Chapter 67: Remember the Rules
Gus and Flack walked over to the uniforms and quickly discovered that a young girl was found murdered in her hospital room after being in an accident that killed her friend after a night of partying. That story had already been in the paper and the hospital was looking for good PR as they were in the middle of a capital campaign.
"Politics as usual," Gus muttered.
"Politics and angry mothers, this is turning out to be such a fantastic day," Flack snarked, his brow furrowing.
Gus asked meekly, "er yeah, how did things go with your cousin?"
"I don't know, I left him at his parents," Flack said, walking away with long strides.
"Ouch," Gus remarked.
"Hey now, you were the one who pointed out it wasn't my job."
Gus sighed, she was not in an arguing mood, fFine, fine. Who do you want to question first?"
He gestured with his pen, "why don't I charm mom and you charm doctor dreamy over there?"
"Doctor, Detective Broussard with NYPD, I have some questions for you. I understand you discovered Nicole Garner's body..." Gus got nowhere with the doctor.
The CSI team had arrived and she went up to her uncle shaking in head, "no one saw anything, same old same old, but a girl in a coma wasn't getting much individualized attention unless alarms went off," Gus said shrugging.
Mac retorted, "I'll have Hawkes question some people here, this used to be his hospital."
"Really, huh. Well anyway, it's sick either way, survive a crash and then murdered in the hospital.
And people wonder why I hate these places," Gus suppressed a shiver.
Mac didn't answer, his eyes staring off behind them. "Maybe I could speak with the mother?" Mac asked.
Gus noticed Flack still talking to the mother who had another woman around the same age with her. "Detective Flack, ma'am, ma'am" Gus said coming up to the trio and nodding.
Flack gestured to the two women,"This is Ellen Garner and Julie Rollins..."
"Heather's mother, I am sorry for your losses, both of you. Mrs. Garner, I wanted to let you know that the crime lab is here to process the room and Detective Mac Taylor would like a word with you." Gus motioned Mac over, "and I wanted to let you know that Season's Grief Center has some great support groups, I'll make sure you have their number."
"Thank you, miss," Ellen Garner said with wiping away a tear.
Flack and Gus walked away as Mac came up, Flack gently led her around a corner pining her against a wall, "you didn't have to do that, that's not your job."
Gus wiggled out, fearing getting caught, "no skin off my back, they obviously both are going through a lot of trauma, losing their children..."
"And you call me the softey, come on let's get a coffee and see what the team comes up with."
"Yeah maybe Shel can get more info out of his old co-workers."
"Maybe-" Flack was cut off by a man running towards the murdered girl's room screaming "my daughter, my baby!"
"Enter Daddy," Gus said taking off after Flack, though the uniforms had restrained the father quickly. Gus heard a snap on her next step and stared down at her broken heel, "Dammit!" she moaned.
"Troubles, sunshine, maybe you shouldn't wear heels?"
"I don't want to hear it, Stella wears heels, you tell her not to?"
"She spends more time in the lab," Flack pointed out.
"I don't need to not wear heels, I need better ones," Gus said holding up the offending shoe, "I'm going to go rustle up some surgical glue".
Flack shook his head and went to see what Danny and Lindsay had discovered in the doctor's lounge.
Later at the lab, Hawkes was looking furious. "Shel, what's up you look like ya fixin' to pitch a hissy fit, your face is practically K&B purple!" Gus was taken aback she had never seen him like this.
Hawkes smirked at her colloquialism and said, "worse I have been shut out of my former work place".
"That ain't right," she said patting him on the back. Gus wandered through the lab, finding out the girl had suffocated, had krill in the corner of her mouth and a million prints yeilded no matches.
She did not find Flack, until she called him from the canteen, "Flack, where y'at?"
"Scoping out this hot girl in the lab," he said flirtation deep in his voice.
"TMI, sugar," Gus tried to not snap at him.
"What, she is...I think she has a severe coffee addiction though," Flack responded with a laugh.
Gus tucked the phone into her shoulder, grabbed her coffee and turned to stare Flack down through the window. "Ground Rules" she growled into the phone but hung up with a smile.
Flack met her at the door, "Stella got a hit on a print from that bar of soap. Ran it down to Nicole's boyfriend. We are gonna go run it down. With Mac though, so try to keep your hands to yourself," he smirked.
"I will dump this coffee in your lap!" Gus warned.
"That would just be punishment for both of us," he dimpled down at her, biting his lip.
Gus glared at him, "if you weren't right, I would be right mad!"
"Flack, I wouldn't get Gus 'right mad' if I were you, she's liable to start swinging," Mac said coming from behind them with no warning.
"This is why I have ground rules," Gus hissed at Flack while Mac went for his suit jacket.
