-1I was down in LA for 2 weeks visiting some family which is the reason you guys have not heard from me… But thank you so much for your reviews and here is the chapter you have been waiting for, the lunch scene featuring… More like introducing officer McCann, Enjoy and as always let me know what you think, the good the bad and the ugly.

"I can't believe I agreed to do this…" Hanson growled now sitting in the front of Dennis' car while his friend filled the gas tank before heading the rest of the way to the restaurant where they were meeting this mystery guest. Hanson knew he owed Booker for wheat he and Penhall had done, but he never thought this was the price he was going to pay… Lunch with a stranger…

"Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?" He asked slightly annoyed as Dennis climbed back into the drivers seat immediately lighting a smoke without even rolling down the window out of courtesy.

"I told you we are going to lunch, and that is all you need to know."

"Hey Dennis?"

"Hmmm?"

Hanson rolled down the window as he spoke clearing his throat and smirking to himself as the image his thoughts were painting in his mind, "You know the first thing I'm going to do when I get my legs back?"

"Whatsat?" Dennis glanced over as he stopped at a red light and Hanson took a moment to watch as he sucked on the butt of his cigarette and blew the smoke out.

"I'm going to kick you in the ass…"

"Tom, if you get your legs back I'll gladly bend over and make it easier for you to kick me in the ass man…"

"You don't think I could do it?"

"Well…"

"You don't think I could take you one on one?"

"Come on Hanson… That's not what I meant man…"

"I mean it Book, you and me do you think I could take you?"

"Honestly?" Dennis' brow rose and he shook his head, "No.. no I don't." He pulled into the parking lot of a close by Denny's and shut the engine off before looking over toward Hanson again noting the look of disgust on the other man's face… "Come on Hanson…"

"We'll see…" Tom snarled adjusting his sunglasses his arms crossed over his chest.

"I didn't mean to bend you out of shape…"

"Well you did."

"I can see that." Booker sighed and helped him into the now unfolded chair a feat that still tied his stomach in knots but that was getting easier as time went on.

Officer Anthony McCann was biting nervously on his lip as the waitress came over and refilled his coffee cup for the second… No the third time. His mind was reeling as he thought about what he was about to do… He never wanted to talk about this again, to drudge up the past and relive it… He had put it all behind him, moved on… and well now…. Here it came again.

Closing his eyes he cleared his throat wiping his hands on his jeans as he felt sweat form on them. He was helping someone… Doing good, this guy, this Hanson needed something… someone and maybe he could be that person…He decided at that moment sitting there only seconds before meeting this guy , that he would push all his own shit aside and focus on the case before him… Work… Another day at the office, that's how he had to view this…

He was seriously fooling himself if he thought that was how this was going to be and even he knew that.

As he stepped into the restaurant pushing Hanson in front of him Dennis pulled his sunglasses off of his eyes and put them into his spiked and geled hair spotting Mac before the waitress could even finish her welcome to Denny's speech. Cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Mac!" He smiled his sly and yet strangely genuine smile the kind that made his cheeks crinkle and his teeth show.

"Hey Book." A young man on the other end of the room stood up from his seat, Hanson surveyed the youngster carefully he was dressed quite shaggily in a pair if torn old blue jeans and an old faded black t-shirt his hair curly and uncombed.

"He's the reason you drug me away from work early?" Tom chuckled to himself noting the man they were now approaching was giving him the same once over that he had done moments before.

Mac Looked from Booker to the guy in the wheelchair making it a point not to let any sort of sympathetic look cross his features… He could tell from the first glance that Hanson had not been bound by this metal contraption long, his muscles were still in fair shape his body firm and cut like an athlete, from physic alone he knew this man must have been at one time a damn good cop.

"How goes it bro?" He asked giving Dennis one of those macho manly hug things that men always do, you know that… I'm glad to see you but don't get to close type hug?

"It goes man, and it goes and it goes…" Booker leaned down and set the brake on Hanson's chair before taking his seat.

"I know the feeling…"

"Officer Tony MaCann Meet Officer Tom Hanson…" Booker nodded already picking up the menu and browsing through it.

"Hey Tom." Mac extended his hand.

"Hanson…"

"I'm sorry… Hanson it is then, I know the feeling…" He took his seat once more before continuing, "My friends call me Mac."

Tom nodded before going to look at his own menu his mind replaying the same question over and over again as he tried to focus on the entrees before him, What the hell am I doing here….

"So what do you think of California so far?" Dennis asked trying to break the ice, its not like the first words out of his mouth were going to be tell us how you were shot and fix my friend here,….

"Well I've only seen the airport and now the Denny's but… I already don't know why you left New York for this place."

"The cheese." Hanson mumbled before turning the page of his menu without looking up or even acknowledging the conversation.

"Huh?" Both men asked there eyes looking to him.

"We have better cheese here…" He sighed and closed the menu setting it down in front of himself and leaning back in his chair putting his arms behind his head in a bored and slighting annoyed gesture closing his eyes.

"I don't even eat cheese Hanson."

"Oh… So why are we here again?"

"I thought it would be nice for you to come out with me and meet my friend Mac…"

"Come on Dennis, you and I wouldn't have lunch together if hell were freezing over and we were the last two people on the face of the earth…"

McCann smiled at that even as a look of confusion found its way to his face, why the hell did Dennis want to help this guy? "The truth is Hanson, Book here called me because he thought that I might be able to help you and your situation…"

"Oh… and what has dear old Dennis here told you about my situation?" Hanson picked a toothpick up from the small bin on the table and began to chew on it looking at the man to which his question was directed curiously.

"Just that you were shot and you weren't coping and he thought that maybe I could talk to you and open you up a little since I've been well.. In a similar situation before…"

Tom smirked and tilted his head looking under the table, "Funny you look fine to me…"

Mac sighed, "I wasn't always…"

"And that gives you a degree in what cripple healing 101?"

"Let's get this straight I'm not here to heal you alright… I'm here to help you because obviously you don't want to help yourself and you won't let those closest to you do a damn thing other than cater to you like a puppy…"

"Excuse me?" Hanson's eyes grew double in size, Just who the hell did this guy think he was?

"You heard me." Mac took a drink of his coffee before continuing, "I've only known you for all of 3 minutes and I already can pin you as a lazy cocky pity me son of a bitch, who obviously needs some sort of rude awakening… and that is where I come in…"

Booker leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest a smirk creeping up to his lips… This.. This was definitely what Hanson needed no more pity parties no more oh poor me trips… A real wake up call from someone who refused to take his shit.