Just Desserts
Author: eponinesghost (EppieG)
Title: Just Desserts
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Notes/Summary: Missing scene from "41 Shots." Written in response to challenge posted at TBJ:ladies LiveJournal forum.

Kelly was quite aware of how unusual her current state of mind was, considering the circumstances. She had just left Arthur Branch's office, a regular occurrence to be sure, but she was on the verge of giggling ... and that was decidedly irregular. One glance at Tracey's face proved that she was not alone in her merriment. Her partner looked positively giddy. Kelly loved that look. She'd seen precious little of it since the start of the Bruno Johnson trial.

They'd been immersed in the tragedy of Officer Hernandez's murder, the grief of his widow, the anger of his fellow officers ... the heartbreak of his small children. They deserved to celebrate even the smallest victories. And this one had been sweet. As her eyes dropped to the pastries she balanced in the palm of her hand -- even as they threatened to topple away from the delicate pink and white paper onto the floor -- she laughed at her unintentional pun. Sweet indeed.

"I can count on one finger the number of times I've seen you emerge from Branch's office with that expression on your face."

Her eyes glued to her precarious burden, Kelly heard the lilt of Tracey's voice and knew that she was still smiling. "Well I could say the same for you ... not to mention the number of times we've come away with goodies."

Tracey chuckled warmly. "It's a little bit frightening how pleasant the man can be at times, isn't it?"

Stopping at the elevator and cupping the teetering pastries with both hands now, Kelly nodded toward the chocolaty truffle that Tracey was carrying. "What's really, really scary is how well he knows you ..." She grinned as Tracey rolled her eyes and pressed the "down" button.

"I didn't notice you turning your nose up at anything back there ... or declining to take a few for the road."

Joining Tracey in the elevator, Kelly beamed at her. "That would have been crazy."

Leaning toward Kelly's hands a bit, Tracey inspected her selection. "What exactly did you get?"

"One of those éclair things you tasted in his office ... and the one that looked like some kind of white mousse cake ..." She slanted her hands slightly to give Tracey a better look. "Here ..."

With minimum effort, Kelly was able to rearrange the two desserts so that she held one in each hand. Grasping the paper on either side of the tall square confection, she lifted it close to Tracey's face. "Go on ... take a bite ..."

Swinging her hair easily to the side with the motion of her head, Tracey took her up on the offer. Kelly was mesmerized as she watched her partner's eyes close in ecstasy and her tongue flick briefly at her upper lip.

"My god that's good ..."

Swallowing, she opened her eyes to find Kelly staring at her. "What?"

"Um ... nothing .. you have ... " Kelly raised one of her fingers to gesture toward Tracey's mouth. " ... a little bit ... there ..." She would have loved to actually brush the crumb from Tracey's lip but both of her hands were full. Instead she felt flushed as Tracey's tongue darted out to whisk it away.

"Good choice there, Kel." She looked down at the frosted delicacy she held. "Want to taste mine?"

Kelly shook her head, "No ... that's the only one you took ... I don't need to ..."

"Don't be silly ... " Tracey pinched a sizeable piece from one end. "Just taste it ..." Before Kelly could protest further, she brought the chocolate morsel to her lips.

Damn. Tracey was wholly unprepared for the sensation of Kelly nibbling from her fingers. It was all she could do to keep from groaning aloud. When the last legitimate bit of it was gone, she found herself pressing her thumb against Kelly's lips ... gently slipping between them. She was completely on fire before their eyes met ... engulfed before Kelly's tongue slid against her skin ... breathless ...

The elevator ding seemed deafening, startling them both. Tracey literally jumped back, breaking the intense contact. Completely flustered, Kelly belatedly realized that she'd nearly crushed what was left of her cake in her clenched fingers. As the doors slid open, both women frantically tried to compose themselves.

"Hey, what'd ya bring me?" Hector pointed toward the pastries.

Brushing past him as if he hadn't spoken, Tracey hurried down the hallway. Kelly looked guilty. Watching Tracey disappear into the crowded corridor, she thrust the rest of the cake into Hector's hand as she exited the elevator.

"Sorry ... it got a little ... smashed."

Walking slowly toward the office, she absently licked a spot of icing from the end of her finger. She felt her stomach tighten as remembered Tracey's thumb in her mouth ... everything she'd read in her eyes just a few moments ago ...

She wondered what Branch would think if he knew that when he'd lifted that pink cardboard lid, he'd opened Pandora's Box ...

the end
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