After a nap on the couch, Tim woke up to find Mikayla smoothing back his hair. "Have a nice nap?" She asked softly.

"Mmm, hmm," he answered, then turned toward Mikayla and kissed her. "But it was a well-deserved nap."

She gazed into his blue eyes. "Very well-deserved." She looked over at the table. "To change the subject, I'm guessing those sandwiches are cold by now." She turned her attention back to Tim. "Maybe we really should go get something to eat now."

Tim sat up slowly, pulling Mikayla up with him. "Okay, if you really want to."

She put her arms around him. "I really want to." They kissed again, then again, each kiss more fervent that the last. Finally, Mikayla broke away. "Tim, we're supposed to be taking things slow, remember?"

He sighed as he stroked her cheek. "I know, but you're just so--intoxicating. I can't keep my mind on anything else but you."

"That's very flattering, Tim. I can't wait to see how you'll function once I start work on Monday." She stood up and started getting dressed. "Why don't we go get that meal we've been talking about and I'll tell you everything you need to know about Mikayla O'Hara Fitzgerald?"

"O'Hara's your middle name? Isn't that from Gone with the Wind?"

Mikayla nodded. "My mother was crazy about that movie. She was the original southern belle, size four figure and all. Katherine Margaret Devereaux Fitzgerald, if that isn't a name for you. My dad was Robert Benjamin Fitzgerald III." She pulled on her jeans and put on her T-shirt, then reached over the arm of the couch and grabbed her sandals. Tim had gotten dressed while listening to her.

"Gee, and I thought Timothy Michael Bayliss was bad."

She snickered. "You're a Michael, too? This could get complicated."

"Nobody else knows. Michael was my father's name." Tim suddenly grew quiet. This was a side of him Mikayla hadn't seen. He'd become withdrawn and she could really see the little boy in his face. Then, just as quickly as the moment came, it went. Tim jumped up. "Ready, Mik?"

She stood up. "Ready, Tim. Where are we going?"

"How about the Waterfront?"

"Great! My favorite place!" They went to the car and drove to the establishment. They walked in and saw Lewis behind the bar. Tim said to Mikayla, "Why don't you grab us a booth and I'll go fix us something?" He squeezed her hand before she went over and sat down in a booth next to the window. As he went back to the kitchen. Lewis came over to the table. "What's your poison, Mikayla?"

"Let's see, last night it was sex on the beach, so let's try something different today. How about a vodka collins?"

"You got it. By the way, I didn't tell you last night. You have a knockout of a voice."

"Thanks. My mother inspired me. She was an opera singer in Atlanta when she was younger." A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of her mother, then she remembered the news she'd received and the melancholy moment passed. Tim slid into the booth across from her.

"Your usual, Timmy?" Meldrick asked.

"Just make it a beer, Lewis," Tim replied. "I need to keep my wits about me." Lewis stared at him quizzically, wondering what had happened between these two the past 24 hours, but decided to ask him on Monday at work. Tim stretched out in the booth and leaned against the wall. "So, what was it like growing up in Atlanta?"

"It was idyllic. I was an only child, so I grew up somewhat of a spoiled brat, if I do say so myself. My father was in the military, but by the time I came along, he'd settled down in Atlanta, two or three star general, something like that. That's how I met Felicia--she was an army brat, too. She lived on the base for the first few years I knew her, then her dad got stationed there permanently, so they bought a house down the street from us. We were both only children, so we became each other's sibling." The melancholy look crossed Mik's face again, and her brown eyes became darker with anger. "How could they do this to me? They lied to me for 35 years!" The thoughts going on inside of her were beginning to register on her face. Tim watched as she went through several different mood changes without saying a word. He didn't know when he'd seen anyone with more expressive eyes. This lady could run the gamut of emotions without speaking. He figured she'd learned that at drama school. Mikayla grabbed her drink and downed it in one fail swoop, then went to the bar for another one. By the time she returned to the booth, she'd finished her second drink and was working on her third.

"Mikayla, is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Tim carefully asked, not sure of the answer he'd get. He didn't have to wait long

"No," she snapped. "I just want to get so drunk that I forget about life and then, if I'm lucky, on the way home, I'll wrap myself around a telephone pole."

"That's it," Tim motioned to Lewis as he grabbed the glass out of Mikayla's hand. "You've had enough. I'm taking you home."

