"Double Date" is the 9th installment in my Flack & Angell; First Dates series. "Double Date" stands alone, but the series is best read in order, as there are minor references to previous stories.
~ #1 - Dutch & 3 #2 - Rest Your Wings #3 - A Real Date #4 - The Gym #5 - Trapped #6 - Running From Jealousy #7 - On-call x2 #8 - Dog House #9 - Double Date ~ Disclaimer: Oh, these are so ridiculous to do! But, just to play nice.... all the characters you recognize belong to CBS.
However, SWAT team assistant Phillips, Agent Spencer, and perp Steve Jackson are my characters.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ Angell was perplexed. 'How could anyone do that?' she asked herself. It was all just so twisted. Normally she'd sit back with a bag of peanut M&M's to take her mind off things, but this was going to take more that that. She grabbed her jacket and headed out the door for some real food.
~ Flack sat with a cup of cold coffee in his hand, staring out the window. She was late. She was more than late, she wasn't going to come at all. Why did she have to do things like this, why did her problems have to invade his life so much. He wanted to be supportive, but there was a limit to what he could take.
~ It was a short walk to Tillary's Diner. Angell walked in and placed her order at the counter, then stepping back to wait, she noticed a familiar face. She walked over.
~ "Oh, no thanks." Flack said to the waitress who was offering to warm his coffee.
~ "Looks like your food got cold, too." Angell said, approaching his table.
~ He looked up and smiled to see her. "Hey." Was all he managed and she could see a sadness in his eyes. "Have a seat." He offered.
~ Angell sat down opposite him in the booth. She could tell by the cold food and coffee in front of him, something he would normally never let happen, that something was wrong. She knew him well enough to not ask though, but just to be there if he wanted to talk.
~ After several moments of silence, "Sam." was all he said this time.
~ "Sam?" She asked, "What about Sam? Is she okay?"
~ "Good question. I wouldn't know. She was supposed to meet me here, but didn't show. No phone call. Nothing." He explained. Angell was surprised he had told her so quickly, so it must really be bugging him.
~ "I'm sorry." It sounded so weak and generic, but she didn't know what else to say. "Guess neither one of us will ever know the advantages of being an only child."
~ Flack broke a slight smile at her comment. "So, what brings you here?" He asked, needing to change the subject.
~ "Food." She answered.
~ "Must've been a tough case if peanut M&M's didn't cut it." He replied, knowing they were her standby and she had to have them any time she was frustrated or stressed and always kept a bag in her desk drawer.
~ "Tough? No. Strange? Yes." She clarified.
~ "Tell me." Flack said, leaning back and with no obvious intention of eating the food in front of him.
~ "Twenty-two year old female undergrad student strangled in her boyfriends dorm room." Angell said, then took a deep breath before continuing, "He killed her for faking it."
~ Flack's eyebrows shot up. He couldn't believe she'd managed to say that with a straight face. "For faking it?"
~ "Mhmm." Angell mumbled with a slight nod. "Apparently she needed some extra study time to prepare for finals, but the boyfriend had some final goals of his own." She paused to study the bewildered look on Flack's face. "Too bad she wasn't studying acting."
~ "He strangled her.... for faking it during sex?" He stated, not really a question, he was just still stunned.
~ "Yep. So here I am grabbing a sandwich while he's being put thru booking. This should be a very interesting interrogation." She said before hearing her order number called. "Do me a favor, will ya?" She requested, sliding out of the booth.
~ "What's that?" He asked.
~ "Eat." She paused as she stood, "Or I'm gonna have to have to work with you later when your low blood sugar hits and you're grumpy." She said with a smirk before walking away to pick up her order.
~ Flack just smiled and watched her head for the counter. He was still bugged about Sam, pushed his plate away, and waived the waitress over to request his check.
~ The waitress returned just a minute later, "You sure you don't want any more coffee before you leave, sir?" She offered.
~ "No, thank you. Just my check, please." Flack said.
~ "There isn't one." She informed him.
~ "Isn't one?" He repeated in a questioning way.
~ "That's correct, sir. Have a nice day." She said, walking away.
~ "Wait a minute. Why don't I have a check?" He asked, thoroughly confused.
~ "It's already been paid." She said with a smile and starting again to walk away.
~ "By who?" Flack asked, standing up.
~ "Don't know." She shrugged, "Some lady picking up her order requested to take care of it."
~ "Jess." Flack mumbled to himself. "Uh, thanks." He said to the waitress before she finally succeeded in walking away. Flack sat back down so he could see out the window, but Angell was long gone. 'Great, now I have to eat it.' he thought to himself as he pulled the plate closer and sighed.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ Detectives Angell and Bonasara sat across from Steve Jackson in interrogation room two. Jackson was all of 23 years old and it was obvious that he thought very highly of himself, or at least thought all the ladies should think very highly of him.
~ "So tell us exactly what happened, Mr. Jackson." Bonasara instructed.
~ "She was wasting my time." He said back in a monotone voice and with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
~ "Sounds more like you were wasting hers." Bonasara said back.
~ "Hey, I'm in pretty high demand." He said, "But I might be able to accommodate certain members of law enforcement." He added, shifting his gaze to Angell.
~ Angell, who still had her jacket on for a reason, looked up from the file she'd been pretending to read, said, "No thanks, I prefer grown men." with a straight face, then looked back down at the file in her hand.
~ Hawkes and Flack, who were both on the other side of the glass in an observation room, both busted up laughing. They were so glad that Bonasara and Angell couldn't hear them. "Wow. She sure put that kid in his place." Hawkes said, as both men attempted to not start laughing again.
~ Back on the other side of the glass, Angell was succeeding in frustrating Jackson, "Ya know, Mr. Jackson, if you were really any good, Emily wouldn't have needed to fake it." She told him.
~ "Good?! I am good, and she had no reason to fake it!" He yelled back at her.
~ "Calm down, Mr. Jackson." Bonasara instructed.
~ "Hey, you can't insult me like that! I can have any girl on the campus I want! They all want to be with me! Emily was just distracted last night!" He yelled.
~ "Okay, so she was distracted. Wasn't into it. Why kill her?" Angell asked in a calm voice.
~ "Why? Are you kidding me?! She told me she needed to study! Needed to study?! Can you believe that?! She thought taking some test next week was more important than being with me?!" Jackson said, so full of himself it was disgusting.
