Fandom:	Houston Knights
Series:	Holidays
Rating:	NC17
Pairing:	Joe/Levon
Archive:	Starwinder's
Title:	We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Author:	Starwinder
e-mail:	starwinder2of7@gmail.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.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas ...
A Houston Knights/Touched By An Angel Crossover story.
By Starwinder Part 1

December 23, Houston Texas. HPD Major Crimes Unit.

Detective Sergeant Joey LaFiamma sat at his desk humming. He couldn't help himself. Just two days till Christmas and everything was going great. Aunt Teresa had called the night before. It was all set, they'd be arriving on the two-thirty flight--this afternoon. He was getting off at lunch to go pick them up. The car was rented and everything. He had nearly two weeks off, wasn't due back till the Monday after New Year's Day. He checked his watch. Less than an hour till time to leave to go get them. All of them, Aunt Teresa, Uncle Mikey, their son Mario and his cousin Jimmy DeMira.

It had been a long time since he'd seen Jimmy and Mario, they hadn't been that close the last few years in Chicago, but at one time they'd been best friends. That's what the song reminded him of. Probably why he couldn't stop humming it. He grinned again at the memories. He felt so great he almost laughed out loud.

Christmas Eve 1970, Chicago

The annual Christmas play was in full swing. The angels were appearing to the shepherds in the fields. Under the stairs behind the stage three little boys, two dark-haired, one blonde, all dressed as wise men hunkered down leaning on their staffs waiting for their big scene.

The largest of them, Jimmy DeMira, held out a hand that clutched a long thick cigar. "I got it!" He crowed with a huge grin. "You get the lighter, Joey?"

"Yeah." Jimmy's cousin Joey LaFiamma grinned back at him.

"Wait a minute. Maybe ..." The third boy began.

Two dark heads turned to look at him. "What's'a matter Maaariooo." Jimmy dragged out the name to emphasize that he thought Mario was being a baby, "You scared? Think ya momma's gonna be upset?"

Mario looked at Joey for support but Joey ducked his head and didn't say anything. After a moment Mario reached out and grabbed the cigar. "Heck no!" He tried to sound braver than he felt. "I'll take the first puff!"

He chomped down on the end of the cigar trying to bite off the tip the way he'd seen the grown-ups do. He couldn't quite do it in one attempt but kept at it till he had the end bitten off, raggedly. He spit out what he'd chewed off.

"Light me up!" He demanded, sticking the cigar in his mouth and turning to Joey.

Joey's hands were shaking just a little as he flipped open the lighter, which seemed huge in his twelve year old hands, but he got it to light and held it to the tip of the cigar.

Mario sucked on the cigar trying to imitate the men he'd seen puffing them. The cigar lit and Mario's sucking filled his lungs with smoke. He gagged and started coughing instantly.

Joey dropped the lighter which went out and reached over, snatching the cigar from Mario. He tossed it aside not paying any attention to where it landed. It arched up and fell onto the stage.

"Mario! Mario! You okay?" Joey started pounding him on the back.

Jimmy hovered beside them reaching out to take Mario's hand letting his cousin lean on him.

The lit cigar rolled unobserved across the stage, coming to rest at the edge of the curtain. A small curl of smoke began to rise from the point where the lit end touched the curtain.

Joey and Jimmy got their arms around Mario and started guiding him out of their hiding place. Looking up they saw Father Michael looking at them but before the priest could say anything, there was a scream from the stage and Father Michael ran to see what was wrong.

The lit cigar had caught the stage curtain on fire. It wasn't a big fire and it was easily put out but it did cause enough of a distraction to keep the boys from getting caught. No one ever would have known about it if Joey hadn't felt so guilty over the whole thing that he'd confessed, if only in the confessional. It wasn't till later, when he found himself helping Mario and Jimmy scrub the stage as part of his punishment that he found out that they had confessed too. Father Michael wasn't one to hand out Hail Mary's when he could get help around the church instead.

The ringing of the phone jerked Joe back out of his reverie. Giving himself a shake he reached over and grabbed the phone.

Lundy, sitting across from him, watching, nearly laughed at how utterly happy his usually solemn partner sounded.

