What Might Have Been
(A crossover
story with “The Sentinel”)
Micki Ellis Hutchinson sat back in her seat and sighed as
Flight 715 coasted along the run way, preparing for take-off. Cascade,
It
would be good to get away for a while. The last two years were like a
roller-coaster ride, filled with euphoric happiness and mind-numbing pain. She
needed the time away to assess her life and decide what she really wanted. She
thought back to earlier that morning, as she packed for her trip while Ken
packed for his.
Her husband closed his suitcase and walked over to help
Micki with hers. “When do you think you’ll be home?”
“I should be back before the weekend. I’ll be observing
the Major Crimes Unit in Cascade and going to two separate seminars at
“I don’t know for sure. I hope we’re not gone as long as
the last time. With any luck, we’ll be back by the first of the week.”
She put her bags in the living room and turned to Ken.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the airport? I’ll have plenty of
time.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s OK. You’d have to hang
around for two hours for your own flight. We’ll borrow a car so we can leave it
at the airport. That way we won’t have to take a cab when we get back.
“Yeah, she doesn’t have to be at
She kissed him deeply and hugged him tight. “I’ll miss
you, Ken. It seems like we’re always saying good-bye lately.”
He ran his fingers through her long hair. “I know, but it
won’t always be this way. We’re just really busy right now. The Task Force is
the newest fad in police procedures, so everyone wants our input. In a few
months, we’ll sink right back into anonymity and no one will remember our
names.” He kissed her again then smiled. “I’ll see you when you get back.
Behave yourself, OK? I don’t want to have to make a detour to
She grinned wickedly. “If I thought it would buy us some
time together, I’d get in trouble on purpose. Seriously, though, I’ll be good.
I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”
She fought the tears that were trying to fall. “I love
you, Ken Hutchinson. Never forget that.”
He held her close and buried his face in her hair. “I
love you, too, Micki Hutchinson, and don’t you
ever forget that.”
She rolled her head against the back of the seat. What’s the name of that old movie? Oh, yeah,
“Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”. Oh, God, what’s
wrong with me? I have a husband that loves me, the career I have always dreamed
of, and my best friend in the whole world is my partner. I’ve got to be one of
the luckiest women alive. But, if I’m so happy, why do I feel like crying?
Well, that’s one of the reasons for this trip. I don’t know what I want any
more, and if I don’t figure it out soon, I could lose everything I have.
Micki forced the thoughts out of her mind as the
pilot instructed them on making preparations for landing. She felt a thrill of
excitement as she watched the beautiful
She walked into the main building, looking for the
detective that was supposed to be waiting for her. When she saw her name on a
card, she started toward the man holding it, looking him over carefully. He was
tall, even taller than Ken. Her eyes registered appreciation at his handsome
face and neat appearance.
Her smile was friendly as she walked over to him. “Hi,
I’m Micki Hutchinson.”
The man put the card away and smiled in return. “I’m
Detective Jim Ellison. Welcome to Cascade. How was your flight?”
“It was very peaceful, thank goodness. In fact, I wish it
could have been longer. The view from up there was spectacular.”
He grinned. “Cascade is
a beautiful place, but of course, I’m biased. So, I take it you’re not one of
those people that hate flying?”
She laughed gaily. “I used to be, but after the last few
months, I’m getting used to it. I usually stay much closer to home, so seeing a
new place is exiting.”
“Well, why don’t we get your luggage and I’ll show you
around a little? I’ll drop you off at your hotel so you can freshen up then
I’ll take you to the station and introduce you to everyone.”
“That sounds great.”
They walked over to the claims department and picked up
her luggage then Jim escorted her outside. He stopped at a blue and white
pick-up truck and put her bags behind the seat. Micki smiled to herself. It’s not as flashy as the
Cascade
was even more picturesque up close than it was far away. Micki and Jim became
acquainted as Jim told her about the Major Crimes Unit and Micki told him about
the Task Force and her own specialty in criminal psychology. As she talked, she
looked out the window at the scenery.
“You really do have a beautiful place here. I’m not used
to seeing so much greenery all at once. I’m glad I brought a jacket along,
though. It’s really quite chilly, isn’t it?”