~ "So why not just let it go? Just forget about it till another time." Bonasara asked.
~ "What? And have her tell all her friends what happened. No way!"
~ "So you had to shut her up." Bonasara said.
~ "Damn right I did!" Jackson confessed.
~ Flack had had enough of listening to this murderer. He was so full of himself it was just disgusting and he wanted to keep down the lunch he'd eaten.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ "Thanks." Flack said, watching Angell take off her jacket and placed it on the back of her chair, then take a seat across from him.
~ "For what?" She asked.
~ "Someone bought me lunch today." He said with a smirk.
~ "Did you eat it?" She asked, scrounging her desk drawer for a pen.
~ "Yes." He answered with a nod.
~ "Then it worked." She said, closing the drawer. "I told you, you get grumpy...."
~ "But that's not why you did it." He stated, not letting her finish.
~ Angell looked around a bit, "You were having a bad day." She said.
~ Flack opened his mouth as if to speak, but didn't, and closed it again. He paused, "I, uh, don't know what to say to that." He finally spit out.
~ "Don't say anything. We're partners. We care about each other. Looking after each other is just what we do. So don't say anything." She told him with a slight smile that warmed his heart.
~ "Angell. Flack" The captain said, walking over.
~ "Yes, sir." They both replied in unison.
~ "I have a training assignment for both of you for tomorrow." He informed them, pulling up a seat before he continued, "The annual tactical training that works with SWAT and other agencies begins tomorrow. Two officers had to be rescheduled, so I'm moving you two up on the schedule to take their place."
~ "Why us, if you don't mind my asking?" Angell asked.
~ "Because if the Blue Flu really does hit later, I want your turns over with by then because I'm going to need you." He said. "You both report, with four others from this precinct, tomorrow morning."
~ Flack and Angell both watched as the captain headed back into his office. "You don't look too happy about this." Flack said as he noticed Angell lean back in her chair with a sigh. She just shook her head and looked away. "It's two days of simulated situations, take-downs, and training with some nice toys." He paused, "You, uh, look good holding a pump action shot gun." He added after making sure no one could hear.
~ Angell raised her eyes to meet his. "Gee, thanks. But it's also two days of men either gawking at me or treating me like I don't know how to hold said shot gun. I'm going out there to do my job, not to prove to a bunch of horny chauvinistic cops they're wrong."
~ "What? Caine's going to?" Flack joked. It was all he could think of to do, knowing what she'd said was true and that there was nothing he could say to change that.
~ Angell exited the locker room and was ready to head for home when the captain stopped her in the hall. "Angell, I was just wondering,.... with the threat of the Blue Flu looming, I'm going around asking everyone..... well, how they're feeling. If you get my drift."
~ "I get your drift, captain." She said.
~ "I have to know who I can count on. Not that I'd blame anyone, I just need to know." He told her honestly.
~ "Well, captain, my checkbook may have one foot in the grave, but, so far, all I've got are the sniffles." She told him. He nodded in understanding. "G'night, sir."
~ "G'night, Detective." He replied.
~ Flack continued to watch as Angell went down the hall and the captain back to his office. He knew the pay freeze was getting hard on some of his co-workers. Many of them, including Angell, turning down going for drinks after work tonight. Everyone was tightening their belts in preparation for the Blue Flu. He just hoped that if Angell needed help that she'd be willing to ask him for it.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ Angell could see his shadow hovering almost over her. He was so close she could almost feel him, his presence looming, yet he wasn't close enough. She waited. Patience was going to pay off in this scenario, of that she was sure. His shadow shifted and she could hear more gun fire just behind her. She wondered who he'd shot. It wasn't long till the shadow returned, he was getting frustrated, she could tell, she could sense it. He was the last one. She again reminded herself of the need for patience. It would pay off, more than that, it was vital. He slowly moved closer, she kept her breathing slow and steady, lest he find her. His shadow disappeared for a while, she waited for it's return. Yes, she'd decided she would take her chance when it returned, giving him away. He thought he had an advantage. He didn't, it was hers to have. Again the shadow moved closer, but still not close enough. Closer, yes, a little closer. Almost, but still not enough. She had only one chance, and she knew it. It was down to just the two of them, everyone else was gone. Shot. It was just him against her, her against him. He would shoot first, if only he could see her. His shadow came closer again, and she prepared herself, but mostly in her mind, as her body could not move. Timing would be everything.
~ Angell pushed out from the narrow ledge she'd been hiding under, rolling over as fast as she could, she aimed and fired.
~ It was blue. She had hit her target twice and his jacket was now running blue. He threw his arms up in the air, "No way, man! You can't be serious! How the hell...."
~ "Woo-hoo!" Came another voice, "She got you, man! Blue wins!"
~ "All right, everyone, gather 'round." The SWAT leader called out. "As you can see, by the last man, uh, woman, standing, that the blue team wins."
~ Cheers were yelled out by the blue team and low grumbles by the red team. That training exercise was the last one of the day and everyone was ready to head for home.
~ "Before we leave for today, let me remind you of the basic reason we're all here. It's not just to keep up your skills on weapons. It's not just to shoot painballs at each other in simulated situations. It's also so we learn from each other as representatives as law enforcement and as different branches of law enforcement." The SWAT leader said to the crowd of twenty gathered around him. "I know we've gone over a lot of information here today, but before we leave I'd like to ask Detecitive Angell....." he paused and turned to her, "....how the hell did you pull that off?" He smirked and several laughed, including Flack, whose arm still dripped with the red paint Angell had put there.
~ "I followed your instructions." She stated matter-of-factly.
~ "Yeah, but lots of others tried hiding under those ledges, and were found pretty quickly." Someone from the red team she didn't recognize asked.
~ Turning back to the SWAT leader, she said, "You reminded us to work with what we've got. The layout within the parameters here didn't give a lot of options. So I hid where I could till my opportunity was present."
~ The SWAT leader nodded, then asked, "Before we leave, would you mind demonstrating for us exactly 'how' you fit under that ledge?"
~ Angell didn't really want to, she didn't want the attention, but agreed anyway for the sake of their purpose in doing the training exercises in the first place. "Um, sure." She said quietly, walking over to the ledge. "Again, working with what we've got, or don't have in some cases."
~ "Don't have?" Someone asked before she could finish.
~ She nodded. "Yeah, what you don't have can be important, too."
~ "How's that?" He asked.
