Title: Thawing the Gap
Author
: Seylin
Summary
: Vicki gets a feeling that something is wrong in the park. She and Celluci check it out and find a young boy asleep on a bench. Vicki can't leave this boy out in the freezing cold so she takes him home.
Rating
: PG-13
Warning
: Mention of prostitution.
Disclaimer
: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Tanya Huff, Penguin Group publishers and TV rights belong to Insight Film Studios. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Thawing the Gap
Chapter 2

1 year later…

Vicki tapped her pencil against her desk absently; another ten minutes and she could leave work. She wanted to try and find Tony, Christmas was coming up and she was worried that he was going to be in the same situation he was the year before. She had gotten him a winter coat, which cost more than she'd ever admit to anyone but herself, but she had to find him to give it to him.

"…Vicki?" Her partner's voice brought her out of her thoughts with a jerk. "Are you okay? I've been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes."

"Sorry, yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about Tony and how it's getting close to Christmas," she replied. Vicki didn't miss when Celluci rolled his eyes; it was no secret that he didn't like Tony.

"You really need to stop worrying about that kid Vicki," Celluci said leaning against her desk.

"I saved his life Mike."

"Right, you saved it, he thanked you and left. You need to move on."

"I don't know what you have against Tony, Mike. There are so many kids out there that feel like nobody cares, we're the police… we should be the ones to show them that someone cares. Need I remind you that without his tips we wouldn't have busted that car robbery ring?" Vicki questioned.

"Alright so he's a curbside guru, that still doesn't mean that you have to devote your time outside the station to him."

"Mike, if I didn't know you better I'd say you were jealous."

"Jealous? Me? You've got to be kidding. Over that kid? Yeah right," Celluci replied. Vicki smirked.

"Are we going to get bad Chinese or what? I can look for Tony on the way," she said putting her arm around him.

///

Tony whistled as he put the hundred and fifty dollars in his pocket. He was slowly gaining a name on the streets and the more clients he found the more money he could get. Soon he would be able to raise his price.

///

"Pull over." Celluci blinked in surprise it had been a fairly quite ride so far and then this sudden request… or well order.

"Why are you sick?"

"No, that's Tony. Pull over," Vicki replied. She didn't miss the low growl but she knew Mike wouldn't argue with her over this, he would lose in a heartbeat. As he pulled over Vicki rolled her window down. "Tony!"

Tony's head came up at his name; he looked over at the car and smiled. "Hey Vicki, what's up?"

"You hungry?" She questioned.

"What?" Celluci growled. Tony glanced at him as he leaned down to the window before looking back at Vicki.

"Famished, but are you sure your partner is okay with that?" He questioned.

"He'll get over it if he's not. Hop in," she told him. Tony trusted Vicki; she was one of the few people he trusted, so he climbed into the back seat. "Inside that box is for you." Tony raised an eyebrow at her but his curiosity won out and soon he was tearing into the box.

"A coat?"

"For the winter."

"Man… thanks Vicki. This sure will be better than the one I have," Tony said as he pulled it on to test the size. Vicki smiled back at him.

///

"Order anything you want Tony, I'm buying," Vicki told him once they were seated in the Chinese restaurant.

"That's alright… I uh… just got paid before you guys picked me up." Tony kept his eyes on the menu knowing the disapproving look was on Vicki's face.

"Keep your money Tony, I'm paying," she stated again. Tony nodded and when their waitress came back he ordered the second biggest meal on the menu. Before the john he had had today his corner had been pretty cold for the past week. "How's your dad Tony?"

Tony shrugged, his hands under the table, still looking down at the hard surface. "He was fine last time I saw him 'bout a month ago."

"He's left?" Vicki questioned, her eyes wide.

"No, I did. Got tired of him com'n in drunk and wail'n on me. So I left."

"Where are you staying?"

"Here and there, some nights I have a job… others the shelter, whatever you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Listen Tony, if you ever need a place to stay you can always come to me. My couch is always open."

"Vicki!" Celluci exclaimed, he had been silent so far but this was just too much.

"What?"

"You can't just let strangers come and stay with you!"

"This isn't a stranger, this is Tony." Tony smiled at her.

"He's still a kid from the street. You have no idea what he could be bringing into your apartment."

"You're right about that. Alright, Tony if you come to stay with me some nights there are some rules." Tony nodded listening.

"What rules?"

"One, no johns come to my apartment. Two, you have to be sober. Three, no drugs in my apartment and you can't be buzzed off something. I think that covers it, Mike?" Celluci nodded. "Understand Tony?"

"No johns, booze or drugs, I think I can handle that." Vicki smiled and held her hand out to him. Tony returned the smile and shook her hand. Before they could say anything else their orders came and Tony's eyes lit up at the sight of his food. Vicki felt a guilty twinge in her stomach watching him dig in like a child opening Christmas presents on Christmas morning.

"Next year," she told herself. "Next year I will have gotten Tony off the streets."