Authors’ Note: Happy Christmas to one and all! @vintagemichelle91 and I thank you so much for your amazing comments last night!!! They were the best gift ever!!! Now with Maggie’s baby on the way, the family starts to gather. Read on for more and enjoy!!! :)
“Yes, Mike. It’s time. Well, no. No, not this exact instant. But soon. Yes. You need to hurry. I know but… yes. See what you can do to make that happen.”
Ending the call, Natalia paced the waiting room. Ashtonja sat with the twins, Hazel narrowing her eyes at every doctor, nurse, and orderly that passed by while Holly nibbled her little nails.
“Mami?”
Glancing down, Natalia saw Violetta, felt her tugging at the hem of her skirt.
“Yes, sweet pea?” she asked as she scooped the girl up into her arms.
“Will the baby really be born in time for Christmas?”
Natalia started to answer but suddenly stopped herself short. Despite her own firstborn’s somewhat rapid arrival, she knew all too well that Maggie’s boy could take some time before making his grand entrance on the world’s stage. Still, it was barely afternoon on Christmas Eve. And by the time night rolled around…
“I hope so, sweet pea,” Natalia finally replied. “Wouldn’t that just be the best present ever?”
“Yes,” Violetta stated. “It would be nice…”
The little girl’s voice trailed off, and Natalia could sense her wanting to say something else and waited for the rest of her words.
“But?” Natalia prompted.
“Well, as much as I want a cousin, I also want the book with the lock and key.”
Only recently Violetta had gotten it into her head that she simply had to have a diary, preferably one with a unicorn adorning the cover so that she could record her most private musings… and keep the thoughts away from her younger sisters’ ever-prying eyes.
“Something tells me Santa can manage that and a bouncing baby boy,” Natalia assured her daughter.
“But doesn’t the stork bring the baby?” Violetta asked. Before Natalia had a chance to respond, she heard the sound of her parents’ voices
“Natty!” Alessia approached with flowers in hand as Trevor balanced a giant blue teddy bear sporting a yellow bowtie, a plush pal to rival Harold in size.
“How is she?” Trevor asked. “How’s the baby?”
“The baby not here yet,” Violetta stressed with a roll of her eyes even as she reached forward to hug her grandparents.
“Not yet?” Trevor asked. “Is there a problem?”
“No problem,” Natalia said. “But there is a little thing called labor.”
“I tried to tell him as much,” Alessia chimed in.
“But she is fine, right?” Trevor asked.
“Of course,” Natalia said. “And a little waiting gives Mike a chance to get here.”
“He’s not here yet?” Trevor asked. “Is he alright?”
“Just stuck in traffic,” Natalia said.
“Can’t he just use his siren?” Trevor asked, and Natalia tilted her head to one side. “What? Isn’t that part of his gig?”
“Lots of people driving to the city from New Jersey on Christmas Eve,” Natalia said. “And it’s not like he suddenly has access to the Batmobile. We can’t all be super spies.”
The Brit blushed, and Natalia handed Violetta over to her mother as Ashtonja took the flowers.
“But I’ll call him again,” Natalia continued. She took a few steps away from the others and barely began dialing when she felt a warm hand on her arm.
“Hey.”
“Atticus!”
Forgetting the call for a few seconds, Natalia winded her arms around her husband’s neck and bestowed a quick kiss on his lips.
“How is she?” Rafael asked.
“Complained the whole way here,” Natalia said.
“Why am I not surprised?”
“She’s the most impatient mommy-to-be that I’ve ever seen.”
“Hopefully she won’t have to wait too much longer,” Rafael said.
“And at least she got the time and place right.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Meaning she made it to the hospital and had the good sense not to get the ball rolling right before a wedding reception.”
Natalia gave her husband a wink, and Rafael sighed as he pulled her closer.
“Our girls were originals from the start,” he said. “But a hospital birth should be a nice change of pace.”
“Agreed. Of course, it might take a little rearranging for our Christmas.”
“Which you know you can do with your hands tied behind your back,” he said.
“Oh, absolutely. I’ll commandeer the cafeteria for my goose if I have to.”
“We’re having goose?” he asked. “Did your grocery order get mixed up with Bob Cratchit’s?”
“Just trying something new, Ebenezer Barba,” she teased, lightly kissing him again when she spied the Chief out of the corner of her eye.
“Bill!” she called out, greeting him as Liv followed closely behind. “I was just about to call Mike again. He’ll be glad to know you’re here.”
