Story: Major Crimes: Tricks

Characters: Buzz and, well, everyone

Rating: K for fun and goofing off

Summary: Buzz finds himself the unsuspecting victim of a rubber band attack. Who could be the culprit?

Moi: One-shots are seriously awesome to write. It only takes me a short time and they're such fun. I've planned this since I wrote Nightmares yesterday but the plotline did change a little bit which made it more entertaining for me. I love it when stories evolve from how I'd originally intended them. Here's hoping you all enjoy it as much as I did. Hopefully more one-shots will follow as the inspiration strikes.


Pling!

Buzz's ears reddened and he whirled, narrowly eyeing everyone in the room. A rubber band lay innocently on the floor at his feet. Sanchez diligently typed away at his computer, researching possible familial matches in the criminal database to their suspect. Flynn was on the phone, facing completely away from him, and Provenza busily etched out new information on their white board. Tao was actually under his desk and Buzz leaned over in his chair, head tilted sideways, to watch him rummaging with some wires that Buzz instantly recognized and seriously hoped Tao understood what they were connected to so his desk didn't suddenly catch on fire. Sikes was on her lunch break and Captain Raydor was in her office. Even if she hadn't been, of all the members of Major Crimes, the captain was the last one he would ever imagine flicking a rubber band at him.

That left only Rusty.

Who, for all intents and purposes was curled up in his desk chair, sound asleep. A seriously ravaged copy of Jane Eyre was perched on his knee and as Buzz squinted at him he could swear a trickle of drool was actually making its way down his chin. Technically Rusty should be safely ensconced in his cube but for some reason had chosen to sit out with the team today. Eyes narrowing, Buzz knew this couldn't be an accidental choice. Shoving his chair back and marching right past Sanchez, Buzz stopped in front of Rusty's chair leaning in only inches from his nose.

The kid didn't even stir.

Not a twitch, not a breath out of place, nothing.

The typing behind him ceased and Buzz turned to find Sanchez staring, hands poised over the keyboard, lips upturned in a half-smile of outright amusement.

"Did you see that?" Buzz demanded.

Julio shrugged. "See what?"

Stalking back to his desk and scooping the rubber band off the floor he waved it under Sanchez's nose. "This is what I'm talking about, Sanchez, this."

"It's a rubber band." Julio stated matter-of-factly.

"Not just a rubber band. The last time I had one shot at the back of my head was in second period math class and not only did it hit my head but it bounced off and hit the girl behind me right in the eye. The girl I'd had a crush on for two months."

Julio blinked.

"She was rushed to the nurse's station! And never spoke to me again! I think she even ended up dating the jerk that shot that rubber band at me in the first place!"

"I'm thinking she might not be the only one that needs a trip to the nurse's station."

Julio eased the rubber band out of Buzz's grasp, his fingers tenaciously refusing to give it up until Sanchez lifted an eyebrow in reproach.

"You've got some serious Rusty issues to work through, especially since he looks dead to the world to me." The rubber band landed on top of a mass of tangled brethren on Sanchez's desk and he pointed back down towards Buzz's appointed spot.

Casting one last disparaging glance at Rusty's inert form, Buzz petulantly stalked back to his desk.

Plink!

Buzz froze, fingers tightening around the camera he held until he remembered it was made of highly breakable material. The chair creaked under his weight as he shifted his feet along the ground, turning towards Rusty.

Again, he hadn't moved.

If anything he'd fallen deeper asleep than before.

If the rubber band hadn't careened onto the desk and now lay floating in his cup of coffee Buzz could almost believe he was starting to imagine things and needed a trip to the police shrink. Fishing the rubber band out of his coffee with the end of a pencil, Buzz laid it on a napkin left over from his lunch just in time for a blizzard of rubber bands to bounce and jiggle their way off his head, shoulders, and back, landing every which way, one even neatly ringing itself around the lone pen standing in his organizer.

Whirling around, Buzz faced the entire team as they doubled over in hysterics. Julio's face was bright red from the effort of restrained laughter now let loose and even Captain Raydor stood swinging a rubber band merrily around her index finger, giving him the smallest of amused smiles. Flynn and Provenza were literally hooting and Tao pressed his hands to his knees as he shook in silent laughter.

Sanchez flicked one last rubber band and it landed with perfect aim atop Buzz's head.

"Never underestimate the power of teamwork." He deadpanned.

Buzz finally cracked a smile. They might be insane, and they definitely were, but every time he was included in their little jokes or escapades it only made him more a member of the family.

Rusty snorted and sat upright, swiping the drool from his chin with the back of his hand and grimacing.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't me!?"

The laughter doubled and this time Buzz joined in.


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