Си Паради - Dancing With Shadows

Megan walked over and hugged her. "Like I could really say no to that."

Tony kissed Megan. "Thanks."

After Megan left, Tony took the clothes out of the hamper and put them in the laundry basket. Stripping the bed, she added the sheets and a few other loose clothes in the bedroom to the basket, and walked into the kitchen to get the laundry detergent from the pantry.

Tony was disgusted to find that she still had to favor her leg walking down the hallway. But on reflection, she decided she really shouldn’t be upset. It could have been a lot worse. She vividly remembered being awash in light from the headlight of the rapid and honestly didn’t know how they had managed to escape the wheels of the transit train. At least Megan seems better today.

Megan exited the elevator and walked toward her car. Passing another tenant, she stopped and turned to look at him again, but he was walking toward the elevator, his back to her. There was something about him that seemed familiar. Shaking her head, she decided he probably just reminded her of someone she knew.

Megan pushed the shopping cart down the aisles of the small Bi-Rite store. The prices were a little higher than Finast, or was it Topps now, but it was more convenient, and it was worth it just not to have to deal with the crowded larger store. Stopping in front of the fruit display, Megan looked at the peaches. Selecting a dozen, she thought, this should last her a while. Leaving the produce area, Megan headed toward the bakery.

Tony opened the door of the apartment and heard the phone ringing. Picking it up in the kitchen, she said, "Hello."

"What’s with you anyway? You’re not even back in town a week and you’re in the paper again. Just can’t stay out of the news, can you?" Brian teased, effectively concealing his concern.

Tony smiled at the familiar voice. "Good morning to you, too, smart ass. How are things in your neck of the woods?"

"Quieter than yours," Brian retorted before adding, "you ok?"

"Yep. Got lucky." Tony thought, Very lucky.

Brian glanced down at the newspaper he was looking at, and said, "Paper says you fell from the platform. Somehow I find that hard to believe."

Tony snorted, "Fell, huh? I don’t think so. Guy behind me got shoved, lost his balance, and we both landed rather unceremoniously on the tracks. End of story," Tony summed up succinctly.

"The story says it was a miracle you were both uninjured. Care to let me know how you managed that?"

Tony heard the concern through the bantering in Brian’s voice, and said, "I was able to roll off the tracks along with the guy that fell with me."

Brian thought about what Tony said. He had seen her in action and she defied imagination. He had the utmost respect for her and considered her a friend. "Ok. Just checking to make sure you were all right. When are you guys coming over for dinner? Shannon’s been asking and the kids are really excited about meeting a real live FBI agent," Brian said chuckling. "They’re at that hero worship age."

Oh hell. I'm gonna have to turn him down again. "I’m working on a case that involves shift work right now. How about I give you a call when it breaks?"

"Sounds good," Brian said. He was looking forward to having Tony and Megan over.

"See ya," Tony said, replacing the receiver.

Tony had just set the phone down when it rang again. Frowning, she picked it up.

"Hello."

"Tony?" David asked, hesitantly. He'd only spoken on the phone with Tony once and wanted to make sure it was her.

"Yeah," Tony said, resting her weight on her uninjured leg.

"This is David. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. The paper said…"

"I know. I’m fine. The paper exaggerated the accident," Tony ad-libbed, having no idea what the paper said because she hadn’t read it yet.

David smiled, and said, "Oh, good. We were really worried."

"Thanks for calling David," Tony said with mixed feelings. She wasn’t used to having people care one way or the other what happened to her, except for Megan. She appreciated his concern, but found it somewhat disconcerting.

"No problem. Talk to you later," David said, relieved.

"Bye."

Tony opened the door figuring the wash should be about done when the phone rang again. Exasperated, she picked it up saying, "Hello."

Barbara was taken aback. She couldn’t have misdialed. Megan’s number was programmed into the memory. Tentatively, she asked, "Is Megan there?"

Not recognizing the voice, Tony forgot her irritation and said pleasantly, "She’s not home right now. May I take a message?"

Why was someone else answering Megan’s phone? "Yes. Would you tell her to call her mother?"

"Sure," Tony said, hoping her tone hadn't been to brusque when she answered the phone.

Hanging up the phone, Tony opened the apartment door for the second time when the shrill sound of the phone once again split the air.

Ignoring it, she closed the apartment door.

Megan took the grocery bags out of the trunk and loaded them into the elevator, holding it with the stop button. Arriving on the fourth floor, she pushed the stop button in, grabbed a couple of the bags, and went to the apartment. Tony heard her and opened the door, taking the bags and putting them in the kitchen. She walked to the elevator with Megan to get the rest of the groceries.

"Your Mom called and wants you to give her a call," Tony told Megan while they were putting the groceries away.

Megan looked up from putting a box of rice and some pasta in the cupboard. "Did she say anything else?"

"No. But I think she was surprised I answered the phone," Tony said, still looking through bags.

"This is going to be real interesting. You have no idea how nosey she is," Megan said, frowning. "Guess I'll call and see what she wants when we get done here."

Tony looked up and winked. "Just tell her you have a roommate."

"Well, that does happen to be true," Megan said, grinning at her partner. "Just don't make me laugh when I tell her that."

Tony drew and exaggerated "x" across her chest. "I promise to behave while you are talking to your mother." Smirking, she added, "But only until you get off the phone."

Megan's eyes started twinkling, and she said, "Is that a promise?"

"Do you want it to be?" Tony parlayed back, grinning.

Chuckling, Megan said, "You are so bad."

Looking in another bag, Tony smiled when she saw the peach pie. Walking over to Megan, she kissed her, and said, "Thanks."

Opening the last bag, she glanced over at Megan. "You got Dove Bars."

Grinning, Megan said, "Don’t tell me. You like those too?"

"Well… a little," Tony said, with twinkling eyes.

Walking into the living room to call her mother, Megan noticed the red light on the answering machine blinking.

"Someone else must have called when you were in the laundry room," she said, depressing the play message button.

Tony put the last few items away and arrived in the living room in time to hear the message.

"Hi, Tony. This is Mom. If you have time, give me a call."

Megan looked at her partner and smiled. "Must be family day today."

Tony shook her head. "Yeah, I guess it is." Some days you just couldn’t win. Sitting down on the couch, she extended her sore leg out along the side of the coffee table. It felt a little better that way.

Megan sat down next to Tony and dialed her parents’ number. "Hi, Mom. You called?"

Barbara smiled at the sound of her daughter's voice. "Hi. I just wanted to remind you about Saturday. "Who answered your phone?"

She sure didn't waste any time asking. "Tony." Glancing at her partner, and winking, Megan said, "She lives here, too."

Well this is sure a surprise, Barbara thought. Walking out to the kitchen to get her tea, she asked, "Since when? You never mentioned having a roommate. How did you meet her?"