See chapter 1 for disclaimers and notes.

It was taking too long. Van paced as Grol was loaded into the coroner's wagon. Forensics had the area marked off and was searching for physical evidence. Billie gave them a few more instructions then came back to where he and Deaq were waiting. "Let's go. They can handle it from here."

"About time," Van mumbled. He climbed into the back seat again, accidentally kicking the briefcase Billie had stashed on the floorboard while they waited for the clean-up squad. Gas, timers—that did not bode well at all to his mind. "So what now?"

"We wait until Nick calls again."

"This is never going to be over." His head was hurting again. He rubbed his temples. When he looked up, he saw that both Deaq and Billie were looking at him again. "I'm fine," he rushed to say. "Really." They still didn't look convinced. "Are we going or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're going." Deaq cranked the car and pulled out.

He'd gotten his clothes dirty, damn it. Van frowned as he brushed dust from his shirt. He thought he had some clothes at the Candy Store. Deaq might think he didn't care what his clothes looked like, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. He prided himself on being different. And clean, for god's sake. He hated to get something on his clothes. He tried again to restore his shirt to its proper state, but the discoloring dirt remained. He sighed and immediately felt eyes on him yet again. He was going to kill them both if they didn't just get over it. He thought about ignoring them again. Let them worry if they wanted to. No, he couldn't do that. "I got my shirt dirty," he told them. "I hate that."

Billie blinked then looked at him as if he had grown a second head. Deaq was grinning and shaking his head.

"No offense, V, but you are strange."

"It's the brain damage," Van said, making a joke out of it. Keep it light. Maybe that was the best solution.

Deaq laughed, but Billie scowled at them both. "That is not funny. Don't say that. You're fine."

"That's right, Billie. I am. Now stop worrying." He gave her a little smile.

She sighed then returned the smile with a shrug.

Van completed the ride back to the Candy Store without feeling like a bug under a microscope.

Almost flatlining, hell, Deaq thought. He didn't say it out loud. Either Van didn't know or he was choosing to forget, but he had flatlined. Van was worried. Deaq certainly understood that. He was quite worried himself. However, one of them had to be an optimist, right? Or not. Parish's arrival with news of Hill crushed that optimism, fake though it was, right under his big size 12's. As if they didn't have one jackass to contend with—and this one was supposed to be on their side. Deaq's fertile imagination began to devise bizarre and painful accidents that could befall Roland Hill. He glanced over at his partner and could swear he saw the same ideas in Van's green eyes. At least he hoped that's what he saw and not one of those periods of absence that Grant had warned them about. Van was looking off, away from the conversation, back somewhere behind Deaq's shoulder as if there was something interesting there. He was tempted to reach out and touch him, but he didn't. He just watched for a moment longer. When Van spoke, the tension that had been building up in Deaq's shoulders released. He was there after all.

The group moved into Billie's office, still discussing Hill. Deaq did continue to surreptitiously watch his partner though. Grant's warnings were just too ominous to ignore.

When Parish was gone, Billie told them the whole story behind Nick McKussick. Deaq sat in astonishment at the sordid mess that had been the first incarnation of the Candy Store. He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't been given an IQ test though. Did she think he and Van wouldn't do well? He wanted to take that test, damn it. Van seemed none too thrilled at the prospect, however. His partner claimed he didn't test well. Well, Deaq was just going to have to insist. Whether Van took one or not, he would be taking an IQ test sometime in the very near future. Couldn't have Billie thinking that chump McKussick was smarter than him. However, he didn't get a chance to really argue his point since the SOB in question decided to show up right on their doorstep. The next few minutes were tense, to say the least. It was hard to determine whether Van's reaction to McKussick was overly aggressive or not. Truth was, Deaq wouldn't have minded knocking the man around some himself, but Van was all over him. Overly aggressive or justifiable rage? Who knew?

Then McKussick took Van with him when he left! The very last thing Deaq wanted was for Van to be out of his sight, damn it. Even with Van's health aside, Deaq had to wonder which one of them would survive.
"...lesbo rumors are true, huh?"

What? Van resisted the urge to look at McKussick. He tried to recall what the hell the guy had been talking about. Lesbo rumors? He had to be referring to Billie. Hell, Deaq and he had been wondering about that themselves, but McKussick needed to mind his own damned business. Since he wasn't really clear on the conversation though, he decided to keep silent.

