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.

Truce 1: A missing scene from the episode 'Secrets'
By Starwinder

"Shoulder bothering you, Lundy?" LaFiamma's voice startled Lundy just a little.

They had collected Ryan and returned to Mother Minnie's for dinner. Joe had sat on the porch watching Levon and Ryan tossing a football back and forth for the better part of the hour since lunch. Lundy had just come and sat down on the porch steps. He was rubbing his shoulder, which was aching from the strain of tossing the football around. He had known it would but had been unable to resist the urge to relive his glory days by telling Ryan about them as they tossed the ball back and forth.

"Yeah," He admitted grudgingly.

"What you get for acting like a kid." Joe deadpanned. He had actually enjoyed watching Lundy enjoy himself, but he would never let Lundy know it. He rose from the chair and came to lean against the post next to the steps.

"Reckon you're right." Lundy sighed. "I ain't as young as I used to be."

LaFiamma moved down onto the steps and sat directly behind Lundy. Reaching out he placed his hands on Lundy's aching shoulder and began to massage it firmly but gently.

Startled by the contact Lundy stiffened at first then realizing that LaFiamma obviously knew what he was doing he relaxed, letting his partner massage the aching shoulder.

LaFiamma worked the shoulder expertly. His touch was as good as any professional masseuse that Lundy had ever had work on the shoulder. He obviously knew that the pain in the shoulder would cause tension in the neck and the other shoulder because he didn't confine his rubbing to the aching shoulder. He moved on to massage Lundy's neck working the tension out of it before going on across to the other shoulder.

Silence had fallen between them again but unlike other silences that had stretched out between them; angry and tense, awkward and uncomfortable silences; this was a comfortable silence, a companionable silence.

(Lord, I wish this could last.)

But he knew it wouldn't. Tomorrow they would be back in Houston, back at work. His partner would raise his voice in anger and he would respond with anger then they would be right back to the other kind of silences, the angry and tense, awkward and uncomfortable silences. He just didn't know how to stop it from happening.

He looked out at the peaceful street in front of his grandmother's house and relaxed into the luxury of the massage; accepting the truce with his partner, momentary though it might be.

(Maybe, someday we'll figure out how to make this last.)

LaFiamma's eyes were closed. He manipulated Lundy's shoulders and neck by feel. His mind drifted. He had always been able to relax by giving a massage almost as much as by getting one. He felt Lundy relaxing under his hands and thought to himself.

(I wish this could last.)

The End.