Fifteen chapters already! I want to thank:

kaitlyn143

Aphina

redbess

kayee.143

xdannyx

Mrs. William Moseley

delia-brindusa

BlueEyedAuthor

and of course a huge thank you to:

sparkyCSI

This fic wouldn't be the same without you.

Chapter 15 – Disrespecting the name

'The super called,' said Flack one morning a couple of days later. 'I can go back to my place.'

'Finished with the fumigations?'

'Yeah. I swear, more than five weeks and I'd have shot any cockroach or rat left.'

'I still can't believe that you first had an invasion of roaches and then were invaded by rats,' she smiled amused.

'Tell me about it!' he shook his head in disgust. 'That means I'm moving tomorrow.'

'Oh, okay. If you need any help packing, let me know.'

Lily stood up, grabbed her briefcase and her purse and spoke briefly.

'Bye, I'll see you when you come home.'

'Just like that? No kiss, no 'have a nice day', no nothing?'

She rolled her eyes but left her things on the floor and got to where he was standing. She kissed him hard and when they parted they were out of breath.

'That good enough?' she raised an eyebrow.

'Yes ma'am,' Flack smirked.

'Have a nice day. And be careful, will you?' said Lily softly before leaving the apartment.

'I will,' he said to himself.

The following morning Flack got up a little earlier. After having a shower he went to the kitchen, where he found her girlfriend already up and making breakfast.

'I thought you'd want to wake up earlier,' she explained and wrapped the white silk robe tighter around her body.

Flack grabbed her by the hips and pushing Lily's body against him, kissed her. After the kiss she moved to the right and flipped a pancake.

'Ohh, pancakes! My favorite,' he said and his eyes lightened up like a kid on Christmas.

'I know. Since this is your last breakfast here, I thought I should make something nice.'

'What? I can't spend the night here anymore?'

'Your last breakfast living temporarily in the apartment, you know you're always welcome,' she gave him a piercing look.

'Good, 'cause I'm gonna stop here frequently. The bed in the guest room is very nice,' he grinned. 'Or maybe it's just the company.'

'Eat and stop playing games,' Lily put a plate in front of him.

'I'm not playing any games,' he said innocently while covering the pancakes with syrup. 'Wonder what it'd be like to cover you with it.'

'I'd say … sticky. And impossible because neither of us is into that food thing.' Now it was her turn to cover the pancakes with syrup and start eating them.

'I'm a New Yorker, I'm always open to new possibilities.'

'How about the possibility of you not getting any for three months? You open to that?' she dared him and got bits of her breakfast as sexily as she could into her mouth.

'I never knew eating pancakes could be this hot,' he was impressed.

'I'm guessing your answer is no,' she smiled with satisfaction.

When they finished breakfast Lily showered and got ready while Flack continued packing.

'You've got everything?' she asked already dressed in a green asymmetrical dress.

'I think so. If I forgot anything I'll pick it up later.'

'Okay. Do you need help?'

'Nah, I'm alright.'

'Then I should be leaving.'

She kissed him sweet and tender and ran a hand down his cheek afterwards.

'Have a nice day,' she paused. Her hands were now on his shoulders and his arms were still round her waist. 'And … be careful, alright?'

'Always,' he kissed her again.

Once he was alone, Flack checked that he had everything and left the apartment with a sigh. He had learned to love the place even if he'd never say it. Lots of memories had been made there. Not to mention Lily had decorated it tastefully. Yes, he'd be coming back; yes, he'd be spending the night but it wouldn't be the same. That apartment was his home more than the one he lived in. It was in a nicer neighborhood, better decorated, with more facilities, more space and the most important thing: Lily lived there. They say home's where the heart is; wherever Lily was would be his home. He didn't need a lot, just the woman that meant so much to him. He put everything in the trunk of his car and drove to the precinct for the long and tiring day that awaited him.

