Summary: With husbands in the NYPD, Christi and Veronica have a lot to worry about. But with wives in the seductive art of show business (dancing and Broadway), Sheldon Hawkes and Don Flack have a lot to worry about as well. None of them are ever home, so big expensive houses go to waste. Marriages are in trouble because of life choices and careers. Family needn't go unnoticed in this mix either. Marriages aren't always perfect and pristine on top, especially not these ones.
A/N: This is all starting in season six when Danny is in a wheelchair when he got shot and is recovering.
"Push yourselves, c'mon! Try harder!" Christina Messer-Flack yells at her ballet class. "You guys aren't trying, that's why you're failing! Good, Cassidy!"
Christi was a dance teacher at Julliard. She had lived in New York her entire life, younger sister of Danny and Louie Messer. She was interested in dancing her entire life, and her dream was to go to Julliard for college. When she accomplished that, she didn't think it could get better until she got a job teaching there.
She sneaks a glance at her husband, Don Flack, coming in to watch on his lunch break. He smiles at her and she smiles back, then ended practice.
"Go hydrate! You're losing water." she laughs, going over to Don.
She and Don had met when the team had a case in her old apartment building. There was a murder, and when Don asked people if they knew the victim, he and Christi saw love at first site. He'd asked her to marry her four months later and they had been happy for five years, since she was twenty-one. They lived a rich life, lots of money and lived in one of the best neighborhoods in New York. They lived the life.
"How's class?" Don asked.
"Good." Christi said, "How's work?"
"Boring. No cases today."
"Good. That means no one can come and try to shoot you. You aren't in danger."
Don laughed and kissed her. The door then opened in in walked Veronica Hawkes, Sheldon's wife. Veronica was a Broadway actor. She and Christi had met in Julliard while Veronica studied acting. They became good friends. Christi had set her up with Sheldon a month into her and Don's relationship. Sheldon and Veronica were also rich, living similarly to Christi and Don.
"Cassidy, you crazy bitch!" Veronica yells after Cassidy, "I'm naming my damn children after you!"
"I love you too, Veronica!" Cassidy giggled before disappearing into the restroom.
"What was that about?" Don asked.
"I thought you were naming your children after us." Christi giggled.
"I'll tell you later."
"Did she get you an audition?" Don asked.
"For what? Follie?" Christi joked.
"No. All the good ones like Hair and West Side Story, they've all been done… By me!"
"You have done a lot. You're known for doing two performances in one night." Don chuckled.
"That's me, I'm Veronica Santos. I started at fifteen. Ten damn years in that theater."
"I thought you lived in New Jersey." Don said.
"Cambridge, Don, Massachusetts. I ran away to go on Broadway when I was fifteen. Cassidy and I, we were good friends, we went together. We were all about acting. She's doing this very class to land a certain role."
She got her first role when she was sixteen as Alexi Darling in Rent. That started her career. She then played Maria in West Side Story, Sheila in Hair (she wore a blonde wig for that), Velma Kelly in Chicago, and Kate Monster in Avenue Q. That had been her last performance so far.
"But anyways, it wasn't an audition." Veronica said, "Like I said, I'll tell you later."
"Okay."
"Chris, wanna go to lunch?" Don asked.
"Sure. Where at?"
"I'm not sure. Veronica, wanna join us?"
"Actually, I'm going to the Russian Tea Room with Cass." Veronica said as Cassidy showed up at her side, dressed and nice. Cassidy was a bubbly, overall happy person. She had warm, slightly chubby features, and a cute-as-a-button quality to her with her thick, voluminous strawberry blonde hair and freckles crossing the bridge of her nose. Veronica contracted next to her with thinner features. She had a colder sort of beauty with thin lips and skinny features. Her hair was black in color and framed her face perfectly.
"You're welcome to join us." Cassidy said. Veronica nodded.
"Want to?"
"Christi, do you?" Don asked.
"Sure. I've never been to the Russian Tea Room before." she said as they headed out.
"Umm, you might wanna stop by your house first. Their dress code is business casual or dressier." Veronica said. They were both wearing nice designer cocktail dresses and high heels.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Don laughed.
XXX
"Oh my God. How come we don't eat here more?" Christi asked Don once they were seated for lunch.
"Cause you don't have me to pay the bill." Veronica laughed.
"Oh, you don't make any more than we do." Christi sighed.
"At least two thousand a week for each show I do argues."
"I have more money than both of you combined," Cassidy said, flourishing her menu as she opened it.
"How?" Christi asked, disbelievingly.
"My daddy's a billionaire. I have my trust fund in my wallet."
"You guys are lucky. You come from money." Christi said.
"Well I lived with only my dad," Veronica started, "And his trust fund was frozen from the minute he turned eighteen… I didn't get a lot in mine, and I think that this all means my inheritance is frozen too." she shrugged nonchalantly, "Not like that matters now." Then, Christi's phone rang. "You know, Christi, cell phones aren't permitted in the Russian Tea Room." Veronica laughed.
"Hello?" Christi answered it, "…Alright, I'll be right there. Don't worry."
"You'll be right where?" Veronica asked.
"Danny needs me over to help with Lucy."
"Alright. Hey, wanna come to dinner with Sheldon and I tonight?"
"Where at?" Christi asked, collecting her stuff.
"The Pink Elephant."
"You go all these weird places that I've never eaten at."
"It's a club, dear, don't worry."
"Okay. I'll see you when?"
"Six sharp."
"Alright, bye." Christi said, then left.
"Hey, I gotta get back to the lab." Don said, "I'll see you tonight."
