"You seem to be missing half you team, Captain" a voice came from behind, echoing in the underground garage.
"Oh Great" Provenza said under his breath, as he put the last bit of equipment in the back seat of Flynn's car.
"Chief, what can I do for you?" Sharon turned to look Taylor in the eye and smiled in an attempt to keep her annoyance in check.
"Oh... nothing... Just out here to see how things are going with our latest case. Seems to me it would be easier to deal with a stake out if you had all your members present."
"And what makes you think we don't have our whole team involved, Taylor?" Flynn asked, leaning against the back of the neighbouring van.
"That's 'Chief' Taylor, Lt. Flynn, and I have eyes."
"Chief Taylor," Raydor intervened, putting emphasis on the word 'Chief' and hoping her sarcasm didn't show, "my team knows their jobs and are already in place."
"Oh, so you, Flynn and Provenza are just the stragglers?"
Sharon put her hands behind her back and flexed them to help her retain her cool.
"Ah... Chief," Provenza joined in, "we've been doing this for a lot of years. We know what we're doing."
"So it's 'we' now, is it Provenza? Nice to see you've come to accept things the way they are."
Provenza chuckled and shook his head, the tension was getting the best of them and Taylor always played it that way. "Do you have an actual point to make or are you just here to interrupt our work?"
"I'm just here to see how the case is going," Taylor responded, pretending it was the most casual conversation in the world.
"Then how about you be a good Chief and run along so we can do our work. I'm sure there are some budgets to review somewhere," Flynn challenged him.
Sharon couldn't help the smirk, no matter how much she tried.
"So..." Taylor glared at her, "you've become one of the Stooges."
Sharon's eyes shot up and her voice became lower, "Chief Taylor, may I remind you the position of Assistant Chief does not protect you from harassment charges, and insulting an officer under your command is not acceptable. I am not that far removed from Internal Affairs that I can't open an investigation with one phone call."
Realizing he'd gone to far, Taylor tried to regain the upper hand, "Easy Captain, I didn't mean to offend. I'm sure you have things well in hand. I'll be interested in reading your reports later." As he retreated he issued one more, "Carry on."
"What an asshole," Flynn declared as he opened the back door of the car for Raydor to slide in.
"Lieutenant, I hope he was out of earshot just now. I'm not interested in having to defend you against insubordination charges."
Provenza chuckled as he settled himself in the front seat, "Flynn on insubordination charges... do they even bother wasting their time anymore?"
Andy smiled. "It's been awhile. Could it have anything to do with some protection I might have earned with FID?" he glanced in the mirror behind him to catch Sharon's eye.
Trying to keep her face straight was one thing. Her eyes were a whole different story, as she met his eye in the rearview mirror.
"Yup, thought so," Andy announced.
"You mean to tell me you've been protecting his sorry hide?" Provenza turned to Sharon.
"I said nothing, Lieutenant," Sharon replied, every bit the one in charge.
"Didn't have to," Flynn snickered.
"Well... I've got to say Captain, I didn't think you played favourites like that."
Sharon rolled her eyes. "Gentlemen, is this what the evening with you two is going to be like?"
"You heard the Chief, you're one of us now. We are the Three Stooges," Andy grinned as he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Hardly," Sharon snorted.
"What are you complaining about? You know you're Moe. It's us who's battling to be either Larry or Curley," Andy couldn't resist pushing her buttons and broke into a full laugh she she huffed and crossed her arms.
"Is it possible the good Captain doesn't know the full wealth of an American Treasure?" Provenza asked, dripping with sarcasm.
"We might have to educate her," Andy suggested.
"True. How would we go about that, I wonder..." Provenza continued.
Before another word could be spoken, Sharon reached forward and slapped both of them on the back of the head.
"Wa...?" Provenza started.
Andy just laughed even harder and Sharon couldn't help a giggle herself. "Me thinks our good Captain is well acquainted with the stylings of Moe."
"Oh this is going to be a fun night," Provenza snorted, finally joining the laughter as well.
"I can't believe I did that," Sharon sighed as she tried to sober.
"Good thing your bark is worse than your bite or we could have had a car accident," Andy teased her.
"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry."
"Eh... don't be. That was perfect timing. Okay kids, what are we going to do this evening."
"I say we either hit the road or have a night on the town."
"The others might wonder what happened to us, Lieutenant."
Provenza shrugged, "At least they'd have something to talk about."
"With Amy in that crew," Andy started, "I'm sure they've done just fine. We're the ones who'll probably have to break open a deck of cards.
"What's your game, Captain?"
"My what?"
"Your game?" Provenza asked again.
"Are you serious?"
"I wouldn't have asked otherwise."
"Lieutenant, you do realize we are going to a stake out, not a party, right?"
Provenza shrugged, "Gotta do something to pass the time."
"I peg her for a Hearts player. Maybe Bridge," Andy threw in his two cents worth.
