Fandom:	Houston Knights
Series:	Other Authors
Rating:	NC-17
Pairing:	Joe/Levon
Archive:	Starwinder's
Title:	And He Lit Out For the Hills
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 who may appear in these stories are the property of the author.

And He Lit Out For The Hills...
By Glo

Levon Lundy's eyes were wide open, so wide that the brown looked like small brown pellets on a white landscape, etched with red veins. His HPD partner, Detective Sergeant Joseph A. LaFiamma, was approaching him with extreme caution. The blonde Texan in front of him was trembling and backpedaling into the corner of the room. "Lundy?"

Lundy didn't respond. Didn't seem to even recognize his new partner. Just shook and shrank back and seemed to have gone away somewhere inside his head. Joe LaFiamma knew the look. He'd seen it too many times on druggies back in Chicago, when he'd been on the streets. He wasn't happy about this and worried that the man in front of him might do something that Joey would regret. Lundy was still armed.

LaFiamma didn't yet try to approach Lundy any closer. Now that the blonde was cornered, the ex-Chicago cop would just as soon wait it out. PCP, Angel Dust, whatever he was tripping on would wear off eventually. Right now, keep him calm, contained, and disarm when feasible. That was LaFiamma's plan. Trouble was, he really didn't yet have much of a relationship with the cowboy. He'd only been in exile in this crazy city of Houston for a little over three weeks. Already he was wishing he'd just faced the bullets, the contract on him that his uncle had negotiated down to exile.

Lundy jerked back suddenly and barked something that Joe couldn't understand. The man was staring at the floor now, eyes still wide, hands over mouth now. This did not look like it was going to be a good trip. LaFiamma kept his handkerchief over his nose. It had been a fluke, an accident during the bust gone wrong. The dealer lay dead on the floor near them. The buyer had panicked and shot and then run. They'd come charging in. He and Lundy. Only Lundy didn't like the way Joey wanted to go in first all the time. Shoved him sideways and gone in ahead.

The settling cloud of white powder had gone full face into the blonde. LaFiamma, recovering his balance had heard the choked cry, "Don't come in here!" Then the coughing.

He'd teetered on the doorsill, seen what had gone down and backed out. Already, the dust was almost all on the floor, but too late for Lundy who looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. "I'll call it in, Lundy, get you some help." Joe had barely spoken when his partner screamed at him.

"No! No. Do. Not. Call. This. In." A pause, then more calmly. "Not yet. I cain't face no doctors right now, Lafamma."

Joe had ignored the mispronunciation of his name given the pleading tone to that voice. This was the first time that his new partner had asked anything of him. He'd hesitated. "Lundy, you could be in big trouble here, depending on how much of that stuff got inside of you."

"Let me ride it out, Lafamma, please." Lundy was already distancing. The shaking had started. And LaFiamma had stood there undecided as his partner began to trip out.

"Give me your gun then, Lundy." Joe had tried to put some authority in to that request. Lundy didn't even seem to hear him. From that point on, things got worse, fast.

Now, standing a short distance from Lundy, LaFiamma was beginning to get scared himself. He was in the middle of a room full of loose drug. Any disturbance and it would be airborne again. He, and Lundy, could NOT afford for Joe to get a hit too. If he tried to do anything with Levon and the cowboy struggled in here, things would go downhill fast.

Joe tied his handkerchief over his nose and mouth and knotted it at the back of his head. It was barely big enough. Now his hands were free. He gripped the handkerchief with his mouth, moistening it, then spitting it out so that it clung to his lips. There, that was the best he could do.

He took one of his guns and reversed the grip so that he held it handle first. Taking a shallow, long breath, LaFiamma strode forward with no further comment. Before his partner could utter a sound or look up from his newly intense concentration on the floor, LaFiamma was upon him. He struck fast and hard, hitting low on the side of Lundy's head, under the brim of the still present Stetson. As the cowboy began to crash toward the ground, Joe caught him and then very carefully lifted him up into his arms.

Turning on his heels, the Italian northerner walked slowly out of the room. Once free of the majority of the loose drug, LaFiamma spared a glance down at his prize. Lundy lay draped over his arms, so light that Joe was surprised the man was as tall as he was. Shrugging him into a better grip, LaFiamma lay him down and carefully proceeded to strip him of the dust-covered clothing. Then he took off his own shirt and jacket, replacing his twin holsters on his now bare shoulders. His pants had fared better, only the upper clothing items had been in contact with Lundy's.

Joe picked up his naked partner, all skin and blonde and bones, and started back down the hall. There was no one around outside the warehouse. Their vehicle, a plain-wrap from the police pool, was just as they'd left it such a short time ago. Joe opened the back door and easily shifted his burden to the long bench seat. Lundy's gun was inside still, with the contaminated clothing. He went to the trunk and looked inside. There was a silver "space" blanket, little better than a large piece of cloth-backed foil, in a packet. He took it out and covered Lundy with it. Then he went back in to get the gun.

LaFiamma was not certain how he was supposed to honor his partner's plea and still deal with the dead man, the drugs and their clothing all over in there. He put Lundy's gun into an evidence bag with great delicacy, to keep any more of the powder from lifting up in to the air. Dropped it in the trunk. Okay, time to call it in.

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

Even now, driving away from the scene, Joe wasn't certain he'd handled this one right. He had Lundy's hands handcuffed behind his back, so he couldn't hurt himself. Had him stashed in the back seat. Joe had told the dispatcher what to expect at the crime scene. Said he was taking his partner to a hospital to be looked at, explained about the clothing. He couldn't NOT do that - some poor schmuck might wander in there and OD just by inhaling too deeply. But now, free to leave as he heard the approaching sirens, he wasn't sure exactly where to go. He had made a promise to Lundy. No hospital.

He was coming up to a yellow light at the outskirts of this industrial area, edge of Houston, when Lundy sat up. Screamed something that didn't make any sense and tried to climb right up LaFiamma's head from the back seat.

Joe had struggled to push the hysterical man away, but was having difficulty - what with trying to drive and deal with this. It was evidently more than the cowboy could cope with, too, for with another heart-wrenching cry, the man launched himself out of the car through the open passenger window, feet first. The fact that he was cuffed didn't slow him at all. If he knew he was naked, he gave no sign as he ran straight away from the side of the car.

"Lundy! God damn it, come back here!" LaFiamma slammed the car into the side street's curb, pulled the key and ran after his fleeing partner. The man was running like a fucking rabbit and was already two large buildings away. The streets were totally deserted and LaFiamma thanked his lucky stars for that small blessing as he poured on his best running speed.

Then Lundy was gone, disappearing down either a side street, alley or into a building, Joe just couldn't tell. He dragged to a halt at where he thought was the approximate location of his partner's vanishing act. Hands on knees, head down as he panted for breath, Joe was cursing to himself. Once he had enough breath, he raised his head and called out to Lundy repeatedly. There was no answer.

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

LaFiamma sighed deeply and bent over again, chest still pumping, heart racing. Musta got some of that shit too, he decided as he felt slightly dizzy. He closed his eyes, hands braced on knees, then opened them again...and saw it.

Blood. On the ground. Fresh blood. He might not be some great cowboy tracker or anything, but a foot-shaped print in blood was fairly easy to identify. Christ. Oh, geezus, his partner was off his rocker and running bare-foot through an industrial park. Bare-bloody-foot. Literally, now. Shit, shit, shit.

Well, at least he could follow him. One print led to another, he half-walked, half-staggered as he followed the damp trail. The gravel and dirt seemed to chase up at him twice. Each time, Joe stopped and stood very still, waiting for the effect to pass.

It was uncomfortably hot out here in the late afternoon sun. LaFiamma had a suspicion that he was beginning to burn. Wondered about Lundy. He was moving very, very slowly now, his feet glued with each step. He had to pull each foot back up, unsticking it, before he could move on. Somewhere inside, he knew that they were not really sticking. It was just the effect of the small dose of that terrible white powder. Worry gnawed at him. If such a small amount did this to him, he feared what was happening to his new partner. Lundy had gotten a faceful.

