Chapter 10

Randy suppressed a yawn as he stood back and listened to his partner question the old white male owner of the jewelry shop Jason had tracked the watches from the Mizanin case victims to a couple of days ago, paying attention but, just barely. He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and rolled his stiff neck around a bit to loosen it up. He was beyond tired but for a very good reason, or so he'd thought that morning when he'd woken and smiled, and he could barely keep the damn thing off his face all damn day. Why? Cody. But he'd probably deny it if anyone asked.

He sighed softly as he shifted his eyes lazily around the small jewelry shop and tried to look for anything suspicious or familiar, or fuck anything that would bring his focus to where it needed to be! Hunter had already scolded him three times that day for being so quiet and "weird" only he was also slightly irritated about the condition he'd returned his car in that morning. And Randy had been laughing and smiling about that all day too. From the moment Hunter had gotten into the car and his forehead and nose crinkled into a scowl Randy had laughed, and he'll never forget the look of pure disgust on his partners face when he turned to him and asked none too gently, "What in the hell is that smell?-!" The smell was of course the putrid stench of rain water that had dripped from he and Cody's bodies and soaked into the soft upholstery that he'd yet to have the time to clean up. Sure it was dry now but it also soured over night and gave the entire inside of the car a very distinct moldy, musty aroma that apparently drove Hunter crazy.

Randy didn't mind it much though, it wasn't too bad and after all it was kind of the whole point of doing what he and Cody had done in the car...Kind of like a fuck you to Hunter for being such a dick...Well, not the whole point of doing what they did, but it had definitely fueled Randy into getting into the car. "A very gorgeous man gave me the most spectacular blow job ever last night...In the back of your car..." Is what he'd wanted to tell his partner that morning but of course he hadn't. He'd made up some lame excuse about getting caught out in the rain and then proceeded to tap his finger against a hanging pine tree shaped air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror, one that he'd brought that morning before picking him up and one that did very little to cover the smell.

"Fuck this Pine scented shit!-!" He remembered Hunter had angrily declared as he'd torn it down and thrown it out the window, and Randy had hidden his laughter behind a obviously fake cough. It just tickled him so that Hunter, the biggest homophone in the precinct, had no idea that Cody had sucked him off in his car...

Now that shit was funny.

Randy shook his head and chuckled softly as he moved away from his partners side, scanning over glass cases that formed one long 'L' shaped counter and studying their contents absently, he really needed to concentrate but he knew it was useless. His mind was just stuck on the night before, from the stressful beginning to the...well, the stressful end, and believe it or not he wasn't too torn up about how things had gone either. On one hand he was a little bothered that Cody had been so wrong about his intentions, but on the other hand, he was only human right? Cody had apologized and come running after him, that had to mean something. And surely it meant that he could trust Cody, didn't it? Fuck he was definitely conflicted but not enough so that he couldn't remember how wonderful it felt to be with him because, shit it was fucking amazing!

Not just because Cody was capable of the best of all blow jobs but just being with Cody filled his chest with a warm comforting throb that he hoped and prayed never went away. He'd never felt this way about anyone so quickly and he hadn't had that warm comforting sensation of "happiness" in his gut since he was sixteen! It wasn't a new realization though, he'd known he was slightly jaded like that for quite some time but fuck! He'd had no idea how cold and fucked up he felt without it! Until now, until last night when he was kissing the softest lips he'd ever kissed and felt the warmth blossom inside of him like a huge flower that finally found a ray of precious sun light...

Only, since that morning he also couldn't stop thinking of the day 'it' left him. The very day that stole a piece of him, changed him and took what little remained of his childhood and threw him into the cold, cruel, and uncaring clutches of the adult world.

He could still hear his fathers partner Lou words to his mother when they found out about his passing because just about every day they haunted him as even though they were words of sympathy, they were all just so devastating, 'He was a good man...He loved you all so very much...But he's not coming home this time...Terribly sorry this happened...Such a tragedy... "

It was mid fall, the leaves had finished their cycle and littered the streets as a chilly wind blew them from their dormant limbs, his mother had just come home from work and he from school as well, his backpack over his shoulder, a smile on his face as he laughed at his cousins attempts to break his high score on a neon blue game boy...When everything suddenly went really...Still. Like slow motion almost except his heart was racing and a terribly sickening feeling in his gut flared and burned to life. Fuck he'd never forget the look of complete horror on his mothers face when Lou pulled up to the front steps of their home in his police issue black car; and with such grief in his eyes that before he even made it to the curb, his mother let out a heart wrenching scream and sank to her knee's in the grass.