“Mike?” the Chief asked. “Wait. He’s not here?”
“He’s coming back from New Jersey with Rollins,” Liv said. “I told you as much.”
“Maybe we should send an escort to pick him up or something,” the Chief suggested.
“My point exactly,” Trevor concurred.
“Hold on a second,” Liv cut in.
“Why?” Trevor asked.
“It’s Jersey,” Liv said. “Not Mars. And you both know how this works.”
“He doesn’t,” Violetta said, hugging her father as she pointed to Trevor. “He thought the baby would be here as soon as he walked in.”
“I did not think that,” Trevor said.
“But it could be any time,” the Chief argued. “And if Mike misses it, he---”
“Guys, guys, guys!” Natalia cried out, waving her hands in the air. “There is still time. Let’s just all calm down.”
The waiting room quieted, and Natalia squeezed Rafael’s hand before walking down the hallway to check on her sister.
“What do you mean he’s not here yet?! I need him now. You of all people know that I need my husband.”
“But Liv says that---”
“I don’t care!” Maggie practically screamed. “Get him here at once!”
Knowing this wasn’t the time to argue, Natalia backed away from the room and found Liv.
“Can Bill call in a favor?” Natalia asked. “Last thing we want is Maggie arrested for a noise complaint on this most happiest of days.”
With a small smirk, Liv patted her arm.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’m here!”
Dodds practically slid into the waiting room accompanied by Rollins. Carisi and Fin had already arrived, and the sergeant flew past the group before turning on his heel. He looked to the others and finally focused on Natalia.
“Where is she?” Dodds asked his sister-in-law, wobbling where he stood.
“Third door on the left,” Natalia said. “But just so you don’t get lost…”
She started to guide him away when the Chief moved forward and slapped his son’s back.
“So glad you made it,” he said. “Perks of the shield, right?”
“Chopper was fast,” Dodds agreed.
“And it’s not like he got sick or anything,” Rollins said, glaring at the stains on her shoes. As if on cue, Dodds lost what was left of his lunch, causing Holly to screech as Natalia and the Chief tried to steady the sergeant.
“Kid, you okay?” the Chief nervously asked.
“On me,” Dodds said. “Told the pilot to go faster.”
“That he did,” Rollins muttered, retreating to the restroom as Dodds was finally led to his wife’s side.
“You’re here!” Maggie said, her hands on her belly, her breaths coming a little harder as she met his eyes. “And you… you don’t look so great.”
“I’m fine, Maggie,” Dodds promised.
“I don’t think so,” Maggie said. “Is it the flu? Do you need to lie down?”
“No flu, Maggie,” Natalia said. Jutting her chin towards the Chief, she worked with the older man to bring the sergeant to rest in the narrow bed at the ballerina’s side.
“Mike?” Maggie whispered, stroking his face.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just tried to set a new airspeed record to get to you in time.”
“That sounds dangerous,” Maggie said. “What if something had happened to you?”
He swallowed a few times, and Natalia held her breath until Dodds eyes focused on his wife’s, and he cupped her face in his hands.
“Nothing is happening to any one of us,” he said. “And before the day is out, we’re getting the best Christmas present in all of Manhattan.”
“Amen,” Maggie murmured, a tranquil wave overtaking her face as she smiled and nuzzled her nose to his.
“It’ll be nice to have a new member of the family at the table for Christmas dinner,” Carisi said as he brought Rollins a cup of coffee.
“Tio Sonny?”
“Yes, Little V?”
“You do know that the baby will not be able to eat Mami’s food or sit up as soon he’s born, right?”
Rafael chuckled. To Carisi’s credit, he simply nodded, and the ADA kissed the top of his daughter’s head before beckoning to Natalia so the pair could step aside.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“How long has it been now?”
“Almost eleven hours,” Natalia said.
“And is there a happy ending in sight?”
“Atticus, not you, too!”
“No, no, no,” Rafael said, lifting her hands to his lips and kissing each one in turn. “Contrary to current popular opinion, the Harvard graduate in me comprehends the biology of the moment.”
“But?” Natalia asked.
“The big brother wants his little sister to have her baby in her arms already.”
Smiling through a soft haze of tears, Natalia hugged him and pressed her lips to his ear.
Authors’ Note: Time to start off the week back at the Barba’s home and find out exactly what is going on. Thank you so much for the feedback! @rauliskafan and I cannot express how excited we are to bring you a new chapter every night!! Enjoy chapter 4!!
