PART ONE

Up until the moment John Cooper received a phone call from a panicked Chickie Brown, it had been a pretty good day.

He'd ragged Ben Sherman mercilessly about his new interest in badge bunnies, bust open a gangbanger's nose, had lunch at an awesome Armenian joint. Ended watch on time and got in an excellent final dig at Sherman's nocturnal activities that had made the rookie spit out a mouthful of soda trying not to laugh. Escaped the day mostly without pain and without the need for pills.

When the call came, he was quietly sipping a well-deserved beer at his favourite bar and debating whether he wanted nachos.

"'Sup, Chick?" He flipped the phone open with one hand, the other occupied with his beer.

"Are you home?" Chickie sounded like she had a cold.

"No, I'm still downtown. Just havin' a quick beer. Where you at?"

"My place."

"Everything okay?"

"Not really." Chickie's voice dropped to a whisper. "You got plans for tonight?"

"Hot date with my couch and the Lakers game. What's goin' on, Chick?"

"Think you can come over?"

"Do I need to have my gun ready?"

"It's nothing dangerous, Coop, jeez. I just need to talk."

Cooper frowned, took another pull on his beer. He had known Chickie Brown a long time and he was aware something was very wrong in her world at this moment but he was damned if he could tell what.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," he told her. "Put some beers in the fridge."

"Thanks, Coop."

"I didn't do anythin' yet, darlin'." He snapped the phone shut and drained the remainder of his beer.

It was a quiet drive out to Toluca Lake at that time of night and Cooper could open up the Challenger on the empty roads, enjoying the assured roar of the powerful engine. Laurie had thought he was crazy to buy the muscle car but Cooper had never regretted it for a moment; the Challenger was part of him and he never felt better than when he was behind the wheel.

He let himself into Chickie's house. Found her in the kitchen, slugging coffee like it was vodka. Her eyes met his and he saw the redness from recently-shed tears.

"You okay?" he asked softly, leaning in the doorway.

She didn't speak, just held out a small white object that appeared to be a digital thermometer. Confused, Cooper took it. And realised what it was at the same moment he registered two blue lines on the display.

For a moment, he just stared at it as if it would change if he looked for long enough. "You're pregnant?" He eventually looked up in disbelief.

"That's what the tests said. All four of 'em." Chickie's eyes were still wide with shock, all colour drained from her face. Her hands were shaking as she took back the pregnancy test.

"How long have you known?"

"Coupla hours. Soon as I could stop crying, I called you." Tears welled again but she swiped them away. "I've been putting off doing the test all week, but I knew…I fuckin' knew, Coop…"

Cooper could think of nothing else to do but step close and pull her into his arms. She buried her face in the solid slabs of his chest and broke into sobs. Cooper held her tight, resting his chin atop her head, and let her cry. Words were useless at that moment; the only comfort he could offer was his embrace.

Eventually the reassurance of his hard arms around her seemed to calm Chickie and she stepped back, wincing as she saw the tear marks she had left on his grey t-shirt.

"I owe you a new shirt," she said unsteadily.

"I'll add it to the list of things you owe me." He gave a smile that she tried to return. Crossed to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Coors. "Where's Tristan?"

"Sleeping over at his friend's house."

"So at least we got time to talk." Cooper wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guided her to the living room. Sat her down on the couch and settled beside her.

"Who's the father?" he asked, deciding the time for tiptoeing around the issue was over.

Chickie hesitated only a second. "Detective over at Central."

"You told him?"

"I called him before you arrived." Chickie shook her head, took a gulp of coffee. "He doesn't give a damn."

"Do I know him?"

"You know everyone."

"I can go have a word with him."

"Getting a few punches off you isn't gonna change his mind, Coop. He's married and happy about it. We got drunk and hooked up for one night at that 40th birthday party you refused to go to. I don't expect him to get involved."

"It's still his baby."

