Everything on this page is fiction. Any resemblance or reference to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Fandom: Houston Knights
Series: Other Authors
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Joe/Levon
Archive: Starwinder's
Title: The Houston Hooker
Author: Glo
e-mail: Goglow@mailcity.com

Standard Disclaimer: Houston Knights belongs to Jay Bernstein and Michael Butler and Columbia Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fan fiction, written out of love for the shows. I am making no money off this. I have no money so please don't sue me. Any original characters that may appear in these stories are the property of the author.

NB: The Houston Hooker is a story from the "Rawlings Street district" alternate universe, where Joe and Levon are settled lovers, still police detectives in the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) of the Houston Police Department. This story takes place approximately one year after Buttons and Bows.

The Houston Hooker

Joe LaFiamma paced outside in the hallway, shooting impatient glares at the closed bedroom door. Cory had insisted that Joe remain outside while 'she' did Levon. Said it would make Lundy too self-conscious if he was in there, watching.

He looked down at his watch, for the seventh or eighth time. Close to an hour now. Geeesh. He stopped in front of the door, rolled back his shoulders in his heavy wool tweed jacket and tapped politely with his knuckles.

"Go away." That was Cory. She didn't sound very charitable.

"It's been an hour." The tension in LaFiamma's voice was palpable.

"Joe, jest hold yore horses. Ah'm nearly ready." Lundy's voice reassured the ex-Chicago cop. Just hearing his partner could do that for him. Of course, SEEing him would be much better.

"Okay, okay, but make it fast. I'm gettin' tired of waiting out here." Joey leaned against the door. "And, lonely." His lips broke into a wicked smile, one cheek creasing deeply. He looked up from under half lowered lids and leaned his forehead against the wood. "Levon?"

"Yeah... umph." Levon ended with a grunt. "Listen, Joey, jest set down and wait, won't be much longer." The harried tone chastised the dark Italian who waited outside the door for his blonde cowboy partner.

Joe paced back down the hall and dropped sullenly into one of the deep boxy armchairs in the front room. He steepled his hands in front of his face and closed his eyes. Think about their case, not about what was happening down the hall. Think about the dead hookers, both sexes, think about how cross-dressers were being targeted.

***************

"Lieutenant, why us?"

"Joe, you and Lundy are the only ones that have a chance at this one and you know it. You are friends with half the people down there already, and you know the owner of the Double M. He said he'd let you two in undercover, but no one else."

"Gonna hafta have a word with him, later," muttered Levon Lundy.

"Yes, well, you do that, Levon. Meanwhile, the two of you go meet a man. He's at 311 Norton Street, just off of Rawlings. Name is Cory. No last name. Owner said Cory could look you two over and help you set up for the stakeout."

"You mean dress up in drag, Lieutenant, whyn't ya just say it." HPD Detective Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma was not a happy man.

****************

Joe opened his eyes and stared at the colorful abstract art on the wall in front of him. He took a deep breath, remembering the scene earlier today when they'd arrived here at Cory's.

"Come in, sweeties! Lundy and LaFiamma? Yes! Luscious, simply luscious!" Cory was a thin, colored man, in loose pajama style trousers and a sloshy net-knit sweater. His mannerisms and posture screamed female.

The two cops had edged in the door, looking uncomfortable, Lundy holding his Stetson in his hands, rolling the brim self-consciously. "Ma'am, ah, Cory." He nodded. Joe followed him in, his Chicago strut more pronounced than ever.

Cory looked them up and down easily. "I was told what was needed, told either one of you would do the drag scene."

"Yeah." Joey looked through his thick dark lashes at the thin man, "whatever."

"Well, children, let me go change, I'll only be a minute, then we'll chat. You two sit right down here." She/he patted the small loveseat and swung out of the room, leaving the detectives blinking.

When she returned, ten minutes later, Cory was definitely a 'she.' In a simple dress and heels, she looked like a college girl, young and preppy. Nothing too overt, too flashy. The waiting men stared at her in amazement. Joe spoke. "Cory?" he grinned, shaking his head at her. "You look terrific!"

She grinned back at him, a happy young woman. "I thought it would be better, for both of you, if you saw the transition first. Thought you might trust me more."

Lundy sat forward, nodding. "So, now what?"

"Stand up, both of you." They stood, looking remarkably bashful.

She circled them, studying them critically before coming to stand in front of them again. "Which of you is which?"

Joe's deep voice answered, "I'm Joe LaFiamma, this is my partner, Levon Lundy."

"Well, La-vawn, it will have to be you."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Somehow both had figured it would be Joey. "Why?" LaFiamma asked in surprise.

"Well, height - you're taller, men don't usually date ladies who're taller, then your voice - it's too deep and, yes, I know it can be altered but the less we do the better. Then there's build, La-vawn is slender, you are bulgy," she paused.

"Bulgy!" Joe looked outraged.

"You know, all muscles - lovely ones, I'm sure, but they won't do for a lady!" Cory turned to look at Joe again. "You DO have a beautiful face - it would make up to a stunning woman but the rest of you would really make it unconvincing, without a LOT of work."

She turned to Lundy was sitting there with his mouth open, eyes wide, hat protectively over his lap. "You, on the other hand, La-vawn, have a figure to die for! Rail thin, shoulders not too wide, NATURAL blonde hair, and, top that with you're shorter and a tenor, and voila'! Levon becomes 'La-vawn'!"

"But ma face? Ma broken nose?"

"Sweetie, you are looking at the mistress of the cosmetic counter! Honey chile, a tiny bit of putty at the break and your nose will be Grecian straight. As for the rest, you have lovely high cheek bones and gorgeous brown eyes. All the right basic material, love. You are going to be a knock out and your beau here will love it! He'll be asking for seconds."

Joey blushed and shook his head, hiding a grin. Levon was bright red by now, and his brows were meeting in an angry scowl. "LaFiamma, iffn you ever..."

"Don't worry Lundy, I won't break your 'cover.'" Joey laughed lightly, well relieved to find himself reprieved from what he had assumed was a foregone conclusion, that he'd leave here in drag. Then he walked over to his partner, ignoring the curious Cory, and pulled Lundy into his arms. "Levon, you are beautiful. I'm glad to see someone else recognizes that. She'll just have to keep her hands off my property though because you belong to me, cowboy." The serious, loving tone bucked up the blonde who looked up and locked gazes with his Italian friend.

"That's better." Joey kissed the thin lips, then licked them lightly, hands resting easily, comfortably on the blonde's shoulders. He turned to look at Cory, one arm still keeping Lundy close beside him. "Okay, Cory, he's all yours. Now what?"

*****************

That had been over an hour ago now. Damn. Joe fumed.

******************

Levon Lundy was embarrassed and scared. He couldn't ever remember feeling like this. Cory had had him strip down to the buff, take a shower, and shave where he'd never shaved before. She'd volunteered to do it fur him, but he refused. Shave his own damn legs, underarms.

Cory did insist on doing his beard, making sure it was close enough to be raw. Then she'd smoothed in cold cream and told him to start dressing. He decided his flush was gonna be permanent. He could feel the heat of it all over his body as he stared at the outfit that Cory had laid out on the bed fur him. "What about shoes? Ah wear a..."

"Not to worry, sweetie, I called your landlord, he checked and is bringing over some heels. Now start with the undies, hon."

Under the watchful eye of his tutor, Levon pulled up the tiniest of g-strings, gathering himself in to the tiny net. Leastways it weren't excitin' him none, he'd done shrunk as small as he'd ever seen himself. Then the panty girdle. Like wrestlin' with a steer, gittin' that up and on. Then Cory had reached inside and shoved his privates around and down, snugged in almost hurtin' tight between his legs. It left the front and crotch smooth and close. He fingered himself in amazement.

"Now the boobies, sweetie." Cory held out two small shapes which he took hesitantly. She giggled as he held them tentatively in his long fingers. "Here, honey, I'll show you."

She took one, it was a foam rubber cup, about a size a/b from what he could tell, and sprayed it lightly with something, then patted dry his chest and carefully placed it against the left side, over his real tit. She smoothed it down all the way around the edges, then did the same with the other. She laughed as he looked down at himself in shock. Two perfect, small breasts perked out of his chest. Somehow he'd thought it would be socks in a bra. He looked up, ready to ask, when Cory put her finger to his lips. "Nnn, nnnn. I'm not done yet. You have to be a theater major to know about some of this stuff," she grinned at him. "The adhesive is theater stuff, usually for sticking on beards and mustaches."

Now she came at him with a huge hypodermic needle. Eyes wide in fear, he began to back peddle. "Relax, La-vawn, this is just gel, I put it in once the cups are set, so it fits to you more naturally, makes them boobies sag and hang all natural too, like real ones. After this, honey, you won't ever want to go back. Your beau is gonna love this!" As she talked, she fed tannish fluid into the cups through the huge hollow needle. Levon could feel coolness and weight on his chest, tugging him imperceptibly forward. He automatically leaned back to correct his balance.

"Yes, sugar! Just like that!" Then Cory was back again, with a spray can and spray painting him with body paint, blending with a dermatologist's brush. Levon stared down. They looked so real it was downright scary. By god. He had breasts.

Cory was tinting the tips now, and dusting them lightly. "They come erect like this, better to always be at attention, than not get there when you should."

She glanced up at his drying hair now. "Good, looks ready for poofing, maybe a bit of frost." She ran fingers through the curls. "Natural curls, too, honeypot you were *made* for lovin'!"

******************

Damn! Almost two hours now. Joey was ready to strangle cute little Cory. Levon, she better have treated you right, or I'll...

*****************

Cory stood back and studied the effect. She had added some padding, subtle but needed to his slim hips, his butt didn't need any, it was tight, round, and sassy. The panty girdle only helped the padding stay in place and his privates out of sight, out of mind. Tough on a girl, but what could you do?

Levon was more relaxed by now. He'd seen himself in the mirrors all during the transformation, nothing after the girdle and pasties, as he thought of them, surprised him as much. Cory'd had him put on pantyhose. Another wrestlin' match, but he wuz beginning to get the hang of it. Saw how the sheen, on his newly shaved and creamed legs, showed them off. The full length mirrors showed a thin, elegant blonde, with long, long legs that just didn't stop, her hair a cloud of soft curls, dancing above her shoulders, dropping in soft side-swiped bangs on her forehead.

The skirt was silky, but hung soft too, in swirls down her thighs, ending just at the knee. Hiding and revealing by turn. It was slit on both sides, showing the long legs nearly to her crotch. The blouse was a real treasure. Very demure in the front, with a full choke collar that concealed his Adam's apple and neck tendons. The front billowed loosely, once more both revealing and concealing her pert breasts, the excited tits punctuating the tips. Her arms were covered down to the wrists in the sheer, clingy fabric, ending in gathered folds, to show off the long, thin fingers, each with a pearly pink polished nail glued on the end. The back of the blouse, though, was gone. Not there, just flesh. His exposed back, down to the waist, was creamed and powdered lightly, to show off the blonde's freckles in a casually natural triumph. And, incidentally, show that no bra was involved in this miracle. Back on front, the choke collar pulled together the front which had a peek-a-boo opening that plunged down between two gently rounded mounds that just showed swelling cleavage. My god, I got cleavage.

Cory admired her handiwork. It had taken a bit, but La-vawn was a lovely lady now, soft and enchanting, nothing blatant, like those dumb street cops that tried to pass as hookers downtown to nab some poor john. No, this was a lady. "Honey, you are just perfect! Let me go check and see if Mitch left the shoes in the kitchen like I told him to. Stay here, I'll be right back. Don't want your beau to see an incomplete you the first time."

**************

Joe sat up alertly as Cory slipped out into the hallway. She turned to look at him briefly, "Only another minute, man, then your sweet honey is gonna be ready to come on out. You just wait right there."

Returning quickly from the kitchen with a pair of shoes in her hand, Cory paused to look sternly at LaFiamma. "Now, she's lovely, she is. I know and she knows it. You will too when you see her, but ladies like to be told. So, Joe, you treat her right and you make sure you tell her how good she looks!"

LaFiamma didn't know whether to laugh or scream, so he nodded dumbly, almost holding his breath as Cory disappeared again behind the bedroom door.

****************

Cory stood in front of Levon now, hands on her hips, studying him intently. Finally she nodded and broke into a conspiratorial smile, "La-Vawn, you are a charming, lovely lady! Now that you've looked yourself over, it's almost time for your Joe to see you." She smiled at the pink blush that elicited. Lundy stood warily atop the narrow heels of his new shoes, no higher, really, than his boots, but without the platform fur balance.

