Flack reached out and smacked the blaring alarm off. Yawning, he rolled over and opened his eyes to find Taylor's side of the bed empty to his surprise. He glanced at the clock on her bedside table and frowned. It had only been couple of hours since he and Taylor had talked and he expected Taylor to still be asleep considering how little sleep she'd had. He could hear movement in the house and, realising she was probably getting Riley up and ready for school, he decided to get up himself.
He quickly showered and dressed, pulling out one of his suits, and one of his favourite ties – pinks, purples and blues exploding together in swirls. Heading downstairs, he was slightly surprised to see Taylor frowning at the kitchen table, surrounded by her laptop and piles of papers. Behind her, sitting on the counter with a Pop Tart in her mouth, was Riley.
"Off the counter," Flack chided her. As she hopped down, he added, "And where is your plate?"
Rolling her eyes, Riley pulled a plate out of the cupboard and leant back against the counter. "Better?"
"I would be if you sat down and ate that," Flack calmly responded, as he poured himself a large bowl of cereal.
"Where?" Riley asked him.
Flack glanced back at the table on his way over to the fridge and sighed. "Tay, how long have you been there?" he asked, opening the fridge door and pulling the milk carton from it. "Taylor?" he asked again, when he didn't get a response. He sighed again and looked over at Riley. "How about you go make sure your bag is packed? I'll take you into school this morning."
The request earned another eye roll from Riley as she clearly understood why he wanted her gone, but she took what was left of her Pop Tart and did as he requested. As soon as she was gone, Flack shut the kitchen door behind her, then sat down next to Taylor, watching her work. "Taylor?" he said, gently, when she took no notice.
"In the dishwasher," she muttered, typing away.
Patiently, Flack leant over and pushed the laptop closed. Taylor gave him a startled look. "How long have you been here?" he asked her.
Taylor chewed at her lip. "About five minutes after you fell asleep again?" she offered. "I couldn't sleep." Flack gave the empty coffee pot on the side a pointed look. "Well, I couldn't get to sleep, and then it got to the point where I was supposed to be up again anyway that there was no point in going to bed," she admitted.
"Yet you had coffee?" he pointed out.
"I had one cup," Taylor said defensively. "Sean came in and had the rest before he left for work."
"You want another?" he offered, getting to his feet and set to rinsing it out so he could get a fresh pot brewing.
"Why not," Taylor agreed.
He waited until the coffee was beginning to drip through, and he had added the milk to his cereal bowl before sitting back down and speaking again. "So what are you up to?" he asked, nodding at the mess on the table.
"I was looking at my financial situation," Taylor told him, sitting back in the chair and stretching. "It's not good," she admitted. "All this jetting around the country has all but wiped out one of my savings accounts. I have my 'Rainy Day' account untouched, as is the 'House Fund', but I really don't want to touch the latter if I don't have to. So I was updating my resume and looking online for jobs."
Flack set his bowl down on a spare spot on the table and gave Taylor a surprised look. "A Rainy Day and a House Fund account? Just how many savings accounts do you have?"
Taylor shrugged. "Just the three." She studied the look Flack was giving her and frowned. "Which isn't normal?" she asked him.
Flack slowly shook his head. "Unless you've not got much in them."
Taylor flushed. "Well, like I said, the main one is all but empty, and the Rainy Day account only has a couple of thousand in it, but the House Fund is nearly enough to put down a deposit, although not on the size house I'd want..." she trailed off, noticing the incredulous expression on Flack's face. "What? I earned good money at the paper, and ever since I finished being an intern there and started getting proper money, I started saving. Besides, the majority of the House Fund was left to me when my grandparents died, under strict instructions of what it was to be spent on. Either way, I can't ignore the fact that I need to get a job."
Flack shook his head, still surprised, and got up to sort the coffee out. "Just when I think I know all I can about you, you still find something to surprise me with," he muttered, pouring the drinks for them both. He returned to the table, and handed Taylor the mug.
"Thanks," she said, setting it down.
"And how is the job hunting going?" he asked her.
Taylor sighed, shrugging. "I've put my feelers out to a few papers and magazines in the city, but I haven't heard anything yet as I fully expect Nancy to have blackened my name. I've started looking elsewhere, hence updating my resume."
