Title: First Impressions
Summary: AU You only get one chance to make a first impression and this impression would last forever. Based on a scene from eppy 2.01 'Business as Usual'
Disclaimer: Ah you know write? If not read more of my stories! Lol I sadly own nothing but my ideas and some well worn DVD's oh yeah and same AU disclaimer applies...no Sophie and no Hank...just our couple in this AU world
A/N: Well I hadn't planned on any additional OS plot bunnies at this time for FP but Business as Usual was on Bravo last night (and this was written last night so I hope it makes sense!) and this rather light idea just came to us for our AU couple meeting for the first time so I let Alice run with it and I hope you all like it.
Dedicated to Ace Bullets
"Words in italics and double quotes – directly from the eppy." (the other italics in single quotes are flashbacks)
"Okay deep breath," Donna whispers as she stops her car in the nearly crowded parking lot and leans back in the driver's seat for a few seconds. She lets her warm blue eyes slowly wander over to the proud crest on the side of the large building; her gaze tracing the three large letters – SRU. "You can do this…you want this now go get it," she tells herself firmly as she grabs her duffel bag and gets out.
The biting wind instantly nips at her face as she heads for the door, her eyes darting to the right and watching a few other hopefuls enter through the main entrance; actual SRU members allowed in through the back.
"Thank you," she thanks the man holding the door for her; his frame falling into place a few seconds behind hers.
"Nervous?"
"What?"
"Are you nervous?"
"I'm….hopeful. And yes nervous," she answers with a kind smile. "Donna Sabine."
"Tom Grady."
"Good luck to us both Tom Grady," Donna briefly shakes the hand of the man that unbeknownst to her at the moment would become a regular fixture in both her professional and personal life in a few years as her SRU team leader. She gives Tom a friendly smile as she heads to the reception desk to check in. But unlike the man she just met, her ears pick up a small chuckle and her eyes follow her other senses and rest on another man – a man who's first impression would help to now reshape both her professional and personal future. Unlike the last man, an invisible connection is instantly made; one certainly welcomed.
"Uh…Ms. Sabine?"
"Right sorry," she gently stammers as she turns back, takes the pen, signs her name and then carries on. She quickly scolds herself for feeling her stomach do an instant somersault when the man she had been captivated by moments earlier, turns to her, holds her gaze for a few seconds and then offers a somewhat coy smile before turning back to his friend; the moment seared into her heart.
Oh get a grip…he's the city's top cop and most likely married, she mentally chastises herself as she heads for the females changing room. She had remembered seeing his picture in the paper with the very public and very fatal shooting but had merely allowed her mind to dwell on it for a few seconds before the world of Vice pulled her back under and she never gave it another thought until her SRU candidate application was accepted. She hears loud laughter and is quickly forced back to the present. Donna stares at the name on the wall 'Jules' and wonders what it's like to be the only female member of the city's elite police team. A few nervous vibes start to flourish but she tells herself this is business and the face of the man her mind wanted to linger on finally starts to fade.
The only problem was…he's just her type – looks wise at least. Broad shoulders, square jaw, toned arms, piercing eyes and bald. She chuckles to herself as she remembers a conversation with her sister a few years back how men without hair were somehow manlier. Her sister reminded her pointedly that her favorite actor is Bruce Willis but he only became her fave after he shaved his head. He's probably married to a little stay at home housewife…move on.
"Right, time to focus. Okay…deep breath," she reminds herself firmly as she gives her reflection a firm nod after finishing up her ponytail and heads back outside into the energetic melee and mingles with the other candidate hopefuls. She spies Tom in the crowd and slowly makes his way toward him; thankful to at least have a friendly face to help put her mind and nerves at ease.
"So…what happens now?"
XXXXXXXX
"You seem…spry this morning Constable Lane."
"Spry?" Ed retorts as he looks at Wordy with a small smirk as they near the back entrance. "That's a big word for you Constable Wordsworth."
