("The Trickle Down" by The Tragically Hip. Perfect; as it does, trickle down in this chapter. All of Sparta P.D. and OPS get to the bottom of the deception.)

The weeks Frankie spent with Lonnie while he was recuperating at his apartment they learned to navigate their shared idiosyncrasies and differences you don't know unless you're in close quarters; a mix of domestic happiness and compromises. They were quite similar in many areas, and the ones they weren't were conversations, but there weren't many. She thought about her future – their future together, about sharing a life with him. His actions showed he loved her, this she was sure of. She could see it in his eyes, and could feel it when he touched her, but he had never said anything to her. Although she instinctively knew how he felt, she wanted to hear it. Frankie thought maybe she might have to initiate it, and decided she'd put some thought into how she wanted to go about that. She loved him, and thought it was time to tell him how she felt, even if he could feel it without words, like she could.

'Now, if he puts and empty cookie package back in the cupboard one more time I'll have to kill him...' She thought to herself and giggled as she drove to the station, very glad to have her own car back.

Sparta P.D. released her Camaro from impound after Parker received the documents from New York DMV, which took forever. They couldn't even fast track the release due to the complete back up in New York, and they wouldn't "just give it" to her and bend the rules, which drove her nuts as Lonnie's car, although sporty, was not very practical.

She recalled him laughing out loud at her as she skipped to where it was parked and continued to hop around, unable to contain her excitement. He leaned on his Corvette with his arms and ankle's crossed, smiling at her, with his gorgeous smile... She sighed happily thinking of him as she pulled into the Sparta P.D. parking lot.

Lonnie had called her asking if she could come in to go over some things – on the landline. She laughed, she couldn't remember the last time she used one.

Tog, Foley, and Marty were already there, the rest of OPS were staying at The Twelve Oaks B&B, with Sparta's finest on watch duty 24/7, just in case. Frankie was waiting for Lonnie to begin insisting she stay there instead of his apartment while he was at work, because of the security. It hadn't happened yet, but she was waiting for it.

She pushed the door open with her butt as her hands were full of tuperwear filled with muffins she made the night before. She remembered the last time she was in here when they brought her up from the cell there was no food to be found and she was starving. Shaking her head as she opened the second set of doors again with her butt, still wondering how there weren't even doughnuts in a cop shop.

"Hey Frankie!" Luann, Dee and Parker said at the same time. "Hi guys, brought some muffins..." She lifted them up, placing them on the counter and they helped themselves.

"I'm glad someone brought food – I'm starving" Luann said grabbing one. "Me too." Dee agreed. Parker took three and headed back to his desk.

"Is Lonnie here?" Frankie asked, disappointed she couldn't see him.

"He's poking around at the Ports with Bubba and the boys. Tog, Foley, and Marty are in the conference room with The Chief and Detective Tibbs if you wanna head in..."

"Sure. Any word on Rizonou's or David's whereabouts yet?"

"Not yet. They'll turn up." Luann grabbed another muffin. "No doubt." Dee agreed "Guys like that usually come back for another round, we'll get 'em." Luann nodded and Frankie walked into the conference room and stopped in the threshold, surprised. 'Well, this should be interesting' she thought to herself as she looked at Marie.

                                               ---------------------------------------------------------

"Well Lonnie what you make of this?" Bubba rubbed a gritty substance he scooped off the cement pier between his fingers and smelled it.

"Coffee grounds I reckon" Lonnie said "Usually used to ship-"

"Cocaine." Bubba finished his sentence. He looked around and nodded to Sweet and Peake "See if you can find the dock manager. Ask when they last unloaded a shipment of perishables."

"Yes Captain."

"Captain!" Ken and Luke waved for him and Lonnie "you'll want to see this." They walked into one of the containers the dock manager had to open with the warrant. Crates of coffee grounds and bags of cocaine under them.

"Is this the only one you found?" Bubba asked Ken and Luke

"Nope, there are two more behind this. The dock manager is getting his guys to open them. All them are from Louisiana, not New York - the New York ones are over by the crane there." Luke pointed

"Let's get them open as well" Bubba pointed and the dock manager nodded and directed some other workers to start on those.

"Does anyone know if that David character came out of Louisiana?" They all shook their heads and Lonnie pulled the radio off his shoulder.

"Parker, I need you to check if David or Rizonou, or both came out of Louisiana. Get a hold of the U.S. Marshal's for the southern district of Mississippi and patch them through to me. They'll wanna come down here."

"10-4 Lonnie. I'll contact when I have them on the line. Out."

They walked over to the shipping containers from New York and opened a few of the barrels inside.

"Grain, just like Kaczynski said." Bubba ran his fingers through the drum, then nodded his head so more could be opened and checked.

Lonnie got off the radio with Parker and walked over to Bubba, running his hand through the contents of the drum. "U.S. Marshal's were already on their way; someone else other than Parker had already contacted them. Either way, we gotta find David and Rizonou." Bubba agreed with his brows raised "And fast."