Veronica sighed and looked at Cassidy.
"That was rude." Cassidy said.
"Well, you know the deal with Danny. He got shot and now he's in a wheelchair. Christi helps him out."
"I meant Don. He just left right when Christi did."
"Well he's not too comfortable around me without Christi." she laughed.
Cassidy smiled, "You're intimidating."
XXX
When Don got back to the lab, there was still no case, and nothing to do. He went to the break room to get some coffee. Stella snuck up on him very quietly, and much a hand on his back.
"Ahh!" Don jumped, nearly spilling his coffee. He turned and narrowed his eyes at Stella, who was laughing at him. "Not funny, Stella."
"Very funny, actually." she said, "How's Christi?"
"What about her?" Don asked.
"You're all lovesick." Stella teased him, "You two are like teenagers, even years and years into marriage."
"Whatever…" Don grumbled.
"what'd you do?"
"Almost had lunch, but then we both had to go. Cassidy and Veronica were left alone."
"Hope they didn't mind."
"Me too." he chuckled, "Still no work?"
"That's right."
Then, the door opened. Adam walked in and over to Don and said, "I have been dumped by a snobby, pretentious bitch for the last time. Hook me up with a dancer."
"How?"
"Christi's friends!" Adam suggested, "They're all dancers. They're all hot."
"Actually, I have a perfect girl for you…" Don said, thinking of Cassidy, "That is if you don't mind a Broadway broad."
"Is she hot?"
"I'd say so…"
"Awesome!"
"Meet us at the Pink Elephant tonight at six." Don said, getting his phone out and calling Veronica.
"Yeah, Don?" she answered.
"Bring Cassidy to dinner. I'm setting her up with a guy."
"I knew this would happen eventually. Will do. Bye, Don." she said and hung up.
Stella laughed and Don, "You're a matchmaker!"
"He's my wingman." Adam corrected her. Sheldon came in then, and went over to the coffee machine.
"I hear you almost had lunch with my wife, Don." Sheldon laughed.
"Look, we both had to go."
"She was kind of mad. But oh well. So how is she?"
"Well I mentioned you when we were driving. She got real angry and muttered something, then changed the subject."
"Oh."
"What's going on with you and her?"
"We've just been having some problems."
"Like what?"
"Everything. I don't clean up after myself, I spend too much time exercising, I expect sex on the spot after I come home from running, I work too much, I think her only place is in the kitchen… We fight about the bills, about money, about life… About everything."
"Sorry, man. Try not to fight tonight though, alright?"
"What's going on tonight?"
"We're going to the Pink Elephant."
"Damn it, I hate that place!"
"Do you think Veronica invited us there just in spite of you?"
"Knowing her… Totally."
XXX
That night, the girls showed up in small, glittering dresses while the guys showed in dressy casual suits.
"Adam, this is Cassidy." Veronica introduced Adam and Cassidy, "Cass, this is Adam."
"Nice to meet you." Cassidy smiled. Adam agreed and they went to their booth.
"Waiter!" Veronica stopped a man in a tuxedo carrying a tray of shots around, offering them to anyone, "We'll take those."
"Here you go," the waiter said, setting down the shots of vodka in front of them. Veronica put a ten in his jacket pocket. "Thank you." he said, then left.
Veronica picked hers up and held it up in a toast. The others followed suit, "To… Anyone wanna start the toast?"
"To friendship," Christi offered.
"And relationships," Don added.
"And new romances," Sheldon said.
"That we hope will work." Christi said.
"To careers," Adam put in.
"To show business!" Cassidy giggled then looked at Veronica, "To Quebec!"
"Yeah, to Quebec!" Veronica added. She clinked her glass with eh others, signaling the end, and downed it. The others did the same, then asked about Quebec.
"What is it?" Sheldon asked.
"Cass and I are making a play. We started it last month, but then she told me over lunch that it can actually work out."
"What's it about?" Don asked.
"Curiosity jinxed the musical…" Cassidy said under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. She looked at Veronica, willing her not to tell.
"Cass is a worry wart, so I can't tell."
"Worry wart? You can do better." Cassidy scoffed.
"Cass is a superstitious, overanalyzing hermit who thinks way too much about the future," Veronica said in the same nonchalant tone she had used earlier, "So I can't tell you."
"Need choreography?" Christi inquired.
"Once we finish and once we get it approved and find actors and all… Most definitely." Veronica laughed.
"Are you writing the songs too?" Christi asked.
"We are."
"Well just call me when you need me."
"You know, you're taking on a lot of stuff." Sheldon told Veronica, "You're never gonna be around. You're never around anyway. You're always at the stage or rehearsal or doing something else."
"You're always gone too. When I wake up, you're already gone. When I get back from work, you aren't there. I spend the rest of the evening alone, go to bed and then you come home while I'm asleep. I never see you during the day either. Don has the decency to visit Christi at work during lunch."
"It's getting harder."
"How?" she asked.
Sheldon stayed silent for a few moments, then said, "I want kids. But you, you're all caught up in your career. I can never bring it up to you."
"Is that all?"
"Just… Your career is so much. You're always touring, you're always away."
"And your's is dangerous! You could get shot!" she exclaimed, "Look… I don't want kids… Right now. Maybe in a few months."
"What about work?"
"I can't stop working."
"Well just quit working so hard."
"I will when you do. I will when you spend a little time with me." she countered. She felt someone kick her under the table, and saw Christi glaring at her. "Stay out of it, Christi."
"Quit fighting."
"We aren't." Sheldon and Veronica said at the same time. Veronica sighed, "We'll continue this at home. Let's order."