Notes: So this story marks a change for me and how I write. For the first time, I have completed the fic before I started publishing it, so you can expect regular updates - I'm aiming for every five days, as long as my formatting holds and work doesn't get too mad. There are 18 chapters and over 100,000 words coming your way.

xxx

Heath could hear the music from down the hall as his door was always open. He knew it was Byron in his own little room, stuffed to the gunnels with sound and listening equipment but somehow he always found room for a music player. Occasionally he could hear his friend singing along, when he wasn't doing something that required him to listen and it made Heath smile. The choice today seemed to be Cliff Richards.

The detective pushed back out of his chair, collecting some box files before he left, and headed to see the singing policeman. He got there just as Raji did from the opposite direction. The Egyptian man had a look of consternation on his face and swung open Byron's door.

"Byron, please, we can hear you in the entrance lobby. This isn't very professional."

The red head looked up, a wide grin in place, "I'm cheering people up Raji! They all love the sound of my voice."

Heath snorted. Byron could sing, there was no doubt about that, but he doubted the people being brought in for processing would find it all that soothing. Raji looked exasperated and Heath knew this was not the first time they'd had this conversation nor would it be the last.

"At least put something tasteful on Byron!"

"There's nothing wrong with Cliff Richards," Byron sat back in his swivel chair.

Heath pushed past Raji with the boxes, dumping them on top of Byron's paperwork on his desk, "There is everything wrong with Cliff Richards."

"Says the man who listens avidly to country," Byron retorted.

Heath raised an eyebrow, "You keep playing it and we'll buy you his next calendar and force you to hang it up in here."

"No one would ever come see you if they had to look at that," Raji looked thoughtful.

Byron huffed, "Go water your Peace Lily, Heath and stop ganging up on me."

Heath waved goodbye as Raji waited for Byron to change the music or in the very least, turn it down so he couldn't hear it in processing. He listened to their conversation as he walked but tuned it out by the time he was sat back down at his desk. The paperwork loomed and Heath frowned at it momentarily. At least he'd gotten rid of two stacks of it on Byron, not that it'd see the light of day from his office any time soon. He still had research on the bar Trey had told him about as well. Some more, less savoury information had come to light which needed digging into and Heath could see why the kids had brought the two men to his attention.

Heath phone buzzed in his pocket and he dug it out to find a new text message from Thane being displayed.

'I need to get out tonight. Drinks?'

The detective grinned at the phone as he typed back.

'Bad day? Can't drink tonight, early shift. Dinner instead?'

The reply wasn't long in coming, which meant Thane was waiting for confirmation.

'You have no fucking idea how bad. Better be good, I'm still drinking.'

Heath snorted inelegantly, leaning back on his chair, ignoring the comings and goings around him for the moment.

'If you want good wear something decent.'

The reply was even quicker this time.

'You saying my clothes are bad?'

Heath smirked.

'No jeans or cargoes. I'll pick you up from the bar at 7.30.'

'You are paying.'

"That reads like a date man," a voice from over the top of his head commented and Heath craned his neck round to see Byron standing over him. "Since when have you had someone to take out to dinner?"

"Will you stop reading my text messages over my shoulder?"

"No, not when you grin like that," the red head parked himself on the edge of Heath's desk, crossing his ankles and settling himself down. Heath groaned in mock dismay, making Byron smile widely. "C'mon, spill."

"It's not a date. Thane's just a friend," the smaller man protested.

"Uh huh," Byron didn't look impressed. "This Thane hot?"

"I'm not going to answer that."

"So that's a yes then," the comms specialist smirked. "Where'd you meet?"

Heath knew he was going to regret this, but Byron was a good friend, "A bar."

"You're just making this sound more and more like a pick up, not a friend," Byron's eyes danced with swallowed laughter.

"There is nothing wrong with making friends in a bar," Heath retorted.

"No, course not. You been anywhere else with this friend?"

".. the gym…" Heath muttered, sinking in his seat a little.

Byron blinked. "The one on Cedar?" Heath nodded. "That's way private for you man."

"He came in the back too, though I didn't mean him to," Heath put his mobile back in his pocket.

Byron straightened, feet landing back on the floor. He had a light frown round his eyes before it disappeared. "Then he really is a good friend. I'm glad you've got someone outside this place."