Obviously, he had lost a little time there. How much, he wondered. He looked out the window to try to gage how far they had traveled since the last thing he could remember. It was useless. All of a sudden, he couldn't recall the last landmark or road sign he'd seen. Shit. This was what Grant had warned him about. Okay, wait; he did remember something. That doughnut place that Dre had always liked, he remembered passing that. Dre had always said that they made the best French Krullers in the city. Van had preferred the apple crumb doughnuts, which Dre had teased him about. He had claimed that Van was trying to trick himself into believing he was eating healthy by getting a fruit filled doughnut. Why was he thinking about this now? Oh yeah. He sighed. Focus, Van, he scolded himself.

McKussick turned into Van's own hotel and a wave of red-hot anger swept through Van's head. It would be the first of many as he sat there with McKussick and his bimbo. Then when the bimbo was gone and Hillary arrived, Van had had enough. His head was hurting as the son of a bitch had threatened Van's latest romantic failure. If that wasn't bad enough, he had to listen as Hillary compared him, quite disparagingly, to the bastard who had tried to kill him, was killing families still, in his quest for both revenge against Billie and stolen wealth. Reason deserted him and before it returned, he had thrown McKussick through the decorative glass behind their table to the floor below. Fuck it, the bastard deserved it, and Hillary was a lost cause anyway. Still, he attempted to provide an apology before confronting McKussick again. Damn, that little moment of payback had felt good. He was amazed that the man didn't try to retaliate, even after they left the hotel. He never touched Van though, or even said a word to him as they drove back to the Candy Store. He was pissed. Van could see that, but he did nothing about it. Maybe he'd managed to shock the bastard a little bit. Good. But he wasn't finished yet, Van promised himself. He'd make McKussick pay for making him feel like a victim.

He had to bide his time, though. First, they had to rob a bank vault. Damn it, that pissed Van off, too. Not only was he a victim, he was made into a criminal. A real criminal, not just a make-believe one. No, not this time. This jackass had accomplished in one day what his family and friends had not in twenty-eight years of life.

His phone rang then, breaking him out of his fantasies where he found more and more ingenious and thankfully painful ways to bring about McKussick's demise. He answered it.

"Don't say anything," Deaq's voice warned him. "Just listen a minute. Parish talked Hill into actually helping us try to find those families, but in the meantime, we have to play this through. Where are you?"

"On the way back to you."

"Good. Billie's getting this thing set up. We have to get ready."

"Okay." Van hung up the cell.

"Well?"

"Billie's setting up your plan. Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

Van turned away to stare out the window.

They arrived back at the Candy Store, and Van went on autopilot. The next few hours passed with Van in a dream within a dream. His body was in one dream, the bad one where he was participating in a robbery, while his mind was in another dream, a good one in his opinion, where he held McKussick's life in his hands then crushed it. When those two dreams merged into one, he was a little surprised. It was too quick, damn it. Too fast. It couldn't possibly have hurt as long as the man had deserved. He looked at Deaq for the first time since the radio argument to see a look of surprise on his face, too. But his look was directed at Van. Oh shit, it hadn't been a dream at all. He'd just killed the bastard. He didn't have time to deal with that just then though. The diamonds were scattered all over the parking lot behind them. He shook off the rest of his dream state and got out. People were gathering. This was going to be a problem.
Deaq was shocked at first that McKussick was firing at them instead of trying to move his damn car out of the way, or at the very least getting out of the car. It was a good idea though. Wreck McKussick's car and the truck, and leave him with no escape route. Cool. But McKussick didn't move. Then he realized that Van wasn't going to stop. McKussick did finally try to move only to have Billie cut him off. He still didn't get out of the damn car! Oh, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he should have seen it. Van was too passive, too calm, too agreeable, then the snap on the way over, and over Neil Diamond no less. Very unreasonable, definitely irrational. Then, depressed over a girl in the next heartbeat. Yes, Van had been all of those things that Grant had warned them about since they had left the hospital, and Deaq had been too wrapped up in trying to help Billie outmaneuver her own creation to really pay the attention he had promised to pay to Van.

The crash was loud and jarring, but not as jarring as the fact that McKussick had to be dead and that his partner had just killed him. At the very least, it would be considered excessive force. At worst, it could be called murder. Well, Hill would undoubtedly just add it to the charges they would surely already be facing. Time for a little damage control.

