Last Seen Alive

Chapter Thirty-Two

"You muted me." Kelsey's words were punctuated by three quick punches on the punching bag Michael was holding for her.

It was the first thing she'd said in the 5 minutes they'd been in the gym together.

"Actually, I switched my radio off," Michael said with a teasing tone.

She punched the bag extra hard, glaring at him in a way that made him think she probably wished she was punching him and not the bag.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I saw an opportunity and I had to take it."

"As the Chief-of-Police, you should have known better," she replied. "That was a serious breech of protocol, not to mention reckless. If I hadn't stopped backup from storming the place after your little stunt, a lot of people could have been hurt." She stopped punching, taking deep breaths as she stared at him. "Including you."

"I didn't realise you cared about me not getting hurt," he said solemnly, hugging the punching bag to his side.

Her gaze swept over him before she chuckled, walking over to a bench nearby where she'd left her backpack. She pulled out a bottle of water and took a big sip from it.

Michael walked over to her, stopping in front of her. She looked up at him with a coy smirk.

"Funny that the tables have turned, huh?" she said. "Now I'm the one talking to you about protocol."

He eyed her for a beat before closing the distance between them and joining her on the bench. "Is that why you're here? To talk to me about protocol?"

"I was worried about you," she replied softly staring at her feet.

It was Michael's turn to chuckle. "So that's what I had to do to get you to come back."

"What?"

"Just be as reckless as you for a day," he grinned.

She punched him lightly in the arm and laughed.

"So, are you back?" he asked in a wary tone.

"Depends," she replied, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you letting me back on the Amanda Desser case?"

"Harris..."

"Don't," she said, standing. "I was hoping our time apart would have helped you see that you were being unfair and unreasonable."

"Trying to keep you from dying is unreasonable?"

"Pushing people who care about you away is unreasonable," Kelsey replied, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Do you have any idea how worried sick I've been about you working alone on a case that's already killed two people that we know of?"

"And that's exactly why I don't want you working on this case," Michael replied. "It would kill me if you ended up being the next dead body. After Pam, I just can't..."

"We're going around in circles," Kelsey sighed, eyeing him sympathetically.

Michael stood and after a moment of hesitation, slowly reached out to tuck some hair that had come loose from her bun behind her ear. She closed her eyes as his fingers gently carressed the side of her face before he drew back.

"I missed you," he said, catching her off-guard.

Kelsey's eyes snapped open in surprise at his sudden declaration.

"And I regret everything I said that morning in my apartment," he continued. "I don't want to lie to you or myself anymore. I care about you - a lot - and when I realised just how much I care about you, it freaked me out so I said all those things so you'd hate me and never want to be anywhere near me again. Because I was afraid you'd get hurt or worse....end up like Pam and I just can't lose you too."

"I can't lose you either," Kelsey whispered. "Don't you understand that's why I'm pushing so hard to be back on the case."

Michael still looked like he wanted to argue but he didn't say anything. Taking advantage of his silence, Kelsey went on, "You realise if you don't let me back in officially I'm going to be forced to keep investigating on my own and that's even more dangerous?"

"Is that a threat?"

She shook her head. "Just facts." She grabbed her backpack and pulled out a few papers then handed them over to him.

"I figured out what the building in that picture we found of Maggie was," she said as he flipped through each page with a frown.

"You kept investigating, even after I took you off the case?"

Kelsey just folded her arms and stared back at him,  wearing a look of defiance.

"I swear you're going to be the death of me," Michael said pinching the bridge of his nose before looking over the papers again. "Please tell me you at least had the good sense not to go and check the building out on your own."

"Uhh considering that's possibly the place a child who's now missing-presumed-dead was last seen alive, of course not. I don't have a death wish," Kelsey replied.

"Could have fooled me."

Kelsey looked like she was two seconds away from punching him in the face.

"If I let you come back, do you promise not to go chasing down leads on your own?"

She nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Alright, one more condition," Michael said. "When you're not with me, I'm assigning some unnies as your security detail."

"We already have cops watching us and our house," Kelsey pointed out.

"Those are for Keisha, which means anytime you're not with her or at home, you're on your own."

"Excessive much?"

"That's my condition," he said firmly. "If you can't agree to that, it's a deal breaker."

"Alright, alright," Kelsey said, hands lifted in surrender. "I'll take the bodyguards."

"Good."

She smiled widely up at him, holding her hand out to him. "It's a pleasure to be working with you again, partner."

Michael rolled his eyes at her. "Just don't make me regret this."

Unfazed by him ignoring her outstretched hand, she stepped closer to him and hugged him instead, catching him off guard.

"I missed you too," she said. "And I promise you won't regret this."

"Whatever you say, Harris," Michael replied with a sigh, breathing in the fruity scent of her hair and hugging her back.

***