Author's Note: I'm in a Mike/Carolyn mood tonight. That and it's finally getting exciting! Yay exciting!
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Victims of Fate
Chapter Twelve
Prompt: Oxymoron
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Mike wasn't exactly sure what to expect when he walked into Amelia's apartment, but what he finds isn't it. The apartment is spotless, nearly sterile except for a bookshelf in the middle of the living room. The shelves are covered in pictures, some framed, some just tapped on to any available surface. And they were all of him.
"Do you like it?" Amelia asked with extreme sincerity. She left his side and stared in wonder at the photos, "I had so much fun figuring out how to place them all."
"Amelia," He started, but she cut him off.
"I know, I know, you don't like it when I do things like this, but you're just embarrassed," Amelia waved a hand at him, "I know you're a big softy at heart."
"Yeah…yeah, you got me," Mike chuckled, "So, how about that lunch?" She looked so excited at the idea that Mike had a mental image of a three year old kid on Christmas morning. Jesus, this girl was off her rocker and fixated on him.
"Right, right, got to go back to solving the crimes," She laughed and danced into the kitchen. Mike followed, staying a safe distance from her, but still pretending like nothing was wrong. It was on his way to the kitchen table that he noticed the trash and burned pictures. What caught his attention was a partially burned photo where the only thing discernable was dark brown curly hair. Barek's hair.
"Mike," Amelia's change in tone made him stiffen, and slowly he drew his eyes away from the trash to her, "What are you looking at?"
"Sorry, just thinking about the case," He lied easily.
"The Gregory girl?"
Mike's spine got straighter, "Yeah, it's sticking with me."
"She was going to ruin you, I did what I had to do to protect you." Mike's hand slid to his gun, and Amelia's shoulder's dropped, "You can't do that Mike."
"Amelia, put your hands on the counter where I can see them."
"You just had to ruin it," Amelia glared, "Just like her."