A.N. All I know about Luis being a cop is that he isn't the Chief. So I'm going to say he's a Lieutenant (if I'm right woo-ho, if I'm wrong who cares since it's my story.) Also I added another element that will sort of show up in this chapter but you might not be able to find it, I tried to hide it, don't know how well I did on that but it will show up in later chapters.

Chapter 9

February 13, 2005

Police Station

It's lunchtime when Sam ambles up to Luis's desk, he's been meaning to have a talk with his daughter's boyfriend but the conversation was moved to the back burner. For the past month he and his former flame, Ivy, had been rekindling the fire that had never completely gone out.

Grace for a week after Christmas has tried to get back into his good graces but he wouldn't have any of it. So finally she ceased to come by the house, he still saw her around town, which was a given, but neither made an attempt to speak to one another.

"Hey Luis, why don't you and I go down to the Book Café and get a cup of coffee? It's been a while since we've talked and caught up." Although he's sure the reason for that was because Luis was dating his daughter and it was awkward to talk to a friend about the girl he's dating when the girl is his friends daughter.

Luis glances around his desk, mentally checking if he had anything that needed to get done at the moment, he didn't. "Sure Sam, let me finish this last thing on this report, file it, and then get my jacket. I actually have something I want to talk to you about too."

Sam nods his head, walks back to his desk, grabs his jacket, and waits for Luis to finish doing what he has to do. He wants to be one hundred percent certain that Luis loves Kay and Maria and will do right by them. After the fiasco with Miguel shirking his responsibilities to Maria and then blowing up at Kay's birthday party last month over how Luis was replacing him in his daughter's and Kay's life.

He even told his brother that the only reason Kay was with Luis was because she couldn't have him. Then he went on about how Kay was supposed to be true to him and a whole bunch of other possessive and jealous bullshit. Charity now refuses to even speak to him, needless to say the wedding is off and his niece blames Kay for ruining another wedding of hers.

Finished, Luis places the small stack of papers back into his desk and closes it. "All right Sam I'm ready if you are." He shrugs his coat on and turns off his desk lamp.

Together the friends exit the police station and out into the cold February afternoon. "So, is your friendship with Beth any better than what it was a month ago?" Last month Beth was at the grocery store picking up supplies for her mother and saw Luis and Kay standing next to the hot fudge, something that he didn't need to know, and Luis necking with her, another fact that was an over-share from his point of view. It's safe to say Beth wasn't happy about that in the least. Since then their friendship was on the rocks.

"No, Beth still thought even after all this time that she and I would be together in the end. That didn't happen, nor will it ever, I don't see Beth like that not anymore. First there was Sheridan and now there's Kay, so I'm not exactly her favorite person now a days." Luis kicks at some left over snow from the previous week.

"Luis…" Sam begins.

"Sam…" Luis speaks at the same time. They chuckle and Sam motions to Luis letting him know that he could speak first.

"Listen, I want you to know that Kay and I love each other, after Sheridan I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I could love someone as much if not more than loved Sheridan. Lately things between us have…" he searches for the right word, "deepened."

Sam cringes, not really needing a whole lot of detail but he could see that his Lieutenant needed to get out what he was thinking. "I noticed that." He eases his hands into his jacket pockets as the duo continues their stroll to the Book Café.

"Well, she and I have been talking a lot about our future, last week we agreed to move in with each other." Luis sees Sam's jaw tighten but he stays quiet. "She's at the apartment far more than at Tabitha's anyway. Hank's moving out at the end of the week and then Kay and Maria are moving in. Maria will have Hank's old room, Kay wants to do some artwork in there for her, Hank hasn't even packed yet and she already has ideas on how to decorate Maria's room." He smirks in amusement.

"Why do I think that's not all you wanted to tell me today?" Although he knows Kay is an adult and has a child he can't help but not want her to move in with Luis. It's not that he doesn't trust his friend and employee but Kay's his daughter, he'd be upset with anybody.

Luis licks his lips in nervousness and plays with his keys in his pocket. "You're right. I've been thinking about this since a little before Kay's birthday. And it's really sudden but everything just feels so right. Tomorrow after Kay and my Valentine's dinner I'm going to ask her to marry me." Sam stops in his tracks and stares directly into Luis's eyes.

"Are you sure that's wise? You've only been with her three and a half months. Isn't that a little too soon?" Not pleased at all by this decision of marriage after a short period of time.

"I know we haven't been seeing each other that long, but every time I look at Kay or think of Kay all this love wells up inside me for her. And Maria, God I love that little girl, she feels like she's mine, even though I know Miguel is her biological father. When I look at that sweet child I feel like I'm her father. I don't plan on marrying Kay right away though, I know she'll want to wait at least a little while longer before we walk down the aisle but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I want her as my wife someday. And I want your blessing to marry her."

Sam breathes deeply and paces back and forth in front of the anxious man. "I guess that answers a lot of questions I was going to ask you today." He runs his hand across his chin feeling the stubble that he'd have to shave tomorrow morning before his date with Ivy.

"I had this huge speech about how you better never hurt my baby girl, and if you did I'd take you out to the shooting range and use you as a target. How having and raising a child was a huge responsibility and if it was going to be difficult for you considering Maria isn't your biological child." He stops pacing and stares into the Lt.'s eyes. "I see now none of that was necessary. As for giving you my blessing…my answer is yes you have it. I truly believe that you love Kay and Maria and that you would do anything and everything to protect them."

Luis smiles and embraces his friend and boss tightly. "Thank you Sam."

"Nah, don't thank me, just take care of those two girls. Those are two of my three little princess's and if they're hurt by you I can guarantee you that my shooting range threat will come true." He pats Luis on the back and they continue on their way to the Book Café.

TBC

Next Chapter: Valentine's Day with some of the couples of Harmony.