On Saturday February 5, 2005, my department experienced it's first non-domestic homicide in almost eight years. Because I was the responding officer, I have been allowed the responsibility of working with local and county investigators on the case. As a result, I am putting all non-work related activities on an indefinite hold until the suspect(s) are apprehended and all evidence is properly processed and prepared for trial. I hope for the sake of the victims and their families that an arrest is made within the week and we are all able to return to our normal operations. I apologize for the inconvenience, but this obviously takes priority over my story.

- recon228

Just wanted to let everyone know that yesturday (February 10), our investigation ended with the arrest of two individuals and the recovery of an object believed to be the murder weapon (Lab results still pending). While the case will not be 'officially closed' for some time, everyone has been returned to his or her regular shift.

I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to everyone for their patience and understanding during the investigation. I plan to have chapter 8 up in a few days.

- recon228

PS: I apparently bumped my story down into the PG-13 category by mistake. I considered leaving it there, but I feel that with the amount of language that has been (and will continue to be) used, it belongs in the R section. Feel free to let me know your opinion on the matter.

Hey all, just wanted to thank everyone again for their patience this past week and answer some reviews.

Godhand's Number: Thanks for the input about the Shego/Susan issue. I do know of at least two other officers who have taken a shot at fan fiction, although I don't know whether they were KP-related. One of our Sergeants is also currently working with an editor on a non-fiction novel about his involvement with the Green River murders. A lot of us find writing to be a beneficial stress-reliever (plus the MDC's in our patrol cars have Microsoft Word, for those occasional slow shifts). As for justice being served...well, given the fact that it was a double-homicide, it may be about two to three years before the suspects go to trial. I'm pretty confident, however, that the evidence and testimony recovered will ensure they get what they deserve.

aberaham tulip: Thanks for the complement on Ron's untapped talent. I've gotten the same impression from his character: 'buffoonish' at first glance, yet fully capable of handling himself if the situation arises. In general, I have tried to capture the emotions that the 'Disney' Kim and Ron would be feeling in this situation.

ChooseLife: I'm pretty much the 'regular' type of cop. It's a pretty small department, so there aren't as many special-assignment positions as may be found in a larger metropolitan police force. Thanks for the rating imput as well.

It should become pretty apparent early on in this chapter, but the italicized sections represent flashbacks. There are also a few segments that include accurate police radio transmissions. I feel I've done an adequate job of deciphering them the best I can, but if it's still hard to understand, I've added a glossary at the end of the chapter. With that said, enjoy chapter eight.

Chapter Eight

Luby's Café
Oelwein, Iowa – June 5 12:15

'It's funny how TV and movies never mention the little details like these.' Kim thought as she looked down at her raw and powder-burnt hands: the result of over four hours of shooting and loading ammo into magazines. 'Not to mention the fact that those earplugs didn't do a damned bit of good.' She added as the throbbing behind her eyes intensified. She looked across the padded booth at Ron, who was resting his elbows on the table and rubbing his forehead with the tips of his fingers, and a smile spread across her face. 'At least Mr. Super Shooter is suffering along with me.' She didn't realize she was staring until Ron spoke.

"You alright Kim?"

"Hmm? Oh…yeah, well…about as well as can be expected I guess." Much to her surprise she actually managed to avoid blushing, even though she was positive Ron had noticed her staring.

"Are ya sure?" He pressed. "Cause you acted a little…strange earlier." Kim gave her friend an aggravated look.

"And what's that supposed to mean Ron?"

"Well…back at the farm, when Shego arrived, you responded kinda…y'know…"

"I responded in a manner I felt was appropriate." Kim interrupted. "Would you have preferred I attack her?"

"No, I'm just…" He paused for a moment. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"…I know," Kim sighed. "And I appreciate your concern, I really do. You're doing the best you can to make this easier for me. And we will get through this. The best thing for me to do right now is to just focus on what has to be done and push my emotions aside. After that I can go home and have a nice big nervous breakdown." She glanced out the window toward the small drugstore that Sean and Shego had headed into when they first arrived and a small grin flashed across her face.

"What's so funny?" Ron inquired.

"Is it just me, or do Sean and Shego seem to be y'know…more than just co-workers?" She looked over at Ron who was smirking as well.

"Yeah, I kinda noticed a vibe from them as well. They sure do have matching personalities don't they?"

"That's for sure. And how about that shirt?" She snorted, referring to the design on their former adversary's shirt. "Where do you even buy something that blatantly offensive anyway?"