~ "Well, size in my case. I'm smaller than some of you who also decided to hide under the ledges."
~ "I'm the same height as you." Called out a different officer, "But I couldn't fit under there, either. Got shot in less than five."
~ "Perhaps you didn't fit under there the same way I did." Angell said.
~ "How's that?" The SWAT leader inquired.
~ "Well, it helps when you're only three feet tall." She said.
~ "Again," said the same guy, "I'm the same height as you, so how can you make yourself only three feet tall?"
~ Angell really didn't want to answer, but took a deep breath anyway, then suddenly dropped down into the splits. She could hear the mostly male group groaning in response to her sudden action.
~ "You fit under there because you can do the splits?" Someone asked.
~ Angell nodded, then got up. "It allowed me to back myself up much further under the ledge than the rest of you could. I also had the option of leaning against the back wall without my feet sticking out."
~ "Well done, Detective Angell." The SWAT leader said, then dismissed the group, "We'll see you all back here tomorrow."
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ The next day began with an emphasis in hand-to-hand conflicts. Everyone was dressed in tee shirts and shorts. One of the SWAT team assistants named Phillips broke everyone into random pairings, making sure Angell was paired with him and they were to demonstrate first.
~ Phillips had everyone gather around the edge of the mat, with he and Angell in the middle. He saw a lot of determination in her and wanted to give her the opportunity to prove herself, yet he wasn't about to just hand anything over to her. "Again, we've got to learn to work with what we've got in any given situation. Feel free to use whatever you can get your hands on, within the confines of the mat space, which as you can see, isn't much. We'll all be wearing light weight sparring gloves, to keep from getting hurt too much, but this is still a full-on match otherwise. Agent Spencer has the whistle and it's not over till the whistle blows. Everyone understand?" He asked. Everyone nodded.
~ Flack didn't like this at all. He felt like Angell was being picked on and singled out. Some of the men from the red team still had a bit of a grudge from her helping the blue team win yesterday. He also wasn't entirely trusting of Phillips, either, was she out there with him so he could make an example out of her? Questions or not, there she was, out in the middle of the mat about to go one-on-one till one of them gave in or the whistle blew.
~ Angell felt the lump in her throat. She'd heard the rumblings from the red team. She was there for training and not some stupid testosterone laden game. She didn't like being front and center, she wasn't a show off, and she didn't like being made an example of, either. She had a slight distrust of Phillips for some reason, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. Either way, she was about to go one-on-one till one of them gave in or the whistle blew.
~ The 'match' started and it was obvious it was going to be a long one. Angell graduated the top of her class in hand-to-hand combat, but Phillips was a training assistant and would be a more than worthy opponent. Jabs were exchanged and it wasn't long till it was an all out sparring match between the two. Obviously neither of them would be giving in.
~ As expected, the match kept going beyond bloody noses and jabs to the gut. It wasn't quite an all-out punching match, but throw in some sharp objects and you could be watching stunt double's warming up for a scene for Kill Bill.
~ Flack felt helpless, as any partner would, and had a sick feeling in his stomach at every blow he watched her give or take. He had confidence in her abilities, but this was hard to watch. Of course he did feel a bit better when he watched Phillips try to knock her feet out from under her, but she only jumped straight up to avoid being knocked over, which sent Phillips sliding harmlessly under her as she came back down with the advantage, which she used to the fullest.
~ A bit later Phillips succeeded in kicking Angell's feet out from under her and landed on her ribs. Angell was winded but gave him an elbow to the head that knocked him off her. Both were winded, but neither would give up. They were back on their feet, swaying slightly from side to side, each looking and waiting for another opening to take the other out.
~ After several more minutes of the match Phillips had Angell pinned. He looked around and said breathlessly to her and the circle of watchers, "What I did here was an exercise in patience, I had to wait quite a while to figure out Detective Angell's weakness." Several from the edge of the mat nodded and Angell could hear some of them talking to each other.
~ Angell let herself relax under Phillips arm that had her shoulders pressed to the mat, taking the opportunity to catch her breath. Then, when he began to rise up, she saw her opportunity and swung her right leg around and over his left shoulder and kicked him so hard under his chin that he went flying off her as she bolted away. This of course shocked and infuriated Phillips. He shook his head a bit since it was spinning, then took off after her.
~ Angell ran to the other side of the mat as fast as she could. She could hear Phillips coming after her. She slid feet first into a large garbage can on the edge of the mat. This pushed the can off the mat and into a weapons rack, knocking the rack over and onto the mat. Angell grabbed a mace can from the rack and quickly pulled the pin as she spun on her heels to face Phillips who was now only a step away.
~ Phillips froze. He had no other choice. Angell had a mace can only ten inches from his face with her finger ready on the trigger, and the look on her face was fierce. "You care to explain that, Detective Angell?" He asked thru gritted teeth with an obviously angry tone to his voice. "The match was over and you took a cheap shot." He added, just in case she needed clarification.
~ Angell needed no clarification, she knew exactly why Phillips was mad. "You found my weakness,.... and I found yours." She informed him without flinching.
~ Phillips expression changed to one of confusion. "Oh, what's that?" He asked with a suddenly pompous attitude.
~ "Nope. You first." She instructed, still not flinching or giving him any room for arguing.
~ He took a deep breath and started to move slightly, but she shifted with him and kept the mace pointed at his face. "Okay. Fine. I'll go first. When you jab with your right, you drop your left shoulder. This causes a shift in your weight, making it easier for me to knock you feet out from under you." He looked at her as if asking if she was satisfied with his answer. "Now it's your turn." He added, anxious to hear what excuse she would offer for the move that he knew she could have easily followed up on and caused more damage with.
~ Angell nodded slightly, satisfied with his critique. "Your hearing." Was all she said. ~ "What?! What are you talking about?" He demanded while looking around confused.
~ "Your hearing." She repeated, then paused, "There's been no whistle yet." She explained, still not flinching since the match was not over.
~ Phillips eyes suddenly widened at the realization that she was right, and the murmuring could be heard by many of those standing around the edge of the mat. ~ Just then Agent Spencer blew the whistle and stepped onto the mat. "Detective Angell," He said, addressing her. "I commend you on your excellent attention to detail. However, you were instructed to work within the parameters of what was on the mat. The weapons rack and the mace cans were not on the mat." He added, stating the obvious, which those standing around them were also surely thinking.
