Description: Things are looking up for ole Dexter Morgan.
A/N: Me likee feedback mucho. I apologize in advance for the length.

CHAPTER SIX

Dexter woke up feeling… refreshed. The Dark Passenger had been appeased for the time being, Dexter officially had a girlfriend and he was on his way to work to sink his teeth into a theory he had a good feeling about.

Life was… manageable.

He turned over in bed, looked at the clock and panicked.

It was 1:00.

P.M.

He grabbed his phone—26 missed calls, mostly from Deb.

He scrambled out of bed, showered quickly, and high-tailed it to work. He crashed through the elevator doors to find the floor overrun with officers.

Deb spotted him first. "Dexter," she called. Where the hell have—"

"I know, I know," Dexter moaned. "I overslept. Catch me up."

She leaned in close, grinning. "You're like the hero of the century right now."

"Of the century?" he repeated.

"Well, more like of the week."

LaGuerta walked up. "So nice of you to join us, Dexter."

"Sorry, I just—"

"It's OK," she nodded. "We managed without you." She walked to the front of the room. "Listen up folks; now that Dexter is here, I have some announcements to make."

The room fell silent and a crowd formed around where she was standing.

"Several of you are aware that I got a phone call from Dexter Morgan last night suggesting that all five of the victims in yesterday's massacre were also our prime suspects. As out of this world as that idea sounds, we used that as a jumping off point for today's activities. Since this morning, we've learned that all five victims had residue on their hands that suggests they had recently fired guns. Our officers scoured the area, and three firearms were recovered from nearby dumpsters; one had been wiped clean, but the remaining two had prints that matched those of two of the victims, and all three guns currently seem to match bullets that were found at the crime scene. Finally, the one eye witness that has stepped forward has given testimony that seems to corroborate the theory. While the investigation is very much still underway, our findings so far seem to indicate that…Morgan is right."

Wow, Dexter thought to himself. Deb elbowed him, smiling.

"All told, we might be able to close this thing by the end of the week."

There were general nods and smiles that spread throughout the assembled crowd.

"It's not all good news. The case of José Ramirez remains unsolved, and we have reason to believe that the primary suspect, Gary Phillips, may have checked into a Motel 8 several days ago, although his current whereabouts are unknown. Even so, we should be happy that we're well on our way to settling one out of two cases."

Speak for yourself, Dexter thought.

"Guys, you've put in a lot of hours, and some of you haven't seen your family in days. Unless you're essential personnel, and you know who you are, I'll see you tomorrow."

The crowd dispersed. "Thank God," he whispered to Deb.

"Why? So you can go crawl into your man cave and do whatever it is you do on weekends?"

"I'm not going home, Deb," he said, grabbing his satchel. "I have a girlfriend." He headed towards the elevators, but Deb jumped in front of him.

"Who?"

"Rita," he answered. Deb could barely contain her delight.

"When did this happen?"

"Last night. I went there after I left here. We had a long talk and… we're going to give it a shot."

Deb was beside herself. "You dog," she said. The elevator doors opened and Dexter stepped inside, before waving to Deb as the doors closed between them.

Dexter walked up to Rita's door and knocked, but no one answered. He turned and saw her car in the driveway. She must be here. He knocked again. Then he heard children laughing. He walked around the side of the house and saw Rita and the kids in the backyard, spread out on a blanket and eating.

"What do we have here?" he asked.

"Dexter!" Cody and Astor squealed. Cody jumped up and gave him a hug.

"Dexter, we're having a picnic," he said.

Dexter waved to Rita. "Hey you."

She smiled. "This is a pleasant surprise," she said.

"Yeah, I just showed face at work. They didn't need me after all."

"And the case? Were you right?"

"So far…it seems so."

"Great," she beamed. She pulled out two slices of bread and a package of cheese. "Have you had lunch yet?" she asked.

Dexter shook his head.

"Then you're just in time," she said with a smile.

Dexter strolled over to the blanket and sat down next to her as she made him a hearty turkey sandwich with coleslaw and potato chips. She handed him the plate.

She watched contentedly as he ate for several moments, then snuggled in closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. Dexter answered with a peck on her forehead. She looked up at him. "I'm glad that you're here Dexter," she sighed.

He looked at her a moment, then at a playful Astor and Cody, and then (it seemed) he looked out at the whole world. There was sun, and breeze, and food, and laughter…and Rita. And all of this, everything around him, seemed...normal. He turned back to her.

"I'm glad to be here," he replied.

And for the first time in his life, it almost felt true.

THE END.