Once again, as I was just falling asleep (for an unexpected, last minute shift), my man Fusco decided to talk to me. Seriously, why can't he talk when I'm awake?! But I guess he wanted to tell me all about the convo he had with Joss regarding the aftermath following "Baby Blue". So, here is what happened. I hope you enjoy. As for me, I'm crashing and burning. Goodnight!

Song prompt: "It's A Heartache" by Bonnie Tyler

(At 3am I was woken by this song and knew it was what I was looking for when I heard the line: "Love him until your arms break; then he lets you down.")

It's A Heartache

"Nice night for a stake-out," Fusco remarked. And a cold one too, he added silently. It was long hours and boring as hell, but it beat sitting in his motel room eating pizza and watching TV. It could be worse.

"Yeah. One of the perks of being a cop." Joss looked out at the empty street, keeping a sharp eye open for any criminal activity that would help them close the case.

"Doesn't get any better than this," Fusco replied tongue in cheek. Reaching behind the seat he pulled up a large thermos. "Want some?"

Joss eyed the tall container. "Is it coffee?"

"Better. Hot chocolate. Made it myself," he boasted.

"Sure." Joss waited as her partner poured the dark, rich liquid into the cups.

"Here." Fusco handed the drink over.

"Thanks." Joss wrapped her hands around the cup and let her fingers soak in the warmth. "It smells good," she remarked.

"It tastes just as good," Fusco promised.

Joss sipped. "Mmmm. This is good. Who knew that you had a secret talent?"

"Hey," he grinned, "what can I say? I am 'The Fusco'."

Joss gave a snort and shook her head. "You're full of it, Lionel."

"Probably," he agreed. "So, may I ask a question?"

She gave a small shrug. "Sure."

"What's wrong?"

Joss turned her head and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she smiled tentatively. "Why do you ask?"

"It seems the last week or so you've seemed a little...off."

"Off? How?"

"Like you're not yourself."

"I'm okay," she said quickly but didn't elaborate.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No." Joss returned her attention to the street.

"Because I'm a great listener," he added for good measure.

"You're becoming a great pain," she replied with mock disgust.

"Another one of my talents. Still, I'm here if you want to talk."

"I don't."

Fusco paused. "Is it a man?"

Joss nearly choked on her drink. "Excuse me?"

"A man."

"What about a man?"

"Is that the reason you've been moping around the precinct?"

"I haven't been 'moping', Fusco. And I'd appreciate it if you kept your nose out of my personal life."

"Because it seems as though what ever has you down might have something to do with a man," he continued was though Joss hadn't said a word.

"I'm not answering that."

"So, I'm right."

Joss counted to ten. "Okay. What if I said it was a man?"

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Between you two? What happened to bring you down?"

"I'm not 'down'," she returned shortly.

"Well, you're not exactly jumping for joy, either. So, what happened?"

"We had a...disagreement."

"An argument," Fusco corrected.

"Disagreement. He did something I didn't agree with."

"What was that?"

"It's complicated." Complicated? That's an understatement, she told herself.

"Well, we're going to be here all night and I'm all ears."

"You're a smart ass, you know that?" Joss asked.

"I've been told that a number of times."

"Any way I can get you to shut up and change the subject?"

Fusco thought it over. "Unless the bad guy comes out and we catch him the act of committing a crime, then not a chance."

Joss sighed. "I figured that much."

"So, who is he?"

"You wouldn't know him."

"Is it serious?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you two dating?"

"We were seeing each other...in a roundabout way."

"But you like him."

"I do. I did. I don't know," Joss answered vaguely.

"I think you do."

"He hurt me."

"What did he do?" Now more than ever, Fusco was curious to get to the bottom of what was eating at Joss.

She waved him off. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Have you tried to talk to him since you kicked him out of your life?" Fusco wondered.

"No."

"Not even one phone call?"

"I don't want to talk to him," Joss growled under her breath. "I don't have anything to say to him."

Fusco nodded. "Maybe. But maybe he has something to say to you."

"It's over."

"Sounds final."

"It is."

"Is that the only thing he's done? Betray your trust, I mean."

"It was the tip of the iceberg. But, yeah."

"So, you just cut him loose without hearing his side of things." Fusco took a long sip. "Poor shmuck."

Joss snapped her head to the side. "Poor shmuck?! Seriously?! You're siding with him?!"

"Sounds like he got the short end of the deal."

"I think you don't know what the hell you're talking about," Joss said. She was barely keeping her anger in check, but with each second that passed she found herself wanting to throttle her partner.

