Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is going to tie up some loose ends from the episodes "Superheroes" and "Thicker Than Water". It was kind of bugging me that some things were never explained on the show.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter three~
[The next day]
Today is the day. This could be the most important day of his life. Today could be his day of acceptance, after a lifetime of rejection. He got to work early and took his seat at roll call, waiting for his partner to arrive. He hoped that Dale martin was half as nice as Faith. He could live with that.
The other officers start to filter in. Steve looks anxiously for Dale, not sure if he would recognize him or not. But then he walks in, and it was obvious that it was him, because all the others made a big fuss over him being back to work, slapping him on the back, welcoming him, saying it was good to see him again.
This is great...he's so popular. Steve thinks that maybe he should also walk up and welcome him back...or introduce himself as his new partner...or maybe just stay back and act cool, and not let Martin see how excited he really is to be his partner. A feeling in the pit of his stomach reminded him not to get his hopes up.
Lieu does roll call and announces where everyone will be stationed today. Steve watches Dale out of the corner of his eye, and notices a hint of sadness. But after all...this was his first day back without his partner. After everyone gets up to leave, Steve tries to approach Martin, who has walked up to talk to Lieu. Steve shyly steps up behind him and waits.
"What the hell is going on Lieutenant? Traffic detail? I'm not coming back from a physical disability ya know." He is angry.
"I know...but someone has to do it Dale. And being your first day back...I thought it best to make it an easy day."
"So you want me to baby sit. You give me the biggest screw up..."
Lieu cuts him off abruptly holding his hand out towards Steve. "Dale...have you met Steve Gusler...your partner for this week?"
Dale turns quickly and then he softens his tone, obviously embarrassed. "Yah...I've heard all about him." Ignoring the fact that Steve held his hand out to shake, Martin adds "This is only temporary...right?"
Lieu nods. "For now."
********
Gusler and Martin are in 55 Edward. "Should I call us in as a 10-98?" Steve asks, trying to show Martin that he knows what he's doing.
"I don't really care." The response was sarcastic.
"Did you do most of the driving...you know...before..." His voice trailed off. Maybe he shouldn't have brought up 'before'.
"Look...I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk to you at all. So just sit there and be quiet. Read your police manual or something."
Yup...he shouldn't have brought it up. Steve isn't sure that he is going to like riding with Martin, but he understands that the guy lost his partner and all. He probably just needs some time. He stares out the window and keeps quiet like he was instructed.
After a few minutes, he unhooks his seat belt and starts twisting it tightly, then tries buckling it back up.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"It's a little trick Yokas taught me. You twist it up...makes it easier to get out of."
Yokas...she is a sore spot with Martin. Not that he don't like her...but...she lived...Maria didn't. He couldn't put that thought aside. He couldn't look at her and not think of Maria. It was easier to just avoid her.
"I don't want to hear pearls of wisdom from Faith Yokas...I don't want to hear from you at all. Just keep your mouth shut or I'll drop you off here! Understand?"
********
Bosco and Faith are on patrol in their RMP. They hear Gusler call 55 Edward in at their location at the park. "Poor Martin." Bosco says sympathetically.
"Yah." She wonders how he is coping with the loss of his partner, and how Bosco would be doing if he were in the same situation...like he almost was. She doesn't want to think about it. The incident is still too painful for her, so she changes the subject. "Well, he's riding with Gusler...that should get his mind off everything else."
"Gusler...is what I meant by poor Martin. Why would Lieu stick him with that idiot."
"Don't call him that. He's a nice kid."
"Oh c'mon Faith. Even you didn't want to be partners with him. You only rode with him out of pity, and the first chance you got, you dumped him."
"I dumped him because w...I didn't dump him! You came back from leave and we partnered back up."
"Oh please. Tell me that riden with him wasn't like teachen a kindergarten class. You ran back to me."
"Yah...and I moved up a grade." She said sarcastically.
"Damn right!" he said proudly, then his expression went cloudy as he thought about it. Was that a compliment?
