THE CURRENT CHANGES ON A DIME PART THREE
Hey all, hope you are reading this. Again I ask to be told if the characters are right. I hope you enjoy this part and are enjoying the story. Remember to click on (READ MORE) to get to the story. Sue
THE CURRENT CAN CHANGE ON A DIME
BY SUE MCNIECE
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters. Anthony Yerkovich created Miami Vice and Michael Mann was Executive producer, I thank them for that. This is just a fan fiction from my warped mind.
PART THREE
The talk had stopped while Tubbs changed in to something more comfortable for the weather as Sonny finished making their dinner. Both ate, cleared and cleaned up. The moon hung high in the early evening sky setting off a long ray of light that bathed the water along with the colored lights from buildings that reflected off the tide. The two men were relaxing, sitting on chairs, drinking their Black Jack and Cognac.
“Hey, what’s going on down at the OCB lately, anyways? I haven’t had a chance to talk to anyone in some time. I’d like ta know before stepping back in our old playground.” Rico inquired.
Sonny poured himself another drink, let the liquid burn his throat before answering.
“Well the Hardy boys I told you about. The game book is still running a lot of the same plays and different ones with the new kids on the team. Gina’s engaged as of last month to Gordon Shaw.”
“Wait, the Hardy boys are Joey and Jorge, right? And Gina’s gotten herself engaged to Gordon?” Tubbs threw a look of surprise at the last part of what Sonny said.
“Yeah, that would be them, Joey and Jorge, The Hardy Boys.” Sonny chuckled at the thought, “and, yeah, Gina’s engaged.” Sonny said thoughtfully, holding the glass between his fingers. He swirled the amber liquid and watched it almost as if it had mystical answers floating within it.
Rico waited for him to finish, he knew that far off look, knew how Sonny could try and find answers in a glass or a mirror. Crockett was a complicated man. These were the few ways that he would look inside, keep it in, like it were him trapped in the glass, whether it be a drinking glass or the glass made mirror. The glass, either way, still caged his friend. What were the secrets in the mystical glass? Tubbs figured he knew a few of them. Rico knew even though things hadn’t worked out for Gina and Sonny that she always held a special place in his friend’s heart. He wondered if the man was jealous, wished things had been different, or if something else were bothering him. Not willing to ask unless Sonny told, he waited.
“Gordon’s a good man and he’s lucky to have Gina. You remember Gordon, assistant D.A.?”
Rico searched his mind until recognition filled it, “Yeah, nice guy is right. He helped you out a few times.”
“Many times.” Sonny laughed, seeming to leave behind what he saw in the glass, “He’s now the D.A. and he isn’t on the take. Never thought I’d see the day when there were more of the good guys on the right side. And as for Swi, he’s a sergeant now with a new partner, Sammy. It was time to partner the poor guy off. They get along like frick and frack. There are a lot of new people in OCB now.”
“Since there’s more of the good guys then bad guys now, I’d think you’d consider definitely becoming the lieutenant of Vice. Sonny, you’d be good at it. No one has your style and dedication and I think that’s why Castillo thought of you. Plus, you have so many people that would be loyal to you, always did.” Tubbs pushed at his friend. He didn’t want to get the ex-cop angry, he’d seen that side of Sonny too many time, and saw it earlier. The detective hoped he wasn’t bringing the subject up to early after the warning the blond had given him just hours before. He just knew that Sonny’d be good at running OCB, that the thought was there, but something was holding him back. Was that one of the answers the ex-detective had been looking in that glass for?
“Ah Rico, I don’t know. I’m not gonna lie ta ya. I’ve played it around in my head about a million times. The action junkie is still there, wanting to be a cop never left, it’s just here I’m free, relaxed and can have a life with my son. Still, Ah hell, I don’t know, maybe. Just need more time to think on it.” Sonny answered, his mind mulling it over again. What did stop him? Was it fear? He wasn’t afraid of the job its self, but of what happened over the last year he worked on the force. And for some reason his friend bringing it up again, just hours after Crockett’s gander had risen, well, this was Tubbs and right now he was ok with it, as long as it didn’t go to deep. He poured more bourbon into his glass, more to add to the fire that burned of unanswered questions.
