Berkeley Rose was not a very happy man. While he had not been happy to hear about Dee Laytner's death due to a car accident – the man was a damn good cop and one of the best in the 27th, despite his slacker ways – a small and selfish part of him had been overjoyed. It meant the dark-haired man was no longer in his way of pursuing one Randy "Ryo" MacLean. Of course, he knew he would have to wait for some time to make a move on the younger man. Ryo had been very much in love with the dark-haired detective, and had been very inconsolable after he had been informed of Dee's untimely death. The only person whom Ryo had allowed to comfort him had been J.J. Rose had thought it odd at first, but eventually he had dismissed it. The two had a common bond in Dee, and they both had loved the dark-haired man deeply. It explained everything.
However, Berkeley had not been prepared for the new addition to Ryo's life two months after Laytner's death. A young Japanese man by the name of Shuichi Shindou had somehow managed to sneak in when Rose had not been looking and the youth had managed to monopolize all of Ryo's time. He needed someone; that was what Ryo had said when Rose had asked him why he had let Shindou move in with him. 'He's alone. Just like me.'
Those words had bitten into Berkeley like nothing else ever could. He had expected Ryo to take Dee's death hard. The accident that had killed Laytner had also killed Ryo's foster child, Bikky Goldman, so it had been akin to a double whammy on the half-Japanese man. However, he had not expected the depth of sorrow that had come from Ryo. It had shaken Rose to his core, and he had wondered if he would ever stand a chance with the younger man.
A few hours later, Rose decided that he did. He had heard a few co-workers say once that he and Laytner were alike in a lot of ways. It was probably why the two had never gotten along very well, and the Commissioner could see how anyone would think that about him and Dee. They were a lot alike, except for their work ethics. He did have a chance at winning Ryo's heart. Shindou, after all, would only be around long enough to get over his loneliness then he would be gone, leaving a clear path for Rose to take.
It had not worked out that way in the end. Shindou had managed to stick around, wriggling his way into Ryo's life. Hell, the former would-be singer (Rose did not buy Shuichi's story of being a famous singer in Japan) had managed to make his way into the lives of those at the precinct. It seemed like all Shindou had to do to disarm someone was to bat those pretty amethyst eyes of his and smile in a most enigmatic manner, and the most hardened of hearts would melt into a puddle of goo. Rose had seen the dark-haired man pull such a tactic on Chief Smith a number of times, and he found himself wishing for Shuichi to be gone.
His wish, so far, had not been granted. Not when the object of his despise and loathing stood a mere ten feet away from him, helping J.J. to hang some Christmas decorations. Rose did his best not to glare at the dark-haired man lest Ryo catch him and call him out on it later. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with MacLean.
Still, he had to find a way to get Shuichi out of the picture, something that would not hurt Ryo in the process. It was the last thing he wanted to see happen, Ryo getting hurt once more. Perhaps it was time he showed MacLean he still wanted him, and in no uncertain terms, either. A smile graced the Commissioner's features and he stepped into his office. He had a little bit of planning to do.
