#youlikeit - BLACKBIRD book 1

17. another speech

The team left the stage. Gillian stepped back to follow them, pretending not to know what was coming next, while people cheered with a warm applause. King Gillian took the stage in three steps and stretched out his arm to bring her back before the guests.

She received a medal for twenty years of outstanding service, faking the surprise but not the emotion. The Commissioner shook her hand. King Gillian hugged her, kissed her cheek and put her before the microphone once more.

"Oh, well, here we are again." She smiled, wet eyes bright on the open velvet case in her hands. "Maybe you people wanna order some coffee, to stay awake for another of my speeches?" She paused with a deep breath, giving room for their giggles. "Twenty years. Wow! See? Now you can do your math and figure what an old lady I am, right?" She used the new round of giggles to breathe deep again.

She didn't care about the three hundred pairs of eyes fixed on her. She was getting ready to do what she had in mind. She knew it would make some noise, but there was no way she would let such a chance slip away. And for one damned time, her father, the brass and all their stupid political issues could very well go to hell.

Everybody noticed her emotion when she looked up from the medal to face them again. And Brock realized that for the first time since she'd stepped up there, she was being really serious.

"I want to dedicate this medal to three persons, and I'd like to tell you who, and why," she said. "It's such a good thing, having the chance to fight to make the world a better place. And it's better, and actually easier, when you do it for your children. And that's my case." Her eyes met Connor's proud smile and she felt the tears stinging her eyes, so she went on. "And it's even better when your father turns his whole life into an example to show you the right way to fight. And that's my case."

King Gillian, standing by the SCU tables, nodded with his proud, confident smile. She smiled back at him and looked ahead again. And Brock couldn't be sure, but she seemed to meet Cooper's eyes for a heartbeat.

"Over all these years, sometimes, while working on a case, I may come up with what my colleagues like to call one of my crazy theories about the suspects. And when I act on those crazy theories, they call me a daredevil. But I'm not. Actually, I'm just applying what I've learned from the third person I want to dedicate this medal to. Which I know is odd, since this person, this man, is not family, not even a friend, and I only had the chance to work with him three times over these two decades."

Brock scowled, refusing to believe she was going where she seemed to be going. But then he saw her look straight at Burton, and her smile hardened, as if she were about to say something to piss him off on purpose.

"This man is one of the best experts in criminal psychology America's had in decades," she said, and there was an edge of steel in her voice now, while she enjoyed Burton's awkward frown. "And he's not only that. He also has the rare skill to share, and pass on, his seamless knowledge about criminal profiling. So plain people like me can understand it, and take advantage of it. And so, he saves even more lives than he's already saved in the field by himself."

Brock managed to conceal his jolt.

By his side, Andrea glanced up at him—she's talking about you, right, Dad? And the idea of this stranger praising her dad, in this gala full of so many important people, made her want to laugh out of pure joy. She confirmed her suspicions when she saw Russell nod with a discreet smile, as Gillian went on.

"Those closer to me already know who I'm talking about. And only a couple of weeks ago, my team had the chance to see for themselves I'm not exaggerating. I'm talking about Special Agent Declan Brockner, with the FBI, who we're so lucky to have currently working in our city," she said in that firm, plain way of hers.

The whole SCU and their companions, and some people Brock had never seen before in his life, turned to smile at him, as Andrea grinned—yep, that's my dad, see? Russell faced him, always smiling and nodding his approval.

Gillian met Brock's eyes for the first time in the evening, and her smile turned warmer at his helpless unawareness, which kept him frozen and stiff, nailed to his chair, his glaring scowl fixed on her. She felt the warmth spreading over her chest. Stupid caring man, how hard and how long have they been beating you down, that you're so surprised because I'm voicing something you already know?

And it was so weird, that looking at him made tears sting her eyes just like when she'd looked at her son. So she pressed her lips together, glancing down at the medal in the surprised silence filling the ballroom. Oh, well, all of you uptight brassed asses, I'm so not sorry. She smiled again as she looked up.

"So they are the three persons I owe this medal to: my son Connor, for giving me the best reason to fight. My father, who gave me a role model to look up to in this fight. And Special Agent Declan Brockner, who showed me a different and very effective way to fight." She met Brock's eyes again, smiling wider. "Thanks for helping me catch so many bad guys, sir, and welcome back to the field. Working with you is always an honor."

She made a general nod and stepped back, meaning to leave the stage before her knees gave in and people saw her blush.

King Gillian cut her off at the last step down the stage, behind the sound columns, hands in his pockets and a stormy scowl darkening his face. "We give you a medal and you thank it to a fed?" he asked.

She'd foreseen his harsh accusation, and was ready to answer, with a mild smile that puzzled him. "Dad, the feds hate him. They've been trying to get rid of him for years. Look at their table: they don't even look at him."

King Gillian did and his lips pursed in a tight smirk. His daughter was right: her words were causing heartburns rather than pride. A fed with a heartburn was always good news. Two senior feds with a heartburn was priceless. He scoffed and stepped aside, allowing her to head back to her table, to join Connor and her team. To Gillian's dismay, they were all gone. They were already reaching Brock's table.