Chapter 10 – All Stars

First up; disclaimer – I own nothing. Forgot it last time…oops. The only thing that belongs to me is Rebecca Rhodes!

Second up; Prey…anyone??? Hot or what??? Handcuffs!?! Oh, be still my beating heart (and I liked that it was Angell using them, although I'd had visions of Flack using them…oh I think I'd better just stop right there, huh?

Thirdly – the tenth chapter is dedicated to SpankyMcDoogleFace, Brown Eyed Girl 75 and MrAprilFoolsWatanuki – you rock guys!

Fourthly: THERE ARE SEASON 5 SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER!!!!!

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Rebecca and Angell's interview had gone pretty well. At first, the perp had thought Rebecca was good cop and Angell bad cop – once he had gotten over his whole sleaze act at being interrogated by the "two damn prettiest girls in blue he'd ever seen". He'd realized his mistake after one smart remark too many had had the perp "accidentally" fall out of his chair as Rebecca walked behind him. When he'd made a move to hit her, she'd slammed him face down onto the desk and then cuffed him with the handcuffs Angell had tossed her. They'd added attempted assault of an officer to his rap sheet.

Satisfied with the afternoon's work, Angell and Rebecca had retreated to her desk in the precinct for coffee and a quick look over the file before Rebecca had to head back up to the lab.

Rebecca was struck by their similarity – both stunning, brown-eyed, shapely brunettes that could hold their own in a fight. That was where the similarity ended; Rebecca may have taken out her aggression on ice and at Krav Maga classes, but Angell had earned her stripes at the hands of four older brothers and a father who was one of New York's finest. Rebecca knew which credentials she had more respect for. She looked up and caught Angell looking at her a little slyly. Pushing the file to the center of Angell's desk, she sat back in her chair and grabbed her coffee, nursing the hot cup in her hands.

"Spill, Detective," she said, "What's on your mind?"

She already knew the answer. She wasn't disappointed.

"I was just wondering if any of the rumors I heard about you and a certain blue-eyed detective were true," said Angell, taking a sip of her own coffee.

Rebecca looked down at her cup and smiled a little. Angell continued.

"I heard you two got stuck in an elevator and our visiting expert, Dr Brennan, made some interesting comments about you two in Trace," Angell continued.

Rebecca grinned. She liked Angell. She was forthright and spoke her mind.

"Yeah," said Rebecca, "We got stuck in an elevator, but nothing happened. And yeah, Bones DID make some comments. I should have been ready for them. I've known her a long time."

Angell looked at the woman in front of her. She'd noticed the slight flush spread across her cheeks at the mention of Don Flack. And with good reason, she thought. After all, Angell had nothing but fond memories of their short, but very sweet relationship, before they'd both called it quits due to the fact they worked together so closely. But they were still pretty close.

"Don's a good man," she said. Then, with a wicked look in her eye, "And he's a great kisser too."

Rebecca sat bolt upright. "I kn…" she started, before realizing she'd given it away. She grinned sheepishly back at Angell.

"I knew it!" said Angell, "Good for you girl! You know we've got some history?"

Rebecca frowned a little. She didn't want to cross Angell in any way.

"Yeah, I'd heard," she replied, "Are you OK with, well, maybe me and Don seeing each other?"

Angell smiled, reached across the desk and patted the back of Rebecca's hand.

"We're old history," she reassured Rebecca, "But it ended real well. Don's like that. He doesn't like leaving bitterness if he an avoid it. It was just one of those things. It didn't work out. By the way," she said slyly, "He's not just good at kissing!"

Rebecca looked somewhere between relieved and flustered. She bit her lip and looked at Angell, as though trying to decide whether or not to tell her something. Angell grinned.

"Now it's your turn," she said, "Spill – what's on your mind?"

"He asked me out," replied Rebecca, "Tonight."

"He's still got game!" said Angell excitedly, "Where's he taking you? Restaurant? Nightclub?"

Rebecca sighed. She was pretty excited about their first date.

"Nope," she replied, "He's taking me to the first Rangers game of the season."

Angell was about to comment that that was so like Don to pick a boy's night for a first date rather than something romantic, when she saw the look on Rebecca's face – Dr Rhodes was not disappointed by this, she noted.

"Please don't tell me you're a hockey fan!" she exclaimed. Rebecca grinned in response.

"Oh Don must think he's found the girl of his dreams," said Angell, "He is the Rangers' biggest fan! Now he doesn't have to make excuses about watching wall-to-wall ESPN during the Stanley Cup!"

Rebecca finished her coffee, leaned forward and whispered to Angell.

"He hasn't got anything on me," she said, "I got ink done while I was in college."

Angell's eyes gleamed and she nodded her head in the direction of the ladies' rest room.