"HPD. LaFiamma!" Joe was grinning broadly. Then he looked at his watch and his grin started to fade. "Aunt Teresa. Where are you? It's not ..." His face fell completely. "Oh ..." He listened for a moment. "Yeah. Of course." Another moment of silence. "No. No, Aunt Teresa it's all right. Really it is. Look, just tell Uncle Mikey, Mario and Jimmy that I sent my love and said to take care of themselves and get better soon and I'll see you all ... whenever. Okay?" Another silence. "I love you too, Aunt Teresa. Bye."

He hung up the phone and flopped back in his chair, his face expressionless, staring blankly at some point on the far wall.

Looking at him, Lundy knew that despite what Joe'd said to his aunt on the phone, he was not all right with whatever had happened. Clearing his throat, he asked quietly, "LaFiamma?" He waited until LaFiamma turned to look at him before continuing. "Somethin' the matter?"

LaFiamma shifted in his chair, before answering. "There was a minor accident on the way to O'Hare. Jimmy, Mario and Uncle Mikey are in the hospital. Nothing major just a couple of broke bones, etc.. Uncle Mikey busted his leg, Mario broke a wrist. Jimmy's got a mild concussion. Hit that hard head of his. But they aren't gonna make it down for Christmas." He looked away from Lundy and fidgeted with his watch.

"I see." Lundy sighed wondering how to help. Finally he went on. "You told your aunt, you're okay with it ... but I can see you ain't--"

"I'm fine, Lundy!"

Lundy bowed his head, taking a deep breath, getting ready to argue. He leaned toward his partner, trying to keep his voice down while making it forceful enough to get through to him. "LaFiamma! I ain't on the damn phone. I can see your face, read your body language, and I've known you long enough now to know that you ain't all right with this! You might can lie to your aunt on the phone but it don't wash with me!"

It was LaFiamma's turn to sigh. "Yeah. You're right. I ain't all right with it." He shrugged, "But I got no right not to be. They're hurt ... ." He trailed off.

"So now, you're not only feelin' hurt cause they aren't coming, you're feelin' guilty about feelin' hurt 'cause you think you oughta be feelin' sorry for them 'steada feelin' sorry for yourself. That 'bout cover it?"

LaFiamma's solemn expression broke. He grinned then chuckled. "Yeah, Cowboy. That about covers it." He stood up, "Thanks, Lundy." He said softly. Glancing at his watch he added, "I still got my vacation time. See ya."

Lundy watched him make his way out of the bullpen, stopping by the lieutenant's office to tell Joanne he was gone. He seemed all right at the moment but--. Before going back to his paperwork, Lundy made a mental note to pay extra attention to his partner's moods over the next few days ... particularly Christmas day.

Several hours later after doing some shopping, LaFiamma parked the Cobra in front of a lounge and went inside. It was a very nice place, upscale, long oval bar with padded barstools. He took a seat at the deserted bar and waited for the bartender to come down and get his order.

After a minute she moved down the bar to stand in front of him, "What'll it be today?" She drawled.

He looked up at her. She was an older black woman, with a strong face and a steaks of gray in her hair. Her name tag read Tess. He smiled slightly, then said, "Bottled water?"

She grinned, "You come into a bar and order water?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, well ... It's just that ... I'm kinda feeling down and I figure if I start on the booze I won't be able to stop but ... I want a drink and--" He broke off and started over. "I guess that I thought maybe the atmosphere," He waved his hand to indicate the bar, "might make me feel better even if I didn't ... ." He stopped again giving her a serious look. "Am I making any sense at all here?"

"I can't say you're making sense but I think I know what you mean, Mister ..." she let it trail off into a question.

"LaFiamma. Joe LaFiamma. You can call me Joe." He held out his hand and she shook it. "And you're Tess?" He indicated her name tag.

"That's me. One water coming right up, Joe." She gave him a maternal smile, before leaving to get his water. When she brought it back she also brought a glass of ice. "Thought you might want this, too."

"Thanks, I meant to ask for that." He opened the bottle of water and poured it over the ice.

Tess wiped at a non-existent spot, then leaned on the bar and asked, "So, what's got you wanting a drink? I assume that's not a normal condition for you.'

