Fandom:	Houston Knights
Series:	Other Stories
Rating:	NC-17
Pairing:	Joe/Levon
Archive:	Starwinder's
Title:	Alchemy
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 that may appear in these stories are the property of the author.

[with thanks to Etch for the "critter" and the borrowing of Lundy's hat.]

Joe LaFiamma was almost out the door when the phone rang.

"LaFiamma... oh, hi, Aunt Teresa." He smiled to hear his favorite aunt's voice on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I'm fine." His voice however sounded a bit tired. "No. I'm really okay, Aunt Teresa.... It's just... that well, I miss you all and I'm still... well, a bit of an outsider here.... Uh-huh. I wish I could just be one of the guys, you know... instead of "The Yankee". Yeah.... Look it's a beautiful day down here, cool, clear... like spring time. I thought I'd walk to work, so I gotta go.... "

He laughed at something she said, "Aunt Teresa you just don't understand. Houston basically has two kinds a'weather.... Wet enough to swim in the streets and hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalks. A day like today is really something of a miracle and I wanna enjoy it while I can. A nice leisurely walk to work is just the thing."

He grinned at what she said, then replied. "Yeah. Love you too. Tell everybody that I miss them. I gotta go. Bye, bye."

He was still smiling when he strolled down the sidewalk in front of the apartment building and started walking towards Reisner.

He had been telling his aunt the truth. Days like this didn't come along very often in Houston. The temperature was in the mid-seventies. The sky was clear. A slight breeze was blowing in from the Gulf. The humidity was actually bearable. Even the smog was gone. Granted the last was just temporary... by noon it'd be back. Still, the day was a minor miracle to be savored while it lasted.

He set an easy pace. He had plenty of time. He smiled and nodded to most of the people that he met as he strolled along. He passed apartment buildings, single family homes, stores, business complexes, high rises and empty lots.

As he ambled past one of the latter, he failed to notice that he had gained a traveling companion. A small black and white bundle of fur emerged from the vacant lot and followed him down the sidewalk, silently meandering in his wake.

He turned into the police garage at Reisner and headed for the elevator up to the MCU's floor. He saw Lundy hopping out of the Jimmy and raised a hand to wave. "Hey, Cowboy!" He called as he stepped up to the elevator and pushed the call button.

He didn't see Lundy's eyes go wide as he caught sight of the small creature trailing along behind Joe.

"LaFiamma!" Lundy's voice was a strangled cry of warning.

Joe glanced back towards him, with a puzzled look on his face, as the elevator doors opened and he stepped in. His attention on Lundy, he didn't see the small animal waddle into the elevator with him, "What...?" he asked confused then as he realized that Levon was pointing towards his feet he looked down... just as the doors closed.

"OH, MY GOD!" Joe's shout echoed through the garage as the elevator gave a lurch and started upwards.

Lundy sprinted for the stairs, just as Joe Bill and Esteban started up them. Pushing his way past the other two detectives Levon rushed on.

"Hey! What the heck!?" Joe Bill hollered and started after him.

"Skunk! A skunk! On the elevator... with LaFiamma!"

The other two cops exchanged looks then Joe Bill whooped, "Wheweeeee!"

He and Esteban charged after Levon. The three emerged onto the third floor and ran towards the elevator. Splitting to go around Annie as they met her in the hall.

"Levon! What on earth?" She gasped as they ran by.

"Skunk!" Levon yelled.

"Got LaFiamma cornered on the elevator!" Joe Bill gleefully supplied.

"Oh! My goodness! Poor Joey!" Annie turned her chair and headed for Joanne's office.

Joanne met her at the door, having heard the commotion, "Annie what is going on?"

"Apparently a skunk somehow managed to get into the building. Levon said it's on the elevator... with Joey." Annie's voice managed to express both, her dismay at the prospect and her pity for Joe.

Dale Lipscomb, Nate Holiday and Dave Sutton, who were sitting at their desks exchanged looks and jumped up heading for the hallway and the elevator. This they had to see!

They arrived just as the elevator doors opened and LaFiamma emerged, coughing, gagging... and stark naked. He staggered out into the hallway, blinking back tears not yet realizing that he had an audience until Carol who had just emerged form the MCU bullpen let out a long low whistle.

Startled by the whistle Joe started back towards the elevator only to find that the doors had closed... taking the skunk and his clothes to wherever the next call had come from. Looking around wildly he saw Lundy and tried to duck behind him.

Lundy was covering his mouth and nose with a bandanna and dodged away from his partner, "Whoa, boy. You just keep away from me. You ain't getting that smell on me!"

"God damn it, Lundy! Gimme your jacket... or something!"

"Uh-uh! Ya ain't smellin' my clothes up!" He danced away from LaFiamma and hollered at the other detectives, "Somebody better call maintenance and tell them ta freeze that elevator till we figure out how ta get that skunk outta there!"

"I'm gonna kill you, Lundy!" LaFiamma snarled as he grabbed at Lundy's hat snagging it and holding it over his genitals as he dashed past Carol and Joanne to the men's locker room and the showers there.

"Dammit, LaFiamma!" Lundy yelled and took off after him, "Don't ya get my hat wet! ... And a shower ain'ta gonna do ya no good! Soap won't take that smell off!"

Joe Bill, Esteban, Dale and Dave all merrily followed Lundy and LaFiamma into the locker room. They all crowded into the shower area watching as LaFiamma turned on the faucets and began to try to get the scent off.