“Hey Sonny, whatever way you go I’m there for you. I’d even come back down and work for you, can’t think of a better boss. But I can understand your apprehension over what happened in the last year on the force.” Tubbs knew as he usually did, some of what was running around the blonds head about taking the job.
“You always know where my minds at, most of the time. And I always dug how we could read each other, even in just eye contact, helped on the deals. Funny how that happened so quickly between us, made us strong and able to balance each other out.” He let out a long sigh, “let’s not talk about it right now, ok?” He knew Tubbs would let it go, but only for now and he’d hear more about it once they were in Miami and saw the old gang and how the unit was running. He was lucky that Rico had only brought it up twice. He knew his friend remembered his moods and they wouldn’t speak about it the rest of the night, but the subject wasn’t over. Sonny never trusted anyone like he did Ricardo Tubbs and knew Ricardo Tubbs felt the same for him. They knew each other well, where to draw the line and when to come back to the subject if needed. They always figured things out when each man was ready to talk about it. Only a few times could Crockett remember Tubbs getting put off by his lack of spilling his guts, or Sonny’s mood got out of hand. Crockett wasn’t used to that, he hated times when he’d rage, putting Rico on the defense as he did with the Mike Orgell and Evan Freed ordeal. He shrugged it off and let his attention focus back on the black man that sat by him.
“Ok, fair enough, for now, but don’t think it’s dropped indefinitely.” The detective knew the ex-cop had already figure he’d say that. And also knew that the offer to work in Vice under Sonny would turn the man’s thoughts around some. He thought for a minute on how to change the subject from Sonny going back on the force but not from Vice,
“So how’s our Big Booty Trudy?” Rico laughed remembering when he was told the story of how Sonny had got the name plate made and put it on her desk.
Sonny almost choked on his drink at how his partner changed the subject yet still kept it on the department and at hearing the famous name, “She’s great, studying law when she isn’t workin’. Man I remember how mad she got when she finally found out I was the one who put that there sign on her desk. But she got over it and kept it there. I told her I made it out of love and affection for her and it hurt me deeply that she didn’t like it. Maaaannn that was some sappy tap dancing, but she fell hard for that crock of shit. Only as time went by it became true.” Sonny mused.
“I guess I’ll see all the new and old tomorrow. It’ll feel nice to see them again.”
“Yeah I told them I was coming in and bringing a present.” Sonny grinned evilly.
“You didn’t tell them I was coming?” Rico asked. He wasn’t surprised. Knowing Sonny as well as he did he knew the blond was either blunt, saying what he was thinking, especially in a fit of anger or passion. Though when uncomfortable he tended to beat around the bush and when this happened it seemed Rico could pull it out of him, most of the time. As far as kidding around went, Sonny came up with different ways to stir the pot, get things jumpin’ and it always worked. Rico realized once again, after Sonny mentioned it, just how in tune they were with each other.
“This way you can sneak up on ‘em.” Sonny raised his brow still grinning.
“Leave it to you, buddy. But then I kind of figured you’d do that.”
“See, like I said before we still think alike after all these years. One of the things I liked so much about us bein’ partners and friends.” He mentioned again, a soft affectionate look covering Sonny’s handsome face.
“I miss it too, and I miss this.” Rico answered, looking around, before settling his stare on Sonny and giving the same affectionate gaze back.
Funny, Sonny thought, how the subject came right back to working, again, with Vice, past and present. But more important the subject came back to them. Sometimes Sonny thought they were like two halves that made a whole. He smiled at the thought,
“Hell Rico, I miss us, and like you said …. this. God, I never realized just how much.” The blond thought for a moment and then hid the sappy expression.
“Me too, man, me too.” The darker man agreed.
The two men sat side by side leaning shoulder to shoulder as they had done so many times before, gazing out at the lights shining off the water. The boat rocked a gentle rhythm lulling them both.
“Sonny, you know I’ve never felt more comfortable, relaxed with anyone else before, I miss that too.” Rico confided.
“I know, pal. I feel the same way. You always knew and still know how to bring me back from my doldrums. Always been my rock, ya know?”
“Yeah, I do. And you mine” Rico stated, thinking just how true what they both were saying. He felt such love for this man. The love that Valerie had been so jealous of, the love that he had remembered thinking he’d never had for another human being.
