46 No Time Like the Present
Steve, having given up on getting any sleep just after three in the morning, had climbed quietly out of bed, slipped into his clothes and gone downstairs. He had taken his copy of Krista Barnes' autopsy report out of his bag, laid it out on the table in the morning room, got himself a coffee and tried to make sense of what he was reading.
Krista's photo showed just how beautiful she had been before she died, and made her death and what had happened to her before and after it even more disturbing. The young woman, although at twenty-six she was the oldest victim so far, had been easily identified. The photo of her mutilated body had been on Cheryl's desk when Ben Chapman had walked past. He had stopped, looked at the picture and then told his colleague how to identify her.
The company who manufactured the shampoo that Krista had been advertising had been horrified to hear of her death, and had furnished the LAPD with all the details they had on her, including the model agency she was registered with. From there it had been tragically easy to find out where she lived, and who her next of kin was.
Steve shook his head; the interview they had undertaken with Mrs Barnes had been, as most of them were, traumatic for all concerned. There had been a skilfully wrapped gift on the dining table as they had sat talking with the distraught woman, and she had turned it around and around in her hands until she had told them that it had arrived in the mail just an hour after the police had told her that her beautiful child was dead. Steve sincerely hoped that Mrs Barnes never found out exactly what had happened to her daughter, he wished he didn't know either.
Krista Barnes had been killed in the same way as all the other victims, at least all the other victims that they were able to obtain that type of information on. But she had been killed with more venom, more hatred, more everything than the rest of the girls. Amanda had said at the scene that she could see fifteen to twenty stab wounds at least. When the body had been cleaned there were twenty-eight. The throat had been cut, both feet slashed, and the apparent frenzy had been there too, although again Steve was certain that there was no frenzy, just a calmness and a callousness, which enabled their killer to incapacitate and then play with the bodies, carefully deciding where and how to inflict his wrath so that it looked as if he had rushed at her, slashing and slicing in panic.
The long hair had all been removed, but this time the short hair had been styled, which had to have taken time. None of the long tresses had been left lying around, as had been the case with the victim who had been rolled down an embankment and found by the Russian vagrant. Steve stopped thinking about victims for a moment, realising that he had forgotten to tell Rae something important.
Leonid whatever his name was, Steve couldn't be sure of getting it correct without checking first, had come into the precinct on the Wednesday after Rae had been injured. He had seen her picture in the paper, and shown it to his new friends at the rescue mission, not knowing how gravely ill she was, boasting that he knew her.
He had come with his dog on a washing line leash, a bunch of slightly sad looking flowers held in his hand and Alison, on duty at the main desk, had called up to get Steve to come down and see him. To his shame the flowers had never got to Rae, but the small card, which was with them, was still in his car. He wrote himself a note to serve as a reminder, so that he could pass on the good wishes later in the day.
The pictures of the various wounds to Krista Barnes were all in the folder with her autopsy report and he laid them on the table in front of him. Then he got the pictures that he had of Nadine Browton and laid them out as well. He was sure if there was an exact pattern that Amanda would have spotted it, but he hadn't, until this moment, actually compared any of the victims himself.
Three wounds were a given in all the cases, two slashed feet and a slit throat, the rest varied but, he realised, probably not all that much. He remembered that Jenna had had her brachial artery severed, for a moment he couldn't continue, the memory of when that had happened to him, the fear he had felt, rushed to the front of his mind and he gasped and closed his eyes. It seemed a lifetime away instead of just a couple of months, but the realisation that he could die had been one of his last conscious thoughts, and he realised how much more terrifying each of these women's final moments on this earth must have been.
ooo
Christmas Eve dawned bright, if a little chilly. Jesse lay in bed beside his wife and watched her as she slept. His gift for her was finally in Steve and Jo's garage, it had been touch and go whether it would be ready in time and he hoped that she would like it. He had arranged that they would bring it with them when they came to the party, revelling in the secrecy and surprise. Rae had slept peacefully for the first time since she had returned home from the hospital. It hadn't taken much to persuade her to let him give her a mild sedative, and the result had been an undisturbed night for the both of them, but now he was awake, although he had no intention of getting up until he had to.
After about a half hour, during which time Jesse had turned one of the smaller bedrooms into an office for himself in his mind and imagined some of the places he would take his family on their forthcoming vacation, he heard Eliana begin to stir, and Vicki going to her. With a smile he stretched out to his full length in the bed and decided that he could certainly get used to having a housekeeper, especially one as friendly as Miss Vicki, which was what his eldest daughter called her.
