A/N: Continued spoilers for 8x07-09
Chapter 3:
"I would have come up, Lindsay," Gus admonished as she caught up with her friend over coffee.
Lindsay shook her head, "there was no need. You couldn't have told Senator Matthews any more than I did."
Gus smiled, "I know, but I would have loved to see Mac stick it to that pompous blowhard."
"And I thought Danny hated politicians," Lindsay quipped. "Now can we please talk about something other than work? I am dying to show off Lucy's Christmas pictures!"
Gus happily took the proffered phone from her friend, cooing over the toddler. "That sweet baby is growing up too fast," she remarked.
"Too too fast," she studied Gus for a moment with a growing grin, "it would be really nice for her to have a playmate," she said suggestively.
Gus rolled her eyes, "Don and I haven't even been married six months, Linds, shut it!"
"And whose fault is that?" Lindsay teased.
"All is well that ends well, Montana," she shot back, looking down at her phone, "gotta go, Daddino's paging me."
"Broussard, I'm sick and tired of waiting on HR, go with Flack to pick up Nicholas Albertson, busboy at Stradello's. Just don't make out after yous cuff him."
Gus rolled her eyes "Got it, Loo."
"One of these days we'll get to a steakhouse on a date, not picking up a runner," Gus said as the pair ducked into the service alley for the restaurant. "Hold it right there," she barked as the kid came running towards them. He pushed Flack out of the way as Gus blocked his path. He came straight at her like a linebacker; she tussled with him, but still went down hard. "Little shit," she snapped, picking herself up off the ground.
Flack took him out by sweeping the kid's legs out from underneath him. "Bad idea," he quipped, Gus coming around with her gun drawn. "I know this may not be the best timing, Nick, but my partner and I were wondering if the porterhouse is as good as everyone says it is." Gus snorted as Flack cuffed Nick and yanked him up off the ground.
"I don't like this kid," Gus said as Flack and Nick traded barbs in interrogation. She could sense her partner was getting really close to losing the last of his patience as Nick made some snarky commentary about cologne. She banged on the window, giving Flack a breather.
"Let him cool his heels, blue eyes, Danny wants you up in the lab for a simulation," she said, giving him a soft warning glance.
He flared his nostrils but knew she was right, the kid had gotten under his skin and he hadn't been home in too damn long. "Yeah, got it." He started to walk out, but turned back and said, with a wink, "nice having you back with me, sunshine."
"Do all juvenile delinquents grow up to be douche canoes?" Gus asked as she and Flack watched the questioning of both Nick and Tommy.
"If they weren't bad to begin with, they learn quick," Flack replied, echoing Tommy.
"This warden sounds like a real piece of work too, this whole prison industrial complex, chaps my hide," she said, narrowing her eyes, "I saw that smirk."
"You're cute when you're on your high horse, that's all," he dimpled, "if you're real good, I'll let you cuff James Nelson."
"Deal," Gus smiled back.
"Crap," Flack yelled as the uniform busted the door in, the smoke still rising from the revolver next to Nelson's body.
Gus let out a frustrated breath, "well, I'm not cuffing that," she said, nudging at the dead man's hand with her shoe.
Back in the pit, the pair were surprised to see Lindsay waiting at Flack's desk. "What's up?" he asked, sitting down.
"I need your help, you two. I need to talk to Ali Rand again. I have some concerns about the hearing tomorrow," she said, looking at them both carefully.
"Character stuff because of the sex worker thing?" Gus suggested, trying to keep her tone light.
Lindsay shook her head. "No science stuff, her tox report came back and she had GHB in her system."
"The date rape drug, that's what he does, right?" Flack asked, trying to figure out where this was going.
"But the levels are not consistent with the timeline she gave us," Lindsay protested, not wanting to mention what the lab report had shown just yet.
Flack shook his head, "you are saying it might be a problem because she doesn't remember what time she got raped? She was drugged and beat up pretty bad."
"I'm saying I need to talk to her again, Don," Lindsay said with finality.
Gus shook her head, this woman was already going to be going through the wringer at trial, but the science was key to making charges stick. "I'll bring her in," she said, already pulling on her coat.
Ali came begrudgingly, but given the hearing was happening tomorrow, Gus didn't want to reveal too much before they were in an interview room being recorded. She tried to keep the conversation on Ali's recovery and mental health, but the woman withdrew angrily.
"Why are we doing this again I already told you everything that happened. Is something wrong? You don't believe me do you? I knew this was going to happen I'm so stupid!" Ali said as Don and Lindsay started to question her, Gus hadn't wanted to overwhelm the poor woman more than she already was.