"The hell you are!" Mikayla shrieked. "I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I damn well please! You are not my boss, Timothy Bayliss! Now, get out of my way and I'll get myself home, thank you very much!" She shoved Tim and stormed out of the bar. She jumped into her car, started it, and flew out of the parking lot, tires spinning as she left.

"What did I do?" Tim asked Lewis.

"Timmy, I don't think you did anything, except maybe trigger something. Why don't you call her roommates and warn 'em she's on here way?" Just then, they heard a sickening crash. "Damn, you don't think--" Tim didn't wait for Meldrick to finish. He tore out of the bar and raced over to the station. He stuck his head in and shouted, "Accident at the corner! Get an ambulance!"

"What's up?" Sgt. Kay Howard asked.

"Mikayla, Pen and Tara's roommate, just crashed at the corner. Somebody call 'em!" Tim ran down the street to the corner. He could see smoke coming from the engine. "Just don't let her be dead, please." When he arrived at the car, he could se her head moving, so he knew she was still alive. "Mikayla!" He shouted as Kay and Munch appeared onto the scene.

"What happened, Tim?" Munch asked. "Wait a minute, I recognize this car." He looked at Tim. "Mik?" For once in his life, Munch was speechless; no one liners off the cuff, no snappy remarks. The ambulance arrived and the EMT's carefully pulled her from the twisted wreckage and placed her on a stretcher.

After assessing her, one of them approached the trio. "She appears to be okay. Probably just a concussion and a lot of lacerations from the flying glass. It's a miracle, looking at the car, that she wasn't injured more seriously. We're taking her to Memorial Hospital. They'll be able to tell you more there." Mikayla was loaded into the ambulance and it sped away.

"I've got to get to the hospital. We rode here in her car. Sarge, you think--?"

"Say no more, Bayliss. Take one of the Cavaliers. We'll catch up with you later."

Tim nodded, then looked at Munch. "John, would you tell Tara and Penny where Mik's at?" Munch nodded somberly.

When Pen and Tara arrived at the hospital, they found Tim pacing back and forth in the emergency waiting room. "What the hell is taking so long? The EMT said she probably just had a concussion! It doesn't take this long to diagnose a concussion!" Tara went up to Tim and forced him to sit down in a chair.

"Tim, look at me," Penny said. "What exactly happened?" He told them about the scene in the bar. Tara's and Penny's eyes met and Penny looked at Tim. "This has something to do with that trip to Atlanta. She's been acting weird ever since she went back home. We just figured she'd snap out of it once she got settled here. Did she say anything about that trip?"

Tim shook his head, stood up and resumed his pacing. "No, she talked about growing up in Atlanta, meeting Felicia, both of them being army brats, things like that. I just decided she was acting that way because she still wasn't over losing her parents so suddenly." Tim leaned against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. "Some detective I've turned out to be, huh?"

Penny walked over to him and linked her arm with his. "Don't do that, Tim. I'm a detective, too, I've known her longer than you, and I still don't know what's happening. So, don't blame yourself. This is something she has to work through at her own pace. I just hope she doesn't destroy herself in the process." Tim wrapped his arm around Penny's shoulders.

By this time, Kellerman and Munch had arrived. Mike walked over to Penny. "You okay?" She nodded. Mike took her from Tim and held her. He looked over her head at Bayliss and motioned that he was taking her outside.

Tara was making small talk with her uncle while Tim stayed against the wall away from his coworkers. He needed to be by himself, to think what had occurred, analyze the facts, decided if he could determine what had happened and if it could have been avoided. He needed someone to talk to other than his coworkers, but didn't know who. He heard the automatic doors slide open and saw Frank walk in, with Felicia close on his heels. "That's it, I'll talk to Felicia. If anyone knows Mikayla, it's her."

When she saw Tim, Felicia headed towards him. "What has she done now?" was racing through her mind as she approached him. "Tara and Penny called me. What happened?"

He repeated what he'd told Tara and Penny, then asked her, "Does she have a history of snapping like that?"

"No, but she does have a history of drinking like that," Felicia replied. "We never let her drive to parties because we knew she'd get sauced. She never got any tickets, though. Her parents were very influential in the community, so she always got off with warnings. Not many people know about her problem. I don't even think Penny and Tara are aware of the extent of her drinking. Of course, Mik doesn't think she has a problem, so she hasn't gotten any help for it."

