Title: Where the Heart Is

Author: Python

Fandom: Law & Order

Pairing: Briscoe/Green

Email: flairswench@hotmail.com

Series: Trilogy Sequel to Under Pressure. 3rd part of the Family Strife trilogy, following Revelations and Bad Mistake

Disclaimer: These guys don't belong to me. This is just for fun. Please don't sue me.

Warnings: Beware of Angst

any feedback is appreciated

Where the Heart Is
by Python

"Ed, have you heard a word that I've said?" Denise asked.

Ed looked at his mother and sighed. He shook his head. "No." He'd felt sick inside ever since Lennie left two weeks before and wasn't in the mood to talk.

Denise had never seen her son like this. His spark seemed to be gone.

"Have you tried calling Lennie?" she asked.

"Yes, but he won't talk to me," Ed answered. He still couldn't understand it. One day, everything seemed to be fine. The next day, his life gets turned upside down.

Denise didn't know what to say. She couldn't even tell him that everything was going to be all right. He'd see right through it as a vain attempt to make him feel better.

"What am I going to do, mom?"

"Live as best as you can," Denise replied. She rubbed her son's back in assurance. "The pain will numb with time."

"I don't want it to," Ed responded. At that moment, he remembered that it was originally Lennie, who had been afraid that he would leave. The younger man would've laughed at that if he hadn't thought he would start crying.

*

"I'm very worried about Ed," Denise told her husband.

"Why?" Robert asked.

"He's been depressed ever since he got out of the hospital," Denise answered. She hoped that Robert wouldn't ask her why. Even though Ed and Lennie weren't together, at the moment, it was still a good idea not to tell Robert about the relationship.

He'll get over it, popped into Robert's mind. Once Ed realized it was for the best, everything would be better. "He's fine. He's just dealing with the fact that he'll never have full use of his arm again."

"That's not like Ed and you know it."

"Denise, just give him some time. It's all for the best. Believe me," Robert said in assuring tones.

"I think you're making it too simple," Denise replied. She noticed a strange glint in her husband's eye. "What have you done?"

"What makes you think I've done something?" Robert asked innocently.

"Because I know you. You've got that look that says you know something that everyone else doesn't," Denise responded.

"Don't worry about it."

"Tell me," Denise said firmly.

Robert saw that his wife wasn't going to let up. He wanted to protect her but apparently she wasn't going to have it. "Let's just say that our son had a small problem, but I've taken care of it."

Please don't be what I think it is, Denise prayed. "What sort of problem?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes. Ed is my son to."

"I found out that he was in a gay relationship with that partner of his," Robert stated in mild disgust.

Denise swallowed and kept her voice steady. "How did you find out?"

"That's not really important," Robert answered. He'd expected a more emotional response.

"And you took care of it?"

Robert nodded.

"How?" Denise asked.

"I just explained to Briscoe that he was ruining Ed's life."

"Really?" Denise crossed her arms. This had better be good, she thought.

"We both know Ed. If he thinks that he's in love with this guy, Ed will stay with him, even when Briscoe is too old to be of use to anyone."

How can you be so blind, a voice in Denise's head asked. "We're not exactly young ourselves. In fact, we're older than Briscoe is. Are you saying that we're no use to anyone anymore?" she inquired, barely keeping her temper in check.

"That's not what I mean. I mean Briscoe will be of no use to Ed. Ed will still be young and strong when he is ready for the retirement home," Robert said, hoping that his wife would understand. He didn't think he'd have this much trouble with her.

"Don't you think Ed realized that?"

"No."

"Well, he did and didn't care," Denise stated.

Robert found that hard to believe. "Denise..."

"Why did you butt-in? They were fine together."

"You mean you knew?" Robert asked in astonishment.

"Of, course. Ed told me," Denise answered. It was partly the truth. Ed only told her after she'd overheard Ed and Lennie talking, but Robert didn't know that.