"I know about relationships and when someone does something wrong. Why don't you meet him half-way?"

"I'm not taking his calls."

"Wow. That's kind of harsh, Carter. Don't you think? Don't you at least owe him the benefit of the doubt?"

"He lied to me."

"It's not exactly a sin to lie."

"It's perjury when in court," she countered back.

"Point made and taken. Call him, then."

"Do what?"

"Call him. Since you won't take his calls, call him. Talk to him. Meet him halfway."

"I can't." Inexplicable sadness filled her heart.

"Can't or won't?"

Joss rolled her eyes and groaned inwardly. "Of all the people I could have been stuck in the car with, I had to pick Dr. Joyce Brothers."

"I think I'm better looking than she is."

"Not by much."

"Do you want to hear what I think?"

"Other than saying no, can I make you change your mind?"

"You won't meet him half-way because you can't. You have these standards and a moral code that won't let you accept anything less than perfect from someone," Fusco pointed out matter-of-factly.

"You're my partner," Joss scoffed sarcastically.

"Misalignment in the stars."

"You could say that again," she said and brought the cup to her lips.

"But whatever he did, have you ever considered the reason or reasons why he did what he did? How do you know that he meant to insult you?"

"He betrayed my trust."

"It happens, Carter. Why do you think there is a homicide department in the police force? If trust was such a simple thing, we'd be out of a job or on traffic duty."

"After we're done with this stakeout, I'm putting you on traffic duty."

"Let me ask you something: Have you been completely perfect in this relationship?"

Joss swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"You are all up in arms how he betrayed you, but have you been perfect? You haven't done anything to hurt him?" Fusco wondered.

Joss opened her mouth, then closed it. "I..." The memory of watching John being gunned down on the rooftop of the hospital flashed in her mind. "It's different," she whispered. The interior of the car seemed to grow smaller with each passing second.

"Different? Heh. That's just code for saying that you've screwed up just as bad as he did, only you're taking it more personally. Did he hate you after you hurt him?"

Joss closed her eyes and hung her head. "No. No, he didn't." In fact, he had welcomed her back into his life with open arms and trust.

"So, what's the big deal?"

"You wouldn't-"

"Understand," Fusco finished. "Yeah. Yeah."

"How did you know?"

"Deja vu, I think. Want me to talk to him?"

"Excuse me?" Joss was shocked by the offer.

"I can talk to him for you. Maybe arrange a meeting for you both to have that little talk."

"No."

"It would stop you from moping."

"I'm not moping."

"Pffft." He held his hands up. "Fine. Okay. Give me his number so I can call him."

"What for?"

"Can't two guys just talk? I'll point out all the ways he hurt you and that he's been put on warning not to do it again. And if that fails, I'll kick his ass for you," Fusco replied confidently.

"Heh," Joss chuckled. "I would pay to see that happen."

"Hey," Fusco puffed out his chest, "I may not look like much, but I was a helluva street fighter when I was younger. Guys feared me."

"Yeah," she chuckled. "I can see that."

"So, you'll call him and try to make it work?" Fusco leaned over and lowered his voice, "Because, and between us, I don't know this guy, but he's been good for you. And I'm sure that you've had the same effect on him."

Joss took a deep breath and let it our slowly. "Look, Lionel, it isn't that we aren't or are good for one another, we're different. We can't...it isn't as though we'd be...you know."

"Are you saying that you want to get serious and marry this guy?"

"What?! Marry? Wait! Back up! I never said 'marry'."

"But you love him."

Joss's fingernail picked at the rim of the cup. "I don't know what I feel for him anymore."

"At least you're being honest. Tell you what, Carter. Call him and talk to him. I'm sure that there is a good and logical explanation and reason for what happened. But you'll never know unless you talk to him."

"Yeah."

"Promise me."

"Only because I can't shoot you," Joss reasoned.

"Because I've grown on you?" Fusco asked smugly.

"No, because I hate paperwork."

"Ah, well. I'll take a victory any where I can. Just promise me you talk to him, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Joss agreed with a nod of her head. Hell, at this point she would be willing to sit down and talk with Carl Elias if it meant Lionel Fusco dropped the subject.

At that moment something caught her eye. "Look," she pointed toward the shadowy figure. "There's our guy." She made sure her weapon was ready. "What do you think he's up to no good?"

"I'd bet dinner at the corner diner." Fusco readied his weapon.

"It's a deal." Joss started to open the door, stopped, turned to look at Fusco. "You got my back?"

Fusco nodded. "Always, partner." He opened his door. "Let's do this."

The End.