                                                     ---------------------------------------------------------

"Frankie" Virgil smiled "Have a seat." Frankie took a seat next to Marie and stared at her.

Marie looked at her and stood up. Frankie, Foley, Tog and Marty also stood up slowly, watching her like a hawk.

"You guys can have a seat' She said, her heavy New York accent ringing through the room. "I'm not going anywhere and I have no weapons" She looked at Virgil and Bill and they confirmed with nods that she indeed had nothing on her.

"So that's you're real voice is it - Why'd you skip over to the other side?" Foley questioned, angry at the deception.

"I never skipped, I was always on that side. You just assumed because I was the replacement for Lindsay, that I was one of the recruits, I was never questioned by any of you." She wasn't wrong, no one asked. "David thought I was working for him – I wasn't. Never have. Kaczynski had me infiltrate his camp, and David had me infiltrate yours; just like Kaczynski wanted."

"You bitch!" Frankie yelled "He took me – Lonnie almost got killed because of you!" Frankie lunged for Marie and she stood fists up while Tog and Foley restrained her.

"How the hell was I to know that you and David had a past? Eh Frankie!" Marie spat at her "Seems to me perhaps that little tid-bit should have been disclosed, why wasn't it!"

Frankie stopped fighting and stared at Marie. 'Oh God' she thought 'Of course it wasn't'

"Rizonou didn't tell you."

"Nope, not a word."

"Why do you think?" Bill asked

"Cause Rizonou is in with David." Foley ran his hands down his face and shook his head. "He's not going to give away information that his associate – David – will deem harmful to the operation he's put together; Rizonou must have too much to risk with whatever agreement they came up with to double cross us... That's how David knew where you and Lonnie were; when Sparta P.D. would be at capacity for an attack that he wanted to blame on Kaczynski's organization, and take out as many OPS agents as he could...great distraction for his shipments at the Ports as well, and to get the U.S. Marshal's off his back and on to-"

"Kaczynski's" Marie finished the thought for him. "It trickles all the way down."

Parker came through the door and waved for the Chief and Virgil.

"What is it Parker?" Bill asked

"Lonnie's on the line, I think you two should hear this." They went out to their office, giving an 'I'll be back look' to the room. Frankie crossed her arms and looked at Marie before speaking.

"Why are you loyal to him - Kaczynski?"

Marie took a deep breath and sat back down, hanging her arm over the back of the chair. "His daughter and I are like sisters, have been since forever. He saved me from my druggie parents, put me with some of his family outside the U.S. until I could be on my own... saved my life." She shifted in her chair "That's it, I will always be loyal to him." Frankie took in what she heard. She had to admit, if she was in the same boat, she would have done the same thing. Kaczynski sounds like he's more of a father to her then an employer. She can certainly understand the unfit parents, she had those too. But selling them out, that was something else.

"Why'd you sell us out Marie?"

She looked confused. "Sell you out? Have you heard nothing I've said? Frankie-" She stood up and walked around the conference room. "Who do you think sent OPS to the house when David had you and Lonnie? Me. I was the one that David told to watch you – the surveillance in the Floyd house was monitored by me. I was up there when you and Marty got arrested; I had to wait for the cops to leave before I could finish what I was doing. David was with me – that's when he noticed Lonnie, and went nuts 'cause he thought he was taking you away from him, and he was just arresting you"

Frankie was wide eyed. "I don't even know what to say to that. I worked for his organization way back. He made a move, I rejected it...he sent me all these love letters when I got pinched by the Marshal's and put in jail ...I have no clue where this obsession with me came from. Honestly..."

She blew out a deep breath, and looked back at Marie. "I was wondering...I thought it was Tog and the others there at the Floyd house. I didn't get why no one helped us..."

"Makes perfect sense." Marty smirked "Whoever called the cops probably saw you guys there before we even opened the door."

Marie nodded, "Maybe" She continued "I was the only one, outside of David, that knew about the entrance through the double wall in the bedroom. I intercepted all Whinnie and Felicia's intel, I sifted through it and told David just enough so he wouldn't be suspicious of me or the information that I gave him. The shootings at Sparta Square that morning? Kaczynski's men had orders to assist the Spata P.D. and OPS; I knew how much man power David's organization was going to unload - there was no way this department could have handled it off the hop, there were just too many of them.

I'm sure Kaczyinski didn't mention that fact when he came in, but that's what he did; more to benefit himself then you, truth be told...however..." Marie took a sip of water and continued.

"When the Butler county police arrived, Kaczynski's men vacated quietly, Sparta P.D. and OPS had David's men. Ask the Chief and Detective if you need confirmation."

There was a long silence in the conference room. Everyone was processing what they just learned. Parker knocked and opened the door slowly.

"Y'all want some coffee?" Everyone smiled and nodded their heads; coffee sounded amazing right now.

"Uh, sorry Frankie, muffins are gone. They were real good though." She smiled at Parker, he was just so light hearted. She wouldn't have had one anyhow, they weren't her favorite kind, and she was feeling a bit run down 'Perhaps some fruit instead'.

