First off, let me just say 'thank you' for all the reviews so far. Lots of comments on the 'Fabric Law' which will come into play again later.
Okay, so this chapter takes place in the episode "It Happened To Me" where the guy bled to death in the crosswalk, Flack nearly gags at the idea of a sploshing party, and Hawkes has serious financial problems.
My new characters for this chapter; the Williams family: Mark & Susan, Aimee, Carlee, and Emilee
My returning characters for this chapter:
SWAT team leader Lieutenant Jose Diaz and his side-kick Bradley
BASED ON "IT HAPPENED TO ME"
"I missed seeing you last night." Flack said as he passed Angell the bottle of mustard.
"Thanks." She said, before realizing she hadn't asked him to pass it to her.
"You always put mustard on your fries." He stated. "So, what time did you finally get off shift?" He asked.
"It was after midnight." She answered, passing him an extra napkin. He looked up and took it from her with a questioning expression on his face. "You're not the only one who's predictable." She answered, knowing he hated the idea of his silverware touching the table. She thought his borderline germaphobia was adorable, plus it ensured they'd only eat in the cleanest of places.
"Right." He responded, wondering just how many meals they'd eaten together in that diner. It was a far cry from a quiet romantic meal he'd prefer to be enjoying with her, which hadn't happened in several days, but at least it was time together, and that's what mattered at the moment.
She noticed he opened his mouth again as if to speak, but was interrupted.
"Well, well, look who it is." Detective Thacker said as he approached their booth.
"Don't start, Thack." Flack ordered without looking up from his plate and knowing that Thacker did not care for the nickname. "Half the NYPD eats here every day."
Thacker responded only with a smirk as he continued on past their booth, heading towards the men's room in the back. Not that he'd orignally intended on that destination, but he found himself in need of a cover as soon as he'd heard the agitated tone in Flack's voice.
"I hate being water cooler gossip." Angell said as soon as he was far enough away.
"We both do, Jess." Flack said, "And feeling like we get stares. And feeling like we're keeping a secret. And I really hate not getting to see you as much as I'd like." He added, swiping one of her fries.
"Well, that last one we're going to have to blame on long shifts." Angell stated. "What is up with the murder rate right now?"
"It's a good thing we're both cops." Flack said, trying to swipe another fry.
"Who else would understand our crazy life." Angell replied, while successfully preventing him from taking another fry.
"No one." Flack stated, looking directly at her, as if to confirm what she was thinking; that there was no one else that could understand, and that is why they were perfect for each other.
Less than an hour later Angell was arguing outside a store front with a C.I. Flack leaned against the window waiting for her to finish and noticed a little girl inside. "Hello." He said to her after entering the small store.
She looked up at him with big wide green eyes, but didn't speak. She held a banana in one hand and clutched what he assumed was change in the other.
"I'm Detective Flack. I'm a police officer." He told her, bending a knee so he was down at almost eye level. He also held up his badge so she wouldn't be frightened. "Are you here with someone?" He asked, but got no answer. "It's not good for you to be out alone. Where are you mommy and daddy?" He asked, but again got no answer. "What's your name?" Again, no answer, she just stared at him with those big green eyes. "You uh, you shop here all the time?" He asked, trying to think of anything to get her to talk. She was quite young, maybe six or seven he guessed, definitely too young to be out alone like this.
She slowly raised her hand that held the banana. "How much does it cost?" She asked.
"I don't know." Flack answered her. "That man over there behind the counter has to weigh it first, to tell you how much it cost."
The little girl looked over at the man behind the counter, then walked over to him. She did not speak, just held up the banana to him as if he'd know what to do with it.
The clerk weighed the banana and told her, "Seventeen cents."
The little girl opened her hand that held several coins and stood there as if studying them. She picked up the nickle first, then shook her head 'no' and put it back in her palm. Then she picked up a dime and did the same thing, as if knowing those weren't the correct coins she needed. "Is this one seventeen cents?" She asked the clerk, holding up a quarter.
Flack was a bit flustered, as he could tell the clerk was as well. Obviously the little girl wasn't old enough to know there wasn't a specific coin worth seventeen cents. "I'll tell ya what, I'll pay for the banana, if you'll tell me your name." He bargained with her.
"Flack, we've a call. A dea-" Angell said, entering the store, but stopped when she saw the little girl. She didn't want to say certain words in front of her. "Um, there's a DB in the area." She finished.
