With a soft snort, Steve raised both cups. "I brought you a coffee. Your daughter seems to think you need it."

The blue eyes slid slowly from his face to the cup and the older man took a careful deep breath. Still smiling as best he could, he nodded slightly. "My daughter is absolutely right." He briefly closed his eyes again. "But that also means I have to sit up."

"Yes, it does," Steve said lightly, his own features relaxing as he put both mugs on the table on either side and leaned forward again to assist in any way he could.

Mike raised his left hand under the sheet and shook his head. "No no no," he intoned as quickly as he could, trying to keep his voice light and playful. "I have no intention of sitting up right now, if you don't mind. Those stairs did a number on me… and not for the first time." He smiled as he looked pointedly at the ceiling. "I really should look into selling this place, you know…" he said dryly to himself, but his eyes were sparkling.

Chuckling, relieved that the older man seemed to be doing a lot better than he looked, Steve picked up one of the cups and took a sip. "Mmmmm. You might want to drink yours before it gets cold… it's really good, you know…"

Mike's eyes slid playfully in his direction again. "I'm sure there's more where that came from," he chuckled carefully before his smile disappeared and he stared into the troubled green eyes watching him. "How are you doing?" he asked softly.

Steve smiled sadly. "I should be asking you that. I'm not the one who just checked himself out of the hospital."

Mike looked at him for a long beat before he smiled wistfully. "I think I'm doing a lot better than you are right now…"

The younger man looked down and inhaled deeply. "Mike, I am so -"

"Nope," the man lying on the couch said quickly, shaking his head. Steve's head snapped up. "No, you're not going to go there right now… not now, Steve. We're going to have plenty of time to go over everything that's happened to us in the last few days… but I don't want to do it right now, okay?" He smiled warmly. "Right now I just want to lie here and listen to my daughter getting those two…bozos in the other room help her make breakfast… and join you for a cup of coffee - good coffee for a change… and pretend that what happened really didn't happen, even if it's just for an hour or two…" His smile got a little wider. "What do you say?"

Steve stared at him expressionlessly for several very long seconds then he swallowed heavily before a melancholic smile curled his lips. "I say we better get you sitting up before this good coffee gets too cold to drink…"

Mike smiled. "I think you're right." Gritting his teeth slightly, he pushed the sheet away as Steve put his cup on the table and half stood. Free from the sheet, Mike lowered his feet to the carpet as Steve slid his right arm under the older man's left shoulder and helped him sit up.

Holding his breath, his eyes squeezed tight, Mike sat motionless for a couple of seconds before he opened his eyes and looked at his frowning partner with an encouraging nod. "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." He smiled with a soft chuckle.

"Good," Steve laughed softly as he sat back down on the coffee table and picked up the second cup, holding it out. He grabbed his own mug again, clinking it against Mike's with a warm and mischievous smile before taking another sip.

With a happy smile of his own, Mike nodded before bringing the coffee cup to his lips. He closed his eyes and sighed after he took a sip. "You're right, this is good."

A peel of manly laughter erupted from the kitchen and they both looked in that direction, frowning in surprise, then back at each other, chuckling. Mike maintained eye contact long enough to make the younger man look down self-consciously.

"We're going to beat this, Steve…. Mark my words, we're going to beat this, you and I…" When his partner looked at him with a wistful smile, he snorted softly. "She's not going to beat us. I'm not going to let her… we're not going to let her. And I don't care what it takes, or how long it takes, but we're not going to let her win. I promise you." He paused and a warm smile erased the deep lines that had etched themselves into his face over the past few days.

Slowly raising his cup in a salute, Steve nodded.

# # # # #

Standing at the stove in his shirtsleeves, a spatula in one hand and a coffee cup in the other, Haseejian chuckled as he looked at Jeannie, who was standing beside him turning slices of bacon in a large cast iron frying pan. "God, I love that smell," he rhapsodized, gesturing at the bacon with the spatula.

"Who doesn't?" she chuckled, glancing at the pan on the burner in front of the sergeant. She frowned and nodded at it. "Norm, I think that pancake needs to be flipped," she said urgently.

"Relax, relax," he soothed with a laugh, "believe it or not, I know what I'm doing here. I've been a master pancake flipper since I was a wee lad in short pants…"

A loud guffaw from down the counter startled both of them and they looked to see Healey taking two slices of toast out of the toaster and dropping them on a nearby platter. "Hah, really? I don't think you were ever a wee lad… well, a lad, maybe… but wee?"

Jeannie tried to hide her laughter as she turned back to the stove while Healey studiously avoided making eye contact with his glaring partner. Grumbling, Haseejian returned to the pancake, flipping it masterfully, as Healey stuck another two slices of bread into the toaster.

"So, ah, who do you guys think was in that blue car?" Jeannie asked.

