The Adult Denby Fanfic Site

Simplicity

AUTHOR: Amanda J Frechin.
DISCLAIMER: The usual. I don't own the characters from NYPD Blue, but I own Amanda (sound familiar?) Dez, and Kelli.
FEEDBACK: To Amanda J Frechin

The sirens were too loud in Diane's ears. The wailing pierced through her ear drums and pounded in her skull. Denby was looking at her like he expected something, conversation or whatever, but if he thought she was going to hold a 'friendly' conversation with her, well, then he was sorely mistaken. She had been screwed over in the verbal arena way too many times with Mr. Priori. Yeah, you go first asshole. Right into my gun range.

They crossed the line into the police tape, and studied the bodies lying alongside each other. Twin gunshots to the head from an automatic. Damn. At least they didn't feel anything.

"Anyone see anything?" Denby's voice came from behind her.

"No, no one saw anything. Just heard gun shots, and called the police." The cop on scene was really young. Diane doubted if he knew what he was doing.

"Well, uh, keep everyone away and make sure forensics gets over here. There's not much we can do until-"

A gun shot broke Diane's speech off. They whipped around and past the open door they could see a man running down the stairs of the apartment. She didn't waste any time. Drawing her gun, she ran after him, and could feel Deny on her tail.

"Cut around the back," he said.

"No, you. I'll get him."

"Diane.."

She couldn't hear him. She was already out the front entrance of the apartment building, in hot pursuit. The guy, wearing an army fatigued coat and old blue jeans, was a good 50 feet ahead of her.

"Freeze! Police!" She screamed at him, her gun centered at his back, but he turned around and popped off a few shots in her direction. "Shit," she muttered, picking up the pace of her run. He darted around the corner and she wondered if Denby had gone around the back like she should have. She couldn't hear him behind her-

A gun shot.

"FUCK!"

"Denby! Damn it," Diane spun around the corner to find that the shooter was nowhere in site, and Denby had been hit. Running towards him she saw it was a small flesh wound, just grazing his left arm.

"Diane! God damn it! Why didn't you go around the back like I told you to?" He didn't give her time to reply. "You need to shape up or were both gonna end up dead."

"Denby, god, shut up!"

"Oh, I'm shot, and she's the one who's surly. That's rich."

"Fuck you, Denby."

"We've progressed to all out swearing. I'm impressed."

"I'll bet."

By now she was shouting at him.

"If I had gone around the back, I would have been shot. And knowing you Denby, you wouldn't have been on his tail and he would have had more time to do more than a fucking flesh wound."

He was silent. She stood there, face flushed and chest heaving, waiting for him to do something, waiting for him to give her the opportunity to ream him. He didn't give it to her. Instead, he tried to get up, but couldn't from his position on the ground without using his arm.

"Damn you, here!" She thrust her arm out at him for him to grab it. He shook his head.

"You don't owe me any favors Russell."

"You're right, I don't, but I'm not gonna let you put yourself in more pain than is necessary. Now let me help you up."

Denby let her help him, and in the end, leaned on her a bit. The wound wasn't too bad but he was worn out. He had done more running than she had, and the shot had flung him back against the wall, and he had hit his head. The stood there for a few moments, and Diane felt bad for what she had done, but not bad enough to say so.

"What, no apology?"

"Don't push your luck, Harry," she growled at him. She expected to see the little knowing smirk on his face but didn't. In fact, he wasn't doing anything like she expected him to. Now his face looked genuinely surprised and it looked like he had had some sort of revelation.

"That's the first time you've called me Harry."

"Is it? I don't pay attention to stuff like that."

"It is. I was always 'asshole' or 'prick' or 'Denby.'"

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it."

"Oh no, I think I will, Diane, I think I will."

Continued in Part 3.