This chapter includes the NYPD's annual Winter Ball, a fundraiser for families of officers who have died in the line of duty. Local hotels, restaurants, and florists all vie for the privelage of donating their goods and services for this event, as it is well publicised. Funds raised from from ticket sales provide college scholarships to children of fallen officers.

***** INCLUDES THE EPISODE "CRIMINAL JUSTICE" *****

'What a day.' Flack thought to himself as he released a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall of the elevator that was taking him to his apartment. He was tired, but grateful the perp had been caught, and even more grateful Lieutenant Sythe had sent him home early. Well, 'early' was a relative term in this case, since he'd actually worked late, throught the night in fact, and 'early' now meant early morning.

He opened the door to his apartment, surprised the living room drapes were still drawn. Angell had moved in with him only last weekend, but it hadn't taken him long to figure a few things about her, the kind of things you don't notice until you actually live with somene, like the fact that even though she wasn't exactly a morning person she did like to open the drapes first thing when she got up. But it was obvious she wasn't home right now and he was headed to bed for as many hours of sleep as possible, so he would leave them closed for now.

He headed straight for the bedroom, but paused with his hand on the door knob at hearing a noise coming from the other side of the door. Maybe she was home after all, maybe since she wasn't up yet, she might like to stay in bed a little longer. He smiled at the thought as he slowly opened the door, but his smile immeditately fell as an expression of shocked took over his handsome face. Right there, in his own bed, was the woman he loved... with another man.

THE NEXT DAY...

The scene was, well, 'awkward' was the general consesnus. The apartment was just a one room studio with a door to the bathroom and one to a closet, otherwise everything was in that one room, including the bed the dead couple was in. But that wasn't the 'awkward' part, no that would be because all the covers were on the floor, leaving the naked couple that had obviously been too wrapped up in their lovemaking to notice a killer,... well, let's just say that if they had only known they were about to die, they wouldn't have kicked all the covers onto the floor.

Flack and Angell stood just inside the door, their backs towards the dead couple. Officers were stationed at each end of the hallway to keep neighbors and those that were just nosey or those just wanting to gawk as far away as possible.

"I just wish we could cover them up." Angell stated, keeping her back to them. "Give them some,... dignity, at least."

"Yeah, me, too. But it could disturb evidence." Flack said, also keeping his back to them.

"Hey, Don,... everything okay?" Angell asked, since they had time to kill while waiting for a CSI to show up.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine." He answered. She nodded, not believing him. "You're not buying that, are you?" He finally asked, then watched as she just shook her head. He took a deep breath and was about to speak when Messer and Monroe showed up.

"Whoa!" Messer stated as soon as he stood in the apartment's doorway and suddenly got a glimpse of the dead couple. Of course it didn't help that their feet were towards the doorway, giving a full view of the dead husband's dariar.

"Oh geez." Monroe mumbled, "No wonder the officers are stationed clear down at the ends of the hall." She added, as Flack and Angell moved aside to let them enter.

"I guess the first photo I take should be of the smile on his face. What a way to go." Messer lightly teased.

"Danny." Monroe said with a glare to shush her husband.

"Well, ya gotta admit that if they'd at least heard the perp coming, they would have, ya know,... stopped." Danny justafied with a smirk.

"Let's just get the bodies process first, so they can be removed." Monroe said.

"Fine. I'll take the stab wounds on the husband's back, since he's on top. And you can take the wife's slit throat." Danny suggested.

"Poor lady. Trapped underneath her dead husband like that while the killer pulls out a knife." Linday stated as she opened her kit.

Flack and Angell were grateful for the CSI's arrival, so they could exit the crime scene. They waited out in the hall while it was processed.

"So, you ready to tell me now?" Angell asked after several minutes.

Flack looked around, making sure they had privacy before answering, "It's just that, ... I had this weird dream last night."

Angell shrugged after it became aparent that was all he was going to say, "That's it? That's all you're going to tell me?" She asked.

He started to continue, but Adam and Sid were arriving. "Hey, guys." Flack greeted them.

