Title: Dead Of Night

Author: badly-knitted

Characters: Ryo, Dee, OCs

Rating: PG

Setting: After Vol. 7

Summary: Stakeouts are a necessary evil, but sometimes they're worthwhile.

Written For: The tw100 prompt 'Dead Of Night'

Word Count: 839

Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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It's always darkest before dawn. Ryo couldn't remember where he'd first heard the saying, but it seemed particularly appropriate at the moment. This was his third night on stakeout in the same area, waiting for a serial killer to strike again. He was tired, cold, and bored; stakeouts weren't fun at the best of times, but it was four in the morning, the deadest part of the night. Dawn was still a couple of hours off, and everywhere was so dark…

There were no working streetlamps nearby, they'd all been broken long ago, and he couldn't use the car's lights because that would give him away. Same with the engine, which meant he had no heat either, and the temperature had dropped close to freezing. He'd wrapped up well, knowing what he was facing, but even so his feet were like blocks of ice, his fingers a little warmer only because he could tuck his gloved hands under his arms. Every breath steamed in the cold air.

In another unmarked car parked at the other end on the block, Dee was in the same situation and wishing he could send out for coffee. If the man they were after showed up, he wasn't at all sure he'd be able to go after him, his feet were so cold he could barely feel them.

Dee's radio crackled and he picked it up. "Laytner."

It was Ryo. "Dee, I see Fredricks, he just passed me on the other side of the street and he's headed your way. I'm gonna get out of the car and tail him."

"Okay, just be careful, this guy's bad news. I'll put out the welcome mat; see ya in a few."

Dee slipped from his car, closing the door quietly, and melted into the shadows of an alley entrance, wishing he could stamp his feet to get the circulation going, but he needed to stay quiet. They knew Fredricks was guilty as sin, they just didn't have any proof; they needed to catch him in the act.

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They succeeded.

As Fredricks approached his next victim, piano wire stretched taut between his gloved hands, he found two police issue automatics pointed at him. He'd killed four homeless people, but he wouldn't be getting a fifth; disarmed and handcuffed, he was tossed into the back of a police cruiser.

"Nice work, detectives," one of the uniformed officers said with a grin.

"We got lucky," Dee replied. "I'm just glad the stakeout's over, been freezin' our asses off out here for hours, all I wanna do is grab a hot drink and get that murdering sonofabitch booked so I can go home."

"Same here," Ryo agreed, joining him after having arranged to transport the intended victim to the nearest shelter, where a bed was waiting for him.

"See ya back at the precinct then. I'll put the coffee on." The officer climbed into the front passenger seat and moments later the patrol car was pulling away, Fredricks sullen and scowling in the back.

An hour or so later, back at the precinct, Dee and Ryo sipped mediocre but hot coffee while they filled out the necessary paperwork. They were both beat and still cold, but the coffee was helping on both counts.

The desk sergeant in duty approached them. "You two about done here?"

"Almost." Ryo didn't look up from the form he was filling in.

"Good. The Chief called, said to tell you both to head home and take a couple of days off. You've earned it. Wants you back here at eight on the dot Friday mornin' though."

"Whaddaya know, that old badger has a heart after all!" Dee grinned. "I might even be thawed out by Friday. I'm goin' home and to bed, then I'm stayin' there until tomorrow."

Ryo sighed. "I'd do the same but I've got to get Bikky off to school." He'd never regretted taking the boy in, but sometimes work and his responsibilities as a parent didn't fit together too well.

"C'mon, bud, I'll give ya a ride home." Dee slapped Ryo on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Dee. Be with you in a minute, I'm nearly done." Ryo filled in the last box, signed and dated the form, and scooped up the file and its contents to leave on the Chief's desk on his way out. He checked his watch; it was nearly six thirty. They'd probably make it to his apartment about the time Bikky's alarm clock was set to go off.

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Two hours later, breakfast had been eaten, the dishes done, and Bikky was on his way to school. Dee and Ryo, showered and finally starting to thaw out, were finally in bed, buried beneath Ryo's down comforter with the bedroom blinds drawn against the weak winter sunshine. Ryo knew he'd have to get up later to feed Bikky and make sure the boy did his homework, but not for a few hours. He was fine with that. Night might be past, but he was going to sleep like the dead.

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The End