After an eternity, Joe found his way into a darkened warehouse. The dim light made it hard to follow his partner's trail now. He slowed to a halt, swaying. There. A sound. The drug magnified his senses, making it seem louder than it had been. All to the good, this time - because he knew, just knew, that soft sound was Lundy. Blinking owlishly, LaFiamma turned too quickly and nearly lost his balance.

Waving his arms wildly, he regained his footing, as carefully as a high-wire artist. Now, one foot, then the other, led him on toward the continuing whine which was becoming more pronounced and higher pitched. He watched his own feet move, step, step, step, with fascination. To his great surprise, he found Lundy curled in a heap in front of his feet. The man was convulsing.

This brought renewed awareness to the dark-haired Italian. LaFiamma sank to his knees beside the Texan. Choking, he's choking. LaFiamma grabbed the thin, sharp shoulder and pushed, forcing the blonde onto his side. His own eyes held wide open to keep his focus, Joe pulled his leather walleted badge out of his hip pocket and shoved it into Lundy's mouth.

Levon gagged on the intruding object, but it held his tongue down and he began to swallow more normally. He ceased to shudder and just lay there, badge hanging out of his mouth, arms pulled painfully up behind him, eyes half-shut.

LaFiamma removed the badge and let it drop. Then, with great cunning, crossed his legs and collapsed the rest of the way to the floor. He pulled the narrow blonde over to him and up into his arms. Held the man tightly against his chest, letting them share body warmth. He knew he was radiating heat still from the prolonged exposure to the sun. Lundy was almost cold to the touch, probably shock. Joe closed his eyes against the spinning walls that threatened to fall on him and Lundy. He clutched the cowboy closer still, rubbing his cheek against the tousled blonde curls. "It's gonna be okay, Levon, trust me." His murmur was scratchy. He left his cheek there on the comfortable nest of soft hair and began to hum a lullaby that his mother had sung to him when he was only a bambino.

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

"So where are they? Which hospital, did he say? All right, never mind, I'll put some one on it." Lieutenant Joanne Beaumont, head of the Major Crimes Unit at the Reisner Building, hung up her telephone and tapped her fingers in frustration. Two of her detectives were missing. One was brand new to Houston and it looked like he'd gotten lost, taking his partner with him. She tried not to think about her ex-partner, Levon Lundy, the more experienced Houston cop of the team. According to the dispatcher, Joe LaFiamma, the cop newly transferred from Chicago, had called in at 4:50 PM. He'd reported that their surveillance had turned into a murder and a drug bust gone sour; that his partner, Lundy, had gotten a dose of something during the shooting and LaFiamma was taking him to a hospital. Then he'd signed off.

Two other detectives from Beaumont's MCU, Carol and Dale, had gotten there shortly after the black and whites. They reported that there was powder everywhere and that the crime scene team was having trouble containing it and preventing contamination. So far no one had been able to enter the scene, environmental suits were being sent for.

They had found all of Lundy's clothing, even hat and boots, outside the room but no sign of his gun. They'd also found what appeared to be LaFiamma's shirt and jacket but again, no guns. All the clothing was coated in powder and was being carefully bagged for evidence. Most of it was on Lundy's clothing, the pieces tentatively identified as LaFiamma's had some pressed in to the front. Carol guessed he'd carried Lundy out of the room and the contact places on his shirt and jacket were what had been contaminated.

But, Beaumont's tapping increased, no one had been able to find them. The two men had disappeared. Lundy's jeep was still parked in the police garage and LaFiamma didn't have a vehicle yet. She'd sent down an inquiry to the motor pool but so far no one had been able to find any record of whether or not the team had checked out a plain wrap, no less which one if they had. Someone was going to pay for sloppy record-keeping. Meanwhile, where were they?

Joe Bill McCandless had called all the emergency rooms in Houston, no one had seen them. He was working his way through the yellow pages now, calling clinics, even doctors. Since LaFiamma might be doing this on his own, there was no telling where he might have ended up. He simply did not yet know Houston.

Beaumont had called both Lundy's place and LaFiamma's, on the off chance they'd ended up in one or the other location, but the phones rang on unanswered. She put out an APB on them and looked outside. It was getting late.

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

Joe LaFiamma snuggled closer to the soft curling hair. He felt tired, like he'd run a race. The warm body spooned in front, against him, felt soft and smooth. He let his hands travel down slender, firm upper arms and on down the pronounced ribcage. His hands met across the flat belly, fingers casually dipping into the fine, wiry public hair below. Then he felt the thickening shaft rising from the mound and froze.

[A man.] He hadn't slept with a man in a long time, not since... since college. Where was he? Who was this? He strained to see in the dark, but where ever he was, it was very dark and he couldn't even see his own hands raised to his face. He started to push away from whoever this was when he felt the hard poke of metal on his belly. Questing fingers told him it was handcuffs. The man in front of him was handcuffed. He took a quick, frightened breath and held it, searching his memory frantically for an explanation.

Lundy! His new partner, Levon Lundy. The drug bust gone wrong. It all came flooding back. If it was this dark now, it must be at least evening, maybe even night. Lundy was still breathing, so that was okay. "Lundy?" No answer. Still out. Probably from the greater dose of that powder. Not likely he'd hurt himself now, seemed to be sleeping it off. Joe thought about uncuffing the man, then decided to wait until he had them where there was some light. If he dropped the tiny key in here, there was a good chance he'd never find it.

Extracting himself from his partner, Joe stood and turned around. There. Some faint light. He stooped and felt for Lundy, then carefully gathered the thin form into his arms and lifted. He held Lundy tightly, arms under shoulders and knees, and started cautiously toward the light, placing each foot with searching care.

It took a while, but eventually Joe had Lundy at the entrance to the warehouse, saw that he was standing in the pool of lamplight from a low wattage street light. No one in sight. Not even a vehicle. He tried to picture in his mind where he'd left the car and turned right, began to trudge wearily back the way they'd come. What seemed like years ago.

When the car finally came in sight around a corner, LaFiamma was barely able to stand upright. The sight of that safe haven gave him a renewed burst of energy. When I burn that up, I'm not gonna be good for much for some time, he thought tiredly.

He held his still unconscious partner while he opened the rear door, then eased him in onto the bench. Déjà vu. He picked up the silvery space blanket from the floor of the car and covered Lundy. Closed the door, got behind the wheel and just sat there.

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

Sneaking Lundy into his apartment proved fairly easy. By now it was nearly one in the morning according to the dashboard clock in the car. He'd left his partner in the car long enough to get a full-sized blanket, come back and wrap him in it. Bundled up, he hoisted Lundy back into his arms and carried him in to the elevator and on up to his door. Met no one. Just as well. This would be damn hard to explain.

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

Joe looked at the kitchen clock after settling Lundy on his living room couch. Better call in again. By now they know we didn't go to any hospital. Be sending out the dogs. This was NOT going to earn him any points with his new boss. LaFiamma called into dispatch rather than directly to Beaumont. Told who-ever that there'd been a little problem that he'd gotten lost, but everything was now under control. Lundy was sleeping it off at Joe's apartment and they'd report in, in the morning. Asked that they be clocked off duty for now. The dispatcher had an emergency call come in on another line and signed off quickly.

No unnecessary questions, just as well.

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

LaFiamma went over to Lundy on the couch, and started on getting the cuffs off his partner. Blood again. He flushed. [Oh, god, I'm so sorry, Lundy. Didn't mean to hurt you.] Circling the bleeding wrists, he gently pulled them forward, letting the cuffs drop to the floor. Strange. The backs were reddened, bruised, but not cut open, not bleeding. He sat down on the couch next to Lundy's stretched out body. He turned over the hands.

