C7KT

                                       Harvey's Christmas Carol

Harvey closed the file and tossed it into the out box that was already half full.   He rubbed his eyes before leaning back in his chair to survey the quiet room. It was Christmas Eve and only a handful of officers were working.
Looking at his watch, Harvey realized that he had been working on the pile of reports for ten hours and still had another six to go.   The double shifts were hard but the extra money was worth the effort.   "I need coffee" he thought as he picked up the grateful dead cup and walked up the stairs to the break area. Harvey took a sip of the hot coffee and walked onto the deck for some fresh air.

The night air was cold and damp. The dense fog had enveloped the SIU causing it to look like a phantom ship hovering over the water.   Something about the night gave Harvey an uneasy feeling and caused him to shiver.   He quickly finished his coffee and walked back inside to find a visitor waiting for him.

"Hello, Harvey" Angel said.

"Angel, what are you doing here? I'm sorry but Nash isn't here right now."

Angel smiled and placed his hand on Harvey's shoulder. "I'm not here to see
Nash. I'm here to see you."

"Me? But...aren't you Nash's guardian angel?" Harvey questioned.

Angel motioned for Harvey to sit down as he explained. "I have been sent to warn you, Harvey.   Tonight you will be visited by three spirits.   These spirits come bearing important information concerning your future, Harvey, so
heed their advise."

Harvey laughed as he patted Angel on the back. "Thanks buddy, but it sounds to me like you've been reading too many Charles Dickens novels."

Angel reached up and cradled Harvey's face with his hands.   "Listen, believe and trust, my friend."   Angel bid Harvey goodbye, walked to the window and dissappeared into the fog.   Harvey was stunned and confused by what Angel had told him but eventually, he shook his head in disbelief. "Bah, Humbug" he mumbled as he made his way back down the stairs.
                                                                    ***
Harvey found himself walking along a deserted road surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains.   There were no buildings, no smog and no people around to spoil the serene setting. He walked on awhile until he heard the sound of a familiar song playing. Turning around, he saw an old VW van coming towards him. It was covered with deadhead stickers, peace signs and flowers of every shape and size were painted on the sides. When the van pulled up along side, Harvey was shocked to see who was driving.

"Hey Harvey! I've been looking everywhere for you, man. Get in. We've got a
long trip ahead of us and not much time to get there." The driver was an older
man with white hair and beard. He had a kind face and Harvey recognized him
immediately.

"Jerry Garcia?   Is it really you? I can't believe....wait a minute, YOU"RE the first spirit?" Harvey laughed at the irony of the situation.   "Who better to haunt a Grateful Dead Fan!" It makes perfect sense."

Jerry reached over and pushed the passenger side door open. "Harvey, I'm still new at this haunting thing so just get in, man. Now pay attention." Jerry and Harvey suddenly found themselves standing in front of an ivy covered
house.

"This is my parent's old house. I haven't been back here in years. Funny, it use to seem much larger" Harvey recalled as he pushed open the swinging gate and made his way to front porch.

"Welcome to christmas past, Harv." Jerry told him. "Let's go in" The two men watched as the excited 10 year old boy tore open his present to find the baseball mitt that he had wanted. "Can we go to the park after lunch and
play some baseball, Dad. You promised to show me how to throw a curveball."

The man smiled and placed a new Dodger's cap on his son's head. "I'm sorry, Harvey. I have to go into work this afternoon. Maybe some other time."   Mr. Leek picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room, leaving his son to deal with his disappointment.

Cheryl Leek sat down beside her little brother and put her arm around his shoulder. "It's ok, little bro. I'll go with you to the park this afternoon. I like playing baseball too, you know."   The little boy
nodded and continued to look sad as he tossed the ball back and forth into the glove.

Harvey wiped away a tear as he remembered the disappointment and sadness that young Harvey was feeling. "Dad was always working. I know that he was trying to provide a good life for his family but still, we missed out on so much. We were never close and I wasn't even there when he died. I can only hope that I will be a better dad to my son."

