Introduction

An alternate ending to Act 6. What if Dee hadn't listened to Ryo's pleas? What if the bullet had hit Ryo, instead of the wall?

Torn apart by guilt, Dee can only watch as the trust he shared with Ryo crumbles away, leaving their growing relationship a broken and shattered one. And when Ryo announces that he's leaving, it looks like all of Dee's hopes for a future with the man he loves have become impossible to achieve.

With only himself to blame for the turn of events, Dee searches frantically for Ryo, only to find that his old partner seems to have disappeared for good. Is this the end of their crime busting team? Has Dee's mistake cost him his dream of being with Ryo?

As events unfold, two hearts are broken….

Chapter Seven; Bad Territory

Watching the sentimental scene in front of him, Ryo felt his gut twist. Just the sight of Dee in Amanda's arms, holding her, was enough to send a hot wave of emotion through him, making him clench his fists tightly as he strove to squash certain feelings he'd rather not have.

After all, it wasn't as if he actually still cared about Dee, was it? And it certainly wasn't like part of him secretly wanted to be held like that, to have Dee's face buried in his shoulder. He'd said as much to Dee only half an hour ago, watched the look of shellshocked pain travel across the darker man's features as the words slammed into him. And he'd felt no small sense of satisfaction in seeing the man who had caused his heart so much hurt suffer like that.

Although, he mused to himself, it had had a much greater affect on Dee that he'd originally planned. He'd never thought that the other cop had actually been serious as he persisted in declaring his feelings for Ryo again and again…he'd thought it had all been one big joke to his partner. Perhaps on some level he'd realised the true meaning behind those confessions, but he'd never allowed himself to even consider them seriously. Maybe if he had known Dee was being serious, he would have…

Ryo stiffened, his thoughts quickly shuffling away from where they had been headed. What lay in that direction was much more dangerous than the back alleys he frequently had to roam during his cases, and he had no intention of getting mixed up in it again.

Turning sharply and striding away, Ryo changed his mind about going back to his office, not willing to pass the couple as they embraced each other so closely. Instead, he simply made for the Recreation Room, seeking solitude.

Unfortunately for him, Dee wasn't the only one who'd been given the afternoon off to come to grips with his new case.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Ryo…long time no see, huh?" Ryo started at the familiar voice, caught off guard for a moment before he saw the man sitting in the corner of the room, file open on his lap. And suddenly he was smiling, moving to sit in the chair across from his former colleague, dark eyes shining warmly.

"I prefer Randy now, Drake. But it really has been a long time…two years…it's hard to believe, really. How's your girl? Carla, right?" Ryo asked. Drake snorted, looking down at his lap dejectedly.

"Hmph. We're barely hanging on, if you know what I mean. She flipped out when I said I'd be away for so long…to tell the truth, I don't know if she'll still be waiting for me when I get back to New York."

Ryo winced in sympathy.

"Owch. Sorry, man. But at least you'll get the chance to go out with someone less high maintenance then. Is that the case Andrew and Dan have you working on?"

"Yeah…it's a real tough one too. I'd never have thought a detective agency would deal with this kind of thing…I mean, murders? No offence, but I've always thought of agencies like this dealing with smaller cases like theft or spying on people's spouses." Drake said truthfully.

Ryo laughed, shaking his head as he leaned over to glance at the file.

"It's true, we don't usually deal with murder cases here. The one you're working on was deemed unsolvable by the police, and as the victim's husband couldn't accept that he asked us to look into it. Normally, I guess we really do work on smaller cases than the actual police, but we still accept more serious ones too – it all depends on the client."

"And you don't leave any stone unturned, do you? Have you seen how much information those four compiled on the case before me and JJ got here? No wonder Dan told us to take the afternoon off to read it!" Drake exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the thick wad of papers currently balancing precariously on his lap.

"Or he just wanted to make out with Andrew…" Ryo muttered.

"Say what now!"

"Andrew and Dan are a couple. You seriously didn't realise? Man, I'd have thought Dan's wandering hands would have made their relationship obvious." Ryo said, mildly surprised at the fact that Daniel had managed to get enough of a grip on his hormones to hide the fact that he was dating his partner.

"Well, I thought Dan was being a bit touchy feely, but I didn't think he was being serious…" Drake admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed at not working it out sooner. Ryo shrugged, getting up to make himself a cup of coffee.

"I guess Andrew gave him a talking to about not scaring the newbies. But I'm warning you now – if you and JJ don't end up walking in on one of their little sessions at least once before you leave, then you'll be some seriously lucky men. Dan is incapable of holding back, and Andrew just can't say no him."

Drake chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the very slight blush on Ryo's cheeks.

"I guess you'd know from experience, huh?"

"Got that right. In my very first week I somehow managed to walk in on them a grand total of 9 times…although in my defence the Recreation Room is not a private area."