Or not. Screw it. They couldn't possibly be in more trouble anyway. Van seemed to think the idea of one handful of diamonds per person was not only funny, but genius as well. Then again, Van was not in his right mind. Maybe he shouldn't judge his success by Van at the moment. But Billie didn't object either. When he thought about that later, he would have to say it was shock that made her so amenable to his spur of the moment so- called solution to their problem. At the time though, his only thought was how to avoid a riot. Then the people went away relatively easily, and they were left to try to gather up what was left, if that was even possible, and wait for a real clean up team to get there. If he hadn't been so worried about Van, he might have been tempted to pocket a few of those diamonds himself, but as he swept the glittering rocks along with his feet into a pile, he kept one eye on his partner. That was why he was able to react so fast when he saw Van stumble. He was there before Van hit the ground.

"Billie!" But she was already on the phone asking for an ambulance.
Grant was scowling as the paramedics rolled Van in through the ER doors. "Unconscious on a gurney, just like I said." Deaq opened his mouth, but Grant flung up one hand. "I don't want to hear it. Let's get him on oxygen," he said turning his attention to his staff as they surrounded Van, pushing Deaq back. They weren't going to get rid of him that easily though. He followed them right into the exam room; ironically the same one Van had been in before. And Billie was right behind him.

Several minutes of flurried activity later, Grant turned to them. "His sat level is down to 82 and his blood pressure is up to 160/110. Don't tell me that there were no signs."

Deaq looked down at his feet. "There were signs. We just missed them for awhile, then we were kind of stuck." Thank god, the clean up team had arrived before the ambulance so they could come in with Van.

"Well, he's here now, and don't think he's getting out of here this time until I say so." The doctor was about to walk away when Billie grabbed his arm.

"What about the other family?"

"They're responding well. We got to them in time. Unlike your friend here, they don't seem to feel the need to run off prematurely either. They'll be fine. As for Van, he'll be in ICU until we can get his sat level back up into the 90's, then we'll run some tests and go from there. Excuse me." He was back at Van's bedside before Deaq could say thanks. They were hustled out of the room by a nurse that Deaq belatedly recognized as Brunhilda. Damn that woman.
Robert Parish sat at his desk, staring out the window. What a mess. Okay, they had broken the law. Several times. However, Bob didn't see what other actions they could have taken under the circumstances. The only possible exception was the death of McKussick. Van Ray might end up being charged with murder over it. Not fair, his mind argued. Ray was not well, thanks to McKussick. He was under stress and medically and emotionally unsound. And the good Lord knew that Bob couldn't bring himself to feel anything but relief at Nick McKussick's death.

To top everything, Hill was actually trying to get himself appointed as the new head of the Candy Store. Bob was not naïve enough, or stupid enough for that matter, to delude himself into believing that Hill would not be the death of the unit. The man just did not understand how such a unit was supposed to operate. Neither did he care. He had had it in for Billie and the Candy Store from the very beginning. Bob suspected that it was jealousy and chauvinism, but what could he do?

The words "civilian oversight committee" had been tossed around. Talk about driving the nails into the coffin. How long would it take for the news of the unit to hit the streets after that? How long before the enemy knew everything?

No, he couldn't let that happen. As nerve wracking as Ray and Hayes could be at times, the unit did work. It was important. He picked up the phone. He had to stop this disaster before the damage was irreparable.
Every day Van had asked about McKussick's accomplice, Gabriella. Had they found her? Any leads? Every day, Deaq had to tell him no. His pHartner was getting out of the hospital today. Deaq was surprised not to hear the question right away when he arrived to pick Van up. For four days, it had been the first thing out of Van's mouth. Now, Deaq supposed he was just glad to be getting out from under Grant's ever-observant eyes.

Deaq pulled into Van's hotel. Van was checking out. Well, Deaq was going to have a surprise for him when he did. Van had been moping about Hillary long enough. Deaq had arranged to have the girl meet him in the restaurant while Van put his luggage in the car. He had to imagine Van's face when she greeted him by his real name. He waited until Van's protest to reveal himself. True to form, Van babbled something about Batman and Kim Basinger. Yep, he was back to normal. Deaq reveled in that and his own ingenious match-making.