In the blink of an eye, Jerry and Harvey were parked in front of the SIU.   Before Harvey got out, Jerry turned to him and offered some advise.   "It's great that you want to provide your son with material things but remember to
give him what is most important...Time with his father."    Jerry reached out to shake Harvey's hand.   "I'm glad that we finally had the chance to meet, Harv. See ya down the road!"   The van pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared nto the fog. Harvey could hear the faint sound of "Truckin" somewhere in the
distance.

                                                                    ***
***RING***
"HUH...WHAT?"   Harvey was startled by the ringing of the telephone. He had fallen asleep at his desk and was dreaming about meeting Jerry Garcia. It had seemed so real, though.   He rubbed his eyes as he reached to answer the ringing telephone. "Inspector Leek, SIU."

"Harvey, hi. It's Cassandra Reed...Evan's sister?   Listen, Mom told me that you couldn't join us for Christmas because of work obligations but I...we were hoping that maybe you had changed your mind."

Harvey's eyes drifted to the photo of Evan that was on his desk.   This was the year that he was to have spent Christmas with Evan and his family in Chicago. Evan had made plans to show Harvey all the sights and had joked about setting Harvey up on a date with his sister.   Now, with Evan gone, he couldn't impose on the Cortez family. Christmas would be hard enough for them without having Evan's former partner around to remind them of their loss.   "I appreciate the offer, Cassandra, but I really can't.   Please tell your parents that I wish them a happy holiday.   I'll try to call on Christmas Day."

"I understand. But, why don't we leave the invitation open. If you change your mind...well, you have my parent's address. Merry Christmas, Harvey."

"Merry Christmas, Cassandra and thanks."   Harvey sadly hung up the phone and tried to focus his attention on the reports. It had been a long week and with the extra time that he had been putting in, his mind, body and soul were
exhausted.   Harvey got up from the desk and told Ronnie that he was going to take a break.   A short nap upstairs in one of the cages sounded very good at the moment.
                                                                   ***
"Harvey!!" The feminine voice called out in the darkness. "Harvey Leek, wake up right now!"

Harvey slowly emerged from underneath the blanket and found himself staring at a white transparent figure of a woman.   "Who are you?" he asked as the figure materialized. "Michelle? No..No, you've been dead for over three years!   It can't be..." Harvey threw back the blanket and sat on the edge of the cot.   Laughing, he remarked, "Ok, I get it. Spirit number two reporting for duty, right?"

"You always were a good detective, INSPECTOR." Michelle replied as she sat down beside him.   "You're working too hard, Harv.   What happened to that laid back, easy going guy that I used to know and love."

Harvey stared into space and thought about the question for a moment. "I guess that I lost him somewhere along the way.   Why are you here, Michelle?"

"I'm here to help you with Christmas present, of course."   Michelle took his hand and led him to the window. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

They disappeared into the fog and soon found themselves standing in the home of Vincent and Maria Cortez. The couple was sitting in front of the fireplace, looking through a photo album.   Harvey walked over and sat down on the couch beside Maria. She was pointing out photos to Vincent and commenting on each one.   "This was Evan's favorite photo. He and Harvey had just received a commendation from the Mayor. They looked so handsome in their uniforms."

Vincent laughed and pointed to another photo.   "Harvey was a good friend to Evan.   He's such a nice person; always calling to see if we need anything or just to talk.   I'm sure that he misses Evan as much as we do.   It's a shame that he couldn't join us for christmas but I can understand his reasons for not coming. He lost his best friend and spending time with Evan's family would be a painful reminder of that loss."

"NO! Vincent, that's not the reason." Harvey exclaimed. "Michelle, I thought that it would be painful for them to have ME around."

"Sometimes it's easier to share your grief with those who understand what you are feeling, Harv. Come'on, we have one more stop to make."   Michelle took Harvey's hand once more and this time, they found themselves in Carmel.   They stood outside the large white house and peered into the window at the mother and son who were placing gifts under the tree.