Drake laughed again, studying the blonde silently as Ryo waited patiently for the coffee machine to finish. It was hard to believe that this was the same blonde who had so coldly stormed out of the room when he'd seen Dee…apart from his sudden aversion to his Japanese name, Ryo was exactly how he'd been back at the 27th precinct, before he got shot by Dee.

"So what's been happening down at the 27th since I've been gone? Any interesting cases?" Ryo questioned, making a small noise as the machine beeped, informing him that his coffee was ready. Drake paused to think.

"Not really…same old, same old…although we did have a run in with an FBI agent called Diana Spacey when a guy she'd been investigating in LA for killing his sister made it to New York…would you believe that she and the Commissioner were childhood friends? Creeped me out, if you ask me. And then I guess there was…"

"Drake! Carlton said we didn't have to stick around, so let's go back to the hotel! I'm friggin' horny, so…gah!"

Drake froze as his partner burst through the door, the shorter man screeching to a halt as he saw that Drake wasn't alone. On his part, Ryo's eyes were almost impossibly wide as he made a choking sound, mouth opening and shutting silently as he struggled to get his head round the situation.

"Damnit, JJ! Didn't you stop to think that someone else could have been here!" Drake exclaimed, shooting a concerned look at the still choking Ryo. Taking a deep breath, he moved slowly towards the blonde, hand reaching out nervously to grab JJ's for support.

"Look Ry…Randy, the thing is…Carla and I split up nearly a year ago. I've been pretending that I'm still dating her to cover up my relationship with JJ…he's been pretending that he's still obsessed with Dee too." Drake said haltingly, squeezing JJ's hand slightly as he felt the other man tense in uneasy anticipation of Ryo's response.

"But…you…and JJ…how?" Ryo spluttered, unable to take it in. Drake smiled bitterly.

"Well, it all started when JJ finally gave up on Dee and my girlfriend dumped me - she said that no matter what I'd been telling myself, it was obvious that my feelings towards my partner weren't exactly platonic, and that she was damned if she was going to 'date a queer'. The two of us went on a pub crawl and basically ended up in bed together, so…yeah." He finished weakly.

Ryo's lips twitched.

"Very romantic. Do you start all your relationships that way, or just the ones with your partners?" He joked. Both Drake and JJ breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"So you're ok with this? You're not going to freak out or anything?" JJ asked to make sure. Ryo shrugged, taking a sip of his rapidly cooling coffee.

"What, you think I'd have problems with gay couples after working with Dan and Andrew for two years? And anyway, when did I ever seem to have a problem with yours or…Dee's…sexuality when I worked at the precinct?" Ryo pointed out, mock glaring at his friends from over the rim of his cup.

"I guess so…but listen, Ryo…" JJ began.

"Randy." Both Drake and Ryo corrected the other man at the same time. To his credit, although JJ looked surprised, he didn't comment on it, and simply carried on.

"Listen Randy…no one else knows about us. And we'd prefer to keep it that way. We're not entirely comfortable with the others knowing that we're in a relationship. So can we trust you not to tell?" JJ pleaded.

Ryo raised an eyebrow, silently regarding the pair.

"Why would anyone else have a problem with you two? And if you've been going out for a year now it's not like you're not sure whether this relationship will last." Ryo commented, confused. Drake blushed.

"To tell the truth, I'm not that comfortable with suddenly being labelled as gay. I've liked girls for years, and just because I'm going out with a man now doesn't give anyone the right to comment on my sexuality…which the guys are gonna do, even if they don't mean any harm by it. And JJ's going to get some stick from moving on from his 'eternal love' Dee to me."

"I see what you mean. So, if you want me to, I'll keep quiet about this." Ryo promised.

"Man, you're a really great guy, Randy. I'm sorry I didn't notice it before – I was caught up in getting Dee, and you were my riv…oww!" JJ turned to glare angrily at Drake, wanting to know why his boyfriend had just elbowed him in the side. Hard. But a single pointed look over JJ's shoulder from Drake was more than enough to make the shorter of the pair cringe in realisation.

Ryo stared down at his coffee, knuckles turning white as he gripped the handle tightly, although he didn't seem to notice.

"Trust me, JJ, I was never your rival. To be that I would have had to have actually meant something to him…and to have been attracted to him. So, impossible on both counts." Ryo said firmly, eyes silently daring JJ or Drake to pass comment. Luckily for them, both men had enough sense not to say anything.

"But anyway, thanks for not saying anything. You don't know how much that means to us, Randy. Is there anything we can do for you in return?" JJ asked, feeling rather generous all of a sudden. Ryo smiled slightly at him, grip on his cup relaxing back into one more normal.

"Not really. Although…I wouldn't mind you telling me about the blonde woman who came here with you…Amanda? I don't remember her being around when I was still working at the precinct." Ryo commented. He was sure he would have noticed someone so obvious, so he assumed she'd joined the precinct after he'd left.