“What the hell, Langan?” Rafael questioned in pure disbelief. Natalia knew that he hated a sucker punch. But this blow was almost too much to bear. Everything had seemed to go according to their plan, and now this wretched woman was back to take Ashtonja… to take their daughter away.
“How could you miss this?” Rafael demanded.
Langan sighed and shook his head. “I’m in the same state of shock that you are… which is why I wanted to inform you as soon as possible.”
Natalia swayed, slipping closer to her husband’s side, feeling as if the world ceased to spin. “I just don’t understand how… I thought she disappeared…” Her voice cracked as she tried to contain herself and not break down.
“I’m sorry, Natalia, Rafael. Believe me,” Langan continued to apologize. “But I swear that I will still fight for you both. Ashtonja, too.”
Despite the bad news, Natalia saw empathy in the lawyer’s eyes. Yet she doubted every recent move, wishing they hadn’t made this call. Maybe Ines Abreu never would have known had they kept Ashtonja’s presence somewhat silent. Not meaning that she was a secret to hide in the shadows. But now, with everything out in the open, did it mean…
…no. There was simply no way they could lose her now.
“Suddenly that doesn’t seem like enough,” Rafael practically growled.
Natalia placed a gentle arm on his chest, easing him back through the doorway. “Atticus,” she whispered. “Please. He’s on our side, and he’s trying to help us.” Before Rafael could protest, Natalia turned back to Langan. “Thank you for coming. What… what now?”
“I’ll arrange a meet with her,” he said. “And her counsel.”
“She’s already lawyered up?” Rafael asked. “How did she manage that so fast?”
“It’s possible she was planning this before---”
“And you still didn’t know?” Rafael’s eye twitched, and Natalia could hear the mutters from inside the townhouse. Through the din, there was Maggie trying to console Ashtonja.
She knew they had to get back inside.
“Tell us when and where, Mr. Langan,” Natalia whispered. “We know you’ll do your best.”
“Do we?” Rafael challenged.
“Yes, we do, Atticus.”
He hardly kept his anger in check. Natalia steadied herself against him, stroking his face until he finally managed a weak nod.
“We’ll talk in the morning,” Langan started. “I---”
He stopped short when Liv joined them in the doorway, narrowing her eyes.
“Trevor?” she asked. “You can fix this, right?”
“I’m sure that I---”
“Don’t say as much unless you’re sure!”
Rafael’s rage returned. Natalia took one arm as Liv’s hand moved to his back.
“I’ll be sure from here on out,” Langan said. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Without another word, he backed away and vanished into the moonlight.
“It’s going to be okay,” Liv soothed.
“Is it?” Rafael asked. “How would you feel if Noah’s grandmother turned up out of nowhere?”
Natalia watched Liv without an answer to the question, and she swallowed hard and turned his face to hers.
“I don’t even know,” Liv admitted. “But this is just a bump in the road. So many of the cards are still in your favor.”
Natalia bowed her head, grateful for Liv’s reassurance. Langan had helped with Noah, and their friend reached happily ever after. Who was to say that one turn of the page would not reveal those three words for them?
“Thank you, Liv,” Natalia said.
“I need a drink.”
Leaving them for the bar, Rafael passed the party. Alessia appeared sober, standing with her husband as Dodds conferred with the Chief.
And Maggie was not the only one consoling Ashtonja. Violetta hugged the girl close, her own set of green eyes following her father.
Sweet as it was in several ways, this was not the family portrait Natalia desired most.
“The grandmother?” the Chief whispered to Liv. Natalia saw her mouth the word yes, and he pulled out his phone.
“I’ll start making some calls,” he promised. “See what I can find out.”
“Maybe OCCB has some intel, too,” Dodds offered. Natalia tried to smile, seeing her father also jump into action, but suddenly Ashtonja raced from the room.
“Ash! Wait!” Violetta cried, scampering after her. The room went silent, and Maggie slowly stood.
“Maybe we should head home, Natty?” Maggie asked.
“I think so,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” Maggie swore, kissing her sister’s cheek. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
The party fell apart quickly, quietly. Alessia hugged her daughter goodbye. And despite all his protests, Noah asked Natalia to wish Violetta a good night. After hugging the little boy, Natalia shut the door to the townhouse with a heavy heart. She turned back to see Rafael downing a glass of scotch.
“This doesn’t feel right, Atticus.”
Rafael didn’t say anything, wiping a few drops of liquor from his lips… shuddering.
