Prettiest Eyes
by Kilohana

Line One is the time

That you, you first stayed over at mine

And we drank our first bottle of wine and we cried

"Lieutenant", Michael Price growled into the phone, "can't you send somebody else, I haven't had an evening off in... Yes, sorry, yes, I understand, be there in half an hour. No, I have no idea where my partner is, she probably unplugged the phone to have a nice romantic dinner with her... no, she didn't say she would, I'm only... Look, I'm on my way, see you there, ok?"

He hung up, glanced at his bedside clock and groaned. 3:20 am. Rita "The Dragon" Lance had been his partner for a few months a couple of years back, and at the time all his collegues had envied him, she was a living legend. Then she got promoted to lieutenant and became a cold blooded monster. Old captain Lipschitz was an angel compared to her.

He pulled on some clothes and tried to call his partner. Nobody home, and no answering machine on. His eighteen months long partnership with Holly Rawlins, who was decent and funny and trustworthy, had ended a week ago. Rita had broken them up and partnered him with this newlywed dingbat who was supposed to be on call tonight. Hah!

He arrived at the crime scene in a foul mood. How come the dead bodies couldn't have the decency to be found during the day?

she smiled and gave him a styrofoam mug that smelled heavenly. "Sorry to drag you up at this hour."

He melted immediately, and smiled back. "That's ok. Sorry I was so grumpy on the phone. My bed was a lot more tempting than this." He gestured towards the crime scene tape, all the officers checking the area for evidence, and the body, covered with yellow plastic.

Rita grinned. "Don't I know it."

"So, have my new partner showed up yet?"

"Nope, we're having some problems reaching her."

"I'm in on this alone, then."

"Don't worry, Price", she said and touched his arm. "I'm not going anywhere. Now, if we get a move on, we might get a few hours sleep when we're done here."

A headless body lay underneath the plastic sheet, blood staining the ground around it. Michael immediately swallowed and turned away. "Oh my God", he murmured.

"Nasty", Rita stated. "What can you tell us at this point, doc", she asked the new pathologist.

The woman shook her curls slowly. "Male, probably in his twenties. Head is separated from the body, that is under any condition fatal. From the amount of blood on the ground, I assume the victim was either alive or quite resently dead when the head..." She continued to talk while examining the body. "No sign of broken bones... killer used something sharp and heavy to cut the head off, probably an axe, possibly a sword if the killer was really strong. Body hasn't been moved, I'm fairly sure he died here. Have any of your officers found the head, lieutenant?"

Rita shook her head. "No, not yet."

"I can't tell you more until I get him on the table", the pathologist said.

"Ok", Rita said, "we'll take a look around, Price, see if we can find any witnesses in this deserted area."

"Who found the body anyway", Michael asked.

"Police patrol."

"Oh." *******************************************************************

Rita sank back on her couch a few hours later. She had checked her answering machine, and Chris still hadn't called her back. There was of course a chance that he hadn't received her messages, answering machine, and Chris still hadn't called her back. There was of course a chance that he hadn't received her messages, she knew what Jillian could be like with anything concerning Chris' old life, but still... She had called three times over the last week, Jillian could at least have mentioned that to Chris.

To say that she got along well with Jillian Dupree would be a lie, but she tried, for Chris' sake. If he was happy in his marriage, why should she be sorry?

"Sorry for myself", she whispered and smeared a few stray tears away with her hand. "I've been so damn lonely since you left, you could at least return my phone calls. I miss my old best friend. I do want you to be happy, but what about me?"

She knew she lacked sleep, that that was what made her so emotional, but she couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face. Too exhausted to sleep, she just laid down and cried.

She woke at noon, with a severe headache, and decided she deserved a quiet day at home. Before her sensible brain could persuade her to be responsible and go to work, she had called the shop, told her secretary she had the flu and would stay in bed.

The fishtank was empty and quiet, lifeless except for the walls covered with algae. Her apartment was generally a mess, with dirty dishes, old papers and used clothes spread over the limited area. She found it horrible, but couldn't produce the energy to do anything about it.