"Before you go out there, sweetie, I want you to see what I'll dress you in for tonight's work." Levon blinked in surprise.

"But, I thought this..." He held his arms wide, indicating his outfit, in confusion.

"Honey, you and your sweetie both gotta be comfortable with you as a woman or you'll never do it right in public. No way that would happen if the first thing he sees you in is too outrageous." Cory turned back to her closet and pulled out something lipstick red. Shaking it loose, she displayed a tiny, red leather two piece outfit. A micro-mini skirt, and a very skimpy leather halter. A long red silk scarf, an exact match for the leather dangled from her hand. "I'm gonna have to get shoes for this, but black patent leather will match the belt." She gestured to the thin strip of black running through loops at the top of the skirt. Tossing the outfit onto the bed, she smiled at him. "Once your Joe has squired you about town a bit, you two have some dinner in some posh place, then you come back to Cory and I'll dress you in that for your late night activities. I guarantee you, LaVawn, in that outfit, you are gonna stop traffic."

Lundy stared as if hypnotized at the bits of red leather. He could visualize a girl in it, but him?

Cory came to him now and linked her fingers through his, "Alright, LaVawn, show time." She looked up into his deep brown eyes and added, "And don't worry, I used waterproof mascara." With a grin, she pulled him to the door.

*************

Hearing the door open again, Joe shot to his feet and turned to face the hall. Cory stepped out again, but this time she wasn't alone. She was holding hands with a tall, willowy blonde. Levon? Joseph Anthony LaFiamma froze. He couldn't even get his mouth to work. Levon?

The two women were now both in the hall and coming his way, Cory in the lead. Joe had eyes only for the blonde behind her. It *was* Levon and it... wasn't. She was lovely, in a totally feminine way. His cowboy was a cowgirl. A stunner. A knockout. Of all the things Joe expected to think or feel, the very last one was what he did feel. Jealousy, big, green and mean. Anyone so much as touch her and they die! was all he could think. He wanted to protect her, love her, hold her. Levon. Oh, my. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my fucking goodness.

"Joe?" Levon's soft tenor sounded nervous. S/he stood there in front of him now, worrying at her hands, twisting them. Stuck one foot out forward, the hip swung to follow and Joe was HARD.

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Joe coughed and covered his mouth. Eyes wide as saucers, he stood unmoving, silent.

Cory had had enough. She knew better than most that Joe was simply surprised, but she also knew that Levon was too uncertain to take this silent treatment the right way. Time to put her oar in. "Okay, Joe, what do you think of your princess? Speak to us."

LaFiamma took a deep breath and walked up to Lundy, ignoring Cory's comments. When he stood against Levon, he stared deeply into the brown eyes that held his soul. Yes, that *was* Levon in there.

"Joey?"

LaFiamma carefully raised his hands and delicately touched the rounded shoulders, let the fingers run down the slender arms and capture the long, sweet fingers of his lover. Twining his own with Levon's, Joe stepped back one pace and spread his arms, pulling Levon's wide as well.

"Levon, you look incredible." Joe shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to lose the dip in your nose, you know how much I love that." He let his eyes travel slowly up then back down the trembling body. "Levon, sweetheart, love, you look beautiful, you make a truly beautiful woman."

Lundy closed his eyes in relief. Okay. Joe approved. He'd gotten so caught up in the change that it was hard to distance himself from himself, see his new persona neutrally. But his Joey did and it was gonna be okay. He dropped his head as the tremors eased, his nerves stopped flashing on him.

LaFiamma pulled his lover close, guiding those wonderful arms around his waist, then leaving them there so he could go exploring. He started with the dear face, putting a knuckle under that pointed chin and lifting. So sweet. The makeup was good, not overdone. Cory had worked her magic. The eyes were almost hypnotic in their intensity. He'd never considered how rich and reddish brown they were, like jewels. The eyeliner enlarged them subtly, the moss green shadow enhanced the color. The light rouge left Levon's freckles peeking through, the natural girl. Joe smiled and studied the lips. Levon's lips were not thick but the highlighter had created an illusion of full lips. Cautiously, delicately, he leaned in and touched them with his own. Just touched, a whisper of sensation. Levon's tongue peeked out to meet him, he opened his own lips to let his lover in. A swift, light dance of tongues in Joey's mouth, and then Levon moved back and waited.

Joe tipped his head to examine the hair. It was all real, all Levon's curly blonde locks. Shiny, clean, and brushed out. Cory had teased the hair lightly, evidently used a discreet amount of spray to set up the curls in a high bounce all around the head like a blonde halo. One of Joey's hands came up to touch, palm open, against the soft cloud of golden hair. It sprung back at his touch gloriously.

Joe looked down now and his eyes widened impossibly, white showing nearly all the way around the blue as he took in the sight of cleavage. Levon, watching his lover's face closely, began to giggle helplessly, which jiggled his twin mounds very realistically.

"My god, Levon, what did she do to you!" Joe sounded panicked. His hands left hair and shoulder, hovered over the raised breasts.

Levon's grin threatened to split his face as he reached up and caught Joe's hands and guided them down onto the projections. "It's okay, Joe, they ain't real, but they's the next best thing."

Joey squeezed gently on the breasts. Felt the hard nubbins of tit beneath his palms. His whole face seemed to crunch up and he began to shake, "No! Levon, this ain't you!"

With a scared look at Cory who was looking equally concerned, Levon grabbed Joe and pulled him into a bear hug. Held tight and talked slow, quiet nonsense into Joe's ear, until he began to settle down. Levon had imagined many things in his few fearful moments before coming out here to show himself, transformed, to Joey. What he didn't expect was for Joe to go into a tail spin, into complete denial. Levon began to stroke LaFiamma's back. Gradually the shaking stopped and the breathing evened back out.

"Okay? Joey? You okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Levon. It was just... I don't know, I love YOU, Levon, and suddenly, you weren't you anymore. You were someone else." Joey had his eyes firmly shut. He had surprised himself with his reaction. He'd figured he'd be joking, teasing, may be even admiring, but the torrent of jealousy followed by the panicky denial was totally unexpected. But this was still Levon in his arms, so may be it was alright after all.

Cory looked on doubtfully. She'd never anticipated that reaction from Joe LaFiamma. Maybe she should have let him watch the transformation after all.

"Levon. I'm okay now, really. Let me go." Joe pulled free and stood back, hands slipping into his pockets. "You could pass. Seriously." Joe started to walk in a circle around Levon. Lundy remained still, letting his partner feel his way. "Yeah, if I didn't know, I wouldn't, if you know what I mean." Joe admired the rear view, the graceful stance, the curves. He came back around to the front. "Wicked. Lady, you are wicked." Joe reached out one hand and captured Levon's, brought it to his lips. "My Lady, my Lundy." Whatever way you are, Levon, you're mine. Somehow Joe knew Levon heard the unspoken words.

"Yours, Joey, yours." Levon breathed out in a whisper. "Whatever way you want me."

Joe kicked a smile up, tossing his head back. "Yeah? Well, this is very nice. I'm partial to the original, but this makes a very, VERY nice optional package."

He yanked on the hand and pulled Levon into his arms, bent over the back of one, almost in a dancer's dip. He leaned down over 'her' and kissed deeply this time, letting one hand spear through the thick blonde hair, the other caress and support the slightly fuller hips and smoothly rounded thighs. Coming up for air, he smiled wolfishly at his new 'lady' and said, "Lady, I think I love you."

"I know I love you, pardner," his lady responded breathlessly, her own hands roaming freely over her man.

Cory cleared her throat. "Gentlemen? Time out, guys!" When the two men stood back up and turned to look at her, both looking a bit abashed, she grinned at them. "Looks like a success. Now, Joe, let me explain to you what you and La-Vawn are gonna do to get ready for tonight..."

****************

Before Cory could continue, Joey's wandering hand had reached the front of Levon's hip area. In an intimate and relaxed move, like following an old path, Joe's hand moved over the groin, reaching for Levon's member. Which - was - not - there. Time stopped. Joe groped. Nothing. Horrified, LaFiamma stood bolt upright. "Levon!"

Cory choked on laughter, doubling over and turning away to eat her amusement as silently as she could. Levon stared down at Joe's hand and swallowed a laugh as well. Then looked up at the absolute horror on Joey's face. *That* wuz enough to kill the laughter. "Joey, it's okay. I'm still whole - jest got'em tucked back tight between mah legs, in a g-string and girdle."

Joe's eyes flashed and his hand was poking back between Levon's legs inquisitively until he located the extra lump there. "That's gotta hurt, Levon." Both sympathy and relief echoed in his voice.

Levon grimaced. "Yeah, a bit. But, Ah'm gettin' used to it."

"G-String? Girdle?" Joey shook his head and stole another kiss. "Don't know if I could have done it, if it was me."

Levon grinned and threw a hip against Joe. "Sugar, you never know *what* you kin do 'til you try."

"Girls! Girls!" Cory interrupted now. "Time to send you two out into the world for a while, practice getting used to each other like this, practice acting natural together in public. Come back tonight, about ten. We'll dress La-Vawn for her evening at the Double-M. In red leather, Joey, just for you." She grinned.

"I ain't going nowhere unarmed." Levon was firm.

Joe rested his arm lightly across Levon's shoulders. "You can't wear your harness and you don't have no where to put that Colt, but I got my hideaway with me."

Cory spoke up. "I'll give you an evening bag, La-Vawn, you can put what you want in that."

She left the room, returned with small beaded bag with a gold chain shoulder strap. "Here's your badge, too," she added as she handed it to him. She gave the Colt to Joe. "You better take this, I don't like to have guns in the house."

Joe tucked the gun in his waistband for the moment, then crouched down to remove his hideaway from his ankle holster. He stood and handed it to Levon who had put his badge and money clip in the small bag. The tiny gun filled up the rest of the space in the bag that Levon suspended from his shoulder, turning to look for Joe's approval silently. Joe nodded and smiled and swept an arm up around behind Levon and caught the blonde to him, swung her half off her feet, grinning fiercely. "And now, you heard the woman, LaVawn, let's go out and see the sights, Lady."

"Joe, put me down!" Levon staggered slightly, accepting his balancing hand, when released. He straightened up, brushing out the dress. "Okay, I'm ready as I'll ever be, let's go." He tucked an arm through Joe's and waited for his 'escort' to start them out the door.

Cory waved them out, and watched as they went down the sidewalk to the waiting Jimmy. She shook her head in admiration, Levon had coped well with the transformation and was really getting into the part, walking like a lady. His friend Joe had been a surprise, a pleasant one. They made a nice couple, Cory thought, as she went back inside, closing the door.

****************

"Levon, I better drive." Joe guided his companion to the passenger door and waited to see if the blonde would need any help getting in. It was a bit different now with that get up on. Lundy hopped up, though, looking fiercely independent, so Joe just smiled, shrugged and closed the door.

Climbing in behind the wheel, Joe turned to look at Levon, taking in the long, shapely legs, shimmering out and down to elegantly crossed ankles. Levon's shoulders were up, though, a sure sign of tension. "Levon? Where shall we go? Rawlings Street? One of the cafes there?"

Levon leaned back, settling his shoulders against the seat and consciously relaxing. He wuz still tingling with excitement and wonder over this whole thing. He wuz a real lady jest now, not some two-bit transvestite, he was a class act thanks to Cory. He tried to think like a woman, but hadn't a clue how to do that so he let his head roll over to look at Joe. Joey was waiting patiently, eyeing Levon's legs with bemusement.

Lundy smiled and suddenly knew exactly what he, no SHE, wanted to do. That is, if Joe would cooperate. "Joe? We can pass as a straight couple right now."

Joe refocused on Levon's face and slowly nodded. "Yeah. We can."

"I want a taste o' that, Joe. What it'd be like to be a couple that no one questions, no one looks twice at. Ah don't want to go to Rawlings' - we kin do that when Ah'm in my regular clothes." Blushing lightly, Levon looked down at his folded hands, resting in his lap. A frisson of electricity went through him as he realized that for the first time in his life, he didn't feel his dick and balls down there. Surreptitiously, he let his middle finger stroke the Venus mound, smooth and shallow as any woman's. Oh, gawd, Ah'm gettin' off on mahself! Levon said carefully, "Joe, let's go somewhere's a man'n woman would go."

Joe reached over and captured the folded hands with his right one, covering them gently. Levon looked up into wonderfully midnight blue eyes. "Levon, I love you so much. You just remember that. And, yeah, we can go anywhere we damn well please, my Lady. Tell you what, let me surprise you, I still know a few spots from back when I was waiting for you to notice me." He grinned and released Levon's hands to gun the motor and move the truck out into traffic.

