"Can't you drive any faster, Lieutenant?"
Steve could barely get the question out between chuckles, his laugh ever so intoxicating as Mike pulled the Galaxy into a parking spot along Market and Kearney, not surprised by the large number of vehicles already waiting there, as people began to gather for the approaching ceremony.
A small stage had been erected in front of the stricken nightclub that had become the epicenter of international attention for several days; the horrific mass shooting sending a wave of fear, sorrow and torment through the City by the Bay.
Several detectives had pledged to be there for the event that would include a speech by Hank Flick, and the official donation of the condemned building to the City of San Francisco in order to tear it down and turn the site into a memorial for the sixty-four victims.
The Mayor, a handful of council members, as well as Conden were on the list of speakers for the service that was scheduled to last at least a couple of hours.
Neither Mike nor Steve had the gumption to stand in the cold for that long, not after the many sleepless nights said case had already caused. Nonetheless, a promise was a promise and they would at least be there for Hank's speech.
"You're wearing it out, you know that, right?", the Lieutenant growled in feign annoyance and glanced over at his partner, whose cheeky grin was well worth the hectic morning to make it to the ceremony on time.
"Don't you be turning into a hard-nosed, ill-tempered, set-in-his-way grouch all over again, Michael!", Steve countered laughingly, definitely still under the weather from the strong pain meds sent home with him from the hospital.
"You like that, don't you, Barney?"
"Are you kidding? I love it. I miss Forester already."
Returning the genial smile, Mike reached over to pat his partner's thigh, almost enjoying the fact that he had Steve take his pain meds on an empty stomach, as they hurried out of the bullpen.
"Part of me misses him too, Smiley. I won't lie. He was an interesting addition to our team."
"That he was.", Steve breathed and fell quiet, before glancing over at his partner again, his pupils twice the size they should be, "I called him up last night to see how things were going. He actually is considering retirement now. Says we broke his drive with our thick skulls."
With a determined headshake, Mike chuckled and let his eyes drift over the crowded parking lot.
"Are you kidding me? That man will never retire. Not for as long as there's evil out there."
They both fell quiet, briefly revisiting their partnership with the stern-faced Captain, whose heart was as scarred as theirs, who shared the same passion for righteousness and fighting those whose only intention was to cause harm to others.
A man who lived through the very nightmare they both feared the most.
"You're probably right.", Steve finally whispered, trying to bridge the tense silence between them before the pain could grow too deep, then motioned toward the stage, "You're ready?"
"You tell me.", Mike offered, his voice growing serious, "Are you sure you're up for this?"
A determined nod was his only answer as Steve reached for the door handle of the Galaxy and slowly crawled out, waving Mike off dismissively when the Lieutenant ran around the hood of the tan sedan to lend a hand.
"I am not dead…just…slow."
"Yeah, and you're floating too, my friend.", Mike added jokingly, wrapping an arm around his partner's shoulders to keep him stable, before slamming the passenger side door shut, "Come on, just follow and…be good. Look, Hank's already taking the stage."
A sizeable group of people had gathered around the bar owner, reaching halfway into the busy street that had been cordoned off for the occasion.
As Hank approached the microphone, his glance drifted across the dozens of people at his feet, many of them sporting rainbow colored outfits and signs. When his eyes stopped at Steve, a broad smile spread on his lips upon recognizing the young Inspector.
"Thank you all for coming here today…", he began somberly, causing silence to befall the group of spectators, "It has been a very difficult week for this beautiful city I call my home. Unspeakable evil has tore through our community, leaving gaping holes in families, deep wounds that will be difficult to mend. I too suffered a great loss as my life partner, my best friend and co-owner of my bar was shot and killed in the horrific attack that lasted all but five minutes, but permanently altered the lives of so many people. Over the past few days, I have experienced every emotion under the sun, ranging from anger to heart-wrenching pain, from guilt to grief to hatred. I was considered a suspect; I was harassed by the merciless press, asked condemning and infuriating questions about things that are none of the public's business. My bank accounts have been meticulously reviewed; everything that made me a human being was put under the microscope. I could be mad, but instead, I chose to be grateful. Grateful because this thorough investigation was done by people who are passionate about their jobs, who worked tirelessly for days, not hours, but days on end to bring closure to the many families involved in this tragedy. These are the same people who are under constant scrutiny from the press, the public, even their superiors, when it comes to their chosen profession, and the way the go about it. And yet, they return to their desks day after day, eagerly helping to keep this city safe, sometimes even sacrificing their own health and well-being…and doing so without asking for anything in return."
As he said that, Hank glanced over at the two detectives, his eyes glistening in the little bit of sunlight coming through the cloudy sky.
"Lieutenant Michael Stone, Stephen Jacob, I will forever be grateful for your fierce dedication, your awe-inspiring humility and your devotion to this town. You are the unsung heroes in this case, the two men who courageously jumped into action when duty demanded it, who jeopardized their own lives to keep almost one hundred people trapped inside a grocery store safe from harm just last week. Few would have done what you did, for it takes a very special kind of hero."
Mike cocked his head slightly at the uncomfortable applause that ensued, Steve mirroring his gesture, as he leaned heavier against the Lieutenant, growing tired from the effort of standing for too long too soon.
"Now, before we begin the ceremony, I wanted to address one more thing that has been weighing on my mind a lot since this incident occurred. Now that the perpetrator has been caught, and the case has been thoroughly investigated, it is important to reflect on what actually happened. This wasn't a crime against gays or lesbians, bi-sexuals or trans-genders. It was a crime against humanity itself, committed by somebody who was using his position within the community as a disguise to commit mass murder, hoping it would help his agenda. This crime was committed with the intention to harm as many people as possible, regardless of their sexual orientation, their age, their ethnic background or their religion. It was meant to create hatred, bigotry and violence. And I damn well refuse to stand here and let that happen."
Chiming in on the applause, Mike glanced over at Steve who'd become strangely quiet, his eyes slowly welling up with tears at the words that were hitting too close to home; his active mind undoubtedly replaying some of the bone-chilling images of the past few days.
"I believe in humanity.", Hank continued, his voice quivering, "And I believe in love. I believe that love can conquer anything, even something as horrific as the pain caused by this attack. Love can heal wounds, it can mend hearts, it can connect us to people we never thought we'd meet. Love will always win in the end."
As he drew in a shuddered breath himself, Mike put his arm around his partner's shoulders again, squeezing him tightly, hoping to convey what words couldn't.
"I also believe that love goes hand in hand with action. Words are meaningless, actions aren't. As such, beyond the donation of my property to this city in order to turn it into a memorial…beyond all that…I have decided to use the funds I received from my insurance company to cover the funeral costs of all the victims of this shooting. While it will not bring back our loved ones, it will at least offer a measure of financial support and relief for those affected by this tragic event. Because I stand here today with a message that has become very clear throughout this disturbing week that lies behind all of us. A message that reverberated throughout the Hall of Justice downtown, where two brave detectives refused to go to sleep until the killer was caught, throughout our neighborhoods, where people hugged each other, shared a meal, throughout our streets where straight people talked to homosexual people, blacks to whites, Catholics to atheists; a humble reminder of humanity when the unspeakable pain threatened to tear this city apart. It's a message I want all of you to remember, as you return home to your families tonight. Hate did not win throughout all this bloodshed…Love won."
I sure hope you enjoyed this story. A lot of research went into it and I learned things I never imagined I would. Oh, and this Forester character truly exist. Not in the form on an FBI guy, not even in the form of a guy at all. But she exists.