AN-Hey there you guys! So I'm back with a new Munch/OC fic! Hopefully this one won't turn out over dramatic and Mary Sue-ish. Lol. This is set right after Jefferies leaves. I'm not sure if I'll add Fin into this story. As it stands, I don't think I will, so sorry Odafin fans! :p Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this story!
NEW ACQUAINTANCES
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS FROM THE SHOW, ONLY MY OC'S
"You look like hell, did you even go home last night?" Olivia Benson asked as she sat a hot cup of tea in front of her older friend. John gave her a grave look before greedily sipping on the warm liquid.
"No, I've got to get these reports in by noon today," he said with a sigh. A tired groan escaped him as he took his glasses off and rubbed his burning eyes.
"You'd be done by now if you had a partner," Eliot said in a matter of fact tone. John stopped his eyes from rolling heavenward. How many times were they going to go through this?
"I don't need one," he stated grumpily. It had been six weeks since Jefferies quit, and John had quickly decided he was through with cycling partners. What was the point? Sure, the average partnership lasted four years, but his didn't even last a year. He was tired of just beginning to trust a person with his life, only to have them leave. Or die. But that was another story.
"When was the last time you got a full eight hours of sleep?" Elliot countered. John snorted and raised his eyebrows.
"You have a partner, and you still don't get a full eight hours of sleep," John said.
Elliot smirked and said, "Alright, maybe I don't get a full eight hours of sleep, but the point is I still get a couple of hours of beauty rest."
"Why are you so opposed to a new partner?" Liv asked as she bit into a piece of toast.
"What, so they can just leave me again? My poor old heart can't take another blow," he said dramatically, emphasizing his point with a hand over his heart. Liv scoffed and Elliot grunted into his coffee at the display.
"For the love of God, Munch. You've been divorced four times. You should be used to getting dumped by now," Liv teased. Munch frowned and squinted his eyes at her.
"That was harsh," he mumbled before reluctantly turning back to his paperwork. The horrendously tall stack of folders he still had to waft through was almost enough to make him gag. He had been doing paperwork since midnight of last night. It was now seven o' clock in the morning. A dejected sigh escaped him and he started to rub his eyes once more.
Maybe he did need a partner. He had originally thought he could take everything on by himself, like he had once done back in Baltimore. Boy, was he wrong. While the task of handling many homicide cases at a time was daunting, he was still able to do it. This time around though, it was beginning to be too much. He hadn't taken into account all the living victim's statements and information that went with rape and child abuse cases.
He stood up and began walking to the captain's office before he had the chance to change his mind.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"That's a nice suit you got on, John," Cragen said around a mouthful of his morning coffee.
"Thanks," John said tiredly as he slumped into a chair.
"You were wearing it yesterday," Don amended. Munch looked down at his rumpled wardrobe and frowned. He really could use a change of clothes. Not to mention a shower and a good shave.
"That's what I'm here to talk about," John started. He leaned forward and propped himself up by the elbow on Cragen's desk. Sitting up was taking too much out of his low energy reserves.
"Sorry, I don't think your bony ass will fit in my clothes," Don teased. Munch sighed and closed his eyes.
"You know what I mean!" he snapped. Don hid a smirk and nodded.
"You finally ready for a new partner?" the captain asked.
"I don't want one, but I think I'm getting too old to do this on my own anymore," John said with a scowl.
"It's about time. I've got three different jackets here," Don said as he rummaged through his desk drawers. He tossed three thick folders across the desk. "All three of them are really good cops. Usually, I'm not allowed to let anyone else see confidential résumés, but I talked to all of them and they said you could look through them. I figure I might as well let you pick, maybe that way they'll stay longer than a year." He swallowed a laugh at his friend's glare.
John opened the first folder and read the name Riley Shaffer. He was thirty-three, worked in homicide, and had a perfectly clean jacket. Everything looked good, until he read that his father was one of the chief commissioners for 1pp. That put an end to his interest right there. 1pp was up this unit's ass enough without having to deal with a commissioner's brat. He snapped the folder shut and put it to the side.
He cracked open the next file and immediately slammed it shut upon seeing the picture. He had seen that kid before; Brian Loft. He was an arrogant little shit that worked in the FBI. He and Cassidy had to collaborate on a few cases with him. He was loud mouthed, cocky, and worst of all, smelled like the ass end of a horse. There was no way in hell he would be stuck in a car for hours at a time on stake-out duty with that stench. He aggravatingly tossed the folder on top of the last rejected one.
He glared dejectedly at the last folder. Two down, with only one to go. With a heavy sigh he flicked the cover open. His eyebrows shot nearly up to his hairline as he took in the sight of the woman in the picture. Her hair was a messy mass of dark black curls, almost meeting the classification of frizzy. But that wasn't what got his attention, it was her eyes. Her left eye was a deep emerald color, while her right eye was a shocking bright blue.
