Chapter 113: Alphabet Soup
After finally getting through to McEnroe's people, Stella and Danny clamored to be the ones to question the tennis legend.
Flack was more than happy to hand them the reigns, wanting to go get food.
"I don't see what star lust is even about," Gus said over messy sandwiches.
"I guess it's the wanting to rub up against greatness," Flack replied, handing her a wad of napkins.
"Yeah but it isn't like it's Martin Luther King or the Pope or anyone who has actually done anything great. Of course this is the same society that called poker a sport," Gus shook her head.
"Not that again," Flack teased, "what didn't a lot of movies get filmed in New Orleans, don't a lot of stars go there?"
"Yeah, so they can escape. In the land of the weird, a star is nothing. It would be like 'Oh look at so and so' but then we would move on to more important things like football or what we were eating for dinner," Gus gestured with her sandwich flicking gravy on herself, "damn."
"Hope you got an extra shirt in your locker," Flack teased.
"Of course I do, this is me we are talking about," Gus said, spreading the stain around.
Gus was back at her desk, happy to finally have gotten through to John McEnroe's manager who corroborated his story that he was home.
"I'll call Stella. She and Danny got samples from McEnroe. I just still don't know. He was there, he wasn't there. Who knows?" Flack said when she told him the latest.
"Well you can't be two places at once, thank god or we would never solve a case," Gus said, going back to her paperwork.
"I thought you had another shirt," Flack said, pointing at her gravy stains.
"I thought I did. And I have an appointment with Mrs. McEnroe, this will look real good," Gus sighed.
"Go home and change, I'll cover for you," Flack said, "and I might head out with Danny later depending on how the case goes."
"Thanks, blue eyes, see ya later, have fun," Gus said, heading out.
Back at her apartment building, Gus was greeted by workmen replacing the front door. "What the hell happened?" she asked Mrs. Potter.
"Oh old Charlie was on one of them new fangled scooters and ran right through the door."
"Oh my god, is he alright?" Gus said, trying to not laugh.
"He'll be fine, though his children decided he shouldn't be driving anymore, so he is moving to Florida. Another one bites the dust," Mrs. Potter clucked. "Twisted the lock though, so we got new keys. Here are yours," Mrs. Potter said, handing Gus a small brown envelope.
"Thanks," Gus said thinking she would have to get another one cut and to Flack if he was going out with Danny, because who knew when they would be headed back in.
Gus' afternoon was spent getting changed, the hassles of getting a 'do not duplicate' key cut and talking to Mrs. McEnroe.
The wife was very pleasant and concerned about the rumors of her husband.
"I know he used to have a temper, but he has calmed down so much. Your priorities change in life as you get older and getting mad starts to take more energy than you have when you have kids running around," she told Gus.
"I can see how that would happen," Gus remarked as the children ran around the living room, "thank you for your time, we'll keep you posted," Gus said, letting herself out.
By the time she got back to the precinct, Flack was missing. "Crap," she said, smacking her desk, now she could look forward to a middle of the night confused Flack trying to get in the building. She wondered if they were headed to Sully's or someplace else.
Gus headed over to the lab to see if Flack and Danny were still there but only ran into Sheldon and Lindsay who were deep in evidence.
"Hey Gus," Lindsay said, looking up from her microscope.
"I don't suppose either of you have seen Flack or Danny have you?"
"Danny left a while ago, was going to Sullivan's, rough time on the stand," Lindsay replied.
"I heard you had one too," Sheldon gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Lawyers, how I love thee," she said. "How are things coming on your end?"
Lindsay replied, "the results on a white substance from a head wound Tony had was porcelain tooth veneer. John McEnroe didn't have any cracked teeth when Stella saw him."
Sheldon added, "the coins in the condom machine had fingerprints on them, but they weren't in AFIS nor do they match John McEnroe. But here is the crazy thing, the blood drops from the bathroom do match a reference sample he provided."
Gus wrinkled her brow, "so the question is, how was John McEnroe in two places at one time?"
"You are asking the wrong people for that," Lindsay said, "that is what we have been stuck on and frankly I need to be unstuck."
"You up for doing anything tonight?" Sheldon asked both women.
"I could be game," Gus said with a shrug.
Lindsay nodded in agreement as well, "should we see what Stella and Mac are up to?"
"I gotta go take care of something real quick, but I'll be back. Meet y'all back here in 30?" Gus said, rushing off.
"See ya," Sheldon called.