Sonny’s thoughts turned. “Been wonderin’ if that didn’t have a bit to do with what happened between you and Val.” Sonny admitted. He thought Rico might have been thinking along the same lines. He still didn’t take his eyes off the water. It was easier not to look at Rico when admitting such emotions. Hell, everything he was saying was the truth. These thoughts had crossed his mind and he wanted to know if he didn’t play a part in their break up. Maybe it was just his insecurities again, he didn’t know. All he knew was he like having Rico around. “Damn it, Rico, I don’t wanna think I had any small part with your breaking it off with Val. You haven’t even said a word about her since you got off the plane.” Sonny said gruffly and then shot up onto his feet. Uncomfortable, his emotions suddenly shifting in every direction and it should be him there for Rico, he admonished. Guilty, he paced.
Rico stood up. He knew how Sonny could get and how far off from the truth his friend was. Now he figured he knew more of what had been in the amber liquid of the glass his pal had been lost in. At least he hoped this was the one thing he could help. And hoped it would lessen what swirled around in that glass cage of Sonny’s, “Sonny, there you go again, taking on someone else’s problems, wonderin’ if you’re the cause. Christ, it’s been a long time coming between me and Val. This is the first time in I don’t know how long that I’ve felt at peace. Being with you again, on the water like old times, I haven’t even given the woman a thought until you brought her up. So be cool, I’m fine and where I want to be.”
Sonny swallowed hard before turning and looking at Rico. “I’m being fucking selfish as usual. Rico, I just wanted you to be happy and didn’t wanna get in the way. Shit, I guess I just feel guilty wanting you back here, guilty at missing what we had as friends, partners, Christ, brothers.” He let out a heavy sigh, “God only knows my own brother isn’t around and hasn’t been in years. I just know that when I called I could hone in on Val’s voice, she didn’t want me on the phone, didn’t want me up there more than a day or two when I visited. Oh, hell, I don’t know.” He picked up a fishing weight and threw it as hard as he could into the water. He was hoping that throwing the heavy weight as hard as he could, might purge the storming emotions inside.
The dark haired man came up to the blond, rested the palm of his hand on the other man’s shoulder, his best friends shoulder. A man he felt so much for and he could never seem to express it. How do you express the love he felt? He’d always done it by being the calm that was needed, by not leaving as so many did in Sonny’s life. But it did seem strange after how he had felt on the plane about Valerie, that once he saw Sonny, Valerie dissipated from his thoughts.
“Listen, you didn’t have anything to do with Valerie. She was jealous of you and what we have. Her insecurities, she wouldn’t leave it alone and there were so many other things that were wrong with us. I just felt like I was drowning and couldn’t do it anymore. All I knew was I had to leave and all I could think about was being here with you. So what’s wrong with that, buddy?” Rico turned Sonny around and pulled him into a deep, hard hug.
“Nothing, I guess.” Sonny breathed out melting into the hug they shared.
“Good, so no more of this crap, alright?” Rico pulled away still holding Sonny’s shoulders to search for the answer to his question in the other man’s eyes. Another thing Rico always knew was that Sonny’s deepest emotions lay in those sea green eyes, dark and stormy when negative feelings came and jade sea green with the positive ones. He could tell from those eyes that he was accepting what Rico told him, but there was also some under lying emotion that made those eyes a cross between stormy and jade. Sonny would eventually let his friend in on what was going on once the man himself figured it out.
“Yeah.” The blond quietly breathed out.
They both released the hold. Rico felt a strange feeling that he had felt many times before, the loss of the physical contact. He always loved that about this mysterious man. Sonny wasn’t afraid to show physical affection with his friends, women or men.
”Guess we better get some shut eye. We leave early in the a.m.” Sonny gave a small smile of gratitude to his friend and then started to clean up.
“Thanks, Sonny.” Rico’s voice whispered passed his ear.
Crockett stopped and turned at the chill that washed over his body at the breath of air that passed his ear. “You’re welcome and I can say the same to you.”
“But you won’t, though you are welcome.” Tubbs laughed lighting up the tension.
Sonny joined the laughter. They finished cleaning up and headed to bed feeling better after getting some of the emotions out of the way. Drifting off to sleep each thought about the warmth they felt from the closeness they shared and the excitement of going to Miami in the morning.