Gus observed as Lindsay drilled down on Ali's statement; questioning her drug use, her timing, searching for inconsistencies more like they did with a suspect. Gus watched as Don stiffened a few times, even as Lindsay tried to keep her tone calm and reassuring. She watched as her friend closed the file, her husband giving a sidelong glance as Ali looked at them both suspiciously.
"That's it? You don't have to ask me anything else? Is everything okay?" she pressed, as the trio headed to the door.
"Everything is fine, I'll see you at the hearing tomorrow," Lindsay said as Flack opened the door, Gus at the ready.
"Come on, Ali, I'll take you back home," Gus gestured.
"Are you sure everything is fine?" Ali asked Lindsay over her shoulder.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Lindsay said, her voice slightly catching.
Gus and Don exchanged a look, knowing something was up and it wasn't good.
"You better drink lots of coffee in the morning, sunshine," Don remarked as he slipped into bed later that night.
Gus looked at him worriedly, setting her glasses on the nightstand before snuggling up to him. "What's going on?"
"According to the science," Don replied, his tone slightly annoyed, "Ali is lying. Lindsay said the levels of GHB in her system are impossible."
Gus sat up slightly, "what? You saw her, Don, she didn't do all that to herself! It's an incredibly small percentage of women that lie about being raped, normally we can't get them to report!" She stared off in the distance, wondering what she could have missed, as her uncle always said, science doesn't lie…
Don could see her wheels turning, knowing she was trying to pinpoint if she had missed something, verified as she heaved a sigh remarking, "maybe I'm rusty." He pulled her back down to his chest. "Let's just go to sleep, babe, let the DA sort it out at the hearing tomorrow."
"I just hope I don't have to testify," she said, listening to his heartbeat, knowing he was right, trying to revel in the comfort of them being in the same bed at the same time.
Gus wasn't even a footnote after Lindsay testified about the GHB dosage. The science casting enough doubt to gain John Curtis bail. The trio of detectives left the courthouse dejectedly. Ali stared daggers at them and Gus didn't blame her. They walked down the steps, Jo getting intercepted by Senator Matthews, leaving her and Lindsay to head back glumly; even a stop for hot chocolate not lifting their spirits.
"This sucks, we know this guy is a dirt bag," Gus growled.
"And science doesn't lie," Lindsay sighed.
Gus wrinkled her nose. "There just has to be something! I just can't believe Ali would lie about being raped. It doesn't track, usually we can't get vic's to make a statement."
Gus' mood further plummeted when she arrived back at the precinct to find Don waiting on her, Ali tucked into an interview room ready to give them a piece of her mind. "Next time just let them wait in line, then this would all be Doyle's problem, she grumbled.
Don smiled down at her. "I know you don't mean that, sunshine."
"I know, I just am beyond frustrated. Let me go take my lumps," she replied, slinking in to the interview room.
Gus took Ali's ire, not entirely able to argue with the woman, even as Flack did push back.
"But without the physical evidence of you being drugged, all we have is your testimony!" he pointed out.
"Forget it, I'm not doing this anymore, I am dropping the charges," Ali shot back. Gus knew it was too late for that, but it was something she had heard often upstairs.
Flack stared her down, his eyes steel. "Let's be clear about something, there is no dropping these charges, you can't unring this bell."
Ali shook her head, "you cannot force me to testify!"
Gus finally spoke up, "but the DA can and he will. You're in this Ali," she said as the woman stormed out.
Ali's anger cast a pallor over the pair, sticking with them through the next day. "I don't know how you did it up there sunshine, day in and day out," Flack remarked, leaning against her desk.
Gus looked up from her reporting. "Victim's recant all the time, just usually before it went to court. This does let me know without a doubt I am supposed to be in homicide."
He smirked down at her, "speaking of which your promotion come through yet?"
"Not judging by my latest paycheck, HR is slower than molasses in January, I swear!" she cried.
Don worked his jaw, wanting to laugh at her colloquialism and also wanting to rip someone in the ivory tower a new one. At this rate they might be officially partnered again by the time they were ready to retire.
As if the universe heard him, Daddino came out of his office with raised eyebrows. "Wonder twins, you're up, DB in Central Park, couple of tourists stumbled over the vic during an otherwise romantic walk."
"Surprised it wasn't joggers," Gus quipped, pushing back from her desk before pausing. "Wait, wonder twins? That mean what I think it means, Tony?" she bounced up and down slightly.
Daddino snorted slightly. "Yep, just confirmed it in the system. Just make sure you don't look that excited over the body, Broussard."
She gave him a mock salute, Flack pulling her away.
All her excitement and color from her face drained away as she and Flack ducked under the police tape and stood over the body.
