Title: Phoenix: Ch 9: Christmas
Author: LavenderJade
Fandom: Law & Order
Email: lavenderjade@comcast.net
Pairing: Jack/Lennie
Summary: A very happy ending
Disclaimer: Not mine (wish they were!), not making money
A few weeks later
Christmas. Just another day he had to work. That's all it had been for more years than Lennie cared to remember. But not this year. This year, it meant something special, but he still couldn't get the damned day off. Department policy - officers with families got first dibs on holidays off. That didn't leave much room for guys like Lennie Briscoe. On paper, he had no family. Twice divorced, estranged from his remaining daughter.
No one knew that there was someone special in his life again. Oh, sure they suspected. After all, Jack and Lennie had been roommates for 3 years now. The rumors had started back when he first moved in. They hadn't been true then, but they were now. Jack's brush with death 2 weeks ago at the hands of an man he had convicted years ago had pushed them into each others' arms. Neither could explain it, so they didn't bother to try. It simply was.
They had agreed when he first moved in that they would "officially" ignore the holiday - no tree, no decorating the apartment, and most importantly, NO GIFTS. Lennie decided that since they were already breaking so many other rules, that one was out the window as well. So this year, he wanted to do something very special for Jack for Christmas. But what?
Lennie actually got out of the precinct at a reasonable hour that day, and headed home whistling a Christmas carol. When he got there, the answering machine light was blinking. "Hey, Lennie, it's me. Looks like Abbie and I will be here late working on this Thompson thing. Don't wait dinner for me. See you later."
Lennie sighed, disappointed. He headed back to their bedroom to change into something more comfortable. //"Our" bedroom. Still can't quite believe that.// Lennie shook his head and smiled. As he walked to the closet, the light caught something on Jack's dresser. "Wait a minute, maybe that's it . . ." He picked up a small glass box that held a length of gold chain . . .
//Flashback. The day after Jack's assault. Lennie had come into Jack's room overnight to comfort his friend after a nightmare; it had been the first time they slept together, and the next morning they had made love for the first time.//
Jack finally got out of bed and stood in front of his dresser, staring at the bandages wrapping his dislocated shoulder. Something looked wrong . . . "Lennie, have you seen my chain?" Lennie dug around in his memory to figure out what Jack was talking about. Oh, yeah, a gold necklace. He had often seen it on weekends when Jack would wander out wearing just his robe over a pair of sweatpants. Nice - looked expensive, pretty heavy chain. "Last time I saw it was when they cut your shirt off at the hospital yesterday. You were wearing it then. Did they take it off when they bandaged up your shoulder?" "I was pretty groggy then, I don't remember." Lennie's detective instincts cut in and he found the jeans he had tossed aside last night after Jack crashed from the meds. Checking all the pockets, he found the missing chain. "Here you go. Want me to put it back on you?"
Jack got really quiet for a moment, then looked up into Lennie's eyes. "No. Claire gave it to me, Lennie. It's time to put it aside." He took the chain from Lennie and poured it into the little glass box on his dresser . . .
On a cop's salary, there was no way Lennie could afford a fancy gold chain like that. But Claire had given him gold; Lennie wanted something different. Maybe something similar in silver, to match Jack's gorgeous hair. Yeah. That he could afford.
The next day at lunch, he tried to ditch his partner, Ed Green, so he could get to a jewelry store. Ed was having nothing of it. He had been with Lennie when they responded to the silent alarm at the DA's office, had seen the panicked look in his partner's face when they thought McCoy might die. Lennie was his friend and partner; if anything happened to him, Ed would be pretty upset. But what he saw that day went way beyond upset. And since then, Lennie had been acting different. Happy - even whistling Christmas carols, for god's sake! If Ed didn't know better, he'd think his partner was in Love. Lennie had always discounted the rumors about him and Jack, but Ed was thinking something had changed, and he was determined to find out what.