"That's better than Go Fish, which I'm starting to think is her speed."
"I am sitting right here."
"We've only got three, so Bridge is out of the question," Provenza continued, ignoring her.
"Oh hey, I know... you still got that Cribbage board or do we need to stop and get one."
"I'll Skunk you both," Sharon smirked.
"Oh ho... I think we've just been issued a challenge, Flynn."
"I do believe we have. I'll pick up that gauntlet, thank you very much. Board, old man?"
Provenza rattled around in his glove compartment and triumphantly pulled out a wooden board and cards. "Looks like the game is on."
"Gentlemen, not to put a damper on your frivolity, but we are supposed to be watching monitors this evening and awaiting the return of our suspect."
"Meh..." Provenza waved her comments away with a flick of his hand.
"Gotta take your fun where you can, Captain." Flynn explained.
"I think you two do that all too well."
"Hey Provenza, I think we just got a compliment."
"I think you're right Flynn. She likes us. She really, really likes us."
Despite herself, Sharon couldn't help a chuckle.
"Pit stop," Andy announced suddenly and pulled in beside a convenience store.
"What are you getting, Lieutenant?"
"Snacks for the night, Captain. We can't have a game without chips. I'll be right back."
Sharon rolled her eyes then took out her phone to text the others that they had been delayed slightly, but were most certainly on their way.
"Ah... Captain?"
"Mmmm?"
"Flynn's gesturing from inside. I don't think he knows your poison."
"My what?"
"Your toxin of choice. He's holding up nacho chips and chocolate, and I know he's not doing it for my benefit."
"Really?" Sharon shook her head.
"I know, he's an idiot. He's never had much success with women."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It means he shouldn't even bother with the chips. It's always chocolate. I'm going to go in and straighten him out. Nuts or no nuts?"
"I've already got you two."
Provenza snorted as he left the car and went to clear up Andy's confusion.
Sharon's phone buzzed and she looked to see a message from Tao. "ETA?" she read. "10-15" she texted back, hoping it was true.
"Okay, we've got what we need."
"We have food and coffee in the trunk, Lt. Flynn."
"Yeah, but if we've going to play, I say we go all the way."
"Work. Ring a bell?"
"I won't tell my boss if you won't," Flynn replied.
"How did you two ever manage to get this far?"
"Personal charm, Captain," Provenza answered her.
"Mmmm..."
"So what odds are you giving on catching this guy tonight, Captain?" Flynn asked casually when they were back on the road.
"I don't gamble, Lieutenant," she replied sharply.
"Okay... not never or just not on suspects."
"Did you actually have an English teacher in your life?"
"Yeah, once or twice... nuthin' stuck."
"Apparently."
"Still didn't answer my question. Show or no show."
"Honestly, I don't know. We don't have enough to figure out a profile. I just hope he goes to the warehouse so we can wrap this case and move on."
"I knew it... just needed some time."
"What are you saying Lt. Provenza?" Sharon already felt weary dealing with these two and they hadn't even started yet.
"You've got the homicide bug."
"Homicide bug? Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
Flynn couldn't help laughing at the pun, and seeing Sharon roll her eyes in the rearview mirror made it worse.
"If you two live to see daylight, it will only be a testament to my self-control."
"Yeah, we gotta work on that."
"Establishing your own sense of self-control? That would be wonderful," Sharon smiled, a little too eagerly.
"Not what he meant," Provenza offered.
"Really?" sarcasm dripped thickly.
"Where's Buzz meeting us?" Provenza abruptly changed the subject.
"Another two blocks, why?"
Provenza pointed out the window, "Cuz that's the guy."
"Oh my God, that is!" Sharon exclaimed while Andy put the light in his windshield.
"You got your gun, Captain?"
"Locked and loaded. He's running!"
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, I see that," Flynn sped in front of the suspect, forcing him to turn and run back the way he had come.
Sharon got out of the car quickly and yelled "Freeze". When he didn't stop, she shot him in the upper back and he fell to the ground.
Andy jumped out of the car and ran over to their suspect lying face down on the ground. "That's going to hurt in the morning," he said as he held the man with his knee while checking his pockets. "Knife, gun, and look at this..." he pulled a bag of pills from the suspect's jacket pocket.
"Definitely not vitamins," Provenza said, then called in for an ambulance and a squad car.
"I've called the others," Sharon announced as she put her phone in her pocket, then reached out her hand to Flynn.
"Na-ah... this is going with my collection."
"What? At this rate I'm going to have to explain why I'm constantly needing new bean bags. It's hardly a trophy, Lieutenant."
"Says you."
"Let the child keep his toys, Captain. The black'n'whites can take care of this guy until morning. What do you say we escort you home and we'll call it a night."
"That sounds fine, Lieutenant. Paperwork can wait until the morning, after we interview our suspect."
"What about our game?" Andy protested from his position on the ground.
"Another time, boys," she promised, walking away towards the arriving squad car to give the officers an update.