He scraped his eyes away from the picture to read her information. Krissabella Walker, age thirty-two, transferring from Narcotics, and had a juvenile record. He eyed the juvenile section with newfound interest. She had a minor possession charge, a few counts of vandalism, and a case of petty theft that was later dropped.
Her police career was impressive. She had worked as a traffic officer before moving to Narcotics. Her conviction rate was higher than her peers', and she had even busted two major drug rings that the FBI had tried solving for years. She seemed to be a more than adequate candidate.
"I think I'm going to go with this one," John said slowly. He glanced at her picture once more before handing the file back to Don.
"Good choice. I'll give her a call and have her here by tomorrow. In the meantime, I want you to go home and sleep," Don ordered.
"Can't, I have to get those reports in by noon," John groaned. The prospect of sleep sounded like heaven to his ears. It was almost cruel to have the offer dangled freely in front of him, but not being able to take it.
"Just turn in what you have so far. I'll stall and get you another day to finish them up," Don said. He almost laughed at the sincere joy on his senior detective's face.
"In that case, you don't have to tell me twice! Thanks Captain, see ya tomorrow!" John jumped up with renewed energy and bounded out the door before the Captain could say another word.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Krissabella Walker stood in the middle of her tiny apartment, grinning from ear to ear. The captain-Cragen she thought he had said, from SVU had just called to inform her she got the job. "Guess what, Tank! Mommy got a new job!" she crooned at her cat. Tank meowed dispassionately and closed his eyes.
"Oh, you could at least pretend to be excited for me!" she griped as she scooped the feline into her arms. Tank was a beautiful cat with his brown coat and black, almost cheetah-like, markings. Though Tank could pass for a wild beast, he was in truth, a spoiled, lazy, overgrown baby.
"How about we celebrate with a glass of wine for me, and a big bowl of tuna for you?" she said happily. She sat Tank on the window sill above the kitchen sink and reached into the cupboard for a can of tuna. Tank perked up upon seeing the familiar looking can. "You know, we should probably move a little closer to the precinct, Tankers. I'll ask the captain if he knows any apartments up through there," she said casually. She sat the open can on the floor and smiled as her cat sailed through the air to the ground. Listening to the satisfied noises her cat was making, she turned and grabbed an almost empty bottle of wine from the cupboard. She poured herself a generous amount and reached in her pocket for her cellphone.
She dialed a number, not even needing to look at the numbers to do so. It took three rings before a voice on the other end rumbled a deep, "Hello?"
"Little brother! How ya been?" she said cheerfully.
"Hey, Sis. I'm doing okay. Can't say the same for Adaleah, though," her brother sighed. Krissabella frowned. Adaleah was her five year old niece, and she adored the child, much as the child adored her.
"What's wrong?"
"Think she has a bit of a cold. Diane's got a bad one though," her brother said sadly. Krissabella smirked. She didn't like her sister-in-law, and found some sort of twisted satisfaction when something went wrong for the conniving woman.
"Sorry to hear that, but I've got some good news!"
"Did you get the job?"
"Sure did!"
"That's great, Bella! When do you start?"
"Tomorrow morning! Captain Trumpt already sighed over my papers to my new captain. As of now, you are speaking with a detective from the Manhattan SVU unit!" she said proudly. Her brother laughed at her haughty tone.
"Congrats, Bells. I'm happy for ya," he said sincerely. They were both quiet, knowing what the other was thinking.
"You got any idea where mom is?" Bella asked quietly. It had been about nine months since either had seen their mom.
"Come on, you're the detective here, shouldn't I be asking you that?" her brother tried to joke. Bella gave him a pity laugh.
"I don't know if she'll come back this time, Connor. She looked pretty rough last time."
"Yeah, I know," Connor agreed in the same quiet voice. They sat in silence for another moment before Connor cleared his throat and took on a more cheerful tone. "Anyway, your niece is trying to refuse medicine, so I'm going to have to hop off here and pour it down her throat."
"Careful, Con. I work on child cases now, I can send you to jail for that shit," she teased. Her brother gave her a genuine laugh.
"I'll keep that in mind. I love ya, sis. Call me tomorrow and tell me how your day went, alright?"
"You can bet on it. Love ya, Bub. Give Adaleah a kiss for me!" As she hung up the phone, she heard a grotesque sound and turned her attention to the floor. She groaned and watched as Tank threw up his feast all over her freshly mopped kitchen floor. She reached for the still moist mop in the corner of the kitchen and scowled at the offending beast.
"Really, Tanks? How many times have I told you not to eat so fast! You have to breathe in between bites!" she reprimanded. Tanks gave her a meow that sounded almost sheepish, for a cat.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The next morning found John Munch sitting restlessly at his desk, awaiting the arrival of his new partner. He had been a detective for years now, and had gone through his fair share of partners, but he still felt antsy meeting new people. It was a trait the seasoned detective loathed, but hid well.