So when Lennie mentioned going out at lunch to do some Christmas shopping, Ed was all over it. Lennie did NOT want company, but Ed was NOT going to back down either. Lennie decided maybe he could look, just not buy anything, so he reluctantly let Ed tag along. Ed grinned and grabbed the keys of their unmarked car.
"So where we goin'?" Ed asked as he started the car, grinning at his partner. "Jewelry store, corner of Lexington and 117th." Lennie looked sideways at his partner, expecting the next comment. "Ooooh, jewelery! Lennie, you been holdin' out on me? You got a new main squeeze and you don't even tell your partner?" Judging from the glare Lennie cast in his direction, Ed figured he'd struck a nerve. "Come on, man, you can tell me. Who is she?" There. Keep it playful, give him the chance to spill . . .
"Ed, there is no new woman in my life. Got it?" Lennie scowled at him. "So why you been so happy lately, then? Seriously, Lennie, we've been partners over a year now. Something's up. Whatever it is, WHOever it is - you can tell me." The teasing was gone from his voice now. He really hoped Lennie would trust him. Lennie hesitated, not sure if he was ready to share this. "Ed, I can't. Not yet."
Ed pulled the car into a parking space and turned to face his partner. "It's McCoy, isn't it? Lennie, I was with you that day; I saw your face. And ever since then, you've been floating on cloud nine. Look, it's OK with me; I ain't gonna cause you no trouble over this. I just want you to be straight with me, OK?"
Lennie's face had gotten about as red as it could get. Then the last of Ed's words registered. "Nice choice of words, there, partner!" Ed looked confused, then realized what he had said. They both burst out laughing, washing away the tension that had been building.
Lennie drew a deep breath. "OK, Ed, you got me. But please - I'm really not ready to talk about this yet, so cut me some slack, will you?" Ed nodded. "Tell you the truth, I'm not sure I WANT to know anything more . . ." Lennie chuckled as he got out of the car, heading in to the jewelry store.
Across town, Anita Van Buren sat in the DA's office going over a couple of cases with McCoy and Carmichael. //He looks pretty good for a man who almost died 3 weeks ago// she thought. His right arm was still in a cast, held loosely in a sling. But the thing she noticed most was that he was smiling more lately. Jack McCoy almost never smiled. Ever since Claire had been killed, he had thrown himself even further into his work. He had lightened up some when Lennie moved in with him a couple of years ago. She figured they were good for each other, both had needed a friend. But ever since that attack, Jack seemed, well, happy. Like some great burden had been lifted. And now that she thought about it, Lennie also seemed to be more cheerful than usual at this time of year. Yesterday, she was sure she had heard him whistling a Christmas carol! Was something going on here?
They finished their conference, and Abbie left to track down some missing paperwork. "Anita, could you stay for a moment?" Jack asked as he got up to close the door behind his assistant. She nodded and sat back down, curious.
Jack sighed. He was taking a chance here. "Anita, I wanted to ask you a favor. It's about Lennie." He paused. "Anita, he saved my life. I wanted to do something special for him this Christmas. I know department policies give priority to officers with families for time off. But Lennie hasn't had Christmas off in 15 years. Is there ANY chance you could swing something here?" There. He hoped it was a good enough excuse . . .
Anita was intrigued. Yes, something WAS going on here. Oh, it sounded like a good enough excuse, except for the red flush that was creeping up McCoy's neck, and the nervously fidgeting hands. Should she push it? Gay cops weren't welcome in some circles, and if she knew for sure, she could protect them, help keep the secret. It would be better if Lennie told her, but . . .
"Jack, is there something you're not telling me?" //Uh oh, you blew it, McCoy// He avoided her gaze. "Anita, it's really not my place to say . . ." "Then let me tell you. Most people going through what you did 3 weeks ago would come back to work fearful, introspective, hurt. You've smiled more in the last 2 weeks than in the previous 2 years! It's like some great burden you've carried is gone. Like you finally let her go." Jack looked up, startled. Was it that obvious? "And Lennie. Yesterday, I heard him whistling a Christmas carol. We usually call him the precinct Grinch, Jack. Both of you are floating on cloud nine, and I think I know why." She met his eyes, an eyebrow cocked, asking the question.