*****
Martin pulls around the barricade in front of the park. Their job is to keep traffic from driving through the park during the 'concerts in the park' week.
The city had come up with the idea to have live music throughout the park between the hours of four and ten p.m. for the whole week. The music consists of bands and solo performers, playing anywhere they felt like setting up. All the music is free. None of the performers are famous...it is strictly to promote local talent and to benefit the street venders. The guys that sell hot dogs and various fast foods and snacks from all different ethnic groups. It is a banquet of international delights from gyros to ice cream and cotton candy. The idea is to get people outside and into the park, and to make tourists feel that the park is safe.
Steve thinks that if he had a girl friend, he would bring her here every night. It would be so romantic, walking arm in arm with music playing all around them, stopping for an occasional snack. By the end of the week they would have tried all the different foods there are to try, and heard all the different types of music.
And when they found a band they liked...they would pick a song by that band to be 'their' song. And eventually he would propose to her during 'their' song and he would hire that band to play at their wedding. If only he had a girlfriend.
"God I hate this shit!" Martin says, waking Steve out of his daydream. "They plan this crap for tourists, who are too afraid to go into the park in the first place. All it really does is bring out the nuts and weirdoes. Look at that freak blowing bubbles. And that psycho with the blue hair. Jesus this is going to be a shitty week."
Steve is disappointed that Martin is so disgruntled. He could really be enjoying this duty if only Martin would lighten up and see the good in it. Faith would definitely enjoy this. But then again, Bosco would probably feel the same way Martin does. He would just ruin it for her too.
Now if she and Steve were partnered...he can picture the two of them just strolling along through the crowd. She would be smiling and saying hi to people and he would be swinging his night stick like the old time cops used to do. And they would be chatting about all kinds of things, and it would be pleasant. And there wouldn't be any crime or violence in the park, just because of their presence. And that's how it should be.
Steve sighs. "Shouldn't we be walking around...you know...to let people see us?"
"Sure...let's go look for trouble...ya jerk." Martin paces back and forth between the blockades, bitching about the occasional driver that stops to ask why they can't drive through, or to ask for directions.
Martin is really grouchy, but Steve understands. It is his first day back after being out a year. And he did loose his partner. Steve heard that they were very close. Martin reminds Steve of Chris, a friend Steve had a long time ago.
They were around eight or nine years old. Chris had a really cool dog named Max. He was really smart and well trained. The boys would take Max to the park, wearing a blue bandanna around his neck, and he would chase Frisbees and do tricks. And when Max died, Chris was heart broken. He never got over the loss. Steve tried to spend more time with Chris to help him through, and maybe take the place of the dogs friendship, but Chris just got sadder and mean.
He had the same mean streak...bitterness...that Steve sees in Martin. It has taken Martin a long time to get over the loss of his partner, and although it seems nasty, Steve thinks that his partner probably wouldn't have had that much trouble getter over the loss of Martin. Not with his attitude.
But still...Steve hasn't given up on Martin...just like he didn't give up on Chris right away. They may still end up being friends, maybe best friends...like those mismatched partners do in the movies.
"I can't stand this any more. I'm going around the corner to get some coffee...I'll be back in a while." Martin says walking away.
"Hold up...I'll go with you." Steve says.
"No! You stay here. Someone has to stay with the car and keep the traffic out of the park."
"Oh...ok. Can you bring me back a bottle of pop?"
"Yah...sure." Martin says. He exits the park and walks down about four blocks and enters 'Al's Bar and Grill'. There are only two guys in the place, that look as though they have been here forever. Martin takes a stool at the bar and orders a beer and a shot of whisky.
The bar tender eyes him up cautiously.
"Don't let the uniform throw ya. I'm off duty."
"Don't care about the uniform...as long as there's money in the pockets."
Martin throws forty bucks down on the bar and says, "Then just keep 'em comen until this is gone."
Martin never drank on the job before. He would have the occasional beer at home and a few with the guys after work sometimes. But the whisky came after the death of Maria, his partner.