"Actually, Angell, I kind of need to talk to the clerk here before we go." He said, then turned to the little girl. "This is my partner Detective Angell." He informed her.
"Hi." Angell said, greeting her. She was aware that Flack needed her to distract the girl while he talked to the clerk. "What's your name?"
"Yeah, good luck with that." Flack mumbled as he and the clerk walked past to talk out of ear shot.
"She's been coming in once a day for several days now." The clerk told Flack. "Yesterday she bought a box of crackers. The day before she bought some bread. The day before that she bought, uh, well I forgot what she bought that day."
"I get the idea." Flack said, holding up a hand. "What can you tell me about her?"
"I'd seen her before that. Came in with a lady a few times. Her mother, I assumed. And another little girl, too. I think." He said. "Sorry, there's too many customers to remember much about them."
"But you haven't seen her with her mother recently?" Flack asked.
A thoughtful expression crossed the mans face before he answered with a shake of his head, "No, not recently."
Flack and the clerk walked back over to the counter where Angell was introducing the little girl to a female police officer who would stay with her till her mother was found or child services was called.
"As I was saying, we've got a call. There's a DB right across the street." Angell said as they left the market, indicating the apartment building directly across from the store.
"Landlord called it in. Said a neighbor complained about the smell. Couldn't get anyone to answer the door, so he let himself in and found her like this. Said he didn't touch anything." The uni told Flack and Angell as soon as they entered the bedroom.
"Thanks." Flack answered. "Keep the hallway clear." He instructed.
"Look at her." Angell said, taking several steps closer. "She looks..."
"Like she's sleeping." Stella finished for her.
Angell looked up to see the CSI entering the room with her kit. "Hi, Stella."
"Hey, Angell." Stella returned, setting her kit down and stepping closer to the body. "You're right. She does look like she's sleeping. Blankets are neat and pulled up around her. Slippers here on the floor next to the bed."
Flack was handed some papers by a second uni before he spoke, "Landlord sent these up." He said, indicating the paper, "Says here, the apartment is rented to Mark and Susan Williams."
"Any contact or work information for Mr. Williams?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, but the area code for his cell number isn't for around here." He stated, reading from the papers. "Plussss... it says here that they've got three kids."
"I saw toys in the living room." Angell stated. "But no sign of children since we arrived."
"Maybe they're with the husband." Stella wondered, then turned at a noise. "You hear that?"
Flack nodded, looked around, then gestured to the closed closet door. They all drew their guns, not knowing if they were going to find the missing children or Susan Williams' killer.
Stella cautiously opened the door to see two sets of green eyes staring back at her. "Well, hello there." She said in a gentle tone. "I'm Detective Bonasara." She said, holding up her badge so the two little girls wouldn't be scared. "You can call me Stella." She told them, then it took her several minutes to coax them out of the closet.
"I can't get a word out of them." Stella told Flack and Angell several minutes later, the girls now sitting on the couch with a female police offcier. "And we're still missing a child." She added.
"Wait a minute." Flack said, heading for the hall way. He began scanning the pictures hanging there till he found the one he needed. "I'll be right back." He said before rushing out the door.
Angell walked to the hall and saw the framed photo hanging there that Flack had looked at, then showed it to Stella and told her about the little girl in the market across the street. She finished just in time for Flack to return with the little girl.
"Ai-ee! Ai-ee!" The youngest girl squealed as her big sister entered the apartment. Aimee jerked her hand free from Flack's and ran to her younger sisters.
Flack, Stella, and Angell stood in the living room, wondering how to get the girls to talk. "Well, let's just ask 'em." Stella said, then paused and nodded her head, Flack and Angell looked over as they all watched Aimee peel the banana she'd still held in her hand till then. She broke it in three parts, giving the biggest piece to the youngest girl Carlee, then the next biggest to Emilee, then kept the smallest piece for herself.
Angell walked over to Aimee and crouched down in front of her, "How old are your sisters, Aimee?" Hoping she would talk now that they were all back together.
"Carlee had her birthday before we left. She's two now. Emilee is four, and I'll be six when daddy gets here." She said, holding up fingers in the process.
"Where is your daddy?" Angell asked
"He's selling our house." Aimee said. "He'll be here in eighteen."
Angell smiled at Aimee who retook her seat on the couch. "So, that could mean he'll be here in eighteen days or he'll be here on the eighteenth." She said, returning to where Flack and Stella stood.
