Irish Dogs of War

A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you - Elbert Hubbard

The team piled into the bar, laughing and joking. Perez's advice to Pip about socialising with her friends had rung true for Rossi too, and in a brief respite from the never-ending of cycle of cases he'd taken everyone out for the night. Even Reid. Sabbatical or no, he was still part of the team. It had been too long since they'd gone out together, and an evening watching Reid struggling with chopsticks had provided hours of free dinner theatre.

Looking around for a table, Rossi caught sight of a familiar figure standing at the juke box. "JP! Want to join us?" he called across the crowded room. He was having fun tonight, and as far as he was concerned, the more the merrier. If JP was there, chances were that Mark was around too, and Rossi guiltily knew it had been too long since he'd spoken to either of them.

"Oh yes, please," Rossi heard Garcia mutter to JJ behind him. "Please join us, handsome."

JP swung round with a grin. "Dave! Good to see you! Be right there!"

"Who is he?" asked JJ, as JP turned back to his perusal of the jukebox.

"John-Paul Sirro," supplied Reid. "State's Attorney. Didn't know he and Rossi were friends."

"Looks a bit like the bossman at first glance," said Morgan. JJ murmured her agreement.

Garcia coughed. "First one's on me!"

Rossi grinned as JJ leaned over to whisper in Garcia's ear. "Something you want to tell me, PG?"

His songs chosen, JP weaved his way back through to where the team were ordering their drinks. He and Rossi exchanged a one-arm hug of greeting. "Been too long, my friend," said Rossi lowly, leaving his hand resting on JP's shoulder.

It had been, Rossi had made no effort to keep up with Mark and JP while Pip was away, too wary of letting slip more than he ought to about her absence. There'd been little time since she got back, although he knew Pip had reconnected with her old friends.

"Yeah, it has." There was a flash of irritation at that, before JP covered it with a smile.

"You want to get a table with us?" offered Rossi. "Have a catch up?"

"Actually, we've already got one." JP gestured behind him, and as the rest of the profilers turned to look, he flashed Rossi a wink.

Rossi cocked his head and had a look for himself, catching sight of a mop of messy red hair. Griffin. Which meant that somewhere nearby, was Pip. JP and Mark were out with AST. Rossi nodded to him. Message received. He and Pip had socialised regularly with JP and Mark before her deployment overseas, and JP was reportedly a little smug that they'd finally realised they were more than friends. That knowledge had prompted the lawyer to warn him that Pip was part of the group he was with for the evening.

They'd have to tread carefully. It would be the first time he and Pip had been out in a social environment with a mixture of their team mates and close friends, not all of whom knew about their relationship.

JP had commandeered a large corner table next to the end of the bar, and Morgan simply dragged another one up next to it to give them all space to sit down. Initially, the divide between the two groups easy to see, with agents one side and admin staff the other. Mark provided an easy bridge between them, and after a few minutes of awkwardness, conversation flowed easily, the lines blurring.

Rossi spent about an hour chatting with JP, just enjoying the other man's company. He wouldn't have met JP if it hadn't been for Pip, but Rossi really liked him. He was smart, quick-witted and loved a good friendly argument. JP could hold up his end of a debate in a far more professional manner than Pip could, and was frustratingly adept at playing devil's advocate. Three beers and much animated hand-waving later, they laughingly agreed to accept they'd always disagree about politics.

It was great to talk to JP, but always in the corner of his eye, was Pip. No matter where she moved as she circulated round the group, Rossi was always aware of her, like a radar blip on his consciousness.

The evening went on, and people shifted round the tables as conversations developed between people who wouldn't normally have socialised. Rossi looked around in satisfaction. It was good for both sides of the BAU to get together. Mark, Morgan and Phillips were having an in-depth conversation about football, Garcia and JJ were talking skin care with JP. Next to Rossi, Griffin and Reid were arguing cheerfully about some obscure mathematical theory that Rossi couldn't have pronounced even if he took a running jump at it. Whatever it was they were discussing, it might as well be in a foreign language, because Rossi couldn't understand a single word.