A long and tiring day would have been preferred to the one Flack had just had, it would have been easier for him. When he got home he threw the suitcase and the box in his living room and went straight to the shower. Once he was done he grabbed the keys to his car and drove to Lily's place. She should be home by now. Two knocks later she opened the door with a worried look. Flack was the only one who actually knocked at the door when the doorbell worked just fine. Too many years doing it, had been his explanation. He wasn't supposed to be there, he was supposed to be settling down so that meant something was wrong. She didn't need to be and expert or to see his expression to know there was a problem, him being there was enough. She motioned him to come in and they sat on the couch.

'What happened, Don?' her tone was soft.

'Today I helped to nail a friend and colleague,' he looked down, ashamed.

'What did he do?'

'Why do you ask that?' he looked up. 'I mean, you could have asked why I did it or how it had come to that but you didn't. Why?'

'Because I trust you. And because I know you're a responsible and honest person and that you transfer that to your job; you wouldn't have done it if it wasn't the right thing to do,' she looked him straight in the eye and put a hand on top of his.

Flack sighed and started explaining everything. The dead paintball player, the cocaine, the crazy woman who had kidnapped the other paintball player, his argument with Mac and the notebook he'd given the older detective.

'I'm starting to regret this. I'm gonna get a lot of heat from the guys, they think I'm a rat.'

'Well, you shouldn't. Truby was destroying everything honest cops have built and worked for during all these years. He was a disgrace to the force, not you.'

'You'd never get it but being a cop means everyone with a shield has your back. You need to trust them and if the guys don't trust me my days as a cop are numbered,' he spoke afraid of the possibility.

'I can relate to that,' she said. Better that you think … 'And even if they're a bit mad or hurt, they know you did the right thing. Besides, you're a great cop and no one can deny it. Your job isn't at stake here.'

'Maybe not. My reputation is, though.'

'Look, if you hadn't given Mac the notebook, he'd have gotten it anyway and it could have brought you trouble. Your responsibility is to protect 'your guys' so you needed to set the example. You do everything by the book and the people in your team must follow your lead, simple as that,' she tried to comfort him but felt it wasn't getting any result.

'It's not the first time I had to do it, you know? Two years ago my training officer tampered with evidence trying to keep his son from going to prison.'

'And you did the right thing then but this is different. Dean Truby was selling cocaine –think how many families and lives he must have destroyed– and don't forget he killed a man.'

'Yeah, but he was under my watch. What if he hadn't killed the paintball player? He'd still be selling the drugs we confiscated and I'd have never known,' he felt guilty and ashamed and stupid.

'But you did. And you stopped him. That's what matters.'

'Sometimes I feel I'm not good enough. You know how my dad was kind of a legend in the NYPD, right?' she nodded. 'Sometimes it's like he'd be ashamed of me. Like I'm not half the cop he was,' he looked full of self-loathing.

'He shouldn't and you know that. Maybe you ought to talk to him instead of wondering what he thinks,' suggested Lily timidly.

Flack didn't say anything and they both knew he'd never have that conversation.

'You know what I hate about all this?' he shook his head so she proceeded. 'That you're here feeling like scum when Truby – who is the actual piece of trash – probably isn't having any second thoughts about what he did. You're being eaten away by guilt when you did the right thing.'

'It's just that I think about Gavin – that was my training officer's name – and about Truby, how much I trusted them, how much they let me down, how I should have seen it coming …'

'You don't doubt the people you trust and care about because you expect the best from them.'

'I'm a detective, I'm supposed to detect these kind of things!'

'You aren't superman, alright? You can't know everything. You trusted them so you didn't expect them to do what they did.'

Flack buried his face on his hands.

'I know how tempting it is to dwell on the past – what you did, what you could have done – but it's not going to change anything! You don't get a second chance, the only thing you get is sadness,' she ran a hand down his cheek.

He enveloped her in a tight hug and whispered 'thank you'.

'Can I get you anything, sweetheart?' she asked and stood up.

'A kiss would be very nice.'

Lily straddled Flack slowly and with the same speed grabbed his face and planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

'That's not what I wanted,' he whined.

'I know,' she smirked and kissed him fully on the lips.

He yawned. 'I'm tired.'

'You can stay in the guest bedroom.'

'Come with me, I wanna sleep with you.'

'Come again?'

'I mean, next to you,' he explained and blushed lightly.