[Oh, Lundy.] Joe stifled a groan. [Poor bastard.] Both wrists had been slit. Fairly recently. The half-healed scars were abraded open from the chafing of the handcuffs. They were wet, but not bleeding badly. No reason to think that Lundy'd bleed to death now, if he hadn't when he'd tried to do it on purpose. LaFiamma sat there holding the two fine boned hands in his, thinking. [Rose Ellen Hale.] That had to be it. He'd tried to go into the flames after her. At the time, Joe thought Lundy had been trying to save her, but maybe not, maybe he'd just been trying to join her. Like his wife. Poor, poor bastard.

Lundy had been favoring those western-style cotton shirts, all buttoned down, including the cuffs at the wrists. Good way to hide this. These. Joe fingered the raw skin delicately. Have to treat these now, before he does bleed to death slowly.

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

Levon gradually became aware again. He felt like he'd been beaten up. Man, was this a hangover? There were blinding pains in his head, like lightning bolts traveling back and forth inside his skull. He tried to put a hand up to his head. He was restrained by someone. "Easy, Lundy, easy, just stay still a little longer." That was LaFiamma's voice.

He stopped trying to move and cautiously squinted open his eyes. Dim lighting. Not too bad. LaFiamma right there in front of him, holding his hands. Holding his hands? Well, wrists, really. He seemed to be rolling something around one. Then Lundy was sitting straight up in fear.

"Lundy! ...Levon! Relax, it's okay. It's just me, LaFiamma. I'm just wrapping your wrists up. They got rubbed raw by the handcuffs."

Feeling stupid, Lundy repeated, "Handcuffs?"

Joe looked closely into confused and fearful brown eyes. "What do you remember?"

Levon thought. They'd been given a tip and gone after a bust, drug bust. He remembered crashing into the room full... of... white... powder. Oh, damn.

Eyes definitely scared now, LaFiamma decided. "Levon, it's okay. I got you out of there. We're at my apartment. I had to cuff you for a while, you were getting a little violent, didn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Did... did you take me to a...?"

"No, no doctor, no hospital." The tall brunette leaned forward and pressed Lundy back against the soft couch cushions. "Rest. We'll talk when you feel better. Right now, you need to sleep it off a bit more, I think."

Lundy sagged back down under the pressure of his partner's hands. They were gentle, the voice kind. Not much like the nervy man who'd been his new pardner for the last three weeks. His eyes closed even as he fought to remain awake.

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

Beaumont finally got word from the dispatcher as he was going off duty. He'd gotten so busy with other calls, the off-duty sign off of a couple of detectives had slipped his mind. She didn't bother to fight it, just took the information and sat back to breathe a sigh of relief. They were okay and they were in BIG trouble with her. Her mood went from worry to anger in a flash. She picked up the phone again and dialed LaFiamma's number.

The conversation was rather lopsided because LaFiamma sounded very tired and a bit unfocused. He said that Levon was okay, had come out of the drug-induced hallucinations and was sleeping it off on Joe's couch. They were both tired, and Joe asked if they could take the day as a sick day, call in late. Beaumont agreed slowly, putting the phone back down and eyeing it with suspicion. It was nearly 2 AM by now. She called off the APB and headed for home. Those two would have some questions to answer later today even if she had to go out there and ask them personally, but for now, she had gone nearly a double shift and needed to get some sleep herself.

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

When he came to again, early dawn was softly lighting the room. LaFiamma's living room. LaFiamma - the man was sound asleep on the easy chair across from him. Lookin' a bit ragged there.

The brunette was dressed in simple sweatpants and a tank top. In a neat stack on the coffee table beside him, Lundy saw that LaFiamma had left some more sweats for him. Gratefully he struggled upright and pulled the pile toward him. In a few moments he had the shirt on. He nearly died of shock, though, when he tried to put his foot through one pant leg of the sweatpants. Needle sharp pains rocketed up his leg. Lifting his foot, he saw the raw, bloody sole of his foot. Carefully holding the ankle cuff open, he slipped it over the foot and then was forced to do the same thing with the other foot. What had he done to himself? Looked like he'd walked through some rough country barefoot.

Joe snorted and woke himself. Blinking, the sight of his seated partner registered slowly. Lundy was sitting there, dressed in the sweats he'd left out, looking at him warily.

"Ah, g'morning?"

Lundy gave a choking kind of laugh and answered wryly, "Not much good about it from where I'm sittin'."

Joe sat up more alertly. Lundy was sounding like he was back to normal, then Joe remembered the slashed wrists. No necessarily a good thing, Lundy's version of normal. "How you feeling now, Lundy?"

A deep sigh, then, "I reckon I been a hell'ava lot better. What happened to mah feet?"

"Your feet?" [Oh, god, I forgot about them!] LaFiamma was instantly remorseful. "Oh, geesh, sorry, Lundy, I forgot about them. I'll go get some more cloths, some warm water. We're gonna have ta' soak them, clean'em." LaFiamma was up and striding off, leaving a speechless partner behind.

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

Lundy sat on the edge of Joe LaFiamma's couch, both feet submerged in a large plastic wash basin filled with warm water tinted with iodine. Ah'm gonna have pink feet, he thought inconsequentially. He stared at his feet, it saved having to look at his partner. Joe had told him that it was too soon to take anything, even aspirin. Might mix with eny of that drug left in his system. His eyes shifted slightly to his hands, folded in his lap. To the two white bandages neatly wrapped around his wrists. Did Joe realize what he'd seen when he fixed up Lundy? Levon was feeling nervous, self-conscious, and trapped. He didn't dare look up at LaFiamma. Then he'd hafta say somethin' and right now, he really couldn't think of a single blessed thing to say.

Joe LaFiamma stood quietly, studying his partner. Levon looked uncomfortable, but Joe wasn't certain it was just the pain. Give him some privacy. "Look, Lundy, I'm gonna make some food, you need to eat, help your body fight off the rest of that shit."

Lundy looked up now. No questions? No questions. Good, better. "Food? Well, reckon ah could eat a bit."

LaFiamma smiled down affectionately at his cowboy. His cowboy? When did he start thinking like that? Three weeks in Houston and he had his very own cowboy? The startlement showed on his face, briefly. Lundy didn't seem to notice, his eyes had shifted downward again. Poor bastard is embarrassed, Joe decided. "Yeah, how about some scrambled eggs and toast. I'll even make you a cappuch'o."

"Cah - pooch - oh?"

LaFiamma laughed, "Sorry, cappuccino. I was using dialect, it's a family thing. Anyway, how does that sound?"

"Sounds right nice." Lundy let himself relax back onto the cushions. Nuthin' to be done right now and his new partner was acting nice, strange but nice. Enjoy it whilst he could.

Levon was nodding off again when he was surprised by the sounds of LaFiamma beside him. The brunette had just placed a tray on the coffee table in front of him. It looked almost pretty, with a white linen placemat, full settin' of cutlery, cloth napkin and a china plate. The plate was piled high with fluffy lookin' eggs, dotted with green peppers. There was a deep, extra large sized cup with what looked suspiciously like whipped cream in it.

He picked up the cup and sniffed. Smelt coffee and heard a chuckle of amusement. "It's coffee, Lundy. It won't bite. That's just the foamed milk on top."

Sheepishly, Lundy sipped at the steaming concoction. Nice, real nice. Hot, too, like he liked coffee, though he didn't usually put in milk er sugar. Right now though, his body seemed to appreciate the additions. He put the cup down and tasted the eggs. Good, light, tasty. There was buttered toast, looked like wheat bread. He began to eat before he realized that LaFiamma was jest sittin' there acrost from him, watching, not eatin'. "Ain't you gonna have some?"

The dark northerner sat back, crossing his legs casually, tenting his fingers under his chin. "I had some while I was cooking. Had a cup of coffee then too."

