Fic : Major crimes : Changing of the Guard
Summary : A short transition piece that takes you from The Closer to Major Crimes.
Changing of the Guard
“So how is Little Miss Ungrateful settling in at the D.A.'s office?” Gavin asked over the din of the other diners.
It took Andrea only a second to make the connection. “Brenda?”
“Or as I prefer to call her - Little Miss Ungrateful.”
“Well I can certainly understand why you would call her that. I mean why wouldn't she be grateful?” Andrea agreed sarcastically. “You unnecessarily made her go through weeks of depositions, months of worry, not to mention charged her tens of thousands of dollars all for the great privilege of witnessing your dramatic reveal at the last minute - when you could have just told her your master-plan during the free one hour consult.”
“Where would the drama and anticipation have been in that?” Gavin asked sincerely.
Andrea just shook her head and smiled.
“If it weren't for me she wouldn't have a home or a pension - I saved her from financial ruin. I don't think a little gratitude would be completely out of the question.”
“You're late. You're very, very late and we were very, very hungry so we ordered for you.” Gavin informed Sharon as she approached.
As Sharon sank into her seat, Andrea admitted. “It wasn't so much hunger as we needed something to soak up all the booze.”
Watching Sharon down the glass of Merlot they had also ordered for her, Gavin commented. “Trying to catch up. I like it.”
He nodded his approval before pressing Andrea for an answer to his earlier question. “So? You didn't answer. How is Little Miss Ungrateful settling in?”
“Well ... “ Andrea grimaced. “ ... a water pipe broke and flooded what was supposed to be Brenda's office so she is currently sharing space with Powell who holds a grudge like you would not believe. Her father is moving in with her and Fritz and most devastating of all ...”
Andrea paused dramatically. “... the employees at Hostess are going on strike.”
“Ouch.” Gavin agreed.
“All in all I'd say she's had better weeks.”
Picking up his drink, Gavin asked the two ladies present. “Who'd they get to replace her? Talk about a thankless job.”
As Sharon was busy flagging down the waiter to refill her glass, Andrea answered. “At the moment, as the ranking member of the squad, Provenza is in charge.”
“Provenza?” Gavin repeated with more than a hint of disbelief.
“Provenza.” Andrea repeated with a mirthless smile.
“Louis Provenza?”
“The one. The only.” Andrea nodded.
“The same Louis Provenza whose car got stolen with all the evidence for a murder for hire investigation in it?”
“That would be the one.” Andrea rolled her eyes.
Gavin squinted his eyes. “Didn't the intended victim end up actually getting murdered that same day?”
Andrea defended Provenza, but only halfheartedly. “Yes, but not by the woman who tried to hire Provenza.”
Head resting on his closed fist, Gavin casually mentioned. “You know I heard a rumor once ... did he really store a murder victim in his garage while he went to a Laker's game?”
“No. Not exactly. No. But close enough.” Andrea admitted.
After a moment of contemplation, Gavin mused. “Maybe I should stop by and drop off some business cards.”
“I think - I hope - it's just a temporary measure.”
Gavin grinned. “They are going to eat alive whoever Taylor throws to them.”
“Yes, yes they are.” Andrea agreed. “Thankless doesn't even begin to describe -”
“-Could we talk about something else? Anything else?” Sharon finally joined the conversation.
“Sure.” Andrea agreed.
“You feeling okay?” Gavin asked. “You're looking a little green around the gills.”
“I'm fine.” Sharon offered weakly.
Accepting her answer, Andrea moved the conversation along a bit. “You must be ecstatic. Now that that whole fiasco with Baylor and the class action suit is over, you are finally done playing babysitter. You get to go back to your own office and your own squad.”
“Are we going to have to nurse you through a second round of empty nest syndrome?” Gavin teased.
Grabbing her new glass of wine from the waiter's tray before he could actually hand it to her and hanging onto it like it was a life preserver, Sharon made a non committal sound. “Mmm.”
“Enjoy the quiet while it lasts.” Andrea suggested. “I did hear a rumor they might be offering it to Ann McGinnis in which case I give it two weeks - tops - before you are back there investigating another officer involved shooting. I don't see her as taking any of their flack. The only question is which one she will take out first.”
“McGinnis? She has sniper training. I bet she she could take them all out.”
Her eyes on the forks she was busy rearranging, Sharon shot that idea down. “They aren't offering it to Ann. They are offering her Special Operations Bureau.”
Gavin shook his head. “Major Crimes has too much of a pack mentality. I think they're going to have to break the team up. Either fold them all back into Homicide or switch out a few of the ringleaders.”
Andrea grimaced. “That would be a shame. They work well together -”
“- but not with others!” Gavin interjected.
“- and they have a great clearance rate.” Andrea continued. “But you might be right.
A minute later, Andrea proposed another idea. “I suppose they could try promoting someone from within, but who? Provenza?” Andrea's expression alone conveyed what a thousand words could never hope to fully express.
“Flynn?” Gavin suggested him and dismissed him in the same breath. “He's Provenza lite.”
“Sanchez? Let's not even go there.”
Raising an eyebrow and his glass of wine, Gavin declared. “If they put Sanchez in charge I'm hiring the billboard right outside the station.”
“Tao is the only solid candidate in the bunch, but even he's...” Andrea shrugged. “Don't get me wrong. I love Mike. He's a great guy and he's a terrific witness, but he doesn't exactly have that leadership quality.”
“They would run roughshod over him.” Gavin agreed.
Andrea nodded in agreement before turning to Sharon. “You're awfully quiet tonight. So why were you so late? You said you had a meeting with Taylor. What did he want?”
