Chapter 28

"Does he know I'm coming down?" Lorelei asked the next morning as she tried to clean up the best she could before they came to take her to see Brian. "God, I'm such a mess."

"Ma, you just had a baby," Joey reassured her while cuddling little Brilor Joseph in her arms. "Besides, Dad's probably seen you a lot worse and didn't care then. He's not exactly one hundred percent either, especially taking a bullet for some little old lady."

"Is that how it happened?" Lorelei asked.

"Yeah, some gangsta kid tried to rob and shoot her and Dad took the bullet. Of course, he managed to get a shot off before it happened. He's lucky he just got winged in the shoulder, considering all the blood that came out. Scared the hell out of me."

"Scared you? It shook me up enough to have your brother there. I knew something was wrong when Captain Shields and Marie came to the door long after you and your dad were due back home."

"Marie came too?" Joey wondered. "I thought she and Dad didn't have much contact since he got promoted."

"It doesn't mean they're not still good friends," Lorelei smiled before a nurse came in with a wheelchair. It was time to formally introduce Brilor to his father.

Meanwhile:

"Jesus, dude, maybe I should get shot once in awhile," Paul grinned once the nurse had left. "You got a sponge bath from that? Holy shit, she's hot as hell."

"I wasn't really paying attention," Brian groaned as Marie shot Paul a dirty look. "I have a wife who happened to give birth last night, remember? Not to mention there is a lady present, so keep down the dirty comments."

Marie had to smile inwardly at her former partner's comments. Even as gruff and raunchy Brian himself could be at times, he was so respectful when women were present.

"Someone told you about Lorelei, I presume," she said.

"Eva and Yvette called this morning," Brian replied. "Apparently the big news about both her and me is all over the precinct already."

"You're also on Page Two," Paul said, holding up a newspaper article. "I heard of helping old ladies cross the street, but take a bullet for one? I'm impressed, shorty."

"I look at it this way, that's someone's mother or grandmother," Brian replied, taking the paper and scanning it. "I don't see what the big fuss is about."

"You took a bullet for someone, boss," Marie reminded him, smiling. "I would consider that a very big deal, considering you head up Major Case with the captain. We don't exactly cover robberies, you know."

"And I am sure one Mrs. Nadine Norris would also tend to agree," Paul added. "I'm almost jealous. Why don't I get exciting shit like this?"

"Because you quit to become a private dick," Brian grinned.

"Hey, look," Paul grinned back as an aide brought in a plant. "You got an admirer."

"Probably from either Joey or the precinct," Brian shrugged.

Curious, Marie took the card and scanned it. "I don't think so, boss, even though they did take up a collection down at the squad room." She handed it to him.

"Wow. They're from Mrs. Norris and her son," he said, reading it.

"It's a gorgeous plant," Marie said.

"Yeah, too bad I have a black thumb," Brian nodded. "Joey's good at that stuff; maybe she can take care of it."

"Brian's the only dude I know that could kill a cactus," Paul laughed.

Brian gave him a look. "You want to be in that bed next to me, smart ass?"

"No, but you can't do anything with one arm anyway, so I have nothing to worry about."

"I don't, but both of Marie's are working," Brian said smugly. "And she's got both a 97 percent in firearms along with a great right hook."

"Oh….right. In that case, I should be quiet. By the way, Marie, how's the new partner?"

"Quinn? Great detective, personality of a wet dish cloth," Marie answered.

"Ron Quinn was one of Homicide's best," Brian clarified. "He was long overdue for a jump to Major Case. Eccentric, but very accurate and thorough. Before Homicide, he worked with both Missing Persons and the Larceny units. The guy is a walking encyclopedia of facts and figures about his cases."

"And anal retentive about his desk," Marie added, "but I guess I'm used to looking over and seeing Brian's disaster area of one."

"Hey, my desk had the 'lived in' look, little lady," Brian defended himself

"Yeah, it was lived in, all right," Paul answered. "Most people were afraid to touch it or open any drawers in fear something might crawl out of there. Jesus, Brian, did you ever clean that thing?"

"My desk was cleaned three times-when I got booted to The Tombs, when I came to Major Case from The Tombs, and of course, my recent promotion to my own office."

"Which was also a mess," Marie cut in. "The captain's wife took the liberty of cleaning it yesterday. She even washed your coffee cup, which, according to her, looked like a mold experiment in progress."

"She killed my science project?" Brian teased.

"No offense, boss, but that thing did look like it hadn't been washed since the Bush administration."

"None taken. Tell Arlene I said thanks if you see her before I do."

Paul looked at his watch. "Much as I am enjoying this party, I have to take off. I have a client coming at two, and need to shift ass back to the office." He patted Brian's good shoulder. "Get some rest, hero, and don't excite those hot nurses or take advantage of that morphine pump too much."

"Very funny, smart ass."

"I need to get back to the station," Marie said. "Quinn will be having a bitch fit wondering where I've been all this time otherwise, not to mention I told the captain I'd be back by one thirty."

"Thanks for everything, guys," Brian grinned. "I should be back in a few days or so."

A short time later:

He must have dozed off for a bit, because the next thing Brian had known, Joey had popped in the room.

"Why aren't you in school?" he asked sternly after waking up.

"Dad, did you forget? It's teacher's in service day today. Three day weekend."

"Oh…right. Sorry, kiddo. Maybe Paul's right; I should lay off the morphine pump a bit."

"No, you're good. You've been through a lot the last day, but I got a surprise for you."

"They're finally going to let me get up to piss instead of using that fucking bedpan?"

"I talked to the nurse about that, but no, this is even better."

Joey stuck her head out the doorway, making a motion and nodding as if someone was out there.

A nurse then wheeled in a smiling Lorelei, holding tiny Brilor in her arms.

"What the…" he began before beaming at the sight of the two of them.

"We thought someone should come down and meet his daddy," Lorelei explained, handing the baby to Joey, who placed it in the crook of Brian's good arm.

"Brilor Joseph, say hello to Dad," Joey grinned proudly.

"Brilor?" he asked quizzically.

"Eva and Yvette's idea," Lorelei answered. "It's a combination of both our names and Joseph of course, was for Joey here."

"It's different without being too weird," Brian said. "And one good looking fellow, I may add."

"I hope so," Lorelei replied. "He looks just like you."

"Right down to the fuzz on his head," Joey added, gently stroking Brilor's head. "Look, he's blond."

"Looks like he's going to be a short dude, too."

"He was only seventeen inches at birth," Lorelei said.

Brian looked at the baby. "Be prepared for a lifetime of short jokes, kid, especially from your godfather. Lord knows I've heard them all from just Paul alone."

"Aww, look, Dad," Joey cooed as Brilor curled a fist around one of Brian's fingers. "He likes you already."

"Yeah," he grinned down at his son, "I think this little guy and his old man are going to hit it off just fine, especially when he's older and hears about the circumstances of his birth."