Flack suddenly felt a tugging on his coat and looked down to see Emilee's bright green eyes staring up at him. "Can you make it work?" She asked, stretching up on her toes and holding up a can opener.
"I'll be right back." He heard Angell say.
Angell returned just a few minutes later. "Here you go, Aimee." She said, handing her a sack.
Aimee looked in the sack and pulled out a small bottle of orange juice, then started to hand it to Emilee. "That's okay, Aimee. That one is for you." She said, then handed Emilee and Carlee each sacks of their own.
Flack stood across the room, watching each girl examine their sacks which held a juice, a granola bar, and an apple. He wasn't surprised at Angell's actions, the fact that the girls were obviously hungry was bothering all of them.
Just as the girls were finishing their food Stella returned to the living room. "Aimee, I have someone on the phone who wants to talk to you." She said, putting the phone on speaker.
The girls were excited to get to talk to their dad. "The dad have anything to say?" Flack asked, as they watched the girls from across the room.
"The only thing he could think of even coming close to an injury was one of the moving boxes falling on her head." Stella informed them. "I'll let Sid know. We've got to get these girls out of here so the body can be removed."
Angell walked back over to the girls to help them end the call with their dad. "Now listen girls, you do as the officers tell you and they will keep you safe until Aunt Debbie and I can get there. Okay?" She heard the father instruct over the cell phone's speaker, then watched the three girls nod as if their daddy could see them.
A few minutes later Stella exited the apartment, holding Emilee's hand. Angell was right behind her, holding Aimee's hand. Flack brought up the rear with Carlee who was in need of a nap and being carried by him.
AN HOUR LATER...
"Yes, Mr. Williams, someone will be waiting for Debbie." Angell confirmed before hanging up, then returned her attention back to her computer.
"Don't let it get to you, Jess." Flack said. He could tell by how fast she was typing that she was frustrated, or something.
Angell paused her fast paced typing and let out a heavy sigh.
"I heard that." Stella said as she approached their desks in the bullpen. "I've got the autopsy report from Sid." She added, holding up the file, then noticed the looks on their faces that indicated she should continue, so she flipped open the file. "Mrs. Williams had been dead close to a week. There's no signs of a wound or an assault, so his preliminary finding is 'natural causes'."
"Natural causes?" Flack asked, "She's a little young for that."
"True." Stella agreed.
"Maybe that takes us back to her getting hit on the head by one of the moving boxes." Angell said.
"I told Sid about that." Stella said, "He says it's possible something like that could lead to a bruise on the brain or an anurism or stroke later on. He'll know more later."
"What else did the husband have to say?" Asked Stella.
"That his wife moved here only two weeks ago with the girls first, to secure the apartment they wanted and so she could get Aimee registered for first grand and Emilee for pre-school as soon as possible. But they hadn't started yet, so that's why no one missed the girls. He stayed behind to finish the sale of their house and was to join them here on the eighteenth. Said he'd been trying to call all week, thought he'd just kept missing them, but was starting to get worried." Angell relayed.
"Is he on his way?" Flack asked.
Angell shook her head. "He's in Boston and can't get a flight out till tomorrow. But he's got a sister named Debbie who lives up in Albany who will be here in a couple of hours to stay with the girls until he arrives."
"I can't get over those girls. I mean, first they don't tell anyone about their dead mother. Then they have to look after each other till Daddy arrives 'at eighteen', as if they even know when that is. Plus, they'd eaten everything in the kitchen that didn't come in a can they couldn't open or have to be cooked." Flack stated, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Well, you have to look at the situation from the perspectives of a two, four, and almost six year old." Stella said, "They didn't know what was wrong with their mommy or why she wouldn't wake up. Their daddy wasn't there and they only knew that he was coming, but didn't understand the time frame of when. They'd been to the store across the street and understood the concept of using money. Then when you showed up,... did you look at the photo in the hall way, the one of their whole family?" Stella saw Flack nod, "You would remind them of their daddy. That's possibly why Emilee brought you the can opener. She saw you as someone who could help her, like her daddy would do if he was there."
"And probably why Carlee wanted you to carry her when it was time to leave the apartment." Angell added.
Flack sat there for a moment, letting those thoughts sink in.
"That Aimee was quite impressive." Angell stated, "At only six years old, well, not even quite six yet, she did her best to look after her younger sisters. She told me she gave Carlee a bath, because that's what mommy did before bed time. She knew how to tell time, so she made them all go to bed, just like mommy would have done. She knew there was money in her mother's purse and used it at the store across the street to buy food because she knew better than to touch the stove. Yes, she was quite impressive."