It was strange to him then, and it still was now because he always thought that when you lost someone so close to you that no matter the physical distance, you felt it. He'd always assumed that he'd get a sense of it when someone he loved was in danger, he assumed he'd feel it in his heart. Until that day he'd imagined it would feel like a part of him had died with them and that's how he would know...But he hadn't felt that when his father was killed, he hadn't felt anything. He was at school, paying basketball and waiting for his cousin to get out of detention when he was fatally shot...And he hadn't felt a thing...

The shock was just as devastating as the news and Randy had barely had the time to catch his mother before she hit the ground, and she wailed. He held her tighter and she wailed louder, he tried to comfort her and it only broke her up so much more because he looked and sounded too much like his father. And that alone had crushed him because, he couldn't help, his mother needed him and just looking at him made her burst into tears...He'd held her anyway, crying softly with her as he rocked her back and forth in the grass while his fathers partner Lou stood over them trying his best to comfort them even though it was hopeless.

After that, Randy, even at the age of sixteen had done his best to stay strong for her, he tried so hard to fill the void in her heart his father's passing had created because he knew how she felt. Because as he forced his feeling down to comfort her, as he stayed strong to get her through the first couple of years, there one was eating it's way into his own. He'd lost his father, his mentor and his best fucking friend. And there wasn't one day that went by that he didn't miss him. And, it wasn't intentional but after his father died Randy found himself...left out a lot. Not like they didn't let him eat dinner with the family every night, all that stayed the same of course. But anything else, anything like a birthday party or fuck even his prom, his mother didn't have much involvement with and often seemed oddly withdrawn on all of those special occasions.

He'd asked her why once, one night after he'd had a little too much of his uncles badly tasting but heavily spiked eggnog and her answer was...Understandable but devastating nonetheless. "I have to distance myself from you...Because I love you..." He understood that she wasn't doing it to be cruel, she was protecting herself because she'd already lost one person she cared deeply for in his line of work and in her mind, she was only going to lose another the day he'd vowed to follow in his father's foot steps...

She just had no idea how...hollow and cold that made him feel because she didn't know it but in a huge way, Randy had lost his mother too.

And he never told her because he was afraid of the slight chance that she DID know...And what would he have done then?

Randy shuddered and blinked rapidly as he tore his eyes from an empty case and moved to the next, he'd paid a heavy price for his devotion to his father and he'd do anything to keep the warmth inside of him that Cody put there. But, that 'feeling' didn't mean that he was in love with Cody, although it did indicate that was exactly what would happen if both of them let it happen. And Randy hoped it did. But, if it didn't he was happy to know if he felt that with someone, even if only for a short while, then he was certain that he would feel it again. That meant he wouldn't always feel so empty, he wouldn't feel hollow and forgotten, he'd feel wanted...

And he was glad that he'd been so wrong in thinking that that feeling would never come back. Until Cody he'd been so jaded he'd honestly accepted the fact that he was never going to be whole again! And fuck he tried not to but he was still struggling with himself and his ability to trust, even that morning after their strange but yet oddly good date he'd checked his phone and didn't know what to do when a message popped up from Cody. It wasn't anything too special, just a kind well wishing of his day with a smile that winked. Not much but after some panicking it had put him on cloud nine, fuck it had him smiling off and on like an idiot all morning!

But still even so he was apprehensive about him, fuck he didn't really trust him now and he even sent off a request for his arrest record that morning just as soon as he'd thought of it. A bit much? Probably. But it made him feel a little better.

Needless to say he wasn't very trusting but that didn't mean he was off the idea of liking Cody. Hell he couldn't wait to see him again! It was all he could think about! And he would be lying if he said he wasn't counting the hours and minutes left in his shift because as soon as it was over, just as soon as midnight came, he was out of there and Cody's warmth and his perfect, wonderful mouth was all his again...And he really wanted it, he just hoped that he could trust him because if he could then it wouldn't be long before he was head over heels in love with him. And fucking hell he WANTED THAT.