Flack took a long sip of his drink. "You know, there is my salary too," he pointed out.
"And the money we receive for Riley," Taylor agreed. "But we live in Manhattan, Riley and her parrot need taking care of, and I still want to get married before the world ends." Flack arched his eyebrows at the last comment, but didn't say anything. Taylor glanced down at one of the papers and sighed. "We could live in Jersey for less than half what we pay now." At the choking sound coming from next to her, she looked up. "We could," she stressed. "I'm just making a point at how expensive this island is, even with rent-control."
"And on that bombshell, I should probably take Riley to school," Flack announced getting to his feet and finishing off his drink. As he leant over to kiss Taylor's forehead, she smiled, grabbing at his tie. "It's my favourite," he told her.
"I bought you this," she told him.
"I know," Flack agreed.
"It's hideous," she chuckled. "I never thought you would wear it."
"It's a work of art," Flack corrected her, trying to tug it from her grasp.
"Not so fast," Taylor muttered, using it to pull him down to her so she could kiss him properly.
"Have fun job hunting," he said, finally.
He quickly showered and dressed, pulling out one of his suits, and one of his favourite ties – pinks, purples and blues exploding together in swirls. Heading downstairs, he was slightly surprised to see Taylor frowning at the kitchen table, surrounded by her laptop and piles of papers. Behind her, sitting on the counter with a Pop Tart in her mouth, was Riley.
"Off the counter," Flack chided her. As she hopped down, he added, "And where is your plate?"
Rolling her eyes, Riley pulled a plate out of the cupboard and leant back against the counter. "Better?"
"I would be if you sat down and ate that," Flack calmly responded, as he poured himself a large bowl of cereal.
"Where?" Riley asked him.
Flack glanced back at the table on his way over to the fridge and sighed. "Tay, how long have you been there?" he asked, opening the fridge door and pulling the milk carton from it. "Taylor?" he asked again, when he didn't get a response. He sighed again and looked over at Riley. "How about you go make sure your bag is packed? I'll take you into school this morning."
The request earned another eye roll from Riley as she clearly understood why he wanted her gone, but she took what was left of her Pop Tart and did as he requested. As soon as she was gone, Flack shut the kitchen door behind her, then sat down next to Taylor, watching her work. "Taylor?" he said, gently, when she took no notice.
"In the dishwasher," she muttered, typing away.
Patiently, Flack leant over and pushed the laptop closed. Taylor gave him a startled look. "How long have you been here?" he asked her.
Taylor chewed at her lip. "About five minutes after you fell asleep again?" she offered. "I couldn't sleep." Flack gave the empty coffee pot on the side a pointed look. "Well, I couldn't get to sleep, and then it got to the point where I was supposed to be up again anyway that there was no point in going to bed," she admitted.
"Yet you had coffee?" he pointed out.
"I had one cup," Taylor said defensively. "Sean came in and had the rest before he left for work."
"You want another?" he offered, getting to his feet and set to rinsing it out so he could get a fresh pot brewing.
"Why not," Taylor agreed.
He waited until the coffee was beginning to drip through, and he had added the milk to his cereal bowl before sitting back down and speaking again. "So what are you up to?" he asked, nodding at the mess on the table.
"I was looking at my financial situation," Taylor told him, sitting back in the chair and stretching. "It's not good," she admitted. "All this jetting around the country has all but wiped out one of my savings accounts. I have my 'Rainy Day' account untouched, as is the 'House Fund', but I really don't want to touch the latter if I don't have to. So I was updating my resume and looking online for jobs."
Flack set his bowl down on a spare spot on the table and gave Taylor a surprised look. "A Rainy Day and a House Fund account? Just how many savings accounts do you have?"
Taylor shrugged. "Just the three." She studied the look Flack was giving her and frowned. "Which isn't normal?" she asked him.
Flack slowly shook his head. "Unless you've not got much in them."
Taylor flushed. "Well, like I said, the main one is all but empty, and the Rainy Day account only has a couple of thousand in it, but the House Fund is nearly enough to put down a deposit, although not on the size house I'd want..." she trailed off, noticing the incredulous expression on Flack's face. "What? I earned good money at the paper, and ever since I finished being an intern there and started getting proper money, I started saving. Besides, the majority of the House Fund was left to me when my grandparents died, under strict instructions of what it was to be spent on. Either way, I can't ignore the fact that I need to get a job."
