Chapter 36: Dimples

Gus was not looking forward to Monday morning or more accurately dealing with both the boys' club and Flack. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with him today, she was regretting not answering any of his calls the day before. But he had said he was done trying with her, so she could only assume he was calling to ensure she didn't make a scene at work. Given her track record, she didn't blame him, but she was still raw from his rejection, even if she had pushed him away. Her only hope was that she would get hit by a bus on the way to the precinct. It didn't happen. "Why am I only klutzy when it makes me look like an idiot?" she muttered to herself before stepping foot in the pit. Her mood and clothing matched the overcast gray day.

"Geez, Princess, rough weekend, you look like the grim reaper," Lafferty remarked, taking in her charcoal colored suit, severe ponytail and hangdog expression.

"Thought it went well with your mortician's demeanor, Lafferty," she said to the man that did look remarkably like Lurch from the Adam's Family before storming directly to the coffee.

Flack was at his desk, working on the computer when she slouched down at her desk and put a binder in front of her face like a barricade. He kept working for a while. A good bit later, he looked up at her, still hiding behind the training manual and shook his head, "you can't hide forever sunshine," he said smirking.

"I'm not hiding," she hissed back, "as keeps getting pointed out to me, I have a lot to learn," she said, silently adding most of it couldn't be found in training manuals, though. Not to mention she was, in fact, hiding from him, mortified over the events of Saturday night and realizing how much she may have blown it with one of New York's finest Finest.

"Is your phone working, you need it out there you know." Flack was slightly amused by her reaction, but only slightly.

"My phone is functioning just fine," she said still not looking up from behind the safety of the binder.

"Well, it's just, I tried to call you a couple of times yesterday and it kept going to voice mail." He didn't mention this was after he woke up sometime late in the day with the massive hangover he had given himself from drinking nearly all the liquor in his house after repeatedly kicking himself for leaving her in that damn park after kissing her. Nor did he mention that he almost turned back around when arriving home to overhear Bobby and his latest conquest going at it like cats in heat. Instead he just reached over their desks and pulled the binder down to see her face.

She glared at him and leaned forward, "there is this amazing button called 'reject', Flack, and I know it might be hard for you to understand why a woman would use it on your calls, but I did," she seethed at him, louder than she meant, "I didn't figure you really wanted to talk to me anyway," she added, quieter now that she had realized both Thatcher and Lafferty were desperately trying to overhear their conversation.

"What the hell does that mean?" Flack bellowed, not caring who heard and trying to figure out why she thought he wouldn't want to talk to her, he had called her, hadn't he? "You were the one who made yourself, well about clear as mud the other night, but as you pointed out in real life there are consequences!" He didn't mean to snap, but it was the truth, they had to talk about what had happened, figure out what exactly this was between them, he was just hoping to do it away from the pit and when they both were level headed.

Gus leaned all the way out her chair, half-standing, the guys in the office torn between trying to listen in and trying to catch an eyeful of the gap at her waistband down to the lace peeking through. "Consequences are different than punishment, Flack!" she said, misinterpreting his meaning. "And I am sorry I was clear as mud, but you certainly made your point crystal clear when you walked away!" She was aware she was making a fool of herself, and could tell by the flashing of Flack's blue eyes that he wanted to kill her, but she didn't care, she had already ruined her chances with him.

"Would you two just screw and get it over with?" Thatcher mused, elbowing Lafferty with a snicker.

"Would you two?" Gus said wheeling around to them, practically in a fighting stance.

"Aw, Princess, did we hurt your feelings or are you just on the rag?" Lafferty responded.

"Listen, I get that some of you don't want me here, I knew I was leaving safety behind when I gave up my office, and I even can even see your need for hazing. I'm just asking y'all how long this is going to go on for? Because if you need to lock me in a box and force feed me grain alcohol or piss on my head or whatever y'all need to do, just get it over with and quick dicking around because I actually have work to do!" Gus exploded at them, storming off to find Angell and make up a call if she had to.

"Damn, maybe she does have balls," Thatcher remarked, staring at Flack.

"What are you looking at me for, I wouldn't know," Flack said going back to his computer.

"Sure you wouldn't," came the snickers.

Angell was actually looking for her, a radio dangling from her wrist, "hey Gus, you alright?" she said looking at the woman who seemed overly flustered.

"Yeah, just the overgrown frat boys pissing me off," Gus raged.