"Comes with the title. But seriously what's up? You hate these things. You lose a bet or something?"
"What, I can't just be in a good mood for no reason?"
"You lost a bet," Wordy pats him on the back. "Tell me you didn't bet Spike again on that stupid game he conned you into playing the other day."
"Wordy…" Ed pauses as they enter the main reception area that's teaming with hopefuls. "Wow bigger turnout than last time," he utters with a small frown; his mind wanting to change the subject. His sharp eyes scan the crowd of anxious faces, giving the majority of them a three second once-over but finding nothing really out of the ordinary to hold his attention longer. Until…he sees her. Dressed somewhat casually, but not out of place; loose golden curls askew down her back and a light musical laugh coming from her lips. But it's not until she turns around that he instantly feels a chemical connection and holds her warm blue gaze for as long as permitted.
"You wanna lose more than just a bet?" Wordy whispers, forcing the moment to break and his lips to slightly twist upward as he turns to his best friend with a small groan and head shake. However, when he turns back, she's gone and he can only wonder if she's indeed a candidate hopeful or just someone here to wish another hopeful all the luck in the world.
"Hey romeo," Wordy's words pull Ed's gaze back to him as they head into the locker room. "As I said earlier…never seen you this distracted."
"I'm not."
"Liar. The blond right?" Wordy grins. "I called it. Just your type and don't bother trying to argue with me Edward."
"Funny but…she's probably taken," Ed grunts as he pulls away from Wordy and opens his locker. "All the good ones are."
"I saw the moment and I know you felt it."
"Wordy, I'm glad the whole love at first sight thing worked with you and Shelly, but really…" Ed turns to Wordy with a mock serious expression, "some of us have a serious job to do."
Wordy only snickers as he gives Ed a small but knowing headshake and heads toward his own locker. "Time to take a chance Ed…find out who she is and ask her out."
"See you outside Wordy!" Ed calls as he slams his locker shut and heads for the exit doors; Wordy watching with a knowing grin. Weren't too many women in the world that could catch his best friend's attention with just a brief glance much less make him slightly flustered after only a silent first impression.
"I hope we pick her," Wordy snickers to himself. "That…would be fun to see."
Ed watches Donna from afar, now dressed like the rest of the other candidates, standing and interacting with Tom and a few others and instantly feels his stomach tighten. Not wanting to prove his friend and partner right, Ed pulls his gaze away and heads for the gun range – the testing assignment he signed up for.
"Morning Charlie," Ed greets the clerk who would be responsible for signing out all the pieces of equipment. "So who are our first round of victims?" Ed lightly chuckles as he takes the roster sheet and looks at the names followed by their current rank and assignment. He looks at the two female names on the first round, his eyes instantly scanning both but lingering on Donna's before dragging over her name to the right and resting on her current assignment.
"Vice. Tough as nails…" he mutters as he looks at the rest of the names. "And butch," he sighs as his brain recalls the two female vice officers he knows and respects. None of them looked like the woman he saw in the reception area. Tough and beautiful? You're dreaming Lane, Ed chastises himself as he hears footsteps heading toward him. But it's not until he sees her file in near the end that he does a double take. He hears Wordy's mocking snicker in his head and tells himself it's time to get down to business; anything personal was put on hold…for good.
Donna thanks the clerk and takes her headset and test weapon, her heart rate starting to pick up the pace as she tries to picture the object in her mind's eye. Focus…see the target…be the target…focus…get the job done…get the position.
"Hey after this is over you wanna grab a beer with a few of us guys?"
"Let's see if we survive this first?" Donna lightly retorts as she answers Tom with a tight smile. "I might just pick up the beer, take it home and cry into the glass if I don't get this," she replies tensely as her next sentence is interrupted by a commanding tone.
"Candidates!"
This time she can only glance at Ed briefly, her heart rate picking up momentum with each passing second. As suspected he doesn't make eye contact and that actually forces her to get back into the game; the notion of sharing a beer with the handsome instructor afterward and comparing notes now a moot plan.