He had met his partner, Maria Lucas, at the academy. She was a real pretty girl. Dark hair and big dark brown eyes. She had a perfect build and muscle tone. She was obviously athletic, and not in a competitive kind of way. She had a very friendly demeanor, that anybody...everybody, could get along with.
All of the guys at the academy hit on her. All except Martin. He was already married, and very much in love with his wife. That's why he and Maria got along so well. He wanted nothing from her but to get through the training. And she was great at everything, from the physical stuff to the paper work.
She wouldn't date any of the guys that tried to ask her out, so of course they started a rumor that she was gay. Martin brought her home for dinner to meet his wife, and the two women hit it off immediately. They became good friends. Martin's wife was never jealous of Maria, not that she ever had any reason to be, and when they graduated, it was a natural progression that the two would become partners. And Martins wife was actually glad about it. Maria was a great cop and she would keep Martin safe.
Martin's wife always joked that Maria was Martin's other wife. And she is the one who eventually told Martin that Maria actually was gay. And Martin wasn't jealous either.
They were partners for eight and a half years. Best friends, on and off duty. Maria helped him many times through marital problems and he helped her through the death of her father...the only guy closer to her than Martin. She had probably saved his life several times in situations that could have easily turned ugly, if not for her special ability to talk to people and defuse psychos that were ready to blow.
That is what was so hard to accept, the fact that she was killed by a psycho. Maria had been abducted while on duty...while Martin was only a hundred yards away. He never saw it coming...never got to try and save her. That's what hurt the most. If he could have tried and failed...well he would feel he did something to try and save her...but she was taken and killed by a lunatic that was targeting female cops. She was the first of three that were killed, and Faith was the fourth taken, and the only one who was saved...but that is another story.
Now, Martin has no passion for the job. It only reminds him of her. And no other partner could ever fill her shoes. Even a good cop, but this whinny, frightened, pathetic little weasel in uniform...Gusler...is an insult to her memory. He is an insult to the whole force.
********
When Martin first left, Steve started feeling better. His partner is off getting him a pop. Tomorrow, he will go on the drink run and buy for his partner. He thinks that this may just work out good after all. But a few hours later...
Steve is pacing nervously around the park entrance. He keeps walking out and glancing up the street for Martin. He keeps looking at his watch, wondering if everything is ok. He's been gone a long time, and Steve is not used to being on patrol alone. The fear is mounting that a situation may arise and Steve won't know what to do.
Two young men get into a shouting match and he does his best to ignore it until the men finally move on. He doesn't even admit to himself that he is scared...instead he says out loud... "Something must have happened to Martin. I'd better check in with him. Maybe he needs my help."
Steve gets on the radio. "Martin this is Gusler...what's your location?"
After two attempts, he gets no response. Now he don't know what to do. Should he call in that Martin is missing? Should he go look for him? He paces faster, but does nothing.
About twenty minutes later he sees Martin walking towards him. Thank God! Martin approaches him briskly.
"Where ya been? You didn't answer on..."
Gusler gets cut off abruptly as Martin grabs his arm and walks him quickly behind a hedge row, the way a mother walks a child that has been misbehaving. As soon as they get out of view of the public, Martin smacks him in the head, knocking his hat off.
"What the hell do you think you're doing calling me on the radio like that?"
"I didn't know where you..."
He is cut short again by another slap to the head. Gusler lifts his arm to protect his face and cringes away from another slap.
"Is it too fucking hard for you to stop cars from entering the park?"
Gusler is scared now. "I was thirsty. You were gonna bring me a pop and then..." His voice trails off.
Martin stares at him with a piercing look. He sternly orders him to pick up his hat, then grabs him by the back of the neck and walks him down the footpath and over to a drinking fountain. "Here's your drink. Anything else you need me to do for you?" He barks, then pointing a finger in Steve's face he growls, "Don't you ever call me on the radio unless we are in a pursuit. Is that clear?"