"Why?" Heath grinned abruptly. "Because everyone here makes you go mad?"

Byron laughed, swatting at Heath's shoulder good naturedly before heading out of the office. "I think you spend too much time talking to your boxes."

Heath grinned, eyes automatically going to the stacks of box files around the room. He was meant to share this office with his partner but there weren't currently any other detectives in the precinct without a partner so Heath traded that for his own room which doubled as extra storage. The detective had filled it with his own little things, much to the Commissioner's exasperation, and switched partners around depending on what case he was needed on.

xxx

"Thane! Pay attention!" Spencer snapped, making Thane twitch in his seat and lower his phone mid-text.

"What?"

"Get off your goddamn phone and get back to work," Spencer gestured at the table with the paperwork spread out between the three men.

"Fuck off," Thane growled back, going back to his phone.

"Who the hell are you texting?" Warren asked, exasperated. "You're on the phone all the time now and you never touched the thing before."

"That's none of your business," the second trine member muttered.

"It is Thane! You're delaying us and Morgan's going to get pissy again," Spencer reached across the table to grab at the phone. Thane twisted away, glaring at Spencer and Warren took the opportunity to snatch it instead.

"Some guy called Heath..." Warren got out before Thane took his mobile back again, rising out of his seat. "Who's he?"

"No one."

Warren's eyes lit up with glee, "Oh he's a fuck!"

"No he isn't," Thane shoved the younger man and his chair wheeled back across the floor.

"You're being fucking protective of him if he isn't and can we say denial?" Warren shot back.

The black/blue haired man hissed angrily, "Leave it alone Warren. What I do in my own time is my own damn business."

"Except this isn't your own time is it?" Spencer retorted, folding his arms over his chest.

Thane glared at Spencer, sharing the expression between both of his trine mates. He saw nothing in either of them to suggest they were planning on backing down or letting him forget this anytime soon. "I met him in a bar. We have drinks occasionally. He has no idea who I am. That's it."

"What about him? Who's he?" Spencer asked, tone casual and uncaring but Thane could read the caution in him.

"I don't care. We never talk about work. It's... nice alright?" Thane folded his arms, unconsciously mirroring Spencer's posture.

"Nice... not to be around us?" Warren's voice sounded a little hurt.

"Warp..." Thane sighed. "It's not you... well not all the time." Warren smirked a little then, getting the jibe was meant at both Spencer and he. "It's this place. You know that."

"We know," Spencer replied. "We're also meant to be in this together remember?"

"We are," Thane sat back down at the table begrudgingly, putting his phone away. "Having a drinking partner outside this shit hole doesn't mean we aren't."

xxx

Thane was playing games on his tablet rather than listen to Samuel drone on his monotone voice about the latest developments in his surveillance. He rarely needed to pay attention to these as anything he needed to know he was in charge of anyway. The 'public' front businesses were not his concern and whatever the hell Samuel was talking about now, some bar, was so far down Thane's list of interests that this game of Spider Solitaire was thrilling.

He did glance up when Frenzy and Rumble started talking. Their voices may not put him to sleep but they were often more annoying and childish than their big brother. Thane tuned back in briefly.

"Some cop's been hanging around, paying an interest. The street kids have been talking again," Rumble said, waving his hand around.

"Then get rid of them," Spencer snapped, unimpressed.

"Unnecessary casualties leads to more law enforcement interest. Currently would be unwise to provoke more interest in Broken Palm," Samuel responded.

"If you two stopped going there to get pissed, it wouldn't be a problem would it?" Spencer glared at the twins, who glared right back. "You're the ones on file, dimwits. Not me. You'll be why any heat will be coming down on the place."

"Assumption likely correct. Course of action to slow activities but not to cease," Samuel stated.

"Stopping would just draw attention too," Thane muttered.

"Correct," Samuel inclined his head at him.

"You got a picture of this cop?" Warren asked, looking just as bored as Thane did. Samuel dug out a photo and it was passed round the table. Thane didn't look up when it came past him and just handed it to Warren, getting a flash of green in passing. There were hundreds of cops in the city and all of them wanted to shut them down. The bar wasn't his concern, so neither was this one cop.