"I have no idea," Ron laughed. "But I'd say it sum's her character up pretty well, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

"S'cuse me? M-Mr. Policeman?" Sean turned his attention away from the blond-haired teen sitting across from him in the booth, focusing instead on the young girl standing nervously in front of their table.

'Oh great…here we go again.' He thought. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate all the kind words he was receiving from the public, he just felt…guilty: he felt guilty that they were the ones to give their lives, and yet he was the one getting the thanks.

"Um…" The young girl hesitated, glancing nervously behind her toward a middle-aged woman, most likely her mother, who was watching them from her place in line. "I…just wanted to thank you for protecting us…and, um…I'm sorry that your friends in New York got hurt." The young Reserve Officer forced a smile and nodded.

"What's your name honey?" The blonde Reserve sitting across from him inquired.

"Samantha."

"Well thank you Samantha," She spoke in a warm voice. "I…we appreciate that." The girl smiled before turning and shyly running back to her mother.

"Y'know," Sean sighed, looking down to make sure the black mourning-band was still in its proper place: stretching across the State of California seal on the face of his badge. "I don't know how much more of this empathy crap I can take. Earlier, I actually had a guy thank me for my 'heroic service' right after I issued him a 275 dollar citation. I mean…I never thought I'd say this, but what ever happened to people just saying 'Fuck you pig'?"

"Well," The blond Officer responded. "Times have changed Sean. Hell, two weeks ago the entire nation watched as those towers collapsed on live TV! People are scared and angry, they just want to be able to do something, even if it's nothing more than a simple 'thank you'." She cocked her eyebrows as her voice took on a mocking tone. "Why? Big bad Sean's afraid to let down his 'hard-ass cop' demeanor and show some compassion?"

"A little bit…yeah." He retorted jokingly.

"Well, you'd better get used to it buddy. Whether you like it or not, the public sees us as heroes now."

"That's just it Kate," Sean replied in a dismissive tone. "Me…you, we're not heroes. We're just a couple of high school kids doing our job. If anyone should be portrayed as a hero it should be Susan, she's the one skipping school to help with recovery operations at Ground Zero." He frowned suddenly, as if he had just remembered something important. "Speaking of which, I wonder when she gets back? We've got that History paper due Tuesday, and Mrs. Wood is such a bitch about late work…" He trailed off as a large grin spread across Kate's face. "What?"

"There's your answer right there." She stated, pointing toward the front of the restaurant. Sean turned his head just in time to see the raven-haired girl walk through the front doors and stroll swiftly towards them.

"Sean! Kate! I figured I'd find you two here." Susan said, as she dragged a chair from a nearby empty table and took a seat at the front of their booth.

"Yeah well…this is the department's unofficial sub-station y'know." Sean replied sarcastically: sweeping his hand across the inside of the restaurant. He didn't bother to ask her about New York, he knew there was nothing positive to be said about it anyway.

"No kidding," Susan's voice took on a mocking tone. "Hey, shouldn't you two be out fighting crime or something?" Kate flipped her the bird.

"You see!" Sean laughed. "That's what I want to hear from the public!" Susan gave him a questioning look.

"Long story." Kate informed the girl. "So, how are you holding up?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Oh y'know…" Susan sighed. "About as well as I can be, considering what I've been doing for the past eight days." She paused as a wicked grin slowly crawled its way onto her face. "Although…my mood did improve pretty quickly when I heard the news about you two."

"Oh yeah?" Sean asked with a straight face. "And uh, what news would that be?"

She gave him a cold stare before speaking. "Yeah right! Don't you dare try to deny it Sean, I've already confirmed through a very reliable source that you two are 'officially dating'."

"Alright fine," Sean responded casually, reaching across the table and placing his hand on top of Kate's. "In that case…I won't deny it." Susan stared at the couple open-mouthed before her face formed into a delighted smile.

"It's about damn time! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you two idiots to open your eyes and realize what you've got with each other?" She held her hand up in front of her face; her thumb and index finger about three centimeters apart. "I was this close to dating him myself Kate, just to knock some sense and awareness into you."

"Really?" Sean asked, intrigued.

"Hey!" Kate reached across the booth and smacked him playfully. The three teens broke into laughter for several seconds before Sean spoke up.

"Y'know Sue, we just got our food. If you want to order something, we can wait..."

As if on queue, the radio mic clipped to Sean's collar crackled to life. "25R9, do you have an ETA to clear your Code 7 for a 10-33 Audible?"

"Or not." Kate mumbled. Sean rolled his eyes before keying the mic and speaking in his 'professional' tone of voice.