"I want to see my Daddy" Jerry Leek told his Mom. "He's going to be so lonely without me."

"You can call Daddy tomorrow but tonight we are going to have fun with Grandma and Grandpa Paxton, ok."

Five year old Jerry began to cry as he sat down and watched the lights on the tree blink on and off. "You promised that I could spend Christmas with my Daddy this year. We were going to make popcorn in the fireplace and dress King up like a reindeer. We had even bought a special plate for Santa's cookies but now, Daddy doesn't have me there to help him."

Harvey wanted nothing more than to hug his son and tell him that everything would be alright.   "Why did you have to show me this, Michelle. It breaks my heart to know that Anna decides how much time I can spend with my kid. He and I have been planning this christmas for months and then this morning, Anna changed her plans and whisked Jerry away to spend christmas with her parents. Do you know how I found out that she had left? A message on my voice mail." Harvey glanced through the window at his son. "I didn't even get to wish my boy a
Merry Christmas."

Like before, Harvey and Michelle's spirit suddenly appeared back at the SIU.   Harvey lay back down on the cot and Michelle gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Things will work out for you and Jerry. Trust me.   Keep spending as much time as possible with him, Harv.   He loves you very much and you are a great dad.   Just remember to take a little time away from working to be with the ones that you care about." Michelle walked into the fog and disappeared. "Goodbye, Harvey."
                                                               ***
"MICHELLE?" Harvey jumped up from the cot and ran to the window.   He rubbed his face and his eyes as he realized that he had dreamed the encounter with Michelle. "I knew those mushrooms would come back to haunt me someday," he mumbled as he made his way back to the cage and lay back down to try to sleep for a while longer.   "Ok third spirit...come and get me," he yelled before pulling the blanket up over his head.

"Geez, you don't have to yell! I'm here, so wake up and talk to me."

This time Harvey was speechless as he slowly sat up and stared at the spirit. "Evan?"

"It's me, bro. Are you ready to see what the future has in store for you?"

Harvey got up and stood in front of Evan's spirit. "I don't think so, Ev. The past and present have been so sad and heartbreaking.   I don't think I can handle seeing myself as a lonely old man."

"Harvey, trust me. I think that you're going to like what you see. Take a look at the window."   Evan pointed to the fog and a television set appeared.

Harvey sat down at the table and prepared himself for the worse. "Well, at least I can see my fate on a large screen TV."

Evan laughed and sat down next to him. "Very funny...now be quiet and watch." The scene was Harvey's apartment.   It was Christmas Eve, two years in the future.

"Daddy's home!!" Harvey yelled as he put down the armload of packages that he
had bought.

"DADDY!!"   Seven year old Jerry came running down the stairs and leaped from the bottom step into his dad's open arms. "We bought Skylar's gift today. You know that big teddy bear that she wanted? The one that wears a beret like your's?   I found it and Mama let me buy it. And guess what? I paid for it with my own money."

Harvey gave his son a hug and pat on the back. "Do you know how proud I am of you? You are the best son that I could ever ask for. I love ya, buddy!"

Jerry proudly smiled after hearing his dad's praise. "I love you too, Daddy."

Father and son carried the gifts into the living room and placed them underneath a huge tree that was covered with blinking lights, strings of popcorn and old fashioned, handmade ornaments.   "Where's your sister?" Harvey asked after they had placed the gifts in just the perfect spot.

"My Daddy!" Harvey turned to see the little 18 month old curly-haired moppet toddling towards him. "There's my baby girl! How's daddy's little sweetheart?" Harvey picked his daughter up and gave her a hug and kiss before King joined them for his greeting. Father, son, daughter and pet sat on the floor watching the lights on the tree. Each time they would blink on, Skylar would scream with delight and clap her hands. Jerry had his arms wrapped around King and was jingling the bells that were attached to the dog's collar.

Back at the SIU, Harvey was watching the scene in stunned silence. There were no words to describe what he was feeling at this moment.   Evan said a silent prayer of thanks knowing that the future held only good things for his friend. He was, however, still in the dark about who was to be Harvey's wife.