Chris had left for Boston and a future with Jillian nearly two years ago. She had seen him once after that, at the wedding last year. Jillian had been cold, really cold, especially when Chris was out of earshot.

They used the phone to nurse their friendship, sometimes several times a week, sometimes only once a month. Rita knew Chris had enough affection to share between two women in his life. She also knew that one woman wasn't willing to share. And neither wanted to put Chris in a situation where he would have to choose.

She heard a soft knock on the door, and raised slowly.

"Rita, you there?"

Michael Price. She opened the door to him. He was holding a brown paper bag in his hand.

"Hi", he said. "You all right?"

Rita tried her best to look ill, and nodded. "Not too bad. Bit of a headache though. Nausea. You should probably keep your distance."

He smiled. "I'm on my way to a possible witness. Heard you were sick, so I thought I'd bring you some chicken soup." He paused. "You know, Rita...", he said slowly, "I know I'm not Hotshot Lorenzo, but if you ever need a shoulder to lean on or just a hand..."

Rita almost hugged him. His gentle words brought tears to her eyes. "Thanks", she whispered. "Listen, I better get back to bed. Thanks a lot for dropping by, Michael, I really appreciated it."

"No problem. Just one more thing, I had a talk to Cassie and she claimed her beeper was on all night though the phone was disconnected. Too bad she hadn't checked the batteries first!"

Rita grinned. "She'll come around. Give her a chance, Michael, she's in love, she's too happy to bother with dead batteries these days."

Michael smiled too, then waved goodbye and left. Rita went back to her couch and took the lid off the soup carton. It smelled delicious.

The headache slowly faded as she enjoyed her soup and a can of soda. For the first time in months she sensed light in the horizon. Maybe she could live without Chris after all.

Somebody knocked on the door again, more insistent this time. She figured it was Michael who had forgotten something, and opened the door quickly, not prepared for the familiar blue eyes and the bear hug that literally lifted her off her feet.

"CHRIS", she cried, "what are you doing here?"

"Thank God you're all right, Sam", he murmured into her hair, "I've missed you so much." He put her down and looked her into the eyes. "I stopped at the shop and they told me you had the flu. How sick are you?"

"To be honest", she said and put her arms around him again, "I think I just made a speedy recovery!"

He laughed, picked her up and swirled her around till they both were breathless with laughter.

They sat down on the couch a few minutes later, still touching. "Chris, what are you doing here", Rita asked again.

Chris turned serious. "I missed you", he said, "I couldn't stand it anymore."

"How's Jillian?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. And I don't really care. I haven't seen her in weeks."

"Chris..."

"It's true, Rita, we had this huge fight and she kicked me out. Not that there's anything new with that, all our fights ended with Jillian kicking me out or Jillian being called away, but last time I finally had enough, I told her that straight out. She could choose, I could stay and we could make some kind of truce, or I'd walk out that door for good. I don't think she took me seriously, but I'm not going back, Rita, not in this life, never again! I'm not saying that she's all bad, that's not what I mean, but we're so bad together, getting married was the biggest mistake I've ever done, Sam, I can't believe how things turned so ugly. I even used you to get back at her. Do you remember the time we talked about kids and I said Jillian didn't want any while I did, and you said you'd be honored to be the mother of my children?"

"I was kinda joking at the time, Chris."

"I know you were, Sam, but I told Jillian about it during one of our rows and she totally freaked, I've never seen her so angry, she was throwing things at me, I was afraid she'd grab my gun and shoot me!"

"You sure about this, Chris? Do you want a divorce?" Rita took his hand and squeezed it.

He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "I'm so messed up", he mumbled. "I can't think straight. I just know that I can't live with Jillian anymore, I just can't, Rita. Please help me."

She pulled him into a hug, stroked his back. "It'll be all right", she whispered into his ear, "I'm here for you, Sam. I'll always be here for you. You stay here with me, get back on your feet before you decide what to do with your life."