"And you didn't think to share that information with me?" The astonishment was gone from Robert's voice to be replaced by sarcasm.

"We didn't tell you because we knew you'd go and do something stupid," Denise replied.

Robert couldn't believe that his wife wasn't on his side. "Are you telling me that you actually approved of their relationship?"

"Not at first, but after I talked with Ed, I accepted it."

"But..."

"No, Robert," Denise said, cutting him off. "It's Ed's life. He's free to love whoever he wants."

Robert crossed his arms. "It's not right. Ed should find a nice girl, get married, and have some kids."

"I don't care if you think Ed's love for Lennie is wrong. I want our son to be happy and you should to. Thanks to you, he's far from it now," Denise stated.

"I don't know."

"Look, I'll admit that I had my reservations, but just think about it. Forget about your stupid prejudices for ten minutes and see what your son is going through."

Robert scowled. Why did she have to be right all of the time?

Denise's voice softened as she said, "We're supposed to love Ed no matter what, including if he's gay."

"Denise..." Robert's voice faltered in frustration.

"Robert, you know that I'm right." He let a martyred sigh and she continued, "You have to tell Ed what you did."

That thought scared Robert more than anything had in a long time. "I can't."

"You have to. Ed's driving himself crazy trying to figure out what went wrong between him and Lennie. He has to know," Denise replied.

"But, what will he say?" Robert asked almost like a little child.

"I'm sure he'll be angry," Denise answered truthfully.

"Thanks a lot."

"Trust me, we'll all feel a lot better once you clear the air."

*

Ed didn't really feel like having dinner with his parents but Denise insisted. She said his father had something to tell him. Just what I need, he thought, pearls of wisdom from dad when I'm at one of the lowest points of my life.

Ed loved his father, but they didn't agree on a lot of things. He quit trying to explain how he felt because Robert never listened. He rang the doorbell.

Denise opened the door and gave Ed a hug. "come on in. Dinner's almost ready."

Ed gave her a smile and came in. He smelled the familiar aroma of his mother's cooking. "It smells good."

"Thanks. Go and say hello to your father. He's in the living room."

Ed nodded. He found Robert reading the newspaper. "Hey dad."

Robert put the paper down to look at his son. He noticed a sadness in Ed's eyes that he hadn't seen before. "How are you doing?"

"All right."

"How's the therapy coming?"

Ed looked at his arm as he moved it. "The doctors say I'm coming along well and quicker than they expected. I'm at about forty-five percent."

"Good," Robert responded with a smile.

"Yeah," Ed agreed.

Robert had chosen to tell Ed that day about what he'd done. He wasn't really looking forward to it and decided to put it off until after dinner.

Then Denise would be there to help him.

Ed wasn't used to his father being so quiet. The older man usually had something to talk at him about. That's not fair Ed and you know it, a small voice said. He sighed. He wished things between him and Robert weren't so bad, but he didn't know what to do to change it. He couldn't change who he was, which is what he sometimes felt his dad wanted.

The room was quiet until Denise came in to announce that dinner was ready. The two men went into the dining room and sat down. The table was silent, through the whole meal. Denise watched Robert eat without saying a word. Then she looked at Ed, who was picking at his food. Soon, she couldn't stand the tension and kicked her husband under the table.

"What?" Robert asked.

"Tell him."

"Now?"

"Yes, now," Denise said.

Ed looked up. "Tell me what?"

*

"We've got a sixty-one year old male, with a point blank gunshot wound to the chest," the EMT said into his radio.

Lennie vaguely heard the EMT's voice. His mind felt foggy and he could only remember flashes of what happened to him. He saw the barrel of the gun and could still smell the powder. The his mind flashed to Anita begging him to hold on.

"Just stay with us," the EMT pleaded.

Lennie tried to do as the EMT asked, but the pain was searing through his chest. Before he mercifully passed out again, he saw Ed's face in his mind and thought, maybe it's better this way.

*

"You did what?" Ed asked after Robert told him what happened. He balled his hands into fists to help control the building rage inside of him.