"No. It ain't a usual thing with me. Oh, I drink a little, mostly wine with meals. A few beers now and then with my partner. I'm a cop." He added in way of explanation.

"Humm." Tess said encouragingly.

"I ain't from around here." He grinned, "You mighta noticed the accent."

"Uh-huh. Chicago. Right?"

"Yeah." He smiled at her. She was easy to talk to. "My folks, that is my Uncle Mikey and Aunt Teresa and their son Mario and this other cousin Jimmy, was all supposed to come down for Christmas but there was this accident and they got hurt ... not bad but bad enough to keep them from making it for Christmas." He took a sip of the water. "I know that I shouldn't feel ... angry. It ain't like they planned it or something. But I can't help it. This is my fourth Christmas in Houston and every year some of my folks promise they'll be down and then ... and then something happens. Every year." He stared down at the glass in his hands.

Tess watched him for a minute, before saying. "Is this what you usually do when you're upset?"

"No. At least it didn't used to be. Back home in Chicago, when I'd get upset about something I'd run. I used to love to run."

"Why don't you do it now?"

"Don't have a lot of time. Stay busy, mostly with the job ... and I just never got around to finding a place to run, you know." He shrugged.

"You can run anywhere." She started wiping the bar again, "You know what I've always loved to do at this time of year?"

"No. What?" He smiled at her.

"I've always loved to just walk and look at the Christmas decorations. Fact is I did it just last night. There's a lot of them in that residential area, just a few blocks from here." She turned to look at the clock. "They oughta be turning them on just about now. It's not quite dark but dark enough. Perfect viewing time. Light enough to see where you're going, dark enough to see the lights good."

He grinned at her. "I bet you give great directions, too. Huh?"

"Oh, yes. Honey, I do." And she proceeded to give him directions to the area.

She smiled gently as she watched him leave the bar, then slowly she faded away.

About a half an hour later, Andrew, the angel that escorts souls to heaven after death, materialized in an alley. Looking around he frowned. He always hated having to pick someone up in a place like this. It always seemed that the one's he got in alleys had such sad stories. He was early. He had to be. There was no one here but this was the spot he'd been directed to wait for his charge.

He leaned against the wall and sighed. So close to Christmas. It was always harder at this time of year.

He looked up as a RV swung into the alley with a squall of tires. It screeched to a stop and a man climbed out carrying a bundle wrapped in a black trash bag. He tossed it at the dumpster. It missed and landed on a couple of other bags in the alley. It rolled and squirmed about. A woman lunged out of the door of the RV, struggling with another man.

She was screaming, "No! No! My baby! My baby!".

With a shock Andrew realized his charge was in the trash bag. A baby. "Oh, Dear Lord." he whispered. "I don't know if I can do this."

Even as he thought it he started toward the bundle. Then stopped. He couldn't do anything yet. It was still moving. Still alive. Somewhere he registered another sound. Someone was running, jogging actually, near the end of the alley behind him.

The running footsteps stopped abruptly with a small curse, "Damn! Just when I was getting going good."

Joe LaFiamma stopped at the head of the alley bending down to look at the broken shoelace that had caused him to stop.

Then his cop instincts kicked in and he looked up. He saw the RV and the two men struggling with the woman. "Hey! You there! What's going on here?"

One of the men turned and yelled, "None of ya business! Get outta here." They got the woman back into the RV.

Starting toward them, LaFiamma yelled. "Hold it right there! Police!" He reached for his guns then swore softly as he realized he didn't have them. He kept going toward the RV, trotting down the alley right past Andrew, whom he could not see.

The RV was still running and one of the men threw it into gear and they took off.

LaFiamma followed it out into the street, getting the tag number but knowing he couldn't catch it. He turned back to the alley wondering what they had been doing there.

Andrew was kneeling beside the bundle now. In seconds the baby would be dead and he would have to take it back with him. He looked up and saw the cop looking at him. Or at least looking at the spot where he was. Then the man's eyes dropped to the bundle and widened as it moved.