"Hello, can I help you?" he heard Liv say a few feet away. He immediately snapped his head up and took in the sight of his new partner. She had long black hair that was in loose chaotic curls, slightly frizzy. Compared to Liv's full figure, she had a petite frame, but still had soft curves.
Liv pointed in his direction and he started slightly at her eyes as she turned to him. Though they had been shocking in the picture, it was nothing compared to real life. Her green eye was a deep color, almost a hazel or a brown, while her blue eye was strikingly blue. Overall, she was a beautiful woman, though in an exotic way.
"Hey there, you're Detective Munch, right?" she asked in a pleasant voice. She gave him a crooked smile and extended her hand.
"That's me. Detective Walker, I presume?" he returned her smile and took her hand.
"You presume right! You guys got any coffee?" she asked tiredly. John smirked as she suppressed a yawn. Apparently, his new partner wasn't a morning person.
"Yeah, but I don't know if I would classify it as coffee," he tossed over his shoulder as he led her to the drink table. Bella laughed at this wry humor and nodded her head.
"It can't be worse than my old precinct," she said with remembered disgust. John snorted and watched as she poured herself a cup, with only one cream. An amused grin stretched across his face as she scrunched up her nose after taking a drink.
"And, what precinct was that?" John asked to only make small talk.
"Like you really need to ask. I know you read my file," she said with a smile.
"Alright, fair enough," John stated, returning her same coy smile.
"Ah, Krissabella Walker, right?" Don said as he popped his head out his office door.
"Yes sir. You're Captain Cragen?" she asked.
"Yep. You guys mind stepping in my office for a bit?" he asked. The new partners shrugged and joined their superior in his office.
"First off, I'd like to welcome you to this unit, Mrs. Walker," Don started off.
"Please, call me Bella," Bella said to both of the men.
"Alright, then, Bella. Second of all, I really hate to shove paperwork in your face on your first day, but John's got six reports he needs finished by the end of his shift," Don said in an apologetic tone. Bella glanced at Munch and smirked as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"That's alright, it'll give me time to look around and find everything," she said with a wave of her hand.
"Good. Afterwards, there's an allegation report that came in by Mrs. Chambers," Don looked blatantly at John.
"Seriously? Again?" John asked in an exasperated voice. Bella furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Uh, anybody wanna tell me what you guys are talking about?" Bella asked.
"Miranda Chambers has called in twice in the past four weeks because she claims her husband has raped her," Cragen said in a sarcastic tone.
"And by that tone of voice, I'm guessing he didn't really rape her?"
"Nope. They get in some nasty fights, have a night of rough sex, and then if they're still fighting in the morning she claims rape. Then she feels guilty and admits she lied to get him in trouble," John answered.
"If she's made false allegations, why haven't you arrested her?"
"We did the second time, but she got off with a misdemeanor."
"This time she'll get jail time."
"Yeah, but I warn you, there's probably gonna be a fight on our hands. Mrs. Chambers is a feisty little Italian woman, with one hell of a right hook!"
"Gee, you sound like you got personal experience with that," Bella teased. John rubbed his jaw in remembrance.
"I do," he said with a grimace.
Don watched the exchange between the two detectives with quiet interest. This seemed like this might work out well. They both even had the same sardonic, wry smile plastered on their faces.
"If she hits you again, I want you to collar her for it this time. That goes for you too," he pointed at Bella, "I guess that's everything I needed to go over. I hope you have a good first day on the job, Bella," the captain said with a smile. Bella crookedly smiled back.
"Thanks, Captain."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
John heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he closed the last report he was working on. He glanced up to see his partner scribbling away with a look of anguish on her face. He knew that look well. He had the same grimace on his face the first time he had to read victim's statements and read medical reports. It was hard to adjust to working with such degrading acts and abuse day in and day out.
He took this opportunity to look closely at her. The first thing he noticed was that she was a lefty, which made sense. It just seemed to fit in with her unique image. She had a tiny scar that ran from the left corner of her top lip up about two centimeters. It was very faint; one probably wouldn't notice it at first glance. Her hands were tiny, but had long, slender fingers. A flash of black ink caught his attention and he shifted downwards in his chair to look at her right wrist. She had a small tattoo. It was a completely black silhouette of a ballerina; the ballerina was poised on one leg, in pointe, with the other leg stretched straight behind her. One arm was stretched in front, while the other stretched behind. It was a graceful tattoo, almost as if it was in mid-dance on her skin.
He darted his eyes back up to her face when he heard her release a deep breath. She snapped the case file shut and all but threw it to the side. A sound almost like a whine escaped her and she rubbed her eyes viciously.
"Rough stuff, huh?" John said sympathetically.
"Yeah, it is," she agreed. She stopped rubbing her eyes and gave him a tired little smile.
"It's even harder listening to the victims and dealing with them first hand. I'd like to tell you that it gets easier and you get used it, but it doesn't and you won't," he said honestly. Bella nodded and chewed on the inside of her cheek.
