Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Barney Miller, or All in the Family. In addition, I have not / will not make any money from this work. This is just my way of keeping these shows alive.
Barney Miller/All in the Family
Crossover.
Part III
Embassy Demonstration.
By: Ra'Ay'Mond
CONTENT WARNING. THIS FAN FICTION WILL HAVE SOME TERMS THAT ARE DEROGATORY TOWARD PEOPLE OF VARIOUS RACES, RELIGIONS AND NATIONAL ORIGINS.
I AM ONLY DOING THIS FOR THE SAKE OF PORTRAYING THE CHARACTER OF ARCHIE BUNKER THE WAY HE WAS ON TELEVISION.
IT IS NOT MY INTENT TO ANGER ANY READERS. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU MAY BE OFFENDED BY ANY SUCH TERMS, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS WORK OF FICTION.
Dietrich stops typing up the desk appearance ticket for the semi-conscious demonstrator at his desk. He looks at Mike, Harris and Wojo. He smiles broadly as he says, "The People's Republic of China invaded Tibet in 1949. They eventually took full control of that nation on March 10th, 1959. They surrounded and fired artillery shells upon the Palace of Thubten Gyatso, the 14th Dali Lama."
Dietrich then briefly pauses as he turns to face Detective Harris and says, "The Dali Lama is still considered by most of the people of Tibet as both a spiritual, and religious leader. A living god-king, if you will."
Upon hearing Dietrich's dramatic pause, Harris rolls his eyes and sighs out loud. He actually does like and respect Dietrich. He just cannot stand the way his partner acts like a know it all.
Dietrich as usual, ignores Harris's reaction to him. He then turns and looks toward Wojo and says, "It is commonly believed that People's Republic of China hopped to convince the Dali lama to surrender, and use him to keep his subjects under control. However, he was persuaded by his advisors to flee the capital, and set-up a government in exile in northern India. In the dead of the night, dressed as a common beggar, he escaped under the very noses of the Chinese solders pursuing him and his followers."
Almost every one listening, including Harris paid full attention to the last part of Dietrich's telling of this real life adventure story. Everyone that is, except for Mike. Half way through the story, he does what he always does whenever he is in deep thought. He looks toward the nearest wall, and concentrates.
Once Dietrich is done, Mike snaps out of his trance and quietly tells Dietrich, "Uh, excuse me officer. You are basically correct. However, some of your facts are a little, mixed up."
Once Mike says that, Harris, Wojo and Dietrich all look up in shocked surprise.
Harris is the first one to say any thing. He looks form Dietrich, then back to Mike. He opens is eyes wider then he ever has in his life. He then points toward Dietrich with his thumb while asking, "Mr. Stivik, you mean to tell me that, Detective Sergeant Arthur Dietrich, is wrong?"
Wojo swallows the last of his donut as he moves just a little closer to hear Mike's answer.
Mike is now feeling more than a little self-conscious for contradicting the detective. So, he does his best to give an honest, yet political answer. He looks at Dietrich and says, "You're correct about the major facts of the invasion. It's just two small details that you got wrong. Tenzin Gyatso is the correct name of the current, 14th Dali lama. Thubten Gyatso, the name that you mentioned was the name of his predecessor, the 13th Dali Lama. He passed away in 1933."
Harris is now grinning like a mental patient. He shifts his chair toward Mike as he asks, "Well don't stop now man. What's the second thing that Dietrich was wrong about?" Harris turns toward Dietrich, while grinning ear to ear, laughing slightly during the end of that sentence.
Mike has decided that he does not want to get any more involved in whatever little drama that these two men seem to be involved in. He looks at Harris, and shakes his head no while saying, "It's such a small detail, I fill petty even bringing it up. Never mind."
Before Harris can protest, Wojo tells Mike, "I'm not enjoying this nearly as much as Harris. But you got'a under stand some thing, Dietrich is never wrong about anything! So you got'a tell us what the second thing is."
Harris convulsively nods his head yes. He then nervously looks from Wojo, and back toward Mike. He then desperately pleads to Mike, "Yeah man! You can't just leave us hanging." Harris then stage whispers to Mike, "You don't know! You just don't know! Come on, I need this man!"
Dietrich calmly looks at Mike and says, "Go ahead, and tell them. They'll never be able to go to sleep tonight if you don't." Harris nods his head yes so hard, his afro looks like it may fall off.
Once it's clear that Sergeant Dietrich won't take offence, Mike says, "Your other minor error was your description of the Dalai Lama when he escaped. You said that he was dressed like a common beggar. Actually, he was disguised as a Tibetan soldier."
Harris listens with great delight as Mike corrects Dietrich for the second time in a row
Dietrich quietly goes over the facts in his head before saying, "Are you sure about that Mr. Stivik?"
Mike looks around Harris's desk while saying, "Sure, I read it in the pamphlet that was handed out right before the demonstration. It's with my other personal effects."
As soon as Mike says that, Harris reaches over to the large manila envelope that Mike's things were put into. He rips open the top and pulls out the pamphlet. Wojo and Harris both read it at the same time. Harris then uses his finger as a guide while reading out loud, "There it is, Tenzin Gyatso name of the current Dali lama. And he dressed as a Tibetan foot solder during his midnight escape form Chinese troops."
Wojo grins at Mike as he says, "It looks like your right Mr. Stivik."
Harris grins like the cat that just ate the canary as he turns toward Dietrich and says, "And it looks like your wrong Arthur!"
Dietrich dispassionately looks upon the scene without saying a word. Just then, Arthur Dietrich's semi-conscious protester wakes up. He tells him, "Hey man. I was saving this for later, but you look like you need it a lot more than I do."
He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a joint. He hands it to Dietrich while telling him, "You missed this when you searched me earlier Mr. Police officer man." After this surprising revelation, the drugged-up protestor falls back into his trance.
Wojo and Harris exchange quiet, amused smiles with each other. Meanwhile, Dietrich just looks at the joint that has just been handed to him and says, "It's just not my day."
Harris slides a brown bag that is on his desk in front of Mike while saying, "Hey Mr. Stivik, I stopped over at the new French pastry shop down the block on my way to work this morning. I brought a cream filled pastry, and a cup of specially brewed French roast coffee. Would you like to have it?"
Harris smiles as he turns toward Dietrich and says, "Besides Mr. Stivik, you've earned it!" Dietrich looks up from the joint that was just handed to him. He has a rare look of confusion on his face.
Mike's eyes get bigger by the second as he looks at the sweet-smelling bag in front of him. He snaps out of his greed-induced trance long enough to tell Harris, "Eh, thanks, but no thanks Sergeant. I can't eat your breakfast."
Harris smiles as he rips the bag open in front of Mike and says, "Not to worry Mr. Stivik! I already had breakfast before leaving for work today. I'm not hungry at all."
Without a second thought, Mike then tells Harris, "Thank you", before starting to consuming the contents of the bag.
Mike is now feeling like he's sitting on top of the world. Then Fish comes over and asks him, "Ah, excuse me sir. Is your name Mr. Michael Stivik?" Once Mike Nods his Pastry/coffee filled head yes, Fish continues, "I just got a call from Manhattan North. It seems that some of your in-laws were in a cab, and saw you being taken into custody during the demonstration. They're on their way down here to pick you up. A Mr. Archie Bunker. And a Ms. Maude Findlay. They should be arriving here any minute."
As Fish walks back to his desk, Mike says out loud, "Archie and Maude together? Oh boy!"
PART
FOUR
COMING
UP
SOON.
A little longer than I wanted. But it wasn't easy catching Dietrich making a mistake.
Archie and Maude will be here for part four. So should you.
5