Jim laughed. “You’re used to the
Micki grinned back. “I’m glad I’ll be back home by then.
I’d rather see the snow on TV. I guess I really am a
Jim carried her suitcases into the hotel and waited for
her to check in. He sat them down in her room and walked to the door.
“I’ve got a couple of things to do, so why don’t I pick
you up in an hour or so then I’ll take you to the station?”
She smiled gratefully. “That’s fine. It won’t take me
long to unpack. I’ll be ready when you get back.”
He smiled a farewell then closed the door softly behind
him. Micki quickly put her things away then reached for the phone. She dialed
the number she had written on a pad in her purse.
“Good afternoon, Ramada Inn, this is Mandy speaking. How
may I direct your call?”
“I’d like to speak to Sergeant Ken Hutchinson in room
1107, please.”
“One moment, please, I’m transferring you now.”
Micki listened to the phone ringing then sighed as the
operator came back on the line.
“I’m sorry. Sergeant Hutchinson is not in his room right
now. May I take a message?”
“Yes, this is his wife. Could you just tell him that I
made it safely and I’ll call him back later?”
“I’ll see that he gets the message, Mrs. Hutchinson. Have
a good day.”
Micki hung up the phone and bit her lip. Of course he’s not in his room. Oh well,
I’ll try him later.
She shook off the wave of sadness and finished getting
ready then went to wait for Ellison in the lobby. Suddenly, her room felt empty
and she didn’t want to be by herself.
She smiled when she saw him walking in the front door.
“I’m all ready, Detective Ellison. Shall we go?”
As they walked to his car, Jim looked down at her. “Since
we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, why don’t you call me Jim?
And while we’re at it, what do I call you, Detective or Mrs. Hutchinson?”
Micki grinned. “Why don’t you just call me Micki? I’ve
never been much for titles.”
“Micki it is, then. The station isn’t far from here, so
sit back and enjoy the ride.”
Ten minutes later they were at the Cascade Police department.
Jim introduced her to Captain Simon Banks, the head of the special unit. Banks
reminded her of Dobey and she warmed up to him immediately. Before long, she
was immersed in the history and mission of the department. Jim was telling her
about some of his most recent cases when a young man walked into Banks’ office.
Micki’s heart skipped a beat as he smiled at Jim.
The first thought she had as she watched the young man
was he’s beautiful. OK, I know men are
supposed to be handsome, but that doesn’t begin to describe this guy. Maybe
it was his long, curly, brown hair, or the youthful face it surrounded, or
maybe it was his large, expressive blue eyes. A woman could fall into those eyes and never come out, and when he
smiles, his whole face lights up. She could sense an enthusiasm for life
that rivaled David Starsky’s. Whoever he
is, this beautiful human being lives life to the fullest. Micki stood up
straighter as Jim introduced the young man.
“Micki, this is Blair Sandburg. He’s a graduate student
at
Blair smiled that wonderful smile again. “Welcome to
Cascade, Detective. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”
Micki smiled back shyly. “I’m sure I will, Mr. Sandburg,
and please, call me Micki.”
“OK but only if you’ll call me Blair. Mr. Sandburg makes
me sound awfully stuffy.”
She laughed. “It’s a deal.”
Jim
spoke to Micki. “Blair is teaching a class at the same time as your seminar
tomorrow, so he can show you where it is. That is, if it’s all right with you,
Blair.”
The
younger man nodded energetically without taking his eyes off Micki. “Sure, we
can even go a little early so I can show you around campus, too.”
She
nodded. “OK, if it won’t be putting you out.”
Jim
smiled. “Then it’s settled. Blair has his own car, so he can pick you up in the
morning. In the meantime, it’s about time for dinner. Why don’t you join us at
the loft? We can pick something up on the way.”
She
looked pensive. “Oh, I don’t want to put you out. I can get something from room
service at the hotel.”
Blair
chimed in before Jim could answer. “Are you kidding? You’re our guest. There’s
no reason why you should eat alone in your hotel room. It’s no problem at all,
is it, Jim?”
The
older man smiled. “Of course not. I’ve got a few
things to clear up here, so why don’t you take Micki in your car and pick
something up on the way home? I’ll meet you in a little while.”