"25R9 myself and Robert 10 are 10-8, go with the 10-33." He gave Susan an apologetic glance and mumbled "Residential Alarm".

"Copy 25R9 and 25R10 are 10-8. It's gonna be a 10-33 Audible at 42 Rowe Ln. cross of Hidden Valley Rd. Coming in via ADT Monitoring as a rear window glass-break, no subscriber info available at this time."

"R9 copy," Sean replied. "Route the info to my MDC and show myself and R10 49." He wrapped up his hamburger and grabbed two bags from the counter before turning to Susan. "Sorry Sue gotta roll."

"No problem, just give me a call when you two get off. We gotta go celebrate."

"You got it!" Kate yelled back as she followed Sean out the door to their parked cruisers.

"Sean…Sean? Sean!" The FBI agent snapped out of his daydream and turned to find Susan staring at him with a slightly worried look. "You ok?"

"Yeah…just uh, thinking about stuff." He replied.

"Alright just checking," She could tell by the look on his face prior to her interruption what 'stuff' he was thinking about. "I checked out already, lets head over to the restaurant."

"Thanks Sue…you got extra-strength right?" She reached into the bag and held out the bottle for him to read. "Cool, now those two can't say I never did anything for them."

"Compassionate as always I see." She joked.

"Like you're any better." He shot back.

Kim and Ron both looked up as Sean and Shego slid into the booth.

"Here," Sean said, placing the bottle of aspirin on the table. "Take three of these, they'll take care of that headache I'm sure you both have."

"Thanks." Kim said, opening the bottle and downing three capsules before passing it across the booth to Ron. "We ordered some cheeseburgers for you like you asked."

"Thanks."

"Hey Sean?" Ron spoke up. "I was wondering…"

"For the last time Stoppable," Sean groaned. "You're not getting an automatic weapon. I don't care how good you are, federal regulations are federal regulations. You and Kim are both getting semi-auto Bushmasters, end of story."

"I wasn't gonna ask that." Ron said defiantly, although in truth that was going to be his next question. "I was just wondering…um, are you and Shego, I mean Susan, like…" He paused as he tried to formulate the right words.

"More than just friends?" Shego supplied with an evil grin.

"…" Ron and Kim both blushed slightly.

"Yeah, we are." Sean answered casually.

"Really…so how long have you two been together?" Kim inquired.

"A little over two years," Shego said. "Although we've actually known each other since elementary school." Kim suddenly realized why Sean had so much first-hand knowledge about her and Ron's 'situation', not that she was about to point it out though.

"You don't have to worry about this affecting the mission Kim." Sean reassured her. "This isn't our first operation together. We keep it strictly business while in the field."

"I know." Kim replied. "I was thinking about something else."

"Well since I answered your question Ron," Sean said. "I've got a question of my own to ask you."

"Shoot."

"Your pal there," The agent continued, pointing to Rufus. "He's a naked mole rat, right?"

"Yeah?" Ron replied, not quite sure what Sean was getting at.

"…How the hell is he able to talk and understand what we say? I mean…he's a rat. Has he always been able to do that, or did you rescue him from a science lab or something?" Sean's question was met with three confused and agitated stares (four if you included Rufus himself). He waited a few moments for a response; but when it became apparent he wasn't going to receive one, he sighed in defeat. "Never mind…lets just eat and head back out."

"Did I ever tell you I've got an uncle who's an animator for Disney?" Kate asked Sean before biting into her hamburger. After responding to the alarm on Rowe Ln., the two Reserve Officers had been dispatched to a traffic accident which ended up taking over two hours to clear and had resulted in the arrest of both drivers for DUI. Now, armed with their long-cold hamburgers, the two teens were back at the station: arguing over whether to watch cartoons on Disney Channel, or another re-run of Law and Order on TNT.

"No," Sean responded. Already finished with his burger, he took the opportunity to turn to TNT. "Has he done anything I would recognize?"

"Well not for Disney, but he did work on Clerks: The Animated Series."

"Oh really?" He said, standing up and walking over to the fridge in the corner of the station's break room. "Chris' got those on DVD. I've only seen part of one episode, but it looked pretty funny."

"Yeah well, he and his crew just got the contract to create a new Disney Channel cartoon and he told me a little about the basic storyline they've come up with. I forget what it's gonna be called, but it sounds like it might be pretty successful, it's kinda like a Disney version of Laura Croft; y'know, with a strong ass-kicking female as the main character."

"Hmm," Sean replied; feigning interest as he opened the fridge and removed a can of soda. "Sounds interesting, when's it supposed to come out?"

