The cozy atmosphere Mike relished so much was back that evening.
As he leaned back in his rocking chair, a hot cup of coffee in one hand, the other one resting in his lap, he let his eyes wander over to the couch, where Jeannie was having an engaged conversation with Steve about some music group he'd never heard of before, nor cared to.
The friendly tit-for-tat had been going on for the past few minutes, covering which album was better and whether or not the guitarist was hitting the right chords on this song or that one. The content didn't matter the least to Mike; what did matter though was seeing the relief in Jeannie's eyes after a year that undoubtedly hadn't gone to plan and brought a slew of fear, heartbreak and shame to a young woman who'd already had mastered the rocky road of growing up without a mother and having to learn about life the hard way around each turn.
Mike couldn't be more proud of her, despite the unplanned pregnancy, knowing how hard Jeannie had to fight for normality after Helen's untimely passing, and how growing up with only one parent, and that one being a cop, could wear on a young woman. And yet, she'd persevered in life, working on her college degree and tried hard to make up for any poor choices of the past.
After her return from Arizona, they'd spent all night talking about the short pregnancy and eventual miscarriage, how her and Eric had cried for days, shell-shocked by the changed that would come with a baby in the family, and how they eventually found peace in the situation, only to have their hearts ripped apart again by the loss of the baby.
It was a situation that had the potential to wear on the spirit, especially for a sensitive young woman such as Jeannie. But just like she'd done many times in the past, she gave fate the stiff upper lip and continued on, wiped away those tears and smiled again.
And here she was tonight, her head bedded against Steve's chest, smiling broadly, her blue eyes sparkling against the overhead chandelier as she sang a couple phrases from her favorite song, just to have the young Inspector nod along quietly, forgetting about his own family troubles for a precious few hours.
Over the past few moments, he'd watched Steve visibly relax, that incessant fidgeting on his dress shirt stopping completely, his tight shoulders lowered, his eyes staying on Jeannie rather than nervously moving back and forth, always seeking out threats.
It was obvious that the reunion was helping both of them find a measure of peace in uncertain times, and for Mike to shamelessly enjoy the company of those he loved.
"So what else is new in the world of San Francisco's elite Homicide Department?", Jeannie asked as their discussion about music was beginning to wind down, making both detectives fall quiet.
It wasn't a question she normally asked, as a matter of fact her role as a policeman's daughter had kept her interest at bay when it came to violent crimes. Then again, Mike figured the small talk would avoid any topic drifting back to the painful past few months, so he went along with it.
"Not much of anything. This guy over here is chasing severed legs along the shoreline…"
Upon Mike's flippant comment, Jeannie raised her eyebrows and looked up at Steve, who shrugged disinterestedly, before drinking another sip of water.
"Could be a sick joke. Could be a homicidal maniac. We don't know yet. It's too soon to tell."
"Oh my God. That's horrible. You don't know who the victims are yet?"
Shaking her head and clenching her cup of coffee tightly, Jeannie leaned deeper against Steve's chest, causing him to wrap a protective arm around her.
"Not yet. It will likely take some time. This isn't your usual cut-and-dried kind of case. At this point we don't even know if it's a case altogether."
Steve's eyes drifted over to his partner when he said that, receiving a faint nod in response, appreciating the young Inspector's skillful tap-dance around the sensitive topic.
"Didn't stop this guy from going for a swim on a lovely…freezing cold Christmas Day. Naturally, I had to follow along to make sure he stays safe.", Mike added jovially, trying to re-direct the conversation to a safer plane, something less morbid and disconcerting to talk about during a relaxing holiday gathering.
"And naturally…he complained the entire time.", Steve shot back, beginning a round of friendly bantering that made Jeannie chuckle, "Lucky for me I struck gold."
"Lucky for you that fancy belt was holding on so you wouldn't fall head first into the rocks."
"Details, Lieutenant, always worried about the tiny details…"
"How am I supposed to protect you from yourself without those tiny details?"
They shared a warm smile, silently reminiscing the many cases they'd worked together over the years; the tough calls and close scrapes, the desperate attempts and the never-ending "what it's" giving that statement a depth very few people would ever even begin to understand.
But here they sat, six years into that monkey business with a few more scars, an assortment of amazing tales to tell, and a bond forged so strongly that it could never be broken from the outside.
It was a bond as strong as family.