Bad Cop settles down in his chair, his back creaking like an ancient stair case. It feels like ages since he's sat down, but it's only been a few hours. He has a feeling that there will be fewer and fewer hours he'll have to go between breaks as time goes on. He's getting old. Worn out. Outdated.

He sighs, glances at the stack of papers first. He's tired already. Done with everything. And yet nothing was ever quite done, was it? He reaches for the monitor on his antiquated computer and flips it on. One last email check before packing up and heading home. He grabs the mouse. A wired mouse. The only times he even sees these anymore are in the precinct or...

His heart skips a beat. The days seem longer when Benny is busy. When he doesn't have as much time for idle messaging as Bad Cop files paperwork or chatting over lunch. The sour tone of the day makes his longing all the more potent. He sighs again. He's getting weak too, apparently. Get here on time, do your job, go home. That's it. Focus. Focus...

He brings up the window and clicks the refresh button. There's a new email. His heart leaps and then crash lands. It's from Benny. Which means he's probably home, probably waiting for him. Good, good, he might just make it through packing up tonight...

He clicks the email. The subject, "an official statement from NASA," is not all that forthcoming; he doesn't know what he was expecting. It certainly wasn't what he found.

It was just one line, a four word sentence with no context or explanation.

"Benny licking is approved."

Thanks to a few open windows and doors, his roaring laughter is heard all the way in the parking lot. It goes on for quite some time.

No one in the precinct is quite sure what might have caused their stiff-lipped, perpetually scowling, proper old-fashioned Irish police chief to burst into a giggle fit for 10 minutes, but they're all secretly glad it happened. Benny got a huge bouquet of dandelions and tongued far more than once when Bad Cop got home.

Benny has to force him to stop. "Hey, hey, hey! I didn't even get the fucking chocolate sauce yet, wow B!" he wiggles his eyebrows. "I see you got the memo."

Oh yes, this was going to be a lovely, lovely night.