"So, I hear we have a copulating couple waiting for us." Sid stated.

Adam suddenly looked up, "What? Mac didn't say anything about that! He just told me to hitch a ride with you so I could help process a scene."

"Come with me, Adam." Sid said, putting an arm around the young man's shoulder and leading him into the room, "Now, I'm going to grab one of his ankles and you're going to grab the other one, and together we're going to pull until-"

Flack and Angell had to hold back a laugh as Adam bolted back out of the room. "That's not funny, Sid." Adam sternley stated with nothing short of a glare at the M.E. They could also hear Monroe and Messer laughing from inside the apartment.

Sid followed Adam back out into the hallway. "You know I'm kidding. Right? Because, technically, once blood flow stops it would be impossible for a man to maintain an-"

Flack and Angell walked away as Sid attempted to make Adam's face a darker crimson. From just the sounds of Adam's reaction, Sid had succeeded. He was very good at giving explinations and telling stories with such a straight face and they both felt sorry for Adam.

"Let's go see if any more neighbor's have come home since we canvassed the first time." Angell said, "Then I want to hear about that dream of yours."

AN HOUR LATER...

"I was what?" Angell demanded once they were in the car. "With who?"

"I don't know with who." Flack informed her. "In my dream, I just walked in on you two... in my bed." He took in the shocked and hurt look on her face. "I'm sorry, Jess. It was just a dream."

"Yeah, but where did it come from?" She asked, "Dreams can have meanings, Don. Does this mean you actually think I'd cheat on you?"

"I love you, Jess." He stated, taking hold of her hand, "And I know you love me, too. And, no, I don't think that. I didn't mean for some stupid dream to hurt you like this."

"And I suppose if it hadn't been for that crime scene that bothered you so much, I probably wouldn't know about your dream at all." She said, now understanding why he couldn't wait to leave the scene.

He looked down at their hands, their fingers now laced together. He didn't really want to tell her, to admit it to her, but he knew their relationship must be based on honesty. "You know how you were always leary about men who are a 'Dutch' or a '3'?" He looked up to see her nod, "Well, I've always been leary about women who cheat."

"Who was she?" Angell asked, needing to know the whole story.

Flack took a deep breath, "Our relationship is based on lots of things, Jess, including honesty. Before I met you, I was one of those '3' kinda guys. Lots of shallow, meaningless relationships, usually ending after the third date. Mostly because I was not wanting to get too attached to anyone who might... who might cheat on me." He paused, wanting to choose his words carefully. "Her name was Rachel. She was the only other woman I've ever really, really cared for, besides you of course. I thought we had a great thing going between us, until I came home early one day and found her in bed with another man."

"Trust is an important thing." Angell said, tightening her grip on his hand. "And I'm gonna trust you to tell me when something is bothering you." She added, now touching the side of his face.

LATE THAT NIGHT...

Flack and Messer could hear the loud music before even walking into the bar, but to feel the pulsing rhythm of the music that nearly synchronised with their own heart beats as soon as they entered was nearly overwhelming for some reason and suddenly all their senses were on edge.

Both men stopped just inside the door and surveyed the room. Flack, with an obvious height advantage, spotted the two they were looking for first. Messer noticed his countenance change and saw the nod of his head. Following his line of sight to the far edge of the dance floor, he spotted them, too.

Before they'd even put a foot forward to head that direction, two men had already made their way over to the far edge of the dance floor, attempting to converse with their targets. Much to Flack and Messer's satisfaction, the two men had quickly been sent away.

With verbal communication almost impossible in such a loud environment, Flack used hand signals to suggest a route to Messer. Messer however disagreed and suggested a different approach. They decided to split up; Flack going left, Messer going straight across, both headed their respective directions, hoping to reach their destination before anyone else could get involved. The dance floor was crowded and therefor their view at least partially obscured at all times, but there were definitely two more men approached their targets. Each watched as, once again, the men quickly departed.