At the car, Mac watched as Flack opened his niece's door, slid the hem of her coat in, smiled down at her and shut the door to the back. Mac wondered if there was something going on with them, something everyone had been wondering for quite some time, but he figured it was just the amount of time they had spent together, they were partners. After all, he helped Stella on with her coat and she would adjust his tie without provocation. Still, the look in Flack's eyes seemed a little deeper than any look Mac had ever dared to give Stella. Mac might have to have a talk with Gus, he wasn't about to speak with Flack with the whole Truby thing going on.
The trio entered the mechanics shop where the boyfriend worked. They attracted immediate attention from all in there, Mac and Flack for being obvious cops, Gus for being the extremely vivacious woman with them. She drew immediate catcalls, tensed her jaw but turned to the man nearest her and smiled sweetly, "dawlin' can you point out Matt Huxley to me?"
"Right over there, under that car, watch your step there sweet cheeks," the man responded swatting her on the butt.
She swiveled, and crunched down on his instep. "And that is why I wear heels," she said catching up to Flack and Mac.
"Matt Huxley?" Mac asked to the legs of the man under the car.
"Who wants to know?" a voice said not sliding out.
"NYPD!" Flack snapped.
The man rolled in the opposite direction and took off running. Flack and Mac took off out the back.
"Cover the front!" Mac yelled at her. The men came around to the car a few minuted later, a handcuffed Matt between them.
"Lockpicks," Flack said holding up the tools with a satisfied look.
"Not wise to run, Matt my man, neither one of them like runners much," Gus said to the young man.
"Whatever," he sneered.
Flack threw the keys to Mac, "you drive, I'll sit in the back with the punk" he said opening the front door for Gus and shoving Matt in the back, "she's right I don't like runners."
Back at the precinct Flack and Gus watched through the mirror as Mac questioned Matt. It seemed they had made a death pact after a friend had been paralyzed. Gus and Flack both perked up at this, it seemed almost too easy to be the boyfriend...but as he went on, Gus could see Mac's expression change.
Gus knew he was recalling his own father's struggle with lung cancer, he had heard the painful story once before and knew it upset him. She turned away, but turned back when Flack gently nudged her back, gesturing to Matt who was crying..."I loved her too much to kill her," the man ended with, sobbing.
"He's telling the truth" she whispered. Flack was watching both the scene in the interrogation room and their reflection super imposed on the glass, standing close, barely touching, Gus face etched with a bit of sadness, his steady as usual. He turned and walked away so he wouldn't break any ground rules.
Chapter 68: Mommy Dearest
Back in the lab, Stella and Hawkes had discovered both the murder weapon and the imprint of a medal belonging to the father on Nicole's bandages.
"Wanna go talk to daddy?" Stella asked Gus.
Before she could respond, Mac came up and said, "no I will".
Gus just shrugged and walked off to dig a little deeper into the victim's life. "Whoa, Flack, this girl was a hard core partier! Her ATM withdrawals read like a who's who list of every hot club and party in the city!"
"Yeah, so? We know they were in a drunk driving accident," he flipped some pages, "tox reports on both girls read like a drug store."
"Maybe she was dealing...I don't know. She didn't have a job, I wonder if this money was coming from her mother or something worse..." Gus did more digging on the computer while Flack flicked through the files and notes. "I got it!" she exclaimed a few minutes later.
"What?" he asked, smiling at her excitement.
"If you had a kid and were trying to make sure your financials were in order before this child goes off to college what would you do?"
He wondered where she was going with this, and if she wasn't so damn sexy he would hate the guessing game, "take out a loan?"
Gus shook her head, "more serious than that."
"Make sure my will and life insurance was up to date?" Flack guessed.
Gus gave him a thumbs up, "right, but would you take out a very sizable life insurance policy on your own child?"
Flack reached over and flipped her computer screen towards him, "what, really?"
"Mommy dearest did, two months ago," Gus pointed at the record.
"My dear Gus, that spells motive in my book."
Stella called Flack at that point and informed him that she had found female DNA on the extra heart monitor pad found on scene.
"Mommy dearest" Gus repeated.
"You wanna question?" Flack asked her.
"Nah, you and Stel have fun in there, I'll sit back and watch the big reveal".
The big reveal turned into a bust when the mother claimed she did so because her daughter was self-destructing and her impending divorce was about to leave her on the street. Stella tried to pull the whole DNA card, but had to collect it from Ellen first. Flack tried to push the assisted suicide angle, but the woman crumbled. He stared out the two-way to Gus, with a half-hearted shrug.
"I hate this case," Gus said storming off. She was pacing in the hallway in the lab making everyone else nervous when Flack and Stella came back. Stella immediately went off to the DNA lab.
Flack looped his arm through Gus' and said, "I think you need a walk before you make Adam pee himself." "This case has a million suspects and even more dead ends," Gus choked out with a scream.
"Not every collar is going to be a cakewalk sunshine, we've just been lucky so far," he said nudging her slightly closer.
In her frustration, Gus did not pull away, "I know, it's just it is pointless for this case to have happened just because two girls are stupid enough to try to drive after a night out on the town, one call to a cab and they would both be here!"