"They'll calm down soon, they just smell fresh meat. Anyway, here's your radio, and we already got a call."

"Great," Gus grunted, actually happy to be escaping.

"Apparently a woman was found standing outside her apartment building yelling 'I killed him, I killed him but he had to learn'. Patrol is responding, but since it may be a nutter, we got called on this one. I gotta wonder, Broussard, am I gonna get all the crazy calls while I am with you?" Angell asked only half-jokingly as she was still trying to get her own sea legs.

"Probably," Gus said following the woman to the car.

"In that case, I hope Flack is back soon."

"Yeah I can't freaking wait for that, it will be ab fab," Gus dripped with sarcasm.

"Uh oh, trouble in paradise?" Angell still had yet to figure out those two, had almost given up trying.

"More like Dante's Inferno," Gus said, "don't ask," she added before calling in for more info from dispatch.

They arrived on scene, two patrol men trying to get information from a frantic and crazed looking woman on the front stoop. "You need to calm down m'am, now what apartment did you kill him in?" a uniform asked, looking like he wanted to shake the woman.

"We'll take it from here, guys," Angell said coming up showing her badge.

"We can't figure out what apartment she came from, building is pretty empty it being a work day and all, so we haven't cleared the scene because we haven't found the scene," the patrol officer said.

"Great, just great," Angell said turning to try to get some information from the few onlookers.

Gus went over to the woman and sat down on the step beside her, "I'm Gus Broussard, would you like to sit down..." she said. The woman looked curiously at her, but sat. Her eyes were red and wild, she looked like she hadn't slept in forever, her hair disheveled, but she was wearing a Juicy Couture track suit and had on pricey jewelry. This woman was a paradox. "What's ya name dawlin'?" Gus drawled.

"Oh, um Anna, where are you from?" the woman said curiously.

"New Orleans," Gus answered, not knowing if that was what the woman was asking or not.

"New Or-leans, I went there once, land of dreams, the Big Easy," Anna chanted.

Gus couldn't figure out if it was word salad or some good prescription drugs. "So Anna, why don't you tell me what's happening here and why you are hanging outside on this rainy day," Gus spoke calmly, keeping her eyes on the woman.

"I like the rain," Anna said, "it washes things away."

Gus could feel herself growing frustrated and could tell Angell was looking at her like she was nuts. Gus nodded at Anna, "I see, that's good, the rain can be good."

"He's dead now, it's quiet now," Anna responded.

"Who's dead, Anna, who?" Gus didn't want to press too hard, but she also didn't want to stand out here in the rain all day ruining her shoes.

"My husband, he just didn't understand how hard it was for me, he had his job and his mistress and his whole life and I had nothing," the woman replied, staring off into space but crying.

"And where is he now?" Gus felt like she was starting to get somewhere, tensing up, gesturing to Angell.

"Probably hell," the woman answered matter of fact.

Gus resisted the urge to growl. "I meant his body, Anna."

"With my babies, oh god, my babies are still up there with him, I have to get my babies!" The woman jumped up and tried to go inside.

Gus restrained her gently but firmly. "It's okay Anna, I'll get your babies, you just have to tell me where they are at."

"Up there," Anna said slumping in Gus's hold, "4-C."

"Good. Now I need you to go talk to this gentleman over here, and I will be right back with your babies.""Shit," she exclaimed rushing over to Angell, "4-C, killer her husband, says he was cheating, but she left her kids up there."

"Dammit!" Angell said sprinting into action.

They ran into the building, Angell radioing for social services to join them at the scene. "No elevator, of course." They clamored up the staircase and were between the third and fourth landings when they smelt it, "Smoke!" Gus exclaimed.

"Fire," Angell said, feeling the door to the fourth floor, "it's only a little warm," Angell wrenched it open anyway and the flames shot straight at them. They both hurled the door shut/ "Crap!" Angell exclaimed, "what now?"

"Call it in, get NYFD here, I'm going through there," Gus said pointing to the window and fire escape. "Shit, fine, but be careful," Angell said as Gus swung out the window, thankful it wasn't painted shut.

She swung out to the ledge, figuring 4-C should be to her left, she balanced precariously on the rusty fire escape and peered in the window, flames in the front and into the hallway. She tried the window, growling when she found it locked before smashing it with her flashlight, "freaking fruitcakes," she yelled, reaching through and unlocking the window. She gave a brief sigh of relief as the window slid open, grateful it wasn't painted shut. She jumped into the kitchen sink that was below her and hauled through the apartment, straining to hear crying or screams.