Their splitting up proving unnecessary as they both reached their destination at nearly the same time, just as the two women they were trying to reach turned to see them. Flack smiled, taking in Angell's appearance. Her dark chocolate eyes were like mirrors reflecting the colored lights above them while her brown curls bounced in rhythm over her shoulders. She wore black skinny jeans tucked into black stiletto boots and a deep red tank top with a sequined trim around the neckline. She hadn't broken her rhythm, but instead waited for him to come to her as Seal's song "Amazing" began to play.

Nearly an hour later the four of them nodded gratefully to the waitress as she set down a pitcher of ice water next to their other drinks. They had been dancing non-stop and were all parched, so alcohol was not what they needed. They'd found a booth near the back where it was a little quieter, but conversation was still difficult, so as soon as they'd rested a bit, they were back out on the dance floor.

"We love being at home with Lucy in the evenings, but it sure is nice to get out like this." Monroe said to Angell as they walked together, just ahead of the guys. They had danced for hours and were now walking the three blocks to a diner for some late night food.

"Nice to see that Danny's got his 'sea legs' and his 'dancing legs' back." Angell said with a smile.

Monroe nodded in agreement and sighed, "I haven't danced like that since...well, since we went dancing with you and Don long before Lucy was born. Club Z, I think it was."

"Don and I go there as often as we can. After a long day at our stressful jobs, it's nice to just get lost in the music and forget about all the crap we deal with." Angell said as she checked for traffic so they could cross the street, their men still trailing right behind them.

"And it's great exercise." Monroe added. "Something I could use more of."

"What? Lucy not crawling fast enough yet?" Angell joked.

Monroe rolled her eyes. "It seems like just yesterday that she figured out how to get up on all fours, and now, her knees just touch the floor and she's gone. But I've still got a few of those baby pounds yet to lose. Have you and Don tried that new club over on-"

She didn't finish at seeing Angell shake her head, "No. We usually stick to Club Z because it's away from the precinct area. Little chance of seeing anyone we know."

"Still trying to keep your relationship under wraps." Monroe stated, as it wasn't really a question. She saw Angell nod instead of answer, but there was also an unusual expression on her face.

THE NEXT DAY...

"What's wrong, Don?" Angell asked as she opened her locker, hoping there wasn't another dream involved in his explanation.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing." Flack stated, closing his. He saw her search her locker for something, but knew she wasn't after anything but avoidance, so he answered first. "The CSI's found planted evidence at a scene." He could tell that got her attention. "Unfortunately, the evidence points to a D.A."

"Oh." She mumbled with a disgusted look. "So, now what?"

"Now, the CSI's keep analyzing evidence and I try to connect the dots." He said, taking a step closer. "Your turn." He added.

She closed her locker, knowing she'd stalled long enough. "It's nothing, Don. I'm just frustrated over something."

Flack started to speak but the door to the locker room could be heard opening as someone entered, so he gave her his 'we'll talk later' nod.

An hour later Angell, Bonasara, and Monroe were at Rob Meyer's apartment. "This table leg has been broken." Bonasara observed.

"And this radio seems out of place." Monroe added.

"I see a dog dish, but no dog." Angell stated.

The clues were adding up as fast as the unanswered questions and a few minutes later the lights were turned out, revealing a blood stain on the floor.

LATE THAT NIGHT...

"Can't say I've ever thought of a snow blower looking 'mean' before." Angell stated as Hawkes and Bonasara both examined the detailed mechanism of the large piece of equipment.

"These teeth can chew up most anything." Hawkes stated.

"Does that include a human?" Angell inquired, slightly cringing at the thought of what could have happened, then watched Bonasara answered with a nod.

THE NEXT EVENING...

'Riiiippp!' Came the distinct sound of velcro being pulled apart, as Messer removed the back brace he'd been wearing all day. "Ah." Came the simple indication of relief as he tossed it aside.

"How long do you think you'll have to wear it?" Monroe inquired of her husband as she picked up Lucy.

"Not sure yet. Just till my back feels better. Hopefully just a few days." He answered, taking a seat on the couch next to her.