"True, but that doesn't change anything." Flack replied circling in front of her.
Gus all but stamped her feet, "I just hate when people are stupid and it effects others."
"I know, Gus, I know," he said tucking her hair behind her ears,"wanna get something to eat?" Gus nodded.
Over food, Gus sighed and destroyed several napkins before saying, "I feel like we are so close, but are just not getting something out of reach something. I feel useless!"
Flack reached across to grab her hand, ground rules be damned, "Gus it isn't your fault. Bad things happen and we can't stop them, we just help solve them."
She sighed, "I know, still sucks" she squeezed his hand back, "thanks." "No problem," he said regretfully letting her go.
"I'm getting this though, because I don't want you thinking we are clear on that fancy dinner," she said throwing some bills on the table and smiling.
"I am still taking you anywhere your heart desires," he said lifting her to her feet and fighting painful urge to plant one on her here in a diner less than a block from work.
"Let's go, blue eyes," Gus said turning away before she kissed him in public.
Odd news greeted them back at the lab. Stella had discovered through DNA and prints Nicole wasn't Nicole, and her mother wasn't Ellen. Heather is the one who survived the accident, but her face was so mangled she was mistaken for Nicole. In photos, the two girls looked exactly alike-almost twins.
"Lindsay and Danny are heading to investigate the SUV right now," Stella said.
"Woo hoo, hurry up and wait." Gus sarcastically quipped, "my favorite part."
"I thought your favorite part was the door slamming," Flack said poking her in the side.
Stella caught that and looked back and forth between the two of them, "don't ask, don't tell" she said turning away back into the lab.
Mac took over the questioning a couple of hours later once the SUV had been processed.
Gus stood with the rest of the team watching the questioning. When confronted with her own prints from the murder scene, Julie Garner was stern.
"Children aren't supposed to die before their parents." She blamed Nicole for taking the life of her daughter because of her drunken behavior, and she killed her. "I couldn't let her live, not after what she'd done." Ellen stood, throwing out her writs to be cuffed.
Mac ordered her to sit down and listen to the truth. He explained that she didn't kill Nicole, but murdered her own daughter instead. Heather wasn't driving that night, and she had Nicole's driver's license in her back pocket. Heather had a BAC just over the legal limit, and the accident was her fault. The blood from the car confirmed it. Ellen realized the truth, and broke down in hysterical tears. The team walked out, hearts heavy over the case.
Gus wandered back to the pit, determined to finish her paperwork before she left. "You staying here all night, sunshine?" Flack asked her, tapping at his watch. He wanted to check on Bobby, but he also wanted to spend some time with Gus.
"I'm almost done, you can head out though, I can finish up. I am sure you want to check on Bobby." "Mind reader, I'll call you later," he said squeezing her shoulder on his way out.
"I'm good, if you can't. I'll see you tomorrow," she chewed slightly on her lip, wanting so badly to leave with him.
Chapter 69: Come Over NWS
Gus spent the next couple of weeks trying to juggle seeing all her work friends and compartmentalize her work partnership with Flack and her very hot sex life with him and restrain herself from jumping on top of him every second they found themselves alone. She mostly did this by kicking him out of her apartment whenever he brought her home at the end of shift, after some bedroom gymnastics of course.
"I'm beginning to think you might just be using me for my body," Flack grinned down at her while she was pushing him out the door one night.
"Maybe," she said giving him one more heated kiss. "Actually if I don't kick you out we will never make it to work in the mornings."
He responded "true," and gave her a meltingly hot kiss with a hand sliding up her shirt in a way that only proved Gus' point.
Gus moved away from him, using the door as a barricade."And I have to compartmentalize, otherwise the whole world will know how much I-" Gus caught herself, crap was she about to say the big fat L word she curled her hands into fists, letting her nails bite into her palms, "enjoy sleeping with you," she finished hastily. "Calm me when you get home" she called after him.
Flack found it strange, they always ended up talking for a good while after he got home. He had stayed at her apartment plenty before they had started sleeping together, but whatever, she still needed time he told himself. Plus she was right, he would have the worst time convincing himself to leave her bed if he did spend the night. But part of him was craving a normal relationship, something he knew he could never have with her...well maybe just not such a hidden relationship.
By the third week of compartmentalizing and juggling on top of her caseload, Gus was exhausted. She had never been so relieved to get a subpoena from one of her psych evals in all her life. However, it meant being stuck at the courthouse waiting to be called. She had spent her second full day in court, and was tired and missing the precinct and the lab and most of all Flack. She was exhausted and drained and staring into an empty fridge still in her "sexy gray court suit" as he termed it when her phone rang, she was elated to see it was Flack.
"Can I come over?" Flack asked upon her answering, his voice was heavy with something, most woman would have thought desire, but Gus knew better, knew him better, it was desperation.
"Of course," she answered, wondering what was going on.
