Author's Note: Ah, "The District"…what a great show it was in the first season, at least that's when I loved it. Wasn't a big fan of the later seasons, anyway, that's not why you opened this story. I found this old gem when I was going through old files on my flash drive. Thought I'd post it for other fans. I don't own anything except Allison Wentworth and the story, of course. I really wish that I could say that I owned Nick Pierce, but that magnificent honor belongs to the wonderful actor who portrayed him, Justin Theroux, and the writers who created him. I've rated it M because I am and because there are a few words and scenes the kiddies shouldn't be reading. Also, I've broken it into chapters to make it easier to digest. Enjoy fellow fans and I welcome all reviews as I write to entertain you.
All the best, Cat
It was a hot summer morning as Allison ascended the steps to the Washington D.C. Police Headquarters. She took a deep breath and opened the doors, praying she wouldn't find what she had been sent here to find. Allison Wentworth was one of the top civil rights attorneys in the country, arguably the world, and had been asked to investigate allegations of violations in the Washington D.C. police department by the Judicial Subcommittee so she wasn't expecting a warm reception. She was an outside consultant so, hopefully, she would be able to observe from a distance and give an honest opinion. This wasn't the first time she'd been asked to observe, she'd just come from Seattle and she'd done some time in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, and Belfast doing work for various governmental agencies and private citizens. "Hello, I'm Allison Wentworth and I'm here to see Chief Mannion." Allison introduced herself, with a smile, to the officer stationed outside of the Chief's office.
"Ah, he's been expecting you." The officer stood up. "You can go in now, but be forewarned he's not in the best of moods today."
Allison had to laugh. "Thank you…" She alluded to the officer's name.
"Nancy, Nancy Parras." The redhead extended her hand. "It's really good to finally meet you, Ms. Wentworth."
"Thank you, Nancy, but, please, I'm going to be here awhile so call me Allison." Allison smiled as she shook Nancy's hand and proceeded into the Chief's office. "Chief Mannion, I'm Allison Wentworth, the civil rights attorney sent by the Subcommittee."
"I know who you are, but I think you should be talking to Nick, my PR guy, not to me." The man behind the desk didn't even look up from the file he was reading as he curtly responded to her.
"Chief, it is in your best interest to deal with me directly because I'm the one who can make this easy or I can make it hard." It was obvious this man was going to be a difficult one.
"And why is that?"
"Sir, I am here to investigate and observe. To be blunt, screw with me, and I can make sure this department is put under a microscope so large people will be questioning the purchase of pencils, much less your precious COM Stat."
Suddenly, he stood up. "You really are all that I've heard. Jack Mannion, good to meet you, Ms. Wentworth." The Chief extended his hand.
She shook his hand, but had some reservations. "Sir, I don't mean to be distrusting, but what was that all about? What's going on isn't a game. This is real and it is serious. Do you realize this?"
"Yes, Ms. Wentworth, I know better than anyone that this isn't a game, but if I had come right out and welcomed you and buttered you up, wouldn't that have seemed odd as well?" He cracked a smile. "You see, it was a catch 22 and I chose the one that would also let me know what you were made of. Forgive me if it made the wrong first impression."
Allison shook her head, not knowing how to make head or tails of this man before her. "Yes, you have a valid point, but…" she let it drop with a shake of her head, her sandy blond hair falling over her shoulders, "I just have a few questions to start out with, if you have a few minutes." She placed her briefcase on a mahogany table off to the side of his office and began taking out a mini-cassette recorder and a notepad. "Don't worry, it won't be quite as painful as a root canal."
"Why don't we go discuss this over lunch at D.C.'s and I'll introduce you to some of my top people on the way? I'm assuming, of course, that you won't just be shadowing me."
Smiling for the first time since she had entered his office, she packed up her things again. "Of course not. I'd like to observe the entire department, bullpen officer to janitor. It's the best way to get a fair assessment."
"You mean you aren't just here to fry us?" He grinned again. "I don't know how that's going to sit with the people paying your fee."
