Rating: G

Category: Holiday

Series: 11th in "Daedalus" Series

Warnings: Spoilers for other stories in the series. A vignette of New Year's Eve, 1999, and reflections on the past year's events.

Notes: This series began a week or so after "Murder 101," and will continue through the fourth season and beyond.

Standard disclaimers apply: I don't own them, I'm just playing with them.

~*~*~*~

From the "Cascade Times," December 31, 1999:

CASCADE PREPARES MILLENIUM CELEBRATION

~*~*~*~

"Blair, you're out of salsa!"

"That's because you ate it all, Henri."

"Did not and butt out, Rafe."

"Top shelf, H."

"Thanks, Jim."

Blair laughed at the exchange, glad he'd had the forethought to buy three jars of Old El Paso salsa. Henri Brown consumed it like a Hoover, usually heaping enough for three chips onto one.

Henri found the extra salsa and opened the jar with a POP! "Come to papa," H said, pouring it into the empty bowl. He immediately grabbed a Tostito and scooped up a pile of salsa.

"That's gross," Amy West said as she crossed from the sofa to the dining table to grab more broccoli spears and ranch dressing.

The loft was pleasantly cozy with its two residents and seven guests. Jim had invited his friends over to help bring in the new millennium with food and liquor. It was an impromptu celebration, more Blair's idea after the rash of gang slayings that had kept the entire department busy this past week. It was a much-needed breather.

Megan fiddled with the CD player, finally settling on a U2 compilation album. She put it on shuffle and reclaimed her seat on the couch next to David Noble. "The Sweetest Thing" began to play.

When Amy sat on the floor next to Blair, he reached over and grabbed a broccoli spear off her plate. She mock-glared at him. He reacted with a goofy grin that made her laugh.

Tracey giggled from her spot on the couch. "Men are just too lazy to get their own food, sis," Tracey said.

Rafe elbowed his wife. In response, Tracey pinched his side. Rafe yelped and leapt off the couch, almost knocking Jim over as he entered the circle of people in his living room.

"Sorry, Jim," Rafe said.

Jim shook his head and settled into a chair. He looked over at Simon with a wicked grin. "You know, Captain," Jim said. "You should really control your men better."

"I've tried," Simon replied with exaggerated fatigue. "Never works."

The telephone rang and Blair lunged for it. The clock on the wall said 7:02 and he was waiting for a call.

"Mom!" he said, a wide grin creeping over his face. "Yeah?" Blair listened, laughing softly. "You, too. Bye."

The conversation had been short and one-sided. Blair hung up and turned toward his captive audience. "Naomi is in Greenwich," Blair reported. "She said the Millennium came and the world didn't end."

"Cheers to that," David said, holding up his beer bottle.

The others raised their drinks. "Cheers!"

~*~*~*~

The television screen flickered with reports of celebrations all across Europe. Fireworks in Paris and London, parties all over the world. Then it switched over to Dick Clark and Times Square, counting down. Five…four…three…two…

Five people watched intently, sharing soft conversation.

Megan Connor sneaked away from the group to stand outside on the balcony. It was bitter cold, but she breathed in the fresh air, watching lights far away in the harbor. She wondered what her father had done to celebrate this New Year's, and missed him suddenly. Her week-long trip home had been wonderful, but it made leaving again very hard. Even with David by her side.

She smiled when she thought of David. He'd been eager to see every part of Australia she could show him. Megan's old co-workers at the New South Wales PD had taken an instant liking to him, Yankee though he was.

The balcony door slid open and a shadow fell across her.

"It's freezing out here," Jim said, moving to stand next to her.

Megan shrugged, crossing her arms more tightly across her chest. "We'll have a good view of the fireworks," she said.

The Coast Guard was allowing a barge to set fireworks off in the harbor at the stroke of midnight. They would be able to be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

"In three hours," Jim said. "You'll be a Popsicle by then."

"I'll go in a minute," Megan said. "What's all this concern about?"

Jim's turn to shrug. "How are your case reports?"