Gus rushed out and over to Sullivan's, quickly spotting Danny at the bar. "Hey Messer," she called dropping into a seat beside him. He looked like he was already a drink in. His face lit up and then fell. "Sad I wasn't Lindsay or that I am busting up your boys night?" Gus teased.
"Shut it, Broussard," Danny snipped.
"Don't worry, I'm not staying, I just wanted to see if you could give this to Flack whenever he gets here," Gus slid the envelope across the bar.
"What is this, is this a key? You want me to give Flack the key to your apartment?" Danny looked like the key might bite him.
"No, I want you to give Flack his key to the new front door of our apartment building. You two don't really talk, do you?" Gus teased.
"Wait, 'our' you two are like shacking up?" Danny looked bewildered.
"I suppose that would be a term for it. Though I believe the attorney today called it an illicit affair, but whatever. Just give it to him, alright Danny?" Gus shot him a big smile.
"Will do. Shacking up, the bachelor tamed the bayou babe-" Danny was cut off by a punch from Gus. "Oof, watch it there," he said, rubbing his arm.
"Have fun tonight, Messer," Gus said, walking away from the bar.
"Shacking up," Danny mused to himself as Gus left and Flack didn't even tell him. He wasn't going to bring it up either, not right away, but it would be fun when he did.
Gus awoke the next morning, a slight pounding behind her eyes. She groaned and buried her head under the pillow.
"Sunshine," Flack said, pulling the pillow off of her, "what did you do last night, you were o-u-t out when I got in."
"Impromptu margarita night with Sheldon sitting in for Stella, but he hated the fruity margaritas so we switched to straight tequila and I should never shoot tequila. Ever. What about you?" Gus asked shaking the cobwebs out of her head and sucking down the water she had left on her bedside table.
"Just shot the shit with Danny at Sully's. Coupla a games of pool, talked about how hard Mac was going to have and took a ton of ribbing from him regarding my new domicile," Flack said with a grin, going to make coffee.
"Sorry about that, but I had to get you the key," Gus said padding after him.
Flack turned and caught her in his arms in the hallway, "it's all good, Gus. I don't mind people knowing I live with you, I thought you were the one that had a problem with it. Which apparently you are over."
Gus wiggled out of his embrace without answering. "How do you think Mac is going to fare in all of this?" Gus asked changing the subject in the kitchen.
"I don't know, he's got a damn hard road ahead of him. Danny got grilled good, so did Stella and you already know neither of us could get two words in edgewise. Sinclair and Gerard have it out for Mac," Flack stated before heading back into the bedroom.
"I need grease," Gus sighed taking a huge gulp of coffee, "you wanna grab breakfast?"
"Nah, I think I am going to hit the gym and try to sweat out some of the beer I had last night, meet you at the precinct?"
"Yeah sure," she stopped and leaned against the doorway, "Messer didn't tease you too much did he?"
"Nothing I can't handle, besides like 'Mr. I don't cuddle' has much room to talk, I have a feeling things are heating up between him and Lindsay," Flack said, zipping his suit up in his garment bag, "I think he was just more amused at you."
"At me?" Gus questioned.
"Yeah, he said you seemed a bit sheepish about giving him the key," Flack finished, throwing a few items into his gym bag.
"Sheepish?" Gus snorted, "if that's what Danny wants to call it," she rolled her eyes.
Flack moved in for a quick kiss before leaving, "And don't worry about Messer making an announcement out of our living together, I threatened to tell the department he slept with a stuffed bunny until he was 10 if he couldn't keep his mouth shut."
Gus' mouth dropped open, "Did he?"
Flack replied with a twinkle in his eye, "I would duck after asking him."
Gus hurriedly got ready, thoughts of bacon and biscuits clouding her thoughts and causing her stomach to rumble. She practically threw herself into the diner, getting tangled up with someone leaving. "Er, um sorry," Gus grumbled trying to get out of his way.
"Just watch where you are going," he snapped.
"Gawd Betty, you didn't pee in his corn flakes did ya?" Gus asked as she plopped down at the corner.
"Nope, but I thought about it," Betty answered, immediately pouring Gus a huge mug of coffee.
Gus was pondering the fact that she may be coming her a little too often when she heard familiar voices behind her. She turned to see Mac and Peyton ensconced in a booth.
"Hey y'all, fancy meeting you here," she said going up to the table. They both looked up at her with serious eyes, their hands intertwined across the formica. "Crap, am I interrupting something?" Gus winced.
