Disclaimer: This story is fan fiction. The characters are the property of Steven Bochco Productions and/or ABC. The cartoon characters mentioned are undoubtedly copyrighted by someone, but I don't know who.

Rating: This story is rated PG-13, for a couple of bad words.

Setting: This story takes places approximately 2 ½ months after the events in the 7th season finale.

*

Lt. Fancy looked at the personnel deployment form in front of him. It had just come in the morning's mail, announcing a new detective assigned to the 15th squad. "Detective (1) Thomas P. Gavins," it read. The entire personnel file would come later, but even the brief summary on this sheet was impressive. Only ten years on the job, but several commendations for valor and bravery. Detective after only a year. Promotion to top grade after 5 years. A year teaching at the police academy, the last two years working for the deputy commissioner in the Office of Management and Planning. A fast-track guy, on his way up. He should be due to make Lieutenant soon, thought Fancy. Instead he'd been assigned to the 15th squad detectives. Something wasn't right. Had he pissed someone off in the deputy commissioner's office? Or was there a different reason he was coming here?

Someone knocked on his open door, and he glanced up at the man standing there. "Lt. Fancy? Tom Gavins."

"Come on in." Fancy gestured to a chair and extended his hand over the desk. "Welcome to the 1-5."

"Thanks, it's good to be here."

As they shook hands, Fancy gave him a quick assessment. Mid to late 30's. Tall, athletic build, wavy reddish-brown hair. Wire-rimmed glasses. Intelligent, perceptive eyes. A slight drawl that Fancy couldn't place. A firm grip, and a look of self-assurance and good humor on his face. And he might need the latter, thought Fancy, since his tie appeared to have Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat on it.

"Nice tie."

"Thanks." Apparently Gavins felt no need to explain it.

"I just got the deployment form on you this morning, Gavins. I didn't know you were coming."

"Well, that happens. This department shakeup has Personnel working overtime. You're still a couple of detectives short, right, Lieutenant?'

"With you and the other one due to report this morning, I'll be back to a full complement," Fancy confirmed.

"Well, that's all right then."

"As I said, I don't have your full file yet, Gavins, but frankly, from what I can see here, this has to be a step back for you."

Gavins didn't take offense at the remark. "If it is, it's calculated step back."

"You want to elaborate on that?" pressed Fancy.

"Lieutenant, I don't have any hidden agenda. I was tired of sitting behind a desk. With the reorganization, I saw a chance to be a real cop again. I put my bid in, and this is where I ended up. It's as simple as that."

Fancy still hesitated. "Someone didn't assign you here...to check up on us?"

Gavins looked bemused. "You mean like Internal Affairs? Why, does this squad need checking up on, Lieutenant? Of course, if I was here on IAB business, I'd hardly tell you, would I?"

"No, probably not," Fancy conceded. He made a mental note that Gavins didn't actually deny an affiliation with Internal Affairs. "Are you married? Any family? Your sheet doesn't say."

"Married twelve years. We've got two girls, eight and ten."

Fancy smiled. "I've got two girls, too."

"Girls are great, aren't they?" enthused Gavins. "Seeing them grow up, what they're like, I think it helps me understand my wife better. Not that I still don't wish for a boy so she could understand me better," he said, laughing.

"Your wife upset that you're going back on the street?"

"A little. She'll get over it. I keep trying to explain to her that in this city I've got a greater chance of getting shot off-duty than on."

Fancy looked at the personnel sheet again. "So, you worked in the Bronx and Brooklyn before you went to OMAP?"

"That's right, the five three and the four six. And a year teaching crime scene procedures at the academy. Never could stay in one place very long," he laughed. Then his expression changed. "I had a good record, Lieutenant, you won't have anything to complain about."

"I can see that I won't."

"Then why the interrogation?"

"I like to know my detectives."

"I'm sure you do, but I sense something more. Especially when the first thing you ask me is if I'm really on the rat squad."

"Gavins, I've got a situation here. I lost 2 detectives. One, Greg Medavoy, got transferred in the shakeup, and the other one...left under a bit of a cloud."

"That would be Kirkendall?"

"That's right, what have you heard?"

"Just gossip. Something to do with her ex-husband being a dope dealer. Sounded nasty."

"It was. It's left the whole squad a little touchy."

"Bound to."

"I'm glad you understand, because I'm going to do something that under other circumstances I would never do." Gavins waited. "Normally, you being new to the squad, I would pair you off with one of the incumbent detectives that's lost a partner. That would be Diane Russell or Baldwin Jones. My problem is the other new detective I've got coming in. His name is Harry Denby."

Gavins swore softly, then laughed. "Denby, the narcotics guy that blew up on this Kirkendall thing? They put him here? God bless the police bureaucracy! I didn't even know he was still on the job."

"By the skin of his teeth. He got an official reprimand and a demotion."

"They're gonna love him here, I'll bet. So let me guess, you're gonna match up your other two singles and put me with Denby."

"Is that going to be a problem?" asked Fancy.

Gavins considered this for a moment. "Would it make a difference if it did?"

"No, but it seemed appropriate to at least ask."

"I appreciate the gesture." Gavins stood up. "So where is the famous Detective Denby? I'd like to introduce myself."

"I think he's still in the locker room. Down the hall on your left."

"Well, I guess I'll go flush him out."

