"Got any more candy in your snack-drawer?"
Fighting to subdue a yawn, Ryan pointed at the inconspicuous drawer at Esposito's desk, leaning toward the sugary redemption when his partner pushed him back with a firm hand on his chest.
"Dude, you've been yawning all morning. How about you drink some coffee instead. Sure you're ok?"
The sole response Esposito received was another yawn as the young detective shook his head, his eyes growing watery from exhaustion.
"Everything ok with Jenny? You guys been fighting?"
"No. God no, she's fine…", Ryan reassured and leaned back in his chair, before crossing his hands behind his head, "It's just…I don't know…do you believe in premonitions?"
Raising his eyebrows, Esposito shrugged, then turned his chair all the way around to face his partner.
"Not really. Why?"
"I've been having these dreams. Frightening dreams, actually."
When he heard his partner's voice beginning to break, Esposito's genial expression turned into undisguised worry as he stood by, patiently waiting for Kevin to continue.
"It's like…I walk down the sidewalk on a dark night. It's raining. And I follow this blonde woman but no matter how fast I run, I can't seem to catch up with her. And just as I get close, she steps into a dark sedan and disappears. After I woke up last night, I went to sleep again but it kept coming back over and over, so eventually I just got up at 4am."
"So you think Jenny might get kidnapped by this dude…"
"Yeah. I know it's improbable and she knows better than to share a ride with a stranger but I just…I can't help but worry. She means everything to me and I can't begin to imagine how I would feel if something like this happened to my loved one…"
Pointing at the murder board, Ryan fell quiet, his slumped shoulders causing wrinkles on the custom-tailored suit.
"Jenny's a smart woman, bro…", Esposito replied soothingly and reached over to gently squeeze his partner's wrist, "Plus she's got you to keep her safe. You gotta remember that."
The conviction in his eyes must have done the job when Ryan nodded slowly, some of the angst and tension leaving his weary features.
Reaching over to cover his friend's hand with his own, Kevin smiled in gratitude, relishing their deep bond through a single gesture.
Esposito was about to continue when the doors to the elevator pinged, the person arriving being blocked by a sizeable wall of pizza cartons.
"Would you believe it, looks like somebody brought us lunch. I am starving."
Mirroring his partner's enthusiasm, Kevin got up and followed the delivery boy to the break room, along with half the office. Esposito fell back a little, sharing a glance with Beckett who stood across the bullpen, equally surprised by the kind gesture.
And just to be extra safe, he said a silent prayer that none of this had anything to do with a certain singer currently visiting New York. She'd already done plenty a good job in showing her appreciation, he mused smugly.
After the break room tally was plundered to pay the young man a tip, he decided to join the crowds, taking in the sweet aroma of pepperoni, cheese, peppers and spicy sauce.
"Who do we have to thank?", Esposito asked innocently, seeing a few of the other detectives turn around to acknowledge his question with a shrug.
"Receipt says anonymous.", somebody closer to the pile of boxes said as he slowly disassembled the stack, "Looks like we got veggie, meat lovers, pepperoni, spicy chicken…"
"Don't read, let's just open them and get eating…", the hungry mob demanded, followed by the shuffling of more boxes.
Anonymous, he pondered. At least Allison had had the foresight to keep things comfortably mysterious.
"What the…?"
The panicked shriek pulled him out of his thoughts and Esposito looked up in time to see one of the guys jump several feet back, the rest of the group frozen in place.
"What's going on?", Beckett asked from the sidelines, approaching the breakroom hastily.
Esposito did the same from the corner of the bullpen, brushing Kevin's shoulder as they parted the crowd.
"Is this some sick joke?", somebody else asked when he finally got close enough to catch a glimpse, the sight instantly making the blood in his veins freeze.
"I'll call downstairs to catch the delivery boy.", he offered, just so see Beckett waive him off as she pulled out her cell.
"I got it, Espo."
Next to him, Ryan swallowed hard, joining several of the other detectives as they stood in stunned silence, staring at the human finger that marked the centerpiece of the pepperoni pizza.
