Disclaimer: I don't own any of Third Watch. The characters you've never heard of...(sigh)...those are mine.
Author's Note: This story delves into the character of Steve Gusler. He is deeper than he appears on the real show. This takes place after "Superheroes"...in fact, let's say it happened between seasons 3 and 4. There are references to, and characters from a fan-fic I wrote called "Retribution", but it is not necessary to have read it to understand this story. If you read this...please review and tell me what you think.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter One~
Sergeant Christopher sticks his head in the locker room and yells, "Roll call in five minutes."
Steven Gusler places his hat on his head, and stepping in front of the mirror he straightens it. He polishes his badge with his sleeve, picks a piece of lint off his shirt and steps out the door. As he walks past the front desk, officer Boscorelli comes running in the door, nearly colliding with him. He grabs Steve by the shirt yelling "Get out of the way...I'm late.", pulls him to the right, and shoves him backwards onto a bench.
'Boscorelli...you arrogant asshole...You've pushed me around once too many times. You put your hands on me before, now you've put your hands on me again. The next time you do...you obnoxious prick...I'm gonna rip your fucking arm off, and beat your face in with it!'
If only he had the balls to say it to Bosco's face. Gusler is sure that if he actually said it...said it just like that...Bosco would be stunned, and he would back down from him, realizing that he had pushed him too far. He'd see how mad Steve was, and maybe even be a bit scared.. And he'd never mess with him again.
But then...he might not. He might just laugh at him, seizing the opportunity once again to make a fool of him. He might even get mad. That would be even worse than being laughed at...getting his ass kicked in front of everyone.
Christ...Bosco is late again...he's always late. Why doesn't Christopher do something about it. He is big enough physically and rank wise to do something. Oh, how he would love to hear those words..."Boscorelli...you're fired." Not so cool now, huh hot shot?
Steve goes into the debriefing room and takes the seat he always takes, second seat from the front, last row to the right. He is still brooding about Bosco. And why shouldn't he. Bosco struts around like he is this great cop, keeper of the peace, savior of the underdog. But that is Steve's badge to wear. He is truly the underdog...has been all his life. In school, at the academy, and now here. And he joined the force to move up from the ranks of underdog, and to help those he left behind.
Bosco is the epitome of a bully. He's a bigot, hating every nationality, every religion... everyone...insulting and pushing everyone around that he gets near. The only one who can tolerate him is Faith. And that's because she is a saint. Steve knows. Does Bosco think he is her only partner? Well Steve has ridden with her plenty of times, and she is too good to be stuck with him every day. But she would never complain. That's how good she is.
Someday...Bosco is going to get his, and maybe...just maybe...the powers that be, will let Steve be there to see it. Hell...for all the shit that Steve's been through...life owes him that much.
Lieu takes roll call and then debriefs the officers, and the last thing he adds, is for Gusler to see him in his office afterwards. Steve usually leaves after everyone else, but today he has been called up. He hurries to the door, and gets tangled in a forest of officers, most of them towering over him. His badge gets caught on Davis' holster, and his shirt tears.
He stumbles through the door and heads to the locker room to change his shirt, but thinks better of it. He shouldn't keep the Lieutenant waiting. He pins the tear with his badge, and heads over to Lieu's office.
Gusler looks in the open door. Lieu is busy writing, so Gusler waits. Six or seven minutes go by and Gusler finally clears his throat to get Lieu's attention.
"Steve, I've been waiting...come in."
"Should I close the door?"
"If you'd like...it's not necessary."
He starts to close it, then says, "Oh...ok then I'll just leave it open."
He walks in looking around nervously, and steps up to the desk. "Take a seat." Lieu offers.
Noticing that there is a chair next to the desk and another directly in front of it, he asks, "Ah...which one?"
"Any one." Lieu says a little patronizing.
"Ok...I'll just sit here then." He chooses the one in front of the desk and sits on the edge.
