Edited and Reposted

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this, besides the plot, all characters and places is the property of Tamora Pierce.

Note: Not my strongest chapter if I do say so myself, but I feel that it is necessary in order to just fill in holes and make the story consistent. Hopefully, it will provide some comic relief if anything. For all those of you out there who want more Beka x Rosto please be patient, it is coming, I promise.

Thanks to all those that reviewed, to all others: please review.

Chapter 10: A Tangle with Goodwin

The Evening Watch came to an end, and Beka was deeply grateful that it had. Whether what her partner was doing served a greater purpose or not she was sure that she wouldn't be able to put up with hanging around drunken crack knobs for much longer without snapping.

She was itching to get back on the streets and was past frustrated due to the fact that she was stuck doing duty off of them for the time being. Tunstall better get better quick, she was not going to be able to survive being Brown's partner for any length of time. Not only was the work to be desired, but he himself was self-centered, offensive, and altogether disrespectful and foul.

She trudged wearily into the kennel to check out. Completing the simple task, as she virtually had nothing to report seeing as she was stuck in brawly taverns all night long, she prepared to leave when a sharp voice cut across the room.

"Cooper, get over here," Goodwin called out in her no-nonsense voice.

Beka complied with the command, hastily running through all the possibilities of what she could possibly have done to have gotten on Goodwin's bad side since the watch began. She actually came up with several, for Goodwin to even find out the majority of what was on the list she could only have one possible source, Brown. At that conclusion Beka had to draw a couple of deep, calming breaths to keep herself from hunting him down and giving him a good crack on the head with her baton. It wasn't worth it she assured herself, but that fleeting thought of good will only lasted until she felt Goodwin's hand latch on her ear.

She could not have done anything that bad. Surely, whatever Goodwin heard didn't warrant an ear boxing. Good will be damned, she would pay back Brown in full for whatever tale he had fed Goodwin to get her to do this.

"An interesting report crossed my desk this evening," Goodwin stated evenly, "mind explaining."

Beka was confused as to what could possibly have been reported before her watch and would only be read now and she said as much. Right after she finished saying that thought she remembered the incident that happened that morning with the two Night Watch Dogs.

Goodwin saw the signs of recognition flicker across her face and asked her again, "Cooper, I am giving you one more chance, mind explaining how you let those fools even get that close to you?" tightening her grip threateningly on Beka's ear as she talked.

Beka knew she was in for one hell of an ear boxing for all the mistakes she made that morning that led to her being harassed by those two buffoons. Well she might as well get it over with.

"I was unaware that there was anyone on the other side of the corner, Achoo didn't growl in warning until it was too late and we were already half way around the corner," she let out cautiously, wincing at the twisting of her ear that followed her response.

"You were unaware. Do you have any idea how many enemies Dogs have? They could have easily been some of them that you ran into unprepared! Always know that you are not going to run straight into trouble before you turn a corner in the dark."

"Ow, ow, ow!" Beka whined. "I was wrong to not check around corners first and to go out alone with just Achoo without informing anyone that I was doing so."

"You didn't tell anyone where you were going!"

Realizing her mistake Beka desperately tried to cover it up, "No I mean Pou- OW!" She screeched when the pressure on her poor ear increased.

Finally deciding that Beka had been punished enough Goodwin eased up on her ear, but still kept her hand on it. "Now, when are you going to stop making Puppy mistakes, I can't be watching over you forever, it's bad for my stress. By the gods the only reason that I stopped being a street Dog was because I was tired and wanted to rest a bit, but I should have known better with you still around Cooper. First day back and already it has made my job as tiresome as stopping a handful of tavern brawls."

Goodwin continued to ramble on but she released Beka's ear. Beka was extremely grateful for that fact and began to message the pain from her ear. Goodwin finally overcame her lapse and looked her straight in the eye and said, "You take care Cooper, you need to understand that you are more well known now than ever before and that makes you an even larger target, and you no longer have Rosto in your boarding house to defer the more sane ones; although his presence is still felt there, it's severely weakened.

You are also without me or Tunstall for the time being and with a new partner to boot; given your past history with partners this will make you appear more vulnerable than ever. You are more exposed than ever. So for the heaven's sakes look out for yourself! Thank the goddess that the gods have seen to it that they are finished with Master Pounce and have allowed him to return to you. Heaven forbid how I would ever be able to sleep at night if he at least was not there to check your crazy intentions."

Beka felt deeply touched that Goodwin cared so much for her well being and was looking down at her feet. Goodwin realizing that she ran off topic once again cleared her throat making Beka look back up at her.

"Well I suppose that I have detained you long enough. I won't keep you from your dinner any longer, even though I do not think you deserve it at this point by any means," at the last part she gave Beka a pointed look that told her that she believed that Beka should still have to earn her dinner. After a few moments Goodwin decided that she was through with her and returned her eyes to the piles of papers on her desk, waving her hand dismissively as she off handedly murmured, "Night Cooper."

Sensing her dismissal Beka answered, "Goodnight Sergeant Goodwin."

Goodwin's head snapped up at that last comment so fast that Beka did a double take and exclaimed, "For heaven's sake you should at least drop the sergeant. I'm getting old I tell you…" she trailed off in her mumblings, realizing that she was going off on a tangent she simply shook her head and returned to her seemingly endless piles of paperwork once again.

Beka suppressed a smile as she turned away and exited the kennel. However it did not last that long, as soon as she was outside, she sensed that something was off and tensed. But once again it was too late. For a second time that day she was ambushed, just outside the kennel to boot. This time, her attacker came from the alleyway between two neighboring buildings.

She only had time for the thought 'not again' to pass through her mind before proceeding to toss her opponent. The attacker, now on the ground in front of her, expertly rolled to his feet. As he was on his way up his face was briefly shrouded in a lantern's light showing her that it was none other than Phelan.

Annoyed she punched him in the stomach, and before he fully regained his balance she latched onto him and trapped his head in a headlock.

"And why would you be jumping me now Phelan?" Beka inquired.

"If you knew it was me why'd you punch me?"

"Because you attacked me you ass!"