"Randy get your ass back over here!" Echoed against the walls of the shop and made him jump and instantly annoyed him, god damn it Hunter didn't need to yell, the store wasn't that fucking big! "Chill out, I'm listening." He snapped with a scowl, and he WAS listening. He heard their every word, the shop owner knew NOTHING, just like everyone else. The orders for the watches were purchased online and that meant they would only uncover email address from the shop owner and would have to leave the rest up to the technicians back at the precinct. There was nothing they themselves could do!

He wasn't going to let Hunter boss him around like that either. He took his time and didn't budge from his spot at the opposite end of the counter until HE was ready to and slowly made his way back over to his partner who had apparently pissed the shop owner off enough that he'd walked away. "Good going, now we'll have to get a search warrant." He scolded angrily, damn it why did Hunter have to be so abrasive?-! Didn't anyone ever teach him that one can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar?-! Getting a search warrant would take at least a day! It wasn't like on TV where they magically had a search warrant within an hour! No it took a lot more and it was not as simple as just going to the DA and asking for one. They had to gather proof and show that without a doubt that they were in the right for in asking for the invasion and seizure of a business or someone's property. Fucking Hunter! Ignorant bastard!

"He wasn't going to give us his computer or sales books no matter how much ass I kissed," Hunter spat defensively, "He's in on it."

"Well of course he is," He scoffed, duh! He'd figured that out long before they'd arrived! But Hunter still needed to watch his fucking mouth! "You still need to chill the fuck out or no one's going to even talk to us if you don't start watching your god damn temper. Jesus Hunter this case is hard enough as it is."

"Don't tell me how this fucking case is Orton. I know how it is."

"Then stop running your mouth and getting pissed off every time someone doesn't give you the answer you were looking for! Having some fucking tact!-!-!"

"Fuck you, I have tact! I'm just not going to waste it on the likes of that stupid fuck!"

They left the shop and Hunter was very quiet after that, fuming or stewing Randy couldn't decide which of either he was more and they rode in blissful silence back to the precinct.

It wasn't until they were stepping into their office that Hunter let out a loud sigh and shoved a stack of files out from the center of his desk before plopping down into his chair, "I'm just so sick of this shit, I need a fucking break."

Randy nodded as he sat behind his own desk, pulling out his cell phone and setting it beside a bottle of water he'd left there earlier. He understood his partners feelings completely, he could go for a few days off lounging on the beach, hell he'd take two days laying by a puddle of water on the street at this point. Heh, even though his luck with those wasn't so awesome. "Then take one," He suggested with a shrug and really hoped Hunter decided to, it would be fantastic if he had that boring ignorant brute out of his hair for a while! That alone would be a vacation! Maybe he'd actually get some fucking work done! "I can do this without you for a few days."

Hunter nodded, "It has been pretty quiet around here the past couple of days..." Thankfully he was right, crime was still the same but as far as murders went there was nothing like what they had been dealing with for the past year, and Randy was so relieved for that. "I can handle things while you're gone Hunter," He assured as he swiveled his chair towards him and lent back, "The search warrant won't be back until tomorrow morning and it will take us a few days to process everything, nothing's going to change while you're gone. And, I promise that if I solve the case while you're gone I'll call you so we can arrest Mizanin together."

A smile jerked over Hunter's face and he laughed, "Seriously? You mean that?"

"I do." And he wasn't lying. Hunter had worked on the case longer than anyone and he wouldn't dare rob him of his moment, he wouldn't take that from him no matter how badly he wanted to. They would take Mizanin down together. "Especially since you're going to lend me your car until you get back."

"I am?" Hunter asked, a brow arched and honestly curious. "Who told you that?"

"Yep. You did." He nodded, "In about two seconds when I tell you that I need it."

Hunter shook his head with a deep, rather amused chuckle, "Dude why don't you just buy your own car and quit fucking your dates in the back of mine?"