Flack was there in a couple of minutes, must have already been heading that way. As soon as he knocked Gus swung open the door. His eyes were full of that desperation and anger, something bad had happened. "What's going on, it isn't good I can tell that-" she started to say, but his mouth was on hers, his tongue probing and hot before she could get anything more out. Gus practically fell over, he caught her and leaned her back over the table.
This was interesting, she thought. Dammit why did she have to be in court all day, she had no clue what had gone on back at the precinct...but she didn't really care because this was hot...
Flack kept kissing her looking for safety or redemption, her in her damn sexy court suit. Did it on purpose he knew, tantalize the men charm the women, swing a jury. She had told him about that once. He kissed down into her supple cleavage. He slid a hand up her skirt, marveling at the skin on her outer thigh, damn were those garters? Flack growled low in his throat, almost his chest.
Gus caved under his touch, even though she had a feeling this had nothing to do with her. She knew she should be pissed at that, being used, but she knew there was a deeper connection between the two of them, one a lot more intimate than sex. She pulled her hair down and leaned back more on the table, praying it would support them both. She wrapped a leg around him, pulling him closer to her, between her legs, giving permission without saying a word. Other wise she remained passive, enjoying the heat emanating from him, the feel of his lips and tongue exploring her body, his hard body nestled between her legs.
Flack lifted her up, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He carried her toward the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing on the way, his lips never leaving her body. He tossed her not so gently on the bed face down, almost like she was a perp.
Gus gasped but didn't say anything. Whatever had happened must have been bad, real bad. He was on her and in her in an instant, every muscle tensed, rock hard, searching for the most primal release. She gave into it, ashamed to admit she was enjoying this anamlistic turn he had taken. This wasn't making love, this wasn't sex, this was pure base screwing.
They both were panting, bodies entwined writhing on the bed, heat rising from the bed hotter than what radiators were spilling on that cold night. Flack found what he thought he had been searching for, with a guttural noise, he fell against her, on top of her. Gus just lay there, wondering what was going on, but not wanting to speak.
When Flack moved slightly off of her, she instinctively turned on her side. He slipped beside her, curving around her body, "I'm sorry," he whispered into her neck, his voice now full with regret.
"It's fine, sugar," she murmured.
"No it's not," he said burying his head in her neck, both ashamed and delighting in the scent of her sweat, "I just used you, sunshine and you're worth more than that. More than me."
Gus tried to turn to face him, but he wouldn't move to let her, he couldn't look at her face right now, couldn't stand to see disappointment in those deep green eyes. Gus couldn't figure out what he was trying to say, what he meant, and not being able to look into his eyes, she couldn't read him...it killed her a little. "I don't think that's for you to decide, Flack" she said moving closer against him, despite both of them being drenched insweat. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to his chest. Gus could feel his muscles were still tense, his chest hair tickling her slightly, goose bumps raised on her skin.
Flack didn't know what he hoped to gain by coming there. All he knew was he couldn't take it anymore the taunts from the other detectives, trying to protect her from the fallout, blaming Mac, blaming himself, blaming fucking Truby. He needed to be some place where belonged, where some one had his back no matter what. He couldn't go home, his dad wasn't speaking to him. Danny was caught up in some crap with Lindsay getting bit by a snake and Stella was taking Mac's side.
He came here angry, desperate, craving something and now he felt like he had violated the best thing he had going for him right now. What he couldn't take was the fact that she seemed to have just taken it, accepted it, most frighteningly understood it. "A fed got killed tonight. Execution style. Tough scene," he finally said, still not letting her move.
Somehow Gus figured this was only the tip of the iceberg. She managed to wiggle out of his embrace. "I need a shower and food," she said padding off to toward the bathroom, not attempting to cover herself, refusing to in fact, he had splayed her out, she wasn't going to be ashamed.
Flack heard her turn on the water, flipped over and punched at the pillow. "Ya coming or not, and stop taking it out on my pillow, it's innocent, I promise," she called. How does she always know? He sighed getting up.
They had been sleeping together a few of weeks but had never showered together Flack realized. It was ironic in a way, he had taken plenty of showers here, half of them imagining Gus was in there with him but reality...he shook his head, this wouldn't have been his plan. He wanted to romance her, show her she was...sacred, but she didn't seem to be wanting any of that. Maybe it was just part of her act, her walls, he jumped as her arm snaked out from behind the curtain and pulled him to the tub, "Get in blue eyes, you stink."
He stepping into the cast iron tub, banging his shin on the way, "dammit, why can't you have a normal shower," he cursed.
"Because I can't do anything normal," she replied, under the spray, turned away from him. She tried to just have a regular shower, trying to forget she had pulled him in there, she moved around him, shampoo, conditioner, body wash. Flack followed her, slick, soapy, seemingly unaware body...suddenly she pushed him under the spray.
"Your turn, I'll scrub your back in a second, I gotta get my knots out first," she said running her hands through her hair. 'Act normal, act nonchalant, no big deal, let him talk it out when he wants to' she chanted to herself, combing through her mane.
