| Any comments, suggestions or questions can be directed to the author. Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you found something that you could enjoy. Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to C.S.I., Alliance Atlantic, CBS, William Petersen, Jorja Fox or any other characters contained herein... I just like playing with them now and then while stretching my writing muscles. And if you think there's any money to be gained by suing me, you're in for a horrible disappointment. |
| Check out All the Author's Works in Progress at FanFiction.net |
| The continuing years of the Discovery Series storyline as the family gets ready for a big event. The family storyteller gathers up some photos and shares a perspective on the past. (including a "photo album" scrapbook) GSR/Yo!Bling/Etc. *Rated PG for Most Everyone. |
| LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY |
| Part 10 - You've Got a Friend... |
| The sound of an astoundingly angry voice filled every nook and cranny of the house. “I don’t give a good God damned what he thought he was doing. I find out he’s been back in that morgue haranguing any of my medical examiners and I will personally call down the heavens on your office… The state inspector general will be so far up your ass you’re gonna have a sore throat before it’s all over.” Instead of winding down, the one-sided conversation grew more heated. “I can’t be anymore clear, Sheriff. If you, or the Undersheriff, needs an autopsy report, you will wait just like everyone else. You will not go in and try to intimidate one of my examiners with scare tactics. I am not above having you and all of your people barred from the morgue indefinitely… I most certainly do have that authority, and if you doubt me, take it up with the county coroner and the Nevada State Forensic Examiner’s Office… I don’t work for you, or any of your cronies, so don’t even try your bullshit tactics with me, Evans… Look it up, moron. I work with the county coroner and for the state of Nevada, for exactly this reason. Undue political influence is NOT the way we do business in the forensic community… Fine! Next time one of your people shows up, I’ll just have them hauled off to the state lockup… Oh, yes I would, and you can bank on that one.” The next sound was that of the receiver slamming into the base. “Son of a Bitch!” “I think you just filled up the swear jar with that call, Mom.” Michael’s sudden appearance and voice forced his mother to spin on her heel and nearly jump out of her skin. “Where the hell did YOU come from?!” Clutching at her chest and obviously out of breath from the tirade, as well as the shock, Stephanie gasped at her son. “Well, a fine hello to you, too.” Michael smiled brightly at his mother as she quickly recovered from the surprise. She reached out to hug him around the neck and said, “Sorry about that… I just wasn’t expecting you for at least another week. What’s up?” Returning his mother’s embrace, Michael chuckled at her question. “Geoffrey had an assignment at Nellis and it’s a minimum three week deal. And I decided that it was silly for me to sit at home in an empty condo in D.C. while he was in Vegas. So, I packed up my duffle and all my notes and figured I could come here and work on my dissertation. That’s okay, right?” Stephanie swatted her son’s chest as she pulled away. “Of course it is! Why would you say that?” “I mean, you were pretty hot when I came in. I wouldn’t want to be in the way or anything. I know you and Aunt Sara have tons left to do for the party and if you need the spac-” “Say one more word and I will turn you over my knee. You are always welcome here, Michael. Regardless of how many asshatted politicians I have to deal with in the process, I will always have time for you.” Stephanie gave her son the same glare that she had been using since before he was born to get her point across. His laughter immediately let her know that he understood. “Okay, Mom. No arguments from me. Now, you want me in my old room, or should I stow my gear somewhere else?” “Your room is just fine, as long there’s enough space for the both of you?” “Ah, Geoffrey will be stuck at the base most of the time. But we might get him on weekends.” Shaking her head at the playful expression on her son’s face, Stephanie found his boyish sense of humor very endearing; it reminded her of his father. “I did promise the guest suite to Greg and his clan for the big event. But I think Nick and R.J. are staying with Neeley and Laney. Duncan is staying with your Aunt Cath to keep her company. Niko is going to take over Jimmy’s room with Tally and the baby.” He listened with delighted amusement as his mother rattled off the planning logistics of the single biggest event in family history. “Mari, Kari, Lily and Bethie will end up doing the slumber party thing before it’s all over with, I’m sure. And we’re still waiting to find out what Max and Amanda are doing.” “They’re coming though, right?” Michael was instantly panicked that his Uncle Gil’s only son was going to miss the party. “Oh! Yeah, they’re coming, but they have to wait until the last minute because of some thing going on at the lab, and then Amanda has something else going on, but I have no idea what it is. Ask Jimmy, I’m sure he knows.” His mother was obviously in crisis mode, because