~ "That's true, sir." She said, putting the pin back in the can now that the match was truly over. "But you also told us to work with what we've got. And since what I needed wasn't in, .... I made it in." She put the can down and looked up at Agent Spencer, "I never left the mat, as instructed. Since I couldn't get to the rack, I brought the rack to me." She paused and looked at Phillips, "You're the one who told us to work with what we've got." She added, then left the mat as someone handed her a towel and water bottle, which she gratefully accepted.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ The following day had been a busy one back at the precinct and both Flack and Angell were ready to head out.
~ "Hey, Jess." Flack said, getting her attention as she put her jacket on.
~ Angell looked up at him. "You ready to tell me what we're doing tonight?" She asked.
~ "Soon." Was all he said with a wink, then put on his own jacket. "I'm heading out, too. I'll pick you up in an hour."
~ "How am I supposed to know what to wear if I don't know where we're going or what we're doing?" She asked.
~ 'Hmmm, good point.' Flack thought to himself, "Just make sure you're comfortable." Was all he would tell her.
~ Angell rolled her eyes. 'Men just don't get it.' she thought to herself and headed for the locker room.
~ Just over an hour later Flack knocked on Angell's door. "Red." He said smiling, in reference to her boots peeking out from under her dark jeans.
~ "You said to be comfortable." She countered.
~ "I did. You ready?" He asked. She nodded, pulling her jacket over her long sleeved red top. "Let's go." He said.
~ Angell resisted asking again where they were going, as Flack opened the car door for her. She wasn't much for surprises, but since it was Don, she knew it would be good and decided she could learn to like surprises, or to at least learn some patience.
~ Flack pulled over in front of what Angell recognized as Messer's apartment building and took out his phone. "We're here." was all he said before hanging up and turning to face Angell. "Messer & Monroe are going with us." He told her. She just smiled and nodded. He could tell the suspense was getting to her and he was amused by her expression and obvious attempts to not keep asking where they were going. "I, uh, thought it would be nice to go out with another couple. I hope you like the idea."
~ "Yeah, sure. Sounds nice. I don't usually see either one of them outside of work." She said.
~ This of course Flack knew, and was precisely why he thought it would be a good idea to go on a double date.
~ Messer & Monroe were soon in the back seat and they were back on the road. "Where are we going?" Asked Monroe.
~ "You don't know, either?" Angell asked, twisting in her seat to look at Monroe who just shook her head 'no.
~ "Think we should tell 'em now?" Messer asked Flack.
~ "Oh, I don't know, Danny. Maybe we should wait a little longer." Flack said with a smirk and making eye contact with Messer in the rear view mirror.
~ "Right. I'm with you, buddy. They'll find out soon enough." Messer said back to Flack.
~ Twenty minutes later the car was parked and the four of them walked up in front of 'Club Z'. "So, you ladies ready for a night of dancing and fun?" Messer asked.
~ "Yeah!" Was Angell's quick reply. "I love this place."
~ "Yeah?" Flack responded with a slight tone of surprise.
~ "Mhmm." Angell mumbled back. "Rat Pack." She said in Flack's ear. He smiled back in response and at the mental image of Angell out dancing with her girlfriends.
~ "Come one, let's get in and see if we can get a table." Messer said, leading Monroe, who looked a little unsure, by the hand.
~ "Uh, Danny,....I'm not sure I'll be too good at the 'dancing' portion of the evening." She said, rubbing her pregnant belly.
~ "Ah, you'll be fine, Linds. Just pace yourself and we'll take plenty of breaks for you to rest. It'll be nice to have some time out just having fun." He said, smiling to reassure her. She smiled back.
~ Club Z was busy as expected and had the usual club atmosphere with low lighting and loud pulsing music for those on the dance floor, and only slightly better lighting around the perimeter where the seating was located. The four found a table and ordered drinks, non-alcoholic for Lindsay and Flack, too, since he was the designated driver. ~ Soon all four were out on the dance floor having a wonderful time. Messer & Monroe taking more frequent breaks than Flack & Angell. Between dancing, drinks, and food, the evening seemed to just fly by as everyone was having a wonderful time. Flack and Messer, although good buddies, had never taken women out on a double-date before, and Monroe and Angell both found it nice to get to know each other better. Not that conversation was very easy over the loud music, but they managed none the less.
~ "So, then Messer tires to impress this lady with a lay up, but messes up and ends up laying on his back as the basketball just rolls away and she's just laughing at him as she walks away." Flack says, as the ladies laugh and he dives in for more nachos.
~ "Thanks, Flack." Messer says, with a smirk and a half full mouth. "Just give me a minute, I'll have a story for them. Just you see." He adds, looking forward to some sort of revenge and also reaching for the nachos.
~ Monroe reaches over for Messer's hand and places it on her stomach to feel the baby kicking away. "I think she likes the music." She says to him.
~ "Yeah, I'm sure he does." Messer said back with a grin. Everyone laughed because they all think it's a girl and Messer is the only one who thinks it's a boy.
~ The cool night air felt good as they all walked out of the club. "That was fun, but you know what we need next time?" Angell said.
~ "More deodorant and less fabric." Flack replied, pulling on his shirt to cool off.
~ "Mhmm." Everyone else agreed.
~ As the car pulled back up in front of Messer's apartment building, both his and Flack's phones rang. They were being called to the same crime scene where the Deputy Mayor had just been killed. Messer went on ahead to the scene, and Flack drive Monroe home before dropping off Angell, then would go to the scene, too.
~ "Did you have fun tonight?" Flack asked Angell as they stood on her apartment building's steps.
~ "Yes, I did." She replied, feeling his hand sliding around her waist. "It was a nice idea to ask them to join us. I'm glad you thought of it." She added, feeling him pull her towards him.
~ "I'm glad you had a good time." He said, pulling her closer, till their foreheads touched. "Danny mentioned that he wanted to take Lindsay out, so...."
~ "Mhmm." Angell mumbled against his lips as she cut his words off with a kiss. Flack kept his hand around her waist and moved his other hand to the back of her neck. Her skin felt soft to his fingers and the curls of her hair tickled the back of his hand as they swayed in unison to the slight movement of their heads as their kiss deepened and continued.
~ Neither was sure how long they'd been standing there on the steps kissing, but eventually Flack remembered that the Deputy Mayor had just been killed and he had to go to work.