"That's not what I wanted to hear, but at least you're honest," she said with a dry laugh. She heard a snort and turned her attention to the man sitting at a desk to her left.
"You say that now, but wait until you've worked with him for a week," Elliot griped. Liv chuckled and nodded her head in agreement.
"Can you guys at least wait a day before turning her against me?" John sighed. Bella laughed and turned her attention back to her partner's torturers.
"I don't think we've met officially. I'm Bella," the newest detective said.
"Nice to meet ya, I'm Elliot, and this is Liv," El said as he motioned to his partner. Liv gave the woman a smile.
"Nice to meet you. Uh, can I ask you a question without you getting offended?" Liv asked.
"Wondering about my eyes?" she asked. Liv smiled shyly and nodded. "It's called heterochromia. It's a hereditary genetic mutation. Originally, both of my eyes were supposed to be like my green one, but my right eye has a lack of melanin, which makes it blue. I think my great great granny had it, and that's where I get it from," she finished with a shrug.
"Does it hurt or affect you in anyway?" Elliot asked with interest.
"Nope. I have completely normal and healthy eyes; they're just different colors," she answered.
"That's cool," Liv said in wonder. Bella smiled and shrugged once more.
"Alright, partner, you ready to go get punched in the face again?" Bella said as she turned back to John. She was ready to leave all the paperwork behind and get into field work.
"No, that's your job. I'm letting you handle the she-devil," John said seriously. Elliot and Liv chuckled as Bella rolled her eyes.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"So, why did you transfer out of Narcotics?" John asked conversationally. They were in for a long ride, seeing as how they were caught right in the middle of rush hour traffic.
"I just needed a change of pace. I was mostly tired of all the undercover assignments. I can handle the occasional couple of weeks, but constantly going underground for months at a time gets to be a little much, ya know? If I wanted to work undercover all the time I would have went into the FBI," she said. "What about you? Where did you come from?"
"I used to work Homicide back in Baltimore," he answered.
"Baltimore? Why did you move all the way down here for?" she asked surprised.
"I'm originally from the Lower East Side down here. We moved to Baltimore when I was a kid. I moved back down here after my last marriage broke up."
"Your last marriage? How many times have you been married?"
"Four," he said gravely. Bella's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Whoa."
"Yeah," he sighed.
"You must really be an asshole," she teased. John shot her a glare and stomped on the brake as the cars in front of them screeched to a halt.
"No, I just happen to have horrible taste in women. The first one cheated on me, the second and third were stuck up and spoiled, and the fourth cheated on me as well," he said with venom.
"That's terrible!" Bella said sincerely.
"Yeah, but what can ya do?"
"Not pick spoiled, rich bitches?" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. John laughed out right and nodded.
"Yeah, that might work. What about you? I don't' see a ring on your finger either."
"I've never had the pleasure of getting married. I was engaged once though."
"What happened?"
"We just slowly drifted apart I guess. I was constantly working, and leaving him alone. He always wanted to talk about my job when I was home, or what case was getting me down, but I couldn't really talk to him about it. He didn't need to know that kind of stuff."
"My third wife was like that," John sympathized.
"Yeah, it's hard. We ended up going separate ways, which really was for the best. We had fallen out of love a long time before we actually split," she sighed and rubbed her finger where the ring once was all those years ago.
"Eh, you're young. You've still got plenty of time to find prince charming."
"True, but I want kids."
"You've got another couple of years to before you have to start worrying about that."
"Yeah, I guess so. I just thought I'd be married by now and sharing my king sized bed with a man, rather than a cat," she sighed. John chuckled and nodded in understanding.
"You have a cat?"
"Yep!" her eyes immediately lit up as she started to describe the creature, "His name is Tank. He's an African Serval, which basically looks like a miniature cheetah. He looks like a wild cat, but he's really just a baby."
"I don't see how you like cats. They're freaky little creatures," he grumbled. Gwen, his first wife, had been an avid cat lover. He couldn't even begin to count the number of scratches he got throughout the week form the demonic little fur balls.
"Actually, I used to hate them. But then I found Tank at a drug raid one day, and instantly fell in love with him. I also used to have a snake and a dog too, but I had to give them up when I moved into my apartment. My land lord will only allow one animal per apartment."
"I like dogs, but a snake? Why in the word would you want a snake?" he asked bewildered. He hated snakes.
"I really like snakes, and contrary to popular belief, most of them are gentle when handled right."
"I'll take your word on that. Any other crazy animals I should know about? Tarantula? Birds? Frogs?"
"Ew, absolutely not a tarantula. I may be an animal lover, but spiders do notcount. And defiantly not birds," he caught her shivering slightly out of the corner of his eye. "And nope, no frogs. I had a couple of lizards and a rabbit once."
"Why defiantly not birds?"
"I, uh," she started. She almost seemed embarrassed. John raised his eyebrows at her in a perplexed fashion. "I'm scared of birds," she admitted quietly.
"Okay, hold on. Let me get this straight, you aren't scared of snakes, but a bird scares you?"
