Ruth Sadelle Alderson

Also on AO3


Mike goes looking for Jeff after his workout. He knows she's here somewhere, probably, after he looks everywhere else and doesn't find her, behind the closed doors in the doc's office. If she's stuck in with them, it could be a while; Jeff always complains about the docs being overcareful with her.

Mike goes to get something to eat and texts Jeff to let her know to come find him when she's done.

"I thought you and Carts would be sewn together at the hip by now," Dewey says from across the room, like he's one to talk. Lewie's on the couch next to him in a room full of empty seats.

"She's still doing her stuff," Mike says, with a gesture as vague as what he knows about what kind of stuff Jeff is stuck doing.

Mike keeps half an eye on the door, so he sees it when Jeff comes in. She's smiling already, at whoever is behind her in the hall giving the tour, and then she looks into the room and smiles at Mike. It doesn't stop him in his tracks, because he's already on his way to her and his body keeps moving, but it makes him realize it's the first time he's really seen her happy since the last time they won a game together in Philly.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," Mike mocks back, just to be a dick.

Jeff rolls her eyes and hugs him tightly.

Mike hugs her back just as tight. "Glad you're here, Cartsy."

They haven't even been hugging for that long when Dewey calls, "Get a room!"

Mike lets go of Jeff with one arm so he can flip Dewey off.

Dewey laughs like this is the best time he's ever had and comes over to them. "They brought you here to score, right?"

"Not with you," Jeff says. She greets Dewey with a half handshake, half hug that pulls her away from Mike. "Good to see you, man."

"It's been for-fucking-ever," Dewey says. It hasn't. "Rick here has been miserable." He hasn't.

Jeff eyes Mike and says, "Rick?"

Mike rolls his eyes, and Jeff gives him a smile that equates to her giving him shit for it.

"Jessica," Mike says pointedly.

"But no one calls me that," Jeff says, which is mostly true. Only her mom, strangers, and assholes who don't learn any better call her that. Maybe a boyfriend or two; Mike doesn't know that one for sure.

Brownie joined them at some point, and he's standing next to Dewey waiting patiently for them to be done.

Jeff turns away from Mike with a smile, still so much happier than he's seen her in so long.

"Hi," Brownie says, and he gives her the same kind of handshake he gave Mike when Mike was new. "Welcome to the team."

"Thanks," Jeff says.

"Let me know if anyone gives you shit," Brownie says, and Mike can feel himself tensing and see it in Jeff - she can take care of herself - before Brownie finishes his sentence with, "I can have Lewie send Dewey to his room." He finishes it off with a cuff to the back of Dewey's head.

Mike leaves Dewey and Brownie to scuffle it out and asks Jeff, "Wanna get out of here?"

Jeff glances across the room at the clock. "Can't. Press in a couple of hours, and other shit they want me to do before then." Her stomach growls, and Mike elbows her.

"Come on. There's food."

She grabs a plate and sits with him to eat.

"How was all your stuff this morning?"

"Same shit, different city," Jeff says. "It's like they think I haven't figured out how to use condoms."

Mike doesn't bring up the time they never talk about. They don't talk about it, and it was half a dozen years ago.

"Fuck them," he says instead, and gets a quick grin out of Jeff for it.