"Why does she do it?" Tim asked, ever curious about human nature.

"I think partially to help her fit in with those around her. Don't take this wrong, but we grew up in a different society than most people. We were the rich girls, the debutantes of southern society. Mikayla never felt like she quite fit in, mainly because of her weight. It wasn't easy for her growing up a double-digit sized person in a single digit sized world. That's one of the main reasons she wanted to be an actress. That way, she could be whoever she wanted to be and she wasn't stuck being the rich girl who was also an outcast, at least, that's the way she perceived herself to be. She's under the impression the booze gives her confidence, but she doesn't realize she has the power on her own to make it. College was the first thing she ever accomplished on her own. Her parents always made sure she never lacked for anything. Finally, I guess she discovered she had a backbone and stood up to her parents. They wanted her to go to some school in Atlanta, but she informed them she was moving to NYC to attend college and she would pay her own way. That's how she got involved in modeling." Felicia paused to give Tim a chance to digest the information.

"How did her parents take it?"

"They tried to send her money, but she'd just send it back to them. I know for the first year, year and a half she was in college, they didn't talk much. That's one of the reasons why it hit her so hard when they died her senior year. She carried around a lot of guilt about those years, but she worked through it, or I at least I thought she had."

The doctor appeared from behind the closed emergency room doors. "I'm assuming you all are here with Miss Fitzgerald."

"Yes, doctor," Pembleton took charge. "What's the diagnosis?"

"Your friend is an extremely lucky lady. She received a mild concussion and several lacerations, mainly on her face and arms. Luckily, she only required a few stitches. She'll be sore and have a bad headache, but she'll make a full recovery."

"Can we see her?" Tara asked.

"As long as you go in small groups and don't overwhelm her, yes," the doctor said. "We'll be keeping her overnight for observation, but I see no reason why she can't go home tomorrow."

Tim couldn't face her just yet, so Tara, Felicia, Pen and Mike were the first group in to see her. "Hey, Mik," Penny said. She was doing her best to hold back her temper. Tim had told her what Mikayla had said in the bar, and Pen was wondering if Mikayla had done this deliberately or whether it was just a strange coincidence.

Mikayla slowly turned her head and looked at Penny. She could see the anger radiating from her roommate's eyes. "Hey, roomies," she said in a flat voice. Felicia walked up to the bed. "Nice way to welcome me to Baltimore, Josephine."

Mikayla managed a weak grin. "You know me, Margaret, always doing a bang up job at whatever I do." The others in the room looked confused. Felicia looked up and explained, "The names are from our favorite book while growing up, Little Women. Jo's her favorite character and Meg was mine."

"True, but please don't tell me they had to cut off all my hair like Jo chose to cut off hers. I think that's the one thing I could never do. It took me too darn long to grow it out from the time you cut it." Mikayla put a hand up to her head. "Nice, a bandage. I hope it color coordinates with the rest of my wardrobe." She turned her head and saw Kellerman standing behind Penny. "Mike, thanks for being here for Penny. She'll never admit it, but she's glad you're here."

Tara had taken Mikayla's hand and squeezed it. "Don't ever do that again, young lady. You gave us quite a scare." She was about to lose control, so she let go of Mik's hand and left the room. "Okay, next one in."

Tim still wasn't ready to go in, so he motioned for Munch to go on into the room. "Mik, Mik, Mik, if you think this is gonna get you off work, it ain't happening," Munch announced as he entered. "Don't worry, Uncle J. I'll be there bright and early Monday morning. I'll wear a hat or something to cover up the bandage." Mikayla was silently wondering where Tim was. She thought he could at least show up and say boo or something. Great, another one she'd chased off. Was she ever going to get this relationship thing right? Once the rest of the group found out Mikayla was going to be all right, they went back to the station. Pen, Tara, Felicia and Tim stayed behind. Finally, Mikayla looked up and asked, "Where's Tim? I didn't hit him with my car, did I?"

"No," Penny said, "he's out in the hallway. I'll see if he's ready to come in here." She went out into the hall and found Tim staring out a window. "She's asking for you, Tim. Something tells me she doesn't remember anything that happened at the bar. Why don't you see what you can get out of her?"

He looked down at her. "So, what, now we're tag teaming your roommate like she's a suspect?"