"I don't fuck anyone back there," He enlightened in a laugh and was sure to thank him later for the idea, "But I 'll start since you thought I was anyway. If I had known it was okay-"

"It's not!" Hunter faked an outraged gestured of slamming of his fist down on his desk, something he always did to lighten the conversation and it didn't shake Randy anymore in the slightest, "Damn it buy your own car you fucking mooch!"

"Yeah yeah yeah," He continued to laugh and shook his head, fuck him he was not a mooch! Hunter always got his car back with a full tank of gas and he even paid to have the fluids changed when it needed it! True that a few times Hunter had to pick his car up from the impound lot but in Randy's defense, it ALWAYS had a full tank of gas. Always. "Are you going to leave me the keys or what man? Come on dude don't be a cock block." It was a joke but of course Hunter assumed that he meant it and took is seriously, idiot.

"Fuck dude if it gets you laid of course I'll leave them behind! Hell I'll even leave it with a full tank of gas!" He shrugged, smiling wide, "We'll just use Steph's car."

Randy turned away from him again, eying his cell phone and his stomach was fluttering with excited butterflies, fucking yes! He had a car for the next few days! Yes yes yes! He snatched his phone up and flipped it open, "Thanks man, I'll get it cleaned and all that." Some how in his excitement he found his text in-box and brought up Cody's earlier message and hit reply.

"Heh, you had better get it cleaned you son of a bitch. And that smell had better be gone too."

"Hey...Are you awake yet?" He sent the message and set his phone down carefully as if it would break, chewing his lip nervously. Cody probably wouldn't respond right away, it was late afternoon and he was more than likely still sleeping, or so he assumed from Cody's mention of his familiarity of the "night life". He glanced at Hunter quickly and started to search the contents of his desk's lap drawer for a smoke, "It will." He assured with a nod, "I'll take care of it tomorrow."

"Well then..." He heard Hunter sigh, his laughter being replaced with exhaustion that lowered his voice to a deep grumble, "Maybe I should go have a talk with Cena?-?-?...Steph has been begging me to take a few days off so we can go up to some cabin her father has in the mountains..."

"Go." He insisted, "Or go get us lunch, I feel like a veggie platter from Lee's Chinese." He found a pack of smokes stuffed in the very back and popped one between his lips, now all he had to do was find his damn lighter...

Hunter huffed and he heard him stand up before he turned and watched as his partner snatched his jacket from off his chair and yanked it over his arms in a dramatic comical "fit" that had his his arms and hands flailing a bit until he had it smoothed out and zipped up, "Get your own damn lunch Orton, and buy more air freshener for the office, I'm going home."

Randy smiled at that and nodded slowly, "Take it easy..." Even though he was fucking giddy with excitement. He knew pulling out the cigarette would help get him out the door, and it had worked just perfectly because Hunter was leaving! Fucking YES!-!-!

His phone beeped and startled him, his heart suddenly racing as he scooped it up from his desk. His eyes went wide for a second as he was surprised to see it was Cody and couldn't open the in-box fast enough, "Sure am baby, :) Why? You're not thinking of canceling are you?" He smiled as he started to enter his reply. He couldn't help it, of course he wasn't going to cancel! But it was so sweet to him that Cody was worried that he might, "No not at all, I just wanted to ask if you liked white wine or red..." He held onto the phone for a moment after hitting send before setting it down and went about trying to find his lighter lost somewhere in the lap drawer. After a nice relaxing smoke he'd write up the report he needed for the search warrant and get back to work...But only AFTER.

The beep sounded again and sooner than last time and he paused the search to read the newest message, "Oh...I prefer red :) ..." Some how he'd already known that but was glad he'd thought to ask. It was better than assuming right? And it did give him an excuse to text him in the middle of the day...He just didn't know what to say now without making that extremely obvious. How could he tell him he was looking forward to seeing him again without sounding completely smitten?-! "Okay. :)" Was all he sent, it was all he could think of, everything else he came up with just seemed too fucking desperate...

"That all? ;) " Came rather quickly and he chuckled softly and flipped the screen down for a moment, of course that wasn't all! But he didn't to come off looking like a weird stalker by saying how much he'd been thinking about him all day, he didn't want to freak him out with how much he already liked him! He brought the phone back up and typed, "No..." and he decided to send it right away before he lost his nerve, although he didn't elaborate on what else he wanted to say just yet. What could he say that was safe and not even remotely desperate?-?-? I miss you? I dreamed about you all night? I really like you? Fuck none of those were any good!-!-!