'You're a small kid, you know that?' she smiled lovingly and taking his hand, led him to her bedroom.

Lily walked to the closet and got one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts.

'These are mine,' he said puzzled.

'I took them out of your suitcase just in case you ever spent the night here.'

They both changed into their nightclothes. Lily was the first to finish so she got into her bed. When he was done, he walked towards the door.

'What are you doing?' she asked tiredly.

'Going to sleep.'

'C'mere,' she said with her uncommon New York drawl and patted the other side of the bed.

'I thought men weren't allowed in your bed.'

'It was a stupid rule. We have more space here,' she shrugged. 'So … are you coming or not?'

In four seconds he was at the bed and slipping between the covers. They said their goodnights and entwined their bodies. Neither of them mentioned it but they knew that by breaking her rule she was giving Flack a huge vote of confidence. He made a vow not to disappoint her.

The following morning he was the first to wake up. After seeing that it was almost time for the alarm clock to ring, he decided to wake her up with a kiss on the neck. Lily turned around and found Flack watching her.

'Is there something attached to my face?' she asked annoyed.

'You're beautiful,' he said mesmerized by how the light that was coming from the window touched her face and body.

'I've just woken up, there's no way I can look pretty,' she rolled her eyes.

'And you don't look pretty, you look beautiful,' his hand slid down her cheek.

'You're full of it, Don Flack,' she shook her head and smiled. 'I'm having a shower.' That was his cue to let go of her but he didn't.

'I'm thinking we could save some water,' he raised his eyebrows and gave her a kiss on the lips which was followed by two on her neck.

'Only if you hurry up, detective. I don't want to be late.'

'Fair enough,' he got out of bed quickly, dragging her to the bathroom.

'I need my clothes,' she protested.

'You'll get them later, let's not waste time.'

They got out ten minutes later. Looking at the watch he'd left inside the cabinet Flack spoke.

'Not only did we save water but time.'

'We can't do this every morning, though. I won't be able to keep up with you,' she wrapped a towel around her body and left the bathroom.

'Hey! Where are you going?' his arms reached for her waist and pulled her towards him.

'I need to blow dry my hair and put on some clothes,' she explained and tried to break free from his hold.

'You're still all wet,' he said and sucked some drops of water from her right shoulder.

'I don't have time.'

He repeated the action on her other shoulder and one of his hands slid up her thigh under the towel.

'You've already had enough of that. Now, could you let me go?' she was getting irked.

'Give me a kiss first,' he turned her around and kissed her deeply.

Fifteen minutes later they were both dressed and ready to leave. Lily's cell phone beeped and she read the new text message. She couldn't help but groan.

'Could you give me a lift to the 12th precinct?'

'Sure, remember that's where I'm going too. What happened?' he helped her into her coat and kissed her cheek.

'I have to go talk to a … Detective Angell. One of the newest associates is in an interrogation room with his client and needs my help to stop her. You know her?'

'Jess? Yeah. She's good.'

They left the apartment and drove up to the precinct. Before getting out Lily kissed Flack and explained she wasn't going to do it in front of all his colleagues. He agreed heartily and they stepped out of the car.

She entered the building first, one of his hands on the small of her back and they parted ways. He was going to his desk, she to an interrogation room but they both had to deal with the harsher aspects of cops. Flack was sure the other detectives weren't going to forget the 'Truby incident' soon and accordingly, he prepared himself for what was to come. The only good thing so far had been that morning with Lily. A smile crept to his lips. It had felt so right! That's how every day was supposed to start; with the beautiful woman he loved as opposed to standing next to a dead body at 3 a.m. in the freezing cold. A scream and a woman passing right by him took him out of his thoughts. The woman went back a few steps and stopped in front of him.

'That girl of yours is a handful!' said Detective Angell angrily.

Flack smiled. Lily could get infuriating sometimes when she was working but he wouldn't change her for anything in the world. He really loved his girl. And he liked how that sounded too. Angell didn't know they were together but she got that right.

Thanks for reading! If you've got any comments, suggestions, ideas, doubts, feel free to review and/or send a message. I'd love some feedback.