~ He slowly loosened his grip around her waist and backed off just far enough to lock eyes with her and said, "Good night, sweetheart."
~ #1 - Dutch & 3 #2 - Rest Your Wings #3 - A Real Date #4 - The Gym #5 - Trapped #6 - Running From Jealousy #7 - On-call x2 #8 - Dog House #9 - Double Date ~ Disclaimer: Oh, these are so ridiculous to do! But, just to play nice.... all the characters you recognize belong to CBS.
However, SWAT team assistant Phillips, Agent Spencer, and perp Steve Jackson are my characters.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ Angell was perplexed. 'How could anyone do that?' she asked herself. It was all just so twisted. Normally she'd sit back with a bag of peanut M&M's to take her mind off things, but this was going to take more that that. She grabbed her jacket and headed out the door for some real food.
~ Flack sat with a cup of cold coffee in his hand, staring out the window. She was late. She was more than late, she wasn't going to come at all. Why did she have to do things like this, why did her problems have to invade his life so much. He wanted to be supportive, but there was a limit to what he could take.
~ It was a short walk to Tillary's Diner. Angell walked in and placed her order at the counter, then stepping back to wait, she noticed a familiar face. She walked over.
~ "Oh, no thanks." Flack said to the waitress who was offering to warm his coffee.
~ "Looks like your food got cold, too." Angell said, approaching his table.
~ He looked up and smiled to see her. "Hey." Was all he managed and she could see a sadness in his eyes. "Have a seat." He offered.
~ Angell sat down opposite him in the booth. She could tell by the cold food and coffee in front of him, something he would normally never let happen, that something was wrong. She knew him well enough to not ask though, but just to be there if he wanted to talk.
~ After several moments of silence, "Sam." was all he said this time.
~ "Sam?" She asked, "What about Sam? Is she okay?"
~ "Good question. I wouldn't know. She was supposed to meet me here, but didn't show. No phone call. Nothing." He explained. Angell was surprised he had told her so quickly, so it must really be bugging him.
~ "I'm sorry." It sounded so weak and generic, but she didn't know what else to say. "Guess neither one of us will ever know the advantages of being an only child."
~ Flack broke a slight smile at her comment. "So, what brings you here?" He asked, needing to change the subject.
~ "Food." She answered.
~ "Must've been a tough case if peanut M&M's didn't cut it." He replied, knowing they were her standby and she had to have them any time she was frustrated or stressed and always kept a bag in her desk drawer.
~ "Tough? No. Strange? Yes." She clarified.
~ "Tell me." Flack said, leaning back and with no obvious intention of eating the food in front of him.
~ "Twenty-two year old female undergrad student strangled in her boyfriends dorm room." Angell said, then took a deep breath before continuing, "He killed her for faking it."
~ Flack's eyebrows shot up. He couldn't believe she'd managed to say that with a straight face. "For faking it?"
~ "Mhmm." Angell mumbled with a slight nod. "Apparently she needed some extra study time to prepare for finals, but the boyfriend had some final goals of his own." She paused to study the bewildered look on Flack's face. "Too bad she wasn't studying acting."
~ "He strangled her.... for faking it during sex?" He stated, not really a question, he was just still stunned.
~ "Yep. So here I am grabbing a sandwich while he's being put thru booking. This should be a very interesting interrogation." She said before hearing her order number called. "Do me a favor, will ya?" She requested, sliding out of the booth.
~ "What's that?" He asked.
~ "Eat." She paused as she stood, "Or I'm gonna have to have to work with you later when your low blood sugar hits and you're grumpy." She said with a smirk before walking away to pick up her order.
~ Flack just smiled and watched her head for the counter. He was still bugged about Sam, pushed his plate away, and waived the waitress over to request his check.
~ The waitress returned just a minute later, "You sure you don't want any more coffee before you leave, sir?" She offered.
~ "No, thank you. Just my check, please." Flack said.
~ "There isn't one." She informed him.
~ "Isn't one?" He repeated in a questioning way.
~ "That's correct, sir. Have a nice day." She said, walking away.
~ "Wait a minute. Why don't I have a check?" He asked, thoroughly confused.
~ "It's already been paid." She said with a smile and starting again to walk away.
~ "By who?" Flack asked, standing up.
~ "Don't know." She shrugged, "Some lady picking up her order requested to take care of it."
~ "Jess." Flack mumbled to himself. "Uh, thanks." He said to the waitress before she finally succeeded in walking away. Flack sat back down so he could see out the window, but Angell was long gone. 'Great, now I have to eat it.' he thought to himself as he pulled the plate closer and sighed.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ Detectives Angell and Bonasara sat across from Steve Jackson in interrogation room two. Jackson was all of 23 years old and it was obvious that he thought very highly of himself, or at least thought all the ladies should think very highly of him.
~ "So tell us exactly what happened, Mr. Jackson." Bonasara instructed.
~ "She was wasting my time." He said back in a monotone voice and with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
~ "Sounds more like you were wasting hers." Bonasara said back.
~ "Hey, I'm in pretty high demand." He said, "But I might be able to accommodate certain members of law enforcement." He added, shifting his gaze to Angell.
~ Angell, who still had her jacket on for a reason, looked up from the file she'd been pretending to read, said, "No thanks, I prefer grown men." with a straight face, then looked back down at the file in her hand.
~ Hawkes and Flack, who were both on the other side of the glass in an observation room, both busted up laughing. They were so glad that Bonasara and Angell couldn't hear them. "Wow. She sure put that kid in his place." Hawkes said, as both men attempted to not start laughing again.
~ Back on the other side of the glass, Angell was succeeding in frustrating Jackson, "Ya know, Mr. Jackson, if you were really any good, Emily wouldn't have needed to fake it." She told him.
~ "Good?! I am good, and she had no reason to fake it!" He yelled back at her.
~ "Calm down, Mr. Jackson." Bonasara instructed.
~ "Hey, you can't insult me like that! I can have any girl on the campus I want! They all want to be with me! Emily was just distracted last night!" He yelled.
~ "Okay, so she was distracted. Wasn't into it. Why kill her?" Angell asked in a calm voice.
~ "Why? Are you kidding me?! She told me she needed to study! Needed to study?! Can you believe that?! She thought taking some test next week was more important than being with me?!" Jackson said, so full of himself it was disgusting.
~ "So why not just let it go? Just forget about it till another time." Bonasara asked.