"No, not at all," Mac said, clearing his throat, "in fact I need to get going. See you later, darling?" he asked, planting a kiss on Peyton's cheek.
'Darling?' Gus thought, 'that's just weird'.
"Would you care to sit down, Augusta?" Peyton asked, gesturing at the side of the booth Mac had just exited.
Gus shrugged noncommittally, but slid into the booth, "you know Peyton, you can call me Gus."
"But Augusta is your given name, correct?" Peyton asked in complete innocent seriousness.
"Uh yeah, it is," Gus replied.
"You just don't look like a Gus to me. I imagine some poor old sod wearing a dirty cap and driving a lorry," Peyton stated.
Gus snickered, "well when you put it that way, Augusta is fine." Gus was happily distracted by the arrival of her food, which she dove into and was chewing happily away on a divine piece of bacon when Peyton spoke again.
"He's going to see Truby," she half whispered.
"Dean Truby?" Gus replied choking.
Peyton nodded stoically, "he called. Said he had something to tell Mac, I told him he should go."
"So what, Truby can gloat?" Gus said, playing with eggs and feeling her hunger dissipate.
"I think he could have done that over the phone. I imagine it must be something awfully important," Peyton responded.
"I would hope so," Gus grumbled into her toast.
Peyton quickly dropped another bomb, "I'm thinking of asking him to come to England with me."
"England?" Gus choked again, coughing and spluttering this time until Peyton pushed a glass of water towards her and said, "for a vacation. I have a conference in London."
Gus gathered herself and sighed with relief, "Good luck with that," she sniffed.
Peyton looked at her quizzically but didn't respond.
"Mac has taken like five days off since he's been with the force. I don't think he knows how to vacation," Gus snickered but stopped seeing Peyton's face fall. "um, but, he could probably use one, right? He must have months of vacation time accrued," Gus back peddled.
Peyton nodded her head with assurance,"well then, I will just have to find someway to convince him."
Gus had barely gotten to her desk, had not even sat down in fact when the bellowing voice of her Lieutenant beckoned her, "Broussard, conference room now!"
"Oh god, what did I do now?" Gus moaned, garnering laughter from Montgomery and Parker.
"You two jokers need more work?" Daddino called out.
"Nope, I'm good" "Me too."
Gus entered to conference room in complete fear of what might be waiting for her and was pleasantly surprised to see the room filled not with superiors ready to rip her a new one, but bulletin boards filled with information and photographs. The long table was covered with boxes, binders and reams of paper. "What on earth?" she asked bewildered.
"Intelligence, if you can call it that, garnered from a variety of sources on the task force. You have been chosen to sort through this mess and make sense of it. Most of it will be repetitive and redundant since there's information from us, ICE, DHS, ATF, and the DEA. That enough alphabet soup for ya?" Daddino said with a grin.
"So what exactly did I do to deserve becoming a glorified paper pusher?" Gus asked, blowing a strand out of her face.
"I think it might just be another benefit of being related to Mac Taylor, kid," Daddino said, clapping his hand on her shoulder, "but don't worry, the feds are sending some people to help and they are professional paper pushers."
Gus sighed and slumped at the desk, "I can't wait. But what about the McEnroe case?"
"Crime Lab says they are on top of it," Daddino said walking out.
"Fine, but I better get food out of this," Gus called after him.
"You are starting to sound like your partner, Broussard," came Daddino's bemused reply.
Gus was trapped in the conference all day trying to make heads or tails of all the "intelligence" that had been connected. It was late when Flack popped his head in, "good news sunshine, McEnroe isn't a killer, 'cept on the court."
"Um, because I was severely worried about that," Gus said, not looking up from the board she had been writing on.
"Turns out some whack job who looks like him goes around scoring free stuff off of unsuspecting fans. Even bought the guy's blood off the web. I think you really can buy anything off ebay," Flack smirked.
Gus didn't respond, as she continued to make markings and arrows on the board. She rearranged a couple of photos and made a few more markings.
"You planning on becoming offensive coordinator for the Giants or something?" Flack queried.
Gus wrinkled her brow and did not turn around, "I am trying to figure out what supposed intelligence actually has been gathered in these stacks of paper. While you were out playing Perez Hilton, I have been stuck in this hole, supposedly some feds are supposed to come help, but we will see if that ever comes to fruition."
