Lupo POV

I hadn't been able to get the grin off of my face for three days now.

Since Tuesday when Connie had said yes.

For the first few hours, I kept thinking that she was going to change her mind.

Oh, you asked me to marry you…sorry, but…no.

But she never said that.

In fact, she smiled quite a bit, too.

Even as we went through the IAB inquiry and the DA's investigation.

And while I got checked out by the paramedics and then referred on to the ER.

The smile went away briefly when I told her that I wasn't going to go to the ER, but I managed to coax it back soon enough.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" Mike asked me good-naturedly when I walked into Bobby's apartment.

Or rather, I hobbled into Bobby's apartment.

My knee was still sore, but it was getting better.

I'd never gotten it checked out, but Connie had finally believed me when I told her that it wasn't anything serious.

And maybe it was because when we got home, I'd offered her proof.

I'd picked her up and made love to her against the wall in the hallway of our apartment.

And yeah, it had actually hurt like hell to do that, but only afterwards.

At the time, I hadn't felt a thing.

Later that evening, she'd made me keep ice on it while I kept my foot propped on a pillow. Then she'd held my head in her lap and ran her fingers through my hair as we talked about possible wedding dates.

So no, I wasn't going to complain about the knee injury.

"What?" I asked Mike innocently while my smile got even bigger. "Nothing."

"Yeah," he said disbelievingly. "That's fine. Bernard will tell us."

"No he won't," Bernard said as he came into the house behind me. "Bernard knows when to keep his mouth shut."

"Really?" Ross asked him. "Is that a newly acquired skill? Because I haven't seen any displays of that ability."

"Come on now, Cap. I'm trying to take up for my partner here. I mean, he can keep a secret if he wants to, right?"

And that was Bernard's way of throwing me to the wolves. He'd offered up the confirmation that I had a secret.

Although, he knew that I planned to tell everyone tonight, so I wasn't the least bit upset about it.

"Spill it," Mike said as he handed me a cigar. "Give us a reason to light these babies up."

He almost looked like maybe he knew my secret, too, but that was impossible.

Wasn't it?

"We need a reason?" I asked him as I unwrapped the Cohiba.

"Humor me."

"Okay. How's this? Connie and I are getting married."

So we smoked our first cigars in honor of me and Connie.

And I was amazed by the fact that no one asked me how I'd managed to talk her into it.

I guess I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I wondered idly if that feeling would ever go away.

Would I be fifty and wondering when she was going to wake up and realize that she'd made a mistake?

I wandered into the kitchen to take a break from the boisterousness of the crowd.

"Congratulations," Bobby said as he came into the room behind me. "You still look a little shell-shocked."

"It's a big change," I admitted. I had a feeling that he might understand where I was coming from. "I've been a loner for a long time."

"True," he agreed. "Was it your idea or hers?"

"Mine," I admitted. "And honestly, I'm surprised that she's going along with it."

"You think she's going to change her mind," he stated knowingly. I just shrugged and took another toke on the cigar.

"Take it from the voice of experience," he said. "She's smart, right?"

"Of course."

"And you trust her."

"Absolutely."

"Then trust her to know her own mind."

"That sounds awfully simple," I replied. "Astute, but simple."

"It's not. Believe me. But…"

"You guys ready to get started?" Mike interrupted as he stuck his head in the kitchen.

"Yeah," I said as I gave Bobby a nod. I understood the point that he was trying to make. "Yeah, we're ready. Deal 'em."

Bobby POV

I followed Lupo into the living room where I'd cleared out space for a large table.

Our poker nights were getting so big that maybe we'd have to have the next one at Kevin's firehouse.

I accepted the cards that Sean dealt me, but I was having trouble concentrating because I kept thinking about Ross and his offer.

He wanted us back at MCS.

He was going to be the new Chief of D's.

How much different would things be with a man like him in that office?

Did I even care?

I was so firmly on the fence that it was making my ass hurt.

"Ten or fold, Goren," Kevin said to me.

I hadn't even been watching the betting.

I was lost.

Kevin flashed me a smile and took a sip of his scotch.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Did you lose count?"

"You wish," I retorted. "I'll see your ten and raise you ten more."

Never let it be said that I wasn't a ballsy gambler.

Although I didn't like to think of myself as a gambler at all.

In fact, earlier in the afternoon I'd confided in Alex that I planned to lose tonight.

"Why?" she'd asked me.

"Because I think I've been having too much fun winning."

"Too much fun?"

"I want to make sure that I still have fun even when I lose," I'd explained.

And she understood that.

"Okay," she'd agreed. "But if my dad reverts to his old ways…if he acts like an ass…"

"Oh yeah. Then I'll win," I'd said with a grin.

But so far, Johnny had just been one of the group.

There'd been good-natured ribbing by everyone to everyone, but that was to be expected.

So far, he hadn't crossed the line.

"Bobby's feeling it tonight," Bernard remarked as he added a twenty to the pot in the middle of the table. "I think I need to find some new friends to play poker with. I'm still reeling from the last game."