*****************

They started the afternoon with a stroll through several art galleries. Levon was very cautious at first, but gradually became more confident on his heels. He consciously tried to think and act like a woman and Joe's whispered encouragements kept him from overdoing. He let his hips sway a tad, not overdone. When they would stop to admire a particular painting, he'd thrust out a hip or push his pelvis forward, with one hand resting on a hip, elbow bent and out to show off his profile.

Joe had early on begun putting one open hand flat on the small of Levon's back, to guide him and balance him... and, Levon decided privately, to lay his claim on him. Not that Lundy minded, it was nice, especially when Joey began to let his fingers play up and down Levon's exposed spine, causing goosebumps and a definite increase in body temperature. There wuz some discomfort from his confined and abnormally compressed genitals, but he was so thrilled by the charade, that he suppressed that sexual tension as best he could. Tomorrow they could fuck like a couple of heat-crazed rabbits, but fur now, they'd have some secret fun.

After three galleries, Joe took them into a chic coffee bar, where he seated Levon and then went to order coffees. Levon crossed his legs with great precision, letting the silky skirt ride up on his thighs, smiling brilliantly at Joe when the dark Italian looked back over his shoulder at Levon and rolled those blue eyes, with a smile quirking his lips.

They were having fun with this. Levon felt a momentary twinge of melancholy. This is what it could be like fur any other couple, all'a time. He and Joe had to be so secret most of the time, could only let down their guard, show their affection fur each other, in private or among close friends, and, some places in the Rawlings Street district. They'd never have *this*. He sighed. Well, he had Joe. That wuz pretty damn good, more'n enough to keep him happy fur life. Still, it wuz too bad they'd never git to behave this way agin... less'n he dressed up like this agin. Hmm. Well, jest have to wait and see how all this went down tonight.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" The voice was familiar. God damn it, it wuz Shelly, a cowgirl he'd known from his rodeo circuit days.

Levon shook his head politely, going pale. With a slight breathiness to blur the sound of his voice, he answered, "Sorry, I don't think so." Oh, god.

"You jest look so familiar, I..."

"Hey, hon, you met someone you know here?" Joe's bass slid in from the side as he lowered two cappuccinos to the table top in front of Levon.

"Well, I'm not sure." Levon wasn't certain what to say. He was saved by Shelly.

"I'm sorry, but your..." she hesitated, glancing down and seeing the twin rings on ring fingers, continued, "your wife looks so familiar to me. In fact," she said, turning to look at Levon again, "You look like a guy I used to know, a cowboy on the circuit, Levon Lundy."

Levon froze. Shit. Joey, though, simply smiled and placed his left hand on Levon's bare back, warming him and stroking him minutely. "I can see why. Levon is my partner. I'm Joe LaFiamma, I work with him for HPD. This," Joe smiled down at Levon warmly, reassuringly, "this is his cousin, Vonnie."

"Cousin? I didn't know he had one. But I can see the family resemblance! Well, you tell your cousin Levon that Shelly Perkins said hi."

Levon nodded dumbly and Joe answered, "I'll see that Levon hears all about it. Nice meeting you." He had a wonderfully urbane way of making that comment a dismissal which the girl, Shelly, acknowledged with an embarrassed smile as she returned to her own table of friends.

Joe leaned close to 'Vonnie's' ear. "You okay? Want to leave?"

Levon let himself lean back against Joe and took a deep breath, then smiled tremulously and shook his head. "No, iffn I kin pass muster with her, I want to stay here with you, Joe."

Joe nodded seriously. "Vonnie," he had evidently decided to use the name now, "just say the word and we do it, this is your evening, love." With that, Joe placed a very public, very sexy kiss on the back of Levon's exposed shoulder.

***************

Early dinner at the Club Caribe was a success. The maitre d' flirted shamelessly with 'Vonnie' who was coy and stayed close to her 'beau.' The supper club had dancing and Joe insisted that they take a turn on the floor for one of the slow ones. Levon, immersed in his role - and his love, melted up against Joe, dropping his head on to the tall man's shoulder, savoring the feel of those strong arms wrapped around him as they swayed to the semi-tropical beat of the slow dance. Joe let his hands drop down to cup and knead Levon's small, tight buttocks, half lifting him off the floor at one point. He ground his hard member against Lundy's groin, obviously aroused by the hollow where normally he'd be finding Lundy's own equally hard shaft. Joe slid a hand between them at one point, letting his fingers play delicately over the surface of Levon's crotch, dip down and push the thin cloth back so the finger stroked against the tightly bound genitals between Levon's legs. Lundy had nearly screamed at that, managing to emit only a gasp. He'd poked his pointed, artificial nails into Joe's waist and hissed in the Italian's ear, "Damn it, I'll rip off'n mah clothes and take you right here, you keep that up!"

Joe pulled his hand back to safer places and kissed an apology on trembling lips. Joey was finding himself full of wicked fantasies with his Levon as the star. He wanted it all now - his cowboy AND his cowgirl. Both were incredibly beautiful, sexually exciting, and both were his Levon. He wanted to play with this luscious toy and had already decided that after this case was over, he'd buy Levon a whole new outfit or two, if Cory didn't want to let Levon keep this one. Oh, yes, I'm gettin' into this now, big time. My lovely, wicked lady Vonnie. This won't be the last time I see you. Joey had a sudden image of their friends Conway and Miss Babs. He'd always wondered about them. Now he felt as if he was closer to understanding them.

When the dance finished, they started back for their seats. Unfortunately, their path crossed that of another patron who'd had a few too many drinks.

"Pretty lady! Dance with me now?" The man was big and clumsy and put his hands on Levon, pawing at his front. Lundy looked disgusted and ready to do something that would not be a good idea just now. He never had a chance to do more than step back a pace.

Joe shoved an arm in front of his Vonnie and slid into place in front of 'her', facing the confused drunk. "Take off. The lady is with me." There was a grinding rage in the tone that warned Levon that Joey was about to go ballistic. He didn't have time to stop him, it was all happening too fast.

"Yeah?" The drunk belligerently shoved at LaFiamma's chest. In that moment, Joey lost it. Fucker thinks he can mess with my woman? Too angry to even realize what he was thinking, Joe brought up his hands, and did something very rapid and very controlled and very vicious, and the man simply collapsed on the floor, out cold. Even Lundy, who was directly behind them and looking, wasn't sure what Joe had done. But Joe was turning and moving them over and away from the man. Others were exclaiming and gathering around the unconscious man, but none had seen what happened and from the calls Levon heard, it was clear that they thought he had collapsed on his own. Joe was white and grim, walking them stiffly back to their table, pausing only long enough to pick up the bill and lead them toward the exit. At the desk, Joe paid without comment. Levon couldn't remember the last time he'd seen hiz pardner pay a bill without even looking at it. Then Lundy was being firmly escorted out into the night by the silent, raging LaFiamma.

Lundy waited until they were seated back in the Jimmy. "Joey?"

LaFiamma knew it was not Levon's fault, but the sexual tension of the day, the role-playing, the whole thing, was suddenly too much. And they still had the undercover stakeout to do tonight, with Levon dressed up even more provocatively. Oh, Jesus, I don't know if I can handle this.

"Joey?"

LaFiamma looked over at the blonde. She was gorgeous. HE was gorgeous. Joey was confused. He sighed. "Sorry, Levon. Vonnie. Whatever." He turned the key and steered the Jimmy into traffic. After a few minutes of silence, he stole a glance over at his companion. She was sitting back calmly, staring out the front window. The profile was so unreal. The nose missing its dip, the chest with small, pert points. Those long, glamorous legs. That gloriously tousled head of blonde curls. That killer smile, those drowning eyes. He sighed and pulled out of traffic, coming to a stop at the curb, only two blocks from where they'd started. Gripped the steering wheel tightly. "I nearly killed that jerk."

"Ah know."

"This is tougher than I thought it would be."

"Mebbe we shouldn't?"

"Levon... Vonnie..."

"Joe, it's okay. Yore jest confused is all."

"Damn it, you are absolutely beautiful. You're a fucking knockout. I can't even begin to imagine what you'll look like tonight. Levon, I'm going crazy here." Joe suddenly jumped out of the truck, and was around and tugging open the passenger door, dragging Levon out. Lundy staggered to his feet on the sidewalk, bracing himself against Joe and waited.

Joe stared Lundy in the face for several seconds, then groaned and yanked the lithe body against his own, kissing 'her' bruisingly hard. Lundy let this go on for a moment, then fought back with his male strength, pushing Joe back away and holding him at arms' length. "Okay, Joe, now calm down."

"Levon, it's just too real. I can't deal with this." Joe's shoulders had slumped, he dragged a hand across his eyes.

Levon paused, maybe that was the problem. "Joey, Ah think this is mah fault. I wanted to try 'passing' fur a bit, didn't think on what it'd do to you. Ah'm sorry. It'll be alright, you'll see. We jest gotta get back into it as a play-actin' exercise, stop seeing it as... as life as it mighta been." He'd started out puzzling through Joey's reactions to this day, and now was realizing himself just what it had all meant - to both of them. He continued quietly, "Joe, iffn I wuz really, truly Vonnie, then we'd ha'been an old married couple by now, probably with a couple o'kids." He got a small grin from LaFiamma at that. Lundy nodded, as much to himself as to hiz pardner, continued, "Ah wanted a taste o'forbidden fruit, Joey. I didn't think. Forgive me?"

Joe LaFiamma had listened carefully to Levon. It hit him that his partner was on the mark, had read the situation, and read him. Right, as always. Living a dream, that's what they'd spent the day doing. Time to wake up. Levon was incredibly attractive as a woman, but Joey loved him as a man. If it had been straight (he laughed at himself at that word) undercover work, it would have been okay, but living a dream - a socially acceptable couple, in love, in public - that was what was driving Joey bananas. Levon was right.

He put his hands up on the slender arms braced against him. "Nothin' to forgive. Let's go back to Cory now. It's nearly time for the stakeout any way."

Lundy nodded. Together, they went back to the Jimmy and climbed in.

*****************

"92-14, come in, 92-14"

Levon looked over at Joe, who was negotiating a difficult intersection at that moment. He picked up the mike and answered, "92-14 here."

"92-14, report to Reisner immediately, see Beaumont in MCU, repeat, immediately."

Levon held the mike out in front of him and looked at it, stunned. Joe reached over and took the mike out of his hand. "92-14, that's a roger, out."

Joe hooked the mike back into their radio unit. "Levon? Shall I drop you off at the apartment?"

Lundy sat up straighter and put a hand up to bounce up his hair a bit, then swiveled around to face Joe and smiled slowly. "Nope. Ah think Joanne *deserves* this, after all she ordered it."

Joe grinned and shook his head, hunching over the wheel. "You know she won't be the only one around? It's late, but they got some hot cases going just now, I expect we'll see most of the crew still there."

Levon lowered his chin, thinking. "Well, iffn I kin fool'm, even fur a minute, it's a good sign."

Joe chuckled and shook his head again. "Levon, you are a piece o'work, you know that?"

Lundy's smile widened into a man-eating grin that he flashed on his lover, "Yeah. I been told."

*******************

Parking the Jimmy down in the police garage, LaFiamma got out and went around to help Lundy down from the passenger side. It was already an automatic gesture, both in the giving and the receiving. Levon's high heels and slippery skirt were not well suited to trucks.

Joe considered this as he took the small waist in his big hands and easily hoisted Levon down onto the pavement. "My Cobra's still here, maybe we should use that for the rest of the night?"

Levon turned to look at the sleek, dark vehicle, a real predator among sports cars. It would be a better match for their cover AND easier to git in and out of. "Think yore right. Let's use it."

They turned together, Joe casually slipping his arm around Levon's waist as they walked toward the elevators. A patrol car swung in and parked two slots down from them. Malloy and Hunnicutt emerged, looking tired. End of shift.

"Hey, LaFiamma! That's a pretty lady you got there. Where's your partner?" Malloy's call was done with a smiling tease.

Joe looked down at Levon beside him, then back over at the patrol cops. "Home."
By now the two patrol cops had reached them, all headed for the elevator.

Hunnicutt ran an eye over the slender, silent blonde on the detective's arm. "Nice decoration, LaFiamma. Civilian?"

Both he and Malloy were obviously puzzled. Lundy wasn't dressed like a streetwalker, but ordinarily, they were the only flashy women seen in a police station. This one *could* be a high priced hooker, or just Joe LaFiamma's date, slumming. LaFiamma was a real ladies man and a northerner to boot, still dressin' in them strange, modish clothes o' his.

