*
*
*
Sara thought she looked strange as a blonde, but the short skirt and uniform top were flattering. The trademark ponytails were almost to her knees, so the blonde wig had been ruthlessly bobby-pinned to Sara's scalp. She didn't want the mass flying off her head while dancing. The faux would probably hurt someone or land in the punch.
All in all, it could have been worse. One year she'd been Maleficent, the villainess from Sleeping Beauty. The tall horned headdress kept catching on doorframes. She'd damn near fallen on her ass a few times, especially once Vodka was added to the punchbowl by a rather generous hand.
Halloween was the one holiday that Sara took off. She requested it every year, and got it or switched with someone for one of the more coveted events like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Neither of those days Sara was interested in having off since her father, the last member of her family, had died. Sara hated those few occasions that she had a day off during the season. She always ended up sitting at home, alone and feeling sorry for herself.
It wasn't that Sara didn't have somewhere she could go. She did. Danny always offered, and so did Joe. A few times she'd even taken them up on it. Staying with Joe reminded her too much of her father though, and she ended up depressing both Joe and herself with remembrances.
That certainly did not endear her to Joe's wife, who quietly resented Sara and the 'Blue Wall' dividing her life that she represented. She never said anything, a captain's wife to the bone, but the hostility was there.
Sara thought it must be hard to watch the one you love lead a life you could never truly share. There was a reason for the high divorce rate among law enforcement personnel, and it wasn't the screwball hours or the overtime. It was the fact that some things you could not share, and other things that you dared not. One person with nightmares in the relationship was one too many.
In the end, a lot of cops ended up married to the bottle. Sara was beginning to wonder if she was going to be one of those. She had very few friends, and they were all people she worked with, or were some kind of emergency services personnel. On the dating scene she was as much a predator as any of the guys. Work hard, play harder, was her motto.
Relationships were messy, and required more time and energy than Sara had to spare. Her exes all had the same complaint, that the job came before they did. It hurt to realize that they couldn't be content with what she had to give. Even when she'd given up on the normal guys and started dating only men with the same lifestyle as she had, the complaint remained the same.
The only man in her life who really understood and accepted her was her partner, and he was married with kids. Going to the Woo's didn't bring up memories of her father, but it was hard to watch Danny be surrounded by his family. It made her feel the lack of such elements in her life more keenly.
Halloween was another holiday entirely. The Woos threw a Halloween party in the basement of their church, and that she never missed. It may have started out as a religious feast day, but to Sara it was a night to be someone else. Gone was the hard as nails female detective who lived for the job. In her place was someone else, usually a cartoon villainess.
Last year she and Danny had dressed as Jessie and Jamie of 'Team Rocket', the bungling villains from 'Pokemon'. They had been the hit of the party; enough people had kids that they easily recognized the two. One of the duty sergeants had shown up to the party as a Pikachu, and they spent half the evening coming up with elaborate plots to catch him. It had been so much fun that she almost broke her 'no repeat' rule and did it again this year.
Sara had wavered over her costume for this Halloween. Having caught Jake watching 'Thundercats' on more than one occasion, despite his protests that he wasn't, she had debated dressing as Cheetara. It would be a great way to tweak the rookie, who took himself waaaay to seriously for a surfer. Totally. Especially since he couldn't seem to talk without using 'Dude' in every sentence.
Danny wanted to be Severus Snape this year, but Sara didn't really feel like playing any of the females from Harry Potter. They were all rather motherly. The only one who looked like she still had any fun in her was Madame Hooch, the Flying Instructor.
In the end she had given in to Vicki's insistent pestering. Sara joined her, Vanessa from E.S.U., Lee, and her niece Mija, as the five members of Sailor Moon. Sara had never really watched the cartoon much, but she knew the basic plotline and most of the characters.
She had thought it was a funny idea, but it really wasn't her thing. Sara probably would not have gone in on it if she had not been aware that Lee would feel slighted if she didn't. She walked a tightrope with Danny's wife. Unlike Joe, Danny was of an age with her, and they spent way too much time together for any spouse's comfort. Sara was always careful to make Lee feel like part of the group, and to do her best to make the connection she shared with Danny as something like the bond between siblings.
If Sara were to refuse to be part of the costuming theme it would look bad, even after finding out which character she was to play. Somehow she had ended up as Serena, the team leader. Her alter ego, Sailor Moon, was a dingbat blonde who always managed to save the day, in between fits, swoons, and faints. It wasn't really the kind of character she identified with at all. Sailor Mars would have been ok, but Vicki had called dibs.
It was chilly and overcast this year, perfect scaring weather. Sara looked ruefully at her reflection. It was hardly the sort of thing to inspire fear. She looked like a nautical cheerleader. Next year she was going to be something really scary, and all her friends could go hang.
With a wicked grin Sara picked up her coat and headed for the door. The party didn't start until seven, but Sara liked to get there early and help with last minute set-up. Sometimes Lee didn't get everything done she wanted, or ended up being out later than planned Trick or Treating with the kids. This year was no exception.
Sara's knock was met with a harried "Come in! Door's open!" from Lee.