Another beep and his phone lit up, "So...?-?-?"

He sighed, his heart racing and making him feel a fool, he was worried about nothing! There was nothing wrong with missing Cody so soon after just meeting him...Was there?-! Oh god he didn't fucking know but he did miss him. And for some reason he really wanted him to know that, "Can't wait till tonight..." He sent and set the phone down again and frantically went about his search for his lighter and let out a huge sigh of relief when he finally found it in lodged in the corner. It flared to life and he quickly lit the smoke between his lips, taking a deep drag and again jumped when his phone beeped. He was afraid to look but did, " :* Me either."

He held his breath for a brief moment as he read it again, his heart still racing, "Wish that kiss was for real." He typed quickly and hit send, he couldn't let his nerves get the best of him right now, he had to push himself to do this or he never would.

"It will be Detective Orton, it will be." Was his reply seconds later and it brought a smile to Randy's face as well as made his groin tighten, god he couldn't fucking wait for that! "Call me Randy. Tease." He sent because Cody was and he rather enjoyed calling him out on it. Cody knew exactly what it did to him when he called him Detective Orton! That's why he kept doing it!

"Okay, handsome. ;) " Another almost instant reply. Randy laughed softly as he read it and thought back to hearing that from him the night before with a delightful shiver. He started leaning back and taking another long drag as he forced himself to type the first thing that came to mind and hit send, "Beautiful." Cody totally was. Shit he was perfect and he fucking knew it.

A few minutes passed and Cody didn't respond and Randy frowned as he set the phone back on his desk, the cigarette now finished and burned down to it's filter, and he lit another one, stabbing the last bit of the other into a small black ashtray as he struggled not to panic. Fuck maybe that last text was a bit too much?-! God he hoped not! He started to tap his foot anxiously against the floor, okay one more smoke and he'd give Cody a few more minutes to reply and then he'd stop worrying and get back to work... Fuck, yeah right! Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to be able to work until Cody replied, that is, if he hadn't just scared him off!

Randy grimaced as he took another drag, oh god why did he say that?-! Why did he have to be so fucking weird?-! Jesus Cody was right! He was just a big fucking weirdo- His phone beeped and he nearly knocked it to the floor as he rushed to grab it, holding his breath as he went to read, his heart racing wildly in his chest, and what he saw did make things any better. Well, it sort of did.

It was a picture, and fuck what a picture! It was taken at an angle but he could clearly see Cody was in bed beneath a thin black silk sheet that was molded around his godly hips and curves so closely that there wasn't one he couldn't make out; Cody was smirking and looking directly at the camera, his ocean blue eyes half lidded but bright and shinning with desire and cradled just perfectly between the small bridge of cutest slightly upturned nose. He looked like he'd only just woken up and even in his all natural state with his hair slightly askew and WITH obvious signs of sleep still present, he was still a dream. Randy shuddered, oh god he was still so fucking beautiful! He took a deep breath, shifting around his chair as a wave of heat washed up from his groin and quickly typed a response, "TEASE." Oh god and Cody was the fucking worst!

"Get back to work, you. :P"

He laughed at that, looking down at the tent growing in his jeans and shook his head as he replied, "Like that's going to be so simple now...But shit I do have to go...I'll call/text you later..." Fucking work! Fucking Michael Mizanin!-!-! He'd had loved to sit there and text with him all day but he really had to get the report to the DA, time was definitely of the essence on that and he'd put it off way too long as it was. He HAD to get off his ass or he might miss an window of opportunity and they had so few of those with the Mizanin case...

"Okay. :* Ttyl baby..."

" :) "

He stood up, shoving his phone into his back pocket and put his smoke out in the tray, first thing to do now was track down the right paper work he needed...

"Hey, here's the key's." Hunter suddenly spoke from the door way and he sighed heavily as he held them out, "I'm taking the whole week off."