On his other side, was Pip. Griffin had been rather subtle about it, actually. His conversation with Reid had started while he was sitting next to Pip, and when Duffy had got up to use the bathroom, had asked his boss to shuffle up so he could move and sit next to Reid.

Which left Pip boxed in next to Rossi on the padded bench against the wall, with the bulk of Duffy more or less shielding them from Morgan, Reid and Garcia. Pip was taking full advantage of that, her hand splayed warmly across his back as they talked.

"Didn't know you were out with your lot this evening," he commented. "It's good to see them mingling with the rest of the team."

"Well, you weren't around to keep me amused, so I had to find other people to play with." Her hand drifted down a little and started caressing tantalising circles across his spine.

"I hope you'll still have some energy by the time we leave, because I'm going to keep you amused all night," said Rossi, leaning back into her hand and under the table, resting his own on her thigh.

"Promises, promises," Pip chuckled.

His hand slid upwards a little. "I never make a promise I can't keep, bella."

"We've been flat-out for months, you fall asleep on the sofa more often than you make it to bed. I'm sure you only see your pillow when I'm there to make sure you do."

"It has been a long summer," he agreed with a sigh. Pip was right about how often he fell asleep downstairs, although he would usually wake up at some point and trudge his way to bed. He had different plans for that evening, however.

"It's not over yet," muttered Pip darkly, taking a swig from her bottle of beer.

He looked down at her. That sounded a bit serious for such a casual evening. "What do you mean?"

"Morgan found him. Declan. We've got surveillance on his house and school."

Rossi turned in his seat to face her properly. "What? I never saw the paperwork for that. Who authorised it?"

Pip fidgeted a little and bit her lip. "I did."

Rossi closed his eyes with a sigh and let go of her to run a hand through his hair. "Pip, you can't do things like that."

"Well, I did," she said shortly. "You know, when someone tells me I can't do something, I always find a way." She shrugged. "It's not official, mostly remote cameras when he's not there himself."

"Mostly remote cameras," replied Rossi flatly. "You want to qualify that?" he hissed, already sure he knew what the answer was.

Pip took another mouthful from her bottle. "Not really."

Rossi groaned and grit his teeth. "Pip," he growled, "tell me you haven't been sat outside Declan's house where Doyle could get to you."

"Ok, I won't. You want another round?"

She made to get up and Rossi grabbed her arm to stop her. "Not until you tell me."

"What? They're boring people with boring lives." She shrugged. "I had to let Morgan get some sleep or he'd keel over when you needed him the most. He got the cameras from me, and I took a turn or two while he perfected the routine. It was nothing." Pip pulled her arm out of his grasp and stood. "You want another drink or what?"

"Scotch." He'd been drinking beer all evening, but definitely needed something stronger after that little revelation. "Better make it a double."

Pip tweaked Griffin's ear as she squeezed passed him and the red-head bounced out of his seat to help her carry the drinks, muttering a quick "excuse me" to Reid as he did so. Mark and Duffy drifted away from the group to start a game of pool. Regardless of his frustration with Pip, Rossi had to smile. Despite picking the longest cue available, it still looked like Duffy was playing with a toothpick.

Once the surprise had worn off a bit, Rossi felt a little more at ease with Pip's assistance of Morgan. She was fine, nothing had happened to her, and it didn't sound like she had any plans to do it again. No harm done, other than to his pride, which still smarted only because she hadn't told him what she'd been doing.

It took some time for a bartender to get around to taking their order, long enough for two men to start trying to chat Pip up, much to Rossi's chagrin and Griffin's amusement. Given the proximity of their tables to the bar, Rossi could hear everything as they tried to talk to her and he didn't like the tone of it one bit. JP shifted himself round to take Duffy's place next to him, still chatting with Garcia.

"Easy tiger," he whispered in Rossi's direction, under guise of reaching across the table for his drink. "You're being obvious."