"That's not what I meant, Tim, and you know it. I know this stressed us all out, but the worst is over. Now, put that calm head back on your shoulders and go in and see her." Felicia opened the door and said to Tim, "Can you give us a minute before you come in?"

"Sure," Tim said, avoiding Penny's glare and walking down the hall to the vending machines. Penny looked at Felicia. "Penny, she wants to talk about something and she wants you and Tara in here." The two roommates came back in and looked at Mikayla.

"I have something to tell you. I should have told you long before this, but it was just too earth-shattering to talk about." Her voice became even softer. "I received a letter from my parents' attorney right before we moved down here. That's why I went back to Atlanta. The letter was from my parents. It was written a couple of years before the crash." Mikayla paused a moment to catch her breath. "I'm not really Mikayla Fitzgerald. I have no idea who I am. I--I'm adopted."

Penny and Tara weren't sure what that was supposed to mean, but Felicia understood the significance. "Mik, honey," Felicia comforted her. "When you were adopted by them, they gave you a name, an inheritance and a legacy. That's all still yours, just as much as it would be if your mother had given birth to you naturally."

"You, of all people, Licia, should understand. In the proper South, all you have is your name. If you don't have your name, or if you disgrace your name, you might as well just fall off the face of the earth, or become a nobody, or disappear into the night. Your name is all you bring into the world and your name is all you take with you. I don't have that anymore."

Pen and Tara stood back and listened to this exchange. Tara began to get a sense of what Mik was going through. Being Irish, she was extremely proud of her heritage and had traced her ancestry back to the small village from which her family had originated. She tried to imagine what it would feel like if someone told her she really wasn't a Burns. Armed with this, she went to Mikayla. "Mik, I think I understand. We Irish are very keen on knowing our family trees, but it doesn't make you any less of a Fitzgerald. Your parents just grafted you into their tree. You're still a Fitzgerald and you'll always be a Fitzgerald."

"But that doesn't replace the fact that my parents lied to me my whole life! Why didn't they tell me sooner? I'm surprised they didn't just hit the talk show circuit and confront me there. How am I ever supposed to believe anyone again?"

Tara sat down on the bed. "Listen to me, young lady. Keep this one thing in mind--friends are the family you choose. I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating. We're your friends, we love you and we'll always tell you the truth. OK?"

Mikayla nodded. "Okay, just bear with me and I'll get through this." She paused. "I-I think I need to talk to Tim now. Would y'all go get him, please?" Mikayla sunk back into her pillow. The girls walked out of the room and Penny spotted Tim in the waiting room, leafing through magazines without reading the pages. He'd made a decision. He decided that, even though he'd only known Mikayla a very short time, this was a relationship worth working on and fighting for. He didn't feel strongly about many things outside of work, but this was something he felt was right. "Tim?" Penny said. "She's ready to talk to you now."

Tim jammed his hands in his pockets and went into Mik's room. She slowly turned her head to face him. "Boy, do I know how to make an impression, or what?" She tried to cut through the tension in the room with no success. "Tim, I need to apologize. I have a feeling I said or did something I shouldn't have back at the bar and I'm sorry," she said through pleading brown eyes. "You can come over here and sit down, I won't bite, remember?" That put a smile on Tim's face. He'd used that against her, so she figured it was her turn to use it. "Let me tell you what I just told the girls. I-recently found out I was adopted, thanks to a letter from my parents that their attorney forwarded to me. But that's not what hurt the most. What hurt the most was that my parents didn't tell me in person, they had to write it in a letter! I always thought we'd had an open relationship, but I guess I was wrong. They were the only ones, other than Felicia, until Penny and Tara, that I'd really opened up to." She paused as Tim tried to follow her. "Forgive me if I have trouble saying things. I have a hard time describing how I feel. Being an actress, I have no problem expressing how Blanche DuBois or Eliza Doolittle feels, but I seem to distance myself when it comes to my own emotions. Am I--making any sense?" He nodded. "Okay, here goes. I've only known you about 24 hours, but from what I know, I like--a lot. We need to take the time to get to know each other completely: mentally and emotionally, not just find out about beside manners." She grinned as a tune popped into her head and she blurted out the song:

"You want to know, where we go from here So many roads, but none that seem clear. Is what we have enough to last a whole life through? Who knows, baby, who knows?

