Forever

Seen Any Skeletons?

Henry, suddenly, was beginning to feel like he really should not open the door.

Maybe it was a petty thing. Maybe he had misspelled something or....

He shook off the thought. No, he was Henry Morgan, and he was 235 years old. Surely he had enough time as to be very meticulous about his writing.

Lucas was passing by, papers in hand, and he stopped when he saw the older ME's hand tightly gripping the door handle but not opening it. He walked by as quickly as he could, and while he did, he tapped Henry's shoulder, "Good luck."

Henry turned and watched him continue on his way. It was easy for him to say. Or even Jo. Tobe called to the Lieutinent's office was so rare it never really crossed his mind.

Well, unless one counted the drugs incident, but it was for research purposes.

He shook his head briefly and went inside.

"Take a seat, Morgan."

He did as he was told, instantly regretting not standing up, as it seemed he may need an escape route through the door.

For several seconds, the Lieutinent kept her head down, writing hurriedly on papers Henry hoped weren't his records. Over the years he'd developed a 'rap-sheet' as Abraham called it. Public nudity wasn't taken lightly nowadays, so it seemed.

No, wait a minute, she would have known about that because of the background checks they performed. Where was his mind at the moment? The silence was just as terrifying as being yelled at.

Finally she looked up, and glared at him. "Know why you're here?"

"As a matter of fact-"

"Just answer the question."

"I-... No."

"You are here because someone walked through that door-" She pointed at the door- " And came on a mission to see me personally, with something to say."

"What.. What would that.. Be?" His mind was blanking, racing for something he would be blamed for. He hadn't done anything wrong that day other than crush the autopsy report sheet. But no one knew about that except Lucas. And he wouldn't tell, by the amount of secrets Henry had kept for him. So what was it?

"Didn't give their name. Chose to remain anomimous. Would you like to know what they said?"

"Of- Of course!" Henry said too abruptly. She shook her said and gestured for him to sit down. He did, not knowing when he'd stood up in the first place.

"They said you have personal ties with the victim."

"Lieutinent, you'll have to be specific. There are eleven bodies currently in the morgue, and it's not-"

"Stop your sarcasm right now, Henry. Don't be glib with me. You know which one I'm talking about."

Henry eyed her. Oh, yes, in the pit of his stomach, he knew which body- Harris Pines'- but did she? The way Joanna was acting, it didn't seem to be so.

"Do you?"

"'Scuse me? Quit standing up! Sit back in you seat before this pencil becomes inexplicably lodged in your-"

"Lieutinent!" Jo burst into the room, clearly angry.

"What?"

Henry couldn't help but feel relieved for the distraction.

"My badge is gone."

"So find it."

"Really? Just like that?"

Joanna rolled her eyes and stood up. "You," she said, looking at Henry, "stay here."

Then she pushed past Jo out the door. As soon as she was gone, the Detective peered around her and then flashed her badge in Henry's face, where he had to look.

"You're welcome."

"You-"

"Lucas told me about the petrified look on your face. And it's not every day you get someone to owe you and prank your boss at the same time."

Henry grinned and then saw that the Lieutinent was standing with her arms folded behind her.

"What was that?"

They both winced.

"Nothing."

"Detective Martinez, get the hell out of my office."

She gave him an apologetic look and briskly left. Now Henry felt less safe from her wrath. "As I was saying, they said you have a personal connection to the skeleton."

That wasn't good.

"Really? How so?" Henry flashed a smile and cocked his head to the side, trying to look interested in the matter. In reality he was mortified by it.

"That you were friends with it... Whoever it was."

The ME scowled fiercly. "Do you know how old that skeleton is?"

"That's not-"

"235 years old. It's impossible. Despite the fact that I'd love to-"

"Said you're immortal. He claimed to even have seen you die and come back naked in the river. And you do have a rap sheet of Public Nudity charges."

Henry shifted uncomfortably and lsced his fingers together. Despite the fact that she'd claimed not to be revealing anything about the anomimous person, Joanna had slipped up and given him a valuable piece of information.

She'd said, 'he'.

And Henry had a feeling he knew who 'he' was.

*******************POV Swap: Jo******************

"How'd it go?" Lucas asked her when she got back. Jo shook her head.

"He's still stuck in that Office of Hell." The Office of Hell, for all its amusement, was not a word uttered lightly by the members of the Precinct. You seldom came out with your dignity intact. And Henry was now, she was afraid, realizing that.

"We gotta come up with something else."

"Yeah, no kidding." For two full minutes, they stood there, trying to devise a plan that would safely extract Henry from his situation. Until Lucas looked up and smiled.

"There he is!"

It was Henry, all right, but he seemed anxious and hurried. Jo saw him and couldn't tell if that was the same man she'd seen go into the Office of Hell ten minutes ago. His head hung and his shoulders sagged, like he didn't know where his sense of purpose was.

"What happened?"

He murmered something only she could make out and headed immediately for the elevator, eyes darting nervously to and fro around the office. Lucas looked at Jo.

"What'd he say?"

She shrugged. But Jo had heard. His words were quick and quiet enough a guy like Lucas wouldn't understand. He'd said:

"I... may have been.... exposed."