"Ah, Amanda…hottest chick we've ever had work at the precinct. She transferred in a few months after you left – she got kicked out of the 21st for assaulting her Chief…although he had been trying to feel her up, so I guess she had good reason." Drake explained, a small chuckle escaping him.

"She seems very close to Dee." Ryo commented mildly. Drake and JJ exchanged wary glances before nodding, not entirely sure where this was leading.

"Yeah…they have a kind of special relationship – they just seemed to click the moment they met. He was the first one to call her Mandy, and she's always joking around with him and calling him girls' names. They're constantly teasing each other, but none of it's meant to hurt." JJ expanded, beginning to fidget nervously as the air around them suddenly seemed to get more stuffy and oppressive.

"So they've dated?"

"No! They're not like that!" Drake was quick to jump in and correct Ryo. "I mean, they did go out for a drink a few times, but only as friends! I think Amanda wants to be more than that, but Dee…well, he hasn't even dated anyone since you left."

Casting a sneaky glance at Ryo to see how the other man had reacted to the bit of information he'd sneakily thrown in there, Drake was surprised to see the extreme lack of expression on Ryo's face. The Japanese-American he'd known would have found it impossible to hide his emotions like that…but then again, Ryo had obviously changed since they had last seen each other. Since…the accident.

"Stay with us, Ryo…don't you dare close your eyes on us, you hear me?" He whispered, staring into Ryo's glazed over eyes. Ryo coughed slightly in response, a small trickle of blood slipping from the corner of his mouth as he did so.

"I guess…I did…" Ryo murmured quietly, his eyes unfocused.

"You did what?" Drake asked gently, trying to keep Ryo awake by his question. Ryo began to mutter something in reply, but it was too quiet for Drake to make out. Frowning, he leaned closer, trying to catch what his friend was saying.

"…len for a murderer." Ryo breathed, his eyes fluttering shut. Drake's eyes widened, and he began to shake Ryo, desperately trying to get him to wake up.

"No! Come on Ryo, just keep those eyes open a little while longer!"

Shuddering slightly, Drake pulled himself back to the present, just in time to hear JJ's own attempt to make Ryo a little more friendly towards Dee.

"…he hasn't been himself at all. He really missed you Randy." JJ said seriously, staring at the blonde with shining blue eyes. Ryo shrugged coldly, getting up as he decided that this conversation was pulling him much too far into the very territory he'd come in here to avoid.

"So what? I didn't miss him at all." He stated callously, before striding out of the room and leaving the two shocked men behind him.

Author's Note

Ok...I really am sorry guys. I actually wrote this a long time ago, but I thought I'd posted it! Oops! This was just a little hint of how Ryo's feeling about the whole situation...I realised I'd only written in Dee's POV up to now, and Ryo's been coming off a bit too coldly, so I wanted to give an idea of how he's feeling behind all those walls. And yay! I finally factored it in! After Dee and Ryo, Drake and JJ have to be my favourite FAKE couple, and now I have them together!

Thanks for all your reviews, guys - I hit 60 the other day! So please, make me even happier - read and review please!

Oh, and for anyone who hasn't already, go read Aeryon Sun's Glorious...brilliant!

Blood Tears Dying Angel - Yay! Got glomped! Heh...Ryo has been a bit cold, hasn't he? But hopefully he'll be warming up a bit now...

Aeryon Sun - Yeah, Ryo's been really sensitive about this, hasn't he? But there's a reason for that, and you'll find it out nearer the end...I'm so glad you like Mandy! She's a great character to write, and I can't wait to do more on her! And you were right about who saw them!

Lady-Willowish - Angst is my speciality! And yes, poor Dee!

GreenEyedFloozy - Thanks! But...midol? I may be being thick here because I have no idea what that is!

sohma-kitty-10-14 - Please don't cry! Here, have a tissue! (Gives box of tissues)

karen - ...You still there? Please tell me I didn't kill someone, LOL. Thanks for your comments, and sorry for the lack of update!

For My Love Kakashi - Yes...Ryo's been a bit harsh to poor Dee, hasn't he? And there'll be something in the next chapter that will get a bit closer...hopefully!

CosmicEssence - Doh! Someone noticed! I actually got a bit upset when I realised that because the shooting incident came so early in the series, a lot of my favourite parts of the manga wouldn't have been included, so I'm going to be putting certain parts of it into my fic...and a certain case that was my favourite during the series! You're very observant to spot that!

tammy-love - Hmm...I'll have to look into that book...hopefully it's out over here as well...and thanks for your comments! He really has put a wall up between him and Dee...and he has a reason for that. But there is definitely a little Dee with a sledgehammer wokring to bring it down again! It's a pity you don't work in Japan - they have around 130 seiyuu schools there to train voice actors!

takoyakimonster - Yep, I'm going to continue! See? LOL

sweetrosey - Please don't kill Ryo...I need him for my fic! Great that you're still alive (snigger), and if you want lip action...watch out for the title of the next chapter (wink)!