"Are you out of your god-damned mind?"
"Leave me alone, old man."
"Like hell I will. What was that back there?"
"Just leave it!"
"Is this about the Captain or Nicole?"
"You deaf? I said leave it, and leave me alone. Tell the Captain I'll meet you back at the station."
"You don't get off that easy."
"Easy? Easy? You think this is easy?"
"Keep your voice down!"
"Fine... I'll keep it down and you back off."
"I'm not going anywhere. I know you, Flynn. You're always a hothead, but not like this. You have got to pull it together. If you keep this up she'll be sending you for a psych evaluation."
"She wouldn't do that."
"Don't be so sure. She has already asked me if you have an issue with depression, and she's been watching you all day. What you just did back there makes you sound like you have a screw loose."
"Oh, screw off."
"No, Flynn... I will not 'screw off'. Now, this thing with Nicole and the Nutcracker is going too far. I thought we agreed I will go with you, give a story about the Captain, and everything will be fine."
"It won't be fine. Nothing is going to be fine. I'm going to screw this up and I won't be having Christmas with my family, and I'll never get another chance."
"Flynn... you're reading too much into this."
"Too much? It's not too much. When I'm with Sharon... the Captain... whatever, I can keep it together. That thing she did in there, touching my arm to calm me down... you know how often she had to do that at the wedding so I wouldn't cut my ex-wife's head off and ruin everything for Nicole? Nic saw that. She liked that. You don't do that."
"What, stop you from putting your ex in her place? Those are some of my favourite moments."
"See... now I'll be going to the ballet, my ex will say something nasty, I'll fly off the handle, and bang... Nic will never forgive me."
"I still think you're reading too much into this. Come on... it's just a little show. We'll make sure you sit at the end and I'll be... I'll be a buffer."
"She's the buffer..."
"What do you mean 'she's the buffer'?"
"Forget it. Forget I said anything. I'm not going."
"Oy... here we go again."
"No... no, it's the only way it works out. I'll say I have to work, or something. I can't do this. What's one more Christmas anyway? It's not like I've been around for a whole lot."
"Flynn... I said I'll go. We'll watch their little ballet show, I'll clap in all the right places. I'll even say how much 'Sharon' would have loved to see it. I'll do it justice."
"Look... I know you'll try, but it just won't be the same. Nicole really likes her."
"Her, is your boss, Flynn. No one gets to 'like her'. That's not the way this works."
"You don't get it."
"What? What don't I get?"
"This... this thing."
"What thing?"
"Never mind..."
"Never mind wha...oh no...no, no, no... NO! You are not doing this to me... No!"
"Just back off."
"No! Not the Wicked Witch. Not Captain Rule Book. No!"
"What's wrong with you?"
"Me? What's wrong with me? Flynn, what's wrong with you? She's the Captain, for god's sake."
"I know she's the Captain, so what's up with this 'no, no, no' stuff?"
"You can't ask her to the Nutcracker."
"You think I'm stupid? That's my problem, I can't ask her and I can't not ask her. I'm screwed."
"Yes, you are."
"What's that supposed to mean? Why you say it like that?"
"Just... just, never mind. Look, you're an idiot, and today you're an even bigger idiot. You didn't hit anyone, so hopefully no one will press charges against you..."
"Me? What did I do? I just told that selfish kid and his murdering mother that they had the best thing in their life, and they threw it away."
"Exactly, and that's why I'm here, to see what's the matter with you. Then I have to go back to the Captain and try to convince her you don't have a screw loose."
"I'll do it."
"What?"
"Look... I let this thing with Nicole get the better of me. I need to apologize to the Captain. I need to clear the air."
"Oh no... no, my friend, that is the last thing you need to do."
"Why not? You said she's been watching me all day and she's worried. I have to show her I'm fine."
"I'll do that. You just... just go drive it off like you said you would."
"I don't need to drive anything off. I'm okay now. The Captain needs to know I'm a professional."
"She does, just let it go."
"I can't let it go. I can't have another person in my life thinking I'm a screw-up."
"She's not 'in' your... oh never mind. Look, I'll tell the Captain something. I'll... I'll figure this out. I'll tell her you're under stress from the holidays. That won't be a lie. I'll tell her you have to figure out how to be a grandfather, or something."
"She'll want to talk about it."
"Flynn... it's alright. I'll tell her to give you some space about this. In a couple of weeks it will be January and this will all be over. Just... don't go into her office for a few days, or weeks. Let this play out and don't say anything personal, you hear me?"
"She's still going to ask."
"Then you tell the Captain you don't want to talk about it. And whatever you do, don't tell Nicole anything more about the Captain."
"Yeah... fine, fine... I'm outta here. You guys don't need me?"
"No, get going. It's only wrap up anyway. Sanchez and Sykes probably have the wife in the patrol car already. We can finish this up. Go back to the office, and remember... don't say a word. Nothing personal. No private meetings with the Captain. No going into her office to have a word. Got it?"
"Got it... whatever... see ya later..."
"Yeah..."