There was nothing more satisfying than the clink of handcuffs around a perp's wrists or the clang of the holding cell's door as it locked for the night. As much as Ray had complained about his job over the years, he had missed it far more than he'd realized on the Island. He'd now officially been Detective First Grade Raymond Vecchio for a little under two weeks and he already had two arrests under his belt. Joint arrests, on the same day for the same crime, but that didn't matter. It was quantity, not quality that mattered right now. Taking bad guys off the street, putting them away and heading home feeling like he'd done a good day's work, that he'd made the city a better place.

Today, home had had to wait for...Ray squinted at his watch as he fumbled with his door key. Four--what? Four hours. How was it nearly midnight already? He was fairly sure, even after a few drinks, that he'd clocked off work at 7pm, so how could it possibly be nearly the next day? Unconvinced of his watch's accuracy, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket, giving it a shake when a black screen gaped up at him. No battery.

The lock gave way with a click and Ray spent a few moments attempting to get the key out of it before stepping over the threshold with a grateful sigh. There was a special feeling that came with knowing he'd earned good money today, that he was providing for his family, for Asher's kids. Kids he hadn't seen since sometime yesterday morning because they'd already been in bed by the time he'd gotten home last night and he was out the door before they'd woken this morning. Work was work though. It put food on the table, clothes on their backs and maybe one or two drinks in Ray's hand tonight. Three max.

Two criminals behind bars, three or four drinks in him and a wage that would hit his bank account any day now. Nearly midnight or not, today really was a great day.