Lieu watches him, thinking, he looks as though he is ready to bolt and run if any danger should arise. Biting back a grin, he asks, "So how are you Steve? Everything going ok?"
"Yah...I'm good I guess." He makes eye contact only in quick glances.
"So how do you like being a sketch artist for the precinct? That must be interesting." Lieu finds himself talking to him in a very gentle tone.
"It's ok. Not very exciting."
"Well...I asked to see you because I wanted to know if you'd be interested in going back on patrol for a little while. Temporarily."
"Why...does Yokas need a partner again?"
"Yokas? No she's still riding with Bosco."
"Oh. I thought maybe he was going to ACU again...you know...like before when Yokas needed a temporary partner."
"No...do you like riding with Yokas?"
"Oh yah...she's great. I mean, you know, a great cop. I don't know how she got stuck with a partner like Boscorelli."
"You don't like Bosco?"
Gusler reprimands himself mentally. 'Stupid...stupid...don't insult his golden boy.'
"Oh it's not that. It's just that he's so...uh...angry all the time. And Faith is so kind. I don't know how she puts up with him. She has a lot of patience."
"She's said some nice things about you too."
He sits up straight in the chair. "She has?"
"Yah. In your rookie review...when you rode with her."
"Oh yah...the review. Right."
"Anyway Steve...do you know Dale Martin?"
"I've heard of him. His partner was the cop that was killed by that cop killer."
"Right, Maria Lucas. Dale comes back from personal leave tomorrow, and I need someone to partner with him. It's temporary for now. I want to ease him back into the job, so you two will be working traffic control for the 'concert in the park' week. That sound ok to you?"
"Sure...where ever I'm needed."
"Ok then...I'll introduce you tomorrow." He looks back down to his paper work, but realizes Gusler didn't get up to leave. "Something else Steve?"
"You didn't dismiss me."
"Oh...well...you can go now."
Gusler gets up and salutes him, and when he does, the tear in his shirt falls open and his badge flips down and falls off. He grabs it quickly and holds it up to his chest as he leaves the room.
****
Author's Note: This story delves into the character of Steve Gusler. He is deeper than he appears on the real show. This takes place after "Superheroes"...in fact, let's say it happened between seasons 3 and 4. There are references to, and characters from a fan-fic I wrote called "Retribution", but it is not necessary to have read it to understand this story. If you read this...please review and tell me what you think.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter One~
Sergeant Christopher sticks his head in the locker room and yells, "Roll call in five minutes."
Steven Gusler places his hat on his head, and stepping in front of the mirror he straightens it. He polishes his badge with his sleeve, picks a piece of lint off his shirt and steps out the door. As he walks past the front desk, officer Boscorelli comes running in the door, nearly colliding with him. He grabs Steve by the shirt yelling "Get out of the way...I'm late.", pulls him to the right, and shoves him backwards onto a bench.
'Boscorelli...you arrogant asshole...You've pushed me around once too many times. You put your hands on me before, now you've put your hands on me again. The next time you do...you obnoxious prick...I'm gonna rip your fucking arm off, and beat your face in with it!'
If only he had the balls to say it to Bosco's face. Gusler is sure that if he actually said it...said it just like that...Bosco would be stunned, and he would back down from him, realizing that he had pushed him too far. He'd see how mad Steve was, and maybe even be a bit scared.. And he'd never mess with him again.
But then...he might not. He might just laugh at him, seizing the opportunity once again to make a fool of him. He might even get mad. That would be even worse than being laughed at...getting his ass kicked in front of everyone.
Christ...Bosco is late again...he's always late. Why doesn't Christopher do something about it. He is big enough physically and rank wise to do something. Oh, how he would love to hear those words..."Boscorelli...you're fired." Not so cool now, huh hot shot?