Sonny left the marina early in the morning. The sun shone brightly in the sky casting off rays of heat already. He wiped his brow and pulled off his tee shirt to feel the breeze. The water was always cooler than inland so he knew it would be a scorcher later on. The tan figure in denim cut offs had woken Rico in time for him to shower and eat something.
On the way to Miami, cruise ships passed as The Sanity Maintenance cut their wakes. Bouncing roughly through a few he thought Tubbs had yelled, he just snickered at the New Yorker who didn’t know boats the way he did or the water. After all he had been on boats since he had been a small child with his daddy. His daddy had taught him a lot about boats, fishing, swimming and playing pool. He’d go to the bars with his dad and learn to shoot pool while his father drank or out on the boat and fish, having some beers. Then they’d go home, only for him to listen as his mother yelled. She always thought Sonny was safely out of ear shot, but he’d listen. Jake was never anywhere to be found, leaving him alone with the explosive fights. Sometimes when the arguments got real bad he’d hide under his blankets just wanting the harsh loud voices to stop, to be a bad dream, but they weren’t. He didn’t know what brought all those good memories up and have them suddenly change in to bad ones. He quickly started thinking about something else.
It occurred to him that he only knew about Tubbs brother, Raphael and his grandmother but nothing about Tubbs father or mother. To Crockett it seemed as if Raphael Tubbs had raised Ricardo along with the grandmother. Funny, after so long he didn’t know anything more about Tubbs family, only that now he didn’t have one. James “Sonny” Crockett was referred to as Tubbs family and that‘s all he knew. The tan blond was taken out of his reverie when he jerked around at the noise Tubbs made climbing the ladder to the flying bridge.
“Whoa partner, it’s only me.” The darker man eased, the words calming the startled man before him.
“I guess I’ll never stop acting or responding like a cop.” Crockett said sheepishly, “Did you sleep well, get everything you needed this morning?”
“I slept better than I have in a long time. I did pretty well this morning until you slammed this tub around a few times and sent me flying around the shower and kitchen.”
“It’s a galley, not a kitchen. And I’m sorry ‘bout that bouncin’. A few cruise ships went by and I had to cut through their wakes.”
“You couldn’t just do it gently, or some other way?”
Crockett looked at Tubbs as if the man were crazy, and then spit out in frustration, “What? You have to cut through another boats wake or you’ll, oh never mind!” His voice changed to light sarcasm. “Keep forgotten that you’re from New York and didn’t know too much about boating until you came down here.” Crockett waved the subject off.
“Sorry, Captain, but I don’t think I remember some of what I had learned in the five years we were partners. I remember some.” Tubbs told him timidly.
“S’ok, you’ll remember as we go. We’ll be at the marina in about 15 minutes and you’ll have to give me a hand with the lines. You do remember how to tie off a line, don’t ya? And that you get the bow and I’ll maneuver from below and get the stern line?” Crockett asked, looking expectantly at his friend.
“Ah yeah, I remember how to tie off, but the bow and the stern?”
Crockett chuckled, “Bow is the front and the stern is the back. You’ll be in the front and I’ll be in the back, ‘K?” Crockett explained as if he were talking to a child. He stared with a lopsided grin.
“Yup, got it.” Tubbs replied, not at all offended by the tone of his friend’s voice.
The yacht was docked with out a problem, a few slips down from the St. Vitus Dance. They had made good time. Sonny went up to visit Will, who was so happy to see, Burnett. Yup, Sonny Burnett, that’s who he was once again, he thought as he answered Will’s questions and then phoned a cab. Brunett waltzed his way down the dock admiring the view of the boats and bikini clad women behind his sunglasses, some remembered him and waved or asked where he’d been. Brunett, to them, made charming quick excuses and was on his way. He stopped to gaze at the St. Vitus Dance, the yacht that had been his home for such a long time. Thoughts from the past, living on the sail boat, filtered through his head. Joey had already gone to the office so the hatch was locked. He’d have to come aboard and see how the kid was keeping the boat. He knew that Joey couldn’t fix much like Sonny had always done. Will told him how his cousin always had something for the man to work on. Before walking away, the blond shook his head at how the brass was starting to tarnish in places and made a mental note to tell Joey to get it polished. He then proceeded to The Sanity Maintenance to change and pick up Rico so they could wait for the cab.
