Standard Disclaimer: Houston Knights belongs to Jay Bernstein and Michael Butler and Columbia Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fan fiction, written out of love for the shows. I am making no money off this. I have no money so please don't sue me. Any original characters who may appear in these stories are the property of the author.
Houston Knights Fanfiction
Grounding
By Violet to Blue
Sequel to Out Of Touch
Summery: Guilt and self-reproach send Joe into a tailspin of depression. When his conduct threatens to break the partnership apart, Levon gives him a final ultimatum.
In the story I refer to the spiritual power and traditional healing skills of the Native American Nations. I do apologize for any unintentional misrepresentation. I do have the greatest respect for their tradition, history and their wholesome view on the unity of body and soul.
Chapter 1
"Bang!"
The sound of the shot was so real that it almost made Levon´s heart stop. For the third time in one night he sat bold upright in his bed, panting and covered in cold sweat. He could almost smell the sulphurous smoke the bullet had left in its wake.
Again his hand went out in search of the lamp on the night stand. Only the light would chase away the frightful dream in which Joe took his own life over and over again. The Italian´s words had burned themselves into Levon´s brain and they were echoing in his ears, though he wished they had only been a dream too:
"Why didn´t you just leave me in that cabin, it would have been better if it had ended there."
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Joe´s escape from the hospital and his attempt on his own life had proved to be a severe setback for his recovery. The symptoms of the concussion had returned with a vengeance. Though the docs were ignorant as to the attempted suicide they had at once admitted Joe to the ICU and that meant that he was now under constant and close surveillance.
Levon was relieved but he knew that the status quo allowed only a small respite. There was more at stake than his partner´s health. The enemy was more lethal than it could be had it been an external one.
For the last twenty-four hours Levon had fought an internal fight as well. He was not sure what to do, he did not know if he could help Joe, if he could bear the responsibility. The only one sure thing was that he must not lose his partner, his friend, his brother.
Their lives were closely connected and even though Levon did not know what was ailing the Italian he knew that Joe´s fight for survival was crucial for both of them. For a long time Levon had denied it, but now he was sure.
There would be no life for him without Joe.
So the next day Levon started to slowly and meticulously seek ways to help Joe out of the seemingly hopeless situation. Even though Levon could not yet see the bigger picture he knew that every small step, every tiny proposal would be a thread in the fabric he had to weave. That fabric would in the end form the lifeline Joe needed, needed to hold onto and eventually pull himself out of the pit of despair he had been flung into after his abduction.
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"Joanne, can we talk off the records?" Levon had called his superior at her office. Due to his injured ribs he was still on sick leave and after he had finished his report on Alvarez´s arrest he had left the office for good.
"Levon, how are you doing?" The question implied genuine worry, that of a former partner as well as that of a concerned superior.
"I´m ok, Joanne. But I want to talk to you about something that needs to remain between the two of us."
There was a short pause, Levon knew that Joanne was wondering what he might want to talk to her about. "Could you come to my place tonight?" she proposed. "Eight o´clock?"
"Ok, thanks Joanne, I´ll be there."
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"When will you be back on the job?" Chicken asked. He handed Levon a plate of freshly barbequed ribs.
"I don´t know yet, perhaps I´ll take some time off after the sick leave." Levon started to eat the ribs.
"What about your partner, is he better?" Chicken picked up the empty beer bottles Levon had finished off already.
"Chicken, if you have a minute…"
The black man frowned but nodded. "Sure, just give me a few minutes."
While Levon finished off his plate of ribs Chicken came back to his table and sat down.
"What´s on your mind, Levon?" The proprietor of the cops´ favorite hangout wiped his hands on his apron.
"Chicken, you said Joe borrowed some money from you?"
"Yeah, was real needy, the boy. I didn´t mean to tell you but when Esteban said he too had borrowed Joe some money I kind of gave him away."
"Not a problem for me, Chicken." Levon wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I would have liked to help him out, don´t know why he didn´t ask me in the first place."
"Well, I remember the last time he borrowed money from you, the two of you almost split up as partners."