Jack felt the heat rising, knew his face was flushed. "Anita, you know what this could do to Lennie if word gets out . . ." "Yeah, and as his boss, I can protect him. Now that I know." Jack nodded. "Jack, I really can't do anything about Christmas day. There are enough officers with little kids that there's no way I can let Lennie off. But I can do this. I'll assign him to the later shift, he won't have to come in at the crack of dawn. And I'll make sure I throw him out early Christmas Eve, so you two can have some time together then. OK?"
Jack smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Anita." "Don't worry, Jack. You're secret's safe with me."
After Anita left, Jack sat back and continued trying to come up with an idea of what to get Lennie. He was at a loss. He realized that his standard "fall-back" gift ideas for lovers was out of date, given the circumstances. And besides, he didn't want something "fall back"; he wanted something intensely personal, some piece of him that Lennie could keep with him all the time. Like that chain had been his way of keeping Claire with him all these years . . . hmmm . . .
Christmas Eve. Jack hurried out of the office at lunchtime; he had a lot to do this afternoon. First the doctor - he hadn't told Lennie that he was getting the cast off today. A little shop on 23rd street - candles, lots of them, scented with pine and cinnamon. Tower records - some instrumental Christmas music, Wyndam Hill, Mannheim Steamroller. Finally, the grocery store - steaks, potatoes, a side salad, and a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne.
Lennie looked at the duty roster twice to make sure he was seeing correct. By some miracle, he was on the second shift Christmas day instead of the early shift. He would actually be able to sleep in, maybe even . . .
"Hey, Lennie, you wanna go get something to eat?" Ed's voice startled him out of the reverie. Lennie looked at his watch - 6:30. "Yeah, might as well grab something while it's quiet." They headed out to the car, Ed grabbing the keys. They chatted aimlessly as Ed drove, until Lennie noticed their surroundings. "Hey, Ed, where we going? This is my neighborhood . . ."
Ed grinned as he pulled up in front of Lennie and Jack's apartment building. "Strict orders from the Lieu, man. I'm supposed to deliver you here at precisely 7PM, throw you out and not take no for an answer. So git!" Lennie looked at his partner, dumbfounded. "Hey, don't argue with me man, I'm just the delivery boy!" Lennie laughed. "Well, I can't argue with that! Thanks, Ed." He smiled at his partner as he got out of the car. "Hey, Lennie - Merry Christmas, man!" He waved as Ed pulled away.
So VanBuren was in on the secret too? He wondered how she had found out. Probably figured it out just like Ed had. Luckily, there weren't too many other folks around the precinct who knew him well enough to pick up on it. He hoped. He wondered if Jack had anything to do with this as he walked down the hall to their apartment. Figuring Jack had gotten off early this afternoon, he opened the door with a cheery "Honey, I'm home!" as he took off his overcoat
Lennie stopped in his tracks. He couldn't believe the sight before him. The apartment lights were dimmed and there were candles all around giving off a soft, romantic glow and a hint of pine and cinnamon. The table was set with a deep burgundy tablecloth and good china, two filled champagne flutes in the center, and the smell of steak wafting in from the kitchen. Soft Christmas music played on the stereo. And then there was Jack . . .wearing a cashmere sweater that matched the tablecloth and looked soft enough to drown in. Something was missing . ..
He stood there, smiling, watching Lennie take it all in. "My god, Jack . .." The overcoat fell to the floor. "Merry Christmas, Lennie." Jack held his arms out to his lover. Lennie came to him, meeting him in the tenderest of kisses. Jack's arms slid around Lennie's waist, holding tight. It finally sunk in. Lennie pulled away a bit and ran his fingers down Jack's right arm. Jack smiled. "Yup. Got it off today. Wanted to surprise you."