Gusler can smell the liquor on his breath but says nothing. He bends down and takes a drink, squeezing his eyes closed to keep the tears in. He keeps drinking until Martin walks away.
********************
Faith and Bosco are driving around talking. It is a slow night. Over the radio they hear Gusler call in and ask Martin for his location, twice.
"Gusler sounds lost." Faith says.
"Martin probably ditched him." He looks over at her. "Honestly Faith, do you really think that Gusler should be a cop?"
"I think he has a lot of potential. You don't have to be a brute to do the job ya know. Most of the time it is better to do things in a gentle way."
"Gentle?" Bosco scoffs. "A gentle cop. That's like saying...big little guy, or smart idiot. The two words don't go together."
"Jumbo shrimp...sweet tart." She shoots back. "They go together."
Bosco looks at her annoyed. "I can't believe they've kept him on the force. After he shot Ross..."
"They never proved it was his round. Even if it was, friendly fire happens. That's nobody's fault."
"It is if you just shoot without looking to see what else is in your line of fire. That's incompetence. I can't believe you are sticking up for him still. You just can't help mothering everyone."
"He was my partner, Bos." She looks over at him for a moment, unsure of whether she should go on, but then she continues. "He took that shot...the one that killed Ross...for me."
He turns to her, about to say she's full of shit, but he sees the pained look on her face. So instead he says, "What are you talking about?"
"I ran out from behind the RMP to lay down cover for you. I was firing at one gunman, the other turned and fixed on me. Gusler saw it. Ross must have too. The guy was in the center of their crossfire. As Gusler fired, the guy fell away and his round missed. Ross had shot him in the back but there was no way Gusler could have seen Ross until the guy was down. They both had fired...Ross hit him first...Gusler's round went over the gunman and hit Ross. That is how they think it happened, but they never could prove it. He was trying to save me...and he killed Ross instead."
"Wow." Bosco says softly. "You never told me that."
"They asked me at the investigation hearing if I thought Gusler was fit for duty."
"What did you say?"
"He tried to save my life and they were gonna let him go. I figured that would destroy him. So I told them he was fit...he just needed more experience in the field and the right partner to teach him."
"So they partnered him with you."
"Yah...until you came back. I sort of feel responsible for him."
Bosco looks away out the window. He believes it is stupid for her to still feel responsible for Gusler. He understands why she does, but he is not her responsibility...and not her partner any more. But he also knows he won't change her mind and he don't feel like getting into an argument over Gusler, so he doesn't say anything more. It pisses him off when she gets on these emotional tangents.
"Ya know...Martin never responded to Steve. Ya think everything's alright?" She asks.
"Yes! You're being ridiculous now."
"Ya think we should drive over there?" She asks as she switches lanes.
"NO! We're not going over there Faith." She slows down and signals to turn at the next corner. "Faith...don't. Just stay out of it."
"We'll just cruise by."
"Why can't you just mind your own business? You're not his mother."
"We have nothing better to do anyway. I just wanna see how they are getting along that's all."
She drives up in front of the park and pulls over. "I don't see them."
"There they are. And they're together." Bosco points out.
She follows his gaze and sees them walking to the fountain. Martin has Gusler by the back of the neck. "What the hell is he doing?"
"It looks like they're clowning around. See they're getting along fine. Can we go now?"
"Ya think so? It looks like Martin is yelling at him."
"Faith...it's none of your business...what ever is going on. They are partners...they have to work out their differences. For once in your life...stay out of it."
"Lets just walk over and say hello...see if everything..."
"I don't want to say hello. Martin makes me uncomfortable. We probably make him feel that way too."
She looks at him and drops her eyes. "You're probably right about that."
"I am. And besides...if you go over there you'll embarrass Gusler. You wouldn't do that to Charlie on his first day of school, would you?" She looks away quickly. "You didn't!". "Yokas..." he says appalled, "...you did. You embarrassed Charlie on his first day of school."
"I did not!" She says angrily. "Lots of mothers wouldn't leave after they dropped their kids off."
Bosco gives a disgusted gasp.
