Identified

So this is a follow on from 'The Bounds of Friendship', I thought it might be fun to bring it right up to post season 9 and see how a similar situation may pan out...

…...

"80's night?" Detective Don Flack raised an eyebrow at his friend and colleague Detective Danny Messer in askance "Really?"

"It'll be fun" Danny grinned at him "Ya know, leg warmers, backward caps and jus' think of those short skirts the girls used to wear..."

"You shouldn't be thinkin' of short skirts" Don told him with a smirk "Or the girls in them"

"I can when my wife is wearing one" Danny returned his smirk with triumph.

"Lindsay's goin'?"

"Yup" Danny replied "An' Sheldon and Camille, Jo, Mac and Christine, Adam an' I think even Sid's makin' an appearance"

"Mac in leg warmers?" Don pulled a face "Ouch"

"I doubt it" Danny laughed "But seriously, get your ass there, family night out"

"I dunno..." Don hesitated.

"Buddy don't take this the wrong way..." Danny said carefully "Oh, how do I put this...? You ah, seem to be feeling a lack of the company of the opposite sex"

Don folded his arms, trademark sneer directed at Danny "You used to tell me I needed to get laid"

"That too" Danny laughed "Look I know there was somethin' went on with Lovato, but it's clear that it didn't get very far... and now she's gone..."

Don sighed "No, it didn't" he admitted "She's a great woman, but..."

"I know buddy" Danny's face wore an expression of understanding and compassion. Jamie Lovato was a good looking woman, hot, fiery and a great cop. But with her dark, long hair and smart returns, she reminded more people than Don of Jessica Angell. Her departure for bigger and better things was a blessing in disguise as far as Danny was concerned.

Don smiled a grateful thanks.

"I'll think about it" Don finally conceded, Danny was right, he was missing a woman in his life for more than one night. Not that there'd been many of those recently either.

"Good" Danny clapped a hand to his shoulder.

"On one condition" Don qualified "You don't wear a dress..."

"You always have to bring that up don't ya?" Danny huffed but then smiled "But you just proved my point, you scored that night"

"Yeah" Don recalled that indeed he had, he couldn't recall her name, but he recalled most of the night, he'd enjoyed himself "Like I said, I'll think about it"

…...

"You call that dressing up?" Sheldon Hawkes looked scarily like some of the guys Don could remember from his 80's childhood, usually handcuffed in the back of his fathers squad car.

Don looked down at his own outfit, ripped jeans, his old leather jacket and a 'Relax' tee.

"Hey …... This is what I wore in the 80's!" Don protested.

"You're so straight Flack" Hawkes laughed "I could draw a rule line with you"

"Shuddup 'dude'" Don chuckled "See? I can even talk the talk"

"Sure you can" Hawkes laughed.

Don looked around, spotting Danny looking vaguely like Vanilla Ice and Lindsay sporting a more conservative Madonna type costume. Heading over he found himself goosed and jumped, whirling around his outraged expression changed to a cheeky grin.

"Jo!" he said, half in greeting and half in mock disgust.

Jo grinned back, looking flirty and sultry and like a mom all at the same time in only the way Jo could. She took a suck from the straw stuck into a glass with more decoration than Times Square at Christmas.

"You got such a cute little butt under those denims Don" she grinned "That rip is in a great place"

To his credit Don barely blushed "Oh, too many Mohito's there Josephine?" he teased.

"Oh don't flatter yourself" she winked "If I wanted you, I'd have had you by now"

"I don't doubt it" he laughed back "Bonnie Tyler right?"

"Yup" she grinned out at him from a wild blonde wig, sporting a leather jacket and leather trousers, if he were into older women, Jo would have probably been his first choice "Who are you?"

"Just me" he replied "The 80's version, though I have a little more grey than I did then. Haven't had a lot of spare time to make a costume..."

Jo linked arms with him and they headed towards the group.

"Let's go say Hi" she purred "And then you can buy me another drink, I'm trying to work up the courage to do to Mac what I did to you. He's got jeans on too...his ass rivals yours I have to tell you"

Don laughed "I'll make it a double then" he said wisely "Aren't you afraid Christine will have somethin' to say?"

