Past Lives Lost: A Halloween Story

[#1_Nancy_McKeon]

Yeah, I want to still finish this... Here's some more.

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Pushing the double doors of the Felony Division Bullpen open was C.D. followed closely behind by Nate. The two had met in the lobby, and taken the elevator up together. Ok, heck, the truth is known Nate had arrived first, and waited for his blonde partner to arrive.
“Hey Guys.” Raina looks up from a paper in front of her, “You’re the overtime Patrol Captain called in?” she questions. Scanning both of their clothes for some inkling that it was Halloween Raina finally gives up. If she didn’t know what today was she’d just think it was any other night. Both Inspectors wore their usual coats… nothing out of the ordinary. Although, why did she really expect anything? Still she had to look… all day… every Holiday she watched everyone that came through the door to see if she could spot one thing that revealed what Holiday it was. Too bad she worked at such a place where most no one ever did.
Stopping to the side of the Inspector’s desk, “Oh, please no.” C.D. looks to her partner then back at the woman, “I don’t know. All she told us was it was urgent, and we’d get overtime for it.”
“Ooooh…” Raina’s eyes bulged. Dammit she did it again. She let the cat out of the bag. What should she do? Um, yes, deny it. “Well maybe she has something else for you to do.” She giggles slightly nervous, “You know me, I never know what Captain is going to do.” It may not sound all too convincing, but would they really doubt her to her face? She thought not.
“I guess we’ll just have to say.” Nate places the palm of his hand to the blonde’s lower back so she’d further go to her own desk.
Looking to her partner, “I so hope it’s not Patrol.” She groans.
“I know.” He says sincerely as he now moves to his desk across from C.D.’s, “By the way, Raina, nice earrings.”
“Ooh!” Raina turns and grins at the man, reaching up with one hand she gives her right earring a little push, “I love them!”
“Yeah,” C.D. replies as she takes off her coat, “Real Halloween…ish.” Looking to her partner, “Is that a word?”
Nate couldn’t help but laugh, “I sounded convincing.” He unbuttons the few buttons on the front of his coat, and pulls his coat apart in front.
Glancing up from moving a few case files aside on her desk C.D. couldn’t help but laugh, “What is that?” she was pointing now.
“What’s what?” the man asks casually as he further rests his jacket on the back of his chair and takes a seat.
“That sweater!”
“Ooh, this old thing.” Nate looks down and pulls it out so he could see it a little himself, “I used to wear it every year on Halloween. Like a little…” he couldn’t think of the word.
“Tradition.”
Raina’s head had whipped around when she heard talk of a Halloween tradition and sees what the two were speaking of.
“Exactly.” He nods, “A tradition.”
“Very nice shirt, Nate!” Raina gives him a thumbs up, “Finally someone that shows what day it is around here. I watch everyone that comes in the door, but hardly ever see anything out of the ordinary.”
“I’m so sorry I bore you, Raina.” C.D. says with a chuckle as she stands up to head for the coffee machine.
“It’s just…” the woman begins, “People need to get a little more lively.” She stands, “I mean look at me.” This was the first time the two Inspectors could see her entire outfit.
“Well get ‘ello to this.” Nate laughs seeing the bottom of her black sweatshirt was lined with little jack o lanterns, and her original lace up black shoes with black laces had been exchanged for pumpkin orange laces.
C.D. turns to see what her partner was talking about, “Oh that’s great.” She laughs, “You’re certainly into the Holidays.”
“Please…” Raina plays it off as she sits still facing the two Inspectors, “They’re the only days of the year that I can express my creativity through the way I dress.”
“Oh, you mean how you dress already isn’t you being creative, and over the top?” came a voice from behind her.
Turning the African American sees Jinny, the doors just closing behind her, her duffle bag still swung over her shoulder, and a grocery bag in her hand.
“Nooo it isn’t.”
“Wow.” Jinny widens her eyes as a silent gesture to C.D. whom was now standing by her own desk with a cup of coffee in hand.
The Inspectors soon all settle down and take their seats again, and silently review papers that had accumulated on their desks while they hadn’t been there until they got their orders from the Captain.
Again the doors of the Division are pulled open as yet another Inspector enters. Looking up from one of her papers Raina is dumbfounded and just stares.
“Please…” Magda raises her hands defensively in front of her as she drops her bag into her chair. Her hair tightly back in a ponytail, but that wasn’t the bad part. The part that stuck out was that it was dyed fire engine red, and she still had some make-up on her face.
Turning once hearing her partner’s voice Jinny stops for a moment, “Nice do.” she gets up and moves to her partner’s side.
“Ben wanted me to dress up this year.”
“Okay.” Jinny nods cautiously.
Hitting her partner’s arm softly, “Stop it. Just wait until you have kids, Jinny.”
“Yeah, you do that.” The brunette now moves her hand slowly to her Partner’s hair.
“Stop it.” Magda shoos her away.
“Raggedy Ann.” A voice says from the side.
All the women look to Nate, “What?” his partner asks.
“Raggedy Ann.” Nate says again. The attention then goes from him to Magda.
Chuckling, “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Awww… One more for Nate!” he says leaning back in his seat.
C.D. chuckles, “Just ignore him guys. He can’t help it. It’s his ego showing through.”
“Don’t worry.” Jinny cracks, “We always do.” She shoots Nate a little grin- letting him know they were joking, as she moves back to her desk.
“What’s this?”
“What?” the brunette looks up to see ‘Raggedy Ann’ next to her, “What’s what?”
“This…” Magda pulls the grocery bag full of assorted candy up from Jinny’s desk.
Watching her partner drop the bag again Jinny nods, “That… I bought that. I thought I’d… have a little candy just in case I got some kids tonight.” She felt awkward saying it, but she felt like giving this year.
“Is this the same Jinny I know?”
“Yes… I just had a little extra money, and…”
“The same Jinny that vowed last year, and every year you wouldn’t feed other people’s children?”
“Well I figured if I got some trick or treaters it’d be nice to have something. Besides… I was just going to give them one piece each. So I had a lot left over and...”
“You’re getting soft, my friend.”
She shakes her head, “I’m not getting soft.”
“You are…” Magda was interrupted.
“Speaking of soft…” Nate says from the side, “Is that a bag of Three Musketeers I see in there?”

[*Nancy Mckeon*]

lol moooooooorrrrrrreeeeeeee!!!!!!!1 and don't wait for ever this time!