"I never should have left you, Rita, I..."

She smiled softly. "Shush", she murmured, "you came back, that's all that matters."

"I was never really gone, Sam", he sobbed, "oh God, I get all emotional, I'm on medical leave, my life's in ruins, Rita, I never stopped caring about you, I always carried you around in my heart."

"Shhh", she whispered and rocked him softly, "it'll be all right, Chris, I'm not letting you go, not until you are strong enough to walk alone."

Line Two we're away
And we both, we both had nowhere to stay
Well the bus-shelter's always OK when you're young

At this point, Michael was sure that if he heard one more word about Tom Ryan's beautiful mouth, adorable butt, strong arms or pretty eyes, he would vomit. They had attended the autopsy of the headless body, and were going through stacks of papers without getting anywhere. It was all Cassie's fault, she continued to torture him with intimate details about her husband. He silently wondered if he would get Holly back if he murdered Cassie, that seemed to be the only way to shut her up...?

"Cass", he said in the end, using a mild voice, "did you have a nice honeymoon?"

"Yes", she said, and stroked her long, blonde tresses away from her face, "Tom and I went to Hawaii, it was..."

"Please shut up", Michael exclaimed, a bit grumpier than planned. "I'm sorry Cassie, I know you're happy, but save the girl talk, all right? I already know a lot more about Tom than I want to, give me a chance to still count him as one of the guys. Please!"

Cassie looked at him for several seconds. He began to squirm under her glance. Why, why had he lost Holly, what could he possibly do to get her back?

Then Cassie began to laugh. She laughed like a little girl, a child who hadn't yet learned the secret of feminine giggles, and he sat like a quiet idiot watching her.

"It's a deal, partner", she finally said, "on one condition."

"Which is?"

"You quit talking about your ex partner like she was a goddess, and ask her out on a date."

Michael groaned. "Yes and no", he said.

"What?"

"Yes, I'll quit talking about her, and no, I wont ask her out, she's my friend, just my friend, I'm not attracted to her, my feelings for her are strictly platonic."

"Yeah right", Cassie teased, "I've never heard that line before. Come on, Michael, you're trying to fool the expert here. I married my partner, remember?"

"No, seriously, it would be like asking Tom out on a date, not my style at all."

"You better keep your hands off Tom, he's mine, and I don't intend to share! Oh come on, Michael, what have you got to loose? Bring her to the pub tomorrow night, half the department will be there, we wont even be on call."

"Good thing you wont have to check you're batteries then", he teased, and laughed as she crumbled a piece of paper into a ball and threw it at him. ********************************************************************

"PRICE, ST. JOHN, IN MY OFFICE NOW!" Rita hid her smile as she saw Michael and Cassie jump to their feet and run towards her. She had spent the night curled up next to Chris, both fully dressed, and had slept better than in a long, long time.

"You bellowed, lieutenant", Michael teased.

"Watch it", Rita warned him. "Take a seat. Where are we on the headless body case? Media is snapping at my heels here, I was hoping for some information."

Cassie looked at Michael, who didn't look very comfortable.

"Look", Rita said using a slightly milder tone, "I've seen the autopsy report, I know how the victim died, where he died, his blood type and what he was wearing. What I want to know is, do you know ANYTHING else, anything AT ALL?"

Cassie slowly shook her head no. "We're stuck, lieutenant", she admitted, "we're so completely stuck. Without the head, we have no idea what the victim used to look like, and as all hairs was removed from his body, it's even harder to find his identity."

"He did have hamburger and chips for dinner, though", Michael said, hoping to sound bright and intelligent.

Rita rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Price, that was extremely helpful. Listen, guys, I know you're a new team and need time to adjust, but, please, see if you can dig up a little more than this? That guy must have a family, somebody who misses him. Have you tried the database over missing persons? You can use height, age and skin color as search criterias, you know, even without the head a pathologist can estimate that."

