Not all Doom and Gloom
Stella/Felix
Stella collapsed onto the sofa in her dimply lit flat, fighting back tears. Great. First day on a new job, and already everyone hated her.
She sighed forlornly as she kicked off her shoes. Boyd obviously didn't want her there, and made a point of showing that she wasn't included in 'his team'; sending her to make tea every ten minutes, or other excuses to get her out of the room. At least he was trying to be tactful though- Spencer didn't even attempt subtlety, and simply displayed his contempt outright. Dr Foley had told her not to take it personally; that he was still grieving over the dead member of the Cold Case Unit. Mel...Something.
Of course she had been told before accepting the position that some individuals would be difficult to get along with, Boyd in particular, and she had known that the team had recently lost a member...but she hadn't expected such an outright hostility!
She made her way to the bathroom, pulling off her top and dropping it unceremoniously to the floor as she went. She leant over the bath tub to reach the apple scented bubble bath, and turned on the taps.
The steam from the hot water filled the room as she –none too carefully- stripped off her remaining clothes, leaving them where they fell. Testing the temperature with her toes, she slipped into the foamy water. She lay with her eyes closed, willing the stress from the day to ebb out of her into the water, and drift away in the steam.
Only one member of the team had shown her any real kindness that day, and Stella suspected it was because she had also been a recent replacement for an old team member.
Grace had told Felix to bring her up to date with a case the team were supposedly working on. She had expected more exasperation and hostility from the young woman, but instead she had enthusiastically explained everything the team knew so far, and had seemed genuinely pleased when Stella had raised a few points and questions of her own.
Stella felt a strange heat shiver through her body as she recalled the small spark she had felt when Felix had patted her shoulder encouragingly. She had caught the young doctor's eye a few times that day and exchanged shy smiles, and even sought her gaze out for reassurance when Boyd had snapped at her.
She thought of the few times she had brushed her hand accidentally in the lab while examining evidence. Felix had been so close behind her at one point; she could feel the slight pressure of her breasts against her back, and could smell the vanilla scent she wore.
Stella smiled coyly. Okay. So maybe there were some perks in her new job.