"I think they're aiming for next year sometime, but I'm not positive."

"I wonder if it'll get much of a following? There's not many cartoons out now with strong female leads…" He stopped as his stomach let out a deep unsettled growl. "Aw man…I knew we should have thrown those burgers out. Fast food is not meant to go more than fifteen minutes between production and consumption."

"I ate it too, and I'm feeling fine." Kate giggled.

"Laugh all you want woman," He shot back, heading towards the bathroom. "But there's only one bathroom in this place, and I'm going to be in it!"

Sean approached the bathroom door and, finding it closed, glanced back at his girlfriend with a nervous look on his face. "Hey Kate…is anyone in here?" She couldn't help but laugh. Sean had been nervous, no paranoid, of using the bathroom in the station ever since he accidentally walked in on the Chief of Police's sixteen year old daughter three weeks earlier. He had knocked prior to entering, but because she was listening to music on her headphones, she didn't hear him until it was too late.

"You could always try knocking." The blond laughed.

Sean gave Kate a dirty look before turning, banging on the bathroom door, and shouting, "Police officer, search warrant!" When no one answered, he cautiously opened the door, gave her a thumbs-up, and went inside.

"One of a kind that boy." Kate muttered happily to herself before turning the TV back to Disney. One thing was certain: she definitely loved cartoons more than he did, though he was slowly starting to come around.

Sean hadn't been in the bathroom more than thirty seconds when the radio once again came to life. "25R9, 10-63 on a 10-33 Audible."

"God damn it!" He yelled through the door.

"Want me to tell them you're in your office?" Kate laughed.

"It's not funny!" He yelled back from his 'office'.

"Relax diarrhea-boy, I'll take it." The blonde yelled back before keying her shoulder mic. "25R10, Robert 9 is 10-7 for the next few minutes, go ahead and route me the 10-33."

"If it's at Rowe Ln. again I swear to god I'm gonna fire-bomb something! We've already been there twice today!"

"25R10 copy, it's gonna be a 10-33 Audible at 42 Rowe Ln…"

"Son of a bitch!" Kate laughed.

"25R10 49," She replied into the mic before yelling to her boyfriend, "Don't crap out any vital organs Sean."

"Yeah-yeah, just call me if you need any assistance." He yelled back.

June 5 – 13:20

"Alright," Sean announced as he and Shego once again returned from the barn with armloads of equipment. "As before, the same four safety rules apply." He placed his bag on the table and removed two compact assault rifles: placing one in front of each teen.

"M-16's?" Ron asked, his mouth almost watering. "I thought you said we don't get automatic weapons?"

"First off," Sean corrected him. "These are semi-automatic, just like your Glocks. And second, they're not M-16's; that's a military designation, and these aren't military, they're civilian models."

"Wait, you mean these kind of weapons are available to civilians?" Kim asked stunned.

"Yup," Sean replied sarcastically. "Apparently the NRA and the Gun Lobby feel that when our founding fathers drafted the Second Amendment, they intended for it to include modified military rifles and high-capacity magazines." Kim shook her head in disgust.

"So what is it then…I mean, if it's not an M-16?" Ron inquired, examining the black rifle lying in front of him.

"It's a Bushmaster M4A2 Patrolman's Carbine." Sean said. "But we just refer to it as a Bushmaster for short." He reached into his bag and removed a third rifle: similar to Kim and Ron's, only with several obvious external modifications.

"Oh cool!" Ron cooed. "I call that one."

"Sorry Stoppable," The agent replied. "But this is my baby. It's a Bushmaster M4A3 Government Carbine: it's essentially the same as yours, but with the added feature of full-auto fire capability." He held the rifle up to display its external features. "In addition to being a full-auto, it has a removable carrying handle which has allowed me to mount a Trijicon ACOG TA01NSN Special Forces Sight. I've also added a B.M.A.S. Four-rail Forward Handguard and installed a Surefire M900A Vertical Foregrip System and an infrared laser sight. The barrel has been modified to accept a quick-detach sound/flash suppressor as well."

Ron stared intently as Sean named off the various features of his rifle: ogling it like a high performance sports car. Kim, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less. A gun was a gun to her, as long as it helped get her father back safely it could have a damned grenade launcher on it for all she cared.

"Now," Sean continued. "If there are no more questions, lets get to it."

June 5 - 18:15

"Well at least my head isn't pounding like it was earlier." Kim thought out loud. After almost five hours of practice, Sean had finally decided the two teens were properly trained and decided to call it a day.