"Shut up...ok you win." She puts the car in gear and drives off.
********
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter three~
[The next day]
Today is the day. This could be the most important day of his life. Today could be his day of acceptance, after a lifetime of rejection. He got to work early and took his seat at roll call, waiting for his partner to arrive. He hoped that Dale martin was half as nice as Faith. He could live with that.
The other officers start to filter in. Steve looks anxiously for Dale, not sure if he would recognize him or not. But then he walks in, and it was obvious that it was him, because all the others made a big fuss over him being back to work, slapping him on the back, welcoming him, saying it was good to see him again.
This is great...he's so popular. Steve thinks that maybe he should also walk up and welcome him back...or introduce himself as his new partner...or maybe just stay back and act cool, and not let Martin see how excited he really is to be his partner. A feeling in the pit of his stomach reminded him not to get his hopes up.
Lieu does roll call and announces where everyone will be stationed today. Steve watches Dale out of the corner of his eye, and notices a hint of sadness. But after all...this was his first day back without his partner. After everyone gets up to leave, Steve tries to approach Martin, who has walked up to talk to Lieu. Steve shyly steps up behind him and waits.
"What the hell is going on Lieutenant? Traffic detail? I'm not coming back from a physical disability ya know." He is angry.
"I know...but someone has to do it Dale. And being your first day back...I thought it best to make it an easy day."
"So you want me to baby sit. You give me the biggest screw up..."
Lieu cuts him off abruptly holding his hand out towards Steve. "Dale...have you met Steve Gusler...your partner for this week?"
Dale turns quickly and then he softens his tone, obviously embarrassed. "Yah...I've heard all about him." Ignoring the fact that Steve held his hand out to shake, Martin adds "This is only temporary...right?"
Lieu nods. "For now."
********
Gusler and Martin are in 55 Edward. "Should I call us in as a 10-98?" Steve asks, trying to show Martin that he knows what he's doing.
"I don't really care." The response was sarcastic.
"Did you do most of the driving...you know...before..." His voice trailed off. Maybe he shouldn't have brought up 'before'.
"Look...I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk to you at all. So just sit there and be quiet. Read your police manual or something."
Yup...he shouldn't have brought it up. Steve isn't sure that he is going to like riding with Martin, but he understands that the guy lost his partner and all. He probably just needs some time. He stares out the window and keeps quiet like he was instructed.
After a few minutes, he unhooks his seat belt and starts twisting it tightly, then tries buckling it back up.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"It's a little trick Yokas taught me. You twist it up...makes it easier to get out of."
Yokas...she is a sore spot with Martin. Not that he don't like her...but...she lived...Maria didn't. He couldn't put that thought aside. He couldn't look at her and not think of Maria. It was easier to just avoid her.
"I don't want to hear pearls of wisdom from Faith Yokas...I don't want to hear from you at all. Just keep your mouth shut or I'll drop you off here! Understand?"
********
Bosco and Faith are on patrol in their RMP. They hear Gusler call 55 Edward in at their location at the park. "Poor Martin." Bosco says sympathetically.
"Yah." She wonders how he is coping with the loss of his partner, and how Bosco would be doing if he were in the same situation...like he almost was. She doesn't want to think about it. The incident is still too painful for her, so she changes the subject. "Well, he's riding with Gusler...that should get his mind off everything else."
"Gusler...is what I meant by poor Martin. Why would Lieu stick him with that idiot."
"Don't call him that. He's a nice kid."
"Oh c'mon Faith. Even you didn't want to be partners with him. You only rode with him out of pity, and the first chance you got, you dumped him."
"I dumped him because w...I didn't dump him! You came back from leave and we partnered back up."
"Oh please. Tell me that riden with him wasn't like teachen a kindergarten class. You ran back to me."
"Yah...and I moved up a grade." She said sarcastically.
"Damn right!" he said proudly, then his expression went cloudy as he thought about it. Was that a compliment?
*****
Martin pulls around the barricade in front of the park. Their job is to keep traffic from driving through the park during the 'concerts in the park' week.