Once everyone had seen the surveillance photo Samuel continued on and Thane tuned him back out again. He had his own work in hand, both for Morgan and for his trine. Spencer and Warren had been harping on about their escape again recently, forcing Thane to remind them that getting new identities without Morgan getting a sniff of it was extremely difficult and time consuming. He was waiting on fake passports from out of the country. Thane had gone abroad for those to minimise the risk of Samuel hearing about it and none of the trine were particularly known outside of America so the chance of their faces being flagged if the passports were intercepted was minimal.

Everything had to wait, to start with, until Thane had tracked down three newly deceased men who hadn't been claimed by family, friends or the authorities and get bribes in place to hold their bodies and death certificates. Each had been carefully chosen beyond that to match up with each of their own family histories: Thane and Warren's dark hair harked back to very old ancestors who had hailed from warmer climes than Michigan, so their new 'dead' identities did the same.

Spencer could bitch it was taking too long, but Thane was meticulous and thorough. It was one reason Morgan trusted him with assault planning. He was good but he wasn't an anal retentive stick in the mud, unlike some people he could name. Thane glared at his Spider Solitaire as Samuel kept talking.

Beyond that there were birth certificates, social security numbers, school records, work references that needed time and planning to get. Using previously living people as new identities solved a lot of problems and Thane didn't have to worry about inserting completely new people out of nowhere into all of the databases. All he had to do was amend any records with photos, telling medical issues and wipe their criminal records. Fingerprints would be a massive giveaway. Spencer might just have been harking on about not being on file, but he was, just as all of them were. He had just not seen jail time for anything because they hadn't been caught for it, or had enough evidence to convict them. Morgan didn't come bail you out if you got caught but he would call a hit out on you instead, so it was worth your life to have the backup if you did get caught.

In total it was a hell of a lot of work to produce three new identities, let alone do it without a single soul catching on and they would just have to wait in this shitty life until he was done, even if that involved listening to Samuel do status report updates like this.

xxx

The body was thin, obviously so in the soaked clothes it was dressed in and Heath could see the cuts on the bare feet that were pointed towards him. The dirty, ill fitting clothes were stained with blood, despite the water and Heath already knew how hard this was going to be.

"Hi Heath," Ben greeted him quietly and the Detective nodded back. "She was pulled from the water about five minutes ago and the paramedics confirmed she was dead."

Heath carried on forward until he could see the girl's face and sighed softly. Despite her swollen and distorted features, Heath recognised her instantly. He pulled the missing flyer Anthony had made for him out of his pocket and handed it to Ben, who glanced between it and the girl.

"It's G," Heath crouched down next to her body, taking in the marks on her skin. "She was badly beaten before they killed her."

"The post mortem will tell us more," Ben replied. "But she fought."

Heath smiled sadly, "She fought everything."

"You said 'they'. Do you know who did this?"

"Nothing more than an informed hunch," Heath rose to standing again, having committed the injuries to memory. "She was one of my street kids who gave me information. G was going out of her way to help, even when I told them not to. She went down to the docks looking for information on Morgan Russell."

Ben shut his eyes for a moment when he heard that name, "Poor kid."

"I think she was your age Ben," Heath laid a hand on the small man's shoulder. "She's just been on the street for years and never got enough to eat."

Ben looked up at him then, "Are you going to be alright?"

"I had already resigned myself to the fact that she was dead, so I'll be alright. I've just got to tell Trey and the others now."

"That's always the worst bit."

Heath nodded, "Send the paperwork my way Ben. I'll handle this. It's partially my fault she's here."

"Don't say that," the smaller man protested. "She made her own decisions."

"I know, but I paid them for it. Without me they would have no reason to try to find more information."

"Maybe it'll make the others be more careful now?" Ben asked hopefully.

"I really wish it would," the Detective smiled sadly. He looked back down at G's face. "I wonder what she told them. She would have held out, especially with the other kids but…"

"But if it was Morgan…" Ben shuddered lightly.

"Then she didn't have a hope, I know."

The younger man frowned hard, "Does that mean you'll have to watch your back now? If she said who she was scouting for."

Heath chuckled wryly, "Ben, I'm a Detective in the police department, in the precinct that has been the single one in all of Detroit all out gunning for Russell. I was already watching my back."

"You know what I mean."