"Oh." Lundy tried to think of something else to say. "Um, thanks."

Joe nodded seriously. "No problem." He waited a beat, then added, "After you finish, we'll check on those feet. Then I'm gonna have to go get some more gauze at a drugstore, to wrap them. I used the last here on your wrists."

Lundy went scarlet. It wasn't a slow process, he just suddenly changed colors, almost like a chameleon. LaFiamma, who'd been watching knew that his cowboy was upset about Joey seeing the wrists. "Levon. I won't be saying anything to anyone. Remember that I promised no doctor. I respect your privacy, but we are partners. I'd like to help, if I can."

"Help?"

"Yeah. You want to talk about what you did?"

Lundy didn't pretend to misunderstand what LaFiamma was asking about. He looked up into twin blue headlights, Joe's eyes were luminous. Funny he'd not noticed how purty they were afore now. Big and blue, changeable. He nearly got lost in the blue depths. Pulled himself out with effort. Boy doesn't know the effect he's having on me. Re-focused, he's still waitin' fer an answer. "Not really."

"Okay, long as you don't want to repeat it."

"No." Quietly.

"Go ahead and finish your breakfast then, and I'll run down to the all-night drugstore now. Be back in a few." And LaFiamma was up and moving. Funny, Levon hadn't realized how quick and decisive the man could be. Mebbe because he kept arguing with the brunette, slowing him down and blockin' him, really hadn't given him much of a chance since he got here. Kinda nice to let someone else take charge fer a bit.

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

Joe was not happy about Lundy's feet. They had looked like raw meat when he looked at them earlier. He didn't try to pick out any of the pebbles, grit, and God knows what all then. Soak them first, most of that stuff would fall out. Still, he decided to get some tweezers, just in case.

Armed with a small arsenal of first aid, LaFiamma entered the apartment calling out, "It's me. How you doing?"

Lundy was sitting forward on the couch again, looking antsy. "Okay. Food wuz good, LaFiamma, thanks. Uh..."

Joe hurried into the room. Lundy didn't sound happy at all. "What's the matter?"

Blushing again, Lundy said, "I wuz afraid to walk on yore carpet, leave stains. But, Joe, I gotta go to the bathroom." He looked up helplessly.

Relieved at the nature of the problem, Joe grinned down at his partner. "That's easy, cowboy. I'll just carry you in."

"But -"

"Relax. How do you think I got you here?" And with that, LaFiamma put a brown bag on the coffee table next to the finished breakfast tray and turned to face his partner. "Got a small bathroom downstairs. Toilet really. Full bath is upstairs."

"Ony need to use the toilet," Lundy muttered.

"Okay," and LaFiamma was there, gently removing the feet from the pink water and carefully patting them with a clean dry towel. Then arms were sliding under the cowboy and lifting him into the air. Up against the heavy, wide chest. Levon's head came to rest momentarily against Joe's shoulder, then he lifted his head in further embarrassment. LaFiamma didn't appear to notice. He strode down a short hall past the kitchen area and they were at the bathroom. "I think it'd be better if you can do it sitting down."

LaFiamma proceeded to lower Lundy onto the toilet seat. "If you brace yourself with your hands, I'll pull down the pants." Levon refused to meet his pardner's eyes now, but nodded and did as the man suggested. Then Joey was leaving, not quite closing the door. "Yell when you're ready to leave."

Levon sat there, his feet felt almost comfortable on the cool, smooth linoleum tile flooring. This was definitely going to be a problem. His cock ached from a combination of the need to pee and the imminent hard-on that was trying to rear up. This wuz his pardner. Ony, gettin' that close, he felt so uncomfortable, feeling the warm, firm skin on his hands, against his cheek. Oh, damn, this wuz gonna be a problem. The Chicago cop prob'ly didn't know what he wuz doin' to Levon, but he would soon if hiz body continued to betray him this way. He frowned fiercely.

"Uh, Levon? You okay in there?" LaFiamma outside the door.

"Yeah, almost done." Lundy struggled to get the pants back up while seated, unable to put pressure on his pore feet. "Okay."

LaFiamma came in, all business, quickly and with surety picked up his partner and took him back out to the living room couch and the waiting first aid.

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

When LaFiamma set Lundy back down on the sofa, he put him down sideways so he'd lie along the cushions instead of sit up. Lundy realized that Joe had taken the time to cover the lower end of the couch now - some kind of plastic sheeting, and the coffee table no longer held the consumed breakfast tray, it now held an assortment of medical supplies.

"Levon, I could take you to a doctor now - just for the feet?"

"No. Please, LaFiamma. Looks like yore all set up enyway, just go and do it."

LaFiamma nodded slowly, "O-kay. Well, first off, I'm gonna have to make sure the feet are really clear of all particles. It's gonna hurt, Lundy," he warned.

The blonde nodded. "You got any bourbon?"

LaFiamma shook his head no. "Red wine. Some good cognac, that I'm willing to share under the circumstances."

Lundy accepted, "Fine, jest so ah've got somethin' to nip at while yore pickin' at my feet."

Joe hesitated. It was clear that Lundy was totally over the drugged reaction, guess it's okay to let him have the alcohol. He hadn't lied, this was going to hurt... a lot.

LaFiamma got out a large magnifying glass he used for reading fine print, the tweezers, and the rest of the medical paraphernalia. He placed the bottle of cognac and a glass beside Lundy, then slipped under the plastic sheet at the other end of the couch, so that he had Lundy's feet resting on their undamaged heels in his lap.

A fresh basin of hot water, cloths and a trash basket lined with a plastic bag stood by. Joe picked up the tweezers and the glass and bent over the long, elegant, raw feet.

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

Done. Joe sat back and rested, head against the sofa backing. He was so tense he had trouble moving. He just sat there, hands resting on Lundy's ankles. Levon had passed out some time back, from the combination of cognac (he'd finished the whole damn bottle, though it had only been a third full) and pain. Joe looked over at Lundy's face. The face was frozen in a look of pure agony, even unconscious. Tear tracks had dried across his face. His lower lip trailed a line of drying blood where the blonde had bit himself at one point. Stubborn man.

Joe simply sat for another moment, then sighed. Time to put on simple sterile dressing pads and wrap each foot. There really hadn't been very much left imbedded in the feet but enough. Picking it out, then probing for more, that was what had finally pushed Lundy into oblivion. The man had been in excruciating pain.

Better to finish this while he was still out. Joe leaned over the thin legs and got what he needed, packing the feet carefully and wrapping them just tightly enough so that the pads would stay in place without adding undo pressure. He wasn't going to be walking anywhere, any time soon. That done, he went ahead and unwrapped the wrists and checked on them. Healing again. Looking better already. The abrasions had changed the nature of the scars, too. If Joe hadn't seen them open and bleeding, he'd not now know that the original damage had been knife slits. Looked like roughly torn skin now, Lundy'd be able to say it came from the handcuffs and not even a doctor would argue.

Joe got out from under Levon's legs now and eased the feet down onto a fresh, soft towel, removing the plastic. Too sticky and not needed now.

He crouched down next to the Texan and wiped the contorted face with a fresh, cold cloth. Man, was he gonna have a headache, likely match the pain in his feet. Joe shook his head. Once Levon had a chance to rest and came to naturally, Joe would show him the wrists and suggest that they could take Lundy into a hospital and it would be all right now. Joe shifted balance and began putting all the medical supplies that were still useful into the pharmacy bag. The other stuff went into the trash container, then he cleared everything away, even the empty cognac bottle.

When he came back, Lundy still looked the same, though his facial features had eased a bit. Joe went down on his knees beside his partner and bathed the face again from a dish of water with ice cubes floating in it. He'd brought a glass of water, too and some crushed ice in a bowl. Sitting back down on his heels, he tended to his... friend? Maybe. After this. Three weeks of fighting and arguing. Three weeks of misery, far from home and all that was familiar, 'stranger in a strange land.' I wish I was home now. Joe closed his eyes for a moment and could almost smell Aunt Teresa's fresh pesto sauce, the garlic and basilico redolent in the air. He opened his eyes only to find large brown ones staring into his. They were as brown as anyone's in his own family. His own blue ones were an anomaly. He sank into home in those eyes, family.