everything came out in a flurry, but she still had it all under control. Michael always marveled at the way she seemed to deal with the chaos, no matter what life threw at her. “Okay then… Let me stow this crap and I’ll be down to help with whatever.” Michael immediately kissed his mother’s cheek and took off at a trot for the stairs. Calling over his shoulder, he asked, “Because I know something’s up if you stayed home from work in the middle of the week.” Stephanie laughed at the deductive reasoning of her eldest child. She was about to put away her briefcase when the phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she rolled her eyes and prepared to once again do battle with the Sheriff. “Now what, Evans?” Doing her level best to keep her temper in control, Stephanie squeezed the bridge of her nose and picked up where she left off. “No, the charter for Clark County specifically states that the medical examiner’s office would remain under the control of the state of Nevada to prevent undue influence in the case of deaths involving unnatural causes. Specifically, those involving members of law enforcement, to provide an ethical and objective examination of the facts.” Quickly growing weary of the man’s insistence that he had a right to walk into the morgue and demand a report at his leisure, Stephanie decided to shut down the conversation from going any further. “Look Sheriff, I realize you want this thing handled quickly and quietly, but until you can teach your people not to gun down unarmed civilians in the middle of the Fremont District with fifty cameras and a thousand witnesses, no autopsy report on the planet is going to give you what you need. And having your lackey go down to the morgue to harass and intimidate one of my examiners is NOT going to win you any votes. Especially when that same jackass sexually harasses that very same examiner…on camera, no less. So, please…make this a public matter, and that should be just the right amount of grease to slick up that rail they’re gonna run you out on.” Michael walked back into the room just as his mother had made her point and it took everything in his power not to laugh outright. “Exactly… Now, instead of trying to out-scream me, I suggest you take this up with that over-sexed Neanderthal you call an undersheriff. Good day.” Her exasperated grunt told him that she had reached the absolute end of her patience. Shaking his head, Michael asked, “The idiot made advances on one of your ME’s?” “Oh, you don’t even know the half of it.” He could see the frustration boiling in her gaze when it suddenly clicked with him. “He didn’t?!” “Oh yes, he did. While she was in the middle of an autopsy, no less. With the camera and microphone on. Got the whole thing recorded. I thought for sure Lilli was going to kill the little bastard, but she held her cool, thank goodness.” There were a select few women on the planet that Michael knew, without a doubt, no one EVER wanted to be on their bad side, and his cousin Lilli was most definitely in the top five. “Seriously? He actually made a pass at Lilli?” “Oh, if only! This moron told her to ‘get her sweet little ass into the office and fetch him that report’ or he would have to-… How did he put it?” She reached into her briefcase and retrieved a folder. Turning a few pages she began again, “Or, he would, ‘teach her a thing or two about keeping a real man satisfied.’ Verbatim.” She held the folder up and explained, “The transcript from the audio recording. Stupid son of a bitch.” Michael knew then that the man was lucky he escaped with his life, let alone his manhood intact. “Lilli must be slipping. Five years ago and that bastard would have been lying on that table next to the other corpse waiting to be vivisected.” “She’s matured a lot since then.” The sly wink his mother shared with him sealed the deal on their own private joke. Whenever something happened with Lilli, they would always say the same thing, and it never ceased to bring out their laughter. This was no exception. When their giggles finally subsided, Michael once again asked, “So, why are you home in the middle of the week?” She instantly brushed off his concern. “I’m just really behind with this stupid scrapbook thing and I’m hassling with the caterers, which I hate, so I thought I could take a few days off to get caught up.” She rolled her eyes at the phone and joked, “Don’t know what I was thinking.” “Well, after thirty years on the job, and barely taking any time off, I think they owe you a few quiet days at home. But if you’ve got morons like that running around, I can see why it’s always been so hard.” He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “And that’s the other reason I wanted to come out early. I thought you might like an extra pair of hands for all the party stuff. So, just give me orders and I’ll be happy to slave for you until the big day.” “Mikey, thank you, but you have things of your own to worry about. You have Geoffrey and your dissertation and-” Michael held up a hand to stop her from continuing and told her plainly, “My dissertation is two years in the making, a couple weeks is not going to make a bit of difference now. And Geoffrey is probably hip deep in motherboards and DOD encryption codes already, so do not even try to use that excuse. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be, and you know it. So, just give me a list, and we’ll do like we always do and pull this thing off by working together to make it happen.” Stephanie kissed her son’s cheek and smiled. “How’d I get such a smart kid?” “Pure luck.” His playful smirk could easily have come from her own father, as the light danced in eyes the same way it always did in her brother’s. And, as though he was reading her mind, he said, “Plus some pretty amazing genetics.” |