"Well, it's not like you have a woman to spend your money on," Lupo joked.

"Oh, ouch!" Mike said. "Low blow from the newly shackled man."

"Shackled?" Kevin said. "Does Carolyn know that's how you refer to marriage?"

"I'm betting not, or else he'd be sporting a black eye right about now," Sean added.

"At the very least," Mike agreed. "And if marriage is like shackles, then throw away the key. I'm a happy man."

"As long as it's not the key to the handcuffs, right Mike?" Bernard teased.

"Exactly," Mike replied with a grin.

"So, where's Lewis tonight?" Sean asked me.

"He had a date," I told him.

"He blew off poker night for a date?" Johnny questioned. "Who is this woman?"

"The same one," Mike said with a knowing nod. "It's only a matter of time before he joins the shackled ranks. He's meeting her parents tonight."

"Now see that right there is why I plan to stay single," Bernard remarked. "I do not want to have to deal with in-laws. My own parents are bad enough."

"Oh, I don't know. In-laws aren't so bad, are they Bobby?" Johnny asked me.

But he was smiling when he said it and he gave me a look, raising his glass to me.

I returned the motion and gave him a nod.

"In-laws are the absolute worst," I joked, catching him off guard. There was a moment of hesitation from everyone else until Johnny started laughing and then they all joined in.

Above the noise, I managed to hear a loud knock on the door, so I got up to see who was there while Sean started telling war stories about his in-laws.

I opened the door to John Strathmore.

"I came to crash your game," he said as he shook my hand.

"I didn't know you were in town. I figured you'd be somewhere in New Mexico," I remarked as I gestured him inside. "That seems to be your state of choice these days."

"I brought New Mexico to me this time," he replied.

"Mary's in New York?" I asked in surprise. She hadn't been here yet since her work kept her on a short leash. But at his answering nod, I added, "God help us all."

"Exactly. She went down to get drunk with the ladies."

"Maybe we need to crash their party," I suggested.

"I thought about that. I figured at the very least, it would be cheaper," he replied. We stepped into the living room and he was greeted enthusiastically. Within seconds, he had a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other. "But I'm betting they're not smoking cigars over there."

"Hey, who knows what they do?" Mike said as he gave John firm hug. "Good to see you. When did you get back?"

"Just a couple of hours ago. Thanks for the heads-up on the game."

"So, Strathmore," Sean said as he shuffled the cards for the next hand.

I didn't even know who'd won the last hand. I really needed to start paying better attention.

Or maybe I didn't.

Because I was having fun, and that was the point, right?

"How's Mary?"

"She's good."

"Is she now?" Kevin joked. "Because we figure that surely by now you've got some…more explicit details for us."

"Don't you have your own sex life? Or did your wife cut you off?"

"So that means no, huh? You still haven't gotten any? I thought you were supposed to be some kind of playboy or something," Sean said. "I was going to live vicariously through you."

"I guess you're going to have to use Bernard now," Lupo said. "He's the last free man standing."

"And I plan to stay that way for a long time," Bernard commented as he picked up his cards. Then he shook his head and added, "I mean really…who wants to have sex with same woman every damn night?"

"Night…morning…afternoon," Mike said with a grin. "Any time works for me."

"Me, too," I agreed before I considered my present company.

My comment was met with a bevy of protests from the Eames men, which caused everyone else to start laughing.

"Goren, how many times do we have to tell you?" Sean moaned good-naturedly. "You are absolutely not allowed to talk about your sex life."

"Sorry," I said with a wave of my hand as I fought off my own embarrassment. "Momentary lapse. It won't happen again."

"Yeah, it'd better not," Kevin kidded.

"Oh, hey," I said, suddenly reminded of something I'd wanted to ask Sean. "How'd it go with Ted?"

He broke into a wide grin and said, "He's going down. We found thirteen stolen cars on his lot. And we managed to catch two of the crews that were doing the lifting."

"Yeah, I heard about that," Ross spoke up. "I also heard that there might be a promotion in the works."

"You're going to get your shield?" Johnny asked quickly.

"I don't know yet," Sean replied. "I haven't heard anything official, but I know my name's in the running for a spot at the 2-7 in Homicide."

"Our old stomping grounds," Bernard remarked. "Very nice."

"Is that what you want?" Ross asked Sean.

"It would be a great boost," Sean said with a nod. "I mean, obviously eventually I'd like to get into Major Case, but Homicide…not a lot of guys manage to get that as their first assignment."

The conversation continued, with Lupo and Bernard telling Sean about how great Van Buren was to work for, but I noticed the look on Ross' face.

Sean would get that spot. And he'd earned it, so it wasn't like he'd be bumping someone else to get Sean the job.

It was more like making sure that the right man wasn't overlooked for political reasons.

And the idea that Ross was committed to doing the right thing got me thinking about that job offer again.

Because I'd loved being a Major Case detective.

I'd gotten sour on it at the end due to circumstances, but those circumstances had changed.

Everything had changed.

It was definitely something that me and Alex would have to talk about. With Mike and Carolyn, too, because whatever choice was made would obviously effect the business.