"Jerry...Sky...time for bed. You know that Santa won't visit us until you are both asleep." the woman's voice yelled from the kitchen.   Harvey looked down to see that Skylar was already asleep and Jerry was dozing while using King as a pillow. "Honey, they ARE asleep.   I'll take them up to bed before we have dinner."

After making sure that his children were tucked in for the night, Harvey came back downstairs and sat down on the sofa in front of the fireplace.   Outside, the night was cold and dark but inside his home, it was warm, bright and happy.

"I poured a glass of wine for you" the woman said as she sat down on the coffee table in front of him.   Harvey leaned forward and gave his wife a quick kiss. "Jerry said that you let him buy that bear for Sky today. He wore you down, didn't he?"   The woman shook her head and said, "I'm a sucker for those big blue eyes! By the way, Anna called. She and Hank will be dropping by tomorrow night for a visit before leaving for New York. I'm so glad that she decided to let us have custody of Jerry. I'd say that our family is complete."

Harvey smiled and leaned forward, raising his glass to offer a toast.   "To our second Christmas as a family.   We have so much to be thankful for."   The woman touched her glass to his, "I'll drink to that". When she raised the glass to her lips, a small heart shaped birthmark could be seen on her hand.

The screen disappeared and the fog once again filled the window. "Wait a minute, Evan. Who is that woman? I never saw her face."   Evan shrugged, "I'm sorry, Harv, but they wouldn't tell me her name. It's suppose to be a surprise, I guess."    Harvey nodded and the two men walked over the window together.

They stood silent for a moment before embracing each other. "I miss you Evan.
You were...you are... my little brother and I love you, man."   Harvey felt the
tears stinging his eyes. He was finally ready to let go of his friend and say
goodbye.

"I love you too, Harv. You were there for me when no one else cared. I'll always be with you, bro."   Evan backed away but hesitated before walking through the window. He knew who would be Harvey's future wife.    He turned around and smiled as the tears filled his eyes.   "Take good care of her, Harv. Tell her that I love her, ok?"   And with those words, Evan disappeared into the fog.

"Evan wait...I don't understand..." Harvey called after him but Evan was gone. Was this a dream too? "Wake up, Harv. Wake up" he was telling himself.

"Harvey, wake up. You told me to wake you in an hour."   Harvey opened his eyes to see that Ronnie was calling his name. "There's someone waiting to see you."

As Harvey approached his desk, he noticed a woman with long, dark hair holding he photo of Evan.   "Hey, I'm Harvey Leek. Can I help you?"

The woman turned around and smiled as she introduced herself. "Hi Harvey, I'm Cassandra. I know that you said that you couldn't come to Chicago this year but I just had to ask one more time. My plane leaves in a couple of hours and I know that there's an extra seat available.   I would love to have some company on that long flight home.   Won't you please change your mind?"

Harvey thought about her request for a moment and then began shutting down his computer and locking up his desk. "I just need to stop by my place and pack a bag. I also need to make a quick phone call. I need to wish my son a Merry Christmas."   He grabbed his coat and beret and took her arm to guide her to the front exit. They stopped by Ronnie's desk where Harvey left a message for Nash. Borrowing a pen from Cassandra, he wrote, "I'm taking a week off. Deduct it from the time that I have built up. If you need me, I'll be in Chicago with the
Cortez family."   He handed the note to Ronnie, wished him a merry christmas and then handed the pen back to Cassandra. It was when she took the pen that he noticed the heart shaped birthmark on her right hand.

                                                                     ***
Angel, Jerry Garcia, Michelle and Evan watched from the window as the couple left the building and got into Harvey's PT Cruiser.   "Will they have a good life together, Angel?" Evan asked.   Angel put his hands together as if in prayer and answered, "They will have a long and wonderful life together, Evan. I promise you that."   He then put his hands to his lips and threw kisses owards the car as the couple drove away.