Flack shook his head, still surprised, and got up to sort the coffee out. "Just when I think I know all I can about you, you still find something to surprise me with," he muttered, pouring the drinks for them both. He returned to the table, and handed Taylor the mug.
"Thanks," she said, setting it down.
"And how is the job hunting going?" he asked her.
Taylor sighed, shrugging. "I've put my feelers out to a few papers and magazines in the city, but I haven't heard anything yet as I fully expect Nancy to have blackened my name. I've started looking elsewhere, hence updating my resume."
Flack took a long sip of his drink. "You know, there is my salary too," he pointed out.
"And the money we receive for Riley," Taylor agreed. "But we live in Manhattan, Riley and her parrot need taking care of, and I still want to get married before the world ends." Flack arched his eyebrows at the last comment, but didn't say anything. Taylor glanced down at one of the papers and sighed. "We could live in Jersey for less than half what we pay now." At the choking sound coming from next to her, she looked up. "We could," she stressed. "I'm just making a point at how expensive this island is, even with rent-control."
"And on that bombshell, I should probably take Riley to school," Flack announced getting to his feet and finishing off his drink. As he leant over to kiss Taylor's forehead, she smiled, grabbing at his tie. "It's my favourite," he told her.
"I bought you this," she told him.
"I know," Flack agreed.
"It's hideous," she chuckled. "I never thought you would wear it."
"It's a work of art," Flack corrected her, trying to tug it from her grasp.
"Not so fast," Taylor muttered, using it to pull him down to her so she could kiss him properly.
"Have fun job hunting," he said, finally.
* * *
Flack was heading back into the city after dropping Riley at school, when he nearly crashed the car. Miraculously, there was no oncoming traffic as he swerved onto the wrong side of the road, though he did earn a few horn blasts from the vehicles behind him. He quickly negotiated the traffic on his side of the road so that he could pull over. While his heart was still beating away, a million miles a minute, he turned to the ghost in the passenger seat, livid. "What in God's name makes you think that now is a good time to suddenly appear in the car, Louie?" he demanded.
"Nice to see you too," Louie grumbled.
"Nice to see you?" Flack repeated, incredulously. "If there had been a car in the other lane, it might not have hurt you, but I'm still alive."
"Exactly," Louie agreed.
"I see why Taylor gets so frustrated with you," Flack grunted through gritted teeth as he punched at the top of the steering wheel. "Damn it, Louie, what the hell do you want?"
"I'm actually here to help you," Louie told him, grumpily. "But if you're going to be like that, I can go bug Taylor."
Flack thought back to his fiancé, sitting at the kitchen table, still in her pyjamas and sighed. Louie was starting to fade away when Flack told him to wait. "What do you mean, help me?" he questioned, warily.
Louie quickly phased back in. "Notice anything?" he asked him.
"You mean besides the fact I'm talking to the ghost sitting next to me?" Flack asked, sarcasm lacing his tone. Louie pointed at his head. "You showed up to show me a new haircut?" Flack asked in disbelief.
"No," Louie said, slowly. "Notice something missing. Or not missing as the case may be?"
"What are you talkin..." he trailed off. "Your head is intact," Flack realised. "And you've changed clothes, although that suit ain't white."
"Exactly," Louie agreed. "As a reward for helping taking down the Irish Mob, you get your very own partner. And no, I'm not wearing white," he glanced down at the smart, charcoal suit, black shirt and black tie. "Do I look like I could pull off white?"
"What do you mean by partner?" Flack asked him, suspiciously. "Are you going to be showing up with dead bodies at all hours of the day?"
Louie shrugged. "It depends on the case."
"It depends on the case," Flack repeated, laughing. "Listen to you. Maddy was a teacher – she looks after the ghosts, whereas Aid was a cop – she looks after Taylor. You were a janitor - what are you going to do? Mop the floor up after me?"
"That job lasted four months," Louie told him. "I was a jack of all trades. But I have something else to bring to the table."