So you're asking me, what do we do? Cause time moves so fast, and the chances seem so few. Is it too much to think that we could have it all? Who knows, we may never know…"

Tim leaned back and took in Mikayla's alto voice and realized she was expressing exactly what he'd been feeling. He'd never had a song affect him that way. When she finished, he said, "That was beautiful. I could really feel the emotions coming through."

"Thanks," she said. "I have an easier time expressing myself through music. To me, the more the singer feels the emotion he or she is singing about, the more the song will move people. I learned that at NYU. The same thing applies to acting. That's when you can tell you've really affected an audience, when someone tells you they were able to feel the true emotions coming through. Then you know you've made a connection, and that's the true reward of performing."

"That makes sense." He paused. "Going back to what you were talking about before that delightfully wonderful musical interlude, I've come to the same conclusion. I think we have the possibility of something happening here and I'm willing to fight for it. There's not much that goes on outside of Homicide that I feel this strongly about; that's how important this is to me."

"Well, I guess it's settled then, huh?"

"It's settled." Tim looked at her and smiled. Mikayla was yawning as the pain pills began taking effect. "You need your rest. I'm going to have your roommates bring my car here. I'll stay with you, then take you home in the morning." Mikayla protested to no avail. Tim went out, made arrangements to have Penny drive his car back to the hospital then came back into the room. He stayed awake until Mikayla fell asleep, then stretched out in a chair and eventually fell into a restless sleep.

As she vowed, Mikayla showed up bright and early seven o'clock Monday morning, prepared to work. "You ready for all the fun?" Penny asked as they made their way up the ramp.

"Anything's gotta be more fun that this past weekend," Mikayla replied. "Are you sure people won't think any less of me for what happened?"

"Honey," Pen leaned over to Mik, "so far, nothing's topped my stripper bombshell. If this gang can handle that, they can handle a little 'accident', OK? Besides, if they give you any trouble, just send 'em to me, they've seen me in action. I didn't get the nickname 'Champ' for nothing." Penny smiled.

"Gee, I can't wait to see what they come up with for me."

They walked into the precinct just as Penny spouted, "How about 'Crash'?"

"Hey, leave my lady alone, would ya?" Tim mischievously smirked as he walked out of the break room. "Morning, sunshine," he whispered in Mik's ear, then glancing around furtively to make sure no one was looking, quickly kissed her.

"Morning to you, too, Timmy," Mik said shyly. This was the first time in a while she'd been nervous about anything, with the exception of the date with Tim. She really wanted to make a good first impression. Lately, it seemed she'd really screwed up her first meetings with people, so she vowed to make this one different.

Tim offered her his arm. "Being the only gentleman here at the moment, allow me to escort you to your desk."

"Hey, my man, I resent that." Lewis suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "And how's our new driving instructor this morning?"

Penny cringed at the thought of how that comment would affect Mik. She knew her roommate's nerves were on edge, especially after the revelations that had come out over the weekend. Mikayla, however, surprised Penny by looking Lewis straight in the face and saying to him point blank, "Just fine, Meldrick. Our lesson this week is 'How to Run Over a Homicide Detective and Live to Tell About It.'"

"And to think I was worried about you, Mik," Pen muttered.

Mikayla turned around and looked over her shoulder at Pen. "Hey, I learned from the 'master of the break room', didn't I?" She blew Lewis a kiss, then took Tim's arm and they walked over to her desk. Tim pulled out her chair and Mikayla sat down, familiarizing herself with her new surroundings. Slowly, everyone began to file in and made their way over to Mikayla to say hi.

"Graham, come here a sec," Kay motioned to Penny.

"What's up, Sarge?"

"You sure she should be here? She just got discharged from the hospital yesterday. She'll be okay?"

Penny nodded. "She'll be fine. Tim, Tara and I will be keeping a close eye on her."

"Okay, good enough for me. You've known her longer than I have." Kay wasn't too sure about Mikayla Fitzgerald. She seemed to be flighty and Sgt. Kay Howard wasn't sure she could handle the stress of the Baltimore Homicide Department. By lunch, however, Kay was beginning to change her mind. The phones were ringing off the hook and to top it off, Barnfather and his cronies appeared, but Mikayla had a way about her of calming people's nerves and putting them at ease. Hell, Kay mumbled to Munch, she even brought a smile to Barnfather's face, which was an almost impossible task. It actually made him look human.