"No kidding, plus these Bushmaster magazines are a lot easier to load than the Glock mags were; really made it easier on the fingers." Ron added: pulling back the T-shaped charging-handle on his rifle and checking for live rounds. Confirming that the gun was empty, he flipped it to 'Safe' and placed it into the padded case Sean had provided for both of them earlier.

"Alright," The FBI agent announced walking up to the two. "Here's the plan; Ron, you and Kim are gonna take my Crown Vic and head back to the hotel." He tossed the Ford's keys to Ron. "Susan and myself are gonna take the Jeep and pick up a pizza to bring back to the room."

"Cool," Ron said eying the keys in his hand. "I always wanted to drive a cop car." The two teens turned and started heading toward the unmarked sedan: weapon cases in hand.

"Hey Stoppable?" Ron turned back toward the agent, just as Shego emerged from the barn: having finished loading all of the gear except for Kim and Ron's weapons, which Sean had insisted they keep in their possession for the remainder of the operation.

"Yeah?"

"Don't dick around with the lights and siren. I don't want you two rolling Code 3 through Iowa in a government vehicle."

"Hey relax," He replied in his typical 'Ron' voice. "You can trust me."

"Not likely" Shego muttered to herself. As the teens pulled away down the dirt road, she walked up and placed her hand on the agent's shoulder. "Don't worry Sean," She reassured her boyfriend. "They're gonna do fine."

"I hope so Sue," Sean muttered. "I hope so." They turned to head to his car, but suddenly stopped as a familiar siren flared up nearby and continued for about twenty seconds before cutting off in the distance, Sean just shook his head and muttered, "Remind me to smack that little fucker when we get back."

Super 8 Hotel
Oelwein, Iowa – June 5 19:00

Kim emerged from the bathroom to find her friend once again parked in front of the television with Rufus asleep on the armrest. "Hey KP, Fargo just started on HBO! You wanna watch?" Fargo was one of Ron's favorite movies (why, Kim had no idea) and he often recited lines from memory.

"No thanks Ron," Kim responded. She was not in the mood to watch a dark-comedy about a botched kidnapping. "I'm gonna double check that I've got everything in order for tomorrow night."

"Are ya sure?" He asked in a surprisingly well-done Minnesota accent. "Body in a wood chipper." Kim smiled. She couldn't help but envy Ron's humorous disposition. Here they were; in the Middle of Iowa, about to go up against the most dangerous villains (if you could even call them 'villains') they had ever faced, and yet he was still able to provide her with his usual level of 'Ron-shine'.

She sat down on the bed next to the black-canvas rifle case that contained the Bushmaster Sean had given her. She let a sigh creep its way out of her lungs as she unzipped the case and withdrew the assault rifle. 'Am I really prepared to do this?' She asked herself as her index finger traced along the Bushmaster logo, a coiled rattlesnake, printed on the receiver. She gripped the hard-plastic pistol grip and took quick aim at one of the pictures hanging on the wall: allowing her finger to creep over the trigger and depressed it slowly, flinching slightly as the rifle dry-fired with a muted 'click'. Lowering the rifle, she looked up and found Ron glancing over the top of his recliner with a worried look on his face.

"Ron," She asked, returning her gaze to the rifle lying across her lap. "How do you feel about the possibility of taking a human life?" The blond teen thought for a moment before answering.

"Well…I've never really thought about it until just now." He paused. "I guess if it comes down to it, I'm willing to…kill, if it's necessary to protect your father or us. I won't like it, but I'll do it if I have no choice." He paused again, looking at his friend with caring eyes. "How do you feel about it Kim?" The redhead took a deep breath.

"Well sitting here, I feel the same way you do about it. But out there, if I'm actually faced with the decision to shoot…I'm worried I may not be able to go through with it and I'll hesitate."

"You don't have to worry about that." Sean said as he and Shego (pizza in hand) closed the front door. "If you're faced with the need to use deadly force, which I hope you won't be, you won't hesitate."

"But…" Kim began: only to be interrupted by Shego.

"Sean's right Kim. You spent close to ten hours on the range today just to ensure you won't hesitate." The teen gave her a slightly confused look. "The actual familiarization element was a major part of your training, this is true. But there was a reason we made you stand on the firing line and shoot on command, as opposed to just hours of free shooting."

"Let me ask you a question Kim," Sean said, jumping back into the conversation. "After a while, when I gave you the command to shoot, did you need to take any time to think about what needed to be done, or did you just act on reflex?"

"Um, reflex…I guess." Kim replied.

"It's no different when you're in the field; if someone shoots at you or poses an immediate threat to your safety you'll act on reflex, it's no different than on the range."