"How many babies, I didn't ask, crap!" she exclaimed, choking on the smoke. The front entry was on fire, as was the outside corridor, the living room was starting to catch. The hallway off to her left appeared clear, so she went that way, silently praying. Bam, into what appeared to be a nursery with a crib and a toddler bed, both empty. Gus cleared the room as quickly as possible, gun out, empty.

"Gus, can you hear me, Fire department is on their way, any sign of the kids, you copy?"

"10-4, not yet, or the husband, still searching, Angell." She tried another door, closet, another one, half bath, clear, another one, Master Bedroom, all clear, then the master bath- she skidded to a stop, there in the deep luxury garden tub floated a tiny newborn and a toddler. Both were face down.

"Fuck, fuck, no no no!" Gus said dropping her gun and diving for the water to scoop the babies out. They were both dressed in pajamas, expensive, trendy ones, but both their faces were blue and bloated, they had been dead for a while. Gus fought the urge to hurl, smoke overtaking her as picked up her gun and headed to the front entry, the flames seeming to swallow the apartment.

She fought through the heat and the smoke to the foyer. The husband was lying there, face down, gunshot wound through and through from the chest, large exit wound on his back blood pooled all around him, his body starting to catch fire. Gus spotted the shotgun on the floor, she must have called him to come home after killing the kids and shot him when he walked in the door.

"Christ!" she yelled. Gus didn't understand why Anna had lit the fire, but she didn't have time to ponder it, Gus knew had to get out of there fast. She ran back to the kitchen, figuring she would just leave the way she came in.

She radioed to Angell, "no survivors, I'm coming out the kitchen window-" Gus started to bark when she heard the sickening groan of wood splintering, Gus' foot plunged through the floor board, her ankle twisting, her body collapsing. "Dammit," she screeched, trying to lift herself up, the smoke thick and burning her eyes. Her foot was stuck, her ankle severely twisted if not broken. "Crap, Angell, I'm stuck in the floorboards, tell me the FD is almost here, because it is getting hard to breathe!"

"Dammit, Broussard, I'm coming in!" Angell swore, about to swing herself up through the window.

"No don't, this whole floor might go, just tell me their damn ETA!"

"Now," Angell said, hearing the sirens and seeing the first engine screech to a halt, firefighters pouring out. She slid down the fire escape, pointing, "I've got an officer trapped in there, 4-C, floor collapsing, she went through the floor in the kitchen, get her out of there now!" Angell barked at the firefighters.

They sprang even more to life, pouring into the building. Gus was trying to not breathe, the smoke over taking her, the fire getting closer, her eyes watering. She tried to yank her foot out, but that just made the wood start cracking more. "You have got to be kidding me," she screamed.

"I don't joke about fires, miss," came a muffled voice in front of her. A firefighter had come bursting through without her noticing. She starting to cough, she couldn't breathe, she was so dizzy...blackness caved in on her as the firefighter took off his mask to get her oxygen, he scooped her up and ran out of the apartment and down the stairs. Gus regained consciousness right as they excited the building. She looked up into deep brown eyes attached to a very handsome, olive skinned face.

"There you go," the man smiled at her, putting her down on a stretcher, "you'll be fine."

Gus looked at him before remarking, "what is it with you New York guys and your damn dimples?" she said before passing out.

Chapter 37: Five Alarm Firefighter

Gus woke up in the E/R confused as hell. "What the-" she exclaimed swinging her feet out of the bed and falling back in pain when she put weight on her right ankle.

"Whoa there, you're not going anywhere," said a very sexy man who had been standing by her bed.

"Hey,you're-" Gus exclaimed trying to place him.

"Colin Murphy, New York Fire Department Engine 32."

"And apparently my knight in sooted armor," she quipped, gesturing to his pants and boots, his bunker jacket off. He grinned at her. Seriously did every amazingly hot guy in this city have dimples. Why didn't the firefighters look like this is New Orleans?

"And you're Detective Broussard with homicide," he replied, the grin still on his face.

"Yeah, but it's Gus, you can call me Gus."

"Well then, nice to officially meet you, Gus," he came over and stuck his hand out, Gus shook it.

"Ah, thanks for um saving me, I can't believe I fell through the freaking floor." Gus looked down, embarrassed.

"Apparently there had been some water damage before," Colin said stepping back and running his hand through his hair.

