An Internal Affair

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Chad looked over the file once more before closing it with a satisfied sigh and sliding it back into a drawer after noting that his replacement would conduct the interview with Andrea. There would be enough people alleging that he was playing favorites when word of his relationship with her got out, and he didn’t need to add fuel to that particular fire. He toyed with the idea of calling Hopper in for his statement and smirked – probably wouldn’t be a good idea, but it was too good to resist… he impulsively leaned out the door to call to Haight. “Make Detective Hopper an appointment.”

“Right away, Sergeant,” the man replied, already bending over his keyboard. “There’s a spot open tomorrow at three.”

Chad smiled. “That’ll be just fine.”

He selected another file and was so engrossed in reviewing it that he didn’t register it at first when his name was called from the doorway. “That must be an interesting case,” he was startled to hear Andrea say, and her hands came down on the pages to claim his full attention. He looked up into her amused brown eyes as she leaned across his desk with her lips pursed for a kiss.

Outside in the bullpen, Chad could see through the open door that they were getting some very interested looks. “The door’s still open,” he reminded her.

Andrea gave him another amused look, leaning to brush the tip of her nose against his. “I don’t care,” she whispered, and kissed him. When she drew back from him, he felt nearly cross-eyed with lust; no matter how often they made love, it never seemed like it was enough. “You look so cute in here with your tie and your IA Face.”

“Uh, I’ll have to take your word for that…what’s going on?” He shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong with you - hemorrhoids or hard-on?”

“The last one. Did you actually want something, or did you just come to torment me?” he asked exasperatedly. “And what’s an ‘IA Face’?”

She grinned and flopped down into a chair. “Torment cleverly disguised as an offer of lunch. Want some?”

“Are you talking about wanting actual food, or…?”

“I always knew that underneath those expensive suits was beating the heart of a freak,” Andrea teased. “Sadly I offer not a quickie in the Ballistics supply closet, but a plate of kung pao chicken.”

He eyed her. “Do you have any idea how much MSG is in-”

“Aaaaand the nutrition talk is my cue to leave,” she said hastily, standing up to go. “Oh, almost forgot. What’s this I hear about you having an appointment with Hopper? I thought you said you’d hand my case over, so why did you call him in?”

“Because I can. Now get out,” he ordered.

Andrea came around his desk and laughed at his refusal to turn his chair to face her, so pressed an affectionate kiss to the side of his face and darted a hand in his lap to squeeze his crotch. Chad slammed a hand down on his desk irritably and she scooted to the doorway, turning to look back at him from the safety of the bullpen. “Are you sure you don’t want any, um, Chinese food?” she called.

He glared and pointedly snatched up the abandoned file, rapping it smartly on the desk and pretending to go back to reading it. The moment she turned her back he grabbed a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and bounced it off the back of her head while Haight stared in disbelief. “Go catch a crack whore, Battle.”

The next day he was sufficiently out of sorts at having spent the night alone that he looked forward to harassing Hopper more than ever- his successor would call the other man in for the official interview, but Hopper didn’t know that and Chad wasn’t about to tell him. He kept his eyes lowered as he noted the detective’s entrance and rooted around in a desk drawer needlessly. “What’s all this about? I’ve got work to do and a lead to check out,” the man complained.

Chad arranged a pile of menus in front of him and pretended to scan them. “It’s always nice to see you too, Detective Hopper. Have a seat.” This was going to be fun. “What can you tell me about your partner’s recent visits to Chinatown?”

“This is about Andrea? What the-”

“Answer the question, Detective. She’s been seen in that area quite often lately; more so than usual.” He raised his eyes to look at the man across from him, and felt anger speeding his pulse slightly. You’re supposed to be her partner, and I bet she never even told you. And you never even asked, did you? “Do you have anything you’d like to share about this?”

Hopper rubbed the side of his face, frowning. “Her CI is there, but she never said anything about it to me.”

“Maybe she feels like she can’t trust you,” Chad needled. “She wouldn’t be the first, though, now would she?”