Micki
smiled to herself. Jim reminded her of Ken. Both were the strong silent type.
Blair, on the other hand, reminded her more and more of Starsky. The boundless
enthusiasm and the boyish charm were evident in both men. Micki felt a twinge
of guilt as she thought of her husband. OK,
so I think Blair’s gorgeous. I might be
married, but it’s not against the law to look.
Blair
grinned. “OK, but I’m not stopping at any fast food restaurant. I’m hungry and
I want something with a little more substance. We’ll see you later.”
He
touched his friend on his arm briefly then escorted Micki out of the station.
She laughed in delight when she saw the dark green sedan.
“It’s
a Volvo! I haven’t seen one of these in years. Now, this is a classic!”
Blair
opened the passenger door for her. “I’ll tell Jim you said that. He’s always
ragging me about my cars.”
As
he drove to the loft, he kept up a constant stream of chatter about Cascade,
Jim, and the university. When he mentioned
“What’s
your major?”
“Anthropology. I’m studying the
ancient tribal races, like the Chopec in
“It sounds fascinating. You’ll have to meet Starsky some
day. He’s fascinated with the old tribes. He’s constantly coming up with
obscure information about ancient civilizations.”
Blair glanced at her. “Is that your husband?”
Micki shook her head. “No, he’s my partner’s husband, and
my husband’s partner.”
She laughed at his confused expression. “It’s kind of
complicated. Ken is my husband, and my partner’s name is
“I can imagine. How long have you been married?”
“Our second anniversary is coming up soon. Though, lately
we’ve been more like two ships passing in the night than a married couple.”
He looked at her profile. “That doesn’t sound like fun.”
She shrugged. “It’s not that bad. We’ve just been so busy
that one of us is always gone. I guess it’s one of the hazards of our careers.
Ken says it will slow down eventually. I hope so.” She smiled and changed the
subject. “So, what should we get to eat?”
“Do you like Chinese? Jim’s a junk food junkie, but
Chinese is something we agree on. There’s a good restaurant close to the loft,
so we can stop there.”
“I love it!” Well,
there’s one difference I can chalk up between Blair and Starsky. Jim’s the junk food junkie here and Blair
hates it. Proof once again that opposite’s attract.
They stopped at the restaurant and Blair ordered a full
meal then drove to the loft. Micki looked around, delighted at their home.
“It’s adorable! I love it. Ken and I have this small
apartment in
Blair grinned good-naturedly. “I’ll tell Jim you said
that. He’s such a neat freak! You should see all the house rules he has. Even
if we’re in the middle of a case, he expects the dishes to be done, and he has
a fit if I leave my clothes lying around.”
Micki laughed. “You should have seen Ken’s apartment
before I moved in. He just left his clothes wherever he happened to take them
off, and did the same with his beer bottles. And we won’t even talk about that
heap he calls a car! Starsky and Tracy are the neat ones in our relationship.
Anyway, I think it’s great. It looks very comfortable.”
Blair went into the kitchen and got a bottle of red wine
from the refrigerator and glasses. Jim came in as he finished setting the
table. They all enjoyed a wonderful meal as they got to know each other. Later,
they sat in the living room and had coffee. It was after
“Would you like us to take you back to the hotel? I know
it’s been a long day for you.”
She nodded gratefully. “I think that’s a good idea, if I
want to make any sense out of the seminar tomorrow.”
Blair got up and grabbed his keys. “I’ll take you back,
Micki. Jim got up earlier than I did this morning, so he can stay home if he
wants.”
Jim glanced at his friend then nodded reluctantly. “OK,
Chief, if you’re sure you don’t mind. I’ll see you tomorrow, Micki. After your
seminar, we’ll start going over some of the files you requested about the
unit.”
“That sounds like a plan to me. Good night, Jim, and
thanks for inviting me for dinner. I had a wonderful time.”
“It was our pleasure, Micki. Good night.”
Blair drove her to the hotel and walked her to her room.
When she tried to hide another yawn, he looked guilty.
“You’re really tired. I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have kept
you up so late.”
“Are you kidding? I haven’t had this much fun in a long
time or laughed so hard. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
He grinned. “Since you put it that way, I had fun, too.