Lost in thoughts of home, Joe didn't realize that his hand had wandered onto Levon's chest, begun to play with the hand resting there. Levon spoke in a low whisper. "Joe? It all over now?"

Joe blinked back to the present, hastily trying to release Lundy's hand. Only the cowboy had grabbed, more like reflex than thought, and held on with a death-defying grip now. Joe swallowed hard and looked back up into those oh, so familiar brown eyes. "Yeah. For now, it's over. The dressings'll have to be changed, but shouldn't hurt that bad again, as long as you don't try to stand on 'em for a while."

Levon nodded. "I figgered that part out all by myself."

Joe grinned. "Glad to know you can do some things without any help."

"Well, managed purty well afore ah got me a persnickety, know-it-all new pardner." There was a definite gleam of amusement in eyes that had been windows of pain only a short time ago.

"How do the feet feel?"

"They's throbbing like the big bass drum in a parade at the moment, I kin almost feel'em swelling and shrinking." Levon hadn't yet tried to even lift his head, he felt utterly exhausted. He knew Joe was worried about all the liquor he'd drunk, but the pain had washed it right out of his system. All he felt was his feet, and a very dry mouth. "Kin I have some water?"

"Sure." Joe finally pulled his hand free now. With one hand behind Lundy's head to support it up a bit, he held the glass to his partner's lips. "How's that?" he asked after a moment.

"Good, thanks." Lundy closed his eyes.

Joe put down the glass. He lowered Levon's head and started to pull his hand away but his fingers were enmeshed in the thick golden curls at the nape of Lundy's neck. Of their own accord, his fingers began to play with the tempting hair, like he'd daydreamed of doing a few times already.

Lundy didn't open his eyes but his hand began to search again for Joe's free one. LaFiamma hesitated. [Something's happening here, not sure it should be encouraged.] But he couldn't resist. He laid his hand in front of the searching path, on Lundy's chest. Found, the other man's hand stroked the back of Joe's hand, then wove fingers through his, thumb stroking Joe's open palm.

Suddenly hard, Joe moved uncomfortably on his knees. Both hands occupied, he couldn't adjust his clothes and his dick was filling out fast. Damn, his own partner. What was he doing, for Christ's sake? This could NOT be a good idea. But the temptation was too much, he leaned forward and let his lips taste the blonde's. They were soft, moist, cool from the ice water. They opened for him. Inviting him inside. His tongue thrust forward hungrily, and then he was sucking, nursing those wonderful lips, lips that reacted in kind. The battle of the bullpen had moved to new turf. Now they were wrestling with their mouths, trying to consume each other in flaring passion. Somehow, Lundy's other hand and arm had come up behind Joe's back and was pressing him closer to the reclining cowboy. Holding him fast.

LaFiamma was pulling Lundy up now into his arms, back against his chest. His hands traveled over the slim frame, met and held, circling Lundy with his arms. Holding him tight. Levon's arms formed an outer circle around Joe's wide shoulders, squeezing the heavy muscles with lean ones of his own. They were breathing into each other's mouths now, panting as if they'd run a long way.

Joe couldn't get enough of the salty, sweet taste of Texas cowpoke. He lapped his way up the bony face, sucking and licking at cheekbones, eyebrows. His hand had moved again, back into that wonderfully soft, curly hair, fingers snarling it as he tugged and pulled, forcing Lundy to stillness in his grasp. Levon's eyes finally opened and looked into the damask blue-black eyes of love so close. Didn't bother to think, jest slipped a hand up to brush at the wing of dark hair that perpetually fell forward over the dark Italian's face. Let his own fingers begin to discover the thick strands of dark, silken hair presented. Then slide down the beautiful face and cup the strong jaw, bring it back to his mouth.

Both were moaning now, kissing indiscriminately whatever they could reach. No words had been spoken. Joe still knelt upright beside Levon who was twisted sideways and up against Joe's chest. In that moment, passion-fired, Lundy flung out a leg as if to mount the man in his arms. The top of that foot struck a glancing blow to the edge of the coffee table. Lundy saw stars, cried out sharply, and passed out in Joe's arms.

LaFiamma froze at the cry and then he was holding an unconscious man again. Looking down, he saw where Lundy had hit his foot, it hung there off the sofa, next to the table's edge. Easy to see what had happened. It was doubtful that Lundy had damaged anything, but it had to have hurt bad. Slowly, he began to recover his breathing, shaking as he held Lundy's body. He carefully lowered the cowboy back on to the couch. Released him.

Joe fell back down on his heels, felt his erection shrinking now. He looked down at his raised hands, they were shaking like he had palsy. He began to slow his breathing, taking measured breaths, easing his own body back down from a precipice. Geesh. All that heat, that fire. Where had it come from? He'd not wanted someone so badly since Jake, back in Chicago. And that had been unrequited love, almost puppy love. Well, he and Lundy'd been fighting since they'd met. For three weeks now. All that energy, anger. With honest self-assessment, LaFiamma had to admit that most of the anger came from him, Lundy was just reacting to it.

LaFiamma looked at the unconscious man in front of him. A slight blonde, a Texan, a cowboy. Talks funny, walks funny. Lundy had said that about him, too. He put a hand down the front of his sweat pants and rearranged his now reduced cock.

Like to put that inside you, you little blonde wildcat. Oh, yeah. Like to do that. The very thought was enough to re-ignite his own fire, he could feel his erection returning as well. Levon Lundy, Joe tried the name out. Weird. Just yesterday... I think I fell in love with him the moment he finally broke down and asked for something, asked me for help, trusted me to take care of him. Before that, it was probably suppressed lust. Manifested as anger. That could explain a lot, he thought, rocking on his knees to give his growing member room.

Poor Lundy. Wonder if he even knew what he was doing just now. He did drink all that liquor and even if he sounded sober, he probably wasn't. If he doesn't remember this... Joe rubbed his jaw tiredly. Forced himself to get back up to his feet. It seemed a steep climb. He wrung out a cloth and wiped his own face, then redampened it and wrung it again, putting it carefully on the broad, pale forehead of the man he now knew that he loved.

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

The door chime rang followed closely by a pounding at his door. LaFiamma looked up from his contemplation of his sleeping partner. Now who? He looked through the spyhole in the door. Beaumont. Oh, boy.

Joe opened the door with trepidation, "Uh, hi, Lieutenant. You want some coffee?"

"Where's Levon?" Beaumont brushed by her new detective, looking for the senior member of the team. She spun around to face LaFiamma just inside the door. "I want some answers as to why one of my teams leaves the site of a crime and simply goes home. No report, no check in, nothing!" Not waiting for an answer, she began to storm into the front room. "Do you know I had an APB out on you two-"

She broke off her diatribe at the sight of Lundy lying on the couch, looking pale, sound asleep. Beaumont walked over to her ex-partner and looked down at him, then back up at LaFiamma who stood poised near the door still, ready to go into fight or flight from the looks of it. She didn't say anything more, just jerked her chin at him to come over by her.

Joe reluctantly left the relative safety of the entryway. He knew they were in trouble. Trying to help Lundy, he'd made a right balls of it. Best take the medicine. Maybe they didn't shoot'em down here for mistakes, not like Chicago. That flashback to his dead partner and the mobster contract still out on Joe braced him back up. No, whatever it was, it wouldn't be that bad. At least this time, his partner was still alive. He came to a stop beside Beaumont and turned to check Levon whose unconscious state had segued into sleep and who now slept on oblivious to the tension in the room.

