"He did what?" Steve was staring at her with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

Jeannie sighed heavily again. "He told them he could recover just as quickly, if not faster, if he was at home… and the doctor believed him." She snorted. "Well, to be perfectly honest I'm not sure if the doctor believed him or just figured it was easier to give in than to continue arguing." She smiled facetiously. "Whatever, he's on his way home. Norm and Dan stopped by here earlier to get some clothes for him so he started planning this last night, I guess…"

Steve hadn't moved, trying to digest this latest wrinkle, then he shook his head slightly. "Well, then I guess I better move out of his room."

"There's no rush," she said, picking up the cup of coffee she had poured for him and holding it out. "I have a feeling he's not going to get much further than the living room for the time being. He'll head up to his bedroom when he finally has to make that first trip to the bathroom." She snorted and shook her head in exasperation. "One of these days I'm going to kill him…" she chuckled as Steve took the mug.

He took a sip then hesitated, holding the cup in front of his face. She looked at him, suddenly aware that he was uncomfortable. She tilted her head and smiled sympathetically. "It's gonna be okay," she said softly. "He really wants to see you and… well, I think you really need to see him too…. Wouldn't you agree?"

After a long beat he nodded. "Yeah…" he whispered.

She smiled brightly. "Come on," she said, starting towards the living room. "Why don't you sit down and enjoy your coffee while I got get a pillow and some blankets so Mike can lie on the couch when he gets here." He started to follow her.

She picked up her coffee cup and the morning paper from the coffee table and brought them into the kitchen as he sat on the sofa, glancing out the window as he did so. She passed through the living room again and headed for the stairs. "I'll cook breakfast for everybody after he gets here. I have a feeling he ate very little in the hospital." Laughing, she disappeared onto the second floor.

With a worried frown, Steve cradled the cup in both hands as he slumped into the corner of the couch. He was suddenly very uneasy about seeing his partner and best friend; the guilt he was feeling about everything that had happened since Nicole Sanderson had entered their lives was almost overwhelming.

Jeannie came down the stairs with a sheet, a blanket and two pillows in her hands. As she moved to the far end of the couch, putting her bundle on the coffee table before pulling it further away from the couch, she glanced out the window. "They're here," she announced, straightening up quickly and moving to the front door.

Steve stood up and turned to the window. He could see the green Galaxie slowing to a smooth stop at the curb. The driver's and back passenger side doors opened immediately, Healey getting out from behind the wheel, Haseejian closing his door and opening the front passenger door as Healey circled the car to join him.

Just up the block a small sky blue import pulled to a stop in the middle of the residential street. Instinctively, the hairs on the back of Steve's neck bristled. "Jeannie!" he called as she took a step out onto the landing. She stopped and leaned back into the house. He pointed through the window to his right. "There's a small blue car up the block…" He stared at her pointedly and raised his eyebrows.

Nodding knowingly, she headed down the steep concrete steps at a jog, glancing at the blue car. Nobody was getting out of it, it seemed.

Mike had managed to turn so his feet were on the curb and both sergeants were helping him get slowly to his feet. Jeannie looked both thrilled and angry as she approached the car, glancing at Healey and Haseejian in appreciation as she came to a halt in front of her father. "What am I going to do with you?" she groused in exasperation, shaking her head.

Mike, smiling despite his obvious discomfort, looked down at his daughter. "So are you going to help me up the stairs or what?"

Sighing and rolling her eyes theatrically, she gave him a brief, gentle hug then took a step back. "I think Norm and Dan should do the honors," she chuckled, gesturing at the stairs.

As the sergeants moved closer, Mike said quietly, "Has anybody gotten out of the Pinto yet?"

Jeannie and the detectives shared a quick look. "You don't miss a thing, do you?" Haseejian laughed as he put a hand on the lieutenant's elbow and turned towards the stairs.

Taking a tentative step, Mike chuckled. "I might not be a hundred percent right now, but I'm still a cop."

"That's for sure," Healey muttered under his breath as he stepped up to take Mike's other elbow to begin the slow progression across the sidewalk.

Tossing a pointed look at the small blue car, which still hadn't moved, Jeannie followed closely behind. She glanced up at the house; she couldn't see Steve but she knew he was standing just out of sight of the front window. Chances were the Pinto belonged to a member of the yellow press, and it was imperative for everyone that Steve's presence at the De Haro Street house be kept under wraps if they wanted to live a somewhat normal life in the time they had before the trial began.

With Haseejian beside him and Healey right behind, Mike started the measured ascent up the steep steps. They paused a couple of times but he made the climb with surprising ease, though he was out of breath and grimacing when he finally reached the landing. Haseejian backed into the living room, helping the older man to step over the threshold.

