Thank you so much for reviews and favourites/follows!Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot and the people you do not recognize from the books.

The title is borrowed from Def Lepard.

Italics - Spanish

Some swear words and talk about sex. Quite tame, actually. ;)

Chapter 4. Hal

Hal knocked on Bobby´s door at five minutes to seven.

"I'm a little late," he said. "I had to help with a take down. I´ll just take a quick shower and change my clothes. I'll knock on your door again when I'm ready."

Fifteen minutes later Hal was back, freshly showered, with more than a hint of cologne and newly gelled hair.

"Lets go."

They went down to the garage, and drove away in Hal´s Dodge Ram.

"Is it a secret?" Bobby asked.

"What?" Hal said.

"Is it a secret, what we will do?"

"Oh, I forgot I haven't told you. It's been some hectic days at work. We're meeting Nicole at the old cinema down near the park. They're having a retrospective with old movies. We've got tickets to 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'. Afterwards there is a discussion in the café next door. Nicole is bringing a friend from work."

"Alright," Bobby said. Well, he thought to himself, there could be worse ways to spend the evening than watching an old war movie. Hopefully Nicole´s friend was nice.

They parked down by the cinema, and met up with Nicole. She had indeed brought a friend from work - Robin Russell. He gave a small sigh. The times he had met up with her, she had been professional and efficient, but he had never ever felt a spark. She was good looking and seemed nice, but that wasn't enough. He also suspected that she had had a thing for Joe Morelli.

He didn't say anything to Hal, and they said hello to Nicole and Robin.

"Sorry, we're a bit late," said Hal. "I had to help with a takedown and then take a quick shower."

"No problem, but I believe we better find seats now," Nicole said. "Robin and I got some drinks. If you want popcorn or something else you better hurry."

"Drinks are fine, thanks," Bobby said.

"Are you a cineast?" he asked Robin.

"Not really. I don't think I've ever been to see a movie that was more than a couple of months old. But I watch some old movies on the TV sometimes. I like the classics with Bogart - 'The Maltese Falcon', 'Casablanca' of course, oh, and 'The African Queen'. And you, Bobby, are you a cineast?"

"Hardly, but I like some of the Bogart-movies as well. And some war movies. I've seen this one before, and I really liked it."

They found seats, Bobby sat next to Robin, who had Nicole by her side, and Hal sat on Nicole´s other side. He was grateful not to sit next to the couple, who, according to the office gossip, really liked kissing each other. He hoped they would be discreet, but the old shy Hal was obviously gone. He tried to concentrate on the movie, but it was a bit hard when Hal and Nicole sat there making out like a pair of teenagers. He saw that Robin was a bit uncomfortable, and when they looked at each other they both had trouble not to start laughing. The movie was good though, and he and Robin Russell talked about it as they went to the café next to the cinema. There were not that many people, the movie theater had been at the most half full, and not everyone continued to the discussion at the café.

They found a table and ordered. Bobby looked over the room, he had managed to secure a table where both he and Hal could have their backs towards the wall. Robin Russell had given him a knowing smirk when he had pulled out a chair to seat her. He supposed that maybe she as a policewoman also wanted to have her back towards a wall, but she had let him and Hal chose the chairs.

A movie reviewer started with a short introduction. And then the discussion started. Bobby did not say much himself, but listened carefully. The most heated discussion was about the portrayal of the Asians, and then a woman a few tables over had a few thought-provoking comments about the women in the movie. Bobby could only see her back, but the dark hair and her voice intrigued him.

Not long after they broke up from the café.

Bobby followed Robin to her car, while Hal and Nicole said their goodbyes. Hal was working the next day, and would return to Haywood with Bobby.

"I had a very nice time tonight," he said.

"Me too," Russell answered. "And I would like to watch and discuss more movies with you, Bobby, but just as friends."

"I agree. You're really nice, but there's just no spark."

They both seemed relieved after the mutual confession, and exchanged phone numbers. Robin also revealed that Nicole hadn't told her who from Hal´s work he would bring to the movie.

"Is there someone you would have been more happy to see?" Bobby inquired.

Robin bit her lip.

"I promise not to make fun of you or tell anyone. But I can tell you if that person is single or gay, at least."

"I don't get any gay vibes," Robin said. She hesitated.

"It's Ram," she confided.