The city had come up with the idea to have live music throughout the park between the hours of four and ten p.m. for the whole week. The music consists of bands and solo performers, playing anywhere they felt like setting up. All the music is free. None of the performers are famous...it is strictly to promote local talent and to benefit the street venders. The guys that sell hot dogs and various fast foods and snacks from all different ethnic groups. It is a banquet of international delights from gyros to ice cream and cotton candy. The idea is to get people outside and into the park, and to make tourists feel that the park is safe.
Steve thinks that if he had a girl friend, he would bring her here every night. It would be so romantic, walking arm in arm with music playing all around them, stopping for an occasional snack. By the end of the week they would have tried all the different foods there are to try, and heard all the different types of music.
And when they found a band they liked...they would pick a song by that band to be 'their' song. And eventually he would propose to her during 'their' song and he would hire that band to play at their wedding. If only he had a girlfriend.
"God I hate this shit!" Martin says, waking Steve out of his daydream. "They plan this crap for tourists, who are too afraid to go into the park in the first place. All it really does is bring out the nuts and weirdoes. Look at that freak blowing bubbles. And that psycho with the blue hair. Jesus this is going to be a shitty week."
Steve is disappointed that Martin is so disgruntled. He could really be enjoying this duty if only Martin would lighten up and see the good in it. Faith would definitely enjoy this. But then again, Bosco would probably feel the same way Martin does. He would just ruin it for her too.
Now if she and Steve were partnered...he can picture the two of them just strolling along through the crowd. She would be smiling and saying hi to people and he would be swinging his night stick like the old time cops used to do. And they would be chatting about all kinds of things, and it would be pleasant. And there wouldn't be any crime or violence in the park, just because of their presence. And that's how it should be.
Steve sighs. "Shouldn't we be walking around...you know...to let people see us?"
"Sure...let's go look for trouble...ya jerk." Martin paces back and forth between the blockades, bitching about the occasional driver that stops to ask why they can't drive through, or to ask for directions.
Martin is really grouchy, but Steve understands. It is his first day back after being out a year. And he did loose his partner. Steve heard that they were very close. Martin reminds Steve of Chris, a friend Steve had a long time ago.
They were around eight or nine years old. Chris had a really cool dog named Max. He was really smart and well trained. The boys would take Max to the park, wearing a blue bandanna around his neck, and he would chase Frisbees and do tricks. And when Max died, Chris was heart broken. He never got over the loss. Steve tried to spend more time with Chris to help him through, and maybe take the place of the dogs friendship, but Chris just got sadder and mean.
He had the same mean streak...bitterness...that Steve sees in Martin. It has taken Martin a long time to get over the loss of his partner, and although it seems nasty, Steve thinks that his partner probably wouldn't have had that much trouble getter over the loss of Martin. Not with his attitude.
But still...Steve hasn't given up on Martin...just like he didn't give up on Chris right away. They may still end up being friends, maybe best friends...like those mismatched partners do in the movies.
"I can't stand this any more. I'm going around the corner to get some coffee...I'll be back in a while." Martin says walking away.
"Hold up...I'll go with you." Steve says.
"No! You stay here. Someone has to stay with the car and keep the traffic out of the park."
"Oh...ok. Can you bring me back a bottle of pop?"
"Yah...sure." Martin says. He exits the park and walks down about four blocks and enters 'Al's Bar and Grill'. There are only two guys in the place, that look as though they have been here forever. Martin takes a stool at the bar and orders a beer and a shot of whisky.
The bar tender eyes him up cautiously.
"Don't let the uniform throw ya. I'm off duty."
"Don't care about the uniform...as long as there's money in the pockets."
Martin throws forty bucks down on the bar and says, "Then just keep 'em comen until this is gone."
Martin never drank on the job before. He would have the occasional beer at home and a few with the guys after work sometimes. But the whisky came after the death of Maria, his partner.