*

When Gavins entered the squad locker room, he saw a man sitting on one of the benches, his head in his hands.

"Detective Denby, I presume?"

Denby didn't look up. "Who wants to know?"

Gavins put out his hand. It came about level with Denby's head. "Tom Gavins. Lt. Fancy's just informed me that I'm your new partner."

Just then, the door opened, and three men Gavins didn't know walked in.

The older one looked at Gavins. "You Gavins?"

"That's right."

"Andy Sipowitz. This is my partner, Danny Sorenson, and this is another detective in the squad, Baldwin Jones."

Gavins shook hands with each of them. Denby didn't look up or speak.

Sipowitz was momentarily nonplussed by the Tweety Bird tie. "Nice tie."

"Thanks."

There was a brief, awkward silence, then Sipowitz spoke again. "You maybe wanna leave, Gavins. This doesn't concern you."

Denby looked up, warily. Gavins considered the four men in front of him. He knew none of them, trusted none of them - as yet - but instinctively sided with the one who was his new partner. "If it's OK with you, I'll just stay in the cheap seats and watch."

"Don't interfere," warned Sipowitz.

Gavins made a dismissive gesture with his hands, and stepped back. "Hey, if you wanna rough him up, go ahead. I think he could use the adrenaline." He could see Denby throw him a panicked look. "If you're going to shoot him, however, I may have to step in."

Denby pulled himself together and finally spoke. "I trust we all realize that everyone in this room is armed?"

"None of the clever crap, Denby, we need to get something clear with you," said Sipowitz angrily.

"And that would be...?"

"Diane Russell is off-limits. "

"Ah."

"You bother her in any way, you even throw a wrong look in her direction, and you'd better be sure who's watching your back out on the street, 'cause it won't be none of us. Do you understand?"

"Well, having dealt with the lady in question, my impression is that she can take care of herself."

Andy moved closer to Denby, and raised his voice several decibels. "Do...you...under...stand?"

Denby shrugged, "Yes, I understand."

"And don't even think about trying to get her to drink with you."

Denby became cocky, a bad move under the circumstances, thought Gavins. "Certainly what the lady does in her off hours is her business."

This time Danny Sorenson moved closer. "Don't be an asshole, Denby."

"It's nice to see that, despite a few unfortunate missteps on my part, due to the frailties that human flesh is heir to, the fraternal bond between me and my brother officers remains..."

"You really want your clock cleaned, don't you, Denby?" Sipowitz interrupted.

"...intact," Denby finished.

There was another pause, then Baldwin Jones asked quietly, "Have we made ourselves clear?"

Denby considered him. Jones was so big, he didn't need to shout to make an impression. "Perfectly clear, Detective."

"Remember what we said in here," added Sipowitz, as the three of them left the locker room.

After they had gone, Denby exhaled, and looked like he was going to be sick. Gavins came forward, and leaned against one of the sinks, his arms folded. "That was a nice way to start the day."

"I've had better mornings," Denby admitted.

"I would hope so. You look like hell." Denby said nothing. "I thought the job dried you out."

"It would appear that it didn't take."

"No," Gavins agreed. "Nice supportive little group they've got. You're going to be a real burr under their collective saddle."

"I've got a history here."

"That's obvious. What's your relationship with this Diane Russell?"

"I don't have relationship with her, unfortunately."

"Well, those three guys seem pretty well intent on keeping it that way."

"That they do."

"So, you go by 'Denby' or 'Harry'?"

Denby sighed. "Lately, I seem to go by 'You prick' or 'You fucking asshole'. Take your choice."

"How 'bout 'Harry' then? I like to be different. And I like to keep my language clean. Don't want to slip in front of my daughters. Lt. Fancy told me about the reprimand and the demotion, " he added.

"It's not exactly a secret, especially around here."

"I'm not going to rub your nose in it, I'm only telling you to let you know that I know."

Denby put a hand to each temple, as if trying to keep his head from exploding. "Do you happen to have any aspirin?"

"Me? No. I'd try the PAA. He looks the kind to keep a small pharmacy at his desk."

Gavins moved forward and stood directly in front of Denby. "Harry, there are some things we're going to have to get clear between us, too. I don't like what I heard about how you handled your last case, but before that you were supposed to be an OK cop. You wouldn't have gotten as far as you did otherwise. Everything I know about you is secondhand. I believe in the evidence I can see. You don't know me, either. I figure I've got to prove myself to you as well as the other way around. We have no past with each other. Our relationship starts now. I promise you, you take my back, and I'll take yours. Every time. OK?"

Denby raised his eyes, and met his glance. Gavins could tell it had been a while since another cop talked to him on such an even basis. He could see the cop in Denby finally come out, and he stood silently while Denby evaluated him.

"OK," Denby agreed.

"So, you want to go out there and find our desks before the bell rings and the teacher marks us tardy?"

They prepared to leave the locker room, and Denby took another look at his new partner.

"Uh, Gavins?"

"Call me Tom."

"Tom, what is with the tie?"

Gavins grinned. "Do you like it?"

"No. It looks ridiculous."

"Well, partner, I'm sorry you feel that way, because I figure you're the one who's going to be looking at it the most." Gavins put his hand on the doorknob, then looked back at Denby. "And Harry?"

"What?"

"Don't screw up, or next time I'll be on their side."

They went out into the squad room together.

The End