TBC
THE CURRENT CAN CHANGE ON A DIME
BY SUE MCNIECE
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters. Anthony Yerkovich created Miami Vice and Michael Mann was Executive producer, I thank them for that. This is just a fan fiction from my warped mind.
PART THREE
The talk had stopped while Tubbs changed in to something more comfortable for the weather as Sonny finished making their dinner. Both ate, cleared and cleaned up. The moon hung high in the early evening sky setting off a long ray of light that bathed the water along with the colored lights from buildings that reflected off the tide. The two men were relaxing, sitting on chairs, drinking their Black Jack and Cognac.
“Hey, what’s going on down at the OCB lately, anyways? I haven’t had a chance to talk to anyone in some time. I’d like ta know before stepping back in our old playground.” Rico inquired.
Sonny poured himself another drink, let the liquid burn his throat before answering.
“Well the Hardy boys I told you about. The game book is still running a lot of the same plays and different ones with the new kids on the team. Gina’s engaged as of last month to Gordon Shaw.”
“Wait, the Hardy boys are Joey and Jorge, right? And Gina’s gotten herself engaged to Gordon?” Tubbs threw a look of surprise at the last part of what Sonny said.
“Yeah, that would be them, Joey and Jorge, The Hardy Boys.” Sonny chuckled at the thought, “and, yeah, Gina’s engaged.” Sonny said thoughtfully, holding the glass between his fingers. He swirled the amber liquid and watched it almost as if it had mystical answers floating within it.
Rico waited for him to finish, he knew that far off look, knew how Sonny could try and find answers in a glass or a mirror. Crockett was a complicated man. These were the few ways that he would look inside, keep it in, like it were him trapped in the glass, whether it be a drinking glass or the glass made mirror. The glass, either way, still caged his friend. What were the secrets in the mystical glass? Tubbs figured he knew a few of them. Rico knew even though things hadn’t worked out for Gina and Sonny that she always held a special place in his friend’s heart. He wondered if the man was jealous, wished things had been different, or if something else were bothering him. Not willing to ask unless Sonny told, he waited.
“Gordon’s a good man and he’s lucky to have Gina. You remember Gordon, assistant D.A.?”
Rico searched his mind until recognition filled it, “Yeah, nice guy is right. He helped you out a few times.”
“Many times.” Sonny laughed, seeming to leave behind what he saw in the glass, “He’s now the D.A. and he isn’t on the take. Never thought I’d see the day when there were more of the good guys on the right side. And as for Swi, he’s a sergeant now with a new partner, Sammy. It was time to partner the poor guy off. They get along like frick and frack. There are a lot of new people in OCB now.”
“Since there’s more of the good guys then bad guys now, I’d think you’d consider definitely becoming the lieutenant of Vice. Sonny, you’d be good at it. No one has your style and dedication and I think that’s why Castillo thought of you. Plus, you have so many people that would be loyal to you, always did.” Tubbs pushed at his friend. He didn’t want to get the ex-cop angry, he’d seen that side of Sonny too many time, and saw it earlier. The detective hoped he wasn’t bringing the subject up to early after the warning the blond had given him just hours before. He just knew that Sonny’d be good at running OCB, that the thought was there, but something was holding him back. Was that one of the answers the ex-detective had been looking in that glass for?
“Ah Rico, I don’t know. I’m not gonna lie ta ya. I’ve played it around in my head about a million times. The action junkie is still there, wanting to be a cop never left, it’s just here I’m free, relaxed and can have a life with my son. Still, Ah hell, I don’t know, maybe. Just need more time to think on it.” Sonny answered, his mind mulling it over again. What did stop him? Was it fear? He wasn’t afraid of the job its self, but of what happened over the last year he worked on the force. And for some reason his friend bringing it up again, just hours after Crockett’s gander had risen, well, this was Tubbs and right now he was ok with it, as long as it didn’t go to deep. He poured more bourbon into his glass, more to add to the fire that burned of unanswered questions.
“Hey Sonny, whatever way you go I’m there for you. I’d even come back down and work for you, can’t think of a better boss. But I can understand your apprehension over what happened in the last year on the force.” Tubbs knew as he usually did, some of what was running around the blonds head about taking the job.