"Well, until it's all over at least." Shego added grimly.

"What do you mean by that?" Kim asked.

"I'm not gonna lie to you Kim," Sean said with a deep sigh. "The first time you take a human life…it really fucks with your mind. You'll find yourself asking questions like 'did I do the right thing, did I have to kill him?' But it's all a normal reaction and you get over it pretty quickly."

"Well that's reassuring…I think," Kim replied, placing her rifle back into its canvas case. "At least now I know I won't hesitate."

"You'll do fine," Sean reassured her. "You both will."

"Enough with the shooting and death already," Shego said, placing the extra-large pizza on the table. "Let's eat, I'm starvin'."

"Well isn't this ironic," Ron thought out loud. "Me and Shego actually agree on something."

"Yeah, before we get into that," Sean said, stepping between Ron and the pizza. "You and I need to have a little discussion about that siren I heard shortly after you two drove away."

"Uh-oh!" Rufus squeaked before taking refuge in Ron's cargo pocket.

"Where are you guys going?" Kim asked the two agents. After thoroughly chewing out Ron about his 'joy-ride' and finishing their pizza, Sean and Shego (well, mostly Shego) had changed into more casual clothes and were re-holstering their weapons.

"C'mon Possible," Sean chided. "We don't actually have to be up and about 'til four pm tomorrow. We're gonna hit a bar…or five."

"You two are welcome to come with if you want." Shego offered.

"No thanks," Kim replied. "I don't drink."

"Suit yourself," Sean said, withdrawing several folded twenty-dollar bills from his jean pocket and offering them to Ron, who was once again seated in front of the TV. "Here's a hundred bucks; we'll probably be out until mid-morning, so feel free to do what you want…." When he slapped the cash into Ron's open hand, the teen noticed the presence of another item tucked into the wad. His cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson as he read the small square package and turned his gaze to the FBI agent standing over him. "Just don't do anything too crazy." Sean added with a discreet wink. Ron quickly shoved the latex device into his pocket before Kim noticed.

On their way out the door, Sean paused and retrieved the Ford keys from the table, shooting Ron a bitter look as he placed them in his pocket. "I think I'll take these with me."

"Hey-hey, you practically gave me permission when you told me not to use the siren. It's reverse-psychology and you know it!" Ron replied defensively. Sean opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and walked out after Shego.

For the first half-hour, the activity inside the hotel room remained relatively inactive: Ron flipped through the channels, absently searching for something mindless to watch, as Kim lay on the bed behind him, trying to build up the courage to do what she knew had to be done.

'C'mon Possible, you can do this…just remember the advice your mom gave you about Josh…it's the same thing; deep breath, and take the plunge.' Her mind lectured.

'But what if Sean and I are majorly misinterpreting?' She argued back. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way I do? Or what if he doesn't take me seriously and thinks it's just the stress talking?' She lay staring at the ceiling for several seconds before making up her mind.

"Aw fuck it." She whispered, taking a deep breath and sitting upright. "Hey Ron…um, can I talk to you about something?" Ron turned off the TV and took a seat next to Kim on the bed, his worried look back with a vengeance.

"Of course Kim," He reassured his friend. "I'm here for you, you know that."

"…" She took another deep breath. "It's…about what happened on the side of the road yesterday."

"Oh…" He said, looking down momentarily to hide his blush. "Hey listen, I know you're going through a lot right now…and you were just stressed…really, it's no big." He assured her, trying his best to sound understanding: though Kim could clearly detect the disappointment in his voice.

"Ron," She said softly, placing her hand on his leg. "That's just it…I don't think that kiss was stress-induced." She saw his eyes widen slightly. "Ever since the Moodulator incident, I've been…noticing things about you and I; things I tended to overlook or dismiss before." Her voice began to quiver. "And as terrified as I am to say this…I-I…" She trailed off; dropping her head as her eyes began to tear-up.

Ron reached over and lifted her head up: looking her in the eyes and speaking in a warm and tender voice Kim had never heard him use before. "Kim…" He paused and she noticed that his eyes were tearing as well. "I love you Kim." This time it was the 'buffoon' who initiated the kiss.

As she felt the warmth of his lips touch hers, her mind was suddenly flooded with a series of mental snapshots. It was like her and Ron's past, present, and future was flashing before her eyes: her first day of pre-school when she and Ron first met, their first day at Middleton High when she had to pry him out of the car and drag him into the building kicking and screaming, their first kiss and the look on Wade's face when he interrupted it, and then there were two additional images. The first image was of her, dressed in a flowing white dress, being led by her father up the isle to where Ron happily waited. The second image was her lying in a hospital bed: smiling as her husband rocked their baby in his arms while tears rolled down his cheeks. The beautiful thing about those two images was that neither one freaked her out. In fact, a part of her was looking forward to them.

