Chapter 71: Stars Remind Me of You

Gus was more than ready to return to work, ashamed of having let Elger's get at her, but also knowing it was related to her talk with Angell, which was probably part of the reason she had kissed Jimmy Doyle. She wanted to get Flack out of her heart or at least her head for a minute.

Which was impossible considering they were working together for a week longer, not to mention that moment they had clearly shared in the hospital. At least she was able to leave with Sheldon so Flack couldn't approach her about it, knowing him he would want to clear the air.

She returned, took her deserved ass chewing from Daddino and tried not to feel a pit in her stomach at the mark on her record. It didn't help that someone had also placed a miniature baseball bat on her desk, looks like the nickname Slugger was going to stick. Gus wasn't sure if it was better or worse than Princess.

"Hey Slugger, welcome back," Flack said by way of greeting as she was attempting to shove the bat in her desk drawer.

"I hope you didn't do this!" she exclaimed, slamming the drawer shut.

"Nope, not since Danny and Lindsay had a girl..." he trailed off looking at her again, not quite as intently as he had in the hospital, but not the light look of a cordial professional relationship either.

Gus cleared her throat nervously, "yeah, well, wonder how many diapers Danny has changed by now?"

"Not as many as Lindsay, I can guarantee that," Flack replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Men," Gus muttered. "So what did I miss?"

"Not much, actually, been quiet."

Gus groaned, dropping her head lightly to her desk. "What?"

"You know you have just jinxed things, right, Flack?"

Flack shook his head, "it'll be fine. Besides, after your nice little vacation, thought you might be looking forward to working."

"I seem to have missed my fruity beverages and suntan. It was a suspension, not a vacation."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He gave her another grin and headed back to his desk.

Gus spent sometime going through voice mails and emails, some of them on leads she had been trying to track down on cold cases. She made some notes, returned a few calls and was beginning think that Flack hadn't jinxed them.

She stifled a yawn, laughing a minute later when Flack appeared at her desk with a coffee.

"Seeing as you didn't come in with one, thought you could use this before you swallow your face."

"Thanks," she replied sincerely.

Overall, suspension and hospital tensions not withstanding, her rotation with Flack had gone better than she ever would have hoped. That didn't mean they weren't still doing an odd dance with each other. But like all good things, her lucky steak had to come to an end.

One evening, right before Daddino left for the day, he came out of his office wielding his stapler. Gus realized that thanks to her suspension, it was already time for the next partner rotation to come out. She was caught between relief and sadness until she wandered over to look at the list. Her reaction was far from pleased or lady like.

"God dammit Daddino, a month with her, are you frigginging kidding me?" Gus said, storming back from the board and kicking her desk and knocking over her trash and recycling bin.

Parker leaned back with a bemused look on his face. "I take it you seen the next rotation posting?"

Gus growled while picking up crumpled papers now wet with the remnants from coffee cups and coke cans. "Yes, Parker, I did, and thank you so much for the heads up." Her tone dripped with sarcasm but Parker just chuckled. "I am glad you are finding this so freaking funny, Parker. I hope your boot accidentally shoots you in the groin."

"Oh give it a rest, Princess, you are going to be fine. Just hold your head high and don't let her get to you. Plus, I just made $50 on the pool on how you would react to being partnered with Angell, so dinner is on me." Parker handed her a crumbled can that had rolled under his desk.

"Of course there was a pool. What won it?" Gus huffed, blowing her hair out of her face.

"You kicking something and making a mess or hurting yourself when you did so. I mean you did just get back from a suspension and mandated anger management."

Gus growled one more time, pulling herself to her feet and glaring at the pit. "I hate all y'all!"

"Yep, definitely could use some more anger management," Parker quipped.

Gus stormed out of the pit, without thinking of where she was going. She was already on the elevator with the button for the sixth floor pressed before it hit her.

She couldn't escape to SVD, since the last time she had seen Doyle, well, they hadn't talked since she kissed him. She debated heading up to the lab, but there was still the potential for awkwardness with Adam.