"Sir, the people paying my fee are the same ones paying yours. I think they deserve to have a fair assessment done." Her smile was gone. She couldn't believe this guy. Was he for real saying these things? Mannion then ushered her back out into the noisy bullpen area, the epicenter of the department, and standing right in front of her was someone she couldn't believe she was seeing, could it really be him? She had last seen him in Belfast over three years ago. Why was he here? "Danny McGregor?" She said softly, but apparently, he heard her.
"Ali Wentworth?" The detective questioned in his Irish brogue. There was a look of shock on his face as he stared at this tall, curvaceous, woman from his past.
A wide smile came over her face. "My God, what are you doing here?"
"I work here. What are you doing here?"
"Working, what else. When did you come stateside?"
"About a year after you left. So, you're the civil rights investigator they sent?"
"Who else would they send?" She said with a mock sarcasm.
Just then, the Chief came out of his state of shock and stopped the little reunion. "I'm sorry, you two know each other?" He gestured to Danny and Allison.
"From Belfast about three years ago, yes." Allison answered. "I was there on an assignment from the United Nations and I met this fine detective after he survived his second car bomb."
"Well, I see I don't need to introduce Detective McGregor then," the Chief continued, "but this is his partner, Detective Temple Page." He placed a hand on the suit-clad black man.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Temple extended his hand.
"Likewise, I look forward to working with you for the next few weeks." Allison was amazed by the polite manner and the idealism she saw in this young man's eyes.
"Same here." Temple smiled as the Chief whisked Allison away.
The simple idealism and optimism of Temple Page was still on her mind when she was introduced to Ella Farmer, the statistician of the department, who's office was next to the Chief's, and was only cleared as they went to the next office, Nick Pierce, 'the PR guy', as Chief Mannion introduced him. He was a lanky man with a strong build, and dark hair who instantly caught Allison's eye. "Allison Wentworth, nice to meet you." She extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you. I hope you're more attuned to the media than the Chief here." Nick smiled, admiring the way this woman's smile lit up her eyes and the room. The blonde who stood in front of him was stunning, though subtle in her business suit. The gray pinstripe was quite flattering, even the pants that lightly clung to her hips then fell perfectly along her shapely legs, and those legs were what struck him the most. This woman was his height and all leg, which was equally matched by her long flowing blond hair that ran down her back.
Allison laughed. "That's part of the job, so I think we'll be seeing more of each other in the coming weeks than you may like." She searched his dark eyes for a response and found a look of joy that he was trying, in vain, to stifle.
"Please, it'll be a nice change from the Chief."
Chief Mannion noticed the exchange, though he shrugged it off as playful banter. From what he read, Allison Wentworth was a beautiful and highly intelligent lawyer who wouldn't let anything get in the way of her assignment and he assumed that meant a relationship. "Nicky, why don't you join us at lunch and make sure I don't say anything that may hurt the department?"
Nick quickly buttoned his coat. "Great, I'd love to."
"So, Nick, how do you know Chief Mannion?" Allison asked over a nice large Greek salad, though she knew the answer, she'd done her homework.
He cocked an eyebrow with a smile. "You don't know?"
She laughed and shook her head. "I'm a lawyer. I never ask a question I don't already know the answer to, but why don't you tell me the real story rather than the one that's in the file. Besides, I can tell all ready that you are both seeing me as the Wicked Witch of the West, though I promise I'm not. I'm just here to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and with the respect they deserve without anyone abusing their power."
Both men laughed. "Was the tension that obvious?" Chief Mannion answered. "I'm sorry, but all we were told was that you were going to be coming down, on the request of the subcommittee, to investigate and I think we all assumed that you were out to destroy us, not actually serve the people of this city."
"And for that, I apologize. The subcommittee is out on a crusade to make themselves appear like the great and powerful Oz, when all they are, are puppets on a string to their constituents. I am only hear to observe and, if need be, correct any problems I might see."