"With all this, I almost didn't notice!" Lennie laughed. "Jack, it's beautiful! Perfect, even!" Jack slid his arms back around Lennie, delighting in finally being able to hold him properly, no cast or sling in the way. They held each other close for a while, until Jack let go and reached for the champagne glasses. He handed one to Lennie - "Non- alcoholic, of course," and raised his glass in a toast. "To happiness, Lennie." "To happiness." Their glasses chimed with the pure tone of good crystal. Lennie sipped the contents - the bubbles tickled his nose. Trust Jack to find a way to celebrate without breaking his vow of sobriety. He smiled.
The dinner was excellent - Jack had really turned out to be a great cook. Lennie sat back with a sigh when he finished, looking across the table at his friend, his lover. He still didn't really understand how this had happened. All he knew was that for the first time in a very long time, he felt loved. Jack had finished, and was watching Lennie watch him. Lennie smiled and reached across the table to take Jack's hand. "So just how many accomplices did you have to pull this off?" He asked, smiling, gently rubbing his thumb over the spot where the cast had been this morning. "Just Anita. She promised to kick you out early tonight, and put you on second shift tomorrow." //Well, that explains that miracle!// "She know?" "She figured it out, Lennie. Said I was smiling too much lately. And said she caught the precinct Grinch whistling Christmas carols . . ." Lennie winced. "Yeah, I guess I have had a tendency toward a 'bah, humbug' attitude in the past." Jack laughed. "But for some reason, this year is different. In fact . . ."
Lennie let go of Jack's hand and got up, heading back to the guest room. Although he now slept with Jack, he had kept the other room as his "personal space." Guessing what Lennie had in mind, Jack went into the living room and brought out a box he had tucked behind the couch. He was sitting on the couch with the brightly wrapped package on the coffee table in front of him when Lennie returned with a package of his own. "You too, huh?" Lennie asked with a smile as he sat down. "Of course," Jack replied with a smile. "Well, I started this, so you first." Lennie handed him the package, hoping Jack didn't notice the trembling of his hands. Jack carefully removed the wrapping paper and opened the box inside. There, spread out across the black velvet case, was a silver chain, exactly the twin of the gold one Claire had given him except for the color. Lennie was talking . . . "I couldn't afford gold, Jack, but this reminded me of your hair. I wanted you to have something to hold close . . ." "Lennie, it's perfect," he said as the tears gathered in his eyes. Knowing what was in the other box, he looked up and caressed Lennie's cheek. "Perfect. Will you . . .?" He handed Lennie the box, not trusting his own hands to handle the clasp. Lennie leaned forward, wrapping the chain around his neck and fastening it, then taking Jack's face into his trembling hands for a kiss.
Lennie leaned back and took a deep breath, his eyes drawn to the chain. The silver sparkled against the rich burgundy of Jack's sweater, reflecting the flickering candlelight. Jack smiled, and reached out for the other package. "Your turn." Lennie took a more direct approach, ripping the shiny paper off. Inside was a small glass box he had last seen on Jack's dresser, filled with a length of gold chain. "Jack, no. I can't accept this!" It was much too expensive, much too personal . . .
"No, Lennie please. I want you to have it. You know how much that chain meant to me; I wore it every day for 6 years. By now it's got to have more of me in it than her. And besides, her death was what brought us together. I'll never forget her, Lennie, she's part of me now, part of US. But I don't need it anymore." He reached up to finger the new chain he now wore, smiling.
Lennie swallowed, looked up into Jack's eyes. If he could give this up, Claire was truly in his past now. Lennie nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He handed the box to Jack, who poured out the chain and wrapped it around Lennie's neck. This time the kiss was long and passionate. When they finally came up for air, Jack leaned back into the corner of the couch and drew Lennie into his arms. "God, I've wanted to do this for so long," he sighed. "Couldn't wait to get rid of the damn cast . . ." Lennie pillowed his head on the soft warmth of Jack's shoulder, wrapped now in the softest cashmere instead of the rough linen sling. They sat there for a long while, watching the flickering candlelight and listening to the music. Finally, the last strains of Steamroller's Silent Night filled the room with the soft sound of wind and sleigh bells fading off into the distance. As the CD player shut off, they blew out the candles and headed back to their bedroom . . ."Merry Christmas, Lennie." "Merry Christmas, Jack."