Finis
Changing of the Guard
“So how is Little Miss Ungrateful settling in at the D.A.'s office?” Gavin asked over the din of the other diners.
It took Andrea only a second to make the connection. “Brenda?”
“Or as I prefer to call her - Little Miss Ungrateful.”
“Well I can certainly understand why you would call her that. I mean why wouldn't she be grateful?” Andrea agreed sarcastically. “You unnecessarily made her go through weeks of depositions, months of worry, not to mention charged her tens of thousands of dollars all for the great privilege of witnessing your dramatic reveal at the last minute - when you could have just told her your master-plan during the free one hour consult.”
“Where would the drama and anticipation have been in that?” Gavin asked sincerely.
Andrea just shook her head and smiled.
“If it weren't for me she wouldn't have a home or a pension - I saved her from financial ruin. I don't think a little gratitude would be completely out of the question.”
“You're late. You're very, very late and we were very, very hungry so we ordered for you.” Gavin informed Sharon as she approached.
As Sharon sank into her seat, Andrea admitted. “It wasn't so much hunger as we needed something to soak up all the booze.”
Watching Sharon down the glass of Merlot they had also ordered for her, Gavin commented. “Trying to catch up. I like it.”
He nodded his approval before pressing Andrea for an answer to his earlier question. “So? You didn't answer. How is Little Miss Ungrateful settling in?”
“Well ... “ Andrea grimaced. “ ... a water pipe broke and flooded what was supposed to be Brenda's office so she is currently sharing space with Powell who holds a grudge like you would not believe. Her father is moving in with her and Fritz and most devastating of all ...”
Andrea paused dramatically. “... the employees at Hostess are going on strike.”
“Ouch.” Gavin agreed.
“All in all I'd say she's had better weeks.”
Picking up his drink, Gavin asked the two ladies present. “Who'd they get to replace her? Talk about a thankless job.”
As Sharon was busy flagging down the waiter to refill her glass, Andrea answered. “At the moment, as the ranking member of the squad, Provenza is in charge.”
“Provenza?” Gavin repeated with more than a hint of disbelief.
“Provenza.” Andrea repeated with a mirthless smile.
“Louis Provenza?”
“The one. The only.” Andrea nodded.
“The same Louis Provenza whose car got stolen with all the evidence for a murder for hire investigation in it?”
“That would be the one.” Andrea rolled her eyes.
Gavin squinted his eyes. “Didn't the intended victim end up actually getting murdered that same day?”
Andrea defended Provenza, but only halfheartedly. “Yes, but not by the woman who tried to hire Provenza.”
Head resting on his closed fist, Gavin casually mentioned. “You know I heard a rumor once ... did he really store a murder victim in his garage while he went to a Laker's game?”
“No. Not exactly. No. But close enough.” Andrea admitted.
After a moment of contemplation, Gavin mused. “Maybe I should stop by and drop off some business cards.”
“I think - I hope - it's just a temporary measure.”
Gavin grinned. “They are going to eat alive whoever Taylor throws to them.”
“Yes, yes they are.” Andrea agreed. “Thankless doesn't even begin to describe -”
“-Could we talk about something else? Anything else?” Sharon finally joined the conversation.
“Sure.” Andrea agreed.
“You feeling okay?” Gavin asked. “You're looking a little green around the gills.”
“I'm fine.” Sharon offered weakly.
Accepting her answer, Andrea moved the conversation along a bit. “You must be ecstatic. Now that that whole fiasco with Baylor and the class action suit is over, you are finally done playing babysitter. You get to go back to your own office and your own squad.”
“Are we going to have to nurse you through a second round of empty nest syndrome?” Gavin teased.
Grabbing her new glass of wine from the waiter's tray before he could actually hand it to her and hanging onto it like it was a life preserver, Sharon made a non committal sound. “Mmm.”
“Enjoy the quiet while it lasts.” Andrea suggested. “I did hear a rumor they might be offering it to Ann McGinnis in which case I give it two weeks - tops - before you are back there investigating another officer involved shooting. I don't see her as taking any of their flack. The only question is which one she will take out first.”
“McGinnis? She has sniper training. I bet she she could take them all out.”
Her eyes on the forks she was busy rearranging, Sharon shot that idea down. “They aren't offering it to Ann. They are offering her Special Operations Bureau.”
Gavin shook his head. “Major Crimes has too much of a pack mentality. I think they're going to have to break the team up. Either fold them all back into Homicide or switch out a few of the ringleaders.”
Andrea grimaced. “That would be a shame. They work well together -”
“- but not with others!” Gavin interjected.
“- and they have a great clearance rate.” Andrea continued. “But you might be right.
A minute later, Andrea proposed another idea. “I suppose they could try promoting someone from within, but who? Provenza?” Andrea's expression alone conveyed what a thousand words could never hope to fully express.
“Flynn?” Gavin suggested him and dismissed him in the same breath. “He's Provenza lite.”
“Sanchez? Let's not even go there.”
Raising an eyebrow and his glass of wine, Gavin declared. “If they put Sanchez in charge I'm hiring the billboard right outside the station.”
“Tao is the only solid candidate in the bunch, but even he's...” Andrea shrugged. “Don't get me wrong. I love Mike. He's a great guy and he's a terrific witness, but he doesn't exactly have that leadership quality.”
“They would run roughshod over him.” Gavin agreed.
Andrea nodded in agreement before turning to Sharon. “You're awfully quiet tonight. So why were you so late? You said you had a meeting with Taylor. What did he want?”
Finis