"Good, I'm glad to hear I'm not just an elephant," she smiled shyly at him, and then winced in pain as she tried to put weight on her ankle, "or maybe I am."

"Hey, I said you weren't going anywhere," Colin said rushing to her bedside, "docs say you sprained it pretty bad, not broken though, so that's good."

"Fabulous, I just got back into the field. I am never going to live this down," she buried her head in her hands. The she popped up and looked at him, "why are you here, you don't have to be here, do you, I didn't somehow manage to injure you did I?" Gus babbled.

"Nah, just a bit of smoke inhalation, but I wanted to make sure you were okay, seeing as you passed out twice on me and all." Was this man flirting with her, he was far too hot to be flirting with her, all muscles and sex on legs...

Gus could feel herself blushing and was about to attempt to flirt back with him when she heard, "Jesus effing Christ, sunshine, I can't leave you alone for one damn minute!" Flack strolled into the room, stopping short when he saw the fireman.

Gus stared from Flack to Colin, feeling a bit woozy again, it was too much attractiveness in one small space. And what was he even doing here? Shouldn't he be working or off with someone who didn't reject him at every turn? "My saviors," Gus drawled, feeling the world start to spin. "Don, this is Colin, he rescued me from a burning building, Colin this is Don Flack, he rescues me from the assholes we work with," she said slumping back in the bed, feeling very light headed.

Both men asked "are you alright?" jockeying for her bedside. Flack stared down at the fireman, he may be some good looking firefighting muscle head, but he was a good few inches shorter than the detective. Flack felt his eyes turn to steel and his jaw tighten.

"I'm fine, I just think I am having the vapors," Gus retorted, 'vapors who the hell did she think she was Blanche Dubois?' she thought with a grimace.

"Vapors?" Colin asked, confused.

"New Orleans, she's from New Orleans," Flack replied, staring holes into the firefighter.

"Um,well," Colin stuttered, confused as to who this person was in the attractive young woman's room, he figured he would go for it anyway. "Here's my number, Gus, call me and let me know how you make out and if you need any trouble getting around on that ankle, I would be happy to carry you around again," Colin dimpled at Gus and gave this Flack guy raised eye brows.

"Thanks, I'll let you know," Gus said smiling sweetly at Colin, "now go save some other damsel in distress."

"Usually I just get fat old hairy guys, believe me, you were a real treat," Colin gave her a smoldering look. Flack could feel his eye starting to twitch. "Talk to you soon, I hope," Colin said, walking out without a word to Flack.

"I don't feel so hot," Gus said paling.

"Must be the vapors," Flack said frostily.

"No, I think its because I still reek of smoke and-" she shot a look at him, "what are you doing here? What time is it? Where is Angell? How long until I can freaking walk?" she peppered him with questions, trying to erase the images of the dead babies from her mind.

Flack knew her mind was racing elsewhere and she was pale enough that his concern outweighed his frustration. "Slow down, sunshine, one thing at a time."

"Okay," Gus said staring off into space.

"Gus, earth to Gus," Flack said, lowering the rail to sit on the bed beside her.

"Yeah?" she shook her head, the lifeless tiny bodies...so what, it was all part of her job, right?

"I'm here because I wanted to make sure you were alright, when I heard you got trapped in a burning building I kinda..." Flack trailed off, staring down at her. He was even more confused now than he was Saturday night, "I just don't want anything happening to you out there. I need you to have my back, otherwise I might get stuck with Thatcher or Lafferty as a partner," he said trying to lighten the mood.

"I didn't think you did the whole partner thing," she replied, still only have tuned into him.

"Well, until you..." he trailed off again, "anyway, Angell is back at the house, working over that fruitcake from your scene. As for your ankle, you were lucky in that you tore your outside ligaments, so four to six weeks tops until you are fully recovered."

"Four to six weeks, what does that mean, what the hell am I supposed to do until then. I mean I just now got back full time, they are going to think I am a complete dunce and kick me out of the department Do you know what is going on? What are people saying? What am I going to do?" Gus felt panicky.

"Hang out with me at the desk I suppose," he replied, thinking how much he liked that idea. "

Great!" Gus snarled.

"Thanks a lot," Flack rested his hand on her thigh, Gus felt tingles but refused to acknowledge them. "You'll be fine, these things happen, maybe a little more often to you, but you are a good cop. You are getting a second collar. That woman, Anna Brecknell, confessed. Mind you her lawyer's trying to get her off on postpartum psychosis or some other kooky shit." Flack shrugged.