“You always know where my minds at, most of the time. And I always dug how we could read each other, even in just eye contact, helped on the deals. Funny how that happened so quickly between us, made us strong and able to balance each other out.” He let out a long sigh, “let’s not talk about it right now, ok?” He knew Tubbs would let it go, but only for now and he’d hear more about it once they were in Miami and saw the old gang and how the unit was running. He was lucky that Rico had only brought it up twice. He knew his friend remembered his moods and they wouldn’t speak about it the rest of the night, but the subject wasn’t over. Sonny never trusted anyone like he did Ricardo Tubbs and knew Ricardo Tubbs felt the same for him. They knew each other well, where to draw the line and when to come back to the subject if needed. They always figured things out when each man was ready to talk about it. Only a few times could Crockett remember Tubbs getting put off by his lack of spilling his guts, or Sonny’s mood got out of hand. Crockett wasn’t used to that, he hated times when he’d rage, putting Rico on the defense as he did with the Mike Orgell and Evan Freed ordeal. He shrugged it off and let his attention focus back on the black man that sat by him.
“Ok, fair enough, for now, but don’t think it’s dropped indefinitely.” The detective knew the ex-cop had already figure he’d say that. And also knew that the offer to work in Vice under Sonny would turn the man’s thoughts around some. He thought for a minute on how to change the subject from Sonny going back on the force but not from Vice,
“So how’s our Big Booty Trudy?” Rico laughed remembering when he was told the story of how Sonny had got the name plate made and put it on her desk.
Sonny almost choked on his drink at how his partner changed the subject yet still kept it on the department and at hearing the famous name, “She’s great, studying law when she isn’t workin’. Man I remember how mad she got when she finally found out I was the one who put that there sign on her desk. But she got over it and kept it there. I told her I made it out of love and affection for her and it hurt me deeply that she didn’t like it. Maaaannn that was some sappy tap dancing, but she fell hard for that crock of shit. Only as time went by it became true.” Sonny mused.
“I guess I’ll see all the new and old tomorrow. It’ll feel nice to see them again.”
“Yeah I told them I was coming in and bringing a present.” Sonny grinned evilly.
“You didn’t tell them I was coming?” Rico asked. He wasn’t surprised. Knowing Sonny as well as he did he knew the blond was either blunt, saying what he was thinking, especially in a fit of anger or passion. Though when uncomfortable he tended to beat around the bush and when this happened it seemed Rico could pull it out of him, most of the time. As far as kidding around went, Sonny came up with different ways to stir the pot, get things jumpin’ and it always worked. Rico realized once again, after Sonny mentioned it, just how in tune they were with each other.
“This way you can sneak up on ‘em.” Sonny raised his brow still grinning.
“Leave it to you, buddy. But then I kind of figured you’d do that.”
“See, like I said before we still think alike after all these years. One of the things I liked so much about us bein’ partners and friends.” He mentioned again, a soft affectionate look covering Sonny’s handsome face.
“I miss it too, and I miss this.” Rico answered, looking around, before settling his stare on Sonny and giving the same affectionate gaze back.
Funny, Sonny thought, how the subject came right back to working, again, with Vice, past and present. But more important the subject came back to them. Sometimes Sonny thought they were like two halves that made a whole. He smiled at the thought,
“Hell Rico, I miss us, and like you said …. this. God, I never realized just how much.” The blond thought for a moment and then hid the sappy expression.
“Me too, man, me too.” The darker man agreed.
The two men sat side by side leaning shoulder to shoulder as they had done so many times before, gazing out at the lights shining off the water. The boat rocked a gentle rhythm lulling them both.
“Sonny, you know I’ve never felt more comfortable, relaxed with anyone else before, I miss that too.” Rico confided.
“I know, pal. I feel the same way. You always knew and still know how to bring me back from my doldrums. Always been my rock, ya know?”
“Yeah, I do. And you mine” Rico stated, thinking just how true what they both were saying. He felt such love for this man. The love that Valerie had been so jealous of, the love that he had remembered thinking he’d never had for another human being.