I’ll pick you up around eight in the morning, if that’s not too early.”
“No, that will be fine. Will you have time for breakfast,
or should I eat before we go?”
“We’ll have plenty of time for breakfast. There are
several good places to eat on campus then I’ll give you the grand tour before
your seminar.”
She smiled as she opened the door. “I’ll be ready. Good
night, Blair. Thanks again for tonight.”
He waited until she went inside and locked the door then
he went back down to his car. You’re a
beautiful lady, Micki. I hope your husband realizes how lucky he is, or someone
just might take you away from him.
Micki made sure the door was locked securely then took a
shower and slipped into her sweat pants and tee shirt. As she passed the phone,
she saw the red light blinking. She dialed the front desk and waited for the
desk clerk to answer.
“This is Mrs. Hutchinson in room 305. Do you have a
message for me?”
“Yes, Mrs.
She sighed and shook her head. “OK, thanks. He didn’t say
what time he’d call, did he?”
“No, I’m sorry, he didn’t. He just said tomorrow evening.”
“Well, I’ll try to make sure I’m here then. Thanks
anyway. Good night.”
She dropped the receiver back in its cradle and slipped
under the covers. As she turned out the light, she thought of her husband. Like I said, two ships in the night. Oh,
Ken, is it going to be like this forever? I don’t know if I can take it.
The next morning, Micki was determined to enjoy the day
as she met Blair for breakfast and a tour of the university campus. She lost
herself in the seminar, making notes of the most interesting lectures. Before
she knew it, the last speaker was finished and the audience gradually filed out
of the auditorium. Blair was waiting for her as promised and they met Jim at a
Cuban restaurant close to the station. Micki had never tasted Cuban cuisine
before, and wasn’t sure about the new tastes. In spite of that, her mood
improved substantially as they left the restaurant and walked back to their
vehicles. Jim’s pick-up was parked behind the Volvo.
They were a few feet from the truck when Jim suddenly
stopped and looked down the street. From his stance, Micki could tell he was
listening closely to something, but she couldn’t see anything unusual
happening. She watched, curious, as Blair stepped closer to Jim.
“What is it? Do you hear something?”
Perplexed, Micki watched as both men stood still for
several minutes. She still couldn’t see any problems, but both men were
increasingly agitated. Then Jim started walking down the side street, slowly at
first then faster. Blair hurried to keep up with him while Micki followed on
their heels. As they crossed another street, Micki heard the disturbance.
“Help! Somebody help me! Help, police!”
The two men ran around the corner with Micki close
behind. A middle-aged woman was struggling with two men in an alley. One man
was holding her purse, trying to take it away from her, while the other man
tried to force her down on the concrete. Jim and Micki drew their weapons at
the same time.
Jim stood slightly to one side and leveled his weapon. “Police, freeze!”
Both suspects looked over their shoulder, cursing at the
interference. One of them pushed the woman against the wall and took off
running, while the other took out a gun and aimed it toward Micki, Jim and
Blair. Without thinking, Micki pushed Blair out of harm’s way.
“Blair, get down!”
The perpetrator with the gun fired over their heads and
ran down the alley after his partner. With a muffled curse, the two detectives
ran after the suspects. Blair immediately went to the victim, making sure she
wasn’t injured. He told her to stay down then followed his friends. He didn’t
go far before he heard the sound of gun fire. Micki and Jim were behind
vehicles parked on the side street, exchanging fire with the two perpetrators.
Blair hunched down beside Jim.
“Oh, great, now both of those creeps have a gun? That’s
just what I wanted to hear.”
“Don’t worry, Chief. I’m sure one of these law abiding
citizens have called the police by now, so we should have back-up pretty soon.”
The younger man looked apologetically at Micki. “This
isn’t exactly what I had in mind for after dinner entertainment. I’m sorry you
had to get mixed up in this.”
Micki grinned wickedly. “Don’t sweat it. I’m starting to
feel right at home.”
She looked around at the pedestrians huddled together
down the street. “Still, I think we need to end this before some innocent
bystander gets hurt.”
She crawled up to the front of the vehicle and looked
over the hood. She raised her voice so the two perpetrators could hear.