Rossi nodded and made an effort to strike up a conversation with Reid, which meant for the most part that all he had to do was nod and smile occasionally. Reid was more than capable of holding up both sides of it at once without any help. Rossi tried to keep up, but his focus was still on Pip and the two men that were getting bolder by the second.

Pip was ignoring them completely, but Griffin had obviously drunk enough that evening to be brave when the flirting turned overly sexually suggestive. "Give up guys, you got no hope with this one."

The sandy-haired one of the pair curled his lip. "What would you know? You're probably still a virgin. Or queer."

"Not even close," replied Griffin smugly. "In either case."

"Well, she's not with you, is she?" retorted sandy-hair. "Nice piece of ass wouldn't go anywhere near someone with your pizza face."

Mark, who had drifted over from the pool table, laid a protective hand on Griffin's shoulder. "No need for that."

The darker-haired of the obnoxious pair sniggered. "Look, Deano. Little queer's got himself a boyfriend. Aw, how sweet," he sneered.

"No, actually, mine's over there with the rest of our friends," said Mark casually, gesturing behind him at JP.

Sandy-hair, whose name seemed to be Deano, made retching noises. "You disgust me."

There was a lull in conversation around the bar, and the jukebox fell silent as the current song ended. Which meant that everyone heard what came out of Deano's mouth next.

"Come on, Billy Ray, any bit of pussy that hangs around with faggots isn't worth it."

"What did you say?" It was quietly said, but the threat was clear in Pip's voice. "You think they're disgusting? And yet, that offensive word comes so naturally out of your mouth. What. Does. That. Make. You?"

Rossi recognised the tone, hell, he'd been on the receiving end a few times. She'd had enough of ignoring them in the hope they'd go away, and homophobic slurs were one of the few things that had always been able take Pip from calm to raging in an instant. It was all about to go to hell in a handbasket.

JP grabbed the back of Rossi's shirt as he started to stand up, following the instinctive urge to rise to her defence. "Sit down, Dave," he muttered in Rossi's ear, "unless you want to give it all away. Mark's big enough to deal with this if she isn't."

Out of the corner of his eye, Rossi could JJ shooting him a worried look as well. He subsided, not happy.

Morgan and Phillips stood and made their way over to the bar. "Is there a problem here?" asked Morgan, folding his arms to make his shirt strain at the seams as his biceps bulged. Billy Ray glanced around worriedly, realising they were out-numbered and heavily out-muscled.

Deano, on the other hand, was either drunk enough or stupid enough to just not know when to back down. "I said, I wouldn't want to play bed games with someone who hangs around faggots." He looked Morgan and Phillips up and down, his lip curling. "Or negroes."

Phillips stuck an arm across Morgan's chest to hold him back, in response to Pip's quick hand gesture. Rossi grit his teeth and barely suppressed the inarticulate howl of rage that tried to claw its way up his throat. Why did she always have to try and do these things herself, instead of letting others help? If it went really badly, she was armed and the two dickheads probably weren't, and she could potentially do some serious damage before someone pulled her off them. It would have been better to let Morgan flex his considerable muscles and scare them away.

Pip squared up to Deano. "Listen asshole, I'll play a game with you. It's called "Fuck Off" and I'll let you go first." There were some muted sniggers around the bar.

"I rather fuck you, as long as you had a bath first."

Pip looked him up and down critically. "As if I'd want that. Your face is practically a criminal offence, I should have you written up for assault on the eyeballs." She snorted. "That much ugly ought to come with a fucking health warning."

Griffin laughed, and the increasingly nervous Billy Ray found some indignant courage on behalf of his friend, throwing a punch Griffin's way. Pip moved in front of her teammate to take it, and Griffin caught her as she stumbled from the blow. Before anyone could react, she pushed herself away from him and turned, kicking Billy Ray in the crotch as hard as she possibly could.