With a shock LaFiamma saw one of the garbage bags move. Sudden fear flooded him. Somehow, he didn't know how, he knew that there was a baby in that bag. He ran forward dropping to his knees beside the bag. He ripped it open. "Oh, God!" He gasped at the sight of the tiny baby lying inside. As soon as the bag came off its head the baby gasped for air and began to scream. LaFiamma almost sobbed with relief. Yanking his sweater up and over his head he quickly wrapped it around the baby. He checked to make sure the baby was okay. Seeing that the cord had been cut but not tied he quickly tied it. His mind was racing. The baby couldn't be more than a few minutes old. The woman on the RV must have been the mother. She must have just had it and the men wrapped it in the trash bag and threw it out at the first alley they came to. That meant that the mother was probably in danger too. She had to be a strong woman. She'd been up and struggling with the men trying to save her baby but still she needed help.

Andrew sat back against the trash dumpster and sighed with relief. This had been a near miss. He'd had to be there just in case the man hadn't shown up in time to save the baby. He watched the cop lift the baby and rush out into the street. Standing up, Andrew checked his work orders. His next pick up wasn't for several hours. He was about to fade out when Tess materialized beside him.

Pulling out his badge the man held it out in front of him yelling at cars till someone stopped and he climbed in ordering the driver to take him to the nearest hospital.

"He made good time." Tess said with a smile as LaFiamma climbed into the car that had finally stopped.

"You sent him?" Andrew asked.

"I gave him a nudge. That's all we can do. He decided to jog past here. He decided to stop and intervene. Those are not decisions we can make for them. That's why you had to be here ... just in case he chose not to save that child."

"But he did save the baby." Andrew said, "What happens to the mother?"

"She's in no physical danger." Tess said softly. Then she and Andrew both faded away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

LaFiamma charged through the emergency room doors in full 'get outta my way I ain't backing off for nobody' mode. Grabbing a nurse's arm he spun her around. "Hey! I gotta baby here needs attention!" He shoved it into her arms. "It's just been born. I found it in a dumpster. Where's the phone? I gotta make a call!"

Not waiting for answers to any of the questions he pushed past her and grabbed the phone off the nurse's desk. When the nurse gasped and tried to grab it back protesting that he'd just have to wait he snapped. "I'm a cop lady! Dis is police business!"

Monica shifted the baby in her arms. Watching LaFiamma she smiled appreciatively. The man was a hunk. There was nothing in the angel's hand book that said she couldn't admire the scenery. Leaning over the baby she whispered. "You picked yourself a looker, sweetie."

He jabbed in a phone number shifting impatiently as he waited for an answer. "Lundy! It's me. Look I need an APB put out right now. White RV wid blue markings. California license plates. I got the number," He paused thinking a minute then recited the plates. "Attempted murder. Possible hostage situation. They dumped a baby in an alley. Didn't tie da cord or nothing. Two men, both about six, six one. One dark. One blonde. Woman struggling wid dem. Little bitty thing but scrappy wid blonde hair. Probably the mother."

He turned to watch the nurse he had handed the baby to carry it into one of the examining rooms.

On the other end of the phone Lundy, put him on hold while he cleared the APB with Joanne and called dispatch to get it out. Now he came back on the line. "You still there LaFiamma?" He waited for the reply then drawled, "Good. I got the APB out. You wanna slow down and fill in some details. Like what were ya doing in the alley? Where are ya right now? Do ya need anything?"

On his end of the phone LaFiamma hesitated at the last question as it occurred to him that he was running around without a shirt ... in public, something that he never did. Not to mention that it was getting cool to him now that the crisis was passing. "Well, I could use a shirt. I kinda gave my sweater to the baby." The rest of the conversation was just particulars. He distractedly gave Lundy the name of the hospital, after asking the desk nurse for it and the number of the phone he was on.

Hanging up the phone, LaFiamma went into the examining room where Monica had taken the baby. "Is it going to be all right?" He asked worriedly.

"She is going to be fine. The doctor just stepped out." Monica emphasized the 'she'. "There's going to be paperwork of course. Mister ...?" She let it trail off into a question as Tess had earlier.

"Joe LaFiamma. Detective Sergeant. HPD" He held out his hand.

Monica took the proffered hand giving it a small squeeze and Joe a small smile. "I'm Monica ... and I'm afraid that your sweater is ruined."

"Yeah, I figured. Birthing muck's kinda hard to get outta wool."

"Spoken like a man who has tried it." She said with a smile.