"Well" Tog began "What now? Are they letting you go Marie?"

"Yeah you know it. A deal has been arranged, but I'll stay until David's in custody."

"Where is David and Rizonou?" Marty asked and looked around "Anyone know yet?"

"Oh yeah, we know!" Whinnie and Felicia strolled through the door pushing it hard and it made a loud band off the wall behind; the officers all cocked their heads to see what was going on.

"Where the hell were you guys? You were supposed to be back days ago!" Foley said in surprise.

"No shit" Felicia whipped her hair out of her face "We got pinched on some bullshit charge leaving Gulfport Memorial after visiting Reba and Roach. They had us locked up-"

"-And our esteemed leader – Mr. Fuck Face," Whinnie began "Told us he was going to bail us out the same day and never came back! Just left us there! It wasn't hard to dig out where he went once we got access to some tech..."

"Yep, the U.S. Marshal's got us outta Gulfport P.D., can you believe that?" Felicia said pointing right at Marie. "Thanks for that, by the way." She winked and grabbed a chair to sit down.

"You contacted the U.S. Marshal's?" Tog questioned her.

"Yep. Who do you think I made a deal with?"

He rubbed his chin and shook his head "That's some ballsy move Marie."

"So then where's Rizonou?" Frankie asked

"Oh we'll never see his ugly mug again." Whinnie started, and Felicia chimed in.

"He buggered off to Morocco with whatever cash and bonds he stole from us, plus whatever his cut was with David. He's not hurting that's for sure..."

"And unfortunately" Whinnie continued "Morocco has no extradition treaty with the U.S., so good luck with that whole thing."

Bill and Virgil walked back into the conference room, and Parker came in behind them with the coffee.

"Sorry y'all, got busy out there."

"We could have come and got that ourselves, that's so sweet of you." Felicia smiled and Parker blushed a bit before heading back to the phones.

"Chief; Detective – we have some things to fill you two in on" Foley pulled out two chairs from under the table "Gentleman..." He extended his arm and Virgil and Bill looked at each other with very curious expressions on their faces. They sat down, listening to each of the OPS agents telling them what they just pieced together, their eyes and mouths getting wider by the minute.

"Uh, Parker!" The Chief yelled through the door.

"Yes Chief?"

"Better get a line to Bubba and Jamison. Tell them to come in along with the rest. They need to hear what we just heard."

Parker nodded and got on the radio, sipping his iced tea, and taking small bites of a muffin he hid in his desk for later.

                                                  ----------------------------------------------------

When Lonnie and Bubba pulled into Headquarters, he smiled when he saw Frankie's car still parked in front. Bubba smirked when he saw him.

"So... you and Frankie are, together then?" Lonnie had never been asked the question, or had to answer it for anyone before. Although they were definitely together, and he definitely had future plans going on in his head about things, he never said it out loud to anyone. Doing so made it somehow more real - somehow different than just them knowing. He smiled when he looked at Bubba to answer.

"Yes, we are." When he spoke those words something clicked inside him, he just knew it was the right time that everyone knew, if they didn't already, and the right time for other things too. Lonnie thought about it while him and Bubba walked up the stairs into the station; Tracy giving him an earful about something on the phone as they did. He smirked to himself, 'Guess that will be me soon' he thought with a grin as they walked inside.

Lonnie and Bubba were briefed in the conference room along with the other senior officers. He stood beside Frankie; both had their arms and ankles crossed listening, and leaning against the table. When it was Frankies turn to speak she was kind of grateful to have a reason to move away from Lonnie. His cologne smelled so good, she was having trouble concentrating on anything other then what they did in the shower that morning.

Lonnie followed Frankie with his eyes locked on her as she spoke. He noticed she talked a lot with her hands; he also noticed the tight jeans with the rips at the knee she had on today accentuated her curves nicely. He had to look away and clear his throat to get his mind off their activity in the shower before he had to leave for work this morning. He decided they could never work together alone. Ever.

When the briefing ended and everyone left the conference room Lonnie walked Frankie to her car, holding her one hand as she stepped over broken cement at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where are you off to now?" He asked, really hoping she'd say to the Twelve Oaks B&B where the rest of OPS was going.

"Not sure, I thought I'd try and find a park to walk through or something, it's a nice day for it." 'Of course she was going to do that' he thought. He hated the thought of her being alone, anywhere. He didn't care if she could hold her own. She was his woman, and after watching her be taken once, that was all it took for him to develop a serious over protection problem.

"I know you're on duty, but...did you want to come? For a little while? Or do you need to-"

"No, I think I can handle that." He smiled and opened the passenger side door of the cruiser for her, making sure she was all the way in before he closed it and got in the other side.

"I know a few parks, what were you looking for? Big trees, flowers beds, creek-"

"Creek." She smiled at him and he sighed at her beauty.

"Creek it is then." He pulled out and headed toward Legion Park at the other end of town. It just happened to be his favorite park in Sparta, and the perfect place to say what he needed to say to her.