Billy Ray crumpled to the floor with a high-pitched squeal, clutching his wounded testicles. There was a sympathetic wince from the males in the bar watching the exchange, although all of them were tempered with the knowledge that he'd completely deserved it. Several of the people around them were even nodding, men and women alike. Mark picked up Pip and twisted, putting himself between her and her target as she tried to kick him again. She struggled futilely in Mark's firm grip, keen to keep kicking while the kicking was good.

Rossi hadn't winced, he was one of the ones nodding with grim satisfaction, but it wasn't enough. In fact, JP's grip on his arm holding him in place was going to leave bruises by morning. Rossi could feel himself thrumming with tension, desperate to see how badly she was hurt, and to wrap his hands round that skinny man's throat and squeeze until his eyes popped out. Nobody got away with hitting his Pip. He could barely hear JP's whispered orders to calm down through the sound of his enraged heartbeat galloping through his ears.

"You bitch! You can't do that, you cu…" Deano's words were cut off as Duffy lifted him bodily by the back of his shirt, all the way up to Duffy's eye level. Deano turned red and made indistinct choking noises as he started to strangle on his clothing. He scrabbled at his collar, frantically trying to breathe.

Rossi stopped straining against JP's hand. Mark let go of Pip, who made no move to continue her kicking campaign against Billy Ray. Even Morgan took a step back. Duffy didn't have a temper as far as any of them had previously been aware, but in that moment, he looked absolutely furious. The big teddy bear they all recognised had transformed into a grizzly, complete with bared teeth and pant-wettingly ferocious growl.

"You finish that sentence and I will personally turn you into a greasy stain on the floor," rumbled Duffy menacingly, his usually gentle face contorted with anger. He shook the man dangling from his fist briskly. "You do not talk to the boss like that." He paused, and then added belatedly, "or anyone else for that matter."

Duffy shifted his grip on the man, tucking him casually under one arm like a rolled-up carpet. Deano started to wriggle and croak expletives in protest. Duffy shook him sharply, and a shower of loose change and a baggie of suspicious-looking white powder fell out.

"Keep still, shit-for-brains, or I'll hold you for the boss so she can kick you like she did your friend," he barked. "I'm pretty sure he had to swallow hard to stop his testes coming up his throat." Duffy squeezed, tightening his grip around the man's middle until Deano groaned and fell limp, giving up resistance. Duffy hauled up Billy Ray by his ear, causing a whole new round of squealing from the sandy-haired idiot, who had snot and tears of pain still streaming down his face.

Duffy shook him by the shoulder until his teeth clacked together. "Quit your yapping or I'll really hurt you," he threatened venomously. "You want me to hit you like you hit the boss? I could probably put you through a wall if I tried, you want to test that?"

Billy Ray looked up at the giant who had hold of him and slammed his mouth shut, biting his tongue in the process. He let out a stifled yelp, then ducked his head submissively when Duffy glared fiercely at him. Blood ran down his chin to mix with the rest of the disgusting mess he'd made of his shirt, but he made no further sound.

"What do you want me to do with the trash, boss?" Duffy might have been in the office for the casualness of the question, all sign of the startling fury gone.

Pip used a napkin to pick up the bag of drugs and tucked it back into Deano's shirt pocket. "Wouldn't want you to leave without some more evidence of your utter stupidity, would we now?" she asked him sweetly, patting his face condescendingly with her hand. "Outside I think, Hank. I'm sure Metro are already on their way and I'd rather not have the stench of bigot in here while we wait for them to arrive."

"Right-o." Duffy changed his grip on Billy Ray to a fistful of the back of his shirt. It meant that breathing was dependant on his goodwill, and despite the apparent restoration of his usual demeanour, that still seemed to be in quite short supply. He marched out of the bar propelling Billy Ray in front of him, Deano still tucked under one arm. One of the bartenders darted around him to open the door, making sure he was just slow enough that it caught Billy Ray's shoulder on the way.

"Sorry sir, let me open that a little wider for you." The barman closed the door, and then opened it again, clonking Deano across the side of the head. Through the open door, Rossi could hear the approaching wail of sirens heralding the imminent arrival of Metro PD.