Joe smiled at the curious, tired policemen. "This is a friend of mine, Vonnie. She's strictly a visitor, boys, not a perp. Vonnie, these two tired but valiant men are Patrolmen Malloy and Hunnicutt."

Levon nodded politely, "Hi, boys." He let his voice drift softly upscale, careful of his diction and leaving a bit of breathiness in it.

Joe nodded in approval, stroking Levon's spine lightly. The two cops now sharing the elevator with them both touched their foreheads politely. "Ma'am," said Hunnicutt, "hope you know we wuz only funning with Detective LaFiamma."

Levon allowed a small smile. "Oh, yes. I understand." He decided not to risk himself to too much conversation and left it at that.

All four men breathed a sigh of relief, when the patrolmen got off on their floor first. Levon leaned back against Joe's chest. "Whew, I am impressed with Cory!"

Joe put his lips to Levon's nearest ear, "I am impressed with you." Then he nuzzled Levon's cloth-covered neck, and up behind one ear which he was licking lightly as the doors to the elevator opened again, this time on the MCU floor.

Standing there, facing the doors, was Dale.

"Dang it, LaFiamma, cain't you keep your wimmen to yoreself?" his face was a picture of disgust.

Joe straightened but kept his hands resting on Levon's shoulders. "Hey, Dale, you know me, all work and no play, makes Joe a dull boy." He grinned and gave Levon a little push.

Lundy stared straight at Dale and walked out, let his hips swing just a touch, keeping one hand on his purse, the other reaching back to hook onto Joe's sports jacket. He raised his head slightly, and, nose in the air, made to walk past the older detective.

Joe was having none of that. He allowed Levon to get out but hauled him to a stop just past the doors of the elevator. "Dale, this nice lady is a good friend of mine. Vonnie, meet Dale, one of my co-workers."

The older detective was taken aback, embarrassed. He tipped his Stetson to the lady, "Ma'am," and huffed past into the elevator, clearly upset by Joe's casual confrontation.

Levon was stiff now with tension and could feel Joe's silent laughter through their bodies, pressed close together again by Joe's grab, stopping Levon's forward progress.

"Come on!" Lundy broke free and walked in to the bullpen, Joe trailing behind, still grinning.

It was mostly deserted. Night shift was out on the streets, a skeleton crew manned phones downstairs. But, Joe-Bill and Esteban were huddled over Carol "Legs" O'Brien's shoulders, all three peering at a computer screen, across the room.

None of them noticed the entrance of Lundy and LaFiamma at first. Then Joe-Bill straightened to stretch his back muscles and caught sight of them, walking toward Beaumont's office, where the Lieutenant was on the phone, her back to the room.

"Hey, LaFiamma! Where's Lundy?"

Joe smirked, reaching out to put a hand on Levon's shoulder, to stop him yet again. Lundy flicked a look of fear back at Joe. No, please, Joe, don't tell'em. All his thoughts of fun and games deserted him at that moment and he felt faint.

The amusement in LaFiamma's eyes vanished, replaced by concern. He moved up to Levon and encircled his lover's waist securely, then turned to look at Joe-Bill McCandless. "Lundy's on stakeout tonight. I was out with this pretty lady when I got a call that the Lieutenant wanted to see me."

"Decided to show yore lady friend around, huh?" Joe-Bill nodded now at Lundy, "Pleasure, ma'am, Joe-Bill McCandless. If yore friend there ever treats you wrong, let us know." Joe-Bill grinned. "I know of a couple of good cops who'd be happy to take his place."

Esteban and Legs had paused in their work to take in the by-play, Legs looking Levon up and down with surprise. I thought Joey and Levon...? She worried, if Levon finds out about this...

Esteban smiled slowly at the sexy lady with LaFiamma. Very pretty. Tall, slim, American-style beauty. He shook his head. He knew that Joe and Levon were a couple, so this was probably not what it seemed. He trusted his friends, they wouldn't hurt each other, he knew it. She must be important for a case, or maybe was an old friend, even a relative.

At that moment, the computer blipped and three sets of eyes rotated back to the screen and intense concentration.

Levon relaxed and looked gratefully at LaFiamma. Joe smiled knowingly and rubbed Levon's shoulders gently with his large hands, then pushed the blonde forward again, toward their Lieutenant's office.

*************

Joanne Beaumont dropped the phone back down and frowned. A knock at the door to her "fishbowl" as she called her glassed-in office brought her around to face the entry. Joe LaFiamma stood just inside with a woman. There was no sign of Lundy anywhere. What was this?

"Joe? Where's Lundy?"

Levon was beginning to realize that the whole world expected to see him whenever they saw LaFiamma. It was rather reassuring to know that Joe was so identifiably his shadow. He felt another gentle nudge and so he carefully walked further into the office, wuz guided down to sit in one of Joanne's guest chairs, Joe attentively making certain he wuz comfortable before answering Beaumont.

"He's here." Joe put a hand firmly down on Levon's shoulder as the cowboy started to jump up again.

Joanne Beaumont looked at LaFiamma, clearly baffled. "Where? And, who's this?"

LaFiamma smiled, turned and shut the door to the office, then swung around in time to push Levon's shoulders down again, keeping him trapped in the chair. Lundy was ready to run and Joe was having no part of that. It's show time, buddy.

"This, Lieutenant, is Vonnie. She's my date tonight for the stakeout."

Beaumont turned to look at the woman seated in front of her desk. Joe certainly had good taste, this blonde was elegantly attractive in an understated kind of way. Nervous too, crossing her legs and drumming her long nails on the arms of the chair. Blushing. That's sweet, but this was police work, what was Joe thinking of? Bringing some civilian in off the street was *not* a good idea. And where was Levon? Joe hadn't answered her and she was tired, didn't have time for games.

"Joe. You are NOT taking a civilian in to a stakeout. Now, *where* is Lundy?"

Joe didn't answer. Instead, he went down into an gymnast's squat beside the blonde, covering one nervously tapping hand with one of his own. He ignored Beaumont and tipped his head to the side, catching eye contact with his lady friend. She shook her head minutely. He stared at her and then nodded slightly, squeezing the captured hand gently.

The woman sighed and raised beautiful brown eyes to Beaumont who had been observing this interplay with impatience. Joanne caught her breath, the woman was lovely... and vaguely familiar...

"Joanne, ah'm right here." Levon Lundy's voice.

Beaumont leaped to her feet, spinning wildly, looking for Lundy. She ended up facing Joe and the woman again. "Levon?" she said cautiously, leaning forward and staring wide-eyed at the seated blonde. At a small nod from the woman, Beaumont collapsed back into her seat, disbelief writ large on her face. In a very small voice, Joanne said, "Levon, is that really you?"

It was Joe who answered this time, still squatting next to the blonde, he turned toward Beaumont and raised the hand he had captured to his lips and kissed it, then said, "Vonnie is Levon when she isn't in 'costume.'" He knew better than to say 'drag.'

Beaumont came around the desk now and sat on the front edge, eyes glued to Levon's face. "Yes, yes, now I see. You did something to your nose, though, that threw me off." She shook her head in amazement. "Levon, I almost don't believe it."

"Believe it, Lieutenant. And we're going in tonight, to the Double M, to try and catch the killer, just like you ordered." LaFiamma's voice was rough, Beaumont could tell he did not approve of the assignment, still.

She looked over at Joe who had risen to his feet now, keeping one hand on Levon's closest shoulder. He looked positively possessive. She knew about their relationship, nearly a year old now. Hard to believe it sometimes, but not now - now Joe was broadcasting 'don't touch' loud and clear. If she'd had any doubts about who the 'woman' in that chair was, LaFiamma's behavior was enough to convince her. "Okay, well, in this disguise, you two shouldn't have any trouble," then as if she couldn't help herself, she added, "Levon, you are absolutely beautiful."

"Vonnie." Joe corrected, rather arrogantly. Or, maybe, protectively, Joanne corrected herself, smiling internally.

"Vonnie." Beaumont agreed, nodding. Then she shifted to look over their shoulders at the outer room. "Did the others...?"

"No one saw Levon, they all saw Vonnie," Joe said quickly.

"Okay. Levon? Are you going to be alright with this?"

Lundy nodded slowly. "Ah already am, Jo' - been gettin' used to it all afternoon."

"Oh? So that's why I couldn't get a hold of you two?" She leaned back on her desk. "Which brings me to the reason I had you report in. There's been another murder, this one is a couple of days old, but the body was just discovered this afternoon."

"What do we know?" Levon leaned forward, all business.

"Same M.O., the victim was a male, dressed in female clothing," she stopped and looked at Levon again, as if still trying to absorb what she was seeing, "strangled." She reached back on to her desk and brought forward a file folder. "This is everything we have so far." She offered it to them both. Joe took it and held it down so he and Lundy could both look at it together.

Beaumont watched the two heads bent over the folder. One blonde, one brunette. Two halves of a whole, she thought wistfully, thinking of the uneven road that she and her husband, Brad, continued to ride down. I almost wish I could make this change permanent, for both their sakes. They make a striking couple. She negated the notion almost immediately, both men were true males, regardless of what she saw just now, and their relationship was still a mystery to her. She knew but didn't understand. Thanks to conversations with Joe, and later with Levon, she accepted it as inevitable and permanent, and that was all she needed to know. She shrugged mentally and waited for them to finish going over the file. Her best team, they were the best she'd ever seen. Both excellent detectives, intelligent and resourceful, together their separate styles complemented one another to an unexpected degree. That's why they are so successful, she mused, they each bring something to the mix, and then honor what the other contributes. A far cry from how it all began for them.

Joe stood, closing the folder and handing it to Beaumont. "Okay, Lieutenant, we got what we need, at least for tonight. Can we go now?"

"Yes. And boys, be careful."

Both nodded seriously, then Joe was assisting 'Vonnie' as she rose from her seat. The perfect gentleman. They turned and Joe held the door for his partner.

Beaumont remained standing by her desk, watching in admiration as Levon walked with feminine grace back toward the exit to the bullpen. He and Joe were turned slightly toward each other, obviously talking about the file they'd just read. Neither saw Joe-Bill and Esteban rise up just then and step out into the aisle, away from Carol's computer station, heading back toward Beaumont's office.

The collision was inevitable. Levon, on the narrow heels, reeled back, caught by Joe. Both Esteban and Joe-Bill looked apologetic. Joanne knew the exact moment that they recognized Levon. Both faces, clear even from that distance, went blank and then shocked. Two sets of eyes opened saucer-wide. Two sets of jaws dropped, literally open all the way to the back teeth.

Levon flushed, a becoming pink, all over. Joe stood stalwartly behind his lover, realizing that the close encounter was TOO close, that the other detectives had suddenly recognized Lundy. Levon saw it too. Pulling himself erect, shoulders back, he tossed his head easily and smiled without showing any teeth, just a wide curve of his dusky pink lips.

In his normal tenor, Lundy said, "Beg yore pardon, boys," and started walking, knowing that Joe would cover his back. Joe almost lurched with a gulp of laughter at the sight of Joe-Bill's and Esteban's faces, catching himself with difficulty. He wiggled his eyebrows at their speechless co-workers and reached out a hand to cup Levon's beautiful ass. 'She' reached back and swatted the hand away, with a stern, "Behave, Joe!" and then they were heading out the door and into the conveniently open doors of the elevator beyond.

Turning in unison to face the door, they could see that both Joe-Bill and Esteban had pivoted on their heels and were goggling at them, mouths still hanging open in total shock. Just as the elevator doors began to close, Carol "Legs" O'Brien's face popped into view from the side. She'd evidently seen the whole thing because she was bent double with laughter and waved to Levon and LaFiamma in sheer good-natured humor, blowing them a kiss. Then the doors closed and Levon let himself sag back into Joe's arms.

"Kiss me!" He demanded fiercely.

Joe was happy to comply and that was what Kelp saw as she and Officer Denigan waited at the garage level for the elevator and the doors opened. Neither LaFiamma nor his lady friend said a word, but both were laughing silently when they walked past the other two cops and over to LaFiamma's sports car. Then the elevator doors closed the garage from the sight of Kelp and Denigan who both sighed in envy.

******************

Joe held open the door of the Cobra for Levon who was hesitating at the car. He usually just hitched a leg over the closed door of the convertible and dropped down into the seat, but dressed as he wuz, this wasn't an option. Smiling gratefully at hiz pardner, Levon eased down into the seat, swinging his long nylon-covered legs in to the cock pit. Joe blinked at the flash of long legs, still struck by the incredible appearance of his lover garbed as a woman.

