A/N: See the intro for the standard stuff. Please R & R. Thank you. Sorry I've been out of touch for so long. I hope I haven't lost anyone. For those of you following my other story too, another chapter on that one in the next couple of days. Promise. Please let me know if I've pushed a little too far. Thanks.
LittleCorinthian: You're obsessed. But it's ok. Hope finals went well. RS: Well, you know I can't just leave them all warm and happy. Although, God knows I'm looking for that warm happy place. Wolviesgal: Read the title. And he sings her a line from the song. Google it. RoadRunner: Well, Tess can't dish all the time. She has to learn to take it too. Meadow: Glad you're still hanging in there. Thank you everyone. You really can't know how much your reviews mean to me. Really. You can't.
A couple of uniformed officers brushed past as Tess stepped carefully into the busy bullpen. She nervously pulled her tote closer to her body and looked around. She didn't see Don anywhere and she began to think maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Tess turned around and started to leave.
"Somethin' I can do for ya, Miss?" Tess turned back around and gave the man in front of her a small smile.
"I was looking for Detective Flack."
The man frowned a little at Flack's name. "He had ta step out. Whatdaya need?"
"Is he coming back soon?"
"Probably." He shrugged. "Didn't say. Ya wanna wait at his desk?"
Tess nodded. "I guess."
The man gestured at a desk. "Over there." Tess spotted his nameplate and nodded.
"Thanks."
"Sure." The man went on his way. Tess took the chair next to the desk. She sat for a couple of moments and fiddled with a pencil on the edge of the desk. She looked around watching the activity. Finally, she pulled out a pair of earbuds, plugged them in and pulled out her knitting. Tess worked on turning lime green yarn into a hat and watched what was going on around her with curiosity.
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Don was striding down the hallway when the detective who had directed Tess stopped him.
"Hey, Flack. There's a girl sitting by your desk."
Don frowned. "A girl, what girl?" He couldn't recall any of his present cases relating specifically to a girl.
"Dunno. Didn't ask her name. About 5'8" or so. Dark Blonde. Pretty. Knittin' somethin'."
Don blinked a couple of times. "How long she been there?"
"Fifteen, twenty minutes or so."
"Geeze. How come ya didn't page me, Morrison?"
"I ain't your social secretary, Flack." Morrison called as he continued down the hall. Don moved quickly down the hall. He paused in the doorway briefly and watched Tess. Her hands were flying as she knit and people-watched. He smirked slightly and shook his head. Tess looked up and spotted him. She smiled broadly and Don felt a little catch in his heartbeat. He grinned back. Tess set down her knitting and crossed her hands in her lap. Don shook his head again and crossed over to her. Tess pulled the earbuds out and turned off her music.
"You are the only girl I know that would sit in the middle of a police station knitting away like yer at a tea party."
Tess flashed him a brilliant smile. "I am full of surprises."
"One of them yer bein' here."
"We had noon dismissal. Conferences. I don't have any until 3:30 and I thought I would pop in. I was wondering if you'd like to take me to that hot dog stand you're always having lunch at."
"Ya hauled yerself all the way down here for lunch?" asked Don incredulously. "At a hot dog stand?"
"Yes." Tess' face fell. "You had lunch. You're busy. I should have called." She shoved her things in to her bag and refused to look at Don.
"Actually, I'm not busy. It's just…" Don stopped. He grinned at Tess. "Come on. You've been sittin' here long enough." Don held out his hand and helped her up. He grabbed his jacket. As they headed out, Don called himself in for lunch. "Do I wanna know how you managed ta get all the way up here?"
"I asked for you, flashed my school id and acted like I belonged."
Don shook his head. "Oh, that's just terrific. Great security. No one checked yer bag and found the pointy sticks?"
"They saw my knitting needles. It's pretty obvious what they're for." They passed a pair of detectives on the stairs. The one very deliberately ran into Don in passing and said nothing. Tess paused a moment and watched the pair continue up the stairs. Don kept his head down and kept going. Tess hurried to catch up with him. "Are you going to tell me what that was about?"
"Nothin'"
"Don, I work in a high school. I know that wasn't 'nothin''."
"Jus' don't, Tess." Tess snapped her mouth shut and quietly followed him out of the station house. They continued in silence to the hot dog stand.
"Whatdaya havin'?" asked the vendor.
"Do you do a chili dog?" Tess asked hopefully. The vendor grunted and fixed her dog. Don ordered his usual with everything. He paid for their lunch and walked Tess over to low wall outside one of the office buildings. Tess took a bite and shrugged. "Not Tony Paco's, but it'll do." They ate in silence for a few minutes. Tess watched Don the whole time. He finally looked up and met her eyes.
"What?" Tess just raised her eyebrows and waited. Don grumbled under his breath. "Mac busted one of my guys last week."
"And that put those guys' knickers in a twist because…?"
