McCoy adjusted his glasses as he reread the document he was holding, before swore loudly enough that his administrative assistant jumped. The startled woman gave him a concerned look and the DA responded by a demanding to know where ADA Rubirosa had returned from arraignments.

By the time Connie Rubirosa closed the office door behind her, McCoy was pacing. Tossing his glasses on the desk he paused long enough to hand her the file he had been holding.

"Connie what's going on with this? The Morelli case should have been transferred to us by the end of last week."

"Jack, it's not my fault. The Suffolk county DA's office won't let it go."

"They won't let it go," McCoy said impatiently. "I give them whatever Esparza affiliates we pick up in New York county and the Suffolk county DA does the same with the Massucci's."

Rubirosa shrugged her shoulders, as she shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Have you talked to the DA running the case?"

"Yeah. I have," she said looking at the floor to avoid his quizzical gaze. "Brooke told me herself if we wanted to pursue this we'd all have to wait and see what a judge says. Period. End of story."

Rubirosa could see McCoy's jaw tighten as he took the file from her and picked up the receiver from its cradle.

Up until that morning, the only sign that the two prosecutors were at odds had been the absence of the picture that had sat in the center of his desk. The few times Rubirosa had made a friendly effort to find out what happened, her former mentor had politely but firmly, brushed her off. Listening to his end of his conversation with the Suffolk county DA's office, Rubirosa knew whatever had happened, McCoy wasn't about to let it interfere in the turf war he was having with thier sister county.

"…well, tell her to make herself available," McCoy snapped into the receiver."Tell her the New York County District Attorney expects the same courtesy from a subordinate that he'd get if he called any DA's office…Fine. If she's in court, then put me through to Michael Jackowicz himself."

Rubirosa quietly sat across from him and listened as the exchange became more heated between the two DA's. Rubirosa could tell McCoy was getting nowhere fast with his counterpart and she suspected she knew the venue where two weeks of bottled up frustration was going to explode.

"… I respect your loyalty to your Executive Michael, but that doesn't preclude the fact this agreement benefits both of our offices… Did she?"

Rubirosa paled as a look came over her superior's face that suggested he had not only lost battle, but the war as well.

"Then I guess I'll see you in court,"McCoy resisted the urge to slam the receiver down. As an alternate, he opened his bottom drawer.

"Jack, it's only three..."

"I take that to mean you won't be joining me," McCoy responded as he filled a glass."Apparently the statistical data shows that for every ten cases Suffolk county gives us, we return the favor six point five times."

"So they're keeping the case."

"Keeping it and every other one they get until they have a good faith guarantee the trend will change. First they start running the schools on data, now we're supposed run the criminal justice system the same way," he asked shortly, as he made a mock salute towards the window."Score one for the EADA for Suffolk County."

"Jack, we still have a chance in court. I've reviewed the case and..."

"We have more than a chance. Let me take a closer look at the file. How long before we go to court on this?"

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"You're sure you don't want me to second chair for you since Taz is out with the flu?"

Malinowski shook her head as she finished folding the blanket and discreetly slipped a bed pillow behind it.

"I'm ready for whatever Connie throws at us," she said as she sat on the sofa that had become her bed over the course of the past few weeks."She's good, but there are only so many way she can make a case to have the case reassigned to New York county."

After throwing her lover out of the loft, coming back to Manhattan every night seemed not only inconvenient, but unnecessarily painful. It didn't take long for Malinowski to adjust her routine so that only the night custodian had any idea how often the new EADA was making her office a second home.

"Brooke, when's the last time you've been home?"

"Home? Do you mean to my house…no wait…I don't have a house. Do you mean to the loft? The loft there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to hold onto on my own when the lease runs out in three months?"

"You know it's not going to come down to that,"Cohen said gently."You two belong together. You're both just too stubborn for either of you to make the first move. Maybe, if you'd return Jack's calls or..."

Malinowski gave him a glare as she started to tuck her blouse into the waistband of her skirt.

"Maybe, if you have court in a half hour you should find your second chair and ..."

"Leslie is more than capable of starting jury selection on her own. Come on Brooke, you can't live at the office forever," he said as he joined her on the sofa."At least agree to stay in my guest room until you two figure out what you're doing."

"I thought I knew what I was doing. I thought I was getting married. I thought I'd found ...," she swore softly as her voice faltered, while moving towards her desk.

"Brooke, just because he's got a case of cold feet doesn't mean..."

"It's not just cold feet and I can't think about what it means right now," she retorted as she impatiently used a tissue to dab at her eyes."Right now, I need to focus on keeping the Morelli case in this county."

"You mean you have to focus on sticking it to Jack."

Malinowski raised an eyebrow as she shot him an evil grin.

"That's just an added bonus."

Cohen sighed as the door opened and Malinowski signed for the certified court document. He watched as she reached for the letter opener and soon after leaned on the edge of her desk as if she'd had the wind knocked out of her.

"What?"

"Jack," she whispered as she handed him the document."He's replacing Connie in the Morelli case."

Before Cohen could respond, someone lightly tapped on the door before joining the pair. Both Cohen and Malinowski broke into grins as Sam Prescott reached for Cohen's outstretched hand before embracing his ex-wife.

"Sam! Congratulations," Malinowski said as she gave him a peak on the cheek."How are the wedding plans coming? I've been meaning to call you, I've just been swamped here and..."

"I figured as much. When you didn't RSVP, I decided I'd drop by and invite you to the wedding personally."

"Sam, shouldn't you be getting fitted for your tux or getting ready for the bachelor party," Cohen interjected."It's not like you have..."

Prescott held up a hand as he removed an envelope from the pocket of his suit jacket.