~ "What? And have her tell all her friends what happened. No way!"
~ "So you had to shut her up." Bonasara said.
~ "Damn right I did!" Jackson confessed.
~ Flack had had enough of listening to this murderer. He was so full of himself it was just disgusting and he wanted to keep down the lunch he'd eaten.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ "Thanks." Flack said, watching Angell take off her jacket and placed it on the back of her chair, then take a seat across from him.
~ "For what?" She asked.
~ "Someone bought me lunch today." He said with a smirk.
~ "Did you eat it?" She asked, scrounging her desk drawer for a pen.
~ "Yes." He answered with a nod.
~ "Then it worked." She said, closing the drawer. "I told you, you get grumpy...."
~ "But that's not why you did it." He stated, not letting her finish.
~ Angell looked around a bit, "You were having a bad day." She said.
~ Flack opened his mouth as if to speak, but didn't, and closed it again. He paused, "I, uh, don't know what to say to that." He finally spit out.
~ "Don't say anything. We're partners. We care about each other. Looking after each other is just what we do. So don't say anything." She told him with a slight smile that warmed his heart.
~ "Angell. Flack" The captain said, walking over.
~ "Yes, sir." They both replied in unison.
~ "I have a training assignment for both of you for tomorrow." He informed them, pulling up a seat before he continued, "The annual tactical training that works with SWAT and other agencies begins tomorrow. Two officers had to be rescheduled, so I'm moving you two up on the schedule to take their place."
~ "Why us, if you don't mind my asking?" Angell asked.
~ "Because if the Blue Flu really does hit later, I want your turns over with by then because I'm going to need you." He said. "You both report, with four others from this precinct, tomorrow morning."
~ Flack and Angell both watched as the captain headed back into his office. "You don't look too happy about this." Flack said as he noticed Angell lean back in her chair with a sigh. She just shook her head and looked away. "It's two days of simulated situations, take-downs, and training with some nice toys." He paused, "You, uh, look good holding a pump action shot gun." He added after making sure no one could hear.
~ Angell raised her eyes to meet his. "Gee, thanks. But it's also two days of men either gawking at me or treating me like I don't know how to hold said shot gun. I'm going out there to do my job, not to prove to a bunch of horny chauvinistic cops they're wrong."
~ "What? Caine's going to?" Flack joked. It was all he could think of to do, knowing what she'd said was true and that there was nothing he could say to change that.
~ Angell exited the locker room and was ready to head for home when the captain stopped her in the hall. "Angell, I was just wondering,.... with the threat of the Blue Flu looming, I'm going around asking everyone..... well, how they're feeling. If you get my drift."
~ "I get your drift, captain." She said.
~ "I have to know who I can count on. Not that I'd blame anyone, I just need to know." He told her honestly.
~ "Well, captain, my checkbook may have one foot in the grave, but, so far, all I've got are the sniffles." She told him. He nodded in understanding. "G'night, sir."
~ "G'night, Detective." He replied.
~ Flack continued to watch as Angell went down the hall and the captain back to his office. He knew the pay freeze was getting hard on some of his co-workers. Many of them, including Angell, turning down going for drinks after work tonight. Everyone was tightening their belts in preparation for the Blue Flu. He just hoped that if Angell needed help that she'd be willing to ask him for it.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ Angell could see his shadow hovering almost over her. He was so close she could almost feel him, his presence looming, yet he wasn't close enough. She waited. Patience was going to pay off in this scenario, of that she was sure. His shadow shifted and she could hear more gun fire just behind her. She wondered who he'd shot. It wasn't long till the shadow returned, he was getting frustrated, she could tell, she could sense it. He was the last one. She again reminded herself of the need for patience. It would pay off, more than that, it was vital. He slowly moved closer, she kept her breathing slow and steady, lest he find her. His shadow disappeared for a while, she waited for it's return. Yes, she'd decided she would take her chance when it returned, giving him away. He thought he had an advantage. He didn't, it was hers to have. Again the shadow moved closer, but still not close enough. Closer, yes, a little closer. Almost, but still not enough. She had only one chance, and she knew it. It was down to just the two of them, everyone else was gone. Shot. It was just him against her, her against him. He would shoot first, if only he could see her. His shadow came closer again, and she prepared herself, but mostly in her mind, as her body could not move. Timing would be everything.
~ Angell pushed out from the narrow ledge she'd been hiding under, rolling over as fast as she could, she aimed and fired.
~ It was blue. She had hit her target twice and his jacket was now running blue. He threw his arms up in the air, "No way, man! You can't be serious! How the hell...."
~ "Woo-hoo!" Came another voice, "She got you, man! Blue wins!"
~ "All right, everyone, gather 'round." The SWAT leader called out. "As you can see, by the last man, uh, woman, standing, that the blue team wins."
~ Cheers were yelled out by the blue team and low grumbles by the red team. That training exercise was the last one of the day and everyone was ready to head for home.
~ "Before we leave for today, let me remind you of the basic reason we're all here. It's not just to keep up your skills on weapons. It's not just to shoot painballs at each other in simulated situations. It's also so we learn from each other as representatives as law enforcement and as different branches of law enforcement." The SWAT leader said to the crowd of twenty gathered around him. "I know we've gone over a lot of information here today, but before we leave I'd like to ask Detecitive Angell....." he paused and turned to her, "....how the hell did you pull that off?" He smirked and several laughed, including Flack, whose arm still dripped with the red paint Angell had put there.
~ "I followed your instructions." She stated matter-of-factly.
~ "Yeah, but lots of others tried hiding under those ledges, and were found pretty quickly." Someone from the red team she didn't recognize asked.
~ Turning back to the SWAT leader, she said, "You reminded us to work with what we've got. The layout within the parameters here didn't give a lot of options. So I hid where I could till my opportunity was present."
~ The SWAT leader nodded, then asked, "Before we leave, would you mind demonstrating for us exactly 'how' you fit under that ledge?"
~ Angell didn't really want to, she didn't want the attention, but agreed anyway for the sake of their purpose in doing the training exercises in the first place. "Um, sure." She said quietly, walking over to the ledge. "Again, working with what we've got, or don't have in some cases."
~ "Don't have?" Someone asked before she could finish.
~ She nodded. "Yeah, what you don't have can be important, too."
~ "How's that?" He asked.
~ "Well, size in my case. I'm smaller than some of you who also decided to hide under the ledges."
