Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or ideas from The Killing. It's all just for fun.

Spoilers: Season 2, episode 12

DAY 25

Linden and Holder are at Holder's apartment. They have been discussing the case, but have fallen into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Rain hammering on the roof is the only sound to be heard.

Suddenly Holder breaks the silence. "You never told me he was your shrink." He looks up at her, "Rick?" Taking a sip of his coffee, he watches her.

Linden looks at him, her face impassive, as she sits on the couch holding a cigarette between her fingers. "Your point?" She hasn't shut the conversation down yet, though once upon a time not so very long ago that would have been her first reaction to this line of questioning. But they have become pretty close in the past few weeks, so she's willing to at least see why he brought it up. This just shows what a difference a few weeks has made.

"Nothin, I'm just sayin…" Holder isn't quite sure if he's asking a question or not. There's silence again, less comfortable this time, as Holder looks around. Now it's Linden who's watches him.

"You think I'm gonna go nuts again?" she asks bluntly.

Holder exhales loudly. "Nah, Linden, I got your back's all I'm sayin. Think of me as your sensei in the bloodsport of life."

Linden smiles at that, and they both chuckle. OK, Linden thinks to herself. Maybe Holder is funny.

Holder

If you'd have told me when I met Linden that we'd be having this conversation, I would've laughed in your face. She can be the queen of bottled up emotions, to put it very nicely, when she wants to be, which is pretty much all the time, and with, as far as I can tell, everyone in the world. Except that for whatever reason, she's warming up to me. How do I know? Because I pretty much just told her that I would look out for her – basically said that I cared – and not only did she not run screaming in the other direction, not only did she not make any sarcastic comments, but she actually smiled, accepted the support and even seemed to appreciate my corny sense of humor! Talk about a victory…

I knew I'd wear her down with my charm eventually.

Linden

Holder can be so goofy sometimes. I don't know what it is about him that puts me at ease. I mean, he can be so frustrating and annoying, of course, worse than a little kid… but it's weird, it's like the way I push people away – because I'm aware of it, and I do it on purpose – it doesn't work on him. He just kinda waits it out and gives me that stupid little kid grin and tells me the world's worst jokes… and I don't know why that works, but it does.

I wonder how long it'll be before I burn that bridge… because somehow, I always do.

…

After all of the hassle and trauma of getting into the casino to investigate – first "unofficially," and then with a federal warrant – and only after Holder's life had been endangered, they'd finally gotten the recording of the casino elevators from the night of Rosie's death. Playing back that tape had been the ultimate vindication for Linden and Holder. Not only was Rosie Larsen on the tape, putting her in the casino elevator on the night she was killed, but so were Chief Jackson, Michael Ames, and Jamie Wright – Richmond's campaign advisor. Finally, all of their work, their wrong turns and false leads, had paid off.

The recording ended, and the two sat in front of the screen, still reeling from the realization of what this meant. They had done it. The case was as good as solved. Slowly, they both sat back from the screen, which they'd been huddled close to in order to examine the grainy footage from the security camera. It was almost hard to believe that they had the evidence they'd been searching for so desperately for so many weeks, right there in front of them. It was almost like it wasn't real.

A small smile swept across Linden's face as she allowed herself to believe that this moment was real. "We did it," she whispered in disbelief.

"You did it, Linden," Holder corrected her. "There's no way any other cop in the station, myself included, would have ever been determined enough to keep going on this case. It was you." Then, to make sure he wasn't being too serious, he added, "You know, my ass was just riding around, keeping you company, taking a little nap in the woods…"

They watched each other and he could see the wheels in her head turning. The trace of a smile quickly faded from her face. She looked down at the floor, and slowly began speaking, her voice coming out barely above a whisper. "No Holder, that little "episode" in the woods, that's no joke. That was all on me." She took a deep breathe, and continued. "If you hadn't been OK, I never would have forgiven myself. When it comes to work, we both know I'm driven, and we both know I go to the point of being reckless a lot of the time."

She stared into the distance, not looking at him. "I'm used to it just being my own life that I put on the line, and I'm sorry that I gambled with yours, too." She paused, looking back at him to gauge his reaction. He was watching her intently, not quite smiling, but no looking unhappy either. Looking interested in what she was saying. Like he cared.

He shook his head ever so slightly. "We've been over this, Linden. We're good. I'm fine," he insisted, knocking on his head for good measure. "See? Everything still works."

She shook her head at him, smiling slowly. "Well fine, but you can't tell me it was all me. It's not like I could've broken out of the psych ward by myself. And if not for you, who would have insisted that I eat for the past three weeks?"

He chuckled to himself. "Well I guess you're gonna have to face it, Linden, we make a pretty good team. Not bad for someone who don't play well with others, huh?" That was his playful reminder that she had despised the idea of working with him when they'd first been forced into it.

"Haha," Linden said good-naturedly. "You talkin' about me or you?" She stood up and stretched. "Well, come on partner, we still gotta go get the bad guy."

"Ready when you are, boss," replied Holder, standing up and following her out of the small room.

It was time to finish the job.