"That's assault," whined Deano, craning his neck so he wasn't talking to the floor. "You can't do that."

"I'm just helping you both leave, sir, because you're never coming back in here," snapped the barman. He slammed the door behind them with a note of finality, which prompted a small cheer from the rest of the patrons.

The hush that had fallen over the bar started to fill with conversation again, people's attention turning back to their own tables now that the show was over.

"Harker, you ok?" asked Morgan as Pip threw herself down next to Rossi with a huff. Rossi frantically grabbed her hand under the table. He needed to know as well, quite urgently.

"Can't stand people like that," she said, holding a cold bottle of beer against her reddened cheek. "Homophobes and racists just wind me up. Pathetic. As if we don't all bleed the same colour."

That wasn't an answer. Rossi squeezed her hand, willing her to reassure him. Pip turned to look at him briefly before casting her gaze around their assorted friends and colleagues. "I'm fine, guy punches like a four-year-old."

"Some of those pre-schoolers can get pretty rough," quipped Morgan, and the rest of the table laughed.

"Tell me about it," groaned JJ, to general amusement. "You know what hurts more though? Lego. There's always a piece on the stairs if I'm late home after a case and trying to creep in quietly." She took a swig of her drink. "Standing on Lego in bare feet at two in the morning, trying not to scream...honestly, I think I'd rather give birth again."

"I'm fine, Dave," repeated Pip under the laughter, just loud enough for Rossi to hear. "Can I have my hand back? People can see, and I think I've lost circulation in my fingers."

Rossi let go, with a muttered apology and a quick glance around to see if anyone had spotted him clutching at her. JJ rolled her eyes at him and shook her head before standing up to welcome Duffy back.

"I think this round's on you, Duffy!" There was a chorus of good-natured teasing.

"Actually, this one is on the house," said one of the bartenders, putting down a tray of drinks. "My bouncer called in sick this evening and those two looked like trouble from the moment they walked in." He looked up at Duffy. "You want a job, big guy? It's yours."

Duffy flushed. "Got one thanks," he muttered, catching Pip's eye. "Best job in the world."

Pip raised her bottle to him in acknowledgement. "Just don't go all Incredible Hulk in the office, you'll cause a stampede as all those highly-trained agents run screaming for cover."

There was a round of laughter from AST and some hastily stifled half-hearted objections from the agents, which just made AST laugh even harder.

"Unless one of them hurts you, boss," demurred Duffy as the laughter faded. "Nobody hurts the boss." His eyes slid around the group, resting on Rossi for a fraction of a second before moving on, the subtle message clear.

That answered that question, at least. Duffy knew about them. Pip's team all knew of Rossi's relationship with her, and one way or another, had all given him their tacit approval. Along with a series of big-brotherly type warnings about the potential consequences of hurting her.

"Oh, no danger of that," said Morgan with a grin, gripping Duffy's shoulder. He had to reach up to do so, even though Duffy was sitting down. "I think word of your alter-ego is gonna spread, my man."

Duffy groaned and hid behind his hands, and the rest of them laughed. He looked over at Pip again. "Boss, Metro want a word, but I told them you'd deal with it on Monday."

Pip nodded gratefully. "Are you ok?" she asked in Rossi's ear as everyone settled back into their seats. Duffy was centre of attention now, something the usually so reserved man obviously wasn't entirely comfortable with.

Rossi nodded, before excusing himself to the bathroom. Actually, now that it was all over, he was feeling a bit worse for wear. On top of the beer, the rage and adrenaline had left him more than a little light-headed. He leant over clutching a sink, just hanging his head and willing the after-effects away. When that didn't work, he ran some cold water, repeatedly splashing his face with it. When he straightened up, JP was behind him, holding out a handful of paper towels. Rossi hadn't even heard him come in.

"You alright?"

