A Medal for Joe
By MAC

Sully was looking especially self-important as he entered the HPD Major Crimes Unit bullpen. He was escorting a US Marine Captain who was dressed in full uniform for daytime. The officer looked like a recruiter. He was carrying a small black box, flat, long and narrow.

They walked straight back to Beaumont's office. Levon Lundy, who'd been getting coffee in the break room, watched the little parade without much curiosity. Took a sip of the brew and made a face, it was too weak by far but he'd not been able to convince the others who used the pot that a stronger mixture would taste better. He took up the instant coffee mix on the counter and added a heaping spoonful to his mug. That would give it a kick.

Wandering back to his desk, he took another sip as two men entered the room from the hallway, both had PRESS badges on, one was carrying a camera. They looked vaguely familiar, probably from the Houston Chronicle.

Both heading directly for Beaumont's office as if they'd been summoned.

"What's that all about?" Joe LaFiamma's voice was in the low ranges.

Meant he wuz calm and only a little interested, Levon thought. He'd learned to read hiz partner's voice pretty well. The man came into view as he walked past Lundy from the hall, heading for his desk. He'd been out at the men's room when Sully'd arrived.

"Doan rightly know. But Sully's in there already with Joann. Reckon it has to be some publicity thing."

"Then let's head for the road, partner, whenever Sully gets an idea, it means trouble for us working stiffs." LaFiamma sounded amused and serious at the same time.

Man really didn't like publicity. 'Course they'd both had some pretty bad run-ins with members of the press over the past year or so.

Lundy set down his mug regretfully. Coffee'd almost tasted adequate, hate to leave it. But Joe was probably right. Best git afore they got roped into whatever wuz going down. Others in the room evidently had the same idea.

There was a general consensus that far away from Sully and his antics was a good idea. Levon saw Joe-Bill and Esteban rising from their desks, Carol shutting down her computer terminal, even Nate closing a file. Each was trying to look casual, but all were edging toward the door when Beaumont came out of her office, leading her visitors.

"Hold it right there." The no - nonsense tone of voice, the brisk order. Everyone stopped and looked a trifle embarrassed. "No one's leaving just now. We have a special event that I'd like you all to stay and witness."

Joe LaFiamma froze. Sully was smiling directly at him. [Oh, no. Whatever it is, no.] He nearly broke for the door but Levon had seen his look and grabbed his arm, effectively keeping him from escape.

"Yore not going anywhere, LaFiamma. Iffn Ah hafta stay, so do you."

With an angry look at his partner, LaFiamma stilled and faced the crowd of people behind Beaumont. She didn't look too upset, though, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
By now everyone else realized that they were not on the spot and so began to settle back to enjoy the confrontation they expected to see once they saw that LaFiamma was the center of interest to the group. With Joe, they could always depend on fireworks.

Lundy had figgered out that Sully was aimin' at hiz pardner, Joe LaFiamma. This ain't gonna be pretty. Joe hates publicity. Sorry now that he'd stopped the brunette's retreat, Lundy stepped close in a show of support, shoulder to shoulder with hiz pardner.

LaFiamma flashed him a look of gratitude.

"Joe, Captain Cochran came here to see you." Sully was using his 'official' voice, smooth as butter. "Captain." He stepped to the side, motioning others out of the way as the captain walked quietly up to face LaFiamma. The reporters were standing to one side now, the photographer had his camera up and was focusing on the new grouping.

Coming to a halt in front of the Italian, Cochran stopped and saluted. To the surprise of all around them, including Levon Lundy, Joe LaFiamma straightened, shoulders going back as he returned the salute stiffly. He remained at attention after lowering his arm. "Sir."

"Specialist Joseph Anthony LaFiamma," the captain intoned formally, "It is with sincere respect and privilege that I present you with this Medal of Meritorious Service for Valor. For your service to the United States of America, and upon the opening of the security seal on the events surrounding your duties for the Corps in special operations, you are awarded this medal."

With great deliberation, the captain opened the small box in his hand and removed the small silvery medal on a short ribboned bar pin. He set the box on a nearby desk and affixed the medal to the stunned LaFiamma's jacket lapel. Stepped back and saluted again.

Joe returned the salute and then relaxed, looking uncomfortable with all the attention he was receiving.

The camera had flashed several times during the short ceremony.

Cochran relaxed too now that he'd completed his task. He grinned at LaFiamma. "Bet you're surprised."

Joe stole a quick look around the room, everyone was staring at him, several with their mouths open. He'd never said anything about his military service, no reason to. Besides, it had been classified until now.

He noticed that Levon was still at his side, smiling slightly, approvingly. That was the only thing that mattered anyway, that Levon be okay with this. He looked back at Cochran. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Your whole unit is receiving citations now, today in fact." Cochran held out a hand, which Joe took, shaking it. "Congratulations. Whatever you did, you're the only one of the unit to receive the medal of valor." There was curiosity now coloring his voice. "The instructions I got didn't include any details of the engagement, just that it was no longer fully classified and so you could finally get some recognition."