Towards the end of the morning, which was one of the busiest the squad had seen in a while, Mikayla didn't even look frazzled. "How do you do it?" Brodie asked her in a reasonably calm moment.

"Do what?" Mikayla asked as she was putting away files.

"Look so calm when everyone else is pulling their hair out."

"Motivation, Brodie. I learned about it in an acting class at college. I'm a sports fanatic, so I turn the situation into a game. During my daily interaction with people, if I keep my cool while others are bent out of shape, blows up, or something like that, I give myself a point. However, if I lose control, I take away a point. Then, at the end of the day, for every point I earn, I reward myself."

"How do you do that?"

"Well, I used to do with drinks, but from now on, I'm switching to books. Each point is worth a dollar. I keep a running tab, so when I see a book I want, I check to see how many points I have. You know, 10 points=$10, so I know I can spend that amount on a book. You just have to find something that motivates you; it doesn't have to be books. It could be clothes, music, or, maybe in your case, something to do with your cameras." The phone rang, so she paused to answer it. "Homicide Department...wait, hold on, let me get a detective." She looked around to see who had a free moment. "Lewis!" His head popped up. "Line 2!" She turned her attention back to Brodie. "So, see, it's not that complicated."

"It is to me, Mikayla. Thanks for explaining it."

"Anytime, Brodie."

"Hell!" Lewis yelled, slamming down the phone. "Where's Mikey?" Kellerman came strutting out of the bathroom. "Right here! What's your problem?"

"Got another one and it's gonna be bad."

"Why?"

"Leslie Shelley, TV reporter, found dead in her apartment."

"Damn, I feel a redball about to hit us in the ass," Kellerman groaned, grabbing his jacket and following Lewis out the door.

Mikayla thought Gee should be aware of the possible 'situation', so she tapped on his door. "Lt. Giardello?"

"Entre vous, Mikayla, and please, call me Gee." He was sitting behind his desk, leaning back in his chair, taking in all the hubbub in the precinct. "So, how is your first day going?"

"I'm having fun. I love all the excitement," she replied. "Speaking of which, I thought you should be aware of a call that we just got." He motioned for her to sit down. "Lewis and Kellerman took the case. A TV reporter's body was discovered in her apartment. That's all I know, unfortunately, other than her name's Leslie Shelley. I just thought you might want some advance warning."

Gee sat up and leaned on his desk. "Very intuitive, Mikayla. I think I did the right thing in hiring you. You have excellent instincts."

She smiled. "That comes from listening to Penny over the years." She heard someone calling her name. "If you'll excuse me," she said as she stood up, "I'd better go see what that is."

Gee stood up. "Very well, Mikayla. And, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Welcome to the team, Crash," he said as a smile broke on his face.

She blushed. "I guess I'd better get used to that, huh?"

"Definitely," he agreed. She was laughing as she left his office and returned to her desk. "I wonder who was looking for me?" She said to herself.

"Hey, Mik, over here!" Tara yelled from the break room.

Mikayla picked up her cup. "Might as well get some more water for my tea while I'm at it." She walked into the break room. "What do you need, Tara?"

"I'm working on a crossword puzzle and need your help," she answered.

Mikayla poured water into her cup and grabbed a tea bag from the cabinet. "What's the clue?"

"A seven letter word for surprise."

Mikayla thought for a moment as she leaned against the counter. "Hmm, got any letters?"

"Starts with an n."

"Got it," she said, snapping her fingers, "nonplus. Any more?"

"No, that's it. Thanks, Mik," Tara said.

"Welcome, Tara." Mikayla was humming as she returned to her desk. As she approached her desk, she noticed a flower arrangement of purple peonies and baby's breath placed in the center of her workspace. "How beautiful! I wonder who it's from?" She took out the card and smiled as she read what was written on it. "Congrats on not 'crashing' on your first day with the BCPD." She looked up to find Tim, Penny and Tara gathered in front of her desk. "I should've known it was y'all." She pushed the flowers to one side. "Just for that, I think y'all owe me a meal. The Waterfront, anyone?"

"Not right now, Mik, sorry. I have to follow up on some leads," Penny said. "I might be over later, though." She waltzed back to her desk, grabbed a file and looked over her notes.

"I don't have anything planned. I'll go," Tara said. "You coming, Timmy?"