Flack closed in behind her, laying his hand on her waist as she wrote, erased, and wrote some more. "How did you get so lucky?"
Gus rubbed her forehead, smearing marker across it and threw the eraser at the board. "Dammit!" she exclaimed and finally turned to face Flack.
"Daddino thinks it has something to do with Mac. I agree, but add a little bit of Gerard and Sinclair's doing to the mix," she said leaning into his chest for a brief second before turning back to the boards.
"So what have you got so far?" Flack asked, thumbing through a report from ICE.
"That all the reports saying Giuliani cleaned out the Westies in the 80's are crap. Apparently since Bosco Radonjich fled the US to avoid tampering charges, there has been a big underground push to get the Irish Mob, well Irish again," Gus said, rearranging the photographs once again, "and in addition to the usual activities of loan sharking and gun running, they now appear to be the number one supplier of narcotics on the West and Upper East Side."
Flack whistled, "that's a lot of info to have sorted out in one day. Any way I convince you to leave this hole and come home?"
"Let me check in with Loo first," Gus said, capping the marker she was holding and slumping back against the table.
"Gus, have you looked at the time? Loo is long gone."
Gus looked up at the clock, "damn, I didn't realize it had gotten so late."
"Well I am sure all this" Flack gestured to the stacks of paper, "will still be here tomorrow."
Chapter 114: Registered Affections
The stacks of paper certainly were there the next morning. However, neither the Feds nor Flack were there to help. Gus stormed into Daddino's office about to pitch a fit when he held up his hand, "hold up there, hurricane. Feds are coming, they have promised to be here late this morning."
"And my partner, does he get a piece of this oh so fun pie or am I the only one being punished?" Gus was steaming and trying to keep under control, Flack had been missing this morning, his side of the bed cold and her phone silent.
"He got called out early thing morning," Daddino said.
"Alone?" Gus pressed.
Daddino gave a half shrug, "I wasn't the one who called him out. I think it may have been Sinclair."
"Sometimes I loose track of who is whose puppet!" Gus snapped.
"All I know is no one is pulling my strings, but it seems your uncle has a few tricks of his own," Daddino said, throwing a copy of the paper at her.
"Cleared of all charges?" Gus read incredulous, "what the hell happened?"
"I don't know, rumor mill is going full force, but why don't you go ask him?" Daddino suggested waving her out of his office. She turned to leave just as Daddino called out, "Broussard, what exactly did you do to Gerrard or Sinclair anyway, this can't be all Taylor's issue."
Gus turned looking defeated, "to be honest Loo, I don't really know."
Gus want off in search of Mac, hoping to figure out what exactly had happened with the hearing. Giving up on finding him, she wandered back to the mountains of paperwork awaiting her in the still empty conference room.
Hours later lost in the history of the Irish Mob in New York she heard a commotion out in the pit, but didn't bother to move from her spot. "What else is new?" she muttered, wondering just what 'late morning' meant to the Feds.
Flack finally showed back up in the pit, his eyes flashing with anger, veins throbbing in his temple. "Lord, what happened with you?" Gus asked, coming out from the conference room for a coffee break.
"Freaking Sinclair and Gerard. And to top it all off, Gerard had the nerve to ask me if I could take his niece out since she is in town visiting."
"So what did you tell him?" Gus asked, traces of a smirk on her face, trying to figure out why Flack was so angry.
"Told him to shove it because of this," he said, closing the distance between them and laying such a kiss on her that he tipped her back, not caring who saw.
"Well I guess that confirms that," Montgomery quipped as Flack released Gus. "Who won the pool?" he asked Thatcher, who pulled out a book and skimmed down the page with his finger.
"I think Ralph in Major Case."
"Our pool extended into Major Case?" Gus questioned, a little dizzy from the lengthy kiss.
"Your pool practically extended to Bronx North," Parker quipped.
Flack walked over behind Thatcher and pointed to a spot on the previous page.
"Angell? Of course a freakin' woman. She didn't have insider information did she?" Thatcher grumbled.
"Hey wait!" Montgomery exclaimed looking from Flack to Gus and back to the book, "her bet was for you living together."
The whole pit stopped and looked from the doorway of the conference room where Gus was standing back to Thatcher desk and Flack. Gus merely gave a shrug and a slight nod. Flack also nodded, a little more firmly than Gus.
"Dammit!" exclaimed Parker, "I guess I'll go call Angell, let her know the good news" he grumbled.
"You ready for that coffee now?" Flack asked going back to Gus.