"Truby was on my team for a bust. He pocketed three keys of coke. Then shot a kid ta cover it up."
"You're getting blamed because Mac burned a bad cop?"
"I was lead. My notebook damned him."
Tess shook her head frowning. "And? I'm not getting something here."
"Code of silence, Tess. I broke it."
"You handed over a notebook. You neither stole the coke, nor arrested Truby."
"Ya don't get it."
Tess shook her head hard. "No, I don't," she agreed.
"I didn't have Truby's back. That's what they're sayin'"
"Would that be the back this Truby stuck the knife in by stealing coke and then murdering someone to cover it up? What a bunch of idiots." Tess reached up and turned Don's face so that he looked into her eyes. "To hell with them, Donald Flack, Jr."
"They're my guys, Tess. What they do reflects on me," he said sadly. "We all live…"
"By the same badge? Would this be the badge you almost died for or the one that Whatshisface ground into the dirt?" Tess failed at controlling the anger in her voice.
"Truby."
"Who?"
"Whatshisface."
Tess shook her head. "Whatever. You stop feeling bad because you did what was right." Tess set down her chili dog and stood up in front of Don. He ignored her stare and kept eating. She poked him in the chest to get his attention. He gave her an annoyed look. "Truby decided being a cop wasn't enough. He overstepped. You did not. You acted with honor. He threw his away." Tess poked him in the chest again. "Don't let him or them drag you down." Tess tapped Don in the chest again. Don grabbed her hand. "You have a big heart here. I love you for it. But please." Tess reached up with her other hand and tapped his temple. "Use what God gave you up here too." Tess stopped at the look he was giving her. She bit her lip worried that maybe she had overstepped. Don kept just staring at her. She got more worried. "What?" Her voice cracked a little. Don kept her hand gripped in his.
"You said you love me."
Tess looked at him like he had grown a second head. "I did?" Tess looked at the toes of Don's shoes.
"You said, 'I love you for it.' Were ya just sayin' that 'cuz you were yellin' at me?"
Tess wouldn't look up. "Does it matter?"
Don set down his food and pulled Tess closer so she stood between his knees. "Well, yeah. Yeah, it does. Did ya really mean to say ya loved me?" he asked quietly. Tess didn't answer immediately. "Tess? Sweetheart?" He reached his finger under her chin and tilted her face up.
"We're standing in the middle of a street in New York City."
"Yeah. I kinda noticed that." Tess just stood there. She looked down again. Don sighed. "Never mind, Tess." He let go of her hand and started to pick up the hot dog again.
"I love you," she said softly. Don looked over at her. "God help me, I love you." Tess reached out and touched his hand. Don turned his hand and gave hers a squeeze.
"God help you and me both, Sweetheart," he grinned at her.
Tess punched him in the shoulder. "Oh, that's confidence inspiring."
"What?" Don reached out and touched Tess' face. He grinned up at her. "I love it when ya give me the 'teacher' look."
"What 'teacher' look?"
"That one."
"Don't start with me. You have to go back to work and really so do I." Tess sat back down.
"Okay. I'll behave."
"Like I believe that."
"As ya pointed out, we are in the middle of a street in New York City."
"Just keep that in mind."
"How late are ya gonna to be doin' conferences?"
"Until 9:30."
"9:30 isn't too late. I should be free. I could pick ya up from school."
"I have to go back to school in the morning. Early in the morning."
"What? Can't go out on a school night?"
"I can't keep coming to school dead tired, Don."
"I won't keep ya up too late, Sweetheart. Come on. We can have a quick bite. I can walk ya home."
"You do know I managed to get back and forth to school just fine before I met you."
"I know. Come on, Tess. Just come out and play for a little while."
"Just for a cup of something and then you take me home and you go straight home."
"OK."
"I mean it, Don."
"I promise. Straight home. Scout's honor." Don held up his hand.
Tess frowned. "Were you really a scout?"
"I even made Eagle."
Tess smiled and shook her head. "Better than I did. I got kicked out of Girl Scouts."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Hey. Don't insult me." She swatted him in the arm.
"I wasn't." Don glanced at his watch. "I gotta get back. Come here." Tess eyed him skeptically. "I promise I won't embarrass ya out here." He tugged Tess into a hug. He kissed her hair and then her lips. "I'll see ya later, Sweetheart."
"For a little while." Tess tapped Don's temple. "Remember to use more of this. Okay?"
"I'll try." He gave her one more quick kiss. "Later, Tess." Don stood up.
"See you later." Don headed back towards the station. Tess cleared away the lunch debris and headed for a subway. She had just reached the stairs of the closest station when her phone rang. She listened to the tune briefly, smiled and flipped it open.
"Yes?"
"I love you too, Sweetheart." The phone clicked in Tess' ear. She blinked twice and bit her lip. She shook her head and bounced down the stairs.
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