Joe was relieved to see that the blanket he'd covered Lundy with hid the wrists and the feet. He might be able to pull this off, keep his promise to Lundy after all.

This hope was short-lived. Beaumont reached over and pulled back the blanket, her eyebrows going up and her face taking on a pallor as she saw the bandages on Lundy. "Joe?" she hissed.

"Come on, Lieutenant, come into the kitchen and I'll give you some coffee, we can talk and not wake him. He needs the sleep."

Beaumont's anger had vanished. Now she was hesitating between fear and confusion. LaFiamma didn't seem very worried, though. She followed the tall Italian behind the breakfast bar and stood beside him as he poured her a cup of strong black coffee. He poured one for himself as well.

"Guess you need to hear what happened - " he began.

"Yes, I think so." The clipped tones told LaFiamma that he better not hold anything back. Well, she was Lundy's old partner, he'd learned that much already in his three weeks. And, she was willing to go to bat for her people.

Taking a deep breath and a sip of his strong brew, LaFiamma leaned back against the refrigerator door and began.

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

"And that's it, Lieutenant. He was coming out of it when I woke up, said he didn't like hospitals and couldn't we just sleep it off. So, since I don't know my way around too well yet, I brought him here. He got the injuries to his wrists when I cuffed him and he run off. Same with his feet, only I didn't notice them 'til this morning. Was more worried about the drug."

Beaumont had listened in fascination to LaFiamma's report. It all made sense, sort of. She didn't fully buy why LaFiamma didn't take Lundy to the hospital anyway, after they both woke up in the warehouse, but that could wait. She had a feeling she needed to talk to Levon about that. LaFiamma was looking very pale, despite a bad case of sunburn on his shoulders and nose. Lundy was not going to be on duty for a bit. Takes time to re-grow skin, bottom of the feet especially.

She stood deep in thought and Joey left her alone. He'd done all he could. Left out the knife cuts on Lundy's wrists. That was up to Lundy to tell her. Rest of it was pretty much the truth. He hadn't mentioned their new 'understanding' which might not exist anyway if Lundy didn't remember, and besides, police departments frowned on significant others-type relationships, especially between partners. Best to just keep quiet.

Beaumont was a very smart woman. She hadn't gotten to her position on looks, she'd done it on competence, intelligence, and savvy. Considering all she'd heard and now saw, it was clear that Lundy would need either to be in a hospital or have a babysitter for at least a few days. It was also clear that his new partner seemed willing to fit that bill, even though they'd been at each other's throats for the last three weeks. This might turn things, get them working as a team finally, a cooperative team. She did need a report, but that could be done here. She could even send out a stenographer to take both of their statements.

"LaFiamma, if Lundy wants to stay here and not go in a hospital, then will you keep him here?"

Surprised and pleased, Joe smiled. "Sure thing, Lieutenant."

"He needs to have a doctor look at his feet especially. We don't want infection setting in. I have a family physician, who still makes house calls. I'll call him. Dr. Tom will come out here and look Levon over. If he is satisfied, then Lundy stays with you and you stay out on sick leave too. We'll call it recovering from exposure to the drugs for both of you. But, I'm going to have to have a medical report to substantiate, and Tom can do that, too."

LaFiamma had stilled at the mention of this 'Dr. Tom' but commonsense dictated that there was no point in fighting it. Since it wasn't a hospital, they might be able to work something out - IF the doctor recognized the wrist injuries for what they'd originally been. Joe had a feeling though that it would no longer be possible to tell. All he had to do was convince Lundy, keep him calm when he found out what was gonna happen. Joe closed his eyes. Even in his imagination, that was not a pretty sight.

Beaumont finished her coffee and left, Lundy having blacked out originally, had now slept through the entire visit.

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

Joe cleaned up the coffee cups, puttered around the kitchen and went to check on Lundy frequently. He still slept. Joe began to seriously consider waking him, just to warn him about the impending visit by 'Dr. Tom.' Much as he wasn't looking forward to that confrontation, he didn't think the idea of springing the doctor on Lundy was gonna be a good one either.

In the end, Joe finally sat down on the now cleared coffee table in front of Lundy's sleeping form. Joe's knees bumped the couch under Lundy as he leaned over the blonde and gently began trying to wake him, patting his shoulder and calling softly. When this didn't work, Joe shook more firmly and spoke louder. "Lundy! You gotta wake up! Come on, Lundy! Wake up." Grudgingly, two dark brown eyes peered through slitted eyelids at him.

Levon stretched back slowly, arms going above his head as he arched. He winced at the feel of his feet when he flexed them, thought better of it and eased off. He looked up at his hovering pardner. With a start, he recalled the events just prior to hitting his foot on the table and going out again. Joe didn't look mad. In fact, those bowed lips looked mighty tasty, might jest have to have some more. He smiled up at LaFiamma, raising one hand to let a finger trace the outline of that curving mouth.

Guess he remembers, LaFiamma thought with infinite relief. Guess it's okay. He reached out now and laid a hand on the side of Lundy's face, warming it, feeling the skin beneath, letting his love show. "Hey, guy, how you feelin' now?"

"You wake me up jest to ask that?" The drawl was soft and there was amusement in the tone.

"Well, I did want to see your eyes again," Joe murmured with a smile, letting his tongue out to lick and pull at Levon's inquisitive finger. For a moment, LaFiamma considered just enjoying things now that he knew it was okay with his partner, but there was still the doctor and his promise to Lundy, now about to be broken.

Something about the changing expressions on LaFiamma's face gave Lundy pause. The boy was worried about somethin'. 'Bout us? "This okay with you, boy? I mean 'us' being like this?" Levon was suddenly fearful that he'd dreamed the events he thought he remembered. But Joe hadn't pulled back from his finger, and now had a hand on Levon's face. Those were encouragin' signals.

LaFiamma nodded, then hesitated. Shit, here goes nothing. "Lundy. Ah, Levon, Beaumont was here." His partner had stiffened and a new look, wary, was in those melting eyes now.

"What'd she want? What'd she say?"

Joe took a deep breath. "She was ticked off at us for disappearing yesterday. I had called in after I got you outta the crime scene, told 'em I was taking you to a hospital. Then we never showed up, and I didn't call in again until early morning."

Lundy was watching LaFiamma with a reserved look now. "But you didn't take me to no hospital..."

"No, I promised you I wouldn't." Joe paused, "Levon, what do you remember?" They had yet to talk about what had happened, what with tending to Lundy, his extended reaction to the drugs he'd inhaled, and all the time Joey himself had been out of it.

"Not much, jest bits and pieces." Levon let his hands fold over his stomach and continued to look closely at LaFiamma. "You want to tell me what went down?"

Joe nodded. "You started tripping on that powder almost immediately. I had to slug you, drop you unconscious to get you out and take away your gun." Lundy flushed and dropped his eyes for a moment, then looked back up and waited. "I stripped you - your clothes were covered with powder, then got you out to the car. Had to leave my shirt and jacket, too, I'd gotten it off of you when I carried you out." Joe wasn't sure how Lundy would take the next part, but he continued, "I cuffed you so you wouldn't hurt yourself and covered you with a blanket. Called in to report the incident and then rolled."

Lundy waited, he knew there was more. He had injuries that still hadn't been explained, and earlier, when Joe had treated them, he'd been too blurry first, and later too occupied with other thoughts, to hear what happened.

Joe's eyes took on a distant look. "I got us away from the scene just before the black and whites started showing up. You had asked me not to take you to a doctor, I figured it was a good idea not to be there when they showed up, under the circumstances."

Lundy nodded encouragingly.

"You know, I really don't know Houston that well yet...?"

Again a nod.

"Well, I was trying to find my way out of that warehouse district, slowed at a light, and you went nuts. Tried to jump me, then jumped out the window - I still don't know how you managed that with your hands cuffed behind you - and took off for the hills."

Lundy absorbed all this. "Took off?"

