"Hey, come on, Rollie! Let's go hoist a few."

"Not today, Leo." Rollie Tyler shook his head slightly, his friend was being particularly persistent today. More than normal anyway, normally Leo backed off after a couple of 'no's, but not today. The Aussie wondered why. "I have to get this ready for tomorrow."

"Ah, Rollie, come on. Just one. Please?" The detective looked at his pal, his gray eyes full of appeal.

The special effects wizard was beginning to feel mean. Leo was making him feel like he was kicking a dog or something. "Leo, what is it with you today? You'll usually take no if I say it enough."

"It's Saint Paddy's Day, Rollie!"

"So? In case it slipped your notice, I'm Australian, not Irish."

Leo swung his arm around his taller friend's shoulder. "Today. Today, Rollie, the whole world is Irish! Now, let's go!"

The lanky man sighed and pushed his brown hair out of his eyes. "All right. One and only one, Leo!"

Leo shoved Rollie toward his unmarked police car. "Good. Get in the car, I've got to answer this beep."

Rollie paused outside the car instead of climbing in, because he knew whatever reason his older friend was getting a beep, could completely change the other man's plans. He stretched and twisted his neck, popping vertabrae and relaxing his muscles. A movement caught the corner of his eye and he turned to look. What was that? Certainly wasn't a cat, cats didn't wear green... Unless it was a particularly patient cat with a really strange owner. Too small to be a dog or cat really. Maybe it was a kitten?

Leo was on his cell phone, whispering urgently. "Well, you better hurry! It was the best I could do. I'll keep Rollie out as long as possible, but he's got work to do and I can certainly understand that." He glanced over as his friend and froze momentarily. "And will you be careful! I think he saw you!" He started to hang up, then paused. "And Rollie better not have any little home movies to watch when he gets back. You leave Blue alone too. If something happens to his little dog, he'll kill both of us!" The Irish American cop shook his head in exasperation. "Just fair warning, and yeah, I do think Rollie Tyler could find you. So be careful." He flipped the cell close, disconnecting the call. He was muttering under his breath as he reached the car and his friend's side. "Come on, Rollie, let's go. Thanks for coming."

"Leo, did you see something over there?"

"Where? Nah. What did you do? Start without me?" Leo chuckled at his own joke, even as part of him shivered uneasily. "Come on, I think you need that drink. You've been working too hard, Rollie."

Rollie looked over to the trash cans curiously. He knew he saw something out of the normal over there. And... Okay, maybe Leo would explain it to him one day. With a sigh, he allowed the other man to shove him into the car. And maybe he'd stay out longer than he planned. He could relate to the small waves of homesickness he was feeling. Still they could ask to use his VR chamber, instead of sneaking in.