With Mike safely in the house, Healey turned and started back down the steps, brushing past Jeannie, stopping abruptly when she grabbed his arm. She smiled. "You and Norm are going to stay for a late breakfast, right?" It was definitely more a statement than a question.

The detective looked momentarily startled, then he smiled. "Ah, yeah, sure, I guess we can."

She nodded sharply. "Good. I'm gonna make pancakes."

Healey chuckled deeply. "I love pancakes," he crowed as she released his arm and he continued down the steps. As he crossed around the hood of the car, taking the keys out of his pocket, he slowed, glaring at the Pinto. When he got to the driver's side door, he paused then started to walk down the middle of the street towards the small car.

As Jeannie watched from the steps, the Pinto suddenly shot into reverse and backed up the street; luckily there was nothing coming and it spun around the corner, then jerked forward and sped off down 20th. With a grin and a swagger, Healey returned to the Galaxie and got behind the wheel; she smiled as she stepped up onto the landing then into the house.

Frowning when she didn't see Steve, she pushed the door half-closed as she watched Haseejian holding Mike's arm as her father slowly lowered himself onto the couch. He looked exhausted and in a lot of pain.

Shooting a worried look at the young woman, Haseejian stepped back to allow her access to the couch. "How do you feel, Daddy?" she asked softly as she approached, squatting in front of him and putting her hands on his forearms as she looked into his face; his eyes were closed.

After a couple of long beats he managed a slight smile. "Glad I don't have to do that again…" he whispered, trying to chuckle. He grabbed her hands and squeezed.

"No, you sure don't," she snorted in agreement, squeezing back before she let him go and stood. She picked up the pillows from the coffee table and put them on the end of the couch. "I'm going to make everyone breakfast so I want you to lie down until it's ready, okay?"

His eyes still closed, he nodded. "Okay…"

She put her hands on his upper arms and he let her guide him down onto the pillows. As he raised his legs with an uncomfortable groan, she unfolded the sheet and blanket and draped them over him then stroked his cheek. "It won't take long…"

He tried to smile again. "Take your time…"

She glanced at Haseejian as she turned towards the kitchen and he smiled at her encouragingly. She was still concerned, and angry, that her father had, in effect, discharged himself from the hospital, but she also knew that being with Steve would be the best medicine he could ever receive.

The front door was pushed open and Healey entered. He quickly scanned the room, his concerned eyes settling on Jeannie and his partner and, after closing the door, he joined them. She smiled, touching both their forearms. "I'm going to make breakfast, and I want you both to stay. Is that okay?"

Haseejian glanced at his partner, his face lighting up. "I never turn down a free breakfast!" he chortled softly. He looked back at the sofa where Mike was lying very still with his eyes closed. His smile wavered and he leaned closer to Jeannie. "We can stay for as long as you need us…"

She smiled warmly. "Thanks, Norm," she whispered. She nodded towards the kitchen. "Come on, you guys can give me a hand. We have a pot of fresh coffee, and I'm pretty sure I can dig up a package of bacon we can fry up as well."

She led them into the kitchen. Steve was leaning against the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand and a sad, guilty look on his face. He nodded at his colleagues as they entered and they nodded back. They knew the mixed emotions that were surging through the young man right now, a young man whose world, in the past few days, had been destroyed in a way that no one could have foreseen.

Jeannie crossed to the counter and opened the upper cupboard, taking out three mugs. "Have a seat," she instructed to the sergeants, nodding at the kitchen table as she picked up the carafe and filled the mugs. She took all three cups to the table where the sugar bowl and milk jug were already located and set them down. "It'll take me a couple of minutes to get things started, then both of you are going to help," she said with a chuckle.

"Yes, ma'am," Haseejian nodded with a laugh, grinning at his partner as he slid one of the mugs closer.

Jeannie added a bit of milk and sugar to the third cup, then returned with it to the counter. Without a word, she held it out for Steve to take. He looked down at it then up at her, frowning. She thrust the cup towards him again, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

Slowly, he shifted his own cup into his left hand then took it. Pushing himself away from the counter, and avoiding the stares that followed him, he left the kitchen. He hesitated just outside the kitchen door then crossed silently to the sofa; Mike was lying disturbingly still under the sheet, his eyes closed. Moving quietly, Steve slipped between the coffee table and the couch and sat on the table.

After several long seconds, as if sensing another presence, Mike opened his eyes. He turned his head slowly, his bloodshot blue eyes finding Steve's and the corners of his lips curled slowly.

Steve smiled warmly and leaned forward. "Hi," he said softly.

Mike closed his eyes again but his entire face relaxed and he grinned as best he could. He opened his eyes; they were dancing. "Hi," he breathed.