Sara thought she looked strange as a blonde, but the short skirt and uniform top were flattering. The trademark ponytails were almost to her knees, so the blonde wig had been ruthlessly bobby-pinned to Sara's scalp. She didn't want the mass flying off her head while dancing. The faux would probably hurt someone or land in the punch.
All in all, it could have been worse. One year she'd been Maleficent, the villainess from Sleeping Beauty. The tall horned headdress kept catching on doorframes. She'd damn near fallen on her ass a few times, especially once Vodka was added to the punchbowl by a rather generous hand.
Halloween was the one holiday that Sara took off. She requested it every year, and got it or switched with someone for one of the more coveted events like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Neither of those days Sara was interested in having off since her father, the last member of her family, had died. Sara hated those few occasions that she had a day off during the season. She always ended up sitting at home, alone and feeling sorry for herself.
It wasn't that Sara didn't have somewhere she could go. She did. Danny always offered, and so did Joe. A few times she'd even taken them up on it. Staying with Joe reminded her too much of her father though, and she ended up depressing both Joe and herself with remembrances.
That certainly did not endear her to Joe's wife, who quietly resented Sara and the 'Blue Wall' dividing her life that she represented. She never said anything, a captain's wife to the bone, but the hostility was there.
Sara thought it must be hard to watch the one you love lead a life you could never truly share. There was a reason for the high divorce rate among law enforcement personnel, and it wasn't the screwball hours or the overtime. It was the fact that some things you could not share, and other things that you dared not. One person with nightmares in the relationship was one too many.
In the end, a lot of cops ended up married to the bottle. Sara was beginning to wonder if she was going to be one of those. She had very few friends, and they were all people she worked with, or were some kind of emergency services personnel. On the dating scene she was as much a predator as any of the guys. Work hard, play harder, was her motto.
Relationships were messy, and required more time and energy than Sara had to spare. Her exes all had the same complaint, that the job came before they did. It hurt to realize that they couldn't be content with what she had to give. Even when she'd given up on the normal guys and started dating only men with the same lifestyle as she had, the complaint remained the same.
The only man in her life who really understood and accepted her was her partner, and he was married with kids. Going to the Woo's didn't bring up memories of her father, but it was hard to watch Danny be surrounded by his family. It made her feel the lack of such elements in her life more keenly.
Halloween was another holiday entirely. The Woos threw a Halloween party in the basement of their church, and that she never missed. It may have started out as a religious feast day, but to Sara it was a night to be someone else. Gone was the hard as nails female detective who lived for the job. In her place was someone else, usually a cartoon villainess.
Last year she and Danny had dressed as Jessie and Jamie of 'Team Rocket', the bungling villains from 'Pokemon'. They had been the hit of the party; enough people had kids that they easily recognized the two. One of the duty sergeants had shown up to the party as a Pikachu, and they spent half the evening coming up with elaborate plots to catch him. It had been so much fun that she almost broke her 'no repeat' rule and did it again this year.
Sara had wavered over her costume for this Halloween. Having caught Jake watching 'Thundercats' on more than one occasion, despite his protests that he wasn't, she had debated dressing as Cheetara. It would be a great way to tweak the rookie, who took himself waaaay to seriously for a surfer. Totally. Especially since he couldn't seem to talk without using 'Dude' in every sentence.
Danny wanted to be Severus Snape this year, but Sara didn't really feel like playing any of the females from Harry Potter. They were all rather motherly. The only one who looked like she still had any fun in her was Madame Hooch, the Flying Instructor.
In the end she had given in to Vicki's insistent pestering. Sara joined her, Vanessa from E.S.U., Lee, and her niece Mija, as the five members of Sailor Moon. Sara had never really watched the cartoon much, but she knew the basic plotline and most of the characters.
She had thought it was a funny idea, but it really wasn't her thing. Sara probably would not have gone in on it if she had not been aware that Lee would feel slighted if she didn't. She walked a tightrope with Danny's wife. Unlike Joe, Danny was of an age with her, and they spent way too much time together for any spouse's comfort. Sara was always careful to make Lee feel like part of the group, and to do her best to make the connection she shared with Danny as something like the bond between siblings.
If Sara were to refuse to be part of the costuming theme it would look bad, even after finding out which character she was to play. Somehow she had ended up as Serena, the team leader. Her alter ego, Sailor Moon, was a dingbat blonde who always managed to save the day, in between fits, swoons, and faints. It wasn't really the kind of character she identified with at all. Sailor Mars would have been ok, but Vicki had called dibs.
It was chilly and overcast this year, perfect scaring weather. Sara looked ruefully at her reflection. It was hardly the sort of thing to inspire fear. She looked like a nautical cheerleader. Next year she was going to be something really scary, and all her friends could go hang.
With a wicked grin Sara picked up her coat and headed for the door. The party didn't start until seven, but Sara liked to get there early and help with last minute set-up. Sometimes Lee didn't get everything done she wanted, or ended up being out later than planned Trick or Treating with the kids. This year was no exception.
Sara's knock was met with a harried "Come in! Door's open!" from Lee.