| Spread out all over the rec room in the basement, Michael sorted through the memories of his childhood. Both happy and sad, the successes and the failures, all recorded in those images carefully preserved to share with the generations to come. That was where Geoffrey found him. “Hey.” Michael looked up with a broad grin spread out over his face. “Hey, yourself. I thought you weren’t gonna be able to get away?” Not wanting to try the floor just yet, Geoffrey looked behind him for the nearest chair and settled into it as he spoke. “That’s what I thought, too. But they had some drill they were running tonight, so I got booted out of the system until morning.” He leaned over to get a closer look at what Michael was working on. “But I see your Mom didn’t waste any time putting you to work.” “My fault, really. I asked for it.” There was a bit of the devil in the smirk appearing on his face. He quirked an eyebrow at the man on the floor. “Still procrastinating on the dissertation?” Michael immediately shushed him. “Don’t you dare say anything like that around my mother. And no, I am not avoiding it. You knew coming here early I’d want to help her and Aunt Sara with the party stuff.” “I know, but I don’t want you to keep ignoring your own work, Michael. It’s important.” Reluctantly, Michael nodded his head and quietly said, “I know that, and I promise, I will work on it, but right now…” “You need to help your mother…I understand.” He smiled, knowing that Michael needed that reassurance that he did indeed understand his situation. “So, do you think I can get an invite for the night?” “No invitation needed.” Michael’s mother came in behind him carrying several bottles of water. “Just walk right in.” She passed Geoffrey one of the bottles before handing one to Michael as she slowly sat down on the couch. “We don’t stand on formality around here.” Michael beamed up at him, letting him know once again that he was home. “Thank you, Ma’am.” He squinted in mock pain, realizing too late he had slipped up. “You get one a day… After that, it’s gonna get ugly.” Stephanie gave him a gentle wink and Geoffrey relaxed. “Honestly though, Geoffrey. You are always welcome here, just like the rest of my kids. Which reminds me…” She turned to her son and swatted at the back of his head. “Why didn’t you give him the key?” Michael cringed at his mother’s playful attack and immediately went on the defensive. “I did! Right after you sent it to me, honest!” All eyes focused on Geoffrey and he shrunk away from the attention. “I ah, wasn’t really sure that I should, um, use it?” “Geoffrey, I have five children, their respective spouses, their kids, my godchildren, their parents, and any number of other people parading through my house at any given moment. Why on earth would you think using a key that I specifically sent for you was off limits to use?” Having it explained like that, in no uncertain terms, made him understand his foolish apprehension. Shrugging, because he really had no defense, he offered, “Can I plead insanity?” Walking into the room without so much as a notice, Lilli softly slapped his back and said, “You’re with Mikey… That’s pretty much a given.” Upon recognizing Michael’s closest friend and cousin, Geoffrey reached out and pulled her into his side for a hug. “Thanks a lot, Lady.” A lot had changed since their last meeting in that house, and he was grateful to have made peace with the woman during her visit to Georgetown. Lilli instantly returned the friendly embrace and wrapped her arm around his waist as she turned back to the others in the room. “Why is he insane this time?” Michael smirked and then went back to sorting through pictures when he said, “He rang the bell.” Staring back at Geoffrey in disbelief, Lilli asked, “Are you crazy? The only people that ring that bell are the cops. And that’s only because they’re afraid of Steph.” “Stop that… The police do not ring my bell.” Stephanie looked disgusted at Lilli’s insinuation. “Well, not since the twins moved out, anyway.” She winked at Geoffrey to show she was only kidding. But then Michael went on the defensive. “That only happened one time.” When Lilli gave him a disapproving glare he continued. “Hey, you can’t count that first one! We were only five.” “Criminal records in kindergarten?” Geoffrey decided to join in on the fun. “It wasn’t criminal. We just…sort of…tricked them into taking us home.” The comical look on Michael’s face was enough to send Geoffrey into a fit of laughter. “Oh, this story I have to hear!” “It was nothing…really.” Michael tried to play down the event to his partner, but the look on his face told him there was no getting out this one. “Fine. Okay, so we were at some day camp. Tiger scouts, I think. And it was…” Michael searched for the right description. “Well, for lack of a better word…it was boring!” “They were at a