It had to be a quick match though, because they were expected at the Candy Store. He watched as Van said a few shy words to her, even telling her that he might not be a cop for much longer. Deaq had been thinking the same thing, but he damn sure wasn't going to say it aloud. That would make it too real. It was going to be real soon enough as it was. They both knew that the other shoe was about to drop. It was time to face the music. It had been too damn quiet while Van was recovering. Billie had been hedging the subject, too. Deaq's imagination had run the gamut of possibilities, from both of them being reassigned to being arrested. All the way to the Candy Store, he was reviewing the scenarios. As they entered the building, Van finally asked the question he had been expecting some time ago, and Deaq was so preoccupied that he had to take a second to answer. No, still nothing from Gabriella.

Damn, Hill and Parish were there. Neither man's presence could be good from Deaq's point of view. Moments later, he was proven right. He figured things could not get much worse. Until the phone rang.
Luckily, Nick had been the brains of the operation, Billie thought. Gabriella had injected the heroin into her muscle. In the vein would have only given Billie seconds before she felt the effects. But into the muscle gave her several minutes. She faked an immediate response and watched as Gabriella bought the act. Now, she only had to wait until Gabby got careless. She would get out of this. She knew Hill would stand in the way of her guys, but it wouldn't matter. Billie could free herself. Gabby was no mental giant. A few minutes were all she would need. Unless Gabriella overdosed her before she could find her opportunity.
"Please tell me this changes things." Van looked to Parish.

"We need those diamonds!" Deaq insisted.

"Don't you mean what's left of them after your little stunt?" Hill asked.

"Whatever!" Van screamed. "Captain Parish, don't let this jackass get Billie killed."

"Gee, why would I do that? Then I'd have to forgo seeing her brought up on charges along with the two of you. I think I'd like to rescue Ms. Chambers. The alternative would be no fun for me at all." Hill was smirking and Van wanted to knock that damn smug smile right off his face. He didn't get the chance though.

"That's Lieutenant Chambers to you, Hill." Parish spoke up.

"Of course. At least for the time being, right?"

The phone rang again, forestalling Van's tirade. Parish answered it. "Let me put you on speaker, Julianna," he said after a few moments. "Okay, we're all here but Lt. Chambers. She's been abducted by our missing perp."

"Oh dear, I'll let the commissioner know that. Hello, I'm Julianna Longtree from the Commissioner's Office. First of all, the commissioner sends his regards. Let's just get it out up front that he is not exactly pleased with what's been going on, but he does understand that much of it was unavoidable. Given that, here's his decision. There will be no civilian oversight committee. Such a thing would undermine the usefulness and efficiency of this unit. A unit that he thinks is beneficial, by the way. Secondly, Mr. Hill, you are report back to IA immediately. Your appointment there has been rethought. Officer Ray and Detective Hayes?"

"Yeah." Van held his breath. This was undoubtedly it.

"Both of you are to report to IA for a hearing in the death of Nicholas McKussick this afternoon at 3:00. Clear?"

"Yes, m'am."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, gentlemen. I've been in touch with Dr. Grant, at Captain Parish's request. Your doctor is going to be testifying in your behalf. According to him, you were medically compromised in such a way as to preclude you from being responsible for your actions. Do you understand?"

"Yes, m'am." It was not what he was expecting. The knot in his stomach began to unravel. He looked at Deaq to find his partner smiling at him. He gave a shaky half-smile in return.

"Good. Now, from this day forward, this unit is under the Commissioner's direct supervision. As you answer to your lieutenant, and your lieutenant answers to Captain Parish, Captain Parish will answer to the Commissioner. In addition, any questions about the operation of this unit will come through his office. This means, Mr. Hill, that if you happen to be allowed to continue in your assignment, you have absolutely no reason to contact the unit. You will come to this office and only this office. Is that clear?"

"Now wait just one damn minute here!" Hill was turning an alarming shade of red, and Van couldn't control the smile on his face. Glancing back at Deaq confirmed that his partner was loving this just as much as he was.

"Hill, do not make me repeat myself. Commissioner Douglas hates it when I tell him I've had to repeat myself. Hit the road. Your boss is waiting for you. He has things to discuss with you. Goodbye."

Hill did leave, cursing under his breath all the way out the door.

"Thanks, Julianna," Parish said quietly when the door slammed after Hill.