~ "I'm the same height as you." Called out a different officer, "But I couldn't fit under there, either. Got shot in less than five."
~ "Perhaps you didn't fit under there the same way I did." Angell said.
~ "How's that?" The SWAT leader inquired.
~ "Well, it helps when you're only three feet tall." She said.
~ "Again," said the same guy, "I'm the same height as you, so how can you make yourself only three feet tall?"
~ Angell really didn't want to answer, but took a deep breath anyway, then suddenly dropped down into the splits. She could hear the mostly male group groaning in response to her sudden action.
~ "You fit under there because you can do the splits?" Someone asked.
~ Angell nodded, then got up. "It allowed me to back myself up much further under the ledge than the rest of you could. I also had the option of leaning against the back wall without my feet sticking out."
~ "Well done, Detective Angell." The SWAT leader said, then dismissed the group, "We'll see you all back here tomorrow."
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ The next day began with an emphasis in hand-to-hand conflicts. Everyone was dressed in tee shirts and shorts. One of the SWAT team assistants named Phillips broke everyone into random pairings, making sure Angell was paired with him and they were to demonstrate first.
~ Phillips had everyone gather around the edge of the mat, with he and Angell in the middle. He saw a lot of determination in her and wanted to give her the opportunity to prove herself, yet he wasn't about to just hand anything over to her. "Again, we've got to learn to work with what we've got in any given situation. Feel free to use whatever you can get your hands on, within the confines of the mat space, which as you can see, isn't much. We'll all be wearing light weight sparring gloves, to keep from getting hurt too much, but this is still a full-on match otherwise. Agent Spencer has the whistle and it's not over till the whistle blows. Everyone understand?" He asked. Everyone nodded.
~ Flack didn't like this at all. He felt like Angell was being picked on and singled out. Some of the men from the red team still had a bit of a grudge from her helping the blue team win yesterday. He also wasn't entirely trusting of Phillips, either, was she out there with him so he could make an example out of her? Questions or not, there she was, out in the middle of the mat about to go one-on-one till one of them gave in or the whistle blew.
~ Angell felt the lump in her throat. She'd heard the rumblings from the red team. She was there for training and not some stupid testosterone laden game. She didn't like being front and center, she wasn't a show off, and she didn't like being made an example of, either. She had a slight distrust of Phillips for some reason, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. Either way, she was about to go one-on-one till one of them gave in or the whistle blew.
~ The 'match' started and it was obvious it was going to be a long one. Angell graduated the top of her class in hand-to-hand combat, but Phillips was a training assistant and would be a more than worthy opponent. Jabs were exchanged and it wasn't long till it was an all out sparring match between the two. Obviously neither of them would be giving in.
~ As expected, the match kept going beyond bloody noses and jabs to the gut. It wasn't quite an all-out punching match, but throw in some sharp objects and you could be watching stunt double's warming up for a scene for Kill Bill.
~ Flack felt helpless, as any partner would, and had a sick feeling in his stomach at every blow he watched her give or take. He had confidence in her abilities, but this was hard to watch. Of course he did feel a bit better when he watched Phillips try to knock her feet out from under her, but she only jumped straight up to avoid being knocked over, which sent Phillips sliding harmlessly under her as she came back down with the advantage, which she used to the fullest.
~ A bit later Phillips succeeded in kicking Angell's feet out from under her and landed on her ribs. Angell was winded but gave him an elbow to the head that knocked him off her. Both were winded, but neither would give up. They were back on their feet, swaying slightly from side to side, each looking and waiting for another opening to take the other out.
~ After several more minutes of the match Phillips had Angell pinned. He looked around and said breathlessly to her and the circle of watchers, "What I did here was an exercise in patience, I had to wait quite a while to figure out Detective Angell's weakness." Several from the edge of the mat nodded and Angell could hear some of them talking to each other.
~ Angell let herself relax under Phillips arm that had her shoulders pressed to the mat, taking the opportunity to catch her breath. Then, when he began to rise up, she saw her opportunity and swung her right leg around and over his left shoulder and kicked him so hard under his chin that he went flying off her as she bolted away. This of course shocked and infuriated Phillips. He shook his head a bit since it was spinning, then took off after her.
~ Angell ran to the other side of the mat as fast as she could. She could hear Phillips coming after her. She slid feet first into a large garbage can on the edge of the mat. This pushed the can off the mat and into a weapons rack, knocking the rack over and onto the mat. Angell grabbed a mace can from the rack and quickly pulled the pin as she spun on her heels to face Phillips who was now only a step away.
~ Phillips froze. He had no other choice. Angell had a mace can only ten inches from his face with her finger ready on the trigger, and the look on her face was fierce. "You care to explain that, Detective Angell?" He asked thru gritted teeth with an obviously angry tone to his voice. "The match was over and you took a cheap shot." He added, just in case she needed clarification.
~ Angell needed no clarification, she knew exactly why Phillips was mad. "You found my weakness,.... and I found yours." She informed him without flinching.
~ Phillips expression changed to one of confusion. "Oh, what's that?" He asked with a suddenly pompous attitude.
~ "Nope. You first." She instructed, still not flinching or giving him any room for arguing.
~ He took a deep breath and started to move slightly, but she shifted with him and kept the mace pointed at his face. "Okay. Fine. I'll go first. When you jab with your right, you drop your left shoulder. This causes a shift in your weight, making it easier for me to knock you feet out from under you." He looked at her as if asking if she was satisfied with his answer. "Now it's your turn." He added, anxious to hear what excuse she would offer for the move that he knew she could have easily followed up on and caused more damage with.
~ Angell nodded slightly, satisfied with his critique. "Your hearing." Was all she said. ~ "What?! What are you talking about?" He demanded while looking around confused.
~ "Your hearing." She repeated, then paused, "There's been no whistle yet." She explained, still not flinching since the match was not over.
~ Phillips eyes suddenly widened at the realization that she was right, and the murmuring could be heard by many of those standing around the edge of the mat. ~ Just then Agent Spencer blew the whistle and stepped onto the mat. "Detective Angell," He said, addressing her. "I commend you on your excellent attention to detail. However, you were instructed to work within the parameters of what was on the mat. The weapons rack and the mace cans were not on the mat." He added, stating the obvious, which those standing around them were also surely thinking.
