Kate pointed her gun at Nick's turned back and lipped a silent "bang," with her mouth. She lowered her weapon just as he turned around to grab himself a donut and a cup of coffee before work.
"Want the last donut?" Nick asked.
Kate made another face at him, giving him his answer, than went off to finish getting dressed for the day ahead. A knock came at the door.
"I'll get it." Nick yelled. The detective opened the door, looked down, and without saying anything, slammed the door without inviting any guest in.
"Who was it?" Kate asked, walking back in the kitchen.
"A roach." Nick said casually.
Kate rolled her eyes and opened the door.
"Morning!" Carl said, holding his hand up in a wave to Kate. "Just figured I'd stop in, grab a ride to work..." The gnome stopped three feet inside the door, looking glum all of a sudden. "No eggs cooking? No bacon? No buttery toast? What's wrong with you people?"
"Hi, Carl." Kate poured him a cup of coffee.
"That'll be three bucks." Nick said, not looking up from the papers he was reading in front of him. Carl spotted the donut. His fingers combed his beard in thought and careful planning.
"Hey, O'Malley," The gnome walked over to Nick, resting his elbows on the table.
"What."
"Nothing. I was just wondering what happend to your car."
Nick looked up, "What do you mean, nothing happend to my car." His voice elevated with concern.
Carl smirked. "That's what you think."
Nick jumped from his chair and trotted over to the window, pulling back the curtains. Not seeing any damage to his car, he turned back to question Carl, who, by this time, had half of Nick's donut devoured.
"Carl!" O'Malley charged the gnome, chasing him around the table.
"Enough! Both of you!" Kate hollared, pouring a glass of orange juice. Nick caught up with Carl, tripping him. The short "man" fell flat on his face in front of Kate, who, carrying her juice to the table, tripped over him, spilling her juice. "Oh, that's great! That's just great! Nick, Carl, grow up!"
"Gotcha!" Nick said, yanking the gnome up to his feet.
Nick smiled in satisfaction the entire way to work. Kate, who sat in the passenger seat, frowned disapprovingly next to him.
"Aren't you going to bring him in?" Kate said, shutting her door.
Nick stolled around to her side, grabbing her hand, walking into the drycleaners with her. "Nope."
They didn't make it to their desks before they heard it, "Benson, O'Malley, Carl, in my office now!"
They exchanged a knowing look and both bee-lined it for the bosses office. Not looking suprised, the Captain asked Carl's whereabouts.
"Oh, he's hanging around somewhere, Sir." Kate answered, glancing at an ever smirking Nick.
"He's stuck on something at the moment, but I know where to find him when we really need him." Nick added.
"Stuck was right," Carl chimed from behind them as he picked the remaining superglue from the palms of his hands. He seemed to be having a difficult time picking his feet up after each step. "O'Malley stuck me to his rear side window, with these!" Carl threw two suction cups on the Captain's desk, lifting one of his feet to show the third. And there's one more on the bottom of the other shoe, but I can't seem to..." Carl struggled to lift up his other foot.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I was reading the comics today in the paper, Garfield came to mind..." Nick smiled at the Captain, than at the gnome, "What can I say? I was inspired."
Page ignored O'Malley's comment and turned his frustration and irritance to the gnome. "Carl!" He said through gritting teeth.
"Yes, Captain?"
Page positioned his fake hand into pointing at the suction cups. "Remove these items off my desk or your going to spend the next 700 years of your life suctioned to the walls of your cell in the hole!"
To make it hard on Carl, Nick took a step closer to his superiors desk, pushing the cup down hard on the desk, squeezing out any air. It would take the gnome at least five minutes, all the while being yelled at, to get it off. "When your done, meet us in the car." Nick smiled.
Five minutes later, Carl hopped in the backseat of the car and Nick hit the gas pedal before the back door was completley shut. Only Kate glanced back to make sure Carl handn't fallen out.
"Ok, Carl, time to point us in the direction of the link's last known location. Where to?" Nick asked, glancing at Carl in the rearview mirror.
"At the lights, hang a right. Than take a left on Jackson. Pull into the McDonalds parking lot, east corner."
When the car came to a stop in the lot, Carl jumped out, making his way into the resturant while pulling a hat over his head to cover his ears. A few minutes later, he got back in the car holding a bag and a to go cup. Nick looked at him expectantly from the front seat. "Yeah?"
"What?"
"What did your connection tell you?"
Carl shoved a french fry in his mouth. "Oh. This is McDonalds."
Nick looked at Kate than back to the gnome. "Yeah? And your point is?"
Carl laughed. "My connection isn't here. I was just hungry." Carl unwrapped his Big Mac. "Which reminds me, thanks for lunch, O'Malley." Carl leaned forward and tossed Nick's wallet, which Carl had stolen minutes before, into his lap. Kate closed her eyes, bracing herself for the coming battle of fists between man and gnome, which came exactly one second later.