She certainly couldn't head back down to the pit because Flack probably wasn't taking too kindly to the reaction she had being partnered with his girlfriend, or whatever Angell was.

Gus groaned in frustration, she certainly was burning all her bridges. She shook her head, pressing the button for the roof, thinking she could use some fresh air.

She stared out over the city at dusk, enjoying the hint of spring in the air and the fading light from the sun as the city lights began to twinkle below. She surveyed the city below her, trying to feel a connection with it, trying to figure out if it was where she really belonged; worried she might not belong anywhere really.

Mainly, Gus was trying valiantly to forget this is where Don Flack had first kissed her, the gentlest of New Year's kisses a scant three months after she arrived in the city. The kiss she almost believed she had dreamed. She as also trying to forget every other moment they had shared on the roof and every other kiss they had ever shared anywhere. Though no matter how she tried, she couldn't.

Gus was certain at that moment, that she couldn't hide anywhere, and she certainly couldn't hide from herself.

The thought had just entered her head when she heard, "figured you must be hiding up here."

She jumped at his voice, like he could read her thoughts. "Flack! Sorry, yeah, just needed some, uh, fresh air." Gus turned to look at him, wondering if she looked as sheepish as she felt.

Flack raised his eyebrows at her. "Yeah, well, couldn't find you in the lab, or in Special Vics so I figured..." he trailed off, looking like he was debating adding something. Gus remained silent. "Feel like taking a nice Greek tragedy in the park?" he finally asked.

Gus sighed, "while it is a lovely evening, I feel like I have had enough tragedy in my life, Flack." She gave him an empty smile.

His hollow laugh did little to lift her spirits. "That tragedy have anything to do with either Adam or Doyle, sunshine, because both of them were acting a little spooked when I asked about you."

"You know me, a regular Keres," she gave a half shrug.

"I'm going to pretend like I know what you are talking about and nod and then we are going to head downstairs, because no matter who you are, we still got a body in Central Park we need to get to."

Gus sighed and followed Flack down the elevator.

Chapter 72: Mouthin' Off

"So what's this about a Greek tragedy?" Gus asked as they arrived at the crime scene, ducking under the tape.

"Chelsea University Hellenic Club puts on plays in the park every spring, apparently someone got whacked during the performance," Flack said, walking over to the uniforms.

They were able to decipher that the victim had been killed backstage during the performance and the audience had thought it was all part of the show until one of the actresses stepped in very non-stage blood.

They walked over to the body, where Hawkes was already photographing and collecting evidence.

"This is why I avoid the theater," Flack quipped as they stood over the body.

"Thought that was were you got your best naps," Gus teased.

Hawkes smirked up at them, dropping some trace into a evidence envelope. "You hear about Stella?" he asked, his eyes turning serious.

Gus shot Flack a look wondering if he was keeping something from her. He looked as curious as she did. "What about Stella?" Gus asked.

"Left her badge on Mac's desk, stormed out after they had a showdown."

"Sheldon, you have got to be kidding-" Gus said, cutting off when Flack gestured toward Mac heading their way.

Flack nodded at the other man, his look to Gus warning her to keep her mouth shut.

"No id, but found this in his pocket," Hawkes said, holding a piece of paper up with tweezers. Mac took it, his face turning to stone.

Gus didn't like the flinty look in his eyes. She had been on the receiving end of such a look with some of her less than wise choices growing up, the ones Clair had told him about, at least.

"I can tell you it isn't the victim's address," Mac said, storming off.

"What was that all about?" Flack said, watching him walk away.

Gus shrugged, "don't know, but I got some Gods and Goddesses to go question."

They didn't get anywhere, no one at the scene had any clue who the victim was. Gus did a double take as she realized Mac was talking to Stella, but the man waved her off when she started to approach.

"Apparently all roads lead to Greece not Rome," Gus quipped as she walked up to Flack who wasn't getting more information that she was.

He gave her a smirk. "Nothing more here, other than apparently our vic is George Kolovos. Let's head back to the precinct and see what we can get on him."