She slowly backed away from Ron's kiss and looked at him with tear-stained eyes. "I love you too Ron…and…I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize it."

"Apology accepted." He replied with a smile: gently wiping the tears from her cheeks and kissing her again.

'Man,' Sean thought as he exited the bathroom: savoring the fresh air that greeted him. 'I hope I didn't get E Coli or something.' The cheeseburger had kept him in the bathroom for nearly fifteen minutes and had left him feeling like he'd just had Drain-O run through his system: and to make matters worse, he was hungry again.

"Just no more cold-cheeseburgers" He told himself before keying his shoulder-mic. "25R9 10-8, has Robert 10 updated her status yet?" He'd never heard her go Code 4, which would indicate she didn't need any assistance.

"25R9 negative," The female dispatcher replied through the square mic on his shoulder. "I was just about to check."

"25R9 copy, thank you." Sean said as he took a seat in the lounge, scoffing at the fact that Kate had turned back to Disney while he was 'occupied'.

"25R10 update your status." There was no response. "25R10 do you copy?" Sean muted the television and turned the volume up on his radio. "Pacific County Dispatch to unit 25R10, please respond, are you Code 4 on your 10-33?" Nothing. Sean grabbed his baton from the table and headed for the door. "25R9 I'm not getting a response from Robert 10." The dispatchers replied casually.

"25R9 show me 49 to her location and continue trying to raise her please." He said, fumbling for his car keys.

"25R9 copy." The dispatcher answered, a slight hint of annoyance and frustration in her voice.

As Sean pulled the cruiser out of the station parking lot, he tried his best to stay calm. "This is nothing to worry about," He told himself as the dispatcher continued attempting to raise Kate. "Radio reception sucks in that area anyway…not to mention these Motorola's the chief assigns us aren't worth their weight in shit." His optimism was suddenly shattered as the radio let out three sharp 'beeps'. The beeps were a special command that dispatch used to precede an important message: it meant 'everyone shut the fuck up and listen'.

"Attention 25Y3 and 25R9," The dispatcher's voice now had a hint of apprehension to it. "We're just receiving word via CHP transfer of a Prom-shoot in the area of Rowe Ln. and Hidden Valley Rd. Caller reported hearing four to five shots as she drove down Hidden Valley Rd. approximately ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes ago! Fuck!" Sean shouted as he reached over and flipped a switch on the center console: outside the night was turned into a surreal red and blue lightshow as the cruiser howled down the road at close to eighty. "25R9 show me responding Code 3." He shouted into the mic. Department regulations required that he get authorization from a Sergeant or Watch Commander before initiating a Code 3 run, but he really didn't give a damn right now.

"25Y3," Fred Johnson, the sole paid officer on duty, spoke up. "I copy 25R9's Code 3 response. I'm still 10-7 at the county jail with my in-custody's, can you start a few outside units for me?" Normally it would have been Sean or Kate booking arrestees into custody since they were the Reserves, but Fred had been trying to get 'personal' with the In-take Deputy at the jail. Before dispatch could respond, a fourth voice interrupted.

"Uh, h-hello? Can anyone hear me?" Whoever it was, it wasn't a police officer: the complete lack of 'patrol-jargon' and panicked voice was a dead giveaway.

"This is Pacific County Police Services," The dispatcher announced. "You are broadcasting on a restricted frequency, if you do not have an emergency please get off of this channel or you will be prosecuted in accordance with FCC regulations." The unknown caller's response sent the channel into frenzy.

"I-I need an ambulance at 44 Rowe Ln!" The caller pleaded. "A police officer has been shot!"

"ALL UNITS CODE 33 THIS CHANNEL. REPEAT, CODE 33 THIS CHANNEL FOR AN OFFICER DOWN AT 44 ROWE LN. IN PACIFIC HEIGHTS!"

'Oh Jesus Christ! Oh fuck no!' Sean's mind screamed as his boot smashed the accelerator against the cruiser's firewall, sending the overworked Caprice into the triple-digits.

"Sir!" The dispatcher said, addressing the unknown civilian on the other end. "We have medical personnel en route! Can you advise on the extent of the officer's injuries?"

"S-she's dead! Oh God I-I think she's dead!" That was the last coherent thing Sean heard that night.

