OK. CUtopia and I have been messaging on Tumblr about some things. Including freaking Cassidy. I decided to lean into it. If they are shoving him back at us, I'm going to make Brian Cassidy work for me and for Barson. This is Barson without the physical Barba. Enjoy. The last chapter, this chapter and probably the next chapter all go together.

But don't ask her on a straight tequila night
She'll start thinking about him, then she's ready to fight
Blames her broken heart on every man in sight

-John Anderson (Straight Tequila Night)

Fin sighed, looking down into the mostly empty glass of beer. "Hell of a week" he muttered, seeing his drinking companion just nod from across the table. He was about to signal for another round when his phone started to vibrate on the table next to him. He was glad he had programmed that number into his phone so he knew to answer it.

"Yeah" he said, staring straight at his table mate for the moment. "Ok. Thanks for calling. I'm coming." He ended the call, standing up and dropping the phone into his pocket. "I've got to go. Liv is…"

"Let's go" he heard from across the table. They both dropped some cash and headed out the door.

"At least she comes some place she's known" Fin muttered, pulling open the door to Forlini's. He saw her, sitting across the room the end of the bar, staring at a small shot glass. Fin glanced over to see Anthony standing at the other end of the bar, closest to the door, waiting for him. He walked over.

"So, I guess my prayers of just a few glasses of wine tonight didn't get answered?"

Anthony shook his head. "Nope. She came in and demanded tequila. Straight." Fin groaned. "Thanks, Anthony. I got this." Fin started to take a step in her direction when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Let me".

The tequila didn't do much to beat back her anger. She knew it wouldn't. She wanted to stay angry. And very drunk. And very angry. Nothing better for her than tequila to make that happen.

She knew Anthony was ignoring her. Something about needing to slow down. The glass of water sat untouched in front of her, the empty shot glass taunting her. She slid her eyes over to see where he was when her view was obstructed. She glanced up, rage washing over her.

"Get. Away. From. Me." She growled out as Cassidy sat down on the stool next to her.

"Anthony called."

"He sure as hell didn't call you!"

"He called Fin. I was with him."

"And you thought what?" she asked, running her finger over the top of the shot glass.

"Thought maybe you could use a friend."

She barked out a laugh. "And you think that's you?"

"I think maybe we could be. We were once upon a time, Liv." She just shook her head.

"What's going on, Liv?"

"Peter. Fucking. Stone. That ass… just cause his last name is Stone, I'm supposed to kiss the ring or whatever! And then he has the NERVE to…" Cassidy just sat there, staring at her. He knew she needed to say whatever was rattling around in her head. Regardless of his reputation, he was a good cop. Good at reading people. He had an inkling of what was simmering below the surface with her, what had been there for a very long time. He was wondering if she was finally drunk enough to say it.

"What, Liv? What did Stone say to you?"

"He said that he knew that me and…" she gulped, freezing for a moment… "Barba… that we did things a certain way and that he wasn't going to be my 'new' Barba or whatever bullshit that even means. That man. He could never be… he's half the man that… and for him to think that he could ever be…" If he hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed her wiping the lone tear off her face that had managed to fall.

She had been a ticking time bomb since he left for Albany a month ago. Cassidy didn't know exactly what had happened. No one did. What they all knew is that she shut down. She did her job, but the friendliness was waning. She was reverting into herself. He knew they had grown close. That they spent a lot of time together. That they were more than just colleagues. Stone arrived, Barba left and Liv was a ghost of herself. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put it all together.

"Have you talked to him?" Cassidy asked.

"Stone? Every damn day, even when I don't want to."

Cassidy shook his head. Apparently, Liv was still living in denial. "Liv. No. Barba. Have you talked to Barba?"

She finally met his eyes and he could see there. He could see it all. Fear. Exhaustion. Loss. Betrayal. Anger. And behind it all, love.

"He left. He just left. We fought and he left and why the hell would I bother talking to him?"

"Liv. Stop. Aren't you exhausted?"

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about, Cassidy, but I'm fine and…" He grabbed her arm, stilling her. "Stop it, Liv. Stop it. You know what I'm talking about. You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Do me a favor, ok? I'm not a moron and I know you. Just stop!"

He watched as the fight left her body. She turned back to her shot glass, yanking her arm out from under his hand. "He's gone. What does it matter now?" Cassidy just shook his head. Her walls were so high and so thick, it was going to take more than one drunken tequila night to make her see the light.

He stood up, resting his hand on the back of her stool. "Come on, Liv. Let me and Fin get you home. Where's Noah?"

"Spending the night with a friend. Even my baby doesn't need me anymore. No one does. Is it really that easy to just walk away from me, Brian?" She looked at him with fear and sadness written all over her face. He helped her up, shaking his head. "No, Liv. It's not. I promise you that." She just nodded, heading toward Fin at the door. The cab was waiting for them when they walked outside.

"I'm going to make sure she gets inside in one piece" Fin said, closing the door after she got into the cab. Cassidy nodded. "Yeah. This Barba thing really has messed her up, huh?"

"Not just her. I just got a call from Carmen. I guess she's in the process of pulling Barba out of a bottle of tequila too up there in Albany."

"These two" Cassidy said, looking at his old friend. Fin just nodded, walking around the cab and getting in on the other side.