A few weeks later
Christmas. Just another day he had to work. That's all it had been for more years than Lennie cared to remember. But not this year. This year, it meant something special, but he still couldn't get the damned day off. Department policy - officers with families got first dibs on holidays off. That didn't leave much room for guys like Lennie Briscoe. On paper, he had no family. Twice divorced, estranged from his remaining daughter.
No one knew that there was someone special in his life again. Oh, sure they suspected. After all, Jack and Lennie had been roommates for 3 years now. The rumors had started back when he first moved in. They hadn't been true then, but they were now. Jack's brush with death 2 weeks ago at the hands of an man he had convicted years ago had pushed them into each others' arms. Neither could explain it, so they didn't bother to try. It simply was.
They had agreed when he first moved in that they would "officially" ignore the holiday - no tree, no decorating the apartment, and most importantly, NO GIFTS. Lennie decided that since they were already breaking so many other rules, that one was out the window as well. So this year, he wanted to do something very special for Jack for Christmas. But what?
Lennie actually got out of the precinct at a reasonable hour that day, and headed home whistling a Christmas carol. When he got there, the answering machine light was blinking. "Hey, Lennie, it's me. Looks like Abbie and I will be here late working on this Thompson thing. Don't wait dinner for me. See you later."
Lennie sighed, disappointed. He headed back to their bedroom to change into something more comfortable. //"Our" bedroom. Still can't quite believe that.// Lennie shook his head and smiled. As he walked to the closet, the light caught something on Jack's dresser. "Wait a minute, maybe that's it . . ." He picked up a small glass box that held a length of gold chain . . .
//Flashback. The day after Jack's assault. Lennie had come into Jack's room overnight to comfort his friend after a nightmare; it had been the first time they slept together, and the next morning they had made love for the first time.//
Jack finally got out of bed and stood in front of his dresser, staring at the bandages wrapping his dislocated shoulder. Something looked wrong . . . "Lennie, have you seen my chain?" Lennie dug around in his memory to figure out what Jack was talking about. Oh, yeah, a gold necklace. He had often seen it on weekends when Jack would wander out wearing just his robe over a pair of sweatpants. Nice - looked expensive, pretty heavy chain. "Last time I saw it was when they cut your shirt off at the hospital yesterday. You were wearing it then. Did they take it off when they bandaged up your shoulder?" "I was pretty groggy then, I don't remember." Lennie's detective instincts cut in and he found the jeans he had tossed aside last night after Jack crashed from the meds. Checking all the pockets, he found the missing chain. "Here you go. Want me to put it back on you?"
Jack got really quiet for a moment, then looked up into Lennie's eyes. "No. Claire gave it to me, Lennie. It's time to put it aside." He took the chain from Lennie and poured it into the little glass box on his dresser . . .
On a cop's salary, there was no way Lennie could afford a fancy gold chain like that. But Claire had given him gold; Lennie wanted something different. Maybe something similar in silver, to match Jack's gorgeous hair. Yeah. That he could afford.
The next day at lunch, he tried to ditch his partner, Ed Green, so he could get to a jewelry store. Ed was having nothing of it. He had been with Lennie when they responded to the silent alarm at the DA's office, had seen the panicked look in his partner's face when they thought McCoy might die. Lennie was his friend and partner; if anything happened to him, Ed would be pretty upset. But what he saw that day went way beyond upset. And since then, Lennie had been acting different. Happy - even whistling Christmas carols, for god's sake! If Ed didn't know better, he'd think his partner was in Love. Lennie had always discounted the rumors about him and Jack, but Ed was thinking something had changed, and he was determined to find out what.
So when Lennie mentioned going out at lunch to do some Christmas shopping, Ed was all over it. Lennie did NOT want company, but Ed was NOT going to back down either. Lennie decided maybe he could look, just not buy anything, so he reluctantly let Ed tag along. Ed grinned and grabbed the keys of their unmarked car.