"Yeah. Dis ain't the first baby I've had to loan a sweater to." He gave her a wry grin.

She smiled back at him, "It doesn't seem to bother you."

"Where I grew up, cops delivered more babies than doctors did. When I got to be a cop, I figured it went with the territory. Ain't been doin' much of it lately though. I work major crime now. Truth is I miss it ... a little." He paused. "My mom was a nurse. Got a couple of sisters that took it up."

"Perhaps you should have been a doctor." She suggested.

"I wouldn'ta been any good at that."

"You did just fine by this little one."

"That's different." He shrugged.

"How?"

"I can't explain it. It just is. I wasn't meant to be a doctor."

"You are sure?"

"I'm sure."

He stepped back, crossing his arms across his still bare chest, and watched her as she bathed the baby. She sang softly as she worked, her voice, soft and lilting, soothed the baby. It lay quietly letting her do as she would.

She put an arm band on the baby then said, "I'm going to have to take her down to the nursery. We'll do the paperwork after she's tucked in."

LaFiamma smiled and shrugged. "Okay, I'll be in the waiting area."

An hour later when Lundy showed up, the paperwork had been done and Joe was pacing restlessly in the waiting area. Handing Joe a shirt, he watched as his embarrassed partner put it on. Then he unfolded the jacket he'd brought Joe to reveal that he'd also brought along Joe's guns, in their holsters. "Figured you might want these."

"Thanks, Cowboy. We run across the guys that dumped the kid in that alley and I just might use'um, too." Joe put on the guns then reached for the jacket.

Lundy nodded, knowing what he meant. "How is the baby?"

"She's great. Monica says that she's a perfect little girl. Real healthy. She woulda died though if I hadn't got her outta that bag but now ... " He shrugged. "Babies recover quick, I guess." He looked at Lundy, "Any word on the APB?"

"Lotta white RVs with blue markings. Ain't nobody pulled one over yet that had that license plate. Matter of time I guess."

"Problem is that woman might not have a lotta time." LaFiamma said. "I kept that bag the baby was in. Thought maybe the lab could get fingerprints off it. Ain't nothing more I can do here. We can drop it off at the lab, then swing by and pick up the Cobra." He gave Lundy a speculative look and added, "Unless you got something else to do?"

"Naw. I ain't got a thing to do ... but haul you around." Lundy teased then with a grin added. "Let's go."

They headed out. In the Jimmy, Lundy asked. "So, where's the Batmobile?"

"I left the Cobra parked in front of this bar I stopped at." He paused. "It's funny, you know. If I hadn't stopped there, got to talking to that lady bartender I wouldn't'a gone jogging. I wouldn'ta been in the right place at the right time to save that kid. I mean, another minute. One minute one way or the other and I wouldn'ta been there to save her. It's ... ." He trailed off.

"Awesome?" Lundy offered, "Mother Minnie's brother was a preacher. His favorite saying was 'The lord works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform'. I reckon he moved you where he needed you to be."

"Yeah. Awesome." Joe gazed out the window, looking at the bright Christmas lights lining the street they were driving down. He smiled at the sight, then turned serious again. "Now, if we can just save the mother. If the woman I saw was the kid's mom, she's something, Lundy. That woman was up and fighting those guys like crazy trying to get to her kid. To be able to fight like that after just giving birth ... without a doctor or anything ... . That is truly awesome, Lundy." There was pure admiration in his voice.

"Well, child birth is a natural event, LaFiamma. Time was, and it wasn't that long ago, that a woman would give birth while working in the fields and get right back up and go back to work. Ain't done much nowadays but when Mother Minnie was young, women did it all the time ... least that's what she tells."

"And knowing Mother Minnie ... it's a fact." Joe added.

'Uh-huh." Lundy agreed as he parked the Jimmy in the police garage. "You need me to tag along while you run that bag up to Annie?"

"No. Why?" Joe asked as he got out.

"Figure you'll be awhile. Annie's gonna want a blow by blow of the whole story. If Joanne's still here she'll want a full report, too. I reckon that I got time to run by Chicken's and pick us up some supper. I can just bring it up to the bullpen when I get back."

"Sounds good. "

When Lundy returned with their supper, LaFiamma was still in Joanne's office. He joined them there.

