"You knew this was going to be a tough job the day you signed up for it, Michael. Sometimes people will love you. Sometimes people will respect you. But most times, people will hate you, and what you stand for, from the bottom of their hearts. And sadly so, they will cheer as you take your last breath."
Mike woke up with a start when Jeremy's words of wisdom echoed through his mind early that Friday morning.
With the delicious aroma of turkey and cake still filling every square inch of the DeHaro house, it didn't take long for him to calm back down, bury the anger and disappointment he felt about the treatment of his friend's death, and the ease with which his murder had been swept under the rug to appease a press that was eager to ignite racial tensions around the holidays.
Drawing in a deep breath, Mike opened his eyes, realizing he was still in his rocking chair, thoroughly exhausted from a meal fit for Kings and Queens, and the joy of having his loved ones nearby for what used to be one of his most cherished holidays.
After talking and laughing for most of the evening, they'd all succumbed to the sleepiness that came with eating a meal prepared with fresh food and a whole lot of love.
Deservedly so, Jeanie had been the first one to lean her head against Steve's shoulder, falling asleep shortly after. With the warm body against his, it didn't take long for the young Inspector to get drowsy too, his eyes drifting shut despite his best effort to watch the football game with Mike.
Without anybody left to talk to, the Lieutenant had eventually turned off the TV and sat back down, cherishing the sight of his sleeping daughter, and his best friend who'd grown to be a brother figure to her, until Mike too lost the battle against the cozy atmosphere of a perfectly spent holiday.
Now, several hours after the fact, Steve was sprawled out on the couch, trying to fit his lean body onto the furniture that wasn't made for his 5'10 frame, his head dangling over the armrest at an uncomfortable angle. Jeanie was tucked in between his body and the back of the couch, her left arm wrapped around Steve's waist to keep him from stirring, her head resting on his chest.
It was a scene as innocent as it was darling, and Mike took a moment to appreciate it to the fullest, before getting up to grab the comforter draped over the back of the couch. As carefully as possible, he covered them both, causing Jeanie to mumble something in her sleep, before tugging on Steve's dress shirt and falling quiet again.
As he sat back down in the rocking chair, unwilling to take his eyes off the sole two people that made up his family, Mike began to wonder how much longer it would be worth taking the risk of walking the streets each day, and possibly end up sending them through the same hell Jeremy Hendrick's wife and kids were currently going through.