"You're welcome, Bob. Least I could do for my dad's partner. Oh, I'm to tell you that any time you're ready, there's still a place for you. Just do me a favor, okay? Don't screw this up. Right now, Frank is trusting our judgment, but one more problem, and I'm not sure that he won't really shut you down."

"Thank you, and thank your dad for me." Parish told her.

"Sure thing. Anyway, Frank has instructed IA to drop it, all of it. He's already been there this morning to explain to them, since they didn't seem to comprehend, just how a unit like this one works. I think you'll find Hill to be much less of a problem now. Then again, of course you will. Apparently, now he's my problem. One I can handle quite well, I assure you. Well, this was my good deed for the day. So go get your lieutenant, gentlemen. Anything you need, just call. Good luck."

"Does that anything apply to getting the diamonds back for Billie's ransom!?" Deaq blurted before the woman could hang up.

"Consider it done. Bye, Uncle Bob." She hung up.

"So, you have friends in high places, huh?" Deaq asked.

"Yeah."

"You had us worried, you know?"

"I didn't know if she was going to be able to pull any of it off. They could have decided not to listen."

"Who are they?"

"They are Assistant Director of the Governor's Council for Crime Prevention and my former partner, Charles Longtree and Police Commissioner Frank Douglas. Now until we get Billie back, you'll have to put up with me. And like the lady said, do not screw this up. This just may be our last chance." Parish got up and came around the desk. "Keep me posted. Let me know as soon as the woman calls back."

"Yes, sir," Van said quickly.

Parish nodded and left.

"Well, how about that?" Deaq grinned. "I was sure we were toast."

"You! What about me? I was trying to prepare myself for prison, man."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. Look, V, I'm sorry I didn't see that you were having problems."

"Deaq, we went through all that in the hospital. It's okay. Right now, we gotta get Billie back, man."

"You know it, partner. There are still a few things to settle first, though. You have no place to live, my brother."

"I thought maybe I could stay with you. You know, just until we find Billie, or actually, I was thinking, Deaq. I don't think I want another hotel room. I want a real place to live."

"Cool. Billie can set you up with a confiscated house. 'Bout time, really."

"No, Deaq. I want my own place."

"What? My place is my place. I know the PD technically owns it, but it's my place. It's got my stuff in it; I live there. Get my groove on there. Mine."

Van shook his head. "And next week the PD may decide to sell it at auction, and you'd be moving."

"Now, that ain't nice to remind me."

"But that's what I'm talking about. Budget cuts coulda put me out of that hotel, and a need for cash could put you out of that house. Then where would we be? I'm gonna have somewhere to go, man. I've got to."

"I feel you, Van. Okay, one week. One week, then you have to be elsewhere. And there will be rules, player."

"Of course, there would be."

"Rule number one, no Neil Diamond will be played in my house."

"Man, what is your problem with Neil?"

"V, normal people do not listen to Neil Diamond, which naturally explains why you listen to him. Rule number two, you can only talk to me for a total of one hour from the time we get home until we go to bed. As a matter of fact, that may be too much."

"Deaq!"

"And not all at once. You know, five minutes here and there. Twenty minutes at dinner, that kind of thing. Otherwise, I need my peace and quiet."

Van rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. Maybe this was a bad idea. Parish could get him another hotel approved. Deaq was still talking, but Van tuned him out. Instead, he focused his eyes on the telephone on Billie's desk. Gabriella was taking her time calling back, and Van's brain began to imagine what she was doing to Billie in the interim. He sighed.

"Do I need to write these down? Van, are you even paying attention to me?"

"Yeah, sure. I wish the phone would ring."

"You are not paying attention." Deaq frowned and leaned back in his chair. "I understand why though. I wish the damn phone would ring, too, V."

But it didn't ring. They spent the time until their appointment with IA trying to track down information on Gabriella. The last name she had given the bank when she applied for the job was a bust. Her references were non- existent. They ran her picture through the national database of wanted criminals and online mugshot books. In the end, they still had nothing. Maybe McKussick had introduced his lady to a life of crime. Either that, or she was so good she had never gotten caught. That last option was not an attractive one.

The clock ticked away until finally they had to leave for the dreaded IA interview. Despite everything Julianna Longtree had said, Van just could not believe that he was going to come out of the whole mess with his badge.