“OK, enough you two! In about ten minutes, this place is
going to be crawling with cops, so why don’t you save us all a lot of trouble
and throw your weapons down? I know you didn’t mean for it to go this far. You
don’t want to kill any of these innocent people do you?”
Jim tilted his head and focused his hearing on the two
gunmen.
Damn you, Bobby!
Look what you got us into! I thought you said this would be a cinch.
Hey,
how was I supposed to know she’d fight like that? She didn’t look like she was
that strong. I had to unlock the door for her last week because it took both
hands for her to hold a gallon of milk for Christ’s sake! Anyway, where the
Hell did those cowboys come from?
It
doesn’t matter, you idiot! We’re trapped. Do you think they’re going to let us
walk out of here with her purse? Man, if we so much as stick our noses out,
they’ll shoot them off.
Jim made rolling motions with his hands. “Keep
talking, Micki. It can’t hurt. I get the feeling that they’re not exactly
hard-core criminals.”
“OK. It’ll buy us some time until back-up gets here
anyway.”
She raised her voice again. “You’re running out of time,
boys! Right now, all you got against you is a simple purse snatching rap. The
guns are going to complicate things a little, but if you get rid of them right
now, before anybody gets hurt, it will go a whole lot better for you. If you as
much as nick one of these citizens, you’ll be looking at hard time.”
What are we going
to do, Bobby? I don’t know why I let you talk me into this. Look, you do what
you want, but I’m out of here. I’ve never been in trouble before, so maybe I
can throw myself on the mercy of the court or something.
What
the Hell do you think this is, a TV show? That isn’t Perry Mason out there, you
moron! That cop’s just jiving you, man. You wanna spend the next ten years of
your life in a cell? Well, I don’t. So, you do what you gotta, Tommy. I’m going
to make a break for it.
No,
Bobby, you’ll get yourself killed! Those cops ain’t kidding. If you come out
shooting, they’ll blow you away before they let you hurt somebody.
I
guess that’s the chance I’ll have to take. Look; you throw your gun down and
tell them that you’re giving yourself up. They can’t shoot an unarmed man.
While they’re concentrating on you, I’ll make a break for it.
That’s
not going to work! What’s going to stop them from shooting you?
It’ll
work if you hurry your ass up! There are only two of them, so one will have to
hold the gun on you while the other puts the handcuffs on. I’ll sneak off while
they concentrate on you. But you’ve got to do it now, before the other pigs
show up!
Jim shook his head, scowling. “It’s taking too long. I
think they’re planning on making a break for it. So, watch out. They’ll have to do it soon, or
they’ll be outnumbered.”
Micki cursed silently. “Do you think so? Damn it! I
thought I had them. Well, we can’t take a chance on anyone else getting hurt.”
She raised her voice for the last time. “That’s it guys,
you’re all out of time! Throw your guns out on the street and walk out with
your hands in the air.”
A few seconds later, she heard a voice. “OK, I give up!
Don’t shoot! I’m throwing my gun out now.”
A small handgun sailed from the side of the building and
clattered on the street. Gradually, two
hands appeared then a head. Jim kept his gun trained on Tommy as Micki walked
slowly over to him. Although he was itching to know where Bobby was, he
couldn’t afford to zone out right then. Instead, his eyes flicked back and
forth from Tommy to the side of the building. If Bobby’s nerve held out, he
would make his move soon.
Micki bent down to put the handcuffs on Tommy just as
Bobby popped into view. She quickly subdued Tommy and pushed him in Blair’s
direction.
“Keep
an eye on him. If he moves, knock him in the head or something.”
She
quickly followed Jim as he ran after the second suspect. Once again, she could
hear the sound of gun fire. Jim was flattened against another wall, and she
could see Bobby hunkered behind a large dumpster a few yards away.
She positioned herself close to Jim. “You know, I’m starting
to lose patience with this guy. I think it’s time for plan B.”
Jim looked at her. “What’s plan B?”
Instead of answering, she looked around on the ground and
picked up a large chunk of concrete. She edged around Jim and threw the object
as hard as she could. It sailed past Bobby and clanged into several small
garbage cans behind him.
