Notes. So I'm struggling with the latest chapter of Settling Back in Again when this plot bunny took over
Chapter 1
It had been a few months ago when Athos started going to a diner he came across one early morning on his way home from a stake out. It had become a regular thing to go to Boden's Family Diner for breakfast after a late night stake out.
Over a month had passed since he had dined there and he felt it was overdue. It was a nice quiet place. The service was good and he liked the owner Hubert Boden. Hubert was smart and liked to challenge Athos over social issues.
Athos was staring into his coffee cup considering caffeinated, but he knew he needed sleep as soon as he got home.
"I doubt you can divine anything from ground coffee beans," a woman's voice spoke next to him.
Athos looked up blinking several times trying to focus. The young woman looking down at him smiled. Her smile lit up her entire face and Athos couldn't help smiling back.
"De-caf?" She asked.
"Yes, thank you," he held out his cup.
"Athos!" Hubert shouted from the kitchen door. "Been a long time. You've met my daughter, I see."
Athos looked from Hubert to the woman pouring him his coffee. He looked at her nametag. "Sylvia?"
"Sylvie," she corrected. "My father insists on calling me Sylvia."
"Because that's what your mother and I named you, Sylvia, God rest her soul," he crossed himself.
"Catholic?" Athos raised his eyebrows surprised.
"The Christmas and Easter kind," Sylvie said.
Athos nodded, he could relate to that. At least he could when he was growing up. His parents liked to put on an image of being good Catholics. Now he wasn't sure what he would call himself. His teammate and friend Aramis was the only one of their team who went to church with any kind of regularity.
"Athos?" Sylvie caught his attention. "My father has talked about you."
"Oh?" He couldn't imagine what Hubert would say about him to his daughter.
"You're a cop," she eyed him.
"I am," he felt his spine stiffen just a little.
She hummed a noncommittal noise. "So, is there anything else I can get you?"
"No, coffee is fine, thank you," Athos relaxed.
"Athos, I'm making you my world's famous omelet," Hubert said sticking his head out the kitchen door again. "No arguments."
Athos smiled and gave in. Hubert was not a man to argue with when it came to food.
TM
Athos met his teammates at a quiet pub later that evening. He spent his drive home from the diner thinking about Sylvie Boden. She was definitely Hubert's daughter. But he suspected she could be even more challenging than him.
"Hey, Athos," Athos shook himself out of his thoughts.
"Yes, sorry," he looked at Porthos.
"You get enough sleep?" Porthos asked.
"Apparently not," Athos rubbed his eyes.
"Well, I need to get home," d'Artagnan announced getting up from his seat.
"How's Constance doing?" Aramis asked.
Constance was nearly nine months pregnant and stuck with bedrest for the last month.
"She's going out of her mind," d'Artagnan said.
"Send her our love," Porthos said. "I think I'll go home too; I have a date with Elodie tomorrow," Porthos had met Elodie five months ago when he had to tell her, her police officer husband was killed in the line of duty. She had just found out she was pregnant that day and was going to tell her husband that night.
Porthos and she had struck up a friendship and it led to a few dates. He knew it was moving fast and he worried about her, but he couldn't not continue seeing her.
"Come on, I'll drive you home," Aramis said to Athos. "You look dead on your feet."
Athos graciously handed over his keys and followed his friend out.
TM
Monday morning Athos and his team dubbed 'The Musketeers' within the department were called to a company 'Reuse, Reduce, Repurpose and Recycle Waste Management' over a protest happening on their property. It wasn't a call their team would usually be involved in, but Athos' team were investigating the company for illegal dumping.
Uniforms were following them in trying to diffuse the situation as quickly and peacefully as possible.
"Miss Boden," Athos looked at the woman holding a sign and chanting a protest while dodging uniform officers.
"Detective," she looked at him continuing what she had been doing.
Athos waved off the uniform officer and stepped closer to Sylvie. "You know you're trespassing."
"And they're illegally dumping toxic waste," she said.
"Take it up with the proper authorities," Athos said as he pulled out a zip tie. "For now I'm going to have to arrest you."
Sylvie dropped her sign placing her hands behind her back as if she had done this many times before.