"Oh, do tell," Flack muttered.
Louie shot him a scathing look. "I know bad guys."
Flack snorted. "Yeah, I know some too. Dunno how that's going to help me though."
"No, I know bad guys," Louie corrected him. "I was one."
This time, Flack laughed. "A couple of run-ins with Sassone doesn't make you a bad guy."
"If you cops knew even half of what I got up to before I died, there is no way on this earth they would have let Danny join the force."
"You're joking, right?" Flack asked, though there was something about the way Louie had made that statement which made him think that half was being generous. At Louie's silence, he shook his head. "I don't want to know," he said, quickly. "So how are you supposed to help me? Don't tell me we're going to be arresting every bad guy in New York?"
"Stop getting your panties in a twist," Louie said, rolling his eyes. "I kept that side of my life hidden from Danny. I know how much that job means to him, and you'd better believe he means more to me than that. Like I said, you did a good job with the Irish Mob, and we want to help you put some more bad guys behind bars. But not all of them."
"What are you scheming, Louie?" Flack asked dubiously. "Because I'm not doing anything illegal."
"Like hunt down a perp and shoot him in cold blood?" Louie retorted.
Flack paled slightly but held Louie's stare. "Exactly like that," he responded, evenly.
"You unloaded your clip into Bohr," Louie pointed out.
"Yeah, I think I remember the details," Flack growled.
"Jeez, someone didn't have enough coffee this morning," Louie muttered.
"For crying out loud Louie, cut the crap and tell my why you're here!" Flack snapped.
Louie held his hands up. "I told you, I'm here to help."
"How?" Flack cried in exasperation.
"Well, for starters, how about we get that uncle of Chase's arrested?" Louie shrugged.
Flack grew still, staring at him. "I'm listening," he said, slowly.
"Oh, it's not going to be that easy," Louie said, seeing Flack's expectant face.
"No, I didn't think it would be, somehow," Flack agreed.
"So here's the deal," Louie started. "I'm here to help you. You can't be telling Taylor about me. At all."
"Why not?"
That earned him another eye roll. "Do you not think Taylor has a habit of getting herself into enough dangerous situations as it is?" Louie asked. "Seriously, that broad might as well have a flashing neon sign saying I love trouble above her head at all times. You tell her and you know she's going to get involved. And like I said, I know bad guys."
Flack considered it for half a moment. "You might be onto something there," he admitted.
"So you can't mention a word about me," Louie insisted, staring intently at him.
"Jeeze, what do you want me to do, sign a contact in my blood?" Flack asked. "I'm not going to say anything to her about you, alright?"
"I mean it, Flack. One word, and I'm outta here."
"Louie!" Flack snapped.
Louie settled back into the passenger seat. "As we speak, a man is being murdered, not far from Madison Square. I suggest you head there now so you can find the body and call it in, seeing as that's not your precinct's jurisdiction."
The look of suspicion was back. "And how is that going to help me help Chase?"
"Why don't you go there and find out?" Louie suggested, disappearing.
Flack watched him go and inhaled deeply. "Great," he muttered to the empty car. "I get to put up with him as well as Grace." There was a crack of thunder as the heavens opened up. "That had better not be a sign," Flack mumbled, flicking the windscreen wipers on.
"Nice to see you too," Louie grumbled.
"Nice to see you?" Flack repeated, incredulously. "If there had been a car in the other lane, it might not have hurt you, but I'm still alive."
"Exactly," Louie agreed.
"I see why Taylor gets so frustrated with you," Flack grunted through gritted teeth as he punched at the top of the steering wheel. "Damn it, Louie, what the hell do you want?"
"I'm actually here to help you," Louie told him, grumpily. "But if you're going to be like that, I can go bug Taylor."
Flack thought back to his fiancé, sitting at the kitchen table, still in her pyjamas and sighed. Louie was starting to fade away when Flack told him to wait. "What do you mean, help me?" he questioned, warily.
Louie quickly phased back in. "Notice anything?" he asked him.
"You mean besides the fact I'm talking to the ghost sitting next to me?" Flack asked, sarcasm lacing his tone. Louie pointed at his head. "You showed up to show me a new haircut?" Flack asked in disbelief.