"Sounds about right, yeah."
John laughed so hard it felt like he was about to pop a lung. After a moment, Bella joined in.
"Alright, Mister Tough Guy, what are you afraid of?"
"The government," he said without missing a beat.
"I heard that," she agreed with a snort. John looked over his glasses to fix her with his signature stare.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah! I don't know about you, but I don't want a space satellite watching me take a dump from outer space," she said matter-of-factly. She looked over at her partner and jumped slightly at the expression he was giving her. His mouth was slightly open, and he looked completely bewildered.
"What?" she squeaked, feeling a little self-conscious under his severe stare.
"You and I are going to get along just fine, Mrs. Walker."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Alright, brace yourself," John mumbled as he rang the Chambers' doorbell. There was shouting from inside before the door flung open; a stout Italian woman fixed them both with a scathing scowl.
"Where the hell have you been? I called early this morning, and now it's five in the afternoon!" she seethed in a deep accent.
"Is it the police?" a man's voice rang from the apartment before the detectives could respond. He pushed his wife out of the way and looked at Munch aggravatingly.
"Look, you know this crazy bitch is lying! Do we really have to do this again?" he asked.
"I'm not lying this time!" the woman seethed as she punched her husband in the arm. The man turned swiftly and pushed his wife hard enough to make her fall on her butt.
"Hey, hey! That's enough. Both of you calm the hell down!" Bella yelled as the woman got up with her fists drawn. The fighting couple glared at each other, but ultimately settled down.
"Mrs. Chambers, you do realize that if you file another false police report, you will go to jail this time, correct?" Munch said tiredly. The woman bristled slightly at his words.
"Are you calling me a liar?" she growled.
"Well you did file two false reports, so you're making it hard to believe you," Bella said with a shrug. The woman let out a holler and moved to punch the detective in the face. Bella quickly side-stepped and watched as the woman fell face first onto the side walk. John sighed and moved to help the woman up.
"Let go!" she yelled and swung at John, connecting her fist with his chin.
"Son of a bitch!" John yelled and bent over, clenching his jaw. Bella huffed and moved in to save her wounded partner.
"Miranda Chambers, you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer," she began. The stout woman moved to swing, but Bella easily grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her. She slapped a pair of hand cuffs on the howling woman and shoved her into the back seat of the car after reading her her rights.
"You alright?" she called over to John.
"Yeah, but she got me in the same damned place!" he groaned. Bella stifled a giggle.
"Come on, I'll drive."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Here ya go," Krissabella said as she handed an ice pack to her partner.
"Thanks," he said. He placed it on his bruised jaw and sighed in relief.
"What did you say that made her hit you?" Liv asked amused.
"Nothing! Walker was the one that pissed her off! She fell on the ground, and I simply reached down to help her up," he growled. He shot his partner an accusing glare.
"Don't you even try to blame this on me, Mister. It's not my fault you don't know how to dodge a punch!" Bella said as she put her hands on her hips.
John opened his mouth to retort, but the stern look she was giving him made him think otherwise. This woman had some sass to her, and he really didn't feel like earning another bruise on the other side of his face.
"I like you already," Liv said with a smile. Bella returned the smile and opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.
"Who arrested Miranda Chambers?" A skinny brown headed woman said haughtily as she stomped into the room. Krissabella cleared her throat and raised her hand.
"That would be me," she said. The woman turned her cold gaze on her.
"Who are you?" she said snidely. Bella bristled at her tone of voice. Krissabella was a calm woman, but she had a very quick temper and had been described as having more than enough piss and vinegar in her personality. She was black Irish, after all.
"I'm Krissabella Walker. Who are you?"
"My name is Trina Stocket, lead ADA. Is it true that you threw the detainee to the ground during your arrest?"
"Uhm, no. She went to take a swing at me, I dodged, and she fell on her face."
"Look, I know you're a rookie, but,"
"Excuse me? A rookie? Mam, I've been in law for years now. I'm not a rookie, and I know the law. If you don't believe me, ask Detective Munch," she hissed.
Stocket glanced at John and batted her eye lashes. Bella didn't try to stifle the gagging noise in her throat. Ignoring the noise, Stocket asked, "What happened, John?"
"Exactly what Walker said. Chambers swung, she dodged, Chambers fell," he said with disinterest. Her flirtatious demeanor faltered.
"Alright, well," she tilted her nose up and looked back at Bella, "Then why don't I have an accident report?"
"Because she had no visible injuries and didn't say anything about being hurt."
"Yes, and she is also an alleged rape victim. Have any of you even talked to her since throwing her in the holding cell?"
"No, because the allegations were bogus. She even apologized to Munch in the car and said she made the report because she was just angry. So, if you're done with your little character assessment will you please let me get back to my job?" Bella didn't even wait for the snide woman to reply. She turned on her heel and made her way to the restrooms. Stocket glared after her, but her expression softened when she looked a Munch.