"Probably has a good case, that makes sense, I suppose but still..." Gus shook her head.

"Bad huh? I heard you found the kids and the husband."

Gus nodded, "Pretty sick. Horrific actually, they were so little and defenseless...but I guess she just...snapped."

"You aren't sympathizing with the crackpot are you?" Flack was both irked by this and found it endearing. "No, I am just saying that postpartum psychosis would be a reasonable diagnosis."

"You gotta quit thinking like a shrink," Flack leaned over her, tucking a lock of hair behind her shoulders, noticing it did smell like smoke.

"How many times have a told you I'm not a shrink, Flack!" Gus started to get riled up, but felt exhaustion roll over her.

Flack leaned over and gave her sooted forehead a kiss, "just get some sleep, sunshine, and I'll take you home when the doctors release you."

"Thanks, Don, and I am sorry." She meant for so much more than just that day, but she couldn't make the words form.

Just get some sleep," Flack said stepping out of her room.

Flack stepped out of her room with the sudden urge to punch a hole through the ugly ass puke green tile in the hallway. Part of him was still in the park on Saturday night, hungrily kissing her and wanting nothing more than to take her upstairs to the apartment and act out all those fantasies he had the entire time he was cooped up there with her, unable to do anything but rehab and thinking. Part of him was still where his heart stopped when the call came over the radio, "officer down in burning building". He felt his blood turn to ice in his veins, it couldn't be...he wasn't going to loose her even if he hadn't ever really had her.

Those were the two big parts but then he added them to the part where he got to the building only to find she had been sent to the hospital and no one would tell him anything, and to the part where her singular family member left in this world was too busy in his damn lab to leave, and then to the part where that a little too good looking firefighter was drooling over Gus like she was a piece of prime rib...dammit, why did this woman have such a hold on him? He took a quick punch at the wall, but the wall won. His shook his hand off thinking that it didn't help that she could read his thoughts, had a razor sharp wit, could hold her own with the boys club he called a job, and that she was drop dead gorgeous; but now she was also curled up in a corner of his heart. And for once in his life, Don Flack, Jr. had no clue what his next move was going to be.

Gus woke up a while later, confused again until she caught sight of a familiar and welcome face sitting right beside her bed. "Hey," she said looking into his blue eyes, "can I get the hell out of here, I really hate hospitals."

Flack looked up, he had been lost in his own dark thoughts, ones made up of loss and jealousy, "yeah, I do too. Let's get you out of here." Flack went to find a doctor, to fill out the damn paperwork the force required, to get Gus home and taken care of. Flack had figured out that is what he most wanted to do, just take care of her.

By the time he had signed a million forms, Gus was standing in the room on crutches, dressed in scrubs, trying to look like she wasn't in pain, a paper bag sitting on the bedside chair. "Can you get that, it's got my piece and creds in it, somehow, a holster wasn't gonna happen with this get up," she attempted to gesture, but almost fell over.

Flack could help but smile at her, "come on sunshine, let's try to get you home in one piece." Flack led her out to the car, truly grateful for the first time that he could leave the unmarked wherever he felt like it and got her settled in. "You good, you need me to move the seat back?"

"Fleck, quit hen pecking at me, it is a sprain, I will be fine," Gus tried to not grimace as she stretched her leg out.

"You coulda died ya know!" Flack said, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles on the way back to her place.

"Of a sprained ankle, I hardly think so, I was like two feet from the window, it was only a little fire."

Flack wanted to slam on the brakes and scream at her, instead he took a deep breath and said, "it was a four alarm blaze, the floor collapsed about 2 minutes after you got out, Gus."

"Oh god," she said feeling dizzy.

"Yeah I know, so it was a big deal," he had the urge to thump her head a few times.

"No, not that, did they find the babies' bodies? They were in the tub, but I, I pulled them out, I didn't know if...and if I hadn't they would have been in water so maybe..." Gus trailed off, shaking off her panic, she had to focus, she had to act like a cop, cops were tough.

Flack thought it must have been a rough scene, he still hadn't gotten all the details, he had been more worried about making sure Gus was safe and seeing her for himself. He looked over at her, thought about his bad cases, the worst always did seem to involve kids, though his definition of that was growing these days... "I don't know, Gus, but we'll find out, you just need to rest for now." Gus just nodded, swallowing.