"Damn the whole week?" Randy repeated incredulously, no fucking way! There was no way he could be that lucky!-!-! Mindful of the slight issue between his legs he carefully moved towards his partner and tried to hide his excitement with an arched brow and slouched forward slightly. "Yeah well that's what happens when you call Cena a fucktard," Hunter shrugged, "He adds a few more days to your suspen-er I mean vacation."

Randy shook his head and let himself laugh, so Hunter had earned himself a few days 'vacation' had he? It wouldn't be the first time the Captain sent him home for a few days to clear his head and knowing Hunter it definitely wouldn't be the last. "I'll keep that in mind." He chuckled and reached for the keys but scowled when Hunter jerked them back at the last second with a big smile and dangled them in the air obnoxiously, "You gotta try harder than that!"

"Dude..." He said with a tired sigh, just holding his hand out, "Just, give me the fucking keys."

"Why?" Hunter asked as he jingled the keys loudly and continued to trick him into thinking he was about to hand them over, "You got a hot date tonight?"

"Actually yeah I do!-!" He snapped and stunned his partner into freezing, "Now give me the fucking keys!" He snatched them from his hand with a frustrated grunt and stuffed them into his pocket, "Damn it dude why do you have to be so damn nosy?-! I've got shit to do!"

"Hey man you're taking MY car," Hunter pointed out and only further pissed him off, "I think I have the right to know what your plans are. Good news about the hot date though, hope you nail her."

"Thanks." He hissed with a scowl and moved passed him, "Hope so too." But of course he didn't, that wasn't what he wanted to see Cody for and he'd only said that not to raise any red flags. Although, "nailing" Cody would indeed be a very nice bonus Randy was interested in so much more. It was soon but, he wanted to have a real relationship with him, not some quick fling in the back of his partners car. And more specifically he wanted to be in love with Cody more than wanted to fuck him and that was something Hunter would never understand. Even if Cody was a woman and Randy were straight Hunter just wouldn't see why it wasn't all about sex, he wouldn't understand why waiting could be so fucking important.

Hours later Randy was finally finished gathering almost everything he needed to complete AND drop off the application for the search warrant into the District Attorney's emergency in-box to have approved by a judge. It might have taken him almost five fucking hours and one really long emergency case meeting to track all the right proof down but he finally had it and all that was left to do was fill in the missing evidence log numbers for the watches found with the victims and it was ready to go, just ONE more fucking stop at the case files office in the basement and he could go back to his office and hide out there until his shift was over. Fuck he'd probably crash out behind his desk just as soon as he sat down. Thank god cell phones came with alarms...

He yawned as he stepped off the elevator and turned down a short hallway leading into the basement, crinkling his nose as the old scent of mildew and must wafted into his nose and left a bitter taste in his throat. He fucking hated coming down here, it smelled and besides the front clerk desk which was encased in a big glass case was dusty or faded. The lighting was terrible and gave him a headache, it was just a few rows of halogen lights that's hums echoed obnoxiously loud against the walls that used to be blindingly white but were now aged to a paler off white, peeling and chipped paint in every corner and along ever edge. The floor was made up of horrible dark brown tiles that were also chipped and falling apart with so many dip and groves he often wondered how no one managed to trip or slip into one and was always very careful when he walked over them himself.

Fuck he hated it down there, it was just so dreary and if he were to ever be honest about it, the basement gave him the fucking creeps.

A shiver shook him slightly as he turned the corner, quickly putting on a smile and expecting to see the pretty smile of a very young English woman he was acquainted with well enough to know as Layla but saw the unmistakable brightness of Trish's blond hair beaming from behind the glass and his smile faltered. Damn, Trish was a nice woman and she was very pleasant to speak with but he and Layla were actually friends. He actually enjoyed speaking with her and it was the only thing that made coming down to the basement bearable, and not to mention what he liked most about her was that Layla never once flirted with him, unlike Trish. It was strictly platonic, Layla was new to Las Vagas as well and they connected on that right off the bat and built a very friendly, casual report. Of course they weren't best buddies attached at the hip either but if he were to consider anyone in the city of Las Vegas his 'friend', it would be her.

"Hey... Trish?" He titled his head slightly in question as he frowned slightly and flicked his eyes about, searching the small cubical behind the glass for the short brunette he'd been hoping to see. "What are you still doing here? Where's Layla?"