"Yeah, a girl could use some caffeine after letting the whole division know we are shacking up," Gus said with a wry smile.
Flack smiled back, leading Gus out with his hand on the small of her back.
The pair didn't make it as far as coffee before they were waylaid by the arrival of the Feds. "Agent Bartlett with ICE, Agent Rice with the DEA. I take it someone here has looked over the reports."
"I have waded through them, Agent Bartlett. I have compiled the agreed upon intelligence into a streamline report, we can have copies made. Everything else is in the conference room. The boards are all set up with the most up to date information," Gus said authoritatively.
Agent Bartlett barely flicked his eyes over her before turning to Flack, "Detective, I've heard good things about you. Worked with your father once back in the day, good man, heard he is retired now?"
Flack nodded, chewing on his lip.
"Good to see you have competent assistants around here. Hard to know with budget cuts," Bartlett winked at Gus who gaped at him, her mouth hanging open in shock, her face flushing.
Agent Rice caught Gus' reaction and stuck out his hand, "sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Detective Broussard," Gus choked out.
"You're Detective Broussard?" Bartlett asked incredulous, "the doctorate cop? I was expecting someone-" Bartlett searched for a word.
"More seasoned?" Gus suggested, saving him and the situation with a slight smirk.
"Yes, seasoned. So I don't suppose you will be going to get us coffee?" Bartlett joked, admiring the work that had been done in the conference room.
"Just because I have a couple of fancy degrees doesn't make me think I am too good to get coffee. Besides, I don't function well on the swill they've got here in the pit," Gus smiled, forcing herself to not roll her eyes.
Gus returned, tray of coffee in hand, happy to see the feds deep into the information she had complied. "Good work, detective," Bartlett said when she came back into the conference room.
"I understand it was your CI who started this ball rolling?" Rice asked, looking from Flack to Gus, "you two are partners, right?"
Sanchez and a couple of other members of NYPD who had filtered into the room from the task force snickered. News had traveled at its normal lightning speed. Gus shot them a look while Flack nodded.
"This is going to be tough to coordinate," Bartlett said.
"Tough doesn't even begin to describe it, Bartlett," Daddino quipped from the doorway, entering the room to shake the agent's hand and breaking into a grin, he obviously knew the agent before him.
"Didn't know you were coming down here, figured you were sending some of your peons. We are still getting the collar for this though," Daddino said, his tone jovial, but his message clear.
"Oh goody, a turf war," Gus muttered under her breath.
Daddino caught it and stared her down, "Broussard, if you want in on this you better get to the training facility and get qualified for this level. Parker offered to take you, he needs to re-qualify, try to not shoot him in any of the exercises."
Gus spent the next couple of weeks in a flurry of activity: working with the task force in all its carnations, getting qualified at the training facility, getting a couple of old cases ready for trial and trying to meet up with Mac who kept canceling on her because the CSI's seemed to be swamped with work.
The saving grace to this was both she and Flack were put on the bottom of the lists for call outs, the potential take down of the final remnants of the Irish Mob seeming to be more important in the eyes of the brass.
And of course there was the dealing with the fallout of the know general knowledge of Flack and Gus sharing a domicile. At first it was just snickers and whispers, directed in both of the directions.
Daddino called them into his office a couple of days after the show in the pit. "Either of you think about telling me of this latest development in your partnership?" Daddino asked standing over the two of them.
"I changed my address with HR," Flack offered.
"Don't be cute, junior," Daddino huffed.
"How does it effect anything?" Gus asked, her face remaining blank.
"I just like to know what is going on before it becomes public knowledge by the winner of whatever pool happens to be running this week," Daddino said, pacing in front of them.
"I think our pool has been running a bit longer than a week," Flack snarked but cut off when Daddino shot him another look.
"Look you two, I can't say this sort of thing has never happened before, but it doesn't happen a lot. There isn't a real policy for or against such things. Just watch your step, both of you and if you need new partners, you better let me know first thing," Daddino warned.
Before she caught the look Flack was giving her, Gus burst in with, "yeah, because that got us far last time I requested one."
"Well things are a little different know seeing as you two are-" Daddino cut off and leaned in to study them both, "just how long have you two been together together?"
"Truby," Gus said under her breath.
Daddino raised his eyebrows and looked at Flack, "Truby?" he questioned.
"I had been trying well before that," Flack smirked.