Not really, and his jaw ached like a bitch from clenching his teeth. Rossi turned to lean back against the sink and let out a deep breath, accepting the towels. "Thanks," he muttered, patting his face dry. JP just raised an eyebrow and Rossi looked away, uncomfortable that the other man had seen just how unsettled he was. "Been better," he admitted.

JP nodded. "I figured as much." He flexed his arm and hand as if it pained him. "Didn't think I was going to be able to hold you down much longer."

Rossi huffed out a rueful sigh. "Wasn't really thinking." It wasn't exactly an apology, but they knew each well enough that he could be sure JP would take it that way.

JP inclined his head. "I could see that," he retorted drily. "Charging to her defence in an enraged territorial display? Yeah, that would have really helped you keep your team in the dark."

"Why does she always have to wade right into the thick of things?" snapped Rossi, balling up the damp paper towels angrily. He slammed them into the bin as hard as he could, and then kicked it for good measure. It didn't help, so Rossi turned back to the mirror and glared at his reflection as if it had offended him.

JP snorted. "Because she's wilfully independent and her temper runs as hot as yours. Believe me, I know just how that feels." He moved to examine himself in the mirror, primping his hair so it lay just so.

Rossi wasn't fooled for a minute, and easily caught the sideways glance the other man shot him from the corner of his eye. JP turned and leaned back against the sink, folding his arms.

"Last two long-term relationships I had were with an accountant and the owner of an antique bookstore. Nice guys, both of them, but ultimately…a little dull." JP shrugged. "I might not like the idea that Mark carries a gun and puts himself in harm's way for a living, but he isn't dull." JP shot him a cheeky wink. "He's not the type to just lay back and take it, y'know?"

That startled a bark of laughter from Rossi. Sounded like Mark and Pip had more in common than he'd given them credit for. He nodded and shifted so he could lean against the sinks too.

"But sometimes…" continued JP, "sometimes, you have to let them fight their own battles. About eighteen months ago, a new guy joined Mark's team, a more senior agent. Mark's doing well in Narcotics, but he's got his career ahead of him, he's low down on the totem pole still. He's never hidden what he is at work, quite right too, in my opinion; the closet isn't a nice place to be." JP twitched his shoulders uncomfortably. "But that's a whole different story. This guy…he's Mark's immediate superior and he set out to make his life a misery for being gay. Something about religious principles. It was never enough to cross the line into something he could be reported for, but it was the cumulative effect, you know? Got so bad that I wanted Mark to transfer out, I was on him for months trying to convince him to make the move elsewhere. We had some spectacular rows over it."

"What happened?" asked Rossi when JP hesitated.

"Bust went bad, and Mark got shot saving the asshole's life."

"He got shot? I never knew," breathed Rossi.

"No," said JP shortly, "you didn't." Rossi could see the anger in the flat expression on JP's face. "You weren't really around much last year, Dave, and you and I will talk about that at some point in the not-too-distant future." JP sighed. "But not here, and not now." He waved a hand. "It was minor, as gunshot wounds go, through and through and he's none the worse for it. Point is, he dealt with it in his own way - now they're practically brothers. Paul is in charge of planning our joint stag party."

Rossi's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't…ah, congratulations."

"Thank you. You missed that bit of news too, didn't you?" JP flashed him a dark look. "I think that discussion we need to have ought to be sooner rather than later, don't you?"

"You want a nightcap?" offered Rossi. "I've had my fill of this place, I've got plenty of spare rooms and a bottle of single malt with our name on it." He'd all but promised he'd pin Pip to his bed when they got home, but talking to JP seemed to take precedence.

JP grinned. "Now you're talking." He cocked his head. "You realise you're probably going to wake up tomorrow with my handprint round your arm, don't you?"

"Small price to pay," muttered Rossi. "Thanks," he added a little louder. "I mean it, especially considering…"

JP shrugged and flapped a hand. "Don't mention it." He nudged Rossi's shoulder with his own. "Come on, we ought to get back out there before someone decides I'm trying to seduce you or something."

They were still laughing as the bathroom door closed behind them.