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.

That's What Partners Are For
By Starwinder

The uniform officers took Callie Barton out of LaFiamma's apartment in handcuffs. She cursed him when they took her away but he didn't respond, just turned his back and stood there like a statue as she swore at him for not defending her.

Now he stood at the bar, his back to the room and the door. Head bowed, eyes downcast, refusing to look at anyone.

Lundy closed the door behind the uniform officers and turned to face his partner's back. He was still holding his hat, turning it over in his hands as he tried to think of something to say. He wanted to yell at LaFiamma tell him what a fool he'd been, how badly he had screwed up but the rigid set of LaFiamma's shoulders stopped him. It was obvious that LaFiamma was already beating himself up badly enough. Finally he said quietly, "LaFiamma?"

LaFiamma turned to face him, "If you want another partner just tell the Lt. I won't object." His voice was bleak and despairing.

Lundy looked down at the floor for a moment before answering. The defeated tone in LaFiamma's voice was painful to hear. "No... no I don't think so."

LaFiamma looked up at him, "You sure, Lundy? You real sure you wanna stay partners with a screwup?!" The voice was bitter, angry... and hurt.

"You made a mistake, LaFiamma. Granted it was a bad one... but I reckon I can understand how it happened." He moved to stand close to his partner, laying a hand on his arm. " Ain't no denying that she's a beauty... and you were... I reckon you were lonely." He hesitated. "I suppose me'n Carol teasing you that mornin' didn't help none. I'm sorry---"

"Sorry? For what? You ain't the one that made a mess of everything!" LaFiamma pulled away from him, turning his back again, still reluctant to face his partner.

Lundy shook his head and followed him. Stopping right behind him he laid his hand on LaFiamma's shoulder. "I'm sorry for teasing you. I'm sorry if what we said made you feel like you had to prove something... to us or to yourself. I guess I'm thinkin' that maybe if we hadn't teased you, you might not'a been taken in so easy."

"I knew better! That's what makes it so bad, Lundy!" He turned to face Lundy at last, looking into his partner's eyes. "I knew better." He repeated. "I knew when she called that I shouldn't go meet her. When you were yelling at me in the bullpen about her just being using me; I knew you were right. I... I just couldn't stop myself. The more I felt you were right the more I felt like I had to prove you were wrong." He bowed his head, "I'm the one that's sorry, Lundy. I shoulda listened to you. I shoulda ..."

Lundy didn't know what to say. He wanted to say [You're damn right you shoulda.] but he was afraid that if he said it, he'd do more damage than good; afraid that LaFiamma couldn't take hearing him say it even when he'd said it himself. So, he was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's just put this behind us. Okay?" He paused, reaching out to lay his hand back on LaFiamma's arm, hoping that the touch would reassure him. "We're still partners. I ain't gonna dump you over this. There'll be enough people giving you grief without me doin' it."

LaFiamma looked up into his eyes, "I don't know what to say. Thanks."

Lundy looked away embarrassed and uncertain what to say in turn. Giving his partner's arm a small squeeze of reassurance he nodded slightly and cleared his throat, "Reckon we better head down to the station. Joanne's bound to want to see us."

"Yeah," LaFiamma replied, glad that at least he wouldn't have to face her alone.

He went to get dressed.

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Lundy stood in the middle of LaFiamma's living room holding the morning paper, looking down at the picture of Joe on the front page, waiting for LaFiamma to come out of the bathroom.

Finally his partner emerged and walked past him to the bar.

Lundy watched him. He looked disheartened.[And this ain't gonna help.] Lundy tossed the paper on the bar, "You seen this."

"No." LaFiamma refused to look at the paper.

"Might better read it. You're gonna be hearing about it all day... and some people ain't ever gonna let you forget it."

LaFiamma looked at him then picked up the paper. He stared down at it for a minute then tossed it back on the counter. "I don't wanna forget."

Lundy raised a brow. "How's that?"

"I don't wanna forget." LaFiamma repeated. "I want to remember. I want to remember the shame and the humiliation. I want to remember how I couldn't tell in bed that she didn't love me. I want to remember that just because a woman looks like an angel, it don't mean she is one. That way I won't be such an easy target for a beautiful woman with ulterior motives." His voice was bitter. He looked down at the paper, maybe reading it.

"Still this was a stupid move, LaFiamma. Real stupid."