"You come with a highly impressive record, Allison, I must say." Nick felt a wave of relief wash over him. She just took the weight of trying to spin her visit off his shoulders. "I mean, L.A., New York, Boston, London, Belfast, and everywhere in between, two major overhauls were done because of your recommendations, and there are a stack of court cases to your credit."
"Please, Nick, I didn't ask you to recite my file, I asked you and Chief Mannion to tell me about why he brought you along with him from Newark." She shook her head again. While she was proud of her record, it wasn't really something to be proud of, she'd seen too many atrocities over the course of her career, some of which were going on when she got there and there was no way to fix them.
Nick could tell he had struck a nerve and thought better than to probe at this moment, so he started in on his story, with the Chief telling it more than he did. It didn't matter, though, it gave him more time to study the woman across from him who certainly set up certain boundaries and wasn't afraid to defend them. Then again, he thought to himself, in her life and chosen profession, it was probably the only way she survived moving from city to city more than a serviceman and it made him pity, admire, and envy her all at the same time. Later that night, as he was leaving, he noticed Allison scribbling on a yellow legal pad as she sat at Nancy's desk. "Allison?" Walking up to her, she put her finger up and signaled one minute.
"OK." Allison smiled and looked up at Nick with a smile. "I'm sorry, but I had to jot down today in my notes or by the end of this week, I'd have this department confused with the LAPD, NYPD, and probably Boston PD as well." She laughed. "Is there something you needed from me?" Maybe my hotel room key, a voice in her head said before Allison quickly silenced it.
"No, I was just wondering why you hadn't left yet. It's nearly nine." There was genuine concern in his eyes.
She smiled warmly. "Thank you, but I wanted to observe what goes on here overnight. Besides, I can't leave until the Chief does."
"Well," Nick put down his bag, "we can take care of that little matter." Opening the door to the office, he noticed Chief Mannion putting on his coat. "Perfect." He smiled. "I was hoping you'd leave soon so you don't piss of the investigator on the first night."
"I was thinking the same thing, Nicky." Chief Mannion smiled as he walked out and shook Allison's hand. "Well, it was good working with you today…"
"Oh," she interrupted, "our little shadowing session isn't over yet." She grinned. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Chief."
"Well, then, join us for breakfast tomorrow morning at seven at D.C.'s." He tipped his hat. "Goodnight."
"Night, Chief." Allison had to keep from laughing until he was out of sight. "I think he really was disappointed."
Nick smiled. "Yeah, well, he's used to being the one doing the investigating, not the one being investigated." He followed her into the Chief's office and watched her gather her things. "Can I drop you somewhere?" He offered.
"No, thank you, I have a car service that'll come once I call them." She pulled out her cell phone.
Gently, he placed his hand over the phone in her hand. "Why wake someone up? I'd be more than happy to drop you back at your hotel."
Allison didn't protest, just smiled warmly. "Thank you, Nick."
"My pleasure."
The next morning, Allison stumbled into the diner she'd had lunch the day before to find Chief Mannion and Nick sitting and talking over a cup of coffee. "Morning." Sitting down, she flagged the waitress to get her some coffee. Mornings were never her forte especially before seven.
"Good Morning." Nick smiled over at the weary looking woman sitting across from him, her long blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail and her face was barely done allowing her natural beauty to show, and he laughed. "I see you don't do mornings either."
Allison quietly laughed as she rubbed her face with both hands, hoping to put some color into her cheeks. "Not when I've only had about four hours of sleep and I'm still jetlagged from the flight from Seattle, but I'll be fine once I have a cup of coffee." About the size of Texas, the voice in her head finished, and then was quickly silenced.
The Chief laughed. "I must agree coffee is the drink of the gods." He raised his cup as Nancy Parras walked in flanked by Temple Page and Ella Farmer. "Great, we can get started, but where's Danny?"
"Right here." A gruff Irish brogue answered as Danny walked through the door and sat down in a huff right next to Allison. "Morning."
"OK, then, shall we all show Ms. Wentworth what it is we do." The Chief grinned.