duck pond teaching the kids how to make paper sailboats and then they had a little regatta to sail them on the pond.” Stephanie interjected for a moment. “Right, boring. Greg taught us how to make sailboats when we were like three. And paper jets, and sailor hats, and swans, and frogs, and…well, you get the picture.” Michael waited for Geoffrey to nod his understanding before he went on. “So, we finished our boats in like five minutes and were bored waiting around for all the other kids to still learn how to fold paper properly. We took our boats to the pond and started walking with them as they made their way across the water. Found a couple interesting looking dragonflies and an awesome cicada shell. Paddy found a water-logged tennis ball that we took turns throwing after dunking it in the water again. It made really cool patterns in the air from the water spinning off of it.” “Mom still can’t believe you didn’t at least try physics.” Lilli shook her head. Michael shrugged and answered her interjection. “I was always more interested in natural mechanics than quantum mechanics.” “And the only math he likes to do is counting bug populations.” His mother managed to slip her own analysis into the conversation, and got the laugh. “You are so busted.” Geoffrey looked behind him again when Sara’s voice joined the fray. He half expected to see a parade following behind her as she walked in. “Yeah, well, what can I say? I took one look at Newtonian equations and headed straight for the bio lab. Bugs and slime are far less complicated.” Michael immediately turned the joke back around on his Aunt Sara. “Now you’re starting to sound like Jack.” She moved passed the others to take a seat on the sofa next to Stephanie, playfully nudging her to the side. “Speaking of…how’s he doing now that he’s retired?” “Driving Angela completely insane.” They all laughed at the notion of Jack Hodgins ever truly retiring. “She lets him go to the Jeffersonian once a week to teach and to get away from her for a little while. But the last time I was over there he had Parker and Zach elbow deep into a carburetor rebuild on the Astin. So, he’s still keeping pretty busy.” “I haven’t seen Zach since he started college…how’s he doing?” Stephanie asked. “Beard, long hair, plays the guitar…and re-wires billion dollar computer systems in his sleep. So, pretty much the same, just more hair.” They all laughed at Michael’s description of Angela & Jack’s oldest son. “That kid is so much like his Mom sometimes, it’s a little scary.” Sara regarded Geoffrey and said, “Angela was a little wild when we were younger, and I didn’t even know her when she was really crazy. But if you thought her wildness also meant she was lazy, or stupid, you were sorely mistaken. Probably one of the smartest people in our little group in grad school at Berkeley. And the things she could do with a computer back then…absolute genius. Don’t let that free spirit artistic façade fool you. She’s probably out ahead of Jack when it comes to smarts.” “Yeah, I was helping her tweak the processor on a new holographic projection unit she’s been working on, so you don’t have to tell me how smart she is.” Sara nodded and smiled, learning something new about the young man attached to her godson. “Yeah, she’s just got this thing about not letting that be what defines her. She’d rather be known as a flaky artist than-” “A squint?” Stephanie interjected. “Exactly!” Sara shook her head. “Temperance always hated when Seeley used that term, but I think Angela hated it more.” Michael spoke up from his position on the floor, where his cousin had joined him. “Well, Zach says there’s no way anyone’ll be able to call him a squint.” The look on Michael’s face told everyone there was a joke coming. Always quick on the draw, Lilli chimed in, “How could anyone tell if he was squinting, what with all of that hair?” |
| As was often the case, several cars were waiting in the driveway and out in front of the spacious Summerlin house when Dr. Thomas O’Halleran arrived home. It had been that way from the moment they moved in and he suspected it was likely to continue until his family no longer lived there. Most men would have balked at such a busy home, but Thomas was not most men. To him, fighting for space in the garage meant that he had a full house, and for a man who spent his childhood without a real home to call his own, it also meant that had one now. His wife’s family and all of their friends were always around, and their children, though grown now, always managed to find their way home. That brilliant stucco house was the center of his universe, and he was delighted to see the planets and moons still in orbit around the bright sun that held them all together. Thomas held no illusions that he was the reason they were drawn to that center. No, he was well aware of the powerful gravitational force that shaped their universe. After all, he was the one who married her. Carefully navigating his way into the open spot in the garage, Thomas smiled to himself. Stephanie was the light of his life, and was indeed the reigning heavenly body at the center of his universe. And after more than thirty years together, he was still amazed at the ever growing depth of his love for her. It was far from a loud and boisterous love. It was quiet, and subtle, but always