"Just came from the taylor and the tux is fine. As for the bachelor party, you're my best man Jake. You're the one doin' the real work on that. All I have to do is show up, drink up, and be damn sure to keep my pants up," Prescott said as he and Cohen exchanged chuckles while he handed his ex-wife the pastel envelope."How long before you have to go over to the courthouse, Mal? Any chance I could have a moment or two?"

"I'm not due over there for another hour."

"Not the case for myself, I'm afraid," Cohen said taking the hint, as the two men shook hands again."Sam, I'll see you tonight. Brooke, it's you turn to buy lunch. The Barrister at one?"

Malinowski nodded as she thoughtfully scanned the elegant card in her hand.

"Jake told me tommorrow's the big day. Danielle's a smart lady. You never know what can happen if you wait too long…"

"Actually, I'm the one that jumped on the early date. When we found out the rabbi and the minister both had a cancellation on the same Saturday, I took it as a sign the God's were smilin' on this union. Figured there was no sense in waitin' around."

Malinowski nodded as the pair sat on the sofa. Refusing her offer of coffee, Prescott leaned back against the wool blanket, frowning ever so slightly.

"It is a sign.I know Danielle will make you very happy," she said as she squeezed his hand."I knew she'd love that ring."

"Just like you said she would. You two are so much alike….yet such different women. You know, she insisted on wearing it. She wouldn't let me buy her a proper ring, just a weddin' band for the ceremony. Just like you."

"We both know quality when we see it," she countered with a smile."Now, about the wedding..."

"Listen, before you say anything, I think you should know Jack will be there. He confirmed with Danielle earlier in the week. As much as I'd like you to be there, I'd understand if..."

"Wait a minute," she countered as she processed his words."Wait. You know Jack and I aren't together right now? Danielle?"

Prescott shook his head as he met her puzzled gaze.

"Nope. I mean, night before last Jack did finally get around to tellin' her… and I'll have you know Danilee raised hell when she heard … but I actually heard about it first from Abbie Carmichael."

"Abbie?"

"Yeah.When I mentioned I hadn't heard from either of you about the wedding, she told me Connie Rubirosa had mentioned to her that you and Jack weren't together when Abbie met her for lunch yesterday," Prescott explained."Guess Connie caught him sleeping in his office several nights in a row and put it together."

"Well,"Malinowski said with a weak smile."I guess I should be happy you haven't said 'I told you so' yet."

"You know me better than that, Mal,"Prescott said as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "I'd never rub you nose in somthin' that is causin' you pain. But I have to ask you if you really want to let this nonsense tear you two apart?"

"Thing? You mean you not only know we broke up, but you know why,"she said incredulously."How in the hell do you know..."

"Abbie was at that dinner that the Galiano woman was struttin' her stuff at. Seems Abbie saw Jack and Vanessa head down the hallway about the time Abbie wanted to try and talk to Jack about a case. Anyway, she waited around…when they finally came out…well; it was obvious Jack was in no mood to talk."

"So you saw them…him... that night? He says he didn't sleep with her, Sam. Do you believe that?"

Prescott grudgingly nodded. He had been at Melnick's apartment the night McCoy had come by to confirm he'd be attending the ceremony. Although Prescott had refused the mans handshake and spent the remainder of McCoy's visit smoking his pipe on the terrace, after McCoy left, Melnick had told him everything.

"So the man's not a womanizing cheat, he's just a stupid bastard that can't figure out whether he loves her or pity's her? Either way, he doesn't deserve her," had been his terse response after Melnick brought him up to date.

"I believe it,' he said with a sigh."When I saw them last, that Galiano woman was pulling out all the stops and McCoy looked like he was ready to take her over his knee. But what I believe doesn't matter, does it?"

"I trust you Sam. I trust your judgment a whole lot more than I trust my own right now."

"If that's how you feel, then I say take it slow. When I called you in Moscow, you sounded more like yourself than you have in months. You need to hold on to that, to just bein' yourself again. It hasn't been that long since the rape. You can't let all the progress you've made disappear just because that man is bein' a horse's backside. Although, I must say it sounds like you held your own with him," Prescott said with a chuckle."When Danielle asked me if you'd ever attacked me with a knife, I figured Jack had gotten the old close shave treatment."

Malinowski laughed as well, as she tapped the invitation thoughtfully against her fingers.

"If only the Jack had just been as bad at keeping secrets as you are… no surprise party this time…although I guess I did get one hell of a surprise, didn't I?"

"Damn it Mal, you know I hate bein' put in this position; the position defendin' Jack McCoy. But, since I am in this position, I've got to tell you I think he loves you. Hell, if I were in his shoes, I feel guilty as hell too. Not that that excuses this nonsense with this Galiano woman, but I'd bet that's all it is, just nonsense," he said earnestly before standing. "Look, I've gotta scoot. I still need to run by the house before I head back to Manhattan. "

"Well, it was thoughtful of you to stop by and personally invite me to the wedding. You know I wouldn't miss it for the world. Jack or no Jack, I'll be there," she replied as they walked to the door.

"Listen. The fact that you're not getting you mail… that pillow I felt under the blanket… there's no reason for you to camp out here. Danielle and I are lookin' at rentin' out the house here in town, at least for the time bein'. Right now it's empty. The spare key is where is always was if you decide you need the place. For a night , a week, whatever."

"Thanks Sam, I may take you up on your offer," she said as she gave him a quick hug. "You know, there is something else I might need some help with, but right now I need to get ready to go to the courthouse. Can I call you later today?"

Prescott winked as he caught the dangerous look in his ex-wife's eyes. He smiled not sure what she had in mind, but knowing whatever it was would more than likely give McCoy a reason to pause.

"Anytime, darlin' anytime."