Following the darkened corridors to the back of the DMV's office, Mike smiled inwardly, thoroughly enjoying the friendly banter with his partner, even if it meant to throw Steve off course every once in a while.

It caused a warmth and lightheartedness in his soul he hadn't felt for nearly a decade. And as he grew older and often times lonelier too, he welcomed that youthful spirit by his side more and more each day.

Reaching for his credentials in the breast pocket of his dark gray suit coat, Mike nodded at the young secretary by the front desk in guarded professionalism, before holding up his badge for her to see.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

"Homicide, Lieutenant Mike Stone. I am here to grab the file my partner reviewed a couple days ago. On a stolen Buick Skylark."

He could see the brunette's eyes widen momentarily, before she glanced down, busying herself looking for a key in the drawer of her large desk.

"Absolutely. This will only take me a few moments to grab. Is…is everything alright with your partner? Usually he's the one coming down here…"

"Well…"

Looking away in feign distress, Mike drew in a deep breath before shaking his head.

"What do you mean, Lieutenant? Is Inspector Keller alright?"

With her voice raised several pitches higher, the secretary froze in her spot, a set of dark brown eyes scanning him worriedly, giving insight to what Steve had been trying to tell him for several days now.

"Yeah, yeah he is…", Mike muttered with a downtrodden sigh, "It's just that…see, one of his daughters broke her arm when she fell off her bike yesterday. Just tore him apart. He gets so worried when something happens to his kids."

With a deep frown, the secretary glanced back down at her desk, playing with some of the paperwork close to her hands without actually doing anything.

"He…he has a family?"

"Oh yeah. Huge, huge family. He's a fertile young man.", Mike announced proudly and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, "He didn't tell you about it?...I guess he can be a bit tight-lipped at times…"

When she shook her head in obvious disappointment, he smiled even broader.

"Yep, five kids already. He's huge about his kids, just loves those little buggers to pieces. I think he'd like to have even more, ten maybe, if his cop salary paid for them. That man, I tell you. He's all about commitment, trust, family, faith in the good lord. Met his wife in bible school when they were still kids and the two have been inseparable ever since he went on one knee and presented her with a…a chastity ring on her mother's birthday. Everybody was moved to tears. Steve has a beautiful family. I see them at church every Sunday. They even bring the in-laws and dress all the kids in matching outfits. I tell you, absolutely adorable."

Running a nervous hand through her long hair, the secretary chuckled uncomfortably, before resuming her search for the key.

"Well, he could have fooled me. Comes across like such a womanizer. I have been trying to convince him to go out on a date with me all week. Did you know, they consider him a sex-symbol down here?"

"It's understandable, you know.", Mike countered in deep satisfaction, unable to hide a faint smirk, "He has to put on the tough act for homicide. With the type of people we have to deal with, it would make him look vulnerable otherwise. But deep inside, he's all fluff and cuddles…. Just do me one favor please…keep that secret between the two of us? I don't want him to think that I am spilling the beans on him whenever I go down here, I am sure you'll understand. Just pretend as though you don't know about it, alright? Now, if I could ehm…get that file. I gotta head back upstairs."