"Well, I'll let you two get back to your reports." Stella said before leaving.
"If I could type as fast as Jess, I'd be done by now." Flack said, turning back to his computer.
Angell shut down her computer and retrieved her DD5 from the printer to file it. She put her coat on and stretched. "You about done?" She asked Flack.
"Just about." He answered. "How about some dinner?" He offered. It had now been several days since they'd had a proper meal together and he missed her company.
Angell returned his smile, "Sounds good." She replied, but heard her name was being called at the same time from across the room. She looked up to see Lieutenant Sythe walking over with SWAT leader Lieutenant Jose Diaz and his side-kick Bradley.
"Angell." Sythe said, "You remember Lieutenant Diaz from SWAT?"
"Lieutenant, Bradley." Angell greeted.
"You have a good memory." Diaz said, shaking her hand.
"The Lieutenant is here to request your services, Detective Angell." Sythe informed her.
"Oh?" She responded.
"I've got something going down. Something I could use your help on. Multiple operations has me dividing up my crew right now. You interested?" Diaz asked.
Angell nodded, "What can you tell me first?" She wanted to know.
"Come with me. Let's talk." Diaz said, leaving Bradley behind as he and Angell headed for a conference room. Sythe returned to his office.
Bradley began pulling weapons from a duffel bag and placing them across her desk as if he knew the outcome of her conversation with Diaz. Bradley was apparently smart, as Angell returned about ten minutes later, wearing SWAT gear. "We'll be waiting out front." He informed her, then turned to exit the bullpen with Diaz.
"So much for our dinner plans." Flack stated, obviously disappointed, but trying not to let it show.
"I'm sorry, Don." She said, sincerity in her tone. "But I've got to do this. It's like we were saying earlier, 'no one else would understand'."
"I know, Jess. And I do understand." He said, "But you also need to eat and sleep."
"Sleep? What's that?" She joked, pulling a protein bar from her desk drawer and stuffing it into one of the many pockets her current apparel contained. Then she began loading every other pocket and compartment with guns, knives, a scope, and spare ammo. There seemed to be an assigned spot for every weapon imaginable.
"You got a place for a crossbow, too?" He jokingly asked while noticing Caine across the room, staring at Angell.
"I hope not. I think I've just gained eighty pounds as it is." Angell joked back.
"It looks good on you." He stated honestly, leaning back in his chair and trying to ignore Caine, who was still staring.
Angell looked up at his words and noticed the sultry look in his eyes. "I'm not sure how long this is going to take, but when we're both off shift,... I want us to have that dinner." She said, then watched him nod in agreement.
"Be careful, Jess." He reminded her. He knew she would be, he knew he didn't need to remind her, but he had said it anyway.
It was time for her to go and she ran a finger across his shoulder and said, "I'll call you later." as she walked past him.
It was all Flack could do to keep himself from grasping her hand and pulling her back for a kiss. He hoped her assignment wouldn't last long and they could have some alone time together soon. He turned in his chair and watched her leave the bullpen, fully aware his weren't the only eyes on her.
By the time Flack had finished his paperwork and had his DD5 filed, his phone had already rung letting him know a DB was waiting for him... right in the middle of a crosswalk. He sighed, knowing this was going to be a very long night.
THE NEXT DAY...
"What's wrong with Italian?" Angell asked as she and Flack were on the phone together.
"The linguine wasn't just on the vic, Jess. It was on his inner thigh and under his clothing." He explained, then could safely guess by the silence she was probably cringing.
"Okay, okay. No Italian." She agreed.
"And wherever we eat, whatever we eat,... no dessert." He said.
"No dessert?" She asked in surprise, "But, that's like, your favorite part."
"Not after what I witnessed today." He deadpanned. "Just check out 'sploshing parties' on YouTube and you'll understand." He said.
"Maybe I'll just take your word for it." Angell pondered out loud.
"What have they got you doing today?" Flack asked, needing to change the subject so he could manage to eat later.
"Um," Angell began, then paused, "I can't tell you." That surprised Flack, which was apparently obvious in his silence. "Not that I don't want to, I just... can't." she added.
"I understand, Jess." Flack stated in truth. "I miss you." He added, breathing a heavy sigh.
"I miss you, too." She responded, wishing they were together. "We'll be together soon, Don."
