Ack! It occurred to me last night I forgot to mention something. This story loosely ties into another one I released quite some time ago. But it is not necessary to know about it to enjoy this story. There. I hope that's vague enough. Enjoy!
There was a distinct serenity to be found in the Hall of Justice Building on Christmas Day as Mike crossed the underground parking garage to the elevators, counting only half a dozen cars in the lot, before nodding cordially at the guard by the wire mesh fence.
Not a soul could be found in the usually busy hallways today, a special occasion he actually looked forward to all year long.
With his black coat loosely draped over his arm, the fedora in his left hand, he entered Office 450, his eyes automatically glancing across the large room and its sole two occupants working away, a smile forming on his face at the sight of his partner.
Speeding up his pace somewhat, he headed for his inner office, stopping at Steve's desk to put a hand on the young Inspector's upper back, signaling his arrival without interrupting the phone conversation he had.
Then, taking a deep breath, he glanced over his desk, his heart feeling lighter already at the lack of any missed call notices or indications of other departments requesting their help. If all went well, this might just turn into a quiet holiday shift.
"You decided not to go to the Christmas Day service?", Steve asked upon hanging up the phone, then got up from his chair to button up his mandarin dress shirt, nervously fumbling with the silver tie carelessly draped across his shoulders.
"Don't worry about it…there's nobody here…", Mike reassured his partner, stopping his fidgeting in its tracks, then smiled, "And no, I decided to forgo it. Turns out Jeannie surprised me and came home early this morning."
Raising his eyebrows, Steve came closer, stopping for a brief coffee refill, before joining him in the office.
"That's…that's fantastic. I am so glad to hear that. How are things with...you know…with everything going on?"
Mike hesitated at the question, glancing at the carpeted floor in his office to gather his thoughts, before meeting his partner's intuitive green eyes again.
"We're getting there. Spent the night talking. A lot of…talking."
Nodding understandingly, Steve pursed his lips and reached over to pat his shoulder, knowing that the wound was too fresh to be forgotten about, much less fixed in one night.
"That's probably for the best. Remember, everything takes time."
"Yeah, I know."
As an oppressive silence filled the four walls of his office, Mike decided to head for the coffee table himself, adding extra cream and sugar as a holiday treat.
"What about you, Smiley? Did you and the misses have a good Christmas eve?"
Mike frowned when Steve didn't answer right away and resorted to watching the coffee in his cup swirl, after six years of partnership nearly mimicking his behavior.
"Well, we had planned on it. Went to a Christmas party at a friend of mine's apartment. All was well until he introduced me to his newest friend…none other than Claire Gifford."
"You have got to be kidding me?!"
Taking a sip of fresh coffee and returning to the office, Mike shook his head at the ridiculous coincidence of coming across the annoying reporter twice in one day.
"Did she say anything? Try something stupid?"
"Not that I am aware of. After I walked away from her, I didn't see her for the rest of the night. That doesn't mean she wasn't there though."
"And you bet she was there, keeping a close eye on you and feeling empowered to be…in the inner circle."
Steve nodded faintly, then opened his mouth as if to say anything, before closing it again to swallow the answer.
"Don't worry about it. I am certain we'll read about your adventures in next week's story.", Mike mocked sourly, ready to move back to their active homicide cases when Steve cleared his throat.
"Why don't we just pull a full jacket on her and use it against her? Make her uncomfortable. Turn the tables."
"Because it would only encourage her more. Make her feel important, being the center of our attention. That's why she seems to be doing all this nonsense to begin with. She wants to be part of our lives. And if we start digging into hers, we'd only feed that desire. No, the best way to handle her right now is to keep her at arm's length. Beyond that, our hands are tied and she knows that."
Despite his stern tone, a cheeky grin appeared on Steve's face, as the young Inspector shook his head.
"I still don't know what they pay Murchison for. You are the one doing all the psych profiles around here."