"Sure, why not? Maybe I can sneak out before Frank sees me."

No such luck. "I heard that, Bayliss," Pembleton said. "Where are you planning on going?"

"Across the street to the Waterfront," Tara said, "in honor of Mik's first day on the job."

"Ah, the Waterfront, that veritable home for refugee officers and government employees." Frank quipped.

"So, I guess that means you're coming along?" Mikayla teased.

"Yes, but for no other reasons than to keep an eye on my partner," Pembleton glanced over at Tim.

"Well, let's get a move on, then," Mikayla said, "I'm hungry." She walked over to the coat rack and donned her purple London Fog coat and matching gloves. The rest of the group put on their winter gear and then made their way over to the bar.

Arriving at the Waterfront, the group found Munch behind the bar, wiping it down & stocking supplies. "Hail, hail, the first wave's here," he sang out. "Mik, my dear, it's good to see you still standing."

"My favorite highlight," Tim said, perching on a barstool, "was watching Barnfather. You know how he gets off on torturing new employees? Well, Mik here handled him like a pro."

"Now, really, y'all could give me some credit. You make it sound like I'm a poor, defenseless female," Mikayla grumbled, walking over to the jukebox. She stared into the machine, not really seeing the selections. She was going over the events of the past weekend. Oh, well, she reasoned, I've been Mikayla O'Hara Fitzgerald for 35 years, I guess there's no need to change that. And, she guessed her parents had their reasons for not telling her. She had to admit she'd been raised by 2 of the best parents ever placed on the earth.

Tim watched Mikayla as she gazed into the jukebox; she fascinated him. Sure, other people might see her as a bit of a ditzy female, but he knew there was more to her beneath the surface. He hopped off the barstool & went over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders, leaned down & whispered, "Whatcha thinking about, cutie pie?"

"Nothing in particular, mainly about my parents."

"You were really close to them, weren't you?" Tim didn't know anything about having a normal relationship with his parents. His dad was nonexistent the majority of the time. He saw his mother about once a year, when she showed up for her yearly "spring cleaning" visits.

"Yeah, I was. And, you know something? In spite of what I know now, I wouldn't trade my parents for anything," she sighed as she leaned back into Tim.

"Wish I could say the same," he thought to himself. He wrapped his arms around Mikayla, leaned down & propped his chin on her head. They stood there for quite some time; they didn't know how long. It could have been 5 minutes or 5 hours. They just stayed put, enjoying each other's presence. Munch finally broke it up by yelling, "Hey, didn't you 2 see the no loitering sign?"

"Uncle J? Mind your own beeswax," Mikayla shot back.

Tim turned Mik around to face him. "We could play a song & actually dance. I mean, you've danced with Brodie. I think I rate a dance, at least."

"Honey, you rate much more than a dance & don't you ever forget it," Mikayla said, reaching up & kissing him. "So, Mr. Music Man, what do you suggest?"

Tim looked at the choices, then pulled out some quarters & picked M31 & M19. "I hope you like the first song. When I saw the title, I immediately thought of you." As they were waiting for the music to start, Penny & Logan showed up.

"See what you've started, Graham," Munch complained, "this place is turning into a regular dance hall."

"And as long as your profits increase, I'd clam up about it," Penny said. Logan was glad to see she was fitting in nicely. He was worried when he first heard about her breakup with Lance, but then he realized that if anybody would come out stronger after something like that, it would be Penny. He glanced over at her. "Wanna dance, Pen?"

"If there's music, I'm there," Penny smiled. Pen & Logan joined the other couple on the dance floor as the two couples spun around the floor to the tune of "Brown-Eyed Girl." As the first song ended & the second one began, Pen & Logan left the dance floor & let the other couple have it all to themselves. "Oh, my love…my darling..." the jukebox sang out with "Unchained Melody." Mikayla leaned against Tim's chest, reached up & put her arms around his neck; Tim had his arms around Mikayla's waist & they swayed to the music.

"I really hope this works out for those two kids," Munch said to Penny as he leaned across the bar. "They've both been through a hell of a lot. It's about time something goes their way."

Penny nodded. "I know. Mik's been in a such a funk ever since we moved here, maybe this is the beginning of a turnaround for her." The front door slammed & in walked Lewis & Kellerman.