The smile stayed on Jesse's face as he realised that he was planning ahead, looking forward to a future where he was with his wife, his children, and the feeling of contentment which washed over him made him realise that whatever had happened in the past he had himself firmly in the present again, able to see that what he had, and where he was, were just as they should be.
ooo
There was a pattern, Steve was sure of it now. The table was covered with photos and he knew that whilst not exact, the man was definitely working to a plan, he stabbed arms, back, and when they were dead he stabbed their chests before turning them back face down for someone to find and sometime during that ritual he cut their hair. All the bodies had been checked to see if they had had sex before they died, or had been raped just after, and in each case the answer was yes, but in two of those cases, Krista and Samantha, it had definitely only been after death. With the others, Amanda was pretty sure, it had been voluntary, there being no outward signs of struggle, at least not against that.
"Honey, how long have you been down here?" Jo's voice cut into his thoughts and shattered his concentration. He felt himself jump and he looked up, knowing he appeared like a small child who had crept down the stairs to check his Christmas presents.
"I didn't wake you, did I?" He looked around guiltily, and saw that the sun was coming up and that it was now morning.
"No, the alarm clock did that all by itself. Steve, you can't work at this all the time, you have to rest, I know it's gettin' to you, it would me, but you have to let go, come in through that door, into our sanctuary, an' let go."
"I know that, but it's not easy, y'know. Thirteen victims in LA, Jo, thirteen, and let's face it, there could be more, we would probably have never found the six on that map, or if we had, we wouldn't have given him the credit for them."
"Steve, it's Christmas Eve, you are workin' a half day, do what you can durin' that time an' then promise me you will leave everythin' at the station, come home, rest a while an' then enjoy the party at Rae an' Jesse's house." She had moved closer to her husband as she spoke, and now Jo put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his beautiful blue eyes as he stared up at her.
He touched her hand and then stood up, "I need to talk to you, before I go, something has happened, I have to know how you feel about it before I make a decision."
"Sure, Darlin', I'll just get me somethin' to eat." The colour had drained a little from Jo's face and he shook his head.
"Let me." The morning sickness was gone, but she still had the crackers and warm water when she woke, just in case. Steve kissed her gently on the lips and made his way into the kitchen, boiled the kettle and got a new packet of crackers out of the cupboard. Then he poured the water into a mug, placed some of the crackers on a plate, put the two items onto a tray and carried it back into the morning room. As he put them down Steve had to smile, Michael had been gone almost three weeks, and he was still looking over his shoulder, making sure that things were done properly.
For a moment Steve wondered how the Englishman was getting on. His mother had died, and the funeral would be next week. Until that was over they would remain butler-less, and he had to admit to missing him almost as much as his wife and son did.
"Darlin' thank you so much, they are just what the doctor ordered."
"So am I you know. He wanted a son or a daughter, and here I am!" Steve's eyes twinkled as he spoke and he watched Jo smile at him.
"Well, that's what I want too," she ran her hand over her slightly rounded belly and then kissed Steve on the lips. "I love you, Steve Sloan."
"Mmmm, you aren't so bad yourself." He returned the kiss, and the nastiness of his morning receded a little. His hand went up into her hair, and he wound his fingers in it, but suddenly he pulled back, causing her to cry out.
"Ow, Steve, that hurt."
"Sorry, I am so sorry, I … I didn't mean to."
"Steve? Baby, what is it?" She was instantly concerned, his handsome features were grey, and Jo guided him back into his chair. "There, sit, just for a while, do you want me to call Jesse? Or maybe your daddy?"
"No, no, it's ok, God, I'm sorry, Jo, urgh." He rubbed his hands down his jeans, which he had pulled on quietly in the upstairs hallway after leaving the bedroom many hours earlier.
"What, whatever is wrong?"
"Your hair, I touched your hair, I'm sorry."
"But you love my hair, you always said you did." Jo didn't understand, she wanted to, but so far he wasn't making any sense.
"He cuts their hair, hacks it off, takes away their personality, a piece of their identity, when I think of you, picture you in my mind, your hair is always a big part of what I see, and it's spoiled, how can I touch you, run my fingers through your hair when I know what he does … what he does to those women?"
She couldn't answer, there were no words to calm him, to console him, and so Jo pulled him towards her until his head rested against her chest and then she just held him, silently, as he tried to get his thoughts back into some sort of order.
ooo
The house had a festive air to it, there were decorations in all the rooms that were in constant use plus, out in the front yard, lights were strung through the trees and Jesse had put mistletoe over the entranceway.