He showered off, feeling exposed all of a sudden...why was she always so damn nice to him why did she even care. He punched at the wall in front of him, luckily tiled otherwise his hand probably would have went through.
"Watch it there, I ain't paying your cousin to tile twice," she said wryly, soaping up a sponge.
"Sorry." He still didn't turn around, water falling over him. Gus started to soap his back, massaging it, he was wound too tight. "Stop, don't," he said shrugging her off.
"Why not?" she demanded, snapping finally, "you the only one who can do what he wants?"
Flack slumped down dejected, about to reach down to turn off the shower. A fight was brewing, deserved he supposed.
"Look at me," she said evenly. "Turn around and look at me, dammit, if you are talking about what I deserve, you owe me that much!"
Flack turned slowly, water still streaming down, looking down at her. He was shocked to find not disappointment or anger in Gus' face or her eyes, but concern maybe even...sadness?
"I hate that you're hurting," she said, her eyes starting to well up with tears, whoa where were those coming from, she pushed them down by closing the distance between then, pulling him down to her, kissing him fiercely, the spray beating down on both of them, starting to turn cold, neither noticing until Gus slid in the tub and pulled them both down over the side, hitting her head on the toilet on the way down.
Flack recovered quickly pulling her up, "are you ok?" he said reaching down to feel the back of her head, his hand came up sticky, "dammit, you're bleeding."
"I'll be fine.""You are bleeding!" Flack said, trying to keep panic out of his voice.
"This isn't the first time I have ever hit my head, I'll be fine. Aren't you always teasing me how hard it is anyway? Just go get me some ice."
"Fine," Flack sighed, seeming anything but. He pulled out an extra towel handing it to her before wrapping one around himself and going to find an ice pack.
Gus tried to keep hold of the towel pressed to the back of her head, ignore the pain searing through her scalp. "What if you need stitches?" Flack asked, coming back with the ice pack.
"I don't need stitches, head wounds always bleed more," she paused, feeling around for a bump and when not feeling one she sighed, "though I might have a concussion."
"So why am I not taking you to a hospital?"
Gus looked up at him, her eyes icy, "you really want to explain that incident report, Flack? Because I don't know of too many partners that shower together."
Flack nodded, agreeing, but still worried. "What can I do then?"
"Just help me into bed and make sure I don't sleep for too long of a stretch," she said, pulling the towel away, checking to make sure the bleeding had slowed.
Flack helped Gus to the bedroom, tucking her in bed, "can I get you anything else?"
"I'm fine Flack. Thanks for staying, though," she said, liking having him there more than she cared to admit.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said climbing in beside her.
A bit later, when it looked like she was going to fall asleep, Flack nudged her gently, "I'm sorry ya know for earlier..."
Gus looked at him with wide eyes,"you don't have to apologize."
"Yes I do, you mean more to me than that, than just using you," Flack looked at Gus dejected.
Gus tried to shake her head, but it hurt, "you didn't use me, I was there too, I don't think I protested."
"Still, I feel bad," Flack shrugged.
"You can make it up to me then,"she grinned wickedly.
"How?" he looked quizzically at her.
"I've got a few ideas," she said moving in to kiss him, "a potential concussion means I should be woken every hour," she said leaving him breathless with her deep kiss.
Flack struggled to move out from under her. He had trouble resisting her, but could ignore the fact that she was injured. "Gus, that's not happening, you just split your head open. And I meant it on a deeper level that that anyway," he stroked her face.
"Buy me a nice Christmas gift then, and my birthday is boxing day so you gotta make it doubly nice then," Gus said snuggling into him.
"How did I not know your birthday was boxing day?" Flack was astounded, some detective he was.
Gus traced random patterns on his chest, "I didn't tell you, and I don't know yours...though I could look it up."
Flack smirked down at her, "It's January, actually it was the night we went out to Sully's and Cozi's and you got hammered."
Gus tightened her shoulders, "tipsy, I was just tipsy. I didn't know that was your birthday. Maybe I should have kissed you that night like I wanted to."
"I don't like making a deal out of my birthday. And what do you mean you wanted to kiss me?" he asked tickling her.
Gus brushed him off, "stop, why do you think I didn't say a word to you after you walked me home?"
"I figured you were trying to not puke," Flack shrugged.
"I was trying to not jump you, Don." Gus said rolling over onto her belly and wanting to hide rather than admit this.
"So why is it then that it took so damn long for us to happen?" Flack asked, nudging down beside her to keep her on eye level. She wasn't going to get to hide from him.
"I'm stubborn," Gus mumbled.
Flack shook his head, "you can say that again."
They spent the rest of the night with Flack afraid to sleep because he didn't want to miss waking Gus and her probable concussion and with Gus feeling bad that Flack wouldn't sleep.
By morning they were both tired and cranky. "Ow!" Gus said, looking at her wound in the mirror the next morning, "damn that hurts," she said.