“You’re surrounded, creep! Give it up!”
Bobby replied by stepping away from the dumpster and
aiming his weapon. But before he could squeeze the trigger, Micki was out in
the open and firing back. Bobby yowled as his gun went flying and clutched his
wrist. Before he could recover, Jim and Micki were on him.
Seconds later, Bobby was handcuffed and they were on
their way back to Blair. By that time, the street was covered with blue and
white squad cars. Jim handed the two felons over to uniformed officers, with
instructions to book them. As they were taken away, Micki turned to the other
detective.
“How in the world did you know? You’re hearing must be
phenomenal!”
Instead of giving a direct answer, he grinned. “Aww, shucks, ma’am, tweren’t
nothin’.”
Then he regarded her with frank admiration. “It was a
pleasure working with you, Detective. That was some shooting back there.”
Micki grinned back wickedly. “Aww, shucks, cowboy. Tweren’t
nothin’”
Blair threw his hands up and shook his head. “Why do I
suddenly feel like I’m in the middle of a western? Cops!”
By the time the perpetrators were booked, it was after
Micki checked her watch again as she thumbed through the
magazine she was reading. He said he’d
call. It’s almost
“Hello.”
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Hi, I’m sorry I missed you last night.”
“Yeah, we seem to keep missing each other. How’s your
trip going?”
“It’s been good. How’s everything up your way?”
“It’s been crazy, but nothing we can’t handle.”
“That’s good. How’s the weather up there?” Geez, we sound like a couple of strangers.
She heard a small laugh. “It’s hot. Wouldn’t you know, this is the warmest spring they’ve had in years?”
“Really? It’s kind of cool here.
I’m glad I brought my jacket.”
“Well, that’s normal for
“Yeah, that’s what they tell me.” She picked at the
covers on her bed. “Look, Ken, I was thinking. Our anniversary is in a few
weeks. Maybe we could go up to the cabin, just the four of us. We could get
away from the phones and the newspapers and relax for a few days.”
“I don’t know, Mick. These people don’t have a clue as to
what they’re doing. I’m not sure I can get away.”
“Please, Ken, just for a few days. I barely get to see
you any more. I miss you.”
She
heard a sigh from the other end, and could imagine him with his head down,
pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.
“OK,
I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try.”
She
fought back angry tears. “Hey, don’t sweat it. If you can work me into your
schedule, that’s great. If not, maybe you can send me a post card from wherever
you happen to be at the time.”
“Mick-“
She
slammed the receiver down on his reply and threw the phone across the room.
Then she collapsed on the bed, sobbing. Damn
you, Ken Hutchinson! Damn you straight to Hell!
Blair
knocked on the door to Micki’s room and waited patiently. He smiled as she
opened it, but the smile vanished when he saw her face.
“Hey,
are you OK? What’s wrong?”
She
shook her head slightly and turned away from him. “Nothing.
I just didn’t get much sleep last night. I guess all the excitement kept me
awake.”
“Bull.
What happened yesterday was right up your alley and you handled it like a pro.”
He turned her around. “Hey, I thought we were friends. Come on; tell me what’s
wrong.”
She
bent her head and shrugged. “I had a fight with Ken last night.” She looked up
at him, her eyes glistening. “We never talk any more, and when we do, we always
end up fighting. I feel like everything is falling apart and I don’t know what
to do about it.”
Blair
pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Hey, I know how it is when you
feel like you’re losing control. Everything gets going so fast and you don’t
know how to stop it. It’ll work out, you’ll see.”
He
put his fingers under her chin, gently forcing her to look at him. He wiped the
tears from her face with his thumbs.
“Please
don’t cry. That face is much too pretty to frown like that. You don’t want to
get wrinkles, do you?”
She
laughed then put her hand on his chest. “No, I guess not.”
They
looked into each other’s eyes then Blair slowly bent his head and kissed her.
She responded for a moment then broke away.
“Blair,
I can’t.”
He
nodded sadly. “I’m s-“
She
put a finger to his lips, cutting off the words. “Don’t say it. It’s not you,
it’s me. My head’s not on straight right now. I’m furious with my husband, and
I’m using you as a way to strike back at him.”
