Author's Note: Set years before One Wrong Move – I have often wondered how Spike and Lou related to each other being very different personalities. They were the classic chalk and cheese. My usual offering of adventure, mystery, intrigue, laughter and love. In this case, agape love, meaning pure and unconditional.

Lewis

The sun was starting to peek out of thin summery clouds. Lewis could see the sun rays through the gaps in the blinds. He forced himself to get out of bed as he smelt the aroma of sizzling bacon wafting through the house, invading even the seclusion of his bedroom. He sat on the edge of his bed momentarily enjoying the homeliness, the pictures on the wall and the minimalist décor. A small wicker basket of dried flowers, potpourri with essences of lavender, rose, Ylang-ylang and jasmine, sat on his book shelf courtesy of his mother's attention to detail.

He had slept long enough so he decided it was time to join the living. He showered and changed to a V-necked Tee and a pair of khaki-coloured walking shorts. As expected, he heard his buddy, Spike Scarlatti, in the kitchen regaling his Mum with stories. Her chuckles sounded delightful to his ears, one more reason it was such a joy having the Italian around.

"Mornin' Mom." He planted a kiss on her forehead and draped an arm around her. He had always been an affectionate son to his mother, in the same way Spike was to his.

"Where's Dad?" he asked. She looked up at her drop dead gorgeous son who towered over her at 6' feet and replied smiling, "He's in the garage."

"I'll go see him, and Mum, don't let that guy," pointing at Spike who had taken centre stage in the kitchen, "take advantage of you." His friend's eyes widened, "Who me? I'm a good boy." Spike flashed two facial orbs which Mum Y always found irresistible. Lou turned towards the backdoor to look for his Dad, "Be right back."

The two police constables had hit it right off the bat. They were admitted to the Police Academy at around the same time, where Spike finished at the top of the class academically while Lou was best in just about every physical aspects – shooting, obstacle course, and all manner of sports.

After three years mandatory service in the Toronto Police Department, they applied to join the elite Team One of the Strategic Response Unit. Lou was picked just slightly ahead of Spike which made him the Team's rookie. This weekend they were going to jointly celebrate, at Spike's insistence, their first year anniversary with SRU.

Lou returned to the kitchen with his Dad who spotted Spike sitting on the kitchen bench, "Did you sleep well last night, Spiky?"

"Awesome," he said. "The guest bedroom is perfect for weekends away."

It was a well-deserved compliment. Lou's Mum and Dad always made every effort to make him feel welcome with nice little touches like leaving Italian Opera CDs on the side table so he could listen to some of his favourite singers.

"Don't get used to it," warned Lou, feigning displeasure at his parents' absolute devotion to his friend. Spike threw an orange at him which he caught with ease. He peeled it easily and ate it with gusto. There was nothing to be jealous about as it was a case of quid pro quo with the other Mum. Whenever Lou visited his house, Mum S would lay out the red carpet.

"Don't be eating the fruit now," Mrs Young admonished, "I made pancakes."

"I'm not liking this Mum, you always make pancakes when Spike's visiting but never when it's just me." Cecilia playfully kicked his shin, "Since when have you visited without your shadow?" Lou grinned because truthfully since his parents moved to retire to Lake Simcoe, he always visited with Spike, never by himself. His friend was a great driving companion, mainly for his entertainment value.

After a hearty breakfast which comprised not just of pancakes but of crisp bacon, scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes and slices of pineapple, they changed into broad shorts to go swimming.

They went out of the house barefoot, carrying with them a bottle of sunscreen, beach towels, water bottles, and a book for Spike. They trekked 30 minutes to the beach in jovial conversation, more accurately, in jovial monologue. Lou liked to listen and mostly communicated back in his usual non-verbal ways.

At the beach, Lou attracted plenty of admiration from males and females alike with his dark, handsome look and marvellous physique. His well-defined muscles put on display as he battled the waves doing mini-marathon swimming. Spike, on the other hand, attracted a lot of attention from matrons as he contentedly stretched out on the sand reading his book. He only went in for a swim after he finished speed-reading the soon-to-be, years-from-now, classic 'Harry Potter and the Prince of Darkness' tome.

At around 1pm, it was time to head back, but now the sandy beach and pavement were sizzling hot under the blistering summer sun. The men ran with their toes curled up going "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch." One observant five-year-old watched them traversed the sandy beach in comical fashion, she belly laughed herself silly to the amusement of everyone watching.

They alternately ran and hopped all the way that they halved the time it took to get home. Later that night, their feet had blisters from the sand burn. Dad and Mum Y teased them for being "silly duffers." Spike mockingly complained to Lou, "What does one have to suffer around here to get some sympathy?"

They spent the rest of their celebration in the air-conditioned comfort of home, feet up to aid the healing of their soles. To pass the time they played Scrabble, which became very heated when Spike insisted on words that hadn't yet entered the lexicon but which he defended vigorously as proper words, like 'LOL.'

"That's not even a word," said Lou in a rare display of annoyance at his friend.

"Yes, it is. It is even a sentence on its own."

After a series of protest and counter-protest, appeal and counter-appeal, and feeling so close to strangling his friend, Lou decided it was time to abandon the game of Scrabble and play poker instead. Spike couldn't cheat on poker plus he was 'easy to read', so this time, Lou insisted they play for real money.

"Game on," said Spike. By dinner time, his wallet was a lot lighter.

They ordered pizza, delivered still warm, to save Cecilia more time in the kitchen, she had already done enough. Dinner was shared in the living room watching and betting on hockey. That night, Spike won back all the money he lost at poker.

"Pay up," Spike gleefully rubbed his fingers together. Lewis handed him his winnings over but not before challenging him to a game of billiard, "Tomorrow at the village centre."

"Game on," he said cockily.

Lewis went to bed happily spending the $200.00 inside his head, Spike on the other hand was already investing it, until he realised he had never played a game of billiard in his life!

He patted his wallet and mentally kissed the $200.00 away again!