Flack drove up to the building, parking right in front, drawing the ire of Mr. Hamilton out front, "listen son, I know you are a man in blue, but you can't be parking up on the sidewalk like you own the place, I don't think Miss Broussard would approve," the old man gestured his cane in what was supposed to be a menacing action.

Flack just looked at him and whipped open the car door, pulling Gus and her crutches out. "See?" he said to the old man.

"Oh...oh my what happened to you little lady?" Mr. Hamilton waddled over to them, drawing the attention of the rest of the geriatric set.

"If I could just get her inside, that would be great," Flack said in a voice not to be argued with.

"I'm fine!" Gus said attempting to maneuver on her crutches through the grouping of walkers, wheelchairs, and canes. "Crap, I don't have my keys, my bag is still at the house," Gus said outside her door.

"You mean this bag and these keys?" Flack said holding up her black tote.

"Yes, those, thanks." Gus went to reach for it and almost fell over.

"I think you need more practice on those."

"Maybe so, you know I don't think I have ever had crutches before."

Why am I finding that impossible to believe?"

"It's true, why would I lie to you?"

Flack opened her door and got her in without answering. Stepping inside he said, "what can I get for you, what do you need?" he asked her as she leaned against the dining table.

"Out of these scrubs, I hate them too, because they are like hospitals," Gus was already taking off for the bedroom as Flack was trying to fight down wanting to say something about his desire to get her out of those scrubs as well, ankle be damned.

Now he stood not knowing if he was supposed to follow her or not. "Do you need any help?" he called.

"No!" she demanded and after a pause, "yes," sheepishly. Flack walked down the hall to her bedroom, she was perched precariously on the edge of her bed. "I can't balance to get things out of there," she said pointing to the armoire.

"That's fine, what do you need?" Flack said going over and hauling open the heavy doors and was greeted by several drawers.

"I dunno, sweats, I guess, second drawer," she said closing her eyes in pain, was the doctor sure it wasn't broken because she wanted to gnaw her foot off.

Flack pulled open the second drawer and was greeted by what seemed to be an endless supply of satin, silk, and lace in every color of the rainbow. His eyes grew wide as he thought of seeing this stuff on Gus and even better off of Gus when she uttered, "crap, third drawer." Flack opened the next and far more innocent drawer, pulling out the lamented NYPD sweat pants and some sort of tank top, "ah the stolen pants, I guess you have earned them now," he said tossing the pile to her.

"Thanks," she said grabbing the pile and smiling, "I've got it from here," she said craning her head to the door.

"Uh,yeah, good then, you want me to go make you some tea?" "That'd be great," she said itching to get out of the scrubs.

Flack wandered into the kitchen, automatically going through the motions of making tea, when it hit him that he knew where everything was in her apartment, that realization caught him in the solar plexus.

"You find everything alright, I mean you did live here and all?" Gus said balancing in the doorway, the navy pants falling dangerously low on her hips.

Flack did everything in his power to avert his gaze. "I'm good, go sit down, you gotta get that raised."

"I know, I know R.I.C.E, right?" she said hobbling off to the couch.

Flack came in with two mugs, setting them on the coffee table and putting another pillow under her foot. He realized she hadn't asked about Mac. "Gus, you know Mac wanted to come right, but he was on another case in the lab and-"

Gus cut him off, "I know Mac is an extremely busy man, Flack, if I really needed him, he would be here, but there is no reason for him to be. In fact there isn't really a reason for you to be, do you need to get back?"

"I'm good, Loo gave me the rest of the day off," because I told him I was taking it, Flack silently added.

"Thanks," Gus said accurately guessing the exchange and grateful for him.

"What else do you need?"

"Just the remote and for you to get comfortable," Gus gestured to the still fully suited Flack.

"I can accommodate," he dimpled at her handing her the remote and loosening his tie. He took off his jacket, hung it on the back of a dining chair, his gun, badge and tie laid on the table top. Rolling sleeves, untucking shirt, shoes off, he settled on the sofa beside her. "Better now?" he asked.

"Perfect," she sighed, snuggling into the cushion, watching whatever he had turned on for a few minutes before picking up the remote.

"Hey, how did you know I didn't want to watch the water buffalo?"

"Flack, you had control of my remote for like six weeks, I'm taking it back!"

"Just no girly crap," he grumbled.

"Gotcha." She settled onto a re-run of Family Guy and snuggled back down again. After a few minutes she said, "do we need to talk about anything?"

