Editor's Note: This incorporates the characters from 'What Could Happen?' & 'Letters'

I Hate It When He's Right
By JoeyPare

LeVon stared at the pool of blood on the cement floor in front of him and watched it as it broke free and began a slow methodical creep toward a crack in the floor. Why the hell had LaFiamma shown up just as he was about to go into the warehouse? Hell, Joe wasn't a cop anymore and hadn't been for a couple of years, and still the man seemed to show up almost like magic when Lundy needed backup and none was available. They had moved into the place side by side, and split apart as always. Someone opened fire almost immediately. And fire pierced his gut as he heard Joe cry out in pain. He opened fire, guns blazing, in the direction of the sound and heard a thud as something fell. Lundy rushed to his ex-partner's side only to see the man on the floor and blood seeping out the back of his head. As he checked Joe, he found the man was wearing a flak vest, but the wound was higher at the base of his neck. The neck wound didn't look bad at first but as the blood began to drain and his old partner went into shock Lundy raced to the Jimmy and radioed for help.

Joe had given up his badge on the twins' two-year-old birthday. It was the joy of that day that LaFiamma decided being a healthy father was more important than being a cop. And he got a job, almost immediately, with a high tech security company. LeVon knew Joe was making good money too, because within a year he bought a house and put up a fight to have his first born, Catherine's son Jason, come live with him for a while. LeVon knew it took the best of the best of Houston's lawyers to fight Catherine on that one. A lot of the Chicago family didn't appreciate Joe taking his own grandfather down even when they found that the man had killed his own son.

LeVon watched the trickle of blood divert itself away from the downhill creep towards the crack and take a sideways path to nowhere. About how my life's been going, Lundy thought. The cowboy jumped as Lieutenant Beaumont touched him lightly on the shoulder and told him Joe was already at the hospital and in surgery. Had he been standing here that long? The blond turned and looked into the concerned face of his former partner and boss. Maybe LaFiamma is right, I should quit this job and get that horse ranch. Hell, I practically live at the LaFiamma's now; we could buy something big enough for us all to live on ... one big happy family. I've never had a happy family, and it has been really neat watching Joe and Julie raise the twins they adopted from Chicago. And now Jason ....

Lundy nodded to Joanne and told her he was coming. He glanced down at the pool of LaFiamma's blood and was astonished to see it splattered in all directions. It was as if some kid had jumped in the middle of it. Maybe it was Joe telling him to get his butt moving. I hate it when that man's right. Probably if he ever dies, he'll still be telling me. At least I'm counting that he will.

Lundy closed his eyes to blot out the anguished look of his ex-partner's painful face as he lay on the warehouse floor bleeding. When he opened them he was standing in a hospital waiting room. How he got there, he had no idea.

He remembered LaFiamma being so excited before they entered the warehouse. Told him he had some great news, and now staring at Julie LaFiamma, LeVon knew what that news was - they were having a baby. Something Julie didn't think would happen and why they adopted the twins. And now, he - damn, he might make this woman a widow.

"Uncle Levon," Jason LaFiamma said quietly trying not to disturb Lundy's thoughts. "Dad's going to be ok. Really, Mom just talked to the doctors. He wants to see you. Come on."

It took a lot of prodding, almost pushing on Jason's part to get me into the recovery room. In my head, I had already buried my partner. And seeing him with IV's and blood bags hanging over him didn't make me feel much better.

They both had the same lop-sided grin and shrug of the shoulders. When Joe and I met Jason at the airport there was instant recognition between father and son. You had to be blind to see that that weren't related. And it hit both Joe and I at that moment why Catherine had named him 'Jason', such an un-Italian name. J - Joseph, A - Anthony, Joseph Anthony's son = Jason.

Now I reached out and took LaFiamma's extended hand and he pulled me to his bedside.

"Right here, in front of witnesses, I want you to say you will give up being a cop," Joey LaFiamma remarked hoarsely. "Julie and Jason have found a really nice horse farm way west of the city. It's got a couple of houses, a barn, a guest house, and lots of room. You ain't leaving this room until you promise me that you will move out there with us. Hell, you're living with us now partner... and you don't have to sell the place you and Caroline bought. You can rent it. Lots of young couples around, so Jason tells me, would love to rent a place like that away from the city lights."

From the grin on Joe's face my mouth must have been hanging open to the floor. "Damn, LaFiamma I hate it when you are right!"

"The problem is," Julie began, "the two of you can't get along without each other. He needs you on his job, and you need him on yours. It'd be much better if you were both at the same place all the time. And this place that we found would make a great bed and breakfast horse ranch too."

"What do you say LeVon? Partners again - outside law enforcement?" Joey rasped, as a nurse came into the room telling them there should only be ONE person at a time not three.

"Between you, Julie and Joanne, I don't see that I have much choice," LeVon replied gruffly ignoring the nurse. Much to his surprise, instead of coming back at him with some wise comeback, LaFiamma retracted his hand.

Quickly Lundy grabbed the hand and locked his fingers around it, "Damn it Joe. I hate it when you're right, I really do. You'er the only partner I want and you didn't have to get yourself shot to make me do it."

"You think I invited this? You know how I hate hospitals!"

"I guess this means you two are back together," Julie LaFiamma remarked quietly.

"Mom, I don't think they have ever been apart," Jason LaFiamma responded, as Joe, LeVon and Julie stared at him in disbelief.

"Hey! Ain't no reason I can't have two Moms," Jason answered with an all knowing LaFiamma shrug. "Figured it was about time anywhere. Kids at school are always asking why I'm calling my mom 'Julie' ...."

