Even before she had answered the door she had already known who would be standing on the other side. "Officer Nolan," She signed out as she slightly rolled her eyes, which had been looking downward when she opened the door, then she lifted them up to lock onto his eyes. "What are you doing here, at my house?" Talia Bishop asked as she stood in her doorway holding open her front door just a silver, as John Nolan stood on the other side looking as if he were trying to think up a quick lie.

"I just finished my shift and I was in the neighborhood and thought, 'Hey, I wonder what Talia is up to, maybe she'd like some company'," Nolan said with a small smile as Bishop stared up at him with a humorless look.

"Your fancy ass neighborhood is nowhere near here and I never told you where I lived," She offered.

"Okay, you got me," Nolan replied deciding it was always best to just be honest with Bishop as she had this knack for always knowing when he was lying. "Officer Lopez may have mentioned you lived here."

"Yeah, and she's now off my Christmas list," She sighed out as she leaned her weight more comfortably against her open door. "What do you want, John?" She asked in a tone that relayed just how tired she was, and the fact that she used his first name let Nolan know she did want company. Though she'd never vocalized that to him.

"I was just really worried about you," He answered honestly. "I heard that you were put on administrative suspension while they review your case."

"You don't have to worry, you will be assigned to a new TO."

"Yes, Sgt. Grey has already so graciously volunteered," Nolan stated with a soured look on his face as Bishop giggled a bit. "But I didn't come here about that. I am not worried about myself, I was worried about you, and how you might be doing. A very wise TO of mine once came by to check on me when I was going through a tough time after the Captain…" He didn't go on not wanting to dredge up those nightmares, and he didn't have to as Bishop fully understood. "She told me that when very bad things happen on the job we can sometimes go to a dark place and start bad habits, and she didn't want that for me. So, I'm trying to return the favor, and I brought refreshments," He announced proudly as he pulled the big bottle of vodka he had behind his back up for her inspection.

"I advised you 'not' to drown your sorrows in alcohol and you're here to return the favor with a big ass bottle of vodka?" Bishop questioned and Nolan instantly became embarrassed and regretted his gift idea. His mouth fell open to give an apology but he couldn't find the words. Bishop appreciated his concern and opted to let him off the hook this time. "Well, at least you've got great taste in alcohol," She said as she reached out, grasped the bottle, and then stepped back to offer him entrance. Nolan stood for a moment longer not quite sure if it was okay to enter or not. When Bishop arched a brow at him and nudged her head a bit he took the invitation and hurriedly crossed the threshold. "Thank you for checking up on me, John," She spoke out again as she made her way to the doorway to her kitchen with Nolan fast on her heel. "It wasn't necessary, but appreciated none the less," She said as she grabbed 2 small shot glasses from a top cabinet in her spacious galley kitchen that was big enough to have a large island in the middle. Nolan was very impressed by the décor of the home, which looked to be an older home from the outside, but the inside was very upgraded and modern.

"You have a very lovely home, Talia. When I pulled up I never would have guessed it looked this well designed on the inside," Nolan said as he took the glass of vodka she held out to him, took a sip, as he looked about the kitchen, which had high-end stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

"Thank you," Bishop replied as she lit up a bit with pride. "It's been five years of hard work. Taking everything left over after paying the mortgage and utilities and pouring it into fixing up the inside. Figured since I would be dwelling on the inside I'd focus on that first, much to some of my neighbor's dismay. Some have complained about how unsightly the outside has looked for so long. I only have the spare bathroom upstairs and the basement to finish out. Then, I can start on the outside. At least that was the plan, but now that I will likely be out of a job here soon, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Don't say that, Talia," John chastised her a bit. "They are not going to fire you, you are one of the best officers they have. I have not only heard Sgt. Grey say that about you, but many other officers too. Besides, this is all BS, I read the file," He offered and when she tossed him a disbelieving look he quickly tried to cover. "Which I know I shouldn't have done because I should mind my own business," He repeated words she had often told him.

"Right," Bishop responded as she shook her head a bit and downed her drink, and then poured herself another.

"But you know how I am, I…"

"You're too damn nosy for your own good," She offered.

"Sorry, I tend to get that way when someone I care about is in trouble when I'm worried about them," He said and she didn't argue his point, but simply gave him a nod to let him know she would let it slide this time. "When I read the file," Nolan continued. "It states that you were only in foster care with him, but he's not your biological brother."

"No, that doesn't matter to me," She cut him off. "Like I told Sgt. Grey, I don't care if it was just a year that we were in that hellhole of a foster home together, we were together and as far as I am concerned, he is my blood brother. and I'm no longer going to pretend otherwise."

"I understand, but the point I'm trying to make is, isn't the policy referring to 'blood' relations … Like sharing the same DNA. You two don't right?"

"No, not that I'm aware of," Bishop replied. "We just looked out for each other in our foster home, and we became family there."

"Then, you were not required to list him on your application. Regardless that you think of him as family, family, he's not. Once, the Chief sees that he can't fire you, no way," He said with a smile as he took a sip from his glass. He noticed that she didn't seem to be happy or relieved by the news. "What's wrong? I thought that would for sure make you at least throw me a grin, smirk, or something. Your signature eye roll maybe?" Bishop shrugged her shoulders and then tossed back another drink and quickly replaced it with more.

"I just keep thinking that maybe things would have been different for him had I not acted as if he didn't exist. If I had been there for him."

"Don't do that," Nolan said as he shook his head. "A very wise woman once told me that we can't change the past, so we shouldn't fixate on that. We can only try to make a difference in the present and hopefully, it will ripple out into the future."

"Yeah, she sounds hot," Bishop joked which brought a big smile to Nolan's face as he knew she was lightening up a bit.

"A major hottie," Nolan affirmed and Bishop giggled a bit at his teasing.

"Thank you, John," She said with a more serious tone. "And if I have any parties you are definitely in charge of getting me booze. This is good."

"The perks of having and good friend and landlord who is wealthy and a bit of a lush," He said and then gulped down the liquid in his glass and then tapped the glass on the countertop. Bishop was finishing off her third shot and then she refilled his glass, which he quickly downed.

"Ughhh," Nolan groaned out as he shook his head a bit as if to clear away fogginess. "That is good stuff," He stated and Bishop agreed as she filled his glass again, tapped it with her filled glass, then they both drank it all down. "All right, where is the gaming system, it's been a while since I spanked you," Nolan claimed as he turned and headed to the living room, with Bishop stumbling a little as she followed behind him with her glass and the vodka bottle in hand. Once Nolan reached the plush, overstuffed sofa he flopped down upon it and then slid down to the floor and reached for one of the controllers that were already sitting on the floor nearby.

"I should warn you," Bishop spoke out as she ungracefully crumbled onto the floor right beside him. Had he not been there to shoulder her she would have fallen over completely. "I've been practicing with Bradford. So, prepare yourself because it won't be as easy as the last time we played a shooter game."

"All right, let's see what you've got," Nolan said as he started the shooter game that was already in the console.

Fin (for now)