Quick update today before I am off to a birthday party, mine to be exact. Pretty sure my level of inebriation won't allow me to post more later. Enjoy!

Admittingly so, the new Staff Sergeant wasn't exactly what, or better yet, who Steve had pictured.

And the same held true for Simone Kammers who hesitated, then looked him up and down skeptically, before reaching out toward him for a handshake that nearly fractured his fingers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant, Inspector. I have heard a lot about both of you. All good things."

It was easy to see that Mike wasn't pleased about the latest development; his gaze intentionally neutral as he went about the formal pleasantries with machine-like reflexes.

Steve couldn't quite tell if the tall woman in her mid-forties ignored, or embraced the challenges thrown her way from the all-male leadership of the police department, a tradition that went back as far as the department itself.

Even if she didn't, her performance of peaceful acceptance despite Mike's well-placed grunts of discontent during their conversation were theatre-worthy.

As Olsen explained that in an effort to spearhead the equal opportunity movement for women, Simone Kammers had been promoted to the position after careful evaluation of her impeccable record with the department, as well as her educational background; Steve watched the lady move her chair over slightly, away from them, sitting down at an angle that allowed for her to face the Captain almost head-on, her left shoulder perpendicular to the two San Francisco Homicide detectives.

Two years of Psychology at Berkeley taught him that this was a gesture of mental and professional distancing, an intrinsic unwillingness to sit by those who, as far as Olsen was concerned, would be sharing the next few weeks with her.

"I truly feel that John's idea of incorporating as much on-hands training as possible into this position will be beneficial for all involved, starting with Staff Sergeant Kammer's Black and White Squad as well as any departments she will be in contact with hereon out. After all, we're one big family and we want her to meet as many of the in-laws as possible."

Olsen's off-the-cuff statement caused a round of nervous chuckles except for Mike, who stayed strangely quiet, before clearing his throat.

"With all due respect Rudy, Homicide isn't the place to interrupt for…field studies and such. Our line of work involves life and death situations. Distractions such as these will cause mistakes that could cost us our case. Now you don't want that, do you?"

Steve bit the inside of his lip, fighting hard to keep his expression neutral as Olsen glanced back and forth between both men, before gesturing toward Kammers who'd stayed quiet, her blue eyes focused entirely on Mike.

"A distraction? You're an old dog, Michael. You know how to play the game and stay focused. Besides, the order came from all the way at the top, no wiggle room for arguments.", pointing his thumb upward, Rudy forced a half-hearted smile, not for the first time this morning it seemed, "Personally I think that it would give the Staff Sergeant here invaluable experience into your line of work. That in turn will help her prepare her crew to support you guys whenever needed. It's a win-win really, very beneficial and a great opportunity for everybody involved."

Once again, Mike remained stubbornly still, hands crossed in front of his chest, unhappy with the situation and yet, unwilling to voice the core of his concerns out in the open.

Women on the force.

It had been a dead-end-road subject with the Lieutenant for years.

Women don't belong in this kind of work!

Steve could hear the passionate argument as clear as if his partner had said it out loud.

Ironically, Mike's point of view had nothing to do with chauvinistic antics or ancient world views. If anything, it had to do with the deeply engrained sense of overprotectiveness he felt for those he cared for, especially women.

And as such, the idea of a lady putting her life on the line and possibly walking into a gun never sat right with the Lieutenant, no matter how much the issue had been pressed in previous years.

When the awkward stillness of Olsen's office became too overbearing, the Captain cleared his throat, nervously adjusted his steel-grey tie, then looked over at Steve as if to reach for a lifeline.

"Stephen, as one of our youngest detectives in the department, a Berkeley grad with an incredibly steep career path, I am certain you can appreciate the importance of change to revolutionize old processes, be open-minded. We need young blood and new ideas more than ever in this line of work and for once, the city is one-hundred percent behind us. While Staff Sergeant Kammer's assistance may be new to the Homicide Department and our stringent ways, possibly even awkward here and there, I feel that this is a minor inconvenience considering the benefits I see from this program down the road. We are on the front lines paving the way for women's rights, equal pay and benefits…Jesus, even the New York Times reported on us this past week. It's a big deal and the accolades coming in are nothing short of awe-inspiring. I for once am excited about it. What do you guys think, eh?"

Trying hard to keep his anger and frustration about the situation hidden beneath the façade of a neutral expression, Mike swallowed hard, then leaned forward in his guest chair.

"I think that if the department was so keen on offering women the same opportunities as men, they wouldn't have to create new positions within the force for them."

# # #

The walk back to the Homicide bullpen had been quiet, although the air surrounding the three police officers was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

After Mike's candid remark, Olsen had awkwardly finished the meeting and wished them well on the two-week cooperation that was to prepare Simone Kammers for her leadership role at the Police Headquarters next month.

Although the decision had been out of their hands from the beginning, Steve couldn't shake the feeling that the novel intention behind the idea of creating Staff Sergeant positions and filling several of them with women had railroaded more people than it aided, including all three of them.

Mike's viewpoint was clear and concise, downright unyielding for a man who'd been around the block for more years than Kammers and he combined. The Lieutenant smelled the political agenda wrapped in pretty gift-paper miles away and despised half-hearted ideas for the sake of community benevolence in lieu of safety on the force.

Steve was beginning to feel like a token played by the brass to aid their latest idea, an example of a young man with conflicting world views compared to most guys on the force, a peace activist hired into the police force the day he graduated from the academy and propelled up the steep career ladder thanks to a passionate Lieutenant who believed in his talents a lot more than he did back then.

Then there was Simone Kammers, who by all means, had the educational background and experience to fill the newly created position and lead a squad of Black and Whites skillfully, who had been dragged into the political game for no other reason than the fact that she was a woman.

Just like Steve, she seemed woefully aware of the divide this move had created; leaving people on one side of the spectrum to discredit her hard-earned accomplishment and promotion as gender-based bias and the other side to use every chance they got to rub her femininity into people's faces to make a point.

It was the one argument where the young Inspector vehemently disagreed with Olson's earlier notion.

This wasn't a win-win situation whatsoever.

It was a brass-made train wreck headed directly for them.