"Danny," She began in a gentle tone, placing a hand on his knee as she nursed their daughter. "Are you sure you shouldn't tell Mac about your badge." It wasn't a question. She wasn't quite sure why he felt so responsible for it being taken, after all, he did have it locked up according to protocol.

Before he could think of an answer to satisfy his wife, there was a knock at the door. "Flack and Angell are early." He stated, getting up.

MEANWHILE...

"You've got that look again." Flack stated as he and Angell rode the elevator up to the Messer's apartment.

Angell smirked. "It's nothing, Don. I told you, somethings just been bugging me." She said as they walked down the hall.

"Anything you wanna share?" He inquired, wanting to know, but not wanting to press.

She shook her head in a dismissive gesture. "Nah."

He could tell she was avoiding the topic, so he would drop it. For now.

Messer opened the door to let them into the apartment, then led them over to the kitchen. "Anyone want a beer?" He offered.

"Over here!" Monroe called out from the couch with a wave of her hand.

"Very funny, Montana." Messer deadpanned before turning back to Flack and Angell to see if they wanted a beer.

Flack was obviously confused, looking back and forth between Messer who stood in front of him with a 'well, do you want a beer or not' look on his face and the back of Monroe's head which could be seen over the couch in the living room. "Am I missing something here?" He finally asked.

Angell smirked. "Apparently so, Mr. Oblivious." He sent her a look with an arched brow. "The reason Lindsay can't drink beer is the same reason we're in the kitchen right now instead of in the living room."

The look on Flack's face changed, indicating the light bulb had finally gone on.

"You can come on in, Angell." Lindsay called out, so Angell grabbed a beer from Messer's hand and headed into the living room.

"So how was it playing guinea pig today?" Angell asked, taking a seat in the chair across from Monroe. From there she could see Flack seated at the dining room table, obviously amused at Messer's attempt to properly set the table for dinner and figure out what to do with all the forks his wife had set out.

"Adrenaline rush." Monroe answered with a smile. "Pure adrenaline rush." Angell just nodded, she knew the feeling well. "Someone's getting tired." Monroe stated, looking back down at Lucy and toying with her little feet. "When she pulls her knees up like this, she's almost full and ready for sleep."

LATER...

"You seem to be in a much better mood." Flack stated as he and Angell rode the elevator back down from the Messer's apartment.

"It was a nice evening with Danny and Lindsay." She stated.

"But?" He asked, dragging out the word and knowing there was more to her answer.

"But,..." Angell paused, finally relenting. "It just feels like we're in a bit of a rut." She said, obviously choosing her words carefully.

Flack just nodded at first, taking her words in. "So tell me, this 'rut' we're in,... would that be because we only go dancing at Club Z, because we're afraid someone we know will see us? Or is it because we only dine out at Mazzi's, because we're afraid someone we know will see us? Or its it because only go for drinks at APB or another bar across town, because we're afraid someone we know will see us? Or is it-"

"Okay, okay." Angell said, holding up a hand to stop him. The elevator doors opened and they continue their trek to the car. "Yes. It's because of... well, all those things."

"Ya know, Jess, I'm more than comfortable with our colleagues knowing about us. After all, we're a pretty common topic around the 'ol water cooler regardless." Flack said, lacing his fingers with her's as they continued walking. "There's no protocol against us dating, Jess, so it's strictly a matter of personal preference here."

"You mean my personal preference, don't you." She stated.

"No." He said, halting his steps so she would turn to look at him. "I mean our personal preference. Whatever we decide, we decide together. This effects both of us." He paused, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I love you, Jess... and I'm more than okay with everyone knowing I'm in love with you. But if you're not ready, if either one of us isn't ready, then we aren't ready." He added, tucking a loose curl behind her ear before wrapping a hand around the back of her neck.

Angell felt him pulling her closer and slid her hands up to his shoulders. "Are you sure?" She asked, their foreheads now pressed together.

"Mhmm." He mumbled into her hair with a slight nod, then he pulled back slightly so she could look up at him. She started to speak, but he kissed her before she could.