Rae had pointed out that there was no way that she was going to kiss the mail-man who, quite frankly, gave her the creeps, and if she caught Jesse kissing him there would be trouble! Eliana was so excited that she couldn't keep still for more than a minute at a time, flitting from one toy to another and back again, not settling to anything. Anneya was fractious, nothing was right, and she had either been in tears or on the verge of them all morning.
In the end Jesse, who had, to his immense surprise, been given the Christmas Eve and Christmas day as his rota'd days off, decided that maybe some outdoor games would be a good idea, and they had gone into the back yard to play with the skittles, and the rocking horses. Rae had watched for a little while before going back to the work she had been unable to finish the previous evening.
The sleep had done her good, there was no doubt about that, but it still hadn't put her feelings into perspective, and Rae knew that she needed to spend some time thinking through how she had reacted to the work she had to do. Now wasn't the time though, and so she pulled the laptop towards her, trying to ignore the pain the movement made. Once it had booted up and the right page was displayed she began looking again at all the different details, trying to make sense of it all, to see a pattern, or a routine, which they hadn't spotted before.
There was a large Christmas card from her mother in England on the mantel over the fireplace and, for a moment, her eyes rested on it. All these women had mothers who loved them, none of them would get cards and gifts from their daughters this year, but more than that, they wouldn't get the future they had imagined, the weddings, grandchildren, the grown-up, adult relationships which were so different to those of a child and its parents. Rae thought for a while about her dad, she still missed him dreadfully, and he found a place in her thoughts almost daily. For those fathers who had lost their children, had outlived them, this time of year would be almost unbearable, and her heart grieved for them all.
She called up the details on the woman they knew was called Harriet Brown. She had been a prostitute, twenty-four years of age, pretty, but somehow in a different way to the other girls. She had a hardness about her, even in death, which Rae knew would be a reflection of the life she had chosen or had thrust upon her but there was something about the murder and the murder scene which was niggling away at her brain, and she couldn't work out what it was.
For a moment Rae thought about Leonid, she wondered how he was spending Christmas, and making a sudden decision she moved slowly across and picked up the phone in the hallway to call directory assistance. Five minutes later she was waiting to be connected with her Russian friend.
"Yes, this is Leonid."
"Hi, Leonid, it's Detective Rae Yeager, from the LAPD, I just wanted to wish you a happy Christmas."
"Thank you. This for you too I am wishing. And you are better, no?" The strong accent was now welcome to Rae's ears. He had been pleasant and interesting company, and she felt sad that she hadn't sent him a gift of some kind.
"Yes, I am better now, thank you. Are you enjoying life at the mission?"
"Da, yes, very good, and Leonid has job, for soon after Christmas."
"Really? That's wonderful, where are you going to be working?" Rae was delighted for the man; she had known he didn't like living the way he had been found.
"Your friend, Doctor Sloan, he found Leonid job, for a little while at the hopstiple. Leonid lucky, make nice friends, from cop lady."
"Well, thank you. I am in and out of the place all the time, so I guess I'll see you there. Take care, Leonid, I'll talk to you again soon."
"Da, thank you, and greetings of the season."
"Merry Christmas, bye."
She listened to his goodbyes and then put the phone down, trying to put herself back in time to when she had found that body. As it often did the picture came up in her mind, she could see herself standing there, giving out instructions, talking with Amanda, and it came to her. The hair; of all the victims she should have been the one who had no trace of the long tresses which had been cut off. But it had been there, just by the side of the body, why? Rae wondered whether it was worth going over and looking at the crime scene again, but she knew that she wasn't up to it, and it was Christmas Eve, there was no way that she would suggest it to Steve, not today, but maybe after the holiday they could go over together. She could stay in the car if necessary, it would be a gentle start back in and by then she might have worked out what it was about the actual murder that concerned her.
With that decision made Rae looked at the screen of her computer again but suddenly she wanted to forget all the pain, the suffering that this guy had caused, today was the beginning of Christmas, she should be outside with her children, not working on a serial killing. Closing everything down Rae moved slowly over towards the French doors out into the garden, she stood just to one side so that she could watch without being seen and for a few minutes she saw her husband doing something she had wondered whether he would ever be able to do again. Eliana was peddling her three wheeled bike across the grass and Anneya was in the seat of the baby swing being pushed up high into the air by her father. Rae could see the pure enjoyment on her face as her blonde hair flew out behind her as she swung forward and then watched it drop to her shoulders as she went back up for another arc.