present, wrapping them up in its warmth and giving them comfort even in their darkest moments. The best way to describe their relationship came from his oldest boys when they were barely ten, sitting at the table working on a school project with their friends. One of the children asked Patrick why their parents smiled so much. Michael simply answered, “Because they’re happy, stupid.” And it was true; they simply made each other happy. Walking into the house, Thomas was surprised to find so much quiet. He thought for sure the house would be practically singing with laughter, judging by the cars out front. As he went down the hall to drop his briefcase in the office, he found the reason. With the basement door slightly ajar, the sounds of their chatter leaked out into the hallway. He quickly put the case in his office and left his suit jacket with his tie on the back of his chair. It was obvious to him this was going to be a very informal affair. As he walked down the stairs, their amused laughter broke out, and he was surprised by a couple of the voices he recognized. Breaking through the hallway he called out, “And just what are you two doing here?” “Hey Pop!” His eldest son Michael shouted to him from the floor. He and Lilli were surrounded by photos and folders spread out around them. It looked like Stephanie had found some more help with her scrapbooking project. |
| “And Geoffrey? When did you guys get in?” Thomas walked up behind the bristle haired younger man and kept him from standing up by squeezing his shoulder. “I have an assignment at Nellis, so, we ah, got in this morning, Sir.” Thomas had to chuckle at his nervousness. He was still getting used to being a part of the family, but he knew it would not take long. Not with Stephanie on his case. “That’s two, Geoffrey.” Stephanie called the anxious man on his formality slip with a dangerous raise of her eyebrow. “Technically, it’s only one, Mom. One for you, one for Pop.” Michael winked at his partner, letting him know that they were only playing with him. “I hate technicalities, but I’ll give in for now.” She smiled brightly and then looked up at her husband to ask, “Did they cancel your last meeting?” Stephanie looked at her watch to check the time. “Because I was sure you said you had meetings until four and you’d probably be late for dinner.” He nodded to show that she was right. “I did, but I got to thinking that I had this pretty wife sitting home, all alone, sorting through hundreds pictures, and how I should clear my schedule and go home to help her…” Looking around the room, he regarded her with a suspicious glare, “But I guess I was mistaken.” “If you had gotten here before lunch, then I would have been alone.” Her wink was subtle, but to Thomas it spoke volumes. “But then I had to start dealing with the Sheriff and then Mikey showed up. It’s been rolling downhill ever since.” “Thanks a lot.” Sara gave her a well placed nudge with her elbow before she explained her presence. “My lunch date called and told me to meet her here when she saw the party.” Lilli snorted with her mother’s comment, and then quickly covered her face with a hand. She was very self-conscious of the quirk, but Thomas had always found it rather endearing. “That was my fault. I had that deposition with the state HR lawyer. And when I stopped in to see if Steph needed a break from ass chewing to have lunch with me and Mom, I saw the rental car out front and knew it was going to be way more interesting here.” “So, it’s pretty much just standard operating procedure with this crew?” Thomas smirked with his assessment of the events. “Why change now?” His wife always had the answer, and he was glad for it. “Right…” Thomas slapped his hands together and came up with a plan of attack. “How about I crank up the grill and break out those salmon steaks, and someone can go get Uncle Gil in time for dinner?” “Sounds perfect, except for the Uncle Gil part.” Stephanie’s answer was cryptic and Thomas’ face showed his confusion. “He’s in Elko with his grad students collecting specimens, remember?” “Okay then… I guess we’ll have to find someone else to finish off the rest of those salmon steaks.” Thomas turned for the steps and nearly knocked his youngest son over. “I volunteer Bethie for that one.” Danny held his father by the shoulders to keep both of them from falling as his baby sister came into view. “Aw man, what am I getting volunteered for this time?” As she entered the room, Bethie was surprised to find her big brother in the floor and the moment her eyes met his they lit right up. “MIKEY!!!” In no time flat, Michael was up from the floor spinning his baby sister around in his arms. Thankfully for the others in the room, their energetic reunion was short-lived, as they quickly turned back to the family. The second her eyes landed on the well-scrubbed, short haired athletic man in the chair, Bethie knew exactly who he was, and she wasted no time. “No freakin’ way!” She turned and slugged her brother in the arm. “You mean, I finally get to meet the mystery man?!” Michael nodded as he struggled to contain his amusement. “It’s about time! I was beginning to think he was hiding from me, or something.” Geoffrey stood up from his seat and took a few steps forward to greet the excited young lady properly. “Hello, I’m-” Before he could finish getting the words out, the tall vivacious red head had him completely wrapped up in a tight embrace. Thomas knew from his conversations with the young man that he had been very apprehensive about meeting the youngest of his children. Geoffrey knew all about the special relationship he had with his only sister, and was nervous about her accepting him into their lives. He watched as all of Geoffrey’s worry about meeting her was squeezed away in the welcoming arms of Michael’s youngest sibling. |