“Atticus?
“I let her mother down,” he muttered. “And how I… I’m going to fail Ashtonja all over again.”
“No, you’re not!” she cried, trying to hold him when he inched away and sat on the sofa with his head in his hands.
“Please,” Natalia begged. “Don’t do this to yourself.”
“It’s not about me,” he sniffled, his fingers moving fast to wipe his eyes. “She’s supposed to be with us. What right does her grandmother even have?”
“None,” Natalia said. “We know that. Langan is on it.”
“He still should have been wise to it.”
“I agree,” Natalia said. “But better to know now than have a surprise in court, right?”
Rafael laughed darkly, falling into Natalia’s arms. She held him, kissing his temple and caressing his back.
“Where did you come up with that?” he murmured.
“Something you might have said a million times,” Natalia said. Holding him for a few seconds more, she smiled when he lifted his head, taking a deep breath and glancing at the staircase.
“We should go check on her.”
They made their way to Ashtonja’s room hand in hand and stopped when they heard whimpers coming from the bedroom. Peering through the doorway that was slightly ajar, Natalia’s heart melted at the sight of Violetta patting Ashtonja’s hair as the older girl cried into her pillow.
“Don’t cry Ash! You are my sister!” Violetta gently kissed her dark tresses. “Mami and Papi won’t let them take you. They love you so much. To moon and back!”
Natalia felt like crying at the sound of her sweet pea’s words, seeing Violetta extend her little arms to show Ashtonja just how much she was adored.
“Muñequita, you always know what to say,” Rafael remarked as he entered the room with his wife.
“Like you and Mami!” Violetta said with a small bounce on the bed.
Ashtonja dabbed her tears with her sleeve and smiled a little. “You’re a good little sister, V.”
“And you a good big sister!” Violetta jumped into her arms.
“Two very good girls,” Natalia chimed in.
“The best girls,” Rafael agreed. “And we’re all going to stay together.”
A fresh wave of tears hit Ashtonja, and she fell into the family’s embrace. This moment couldn’t fade. The moment when they were a family. They’d been as much at the party, would stay that way through the sunrise…
…and whatever the next day might bring could not prevent the perfect happy ending.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Read It On AO3
They don’t ask for permission. Kaitlyn wants fresh clothes and Mike wants fresh scenery, so they just leave his place and go to her apartment. If someone’s watching and wants to complain, let them. He wears a watch cap and sunglasses, just as a nod to behaving, but he grumbles even about that.
“Friggin’ eight-and-a-half million people livin’ in this city, they think anyone’s gonna notice me. It’s ridiculous.”
“You’re so damn cute when you’re grouchy,” Kaitlyn murmurs, snuggling closer to him in the back of their cab.
Mike smiles despite himself. He almost falls into the familiar groove of his irritation with his situation, but it’s hard when he’s just been gloriously boned and there’s a beautiful woman smiling up at him. “Just wait ‘til the government kidnaps you, we’ll see how cute you are” he mutters.
Mike smirks a little as they enter Kaitlyn’s apartment.
“What?” She asks.
He indicates one wall of the hallway just inside her door. “Just have some fond memories of that wall, that’s all.”
Kaitlyn rolls her eyes and tries to act annoyed, but it’s hard to hide her grin. “Stop it. You’ll embarrass me.”
“I doubt that very much,” he says, and pulls her to him. “We could do it again,” he whispers into her ear.
“We could. But there was some discussion of pancakes.”
“Couldn’t we have both?”
“Mmmmm,” Kaitlyn hums as he begins kissing down her neck. “We absolutely could. Which one do you want first?”
“Pancakes. I’m going to need my strength if I’m gonna hold you up.”
Mike finds that being at Kaitlyn’s apartment is just as comfortable as being at his dad’s. They’re both homes. Lived in. He’s been here before and recognizes things. Of course, the two times he’s been in Kaitlyn’s apartment before, he spent very little time looking around, but still.
They spend a delightful, lazy day, just enjoying each other and doing very little except making love and talking. In the early evening, Kaitlyn’s phone rings when they’ve just woken up from a short doze and are debating getting up for a shower. To both of their surprise, it’s Sonny Carisi.
“Hey, Sonny.”
“Hi, Kaitlyn, just callin’ to see if you got to see Mike last night like you planned.”
“I did – listen, Sonny, can you give me just a second? I need to check something.”
“Sure.”