When they broke for oxygen she looked into his blue eyes, "You're sure?" She asked again.

He smiled back at her, well, it was more of a smirk really. Instead of answering her, he reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a small black envelope, which he handed to her.

Angell looked at him curiously. She could tell he wanted her to take the envelope, and did. He was sure he heard a slight gasp as she eyed the contents.

In her hands, Angell held two tickets. They were black, embossed with the NYPD in gold and blue. They were for the annual Winter Ball at the Manhattan Ritz, a black tie event of dinner and dancing.

"Um," Flack stammered a bit, "Any chance a gorgeous, funny, lovely, kind, beautiful, kick-ass, drop-dead gorgeous woman like you would wanna be escorted by a plain 'ol guy like me?" He asked, looking more at his feet than at her.

"Kiss me, Handsome." She ordered, and when they broke for oxygen again she asked, "So, is this why you wanted me to get a special dress for the Nutcracker performance?"

Flack smiled, "Told you you'd have more use for it."

TWO WEEKS LATER - THE ANNUAL NYPD WINTER BALL...

Angell glanced around the elegant ball room of the Manhattan Ritz, taking in the environment. The dance floor was shiny, like glass, and she was sure a janitor or two had put in extra time to make it that way for the special occasion. The lights were turned low, but not too low, providing ambiance. Above each round table, that was set with royal blue linens, probably to match the NYPD logo, was a lovely chandelier. The table service, obviously the hotel's best, made like a circular frame for each large floral centerpiece.

The ball room's atmosphere aside, the fact that this was a formal event was evident as most of the men in the room were in tuxes, although a few wore a suit and tie. The women all wore dresses of various lengths.

Angell scanned the large ball room, hoping to spot someone she knew. Flack was delayed due wrapping up a case, so their arriving together was impractical, plus it was necessary for her to secure their seats at one of the tables. This left her to arrive solo and wait for him, but in the meantime, she felt like, well, she wasn't quite sure what she felt like, but something close to a piece of meat came to mind. Of course that could have something to do with the what she was wearing. She wore a black-on-black cocktail dress of lace over silk that cut off just below the knees and slung slightly off her shoulders. Her 5'7" stature made even more impressive by black stiletto heals. She'd worn her hair up, just the way Flack liked it, and she would be glad when it was him staring at her instead of the unwelcome glances she was currently getting. She was used to dressing more professional in front of her colleagues, but this was a special night. It meant a lot to her and Flack to be together this evening.

Her eyes continued to scan the vast space, until... there, she spotted Mac. Wait, how could she have missed seeing Stella first, right next to him. True, Mac was looking quite sharp in his tux, not that she would expect him in anything else, but Stella was quite stunning with her hair up and her long dress did her slim figure justice. Angell thought it was ironic that it was a deep red color, like blood, and began to make her way over to Stella. But then noticed how she hooked her hand on the arm Mac offered her as he led them to the bar. It was obvious that it was a moment not to be interrupted. So she didn't.

"Good evening." A man said to Angell, causing her to turn.

"Good evening." Angell replied with a polite smile.

"Surely a beautiful woman like you isn't here alone." He said.

Angell shook her head, "No, I'm not here alone." And with that the man departed in obvious disappointment.

Just then a distinct laugh caught Angell's attention and she turned to her right to see Lindsay. Lindsay's short hair showed off the Sapphire earrings that matched her long blue dress. Angell watched as Danny's arm slid around her waist and he gestured towards the dance floor. She'd never seen Danny in a tux before and was quite impressed knowing the usually casually dressed detective would surely only put on such formal attire to make his wife happy. She was happy for them, having an evening out like this would be a very special time for them.

"Excuse me." She heard someone say to her. "You seem to be here alone this evening." A man in a tux said to her.

Angell shook her head, "No, I'm not alone this evening." She said.