Michael had the grace to look ashamed. This was something Holly could have come up with, and he had worked with her for long enough to realize that her mind worked better than his on certain cases. Cases like this one. Nutcases.

Rita softly banged her head against her desk as soon as the detectives had left the room. She wondered if breaking up Michael and Holly had been such a good idea after all, but Holly had asked her kindly for a pause, saying she needed a deskjob for a while, not giving more reasons. Tom and Cassie had been one hell of a team as well, before they fell in love and began wandering around with fuzzy heads.

And Chris... She wondered if she could persuade him to come back to Palm Beach for good. If his relationship with Jillian was half as bad as he'd described it, she didn't want him to give his marriage a second chance. She wanted him here where she could keep an eye on him and make sure he was happy.

Line Three I forget
But I think, I think it was our first ever bet
And the horse we backed was short of a leg never mind

"Hi, Sam, you all right?" She jumped in her chair.

"Gee, Chris, try knocking next time, you scared me half to death!"

"Sorry", he smiled, not looking like he meant it. "I was hoping you were free for lunch. My treat."

Rita leaped to her feet. "That sounds like a plan", she said, "how about we leave right now before I tell those goons out there something I'll regret later."

"Hm, rough day?"

"You have no idea."

They bought fruit and sandwiches and drove to the beach. Hand in hand they walked slowly to a deserted spot where they sat down on their blanket, food between them.

"So", Rita said after a while, when she had eaten half her sandwich and wasn't starving anymore. "Sam", she continued and took Chris' hands in her own. "Have you thought about moving back here, or are you just here for a visit?"

Chris looked so helpless and confused that she had to smile.

"I'm only asking because I know there'll be an opening in homocide soon. One of my detectives have requested a deskjob, I have a feeling she'll be off the streets for quite some time, maybe for good."

"So you think her job might be something for me?"

"Well, look at it this way, it would mean that you and I got to work together again."

Chris smiled. "That would be nice."

"I would be your superiour though, you think you can live with that?"

"Sure. What's to fear about you, Sam", he teased.

"Quite a bit, I'm afraid, my detectives tend to call me "the dragon" behind my back."

"Hmmm", Chris said and pretended to study her face, "yes, I think you have small shells growing here, definete dragon skin!"

Rita laughed and hugged him.

"You do have the prettiest eyes, though", he whispered into her ear. ***********************************************************************

Michael persuaded Holly to have lunch with him. He hadn't seen her for some days, and was surprised to see how pale she was, with dark rings under her eyes, unsuccessfully covered with make-up. When she opted for salad and a glass of milk for lunch, he bent down and looked her into the eyes.

"You all right", he asked quietly.

"I'm fine."

"You look like hell, Holly."

"Thanks, Mike, you sure know how to make a girl feel special."

Michael sighed. "Boyfriend-trouble? That guy Sherman isn't..."

"I KNOW", Holly suddenly yelled, "now leave me alone, you were right about him all along, he's scum, happy now?"

Michael held out his hand, and she took it.

"He's married", she murmured, "and I'm pregnant, I want to keep the baby, and he's giving me one hell of a time trying to persuade me to have an abortion. He's been calling me all hours of the night, that and morning sickness doesn't exactly do wonders for my looks."

"Do you want the baby for you, or do you want it to rub his nose?"

"I want it for me", Holly said seriously, "I have given it a lot of thought, and I really want this baby, even if it means being a single parent."

"I am here for you, you know that? If there's anything I can do to help, all you have to do is ask."

Holly smiled, still holding his hand. "Thanks. The Dragon said the same. I think she guessed. She isn't all that bad, Michael."

"I know. I've been partnered with her, remember? But why the hell did she break us up? You wouldn't believe what a love-sick puppy Cassie's become, I'm going nuts!"

"Don't blame Rita", Holly said, "I asked for a deskjob as soon as I knew about the baby, I didn't want to risk anything."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now. Rita is a good woman, a good boss, bit rough on the surface maybe, but you can trust her."

