The Freshmen
Summary: Now he's guilt stricken, sobbing with his head on the floor, thinks about her now and how he never really wept. Flack/Danny friendship. Post-Pay Up.
A/N: I was sitting in the Wal-mart parking lot yesterday morning while I was waiting on my aunt and I was thinking what I would do if my best friend was Flack and what would I tell her if she'd just lost someone she loved. And I stole the title and summary from 'The Freshmen' by the Verve Pipe because I listened to it on repeat while writing this.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, like at all.
It had been two months, three days, seventeen hours and thirty-two minutes since his world had come to an end. When Jessica Angell had died, a part of Don Flack had too. Part of him had never left that waiting room, part of him was still covered in her blood, part of him was still praying to a God he'd never put much stock in. It was like a weight around his neck and he carried it with him wherever he went.
Everyone was worried, the way he was running himself into the ground. Too many hours at work, too many hours at the bar, not enough hours sleeping, not enough grieving. The case was cut and dry. The girl had wanted out, so the man had shot her. She was only nineteen. When the suspect was cuffed and read his rights, Don Flack stormed out of interigation room.
Danny and Lindsay Messer had been standing on the other side of the mirror. Danny looked and Lindsay and she looked back, "Go after him, before he hurts someone. I'll meet you at home."
Danny nodded, kissed her head and ran out of the room. He caught up with Don outside -just in time to see him bust his knuckle open on the brickwall of the precinct.
"Flack." Danny said softly.
"Go away, Danny." Flack leaned his head against the wall, breathing deeply through his nose.
"Flack, let me give you a ride home." Danny offered.
"I'm fine." Flack said and shrugged away when Danny put his hand on his shoulder.
"Don." Danny said -rarely did he ever use his best friend's first name, but the situation called for it.
"Danny. Leave me alone." Flack shoved him away.
"Hey. I don't want to fight you." Danny said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Leave me alone." Flack repeated himself and started to walk away. Danny reached out and caught his arm, "Danny, I mean it."
"Flack, quit it. Quit this self-destructive act."
"Danny, back off." Flack shoved him again.
"You want to hit me, Flack, you go ahead." Danny told him, "But you gotta knock it off man. Runnin' yourself into the ground."
"Stop it."
"Getting piss drunk and working yourself into the ground won't bring her back." Danny told him, "Getting yourself killed won't do jackshit man."
"You don't know what you're talking about." Flack shoved him against the wall of the precinct, holding him there with an arm against his chest, "Until you lose Lindsay, don't act like you know a damn thing. And I hope you never do."
Danny shoved him back, "Dammit, Flack, this isn't who you are and this isn't who Jess would want you to be!"
Flack's fist connected with Danny's jaw and then he stumbled back, falling to the ground. Danny wiped the blood from his lip and sat next to Flack. Flack drew his knees to his chest, sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. For the first time since the funeral, he fell apart.
Danny wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder and pulled him into a hug. They weren't the most touchy-feely of guys, but when the situation called for it, they were there for one another. So, Flack cried. He cried for the missing piece, what was missing since Jessica Angell had died. He cried for the moments of life he had missed in the past two months, three days, seventeen hours and fifty-seven minutes.
He cried for the moments he wouldn't have with her.
Who knew how long they sat there on the sidewalk, two of NYC's finest crying together. Two best friends, sat there while the sky grew dark and the population passed them by. Flack quit crying, but they sat in silence, staring out at the street.
"Sorry about your jaw." Flack finally spoke.
"Sorry about your loss." Danny countered, "We're good, don't worry about it."
Flack nodded.
Danny stood up, clapping Flack on the shoulder, "I'm gonna head home. Kiss my wife. Tuck my daughter in."
Danny turned, walking down the street with his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, Danno." Flack called after him, Danny turned around, "Thanks."
"Any time. I mean that."
A/N: okay, I'm not sure if I like it, but I hope you guys to do. And I know that I morphed the lyrics of The Freshmen, but I thought that verse fit them. I'll love you, if you review ;)