"Layla went home sick with the flu and the Captain and I needed some time apart after he decided to cancel a very important meeting with the chief and failed to tell me until the last second." She set the book down with a huff, blue eyes brightening and she continued, "It's no biggie, it's all over time down here and I had to take a break from that mess up there or I was going to slap that man silly." She sighed and smiled, "Anyway did you need something, babe?"

Babe, her little pet name for him that always made him slightly uncomfortable even thought it really did him no harm. "Actually yes I was wondering if you had the evidence numbers for the watches found on the bodies in the Mizanin case?"

"Ahh yes you're here about the stuff for the search warrant?"

"Yep," He nodded, sighing tiredly. "Last stop and hopefully I'm done for the night."

"Hope it is babe, and I've got them those numbers right here." She smiled wider and pulled a green slip paper out from under the keyboard of an old yellowed with time, out dated computer and slid it beneath a small gap in the glass, "Helmsly called after Cena sent him off and said to have them ready. I hope I've got them all, there are two right?"

"Yeah, you did great, thank you." He used the counter to copy the numbers to the report and signed off at the bottom to complete it before thanking her again and went to leave. "Wait-" He grimaced as she called to him but turned around and graced her with another warm smile, "Before you go, this came for you earlier." Her head ducked down as she grabbed a thick blue folder from her desk and removed a stick it note from across the center of it before sliding it threw the small slot beneath the window, "It's the Rhodes file you sent for...Layla asked me to give it to you before she left."

"Oh." He almost gasped and snatched it up perhaps a little too fast, "Thanks, forgot all about it." Liar. He'd thought about it off and on all day after he'd sent in the request, and it hadn't been easy. The file he'd had pulled was over two years old and filed away along with thousands of other old closed cases and since it was his partner who'd made the arrest, he'd had to be extremely careful about how we went about obtaining it. He didn't want Hunter to find out because there was no reasonable explanation other than the truth as to why he would ask for something so random.

"And she told me the deal you two have so, you know the deal," Trish said gently in her soft warm voice, "If you promise not to tell Cena we helped you get that and IF you buy me lunch on Monday," She lowered her tone to a whisper as she was leaned towards the holes in the glass with a bright smile, "Then I promise I won't tell Helmsly that you were snooping around in his old case files."

"Deal." He agreed with a nod, fuck he hoped he could trust her. Trish wasn't a gossiper but she did work with the Captain and he didn't want Cena knowing anything about what he was doing down there pulling old case files either. "I owe you." Fuck he'd just have to trust her for now and speak with Layla about it when she returned, if not then he'd have to think of a really good excuse...FUCK.

Trish nodded and retrieved her book from the desk, "Have a nice night, babe. And I want chicken salad for lunch, just so you know."

He nodded again, ignoring her for the most part as he clutched Cody's personal arrest record tight in his hands. He knew he shouldn't read it, it was such an invasion of privacy and he'd swore he'd never do something like this but, he just had to know if he'd been in any kind of real trouble. He HAD to check Cody out to make sure he wasn't involved with anything bad before he perused him any further.

He was just being careful and looking out for himself, and no one could blame him for that...

Or so that's what he'd told himself when he'd sent off for the file that morning. And it was what he told himself now as he hurried to the DA's office and dropped the application for the warrant in his emergency in-box, it wouldn't be process until the Ted, the District Attorney, came back from a meeting but at least it was there and ready to go. All he had to do now was wait...And read Cody's case file.

Randy felt his desk never looked so inviting as he returned to his office and closed the door, his stomach twisting into nervous knots. Checking his watch he noted the time to be shortly after ten before he plopped down and flipped Cody's arrest record folder open and started to scan over the pages. The first few documents weren't helpful, just a bunch of information on his court dates and what not and he skipped threw those in seconds, deciding to fly threw the contents of the folder until he reached the very last few pages and found a single original police report stapled in place against the very back.

He read the first few lines and froze, a chill shooting down his spine...Fucking hell...It didn't say that Cody had been arrested for public intoxication...It said something entirely different and startling...