The digital camera was resting on the windowsill in the room and she picked it up, moved carefully and quietly into the garden and began to take some photos which would make her smile, hoping to forget looking at the ones which made her heart ache.
ooo
The tinsel and Christmas bells, which were strung around the precinct, always looked a little out of place to Steve. He didn't feel they were there to preach peace and love to those who chose the festive season to run someone through with a carving knife, or shoot someone because they didn't like the color socks they received. He was obviously in a group of one on the subject though, because every year, without fail, the decorations came out, were strung up around the place and stayed there until the first week in January getting gradually sadder and sadder by the hour.
Feeling a little Scrooge-like he made his way to his desk and looked through the messages he had received. There were still more calls to be returned from distraught parents hoping against hope that they weren't going to be told that their daughters were amongst the six new victims of the Red Rose Killer. Another message was from Tanisha Collins sister. Tanisha had been the first victim in San Francisco and Rachael Collins was a journalist with a paper in her home town, but was for the most part located in Los Angeles. The number this time had a code that Steve didn't recognise right off and so he dialled it and listened.
"Hi, could I speak with Rachael Collins please?" He waited, as there was a pause from the other end of the line, "This is Steve Sloan."
"Hello, Steve?" The voice came through crystal clear and Steve smiled despite himself. He knew that this young woman had suffered, but she sounded so friendly.
"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm good, well, no, I'm not that good actually, this time of year is hard, Mom and Dad went on a cruise, they wanted to get out of the country for a while. Steve, I know that it is a real bad time, holiday wise and all, but I think I've found you another victim."
ooo
Jo paced up and down the hallway of her home once more, and then felt the hand of her son on her arm. "Mom, stop it, you know he will be here as soon as he can. Wearing a hole in Michael's tiles isn't gonna get him here any sooner." Daniel smiled at her, hoping that the combination of that and his touch would stop her moving. "I wanted to show you something, I know it's a little late to go get anything else, but … well, do you think that Maddie will like this?"
Jo watched as the boy moved over to his back pack, which was laying in the hallway, he rummaged around in it until he found what he was looking for, then he turned and placed a small jewellers box in his mother's hands. Carefully Jo opened the box and then her face broke into a smile. "Oh, Darlin' it's beautiful, an' I know she will be just thrilled with it." Jo carefully took a square pendant on a chain out of the box. It had a narrow band of gold as its frame and then there was a horse's head, also in gold inside the square. "Honey, this looks expensive …" She trailed off, not really knowing how to tell him that he shouldn't have spent all his money on someone he considered to be his closest friend.
"I … well, that is … it's not new, I got it from a pawn shop in Venice Beach, I only paid thirty bucks for it."
"Well, in that case I think you an' I need to go shoppin' together, I love a bargain, especially when it is gold an' shiny!" She leant over and kissed Daniel on the cheek, "She is lucky to have a friend like you, an' I am proud an' just as lucky to have a son like you."
"Aww, Mom!" Daniel blushed, but Jo could see the pleasure dancing in his eyes.
"Is that your bag of gifts there?" She pointed to a large decorated paper carrier full of different shapes in Christmas paper.
"Yeah, they aren't much, just something for the girls, and a little present for Rae and Jesse. I didn't get for anyone else, except Alex, that's ok isn't it?" Daniel suddenly realised that there would be other people there, people who he didn't have anything for.
"Honey, that's fine, but what about Grandpa Mark, you did get him somethin' didn't you?" Jo knew that the following day family gifts would be opened and she hoped that Daniel, who had refused to let them help with his present buying, hadn't forgotten his grandfather.
"Oh, yeah, it's … um, it's sorted." Daniel was suddenly caught unawares, he did have a present for Mark, but it was the same as the one for his parents, and they were both already at Oak Place, Jesse having promised to put them under the tree for him before the party started.
"Well, if you want to go round already, I can wait for your father."
Daniel was just about to say he would stay with his mother when there was the sound of a vehicle entering the grounds, a few moments later the door opened and an extremely flustered looking Steve entered.
"Honey, don't say anything, I'm sorry, something came up, but I'm here now and, no matter what, I'm not going back until the day after tomorrow."
"Good, go shower, your clean clothes are on the bed, we will be waitin'." The tone of Jo's voice, although not as angry as he thought she might be, told him not to say a word, and so with a nod of his head Steve made his way to the stairs, stopping only to kiss his wife and muss up his son's hair.