Flack came up behind her, "I tried to get you to get it looked at. Nice do by the way," he said, pointing out the wild lion's mane Gus' hair had formed since she fell asleep with it wet.
Gus pouted at her reflection, "great, I've got blood in my hair, I am a hot mess and I don't know how I am going to wash it without bleeding like a stuck pig!"
Flack tried to not laugh at her, as she was quite a sight, "well you can't go out like that!" "Thank you captain obvious," Gus said storming into the kitchen to make coffee.
"Gus, come on!" Flack called after her, pulling his undershirt on.
She was slumped over the counter staring at the coffeemaker willing it to spit out coffee at warp speed, looking miserable and still a little pale. "Let me see it," Flack asked her, "we'll just have to be careful, I can wash your hair for you in the kitchen sink."
"You don't have to do that," Gus said, feeling suddenly exposed and vulnerable and not sure how to handle those feelings.
"Yeah, well I'm going to," he said pulling her in for a tight hug, "but not until after you have coffee, I don't want you biting my hand off." Flack did just as he said, gently and sweetly washing out her mane in the sink, careful to not open her wound back up, though he did manage to soak himself.
A bit later, Gus had disappeared into her closet and her muffled voice stated, "work is gonna suck today."
Flack replied, "yes, it will. At least you have clean clothes," he said gesturing to the pile of crumpled clothing that he had thrown in the bedroom from the trail in the hallway the night before.
"I can't help you with the suit but here..." Gus handed him a men's shirt and a undershirt. "I probably have some boxers in my drawer," she said motioning to the armoire.
"Why do you have men's shirts? This isn't mine, is it one of your boy toys?" Flack looked stricken.
"No, it is not, I have the occasional men's shirts they are easy to button lefty anyway, you should know that."
"Well considering I haven't ever worn a women's shirt, no I don't know," he snarked.
"Fine, grumpy, take it or leave it, I don't care!" she snapped back.
"Sorry, I'm just tired and still feeling bad about last night," Flack slumped against the wall.
"Don't give it another bit of thought, blue eyes," she turned back to her closet, pulling out a suit for herself and took a deep breath, "maybe you should leave some clothes here if you are gonna keep staying the night." She didn't turn around and was terrified of the silence.
Flack knew that even just that little statement was huge for her, but he didn't know if he should respond seriously or not.
"Flack, did you hear me?" Gus asked her voice strangled, as she reached for her own shirt.
"I did," Flack said coming behind her and planting a kiss on her neck, "I just have to think about what clothes I don't mind you stealing," he grinned, turning her and giving her a deep kiss on the mouth.
"Stop that or we are gonna be late" she said breaking away, though it took all her restraint.
He slid his hands up her pajama top, "I can put the lights on," he groaned.
"Would it get you in a better mood?" Gus moaned back.
"It would get me in a great mood, sunshine," he said trailing his hands up her sides.
Gus melted and caved, nudging him back toward the bed. "Fine, blue eyes, if I gotta be trapped with you all day, I want you in a good mood, but..." she grinned at him, playfully, "I gotta watch my head, you know," she finished pushing him down on the bed and clamoring on top of him.
"Well here they come, finally gracing us with their presence. You have problem picking out your panties this morning, Princess?" Thatcher remarked and then looked at Flack "Or did you?"
"Have you considered growing up, Thatcher, it just might become you?" Gus said, sitting down at her desk. "Where's the fun in that?" Thatcher replied, but he didn't push anything further.
Later in the day, out on a call, Flack turned to Gus suddenly and said, "I think you should come have Thanksgiving at my house."
Gus studied him, "you just want me to take the spotlight off you."
Flack smirked, "maybe, but I also want you there, right now i think they like you more than they like me."
Gus wrinkled her nose, "you'll be fine, besides I think Mac might have some special plans this year with Reed and Peyton though you didn't hear that from me."
"What is up with all the secrecy in your family?" Flack questioned.
"We are a private peoples, Flack," she said, wryly.
"You sure you won't come?" Flack pleaded.
"You are such a wimp," she replied, bumping him with her hip.
"I am not!" he bumped her back.
"If you two are done, we do have an active case," Stella said coming up to them.
"Right!" they both said jumping apart.
Stella studied them with narrowed eyes. Maybe she should talk to Mac about her suspicions about the two of them.
Chapter 70: Caged Bird
A week later, right before Thanksgiving, Gus was huddled under far too many covers for Flack's liking and he was trying to spoon her without dying of heat exhaustion. It was very late or very early when his phone started buzzing and hers joined in with an annoying tune. "Herungah," Gus answered her phone.
Flack tried to not laugh, answering his, "Flack".
Twenty-five minutes later they were walking into a crime scene in a bar. A woman, the bartender, lay dead on the floor, two gunshots wounds to the chest. "Looks like close range," Flack replied gesturing to the gaping wounds.
"Robbery?" Gus said gesturing to the smashed cash register.
"On a Tuesday night, stupid night to hit up a neighborhood bar. I've been here before, it's not busy on a good night," Flack said surveying the scene.