"You bring enough for me, Levon?" Their Lieutenant teased gently.

"Reckon Joe'll let you have some of his share." Lundy teased back then turned serious, "Any word on the APB?"

"Not yet. I thought we'd give it another hour then I have to head home. I called Brad and told him why I'd be late and he understands but ... we were supposed to go Christmas shopping tonight." She sighed.

LaFiamma had opened one of the boxes of food. He smiled. "I remember back in Chicago we'd go shopping everyday for the last ten days before Christmas. On Christmas Eve day we'd wrap all the presents. That night we'd make the rounds, stopping at all the aunts' and uncles' and cousins' and friends' and everybody's places and give out the gifts. It was great!" His voice went real quiet as he added. "I really miss that." He sat the box down without eating and picked up one of the drinks that Lundy had brought in.

Lundy looked at him and shook his head, [Boy's getting depressed again.] "You know, LaFiamma, family traditions are great but maybe you oughta start thinkin' 'bout startin' some traditions of your own."

LaFiamma gave him a 'what are you talking about?' look.

He plowed on. "I reckon somebody, sometime started the things you think of as family traditions. This is your fourth Christmas down here and you ain't established any kinda, well, tradition that you follow every year ... 'cept for seeing just how useless a gift you can pick me out ever' year."

"With the instructions in Japanese." LaFiamma intoned echoing something Lundy had said to him once. His voice plainly said that 'that' was a tradition.

"Yeah," Lundy grinned, "But what I'm saying is. Take the things you loved doing, that were traditional for you and your family back in Chicago and just do it here. Maybe you can't visit your aunts and uncles and cousins but you got lots a friends down here. Buy for them, ain't gotta be nothing big or fancy, go out and deliver those gifts on Christmas Eve--"

Just then, Esteban stuck his head in the door, "Lieutenant. A patrol car just called in. They have found LaFiamma's RV. Motel parking lot. They are waiting for instructions."

LaFiamma set the drink on the desk, as he stood up. "Tell them to find out what room they're registered in and then hold back till we get there."

Beaumont favored him with a glare, but when Esteban looked to her she nodded. "Yeah. Do it." She turned and dug her gun out of her desk drawer and started to put in on. "Well. Don't just stand there. Let's go."

She led the way out of the office and toward the elevators. They picked up Esteban and Joe Bill as they made their way through the bullpen. At the elevator Beaumont turned and shook her head at her people, "You're all going, huh?"

She got assorted grins and shrugs in answer, "All right," She grinned at the looks on their faces. As the elevator doors opened she added, "All aboard." and stepped inside.
By the time that Beaumont and crew arrived at the motel it had been quietly surrounded by patrol cars. The first officer on the scene had the manager waiting in the office for the Lieutenant.

"They're in one twenty eight. It's on the end. Ground floor. My partner and the second patrol car to arrive are watching it. They don't seem aware that we're out here. We've tried to keep back and stay quiet." The young female officer told Beaumont.

"Good." She turned to the short squat swarthy man behind the desk. "You have the key?"

"Yes, ma'am. The young lady told me what they done. I saw the lady when they took her in. She looked sick. Didn't know she'd just had a baby. Such an awful thing to do. Dumping it like that." He shook his head and held up the key.

"We haven't got a warrant. You'll have to unlock the door, let us in." Beaumont explained.

He hesitated and LaFiamma stepped forward, "Look here. That lady in there could be dying. You want that on your conscience? Huh? We'll be right there. Soon as you turn the knob you're out of it. Just back off. We open the door and go in. That's it. Okay."

The manager licked his lips nervously but nodded. "Okay."

Moments later LaFiamma and Lundy lead the charge through the door. Taken completely by surprise the two men didn't put up a fight. One had been in a chair facing the TV with his back to the door, the other had been on one of the two beds dozing. The woman was handcuffed to the second bed hooked up to an IV drip.

Beaumont called for an ambulance and the woman was taken to the hospital. The IV bottle was tagged as evidence and sent to the lab.

Lundy and LaFiamma followed the ambulance to the hospital, while Beaumont went back to the station to arrange for officers to stand guard on over the woman at the hospital.