There was a noise coming from near the door, causing several heads to turn. Wolf whistles, it sounded like. As her line of sight cleared Angell could see Adam entering the ball room. He wasn't wearing a tux, but the classy charcoal grey suit he wore was definitely sharp looking on him and most appropriate for the occasion. And if her detective skills were working, he'd even had a hair cut that looked very good on him. A lovely lady with very long blond hair that hung down her back and wearing a long black dress was on his right arm. And another lovely lady with striking red hair in a chin-length bob and also wearing a long black dress was on his left arm. 'Wow. You go, Adam.' Angell thought to herself as she watched him escort his dates to one of the tables.

"Any chance you'd care to dance?" Angell heard. She turned to see a familiar face, although she couldn't put a name to it at the moment. She politely declined and once again wished that Flack was there.

After taking a seat and saving the one next to her for Flack, Angell watched with great fascination as Sid and his date put on quite the show out on the dance floor. Sid wore a tux and his date wore a lovely emerald green tea-length dress that looked like it was made for dancing as it flared out with every twirl. It was nice to see Sid happy and dating again after his second divorce.

"Hey, Angell." Detective Benton greeted as he and his wife took their seats at the same table.

"Hey, Benton." She greeted in return. "Well, don't you look handsome tonight." She added with a smile to the tux clad detective.

"And you're looking pretty sharp yourself. I don't believe you've met my wife Debbie." Benton said, introducing the two women. "You here alone?" He asked.

Angell shook her head and started to speak, but stopped, as there was a man standing across the table from them who was just staring at her. The three of them looked at him, waiting to see if he was going to manage to spit any words out.

"I was, um,... well, you see." He paused, "Is there any chance... um, that, you would. No,... um, well," Was all he managed to sputter.

'And I always thought Adam was an only child.' Angell thought to herself. "No." She finally said to the man, hoping to put him out of his misery. It worked as he shut his mouth, gave a nervous smile and nod, then departed.

As Benton and his wife headed for the bar, Angell noticed Hawkes, who was looking ever so fine in his tux. It appeared he was introducing his date to Chief Sinclair. She wore her hair up, showing off long silver earrings, and her deep purple dress went so well with her dark skin. Sid had mentioned something about Hawkes getting back together with a former girlfriend. Kara, she was sure her name was Kara. Angell took a step in their direction as Sinclair was excusing himself, but it appeared Hawkes was quite grateful for his departure, as he was now pulling Kara in quite close to himself.

Angell decided to head for the bar instead. She had tomorrow off and had taken a taxi to the ball, so a drink was okay for tonight. But before she got two steps Caine stepped in front of her.

"Well, well, well." He gushed while looking her up and down. "Our little angel is looking quite heavenly this evening." Came his cheesy, sappy, pathetic line, to which Angell just rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Caine?" Angell said with a straight face void of emotion. "And try to come up with something more intelligent to say this time." She added, obviously annoyed by his presence.

Caine just smiled as he continued to look her up and down. "Your dress looks like the one Julia Robers wore in Pretty Woman." He stated, obviously thinking he was very clever.

Angell had to admit that he was fairly accurate about the dress. "Didn't take you for a chick flick kinda guy, Caine." She said, maintaining a straight face. "Have to admit that explains a few things, though." She added, throwing in a jab to his ego.

Caine tried to act all cool, "Hey, a guy's gotta do what he's gotta do to keep the ladies happy." He countered.

"And that's what you came up with? A chick flick? That's how you keep 'the ladies' happy?" Angell said. He was on her nerves in a bad way right now and she just wanted him to leave. Fortunately she would be able to tune him out easily as a welcome distraction had just walked in the door as Caine continued to ramble on.

MEANWHILE...

Flack glanced around the elegant ball room of the Manhattan Ritz, taking in the enviroment as he searched for Angell. He noticed the dance floor was shiny, the lighting was low, the tables were elegantly set, and everyone was dressed in fine formal attire. He saw Mac and Stella at the bar, they waved a greeting from across the room and he gave a nod in return, hoping that would suffice as he was more interested in finding Angell than in talking with colleagues at the moment. As he continued his visual search he noticed Danny and Lindsay out on the dance floor and he took a moment to be happy for them at having a nice evening out. Then he saw Adam seated with a red haired lady, no, wait, maybe he's with the blond... okay, way to go, Adam. Then a flash of green caught his eye from the dance floor where he saw Sid and his date putting on quite the show and Flack made a mental note that he and Angell should give them a run for their money later in the evening. Kara? Was that Kara Hawkes was introducing to Chief Sinclair? "You here alone?" Flack heard before he could answer his own question and looked up to see Chebouski approaching.