The other man glared across at him, closing his hands in fists. “Did you drag me in here to ask me about my partner, or just to whine about the fact that Rita’s with me now?”

Chad bit back a quick response to that and paused for a second. True, he didn’t like Hopper – but the dislike had its roots in the breakup of his failed marriage... so had he really called Hopper in to harass him about Rita? He knew that, deep down, he’d always be fond of the petite nurse and grateful or the good times that they’d shared, even though she’d broken his heart by leaving him – but he didn’t love her anymore. What could it hurt to tell the truth for once? “If she’s with you now, it’s because we weren’t right for each other. I accept that, but still don’t like you and probably never will,” he said finally. His phone rang and he picked it up. “Shelten.”

“Sergeant, I think you need to get down here,” Haight said excitedly.

“Where is ‘here’ and why should I be getting there? I’m in a meeting,” he reminded the other man.

“Your ex-wife is down here in Narcotics talking to Detective Battle – she looks pretty ang-”

“Be right there.” Chad hung up the phone and headed for the door immediately, brushing aside Hopper’s questions and running down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. He had a bad feeling about this…which turned out to be perfectly justified when he emerged from the stairwell to see Andrea knock Rita on her ass with a right hook. “Andy, what the hell?” he asked as he hauled her into a nearby office.

She told him what had to be a severely edited version of what happened, and he felt a tightening in his chest when Andrea quietly hinted at her insecurity where Rita was concerned. He reassured her lightly and steered her out to do something about her cheek, resolving to have that talk with her she’d asked him about a while back. It wasn’t right that she felt he could still favor Rita above her after he’d already shown her much more of himself than he’d meant to at this stage of their relationship. With a final glance over his shoulder at a still-stunned Rita being helped up by several detectives, he pressed the button on the elevator and ushered her into it.


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


She allowed him to lift her up onto the counter, watching as he frowned in concentration while he rummaged in the small freezer for ice and wrapped a few cubes up in a nearby cloth. “I really didn’t mean to hit her so hard,” she apologized.

“I know you didn’t – but I already told you that I wasn’t worried about her. You two can work it out later after both your tempers have had a chance to cool off,” Chad murmured. “Hold still.” One of his big, warm hands cupped the unhurt side of her face gently, holding her in place as he pressed the makeshift icepack to the mark Rita had left. “Look, I was thinking-”

“Always a dangerous thing.”

“Very funny. How’s the face?”

“Numb on one side, ticklish on the other from all the hair on your palm. Don’t think I don’t know what you were doing all by yourself last night,” she joked.

Chad widened his eyes at her and went with it. “What were you, spying on me? No, I was thinking that I could take you out tonight.” She agreed and leaned into his touch as he lifted the icepack off and inspected her face. “Give me a call when you want me to pick you up.” He set her on her feet as Haight appeared in the door to remind him that Hopper was still waiting in his office, squeezing her hand before releasing her. “Don’t get into any more cat fights, Crackhead.”

“I won’t,” she pledged, glancing over at the other IA officer who watched their interaction interestedly. “I’m not in it for immunity,” she informed the man as she walked past him.

“I never suggested that you were,” Haight said mildly.

Rita was gone by the time she got back to Narcotics, and she received a standing ovation from those who had been close enough to hear what had happened. Her cheek was still a little sore, but she couldn’t imagine how Rita must feel – she’d smacked her a good one. When Hopper found out about it… well, she wasn’t relishing the confrontation. Thankfully, he didn’t return before it was time for her to go and Andrea went home to shower and change, calling Chad before starting to dry her hair.

He showed up dressed casually, and she smiled at the sight of a black baseball cap turned backwards on his head. “You look good,” she told him when he looked at her quizzically.

“It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. Ready to go?” he smiled after brushing his lips against hers. “It’s nothing fancy, but I think you’ll like it.” Andrea was pleasantly surprised at his choice and they enjoyed their dinner, holding hands beneath the table like teenagers and kissing every chance they got. She liked that Chad didn’t constantly press her for sex, and was equally content to simply hold her in his arms and kiss her for hours on end.

