A/N: See the intro for the standard stuff. Please R & R.

Meadow: nice to see you're still around. Demolished: Thank you. I'm glad you think they make a good couple. RoadRunner: No need to be jealous. You're still the tops. LittleCorinthian: I hope this works. RS: Laughing is good. A bit of a break form the other. Thank you all.

With a grunt, Tess flung her messenger bag in the corner. She turned and found Bette giving her a dopy grin.

"What?"

Bette nodded her head toward the kitchen table. "Someone got flowers." There was white florist's box sitting there.

"Me?"

"My name isn't on the envelope. Besides Peter doesn't give flowers."

"In four years you haven't gotten him better trained?"

"Not about that." Bette smiled and refused to meet Tess' eyes. "I've worked on other things," she said vaguely.

Tess laughed. "I bet your mother would be proud."

Bette's head snapped up. "You can never tell my mother that. Or my dad. I'd really like to keep Peter in one piece."

"Marry him and then they wouldn't have anything to object to."

"Oh, you've got all the answers today, don't you?" Bette nodded at the box. "I want to see what he sent you. Open the box."

"A little pushy don't you think? I'd like to take my coat off."

"Just don't take all day about it. I know you're running off soon to watch that game. Actually, I'm a little surprised you traipsed all the way up here."

"I didn't want to haul my bag. And Don's picking me up here. He worries about all my traipsing. As if I hadn't been in the city for seven years before I met him." Tess hung her coat in the closet. She walked slowly over to the kitchen table. She snapped the ribbon on the box and took off the lid. She picked up the card lying on the green paper and opened it. "Missed you. Sorry about your team."

"He didn't sign it? No 'Love, Don?'"

Tess shook her head. "I don't think we're at the love part."

"Just the sleeping together part."

"Once, Bette. It was once."

"And you've only seen him once since then."

"Are you going to lecture me or do you want to see the flowers?" Tess flashed her a very annoyed look. "And you're one to talk. Doesn't want to tell her parents how serious she is about 'the actor.'"

"You know that tone of voice is dead on. Which is why I don't talk to my parents about Peter." Bette shook her head back and forth sending her braids swinging. "They have less of a problem with him being white than they do about him being an actor. Anyhow, this isn't about me. This is about you and those flowers. Come on, show them off."

Tess carefully lifted the flowers and the paper out of the box. She set them down and carefully unwrapped them. Bette came over and watched. Both women sighed at the red and white bouquet.

"Carnations, gladioli, mums, tulips and a single red rose. Interesting choices."

Tess held up the bouquet and looked it over. "Very." She smiled. "Really pretty though."

"I'll get a vase." Bette started rummaging under the sink. She held up a pearl colored, cut glass vase. "This one is pretty. How come I've never noticed this before?"

"Because you never pull the cleaning stuff out from under the sink. " Tess looked over and her face fell. "No. Not that one."

Bette frowned and looked the vase over carefully. "Why? It will look gorgeous with the red flowers."

"I don't want to use that vase," Tess insisted. Bette looked over at her friend.

"If you don't like the vase why do you keep it?" Tess sighed heavily and set the flowers down. She went over, took the vase from Bette's hands and buried it in the back of the cupboard again. She dug around and found a clear vase instead. Tess straightened, filled the glass with water and carefully arranged the flowers in it. Bette was still sitting on the floor. "Why do you keep it?"

Tess shrugged. "It's a pretty vase." She kept fiddling with the flowers.

"You got rid of everything else Alex gave you."

Tess looked at the flowers, fingering the red rose. "Yes, I did." She looked over at Bette. "Drop it, would you?" She carefully touched the flowers, smiled and then stepped away. "I have a date to get ready for." She looked over at Bette who was watching her carefully. "Are you going out tonight?"

"Much later. Peter has a show tonight. We'll meet up after."

Tess smiled brightly. "Good. I'd hate to think you were stuck home alone."

"Why? " Bette smiled. "Were you going to ask me to the bar to watch the game? No, thank you."

Tess shrugged. "Suit yourself." Tess glanced at the flowers one more time, smiled wistfully and went to her room.

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A knock sounded on the door. Bette glanced at Tess' closed bedroom door and sighed heavily. She got up and opened the door. Don took a slight step back.

"Hiya, Don."

"Bette." He looked warily down at her.