"Man, I'm not looking forward to this one," Lewis groaned as he planted himself on a barstool. "I just hope we solve it quick so we don't have to put up with Barnfather."

"No joke," Kellerman replied, "I really don't want him riding our asses. G will be doing enough of that."

"Beer, fellas?" Munch asked. They nodded & Kellerman made himself comfortable on a stool next to Pen.

"What's the story, Mike?"

He took a swig of beer. "Leslie Shelley, local reporter, found dead in her apartment. 2 shots, one to the head & one to the chest, but that's not the worst part." Penny looked up. "Her fingers were smashed."

"What's the meaning behind that?" Penny asked.

"Don't know yet," he replied. "We're going down to the station to see what stories she was working on. Maybe that'll tell us something."

Tim & Mik finished dancing, then made themselves comfortable in a booth. "So, what would you like for dinner, Mik?"

"How about a club sandwich and a glass of tea." Mikayla paused. "I figure after this past weekend, I'll take it easy with the booze."

"One club sandwich coming up," Tim said, getting up & going to the kitchen. She walked up to the bar & asked Munch for a glass of tea. He poured one & handed it to her. "Here ya go, Crash," he grinned.

"Thanks, Uncle J," she replied as she sashayed back to the booth. She took a drink & stared out the window. Seeing the falling snow reminded her she had to get out & look for a car. She knew what she wanted; she just had to find a dealer. "Hey, Uncle J," she leaned out & yelled to him. "Come here a minute." He strolled over to her. "Do you know a good Honda dealer?"

"Planning on buying a motorcycle, Mik?"

"No, silly, I've got to get another car. I've got enough money to get a CRV. I just need to know where a dealer is."

Tim returned from the kitchen with two sandwiches & slid in next to Mikayla. Munch looked at his adopted niece. "Well, there's Leach Honda. You might try there." Tim glanced questioningly at her. "What's up?"

She put down her sandwich. "I need to get a new car & I was just asking Uncle J where a good dealership was." She noticed the snow had stopped falling & asked, "Could either of you drive me over there?"

Tim piped up. "Sure, just let me know when you're ready & we'll leave."

"Why don't we take these with us & we can go now?" Tim agreed, so they fixed up the sandwiches to go & left. On the way, Tim asked Mik, "So, what kind of a car are you getting?"

"A CRV. I thought it'd be good to have in case I ever make a trip to the mountains."

"I never pictured you as the 4 wheel drive type. I see you more as the little sports car type."

She laughed. "Tim, there's something you've got to learn about me. I don't do anything small. That word is not in my vocabulary." They pulled into the dealership. Mik knew immediately which care she wanted & headed straight for it--a 1998 fully loaded deep purple Honda CRV. After some negotiating back & forth, Mik & the salesman agreed on a price. "Wanna test it out with me?" She asked Tim. So, they dropped off his Blazer at his apartment & hit the road.

The rest of Mik's first week went pretty much like Monday, without the redball. Lewis & Kellerman, with the help of Munch & Logan, tracked down leads. The strongest one came from a story Leslie was working on about organized crime & drug dealing in Baltimore. The detectives spent most of the week gathering information & interviewing anyone connected to Ms. Shelley.

On Friday, as Mikayla was about to leave, Brodie approached her. "Uh, Mikayla, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Brodie."

"Penny & Tara sent me over here. They said you'd be able to help me."

"If I can, I'm more than happy to." She looked around the station, but didn't see either of her roommates. She wondered if this was a joke & her friends had put him up to it, or whether he really did need her help.

"Well, I-I have a date tomorrow night, & I was wondering." He hesitated. "Could you teach me how to country/western dance?"

Mik's face lit up. "I'd love to! You've made my week, Brodie! I've been trying to find someone to go 'two-stepping' with me since I moved here. My roomies don't like the music that much & Tim's been too busy, so this will be perfect. Would you mind if I called Felicia in the ME's office to see if she wants to come along?" Brodie said that was okay with him & Felicia readily agreed to go. "Are you still staying here at the station?" Brodie had, for some reason unknown to Mikayla, lost his apartment. He'd been making the rounds staying with the detectives, but had worn out his welcome with most of them.

"Not this weekend. Mike Logan's letting me camp out on his couch." Probably so he wouldn't have to listen to Brodie's begging any longer, she though.

"Okay. Why don't I come by & pick you up about 9? That'll get us there before it gets too crowded."