[#188] Working Together (FAKE)

[badly_knitted]

Theme Prompt: #188 – Partners
Title: Working Together
Fandom: FAKE
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Partnerships are like relationships; you get out of them what you put in.
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Cops worked in pairs; it had been that way since long before Dee joined the force, and it was a sensible precaution. The streets of New York could be hazardous for the people who chose to devote their working lives to upholding law and order. Better that every cop should have someone to watch their back, preferably someone they could trust. Not that it was always so simple.

Despite only being in his late twenties, Dee had worked with a number of partners over the years. His training officer when he was a rookie, his first partner as a fully fledged patrolman, who’d retired after less than a year, then Dave, who he’d worked with until making detective.

He didn’t count Officer Rick Herbay, that partnership had lasted only a few days and Dee had accepted the assignment with the sole intent of bringing a dirty cop down. Herbay had been a menace to society, a violent bully whose father was wealthy and powerful enough to sweep his son’s indiscretions under the rug. Herbay had tried to ruin the careers of several other cops, but Dee had given him a taste of his own medicine, ending his reign of terror, and had made a couple of good friends in the process. It had felt good to see Herbay running from him in terror.

Before he’d died, Jess Latener, who had in many ways been Dee’s mentor, had made him promise to live his life honestly, and that was exactly what Dee was doing. By the age of twenty-five he’d worked his way up to detective, learned the ropes from a senior detective, then found himself without a partner when the older man retired. After that, he’d worked with anyone who was available, which he hadn’t minded since the other detectives of the Serious Crimes Unit were his friends.

“You’d better watch out,” Ted had told him one day. “You know it’s only a matter of time before you get stuck with a new partner, and it’ll probably be some freshly promoted newbie, still wet behind the ears.”

Dee had laughed. “Why should I care?”

“Why? ‘Cause you’ll have to train him.”

“What, like it’s hard? I was trained by the best. I can handle anything gets thrown at me.”

“You say that now.” Ted made the words sound as ominous as possible.

“If the old badger says I gotta teach a new child the ropes, I’ll do it. I’d be an awesome teacher.” Dee hadn’t really thought it would turn out that way, the two-seven would probably get a transfer from another precinct and there was no guarantee he’d be the one assigned to work with the new guy anyway. The Chief might decide to shuffle assignments around. Not that the existing partnerships within the unit weren’t working, but sometimes when people worked together for too long, they started getting into bad habits.

When the new guy arrived, however, Dee happened to be in the Chief’s office getting raked over the coals for something or other. He wasn’t sure exactly what since he hadn’t been paying all that much attention to what his boss was yelling, but the Chief was mad enough at him to lumber him with the newbie.

Despite everything he’d told his friends a few months earlier, Dee hadn’t been particularly pleased at getting lumbered with the responsibility, but his annoyance hadn’t lasted long because his new partner was gorgeous, and Dee was smitten.

Now, here they were, three years later, still partners, although Ryo was now an experienced and capable detective in his own right. The two men had quickly become close friends, trusting each other completely, and since then they’d only gotten closer.

“How do you guys do it?” a detective from the neighbouring precinct asked them one evening. The four detectives were working a joint case, and they’d all gone out together for a few beers after work. The fourth member of their little group was currently at the bar, getting the next round.

“Do what, exactly?” Dee asked, leaning back in his seat at their booth, stretching his long legs out.

“Work together so well. It’s like you each know what the other’s thinking.”

“You work well with your partner, don’t you?” Ryo asked, puzzled.

“I guess. I mean, we do the job, because that’s what we’re paid for, but this, hanging out together after work… You do this often?”

“All the time. Why, don’t you and your partner?”

“First time we ever have in two years, and we wouldn’t be here now if you hadn’t suggested it. I guess we both figured it was so we could brainstorm the case a bit more, but you guys haven’t said a word about it.”

“Yeah, I’m tryin’ to teach Ryo to switch off after work. He gets a bit obsessive over cases.”

“Like you don’t.”

“Never said I didn’t, but I know when to stop.” Dee turned to Detective Hanley. “You seriously never have drinks with your partner?”

Hanley shrugged. “We just don’t have much in common.”

“Don’t think I could work like that,” Dee admitted. “How d’ya trust someone to cover your back if ya don’t get along with them? I mean, sure, Ryo and I have our disagreements, but he’s my closest friend, there’s no one I trust more. I spend more time at his place than at my own apartment.”

“Only because it saves you having to cook or order takeout,” Ryo said, grinning.

“You’re a way better cook than I’ll ever be.” Dee turned back to Hanley. “Maybe you should switch partners with someone else. Some people just aren’t compatible. Partnerships are like relationships; if there’s nothin’ there to latch onto, they’re not gonna work.”

“Or you could try talking to your partner about something other than work,” Ryo added. “You might find you’ve got more in common than you think.”

“Don’t know about that, but I think I envy you guys.”

Ryo smiled. “Building a solid partnership takes time.”


The End