"So where we goin'?" Ed asked as he started the car, grinning at his partner. "Jewelry store, corner of Lexington and 117th." Lennie looked sideways at his partner, expecting the next comment. "Ooooh, jewelery! Lennie, you been holdin' out on me? You got a new main squeeze and you don't even tell your partner?" Judging from the glare Lennie cast in his direction, Ed figured he'd struck a nerve. "Come on, man, you can tell me. Who is she?" There. Keep it playful, give him the chance to spill . . .
"Ed, there is no new woman in my life. Got it?" Lennie scowled at him. "So why you been so happy lately, then? Seriously, Lennie, we've been partners over a year now. Something's up. Whatever it is, WHOever it is - you can tell me." The teasing was gone from his voice now. He really hoped Lennie would trust him. Lennie hesitated, not sure if he was ready to share this. "Ed, I can't. Not yet."
Ed pulled the car into a parking space and turned to face his partner. "It's McCoy, isn't it? Lennie, I was with you that day; I saw your face. And ever since then, you've been floating on cloud nine. Look, it's OK with me; I ain't gonna cause you no trouble over this. I just want you to be straight with me, OK?"
Lennie's face had gotten about as red as it could get. Then the last of Ed's words registered. "Nice choice of words, there, partner!" Ed looked confused, then realized what he had said. They both burst out laughing, washing away the tension that had been building.
Lennie drew a deep breath. "OK, Ed, you got me. But please - I'm really not ready to talk about this yet, so cut me some slack, will you?" Ed nodded. "Tell you the truth, I'm not sure I WANT to know anything more . . ." Lennie chuckled as he got out of the car, heading in to the jewelry store.
Across town, Anita Van Buren sat in the DA's office going over a couple of cases with McCoy and Carmichael. //He looks pretty good for a man who almost died 3 weeks ago// she thought. His right arm was still in a cast, held loosely in a sling. But the thing she noticed most was that he was smiling more lately. Jack McCoy almost never smiled. Ever since Claire had been killed, he had thrown himself even further into his work. He had lightened up some when Lennie moved in with him a couple of years ago. She figured they were good for each other, both had needed a friend. But ever since that attack, Jack seemed, well, happy. Like some great burden had been lifted. And now that she thought about it, Lennie also seemed to be more cheerful than usual at this time of year. Yesterday, she was sure she had heard him whistling a Christmas carol! Was something going on here?
They finished their conference, and Abbie left to track down some missing paperwork. "Anita, could you stay for a moment?" Jack asked as he got up to close the door behind his assistant. She nodded and sat back down, curious.
Jack sighed. He was taking a chance here. "Anita, I wanted to ask you a favor. It's about Lennie." He paused. "Anita, he saved my life. I wanted to do something special for him this Christmas. I know department policies give priority to officers with families for time off. But Lennie hasn't had Christmas off in 15 years. Is there ANY chance you could swing something here?" There. He hoped it was a good enough excuse . . .
Anita was intrigued. Yes, something WAS going on here. Oh, it sounded like a good enough excuse, except for the red flush that was creeping up McCoy's neck, and the nervously fidgeting hands. Should she push it? Gay cops weren't welcome in some circles, and if she knew for sure, she could protect them, help keep the secret. It would be better if Lennie told her, but . . .
"Jack, is there something you're not telling me?" //Uh oh, you blew it, McCoy// He avoided her gaze. "Anita, it's really not my place to say . . ." "Then let me tell you. Most people going through what you did 3 weeks ago would come back to work fearful, introspective, hurt. You've smiled more in the last 2 weeks than in the previous 2 years! It's like some great burden you've carried is gone. Like you finally let her go." Jack looked up, startled. Was it that obvious? "And Lennie. Yesterday, I heard him whistling a Christmas carol. We usually call him the precinct Grinch, Jack. Both of you are floating on cloud nine, and I think I know why." She met his eyes, an eyebrow cocked, asking the question.
