Other Co-workers Start To Wonder

The following morning, Billie awoke to the enticing aroma of applewood-smoked ham and eggs. After dressing and refreshing herself, she descended the stairs to find that Hank had prepared breakfast. Her daughter, Ana, remarked, "Hanky is a good cook, Mama," having affectionately referred to Hank as "Hanky" since their first meeting. Billie concurred, responding, "Oh, definitely." Turning to Hank, she complimented, "Hank, you look good in flannel," alluding to one of her many male flannel shirts he wore. Hank replied in his best country accent, "Well, thank ya very much, darling." Following breakfast, Billie introduced Hank to her other indoor pets: Jax, a German Shepherd; Bernie, a Bernese Mountain Dog; Cook, a Rottweiler; Nexter, a Chinese Shar Pei; Kong, a Spanish Mastiff; King, a Boxer; Mega, a Neapolitan Mastiff; Sniffer, a Bloodhound; Rusty, a Doberman Pinscher; Chip, a Black Labrador; Smokey, a British Shorthair cat; Bandit, a Russian Blue cat; Treetop, a possum; Speedy, a white rabbit; and Nessy, a Pygmy Python. Nessy, who preferred reptilinks after being force-fed live prey by previous owners, resided in a vertical hexagonal tropical tank in the living room. He enjoyed chasing the other pets and shared a special bond with Billie, who had nursed him back to health after his rescue. Shortly thereafter, Billie and Hank received a text from Jay regarding a case that required their attention. Billie stated, "I will introduce you to the barn animals once we have solved this case." Consequently, Billie, Hank, and Billie's loyal police and service dog, Riker, departed for work after the children began their walk to school.

 When Billie and Hank arrived at their workplace, they were promptly briefed by Jay regarding a particularly distressing case. A sixteen-year-old girl had been discovered deceased behind a dumpster. Billie and Hank took this case to heart, exchanging a glance that communicated their shared determination: "Whoever did this will not escape justice. "Sensing Billie's escalating emotions, Riker, nudged and licked her hand before pawing at her knee in an attempt to soothe her. As Billie sat at her desk, she reflected on the numerous cases the unit had resolved since her tenure began. She silently vowed, "I want to apprehend this perpetrator soon." Billie's resolve was met with a breakthrough when a fifteen-year-old boy arrived at the station with a video recording of his father discussing the murder in detail, details that were known only to the investigative team. The team quickly mobilized and proceeded to the suspect's residence. Upon arrival, they were met with gunfire from the suspect's associates. During the exchange, the suspect fled down the sidewalk. Without hesitation, Billie unleashed Riker, and together they pursued the suspect through busy streets, weaving through traffic and passing families. After a six-block chase, the suspect entered a warehouse. Although aware that waiting for backup was prudent, Billie was unwilling to risk losing the suspect. She texted their location to Hank and, with Riker by her side, ventured inside. As they navigated the dimly lit warehouse, Riker led while Billie followed closely behind. Suddenly, the suspect ambushed them, leaping from behind a stack of crates and shoving Billie, causing her to stumble and cut her arm on a metal piece. Riker immediately engaged, biting the suspect's crotch. Seizing the moment, Billie tackled and handcuffed the suspect, instructing Riker to release. Hank and the team arrived shortly thereafter. The suspect was treated for injuries before being taken into custody, and Billie's wound was bandaged. Upon returning to the department's lower level, Trudy inquired about Billie's well-being. Billie reassured her, "Yes, I'm fine." As Billie, Hank, and Riker ascended the stairs, Trudy observed Hank touching Billie's arm and asking, "Are you sure you're okay?" Billie responded, "Yes, Hank, I assure you I'm fine." Hank then gently ran his hand down Billie's back, prompting Trudy's suspicions. Later, as Alvin, Antonio, and Kevin were departing, Trudy called them into a private room. She shared her observations, "Have you noticed anything between Billie and Hank? Before you received the case, I attempted to contact Hank about some paperwork, but he didn't answer. His GPS indicated that his car was parked at Billie's house all night. This has been consistent for the past few days." Alvin added, "I saw Billie and Hank exiting his car yesterday, and Hank was zipping his pants up. Billie's car was parked next to his, so he didn't give her a ride." Kevin chimed in, "After the recent police gala, I spotted Billie and Hank dining together at Murphy's diner, and Billie caressed his face." Antonio remarked, "Hank never comments on Billie not wearing pads in her sports bras, whereas he would say something if it were Erin. He allows her to drink his whiskey, use his whiskey glass, sit on his desk, wear his sunglasses and scarf, and even keeps candy in his desk for her." Alvin concluded, "We can't jump to conclusions about an intimate relationship. Hank could be at Billie's place because he doesn't want to be alone. The arm and back touches could be gestures of concern, and the dinner could have been a simple meal. He may have just forgotten to zip his pants. As for the special treatment, he might be trying to make her comfortable due to her disabilities. We need concrete evidence before making any assumptions about their relationship."