Flack shook his head, "Have you seen Angell?" He answered with a question of his own.

"You must be the only one who hasn't." Chebouski said, gesturing with a nod to her across the room. "I think every single man in here has asked her to dance since she arrived."

"Really?" Flack asked with a slight smirk.

"Really." Chebouski assured him. "Why? You thinking you'll have better luck?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Flack's only answer was a wordless smile before turning to head across the room. Before even reaching the first table, he'd already noticed a man walk away from Angell with slumped shoulders, and normally he might have felt some sympathy at his obviously being rejected, but that was his girlfriend that he'd hit on, so, no. Then as he neared the half way point he could see Caine approach her and was sure he just saw Angell roll her eyes at him. Her arms were crossed and her posture stiff, and he was sure she wanted to deck him. He quickened his pace to reach her as soon as possible.

MEANWHILE...

"What's that grin for?" Lieutenant Sythe asked as he approached Chebouski.

"Oh, just waiting for the show." Chebouski said before taking a sip from his drink.

"The show? Anything I should know about?" He asked, trying to figure out what the older man was looking at across the room.

"Mhmm. Just watch. You'll see." Was all he said, but indicated to Sythe what he should be looking at.

"Oh, I do see. This is going to be good." Sythe replied, now also with a smirk on his face as they both watched Flack come up behind Caine.

ACROSS THE ROOM...

"They don't talk back, Caine." Flack heard Angell say to Caine as he approached the man from behind.

"Aw, come on, Jessica, you know you wan-" Caine began, but was cut off.

"First off, she is Detective Angell to you, Caine." Flack stated in a firm tone as he came up behind the man, causing him to turn. "Second, her dance card is already full." Flack said, walking past him and extended his arm to Angell. "Ready to hit the dance floor, Jess?" He asked her in a sexy tone and with a twitch of his brow.

Angell's defensive posture suddenly disappeared as she took Flack's offered arm, "I'd love to." She answered with a smile and looking only at him.

"Oh, seriously, Angell." Caine huffed, trying to act all macho. "What's he got that I don't?" He smirked as she started to walk away with Flack, obviously ignoring him.

Flack, who was now between Angell and Caine, turned his head slightly to answer, "The ability to make eye contact, for one thing."

The rest of the evening was, well... purely magical. The music made bodies flow in rhythm across the dance floor, the food was wonderful, the wine was smooth, the smell of flowers mixed with perfume and aftershave was intoxicating, and two people were lost in it all and not caring who was watching them.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

I hope you all enjoyed the NYPD's annual Winter Ball. Now that everyone saw Flack and Angell together, there's no more hiding their relationship. Adam is also a favorite character of mine, but he gets so little air time that I decided to give him some extra fun at the ball.

btw- I disagree with several writers who say Flack outranks Angell. They are both 3rd Grade homicide detectives, although he has been with the 12th Precinct longer, which gives him more seniority. I actually talked to a real homicide detective about this and he explained that you'd have to be a 3rd for many years (like 10+) to reach 2nd grade (which is the equivalent of a Sargent), then work towards a 1st grade (which is the equivalent of a Lieutenant). So if Flack was a 1st grade, he'd had Lieutenant Sythe's job and be running the 12th precinct. Just clarifying where I stand on the issue, so my stories make sense from that perspective. If I ever hear it said differently on the show, I will be glad to alter my stories from then.

My next chapter will be include the episode "Flag On The Play". But Angell won't be playing any football because she's sick. Find out what Caine has to say about that and why Flack want's to kill Danny.

Please leave a review before you go. Thanks!