"Make sure I have an incident report before noon tomorrow, alright?" she said in a sickly sweet voice. John nodded a jerk of the head and backed up further in his seat as the woman stalked closer. "You doing anything later?" she purred, though it sounded like something was lodged in her throat.
"Actually, I had planned on seeing if Bella wanted me to come over and put the new file system on her computer," he said, shrinking away from her overbearing perfume. The ADA immediately sneered at the mention of the new detective's name.
"Oh, come on. You can play computer programmer tomorrow. Let's go out, get a couple of drinks. I'll buy," she coaxed.
"Sorry, I told her I would today."
"Alright, another time then. Don't' forget about that report," she sighed. She gathered her fancy suitcase and walked away, her nose high in the air. The room seemed to breathe one large sigh of relief and Bella walked in not even two minutes later, still fuming.
"Did Ms. tight ass leave?" she griped. The three detectives and everyone else in ear shot snickered.
"Yeah, she took her alligator suitcase and stalked away," Liv said.
"Good, what's her story, anyway?" Krissabella asked as she sat down at her desk with a bottle of water in hand.
"Word is she moved here from Detroit. She was suspended from a high ranking court system, but she won't say why. She's arrogant, a bitch, stuck up, but a damn good lawyer. Oh, and she has the hots for munch," Elliot said with a smirk.
"Yeah, I could tell," she smirked as her partner shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He cleared his throat.
"Tight ass says you need to write an incident report and have it in before noon tomorrow. Hey, you said you had a laptop at home with the AGEIS version 2.1 software on it, but we use AGEIS 2.5-KS here. You want me to come over and set it up for you?" he asked. He chuckled slightly at her dumbstruck expression.
"Considering how I have absolutely no idea what you just said, yes, please and thank you. But, I have to swing by and pick up my niece, because she's staying the weekend with me. Is that alright?" she asked. John shrugged and stood up to collect his coat.
"Sure, tell me where she lives and we'll drop by and pick her up," he said as he shucked his arms through the coat sleeves.
"Okay, thanks," she turned to Liv and Elliot and smiled brightly. "Goodnight guys, it was really nice meeting you!" The other two returned gestures and smiles.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"This house right here," Bella said as she pointed to a medium sized town house. He carefully pulled the car over to the curb and put it in park. "You can come in, if you want to brave meeting my sister-in-law."
"I take it you two aren't close?" he asked in amusement. She scowled at him and nodded.
"You could say that," she said before letting herself out of the car. John sat there for a moment, undecided. He really hated meeting new people informally, but he didn't want to offend Bella, so he quickly made up his mind and followed her up the short walkway to the door.
She knocked twice before the door swung open and his partner was all but knocked backwards. "Bella!" a tiny little girl squealed. John was momentarily surprised to see such a strong resemblance to his partner. The tiny girl had the same green eyes as Bella's left one, and the girl's hair was the same frizzy curls, though her hair was a bright red. The little girl's face was covered in freckles.
"Hey there!" Bella laughed and scooped the small girl in her arms. "How ya feeling?"
"My nose is stuffy, listen," she tried to breathe through her nose, but ended up making a funny clogged sound. Bella giggled and John smirked as the little girl stuck out her lower lip.
"Don't worry, I've got some stuff at my house that might help with that," Bella said before kissing her niece's bright red nose.
"You always have some kind of hippie remedy, and it always tends to work better. I told Diane I don't even know why we waste money on medicine that doesn't work when we can just go to your house and drink your special herb tea!" Connor said from the doorway. It was immediately apparent where Bella's niece got her shockingly red hair. Her brother's hair was the same red hue, but lay straight instead of frizzy curls. His face was also spattered with freckles, and all three of them had the same deep dimples in their cheeks.
"Can you really see Diane drinking any form of tea without spices imported from China?" Bella said sarcastically. Connor laughed dryly and moved forward to hug his sister and kiss her cheek.
"Behave yourself. Who's your friend?" he asked, turning to extend his hand to John's. John took it and they shook.
"This is John Munch, my new partner. John, meet Connor, my baby brother," she introduced.
"Nice to meet you," they said simultaneously.
"And this is Adaleah," Bella said. Adaleah stuck out her small hand and smiled shyly. John took her hand gently and shook it.
"It's very nice to meet you!" John said. He smiled when the little girl giggled and hid her face in Bella's neck.
"What in the world is wrong with you, you're never shy!" Bella laughed. The only response she got was another round of giggles. Bella shook her head and asked her brother, "Her stuff packed?"
"Yeah, enter at your own risk," he mumbled.
"Diane has a pretty bad cold, you don't have to go in if you don't want to," Bella explained to John. John shrugged and smirked.
"Hey, if I get sick, that gives me a reason not to come into work next week," he said. Connor laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, you two should get along pretty well," he commented as he led them into the house. Bella rolled her eyes upon seeing her sister-in-law. The busty blonde was sprawled out on the couch, dressed in name brand slacks, and a blazer. Her hair was pinned neatly back in a French twist, and she was even wearing makeup. The only thing that gave away her sickness was her slightly puffy eyes, a red nose, and tissue bin beside her. The woman was so vain; she had to dress up even if she was sick.