"That?" Haseejian grunted. "Ah, probably just one of Leist's parasites, doing the legwork. They're probably going nuts trying to find out where Steve is -"

"Shit!" Healey growled and the other two spun in his direction again. He was looking at them in frustration. "I got so caught up trying to intimidate that little prick I forgot about the bag in the back of the car." He looked at Jeannie apologetically. "The hospital gave us some stuff for Mike - some extra dressings and surgical tape, antibiotics and painkillers - that kinda thing." He shrugged. "I'll, ah, I'll go get it." He left the kitchen quickly, ignoring the stares from Mike and Steve as he bolted through the living room and out the front door without explanation.

Jeannie looked at Haseejian and smiled. "Thanks again for picking Mike up." He grinned back at her. "It was our pleasure, believe me." He slid the spatula under the pancake and picked it up. Jeannie backed up a step, opening the oven door, then put on an oven mitt and slid the rack forward so Haseejian could ad the pancake to the growing stack on the baking sheet. Jeannie slid the rack back in and closed the door as Haseejian poured more oil and batter into the pan.

She watch him for a beat. "You're right, you are good at this," she chuckled as she leaned into him briefly and affectionately.

He laughed then looked at her, his smile disappearing. "We're here for you, Jeannie… Dan and I. You know that, right? We're going to be here for you and Mike and Steve… until this whole mess gets straightened out. And believe me, it will be."

She smiled at him gratefully and nodded, her moist eyes returning to the bacon in the pan in front of her.

# # # # #

They enjoyed the late breakfast in the living room, all of them keeping a close eye on Mike who, encouragingly, ate everything Jeannie had put on his plate and even occasionally joined the conversation. The sergeants, determined to keep things casual, kept the topics focused on the city's sports scene, how the Warriors were doing lately and about the upcoming weekend's boxing card.

When Mike eventually leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes, they all knew it was time. Healey pointedly looked at his watch, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Well, we better be heading back to the Hall. This, ah, this isn't really a day off for us, you know?" he chuckled softly as he smiled at Jeannie and started to get to his feet, gathering his partner with a nod toward the door.

"Uh, yeah, you're right," Haseejian said quickly in a loud whisper, putting his cup and empty plate on the coffee table, shooting a concerned look at Mike before standing.

Jeannie, on the couch beside her father, got up. Steve, in the recliner, started to rise but both Healey and Haseejian waved him down as they headed towards the door, Jeannie behind them. "Thanks so much for everything," Jeannie whispered as Healey opened the door.

They turned back to her and smiled. "You're very welcome. Thank you for that delicious breakfast," Healey laughed quietly, rubbing his stomach as Haseejian grinned and bobbed his head in ascent. Healey glanced at Mike. "We're gonna stop in tomorrow with some stuff Mike asked us to bring by, okay?"

Confused, she nodded. "Um, okay, sure."

Healey stepped out onto the landing as Haseejian leaned closer to Jeannie. "If you need anything… and I mean anything… you call us, okay? And you take good care of our boys…" His smile was both encouraging and melancholic.

Her eyes filling, she beamed at him and nodded. "You don't have to worry about that, Norm."

"I know we don't." He winked at her and stepped across the threshold. She slowly closed then door then turned back to the living room.

Steve had moved from the recliner to sit beside Mike on the sofa. Her father's eyes were open and they seemed to be talking quietly; Steve looked up as she approached. "I'm gonna help him upstairs," he said quietly. "He thinks he'll be more comfortable in his own bed."

She squatted in front of her dad. "How are you feeling?"

He smiled at her comfortingly. "Not too bad, don't worry. But I promised the doctor I'd stay in bed for a few days and I think I should keep my promise." He chuckled softly and carefully.

She patted his knee. "I think you should too." She got to her feet as Steve put his hand on Mike's elbow and helped him stand.

Jeannie grabbed the pillows and headed upstairs and by the time the men made it to the second floor, Mike's pajamas were on the bed, the pillows fluffed and the covers pulled down. Eyeing the pajamas, Mike looked at the younger pair. "I can take it from here," he said softly with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked worriedly, hovering.

Mike glared as best he could. "I'm sure."

Reluctantly, Steve and Jeannie exchanged a frown as they moved slowly towards the door.

Mike lowered himself carefully down onto the bed. "Jeannie," he called and she stopped. He smiled. "Could I talk to you for a moment?"

With another concerned look at Steve, who continued out into the hall, she started back towards the bed.

"Close the door, please," her father requested softly and, frowning worriedly, she did then crossed to the bed and sat beside him.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He smiled at her reassuringly. "Sweetheart, I need you to do something for me. And it's very important that you don't fight me on it. Okay?"

Her head went back slightly in surprise. "Okay…" she said slowly. "Um, what do you need me to do?"

His eyes were warm and full of love as he stared at her for a long beat. "Jeannie, I need you to go back to school… tomorrow."