"This I gotta see," she said, and both detectives adjourned to the ladies' conference room.

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Rebecca pulled down her pants on her left hip and showed Angell the red, white and blue Lady Liberty New York Rangers emblem on her hip. Angell whistled. It was pretty detailed.

"That had to hurt!" she said. Rebecca shrugged.

"Stung a little," she replied, "OK, stung a lot!"

"Don seen it yet?" asked Angell cheekily.

"No!" exclaimed Rebecca, tucking her shirt back into her pants. Angell showed her her tattoo; a delicate band of flowers round her right wrist.

"Got any more?" asked Angell casually.

"A few," admitted Rebecca, "Mostly in places they don't show. My mother would be furious if she knew about them, but that's kinda why I got them."

"I hear you," said Angell, "My Dad grounded me for a month when I came home with the flowers."

Just then, boththeir cell phones rang, necessitating the end of their discussion. As Rebecca walked back towards the elevators, Angell called to her.

"Coffee, tomorrow," she called, "I want all the details."

"OK!" said Rebecca.

"And Rebecca?" said Angell.

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about the pool Danny has running on you and Flack!" Angell called, as she headed through the doors back to her desk.

Pool? Thought Rebecca, what pool? Picking up the pace with determination, Rebecca walked swiftly to the elevator. She had a sudden urge to interrogate Detective Messer.

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Let's just say that Adam confessed all to a furious looking Rebecca and aside from a quick slap upside his head was pretty much left alone. Messer, on the other hand, spent a couple of hours locked in the stationery supplies closet on the 35th floor. Not that this in any way dampened his enthusiasm for seeing how the pool played out.

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The one thing about mothers, thought Rebecca, at half past five, clad only in a large, soft, navy bath sheet, was their really crappy timing. Running around her apartment, trying to put together an outfit whilst trying to discuss Harrison's upcoming engagement party and keep her wet hair out of her face, was a fairly impossible task.

Not to mention there was no way on this earth she would even manage to apply any make-up in the fifteen minutes she had left before Don was due to pick her up for their date.

Date, she thought. Rebecca liked the sound of that. Drifting off, she was brought back to the moment by two things: One, the sound of her mother shrieking at her on the other end of the phone that she wasn't paying attention and two, the sound of someone knocking on the door fifteen minutes early. Oh god.

"Mother," said Rebecca, slightly panicked, "I have to go. My date's at the door!"

"Date? What date? Who is this….." said Mrs Rhodes.

"Gotta go mother, love to Daddy!" said Rebecca, snapping the cell shut and throwing it onto the couch. She dashed towards the door, swearing as she stubbed her toe on the kitchen island. Making her way to the door, she checked who was there through the spyhole, pressing her head against the door and groaning slightly as she realized it was, in fact, Detective Donald Flack Jr, fifteen minutes early. She unlocked the door, opening it. Turning and heading for the bedroom, grabbing some clothes on the way, Flack stopped dead in the doorway at the sight of the beautiful woman, clad only in a towel, looking flustered, in front of him. He swallowed hard. His mind was trying to process the fact that she probably wasn't wearing anything under that towel.

"Grab yourself a beer from the refrigerator," said Rebecca, "I promise I won't be long!"

"No problem," said Flack, "Sorry I was early, Take your time."

Plus, he thought, he needed a few minutes to get his mind out of the gutter and slow his pulse down. He'd seen the Chinese symbols tattooed on her shoulder as she disappeared through the door to her bedroom and couldn't help wondering if she had any more. That'll be interesting to find out, he mused, and just as quickly cursed himself for getting himself more worked up.

It didn't take long for Rebecca to get herself ready, grabbing her Puffa jacket to go over a nice, red, stretch velvet top and smart trousers. Neat ankle boots and her trusty Rangers cap completed her look, as she stuffed her purse, cell and keys into the inner pocket of the jacket. Not too smart, but nice enough to get away with dinner anywhere other than the smartest restaurants. Plus, she wouldn't look over-dressed at the Madison Sq Garden. She opened the door to her bedroom and announced her presence to Flack, who was sitting, lost in thought.

He looks good, she thought, dressed in a navy granddad vest shirt and his jeans. His black reefer jacket was slung over the armrest of her couch. He looked up and grinned at her appreciatively. He put down his bottle of beer and stood up. He crooked his arm and Rebecca put hers through his. She smiled up at him, before standing on tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek.

"Let's go," she said.

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They reached Midtown in plenty of time for a quick bite to eat. Rebecca was pretty thankful that Flack had already picked The Ginger Man in East 36th Street, a short, yet romantic walk from MSG. They had wandered into the den at the back and had some pretty good food. It hadn't surprised Rebecca in the slightest that Flack had gone straight for a portion of the Guinness stew. She guessed he went there as often as he could on game nights, his schedule allowing.

