Hello! This is the first FOL story I have posted on this board (although I have written several.) This story was originally posted elsewhere, but my friend Kristen3, insisted I bring it over here so she could enjoy it as well. :) So, I've decided to give it a shot over here.

The story takes place after the FOL Reunion movie. I was unhappy with the movie in a lot of ways, but I decided to kind of take their interpretation of Jo as a police officer and work it into my story. Also, I decided that Fake-Rick from the movie was not Rick at all, but instead Jo's new husband Kyle (they never actually refer to the guy by name in the movie anyway.) So, the story may not follow the characters in the way you expect, but I do promise all the characters are in this story eventually. The story is very long, so I am not posting the whole thing at once, but I will update it frequently.

Word of warning...this story does deal with adult themes. It's not meant to offend anyone, so I wanted to give fair warning.

I hope you enjoy reading it. Thanks!

"Hey…I need your help tonight." Her partner's gravelly voice forced Inspector Jo Polniaczek to turn back from the door where she was exiting work for the day.

"What's up?" Jo asked, sitting her things on her desk. She was more than ready to go home and could tell from the look on his face that her partner had something up his sleeve.

"I volunteered to take over that prostitution case…you know, down by the docks," Inspector Henry Grisock scratched his head, trying to think of a way to convince her to help. Henry was one of the oldest inspectors on the force, and he wore his many years of experience on his face. He was at least twenty years older than his partner, but they had clicked instantly when Jo had joined the Los Angeles Police Department six years earlier. They were practically inseparable at work, although Jo insisted on keeping regular working hours since she had a daughter at home who needed her. Henry had always supported that, but on a rare occasion he needed her and he knew she would be there if he asked.

Jo sighed, "What do we need to do?"

"I need a prostitute," Henry snickered. He knew Jo would laugh, which she did immediately, but it was the truth. "One of the beat cops was going to do it," Henry explained. "But she came down with the flu. This has to go down tonight," he insisted. "You're the best I have to offer."

"Well thanks a lot," Jo rolled her eyes. She grabbed her jacket and purse. "What time do you need me? I need to get home, make Jamie some dinner, and make sure Kyle is going to be home. If not I'll have to find a sitter, but I'll be there."

"9:00," Henry answered gratefully. "And remember to dress for the profession," he laughed again.

"I'll do my best," Jo shook her head in defeat and waved a quick good-bye as she rushed out the door.

Twenty minutes later she pulled into the parking lot outside her apartment. Grabbing her purse, she got out of the car and glanced at her watch. It was already 6:30. She didn't have much time to get Jamie settled and transform herself into a streetwalker before she needed to meet Henry. She ran up the stairs and opened the door, hoping Kyle was home so she wouldn't have to find someone to stay with their daughter.

"I'm home," Jo pushed open the door and sat her things on the table near the door.

"In here," Jamie called from the kitchen. "I'm playing chess with Uncle Rick."

Jo walked into the kitchen and kissed her daughter on top of the head. "How was school?" she asked as Jamie moved a pawn on the chess board.

"Fine," Jamie shrugged. "How was work?"

"Okay," Jo smiled. She looked at her ex-husband and sighed, "What are you doing here?"

"Kyle had to go to some party over at the recording studio and he asked me to stay with Jamie until you got home," he stood from the table. "Since she's killing me at chess I guess it's time for me to take off," he ruffled Jamie's hair and walked towards the door.

"What party?" Jo asked, following him into the living room. "How long is he going to be gone? I have to go back to work."

Rick shrugged, "He didn't say." He could see the frustration in Jo's eyes as she walked into the other room. He followed her and gently put his hand on her shoulder, "Hey…are you alright?"

Jo was alright, she was just mad. She and Kyle seemed to be growing farther apart by the day and lately he had been spending more and more time on work related activities and less time with her and Jamie. To make things worse, he didn't even bother to tell her if he wasn't coming home. Jo had been hurt and ashamed when her first marriage had fallen apart and she was scared this one was heading down that same road. "I'm fine," she mumbled. "I just need a sitter because I have to go back to work."

"I can stay with Jamie," Rick offered. "It's not a problem."

"Thanks," Jo forced a smile. As uncomfortable as it was for her to have her ex-husband living in the same apartment complex, it did come in handy sometimes. At least he was someone she considered a friend. "You can leave when Kyle gets back…if he comes back."

"What's this all about?" Rick asked. He had noticed a tension between Jo and Kyle for some time, but she had never come right out and said anything to him before. Maybe it was because they had been married themselves. Maybe it was because Kyle had been a friend of his long before he married Jo and Rick had introduced his friend to his ex-wife, not knowing they would end up really and truly in love. But for whatever reason there was a wall between Jo and Rick that they never dared cross and he could see from the look on her face Jo was about to.

"I don't know," Jo let out a deep breath. "We just don't seem to have much in common anymore. When he and Jamie went to New York for Thanksgiving, I went to see a lawyer…"

"No," Rick interrupted. "Jo, you don't want to do that. A divorcee times two…is that the label you want?"

"Hey," Jo yelled angrily. "Don't even bring our marriage into this. That wasn't my fault and you know it. You were the one…"

"What's going on in here?" Jamie asked as she walked in from the kitchen. "I heard yelling."

"Nothing sweetie," Jo cleared her throat and gave Rick a glare. "I have to go back to work so Uncle Rick is going to stay with you until Dad gets home."

"Okay," Jamie grinned. "That means we can finish our game."

"Oh great," Rick playfully groaned.