Robert Stark missed his old friend, well more work colleague now, than a close buddy you could rely on, gossip with or tell everything to. Charlie no longer hung out at his bar, which had long been sold and was now a mexican restaurant. He never went near the other bars, where the patrol cops hung out at. Bobby could not even invite him over to watch a game. Rules laid down by Leslie, oh yes Stark was truly whipped into shape by that gloriously bossy woman. His wife and family were the centre of Stark's world. His marriage had survived where most for LAPD cops failed, and would survive as long as he played by the rules. Ratting out Charlie in 1994 had been playing by the rules, only Leslie didn't see it like that. She had seen the hard years in between, after Charlie had gone down, and had blighted Stark's career and Leslie's social network. Leslie's friends were not cops or their families, not anymore. She had started afresh and it still made her bitter. Stark tried to connect with his ex-partner. The smart rooky was long gone and there was this hard con/ fruit obsessed nut-job in his place. He'd let his partner down. Even now, the other guys on patrol were only OK with him, there was always the slight coolness. Funny that, Crews accepted he'd been leant on and folded to protect his family and was cool with that. That Leslie had forbidden him to visit him at the supermax, once he'd transferred out of county Stark was thankful it was only months until he'd served his twenty, until he colected his pension. He'd get a dead beat job, just to fill in the hours, keep him from total boredom,but his wife was his number one. Maybe Leslie would insist they move. Stark hoped not, he loved LA.

Leslie was waiting when he got home. The kid's on sleepovers, which meant it was serious talking time. She was silent as Stark got a coffee not his usual beer. Drinkking and hammering out issues never went together. He remained calm as she-who-must-be-obeyed ranted and railed.

On the kitchen table was a party invite... from what Stark could read it said Cool Pool Birthday Bash... 13th February 2010... Sasha and Charlie...RSVP.

"Who's Sasha and why has he invited me it a joint birthday party with Charlie Crews?" spat out Leslie Stark. She could only think it was some bimbo, that man had picked up. Leslie still counted Jen as a friend, not a close one, but they talked on the phone occasionally.

Stark took a big gulp of coffee and tried to form the correct turn pf phrase in his head. "Ummm, Charlie's boyfriend... live in lover... significant other... one of those terms, OK. Whatever's PC for being gay and exclusive."

"Crews is gay?"

"I'd like to say prison changes a guy, but Charlie was a one woman guy. Screwing half the female population in LA since he got out kinda proved that. Sasha is not, effeminate in any way. Surfer dude. One of Ding's kids."

Ding was one of the few cops never to exclude Leslie or Bobby from their fundraising or socialising. Ding was openly gay and knew a lot about being side lined himself. He'd offered Leslie some sound advise on cutting out those who shunned her and getting on with her life. She only really went to the bake sakes and sports events, noting the everchanging array of foster kids, all except one, their only adopted child. "That Sasha! He's what 19!"

"No... ummm 21."

"Do Ding and Carlos know and approve of this?" Leslie knew that Sasha was no innocent little boy, but Crews was a lot older and an ex-con.

"Charlie stayed over with them at Christmas. Carlos accepted Crews. Well, Sasha is a handful anyway." Stark had heard all the rumours over truanting, fights and partying a few years back filtering from the Academy to the various station rooms across the city. Ding had his hands full with several of his foster kids.

Leslie seemed to change. Her whole demeanor softened as she thought about the blond haired teenager, silent and guarded. One that had survived as a street kid, beaten and abused. "Really, Bobby. Sasha's a total sweety. Always so sad. Crews better not hurt him, but thats not my call. Ding and Carlos would be first in line to protect their child."

It was then that Leslie picked up the phone to accept the invitation. Crews and Sasha were accetable to Leslie. Not Crews on his own. Bobby Stark could not fathom if Crews had a girlfriend, would she have accepted the invite. He doubted that. Leslie knew Sasha and Crews would be getting an earful from his woman over treating that kid right.

When Leslie sat back down,Bobby reassured Leslie "I think Sasha is good for Crews. Even Dani Reece likes the kid. She, Tidwell, Crews and Sasha go on double dates." As Stark said this he had an idea. "No kids tonight?"

"No kids tonight." Leslie said, a smile on her lips.