June 5 – 23:15

"What?" Sean said, looking up from what had to be his sixth Jägermeifter. He knew Susan had said something, but he hadn't heard what it was.

"I said, what do you think those two are up to right now?" Susan answered, slamming down yet another shot of Southern Comfort.

"Well for my sake they better be going at it like weasels right now." He said before taking another sip of his drink: letting the German beer slide down his throat. Susan arched one of her eyebrows in confusion. "Hey," The FBI agent responded: only slightly tipsy from the alcohol he had imbibed. "I gave up getting laid tonight so they could have the room to themselves, to 'talk things over'." He used his fingers to indicate quotation marks.

"Who says you're not getting laid tonight?" The raven-haired woman replied with a seductive smile.

"You reserve us a second room I don't know about?" Sean asked optimistically.

"No," Susan said: her seductive smile turning into an evil smirk. "But that park down the street looks pretty private to me."

"Ooh…naughty!" Sean replied in a mock-British accent. "But seriously Sue, we're federal agents and need to act in a manner that reflects positively on the US Government."

"Hmm, yeah...you coming or not?" The NSA agent asked, standing up and offering him her hand.

"Yeah ok." Sean laughed as he took her hand and was led out the back.

- I originally planned to end this chapter with that last flashback, but decided at the last minute to include the bar scene (after a week of death I wanted to end it on an upbeat note). Chapter 9 will be up in a week or two. Till then, keep those reviews coming.

Radio Jargon Glossary

At Godhand's Number's recommendation, I have decided to add this glossary for anyone who still doesn't understand the 'radio jargon' used above.

Call Signs: In the area I work (As well as most areas of California), all law enforcement units are given a call sign that is divided into three subgroups. Take Sean's call sign 25R9 for example; the first part of his call sign - 25 represents the individual department, in this case the fictional town of Pacific Heights. The numbers usually begin at 1, for the County Sheriff, and increase by town incorporation: so Pacific Heights would be the twenty-fifth town incorporated in Pacific County.

The letter that follows the agency ID number is used to identify what type of unit it is. For example: R, or Robert as it's pronounced phonetically, is used to identify the unit as a Reserve. There are also letters designating beat units (X, Y, and Z for Day, Swing, and Graveyard Shift), Watch Commanders (W), K-9 Officers (K9), and any other special-detail assignments (SWAT, Aero, Coroner, etc.).

The second set of numbers can mean two things. In the case of beat units (X, Y, or Z), the number represents what beat (Area of the city) they are assigned to. So for example; Fred Johnson (25Y3) would be a Pacific Heights Swing Shift unit working Beat 3. In the case of non-beat units like 25R9 and 25R10, the last number merely increases from1 for every individual person with the same call sign prefix. Kate for example, being R10, would have been the tenth Reserve Officer ever hired by Pacific Heights PD, and would have been hired right after Sean who is R9.

Radio Codes: The number one most confusing element of 'radio jargon' is without a doubt the radio codes. In law enforcement communications, radio codes are used both as a shorthand method of communication, and as a way of concealing information from prying ears who listen in on scanners. The basic sets of codes are known as the 'ten codes' because they start with a '10'. There are, however, several hundred individual codes to represent everything from mealtime to the newest addition: necrophilia (Which has just now been outlawed in the State of California after three years of debate). Below I have defined a few codes used in this chapter.

Code 3: Emergency Response - Use of Lights and Siren Authorized

Code 4: No Further Assistance Needed (I'm alright)

Code 7: Mealtime

Code 33: Tac Emergency - Used in the event of an 'unusual occurrence', it essentially turns the channel into a tactical frequency (which means all codes are out the window and officers can converse informally) and forces anyone not involved onto another channel. It also exempts the channel from some FCC guidelines: so if you swear, it's all right as long as there's some understandable reason to do so (If you're under fire from AK-47's, you can probably get away with yelling 'fuck' a few times).

10-7: Out of Service/Unavailable

10-8: In service/Available

10-33 (Audible): Alarm (Audible)

10-49: En Route

10-63: Prepare to Copy Info (Usually means you're getting a call for service)

Prom-Shoot: Promiscuous Shooting - Means someone hears (or thinks they hear) gunshot(s) but haven't actually seen anyone fire a gun.

There are also certain ten codes that can be used without the '10' prefix, because they are known to be ten codes. An example of this would be '10-49'. There is no '11-49 or Code 49', so everyone understands what you're saying if you just transmit "I'm 49 the location".

Also, for those of you who are wondering, MDC stands for Mobile Data Console and is the computer found in most patrol cars.