~ "That's true, sir." She said, putting the pin back in the can now that the match was truly over. "But you also told us to work with what we've got. And since what I needed wasn't in, .... I made it in." She put the can down and looked up at Agent Spencer, "I never left the mat, as instructed. Since I couldn't get to the rack, I brought the rack to me." She paused and looked at Phillips, "You're the one who told us to work with what we've got." She added, then left the mat as someone handed her a towel and water bottle, which she gratefully accepted.
~ FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA ~ The following day had been a busy one back at the precinct and both Flack and Angell were ready to head out.
~ "Hey, Jess." Flack said, getting her attention as she put her jacket on.
~ Angell looked up at him. "You ready to tell me what we're doing tonight?" She asked.
~ "Soon." Was all he said with a wink, then put on his own jacket. "I'm heading out, too. I'll pick you up in an hour."
~ "How am I supposed to know what to wear if I don't know where we're going or what we're doing?" She asked.
~ 'Hmmm, good point.' Flack thought to himself, "Just make sure you're comfortable." Was all he would tell her.
~ Angell rolled her eyes. 'Men just don't get it.' she thought to herself and headed for the locker room.
~ Just over an hour later Flack knocked on Angell's door. "Red." He said smiling, in reference to her boots peeking out from under her dark jeans.
~ "You said to be comfortable." She countered.
~ "I did. You ready?" He asked. She nodded, pulling her jacket over her long sleeved red top. "Let's go." He said.
~ Angell resisted asking again where they were going, as Flack opened the car door for her. She wasn't much for surprises, but since it was Don, she knew it would be good and decided she could learn to like surprises, or to at least learn some patience.
~ Flack pulled over in front of what Angell recognized as Messer's apartment building and took out his phone. "We're here." was all he said before hanging up and turning to face Angell. "Messer & Monroe are going with us." He told her. She just smiled and nodded. He could tell the suspense was getting to her and he was amused by her expression and obvious attempts to not keep asking where they were going. "I, uh, thought it would be nice to go out with another couple. I hope you like the idea."
~ "Yeah, sure. Sounds nice. I don't usually see either one of them outside of work." She said.
~ This of course Flack knew, and was precisely why he thought it would be a good idea to go on a double date.
~ Messer & Monroe were soon in the back seat and they were back on the road. "Where are we going?" Asked Monroe.
~ "You don't know, either?" Angell asked, twisting in her seat to look at Monroe who just shook her head 'no.
~ "Think we should tell 'em now?" Messer asked Flack.
~ "Oh, I don't know, Danny. Maybe we should wait a little longer." Flack said with a smirk and making eye contact with Messer in the rear view mirror.
~ "Right. I'm with you, buddy. They'll find out soon enough." Messer said back to Flack.
~ Twenty minutes later the car was parked and the four of them walked up in front of 'Club Z'. "So, you ladies ready for a night of dancing and fun?" Messer asked.
~ "Yeah!" Was Angell's quick reply. "I love this place."
~ "Yeah?" Flack responded with a slight tone of surprise.
~ "Mhmm." Angell mumbled back. "Rat Pack." She said in Flack's ear. He smiled back in response and at the mental image of Angell out dancing with her girlfriends.
~ "Come one, let's get in and see if we can get a table." Messer said, leading Monroe, who looked a little unsure, by the hand.
~ "Uh, Danny,....I'm not sure I'll be too good at the 'dancing' portion of the evening." She said, rubbing her pregnant belly.
~ "Ah, you'll be fine, Linds. Just pace yourself and we'll take plenty of breaks for you to rest. It'll be nice to have some time out just having fun." He said, smiling to reassure her. She smiled back.
~ Club Z was busy as expected and had the usual club atmosphere with low lighting and loud pulsing music for those on the dance floor, and only slightly better lighting around the perimeter where the seating was located. The four found a table and ordered drinks, non-alcoholic for Lindsay and Flack, too, since he was the designated driver. ~ Soon all four were out on the dance floor having a wonderful time. Messer & Monroe taking more frequent breaks than Flack & Angell. Between dancing, drinks, and food, the evening seemed to just fly by as everyone was having a wonderful time. Flack and Messer, although good buddies, had never taken women out on a double-date before, and Monroe and Angell both found it nice to get to know each other better. Not that conversation was very easy over the loud music, but they managed none the less.
~ "So, then Messer tires to impress this lady with a lay up, but messes up and ends up laying on his back as the basketball just rolls away and she's just laughing at him as she walks away." Flack says, as the ladies laugh and he dives in for more nachos.
~ "Thanks, Flack." Messer says, with a smirk and a half full mouth. "Just give me a minute, I'll have a story for them. Just you see." He adds, looking forward to some sort of revenge and also reaching for the nachos.
~ Monroe reaches over for Messer's hand and places it on her stomach to feel the baby kicking away. "I think she likes the music." She says to him.
~ "Yeah, I'm sure he does." Messer said back with a grin. Everyone laughed because they all think it's a girl and Messer is the only one who thinks it's a boy.
~ The cool night air felt good as they all walked out of the club. "That was fun, but you know what we need next time?" Angell said.
~ "More deodorant and less fabric." Flack replied, pulling on his shirt to cool off.
~ "Mhmm." Everyone else agreed.
~ As the car pulled back up in front of Messer's apartment building, both his and Flack's phones rang. They were being called to the same crime scene where the Deputy Mayor had just been killed. Messer went on ahead to the scene, and Flack drive Monroe home before dropping off Angell, then would go to the scene, too.
~ "Did you have fun tonight?" Flack asked Angell as they stood on her apartment building's steps.
~ "Yes, I did." She replied, feeling his hand sliding around her waist. "It was a nice idea to ask them to join us. I'm glad you thought of it." She added, feeling him pull her towards him.
~ "I'm glad you had a good time." He said, pulling her closer, till their foreheads touched. "Danny mentioned that he wanted to take Lindsay out, so...."
~ "Mhmm." Angell mumbled against his lips as she cut his words off with a kiss. Flack kept his hand around her waist and moved his other hand to the back of her neck. Her skin felt soft to his fingers and the curls of her hair tickled the back of his hand as they swayed in unison to the slight movement of their heads as their kiss deepened and continued.
~ Neither was sure how long they'd been standing there on the steps kissing, but eventually Flack remembered that the Deputy Mayor had just been killed and he had to go to work.
~ He slowly loosened his grip around her waist and backed off just far enough to lock eyes with her and said, "Good night, sweetheart."