Jack felt the heat rising, knew his face was flushed. "Anita, you know what this could do to Lennie if word gets out . . ." "Yeah, and as his boss, I can protect him. Now that I know." Jack nodded. "Jack, I really can't do anything about Christmas day. There are enough officers with little kids that there's no way I can let Lennie off. But I can do this. I'll assign him to the later shift, he won't have to come in at the crack of dawn. And I'll make sure I throw him out early Christmas Eve, so you two can have some time together then. OK?"
Jack smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Anita." "Don't worry, Jack. You're secret's safe with me."
After Anita left, Jack sat back and continued trying to come up with an idea of what to get Lennie. He was at a loss. He realized that his standard "fall-back" gift ideas for lovers was out of date, given the circumstances. And besides, he didn't want something "fall back"; he wanted something intensely personal, some piece of him that Lennie could keep with him all the time. Like that chain had been his way of keeping Claire with him all these years . . . hmmm . . .
Christmas Eve. Jack hurried out of the office at lunchtime; he had a lot to do this afternoon. First the doctor - he hadn't told Lennie that he was getting the cast off today. A little shop on 23rd street - candles, lots of them, scented with pine and cinnamon. Tower records - some instrumental Christmas music, Wyndam Hill, Mannheim Steamroller. Finally, the grocery store - steaks, potatoes, a side salad, and a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne.
Lennie looked at the duty roster twice to make sure he was seeing correct. By some miracle, he was on the second shift Christmas day instead of the early shift. He would actually be able to sleep in, maybe even . . .
"Hey, Lennie, you wanna go get something to eat?" Ed's voice startled him out of the reverie. Lennie looked at his watch - 6:30. "Yeah, might as well grab something while it's quiet." They headed out to the car, Ed grabbing the keys. They chatted aimlessly as Ed drove, until Lennie noticed their surroundings. "Hey, Ed, where we going? This is my neighborhood . . ."
Ed grinned as he pulled up in front of Lennie and Jack's apartment building. "Strict orders from the Lieu, man. I'm supposed to deliver you here at precisely 7PM, throw you out and not take no for an answer. So git!" Lennie looked at his partner, dumbfounded. "Hey, don't argue with me man, I'm just the delivery boy!" Lennie laughed. "Well, I can't argue with that! Thanks, Ed." He smiled at his partner as he got out of the car. "Hey, Lennie - Merry Christmas, man!" He waved as Ed pulled away.
So VanBuren was in on the secret too? He wondered how she had found out. Probably figured it out just like Ed had. Luckily, there weren't too many other folks around the precinct who knew him well enough to pick up on it. He hoped. He wondered if Jack had anything to do with this as he walked down the hall to their apartment. Figuring Jack had gotten off early this afternoon, he opened the door with a cheery "Honey, I'm home!" as he took off his overcoat
Lennie stopped in his tracks. He couldn't believe the sight before him. The apartment lights were dimmed and there were candles all around giving off a soft, romantic glow and a hint of pine and cinnamon. The table was set with a deep burgundy tablecloth and good china, two filled champagne flutes in the center, and the smell of steak wafting in from the kitchen. Soft Christmas music played on the stereo. And then there was Jack . . .wearing a cashmere sweater that matched the tablecloth and looked soft enough to drown in. Something was missing . ..
He stood there, smiling, watching Lennie take it all in. "My god, Jack . .." The overcoat fell to the floor. "Merry Christmas, Lennie." Jack held his arms out to his lover. Lennie came to him, meeting him in the tenderest of kisses. Jack's arms slid around Lennie's waist, holding tight. It finally sunk in. Lennie pulled away a bit and ran his fingers down Jack's right arm. Jack smiled. "Yup. Got it off today. Wanted to surprise you."
"With all this, I almost didn't notice!" Lennie laughed. "Jack, it's beautiful! Perfect, even!" Jack slid his arms back around Lennie, delighting in finally being able to hold him properly, no cast or sling in the way. They held each other close for a while, until Jack let go and reached for the champagne glasses. He handed one to Lennie - "Non- alcoholic, of course," and raised his glass in a toast. "To happiness, Lennie." "To happiness." Their glasses chimed with the pure tone of good crystal. Lennie sipped the contents - the bubbles tickled his nose. Trust Jack to find a way to celebrate without breaking his vow of sobriety. He smiled.