Leaning over, Joe casually fastened the seatbelt over Levon's lap, taking a moment to place a warm kiss on the waiting mouth. The fingers of his left hand trailed across the nape of Levon's neck, he felt Levon's shiver through the fingertips. Then he stood back, a small smile still on his face, closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. In moments, they were rolling out of the police garage.

It had gone remarkably well at Reisner, all things considered. Lundy's appearance had been a success, fooling everyone long enough for them both to feel that they had a chance to pull off this undercover assignment down in the Rawlings Street district.

Levon leaned back and let the wind play with his loose, bouffant-ed hair. Normally contained by a Stetson, the blonde curling strands rippled in the air current flooding over the windscreen. He closed his eyes and smiled briefly, remembering again the looks on Guiterrez' and McCandless' faces.

Joe LaFiamma worried over the upcoming stakeout as he drove. He'd already closed the events at the station from his mind, filed them for later review. He still wasn't all that certain how he was going to handle having his lover and partner dressed in a provocative outfit, as a female, and then paraded around a cross-dresser hang-out where a killer had been selecting choice pieces and strangling them with impunity. Joe knew that Levon believed that the Italian was alright now with all this, Joe wasn't so sure.

*************

The trip back to Cory's was short and both men looked apprehensively at the door as they started up the walk from the Cobra. Now it really was show time.

Cory opened wide the front door as they reached the sill. "Welcome back!" She beamed at them. "How did it go, babies? Knocked'em out, I bet!" She was already walking them back into her living room, talking over her shoulder.

Levon and Joe exchanged looks of amusement. Joe sank down in one of the big, boxy armchairs, saying, "Cory, you did a great job. Levon passed everywhere we went."

"You were right, too, it gave us time to git used to all this." Levon shrugged his shoulders, indicating his outfit, as he dropped his evening bag into Joe's lap. LaFiamma caught the bag, heavy with badge and hideaway gun, and set it on the table in front of him.

"Don't get too comfortable, Joseph!" Cory had a wicked gleam in her eye. "Mitch, your landlord, brought over your evening wear and best boots. You need to spiff up too!"

LaFiamma's surprise was clear on his face. "I could have done that at our place," he started to say.

"No, no! From what I was told, secrecy is a must. You don't want to take La-Vawn over there looking all feminine. So Mitch brought your clothes here. You can change in the guest room, it's right down the hall from my room, where La-Vawn and I will be working."

Joe stood and touched Levon on the arm. "Right. Then, I guess I better go get dressed." Lundy smiled up at him, putting fingers over his hand and pressing lightly.

Cory, arms crossed, stood watching from the archway to the hall. She spoke to Levon, "Okay, ducky, now it's time for you to turn into a swan. Come on back." She looked over at Joe. "Ah, and Joe, sweetie? After you change, can you wait out here again? It would be easier on La-Vawn..."

Joe nodded. "Yeah, I'll wait." He shot a look at his partner as he began to walk away. "Levon, take your time - do it right. We can't afford any mistakes out there tonight."

Lundy nodded slowly, walking toward Cory, but eyes locked with LaFiamma. "Yore so right. Don't worry, Joe, Cory'n me'll do it up royal, won't we, ma'am?" He swung his eyes over to the waiting young 'woman.'

Cory flashed them both a bright smile. "Royal it is! Now, come'on back, Princess La-Vawn."

*****************

"First thing is to strip down, sugar. You may want to use the bathroom, too, while you're 'free.'"

Levon felt himself color up and ignored that. "Good idea. Damn hard to pee when I gotta get out of that girdle." He dropped the offending garment onto the bed and went into the bathroom.

Coming out in a short time, Levon discovered that Cory had been busy. The simple two piece dress he'd been wearing was gone, replaced by the two red leather bits he'd been shown earlier in the afternoon. He eyed them warily. Ain't too shore about all thet.

Cory saw his expression and smiled indulgently. She could see that he'd put himself back into the small g-string. "Now, honey, for tonight, no girdle."

Levon was startled. "No girdle? Then how do I...?" He gestured down at his genitals in confusion.

"Mmm, well, there's a trick. Tonight will be a bit more painful, sweetie, but all in the name of love, ah, law, I guess." Cory held up a roll of wide white adhesive tape, the type used for holding bandages in place. "You're lucky, we used to use duct tape! But this is made to go on skin and be removed without any real damage afterwards. You'll do just fine."

Levon stared at the roll of tape. Oh, my gawd. Iffn Joey sees this... Levon closed his eyes and tried to keep his wits about him. It wasn't easy, sheer panic flowed. He opened his eyes again and found Cory standing directly in front of him with sympathetic eyes. "I know, La-Vawn, it's kinda scary, the first time. But you're doing so fine." She tapped his shoulder in a kindly fashion. "Just sit back down on the bed."

Lundy sunk on to the mattress and waited. Cory was hovering over him. "Now lie back down and spread your legs," she instructed.

He did as he was told, feeling his skin begin to crawl in anticipation. Gentle, small fingers were there, at his crotch, pushing firmly on his netted genitals, pressing them down and back between his legs again. It didn't hurt as much this time, they'd become used to the stretched position during the course of the day. Now, though, she wuz pushin' them down tighter and back further. Painfully so. He grunted and flexed his knees.

"Easy, La-Vawn. Put your hand down here and hold yourself in position while I cut off some of the tape." Lundy could hear the sound of tape being pulled from the roll. His long fingers did as instructed while he cringed mentally.

Cory stepped closer and Levon felt her gently push his fingers aside. Then another firm tug, straining his privates, compressing them severely. The pain shot through him, leaving him feeling weak and shivery. She pushed his legs open wider and then was pressing the cold tape down, over him and against him. When she stood away again, it took him a moment to realize that neither he nor she was holding him anymore. Experimentally, he closed his legs a bit, then opened them wide again. No restriction of movement, no catching of skin.

He rolled up to a sitting position and bent over, trying to look down. All he could see was curling hair and snug skin, tight and smooth - a Venus mound minus slit or dick, androgynous. He took a deep breath and put his hand down there, to finger the area out of sight. She'd stuck that tape down so tight that it was a smooth surface below, too. All the way back to his anus which was still open. He looked up at her, bewildered.

Cory smiled encouragingly. "You'll be fine, sugar, a might uncomfortable, but us girls have been doing that for a long time - when the clothing, or lack of same, calls for it - and none the worse for wear! Tonight's outfit just has no place for a girdle - and we want to show off your sweet little waist, honeypot."

Levon stood up and wandered over to the full length mirror and stared at himself. Nude. The breasts that Cory had affixed to his chest earlier in the day stood out with just a slight, very realistic sag of weight to them, nipples rosy and taut. His groin was a triangle of soft curling golden brown hair. He looked like a slim, athletic blonde woman, unclothed. It made him fidget and he turned away to look over at Cory who was waiting with an understanding look on her face. He sighed. "Okay, now what?"

Cory's face broke into a happy smile, "Good for you, sweetie! Okay, now, hip-hugger panty hose," she handed him the nylons. "They're silk-sheen and sheer. We'll need to wash your face and give you another close shave before we do night make up..."

*************

Joe walked into Cory's guest bedroom and discovered his tux laid out on the bed, the complete outfit, with a pale blue shirt and matching silk tie to wear with it. On the floor were the dress boots that Levon had given him for his last birthday. He frowned. He'd have preferred a pair of his slip-ons, those boots shot him up another 2 inches or so in height, made him feel like he was towering over Levon. Well, maybe that was the idea here, he decided, as he started to get dressed.

*************

Levon let Cory fasten the halter behind his back as he settled his 'breasts' into the two small triangles of red leather, so fine and smooth that you almost thought it was satin. He snugged the gathering band beneath his projections and smooth against his rib cage. Let his fingers travel down his exposed skin to his belly button, then on down to the hip-hugging belted top of the micro-mini skirt of matching red leather. It dropped from his hips to upper thighs, barely covering his 'modesty.' No hip padding tonight, but Cory had assured him that the style made his hips 'look' more pronounced, more feminine. The pantyhose was tinted so that his crotch, should anyone see it - entirely possible in this getup, he decided grimly, would look tannish, the white of the tape disguised.

Cory had oo-ed and ah-ed over his soft, fuzzy blonde midriff skin, saying there was no reason for shaving or cosmetics, he'd look mighty fine as god made him. At least, that part would. Levon shook his head, he felt un-dressed in this gitup.

"Lovely, dear, lovely," Cory murmured, patting the fastened halter now. She reached over the bed and brought back the long red silk scarf that she'd shown Levon earlier that afternoon. "Now for the piece de la resistance!" She lowered it over Levon's head and down onto his neck at the front, then wrapped it in both directions, around behind and to the front, then once more back, leaving the two trailing ends hanging down off his shoulders at the back. It effectively covered his long column of throat, concealing the masculine lines and Adam's apple without looking unduly prominent.

Looking over at his reflection in the long mirror, Levon had to admit he saw a good-looking young woman staring back at him. "Good job, Cory."

"Yes, sweetie, and now for your shoes," she handed him a pair of black patent leather stilettos, with heels more than two inches high. "These are a bit higher, but you had all afternoon to practice in the other ones, these shouldn't be a problem."

Levon took the proffered shoes and examined them doubtfully. "They's pretty high, Cory."

"Try them out, honey."

Lundy slid them on and cautiously climbed to his feet, teetering slightly. He shifted to settle his weight on to first the balls, then back on to the heels of his feet. Snuck another look in the mirror. Wow. The heels stretched his already impossibly long legs into serious neck-breakers. The brief patches of red and trailing scarf, like a tongue of fire, had him inhaling sharply. Iffn he wuzn't already 'her' then he'd be ready to try to meet that gorgeous creature. Amazin'.

****************

Joe had long since finished tying his tie and shooting his cuffs. He'd returned, in his evening attire, to the living room. He rolled his shoulders to set his twin holsters more comfortably beneath the jacket of his evening tuxedo. He'd opted to leave off the cummerbund, just wear the dark trousers and jacket over the blue shirt and tie. Dressy but not overboard, he decided, for the Double M.

He stood now, staring out into the nighttime through Cory's front room window. Waiting for her to finish with Levon. He was beginning to feel decidedly nervous, this was like a first date or something.

************

"Just a hint of musk, sweetie, and then, you're ready." Levon sat on the stool in front of the small vanity - make-up table where Cory had been working on his face. She'd had him clean off the day make-up, even the mascara, everything down to skin. Leastways he'd learnt how to take the stuff off - what to use. Shaved him raw again. Then she'd talked her way through the applications, from base to rouge, eye-liner and shadow to mascara, lip-liner to gloss, and the final dusting of glitter powder all-over, so light and fine that Levon couldn't really see it - but could see how his face sparkled in the light.

Everything was heavier than the daytime makeup, now it was done to show him off in artificial light of an evening on the town. Cory brought over her large tin of costume jewelry and together they pawed through it. In the end, Cory decided on large squares of what looked like gold, earrings that clipped on the lobe of an unpierced ear. "You really ought to have them pierced if you're gonna do this often." Levon had shot a look of disbelief at her but said nothing. It was food for thought... and he was doing a lot of thinking.

With a change to bright red enamel glue-on-nails for his fingertips, Levon's ensemble was complete. Cory freshened up the blonde hair with a brushing, followed by heavier teasing and spray applied with discretion. On that she added a spray of hair glitter, just silver dust that would brighten the golden hair.

"Oh, hon," Cory breathed in admiration as she backed away from her creation, "I wish I could look like that!"

Levon blushed and shifted his weight on the uncomfortably high heels. "But, Cory, you got all this stuff. Ah'm borrowin' from you."

"Honey, what you have under it is what makes it work. You are one incredibly beautiful person, La-Vawn. I just hope your partner realizes what a gem he has - or he's definitely going to lose you!"

"Joe?" Levon looked surprised. Joe not appreciate him? Joe loved him and from what Levon saw today, was ready to kill for him. No need to worry about Joe taking him for granted. Far from it. But Levon didn't say any of that, he simply smiled slightly and shook his head. "I ain't worried."

Cory grinned. "Okay, let's go let you shine for your Joe."

*************

At the sound of the door opening down the hall, Joe turned and faced the hall. Cory let Levon go out first this time. Joe's eyes widened as Levon walked carefully down the hall and out into the living room, stopping across the room from Joe, facing him. High priced hooker. VERY high priced, were Joe's first thoughts. Absolutely gorgeous, a real knockout. "Whoa!"