After eating and enjoying some nice beers, they'd walked to the Hockey venue. Rebecca hadn't complained in the slightest when Flack had taken her hand at first, before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, smiling down at her as her own arm had snaked around his waist. Rebecca felt she was aged about seventeen again. It was a good feeling. The whole thing was totally relaxed, not like all the dates with the trust fund jerks her parents thought were acceptable. Those dates were either peppered with talk from guys who thought they were the bees' knees or they didn't say a word at all, being so nervous, sometimes getting so drunk they got stupid. No, this date with Don Flack had to rate up in her top ten. Scratch that, top one.

Once they took their seats, waiting for the first period to ruck off, Don caught a glimpse of some familiar figures sitting a couple of rows behind them. He pulled his own cap down over his eyes and hissed at Rebecca to do the same.

"Why?" she asked, looking in the direction Flack had glanced in, her eyes widening as she saw what he had.

She shouldn't have been surprised.

Booth was a huge Capitals fan after all and the Rangers were playing them that night.

But two rows behind them (with empty seats immediately behind her and Flack?). Yeah, that'd be about right.

And she hadn't turned back around quickly enough. They'd been seen and now the dynamic DC duo was changing rows to the empty seats right behind them. Bones beamed as she realized where Booth was moving them to. Bones was a big fan of hockey. Glancing at Flack, she noticed him roll his eyes heavenward.

Rebecca guessed he was reliving the delightful occasion he'd met her in Trace. Rebecca prayed she wasn't going to say anything else.

Mercifully, Bones was pretty quiet, although she and Booth made some good-natured jibes about the Rangers, which Rebecca and Flack returned with quips of their own about the Capitals. A good-natured wager regarding the outcome of the game just had to be made.

And the four of them enjoyed the game. The men made themselves useful entertaining their ladies and getting them refreshments and Rebecca managed to get Flack hot under the collar with her comments about Henrik Lundqvist. Nothing like a little jealousy to make sure you knew exactly where you stood with a man, she mused.

Flack, for his part, knew what he was going to get her for her birthday, or Christmas, whichever came first; a hockey shirt, with her favorite player's name on the back.

In fact, everything went really well until midway through the third period (although seeing as the home team were wiping the floor with the visitors, Booth probably didn't share that opinion), when Bones just had to open her mouth.

"Did you know," she said, "That there is a scientifically proven link between violence and an increase in sexual desire?"

Booth groaned.

"Bones!" he said, "Not again!"

"But I've said it before!" Bones protested, "Sweets didn't say it was inappropriate then!"

"Yes," said Booth, "But you hadn't already managed to make some truly spectacular observations on that occasion!"

"Yes, Booth, but I wasn't directing my comments at Rebecca and the detective in particular this time," she said.

Flack had slowly turned round to look at Bones, like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Rebecca had hunkered into her chair, ears into her jacket, pulling her hat down over her nose. The exchange had been noted by fellow spectators sitting near them.

"You know," said Booth, "Much though I want to watch the end of the total annihilation of my boys by yours, Bones and I have to catch the red-eye flight back to DC tomorrow."

He stood and put his jacket on, before pulling Bones to her feet.

"Let me know the result, detective, and we can settle up on our bet another time," he finished, before making towards the exit with a somewhat annoyed Bones. Bones did like her violence and had merrily hurled insults at members of the Rangers team who had landed up in the sin bin. Probably not a wise thing to do when surrounded by home team supporters, but Bones had felt pretty secure in the company of Booth and two of New York's finest.

Flack snuck a glance at Rebecca after the other two had left. He saw she was frantically trying to smother her laughter.

"I take it she's always like that?" he asked.

"Pretty much," said Rebecca, "The last time she came out with that comment was at a game between the Washington PD and the FBI. I didn't know whether Sweets was going to pass out or choke on his slushy first."

Flack laughed.

"She's quite a handful," he surmised.

"Yeah," said Rebecca, "And let's not even get started on the subject of her love life!"

They both laughed and watched the rest of the game, the Rangers bringing home a comfortable win against the visitors.

Afterwards, they had a couple of drinks in a local bar, before heading back to their building on the subway. Although it was late and the car was virtually empty, Rebecca snuggled up close to Flack, who smirked and put his arm around her.

And they stayed that way until their stop.

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I know, I was going to do the aftermath of the date as well, but I'm really tired and I want to watch some more CSI:NY before bed – S05.04 was just hilarious – I woke up my roommate laughing so hard over Flack and the dolls….

Stop by and click the little button before you go! And yes, there really is a bar called the Ginger Man that serves Guinness Stew where I say it is, so there! One day, I'll be eating that stew before a game myelf……………