He had met his partner, Maria Lucas, at the academy. She was a real pretty girl. Dark hair and big dark brown eyes. She had a perfect build and muscle tone. She was obviously athletic, and not in a competitive kind of way. She had a very friendly demeanor, that anybody...everybody, could get along with.
All of the guys at the academy hit on her. All except Martin. He was already married, and very much in love with his wife. That's why he and Maria got along so well. He wanted nothing from her but to get through the training. And she was great at everything, from the physical stuff to the paper work.
She wouldn't date any of the guys that tried to ask her out, so of course they started a rumor that she was gay. Martin brought her home for dinner to meet his wife, and the two women hit it off immediately. They became good friends. Martin's wife was never jealous of Maria, not that she ever had any reason to be, and when they graduated, it was a natural progression that the two would become partners. And Martins wife was actually glad about it. Maria was a great cop and she would keep Martin safe.
Martin's wife always joked that Maria was Martin's other wife. And she is the one who eventually told Martin that Maria actually was gay. And Martin wasn't jealous either.
They were partners for eight and a half years. Best friends, on and off duty. Maria helped him many times through marital problems and he helped her through the death of her father...the only guy closer to her than Martin. She had probably saved his life several times in situations that could have easily turned ugly, if not for her special ability to talk to people and defuse psychos that were ready to blow.
That is what was so hard to accept, the fact that she was killed by a psycho. Maria had been abducted while on duty...while Martin was only a hundred yards away. He never saw it coming...never got to try and save her. That's what hurt the most. If he could have tried and failed...well he would feel he did something to try and save her...but she was taken and killed by a lunatic that was targeting female cops. She was the first of three that were killed, and Faith was the fourth taken, and the only one who was saved...but that is another story.
Now, Martin has no passion for the job. It only reminds him of her. And no other partner could ever fill her shoes. Even a good cop, but this whinny, frightened, pathetic little weasel in uniform...Gusler...is an insult to her memory. He is an insult to the whole force.
********
When Martin first left, Steve started feeling better. His partner is off getting him a pop. Tomorrow, he will go on the drink run and buy for his partner. He thinks that this may just work out good after all. But a few hours later...
Steve is pacing nervously around the park entrance. He keeps walking out and glancing up the street for Martin. He keeps looking at his watch, wondering if everything is ok. He's been gone a long time, and Steve is not used to being on patrol alone. The fear is mounting that a situation may arise and Steve won't know what to do.
Two young men get into a shouting match and he does his best to ignore it until the men finally move on. He doesn't even admit to himself that he is scared...instead he says out loud... "Something must have happened to Martin. I'd better check in with him. Maybe he needs my help."
Steve gets on the radio. "Martin this is Gusler...what's your location?"
After two attempts, he gets no response. Now he don't know what to do. Should he call in that Martin is missing? Should he go look for him? He paces faster, but does nothing.
About twenty minutes later he sees Martin walking towards him. Thank God! Martin approaches him briskly.
"Where ya been? You didn't answer on..."
Gusler gets cut off abruptly as Martin grabs his arm and walks him quickly behind a hedge row, the way a mother walks a child that has been misbehaving. As soon as they get out of view of the public, Martin smacks him in the head, knocking his hat off.
"What the hell do you think you're doing calling me on the radio like that?"
"I didn't know where you..."
He is cut short again by another slap to the head. Gusler lifts his arm to protect his face and cringes away from another slap.
"Is it too fucking hard for you to stop cars from entering the park?"
Gusler is scared now. "I was thirsty. You were gonna bring me a pop and then..." His voice trails off.
Martin stares at him with a piercing look. He sternly orders him to pick up his hat, then grabs him by the back of the neck and walks him down the footpath and over to a drinking fountain. "Here's your drink. Anything else you need me to do for you?" He barks, then pointing a finger in Steve's face he growls, "Don't you ever call me on the radio unless we are in a pursuit. Is that clear?"
Gusler can smell the liquor on his breath but says nothing. He bends down and takes a drink, squeezing his eyes closed to keep the tears in. He keeps drinking until Martin walks away.