"No" Jo replied happily "We're having a competition, see how many cute butts we can collect..."

"You really should know better" Don shook his head.

"I should" she nodded in agreement "But I have Sid, Sheldon, Danny and now you, I want the full set"

"So I can expect the same treatment from Christine then?!" Don asked darkly "I don't like the idea a pissin' Mac off..."

"Oh relax Gloomy Gus!" she laughed and turned to him with a confiding air "She's very discreet"

Don laughed and shook his head again as they reached the group and exclamations about costumes and greetings were exchanged.

…...

Don was what he'd call pleasantly merry, or was it merrily pleasant? He didn't know, but what he did know was that he was having fun.

The whole story of Jo, Christine and the butt grabbing came out after a few more beers and to his surprise, Mac had been highly amused by it all. Looking around he felt good that he'd come. He had the warm glow of friendship accentuated by alcohol.

"Hey where you goin'?" Danny asked him as he eased out of seat.

"Bathroom" Don mouthed.

"Huh" Danny leered "Thought you were gonna finally go buy that blonde over there a drink...she been lookin' this way all night"

"Gimme a break Danno..." Don laughed.

"Buy her a drink" Danny said "Or I'm gonna an' tell her it's from you, an' you're one a'dem guys needs a buddy to fix him up..."

Don pointed at him "I don't even know which blonde you mean"

"She's the one that'll be drooling as you an' that tight little butt of yours walk past Detective Flack!" Jo called out loudly.

Don dismissed them with a laugh and a wave, leaving everyone chuckling at Jo's 'down time' persona.

Don closed the door to the mens room and turned to head back to the bar, rocking slightly as he was brought up short by a mele of people in the way. He opened his mouth to ask for a way through when a sharp pain in his toe made the words change abruptly.

"Shit!" he swore instead.

A face turned to him, mortified.

"Oh my God!" the not unattractive red head exclaimed "I'm so sorry! Are you OK?!"

"Ah...yeah" he replied, his face reddened from the pain and his teeth only just unclenched.

"I was trying to get through...got shoved...are you sure you're OK?"

Don blinked, recognition bells ringing in his beer fogged brain.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

The woman took a closer look at him and frowned "I don't think..." but then he saw her expression change to apprehensive "You're a cop right?"

Damn he thought, I've arrested her.

"Yeah" he smiled "For my sins. Witness?" he hoped "Victim or wrong doer?" the lopsided grin widened when she licked her lips.

"None of the above" she told him haughtily "One night stand"

Don mouthed for words How the hell did I forget? I haven't slept with that many women!

"Ahhh" he sighed, hoping he looked suitably contrite and not just drunk "I didn't call you did I?"

Might as well bend over an' take an ass kickin' he decided.

"You did actually" she corrected "But our shifts clashed for about 2 weeks...and I never called you back..."

Don laughed, more than a little relieved, he remembered now, and intended to use it to his advantage.

"Well Sally" he grinned as her eyebrows shot up when he used her name "It would seem you owe me two drinks, one for assaulting me with those lethal heels again, and one for breakin' my heart"

"The heels" she grinned a wicked grin "You got me on, but breakin' your heart? C'mon..."

"What?" he said with as much innocence as he could muster considering the memories now flooding his head "Guys have feelings too..."

"OK" she laughed, not pulling away as he put his hand on the flat of her back and guided her towards the bar "Two drinks...unless you think of any more 'felonies' I've committed and can buy my way out of with alcohol?"

"Give me a minute" he smiled down at her as she turned and eyed him with amusement "I'm sure I'll think of somethin'"

…...

OK, so I know that Lovato leaving isn't canon. But well, I don't like what CBS did there. She's like an Angell clone, and I think it's a poor storyline for Flack considering how well they wrote Flack/Angell and the aftermath of her death. Feels to me that that they just threw something together because the series was ending and they didn't want to leave the Flack love interest un answered. It's just my opinion though...no offence to those who subscribe to the Lovato/Flack relationship.

And Smuffly ;p enjoy lol