"I'm sorry, Ed. I shouldn't have done it," Robert said sincerely. After seeing his son's pain, he really was sorry.

"You're damn right you shouldn't have!" Ed responded.

"I thought I was doing what's best for you."

"But all you've done is ruin everything."

Robert's eyes fell to the table. He couldn't bare staring at his son's face, knowing that he put the rage and sorrow there. "I know. All I can say is, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry. That's just great," Ed said sarcastically.

"Ed, he only did it because he loves you," Denise broke in.

Ed sighed. "I know." He stood up. Everything made sense now. He remembered that Lennie had started acting weird that day his parents came to visit and his father disappeared shortly after his partner left. Suddenly the room became very small. "I've gotta go."

"All right," Denise responded. She saw him to the door. Before he left, she said, "Don't be too hard on your father. He just doesn't think sometimes."

"But the damage is done."

Denise nodded. "Yes, but I think you should try talking to Lennie again. I had a lot of time to watch you two and I don't think he'll be able to resist you much longer."

Then Ed's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Turn on the news," a familiar feminine voice ordered.

"What?" Ed asked but the woman hung up.

"What is it?" Denise inquired.

Ed stepped back into the house. "Someone telling me to turn on the news."

He went into the living room and switched the tv on.

Ed sank down onto the couch when the story about a shooting at the courthouse came on. Denise sat next to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. From what they could gather, a gunmen tried to take out EADA Jack McCoy and was stopped by the police, but not before getting off one shot. McCoy was saved by a New York City Police Detective, who pushed the lawyer out of harm's way, but didn't have enough time himself. The EMTs were taking the detective to the hospital.

"Oh no," Ed breathed. The news cameras outside the courthouse caught the whole thing on tape. He watched it in horrid fascination. He never thought he'd see Lennie lying in a pool of his own blood. He watched Anita crouch next to the older man and grab his hand. Ed wished he would've been there.

"My God," Denise said quietly. When Ed got up, she followed. "I'm coming to."

Ed stepped in front of Robert, who was standing in the doorway.

"Go to him son," Ed's father ordered and stepped out of the way.

"Do you want to come dad?"

"No, you go ahead," Robert replied and silently prayed that Lennie would live.

*

Ed rushed into the hospital, closely followed by Denise. He found Anita. "What happened?"

"A guy named Mark Sanders was waiting outside the courthouse to nail McCoy. We saw him but not before he got a shot off. Lennie pushed McCoy out of the way and took it in the chest," Anita answered.

"Shit," Ed cursed.

"He's in surgery but he lost a lot of blood."

"Why didn't you call me? Why did I have to see it on the news?" Ed asked, trying not to lose his temper. He and Lennie may not have told Anita about their relationship but he was sure that she'd figured it out.

Anita looked at her former detective sympathetically. "He asked me not to before he passed out."

Ed collapsed into a chair. Lennie didn't want me to know?

"I guess he didn't want you to worry," Anita said and sat next to Ed. She had figured out that the two detectives had been involved when she saw how they interacted during Ed's injury.

"Yeah," Ed responded.

Denise traded worried looks with Anita and sat on the other side of her son. "He'll pull through."

The surgery took six hours. By the end of that time, Ed was ready to kill someone to get some information. He all but pounced on the doctor. "Dr. Yeager," he said as calm as he could, but he was at his wick's end.

Yeager stood quietly by the three for a second.

"How is Detective Briscoe?" Anita asked.

Yeager sighed. "We were finally able to remove the bullet but it took us a while to find it. It was lodged between his left lung and heart. Detective Briscoe lost a lot of blood in the process and his left lung collapsed, but he is managing to breathe on his own."

"Will he live?"

"Given his age and the nature of his injuries..." Yeager trailed off for a minute and continued, "We'll just have to wait and see. He's made it this far."

"Can I see him?" Ed asked.

Yeager shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't let any visitors in at this time."