Andrew was sitting next to an accident victim in the emergency room waiting to escort him when he heard the commotion and turned to see the ambulance attendants wheel the woman in. He was surprised to see the same cop that he had seen earlier in the alley come in with her. The man had changed clothes but it was him.

"You wanna handle this, Lundy? I'd like to go up and check on the baby." The cop turned to the cowboy, beside him.

"Sure. Go ahead on. We're gonna be a while down here. Can't leave till they get her in a room and the uniforms get here. No tellin' how long that'll take."

Andrew turned to watch him as he headed for the elevator. Someone touched his arm and he turned back, then smiled suddenly, "Rafael! Where have you been?" He asked his friend, another angel.

"I had some work to do. In Chicago." He regarded Andrew with dark eyes, reaching down to slip his hand into his friend's.

Andrew gave the hand a small squeeze. "I've missed you."

The other angel leaned closer, his dark curly hair almost touching Andrew's pale blonde hair as he whispered, "And I have missed you ... beloved."

Andrew sighed and drew away, "I will have to see you later. I have work to do." He nodded toward the man on the table as the heart monitor flatlined.

"Of course." Rafael smiled back at him.

It was well passed midnight when Lundy and LaFiamma walked back into the bullpen. Beaumont was just about to leave. "I'm calling it a night guys. Maybe you two should too. It'll be morning before we know it."

"Lieutenant, I can't." LaFiamma gave her one of those please understand looks. "I just can't. We need to get these guys' statements now. Before they decide to clam up and start yelling for lawyers. Right now they are willing to tell us everything but by morning ... ." He spread his hands in a 'you know how it is' gesture.

"All right, LaFiamma. Get their statements ... then go home." She turned to Lundy, "Levon, make sure he does. Understood."

"Yes, lieutenant." Lundy grinned. Then turned to LaFiamma, "Good cop/bad cop."

"Nah. Bad cop/worse cop."

Esteban came and put a hand on each man's shoulder, leaning in close between them "Crazy Mexican cop." He offered.

Joe Bill looked up from his desk and grinned at them, "Psycho redneck cop?"

LaFiamma gave him a long look taking in the scraggly detective's spiky hair, bloodshot eyes and day old stubble. He had to chuckle, "You look the part Joe Bill. We'll let you know if we need you two characters!"

It didn't take long to get the story and they didn't need Esteban's or Joe Bill's help to the other two detectives' disappointment.

Coming back out into the bullpen LaFiamma dropped into his chair, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands, "Her husband planned it all. He had them kidnap his own wife. He told them to kill the baby ... his own baby just to get his hands on his wife's money. It's insane!"

Lundy laid a hand on his shoulder, "Some people will do anything for money, LaFiamma."

"How are we gonna tell her? That it was her husband giving the orders. And the kid. Her own father tried to have her killed. What's her mom gonna tell her when she's old enough to ask?" He shook his head.

"I don't know what to tell you, Joe. I really don't. All we can do is be glad that the baby's alive and her mom's alive." He leaned closer, let the touch turn into a caress, "And if weren't for you they wouldn't be. You did good, Partner. Now it's way past both our bedtimes and I promised the lieutenant that I would see to it you got home. So, let's go."

"Who's gonna pick him up? Ain't no way I'm lettin' him have the chance to get away!" LaFiamma stood up turning to face Lundy.

"LaFiamma." Lundy stared at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy?! The man's in California ... remember? We got us a little jurisdiction problem here. Even if we could just hop a plane out there we'd have to let LAPD pick him up. Not to mention the FBI's jurisdiction over kidnappings and her being took across state lines. Huh-uh, we gotta think about this. Get it just right if we wanna be the ones to make sure he's nailed otherwise it's outta our hands." He fell silent studying the problem.

LaFiamma waited knowing that for all Lundy liked to play the dumb cowboy cop he had a cold, shrewd intelligence under the easy going exterior.

After a minute Lundy said, "You ain't typed up the formal charges yet have you?"

"No."

"Okay. Kidnapping didn't take place here so we don't mention in the formal charges. Formal charge is attempted murder and conspiring to commit murder for what they done with the baby. Victim is to be listed as baby girl, Jane Doe number ... whatever the next JD number is. We get an arrest warrant for Raymond d'Saville, address unknown, for conspiring to commit murder. Slikowski and Paulsen said that they was meeting him tonight to get their money and hand over the key to the motel room where Mrs. d'Saville was supposed to be. Since they made all the arrangements over the phone d'Saville don't know what they look like ... ."

