Disclaimer
Characters are pilfered from the great TV Show: The Fall. All Cudos to them.
I am rusty bear with me. This just wouldn't leave my head.
Commas are not my friends. So sorry if one is missing or others are at the wrong place.
The overhead light flickered, bathing the room in an annoying staccato of cold white light. Hours before, that coffee might have even been classified as not too bad, now it was bitter, almost salty from age. The last dregs of it was pushed aside with a look resembling disgust, followed by a weary sigh.
Rubbing her tired eyes, Professor Reed-Smith slumped back into her chair. She had been perched over paperwork in her office, trying to play down her nervousness at the days events. The paperwork had helped little, her foot bouncing nervously, pencil slapping onto the paper as she waited for any news from the forest.
The call to release her from this agonizing wait came 5 minutes prior. Rose was alive and doctors said she would heal physically. She knew the psyche was another thing altogether.
Paul Spector had survived too. That Bastard. The only casualty was on his way to her morgue. James Tyler had died on the spot.
It was over and that realization hit her like a freight train. Tears burned behind her pressed close eyelids and she cursed her weakness. Rose was alive. She should be happy. But all the stress of the past weeks came crashing down on her. She was tired and wide awake at the same time.
It registered to her that her office door had opened and she did not need to look. That no bullshit gait and tack-tack of high heels was, strange enough, known to her.
"I wanted him to die. I know it would not be justice. But I wanted him to die Stella."
More steps indicated that Stella had moved from in front of her desk to the office couch. The plop was as heavy as she too felt.
Reed opened her eyes then, paling at the sight of DSI Stella Gibson on her sofa. Her hands had been washed but her blouse stuck to her, Spectors blood caked to the front. Her eyes were, simply put, empty and Reed had not seen that once since meeting Stella. Her eyes had always held a steely strength, resolution and conviction. Now Stella was simply staring ahead.
"Stella?"
Slowly, as not to alert the other woman, Reed stood and walked over to her visitor. Her hand reached out and squeezed the other woman's shoulder softly, making her look up.
Stella made a sound in the back of her throat in acknowledgment.
"I need you to collect my clothing as evidence for the report on the shooting."
The blondes voice was rougher than usual, her shoulders set heavy. The whole mess of a case was weighing on them all.
Stella seemed on autopilot, and before the pathologist had time to gather her wits, the blouse came off, then the skirt. Swiftly Tanya went and locked the door before pulling spare green scrubs from a cabinet. The office was too cold to stay barely dressed for long, still Tanya went to wet paper towels so she could rub off the blood that had soaked through her blouse. Maybe she was busying herself because DSI Gibson was only in underwear in her office and she had to stop herself from staring.
As the Professor moved to wipe the dried blood of a flat stomach, Stella stopped her and took the wet towels herself. That move stung a bit more than she would ever admit and she moved away and turned back to her desk.
Things hadn't been awkward between them after their near hookup at the Merchant. The night Spector had broken into Stella's room. Reed shuddered as she pulled out gloves and evidence bags for Stella's soiled clothing. It was due to Stella's way to deal with what had happened, that it had not been made awkward and Tanya had been grateful for it.
She wondered if the reaction now was due to Stella's security walls being down or if it was unconscious.
"I could not let him get the easy way out..."
The DSI's words came out strong almost angry, with conviction, as if needing to make Tanya understand.
"The families deserve the Trial."
"I know Stella...I didn't mean..."
Tanya closed her mouth with a sigh, shaking her head and rubbing her temples.
They were all tightly wrought over this and she knew arguments came easy in messy situations when one word let to another. That had been a forte of hers in her failed marriage.
She had not meant to diminish Stella's fight through all of this, certainly not the fight for Spectors life. Rose was alive because Stella had been like a Pit bull with a bone. She had not once let go.
Carefully she bagged the clothing, sealed it and scribbled the needed numbers etc. on. When she turned back around Stella was in scrubs. Even this look seemed to work for the blonde and Reed was close to snorting at her own thoughts. She was a mess inside and it had not helped that she had nearly fallen into bed with Stella Gibson.
PSNI was a gossip mill and Tanya had of course heard the rumors of Stella Gibson's conquests. Hushed whispers in the hallways, longing looks from males and females following the other woman.
Stella regarded her with a cocked head and Tanya realized she had been staring.
"How is Rose?"
"She will get better. Tom is with her..."
It was not time to visit Rose yet. She would go see her soon but leave Tom and Rose alone for a few days.
"And how are you?"
A shrug, Tanya could not muster more. Saying she was fine would be a lie.
This case would haunt half the task force for years to come she felt.
There they stood. The light above flickering unnervingly and somehow all the air had seemed to have vanished from the office.
Was there anything left to say between them after this? Would Stella Gibson disappear as fast as she had turned up?
"Want to go grab a drink?"
Tanya had felt the need to fill the void with words and she knew it was a dangerous suggestion. It was inviting a lioness to a dinner party and it was possibly making her the prey.
The way Stella had looked at her at the bar nights ago had left her hot and cold even days later. Blue eyes had fixated her, enthralled and ensnared and she had almost followed into the den like a sheep, knowing she would stand no chance against Stella Gibson's needs. No man could, so why should she?
It would have been so easy to let Stella drag her into bed. There was no denying that Tanya missed sex. Missed being wanted. And Stella had wanted a lot. Her braveness had left her as soon as they waited in front of the elevator and she realized what was about to happen. She had had no experience with women and by the looks of it Stella was the stark opposite.
Stella's hands made a motion downwards her body.
"I think I am rather under dressed."
Tanya's resolution waned yet again and she deflated a bit and a fine eyebrow rose to it as if to dare her to say more, try harder to get Stella to go have a drink with her.
Alas she was not brave enough. She was never as brave as Stella Gibson who swooped in and claimed what she wanted.
"Maybe another time then."
They both knew that was bullshit. If DSI Gibson came back into town it was solely for Trial.
"Sure. Maybe you'll come back to Croyden one day."
It was not meant all that humorous. It was an attack, a reminder to a weakness. It slashed at Tanya and she knew she blushed.
She had shown a sign of weakness and was taken down.
If this was the treatment guys got from Stella then Reed-Smith understood the broken hearts around PSNI. Stella certainly took no prisoners.
Life is a gamble, her father had always said. But Tanya had never been a gambler and it was painfully obvious. Maybe in the end it was for the best. The blonde enigma had broken too many hearts already and Tanya was not sure if she could have wrapped her mind around a one night thing.
"Thanks again for finding Rose. For not giving up."
The brunette spoke and then grabbed her leather jacket from her chair and helmet from close by. She would not stop and argue it out with Stella, she would not explain why she had not followed her to her room. She would not try to make amends. What point was there?
Suddenly there was a spark of anger inside of her. How dare Stella elevate herself over any men and then use the same tactics they used on the people around her? The leather jacket was shrugged on, shoulders straight and proud. Tanya was not a school girl to be chastised. She had made a decision that night and she was not backing down from it. No matter how cutting Stella Gibson would grow.
Her steps were certain, towards Gibson this time, no backing down. She stepped up to the blond, shorter since she was wearing boots instead of heels and her free left hand landed on a strong neck, pulling Stella's face level with hers. And then their lips did collide and the pathologist marveled that this felt even better than the exhilarating kisses at the Merchant bar.
Certainly part of it was being able to shock Stella just a little. When Tanya stepped back again she was flooded by a victorious feeling. Still she did not linger. Could not. Her pride had been hit at and she wanted to show Stella that it would simply not do.
Had she turned around just once more, she would have seen Stella Gibson do something she rarely did. Give an appreciative and proud smirk.