.
"Homicide, this is Lieutenant Stone."
"Oh I am sorry. I must have dialed the wrong extension. I was looking for Inspector Keller."
The older female voice threw Mike for a loop. Couldn't be the latest girlfriend...or could it?
"This is his extension, Ma'am, but he's currently out of the office. Can I take a message or help you in any way?"
"I was just…Lieutenant Stone, this is Claire Keller, Stephen's mother. I was just wondering how he is doing. I don't have his home number, so I thought I'd try the office..."
Mike felt a surge of surprise rush through him and grasped the receiver a little bit tighter.
"Misses Keller…he…ehm...he is fine. I was just about to check on him."
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear this. My sister just drove here from San Francisco and she showed me the newspaper article about your case. It mentioned my son underneath a picture of somebody lying on the ground surrounded by a bunch of onlookers. The article wasn't very detailed but I was just…was this my son in that picture? Because it looked a lot like him. Was he hurt? I was so worried that it might have been him. I hope I didn't bother you."
"No, not at all.", Mike bit his lip as he remembered the less than advantageous article, "He was injured during a chase and you know how the media loves to blow everything out of proportion. He is a bit sore, but that's all. I can have him call you, if you like."
"Thank you for the kind offer Lieutenant, I am afraid he won't do that. You…you are the Lieutenant Mike Stone, aren't you? You are his partner?"
"Yes I am, Misses Keller."
"Well, I don't know how much Stephen has told you about what happened but…let's just say that both he and his father share the same bullheadedness. It's a shame really. I think of him every day, but he refuses to talk to either one of us because of one stupid disagreement he had with his father. I just wish he would have never gone to Berkley. Everything was fine until all these ridiculous protests started… But I guess, Stephen chose his path and I am just glad that you took him under your wing. I had a friend of Marty's ask other police officers about you and they said that you are one of the best. At least it gives me peace knowing that Stephen is in good hands."
"I can tell you that regardless of what might have happened, you raised a fine son. He's one of the best partners I've ever had."
"I am so glad to hear you say that. I really wish things would have worked out differently but...well, would you mind if I asked you how he is doing now? Is he fitting in well? Is he taking care of himself? I haven't spoken to him in over six years. I realize he's a grown man now, but part of me still remembers when he was my baby. I know Marty misses him too, he just won't admit it."
"He is doing just fine, Misses Keller.", Mike tried to reassure the sobbing lady, as he felt a knot form in his stomach, "He takes good care of himself and everybody around him. He is one of the most caring people I know."
"That's Stephen alright. He's always wanted to save the whole world. And it would tear him apart if he couldn't. He's so emotional and thoughtful…I won't lie. I became worried when I heard that he chose to become a homicide detective. I cannot imagine what you two have to see sometimes…Lieutenant Stone, he may have not told you this, but his father is a police officer too. He is a Sergeant here in Modesto. Stephen never thought much of law enforcement, so imagine our surprise when we found out that he made that his chosen career."
"Well, for all that its worth, he will go a long way in the service. He's really good at what he's doing."
"Marty would be so proud if only…well…he is too stubborn for that. I really wish him and Stephen would just forget about everything that happened. It's all in the past and we're not getting any younger. Gosh, I still remember when Stephen was a baby and Marty would play cop car chase with him…they were both so excited and giggling."
Mike bit his lip when he heard Claire sob on the other end. The father in him understood her pain more than he liked to admit. But he also knew that his partner's private business was just that. And he had to respect that fact.
"Lieutenant Stone, could you do me one favor please? Would you make sure that when Stephen has his own family…just ensure that he doesn't...well…that he doesn't allow what happened to our family to happen to his? He's always so busy trying to help other people and save the world, and I need for him to understand that he deserves happiness too."