"It's on you, Bobby," Mike said, reminding me that we were actually playing a game of poker. I looked down at the cash next to me and the pile was astoundingly small.

"Um…I fold."

"You didn't even look at your cards," Bernard commented.

"He doesn't have to look," Lupo teased. "It's a Zen thing."

"That's right. He cleaned up last time by betting on a hand he hadn't looked at, didn't he Dad?" Sean added.

I glanced over at Johnny, but he was still maintaining a friendly countenance, even after being reminded of how I'd taken his last dollar.

"Yes he did. And if he folds, then he can't win, so I'm in," he said, tossing a ten onto the pile.

"Your mind's not on the game tonight," Ross remarked with a knowing grin.

"No, it's not," I admitted.

"I hear that," Mike said as he gave me a look.

So he was considering it, too.

"Why, what's going on?" Lupo asked.

Mike and Ross both looked at me, but I just shrugged. I wasn't going to walk on eggshells around Johnny. He was either serious in his assertion that he wanted us to get along or he wasn't.

And I may as well find out sooner rather than later.

So really, it was a matter of whether Ross wanted to share the news about his offer.

"It's on you, Captain," I said.

"Spill it, Cap," Bernard said encouragingly.

So Ross told everyone the news about his offer.

"So now I've got to call you Chief?" Bernard asked. "That just doesn't have the same ring to it."

"Well, you could always call him C-Dog," Mike joked.

"Or not," Ross said firmly. "Besides, I'm not sure if I'm going to take it. I'll let the commissioner know on Monday."

"So why does his news have you and Logan distracted?" Johnny asked curiously.

"Because Ross offered for all of us to come back to Major Case," I said.

I waited anxiously for his response, and I was annoyed with myself for caring so much about what he thought and yet at the same time I was hopeful.

It would be so nice to have him be supportive of our decisions rather than judgmental.

It would almost be like having a father.

"Well, why the hell would you want to do that?" he asked after a moment. "Right now, you're your own boss. And besides, you'd get split up."

"No," Ross answered. "They could still be partners. And they'd work for me. MCS is going to fall directly under the purview of the chief."

"Yeah, he made a sweet offer," Mike added.

"Sounds like you and Alex have some thinking to do then, don't you?" Johnny remarked. Then he got up from the table and picked up the bottle of scotch. "Okay, who needs a refill?"

I watched him for a minute, in silent shock over his nonchalance about the job offer.

Two weeks ago he would've told me that I was an idiot for not having jumped at the chance. Hell, two days ago even.

But now, it seemed as though he was okay with whichever choice we made.

I mean, I'd hoped that it could be like this, but I hadn't really expected it.

"So, Lupo," Bernard began, his voice cutting through my trance and bringing my attention back to the table. "Did you and Connie pick a date yet for your funeral?"

"No, but keep that up and I can tell you when yours is gonna be," Lupo replied.

"No date?" Sean asked. "Jeez, with Alicia, I swear she had the date and the place picked out before I even finished asking the question."

"Well, I think I caught her by surprise," Lupo admitted. "We were sort of at a crime scene."

"A crime scene?" Mike asked incredulously. "Wow, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet, don't you?"

"If she said yes at a crime scene, then you never have to worry about her certainty on the matter," I told him, hoping to help his flailing self-confidence. "It's not like she got caught up in the moment."

The conversation continued, but my mind started wandering again.

He'd asked her at a crime scene. He had to mean at Steve's house this past Tuesday.

Well, at least someone would have a good memory to take from that day.

I knew that Steve and Cathy were working hard to mend their relationship, but it was going to take time.

And actually, I was glad to see that they were letting it take time rather than trying to rush back into things and then pretend like nothing had ever been wrong.

With the way they were going about it, I had a strong belief that they would succeed.

And then I'd have to get Steve to one of these poker games, too.

The topic bounced around from Lupo's engagement to speculation on why John had still not sealed the deal with Mary and then to Ross' complimentary recount of Logan's interrogation of Harker.

We played hand after hand as the tales got taller and the bullshit got deeper, but I had a lot of fun.

It was nearly three in the morning by the time everyone had left and I'd walked the ten blocks to meet Alex.

On the way home, she entertained me with a slightly-slurred retelling of the highlights of her evening. She wasn't quite as intoxicated as she'd been on the last poker night, but I did keep my arm around her to keep her from wandering near the street.

"So you had a good time, too?" she asked me when we climbed into the bed. She'd been talking nearly non-stop since I'd met up with her, which was another sure sign as to her level of inebriation.

"Yes, I did," I told her as I pulled her up against me.

We each let out a sigh of relaxation now that we were finally settled in the bed.

It had been a hell of a week.

"And my dad…was he okay? Or did he have a relapse and act like an ass?"

"He was okay," I answered. "Better than okay, actually."

"So you're broke," she replied knowingly.

"I am flat broke," I agreed with a grin. I tightened my grip on her and then ran my hand over her hair. "And I've never been happier."

The End