"Yeah, I know," Levon cringed. "But that was all more or less a misunderstanding. I´d like to help Joe out this time. How much did you say was it?" He took out his wallet and retrieved three one-hundred dollar notes. "I don´t want Joe to worry about the money, he´s got more important things he needs to concentrate on right now."
Chicken took the money and went over to the counter. He reached into the cash register and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it over to Levon. "Ok, that´s real nice of you, Levon. Give the boy my best wishes for a speedy recovery."
Levon smiled as he put away the borrower´s note. So much for the money problem. Now he had repaid to all the colleagues what Joe had borrowed: Chicken, Annie, Esteban and Carol, all of them had gotten their money back. And each and every one had returned the signed note. It all added up to a pretty penny. Levon wondered how Joe had ever thought he could repay that much money.
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Before heading for Joanne´s place Levon decided to call Greg Willburry in Las Vegas. Though he knew it was a long distance call Levon didn´t care about the cost. He had kept Greg´s number when he had stayed with his former colleague and his wife on his trip to Las Vegas and now fumbled for the sheet of paper. He stacked some coins beside Chicken´s payphone and dialed Greg´s home number.
"Levon, good to hear from you!" Greg´s enthusiasm wasn´t faked. "How are yah doin´? Man, I´ve been thinking about you a lot."
"I´m fine, Greg, hope you and your wife are too?"
"Sure, everything´s ok here. When will you come down here for a real holiday?" There was a teasing tone to Greg´s voice. "With your partner of course this time."
Levon couldn´t keep the smile out of his voice. "Would love to as it is, but yah know there never is time for the pleasant things." He cleared his throat in embarrassment. "I just wanted to know if there was anything new, as to the case I mean."
"With regard to what? We have included all our findings in the report you received." Greg seemed mystified.
"My partner is still looking for that woman, his former fiancée."
"There´s no trace of her, nothing has turned up since the day you left here." Greg seemed almost apologetic.
"No unidentified female bodies that turned up in the desert?"
"I´m glad there haven´t been any, and I guess your partner is just as glad."
"Yeah, you´re right." Levon sighed. But he was torn. He could understand Joe´s anxiety to find out what had happened to Julia.
"You´ll be the first to know if we come across anything, Levon."
"Thanks Greg, you´re a real pal. Best regards to your wife."
"Thanks, I´ll forward them, and take care, Levon."
Levon put the receiver down. There weren´t many coins left but Levon did not notice. Another lose end which lead to nothing.
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Next thing on Levon´s agenda was his talk with Joanne. When he had at last weaved through the thick evening traffic Joanne received him in the garden of her house. Her husband Brad was in the kitchen preparing supper.
"What´s the big secret?" she asked as she handed him a glass of lemonade.
"I want to ask something." Levon did not quite know how to begin. "Would it be possible for someone working under you to take some time off work, I mean unpaid?"
"Are you asking for yourself?" Joanne asked.
"No, it´s just a general question," Levon put in.
Joanne nodded. "Huh huh." After thinking about his question she said: "I can´t really reject such a request. But don´t you want to tell me what this is about?"
"Sorry, Joanne, it´s too early for that. But there is something else."
"What do you want to know?" Joanne felt a bit like pulling teeth.
"If someone in your department was involved in something illegal, something that wasn´t harming anyone but himself and you learned about it, what would you do?"
Joanne swallowed. She had her own suspicions why Levon was asking this. It could only be about Joe. Levon would never get involved in anything illegal. His moral standards were just too high. But until now she had though the same thing about Joe. "I would have to involve Internal Affairs, and the outcome of such a process would be beyond my influence."
Levon nodded, his face thoughtful. "Yeah, that´s what I was expecting."
"You´re not going to tell me what this is about, are you?" Joanne looked at her watch.
"Sorry, Joanne, can´t do. What you don´t know…"
"Yeah, yeah, ok. When do you think this period of leave will come to pass?"
Levon shrugged. "You´ll learn soon enough. I´m not sure yet. Thanks for the talk, anyway, Joanne."
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Levon knew that everything had started to go wrong when Joe had met that woman, the woman from his past. And later Joe had gone back to Las Vegas to find out what had become of her. In order to help the Italian Levon had to find out more about her. Michael LaFiamma had said that Joe and Julia had been engaged to be married. Though they had split up she had still been important enough to him to make him go to Las Vegas to meet her.