"Let me grab a shower. Movie and dinner sound OK, love?"

"Sure thing sweetheart." Leslie could almost laugh. A date after nearly twenty years married. Bobby Stark was a new man.

...

Ted watched the two men in the pool. It was strange to see his friend so completely in love. Charlie had that strange ability to hide facets of himself and this Charlie was a new one on Ted. Ted had been one of the few to see the real man not the zen quoting fruit eating facade. Crews was possibly one of the most dangerous men Ted had ever met, and he would be grateful to his dying day that Charlie had befriended him, protected him and trusted him. Ted knew the trust was based on Charlie's perceptions of what was relevant. The russian kid was an enigma, one Ted had yet to figure out. The kid was mirror of Charlie, all good humour but hard at the same time. Sashsa fit into the Crews household and had become fast friends with Rachel. Rachel had even complained to Olivia that why were all the great guys queer. Olivia had then reassured the girl that you had to have faith and you'd meet someone, probably when you least expected it, just like her finding and falling in love with Ted. Sasha always treated Ted like he was playing a game of oneupmanship, this was strange and drew the former financier back to his previous life. He had not spoken much since prison, only short conversations with people with mistrust in their eyes. Even Constance, Bobby Stark and Dani Reece only accepted Ted because of Crews. Sasha was trying to get Ted to relax, saying it was OK to acknowledge the fact he was intelligent and to move past those three years in maximum security prison. He thought back to a heart to heart, when Sasha explained a bit about his past. Sasha knew things before, were in the past. Events had shaped you into a new person. This was the person you had to accept if you wanted to move on.

"You lost everything like Charlie because of prison." Sasha said to Ted early one morning. A statement of fact, not needing Ted to explain or elaborate.

"I lost everything because I was full of my own importance and thought I would not get caught. Prison was a learning curve to show me that arrogance and greed were no match for the underbelly of society. I was soft. At least I was guilty of my crimes. In some ways I can't comprehend what it was like for Charlie. To be innocent and everyone convinced of your guilt. I met him after he'd been in SHU for nearly seven years. After his divorce and the death of his mother."

"Ahh you met zen Charlie." Sasha said in a soft understanding way.

Ted then knew Charlie had told this kid everything. Ted did not know about the path from Patrol Cop to Con to Zen. "Yes. Charlie was like an avenging angel. Scary as fuck. At first I thought he was insane. Prison is like a mini society based on rumour and violence." Ted knew from the grape vine of gossip inside that Charlie had previously shared a cell with a serial killer after getting out of solitary. They had been friends, lovers if you believed the rumour mill. The pair of them freaked out most of the inmates. Manfred had died before Ted arrived inside. Heart attack. Charlie was grieving for him. "We shared a cell for nearly two years. He was inside for another two years after that, before his acquittal. You've been good for him. He seems calmer, happier than I've ever seen him."

Sasha shrugged, "I lost everything when I was fifteen. I started a new life here in LA, but you know that already. I know you've had me investigated. Find anything interesting?"

Ted was not surprised the kid knew about the PI. Ding must have found out. "You used to bare fist fight. You failed to get into the marines. You've been a master of keeping a low profile. What are you afraid of Sasha? You're not here illegally. So what is it?"

Sasha looked at Ted with eyes unguarded, so sad. It made Ted ashamed of thinking his own life had been awful. "I fear my own happiness. I have allowed myself to love. It is such a hard thing to do when you have lost everything before. Life when I came to LA had become a battle for survival. I endured, survived by any means possible and I had got to the point of praying for death. For release. Ding and Carlos were not my first foster parents. Others had tried to help me before. I was trapped in a vortex of blackmail, abuse and manipulation. The price of my freedom was selling myself on the streets and being traded as a piece of meat. Sold to whore myself here instead of Russia. Crews is right, the past is the past. I should not fear it."

Ted had read the file the Private Detective had passed over. The file from State Children's Services had been the most informative. Crews had warned Ted to stop looking into Sasha's past or he would let Ding persuade him. Ding Suarez was quiet, polite and charming. His threats said with a soft voice and a smile. For some reason every cop in LA would not cross the man. Then Crews had told him Ding was the pussy cat, it was Carlos who was really frightening.