Levon, who had been feeling nervous, grinned at Joe's exclamation. "You like?"

"Levon, you just gave a new meaning to the word glamorous!" Joe stalked across the distance to stop in front of his partner. He tipped his head and leaned in for a light kiss. Levon responded easily, lips curved into a smile. "Vonnie, honey, you look good enough to eat right now."

"Better wait or you'll never get to the Double M!" A laughing Cory admonished somewhere in the background but Joe only had eyes for his partner.

Levon suddenly felt very powerful, standing there in practically nothing, balanced on his toes, with his lover looking poised to devour him. He put his bare arms up to rest on Joe's heavy shoulders and smiled into the Italian's sea blue eyes. "Mebbe you kin have a snack later?"

Joe's hands came forward to rest on the small exposed waist in front of him. While he couldn't quite encircle it, he was still impressed at how slender Levon really was. In this dress, he looked like a gorgeous waif. Joe gently gripped and pulled so that Levon's hips slipped forward, against him. Let his hands slide down and back over the beautiful ass. Lifted slightly so that Levon was off the floor, held up against his lover's pulsing hard on. Lundy looked down between them in surprise and then smiled wickedly and kissed Joe again.

"Girls!" Cory was beginning to sound a bit desperate. "Come on! You gotta stop this! I'll never get you out of the house at this rate and there'll be some upset folks down here on Rawlings' if you two don't show up and do your thing tonight!"

Joe's lips, pressed against Levon's, broke into a smile and he pulled his head back to look over at their 'magician' as he thought of Cory. Still holding Levon up against him, Joe said, "We're going, we're going. I just wanted to sample the merchandise first."

"Joe!" Levon's hands turned into fists that pushed, hard, against his pardner's shoulders.

Joe looked back at Lundy and stole a quick kiss, still smiling. Then he lowered his lover to his/her feet and stood back slightly, though he didn't release Levon's waist, leaving one hand possessively wrapped around it. He felt Levon lean into the hand for balance. Joe looked down and his eyes narrowed. Those heels were awfully high, Levon won't be doing any 100 meter dash in them.

Levon, seeing the direction of Joe's eyes and the thoughts change on that expressive face, steadied himself. "I'll be all right, Joe. I'm gettin' used to'em already."

"Here's your bag, La-Vawn," Cory handed it over. She stood looking at the two men. "You two are real pretty. Now, go. Have a good time. Solve some crime."

"Yes, ma'am," replied the two Houston PD detectives in unison.

***************

Joe found a curbside parking spot on a cross-street. He walked around the Cobra to open the other door for Levon, then reached in to put his hand under the blonde's arm and help 'her' out. It was hard to get leverage under himself with those spike heels, so Levon was grateful for Joey's attention.

They faced each other briefly, Joe bringing up a hand to gently touch the side of Levon's face. "Be careful in there, Le' and don't stray too far."

Lundy's lips held a small secret smile as he rested his head against the gentle, strong hand of his partner, lover. "Don't worry, Chi, Ah aim to be a barnacle on yore boat."

LaFiamma chuckled and lowered his hand to offer the arm to his 'lady.' Together they strolled back up the street and around the corner onto Rawlings Street.

The main strip was well lit and busy as always at this time of night. Lots of folks out, lots of neon, several clubs open and full. Their destination, The Masque Masculine, also known as the Double M, was just ahead. The owner, Darrin Macy, had put extra bouncers on the doors since the series of murders had begun. Even the killings didn't seem to have discouraged the gay clientele, though, as streams of people moved in and out of the front of the Double M.

LaFiamma and Lundy had become something of a fixture on Rawlings, well known and well liked, since they'd worked the Schiezer case, a serial killer who'd terrorized the strip the previous year. Acknowledged lovers within this very private community, they had an insider track which the police were choosing to use on the current multiple homicide case. Macy, the owner of the Double M, was the one who'd suggested using the team when the second murder surfaced behind his place. HPD had funneled the request down to Beaumont, and now, they were here. It was showtime.

Jack, one of the regular bouncers from the Tamerind, pinch-hitting to help out at the Double M tonight, recognized LaFiamma. He did a double take at Levon, never having seen the cowboy in drag before. And what drag! Wow, that cowboy was a knockout tonight! Grinning from ear to ear, he bowed to then both. "Cheers, guys! Welcome to the Double M!"

LaFiamma frowned at the bouncer. Levon had been nearly instantly recognized. "Jack...?"

Seeing the march of emotions over the Italian's face, the bouncer hastened to reassure. "Hey, Joe don't worry. I figured it out 'cause you'd never be caught dead with anyone else! 'Sides, we 'expect' that all the 'ladies' who enter here, enter under false pretences, if you get my drift?" He smirked.

Levon, sensing that Joe was not in the mood for the tease, stepped forward and gave a half-turn, "You like, Jack?" Lundy threw the bouncer a serious wattage smile.

Jack inhaled sharply. It didn't matter that he KNEW he was seeing a man, his dick came to attention anyway, and he caught his breath. "Oh, doll, you are sugar sweet!" He smiled, taking one gracefully long-fingered hand in his and kissing the tips in a gentlemanly fashion.

A large, dark olive hand intruded, taking the blonde's out of Jack's. "Down boy." The tone was soft, but there was a definite 'hands off' message there. Jack grinned as he stepped back to his post by the door, tipping his hand to his forehead in salute.

"Have fun!" Jack's parting words followed the two detectives into the lobby of the dance hall.

Once inside, Lundy leaned closer to LaFiamma. "Joe, ease up a bit. We ain't gonna get no where iffn you keep actin' like a mama bear protectin' her cub."

Joe sighed and shrugged. "Sorry, it's just..." he shook his head, unable to even find words to finish the thought, describe how possessive, protective, and jealous he felt just now.

Barney Loomis, behind the long Victorian bar, all mahogany and gilt, waved at Joe. Just a greeting, not a signal. But Macy, the hall's owner, was standing at one end of the bar, sipping his usual, a tall glass of milk. Macy saw the motion and turned. He spotted Joe and his date and pushed away from the bar, heading directly toward them.

"Hey, Joe!" Macy turned to look Levon up and down admiringly, "Where did you find this lovely creature?"

Joe grinned at Darrin, snugging Levon up against his hip, hand comfortably settled on the downy, slender waist of exposed skin. "This is 'Vonnie,' Darrin."

Macy bowed low over Levon's hand, then as he raised his head something obviously clicked because he got the same expression as Jack the bouncer had had only moments before. "Levon!"

Lundy knew he was blushing but couldn't control it. "Yep." Then he smiled smoothly and twisted his head to look up at Joe while resting against his strong shoulder. "Joe decided to let me out tonight. Thought we could see if we kin help."

Darrin Macy nodded seriously, looking Levon's long slim form up and down. He whistled at the forever-legs encased in sheer silk, the hip-hugging red leather band and then gulped at the twin mounds of perfection rising to a suggestive cleavage between long thin triangles of more red leather, the halter. He shook his head in admiration, "Looks like Cory helped you out. That 'gal' has real class. I'll have to give her a call later, I owe her one after this."

Joe pressed a kiss on Vonnie's forehead and then smiled at Darrin. "You got that right." He straightened and scanned the milling crowd. "Look, Macy, if we're going to do any good, we got to go mingle."

Macy nodded and backed away with a wave.

Levon experimentally shook his hips against his partner. "Let me walk in front of you. At least give the appearance that I'm available."

Joe's hands, gently cuddling, suddenly clenched, then released. "Yeah, okay, but not too far in front." He pushed softly from behind.

Levon took a deep breath, straightened statuesquely, drawing his head back, chin up, and stepped out. The heels definitely changed his walk, and throwing a tiny swing into his hips added to the effect. A small bubble began to form and follow the blonde Texan and folks drew back to watch 'her' progress across the floor. There were several murmurs of appreciation and two low whistles, causing Levon to flush red, a becoming blush in the flashing lights.

Joe kept two paces behind his lady, eyes ranging the crowd, looking, assessing. She held them all in thrall. No one appeared to notice her shadow. Just as well, cause he wasn't going to let her stray very far from his sight, no matter what. When Levon reached the edge of the dance floor, he stepped out on to it and joined the general mix of swaying bodies, none quite touching in the R&B beat currently playing. Joe came to a stop at the edge of the floor and stood waiting, watching.

****************

Levon was getting tired. He'd been on the damn dance floor for nearly an hour now and his feet were killin' him. His balls were sore and his dick was achin' from their forced confinement. The strain was beginning to tell as shadows formed under his eyes.

Joe had taken a seat at a front row table, sideways to the floor, so he could slide out and up in an instant. His eyes never left Levon for long, shifting constantly. He'd noticed the subtle signs of fatigue in his partner. Levon couldn't stay out there forever and it was totally unfair to expect that they'd draw out the killer so easily. Even as he thought this last, things changed.

Like drawing a bee to honey, many of the butch men in the crowd had hovered near Vonnie, none encouraged, none repelled. Some continued to hover, others drifted off to find more encouragement elsewhere. Now one in particular, a dark, heavyset man in a satin lounge jacket, edged closer.

Joe went on alert. The dark man was getting inside what Joe considered the safety zone for his partner. Time to join the fun. Joe slid off his seat and into the mix, letting his body move to the music as he drifted closer to Levon.

Lundy noticed the dark man immediately, shorter than the cowboy, but much wider, and looking rather powerful, he was getting' a bit too close for comfort. Where wuz Joe? There. Levon sighed relief as he saw his lover already moving in.

The sudden shove was a surprise and left Levon breathless, bent over. Then heavy, strong arms surrounded him and he wuz being hustled, nearly off hiz feet, through the dancers, toward a rear exit. He tried to pull free, to stretch and wriggle away, but his captor had caught hold of the twin trails of red scarf and started to pull, hard. Choked off, Levon began to black out, sinking into a swoon. The arms were catching him, lifting him easily. Joe! Joe, help! He couldn't even voice his cry, sending it mentally and trusting to LaFiamma to get here in time. It was his last thought as darkness clouded his vision.

Joe saw the man sucker punch Levon in the gut, an unprotected belly right now. Shit. Then Joe was shoving through the massed bodies, seeing, from an agonizingly short distance, as the man dragged a groggy Levon with him toward the back exit. He could see when Lundy started to struggle. Then the man had somehow wrapped both ends of the red scarf around one fist and yanked back, choking Lundy. Joe was near frantic now, no longer saying excuse me, forcing his body, like an arrow, through the dancers. Saw Levon collapse and get picked up...

Then Joe burst through the last of the intervening crowd and was on top of the dark man and his trophy. "Let her go! HPD!"

Startled, the dark man backed away from Joe, holding tightly to Levon's limp body, dragging the long-legged blonde with him, one hand pulling the strangling scarf even tighter. "Back off or she dies!" his rough voice was snarly tough.

Joe stopped and stood, staring angrily at the man who threatened to end his lover's life. Enough! Knowing that strangulation was not that fast or certain, LaFiamma dove at them, hands going to the dark man's throat. The attacker was so surprised to find himself assaulted that he didn't have time to free his own hands from their grips on his victim. Within moments, he'd been subdued and handcuffed, shoved aside within a growing circle of cheering on-lookers. Joe had no time for them or him, he was busy gathering his princess up in his arms.

"Vonnie! Levon! Baby, answer me!" He was scared. S/he looked so white, the bruises of fatigue under her eyes so dark. He pulled her closer, laying his face alongside Levon's, listening to the sound of even breathing. Then Macy was squatting next to them.

"Joe, I've called for the paramedics - they're on the way. I think Levon's going to be alright."

LaFiamma looked up, clutching Levon close. "Thanks, Darrin."

"How about we take this somewhere private? My bouncers'll look after that guy 'til the cops come." Macy stood, offering a helping hand.

Joe shifted, pulling Lundy's narrow, limp body up into his arms, the long slim legs hanging off one arm while the tousled blonde head dropped from the other. He rose easily to his feet, gathering some admiring glances of his own. He was oblivious to everything as he followed Macy to a door behind the bar, and through it into a large quiet office. There was a large leather Chesterfield sofa in the room and Joe sat on it, lowering his precious burden with great care.

Macy, who'd followed Joe in, came over now to offer a damp cloth. "Here. And, you may want to get that scarf off his neck."

Nodding, Joe delicately began to unwrap the silk. Some of it was nearly embedded in Levon's skin at the neck, leaving harsh red lines behind, already turning bluish black. Once free of the remaining pressure of the scarf, Levon's breathing eased even more and his eyes began to flutter.