"Aw, Dad, I just did that! Mom!"
"You have time to re-do it. It'll take your dad longer than that to make himself beautiful!"
"And I hurried home for this. The precinct, it's a lovely place, coffee on demand, a room where I can sit and watch the rest of the world go by, work my butt off and no one comments on my beauty. My home life is just so shallow!"
"Yeah, well you'll find your head in the shallow end, of the bath tub, if you don't watch it. Go get ready, Rae an' Jesse will be wantin' to start their party." Jo had rolled her eyes as her husband spoke and Daniel had groaned and then laughed.
Steve made his way up the stairs without another word. The end of his day had almost destroyed his mood, and he had been looking forward to the party, but the happy banter of his wife was working wonders, and he had a smile on his face as he reached the second floor.
ooo
Rae sat in the kitchen of her home, banned from wandering the rest of it, not that she had the energy to move very far anyway, and began to let her mind do the wandering instead. Jesse had told her that there were things he didn't want her to see and so she had agreed that she would stay in the kitchen as long as he promised not to go to the laundry room, which was where Daniel had put her husband's present when he had carried it round from his house earlier in the day. She was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with her friends, and was extremely grateful to Texas for arranging all the party details for her. Rae was also hoping to spend some down time with Steve, she hadn't seen much of him since they had talked over what had happened when she had been shot, and she missed his company. With a sigh, which was half strangled as it began to cause her pain, she realised that she didn't miss the pleasure she gained from working with him as much as the off duty time she spent with him, and that had never been before. For a moment Rae thought back to the times she used to see a therapist called Brian Dobson, he had told her that when she was ready to go back to something after a trauma it would cause her no fear, she guessed that right now work was just something she wasn't ready for.
ooo
Jo and Steve climbed into the car and eased it out into the light traffic in their street. "This is nice." Jo smiled at her husband, he looked relaxed and happy and she reached over and gently squeezed his hand.
"Did I tell you how great you look?" His eyes didn't stray from the road, but his voice had a smile in it.
"No, I was just thinkin' the same about you. I'm sorry you had a bad mornin', but I'm glad you are ok now."
"Yeah, I am, but then you do that to me. Make me feel better just by being with me. I love you, Jo."
They were on the driveway of Oak Place by the time Steve had finished talking and Jo smiled at him again as she carefully got out of the car. There were other vehicles already there, and Steve recognised his dad's, Amanda's and Alex's. The young doctor's one made him smile. He had recently traded in his slightly battered old thing for a very nice, very smart, very red BMW and Steve knew that the success he so richly deserved had started to arrive.
The garage at Steve and Jo's home was attached to the house. There was room inside it for three cars, and it effectively cut the back of the house off and made it totally enclosed and private. Oak Place, however, had a large archway that had another living area the other side of it, although as far as Steve knew it had been empty for years. The garages for Rae and Jesse's house were behind the house, attached to the back of the archway again resulting in a totally private back yard. It was just in front of this cover that Steve had parked.
Daniel opened the front door for them, having seen them come onto the driveway. "Hey, Mom, Dad, you live the closest and you're the last to arrive."
"An' as I can't think of any comeback to that I shall just ignore you." Jo kissed her son on the cheek and carried on into the house not wanting to hold things up any longer.
The tree was in the breakfast room and as Jo opened the door she saw all her friends sitting or standing in there, chatting and enjoying each other's company. Alex and Shannon were talking with Vicki, Ron and Amanda, back from a short break in Palm Springs, were showing photos to Rae, and CJ and Dion were sat on one of the sofas playing on two Gameboys joined together with a cable. Eliana was enjoying a picture book with her dad and Anneya, undisturbed by the general noise and commotion, was fast asleep in one of the large armchairs in the corner of the room. The little girl, although much better than she had been, was still recovering from her brush with death and had an appointment with the educational psychologist after Christmas to begin the checks on her development and whether it had been impaired in any way.
"Hi y'all, I'm sorry we were late. But we're here now." Steve just managed to get his words out before his goddaughter rushed at him and was swung up in his strong arms. "Hey, Sweetie, how are you."
"Unki Teve, Farmer Kistmas is coming to my house." The little girl's face was alight with excitement, and Jesse, watching her with his best friend knew that no one would be able to tell that Eliana had thrown a major tantrum just over an hour earlier when she found out she couldn't dress as a tree again.
"Well, Honey, that's great, do you know when he's coming?" As Steve spoke again the sound of a bell could be heard and Eliana almost screamed in delight.
