Disclaimer: - I don't own any of the characters of The Shield, they all belong to Shawn Ryan and FX.
Friendship – Chapter 1.
Claudette carefully pulled the car across traffic and into the car park outside the Barn; she glanced at her partner who was leaning back against the headrest of his seat with his eyes closed.
"Have a late night or something son?" She asked a smile playing over her lips.
"What?" Dutch asked, sitting up straight in his seat. "Oh no, just being relaxed by your superior driving skills."
Claudette switched off the engine,
"Hey all I said was you nearly pulled out in front of that Cadillac." She reminded him.
"I saw it, I wasn't going to pull out in front of it. It's like that time we passed that mobile crane and you ducked…what did you think I was going to do drive into it…you think I'm suicidal or something?"
"Well that crane had its hook loose at the front and it looked closer than it was… It's all right for you, you didn't attend that accident scene with those decapitated drivers a few months ago…" Claudette shuddered at the memory.
"No, but you've told me about it often enough that I feel like I did!" Dutch snorted.
"Yeah well…how long are you going to sulk about one tiny comment." She inquired, as she opened the driver's door to get out.
"I'm not sulking…I'm…um…Oh ok I was sulking a tiny bit, but you didn't just point out the Cadillac you practically screamed LOOK OUT in my ear, thought I was going to be deaf on my right side for the rest of my life." Dutch told her as he too got out of the car, a smile breaking out on his face as he chuckled and said, "Wish I'd had a camera though the look of panic on your face was a picture."
"I don't…" Claudette started to say before she was interrupted by another voice shouting.
"Holland…hey Holland."
Dutch looked around puzzled; no one around here called him by his given name. His gaze fell on a man standing on the other side of the chain link fence that ran along the outer edge of the car park. Claudette heard him murmur,
"Shit I don't believe it."
Then his face broke out into a huge grin and he started towards the man. As an after thought he paused and turned back to Claudette and said,
"It's an old friend of mine, I'll see you inside in a minute."
"Sure," Claudette told his retreating back. Curious Claudette kept her attention on the two men as she walked over to the outer doors of the precinct house, making no move to go inside. She couldn't help but be struck by the contrast between the two figures; Dutch in his neat suit and the stranger dressed in worn jeans and tee shirt, with a scruffy green combat jacket and rucksack at his feet. As Dutch stepped through the gate onto the pavement the man took a couple of steps forward to meet him. Dutch was saying something, but Claudette was too far away to make it out, his grin undiminished and if anything even wider. An answering smile decorated the face of the stranger and he reached forward and grasped the hand Dutch held out in welcome, and then pulled Dutch forward into a hug, which much to Claudette's surprise Dutch laughingly returned. She lost sight of them for a moment as the Strike Team's Navigator drove through the gates and went past her to its parking space. Dutch and the other man were talking now with Dutch indicating the building while his friend shook his head. The slamming of the Navigator's doors made Claudette turn her head towards the sound, and she was surprised to see Vic Mackey intently studying Dutch and the other man, a slight frown on his face. Her own face creasing into a frown Claudette turned back to Dutch in time to see him picking up the rucksack from the floor, and guessing they were going to be coming inside she hurried in, not wanting Dutch to catch her spying on him.
By the time the two men reached Dutch's desk Claudette was bent over an open file only glancing up as Dutch's friend laughed and clapped him on the back. Catching her eye Dutch motioned to the stranger,
"Claudette I'd like you to meet Josh Baxter…" Then turning to Baxter he continued the introduction. "Josh this is Detective Claudette Wyms my partner."
Baxter smiled at Claudette and held out his hand; standing up Claudette reached out and shook hands with him.
"So you're a friend of Dutch's?" She asked.
"You could say that," Josh said, "Me and Holland go way back."
"Josh is my oldest friend…God we went to kindergarten together, played little league together, right" Dutch said looking at Josh.
"Yep…" Josh confirmed, reaching out to slap Dutch on the shoulder again. "It's been too long man…what is it six years?"