"You ran - like a fucking rabbit! I couldn't follow you in the car, you took off across the lots."

Levon almost smiled at the look of frustration on LaFiamma's face. "So what did you do when I lit out fer the hills?"

Joe frowned. "I followed you! Only, I had to go on foot and you were so fast. I lost you for a bit, then spotted your tracks."

"Tracks?"

"Bloody footprints. Remember, you were naked. You were tripping badly on that faceful you got and guess you just didn't feel it while you were tearing up your feet. By then, I was going in and out, too. Must have gotten some of the drug, when I came in to get you out of that room. I remember everything going into slow motion as I followed your prints. Finally tracked you down inside an unused warehouse. You know, that whole district, I never saw another soul? Damn, it was weird, so empty like that. Anyway, I must have collapsed by you, 'cause next thing I remember is waking up in the dark next to you. You were sleeping. I carried you out, back to the car and got us to my apartment somehow. Uncuffed you. Called in again, left word with the dispatcher that you were all right, just sleeping off the hit and so we hadn't gone to a hospital after all. The rest, well you've been awake on and off since then, guess you remember some of it, anyway?"

"Yeah, I think so. Remember this." Lundy took one of Joe's hands now and began to stroke the palm with his fingers. Joe let out a small sigh, almost a groan of pleasure.

"Mmm. Yeah." Then he straightened and pulled his hand away. "There's more."

"What? Jest spit it out, LaFiamma." Somehow, calling his new partner by his first name was a novelty that Levon wasn't ready to adopt jest yet, leastwise in this particular conversation.

"Beaumont. She's gonna let us both have sick leave until you get on your feet again. Only she wanted you checked out, she's worried about you, Lundy!" Joe had seen the fire in his partner's eyes near the end of his statement and turned the rest into an appeal.

"And you said?" dangerously, quietly.

"Lundy, I didn't have a choice. She's the boss here! But she was willing to send a doctor here, someone she called Dr. Tom."

Lundy relaxed. He knew Tom Barrett. It might work out. He realized that LaFiamma was waiting now for his reaction, looking worried.

"Okay, but no need to tell him what you see'd, LaFiamma, on mah wrists."

LaFiamma nodded slowly. "You remember me asking you if you planned to try again?" Lundy just stared at him. "You said no. If you meant it, then I won't say anything."

"Ah meant it." Levon's eyes had turned cold at the implied threat.

"Okay, then." Joe watched as the hand that had been outstretched was withdrawn. He cringed internally, but plowed ahead with determination. "From what I could see, the handcuff's rubbed open the scars and dragged them pretty raw. I don't think even a doctor could tell now that you... you tried to -"

"To kill mahself, LaFiamma, to kill mahself." Lundy let his head fall back and closed his eyes. There really wasn't any more to say.

But Joe wasn't through. "Levon? Beaumont gave me a choice for you. You can go into a hospital or you can stay here with me. She could see that you can't put any weight on those feet for a few days." He waited. Silence. "I told her you'd stay here." Still silence. "Levon, look man, I'm sorry that I had to break my promise about a doctor. What was I supposed to do?"

Lundy opened his eyes and glanced over at LaFiamma. Boy looked right agitated. He'd tried to keep his promise, that much was clear. Lundy couldn't see any other way the boy coulda handled it, but dang it, a promise... that wuz a man's word.

LaFiamma was fixed on Lundy's face now, almost holding his breath as he waited for an answer. Dear god, don't let this come between us now, not when we are just starting to find each other. Please god. Unconsciously, he was wringing his hands in his lap now.

Lundy saw the nervous movements, the tension in his young pardner. His beautiful, ready for love, pardner. Weren't no way outta this one, he thought. Reaching out, he put one hand over the twisting hands of the man in front of him. "Jest what you did, boy. Jest what you did."

The sadly spoken words seemed to crush LaFiamma further. It was suddenly all too much. Something inside of Joe just gave up. He slumped forward and put his face in his hands, began to cry. Not loudly, but the shaking shoulders and gusty, damp catches of breath told the story.

Lundy stared in shock. He'd done this to LaFiamma. Broken the man's spirit somehow. He stopped himself. He knew how - he'd held him accountable fer something that was beyond his control. Mebbe Levon needed to rethink. Codes of the west, man's word. What did they really mean? He lay there, thinking as his partner sat crying quietly across from him. Boy isn't reaching out to me ner nuthin'. Jest gave up, from the looks of it. In a paradigm shift that sent his world into a totally new perspective, Lundy looked at Joe LaFiamma weeping openly in front of him and thought back to his own night of tears after Caroline died, then another after Rose Ellen. How he'd not been able to forgive himself for failing them. How he'd decided death before dishonor. Who wuz he foolin'? He'd always done hiz best for Caroline. It was not hiz fault. Rose Ellen? He'd done what he could, no way he could have stopped what happened. He had no cause to feel dishonor. And, LaFiamma? He'd tried to do what Levon asked, it was clear he'd almost gone renegade in the process. In the end, he'd made a virtuous compromise, done the right thing. Mebbe not what Lundy had wanted, but the right thing. And now he wuz hittin' hizself up side of the haid fer it.

LaFiamma surrendered to his flooding emotions. The sadness and disappointment in Lundy's voice, after those cold eyes had drilled holes in Joe, it was just too much. He'd tried to help. He had. But he'd failed, he could see it in his partner's eyes, hear it in his voice. Here he thought he'd just found someone special, someone to love, who'd love him back. Take him out of his loneliness, his misery down here in Texas. Instead, he'd just found more rejection. He knew he was exhausted, he hadn't really slept except for when he'd passed out in the warehouse and he wasn't sure how much rest he'd gotten with the drug still in his system then. He was despairing. It was simply too much. It was a relief to let the tears come. Painful and cleansing. The empty place in his heart tore at him. The events of the last 24 hours ripped his gut and savaged his feelings. He began to shake with reaction, his crying took on a hysterical edge.

Hands, gentle, warm hands caught at him, one cupping the back of his head, the other gripping his arm. They tugged, pulled, and he fell forward, back onto his knees beside the couch. The hands kept pulling, until he was lying across Lundy's chest, face buried in the soft sweatshirt. One hand rubbed at his back now, the other stroked his head, brushing back the longish hair and easing the hurt. A voice, low and calm, loving. "Joey?" Who called him 'Joey' down here? "Joey? Calm down, I'm all right and so are you. WE are gonna be all right. Now jest you calm down, you hear, boy?"

Joe snuffled and the crying jag seemed to stop of its own accord. He let his arms drop to the sides of Lundy's body, let his hands slide under and relax against the warmth.

The loving movements of the hands did not stop. "Joey? You okay now? I'm sorry, didn't mean to get after you like that. I'm sorry, boy, now you jest calm down."

LaFiamma wiped his eyes on the shirt with a movement of his head, not releasing his partner. Afraid to look into those cold eyes again, even though the voice sounded comforting and warm now.

The sound of the doorbell jarred both men.

"The doctor." Joe's voice sounded strange, even to his own ears. He sat up, not letting himself meet Lundy's eyes. Rubbed his own wet ones with the heels of his hands, let the hands drag down his face, wiping away tear tracks.

"Joey?"

The soft voice pierced LaFiamma, but he couldn't look now, couldn't answer. There was no time, not with the doctor at the door. Ignoring the question, the brunette stood and pulled back his shoulders. "I'll go let him in."

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

The doctor turned out to be a tall, lean, stooped specimen of Texas, balding and hawk faced. His spectacles clung to the tip of his nose, threatening to fall right off as he nodded and shook his head over Levon's feet. He'd questioned Joe closely about the treatments that Joe had done on the feet so far. Then he turned his attention directly to Lundy, asking questions about what Levon could do and feel.

