Prompt: Diligence
Chapter 8 – Anchor
It's Monday morning and his mother's funeral was two days ago and they are both back at work after a sleepless weekend. She tried to talk him into taking a few more days, but he threw her own history back in her face and said if she can go back to work three days after her husband's funeral then he can go back to work two days after his mother's. So here they are, sitting across from each other at their desks in the bullpen working on the backlog of paperwork that is always there and waiting to catch a case.
She glances up at him through her bangs and thinks that he looks like he's aged a decade in the past few days. She's sure that she doesn't look her best either and suddenly realizes why none of their colleagues have tried to speak to them beside casual greetings. Everyone is scared of one of them blowing their top and she can't say she blames them.
She is jolted out of her thoughts by the captain at her shoulder who is wondering what they hell they're doing back at work since he gave them each a week of leave, his for bereavement, hers out of her vacation days. He didn't even hesitate when she asked for the time; he learned very quickly after she was abducted that they don't function well apart and he wasn't anxious for a repeat performance.
Sarcasm rolls off her tongue as she tells the captain that they couldn't stay away for very long or the whole department might collapse and nobody wants that so that's why they're back at work early. The real reason, the one she doesn't say out loud, is that they were both going stir crazy and that if they didn't come back to work then he would go mad in his grief and she doesn't think she is strong enough to bring him back if he were to fall right now.
The captain is shaking his head at her flip reply and then he's telling them that a call just came in and they're on the case. All they know is that it involves two prominent musicians dead and that the mayor himself pushing for a solve. So they leave their paperwork behind and they manage to get the elevator car to themselves on the way down to the parking garage and she knows she's risking getting caught but she has to let him know that she will support him and she smiles into his jacket when he holds her tight after she wraps her arms around his waist.
They pull apart as the elevator doors open but the parking garage is empty this time of day so she steps so that their arms are brushing and she can take his hand and hope that this simple contact will be able to sufficiently anchor him until they can sneak another moment alone.
(TBC)We're nearing the end now, folks. Only three more chapters. God (and willing, we should be finished with our journey together in a few days. :)