Joe nodded. "You'll understand, then, Captain, if I don't say anything? I'm still restricted regarding all my service activities despite any security clearances lifted."

Cochran nodded. If he was disappointed, he hid it well.

Sully, though, looked almost insulted. "You mean we can't say why he got it?"

Cochran turned to face the HPD public relations man. "Sir, I can give you a copy of the actual citation and the wording on the medal presentation."

"But -"

"That's all that can be released."

The reporter, who'd started to write during the ceremony and then gradually slowed and stopped, put a hand out to the photographer. "We're outta here." He looked at Sully with disgust. "We can't print this. We do, it's our jobs. Any mention of security issues in military ops is classified as far as our paper is concerned. It won't make daylight." He shrugged and walked out, the photographer already removing his film as he followed him out the door.

Sully looked stunned, then dismayed, and finally resigned. He quirked a smile at Beaumont and shrugged his shoulders as well. "Sorry, Lieutenant."

Captain Cochran had been watching LaFiamma, who was looking down his chest at the new medal, and Lundy, apparently his partner from the way he still stood supportively next to the ex-marine. "I'm down at the recruitment office on Dixon Boulevard. If you and your partner," he nodded in a friendly way toward Lundy, "are ever in the neighborhood, drop in. Maybe we can get out for a drink sometime."

LaFiamma had raised his head to the captain as the man spoke. Now Joe said quietly, "Thank you, Captain, this means a lot to me."

The captain took Joe's offered hand and shook it again, then nodded briefly to the others still in the room and strode out.

Joe-Bill was the first to break the silence, "Didn't know you were a Marine, LaFiamma. Good job, man."

Several others made similar remarks, all honest and all friendly. LaFiamma waited until folks, including the lieutenant, had wandered off, then he turned to face Lundy. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Lundy challenged, cocking a hip on hiz desk.

"Aren't you gonna give me the third degree?" Joe sounded defensive, even to himself.

"Nope." Lundy looked serious, kept hiz voice low. This wuz important and Joe deserved to know it. "Ah'm proud of you, though. Proud to know that mah pardner's served hiz country with distinction."

Joe blushed. Weren't no other way to describe it, hiz pardner turned cherry red. Started to lower hiz head, hands goin' up to the medal.

"Leave it on, Joe. Fur now enyway. Let's go to Chicken's. It's nearly lunch time and Ah want him to see it on you."

Blue eyes that were rimmed with moisture looked up through dark thick lashes. Dang, boy's gonna lose it inna minute. Taking up hiz Colt and sliding it home into hiz holster, he grabbed LaFiamma's arm and steered him around their joined desks to the other side. "Git yore guns, Joe, and let's go."

A short time later they emerged in the police garage where Lundy led the way to his red truck. Joe was feeling elated at the way Levon was dealing with all this, and also slightly embarrassed. He thought about the men he'd served with, the ones who'd come back and the one's who hadn't. He really hadn't thought about that time in a while. About those men who had been his brothers. Levon was his brother now. More than a brother. More even than any of those guys had ever been.

They'd reached the Jimmy now. Levon looked around and saw that the garage was nearly empty and the few officers and mechanics down here were busy elsewhere, none near the truck. He caught Joe's hand and pulled the man up against him. "Joe, Ah really am proud of you." He put his hands up on either side of LaFiamma's face to hold it still as he tiptoed up for a kiss.

Joe's mouth responded to the warm, moist pressure by opening. Levon slid his tongue inside for a leisurely stroke on Joe's. Felt Joe's hands come up and around hiz back, hugging them together tightly.

"I'm sorry I never told you about my stint in the Corps, Levon," Joe murmured against Lundy's cheek as they broke off the kiss, "I was under security restriction. You know - kinda like, 'if I tell you, I have to kill you,' sorta thing."

Lundy grinned against Joe's neck. Gave it a quick peck of a kiss. "Jest as well you didn't then. Tell me, that is."

"Guess I can tell you some of it now, though."

"Ah already know that Ah've got the bravest man Ah know as mah pardner. That's enough fur me, less'en you want to talk about it."

"Ah, Levon, I love you so much." Joe buried his head in the curls at the nape of Lundy's neck, under the wide brim of the Stetson. He pulled back and looked into Levon's eyes. "I want you to have the medal. What I did, wasn't any braver, more courageous than things I've seen you do and walk away from nearly every day."

Now it was Levon's turn to blush. "Joe, what am Ah gonna do with you?"

"Love me forever."

"Already do, Joe." His brown eyes were glowing as he stared into the damp blue ones of his lover. "By the way, guess Ah should make it official - happy Veteran's Day, Joe."

The End

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