The dinner was excellent - Jack had really turned out to be a great cook. Lennie sat back with a sigh when he finished, looking across the table at his friend, his lover. He still didn't really understand how this had happened. All he knew was that for the first time in a very long time, he felt loved. Jack had finished, and was watching Lennie watch him. Lennie smiled and reached across the table to take Jack's hand. "So just how many accomplices did you have to pull this off?" He asked, smiling, gently rubbing his thumb over the spot where the cast had been this morning. "Just Anita. She promised to kick you out early tonight, and put you on second shift tomorrow." //Well, that explains that miracle!// "She know?" "She figured it out, Lennie. Said I was smiling too much lately. And said she caught the precinct Grinch whistling Christmas carols . . ." Lennie winced. "Yeah, I guess I have had a tendency toward a 'bah, humbug' attitude in the past." Jack laughed. "But for some reason, this year is different. In fact . . ."
Lennie let go of Jack's hand and got up, heading back to the guest room. Although he now slept with Jack, he had kept the other room as his "personal space." Guessing what Lennie had in mind, Jack went into the living room and brought out a box he had tucked behind the couch. He was sitting on the couch with the brightly wrapped package on the coffee table in front of him when Lennie returned with a package of his own. "You too, huh?" Lennie asked with a smile as he sat down. "Of course," Jack replied with a smile. "Well, I started this, so you first." Lennie handed him the package, hoping Jack didn't notice the trembling of his hands. Jack carefully removed the wrapping paper and opened the box inside. There, spread out across the black velvet case, was a silver chain, exactly the twin of the gold one Claire had given him except for the color. Lennie was talking . . . "I couldn't afford gold, Jack, but this reminded me of your hair. I wanted you to have something to hold close . . ." "Lennie, it's perfect," he said as the tears gathered in his eyes. Knowing what was in the other box, he looked up and caressed Lennie's cheek. "Perfect. Will you . . .?" He handed Lennie the box, not trusting his own hands to handle the clasp. Lennie leaned forward, wrapping the chain around his neck and fastening it, then taking Jack's face into his trembling hands for a kiss.
Lennie leaned back and took a deep breath, his eyes drawn to the chain. The silver sparkled against the rich burgundy of Jack's sweater, reflecting the flickering candlelight. Jack smiled, and reached out for the other package. "Your turn." Lennie took a more direct approach, ripping the shiny paper off. Inside was a small glass box he had last seen on Jack's dresser, filled with a length of gold chain. "Jack, no. I can't accept this!" It was much too expensive, much too personal . . .
"No, Lennie please. I want you to have it. You know how much that chain meant to me; I wore it every day for 6 years. By now it's got to have more of me in it than her. And besides, her death was what brought us together. I'll never forget her, Lennie, she's part of me now, part of US. But I don't need it anymore." He reached up to finger the new chain he now wore, smiling.
Lennie swallowed, looked up into Jack's eyes. If he could give this up, Claire was truly in his past now. Lennie nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He handed the box to Jack, who poured out the chain and wrapped it around Lennie's neck. This time the kiss was long and passionate. When they finally came up for air, Jack leaned back into the corner of the couch and drew Lennie into his arms. "God, I've wanted to do this for so long," he sighed. "Couldn't wait to get rid of the damn cast . . ." Lennie pillowed his head on the soft warmth of Jack's shoulder, wrapped now in the softest cashmere instead of the rough linen sling. They sat there for a long while, watching the flickering candlelight and listening to the music. Finally, the last strains of Steamroller's Silent Night filled the room with the soft sound of wind and sleigh bells fading off into the distance. As the CD player shut off, they blew out the candles and headed back to their bedroom . . ."Merry Christmas, Lennie." "Merry Christmas, Jack."