 Upon returning to the house, Billie suggested to Hank "Let's proceed to the barn so you can acquaint yourselves with the barn animals. They tend to be skittish around new individuals, which is why they have been hiding in the barn whenever they see you. Moreover, they need to get accustomed to your scent lingering around here." Upon reaching the barn's entrance, Billie introduced Hank to her livestock guardian dogs, who also serve as the first line of defense against unfamiliar individuals entering the property. These dogs include Jake, an Anatolian Shepherd; Delilah, an Akbash; Shemp, a Kuvasz; and Mika, a Carpathian Shepherd. Billie then introduced Hank to her other animals. The chickens, Clucker and Lima, resided in a stall, while the ducks, Richie and Cotton, occupied the stall opposite the chickens. The pigs, Raymond and Evan, were housed in the stall adjacent to the chickens. The cows, Abigail and Rosie, each had their own stalls. The goats, Wiggles and Diamond, shared a stall. Following this, Billie introduced Hank to all thirty of her horses, which included an array of breeds such as Boss, a Friesian; Gravy, a Thoroughbred; Fog, an Appaloosa; Hampton, a Paint; Frisbee, a Crillo; Donny, a Morgan Horse; Snowflake, a Lipizzaner; Lucky, a Lusitano; Dotty, a Knabstrupper; Path, a Peruvian Paso; Cookie, a Brumby; Holiday, a Holsteiner; Doc, a Belgian Warmblood; Missy, a Missouri Fox Trotter; Nipper, a Marwari; Copper, a Dutch Warmblood; Chief, a Hanoverian; Money, a Quarter Horse; Driver, a Standardbred; Rover, an Andalusian; Wag, an Irish Sport Horse; Coin, a Selle Français; Clover, a Trakehner; Fly, an American Saddlebred; White Chocolate, a Pura Raza Española; Milkshake, a Rahvan; Papi, a Pampa Horse; Roomer, a Mangalarga Marchador; Coconut, an Arabian; and BoBo, an Akhal-Teke. Each animal accepted Hank's presence. Billie mentioned, "I prefer to keep all my livestock in the barn to shelter them from the cold. The barn doors are equipped with doggie doors, allowing the dogs to enter and exit freely. Additionally, the barn doors have ropes on both the inside and outside. I have trained Jake, Delilah, Shemp, and Mika to pull the ropes to open and close the doors. Two of the dogs open the doors from the outside in the morning, and at night or if it starts storming, the other two close the doors. All the stall doors are automated and are connected to that button on the wall, which one of the dogs presses to open and close the stalls. Hank expressed his admiration by giving Billie a kiss and saying, "I admire your love for animals." Billie responded, "Well, animals are one of my passions." As Billie, Hank, and Riker headed back to the house, the barn animals were released onto the property for their exercise and playtime. When they entered the front door, Rufus informed them, "I ordered some Chinese food from Ming's. It should arrive in about an hour, as it is a large order." Billie asked her children, "What type of movie would you like to watch?" In unison, they responded, "Horror," while Loki and Lorne tugged on the Freddy Krueger shirt that Cooper was wearing. Consequently, Billie put on the first Annabelle movie. Soon after, Rufus, Cooper, and Thomas went out to the porch to receive the food from the delivery driver. Billie put some beef lo mein through the food processor for Loki and Lorne. As they sat at the table, Ana inquired, "Mama, are we going to the Horror Fest this October?" Billie replied, "Of course, Little Ana. We always go." Hank asked, "What is Horror Fest?" Billie explained, "It is a horror festival held year-round in Hunt for horror fans. We attend every October, and numerous horror characters are present, such as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Annabelle, Cujo, Zombies, and my favorite, Michael Myers. However, whenever I wish to purchase a Michael Myers mask, they are always sold out." After they finished eating, Henry, Rufus, Cooper, and Cash went out to the barn to feed the barn animals their evening meal, while Billie, Hank, and Thomas fed the inside animals. As bedtime approached and the children were settled, and the other adults retired to their respective bedrooms, Billie and Hank retreated to her room. After closing the door, they undressed and lay beside each other. Cuddling together, Billie traced her fingers over Hank's chest and said, "Would you like to move in? Since you practically live here anyway." Hank replied, "Yes, let's go to my house and bring all my belongings over here tomorrow." Billie concurred, "Yes, my brothers can help. We can use your house for our alone time together." They shared a kiss and engaged in some intimate teasing, mindful of allowing Billie's arm to heal before engaging in sexual activity again. They then shared another kiss before drifting off to sleep.