After the celebratory brunch, the group split up with the newly weds heading in one direction while Elisa and Matt began to make their way towards the precinct to return their borrowed clothes.
"So," Matt said cautiously. "I know it was last minute, but they seem happy."
"Yeah," Elisa said, running a hand through her ruthlessly sprayed and styled hair. The event was done, so she didn't have to worry about it now. "They do."
"Still think your parents are going to be upset?"
"Matt, you have no idea," Elisa acknowledged. "Thankfully, Beth is going to be the one to call them later today, so I won't have to."
Matt nodded. "Hopefully that'll take a lot off your plate," he said. "Before I forget," he said, digging in his pocket and coming up with the disposable camera. "Here's the evidence, partner."
"Thanks," Elisa laughed, turning it around in her hands. "And thank you for playing photographer."
"Hey, no problem," Matt said with a shrug. "Plus, being the one taking the pictures meant that I wasn't in them."
"Oh, sure," Elisa groused, "Go ahead and brag." Elisa let out a sigh of relief as they turned a corner and spotted the precinct building ahead. "Oh, thank the gods," She breathed out. "These shoes are killing me. I can't wait to get back into my clothes and head home to get some sleep."
"Understood," Matt said. "I have to meet with the new Task Force recruits tonight."
Elisa frowned at him. "Wait. I thought you weren't in charge of the Task Force anymore."
"I'm not," Matt said with a shrug, "But the initial interviews and recruitment are still my responsibility. I am just not in charge of the whole thing anymore."
"Well, at least the clan has you vetting the recruits still," Elisa said ruefully. "Hopefully that'll keep any more anti-gargoyle fanatics off the task force."
"Not if I can help it," Matt grumbled. "Had enough of that the first time."
Elisa and Matt fell into silence after that, each lost in their own recollections of the events that followed the first team assembled. Two anti-Gargoyle group members had gotten onto the team, thinking that the task force had been created to destroy the clan, not to work with them.
They'd almost managed to get through, too. Luckily, their true intentions had become clear before they could do major harm, but it had left those humans involved on the team more than a little skittish about letting new members on the team.
Unfortunately, the clan had very much become an important part of Emergency Response teams, that it was necessary for the Task Force to keep expanding. That meant more interviews, more people on board and more background checks.
Elisa and Matt entered the precinct, and more than one wolf whistle greeted them. Elisa rolled her eyes while Matt flushed a deep red.
"That's my man," Pamela's voice rose above it all as she made her way to her husband. She raised her arms and placed a playful, smacking kiss on his lips and grinned. "Sorry, I got held up and thought I'd wait around for you so we could ride home together. Looking good," She said, smoothing her hands down the arms of his jacket and laughing. "I may need to find reasons to get you in formal wear more often. You know, mom is keeping the kiddo for a few days, so we have the place to ourselves…"
Elisa smirked at her partner and gave him a wave as she made her way to the locker room to change. "I see you're in good hands, partner, so I'm going to leave you to it. Have fun, you two."
"Uhh," Matt said, seeming at a loss for words.
Elisa laughed as the door to the locker room shut behind her.
