Intervention

Ban kept a close eye on his partner on the return to base, not liking what he saw. The pouring rain hadn't been enough to hide the pain etched on Hoji's face, the grief in his eyes. He'd never seen the other man look so haunted and he never wanted to see it again. Ever. He knew he couldn't even begin to imagine what Hoji was feeling right now. His partner had loved that woman, Teresa, or if he hadn't he'd been very close to it, and it had come crashing down around him. It couldn't have happened any other way though. Hoji had his duty and he would never compromise it. Not even for love.

He let Jasmine drive back to base, staring out the window as the rain continued to fall, a perfect counterpoint to his depressing thoughts. He wasn't happy about Hoji driving back by himself but he couldn't see any way of convincing his stubborn partner to drive back with either him and Jasmine or, failing that, Sen-chan and Umeko. This case had been important to Hoji, his chance to become tokukyou, and while he'd known that getting his gold badge would take Hoji away him, Ban couldn't find it in him to sabotage things - if Hoji wanted this, Ban would make sure he got it. That was what he'd thought at the time. Now he wished he'd given in to the temptation to interfere, even if only a little, if it would have spared Hoji this.

Back at the Deka base, after he'd found out Hoji had rejected the gold badge he'd worked so hard for, had paid such a high price for, he spent half an hour trying to track his partner down. There was nothing he could do to make Hoji feel better about any of this, but there was one thing he could do and that was distract him, take his mind off everything for a while. It wouldn't last, of course, Hoji wouldn't forget today, but maybe it would help. Just a little. Spotting Hoji walking down the hallway in front of him, Ban increased his pace.

"Hey, Aibo!"

"Aibo ja nai," came the expected response, but the usual 'Don't call me partner' lacked its usual bite, a fact that Ban saw as proving his point. Well, that was where plan Distract Hoji came in, wasn't it? He draped an arm round the taller man's shoulders and started dragging him off in the desired direction, trying not to show his surprise at the way Hoji let him do so.

It was definitely time for some intervention.