Ed nodded tightly. "Ok."

Anita took Ed by the arm and led him to a quiet corner. "Look, I don't know what happened to you two, but you'd better be there for him. Lennie's gonna need you to get through this," she said and stopped. The fact that Ed was there proved that he cared but she needed him to know how important he was. "Ed, he still cares for you. Since he's been without you, I don't think he's cared whether he lives or dies."

At that moment, Ed realized that Anita was the one that called him. He nodded in understanding. "Thanks, L-T."

The next day, Anita talked Yeager into letting Ed see Lennie for a few minutes. "Let him know that you're here," she said and pushed him in the room.

Ed swallowed when he took in the sight. Lennie looked so fragile, laying there motionless with several machines hooked up to him. "Haven't I told you about being a hero?" he asked, standing near the bed. He sighed. "I've missed you. You shouldn't have left me...but that doesn't matter. When you get out of here, we'll be together again, whether you like it or not."

Ed couldn't stay there any more. His few minutes were up and he thought he'd break down if he stayed there any longer. Denise watched him come out of Lennie's room.

"Oh, mom." Ed couldn't bring himself to say any more.

"Keep a positive thought," Denise ordered. "He needs your strength, not your pity."

"What if he dies mom?"

"He's not," Denise stated with more certainty than she felt. She made Ed go get a cup of coffee. Then she sipped into Lennie's room. It broke her heart to see the state he was in. She took his hand. "Now, you listen to me. You will come back to my baby. If he lost you like this, it would destroy him. Don't you dare give up."

*

A week later, Lennie still hadn't woken up. However, Yeager was pleased that the detective's body seemed to be healing well.

"Is it bad that he hasn't regained consciousness?" Ed asked.

"Well, it's not good, but it's not as bad as it seems. The body heals itself better when the patient is asleep," Yeager answered, trying to put a positive spin on the situation. He wanted to give Ed as much hope as he could. He'd seen how close Ed and Lennie were when the younger man was
injured.

"Ok Doc," Ed said. He went back into Lennie's room and sat by the bed.

That chair had become his new home because he wouldn't go back to his apartment. "Lennie, this is getting old. Please, wake up. Then I can go home and get some sleep. But I'm not leaving until you show me your blue eyes."

"You really are a brat."

Ed stood up at hearing Lennie's raspy voice. The older man slowly opened his eyes to look at him. He took Lennie's hand. "You really are awake. How do you feel?"

"Let's just say that I've been better."

"You really had me scared."

"Now you know what I went through, but what are you doing here?" Lennie asked. He'd missed Ed more than he cared to admit, but still thought he'd done the right thing by ending it.

"I'm here because I love you, stupid," Ed replied. He paused and gave a wry smile. "I know why you did what you did. My dad told me what he said to you, but you're not doing either of us a favor. We belong together."

"But Ed, your father was right."

"No," Ed stated firmly. "I can't get along without you and, from the looks of things, you can't get along without me."

Lennie was weak, plus he didn't feel complete without Ed. That was one of the things he'd learned in that two week period. Still, he didn't want to ruin Ed's life. "I love you too much to keep you."

Ed cupped the older man's chin. "Well, I'm afraid you're not going to be able to get rid of me."

The younger man sounded so sure that Lennie couldn't find it within himself to argue. "I missed you, Ed."

"I missed you to, and if you ever try to leave me again, I will kick your ass."

Lennie smiled weakly. "I'll keep that in mind."

Ed held Lennie's hand until the older man went back to sleep. He stood up, kissed Lennie's forehead, and went outside.

"How is he?" Denise asked, coming up to her son. She could immediately tell that a great weight had been lifted from Ed's shoulders.

"Good. He woke up and we talked for a little while."

"And?"

"And we're going to be fine," Ed answered with a sigh of relief."I told you so, and don't worry about your father. He just has to get used to it."

Ed nodded. "I feel great mom."

"I know, son. I know."


THE END