"I can see that now! I just... she made a fool of me! And ..." he turned slinging the paper across the room. "She killed that boy! She's dealing drugs! She's making a fool out of the whole department! Why can't anybody see that?"

Lundy moved up behind him, laying a hand on his arm he turned LaFiamma to face him. "They can't see it because they're too busy worrying aboutappearances. Itappears that you are the one with a problem. If you want the department to come around to your way of thinkingyou're gonna have to walk a chalk line. Do everything by the book. Make absolutely certain thatyou don't do anything that can be misconstrued."

He paused. "I know that you're a good cop, Joe. Took me a while to be sure but I am now. I know that it's hard, real hard to hold back, make yourself stop and think before you do anything, but you've got to if you want to win in the end. I'll help you anyway I can but you have to understand that sometimes the most help I can give you will be to say 'Take it easy' or 'Think about how this will look this before you do it.' and you'll have to listen to me. Can you do that?"

LaFiamma looked at him for a long moment, considering. Then he nodded. "All right, Lundy. I promise to listen to you. To try and think before I act. Okay?"

"Okay, Partner." He smiled at Joe.

LaFiamma smiled back. Lundy's use of the word 'partner' was a real comfort, a reminder that they were in this together.

The phone rang.

LaFiamma turned away and picked up the receiver. "LaFiamma." He turned back to look at Lundy as he said, "Lieutenant."

Lundy looked askance at him.

"Yes, ma'am." He said then hung it up.

He looked at Lundy. "I've got twenty minutes to be in the Deputy Chief's office. If we hurry we can make it." He turned and headed for the door.

Lundy grabbed his hat and followed him out.

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It was all over. Callie Barton was sitting in jail, awaiting bail. Joe was off with Carol, being comforted and reassured of his manhood... as least Lundy assumed he was. Lundy was sitting alone on his couch, sipping at a glass of whisky, not that he needed it. It was more habit than anything else. He usually had a small drink to help him relax and get to sleep after a stressful day and the whole week had been stressful.

His mind turned to his partner. The man was a good cop but sometimes he got over zealous. He sighed. There'd been a time when he had been known to get 'over zealous' about the job. That was a big part of the problems that he and Caroline had, had during the last years of their marriage.

He cocked his head, listening. It sounded like a car coming up his drive. Rising he set his glass on the table and went to look out the front window. Seeing the car pull up next to the Jimmy he shook his head. [LaFiamma. Now what was the boy doing here instead of out with Carol. It ain't even midnight.] He opened the door and stood leaning against the frame.

LaFiamma crossed the porch and stood just outside the screen looking a little embarrassed. 'Hey, Cowboy." He said softly.

"Evenin', LaFiamma. Thought you'd still be out with Carol."

"Carol's a nice girl, Lundy. Too nice to get pushy with on a first date... especially when it's just a pity date." He regarded Lundy expectantly.

"She does like you, Joe."

"Yeah, but it ain't smart to date a fellow officer... and I think I've been stupid enough lately."

"You wanna come in."

"Yeah... well if you don't mind. I mean I wouldn't want to intrude ..."

"Boy, you was born to intrude... but at the moment you ain't. You wanna drink?" Lundy chuckled as he led the way back inside.

"What have you got?"

"Jack Daniels. Beer in the fridge."

"I'll take a beer."

Lundy got him one and they settled down in the living room, Lundy sitting on the couch and LaFiamma in one of the chairs.

"Any particular reason you dropped by?" Lundy ventured.

"Yeah." LaFiamma took a deep breath. "I wanted to say 'Thank you.' For standing by me through all of this. I know that I made some serious mistakes during the course of this case. Somebody else, hell, anybody else, would have jumped at the chance to dump me as a partner, considering all the problems we've had already. And to be honest, I don't know if I would have survived, professionally, if you hadn't been there to make me stop and think things through. I have a real tendency to-- what's the expression you use down here 'Get the bit in my mouth'? And when that happens I need a partner who's strong enough to 'rein me in' as you'd say. So, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your being there for me."

For a minute Lundy just sat there, stunned, then he grinned. "You're entirely welcome, LaFiamma. That's what partners are for."

"Yeah, but some partners don't understand that. I'm just glad that you do, or at least did this time."

Lundy shook his head. It was taking time but LaFiamma might turn out to be a good partner after all.

The End.