"Daddy said he would come when you were here." She squirmed around in Steve's arms and he carefully put her down on the ground and then moved over and opened the door.
"Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas." The figure who came in from the hallway was dressed in red, he had a very splendid white beard and a sack over his shoulder which was just full to the brim with presents. Rae sat on the sofa, a blanket over her knees, watching with delight as the whole room began to smile at once.
After he was settled on the chair, which had been saved for him, Santa Claus reached into his sack and began to read out a label on the first present he pulled out. "Ok, what do we have here? Now, is there someone in this room called Eliana?"
Suddenly Eliana was totally silent; she took two steps back and hid behind her daddy. "Eliana, Honey, Santa has a present for you." Still the little girl didn't move, "Would you like me to come with you?"
"Es, peeze, Daddy." Together Jesse and his eldest daughter moved up to where Father Christmas was sitting with a long oblong package wrapped in bright paper held in his hand.
"This says on it that it is from Aunty Amanda and Uncle Ron. Now isn't that nice?" Santa handed the gift down to the now almost smiling child and then everyone watched as she ripped the paper off.
"Fankew, Aunty Manda, Unki Won." Eliana was beaming now and there was a brand new Barbie in her hands. She had just discovered the world of the plastic supermodel and Rae knew that she had about six years of finding strange shaped clothes and odd little shoes all over the house.
Gradually the presents from the sack began to disappear as each person in the room got their gifts from Jesse and Rae, and the children and the hosts of the party got their gifts from all the guests.
"Ok, now, this is just an envelope, and it is addressed to Jesse." Father Christmas had to delve deep into the bag to get any presents now.
"Why thank you, Santa, I wonder who this can be from." Jesse recognised the writing as that of his wife, and he moved over to sit next to her as he slit open the top of the square shaped paper. Rae hadn't moved from her resting place, knowing that Alex was watching her continuously, but she had felt totally involved in what was going on, happy and at peace with herself.
"To my darling Jesse, I think it is time you took some of your life back. Love as always, Rae, xxx
PS PTO."
Jesse looked puzzled as he read out the gift tag that he slid from its hiding place and then as instructed he turned it over.
"You need to go and look in the laundry room."
"Well, I guess I've had my orders, hold on a minute, everyone." Jesse disappeared, and a moment or two later came back with his huge present and a grin to match. He ripped at the paper, helped by his two daughters, Anneya having been woken up so that she could share in the festivities. "Oh, Rae. It's just beautiful, thank you so much." He moved across and kissed her gently on the lips. "I will teach you how to use it too."
"Thank you, I might just take you up on that, but not yet, that is for you, so that you can go surfing with Steve, spend some time together. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to give it to you." Rae touched his face with her hand and he reached up and trapped it there. The other people in the room watched their display of affection knowing how much it had cost both of them to get to where they were, and then as Jesse moved away and the spell was broken Santa spoke again.
"I have one more parcel in here, and then I have to get back to the North Pole, the elves don't work as well when I'm not there to keep an eye on them."
"You'll be getting ready to leave in a minute then, Jess." Steve's voice cut into the laughter, "Don't want to be found away from your post."
"Ha ha, very funny. Shouldn't you be outside looking after the reindeer?"
"This present is for Rae, Sweetie, would you like to give this to Mommy?"
Eliana trotted happily up to Father Christmas, her previous fear of him long forgotten and took the small square package from him, smiled and then walked over and handed it to her mother.
"Thank you, I wonder what this can be." Rae looked up, her eyes bright and she could see that almost everyone else in the room knew exactly what was in the present. She pulled at the paper and revealed a black box and then she opened that, inside was a piece of paper.
Rae,
We have travelled many happy miles together; I hope this will help us travel many more. Take a look outside.
Love
Jesse.
xxxxx
"I didn't want to wait either." Carefully Jesse helped his wife from her place on the sofa and guided her through the house and outside into the front yard, she knew that the rest of her guests were following and as she rounded the corner she gasped and stopped moving.
"Oh, Jesse, Honey, you shouldn't have, oh my." She didn't have words to say what she felt and so Rae moved a little closer to the new car which was sitting waiting for its owner.