She
ran her fingers through his hair. “You’re a very special person, Blair
Sandburg. I’m afraid I’ll only end up hurting you and I would never do that.”
“I
know you wouldn’t. But we can still be friends, right? If you ever need to
talk, I’m here.”
She
smiled. “I know, and I’m really glad. But, I think we’d better go now before I
do something I’ll really regret.”
Blair
dropped her off at the university and promised to return later. Micki sat
through the last seminar, but absorbed only a fraction of the lectures. Her
mind was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions, images of her husband and Blair
swirling around in her thoughts.
While
Micki was battling her own demons, Blair was helping Jim with the final
paperwork on the purse snatching. Since this wasn’t a case for the Major Crimes
Unit, the reports would be turned over to the proper department for further
investigation.
“Well,
that’s that. I don’t think these two fools were involved in any other crimes,
but Robbery can double check their MO before they close the case.”
“Yeah,
they didn’t exactly come across as professionals, but you never know.”
Jim
looked closely at his friend. Blair was turning his coffee cup around and
staring into space.
“Something on your mind, Chief?”
Blair
shrugged as he refilled his cup. “Micki was kinda upset this morning. She had a
fight with her husband.”
Jim
nodded to himself. “I see.” He lowered his voice. “Better watch yourself,
Chief.”
The
younger man’s eyes flashed. “Why? I’m worried about her, that’s all. I thought
we all were friends.”
“We
are, and I’m glad you care about her, as long as that’s all it is. She’s a
married woman, Blair. She’s never made a secret about it.”
“Yeah,
she’s married. But she’s hurting right now, and if I can help her, that’s what
I’m going to do.”
He met
Jim’s eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me, Jim. I don’t hit on married
women. You should know me better than that.”
“I
know you don’t, Blair. I just don’t want to see you hurt.”
“I
can take care of myself, man. Don’t worry, I’ll be OK.”
The
sentinel watched as his guide walked away. I
wish I could do something for you, Chief, but I don’t think my senses will help
this time.
He sighed exasperatedly then called out. “Hey, Blair,
wait up. I’ll go with you.”
Blair shot him a look over his shoulder but slowed down
so the older man could catch up. He smiled slightly to soften his words.
“I didn’t know being a chaperone was one of your Sentinel
responsibilities.”
Jim grinned back. “It is now. So, where are we going for
dinner? Burger King’s got a two for one sale on onion rings.”
Blair shook his head. “You never give up, do you? How
about that seafood place by the campus? I hear they make a mean bowl of oyster
stew.”
He laughed at Jim’s expression. “I was just kidding, man.
Lighten up, will you?”
Micki
breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jim standing with Blair at the
auditorium’s exit. She could still remember how she felt when Blair kissed her,
and her life didn’t need any more complications. She grinned as they continued
their argument on where to eat as they walked to the truck.
Finally,
they settled on a small restaurant by the pier. By the time dinner was over,
her mood had lightened.
She sighed as they walked along the beach. “You know, I
really will hate to leave. It’s so beautiful here. I wish I had more time to
see everything.”
Blair glanced at Jim then smiled at her. “Well, now that
your seminars are over, maybe we could all go for a hike in the mountains. The
view from up there is really spectacular.”
“I’d love it, if you aren’t too busy.”
Jim frowned for a moment then relented. “I’ll see if
Simon will give us the day off. He can always consider it public relations
between our departments.”
“Then it sounds great. Maybe I can find a camera
somewhere and take some pictures.”
Jim smiled down at her. “That will be a lot better than
any souvenirs that you can buy in the hotel lobby. Why don’t I call you in the
morning and we’ll set a time?”
“OK. That will give me time to get my notes in order and
get packed. I told Ken I would be back before the weekend, so I’ll probably
leave tomorrow evening.”
The two men dropped Micki off at her hotel. When she got
back to her room, the red light was flashing on her phone. She called the front
desk and got her messages. Three were from Ken and one was from
“Hello.”
“Hi! It’s me.”
“Micki, where have you been? I just got off the phone
with David. Ken’s been trying to reach you all day, and he’s frantic.”
“Really? I’m surprised he found
time in his busy schedule to call.”