"Ain't a gonna work, LaFiamma!" Joe Bill laughed.

"Si," Esteban put in. "Soap, it is no good for this."

Dale Lipscomb chuckled. "Tomato juice. That's what my mama used."

Lundy had rescued his hat from the bench in the locker room where Joe had left it and now turned it over in his hands thinking. "Have to soak in it." Trading looks with the other guys he said, "Need some kinda tub..."

Joe Bill grinned, "I got me one of those galvanized tin watering troughs on the truck... was gonna take it home tonight."

"That'll do." Lundy pulled out his wallet and handed Dale a couple of bills, nodding to him and Dave. "Ya'll run down ta the store and see how much tomato juice you can get." He turned to the other three men, "You go get the trough." He grinned and added conspiratorially. "I'll keep him cornered."

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

Half an hour later Joe was almost in tears. He'd scrubbed until he was raw, the water was getting cold and he *still* stunk... like a skunk.

He'd spent the last half hour trying to ignore the goings on around him in the shower room, the officers coming and going, the loud clanging and banging of something large and metal... the laughter.

With a sigh he reached up and turned the water off and stepped back. Turning he found himself being enveloped in a large fluffy towel, held by his partner. Startled he froze then his eyes met Lundy's.

His partner's brown eyes were filled with amusement... and affection? as he wrapped the towel around Joe and said with a grin, "Come on, Pardner, let's get ya dipped... get that smell off of you."

Still stunned by the affection he'd seen in Lundy's eyes, Joe allowed himself to be guided over to what looked like a six-foot long oval tub made of what appeared to be galvanized tin.

Joe Bill, Esteban, Nate, Dale and Dave were still pouring can after can of tomato juice into the make shift bathtub.

Joe looked uncertainly at the red liquid.

Lundy grinned at him again. "Go on. It ain't pretty but it will get the smell off!"

Joe took a deep breath and instantly regretted it as he got a nose full of skunk... again. He swallowed hard and stepped into the tub, clutching the towel around him until he had to remove it or get it soaked in tomato juice.

Lundy had rolled up his sleeves and now knelt beside the tub, picking up a large plastic cup. He looked up at the others, "You'd better get on back to work, 'fore Joanne fires us all. I think we can manage now."

The other's filed out amongst much amusement and rude but not mean spirited teasing. Nate even tousled Joe's hair as he went by, remarking to Levon not to forget to wash it down in the juice too.

Soon they were alone. Joe felt awfully embarrassed but was too fascinated by the warm affection in Levon's eyes to worry too much about being sitting naked in a tub full of tomato juice.

Lundy just kept grinning at him and began to dip up the juice and pour it over him. He made Joe lay back in the tub and soaked his hair really well in the juice.

After a bit he stood up. "I think you can get out now. You need to shower off the juice but other than that ya ought to be good to go."

Joe nodded and climbed out. As he headed back to the shower stall he couldn't help but notice that Levon was giving him appreciative looks. Still he was startled when a couple of minutes later, Levon stepped under the spray with him.

Lundy grinned at him, "Figured it couldn't hurt to shower off... 'sides I need to make sure that there ain't none that smell lingering on you... don't I?" He moved really close and began to sniff at Joe.

Joe laughed. "Really, Lundy! You are something, ya know that?"

"Uh-huh." Levon reached out and pulled him close and into a quick kiss. "So are you, Boy," he murmured before stepping back, "... and you smell just fine now!"

They finished showering and dressed quickly. Levon saying that he'd get some of the guys to come back and help him empty the tub and clean it out for Joe Bill.

When they entered the MCU bullpen there was general laughter but for once, Joe didn't hear any derision in it, just good humor.

Several of the guys were gathered around the TV set in the corner. Dale looked up as they came in and hollered, "Hey, LaFiamma! Your buddy made the news!"

When Joe frowned at him, not sure what he meant, Dale went on, "Seems she got off the elevator at the Administration Offices. She's got the Chief and the Deputy Mayor cornered in a conference room. Guess they don't know she's outta ammo!"

"Used it all up on you!" Joe Bill laughed.

From the general merriment in the room, Joe figured no one was going be calling up to tell the chief that the skunk was 'out of ammo'. He was just grateful that the news people had somehow managed to bypass him in favor of the Chief and the Deputy Mayor. Being bathed in tomato juice by his co-workers was bad enough without it making the evening news.

Beaumont stuck her head out of her office door. That's enough people! Get back to work!"

Still chuckling intermittently the detectives obeyed.

Several hours later the gang began to break up to go to lunch. As they headed for the door, Nate turned back, calling, "Aren't you coming, LaFiamma?"

Joe looked up startled. [I'm invited?] He climbed to his feet and grabbed his jacket.

As he joined them at the door way Joe Bill slung an arm around his shoulders, "Heck, we figure it's your turn to buy! Ya owe us for all that tomato juice!"

Laughter greeted the remark but again there was no derision, only good humor. As they all crowded on the elevator, Joe knew that they'd be going to Chicken's and he'd have to hear the story told and retold but it really didn't matter. By some strange alchemy involving a skunk, a whole lot of tomato juice and a galvanized tub he had become 'one of the gang'.

In the Jimmy on the way to Chicken's he turned to Levon, "What just happened?" he asked.

Lundy chuckled, knowing what he meant, "Boy, you've been baptized! You've been skunked and bathed in tomato juice in a galvanized tub! It don't get no more country than that!" He paused for effect then added, "'Course we've still got to get to the ceremonial burning of your clothes!"

The End