"I know it's not Tom, but even though it is a family car it's kinda fun, don't you think? Almost as if Tom grew up." Jesse looked at the red Chrysler PT Cruiser which was just in front of him. He had searched long and hard for a car to replace Rae's beloved Beetle, knowing that it had been his fault it had been destroyed and that a normal sedan, mini-van or family car wouldn't do. As soon as he had seen this car on the lot of a showroom just a little way from the hospital he knew that he had found what he wanted. Now there was a huge silver ribbon in place on the roof and he had the keys, given to him secretly by Steve as he had arrived for the party, in his hand. "When you're better you can drive it, wherever you want it to take you. I hope you have as much fun using it as I had choosing it." Jesse stood behind Rae and put his arms around her waist and she leant into him and closed her eyes.
"Hey, everyone, I think that Santa has to go now, we need to wave him off." Steve's voice made everyone turn their heads and they all went back inside, leaving Rae and Jesse alone by the car, enjoying the moment just a little longer.
"Gwanpee Mok, Gwanpee Mok, where were you? Farmer Kistmas comed." Eliana jumped on Mark as he came into the breakfast room just over ten minutes after they had all come in from outside.
"Oh no, I didn't did I? I missed Father Christmas." Mark looked sad and Eliana reached up and hugged him.
"Um, guys, I know that we are about finished, but, well, I have a couple of presents I want to give, I know family presents are for tomorrow, but, I don't want to wait until then." Daniel had stood up as he began to speak, and now blushing furiously he turned, relieved to be able to hide his confusion as he got his gifts from under the tree.
"I wanted to do something to show how pleased I was, how proud, to become a part of this family, I know I've struggled a bit lately, but, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, thank you, thank you for making me welcome as a Sloan." Suddenly he had to sit down; he handed out the two large presents and then went over to be next to Alex. He had given his friend his gift via Santa, a set of accessories for the new BMW that he had finally managed to wangle a ride in just three days earlier. Alex now had a small tool kit, a medical box, and key chain all with the car logo on them, and he was extremely pleased with them.
"Honey, I'm guessin' these are the same, so we should open them together, yes?" Jo looked at her son, she could see the anticipation, the excitement in his eyes, and she wanted to just rip the paper off right away.
Seeing Daniel nod Mark and Jo began to remove the paper together, and then in unison they gasped. Jo felt the tears rush to her eyes, and then she was crying and she suspected Steve, although he looked as delighted as his dad, had moist eyes too. After a few moments of looking at their gifts privately both Jo and Mark turned them around so that the rest of the guests could see that inside a deep golden frame was a painting, taken from a photo which was framed itself and hanging in the hallway of their house. The photo, a studio portrait, was of the three of them, taken just after Daniel's adoption had been finalised. Now it was a canvas painting, one for his parents, one for his grandfather, both of them a testament to the love he felt for the family he had gained.
The party broke up a little after nine in the evening, Amanda and Ron leaving just after Alex and Shannon. Vicki had left earlier in the evening, needing to get away to travel to her parents' home in Barstow for the rest of the holidays.
Rae waited downstairs while Jesse put the girls to bed, she felt so much better than she had just a day or so earlier. Alex had checked her over before the party began and had been delighted with her progress. He had told her that she could begin to do most things again in moderation, as long as she listened to her body and stopped when it told her to. She had spent the party on the sofa because she knew that, apart from Alex watching her, if she didn't she would be rushing around making sure that everyone had drinks, that their plates weren't empty, generally working herself into the ground, and now, now that everyone was gone, she was delighted at how well she felt.
ooo
Steve and Jo sat in the living room of their home, their arms around each other, and looked at the picture that their son had given them. Daniel had received permission to go and see Maddie and give her his gift and so the house was empty. Steve had driven Daniel over, but Doug, who had forgiven his friend for the punch that sent him to the emergency room, was going to bring him home.
"Did you make your decision?" Jo looked at him, she had a feeling that he had, there was no worry in his face, he was at peace and so when he nodded his head and turned to her she wasn't surprised.
"Yeah, I did. I'm gonna do it. It's a month, Jo; I think it will be long enough for me to decide whether that's where I see my future. If it is I'll do the captaincy exams, I'll have to move precinct probably, but, well you'd be happier wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I would, but you don't have to do this for me. You do it because you want to. I have lived with you long enough to know that you are a good cop, dedicated, an' that up until now you never saw your future behind a desk. Newman can be replaced by someone else."
"I know he can, but I don't want him to be. Somehow it feels right that it should be me going back into his office to take over. He's decided to go and do this instructor's course, and I'm looking forward to being his replacement. I'm still gonna have to go to New York after the holiday though, and I'm hoping I can get Rae to come with me."