"Shit," they swore in unison, as Ali Rand's vacant eyes looked up at them.
"I'll finish up with the tourists, you fill the team in," Gus said as she saw CSI pull up.
"Wait, those were self-inflicted bruises? How? And that's coming from me!" Gus exclaimed as Flack filled her in as they searched for a possible murder weapon.
"Dunno, less important now, I guess," he paused, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket.
"What did I spill now?" Gus asked, looking down.
"Not you, this, that look like blood to you, sunshine?" he asked, pointing to a rock.
"Good eye," she nodded.
They walked it back to Adam and Lindsay, Adam confused over her being killed with a rock. "It's strange, who would plan to kill someone with a rock?"
"You never know," Flack and Gus said in unison, Gus snickering as Flack continued, "perp may have been following her, got behind her and bang, lights out.
"The result of a heated argument?" posited Lindsay.
"Unsatisfied customer?" Adam guessed placing the rock in an evidence bag.
"Adam Ross!" Gus admonished, startling him.
"What, she was a call girl," he shrugged, taking in the looks of disappointment on all three faces.
Lindsay shook her head, "don't make me sorry I brought you out here."
"If she really did fabricate the rape story…" Flack trailed, Gus picking up, "there is one guy I can think who may want to confront her."
"And he just got released on bail," Lindsay finished up with a sigh.
"Hopefully he comes in again easy this time," Gus said as Flack banged on John Curtis' door.
"Don't jinx us, sunshine," Flack muttered, surprised when Curtis did come without a fight, but refusing to say a single word to anyone other than Jo Danville.
"Mac is not going to like that," Gus remarked.
"I don't think he has a choice," Flack shot back, making the call.
Gus puzzled through what Flack was hurriedly explaining to her after getting off the phone with the lab. "Wait, Frank Waters, Jo's ex-partner killed Ali? This case keeps getting weirder."
Flack twirled the car keys. "He's at least somehow connected, let's roll. Jo is already in the car."
The trio quickly cleared Frank's small place between the three of them, Gus skidding to a stop next to Flack in front of the wall of photos, papers, matchbook covers, and other ephemera. "How well did you say you knew this guy?" Flack asked Jo.
"I don't think he was planning a wedding," Gus quipped.
Flack snorted, "nobody plans a wedding like that except you, sunshine," he said, bumping her with this hip, both of them listening in as Jo answered a call from Frank.
Gus' eyes grew wide at both the tone and content of Jo's conversation, her concern growing as they moved to the window, seeing Frank standing on the sidewalk out front. "Shit!" she swore, turning to run outside, Flack quickly following.
They thundered down the stairs, Flack reaching the street level first, bursting out of the building, intent on reaching Frank, starting to step off the curb, Gus catching his jacket and yanking him back, "Don, watch out!" she implored, cars honking as they passed. They anxiously watched the traffic for an opening, seeing Frank desperately pacing.
Both sensed what was going to happen, bracing themselves almost psychically as Frank stepped directly into the path of the bus, the sickening thud echoing all around them.
"Damn it, Frank," Gus exhaled as Don caught Jo's horrified expression above them.
Daddino took in his two detectives glowering in the pit, both tapping away on their keyboards angrily. "Come on, yous didn't push Waters in front of the bus. Promotions, partnership, dream team back together, any of this ringing a bell?"
Both looked up at him with identical stormy looks. "Don't make me send you both over for psych clearance. Maybe the nerds will come up with something. Take the night and do whatever ya gotta do to dig up that excitement from earlier, would ya?"
Flack held up Gus' coat for her to put on, smirking as she flushed at their boss' eyebrow waggle. "Good night, Loo," he said with a wink.
"Well at least the nerds got something," Flack said as they finally finished up the mountains of paperwork on all of the interconnected cases.
"Something to say the least," Gus sighed, "Jo was almost killed trying to put old ghosts to bed."
"Maybe it's a southern thing," Flack teased.
Gus rolled her eyes, "very funny, blue eyes, or I'll make you be the one to tell Grams we gotta work both Christmas and New Years."
Flack looked at her plaintively, "you wouldn't!" his expression turning to a glower, "still can't believe we got stuck with the trifecta this year."
Gus reached across their desks, gently looping her finger under his chain, tugging his wedding ring free with her right hand as she held up her left. "Given how last year turned out, I'll work every damn holiday they want me to, blue eyes."
"Don't let Brass hear you say that," he dimpled before his eyes darkened slightly, "they fix the lock on the on call room yet?" he growled.
"God I wish," Gus said, swallowing rapidly, sitting back to fan herself.