Daddino drew a deep breath, despite their joking comments after being called out, he knew his detectives, especially Flack and knew he wouldn't be in this if he wasn't all in.
"Just don't rub it in anyone's face. Stay professional" Daddino said waving them out, "dismissed."
Gus was pulling her workout clothes out of her locker to head to the gym when the first of the practical jokes hit her, literally, on the head. "Shit!" she exclaimed, rubbing at the spot where the toaster had zinged off her head.
"You alright?" Stella called from the showers, she had gotten covered in dumpster goo at a scene and was pulling a double.
"Flying toaster," Gus called back, changing and tucking the toaster under her arm. Stella shook her head and ducked back under the spray, sometimes she was really glad she didn't work in homicide.
Gus charged back to her desk and was about to slam the toaster down on it when she noticed an item that certainly didn't belong there with a ribbon wrapped around it.
"You are freaking kidding me right?" she announced, shoving the item into the toaster and bending over to plug it in. The toaster threw off a cascade of sparks and smoke as it melted the baby rattle that someone had placed on Gus' desk.
"I hope y'all are quite done," Gus said storming off, leaving the putrid mess behind.
Flack came out of the conference room a few minutes later trying to find the source of the smell, "did Montgomery burn popcorn again?" he started to question and then broke off as he saw the now unplugged but still smoking pile on Gus' desk.
"Guys come on, grow up," he chastised and went back into the conference room.
A burst of laughter erupted as soon as Flack closed the conference room door. "Man are they going to hate what the find when they get home tonight," Thatcher said between peals of laughter.
Gus took her frustration at the antics of her fellow detectives out in the gym and finally got a chance to meet up with Mac, with Stella in tow for a quick bite before they both headed back to the lab. "So you played the game finally?" Gus asked, picking through her salad.
"I wouldn't say I was playing a game as much as I was-," Mac stopped and blurted out, "ow!" Gus surmised that Stella had landed a quick kick to his shin.
"Sometimes, Gus, when you can't beat 'em you got to join 'em," Mac said with a small grin.
"Something to remember," Stella added with a knowing smile.
"You all don't miss anything up in the lab, do you?" Gus asked, spearing a piece of steak.
"Angell treated us to lunch with some of her pool winnings. You guys drew in a large and diverse crowd," Stella said, laughing.
Mac shot Gus a long serious look and then smiled again, "which we weren't allowed in on."
"Look can we please not make a big deal or rather any deal out of this?" Gus pleaded with both of them.
"Deal, I'm not making a deal. Mac, are you making a deal?" Stella asked innocently.
"Obviously you are both overworked and sleep deprived" Gus quipped back.
"Speaking of which," Mac cut in. Gus shot him a death glare. "I was going to ask you about the task force, heard something big was about to go down."
"Probably a week or so away. Still coordinating with every last bit of the alphabet at this point," Gus sighed.
"How is the qualifying going?" Stella asked, between bites of her own food.
"Mostly done, I think. Unless they throw something else at me. I still don't see how I wasn't qualified, seeing as supposedly no strings were pulled for me," Gus rolled her eyes and looked at Mac.
"I did nothing," he protested.
"Well I hardly think Lindsay was cleared for her stunt with the jewel thieves so many months ago," Gus replied dryly, "but I figure it can't hurt to make sure my file is up to snuff. And I haven't injured myself or anyone else."
Mac raised his eyebrows but didn't reply. Stella snickered into her coffee and then pulled out her phone, "Adam has my test results."
"Looks like we need to head back, you want to walk with us?" Mac asked, placing a couple of bills on the table.
"Sure, why not, feels like I haven't seen much of the team lately," Gus said, following behind them.
Stella went in to discuss the results with Adam and Mac hooked his finger to beckon Gus into his office.
"Please spare me the lectures, Mac," Gus headed him off at the pass.
"No lectures, Gus, I think it is past that. I heard Natalie Greer tried to nail you to the wall. I also heard that you stood your ground," Mac said flipping through the files on his desk.
"It was nothing," Gus said shrugging it off.
"Have you thought any more about taking some time off?" Mac asked Gus softly.
"If I need to," Gus replied, toying with a cup full of pens on Mac's desk.
"Vacations are a good thing, Gus," Mac said, pulling the cup away from her.
"So how come you never take them?" Gus asked with a sniff.
"Well if people would stop committing crime in the city," Mac started.
Gus laughed, "you know that is never going to happen, Mac. Maybe you just need the right offer."
