Chapter Ten

Sunday's satisfaction, Monday's home and dry
Truth is on the doorstep, welcome in the lie
All dressed up in sorrow, got no place to go
Hold back, till it's ready, taking it slow

Don't they ever have to worry?
Don't you ever wonder why?
It's a part of me that tells you
Oh, don't you ever, don't ever say die
Never say die again

-"Never say die", Black Sabbath

"How did it go?" Gus inquired as Flack came storming back to the pit, their colleagues trying desperately to not appear like they were listening in.

Flack growled low in his throat, his fists clenched.

"That good, huh?" Gus raised an eyebrow.

"She's not listening, said the ball was in my court and I fucked up", Flack said with an angry shake of his head.

"You explain it was my fuck up and not yours?"

Flack continued to shake his head, "I am not brining you into this".

Gus snorted slightly, "Pu-lease, blue eyes, I am sunk to my neck in this swamp, rest of the team ain't too far behind either".

"Not if I can help it", Flack countered.

"Then I suggest you two keep your battles out of the precinct and lab then", Gus not so helpfully pointed out.

Flack's whole body slumped, his eyes weary and full of sadness, "What am I gonna do, Gus?"

His voice was so despondent, Gus felt her heart crumble. "First we are going to leave here so there isn't a pool started regarding the state of your marriage". Gus stopped and looked pointedly at a suddenly sheepish looking man, "Yeah, Thatcher, I am talking to you". She turned back to Flack, and we are going to go get some coffee and talk about this.

"What am I gonna do?" Flack repeated.

"What do you want to do?" Gus asked.

"Have my wife not running to an attorney to fix our marriage by killing it", Flack grumbled.

"So you want to fix it?" Gus pushed.

Flack nodded, "I think so, I just don't know if it can be. I know I somehow screwed up, but I just don't get why it's such a big thing. Carmen keeps saying it's all about me, but it isn't! I don't know how to get her to see that it is about the city, it's about every one of us, it's the job. I thought I was safe marrying a cop!"

"Marrying a cop isn't a magical fix, Flack, you knew it was going to be tough before you said 'I do', but you did it, you made a commitment. And I know you, you want to stand by that, you always honor your promises, it's what makes you one of the few good guys out there", Gus said, patting Flack on the hand, trying to ignore the loudness of the diner.

"I just feel like everything is so messed up and neither of us is really sure of what we want. I just want things to slow down, I just need time", Flack professed.

"Make time", Gus said with finality.

"What?" Flack looked bewildered.

Gus wrinkled her nose in thought. "Tell Carmen to cool her jets on the divorce thing and take a separation. I had plenty of couples separate for a bit when I was practicing. Cops especially. Just because your an adult doesn't mean you don't need a good time out every once and a while".

"You think she'll go for that?"

Gus shrugged, "Can't hurt to try. Besides, I don't think she wants to throw away your marriage any more than you do. It isn't like this is about one of you sleeping with someone else".

"Well I wasn't", Flack said acridly.

Gus raised her eyebrows, not wanting to touch this one with a pirogue pole.

Flack continued bitterly, "I still wonder about her and Matt. You never did answer me, do you think she went over there Friday night?"

Gus didn't know how to answer this without making things worse, she had her own doubts, but she was hoping it was just her cynical side, that Carmen was stronger than that. "I wasn't there, Flack, I didn't see Matt. But you are going to have to give her some trust if this thing has a chance in hell of working itself out. You just need to try to have a rational conversation with her".

Flack nodded slowly, taking a long sip out of his cup of coffee.

"And Flack?" Gus added looking at him gravely.

"Yeah Gus?"

"It means you have to go home to do that", she ended with a small smile.

"You kickin' me out?"

"For now", Gus said throwing a couple of bills on the table and walking out with a wave, "take some lost time, Flack, I'll cover for ya."

Flack sat for a long time thinking about what the hell he should do. Finally he pushed back from the table, knowing that whatever ended up happening, it wasn't going to happen without him at least trying to talk to Carmen.

"Never say die, right?" he said to himself as he headed towards home.

Thanks for the reviews, we appreciate them. R & R makes us happy because we like knowing what you think of the story, especially when we work so hard on it.

sparky: -M-I hope you mean hard in a good way, lol! And believe me I am hooked on this thing and I am half writing it! –Aph- lol I know what you mean, when it's your own writing you tend to overlook things. Glad we are keeping you entertained, its been really fun to write!


mustlovecat: -M-The whole thing is heartbreaking, but sadly realistic. Glad you are along for the ride. –Aph- It is heart wrenching because she doesn't know why he's being the way he is hence why she's seeking comfort else where. Well this is the road less traveled.


Bluehaven: -M-But the pouting worked! takes chocolate chip, doesn't eat 'dead' fruit Thanks, congrats and more to come! –Aph- Chomps on a choc chip cookie, for some reason I can't eat raisins because the way they look. Saying that I have eaten a ridiculous amount of fudge over the last day and a half. Don't be driving yourself too crazy and congrats!


BrowneyedGirl: -M-It is good to see evil appreciated! Especially since I know this story has been hard to write. –Aph- lol it's been a journey I'm telling you it's amazing to see what else you can do with the chars. Lol it's evil at it's best!


Leena7: -M-While you may have missed a lot, this story is a tie in more to Aphina's Devine stories, not my What It Means or The Saints Aren't Coming. In WIMS, Gus and Flack are still happy together. In SACs, it is as canon as an OC story can get. I hope you come back to those, but thanks for reading this one! –Aph- I think Maddy explained it all to you. I borrowed Gus for my story and she's became a main char. Glad your reading this though.


JoanneF: -M- You'll just have to wait and see what we have to throw at you, but it will be gripping at the very least! –Aph- lol I'm glad it's affecting you so much! It means we're writing well! You'll have to wait and see, remember it's a "what if" so anything can happen.