A choppy segue into a new topic, but Megan played along. "I've got a few more left," she replied. "You know, Jim, I'm in a place right now I never imagined I'd be in a year ago."

"Yeah?"

Megan nodded, smiling at him. "I'm in love, Jim. I've never been in love like this. With all that happened last year"—her mind flashed momentarily to Kroeger—"I never imagined being here. Not here, here, but you know what I mean."

"I do," Jim said. "I'm happy for you. It's hard to find someone you can love that much."

She had never met Jim's ex-wife, but wondered if he was thinking of Carolyn right now. "Neither of us wants to get married," Megan said. "But we also don't want to be apart."

"Then don't be," Jim said.

Megan studied him, wondering where this wisdom was coming from. Since her arrival in Cascade, Major Crime had become her surrogate family and, in a way, Jim was taking the role of big brother. It was actually quite charming.

"Thanks, Jim."

"Hey," Blair called from the balcony doors. "You coming back in? It's frigid out there and you're letting a draft in."

Jim chuckled. Megan shook her head lightly and turned to go inside.

~*~*~*~

"Okay, I got another one," Blair said. "Best actor of the twentieth century?"

"Tom Hanks," Tracey said immediately. She, Rafe, Megan and David were sandwiched on the couch again.

Henri hissed softly, and Tracey stuck her tongue out at him. H pretended to be hurt and stared at his partner. "Rafe, are you gonna let your wife get away with that?"

Rafe tickled Tracey, who yelped and climbed over him to sit on the other side of Megan and David.

"I don't have to take that," Tracey pouted.

"Marlon Brando," David offered.

"I'll give him an offer he can't refuse," Jim rasped in a poor impersonation.

"Jimmy Stewart," Simon said.

"Tom Cruise," Amy said. Several pillows flew at her head and Amy ducked. "I was kidding, guys!"

"Okay," Blair said. "Best car model of the century."

The three women groaned loudly as the men began to shout answers.

~*~*~*~

The wall clocked inched toward 11:50 p.m. There was a large collection of spent beer bottles and soda cans on the dining table. Most of the food was gone. Everyone clumsily found his or her coat for the wait on the balcony.

Soon, the nine were gathered on the balcony. Megan and David, Tracey and Rafe. Blair and Amy. Henri, Jim and Simon.

"Hard to believe," Simon said, his breath puffing out in clouds of vapor. "Another year gone by."

"A long year," Jim added. So much had happened, so many changes. New and old faces arriving and leaving. Noble joined the department. Blair had his doctorate. Rafe got married. Dills passed away.

"Anyone making resolutions?" Rafe asked.

They looked at one another, no one willing to start. Finally Simon sighed loudly.

"I suppose," Simon said, taking out his cigar case. "I should cut down on these."

Tracey piped up, "Learn to cook better before we both starve."

Rafe held her close. "Work harder on the idea of kids," he said softly. Tracey gazed at him adoringly.

"Swallow my fear," Amy said. "And follow my dream of acting to Broadway."

David cleared his throat. "To better reciprocate all the friendship that has been extended to me since my transfer. I've never met a better group of people."

Megan linked her arm through David's. "I'll hold on like hell to what I've got and live for the present. Not the past."

Everyone's eyes fell on Jim and Blair, the last to speak. Finally Blair grinned and glanced up at Jim.

"To keep ignoring Jim when he says 'Stay in the car, Sandburg,'" he said.

Jim reached out to swat him, but Blair dodged his hand and scuttled to the other side of the balcony.

"What about you, Jim?" Simon asked.

Jim thought a moment, but only one thing came to mind. Something that had been on his mind almost constantly for months now. The thing he wanted more than anything. "My resolution," Jim said, "Is to find Icharus and shut him down. Him and whoever is pulling his strings."

All around him heads nodded in agreement. The Sentinel of the Great City had spoken.

Inside the clock hands moved to 12:00. The sky above the harbor lit up with fireworks, bright splashes of red, white, blue, green, yellow, orange, and purple.

"Happy New Year!" they chorused.

END

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