| “Okay wait, wait… They seriously managed to convince some patrol cop that they fell out of the back of a mini-van, that they knew their address, but not their phone number, and got this poor rookie to drive them home?” Geoffrey was in complete disbelief of the story he had just been told. Thomas nodded his head and continued with the story. “I had quite literally just fallen face first into the mattress after spending six hours in surgery. I was about to go completely comatose when that damn bell rang.” He chuffed at the very idea of the bell ever ringing at their house. “I had to wait until he rang the bell the second time to be sure that’s what it was. By the time I got down there I could hear this radio noise. I guess he was calling the address in to dispatch. When I opened the door, the twins come bouncing out of the back of the patrol car, bellowing something about how they got to play with handcuffs and the lights, but they weren’t allowed to run the siren. They could have been giving out the secrets of nuclear fission at the time, but I was so disoriented by what was going on that I just stood there and nodded through the whole thing. I don’t know how long that poor guy was trying to explain to me what happened, but the next thing I knew there were sirens and trucks pulling up in front of the house and Steph comes running at me in a panic.” Stephanie chose that moment to chime in, “Moron rookie calls it in as suspected missing children with suspicious circumstances and no response at the family home. Dispatch pulls the address and it’s immediately flagged as a law enforcement residence, they call Cath and she grabs me in a car, hauling ass to the house, along with several other PD vehicles. I was completely freaked by the time we got here.” “What she forgets to tell you is that by then the scout leader had reported the boys missing and possibly abducted. So, she’s already losing it when Cath grabs her.” Sara added her own spin to the tale. “Gil and I were at the park searching everywhere for them, and Steph’s Mom was sitting at our house with the kids completely beside herself. Thomas was the only one who had no idea what was going on, because he didn’t have his phone on at the time.” Trying to stay out of the fray, Michael continued serving the food as his father removed the steaks from the grill. But he was not going to escape the whole thing unscathed when Lilli busted him. “And this one comes out when everyone shows up, asking if he can use the siren.” With all eyes on him, Michael had no choice but to shrug and say, “Well, they used them coming to the house, and I’d never gotten to push the button before.” Daniel, never one to leave a chance to bust Michael’s chops unused took the plate from his older brother when he asked, “And how many months before they let you out of solitary confinement?” “You laugh… I was seriously grounded for like forever. And Uncle Gil made us learn Latin, just so we could write ‘I will not grow up to be a con artist’ in three languages, a hundred times each.” The whole table erupted into laughter with his punch line. Sara waited for the table to quiet down and start into their dinner before she gave her final opinion on the event. “There was one really great thing to come out of that little escapade, though.” “What’s that, Mom?” “It showed us all that Warrick’s alert system worked better than anyone ever anticipated, but the family alert system worked even faster than that.” Everyone nodded their agreement. “In less than twenty minutes of the first call, we had high alert, search and rescue and emergency response in action, and within thirty minutes the twins were secured and already starting their punishments before anyone could even explain to Thomas what the hell had happened in the first place.” “I’m still not entirely sure what happened. I just know it was bad, and no member of the entire police department ever wants to cross paths with Stephanie ever again.” Suddenly remembering their recent strife, Thomas rolled his eyes and clarified his position, “Well, at least the ones that value their lives and manhood, anyway.” “I’ll tell you what I learned from that whole thing.” Michael reached over the table for the bowl of grilled veggies as he spoke. “It certainly wasn’t about not being a con artist, no matter how many languages you learned to write it in.” Geoffrey managed to get his own dig in. “Ha, ha… No, what me and Paddy learned, without a doubt, was that there was really nothing this crew wasn’t willing to do to keep us safe. I grew up knowing that I always had someone there for me, no matter what I did, and no matter where I was.” He looked at his mother when he shared his final thoughts on the matter. “I knew what real friends were, because my parents had the best there was. They were so good, they were family.” |