She heard her friend sigh. “You know he didn’t mean it
like that. He was tired, Micki. We’ve all been stressed out lately.”
“I know. I guess I wasn’t being fair. Oh,
“Real life happened, Mick. Tommy Carruthers is dead and
so is Simonetti. The adrenaline rush is gone and now we just have every day
life to contend with.”
“I never considered myself an adrenaline junkie, but
maybe you’re right. It just seems like everything is falling apart. Ken was so
distant on the phone last night. I wanted to go up to the cabin for our
anniversary but he acted like it would be an inconvenience.”
“David said he was really sorry that he sounded like
that. He does miss you, Micki. Don’t you think this is hard on him, too?”
“I guess so. But I can’t help thinking about the future.
We wanted to start a family soon, but how can we talk about having kids if we
never see each other? Oh, God, I’m so confused! I thought I knew what I wanted,
but I’m not sure any more.”
“Yes, you are. It’s just different from what you wanted
before. Marriage is a whole new experience for us all and we’re still learning
how to deal with it.”
“I know,
She said good bye then looked around her hotel room.
Straightening her shoulders, she started packing.
The next morning, Blair was in his bedroom when he heard
a knock at the door. He stopped for a moment, listening. The French doors were
open slightly, so he could hear Jim’s footsteps in the hall, and then he heard
the door shut. When he didn’t hear anything else, he went back to reading his
notes. It wasn’t long before he heard the door open and Jim called his name.
“Hey, Blair, can you come here for a minute?”
He walked out of his bedroom then stopped when he saw
Micki standing beside Jim. He smiled at her.
“Hi, Micki. I’m surprised to see
you. I thought we were going to pick you up later.”
Micki and Jim exchanged looks. Jim put a hand on Blair’s
sleeve then nodded to Micki.
“I have an errand to run. I’ll be back later, Chief.”
The younger man watched him leave with a puzzled
expression then turned to Micki.
“What’s going on?”
She walked closer to him and looked in his eyes. “I came
to say good-bye, Blair.”
His blue eyes widened. “But, I thought we were going
hiking. Simon gave us the day off.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I need to get home. Ken is coming
back early and we really need to talk.”
“When does your plane leave?”
She looked down. “
“That’s hours away! We can still go hiking and then I
could take you to the airport.”
She bit her lip, shaking her head mutely.
He moved closer, but stopped as she raised her head, the
tears swimming in her eyes. Gently, he held her by her shoulders.
“Why? Are you afraid that if you spend that much time
with me, I’ll convince you to stay?”
“I can’t stay!” She ran her hand down his shirt. “Please
try to understand. My whole life is back there. It’s more than Ken; it’s my
job, and
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
She smiled through her tears. “No, but I have to try.”
She ran her hand down his cheek. “I’m sorry. We just weren’t meant to be. I
know you’ll meet the right girl someday. You’re a very special human being and
I know you’ll find all the happiness you deserve.”
She kissed him then held him tight, burying her face in
his shoulder. After a few minutes, she smiled and cupped his face in her hands.
“Hey, don’t look so sad. That face is too handsome to
frown like that. You don’t want to get wrinkles, do you?”
He held her hand in his and kissed her fingers. “No, I
guess not. I wish you didn’t have to go. I’ll miss you.”
She kissed him again then walked away. As she opened the
door, she looked back. “I’ll never forget you, Blair Sandburg.”
As he stood in the middle of the room, his heart ached
with loss. “I’ll never forget you, either, Micki Hutchinson.”
********************************************************************************************
What
Might Have Been
If this were another time
I’d walk along the beach
with you
And hold your hand
We’d laugh and play and
make castles in the sand
If this was another place
I’d dance in the rain with
you
And sing you a song
We’d splash through the
puddles and act like children again
If this were another life
I’d lie in bed with you
And watch the snow fall
We’d turn the lights down
low then warm ourselves by making love
But the time is now and
the place is not our own
Your life is here and mine
belongs with another
Three pairs of hands reach
out to me
And the circle of love
draws me back in
But though I return to the
one who holds my soul
I leave with you a piece
of my heart
And when I see your face
in my dreams
I’ll cry silent tears
For what might have been
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