Stella wandered into the precinct catching sight of Flack standing over a desk. Gus was on the phone, barely registering Stella until she walked up to Flack and asked where Angell was. Gus inwardly rolled her eyes, continuing with phone conversation, trying to not eavesdrop.

Her heart sank as she saw Flack walk off with Stella, seemingly chatting about Angell. She couldn't ignore the stirring feelings of jealousy at the look of concern on Flack's face. She also couldn't help her own concern when she saw his expression as he strode back to his desk.

"Don, what is it?" she asked him, perching on the edge of his desk and leaning in to keep the looky loos at bay.

Flack looked up at her, his jaw clenched. The use of his given name telling him how worried she was about him. But given the subject matter and the shaky ground they had been on, he wasn't sure how much to reveal.

"It is about the case Jess was working with Stella, wasn't it? Does it have something to do with our Central Park vic, is that why Mac had her out at the scene?" Gus slid off the desk, leaning into him, her eyes full of anxiety.

Flack slowly nodded, "yeah, I think it does. You don't know what she was doing with Stella do you?"

Gus sighed, "no, I really don't. We haven't really been as close as we were before..." she trailed off, leaving off Stella's anger at her for leaving, not to mention her ever increasing friendship with Angell meant something else they couldn't talk about.

Flack cleared his throat, "gotcha. I'm sure it will be fine, Stella has a good head on her shoulders. Usually."

Gus looked at him, not believing him. She gave his shoulder a slight squeeze, trying to ignore what just touching him did to her stomach. "I'm going to head up and see if the lab has anything."

She did a double take as she passed by one of the labs, stopping in her tracks so abruptly that someone ran into her. "Oof," she said, pitching forward and ending up on her hands and knees.

"Crap, Gus, I didn't see you standing there," Adam said, reaching down to pull Gus back to her feet, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just, shocked, what is Lindsay doing her, she gave birth like twelve minutes ago?!"

Adam gave a small laugh. "Yeah, well you know Lindsay. Danny said they could use the cash, so she is here like super part time."

"What about Lucy?"

"She's here too, last I saw she was..." he looked around, "right there with Danny." He pointed over to the fingerprint lab, where baby Lucy was nestled against her father's chest in a sling.

They both watched as Danny started sniffing, his face contouring with disgust realizing it was coming from the creature strapped to his chest. They laughed as he took off toward the bathroom, grabbing the diaper bag on his way. "Ah, the joys of fatherhood," Gus quipped.

"He's not really selling it to me," Adam shot back.

"Me either," Gus volleyed, smirking at him.

His gaze caught hers, he ran a hand through his curls. "Um, Gus, are we cool? You know since the hospital and the other night."

"I think so. I hope so. I love having you as a friend, Adam, and you are going to make some girl very lucky one day. I'm sorry it won't be me."

She looked at him so sincerely, Adam had to agree. "Me too." He started to say something more when Danny passed by them.

"Hey guys, have you seen the lab good luck charm, she got us partial print with a match on the murder weapon."

"Way to go, Lucy," Gus exclaimed, tweaking the baby's chubby cheek, "who is it, let me go get Flack and we will get right out there!"

"Slow down, Broussard, I gotta brief Mac, and..." he trailed off looking at her wistfully.

"What is it Danny?" Gus asked, guessing what was coming.

"Lindsay is still here for another hour and she's in the lab with all the chemicals and I don't want Lucy breathing them in and-"

"Danny, would you like me to watch Lucy while you and Flack go question our suspect even though this is my first active case back after my suspension?"

"Well as long as you are asking," Danny grinned at her, unstrapping the baby.

"At least she's recently had a diaper change," Adam interjected as Gus took the baby.

Despite knowing she was going to hear it from the rest of the guys in the pit, Gus brought Lucy down to her desk, trying to get some work done while she watched the baby.

While she did get her fair share of teasing, most of the men turned into big softies passing Lucy around like a football. Gus barely had gotten her back when Flack came back from questioning Professor Papakota.