"Cooper, back in the day, before you left Laurie, would you have accepted a chick you banged once turning up expecting you to be a father to the kid you accidentally got her pregnant with?" She looked at him. "Actually, scratch that. You probably would have done."

"You'd better not be tryin' to say I got morals."

"Look, this isn't the guy's problem. He wanted a one-night stand because he was too drunk to know any better. I wanted the same. Just because this has happened doesn't change what it was."

"Chickie, the fact there's a baby involved changes everything."

"For me, yes. Not for him."

"Why you protecting him?"

"Because if I was a guy and in the same situation, I'd want nothing to do with it either." Chickie's cup was empty but she continued to raise it to her lips without noticing. "I've raised Tris alone; no paternal input, no alimony, no child support, nothing. I got through it fine. I'll do the same again with this one."

Cooper reached to gently take the cup from her. "You make it sound like it was easy. I remember the hard times, Chick, even if you don't."

"Of course I remember. But it was worth it. I'm not scared to do it again."

Cooper took a long swallow of beer. "You really gonna keep it?"

This time he saw fear glimmering in her eyes when she met his gaze. "I want to," she said quietly.

"You're thirty-five, Chick, it's not gonna be easy this time. Tris is fifteen; he can take care of himself now. It's been a long time since you had to plan your life around a baby."

"I'll deal with it, Coop."

"And what about SWAT?"

Chickie shook her head. "Jesus. After all those fucking push-ups I did for the primary physical, this is what happens. I just finished the damn application form as well. You know how long that thing is?"

"So what you gonna do?"

"I've thought about it. I can change the application to A Platoon; take a desk role until after the birth."

"A Platoon are just administrators."

"I know that. But it means I can still go to Metro and when the time's right, I can try for D Platoon."

Cooper drank some more beer. "You've thought a lot about this."

"I told you, I've known all week in my heart. I just needed to confirm it. I've thought about nothing else."

Cooper nodded and fell silent. Got up and fetched another beer. Drank it slowly as he let the conversation sink in.

"You wanna tell Ben, don't you?" Chickie asked finally.

"You know it never works keeping secrets from your partner. Besides, he can help keep an eye on you out there."

"I don't need babysitting, John."

"Right now, I say what you need, not you," he told her, but there was no harshness in his tone.

"That what you say to Ben as well?" she shot back.

His lips twitched in his infamous half-smile. "He listens more than you do."

Chickie couldn't help but grin. "I don't mind if you tell him, okay? He'll be happy that you let him in on the secret."

Cooper frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"He looks up to you, Coop. He wants to feel that you trust him with the deep stuff."

"He already knows that."

"Does he?"

"Jeez, Chick, we're guys in case you haven't noticed. We don't go into this shit like you do."

Chickie looked away but he didn't miss the amused smile that crossed her face.

"You told Tris yet?"

"Nope. Trying to figure out what to say."

"Want me to tell him?"

Chickie blew out a long breath. "I don't know."

"I'll pick him up from school tomorrow. He might take it better from me."

"You mean you'll have him calmed down before he catches up with me?"

"Somethin' like that."

Chickie thought for another moment, then nodded. "He always listens more to you than me."

Cooper drank the remains of his beer. "You want me to stay tonight?"

"No, it's okay. I need to think about everything a little more before I talk to Tris."

He nodded. "I'll go now if you want to be alone."

Chickie shook her head, curled up against him. He put his arm around her, drew her close.

"Stay awhile first," she whispered.

They sat like for a couple of hours, not often finding the need to speak, each lost in their own thoughts as they pretended to watch TV. Eventually Chickie was falling asleep and Cooper was getting uncomfortable in his slumped position.

He gently disentangled himself from his friend. "Chick, I'm gonna get going. You be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah," she said drowsily. "I'll be okay."

"Call me if you need me."

She walked him to the door, stood watching him as he made for the steps.

"Coop," she called after him. "You're gonna be there for me this time around as well, aren't you?"

