AN: Thank you so much for your condolences/sympathies and for keeping jodm's family, friends and Sisters in your prayers.

Here is another update.

Apologies for not having responded to individual reviews, PMs and emails - had a very busy week and a relapse on a stomach viral infection I contracted recently. I've recovered (again!) so hopefully that is the end of that. Moving forward, I hope the following conversation is in character. This being an AU, it's sometimes a little difficult to predict how the characters would react if they were presented with a situation that they never encountered in the series. Your thoughts and honest feedback is always greatly appreciated.

I will do my best to reply to messages/emails during the coming week. I will reply to everyone (eventually), please bear with me.

Thank you, "Tony Robbertsen" for your reviews and no need to apologize - you've been a greatly appreciated support for the writers in this fandom, whether you have time to review or not :-)

Tanith


Chapter 29

Mike met Irene in the hall outside the examination room and guided her out of earshot of the occupants.

"How is he?" Irene asked worriedly.

"They're keeping him for a few more hours. He's developed an infection to that bruised kidney. It's his own fault, you know. Getting into a fist fight when he should know better!" Mike was unable to stop his rant from tumbling out of his mouth. A rant that stemmed from his ever-present concern over the young man. Sure, he was mad for the way Steve had behaved but he also knew his partner had to have a good reason for losing control the way he did. He just wished he knew what it was that that tipped him over the edge.

"Mike, I think you're being a little too hard on him," Irene defended gently. She hooked an arm through the crook of Mike's elbow and they continued to walk at a slow pace down the length of the corridor to keep their conversation out of earshot of Jeannie and Steve.

"A little too hard on him?" Mike scoffed. "Irene, did you not see the state of my kitchen?"

"Well, I think you and I both know that your kitchen is not the issue here," Irene said, half teasingly.

Mike sighed heavily, his anger running its course. He patted Irene's hand, apologetically. "You're right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be snappy. I just don't understand what had gotten into him. And for the record, thank you for everything you did today. And for looking after Steve. You know, If he wasn't so badly hurt, I would box his ears!"

"Oh, Mike, will you stop that?" Irene scolded gently. She drew to a halt, took Mike by the arms and turned him to face her.

Mike's eyes found something in Irene's. Something that told him she had more to say but that she couldn't quite get the words out. "Did Steve say something to you?"

"It's more to do with what he wasn't able to tell me," Irene began.

"But you have a theory, don't you? Care to share?" Mike prodded.

Irene nodded, wishing there was a seat nearby for Mike, should he not take what she had to say too well. She took a moment to build up some confidence and swallowed before plunging ahead with what she thought should be coming out of Steve's mouth, "Steve is in love with Jeannie."

"Come on, Irene! This is not the time for kidding around!" Mike stared blankly back at Irene, half expecting her to break out in raucous laughter but not even a twitch at the corners of her mouth indicated she was joking. "Wait a minute, you're serious?"

"Think about it Mike. What on Earth could Steve and Whitney possibly be arguing about that would lead them to blows? Go on, tell me!" Irene challenged. "They barely even know each other and you said it yourself – Steve should've known better. As far as I'm concerned, the only common denominator in this mystery is Jeannie."

Mike was silent as he allowed this theory of Irene's to sink in. "You really are serious?" He asked again, needing more to convince him. He stepped back and leaned his back against the wall, suddenly in need of some support.

Irene nodded. "And there's more."

"There couldn't possibly be..."

"I would bet my retirement fund that Jeannie also has feelings for Steve," Irene interrupted.

"Now wait a minute, Jeannie's engaged to Whitney Holden. What makes you think she is in love with Steve?" While it was difficult, yet not impossible to digest Steve may have feelings for his daughter, it was ludicrous for him to think that Jeannie could be fawning over someone other than her fiancé.

"Call it women's intuition. Call it a hunch, I don't know, but surely you've sensed something?" Irene searched Mike's eyes for some sign that he had known or at least suspected the existence of a romantic connection between the two young people they both cared about. After several moments of silence had lapsed, she saw her answer written in the creases of his face and buried in those intense blue orbs that broke away from her gaze. "You have thought about the possibility, haven't you?"

"Okay, okay, maybe I have," Mike paused then continued in a lower voice. "A couple of years ago – you remember the Larson case when Jeannie was a material witness?"

Irene nodded. "Yeah, Jeannie was placed in witness protection, except...oh, it was Steve! He was the one assigned to protect her!" Irene's eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzles were coming together.

"I noticed they got pretty close but I figured it had to do with what they were both going through and well, given Steve has gotten close to women he'd protected in the past, I just...I chalked it up to emotions running out of control. So, I had a talk with both of them. I didn't want either of them to get hurt over feelings I didn't think they were sure about themselves," Mike revealed. "I may have been a little hard on them but whether there was something there, it wasn't the time or place for them to get caught up with these feelings. I reassigned the post to Scott Graham." A sad look passed over Mike's face and he swallowed the painful lump that had manifested. "He was ambushed and killed trying to protect my daughter."

"I'm sorry. I never had the opportunity to work with Graham but did hear about all the good he did. I still remember the funeral. And seeing his wife there."

"Anyway, at the risk of his own life, Steve fought like hell to keep Jeannie safe. They were both banged up – Steve coming off worse but after what happened to Graham…they were both lucky."

"It makes sense why nothing ever eventuated and Steve has a whole world of respect for you. I think he's been distancing himself, trying not to have these feelings because he knows he has big shoes to fill. You know, I started noticing myself, last year, at Jeannie's twenty-first and okay, maybe even before that. It was just little things. The way Jeannie's face would light up when Steve cracked a joke, how he would look at her. That sort of thing." Irene smiled warmly at the fond memories she had of Steve and Jeannie's gentle and subtle flirting.

Mike ran a hand over his face. "What am I gonna do?"

"Well, Jeannie and Steve are both adults. They need to figure these feelings out for themselves. Now that Whitney's in the equation, that does complicate things."

"If Jeannie had feelings for Steve, why did she get engaged to Whitney?"

"Probably because she's waited for Steve to make his move and when he never did, along came her knight in shining armour. Someone she could count on. Someone who'd been there for her before and who wasn't afraid to express his feelings."

"This is getting too complicated," Mike sighed, feeling overwhelmed and flustered. What would Helen do? What would she say to their daughter in this situation? How on earth was he going to even broach this subject with her, as a parent? Never did Mike feel so lost.

"Imagine how the three of them must be feeling," Irene added, breaking Mike out of his reverie.

"Whatever her feelings are, I just wish Jeannie didn't rush into this relationship she has with Whitney."

Before the conversation could get any further, they heard footsteps approaching and Irene saw that they belonged to Jeannie. She gave Mike's arm a reassuring squeeze, though Mike felt far from being reassured. He was in unchartered territory and his daughter was about to make a life changing decision that could prove disastrous. As a parent, he needed to protect her from that but as a father he was afraid of losing her in the process.