"Hello, Krissabella. Who's this with you?" she asked, albeit a bit nasally.
"My new partner John," she said with lack of emotion. She turned her head and kissed her niece on the forehead, "Go get your bags, okay sweetie?"
"Okay!" the little girl squeaked. She jumped out of her aunt's arms and ran through a hallway.
"Make sure she practices her ballet. Her recital is next weekend, and she still is having trouble on her assembles," Diane said. Bella scoffed.
"Her assembles are perfectly fine!" she retorted.
"She should be pointing her toes more on her clea's!" Diane hissed.
"No, she shouldn't. If she brought her feet in any more, she would go into full pointe, and she is years away from learning pointe. She could sprain her ankles, and even break some toes. She's only been in ballet for a year, Diane," Bella replied with an eye roll.
John heard Connor sigh, "Here we go again," under his breath and had to hide his smile. He could just imagine how fun the holidays were around here.
"There are other children there that are pointing their toes more, and not going into pointe!" The angry blonde woman fumed. She sat up and crossed her arms over her ample chest.
"She's in the five to ten year old division. The older girls are taller, and can move more quickly and fluidly because they've had more years of practice. Why are you still arguing over this? I'm pretty sure I know a little bit more about this than you do," Bella said quietly. Her voice wasn't angry, but rather tired and quiet.
"Oh, excuse me. I forgot I was talking to the sugar plum fairy herself," Diane said in sarcasm.
"Alright guys, cut it out," Connor sighed. His daughter came running out of her room, bags in tow behind her. John was mildly amused to see ballet slippers on her feet. Bella's annoyed expression immediately dissolved as she picked up the tiny girl.
"You know you can't walk outside in your slippers!" she said, poking the giggling girl in the nose.
"Then you're going to have to carry me!" she exclaimed. Connor shook his head and laughed.
"You can tell she's your niece. I swear she's like a mini you!" he said as he ruffled his daughter's hair. John heard the blonde woman on the couch snicker.
"Nothing wrong with that! You got everything Lee?" Bella asked. Adaleah nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing. "Alright, then I guess we better get going. John here is going to do some computer mumbo jumbo. Uh, would you mind?" she motioned sheepishly to a car-seat that was propped up against a wall. John nodded and hoisted it up.
"Alright, it was good seeing you sis, and congratulations on the new job!" Connor said as he hugged his sister. "And you, young lady, be good!" he kissed Adaleah on the cheek before turning to extend his hand towards Munch. "It was a pleasure meeting you, I'm sincerely sorry you have to work with my sister," he said gravely. John chuckled as Bella punched her brother in the arm and stuck her tongue out. The fun ended as Diane cleared her throat.
"Goodbye Adaleah, Mommy loves you!" she said happily. Adaleah replied halfheartedly, which only caused her to scowl deepen. "Oh, and Bella, please don't let her listen to any of that screaming garbage you call music. And no sweets, they aren't good for her. You hear me?" she asked snidely.
"I hear you, Diane. Goodbye," Bella said as she stomped out the door. John followed suit, mildly offended she didn't offer him any farewells. But, that was alright. He didn't imagine that they would get along in the future when they happened to cross paths either. Bella wasn't exaggerating. She had a sister-in-law from hell.
"Does this mean we can't make cookies like you promised?" came the sad little voice of Bella's niece as they walked back to the car.
Bella scoffed and said, "The first thing we're doing when we get home is baking double chocolate chip cookies, and head banging to Metallica!"
Adaleah's high pitched squeal drowned out John's chuckles.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"You live a little ways away from the precinct, how long did it take you to get there this morning?" John asked as Bella searched through her pocket for her apartment key.
"About twenty minutes. I actually meant to ask the Captain if he knew of any listings closer to the precinct, but it slipped my mind," she huffed when she couldn't get the keys out of her pocket.
"There are a few openings in my apartment complex if you're interested. It's only about five minutes away from the office," he said with a shrug.
"Really? Rent or own?" she exhaled and shifted Adaleah on her hip to fit the key in the hole.
"Depends on what floor the apartment you want is in. The lower complexes are for rent, the ones on the upper floors are to own," he replied.
"Alright, thanks. I'll check those out Monday," she said. She sighed a deep breath of relief as she finally got the door unlocked. "Please excuse the mess, and make yourself at home," she said a little bit shyly. She sat down her niece, whom immediately squealed, "Tanks!" John's eyebrows rose as a rather large cat jumped at the little girl and knocked her backwards to her butt. Bella was right; her cat looked like a miniature cheetah, but didn't act wild in the least. He was currently purring loudly and rubbing his face all over Adaleah's.
