A/N: This story is rated "M".

Luis Badillo sat at the coffeehouse. Normally, he'd be with the gang from the 2-9 after a tour, but he didn't feel like drinking tonight. Seeing a little girl almost get dropped to her death was something he didn't feel like drinking or joking away. It had been a week since that happened, but still… Some things are easier to forget than others.

"Hi," he heard a familiar voice say. "Could I please have a chamomile tea?"

"Sure!" the barista said. "It'll be ready in about five minutes."

"Thanks!" the customer said.

You got to be kidding me, Luis thought.

"Well, hello there!" Luis called out.

Rachel Witten turned around and, once she recognized the familiar voice, she smiled.

"Hi," she said.

Luis motioned for her to join him.

"Come, come," he beckoned.

"You sure you want to break bread with the enemy?" Rachel joked.

"After what you did earlier this week?" Luis retorted. "Anyone who calls you that can talk to me."

Rachel smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"And besides, we're not literally breaking bread," Luis pointed out. "You're having tea and I'm having decaf coffee."

"Oh, sooo technical," Rachel joked, rolling her eyes, and smiling.

"What you did, saving that girl," Luis commended, "was amazing."

Rachel shrugged modestly.

"I'm just glad I was able to be there," she said.

"You did a lot more than just 'be there'," Luis said using his fingers for air quotes. "She would be dead were it not for you. Now take the compliment."

"Compliment taken," she said with a gracious nod. "Thank you."

"And for whatever it's worth," Luis said, "I would've loved to worked with you on the job. I'm sorry I never got the chance."

A smile came to Rachel slowly. It was a sad smile, just the same.

"Yeah, well," she said, "I admit I miss it sometimes, but I'm much better off doing what I do now. I thought the best way I could help the community was be a cop, but it wasn't for me."

Luis thoughtfully stirred his coffee with his straw.

"To be fair, though," he said, "you got a raw deal from the start."

The barista came to the table.

"One chamomile tea for you, ma'am," he said.

"Thanks so much!" Rachel said.

"No problem, enjoy," the barista said before he walked away.

"I don't think I got a raw deal," Rachel said once the barista was out of ear-shot.

Luis raised an eyebrow.

"I don't!" she insisted.

"You were fired for following the law to the letter," Luis said, "then when they re-hired you, they partnered you with a guy who was too overweight. Then they almost fired you for rightly pulling your gun on someone when your back was turned and you had no clue what they were going to do to you… If you ask me, it sounds like…"

"It sounds like crap that could have happened to any other cop," Rachel said, "and they could have dealt with it, but I couldn't." Rachel shrugged. "So, I turned in my papers."

"Fair enough, I guess," Luis conceded. "I just… I remember seeing you in the precinct and always wondered what your story was…"

Rachel smiled, raising her eyebrow, a shade of pink coming to her cheeks.

"You remember seeing me, huh?"

Luis smiled, a blush coming to his cheeks as well.

"Well, for what it's worth, Officer Badillo," Rachel said with soft eyes, "I remember seeing you, as well."

"Are we flirting, Officer Witten?"

"It's Rachel," she corrected, still smiling, "and I think the kids today just call it playful banter."

Two hours later, Luis was walking Rachel home. Her apartment was not far from the coffeehouse nor was Luis', either, so it was no big deal.

"I had a great time," Rachel said.

"Me, too," Luis agreed.

Rachel eyed her apartment complex and pointed.

"This is it!" she said.

The air crackled around them as they stopped and looked at each other, exchanging pleasant smiles, shifting from side to side. Slowly, as if they could read each other's mind, they leaned in and kissed. The world around them froze in time as Luis gently pulled Rachel in closer and Rachel wrapped her arm around Luis' back as their lips danced tenderly.

They pulled apart, the air electric.

Rachel looked at Luis, her eyes soft.

"Would, uh… Would you like to come in?" she asked.

Luis hesitated.

Rachel smiled as she took his hand into hers.

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't sure," she assured him.

Luis exhaled.