"Must be," Dutch confirmed, "Wow where does it go huh? Anyway you haven't told me what you're doing here yet and why you didn't let me know you were coming, I could've picked you up at the airport."
"It was kinda last minute, you know me" Josh said.
"Yeah, sounds like you, but how come…" Dutch began only to be interrupted by Josh.
"Look I don't want to keep you from work or anything Holland and I've got to look for a hotel room, I didn't book anything before I came so…" Josh said making a move to leave.
"Don't be an idiot," Dutch told him. "Hang on a minute." And he reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out his house keys, he scribbled down something quickly on a piece of paper and shoved them both into Josh's hand. " That's my address, those are my keys let yourself in and make yourself at home ok?"
Claudette felt that frown creasing her forehead again as she watched Dutch give over his house keys to someone he hadn't seen in six years.
"Are you sure?" Josh asked.
Claudette wanted Dutch to snatch the keys back and say he'd changed his mind. She couldn't pinpoint what it was but something about Josh Baxter set her on edge; something wasn't right about him. She was disappointed by Dutch's eagerness to let this guy come crashing back into his life.
"Of course I am, just get a cab and make yourself at home all right." He enthusiastically told Josh.
Josh looked down at his feet for a moment and cleared his throat,
"I had to get a cab here from the airport and I've not had time to get to an ATM yet."
"That's ok," Dutch said, pulling out his wallet and giving Josh $40 dollars.
Claudette couldn't believe it, first his house keys, now just about all the money in his wallet, what would he be giving Baxter next, one of his kidneys or something.
"Are you sure…I mean I'll pay you right back and everything…" Josh asked while pocketing the cash.
"Of course I'm sure, come on I'll walk you back out." Dutch replied as he picked up Josh's rucksack again.
Josh looked over at Claudette smiling,
"It was good to meet you Detective."
"And you." Claudette lied. She heard Dutch talking about picking up some beer on the way home later, and she saw Baxter glance back at her the smile gone from his face only to be put back into place when he turned back to Dutch. Turning away she caught Vic frowning at Dutch and his friend for the second time, before she could catch his eye however he walked into the breakroom, curious she decided she could use a cup of coffee.
Vic was reaching into the fridge for a bottle of water when she entered the room going to the coffee machine. Claudette ignored him waiting to see if he would make the first move, and she wasn't disappointed.
"So who was that guy all over Dutchboy earlier?" Vic asked her trying to sound nonchalant, and nearly succeeding.
"An old friend of his from back home…his oldest friend I think he said. Name's Josh…Josh Baxter." She watched Vic's face carefully when she said Josh's name but there was no evidence of recognition in his expression.
Vic unscrewed the top to his water and took a sip,
"So where's home then?" He asked.
Playing dumb Claudette said,
"What?"
"Home… you said he was a friend of Dutch's from back home…I was just curious… where's home?"
"Nebraska, some small town in Nebraska…ah…Scottsbluff I think it's called, why?" She asked him.
"No reason like I said just curious that's all…must be the policeman in me." Vic smiled.
Claudette sensed there was more to it than random curiosity,
"Are you sure Vic…if you know something about this guy I'd appreciate it if you told me. Dutch is my partner and I just watched him give that man his house keys and money so if there's anything you know I've got a right to know about it."
Vic looked unsure for a moment, then Claudette could see him make his decision,
"It's nothing really just…I don't know he set something off in me that's all…I don't know what. Maybe he looked familiar or something…but hey it's probably nothing I mean he's a friend of Dutchboy's for Christ sake what's he going to be a criminal mastermind or something."
He sounded confident but Claudette got the impression Vic was trying to talk himself into believing what he'd just said. This time it was her turn to make up her mind,
"Yeah well I don't know what it was but he rubbed me up the wrong way too, and Dutch…well he can be too trusting sometimes. If you come across anything about this Baxter you'll let me know right." She said fixing Vic with a stare.
"Of course," Vic assured her as he moved towards the door. "You'll be the first to know if I happen to come across anything."
Claudette nodded at him satisfied they'd come to an understanding and picked up the two coffee's she'd made taking one out to put on Dutch's desk.