"The Commissioner will get my report and he'll decide but you know we all run risks every day in this job," Heath laid a hand on Ben's shoulder. "I'll be fine Ben, don't worry."

The Detective left the Officer to coordinate with the paramedics about getting G's body to the morgue for a post mortem and carefully started walking around the scene that had been cordoned off. It had been disturbed by the paramedics trying to save G's life but Heath was pretty sure, if his hunch was correct, that there wouldn't be evidence to collect anyway. Morgan's crews were, on a whole, pretty sharp when it came to leaving things behind and the higher up the ranks they were, the less traces they left behind. There were no signatures that Heath could see on G's body, so he couldn't say who had killed her yet, but each member of Morgan's elite known for their interrogations and murders had their own way of doing things.

Heath glanced back over his shoulder as a forensic officer started work on G's body and sighed quietly. Mentally he calculated whether he could afford enough time to drive himself out of the city and go for a drive in the countryside. Between shifts he probably did, but only if he didn't pull overtime. He'd feel better for getting some fresh air and peace but he'd feel guilty for not putting in the extra hours now for G. Right about now Heath missed having a partner to help share this burden with.

xxx

Heath wasn't a fan of fast food but this little diner felt like it was stuck in the fifties and somehow that helped the food taste less greasy. Thane hadn't looked that impressed when he'd followed Heath in the first time, just a little over a year ago, but he now chose to come here as well when it was his turn to pick where they ate. They were well into the middle of their meal, chatting easily when Heath's phone vibrated in his pocket and then an awful version of 'Happy Birthday' came warbling out. Heath groaned, downing his fork and burying his face in one hand.

"Thank you Byron…" Heath fished around in his pocket until he found the phone, which he answered with a, "You do this every year."

"And you still haven't learnt to hide your phone," Byron replied cheerfully. "I'm coming to get you tomorrow for work because we're having a party afterwards and you'll be in no fit state to drive home."

"I don't get a say in this do I?" Heath uncovered his face to look up at Thane with a pleading expression on his face. The other man just frowned at him.

"No! See you in the morning Birthday Boy!" With that Byron hung up and Heath put his phone down on the table with a groan.

"Shoot me now. He does that every year."

"Does what?" Thane asked, still puzzled but beginning to get an idea.

"Changes my phone ringtone so everyone knows it's my birthday and then throws a stupidly big party at work when he knows I'd prefer something quiet," Heath replied, shaking his head.

"It's your birthday?" Thane tilted his head slightly. "Today?"

"No, the 22nd. Byron just changes my phone early to be annoying," Heath picked up a chip.

"I missed it last year then," the taller man realised.

Heath shrugged, "And I've missed yours. Hell you're doing one better than me. I don't even know when yours is."

"July 7th," Thane smiled slightly. "But I'm not big on celebrating mine either."

Heath nodded and changed the topic back to what it had been before the phone call. Thane let him but his mind was still pondering the new information. Heath's birthday was tomorrow and Thane felt this urge to do something for it, but the other man had said he preferred less than what was already happening, so maybe he should just get him a present. What though? He knew many things about Heath but presents were personal and they were still, even after all this time, getting to know one another past all of those general terms.

As the evening wore on, Thane became more determined to make a nice gesture for Heath's birthday but didn't want it to seem like too much. Money wasn't an issue for Thane but he didn't want to wave that in Heath's face and he didn't want to be too obvious about what their friendship meant to him. He wasn't good with showing personal feelings and long learnt lessons about who to trust made it even harder.

He wasn't sure where the feeling came from to even get Heath a birthday present. Thane pretty much only ever bought Warren anything, mostly because he'd bitch otherwise, and Spencer, though they never talked about it. Both pretended that the other didn't care. It was far easier that way. Heath, though… He might have wanted a quiet day, but he wouldn't make Thane feel weak by giving him a present, badly expressing that he could quite possibly mean something to him.

Thane knew it would be an awkward gift, born of their real differences in tastes and hobbies. He still wasn't sure how they got on so well considering they barely shared an interest between them. By all accounts Heath should have found Thane too abrasive, surly and uncommunicative but instead he seemed relaxed in his company, smiling at his dry, sarcastic humour and pleased every time they saw each other.