"SO - OUT - all of you!" The nurse who had been rebuffed earlier demanded. LeVon skirted out the door then in again, and watched silently as his partner's position in bed was adjusted and checked. The nurse said nothing as she looked at him and left the room.

Unmoving from his stance next to the door, LeVon said, "I figure I'll call Joanne from the hospital and tell her to initiate the letter she has in her desk. I got pissed off at Joe-Bill a couple of months ago and gave her a Letter of Resignation, but she just held it. Figured I'd calm down and be back. Don't see any reason to go back. Haven't really since you left. Hasn't been the same since you left. Whatever you want, partner, I'm in."

"Reckon it will have to be on a first-name basis, huh? If I call you LaFiamma, I'll have Julie, Jason, Jeanne or June answering me. What about the new one that going to be a 'J" too?" Lundy asked giving his head a slight nod to the door.

"Haven't decided. Julie wants Joseph Anthony II, but I'm not keen on that. My dad's middle name was Edward. We're also toying with Julian."

"Julian would be good since incorporates Julie's name. Yeah, I like that. And if it is a girl..."

"It's going to be a boy," Joey cut in wearily, yet feeling stronger since Lundy arrived. "Can't tell you how I know. It's a family thing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's that magic of your first grandmother ... telling you to be somewhere. Just glad she is on our side. What the heck is a bed and breakfast anywhere?" LeVon asked watching the color start to return to Joe's face. Hell he should have resigned long ago; we both would have been in better health. Who am I kidding, we were made to be partners ... predestined ... Oh no; she's talking to me now.

"Ask Julie," LaFiamma muttered closing his eyes he was instantly asleep.

LeVon pushed off the wall, turned and walked out the door into a busy hallway. He saw a pay phone halfway down the hall towards the Waiting Room and headed for that first. His call to Joanne Beaumont was short. Jo had agreed with his decision, saying she would personally walk the papers up to the Chief that afternoon. After hanging up the phone, the blond made a beeline for the Restrooms, and then headed down the hall to find Julie.

As Lundy rounded a corner he stopped short. Talking to Julie was that aggravating woman that he had met at LaFiamma's one afternoon. Too late to turn around as they both saw him and called his name waving him over. He put on his 'howdy do' face and went to greet them.

"Lee-VON, you really don't remember me, do you?" Cassandra Smithers said sweetly, offering Lundy her hand to shake. "Well, don't suppose you should, I'm fifty pounds heavier, my hair is a different color and back when you were the American West Cutting Champion, I never talked at all. You are really to blame LeVon ... I was a wall flower back when you knew me. I didn't talk. I was just there. Then you told me to ... ah, how did you put it? ... 'Get out of your shell and find out who you are!'"

Lundy blinked, "Ca - Candy?" He blurted in disbelief.

She held up her hand as if she was being sworn in, "Yes believe it or not. Except now I go by Cassie. My late husband thought Candy was too childish for a name like Cassandra. And I hated being called Sandra."

"You're married then," LeVon replied, completely missing her reference to 'late' husband.

"I was. He died a couple of years ago. He was a drunk and a bad one. Luckily when he drove his car off the road he didn't take another poor sole with him. What about you and Caroline?"

Cassie watched a cloud cross LeVon's face and she knew instantly she should never have asked. Yet when she heard that Caroline had also turned into an alcoholic and had been killed by a car bomb meant for LeVon, she knew Julie was right. If she played her cards right, she just might win this cowboy's heart. She had had such an infatuation on him when they rode together, and had been crushed when she later found out he was married to his childhood sweetheart.

"Do you still have Fooler?" She asked cautiously.

"Yea," was all LeVon could answer. His mind was racing backwards to the SouthWest Champions they both had been a part of. She had always just been around ready to do anything for anyone. Never talking much but always a smile. Green eyes and a smile that is what he remembered. He remembered too her pleasant nature - and the fact that if he wasn't married, a girl like Candy would interest him. And now years later, here she stood smiling at him.

"Ah, ya, I still have Fooler. Retired her some years back. We still do Reserve Champion demonstrations once in a while, but haven't for a year or so. You, ah ... still have your green eyes and smile."

Gotcha, Cassie thought.

"Listen, you two," Julie said, "why don't you two take Jason back to school. He still has some afternoon classes. Then why don't you drive LeVon out to the farm we're putting a bid on. Take him for a walk around the place; explain to him what a Bed & Breakfast is ...." Julie finished with a chuckle.

LeVon balked at leaving. He didn't want his partner to wake up and him now be here. Finally Jason asserted himself and told Julie he was staying at the hospital. That by the time he got back to school he would only make one class. Someone needed to stay with her, and he would. Then as before, Joseph Anthony's son propelled Lundy along with Cassie toward the elevators.

"Cassie can drive. You don't mind riding in a Jeep do you Levon?" Jason said as they reached the elevators.

"Yer not still drivin' that old speckled blue and white -"

"Afraid so! By now it has a new engine, plus a transmission... but my old 'blue baby' I still have it." They laughed together over some past incident as they entered the elevator car and said good bye to Jason.

As they rode down towards the hospital Lobby, LeVon studied this woman anew. He had not recognized her at all when they met a month or so ago at LaFiamma's. Now that he knew who she was he saw many of the qualities that he knew sneaking out of her and slapping him in the face. Hell, LaFiamma said more an' once that there was a horsewoman out there just waiting for him. You know, I am really getting to hate him being right so much!

THE END ... for now

12/16/2003