"Maybe so," Mac opened a file and started writing. Gus took it as her cue to leave. "Don't take it for granted, Gus," Mac called out as Gus pulled open.
Gus' breath caught in her throat, she didn't turn around but caught sight of Mac's wistful expression in the glass, "if I've learned anything, Uncle Mac, it is to take nothing for granted," she called back before letting the door close behind her.
A sullen looking Adam and amused looking Sheldon were in the hallway as Gus left Mac's office. "Finally professional intervention," Sheldon joked looking at Gus.
"What's up, guys?" Gus asked, not sure she wanted to know.
"Graduation," it sounded like Adam mumbled.
"Um, Adam, I thought you already had your degrees," Gus replied her forehead wrinkled.
Sheldon bit back a laugh, "Interns, Adam's flock of admirers has moved on to their futures as criminalists. Not in this lab," he tacked on.
Gus caught the hint of amusement in Sheldon's tone and looked gravely at Adam before placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know these are difficult times, Adam, but I assure you come fall you will have a whole new fan club awaiting you," Gus said gravely.
Adam couldn't help but crack a smile but became downcast again quickly. "So which one got under your skin?" Gus asked gently.
"Or ones?" Sheldon tacked on teasingly until both Adam and Gus glowered at him. "I'm going to check with DNA," he said walking off.
"Erica. Said good-bye by text," Adam shrugged.
"Harsh," Gus nodded sympathetically, "but Adam, you are a great guy and there are plenty of other interns in the sea. Other lab techs even. And, I know this may really rock your world, but girls outside of the lab. You might want to think about leaving it yourself every once and a while," Gus said playfully patting his cheek.
"Getting cocky in your domestication, huh Broussard?" Danny said coming up to them.
"I can stick you in a toaster, too, Messer!" Gus shot back.
"I'm hot enough already," Danny replied licking his finger and making a hissing noise.
"That's it, I'm leaving. Danny take Adam out for a beer, make him talk to girls," Gus ordered before heading home.
Gus let herself into the apartment, did a double take at the mail covering the dining room table and almost checked to see if she had let herself into the right apartment.
"Sadly it is all addressed to us," Flack called from the kitchen, where he was eating over the sink.
"What are you doing?" she asked, sorting through the forest with disgust.
"We are out of dish washing soap, coffee and everything really," Flack replied, "I had to resort to PB&J on stale bread."
"Glad I ate with Mac and Stella," Gus shuddered, "you could have ordered in."
"Didn't know what you were doing after your mixed media art installation," Flack teased.
"Sorry about that," Gus said, entering the kitchen and wrapping her arms around his waist. She laid her head on his back and listened to his heart for a moment before he swallowed the last of his sandwich and turned to kiss her. "Yum, peanut butter," Gus said licking her lips.
"Milk's bad," Flack said making a face into his glass and dumping its contents into the sink.
"Crap," Gus sighed and headed back towards the dining table. "Barneys, Bergdorfs, Bloomies, Tiffanys Macys, Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn? What the hell?" Gus said, throwing down another 'Welcome to our registry kit', "how did they have time to get this all sent to us?"
"Apparently you can do it all online," Flack replied looking much more amused at the antics of the other detectives than Gus.
"Wedding and baby registries, were both really necessary? I seriously think there is something wrong with every last one-" Gus broke off seeing the expression on Flack's face, "how are you so amused by this?"
"Because it is harmless, Gus and in a weird way I think it is the guys way of being fine with us as an us" Flack shrugged.
"I am not even sure what a spaetzle hopper even is. And a mango pitter? Really? And I don't even think I have ever been in to half of these stores," Gus rolled her eyes flipping through the endless pages littering the table.
"Some of the items on the baby registries are truly frightening, don't look at it on a full stomach," Flack joked.
"I am glad you are so amused" Gus said walking toward to office, "now if you don't mind, I am going to go do some more research on are new best friends Coonan and Wilder."
Flack followed her, catching her by the waist and pulling her into him, "Gus come on, give it a rest for one night. The Task Force has almost all the information it needs. You have researched it to death."
"Knowledge is power," Gus said as Flack moved in to kiss her on her neck, "which you are using for evil" she sighed as he slowly slid his thumbs up her sides.
Flack gently caught Gus' earlobe between his teeth and nibbled, his breath heavy as his hands did their best to distract her. "Pure evil, but very convincing," Gus wavered.
"I do my best," Flack growled before leading her to the bedroom.