Steve goes into the debriefing room and takes the seat he always takes, second seat from the front, last row to the right. He is still brooding about Bosco. And why shouldn't he. Bosco struts around like he is this great cop, keeper of the peace, savior of the underdog. But that is Steve's badge to wear. He is truly the underdog...has been all his life. In school, at the academy, and now here. And he joined the force to move up from the ranks of underdog, and to help those he left behind.
Bosco is the epitome of a bully. He's a bigot, hating every nationality, every religion... everyone...insulting and pushing everyone around that he gets near. The only one who can tolerate him is Faith. And that's because she is a saint. Steve knows. Does Bosco think he is her only partner? Well Steve has ridden with her plenty of times, and she is too good to be stuck with him every day. But she would never complain. That's how good she is.
Someday...Bosco is going to get his, and maybe...just maybe...the powers that be, will let Steve be there to see it. Hell...for all the shit that Steve's been through...life owes him that much.
Lieu takes roll call and then debriefs the officers, and the last thing he adds, is for Gusler to see him in his office afterwards. Steve usually leaves after everyone else, but today he has been called up. He hurries to the door, and gets tangled in a forest of officers, most of them towering over him. His badge gets caught on Davis' holster, and his shirt tears.
He stumbles through the door and heads to the locker room to change his shirt, but thinks better of it. He shouldn't keep the Lieutenant waiting. He pins the tear with his badge, and heads over to Lieu's office.
Gusler looks in the open door. Lieu is busy writing, so Gusler waits. Six or seven minutes go by and Gusler finally clears his throat to get Lieu's attention.
"Steve, I've been waiting...come in."
"Should I close the door?"
"If you'd like...it's not necessary."
He starts to close it, then says, "Oh...ok then I'll just leave it open."
He walks in looking around nervously, and steps up to the desk. "Take a seat." Lieu offers.
Noticing that there is a chair next to the desk and another directly in front of it, he asks, "Ah...which one?"
"Any one." Lieu says a little patronizing.
"Ok...I'll just sit here then." He chooses the one in front of the desk and sits on the edge.
Lieu watches him, thinking, he looks as though he is ready to bolt and run if any danger should arise. Biting back a grin, he asks, "So how are you Steve? Everything going ok?"
"Yah...I'm good I guess." He makes eye contact only in quick glances.
"So how do you like being a sketch artist for the precinct? That must be interesting." Lieu finds himself talking to him in a very gentle tone.
"It's ok. Not very exciting."
"Well...I asked to see you because I wanted to know if you'd be interested in going back on patrol for a little while. Temporarily."
"Why...does Yokas need a partner again?"
"Yokas? No she's still riding with Bosco."
"Oh. I thought maybe he was going to ACU again...you know...like before when Yokas needed a temporary partner."
"No...do you like riding with Yokas?"
"Oh yah...she's great. I mean, you know, a great cop. I don't know how she got stuck with a partner like Boscorelli."
"You don't like Bosco?"
Gusler reprimands himself mentally. 'Stupid...stupid...don't insult his golden boy.'
"Oh it's not that. It's just that he's so...uh...angry all the time. And Faith is so kind. I don't know how she puts up with him. She has a lot of patience."
"She's said some nice things about you too."
He sits up straight in the chair. "She has?"
"Yah. In your rookie review...when you rode with her."
"Oh yah...the review. Right."
"Anyway Steve...do you know Dale Martin?"
"I've heard of him. His partner was the cop that was killed by that cop killer."
"Right, Maria Lucas. Dale comes back from personal leave tomorrow, and I need someone to partner with him. It's temporary for now. I want to ease him back into the job, so you two will be working traffic control for the 'concert in the park' week. That sound ok to you?"
"Sure...where ever I'm needed."
"Ok then...I'll introduce you tomorrow." He looks back down to his paper work, but realizes Gusler didn't get up to leave. "Something else Steve?"
"You didn't dismiss me."
"Oh...well...you can go now."
Gusler gets up and salutes him, and when he does, the tear in his shirt falls open and his badge flips down and falls off. He grabs it quickly and holds it up to his chest as he leaves the room.
****