"Like what?" Flack really did not want to talk about anything because he really wanted to do a hell of a lot more than talk with her and she wasn't having it.

"I don't know, US/North Korea relations, global warming, gentrification, Saturday night?" Gus quipped.

"I really don't like that creepy little Korean guy," Flack said, "he gives me the willies."

"Don, come on, I am the one that is always joking and now that I am trying to be serious."

"Now you know what it feels like, sunshine," Flack grinned at her and then leaned his head towards hers, "really though, you're right if we are going to be partners, we can't have this thing hanging between us."

"No we can't, and it would be really, and I know you hate when I say this, but complicated, there is no better word for it. Flack, I care about you too much, and I am not about to screw up a great partnership for a one night thing."

Flack tried to let that digest, he could see the truth in it, but what if, what if he hadn't been thinking about a one night thing...no, that had to have been what he wanted. "Makes sense to me."

"So Saturday night?" Gus questioned.

He waited a few more minutes before speaking again. The silence had been killing Gus, so she was grateful for him to say anything. She had been telling him the truth, it would be so infinitely complicated at work if they hooked up, that didn't make her want him any less. She also knew she wouldn't be satisfied with just a fling with him, either, but she was pretty sure Don Flack was not into relationships. "Musta been something we ate," he said inscrutably. Gus was about to respond when he changed the subject, "so what about Fireman Bill, you interested?"

"Colin, his name is Colin, and I wouldn't tell you if I was."

"Partners don't keep secrets,Gus!"

"Don't pull that one on me, you don't really want to know, even if we are forgetting about Saturday night."

"True," he ruefully admitted.

"I know," she said knowingly.

"I hate that." Flack did, mostly, hate it...okay so part of him liked that she could always read him. A small part.

"I know," Gus paused, "I really do appreciate you taking care of me, Flack," she said giving him a quick chaste peck on the cheek.

"Anytime, Broussard, fair's fair."

Gus fell asleep against his shoulder, and Flack didn't have the heart to move her, so he stayed that way all night, afraid to move until early the next morning.

"Hey sunshine, you coming in to ride a desk with me today or do you need another day off?" he whispered down at her.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, content and was that, relaxed? She moved off of him, stretching, "you didn't have to stay there, you know."

"No I didn't." Flack knew he didn't have to, but he also knew that wouldn't have let himself leave even if she had tried to make him.

"I'm good to go in today, I just need coffee, lots of coffee, and a shower, I think I still smell like smoke."

"Ya do," he sniffed her hair.

"Sorry about that," she said, making a face as she took her own whiff.

"You're fine. Why don't you do take a shower, I'll make coffee and go get donuts?"

"Regular glaze and a chocolate with sprinkles," she responded, sorting herself out on her crutches, trying to ignore the flashes from her donut delivering dream staring the blue eyed detective.

"Ya gonna be fine, ya know in the shower?" Flack questioned hoping for a negative answer. He was playing with fire and he knew it.

"I know it will disappoint you, but yes I will be fine, I don't need your help," she called not turning around, her answer the exact opposite of what she was thinking.

On the way into the office Gus bit into her donut, pouting slightly. "I really miss Krispy Kremes," she said, swallowing what tasted like cake wax to her.

"Those things are disgusting, they are like pure lard!" Flack made a face.

"Actually, you know what I really miss?" Gus said dropping the half eaten donut back into the bag as Flack grabbed it and pulled it out.

"What"? He said stuffing his face, but curious since she didn't talk about New Orleans very much.

"Cafe Du Monde beignets in the middle of the night. They were the best, hot covered in sugar, laughing at tourists trying to not get it all over them. They aren't even open 24 hours anymore..." she said wistfully.

"You think about going back?" he asked why trying to figure out what the hell a ben-yay was.

Gus shrugged, "for what, half the city is gone, a year later and the population is crap. I dunno, seems like there's not much for me there. I mean sure they need mental health people and they need cops but..." Gus paused, "it's kind of weird, I never really left until I had to, and now I feel kind of torn on where home is," Gus scrunched her nose in thought.

"What about for a visit? Don't you still have friends there?" Flack said opening the door to the precinct so Gus could hop through.

"Yeah, though most left." Gus suddenly shook her head, "you know I think I realized I had a hell of a lot of acquaintances there, but not a lot of genuine friends except Billy. None that are as supportive or have my back as much as the team. I definitely didn't have any female friends."

"Somehow that doesn't shock me," he muttered following in behind her.