Kaitlyn hits the mute icon and looks over at Mike. “I don’t… What do you need here? Should I call him back when you’re not here, or…”
“I’m good. I just wanna talk to him, is all. I guess just talk to him like normal. As if I wasn’t here.”
“I could put him on speaker, so you can hear him, at least…” She really doesn’t know what the right thing to do is here.
“Yeah… OK. I’d like that. We just won’t tell him.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Kaitlyn touches the speaker icon and says, “OK, Sonny, sorry about that. Yeah, I did get to see him. He looks great.” She smiles at Mike.
“How was it? I mean, seein’ him again? You guys handle it OK?”
“Better than OK. It was… wonderful. The Chief was there, just in case I freaked out or anything, but it was actually just nice. Easy. So he left pretty quick. Mike and I talked about you. He’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“This is such bullshit. I know Rafael was a little freaked out, but me, I’m fine! Even Rafael’s used to the idea now. Not as eager to see Dodds as I am, but he’s OK. I should be able to see him. It’s not like he’s a zombie or anything. He never was really dead.”
Mike snickers at that, and Sonny hears him.
“What was… Was that him? Is he there with you?”
Kaitlyn looks at Mike, a little bit panicked. But Mike just smiles and indicates that she should tell Sonny he’s there.
“Yeah, Sonny. Sorry. He’s here. He, um… well, he misses you, too, so I put you on speaker so he could hear your voice. Sorry. Do you want me to take you off, or…?”
“Hell, no! Tell him to talk to me! I’m not gonna have a heart attack, promise!”
“Hi, Sonny,” Mike says, smiling even wider.
“Oh, shit! Dodds?”
“Yeah. And not a zombie, either, although you don’t need to worry about that. They eat brains.”
“Holy hell! You really are alive! I’d know that juvenile sense of humor anywhere! Shit, buddy, it’s so great to hear your voice!”
“Yours, too, believe me. Lookin’ forward to seein’ your ugly mug again.”
“Who’s ugly? I’m the one married to the hottest guy in Manhattan, and you’re… Hey, wait! Are you guys, like, together? You’re not naked right now, are you?”
Mike and Kaitlyn just laugh, because yes, they are.
“Well, good. I’m glad I interrupted something. You deserve it, you fuck. I carried your damn casket. Thought I was gonna start bawlin’ right there in front of the Commissioner and every cop on the force.”
“I know, man. I’m sorry. Really.”
“Naw, I’m just… It sucked, thinkin’ you died. That’s all I meant.”
“Shit, you’re gonna have me bawlin’ in a minute,” Mike chuckles, but he’s clearly affected.
“Listen, if I’m mentally stable enough to talk to you on the phone, why can’t we meet and have a beer or something? Face to face?”
“I’m not supposed to even be talking to you, dude. I can’t go out in public yet. Two more days.”
Kaitlyn interrupts. “Could he come here?” She asks softly.
Mike gets a look on his face like a naughty schoolboy. He’s really enjoying breaking the rules, now that the whole thing is almost over and the feds are probably not going to throw his ass in Leavenworth for a few minor infractions at the end.
“Carisi, Kaitlyn says you could come over here. That’d be OK, I think, if you’re sure you’re up for it.”
“Fuck, yeah!” Sonny cries. “Can I bring Rafael?”
“Of course,” Mike laughs. “But make sure he’s really ready. It’s fine if he needs to wait.”
“I’ll ask him, but I know what he’ll say. He’ll gripe at me for treatin’ him like some delicate flower.”
Mike laughs fondly. “You guys sound like an old married couple.”
“I’ll text you my address,” Kaitlyn says happily. “But you’ll need to bring alcohol. I think I have one Corona and the dregs of a bottle of vodka.”
“You got it,” Sonny squeals, and he sounds like an overexcited kid. “We’re leavin’ now!”
Mike and Kaitlyn laugh as they hang up. Kaitlyn texts Sonny her address and then joins Mike in the shower.
Sonny and Mike hug for a long time. They’re both a little teary, and neither’s trying to hide it.
“You have no idea, man,” Mike says quietly when they finally let go.
Sonny squeezes his shoulder. “I can imagine. It’s good to have you home. Missed the hell out of you.”
Rafael holds out a hand to shake, which is so Rafael that Mike has to laugh. Still, they can all see the emotion in Barba’s face as he shakes Mike’s hand heartily. “Welcome home,” he says.
“Let’s drink!” Sonny shouts merrily, taking the large, brown paper bag Rafael’s been holding.