He lent forward and read the report harder, his eyes narrowing, "Suspect was seen attempting to solicit sex for money and upon questioning became belligerent and aggressive. Myself and my partner were unable to calm Mr. Rhodes and were forced to subdue him into the back of the squad car..." He paused for a second, flicking his eyes to a blank spot on the page and tried to breath, jesus why hadn't Cody told him that? Why would he lie and say he'd been taken in for public intoxication when he clearly hadn't been? Fuck he was originally charged with solicitation! Or in other words, prostitution!-!

Randy cursed softly as he shook his head firmly and flipped the last few pages across to scan over them again, frowning hard when he discovered a witness statement that was high lighted and dated for the same night as the arrest, "The Defendant came into my store right after sundown and collapsed to the floor. I thought he passed out but when I went to help him up he started screaming for help for his friend so loudly that I couldn't understand him. His eyes were huge and he had blood dripping from his nose so I thought he was drunk or at least high and chased him off..." What the fuck Cody was bleeding and asking for help and someone sent him away?-!- Jesus how fucking cruel!-!-! And fuck how could his partner get that so confused with offering sex in exchange for money?-!

Randy scoffed to himself because something wasn't right, surely there had to be more to the story! Frantically he skipped ahead to the next page, holding his breath as he read over the final resolution to the case and snapped the folder shut. All it said was that it was plead down to public intoxication, no explanation, no reason! Well fuck if that was any help!

He sat back with a groan, rubbing his hands down his face quickly before reaching into his desk for another smoke, thank god Hunter was gone so he could smoke in peace because he'd probably tear his head off the first second he started bitching. His partners nagging was not something he wanted to hear right about now and he counted his lucky stars that he was gone. The cigarette came to life before his lighter and after taking a long slow drag he forced himself to lean over the folder on his desk, opening it again but this time taking his time and started reading from the beginning. Already it was clear that Cody had omitted a lot of the story about his arrest and he couldn't blame him for that because who in their right mind would tell their hopefully soon to be boyfriend that they'd been arrested for solicitation, especially if he was a cop?-! Fuck at least Cody HAD told him about being arrested, at least this wasn't a completely new discovery! He started to turn the page he was on but paused in his reading, his head jerking back slightly as he suddenly had the feeling that he was missing something. Cody had mentioned his arrest twice already, first time was on the first night they'd officially "met" and then again on their date when he'd briefly brought it up again. But, why? Why bother if it wasn't the whole truth? Why lie about it when Hunter was his partner and Cody knew he could easily ask him and find out the truth?-?-? Why say anything about it at all?-?-?

Randy's stomach fluttered slightly but not in the good way, there was something so...off about that, he could feel it deep down that he was missing something but he just didn't know what.

He felt himself tense and glowered bitterly before taking a hard drag and flipped threw a few pages and found the witness statement, reading it again. Damn it Randy stop being so fucking paranoid!-! The case is closed so obviously the issue has resolved it's self! He shook his head, fuck that, something just didn't feel right and he couldn't let this go, he wouldn't. "He collapsed...He was screaming for help..." But why?-! "...His eyes were huge...blood dripping from his nose...I thought he was high..." Fuck was he high?-?-? Shit and he couldn't ask Hunter about this, he'd want to know why he was digging up old case files and would proceed to butt way too far into his business like he always fucking did. Shit, the only way he would ever find out was if he asked Cody directly and he couldn't do that because then he'd know that he'd checked on him...And that was kinda weird, wasn't it?-?-? To check on someone like that? To be so fucking paranoid he had to run the arrest record on anyone he thought about dating?-?-?

With a heavy sigh he lent back and took out his phone and swiftly navigated to his in-box, and he brought up the picture of Cody from earlier, he just...needed to look at him for a second. And he did, tracing his finger around the edges of the screen as he tried to see the gorgeous god in the picture as more than just a complete mystery. Which is exactly what Cody was but, as badly as Randy wanted to know more about him and as badly as he needed to, he would have to wait until Cody felt comfortable enough to tell him more on his own.

**Note: Thanks to everyone who's read this so far! & a really BIG thanks to those who have left reviews, you guys are the best! :D I've got more coming soon so keep those reviews coming as they fuel this hungry writer to write super long chapters XD**