Back at the ranch Levon rummaged through his telephone register. He finally found Michael LaFiamma´s number, a number he had presumed only to need in the case of an emergency. Levon hesitated, then decided that what had happened could easily be classified as such. He dialed the number, the phone rang three, four, five times. Levon was already thinking about hanging up when the phone was picked up and a female voice said: "Pronto?"
Levon cleared his throat. "Mam, my name is Levon Lundy, I am…"
"Dio mio, what happened to Joey? Tell me. Why don´t you say something?"
Levon gasped. He had not expected the barrage of words and emotions that flooded his hearing. "Mam, may I ask who´s speaking?"
"I´m Teresa LaFiamma. What´s wrong with Joey, please, what happened to the boy?"
Levon knew that Michael LaFiamma´s wife Teresa had been like a mother to Joe after his own mom´s death.
"Please, Mam, calm down. Joe is fine." Levon knew this was a lie but he wouldn´t get the information he needed from a totally upset Italian matron. "He had a small accident, but he will be ok. But that is not the reason I am calling, Mam."
"Oh my God. What happened?"
"Oh, nothing serious, Mam, just a minor traffic accident. Joe is in hospital but only with a concussion and some bruises."
"Oh no, how often have I told him to be more careful? We always feared he would end up like Jimmy Dean one day." Levon could hear Joe´s aunt blow her nose noisily.
"Mam, could I perhaps talk to your husband?"
"Oh, Mr. Lundy, I am so sorry, my husband is on a business trip to New York."
Levon hesitated. But then the reason for all this had been a matter of the heart, hadn´t it? And those matters of the heart were the domain of women. Before Levon could voice the question, Joe´s aunt beat him to it.
"Perhaps I could help you, Mr. Lundy." The female voice reflected authority, determination and at the same time worry and love.
"Yes, well Mam, perhaps you actually can." Levon smiled.
"Of course, Mr. Lundy, I´d be glad to help."
"I was wondering if you have been in contact with Julia Disanto, or if you have heard from her." Levon hoped his request wasn´t too bold.
There was a small pause at the other end of the line. Then Teresa LaFiamma cleared her throat. "Do you know what role Julia played in Joey´s life?"
"Yes, Mam, your husband told me that Joe and Julia were engaged to be married. He also told me that they split up when Joe became a cop."
"Si, Mr. Lundy, that´s exactly right." Levon could hear that Joe´s aunt drew a deep breath. "But I am sorry, I can´t give you any news. I have spoken to all the women who went on that trip to Las Vegas. None of them knows what happened to Julia. Did Joe ask you to call?"
"No, Joe doesn´t know about this." Levon knew that he could not tell Teresa LaFiamma why he had called. But again she surprised him.
"Joe went through hell when he and Julia split up back then. But he saw no other way. He is a lot like his father, even though he was still very young when his dad was killed." She sighed. "Same stubbornness, but too damn sensitive for his own good."
"Yeah." The approval slipped out before Levon was aware of it.
For a moment there was silence.
"Mr. Lundy, is Joey really ok?" There was deep worry in the voice of the seasoned Italian matron.
Levon hesitated. He knew he had to respect Joe´s privacy, he couldn´t tell his family about his addiction. Yet this woman, who had been mother to Joey, had detected Levon´s worry for his partner, his brother. "Joe hasn´t been doing too well since he has returned from Las Vegas." Levon almost wanted to bite his tongue.
"I knew it," Teresa LaFiamma said calmly. "I knew that someday there would be repercussions, the old wounds would be reopened."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
"Listen, Mr. Lundy, I will try to talk to Julia´s father and to her sisters. If I learn anything I will call you or Joey at once."
"So you don´t think Julia is dead?" Levon was torn between hope and fear for the young woman he had not even met.
"No, I don´t think she is dead. She´s smart enough to have planned her escape. She knows the ways of the mob and she certainly wouldn´t take unnecessary risks. And you let me know when Joey needs help, you hear?"
Levon´s smile was reflected in his answer: "Yes Mam, I will."