Lennie came awake with a start. He bolted up in the recliner, gasping. He
looked all around him and found the room as it had been when he'd fallen
asleep, only now the sky was dark outside. The television played softly
and he heard the laugh track of a sitcom.
Lennie rubbed his eyes and looked at his watch. It was a little after
seven. His hand went to his side to check for his gun and he breathed a
sigh of relief to find it there.
He thought about everything he'd experienced that night. He wanted to believe that it had been a dream, but in his heart he knew it wasn't. He'd really gotten to see what life would have been like had he retired years ago. He got to see how things would've been had it not been for the good he'd done as a detective. He got to see that he really had made a difference.
Lennie jumped out of the chair and reached for his suit coat and then pulled on his overcoat. Where did he put those damn keys? He finally found them between the couch cushions and as he hurried out the door, he began to whistle a Christmas song. He felt good, energized. He felt like going to a party.
****
Anita was going over one last report before heading out for the evening. She was looking forward to spending time with all of their friends and family. Only one thing would've made the night complete. Having Lennie there. She sighed as she signed off on the paperwork and handed it to the detective.
As she turned to walk into her office she heard singing coming from the outer corridor.
"Santa, baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring! I don't mean on the phone."
Lennie waltzed through the door with a Santa hat on his head and continued to sing as he entered the squad room. He made his way to Anita and took her for a turn around the room, showing off his fancy footwork.
"Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight! That's right! I'll hurry down the chimney tonight!" He finished and dipped Anita gracefully. The squad burst into spontaneous applause.
"Well, what on earth got into you?' Anita laughed. "I thought you were sick?"
Lennie grinned impishly. "Would you believe that it went as fast as it came?"
"Uh-huh." She nodded, eyeing him suspiciously. "Are you sure I don't need to be concerned?"
"Oh no way, Lieu. I'm high on life and that's all. It's great to be a cop, ain't it?"
Ed walked in and saw Lennie. "Hey! Look's like Santa's had a hard year." He teased as he came over.
Lennie put his hand on Ed's shoulder and looked at him fondly. He had a good partner. And they did good work together. He'd never forget that again.
"You alright man?" Ed asked, concerned.
"I'm great!" Lennie boomed. "Now didn't I hear somebody say something about a party earlier?"
Anita went into her office for her coat and purse. "Yeah, a bunch of us were just about to take off." Lennie held her coat while she slipped into it. "I take it you'll be joining us?"
He held out his arm and she took it. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
As they walked out, he heard a bell ring behind them and stopped.
"Hey, listen at that!"
Anita and Ed listened but heard nothing.
"What are we listening for?" Ed asked.
"That bell."
"Yeah?"
"Well, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings."
Anita and Ed looked at him as if he'd lost his mind and Lennie just laughed.
"Never mind." He told them as he held the door open. "I guess it's an inside joke. C'mon! We don't wanna be late for the party."
**** "Law & Order" episodes referenced were "Ill Conceived" (2003), "Marathon" (1999), and "Stalker" (1998).
He thought about everything he'd experienced that night. He wanted to believe that it had been a dream, but in his heart he knew it wasn't. He'd really gotten to see what life would have been like had he retired years ago. He got to see how things would've been had it not been for the good he'd done as a detective. He got to see that he really had made a difference.
Lennie jumped out of the chair and reached for his suit coat and then pulled on his overcoat. Where did he put those damn keys? He finally found them between the couch cushions and as he hurried out the door, he began to whistle a Christmas song. He felt good, energized. He felt like going to a party.
****
Anita was going over one last report before heading out for the evening. She was looking forward to spending time with all of their friends and family. Only one thing would've made the night complete. Having Lennie there. She sighed as she signed off on the paperwork and handed it to the detective.
As she turned to walk into her office she heard singing coming from the outer corridor.
"Santa, baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring! I don't mean on the phone."
Lennie waltzed through the door with a Santa hat on his head and continued to sing as he entered the squad room. He made his way to Anita and took her for a turn around the room, showing off his fancy footwork.
"Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight! That's right! I'll hurry down the chimney tonight!" He finished and dipped Anita gracefully. The squad burst into spontaneous applause.
"Well, what on earth got into you?' Anita laughed. "I thought you were sick?"
Lennie grinned impishly. "Would you believe that it went as fast as it came?"
"Uh-huh." She nodded, eyeing him suspiciously. "Are you sure I don't need to be concerned?"
"Oh no way, Lieu. I'm high on life and that's all. It's great to be a cop, ain't it?"
Ed walked in and saw Lennie. "Hey! Look's like Santa's had a hard year." He teased as he came over.
Lennie put his hand on Ed's shoulder and looked at him fondly. He had a good partner. And they did good work together. He'd never forget that again.
"You alright man?" Ed asked, concerned.
"I'm great!" Lennie boomed. "Now didn't I hear somebody say something about a party earlier?"
Anita went into her office for her coat and purse. "Yeah, a bunch of us were just about to take off." Lennie held her coat while she slipped into it. "I take it you'll be joining us?"
He held out his arm and she took it. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
As they walked out, he heard a bell ring behind them and stopped.
"Hey, listen at that!"
Anita and Ed listened but heard nothing.
"What are we listening for?" Ed asked.
"That bell."
"Yeah?"
"Well, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings."
Anita and Ed looked at him as if he'd lost his mind and Lennie just laughed.
"Never mind." He told them as he held the door open. "I guess it's an inside joke. C'mon! We don't wanna be late for the party."
**** "Law & Order" episodes referenced were "Ill Conceived" (2003), "Marathon" (1999), and "Stalker" (1998).