"Levon? Take it easy, you're okay, you're safe with me, baby." Joe was crooning softly, as he wiped at Lundy's neck with the cool cloth.

"Joe?" the croak ill-matched the still gorgeous face. "We git him?"

Joe strangled a laugh of his own. "Yeah, partner, we got him." He kissed the close lips, renewing his love. "And soon's you're ready, we're going home."

Levon sat up, on Joe's lap. He stretched his neck with care, fingering the burning skin. "I'm ready now, Joe."

"Wait," Macy interrupted. "Where's your car? I'll send Jack to get it, bring it round to the side door here. Levon shouldn't be walking around right now in his condition."

"Good idea, Darrin," Joe put a finger to a protest he could see rising to Levon's lips, then gave Macy the directions to the Cobra and handed over the keys. He had his hands full, restraining his blonde from jumping up. "Levon, just sit still, will you?"

"But Joe -"

"No 'but Joe's' about it. You nearly got strangled, you got yourself punched, and now you want to run around? No way. You just sit right here where I can keep track of you."

Levon turned to look fully into Joe's face. Saw the residual panic and fear, only now easing. Levon subsided onto Joe's lap. Actually, it was kinda nice sitting here on top of Joe, surrounded by Joe. Very nice. He smiled and drooped against the Italian's chest, let his head come to rest on one big shoulder. His hands migrated, as if of their own accord, over to Joe's left hand where it rested on Levon's red-skirted hip. Stroked the large, capable fingers.

Joe groaned. "You keep that up, I'm not gonna be responsible for what happens next!"

Macy grinned down at them, seeing Levon's playful advances. "Vonnie, you are a classy lady, you know that? Any time you want some work as a dance hostess...?"

Joe hunched forward, both hands sweeping Levon even closer, pressing his head against Joe's chest. "Sorry, Darrin, Levon, ah, Vonnie, is NOT taking on any extra work. ALL her spare time is accounted for."

"Umph." Levon grunted from the confines of Joe's embrace. "Joelemmeup." When the pressure eased a bit, he tried again. "Joe! Lemme up!"

LaFiamma sat back again, letting Levon sit up a bit, but not releasing him completely. "You are staying right here." Joe's tone was so possessive, almost dictatorial, that Levon, who was about to launch into a lecture on etiquette, shut up and kissed his lover. It was the wisest thing to do.

They were still engaged in that activity when Jack showed up with the keys to the Cobra at the side door of Macy's office.

***************

Before heading out to the car, Joe got Levon to sit up enough in his lap so that he could remove his coat jacket, which he draped over Levon's shoulders. That skimpy little costume was not going to provide much warmth for his shocked partner. Joe helped Levon to stand, as Darrin looked on, then continued to support Levon's weight as they went out to the Cobra. Macy followed them out to repeat his gratitude and offer any assistance for the future. Joe tried to respond politely but his attention was on his blonde. He settled his friend into the passenger seat with care. Waved goodbye to Darrin Macy. Got the seat and shoulder belt around Levon, and got the Cobra going.

Even though the apartment was closer, Joe decided to go on out to their ranch, away from prying eyes. They'd be on one level, too, better for Levon's heels. Joe stopped his thoughts, who was he kidding? Levon's day in drag was over! And, that was a good thing, too, wasn't it? Then Joe had to castigate himself for having second thoughts. Caught in a circle of guilty thoughts and feelings, LaFiamma didn't notice at first as Lundy began to recover.

Huddled under Joe's tuxedo jacket, Levon simply sat and shuddered at first. It had been a waking nightmare, surviving that attack. He'd never felt so helpless in all his life. Thank god for Joe. Somehow, the oversized jacket seemed to reinforce their differences in size and build. Levon began to think about just what a hunk he had for a lover... and just what a skinny shanks Joe had to put up with. He hunched over even more, wrapping his arms around himself, feeling again the pasties on his chest, the bare midriff and the low hip-hugging belt-line of the tiny skirt he wore. Damn he was pathetic.

Levon's feelings of misery seemed to grow into a large black cloud as he realized that Joe was taking them out to the ranch. Too disgusted and ashamed to let enyone see me. Lundy lowered his head and closed his eyes. A tear squeezed out from under one set of mascara-enhanced lashes. He brushed at it angrily, well, Cory did say the damn stuff was waterproof, so at least he wouldn't be looking like some raccoon. He swallowed hard.

Joe had caught the movements of Levon's shoulders hunching, then the fisted hand to one eye. There's something wrong here. Levon's looking upset, I think he's even crying. Joe abruptly pulled the sporty car over to the side of the almost-country road they were now on. No houses in sight here, just some barns, and the road was empty.

Levon looked up in surprise when the car came to a sudden stop. Not the ranch. What?

Joe turned in his seat, releasing the catch on his belt. Bent over to Levon and put a knuckle under his chin, pushing up gently. "Hey, partner, what's wrong?" When he didn't get an immediate answer, he continued, "Levon? We got the bad guy. We're heading home. What's the matter? Talk to me, lover." He added a light kiss to the wide forehead and brushed back the blonde bangs with an angel-soft touch of fingertips.

Two wet brown eyes opened, windows of despair. "Oh, Joe, why do you bother with me?"

Startled, Joe blinked and sat back momentarily stunned speechless. Then, "Levon? I love you! What's all this about?"

The brown-eyed misery in front of him presented a crumpling face. "Joe, I'm such a scrawny critter..."

Joe began to smile. His dear friend was really out of it if he was saying stuff like that. "Levon, you are perfect! PERFECT! Do you hear? I love your long, wiry length, your 'attitude' in boots and a Stetson, your strength - of body, mind and soul. You are beautiful, man, beautiful! I think those clothes are finally beginning to have a negative impact on your thinking, Le', so just sit back and STOP thinking! We're almost home. We'll get you out of that stuff and you'll feel lots better. Just wait." Planting another kiss, this time on pursed lips, Joe swiveled back into his own seat and restarted the Cobra. Sooner they got home, the better. He mentally brushed out his regrets about losing 'Vonnie.' Levon was his lover, friend, and partner. Levon came first.

**************

It was strangely peaceful silence that fell when the Cobra's heavy motor stopped in the wide dirt drive fronting the ranch house. The dark night sky was perforated with stars. Joe braced himself mentally and jumped out, coming around to help Lundy climb out of the low slung car. Normally, Levon would simply stand and step out right over the closed door, but he couldn't do that in the skimpy little female outfit he was currently wearing.

With Joe's hands under his arms, circling his waist, Levon felt as if he was being lifted out of the car with Joe's strength alone, even though he tried to help. Then he was standing, a bit wobbly, on the stiletto heels he'd worn earlier that night. Joe's coat heavy on his shoulders, it hung down to mid-thigh, lower, nearly to his knees. Dang, he felt like a kid in hiz daddy's clothes. Looking at Joe standing beside him, Levon realized that even in heels he waz still shorter than the Italian. He looked down. Joe was in boots, well that explained some of it.

LaFiamma waited patiently, trying very hard not to grab at Lundy. Levon was hurting and clearly needed a bit of space. "Levon? Shall we go inside?"

"Yeah."

Not touching, but side-by-side, they walked up to the porch and on to the front door. Joe fished a key out of his trouser pocket and unlocked while Levon turned to look out at the empty front yard. They could hear Mattie and Fooler moving quietly in the paddock next to the house. Heard one of the horses blow, a snuffly sound.

Then the door was open and Joe had reached in to toggle the light switch on in the hallway. He stood back, letting Levon enter first. Lundy walked in slowly, balanced again on the heels, too tired and upset to even think to kick them off. Joe followed, pulling the door shut.

They came to a stop in the front room, Levon letting Joe's jacket slide off his shoulders and on to the floor. He turned back to look at Joe.

LaFiamma caught his breath in awe. Levon, Vonnie, was still gorgeous, even with the darkening marks on his throat. The long, long legs, one hip canted ever so slightly for balance, the thrust of unexpected breasts, the exposed skin of long slender arms, long column of throat, and bare midriff - Vonnie was beautiful. And, Joe wanted her. Badly. He could feel his hard-on, feel the pulse of it straining at his jockey briefs, pushing against the zipper to his trousers. He stood silently. There was nothing to be said.

Levon came to with a start. He'd been dreamily existing since Joe's little pep talk in the car. The misery had faded, along with the shock of the earlier attack. He'd not really been thinking about anything as they came up the porch and into the house. He'd dropped the coat that Joe had draped over him, suddenly hot. Turned to look at Joe. And seen 'the look.'

For an eternity, neither moved nor spoke.

Then Lundy made a decision. Not a very difficult one, either. "Joe?" He asked in a throaty whisper, holding out one hand, palm up, toward his lover.

LaFiamma held his breath. Magic was in the air. 'Vonnie' was propositioning him! He reached out and took the smaller, long fingered hand in his. Tugged very slightly. She came to him easily, seemed to flow into his arms. He folded her in tight against his chest, wrapping his arms completely around the wonderfully soft, slender body pressed against him. Sunk his face down into the curve of her neck, planting warm, wet kisses there and trailing them up to the prominent and familiar jawbone. It was eerie, she was both familiar and new to him. It was exciting.

Levon caught the excitement radiating out from Joe. Could feel the heat in his lover's body as they were pressed close. Breathed in the warm, sweaty smell of LaFiamma. Felt strangely free in this female persona, felt like he really wuz 'Vonnie' for his Joe. Decided not to do eny more thinking and let his head fall back under the delicious onslaught of Joe's kisses climbing his neck and jaw.

Joe's hands began to travel up and down the delightful curves, following the spine, hips, ass and thighs, lifting, kneading, stroking. Gasping in his heat, Joe slung Vonnie up into his arms and whirled them in a circle where he stood, laughing into her smiling face. Then she was laughing too, putting her slender arms around his neck, linking hands behind his head, and kissing him soundly on the lips. Joe hitched her higher into his arms and kissed her back.

It simply made sense to get to the nearest bed immediately, if not sooner. Joe strode down the hall with one eye cocked for where he was going, still ravishing kisses on his cooperative captive. Once in the bedroom, Joe sat down on the side of the bed with Vonnie in his lap.

Holding her against him, he fumbled with the tied ends of the halter-top, finally tugging them free. He pulled the ends forward, and with a glint in her eye, Vonnie lifted the halter over her head and off, leaving Joe staring at the two pert little breasts. Fake, they're fake, he told himself even as he touched one experimentally. Damn, it felt real. He knew it was fake. Vonnie was arching back, though, at his gentle stroke down her solar plexus between the breasts.

She shimmied out of his lap to stand beside him, putting her red-nailed fingers into the waistband of her tiny skirt. She began to push and wriggle until the skirt and pantyhose beneath all started to slide down those impossibly long, silky legs. Joe leaned forward to help her, his large hands smoothing the clothing down and away from her body. She braced herself on him, leaning in as he bent over to free her feet of the high heels, stockings, and red leather skirt. Then she was standing before him, a Diana in blonde and blush. Long, slender arms and legs, pale skin rosy, downy with soft blonde fuzz at her naval. Two apple sized breasts and a triangle of curling golden-brown hair between her legs.

Joe breathed in her musky scent and moved closer, letting himself fall headfirst into this wonderfully erotic dream. He wasn't certain what had happened to his Levon, but for the moment his Vonnie was before him like some medieval feast to be consumed with fingers and mouth. She was lush and welcoming. And all his.

Levon felt a resurgence of the power he had felt earlier in the evening. His Joe was spellbound, obviously totally enchanted by Levon's appearance. Well, it might be surface only, but it would be fun for while and it was so incredibly intoxicating to have Joe slavering over him like this. Not that he didn't always make Levon feel special and loved, but this was such an otherworldly moment that Levon just wanted to play in this universe while he could, with his lover in such a heated trance. He spared a moment to think about his own sex drive, currently struggling to manifest itself against the harsh constriction of the taped genitals. He felt a wicked pulse in his groin and a thrumming between his legs. Well, this wouldn't, couldn't last long, or he'd go insane, but mebbe for a bit?

Joe moaned and stood, yanking Vonnie against him, hands moving up and down her now completely uncovered form, sliding on her deliciously curved back and ass, tiny waist and soft skin. Panting he helped her drag the cumbersome clothing from his own body, desperate to get naked with her as quickly as possible. Once free, his cock raged tall and purply-red as it strained against his belly. He gathered Vonnie to him, dropping back onto the bed.