"Let me change and get my laptop real quick," Bella said over her shoulder. She disappeared into the only closed door he saw, which he assumed to be her bedroom.
John took the opportunity to look around. The apartment was rather small, and was completely open, save for the bedroom. The living room had a brown suede sofa and was accented in deep earth colors. He was momentarily surprised to find a piano shoved in the far left corner; it took up a large percentage of the space. The next thing that caught his eye was two ballet bars, one adult height, and one kid height.
He turned and found himself walking into the kitchen. There was a large wine rack, filled with a lot of half empty bottles. His partner seemed to enjoy a glass of wine frequently. He nearly jumped when he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to see the little girl staring up at him with squinted eyes.
"You're not going to tell mommy we're making cookies, are you?" she said with a distrusting gaze.
"You're secret's safe with me," John replied, holding a finger in front of his lips. The little girl smiled brightly with newfound trust.
"I like you! You're much better than mister stinky pants!" she exclaimed. John raised an eyebrow.
"Stinky pants?" he asked.
"She's talking about Sid, my old partner. His favorite food was onion rings, and that's all he smelled like, and Lee hates onions," Krissabella said as she walked into the room. She had forgone the slacks and blouse for a pair of black sweat pants and a green tank top that matched her eye. She handed over her lap top and nodded towards the couch. John watched her turn swiftly on the tips of her toes and tried his best to keep his eyes off her butt. He was a man after all, and a deprived one at that.
"It's kind of been slow lately, but it runs okay," she said, motioning to the computer, "Uh, is there anything I can get you?" she asked awkwardly. John waved her off and set into work.
"Ready to make those cookies?" he heard her ask the little girl.
"Duh!" she exclaimed. They quickly set to work, mixing dry ingredients and wet together to make the dough. John listened in as he started downloading the right material.
"Stop eating the batter, or we won't have any left to bake, you twerp! I'm going to scoop these on the pan and put them in the oven. How about you go get changed and bring me my shoes and we'll practice while they're baking, okay?" Bella asked as she sat the girl down off the counter.
"Okay!" she yelled happily. John smirked as the little girl practically fell over herself rushing to the bedroom to get dressed. A moment later, his partner joined him on the couch.
"I really appreciate you doing this. I'm pretty stupid when it comes to computers," she admitted.
"It's not a problem. How long have you been dancing?" he asked mildly. He sat back and allowed the program to start installing.
"I've been doing it since I was about six I guess," she shrugged and scratched at her hand.
"So you like rock and roll and death metal, but you're a ballerina and play the piano?" he said with a raised eyebrow. "You're a walking, talking contradiction."
Bella laughed and stood up to move the ballet bars to the center of the room. "What can I say? I've never been one to be called normal," she joked. John snorted at her dry humor.
"Okay, ready!" Leah came running out, clad in a leotard and slippers. She handed over her aunt's pointe shoes before immediately going to the bar and placing her leg on it. John watched in curiosity as Bella laced up her shoes with practiced ease. She rose straight onto her tiptoes and easily placed a foot on the bigger bar before bending backwards to hold onto her ankle that was closer to the floor. John's eyebrows rose. She was awfully flexible for not having warmed up first. He supposed it came with years of practice.
He watched in wonderment as his partner called out instructions to her niece, and all the while did her own more advanced moves. She moved with such fluid grace that her body seemed to just do it on its own. A loud beep drew his attention as the computer had finally completed the update. Bella paused then and turned to him, still in pointe.
"All done?" she asked. John nodded and closed the laptop.
"It works about the same, but the searches include more data than Narcotics does. If you have any problems with it let me know," he stood up and stretched his aching back.
"Alright, thank you! The cookies smell about done, want me to send you a few home?" she asked.
"Well, I'm not one to turn down free food," he said with a smile. Bella returned his smile and quickly got the cookies out of the oven, all the while smacking her niece's hand.
"They're hot, you silly goose! Let them cool down first!" she said. Leah huffed and crossed her arms. A second later, she had packed up a few cookies and handed them to her partner.
"Thanks again for everything. It was great to meet you," she said extending her hand.
"Don't mention it. Same to you, I'll see ya Monday," he said as he shook her hand. He turned to leave but was halted by a hand on his shirt.
"Wait! Bye Johnnie!" Leah called. John smiled and patted her head.
"See ya later kid, thanks for the cookies!" he tossed over his shoulder.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
John frowned as he ate the final bit of his last cookie. His partner sure knew how to bake! He should have asked for more than three. He sighed and downed the last of his milk. After washing the glass, he slinked to his bedroom and slid beneath the covers. He originally hadn't looked forward to having a new partner, but Bella wasn't so bad he supposed.
She seemed nice enough, but a little bit odd. She was an individual- that was for sure. It was too early to tell anything yet, so with a full stomach, he managed to fall asleep without any trouble for once.
All right, so there it is! What did ya think? It's a little slow now, but all first chapters are :p Please Review and subscribe. I love honest reviews, whether they be constructive criticism or flames!