They all troop down the hall to Kaitlyn’s tiny kitchen, where Sonny pulls beer and a bottle of scotch from the bag and sets them on the counter.
“Wow!” Mike exclaims when he sees the scotch. “Twelve-year-old Macallan!”
“Damn right,” Sonny crows. “We’re celebrating!”
As soon as they all have drinks, they head back to the living room and find comfortable seats. Sonny and Rafael are next to each other on the couch and Mike’s on a big, soft easy chair next to it. Kaitlyn feels a little like an interloper at first, but it’s fun to listen to them talk shop. It’s clear that Sonny and Mike have a deep respect for one another as well as a firm friendship, and it’s equally clear that Sonny and Rafael are insanely happy together. Besides, she’s feeling a warm joy that the excellent scotch only makes better.
After a while, Sonny and Mike start reminiscing about a case they investigated that didn’t result in any charges being filed, which means Rafael wasn’t involved. He turns to Kaitlyn then and asks her about law school. He’s just being polite at first, but soon they’re chatting away and telling horror stories and Kaitlyn realizes that her first impression of Rafael Barba was right. He’s someone she could really come to like.
When they realize they’ve both finished their drinks, Kaitlyn asks if he’d like a refill, which causes him to hem and haw a little – he and Sonny have to work tomorrow – but in the end, he agrees. He takes Sonny’s glass from his hand without a word, and Sonny lets him with a fleeting, affectionate grin. The wordless communication between them is adorable. Kaitlyn, however, has to ask Mike what he wants. He asks for a beer.
In the kitchen, Kaitlyn pops the caps off of two beers while Rafael pours another scotch for himself and Sonny.
“You guys seem really happy,” she says, making conversation.
“I’ll be happier when he passes the bar and starts practicing law.”
“How long now?”
“He graduates in June, then there’s the bar.”
“And until then, he’s on the street getting shot at.” It’s a guess, but she can see immediately she’s right.
“Exactly.”
“Huh. You’re not making dating a cop seem very attractive.”
Rafael turns to Kaitlyn and leans against the counter, taking a sip of his drink.
“It’s not for the faint-hearted, you know.”
Kaitlyn frowns. “This is going to sound insane, given that Mike’s actually been killed in the line of duty once,” she makes a face to acknowledge that for the poor joke it is. “But I hadn’t really thought about that until right this minute.”
“Well, think about it. Because it’s real. You’ve never dated a cop before?”
“Believe it or not, with all the cops in my life, and working for the NYPD, I never have. No lawyers, either.”
“Who’s left?” Barba asks with a smirk.
“Honestly, I don’t date much. Never have. I did date a financial adviser once, and a plumber.”
“Those could come in handy.”
“Yeah. I liked the plumber, too. That lasted a while.”
“I dated a zookeeper once.”
“No way!”
“He ended up being a complete moron, but I got to pet an elephant. It was worth it.”
Kaitlyn laughs and Rafael picks up Sonny’s drink. “Just be careful, Kaitlyn. Dating a cop is not like dating a normal guy. It can get tough.”
“I appreciate the heads up. Thanks.”
When they step back into the living room, Rafael hands Sonny his drink and sits back down next to him. Kaitlyn hands Mike his beer. She doesn’t go back to her chair. Instead, she sits down on the floor in front of his chair, between his shins, where she can be touching him. She hadn’t liked sitting all the way across the room from him, even though it’s a small room. Uh-oh, she thinks. I might be falling for this guy.
*********
Resuming a life after being declared dead comes with a host of unexpected complications, some nearly insurmountable. It ends up taking a month and the intervention of some fairly highly-placed officials in the Justice Department before the New York Department of Motor Vehicles finally admits that Mike is, in fact, alive, and reissues his drivers’ license. The pencil-pushers in Human Resources at the NYPD are similarly stubborn about accepting that Mike’s Social Security number is valid.
Kaitlyn has a grand time with that one. Whatever system they run Social Security numbers through tells them that the holder of that number is dead. Never mind that they’ve all seen the news and know he’s not; the computer says he’s dead, so dead he is. There are all kinds of new requirements for proof of employability after 9/11, and the NYPD’s HR Director keeps squawking about his responsibilities under the Patriot Act and not wanting Homeland Security on his ass. As it turns out, he ends up getting Homeland Security on his ass anyway, because Kaitlyn puts them there.