Levon loved the feel and look of Joe unclothed and hard. He reached eagerly for the long, full member throbbing between them. It felt so natural and so good to hold it, stroke it, pulling the foreskin to a rhythm he'd long ago discovered was Joey's own. Joe moaned again, head buried once more within the curve of Lundy's neck and shoulder.

"Levon? Vonnie? Oh, god..." Joe's confusion and excitement only spurred Levon on. He continued stroking the hard dick while he tickled at one of Joe's pebbly-hard nipples. Joe's cries became inarticulate as he shuddered with pleasure, his heavier body jerking against the blonde's slighter one.

So far, Joe hadn't gotten rough, still desperately clinging and rubbing at Levon's back and ass. Lundy knew that his fake pasties, as he thought of the simulated breasts, would not stand much 'man'-handling. He tucked his head down and nudged at Joe's until the Italian's face was toward his own, then captured the pouty lips and began to chew in earnest. Joe's hands came up to tangle in Levon's hair, holding her head steady while they kissed deeply. One shaking hand left Lundy's curls to travel in shaking excitement down Vonnie's bust and belly, ending in cautious, tentative exploration of the triangle of hair at the Venus mound.

Levon felt the errant hand and knew that things were gonna go downhill fast if those fingers reached the patch of adhesive tape between his legs. He shifted, capturing the hand between belly and one thigh, reached down and pulled it free, redirecting it toward his ass. They were panting into each others' mouths now, both pushing at climaxes, though Levon had no clue what would happen for him at that moment, should he reach it in this condition.

Joe let himself be redirected. Somewhere he knew he'd been about to spoil everything, but hadn't been able to stop himself. Now his hand fondled the wonderful tight, rounded ass beneath his fingers, then plunged to the tiny wrinkled pucker of flesh that was a gate to heaven.

"Levon?" Even in his extremity, Joe knew who he had in bed with him, fantasies aside, and he wouldn't ever go anywhere uninvited.

"Yes! Joe, yes! Take me now, like this! I want to feel..." Levon didn't finish, couldn't even think of anything that made sense to say, but knew that Joe understood. He heard the bedside table drawer open and moments later, felt the slickness of KY jelly on his opening, Joe's fingers pressing with power and knowledge in just the right way. He spread his legs to allow Joe in further, making little cries of pleasure, his ass beginning to hump into the air.

Joe soothed the smaller man, catching his own breath and taking his time, preparing Levon for entry. Once the responsive ass relaxed and he had gotten two, then three fingers inside with no resistance, Joe surged up onto his knees over Levon's supine form. He stared down at the blonde, both male and female in the moment. His sweet, sweet Levon, Vonnie. Then he guided his weeping dick to the waiting gate and slid home, slowly and easily down the well-worn path. When he felt his balls strike against Levon, Joe stopped and waited, knowing Levon always needed a few moments to adjust to the invasion.

Lundy swallowed hard, gulping down the flash of intense pain from his own privates as Joe entered him. That lovely full feeling was there, but so was the frustration of his own inability to respond completely. He gritted his teeth and blanked out the pain, selecting only the wonderful feel of Joe inside him. He bucked without conscious thought, his body demanding more, more.

That was all the signal Joe needed and he began to plunge in and out, in and out, deep and hard, make it good, but make it fast, not certain exactly what was happening with Lundy but finding stunning stimulation in the erotic fantasy of bedding his lover in female form. In seconds, Joe was cumming and cumming. Pouring heat into Levon. His bellowed growl of triumph was a final effort before collapsing across Levon's body.

Levon cried out in a combination of pain and frustrated excitement as he felt Joe cum, heard his shout. Then it was over, Joe heavy and lax on top o' him. Levon shifted slightly, he could feel Joe slip to the side. Levon moved again, letting Joe roll off him and onto his back beside Lundy. Sound asleep. Levon cautiously twisted his body over and put a hand down between his legs. He could feel the deep throb pulsing under the tape down there. Jesus, he wuz hurtin' here. Never talked to Cory 'bout how to git this back off without hurtin' worse. He sunk back on to the mattress and grit his teeth, waiting out the surge of heat and adrenaline. He trembled with it, waited, finally feeling his body begin to calm, even without the sexual release.

Well, Joe's had hiz jollies, when he wakes up, he's gonna help me outta this. With that thought, Levon turned into the warmth of his sleeping lover and snuggled close, closing his own eyes. Sleepy suddenly.

**************

Levon woke to the tickle of a fingertip on his belly, circling his bellybutton. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw that daylight had arrived while they slept, wuz streaming in the bedroom window, making the light-weight cotton curtains translucent with the glow. He sucked in a deep breath of Joey's earthy scent and the clean spring air from the open window beyond.

"Hi." The low rumble of LaFiamma's voice was felt though his ribcage where it met Joe's.

"Hi yerself." Lundy lifted his head lazily, shaking hair back away from his face.

"Stop. Yeah, just like that." One of Joe's hands was gliding into the blonde curls, playing with them, a look of contentment on his face. "Mmm. Levon, you are so beautiful."

Lundy blushed, then pulled back further. "Jest the make up, Joe."

"No," the quiet response was contemplative, not arguing, "you are always beautiful in the morning, and this one is no exception." Joe leaned over Levon now and kissed him slowly, like he was drinking from a refreshing fountain. "Mmm. I love you, Levon Lundy."

"Well, you shore nuff loved Miss Vonnie last night."

Joe sat up suddenly and lifted Levon up to face him. Looked him directly in the eye. "That was fun. I liked having a taste of you as Vonnie, Levon. It was like this daring, forbidden dream. It was exciting, fun, and sexy. But, Levon, it was STILL you! It wouldn't have been any of that if it hadn't been YOU."

Levon looked down at the sheet, saw his fingers still ending in the red enamel nails. "Yeah. Guess it was like that fur me, too. Shore didn't want to stop it at the time."

Joe dipped his head down to turn it so he could look up into Levon's downcast eyes. "Levon? Should I say I'm sorry?" He was suddenly worried that he'd somehow spoiled things for them with his little voyage of fun and games last night.

Levon sighed. "No, Joe, no apologies. I wanted to do it as much as you. Jest need to git mah balance back now. Get ME back."

Joe looked assessingly down the bare torso, the breasts still stuck there as if they were home-grown. He began to smile, then a tickle inside turned into a wicked giggle.

Levon's eyes widened in surprise and then suddenly HE was giggling too. It wuz funny. He looked down at himself, saw a woman's body, knew it was him. Giggled some more.

And Joey was pouncing on him. Pouncing! Pushing his shoulders back down on the bed and nuzzling fiercely between the rising mounds on his chest. It tickled and Levon laughed aloud. Joe began to lick and kiss up and down his center line, avoiding the mounds. In between kisses, Levon could still hear Joe's gurgle of laughter to match his own.

Then, Joe thrust up a knee between Levon's legs, separating them wantonly. The knee came to rest, not quite painfully, against his STILL restrained balls and dick. THAT made him realize it had been a very long time since he'd pee'd, too. He knew nothin' wuz gonna happen until he got hizself undone, and that somehow tickled his funnybone, too.

Joe rolled them over so that he was on his back, holding Levon above him. Grinned up at him and then theatrically eyed one of the two hanging mounds near his face. "Joey, Ah wouldn't iffn Ah wuz you..." Levon's warning was half jest. He just couldn't believe that LaFiamma would actually...would really...oh, my god, he's going to...he's...he's...

Helpless, Levon watched Joe take one of the breasts into his mouth, hold it there for a moment, then bite down with a look of great satisfaction. Which turned to shocked surprise when he gagged on squirting gelatin, globs of the stuff oozing out of his mouth as he tried to spit it all away. Levon couldn't help it, he leaned back up on his knees over Joey and trembled with laughter that he sought to hold inside. His eyes closed, he was crying with it. He could feel Joe lurching under him, jerking wildly for a few moments. The sounds of spitting.

"Augh..." coughing, gagging again, then "guh-cchhhhhh!" Joe wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spit to the side once more. Man, that was tasteless. He looked up at Levon, vibrating on top of him, a volcano of laughter, trying to explode silently. He eyed the remaining breast, making Lundy look like a ravished Amazon, the first having popped free when Joe bit down on it. His lips quirked. His body convulsed in a cough of amusement. Then he reached up to touch the remaining booby, just as Levon looked down with dancing brown eyes.

"Joe -" The warning went unfinished as LaFiamma, a look of triumph on his face, grasped the mound firmly and yanked it free. Lundy grunted as the suction came off. There! THAT was his boy again, his Levon! He grinned up at Levon who was still laughing.

Levon swiped at some of the gunk that still stuck to Joe's face, wiping it off. Then they were both howling, Joe waving the limp, dead looking pastie in the air like a trophy. Rolling over and over each other, laughing and crying, ending in a tight hug as they panted away the last bursts of giggles.

Each time one started to speak, the other began to laugh again, until they lay there exhausted and relieved to be back, together, themselves, the case over.

Then Lundy felt the pressure of discomfort again. "Um, Joe? Ah got a problem here."

LaFiamma came up on one elbow to look at Levon, alerted by the slight pain in his cowboy's voice. "What?"

Levon blushed again, redder than before. "My privates."

"Where are they anyway? How did you and Cory DO that?" Joe was craning his head downward in curiosity.

Levon felt oddly embarrassed. He scooted back a bit, one hand over his crotch. Foolish! This is Joe. He's seen all'o me. What am Ah doing? "She taped me in, Joe and Ah'm not shore how to undo it on mah own."

"Oh, my god!" LaFiamma was fully alert now, concern clear in his eyes as he came to sit up beside Lundy. "Okay, lie back down, spread your legs..." Joe's hands were easing Levon into a better access position. "Let me take a look."

Joe bent down over Levon's crotch. Lundy had to suppress another wild giggle at the sight of that serious face studying hiz groin with such intensity. Then Joe touched him - just lightly on top of the adhesive. "Ow! Damn it!" Levon's amusement was gone as something between pain and pleasure scratched all the nerves in his body at once. "Ahhhhhhhh - ahhhhhhh. Oh, Joey, stop!"

LaFiamma sat back, staring at the patch between Levon's legs. He looked back up at Lundy. This was gonna hurt, big time. Coming to a fast decision, Joe curled one hand into a fist and swung without warning, connecting to the point of Lundy's chin solidly. Levon's eyes closed as his head snapped back. Joe, moving to follow through, easily caught the blonde and lowered him to the bed, checking to see that he was all right, simply unconscious from the blow. "Sorry, love, but I think it might be better for both of us if you weren't awake when I did this."

The next ten minutes were the longest in Joe LaFiamma's life as he carefully peeled the largish patch away from Levon's skin, taking many a hair with it. That HAD to hurt like hell. God. He was relieved to find that the g-string net had protected the actual genitalia from any abrasions as he pulled the last sticky bit of patch free. The whole set was darkish and shrunken looking, but began to fill out as soon as the net was pulled off. Joe gently massaged the area, fondling the balls and stick with care. Oh, yes, Levon was gonna feel that when he came to. Joe spared a look up at his partner's face.

Shit. Two brown, glazed eyes stared back at him. No telling how long Levon had been awake.

Joe spared one hand to soothe the side of Levon's face. His cowboy's brown eyes closed briefly, then reopened them. "Joe? You got it off all the way, right?"

"Yeah. Sorry about the punch, I just thought..."

"Glad you did it. This last bit was plenty, I'm glad I wuzn't awake fur most of the fun."

"How does it feel?" Two eyes, almost white-blue in their empathized pain, stared back at Levon.

"Hurts. Could use some ice?" The last said hopefully.

Joe sprung up, contrite. "Of course!" He back-pedaled toward the door to the hall, "You just stay there. I'll be right back."

After what seemed like an eternity to Levon, Joe was back, ice pack in hand, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Lundy, carefully laying the ice bag onto Levon's groin.

"Ahh - Ahh!" Levon gasped, then as the coolness numbed him, "aahhhhhhhh. Better. Thanks, Joey."

Joe's face broke into a warm smile. "Any time, lover."

Levon, who'd begun to smile in answer to that warmth, froze for a moment. Considered everything. "Well, mebbe, but not any time soon."

Joe looked at him blankly, then understanding clicked. He grinned. "No, you need to recover from THIS visit from Vonnie."

Levon took Joe's hands in his own. Looked at the red nails against Joe's buff ones. "Yeah, but Ah think she might take it inta her head to visit agin some time, you never know."

"Not until you have a nice long talk with Cory about what to do with tape, Levon," Joe warned.

"Not til then," Lundy agreed, leaning in to LaFiamma to seal the deal with a kiss.

---- finis ----

Everything on this page is fiction. Any resemblance or reference to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.