"I think I need a drink," Gus said grimacing.
A uniform pointed to a large muscular man in the corner, "bouncer saw it all."
Flack and Gus went over to the bouncer getting a description from him as Mac, Stella and Lindsay arrived on scene to collect the myriad of evidence. "It's too early," Lindsay said with a huge yawn.
"Or late," Stella replied, flipping open her kit and swapping blood drops from the floor.
Flack answered his buzzing phone, "Flack". He listened and nodded for a couple of minutes. "Got the guy, matches the bouncer's description, let's go meet them at the station, Broussard."
"We'll still finish up here," Stella replied, thinking how odd it was to hear Flack call Gus by her last name, even though they all called him by his.
Gus and Flack had already headed out when Mac's phone rang, he answered it and hung up with a steely expression. "Mac, what's wrong?" Stella asked.
"The perp they picked up, it was Sheldon."
"Hawkes?" Lindsay shook her head in confusion.
Gus and Flack headed to the interrogation room but were shocked when they were stopped by brass. "What's going on Captain?" Flack asked.
"You two are off the case!" Gerrard barked.
Gus immediately flushed, someone must have figured out they were sleeping together and now there was going to be hell to pay, and big time if the Captain was intercepting them. "I'm sorry sir, it's just-" Gus stammered. Flack caught the look of confusion on Gerrard's face, and yanked on the back of Gus' coat so she would shut up.
"Detective Broussard, I am certain you understand procedure?" Gerrard said glaring at her.
"Yes, sir, procedure very important. But so is doing a good and thorough job and I think you will have to admit that Detective Flack and I both have an impressive record. Him more so than me, but he has been in the field longer," she continued, not able to stop herself.
"Yes, I understand but a union lawyer is already involved," Gerrard stated firmly.
Gus wavered on her feet, lawyers, she hated lawyers, oh god, was her license even up to date how often did you have to renew it in New York and could she be just a therapist again?
Gerrard put out a hand to steady the attractive but pale looking woman. "Detective, I thought you would understand why I am taking over the case of Sheldon Hawkes."
"Hawkes?" Gus squeaked.
"Yes well, seeing as he is on the team you both work so closely with and I know you both fraternize with him outside of work. The whole CSI team is off this case," Gerrard said giving Gus a strange look and turning to Flack, "I am sure you understand. Now get her something to eat before she passes out in the hallway!"
Flack said, "sure thing, let's go Gus".
They were headed out when Mac came flying past them and into the interrogation room. Captain Gerrard when storming after him but Mac had already locked the door. "Taylor, you better open this door now!" and he turned to them, "You two, get the hell out of my face!" and turned back to the locked door.
"What the hell is going on?" Gus asked into her coffee at the diner.
"I don't know, but way to freak out on the captain back there sunshine!" Flack said, he could feel his shoulders and jaw tightening.
"I didn't know he was talking about Hawkes," Gus said trying to remain calm.
Flack studied her, "regardless, you are usually so good at keeping your cool, what's going on?"
"I don't want to jeopardize your career for us," she said meekly.
"You're not," Flack said steadily.
Gus grumbled and flagged down the waitress, "two eggs scrambled, wheat toast, bacon and more coffee," she barked at the server.
The waitress wrote it down and turned to Flack,"got it and you handsome?"
Flack said, "same thing."
"So now what are we supposed to do for the rest of the day?" Gus half wailed.
"Figure out why Sheldon is in lock-up?"
"But we were yanked off the case!" Gus replied incredulous.
"Doesn't mean we can't still try to figure out what happened," he said leaning over and tapping her forehead.
"True," Gus replied brushing his hand away, worrying that someone might see them.
They finished breakfast and went for a walk, discussing what they knew about Sheldon, and coming up only with the fact that the case didn't make any sense, but the eyewitness was so sure. Going back to the lab, they discovered that everyone was moping for having been pulled off the case, but they had been called to another case. "Guy dies in a peep show booth, definitely worse ways to go!" Danny quipped.
"Too bad it was an overdose, Messer," Lindsay replied.
"To make matters worse for Hawkes," Stella gravely informed them, "his clothes tested positive for GSR." Stella got a look on her face, "but he test-fired yesterday, I have to go tell Mac."
Later they all convened in Mac's office, Flack and Gus hadn't been called out on any other cases, in fact the Captain tried to tell her to go home, figured she was having "woman issues" or something. Gus didn't listen. The team was frustrated since they couldn't do anything, and all were trying to work the angles of the story.
Stella spoke up, "well we know he'd test-fired two weapons yesterday, so he certainly would have had remnants on his skin that could easily transfer to clothing. Hawkes' regular schedule also includes a run after his 8 pm to 4 am late shift, and he's visited the bar where the crime took place before, occasionally with you, right Danny?"
Danny then suddenly let it slip that he spoke to the bouncer witness privately. Mac snapped at him. "Danny, you know better. That is something that could get the whole team in hot water with Stanton!"