In the end, he declared the feet to be in no danger of permanent damage. (Joe had already suspected this.) That there didn't appear to be any nerve damage, (Levon could have attested to this), and that the sterilization method and cleansing that LaFiamma had done was effective and should be regularly repeated, using the iodine (prescription strength, he started writing). He put Levon on a course of antibiotics for safety sake, but noted that the blonde's temperature was in the normal range and his eyes were bright and clear.

While the two men looked on with a mix of fear and hope, the doctor removed the wraps on Lundy's wrists and stared at the abraded skin. "Strange how it only cut up the inside of yore wrists, Levon." Tom Barrett held both long bony wrists in his hands, turning them with care to check them all the way around. "I see deep bruising on the backs but only the fronts got torn up."

Joe spoke up know, "Lundy was totally out of it while he had those on, he didn't even know how the injuries to his wrists, and feet, had happened." Joe tried to project sincerity without any trace of falseness, after all he was telling the truth. "I found him on the floor of a warehouse, I think he may have torn them when he skidded down on his back, he'd been running hard, and his wrists were turned so that the insides were facing outwards when he hit."

Barrett nodded. There was somethin' else goin' on here, he could tell. The one called LaFiamma had come to the door with reddened eyes, like he'd been cryin' of all things. Big strapping boy like that. Seemed mighty upset about somethin' but spoke real well-mannered, to the point, no whinin'. His patient, Levon Lundy, was an old acquaintance, he'd known the man's grandpappy. Knew his boss, Joanne Beaumont, knew they'd been partners fer a spell. Whatever wuz goin' on here, the patient wuz gonna be fine with time and care and it looked like his new partner was prepared to give it to'm. Nuf said. "All right, young Levon, you jest stay off of them feet fer a few days, start to heal up the tears in yore feet." He turned to LaFiamma, "And you, boy, got yore job cut out for ya - keeping this'un from trying to walk! I'll write up instructions, allow you to pick up a wheel chair from mah clinic, you kin turn it in when he don't need it no more. Yore gonna be a busy nurse, Joe."

With a firm look, and twinkling eyes, Tom Barrett had swung to face Lundy. "Doctor's orders, Little Levon, you foller yore partner's instructions. No sassin'. You'll be jest fine."

It had taken a bit to re-wrap everything, but Barrett stayed to supervise LaFiamma so that they would both know that it was properly done. When Joe went into the bathroom to wash his hands afterwards, Barrett sat down on the chair beside Lundy's couch.

"All right, Levon, what wuz that scene all about?" The firm, no-nonsense tone warned Lundy not to waste time.

But Levon really wasn't too sure what Tom meant at first. "Uh, Doc, what do you-?"

"Yore pardner, man. That boy is hurtin' somethin' powerful, looks like he's been cryin' too. Jest what happened here? Should I find somewhere's else fer you?"

"No!" Lundy was anxious that LaFiamma not hear this particular conversation, so he hurried on, "We had a misunderstanding. It wuz jest gettin' straightened out when you came. It'll be okay, Joey will be fine, Ah'll see to it."

"You best do so. I admire the way that boy is looking after you, Levon, figure he deserves better than it looked like he'd been gettin'."

"Ah'm gonna take real good care o'him, Tom, honest." Levon didn't see Joe entering the room, the sofa back was in the way. LaFiamma stopped at Levon's words, flushed, and opened his mouth to speak but Barrett, who saw him, gave an imperceptible shake of his head.

"I'll hold you to that, Little Levon. You want to tell me about it at all?"

Lundy hesitated. He didn't want to talk to Barrett about him and Joe, but the man wasn't makin' this easy. "We're new together, Tom. He's only been down here fer about three weeks, from up north, Chicago." Barrett's eyebrows rose. "I - I been givin' him a hard time, the whole bullpen has, but he's a good cop. Real decent. Tries hard. He's smart, jest tends to push sometimes instead of waiting. I figger that we're gettin' our rhythm down now. We're gonna make a real good team. I know Ah kin depend on him. Think he knows the same."
By this time, LaFiamma's eyes were wet again and Barrett decided to end the moment. He'd drawn quite a bit out of Lundy and figured that it might not have come out face to face with his new partner. Such things needed to be said for a good working relationship...and whatever else might be going on here. Barrett had a suspicion, but he refused to speculate. They had enough trouble as it was, no sense makin' more for them. Standing up, he lifted his head clearly and let his eyes widen in greeting. "Joe, glad you're back. I have to go now."

Timing is everything Barrett thought as he watched the misty-eyed LaFiamma come up beside him, and turn to look down at the flustered Lundy. For a heart-stopping moment, he thought they'd do something in front of him that they'd later regret, but the tall brunette simply turned to the doctor and blinked, then said, "Thanks for everything, doc."

Barrett nodded and shook his hand. He waved to Levon, who looked bright pink with blush now, and followed the ex-Chicago cop to the door. "You need to get those prescriptions filled soon. Call them in to my clinic pharmacy, number's on the paper, and that way, you kin pick up them and the chair at the same time. If you call now, should be ready in about an hour."

"Thanks again, doc." LaFiamma shut the door with relief. He had to call in the prescriptions, and, he had to talk with Levon.

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

It was nearly noon now. Joe decided whatever else was said would go down better with some food and some beer. He told Lundy what he was going to do and handed him the telephone and paper so the Texan could do the call in on prescriptions. Joe busied himself in the kitchen, making two simple sandwiches and opening two beers. He arrived back in front of Lundy just as his partner was hanging up the telephone. Putting the lunch down on the coffee table, Joe came up behind Levon and said, "Let me help you sit up some." He put his hands under Lundy's armpits and lifted, dragging the man back a bit and upwards. A quick grab for one of the couch pillows piled on the floor, and he had Lundy braced up in a semi-sitting position. Before he could pull free, however, Levon had pressed hard with his arms against his ribs, trapping Joe's hands. "Levon?"

"Joe, you gonna stay out here with me now?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay." Levon released the brunette's hands and took up a beer. Pulling at the longneck, he waited until LaFiamma was seated across from him with a beer in hand. "Seems ta me, we wuz in the middle o' conversing when Doc Barrett showed up." He paused to take another sip of courage. "Joe... Ah AM sorry about what you been through with all this. You did real well. You took care of me, tried to keep yore promise, did what you could. I don't blame you for nothin' and I want you to know that."

LaFiamma's head had dropped at Levon's first words and he sat there now, seeming to contemplate the carpet in front of him. "Joe?" Levon waited. This man wuz worth it. He knew now that he'd wait a lifetime for this'un.

Joe was crying again, silently this time. He looked up, the tears streaming down his face. He was so strung out emotionally that he really didn't know if he was crying in sorrow, in pain, or in joy. He'd been touched by Levon's words about him to the doctor. He suddenly felt accepted for the first time. In some ways, it was more powerful to him than the thought of Levon becoming his lover. Still, that thought was roiling through him, too, making him flush with awakened desire and love. He did love this cowboy. Hadn't a clue how it had happened but there it was. "I think I love you, Levon." The words came out on their own, were softly spoken and fell, like small tufts of down, to drift across the room to Lundy.

Levon felt as if his world had just burst into color, bright and beautiful, all emanating from one source, Joey. His. All his now. How blind he had been. He put the beer down on the table and opened his arms wide. "Joey. Come here, baby."

Drawn with a terrifying immediacy, LaFiamma nearly dropped his own beer, setting it down quickly and stepping over the table and straight into Lundy's arms. Landing on the edge of the couch, he melted into those welcoming arms. "Levon?" Joe sounded breathless and scared. It was a question and an exclamation all at once.

Levon's hands came up around the brunette's face, his thumbs brushing away the tears there. "Oh, Chicago, oh, Chi, I know that I love you." Lundy's voice was grating with his emotions, loving, tender, and happy. Levon's warm breath was moist and intimate in Joey's ear as he lay his head on Lundy's shoulder. He smiled. No one had ever called him that before. He liked it.

Finis?