They were laughing over shared stories of first dates when he pulled up to her house and slid his arm around her shoulders when they got out of the car. “…and she really fell for that?” Andrea hooted.

“Well, yeah – I told you I was big for my age. She was so pissed when she found out I was only thirteen,” Chad laughed. “You should’ve seen her fa-”

An angry voice interrupted him suddenly. “What the hell’s going on here?”

Oh, shit. Hopper.

“You seem to be lost, Hopper. Your place isn’t anywhere near here,” Chad said calmly, his arm still firmly around her. “If you want, I could draw you a map or something.”

“What’re you - hey, let go of her,” the detective yelled as Chad resumed walking up the steps with her.

Andrea felt her anger rising and she slipped from beneath her lover’s arm. “It’s okay, Chad. I’ll handle this if you want to make that tea we were talking about.”

Chad folded his arms and leaned against the porch railing. “I don’t think so. I’m not going to let you stand here and take his crap,” he informed her. “I’ve got your back.”

“More like you’ve got her on her back because you can’t stand me,” Hopper yelled. “I can’t believe that you-”

“You want to watch your mouth,” Chad said softly, the menace in his tone unmistakable.

Hopper whirled on her suddenly. “You know, when Rita told me what happened I thought it was all a mistake. And here I find you, letting him touch you even though you know he could never love you. He doesn’t love anything except himself, Andrea. He’s just trying to get back at me by using you; can’t you see that?”

She felt like she was going to be sick. “Just leave, Brett.”

“I’m not leaving you here with him,” Hopper insisted. “He was asking questions about you earlier, did he tell you about that? No, it probably slipped his mind because he was too busy getting into your-”

Chad stepped forward so quickly she didn’t have time to react as he punched Hopper in the face, bloodying the other man’s nose. “Chad,” she cried in dismay. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, I should’ve done it sooner,” the big man snarled. “You want some more? Come on, Hopper!” He lunged forward once more and she darted in front of him so that he had to throw himself backward to avoid slamming into her.

Andrea placed a quelling hand on Chad’s heaving chest and turned to Hopper. “If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have stopped himself from hurting me. Not everything is about you, Brett; stay out of this one, okay?” She turned to look up into her sergeant’s still-furious face. “Let’s go inside and get some of my stuff – I think I’ll stay with you at your place tonight, if that’s okay.” He tore his gaze away from Hopper and nodded at her, his large frame trembling with anger.

“But, what about those questions he was asking me?” Hopper tried, holding his nose gingerly.

She sighed and turned back to face her partner. “Chad’s helping me out with a problem of Eddie’s, Brett. He was probably just messing with you. Tell Rita I didn’t mean to hit her that hard, will you please? I’ll stop by to apologize later.” Andrea steered Chad towards the door and inside. “Please leave,” she requested. Once inside, she quickly gathered a bagful of things and was relieved to see that Hopper had left when they walked back to his car.

They didn’t speak until her clothes had been transferred to the house and the door was locked behind them, then Chad sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s not true, what he said.” He studied the carpet.

“I know.”

“Is that what Rita said, too?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not like that, I wouldn’t,” he sighed, looking up at her with such a sad expression on his face that it hurt her to see it.

She sank down on the carpet in front of him, putting her hands on his knees. “I know,” she repeated.

“I know I’m not…not a very good person sometimes. Sometimes I don’t even try to be – well, a lot of the time I don’t.” He swallowed hard. “I’d never hurt you, Andrea. Not on purpose.”

His pained, halting recital was almost more than she could bear. “It’s okay, I understand,” she soothed.

Chad cleared his throat. “Do you remember what you said one time, about if I ever wanted to tell you…?”

She nodded, taking his hands in hers. “Of course I do, sweetheart.”

“I think I’m ready to,” he said awkwardly.

“You can tell me anything.”


tbc…
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