********************
Faith and Bosco are driving around talking. It is a slow night. Over the radio they hear Gusler call in and ask Martin for his location, twice.
"Gusler sounds lost." Faith says.
"Martin probably ditched him." He looks over at her. "Honestly Faith, do you really think that Gusler should be a cop?"
"I think he has a lot of potential. You don't have to be a brute to do the job ya know. Most of the time it is better to do things in a gentle way."
"Gentle?" Bosco scoffs. "A gentle cop. That's like saying...big little guy, or smart idiot. The two words don't go together."
"Jumbo shrimp...sweet tart." She shoots back. "They go together."
Bosco looks at her annoyed. "I can't believe they've kept him on the force. After he shot Ross..."
"They never proved it was his round. Even if it was, friendly fire happens. That's nobody's fault."
"It is if you just shoot without looking to see what else is in your line of fire. That's incompetence. I can't believe you are sticking up for him still. You just can't help mothering everyone."
"He was my partner, Bos." She looks over at him for a moment, unsure of whether she should go on, but then she continues. "He took that shot...the one that killed Ross...for me."
He turns to her, about to say she's full of shit, but he sees the pained look on her face. So instead he says, "What are you talking about?"
"I ran out from behind the RMP to lay down cover for you. I was firing at one gunman, the other turned and fixed on me. Gusler saw it. Ross must have too. The guy was in the center of their crossfire. As Gusler fired, the guy fell away and his round missed. Ross had shot him in the back but there was no way Gusler could have seen Ross until the guy was down. They both had fired...Ross hit him first...Gusler's round went over the gunman and hit Ross. That is how they think it happened, but they never could prove it. He was trying to save me...and he killed Ross instead."
"Wow." Bosco says softly. "You never told me that."
"They asked me at the investigation hearing if I thought Gusler was fit for duty."
"What did you say?"
"He tried to save my life and they were gonna let him go. I figured that would destroy him. So I told them he was fit...he just needed more experience in the field and the right partner to teach him."
"So they partnered him with you."
"Yah...until you came back. I sort of feel responsible for him."
Bosco looks away out the window. He believes it is stupid for her to still feel responsible for Gusler. He understands why she does, but he is not her responsibility...and not her partner any more. But he also knows he won't change her mind and he don't feel like getting into an argument over Gusler, so he doesn't say anything more. It pisses him off when she gets on these emotional tangents.
"Ya know...Martin never responded to Steve. Ya think everything's alright?" She asks.
"Yes! You're being ridiculous now."
"Ya think we should drive over there?" She asks as she switches lanes.
"NO! We're not going over there Faith." She slows down and signals to turn at the next corner. "Faith...don't. Just stay out of it."
"We'll just cruise by."
"Why can't you just mind your own business? You're not his mother."
"We have nothing better to do anyway. I just wanna see how they are getting along that's all."
She drives up in front of the park and pulls over. "I don't see them."
"There they are. And they're together." Bosco points out.
She follows his gaze and sees them walking to the fountain. Martin has Gusler by the back of the neck. "What the hell is he doing?"
"It looks like they're clowning around. See they're getting along fine. Can we go now?"
"Ya think so? It looks like Martin is yelling at him."
"Faith...it's none of your business...what ever is going on. They are partners...they have to work out their differences. For once in your life...stay out of it."
"Lets just walk over and say hello...see if everything..."
"I don't want to say hello. Martin makes me uncomfortable. We probably make him feel that way too."
She looks at him and drops her eyes. "You're probably right about that."
"I am. And besides...if you go over there you'll embarrass Gusler. You wouldn't do that to Charlie on his first day of school, would you?" She looks away quickly. "You didn't!". "Yokas..." he says appalled, "...you did. You embarrassed Charlie on his first day of school."
"I did not!" She says angrily. "Lots of mothers wouldn't leave after they dropped their kids off."
Bosco gives a disgusted gasp.
"Shut up...ok you win." She puts the car in gear and drives off.
********