Michael nodded his head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Tell you what, if you come with me to the pub tonight, I'll ask her to tag along as well. Keep you away from Sherman's phone terror for a while and let Rita know we like her, how's that?"

Holly smiled. "Sounds good, partner, sounds good."

Line Four in a park
And the things, the things that people do in the dark
I could hear the faintest beat of your heart then we did

Chris put his arm around Rita's shoulders while they walked from the car to the pub entrance. Boston, Jillian and their marriage was far, far away, and he felt sparks of the old, friendly tension between him and Rita come back, more for every minute he spent with her. He knew deep down that he was holding his future in his arms, that if he played his cards right, he would find happiness again.

She turned her head and looked up at him, her eyes smiling. He got a warm, fluttering feeling in his stomach, and his features softened as he pulled her into a tight hug. Words weren't necessary, they just stood there holding one another for a few minutes before Rita pulled back slightly and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

"Come on", she whispered, "they are waiting for us."

A sea of familiar faces met him inside the pub. George was there, Harry and Frannie, and several others he recognized without being able to remember their names. He placed his hand against Rita's lower back, letting her walk in front of him through the crowded room, and suddenly he was hugging Frannie, with George and Harry patting his back, and Rita's happy laughter filling his ears. ***

"Who's that stud who just came in with Rita", Holly asked. She and Michael shared a table with Tom and Cassie on the other side of the dance floor. "I didn't know she was seing anyone. You know him?"

"Not sure", Michael replied, "looks like Lorenzo, her old partner, but I thought he was married and lived in Boston."

"No wonder his wife wanted him far away from the Dragon", Cassie said, "have you seen the way they look at each other? Spooky!"

"Give Rita a break", Michael sighed, "she's had a hard time since he left, they were pretty close."

"Then why didn't they do anything about it", Cassie said wiggling her eyes up and down in a suggestive way.

"Maybe they just valued their friendship too much to risk taking it to another level", Michael said shortly and got up. "I'm going over to say hello. Rita may be a dragon at times, but she's had one hell of a life, and is always ready to help when somebody needs her."

He made his way across the room, suddenly realizing that the three others were following him. He smiled, figuring that Holly must have uttered more words in Rita's favor. Placing an arm around Holly's shoulders, he hugged her for a moment before letting her go.

"What was that for", she asked.

"Just you being you."

Rita looked up as the foursome reached her table.

"Hi", Michael said, "good to see you, Rita, and you too, Lorenzo, I thought you looked familiar. You back to stay?"

"If I can persuade him", Rita interrupted.

"You already have", Chris smiled, and touched her arm. It seemed impossible not to touch her these days. "Right now I'm only here on vacation, but as soon as I find a job, I'll move my stuff down." Nobody asked about Jillian. He was grateful for that.

"Why don't you all sit down", Frannie squealed, happy to see so many of her dear, young friends gathered. She was especially glad to see Chris so close to Rita. Though she could only guess what had brought him back to Palm Beach, she prayed that he would stay.

Chris looked around him, trying to learn the new names. He vagually remembered Michael Price as a guy fishing for Rita's attention at one point far back, and was relieved to see the tender way he now looked at the pale, short-haired blonde. Rita had told him about the other couple, Tom and Cassie, but it wasn't difficult to guess that they were newlyweds, they sat more or less on top of eachother.

The music was loud, and the pub filled to the rim with people. It was good to be back. He had missed this place. He had missed these people. He had missed his Sam.

She read is mind. He was sure she did. Just as he thought about how much he had missed her, she leaned slightly against his shoulder for a moment, even stroked his thigh under the table. He searched for her eyes, but she was laughing about something Frannie said, and didn't look his way.

Her actions confused him. Hell, his own actions confused him. He was attracted to her, more attracted than he ever thought he would be to his best friend. He wondered how she looked without clothes, and he was afraid to find out. He knew he was on the rebound, that this wasn't a good time to start something new, but he wasn't sure he could stop himself. He wasn't sure if he wanted to. All his mind was aware of was Rita next to him, good, old, gentle, kind and supportive Rita.