At her suggestion, Mike contacts his former boss, who isn’t surprised to hear from him; there are always problems with re-entry. He connects Kaitlyn with a guy named Jack DeReuter, who is an agent from the New York office of some federal agency he declines to name. Kaitlyn is endlessly amused by the fact that Jack DeReuter looks exactly like Agent Smith from The Matrix, and the two bond, so he lets her be present when he meets with the HR Director. Kaitlyn later makes Mike cry with laughter by describing the meeting, during which Agent DeReuter goes full-on Fed and makes the HR Director whimper in fear and, finally, declare Mike Dodds once again fully employed by the NYPD.
After that, beating the life insurance company into submission is a little bit of an anticlimax. Mike finds it hilarious that, since life insurance is an automatic benefit of employment with the NYPD, somewhere in the same company there’s someone issuing Mike a policy while someone else is insisting he’s dead and what does Kaitlyn mean, Mike needs to refund the death benefits? Once Kaitlyn gets a hold of the right person at the company, though, it’s easy. And as it turns out, Agent DeReuter has told her that, in these situations, the government doesn’t look to the family to repay the money. They just cut a check to the insurance company for the amount of the benefits paid, and everybody’s happy.
So Mike’s dad gives him the life insurance money – it’s just been sitting in a bank account, anyway, because he couldn’t bear to touch it – which means Mike can make a serious down payment on a new apartment. He wastes no time finding a new place and getting out of the terrible apartment the feds put him in. In fact, he never spends another night there.
Which leaves work, and that’s easy, too. Chief Dodds makes sure Mike gets his place at SVU back, because that’s what Mike wants. And just like that, Mike Dodds is alive again.
But it’s not that easy.
Three days after returning to SVU, Mike comes home late, exhausted and disgusted from getting nowhere after seven hours interrogating a guy he knows is guilty. It’s bugging him. Not only because the guy’s a filthy perv, but because he used to be better at this. He knows he was. Now, he’s lost an entire year and he feels like a rookie detective again. It’s infuriating and it brings back a lot of ugly feelings about what’s happened.
As he opens the door to his new apartment, he sees that all the lights are on and he hears enthusiastic but charmingly off-key singing. He smiles for the first time in several hours. Kaitlyn’s there – he gave her a key the day he closed on the place – standing on a ladder in cut-off jean shorts and a Rolling Stones T-shirt that are both absolutely slathered in paint. She’s painting the wall, too, he notices, but he’s more interested in the incredible amount of paint she’s managed to get on her clothes, on her skin, in her hair…
He’d call to her, but it’s obvious she won’t hear him, because he can hear the faint, tinny sound of music coming from her earbuds, and she’s singing loudly. He can’t help it. He pulls out his phone and starts recording her. He’s not going to show the video to anyone – probably. He’s just going to tease her about it and maybe hold it for some kind of sexual ransom.
He’s thinking about that, smiling and chuckling, when she finally looks down from what she’s doing and sees him.
“Oh, I know you are not recording me right now, Mike Dodds. Because if you are…”
“If I am, what?” He asks, and doesn’t put down the phone or stop recording.
“I’ll think of something. You gotta sleep sometime,” she says in the most threatening tone she can manage while she’s grinning against her will.
“You’re covered in paint. You know that, right?”
She smiles and looks down at herself. “I know. I always get more everywhere else than on the walls. That’s why you’ll notice I draped the hell out of the floor.”
“Good thing I don’t own anything, huh?”
“I’d tarp it. Trust me, I know my weaknesses. And you’re becoming one of ‘em. So if you don’t want paint all over that nice suit, you better take it off.”
Mike gives Kaitlyn a warning look, but starts to pull his jacket off. “Don’t you dare. This is about half the work clothes I currently own.”
“You know I find you irresistible. So if you refuse to take your clothes off and they get ruined, it’s not my fault. It’s yours. You’ve been warned.”
He laughs tiredly. “You about to knock off for the night? I’m beat.”
“Yeah. Just gotta clean up. Hey, are you OK? You really do look tired.”
She starts to deal with the leftover paint and used brushes and rollers while they talk.
“Rough day. Long. I’m used to that, but…”
“But…?”
“I just feel like I’ve been gone a long time. Interrogation used to be instinctive for me. Now, I’m trying to think of what to ask, what’ll get the guy to tell me what I need to know. I looked like a bozo in there today. I could tell Liv was concerned.”
“Did you ask her about it?”
“Of course not-“
“Then you don’t know. Could’ve been your imagination.”