"I won't bite. At least not right now. And never, unless you give me a reason. Come on in. Tess is taking her sweet time." She followed the detective in. "Tess! You'd better get a move on."

"Okay," came the muffled answer.

Bette shook her head and gave Don an apologetic look. "You want a seat?"

He shook his head. "I'm good." He stood with his arms crossed on his chest.

Bette tried not to laugh. He couldn't look more uncomfortable. "I meant it about not biting." She smiled. "I mean you sent the girl flowers." She waved toward the kitchen. Don frowned. Bette tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "You had to have sent the flowers. She's not going out with anyone else." Both heads swiveled as Tess came out of her room. Tess spotted Don and her eyes lit up. Bette looked back and forth between them. She grabbed her jacket off the back of the couch and her purse from the end table.

"Well, catch ya later." She dashed out the door. Tess stood there shaking her head.

"Way to be subtle, Bette," she said quietly. Tess walked over to Don. She ran her hand up his chest and gave him a light kiss. "Hello."

Don gave her a small hug and looked over her shoulder. "Nice flowers."

Tess turned around and smiled at the flowers. "Aren't they? I missed you too. But the Tigers aren't out of it yet." She turned back around and looked at Don's face. He was trying to give her a blank look. She frowned and shook her head. "You didn't send them?"

He shook his head. "Not me. Didn't whoever sign the card?"

Tess looked back the flowers. "No," she said slowly. Don walked over and picked up the card. He looked at it carefully and turned it over a couple of times.

"Pretty generic. I wouldn't have made the mistake of countin' the Tigers out yet. And I prefer bringin' gifts in person."

"Hmm. Like getting the thank you in person?"

Don smiled a little. "Yeah. Something like that."

Tess glanced at the flowers again. "Well, then I haven't a clue where these came from. Sorry."

"Ya don't have anything to be sorry about." Tess walked over to him, took the card out of his hand and set it back on the counter. She looked carefully into his eyes.

She shook her head. "I don't know who sent them."

"Ya said that already."

"But you don't believe me."

"What? You a mind reader or somethin'?"

Tess crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the floor. "No, it's in your tone of voice."

"There ain't nothin' in my tone of voice."

Tess tilted her head and looked back up at him. She met his eyes again. She looked back at the floor. "Maybe I should just watch the game here tonight. You go ahead and go." She took a step back.

"Tess…"

"I'll see you around, Don."

Don reached out and touched her face. Tess turned her head. Don stepped closer. "Tess, look at me." He tilted her face up. "Look right here." He pointed at his eyes. "You who think ya see everythin' in there. I wasn't calling ya a liar." He sighed at the hurt he still saw in her eyes. He tugged at her, pulling her into his arms.

"I don't just…" She mumbled into the front of his jacket.

"I'd hope not." He chuckled into her hair. Tess got enough leverage to hit him in the chest. "Hey! Don't go beatin' me up. You'll get in trouble for assultin' a police officer."

Tess looked up at him. "No one would believe I'd done it."

Don smiled down at her. "Probably not. I'm not worryin' about those flowers. Don't you. Okay?" Tess nodded. "We good?" Tess nodded again. "Ya ain't gonna break down on me?"

Tess smiled. "No. I'm just a little creeped out."

"All the more reason to get out ta Sullivan's and watch the game." He chucked her under the chin. "Okay?"

"Okay."

"Then get yer coat and let's motor. We run too late and there'll be no end to the grief Messer's gonna give us." Tess flashed a mischievous grin. Don shook his head. "Don't go lookin' at me like that, Tess."

She sighed and shrugged. She fiddled with the front of his jacket. "It's just that if I'm going to be accused of something anyway, I'd rather just do it."

Don closed his eyes, took her wrists in one of his hands and took a step back. "You'll be mad if you miss the game."

Tess rocked her head back and forth. "You're probably right." She shook her hands to free them and went to grab her coat. Don helped her into it.

As he wrapped the coat around her, he leaned in; his lips very close to her ear. "If ya want to base those accusations in some fact later…"

Tess smiled and tilted her head back. "You mean after the game."

"Yes." His breath was warm on her neck. Tess shivered a little

"Well, I suppose we do need to have our priorities in order."

"I'm all for priorities."

Tess straightened up. "Well then, game on."

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finis