"That had better be a rhetorical question." He swung round gave her a hard glare. "Because I'm thinking you should know me well enough to never need to ask that for real."

"It's different this time…"

"Jesus Christ, Chickie, you don't remember what happened that night when you called me up and told me Jake had left you? I got in my car, I drove over to your house and I sat up all night with Tris asleep in my arms, trying to talk you round while you sank enough vodka to knock out a bear." Cooper's eyes bore angrily into hers. "And you think I'm gonna abandon you now?"

In a few long strides he was in front of her, taking hold of both her arms. He saw a flash of fear in her eyes before he pulled her roughly against him and hugged her tight.

"I'll get you through this, Chick," he promised.

X X X

Sherman had sensed something was bothering Cooper even from the beginning of watch. The big man didn't seem to be in pain but he was unusually silent. Sherman knew better than to ask straight out but he figured Cooper would tell him when he was ready to talk about it. It normally didn't take him long.

But more than halfway through the shift, Cooper was still staying quiet. No wisecracks, no ragging, not even any derogatory comments about the good citizens of North Hollywood. Ben was starting to get concerned when Cooper pulled in for a coffee stop, sent Sherman to get the order.

"I got somethin' to tell you," he said as Ben returned to the car, handed over Cooper's cup.

"I figured that hours ago." Ben took a sip of coffee, regarded his partner. "Everything okay?"

"Chickie's knocked up," Cooper announced with his usual bluntness.

Ben felt his jaw dropped. "You serious?"

"She got laid with a detective from Central and boom, she's pregnant. The guy wants nothing to do with it."

"Is she gonna keep it?" Sherman was aware his eyebrows had practically disappeared into his hairline.

"So she says."

"Shit," was the only thing Sherman could think to say.

"Exactly."

"I mean…" Ben shook his head, "…fuck…"

"Yeah, that's usually how it happens."

Normally that would have amused Ben but he was still occupied digesting the news. "Does Tris know?" Having met Chickie's son several times now, he had grown comfortable around the teenager.

Cooper checked his watch. "He will in about an hour."

"We're telling him?" Sherman's jaw dropped even further.

"No, I'm telling him. You're guarding the car and deflecting any radio calls, okay?"

"Okay," Ben echoed, not knowing what else to say. "Is he gonna go crazy?"

"Don't think he'll be too happy."

"Figure you'll be able to talk him round?"

"Honestly, I'm not too sure. I'm not usually telling him he's about to get a new brother or sister and yet again the daddy ain't planning on stickin' around." Cooper shook his head. "Tris thinks the world of Chickie; he ain't gonna like her screwing around with married guys."

"You're gonna tell him that?"

"I'm gonna tell him the damn truth, Ben. It's gotta come out eventually; it's better for the kid that he hears it straight from me."

"Guess so." Ben sipped more coffee. "You think she's doin' the right thing, Coop?"

"It's her decision; I'll stand by her whatever." Cooper looked into his cup. "I'm just worried this will screw up her life and her job."

Ben nodded, thinking back through recent conversations with Chickie. "Metro won't be happy when they find out. I mean, she's still got another coupla months here before the transfer comes through. She'll be showing by then."

He saw Cooper fail to hide a smile. "You an expert on pregnancy, Boot?"

"I know enough about it. My mom felt the need to do a lot of explaining to me when my dad got his new wife pregnant."

"That was nice of her." Cooper showed his legendary sarcasm for the first time all day, so Ben figured he was relieved to have shared the burden.

"I didn't have a fuckin' clue what she was talking about."

"Probably a good thing." Cooper finished the last of his coffee and started the engine. "Let's head for the Valley. I wanna grab Tris when he gets outta school."

"It's not gonna take an hour to drive to San Fernando."

"But it's gonna take me an hour to think of what to say."

Ben couldn't argue with that logic. Nor could he offer any help in the matter. So he just stayed quiet and hoped Cooper was concentrating on the road as much as he was his upcoming revelation.