Jo snuggled up a little closer, she didn't want the realities to intrude, but she knew that the phone call he had received that morning would mean a trip east. "Rachael's sure that the records she found relate to a Red Rose killing?"
"Oh yeah, she's a good reporter, and she is also determined to see her sister's killer die for what he did. She was there on another story, and she looked up the MO on a whim. The perp was never found, but Little has a record from New York, it's him all right."
"Did you tell Rae?"
"No, I didn't want to spoil her party. Which, my hostess with the mostess, was wonderful. You did your friend proud."
"Thank you, it was fun wasn't it? I loved organisin' it. Maybe I can get this museum thing off the ground next year an' organise some things for that."
"Sounds good. You know all things being equal I think the next few months are gonna be just great." He gently placed his hand on his wife's stomach, he longed for the day when he could feel his child move beneath his palm, but for now he was content just to feel the warmth of Jo's body against him. "How about I run you a nice bath?"
"Mmm, yes please. Use the one in the West Wing, we can both fit into that."
"Yes, Ma'am." Steve kissed her gently on the lips before getting to his feet, he had so much to be thankful for, so much to look forward to, and he realised as he mounted the stairs that he hadn't felt so positive about his future for a long while.
ooo
The living room was quiet with a watery winter moon shining through the windows. Rae knew that it could disappear behind a cloud any minute, and so she enjoyed it whilst she could.
As she stood looking out across her garden, the security lights catching a flower or plant here and there as they were turned on by a tree moving in the wind, she saw Jesse's reflection in the glass as he came towards her. There was something about his expression, which she could see clearly, that made her almost freeze. Not daring even to breathe she waited, watching, as he walked closer and closer to her.
Jesse saw the lights as they caught her hair, making it look like spun sugar; it was almost as if he could reach out and feel it and it would break in his hand, but be as soft as silk too. His heart was beating so hard and so fast that he was sure he would have to stop before he reached her, but suddenly he could hear her breathing, and he gently touched her arm.
Slowly, not wanting to break the spell that she found herself under, Rae turned to face her husband, his hand moved and he ran a finger down her cheek, and still she stood, wanting and needing him to touch her, but scared to move in case she frightened him away.
Carefully his hand moved into her hair and Rae was glad she hadn't had it cut after all. She felt his fingers as they ran through the tresses, and gently massaged the back of her head and she began to melt. He pulled her closer to him, and then his lips were against her own, just for a second before he moved back.
"Jess?"
"Shhh, it's ok. Slowly, really slowly." He touched her face again, "You are beautiful, so beautiful." He leant in to kiss her a second time, just brushing her lips with his own and then he smiled and gasped as she raised her own hand to caress his cheek.
There was a large comfortable chair by the window and he needed to sit down so, sinking into it, Jesse placed a hand on each arm and took her with him. The atmosphere was charged, both of them wanting to continue, but fearful of scaring or hurting the other.
Rae had moved her hand from his face and so he took it into his own and then kissed each finger, running his thumb across her wedding band before looking into her face and moving closer to her lips once again. As he did so he saw her close her eyes and this time he kissed her twice.
The moan that came from his wife stirred his very being and he kissed her again, feeling her tongue as it moved against his lips and he opened them so that finally he could feel her as she kissed him back.
He didn't want to move from where they were, knowing that if they did the spell could be irretrievably broken and so he took his courage in both hands and gently began to undo the buttons on the front of her shirt. As he did so he felt her begin to do the same, and then she moved so that she was on her knees in front of him, kissing each part of him as she gradually removed his top, and he felt like liquid as he slid onto the floor beside her feeling her skin against his own, warm and smooth, and then as the kissing became more passionate and the feelings welled up, needing to be satisfied, he forgot everything and everyone else and surrendered himself to her.
ooo
The moonlight caused the snow to sparkle, and the coldness of the air made it crunch underfoot. He took in a deep breath of cold mountain air as he stood, each hand clasped under the opposite arm to keep it warm, and watched the Colorado snow take on a pink and then red hue as the blood soaked into it. Tomorrow he would move on, drive his rental car to the airport and take a flight to somewhere warmer. Some place where he could find himself a nice inconspicuous job and wait until the spring when he figured it would be safe to return to LA.
The End …
A/N. For now this is indeed the end, but there is more, one final story to tell, which should be posted in the spring. My wonderful beta readers have helped make this story writing the pleasure it is, and the knowledge that people have read and enjoyed the story is a great feeling. To all of those who have left me reviews thank you, they are very much appreciated, and make the words flow easier.
Happy Christmas
Tracy