A/N: I do not own these characters. They are the property of ABC and all others responsible for the lovely Body of Proof! This is my take on how Megan and Kate first met - it will not be a very long story [just something in between stories] but it will be a happy one after all (:
"Congratulations, Doctor Murphy" Commissioner Travers' hand reached out to the beautiful blonde standing beside her, who at 39 had just been appointed the youngest Chief Medical Examiner of Philadelphia – not to mention the first female Chief. With a firm handshake, Kate confirmed her new status, determined to make all the necessary changes in the medical area of Philly.
Kate's first week at work had been hell. The team that was assigned to her new position counted seven men, all older than her and all overlooked for the promotion Kate had just laid her lovely hands on. Everything seemed to work against her: her age, her gender, her previous position as a forensic pathologist and of course her striking good looks. Determined not to let their prejudice get the better of her, Kate gave it her all to run a tight ship, slowly gaining respect from her team. However, that did not prevent two men from settling for early retirement. With a tough budget to handle, Kate did not see the need to replace the two, so she simply ordered her team to step up their game. Within a month, the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner filed for a transfer to a different area, as he was not capable of coping with the high stakes Dr. Murphy confronted him with.
With half her team gone, Kate felt the pressure from above to hire an additional medical examiner to complete the workforce. Although the feminist in her initially wanted a woman for the position, Kate finally decided on Curtis Brumfield as the new medical examiner. He came with high recommendation and the commissioner was more than happy to see the talented young man work for Philly's finest. The relationship between Kate and Curtis was driven by mutual respect for each other's work, but the two failed to find a true liking to one another. When Curtis insisted he needed an assistant to help him with his massive workload and Kate refused to clear her budget, Curtis declared a silent war.
The strained situation at work caused Kate more worry than she liked to admit. A lot of people were watching her progression as the youngest and first female Chief closely, anticipating her first great error. Kate realized that the best that she could do right now was create a team she could fully rely on, even if that included giving Curtis what he wanted. Since she was not willing to welcome Curtis' suggestion with open arms just like that, she decided to trick the man a little by fixing him up with a fresh out of university forensic pathologist she had met during a lecture. Doctor Ethan Gross possessed a lot of talent in the field of forensic pathology but Kate was quite convinced that his youthful enthusiasm was going to prove a challenge for the more stern Doctor Brumfield.
As usual Kate was right. There were days that Curtis could strangle Ethan with his bare hands but he could not deny that he liked the quirky ways of the young man and quite quickly the two formed something that more or less resembled friendship. Within a year after he started working for Doctor Murphy – and with support from both Ethan and Kate, Curtis got promoted Deputy Chief Medical Examiner. The three of them, together with the three original members of the team were all set to build a strong reputation as one of the best medical teams of the country.
Day after day Kate got home from work with a feeling of proper satisfaction until one day commissioner Travers ordered her to the office, announcing the arrival of a new team member: former neurosurgeon Doctor Megan Hunt. Kate had never had the pleasure of meeting Doctor Hunt but she knew her all too well by reputation. Even Curtis raised an eyebrow upon hearing the news. Shaking his head in disbelief he exclaimed: "That lady means trouble!" Kate knew he was right, a few weeks ago the news had been all over Doctor Hunt and her unfortunate car accident that had cost the woman her job as a difficult but brilliant neurosurgeon.
Kate was determined not to let Doctor Hunt intimidate her but in the first minutes that Megan came swaying into the building, her eyes scanning her new surroundings - including her blonde boss - Kate could feel herself getting more nervous with every second. During their first encounter, neither woman made a move to shake hands or even smile at each other. It seemed that Doctor Hunt was not too happy with the orders of the commissioner either. Megan was already heading for her new office before Kate could lead her there.
Behind the glass wall, Ethan smiled at the sight of a redhead strutting through the corridors, Kate following her step closely - all the while rolling her eyes. He turned around to make some remark to Curtis, but the latter beat him to it: "I told you. Trouble!"
[R&R!]