"Okay," he said…

In her bedroom, lit only by the glow of a dim lamp, Rachel lifted up her arms as Luis removed her blouse. He tenderly kissed her neck and shoulders, his arms caressing her sides.

Rachel reached down to lift Luis' shirt up and over his head, tossing it onto the floor. She planted warm kisses on his chest, causing Luis to moan.

"You like that?" Rachel whispered in between kisses.

"Yeah," was all he could muster.

Rachel pulled away and slid out of her khakis and underwear while Luis hurriedly shed his pants and boxer-briefs.

They both stood there in the nude, Rachel smiling, assuming Luis had never seen a woman with as much bush as her before.

"You okay, Luis?" she joked.

"You're…" Luis began.

"Hairy?" she quipped. "Bushy? Shrubby?"

Luis walked up to Rachel and kissed her deeply.

"You're beautiful," he said breathily as he pulled away.

Rachel moved to sit on her bed, reaching out her hand for Luis', smiling. Luis grabbed it as their two bodies became one, filling the bedroom with tender kisses, soft moans and whimpers…

The next morning, Rachel awoke to find herself cuddled into Luis' side, his arms wrapped around her. Amazing as this felt, she knew she had to get ready for work, so she gently slid out of the bed and threw on a pair of underwear, some night shorts, and an old NYPD T-shirt.

As she was brewing coffee for her and Luis, she knew this was new for both of them. She knew this was not just a one-night stand, but something more.

* Knock Knock Knock *

Rachel padded to her door to look to the peephole.

Oh no!

She opened the door.

"Hey!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Uh, hi… Eddie."

Rachel had completely forgotten she was going to get breakfast with Eddie before she went to work.

"Sorry I'm a little early, but…" Eddie paused, sensing something was up. "What's wrong?"

"Um," Rachel smiled nervously, trying to hide who was still sleeping in her bed. "I have…" she began cocking her head towards her room "company."

Eddie's eyes widened, then she flashed a grin and raised her eyebrows, impressed.

"Ooo la la, Miss Witten," she teased.

Rachel sighed.

"Hey, no judgement from me," Eddie said, hands raised. "I had my fair share of… company back in the day."

"Give me, like, ten minutes to throw something on and we can leave?" Rachel asked.

"Can I at least know who this mystery man is?" Eddie asked, amused at Rachel's antics.

Before she could answer, Luis was coming down the hallway.

"Hey, I was thinking of ordering something from Donnie's Donuts," Luis said, oblivious to it all until it was too late. "What do you think about that… for… br… eakfast?"

Eddie looked between Rachel and Luis, then Luis and Rachel.

"Oh… my God," was all she could say.

"Eddie," Rachel began, "what happened last night – "

"Lalalalalalalalala!" Eddie hollered, covering her ears. "I do not want to know, and I do not care!"

She stood up.

"Just..." she began. "Look, I care about you both, okay? So, I'm going to say this once."

She looked at Rachel.

"If you and him don't work out, that's fine, but if you're mean and cruel about it, friend or not, I'm going to kick your ass, got it?"

"Got it," Rachel said.

She looked at Luis.

"If you and her don't work out, that's fine, but if you're mean and cruel about it, friend or current partner or not, I'm going to kick your ass, got it?"

"Got it," Luis said.

Eddie smiled.

"Good!" she enthused, then turned to look at Rachel. "We still on for breakfast?"

"Give me ten minutes?" Rachel asked.

"Go," Eddie said.

"Raincheck on donuts for you and me?" she asked Luis.

"Sure!" he said.

As Rachel dashed for her room, Luis sat down beside Eddie on Rachel's living room couch.

"She likes daisies."

"What?" Luis asked.

"Rachel likes daisies," Eddie said. "So, if you want to win her over or if you and her get in a fight and you want to apologize, those are your go-to."

Luis nodded.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem," Eddie said. "And, hey, Luis?"

"Yeah?"

"Invite me to the wedding!"

Luis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while Eddie grinned.

THE END