Epilogue: The Story We Started

Bullpen, Hoover Building
Tuesday afternoon, 4 p.m.

The applause that met them was rousing; after an exchanged grin, they received it with bows fitting of Olympic skaters.

Ted Garrett was perched on Bobby's desk, his arms crossed, shaking his head and smiling. "It would appear we have a new 'crack team' here on this squad," he intoned. "Nice work. Just continue to keep each other from getting frozen or shot, will you, please?"

"Yes, sir," Myles and Tara replied in unison. Garrett paused to give them each a hearty handshake, then made his way out of the Bullpen. He'd barely passed the threshold before the two agents were all but swarmed by their co-workers.

After a moment, Jack pulled Tara out of the melee and away from the crowd a bit. "I assume you've already been 'chastised' for that little stunt you pulled?" he asked, the sternness of his voice gentled by the warmth in the dark eyes.

"Yes, boss," she replied with a bit of a rueful grin. "It was everything you'd expect from Myles and then some." Not exactly the truth, but hey…

But Jack just shook his head. "I dunno, Tara. Something tells me that there's a soft spot for you under all that bravado." He chuckled as she drew back in surprise. "I didn't say you'd ever see it; but after the bit with Gonzales, it wouldn't surprise me at all."

She gave him a strange look again, wondering how much he knew and didn't let on; but she didn't have much of a chance to ponder it further. Bobby draped an arm over her shoulder as the rest of the group approached.

Myles was looking positively suspicious. "Something's going on, but I haven't a clue what." His eyes raked over the team. "There are far too many diabolical smiles in this room."

"As there should be, after the two of you up and 'disappeared' on us for two full days," Bobby purred. "There's no end to the rumors that have been buzzing around this office in your absence."

"But," Lucy piped in, "since we know both of you well enough to expect any details beyond the official report, we'll just have to make do with our own imaginations." She shuddered, though the grin stayed on her face. "And a few of us have had more colorful imaginings than the rest of us really care to entertain."

Tara focused a glare on Bobby. "It was a snowstorm, for heaven's sake – all the phones were out, down, non-functioning. D, can't you keep these guys in line?"

Dimitrius chuckled. "Only to a point. Next time, though, just tell Jack he's off-base if a sit is too dangerous, okay? We don't need to be hanging your picture next to Wes'."

She snapped him a salute. "Gotcha, 'dad.'" There was laughter all around at that.

"Anyway," Sue said, approaching them both with her hands behind her back, "since we know you have a report yet to finish tonight, and probably won't be able to join us at Gonigans, we thought we'd leave these with you." She handed a small envelope to Myles. "This is for both of you. I may not have heard the actual conversation, but the re-tellings of the scene at the Renaissance Hotel were well worth waiting for the translation. So we thought we'd give Tara another chance to 'perform.'"

Bobby and Jack both smothered grins; Dimitrius just smiled and shook his head. Lucy glared at the trio, trying to decide if she should fill Sue in on the obviously unintended implication.

Tara's eyes went very wide and her face went scarlet, but she laughed all the same. "I don't think I can top that," she quipped. "And I think someone—" She glared at Bobby again. "—just volunteered to be my next sparring partner down at the gym next week."

Now Myles let out the laugh he'd been almost strangling to hold in. "Can I referee?" He waved a never mind in response to Sue's very puzzled look. "Lucy can fill you in shortly; and you might want to take a swing at these cavemen after she does. But thank you." He held up two pieces of brightly colored paper and turned to Tara. "It's tickets to the Renaissance Fair at the Washington Convention Center next month. Would milady care to join me? I bet we can find a lance you can use on Manning."

Tara shot another look at the Aussie; the grin that spread across her face was positively lethal. "Now that sounds like a plan. Thanks, you guys."

Jack checked his watch. "Oops – we better go or we're not gonna get a table. You guys join us later?"

Tara and Myles exchanged a glance. It was Myles who answered. "Maybe. It's been a bit of a full day, though." He caught a slight nod and a smile from his "partner."

"Okay, then," D replied. "We won't expect you, but we'll be there for most of the evening if you're interested."

"You'll just have to open these on your own then, I guess." Sue smiled as she pressed a small box into each of their hands. "Don't work too hard." She grabbed her coat and hurried after the rest of the group.

After a beat or two of silence, Tara turned around and set the box on her desk while she opened it. The note on it said "In honor of 'The Case of the Weekend in New England'." Her breath caught as she pulled out a three-inch glass snowglobe. Inside was a building that looked remarkably like the inn they'd stayed at. "Oh, my. Myles—" She turned around and stopped short.

He was holding an identical one, staring at it. She couldn't see the look in his eyes from her angle, so she walked over and placed a hand on his arm; it wasn't until then that she realized he was shaking slightly.

"Are you okay?" She kept her voice quiet in case anyone was still out in the hallway.

He nodded, but when he looked up she saw the same almost-tear that had escaped him back at the inn. "Just a song in my head… it really doesn't apply to us, but still…"

Very softly, as she waited, the baritone voice released what was in his soul:

Time in New England took me away
To long, rocky beaches, and you by the bay.
We started a story whose end must now wait…
And tell me…

He trailed off, dropping his eyes again.

Tara smiled and squeezed his arm softly. "But it doesn't have to wait, Myles. We're here; we work together. That story we started, that friendship we found; it's something that's always available to us. Tell you what; why don't we finish up this report together, then go grab some dinner. Just us. Give us both a chance to come back to reality without feeling like we're losing anything."

Now he looked up at her without hesitation, and the light in his eyes turned them bright blue. For a moment he seemed to try to remember something; then he set down the globe and moved his hands in a sign. Each of his hands formed an "x" handshape; the index finger on each extended and bent slightly. He interlocked them, right over left, then reversed the move.

Tara's smile was brilliant as new-fallen snow in the sunshine as she mirrored the gesture. "Friends."

FINIS