"He was single yesterday, at least," Bobby immediately responded. "He said that if I had any luck trying to find a woman away from the clubs, then maybe he should try as well. He sort of disparaged of finding anyone who wouldn't freak out if they saw all his weapons. Some other interests are working out and hiking. Still interested?"

"Yeah."

"I'll see if I can give him a shove."

"Thanks, Bobby. And I really would like to see a movie again sometime."

When he and Hal drove back to Haywood they talked a bit about the movie. Finally Hal asked him about Robin Russell.

"She's nice and good looking. Seems smart as well, but there's no spark."

"I didn't know who Nicole would bring," Hal said. "I have a feeling that you better talk fast if a certain someone hears that you were on a double date with Russell. So you won't end up with a gunshot wound. Probably not fatal, though."

"Ram?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah."

"Robin asked me if he was single. If they started talking instead of just looking they could have gotten lucky a while ago."

Hal laughed.

"Well, then you can give someone good news at least. And the movie was good."

"I agree. And Robin is really nice. We talked about seeing a movie again some other time. Strictly as friends, though."

"You better be convincing when you tell Ram that," Hal said.

For the first time since the attempts to 'find Bobby a woman', and yes he could hear the quotation marks in the sentence, started, he wasn't called into Cal´s apartment. Then he remembered that Cal worked the night shift. Bobby went to bed, giving himself a reminder to talk to Ram the next day.

x

The next morning Bobby had planned to have a lie-in. That was thwarted when someone knocked on his door at six o´clock.

Since he had been reading in bed until two o'clock he was not happy. He opened the door to find Cal and Ram outside. He remembered that the both of them had had the night shift.

The same shift he was going on for the next five days.

He was about to tell them off, when Cal shoved him to the side and entered. He had a big brown paper bag in his hand. Ram also came in the apartment.

"Put on some coffee, will you," said Cal.

"I don't want any coffee. I've only slept for four hours."

"Oh," Cal said, in a much quieter voice. "Do you have company?"

"No! I'm going on the night shift, and tried to adjust a little beforehand."

"Well, we need coffee. And we have some breakfast with us, from the diner."

Bobby could smell the greasy food, but he said nothing, and made some coffee, and went into his bedroom and put a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt over his usual sleep attire of boxers.

When he came back out Ram and Cal had plated the food from the diner, and poured coffee. Bobby doctored his with about three quarters milk. He had also made decaf.

He sighed and took a sip of coffee and a bite out of the breakfast sandwich. There were hash browns and a blueberry muffin each as well.

"You've decided to clog your arteries today?" Bobby said.

"Yep. I´m going off shift for three days, and I'll compensate in the gym. Now, tell us about last night."

Bobby gave a quick recap - movie night, Nicole, café, movie discussions - everything without mentioning the name of Nicole´s friend.

"So, are you gonna see her again?"

"Probably, but strictly as friends. She's nice, but there's no spark, besides she agreed to the double date since she was hoping it was someone else from Rangeman."

"Wait, who was it? Anyone we know?"

"Nicole brought a friend from work," Bobby said. He tried to watch Ram when he continued, "it was Robin Russell, from the T.P.D."

"Really?" Cal said. "Who did she hope was her date?"

"She just said that she and a guy from here were giving each other looks, but it had not developed any further."

"Russell," Cal pondered. "She looks alright, I suppose, and she's about thirty. I haven't gotten any looks from her, at least. I thought she was holding out for Morelli, truth to tell."

"I don't think she has looked at Morelli for a while, even before he disappeared. After all, he was on a slippery slope of drugs and booze for quite a while."

Cal turned towards Ram.

"Do you have any idea which Rangeman have been eyeing Russell?"

"No," he said. And although Bobby had actively watched the sniper, he couldn't notice any tells.

"Well," Cal continued. "You're on nightshift for the next five days, Bobby. Vince is your next handler."

"Ha, ha," Bobby said. "Handler, very funny."

"I thought so," Cal said. "Anyhow, Vince is planning the next thing. He'll be in touch. Now go to sleep. You shouldn't be up and about if you're having night shift the next days."

"You're absolutely hilarious," Bobby said.

Cal was the first out the door, and Bobby managed to catch Ram´s eye.

"I have a number for you, if you want it," he quietly said.

"You mean…"

"Yeah. You want the number?"

A slight blush could be seen on Ram´s cheeks.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

After they left Bob by went back to bed, and managed to fall asleep again.