THE NEXT DAY...
"A tour of available apartments?" Angell repeated as she and Flack stayed in contact via phone once again.
"Yeah. If you're willing to pay the fee, they can save you a lot of leg work. RepoLux apparently stays pretty busy. It's surprising how many apartments are for sale out there." Flack stated.
"Oh. They only do sales." She said, a defeated tone to her voice.
"What? You thinkin' about movin', Jess?" He asked.
"I've thought about it. Not that I need to. My apartment's fine, it's small, but fine, since I'm hardly ever there anyway. It's just kinda far away from work, and the parking sucks. So, yeah, I've thought about moving." She informed him.
"Hey, you should have seen Danny walkin' around today. He's getting much better with the cane, and hopefully he won't even need it much longer." Flack said, obviously happy to see his friend's improved state.
"That's great. He'll be chasing boys away from Lucy before Lindsay can stop him." Angell said with a laugh. Flack bit his lower lip to keep from laughing, so he could hear her. Her laugh was infectious and he missed the little things like that. He missed her. Then his thoughts were interrupted, "Hey, Don, I gotta go." She said, a rushed tone to her voice as work was calling her away from him.
THE FOLLOWING DAY...
"Oh, poor Hawkes." Angell states, as she and Flack spend another day in touch only via their cell phones, their jobs keeping them apart for longer than either one of them likes. "What a terrible time to be in the wrong place."
"I understand that, Jess. But he's still holding something back. He still knows more than he's telling us." Flack states, agitation clear in his voice.
"He's probably embarrassed, Don. He's now know to be friends with someone guilty of grand larceny. That doesn't reflect well on him and he's embarrassed." Angell said, feeling sorry for Hawkes.
"I understand that, Jess. But there's still something going on he won't talk about, and that's bugging me." Flack repeats. Most of him also feeling sorry for Hawkes, but there's a small part that doesn't trust the situation.
"On another subject," Angell begins, "my assignment may be over soon. We've got it on good inteligence that our suspects will be on the move very soon. As soon as we determine their exact target, we can take them out and this will all be over."
"Mmmm, dinner together soon is looking like a real possibility." He says, looking forward to their being together again. "I'm thinking Mazzy's"
"I thought your vic's dining habits killed your taste for Italian." She teased.
"Yeah, kinda. But I like the atmosphere at Mazzy's, and the idea of dining with you in candlelight with wine and fettuccine is overriding any thoughts of anything else right now." He informed her.
"And dessert?" Angell inquired, her teasing tone obvious.
"Uh, no. That sploshing party Stella and I visited was just a little to visual for me." He said, a slight look of disgust aparent as he recalled the event.
LATER THAT SAME DAY...
"He sold his house and everything, Jess." Flack informed her.
Angell sighed heavily, "Oh, that's terrible. Poor Hawkes. Why didn't he tell anyone?" She asked.
"Said he was just to embarassed. He even said it was a lesson well learned." Flack informed her.
"Yeah, well, there are life lessons learned and then there are lessons unnecessarily learned the hard way. He still could have come to any of us for help instead of hiding the truth like that." She said.
"Yeah, well, he's staying with Mac for right now. That'll give him time to sort things out. Just promise me, Jess, that if anything happens and you need help, that you'll never hesitate to come to me." Flack all but pleaded.
Angell thought for only a moment before responding, "And the same goes for you, Don."
"Deal." He agreed without hesitation. "Although, on my city salary, I seriously doubt I'll ever have to worry about losing large amounts of money the way Hawkes did." He joked and heard her laugh at being able to relate. After all, city jobs were not known for being high paying.
Her laugh suddenly died out as she mumbled, "Uh oh." causing Flack's nerves to suddenly be on edge, something he fought to hide. "Don, I've gotta go. Looks like our informant has given us the final destination for our bust. Looks like it's going to be a busy night."
"Be safe, Jess." He said, a slight hint of pleading in his voice.
"I've got a date at Mazzy's to get to." She replied, her way of affirming that she would.
LATE THAT EVENING...
A/N: Oh wait, sorry folks. I'm stopping here for now. This story will continue in the next chapter that leads in to "Hammer Down".
FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA
BTW- When Angell wore the SWAT 'jumper' I wanted to make sure you're picturing something like coveralls. You know, those full body ones like a mechanic wears. I've read in some stories where a 'jumper' is another name for a jacket/coat, but that's not what I meant here.