They tried desperately to come up with a motive for the murder as they would any other suspect. Mac calmly stated, "it has to be a planned frame up."
"Who would have a vendetta against Sheldon?" Gus asked.
As Mac recounted the elements of the case, it become clear to all of them, "Shane Casey," Mac said, his voice steely.
"Crap." muttered Flack.
"Fucking Casey!" Danny snapped.
"Well Hawkes is already in Rikers, maybe one of us should go talk to him?" Stella suggested.
"I'll go," Mac said walking off.
"Let's get back to the peep show guy," Lindsay quipped.
"Now what?" Gus sighed as every one else left.
"You know, you don't take a free afternoon off very well," Flack said smirking at her.
"Only because I don't have anything better to do."
"Anything?" he smirked.
"Stop it, Sheldon is in Rikers, think with your brain would ya?" Gus said playfully punching at him.
"I do when necessary, but seeing as we don't have an active case assigned to us right now..." he gave her a look that made it clear he wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Your terrible, Detective Flack," she said shaking her head but grinning and heading out.
Late in the evening while they were debating if they really wanted to put on clothes to go get food or not, Gus' phone rang. "It's Mac," she said to Flack and wrapped a sheet around her and headed to her office. "Mac, what's up, did you get anything from Sheldon to use?" she sounded like an excited puppy.
Mac regretted calling her, "No, though I did get a note that I think is from Casey wanting to meet me tomorrow."
"Interesting," she replied curling up in the office chair.
"That's not why I am calling you though. I need some advice," Mac's voice was heavy with seriousness.
"You need advice from me? Seriously?" Gus was incredulous.
"Well it is about Peyton and Reed, separately though," Mac continued, a bit hesitant. He couldn't believe he was actually calling his niece for advice, but he didn't know who else to talk to.
"Ah ha, a professional consult, it will cost you dear uncle," Gus laughed.
"Didn't I let you live with me for nothing?" he joked, but sighed.
"Spill it, Mac", Gus was worried now.
He launched into the story of turning away from Peyton when Stella came in and then their subsequent argument and him calling her Claire.
Gus thought for a moment and then said, "I think there are a few things in play here."
"Such as?" Mac questioned, he was not in the mood for cryptic talk, as much as he gave it.
Gus laid it all out, "maybe you aren't as ready to move on as you thought and maybe being an office secret isn't sitting so well with Peyton?"
Mac sighed, "I thought I was, and office romances can go horribly wrong."
"Ain't that the truth," Gus remarked before she could catch herself.
Mac couldn't ignore the statement, "speaking of which, there isn't anything going on between you and Don is there, Gussie?"
Gus groaned inwardly, "what makes you ask that, Mac?"
"You just seem awfully close and Stella and Lindsey have both mentioned you haven't seen them in a while and I don't recall you saying you were brining a date to Thanksgiving..."
"Quit fishing, Mac," she said with a note of finality.
"You two are partners," Mac pressed on.
"I am aware," Gus snapped, still refusing to directly answer him.
"Peyton works in the ME's office a completely different department," Mac pointed out.
Gus' voice went as cold as ice, "as I am also aware. Listen did you call to grill me or talk about you?"
Mac was acutely aware she wasn't revealing any more to him. "I think Peyton and I may be over for good," he said switching back to him.
Gus felt relieved to get the spotlight off her, she didn't want to lie to Mac, but she couldn't tell him the truth either. "Maybe, maybe not. I think you need to give both her and you some space and time. And may I suggest that you don't pursue anything with her if you aren't ready to take it public." Gus swallowed thinking maybe she should take her own advice. Mac didn't say anything. "Now what about, Reed Uncle Mac? My meter is still running."
Mac breathed deeply, "I brought him some photos of Claire...a week or so ago, the night the fed was executed."
"I recall that night," Gus rubbed her head at the memory.
"He hasn't called me since then," Mac hated feeling so out of control.
"Mac, he is 18 he has his own life, he probably is in the middle of finals. Didn't you say he was in college?"
"I thought perhaps there had been a connection."
"Mac, how often did I call y'all when I was first in college?"
"That's different you are stubborn and independent," Mac protested.
"He probably is to, seeing as we are related," Gus retorted, happy to hear the smile in Mac's voice when he said "true." "Look, I think I would like to meet him, if that's alright with you. Maybe we can visit him on Friday or something?"
"I suppose."
"Now what are we going to do about Thanksgiving since you scared off your girlfriend and my cousin and as you pointed out I am dateless?"
Mac thought for a moment, "we can always go to Sid's."
"Ooohhh Turkey from the Crypt that ought to be fun."
"It is very unbecoming when you are that sarcastic, Augusta."
"I am going to hang up on you now," Gus retorted.
"Goodnight, Gussie."
"Night, oh and when are you supposed to meet Casey?"
"10 am Grand Regent."
"See ya in the morning then, Mac."