The question about exactly what to get Heath stayed with Thane throughout dinner, into the evening and was the first thing on his mind the next morning as well. By the time he'd made it through a shower, coffee and got himself out of his apartment, he'd just about decided on what it would be, in general, but he was heading well out of his comfort range. The lady in the shop was helpful and polite but Thane suspected she was highly amused at his confused questions and desperation to just pay for something.

Eventually he left, present in one arm and his level of discomfort growing in steady increments. His drive across the city didn't take him long as he carved up traffic in his Capri blue sports car. He wasn't a reckless driver but he didn't care much for the speed limits and he loved the loud rumble of the engine when he pressed on the accelerator.

Thane felt ridiculous as he pulled up outside Heath's gym, doubting himself, just as he had been standing at the counter purchasing the present in the first place, but despite that, there was still the lingering urge to do something. This was the only idea he'd come up with. He climbed out of his Chevrolet Corvette ZL1, pulling the present across with him from the passenger seat. The tall man tucked it into the crook of one arm as he locked his car before heading for the front door of the gym, unconsciously squaring his shoulders and lifting his head, burying any doubt. You always had to present an unbreakable front.

It was the same guy at the front desk that had been there the first time Thane had come to the gym, and on a few other of the subsequent visits. He glanced up from his writing, almost dismissing Thane when he saw him but looked twice when he realised he was alone and carrying something very out of place at a gym.

"No Heath, no entrance," he told Thane.

"I don't want to use the gym," Thane replied, setting the present on the desk. "I just wanted to leave this here, for Heath, for the next time he came in."

"Ok..." The guy eyed him warily. "Why not just give it to him yourself? Or just ask him out."

"I don't want to ask him out," Thane clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay put. "It's his birthday and I won't see him in a while. Look can you give it to him or not?"

"Yeah, sure, if you're sure," the guy picked up the present by its more solid base and carefully set it to one side. "Who shall I say it's from?"

"Thane."

The man behind the desk nodded, even if he still looked dubious. Thane nodded his thanks and departed as swiftly as he could without running away. It was done now and he wouldn't take it back so he'd have to live with the consequences, whatever they might be.

As it turned out Heath didn't make it back to the gym for a couple more days after that and when he did he was fully prepared to walk straight past the front desk as usual, but stopped when the administration officer hailed him.

"Hey, Heath, hold up a minute."

The Detective did a smart about turn and headed back to the desk, "Rob, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," the desk clerk shook his head. "Hang on a second." He disappeared into their office and came back out carrying a decent sized pot containing a green, almost delicate looking plant. Rob placed it on the desk in front of Heath. "A guy came in and left this for you."

"Do you know who?" Heath reached out and touched the lacy, soft leaves.

"Said his name was Thane. You know, the guy you brought in here before on your guest pass?" Rob frowned slightly and Heath nodded. "He said it was for your birthday. Personally I think he's trying to ask you out."

Heath laughed, "Thane's a friend. He just not particularly social, that's all."

"Well alright," Rob replied dubiously. Heath thanked him for holding the plant, taking it with him to the changing rooms. It was a really pretty Maidenhair Fern, and sizeable as well. Heath was touched by Thane's thoughtfulness, especially considering that they certainly had never given each other any sort of gift before.

The thought of the plant, sitting on top of his locker, made Heath smile unconsciously all the way through his gym routine. A curl of happiness sat in his belly and every time he saw or touched the plant for the rest of the day, made it feel warmer. The Detective took it into work with him, as that's where he was headed next, and found it sat very well in his office, even if he did have to clear a space for it. It sat proudly in the centre of the room and Heath wondered how to say thank you. Thane had to be waiting for him to acknowledge he had it and liked it.

'Thank you for the fern. It's beautiful.' Heath ended up settling for a text message, guessing the other man would find talking about it awkward. A message gave him a chance to work out how to respond.

'I got it right? The woman in the shop kept saying plants meant things.'

The text back appeared quickly and Heath smiled slightly. He was guessing Thane had missed that she was describing their traditional folklore meaning.

'They do and you did. I don't have another one.'

'Good. I'm glad you like it.'

'I do. Talk to you later. Work calls.' Heath's office phone was ringing now and as he answered it Thane replied back.

'Same here. Later.'

Heath smiled again, not really hearing the man on the other end of the line. He definitely owed Thane a drink, at least.