“It wasn’t. Fuck! I had a whole year of my life stolen, and now I gotta re-learn everything. And I’m supposed to be a Sergeant, not some damn rookie. And the more I think about it, the more pissed I get. Again.”
“You have every right to be pissed, Mike.”
“I don’t want to be pissed! I just want to get on with things. Forget all that shit happened. But everywhere I turn, there’s something to remind me. It’s gonna take me months to get back to where I was at work…”
“But you will.”
“Well, what about you and me? We lost a whole year together! By now, who knows where we would’ve been?”
“We’re here now.”
Mike looks at Kaitlyn from under his eyebrows. “You’re not gonna let me feel shitty tonight, are you?”
Kaitlyn doesn’t say anything as she hammers the lid back onto the paint can. The look on her face tells Mike she‘s planning her next words carefully.
“I’m not trying to tell you how to feel. I’m sorry if it seems like that. I guess, if anything, I was trying to cheer you up. But maybe that’s not what you need? If you feel shitty, then I’ll just be here with you while you feel shitty.”
“I don’t know what I need.”
“Well, I know that I need a shower. And I need an accomplice to help me get the paint out of my hair. You wanna feel shitty in the shower?”
“Yeah, I guess. Sorry I’m not better company.”
“Baby, I’ve seen you naked. If you’ll be naked in the shower, you’ll be good company, no matter what kind of mood you’re in.”
Mike follows Kaitlyn into the hallway where the bedroom and bathroom are. She goes into the bathroom and starts the shower while he deals with his suit.
Minutes later, he opens the door to the shower enclosure to see her standing, just luxuriating in water so hot it takes him a moment to get used to it. He spends that moment just admiring her long legs, paint splotches and all, and the way her breasts jut out as she arches back to let the water wash the paint out of her hair. He really is tired, and it really has been a rough day. But it’s hard to feel too badly about it right this minute.
Mike reaches out and pours a handful of shampoo into his hand. “Here, let me.”
He pulls her to him with one hand while he reaches the other to the top of her head and begins smoothing the shampoo over her hair. When she’s standing against him, arms around him, he uses both hands to work the shampoo through her long, dark hair while she hums, eyes closed. His strong fingers massage her head while he enjoys the feeling of her nakedness pressed against him, and discovers that it’s possible to wash a woman’s hair and kiss her at the same time, if you’re careful.
Mike makes sure all the paint’s gone from her hair and scrubs every bit from her skin. Then it’s her turn. Kaitlyn can reach to wash Mike’s hair if she stands on her tiptoes, which means she has to lean against him to keep her balance, which neither one of them minds. She starts there. When his hair’s washed, she takes the bar of soap and lathers his neck, arms and chest, using long strokes and taking her time. Then she turns him around and washes his back. She works his muscles as she soaps him, giving him the best massage she can when they’re standing up in the shower.
From there, she washes his lower half, spending perhaps a bit more time on his butt than is entirely necessary, but being very thorough as she lathers up the soap and smooths it over his legs. After that, she turns him around and starts at his waist, washing him very thoroughly from waist to toes, with a great deal of attention to rubbing lathery hands all over his cock and balls until he’s completely stiff.
That’s when she puts the soap away and goes to her knees. He groans as she takes him into her mouth, gently fondling his balls as she does. She uses her tongue, swirling it around his head and tonguing his slit before sliding her mouth down his shaft with a suction that has him gasping as he braces himself against the warm tile wall. He closes his eyes and loses all track of time, aware only of the sensation of her indecently talented mouth pleasuring his cock. He’s probably saying things about how good it feels. Probably moaning, too. But he’s not paying any attention to himself. Suddenly, he’s glad he’s tired, because it lets him enjoy the hot pressure of her lips and tongue for a long time before she starts flicking tiny butterfly caresses against his hole, and he loses it, erupting with a shout into her greedy mouth.
He’s spent. He leans there on the wall while she stands and puts her arms around him, kissing his chest and muttering endearments. It’s many minutes before he has the energy to get out of the shower and dry off, and he’s half asleep already as they brush their teeth.
He hates what the past year did to his family, and his friends, and his life. But right this minute, lying on the bare floor in a pile of blankets and pillows because he hasn’t bought a bed yet, he’s about as satisfied as a man can be. He holds Kaitlyn’s warm, naked body against his, both arms around her and legs intertwined.
Just as he falls asleep, he hears himself whisper, “I love you, Kaity.”
He’s pretty sure he hears her say she loves him, too.