Sonny’s thoughts turned. “Been wonderin’ if that didn’t have a bit to do with what happened between you and Val.” Sonny admitted. He thought Rico might have been thinking along the same lines. He still didn’t take his eyes off the water. It was easier not to look at Rico when admitting such emotions. Hell, everything he was saying was the truth. These thoughts had crossed his mind and he wanted to know if he didn’t play a part in their break up. Maybe it was just his insecurities again, he didn’t know. All he knew was he like having Rico around. “Damn it, Rico, I don’t wanna think I had any small part with your breaking it off with Val. You haven’t even said a word about her since you got off the plane.” Sonny said gruffly and then shot up onto his feet. Uncomfortable, his emotions suddenly shifting in every direction and it should be him there for Rico, he admonished. Guilty, he paced.
Rico stood up. He knew how Sonny could get and how far off from the truth his friend was. Now he figured he knew more of what had been in the amber liquid of the glass his pal had been lost in. At least he hoped this was the one thing he could help. And hoped it would lessen what swirled around in that glass cage of Sonny’s, “Sonny, there you go again, taking on someone else’s problems, wonderin’ if you’re the cause. Christ, it’s been a long time coming between me and Val. This is the first time in I don’t know how long that I’ve felt at peace. Being with you again, on the water like old times, I haven’t even given the woman a thought until you brought her up. So be cool, I’m fine and where I want to be.”
Sonny swallowed hard before turning and looking at Rico. “I’m being fucking selfish as usual. Rico, I just wanted you to be happy and didn’t wanna get in the way. Shit, I guess I just feel guilty wanting you back here, guilty at missing what we had as friends, partners, Christ, brothers.” He let out a heavy sigh, “God only knows my own brother isn’t around and hasn’t been in years. I just know that when I called I could hone in on Val’s voice, she didn’t want me on the phone, didn’t want me up there more than a day or two when I visited. Oh, hell, I don’t know.” He picked up a fishing weight and threw it as hard as he could into the water. He was hoping that throwing the heavy weight as hard as he could, might purge the storming emotions inside.
The dark haired man came up to the blond, rested the palm of his hand on the other man’s shoulder, his best friends shoulder. A man he felt so much for and he could never seem to express it. How do you express the love he felt? He’d always done it by being the calm that was needed, by not leaving as so many did in Sonny’s life. But it did seem strange after how he had felt on the plane about Valerie, that once he saw Sonny, Valerie dissipated from his thoughts.
“Listen, you didn’t have anything to do with Valerie. She was jealous of you and what we have. Her insecurities, she wouldn’t leave it alone and there were so many other things that were wrong with us. I just felt like I was drowning and couldn’t do it anymore. All I knew was I had to leave and all I could think about was being here with you. So what’s wrong with that, buddy?” Rico turned Sonny around and pulled him into a deep, hard hug.
“Nothing, I guess.” Sonny breathed out melting into the hug they shared.
“Good, so no more of this crap, alright?” Rico pulled away still holding Sonny’s shoulders to search for the answer to his question in the other man’s eyes. Another thing Rico always knew was that Sonny’s deepest emotions lay in those sea green eyes, dark and stormy when negative feelings came and jade sea green with the positive ones. He could tell from those eyes that he was accepting what Rico told him, but there was also some under lying emotion that made those eyes a cross between stormy and jade. Sonny would eventually let his friend in on what was going on once the man himself figured it out.
“Yeah.” The blond quietly breathed out.
They both released the hold. Rico felt a strange feeling that he had felt many times before, the loss of the physical contact. He always loved that about this mysterious man. Sonny wasn’t afraid to show physical affection with his friends, women or men.
”Guess we better get some shut eye. We leave early in the a.m.” Sonny gave a small smile of gratitude to his friend and then started to clean up.
“Thanks, Sonny.” Rico’s voice whispered passed his ear.
Crockett stopped and turned at the chill that washed over his body at the breath of air that passed his ear. “You’re welcome and I can say the same to you.”
“But you won’t, though you are welcome.” Tubbs laughed lighting up the tension.
Sonny joined the laughter. They finished cleaning up and headed to bed feeling better after getting some of the emotions out of the way. Drifting off to sleep each thought about the warmth they felt from the closeness they shared and the excitement of going to Miami in the morning.