"No," Louie said, slowly. "Notice something missing. Or not missing as the case may be?"
"What are you talkin..." he trailed off. "Your head is intact," Flack realised. "And you've changed clothes, although that suit ain't white."
"Exactly," Louie agreed. "As a reward for helping taking down the Irish Mob, you get your very own partner. And no, I'm not wearing white," he glanced down at the smart, charcoal suit, black shirt and black tie. "Do I look like I could pull off white?"
"What do you mean by partner?" Flack asked him, suspiciously. "Are you going to be showing up with dead bodies at all hours of the day?"
Louie shrugged. "It depends on the case."
"It depends on the case," Flack repeated, laughing. "Listen to you. Maddy was a teacher – she looks after the ghosts, whereas Aid was a cop – she looks after Taylor. You were a janitor - what are you going to do? Mop the floor up after me?"
"That job lasted four months," Louie told him. "I was a jack of all trades. But I have something else to bring to the table."
"Oh, do tell," Flack muttered.
Louie shot him a scathing look. "I know bad guys."
Flack snorted. "Yeah, I know some too. Dunno how that's going to help me though."
"No, I know bad guys," Louie corrected him. "I was one."
This time, Flack laughed. "A couple of run-ins with Sassone doesn't make you a bad guy."
"If you cops knew even half of what I got up to before I died, there is no way on this earth they would have let Danny join the force."
"You're joking, right?" Flack asked, though there was something about the way Louie had made that statement which made him think that half was being generous. At Louie's silence, he shook his head. "I don't want to know," he said, quickly. "So how are you supposed to help me? Don't tell me we're going to be arresting every bad guy in New York?"
"Stop getting your panties in a twist," Louie said, rolling his eyes. "I kept that side of my life hidden from Danny. I know how much that job means to him, and you'd better believe he means more to me than that. Like I said, you did a good job with the Irish Mob, and we want to help you put some more bad guys behind bars. But not all of them."
"What are you scheming, Louie?" Flack asked dubiously. "Because I'm not doing anything illegal."
"Like hunt down a perp and shoot him in cold blood?" Louie retorted.
Flack paled slightly but held Louie's stare. "Exactly like that," he responded, evenly.
"You unloaded your clip into Bohr," Louie pointed out.
"Yeah, I think I remember the details," Flack growled.
"Jeez, someone didn't have enough coffee this morning," Louie muttered.
"For crying out loud Louie, cut the crap and tell my why you're here!" Flack snapped.
Louie held his hands up. "I told you, I'm here to help."
"How?" Flack cried in exasperation.
"Well, for starters, how about we get that uncle of Chase's arrested?" Louie shrugged.
Flack grew still, staring at him. "I'm listening," he said, slowly.
"Oh, it's not going to be that easy," Louie said, seeing Flack's expectant face.
"No, I didn't think it would be, somehow," Flack agreed.
"So here's the deal," Louie started. "I'm here to help you. You can't be telling Taylor about me. At all."
"Why not?"
That earned him another eye roll. "Do you not think Taylor has a habit of getting herself into enough dangerous situations as it is?" Louie asked. "Seriously, that broad might as well have a flashing neon sign saying I love trouble above her head at all times. You tell her and you know she's going to get involved. And like I said, I know bad guys."
Flack considered it for half a moment. "You might be onto something there," he admitted.
"So you can't mention a word about me," Louie insisted, staring intently at him.
"Jeeze, what do you want me to do, sign a contact in my blood?" Flack asked. "I'm not going to say anything to her about you, alright?"
"I mean it, Flack. One word, and I'm outta here."
"Louie!" Flack snapped.
Louie settled back into the passenger seat. "As we speak, a man is being murdered, not far from Madison Square. I suggest you head there now so you can find the body and call it in, seeing as that's not your precinct's jurisdiction."
The look of suspicion was back. "And how is that going to help me help Chase?"
"Why don't you go there and find out?" Louie suggested, disappearing.
Flack watched him go and inhaled deeply. "Great," he muttered to the empty car. "I get to put up with him as well as Grace." There was a crack of thunder as the heavens opened up. "That had better not be a sign," Flack mumbled, flicking the windscreen wipers on.
Originally posted: 03/02/2013