Chapter 29

"What are you doing back here already?" Marie asked a few days. "You've been out of the hospital barely two days, plus you should be at home enjoying your new son."

"One, I was bored shitless, and two, I was probably driving my poor wife crazy. She has enough to do with taking care of Brilor without me being underfoot." Brian held up his good arm. "Besides, it's a good thing I'm right handed or I'd be totally fucked."

"Still, it can't be easy to manage with one arm," Marie replied, observing the sling Brian wore to hold his injured shoulder in place. "At least let me help you with something since Quinn is being an ass and I can use the break from him."

"Hey, you thought I was an ass too and now look where we are," Brian nodded. "Look, just give Ron a chance, will you? Granted the guy is a bit strange, but he's one of the best we have up here."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't be in this hell if you hadn't gotten promoted and Paul hadn't thrown in the towel. Then again, I could have fared much worse and gotten stuck with Martino as the captain originally planned."

"I wouldn't stick my worst enemy with Martino, much less a good detective like you. Seriously, you and Quinn will blend better than you think. Just give him time." Brian then smiled. "If you were going to get stuck with a lecherous Italian, between me and Martino, you lucked out with me as the lesser of two evils. It worked out with us at The Tombs, didn't it?"

"Better than I ever imagined, to be honest," Marie smiled back. "How are Lorelei and the baby doing, by the way?"

"Lor's doing great. And the kid has good strong lungs, I can tell you that much."

"Guess we know Brilor takes after his dad in that respect," Marie laughed.

"Oh you're just a barrel of laughs, Davenport," Brian replied. "Whenever the opportunity arises for you to get your eardrums blown out by screams, get pissed on, shit on, and puked on, we'll see who's laughing."

"Don't be such hard ass, boss," Marie grinned, seeing through his demeanor. "You love that baby boy to pieces, just like you do Joey."

"Yeah, you busted me again; they're both great kids. The thing now is that Joey thinks every time Brilor even as much as whimpers, she has to pick him up. She'll spoil him shitless at the rate she's going."

"She's going to make a wonderful older sister," Marie praised. "And good practice for when she's a mom herself."

"Jesus, don't even go there; I'm barely adjusted to fatherhood. I don't even want to think about grandkids yet."

"Don't worry; you have at least a good ten to twenty years to worry about that."

"Anyway," Brian said, handing her a file. "I have a case here that would be perfect for you and Quinn. It's good for a guy like him into facts and figures and for someone like you that likes to cut to the chase."

Marie studied the file for a moment. "Embezzlement? Oh this will definitely be right up Quinn's alley. And a kid's community center to boot. Okay, this is starting to piss me off already, and I've barely scanned the file."

"That's the Davenport I know and love," Brian grinned. "So do you think you can work on that without you and Quinn killing each other? I'll be your direct contact instead of the captain, by the way, so if Quinn gives you any bullshit, send him to me."

Marie nodded. "I think I'm going to like this idea. I'll get right on this and let Detective Anal Retentive out there know what's happening as well. Meanwhile, you really should go home before the captain finds you here and gives you shit."

"Too late, he already has, and I let him know in no uncertain terms my happy ass is staying right where it is, at least for today."

Later that day:

"I can't believe Dad went back to work so soon," Joey said after she had come in from school. "I thought he'd take at least a week off to recover and spend time with you and Brilor."

"You should know your dad better than that by now," Lorelei chuckled. "I think he was climbing the walls sitting around here. Also take into consideration it's a good thing he can run on so little sleep the way Bri's been yelling the last few nights."

"Doctor said Bri Bri had a little cold," Joey replied. "That explains most of the fussing, doesn't it?"

"Ear infection," Lorelei corrected, "but since he's gotten the antibiotics, he hasn't been as fussy, so I presume it's finally starting to clear up."

Both of their attention was then turned to the noises on the baby monitor. Brilor was awake.

"I'll get him," Joey offered.

"Sweetheart, you can't pick him up every time he whines a little," Lorelei said. "It spoils them."

"Well, what's Bri Bri for?" Joey smiled before going toward the baby's room.

Oh lordy, that girl, Lorelei thought, shaking her head and chuckling as she heard Joey cooing at Brilor over the baby monitor.

"Wow, kid, you are a stinky boy," she heard Joey say. "What's Ma and Dad feeding you? Oh well, may as well change you while I'm here. You are not going out to Ma smelling like that."

Joey came out several minutes later, placing Brilor in Lorelei's arms before heading out to the trash can. "This definitely needs to be dumped in a toxic waste bin," she commented. "I think whatever's either in those baby antibiotics or what you and Dad are feeding him, it's making some serious radioactive stuff here."

"More like he's taking after his father in that department," Lorelei teased.

Joey returned a few minutes later, offering to take Brilor again.

"That might not be a bad idea," Lorelei nodded. "I need to get dinner ready before your dad gets home anyway."

Joey agreed, happily taking Brilor. "I think I can keep him entertained for awhile."