Sonny left the marina early in the morning. The sun shone brightly in the sky casting off rays of heat already. He wiped his brow and pulled off his tee shirt to feel the breeze. The water was always cooler than inland so he knew it would be a scorcher later on. The tan figure in denim cut offs had woken Rico in time for him to shower and eat something.
On the way to Miami, cruise ships passed as The Sanity Maintenance cut their wakes. Bouncing roughly through a few he thought Tubbs had yelled, he just snickered at the New Yorker who didn’t know boats the way he did or the water. After all he had been on boats since he had been a small child with his daddy. His daddy had taught him a lot about boats, fishing, swimming and playing pool. He’d go to the bars with his dad and learn to shoot pool while his father drank or out on the boat and fish, having some beers. Then they’d go home, only for him to listen as his mother yelled. She always thought Sonny was safely out of ear shot, but he’d listen. Jake was never anywhere to be found, leaving him alone with the explosive fights. Sometimes when the arguments got real bad he’d hide under his blankets just wanting the harsh loud voices to stop, to be a bad dream, but they weren’t. He didn’t know what brought all those good memories up and have them suddenly change in to bad ones. He quickly started thinking about something else.
It occurred to him that he only knew about Tubbs brother, Raphael and his grandmother but nothing about Tubbs father or mother. To Crockett it seemed as if Raphael Tubbs had raised Ricardo along with the grandmother. Funny, after so long he didn’t know anything more about Tubbs family, only that now he didn’t have one. James “Sonny” Crockett was referred to as Tubbs family and that‘s all he knew. The tan blond was taken out of his reverie when he jerked around at the noise Tubbs made climbing the ladder to the flying bridge.
“Whoa partner, it’s only me.” The darker man eased, the words calming the startled man before him.
“I guess I’ll never stop acting or responding like a cop.” Crockett said sheepishly, “Did you sleep well, get everything you needed this morning?”
“I slept better than I have in a long time. I did pretty well this morning until you slammed this tub around a few times and sent me flying around the shower and kitchen.”
“It’s a galley, not a kitchen. And I’m sorry ‘bout that bouncin’. A few cruise ships went by and I had to cut through their wakes.”
“You couldn’t just do it gently, or some other way?”
Crockett looked at Tubbs as if the man were crazy, and then spit out in frustration, “What? You have to cut through another boats wake or you’ll, oh never mind!” His voice changed to light sarcasm. “Keep forgotten that you’re from New York and didn’t know too much about boating until you came down here.” Crockett waved the subject off.
“Sorry, Captain, but I don’t think I remember some of what I had learned in the five years we were partners. I remember some.” Tubbs told him timidly.
“S’ok, you’ll remember as we go. We’ll be at the marina in about 15 minutes and you’ll have to give me a hand with the lines. You do remember how to tie off a line, don’t ya? And that you get the bow and I’ll maneuver from below and get the stern line?” Crockett asked, looking expectantly at his friend.
“Ah yeah, I remember how to tie off, but the bow and the stern?”
Crockett chuckled, “Bow is the front and the stern is the back. You’ll be in the front and I’ll be in the back, ‘K?” Crockett explained as if he were talking to a child. He stared with a lopsided grin.
“Yup, got it.” Tubbs replied, not at all offended by the tone of his friend’s voice.
The yacht was docked with out a problem, a few slips down from the St. Vitus Dance. They had made good time. Sonny went up to visit Will, who was so happy to see, Burnett. Yup, Sonny Burnett, that’s who he was once again, he thought as he answered Will’s questions and then phoned a cab. Brunett waltzed his way down the dock admiring the view of the boats and bikini clad women behind his sunglasses, some remembered him and waved or asked where he’d been. Brunett, to them, made charming quick excuses and was on his way. He stopped to gaze at the St. Vitus Dance, the yacht that had been his home for such a long time. Thoughts from the past, living on the sail boat, filtered through his head. Joey had already gone to the office so the hatch was locked. He’d have to come aboard and see how the kid was keeping the boat. He knew that Joey couldn’t fix much like Sonny had always done. Will told him how his cousin always had something for the man to work on. Before walking away, the blond shook his head at how the brass was starting to tarnish in places and made a mental note to tell Joey to get it polished. He then proceeded to The Sanity Maintenance to change and pick up Rico so they could wait for the cab.
TBC