He looked at Gus holding the infant, surprised by the look of joy on her face as she held Lucy. "This day just keeps getting weirder," he said coming up looking slightly worn.

"What's up?" Gus asked looking up from Lucy sweet, sleeping face.

"Went to question Professor Plum and found Stella there instead and now they are both in the wind."

"What?" Gus exclaimed, cringing as Lucy stirred and started to cry. "Great, I made the baby cry. Good thing it is time to go back to mommy!" She headed back toward the lab, Flack following after her with the diaper bag as she attempted to quiet Lucy's wails.

Gus handed Lucy off to Lindsay, following after Flack who was about to brief Mac. They both came to a stop at the doorway to Stella's office where Mac was picking up a broken frame off her desk. "Good Lord!" Gus exclaimed.

"Told you this day just keeps getting weirder," Flack said.

Mac looked up, his eyes full of curiosity and sadness. "I need you two to do a full run down on Professor Papakodas."

"On it, Mac," Flack said walking away.

Gus started off as well before Mac called to her. "Gussie, can you start a trace on Stella's financials?" Gus looked at him, taking in his expression, merely nodding before she headed back downstairs.

Hours later in the pit, Gus stretched, frustrated at the lack of information on the Professor or Stella. Flack hung up the phone angrily. "Both in the wind, nothing on the Professor to indicate he has left the country except he took his passport."

Gus was about to suggest they take a dinner break when her computer dinged. "Not both in the wind. Looks like Stella booked an impromptu vacation to Greece, bought a ticket through a travel agent an hour ago. I'll call the agent, you go tell Mac."

Gus wasn't surprised when Mac called her a few minutes later asking her to run by his place to grab his passport. "Let me guess, you heard Greece was nice this time of year?" she said, dropping off his passport and an overnight bag.

Mac raised his eyebrows at his niece. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another. Even if it means chasing after Stella to Greece."

Gus nodded, knowing Mac was feeling torn between loyalty and duty. "Safe travels, Uncle Mac, and keep us looped in." She gave him a brief hug before returning to her waiting paperwork.

Flack was still at his desk, glowering. "You could have gone home, Flack, all of our leads are across the globe. Mac will figure this out as soon as he gets there."

Flack gave a half shrug, "I know, just sucks not being able to do anything on an active case. I reiterate my point on not understanding how you liked cold cases so much."

"Can't explain it, just do. Now how about we grab some food like I was about to suggest hours ago and revisit all this tomorrow. Paperwork isn't going anywhere." She lifted her tote bag onto her shoulder, locking her desk.

Flack looked like he was debating something, but finally nodded, "sure, but you're paying this time."

"Fine," Gus said, shaking her head with a smile.

Gus had just taken a healthy bite of chicken when Flack said, "heard you're excited about your next rotation." She choked, trying to force the chicken down the right pipe as Flack slid water her way. "Geez, I was just trying to make a joke, not kill you, sunshine!"

Gus finally recovered. "Yeah, about that, so maybe I wasn't exactly full of grace. It's not Angell, it's..." she trailed off, taking another long drink of water and wishing they had ordered wine. "This rotation went pretty well."

"You got suspended, Gus!" Flack admonished.

"Not that, you dolt, between you and I, so I was kind of hoping it could stay that way or I could go back to Parker or something, I just know it is going to be awkward between Jess and I."

"I think you need to give both of you more credit than that. You are both great cops, albeit with drastically different styles, but both good at your jobs and, generally, pretty professional."

Gus nodded, wanting to say her fears revolved more around having to hear about his and Jess' sex life or how happy they were or any other constant reminder that she had lost the love of her life because of her own stupidity, but she wasn't sure how to say all that to Flack and not sound like a lovesick puppy.

"So what was with Adam and Doyle acting like caged animals when I asked them where you were?" Flack asked, thinking he was being nice by changing the subject.

Gus almost chocked again, covering herself with forced laughter. "Who knows, Flack, maybe they heard about the Slugger nickname and were scared? Now since you didn't let us order wine, you better plan on us getting dessert." She waved the waiter over, desperate to not go down that road with Flack.