A while later he was holding her on the dance floor, moving slowly to a ballade that sounded oddly familiar, though he couldn't make out the words. He had his nostrils full of her scent, his lips buried in her hair, he had one arm around her waist and used the other to hold her hand. She made soft, humming noises against his chest, she obviously knew the song.

"So", Holly whispered to Michael from their position a few meters away, "you reckon he's divorced or just looking for a fling?"

"If he's still married, divorce is just around the corner."

"You sure about that?"

"That man wouldn't let anybody get away with hurting Rita, and there's no way he would play with her feelings. You wouldn't believe how protective he was when I was temporarily partnered with her once."

Holly sighed deeply. "Why couldn't I find a guy like that."

Michael pulled her a little closer. "Guess you'll have to settle with me, partner."

"I hate to break it to you, Michael, but I'm not your partner anymore."

"Friend, then?" She smiled, so he decided to continue. "Close friend? Maybe even best friend?"

"I only settle for the best, Michael. Best friend sounds good to me."

"Best friends it is, then." **********************************************************************

Rita stopped her car outside her house. She looked at her watch. It was still early. Besides, it was Friday, and no work tomorrow.

"Fancy a walk on the beach, Sam", she asked. "Get some fresh air in our lungs before we go to bed?"

"Parfait."

The walked hand in hand for a while before Rita stopped and looked up at him.

"Chris...", she said, trying to put into words some of her new feelings.

"Shush", he whispered, "I know." Before he could stop himself, he leaned in to kiss her, and as soon as he had tasted her, it was impossible to let go. Her lips opened and welcomed him inside. Their tongues caressed and battled, arms sneaked around each other, legs intertwined, and they barely managed to remind in an up-right position.

Chris managed to pull back slightly. "You sure, Sammy", he whispered.

She looked him squarely in the eyes. "Are you?"

He felt his eyes fill. "More than anything ever before."

"Me too", she whispered, "this feels so right."

They walked back to her house, arms around one another.

They got inside and started kissing again, slowly at first, then deeper, more intense. The outside world didn't matter anymore, all that excisted was the two of them, together in the faint light in her bedroom.

Clothes were a nuisance. They helped remove each other's garments.

Naked, they found their melody from earlier, softly humming they danced.

"You think we'll make it, Rita", he whispered into the dark. "You think we'll manage to live happily ever after?"

"I think what we can manage is to do our best with the person we love, every day. I love you."

"And I love you."

Now you're older and I look at your face
Every wrinkle is so easy to place
And I only write them down just in case you should die
Let's take a look at these crows feet, just look
Sitting on the prettiest eyes
Sixty 25th of Decembers, fifty-nine 4th of Julys
You can't have too many good times, children
You can't have too many lines
Take a good look at these crows feet
Sitting on the prettiest eyes

Well my eyes look like a map of the town
And my teeth are either yellow or they're brown
But you'll never hear the crack of a frown when you are here
********************************************************************

Have you ever called your superior an old dragon or power-seeking parrot? Did you actually believe that he or she didn't know? Hmmmm ;-)

You know the drill about feedback: kilohana@hotmail.com. Pretty please? ;-)

And before you ask me about the headless body: there are some cases that never get solved, some murderers that never get caught. I reckon this might be one of them.

The title "Prettiest eyes" refers to a song by Paul Heaton and David Rotheray, I found it on a CD with The Beautiful South. The quotes are shamelessly nicked from this soulful love song.

Chris Lorenzo, Rita Lee Lance, Tom Ryan, Cassie St. John, Michael Price, Holly Rawlins, George Donovan, Jillian Dupree, Harry and Frannie Lipschitz all belong to Stu Segall, Stephen Cannel and USA Cable Network.

Big thank you to Lisa for proofing, and her and Linda for posting. And of course, huge thank you to the one who first played "Prettiest eyes" for me ;-)

 

Back to Fan Fiction Index

Back to Silk Stalkings Index