"... so we make the meeting, as Slikowski and Paulsen." LaFiamma finished for him.

"Go in wired." Lundy added.

"Get it all on tape."

"Making sure that he mentions the baby and what they did with it."

"Then we got him solid for conspiring to commit murder and accessory after the fact to attempted murder."

"In Houston. Our jurisdiction." Lundy grinned.

"Sounds like a plan." LaFiamma grinned back at him.

"Now, do you feel like gettin' some sleep? We're gonna wanna be all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for tonight."

"Yeah."

Lundy looked at Joe Bill, "You gonna be here when Carol and Nat get in?"

"Thought ah'd hang on till then." The lanky detective replied.

"Tell Carol, I said to lose those two's paperwork till ... oh, say ... the day after Christmas."

"Gotcha. Men don't exist." Joe Bill grinned back at him.

Lundy gave him a nod and he and LaFiamma left.

In the elevator, Lundy turned to his partner, "You just gotta pick up the Cobra tonight?"

"Naw. It'll be okay where it is I reckon. You wanna stay at my place? Save you close to an hour's drive both ways."

"That'd help. We might actually get some sleep if we don't come in till noon."

"Thought you were tired when you asked about the car."

They finished the elevator ride in silence and the ride to LaFiamma's place as well.

The first thing Lundy noticed at LaFiamma's was the Christmas tree. It took half the livingroom. He whistled, "What'd'cha do, Boy? Go out to California and get you a redwood?"

LaFiamma chuckled. "We always had a big tree back home. I just wanted something nice for the Uncle Mikey and Aunt Teresa, you know."

"Uh-huh ain't nothing like impressin' the folks." Lundy teased.

LaFiamma stopped at the doorway to the kitchen and looked back at him.

Lundy's grin grew bigger as his gaze went to the mistletoe hanging above Joe's head. Taking a half step forward he said, "You're standing under the mistletoe, Boy." His voice going husky.

The words triggered the memory of another Christmas season and the first time that Joe had ever seen two men kiss.

<<Christmas Eve 1977

"You're standing under the mistletoe." Jimmy's voice was husky.

Joe turned to see who Jimmy had caught. They were at Jimmy's house. The aunts and uncles were all in the livingroom but he was in the hall next to the kitchen and Jimmy was in the kitchen, near the pantry door. There was mistletoe hanging over the open doorway to the pantry.

"Guess you'll just have to kiss me." A different voice but also male.

With a shock Joe saw that it was Mario that Jimmy had caught. He stared, disbelief and curiosity warring in him as Jimmy bent, tilted Mario's face up and ever so gently kissed him ... on the lips.

Jimmy caressed Mario's face, then trailed his fingers through the smaller man's fine blonde hair. "You are so beautiful." He whispered and kissed his lover again.

Joe heard voices coming toward the hall. Breaking out of his shock, he burst into the kitchen. "Hey! Break it up, Guys! Uncle Tony's coming!"

Jimmy and Mario jerked apart as soon as they heard him enter the room, even before he spoke. By the time that Uncle Tony entered the kitchen all he saw was three old friends kidding around.

He came back to the present with a jerk as he felt Lundy's arms go round him. Smiling he closed his eyes and leaned in to be kissed. It felt so good, so right, so perfect, to be here with Lundy's arms around him, Lundy's lips pressed to his, Lundy's tongue gently pushing into his mouth, exploring, tasting him.

He relaxed against his partner, sighing softly.

Lundy moved his lips from Joe's mouth gently kissing his way around to whisper in his ear. "You're asleep on your feet, Boy. Come on, I'll tuck you in."

He guided LaFiamma to the stairs and up.

Joe didn't resist, letting his partner and lover undress him then turn down the bed and guide him in.

Moments later Levon joined him.

Joe turned over and snuggled close, murmuring sleepily. "G'night."

"Goodnight," Lundy whispered back and kissed him gently on the forehead.

In moments they were both asleep.

continued in Part 2