"Take your places!"
To Ed it was easy…this was business and he was there to do a job and that job started as soon as he had walked through the door. However, the brief but lasting interlude he had earlier, was already filed away; his brain eagerly waiting to access it at a later time.
"Ready!"
Deep breath…focus…you can do this…But whatever nervousness she had when she entered the room, started to quickly dissipate as soon as she pulled back on the trigger and the first shot was sent sailing toward the target. This…I know… she reminds herself confidently. Her nervousness edges up slightly when Ed nears her, his commanding tone all business as he starts to call out scenarios.
But it wasn't the fact that she knows she aced her first test that puts the smile on her face; it was the fact that he took the time to ask her a personal question and address her by name, twice.
"Donna Sabine. Looking for a change in scenery or what?"
"Change of wardrobe, been looking to get into the cool pants for a long time."
"Good to meet you Donna."
"Nice to meet you too, sir."
No one else was asked a personal question, she inwardly grins as she watches Ed walk past the rest of the candidates and then disappears into a small evaluation room out of view just as the first test concludes.
"How'd you do?"
"I think perfect score," Donna answers Tom in truth.
"Wow you really do want this. Trust me, the way the instructor looked at you I'd say you'd have a chance based on that alone."
"Trust me I think we are all here because we have a good shot at that opening," Donna retorts with a somewhat nervous tone. But as they head toward the exit, Donna's eyes fix on the stance of Ed's tense posture, his back to the door and can't help but wonder what notes he was writing about his personal observations. The SRU were the elite and a close knit team so the added member would be chosen based on a combination of things and personal observations was one of them.
But as happy as Tom's words about Ed had make her feel inside, she pushes that thought to the very back of her mind as she reminds herself this is business and just because she felt a fleeting chemical connection with one of the SRU team members that didn't mean anything. Course it might be weird if I did make the team and he was…he's married…focus on the next test.
However, the day doesn't quite go as planned as half way through her discussion with lead supervisor Greg Parker, a hot call comes in and she's told to wait; something she hates doing. Waiting. But during that time she's able to chat with Tom and a few others, catching the tense situation on the large TV screen in the reception area and then talking with Kira and a few of the other SRU members before she wanders into the team one meeting room to wait for Greg to return and deliver her her professional fate.
XXXXXXXX
"You wanna grab a beer?" Wordy asks Ed as they linger in the quiet locker room at the end of the tiring day.
"I'm gonna drop by the hospital and see how the guys are doing," Ed answers Wordy in truth.
"And your girl?"
"What's that?" Ed looks over at Wordy in haste as Wordy returns a wide grin. "Who are you talking about? Donna? She's probably taken and…what?"
"How do you know I wasn't talking about the last one…who…Donna? Really, already on a first name basis Constable Lane?" Wordy teases as Ed grabs his jacket and gives Wordy a small head shake and smile. "So what time are you meeting her?"
"I'm not."
"She's going to be a member of the team now."
"And why does that make you so happy?" Ed tosses back.
"Because I get to say I told you so in a few weeks."
"Wanna bet?"
"Really?" Wordy looks at him in surprise, "At least go and congratulate her. You know, give her a private tour of the locker room."
"I'll see you tomorrow Wordy," Ed calls out as he leaves his laughing best friend as the last man in the locker room.
Ed pushes his way through the changing room doors and instantly starts to spy the lingering crowd in the hopes of seeing Donna one last time today before he heads out. But he can only frown when he doesn't find her, his eyes also not seeing the other two men who she had been hanging with most of the day. So with a heavy sign he resigns himself to his preset plans and heads outside into the cool night air; telling himself she was taken and at least he didn't get his hopes up.
On the drive to the hospital, Ed's mind replays each test that Donna had participated in and basically kicked literal ass on the rest of her competition; a thought that still makes him proudly smile at hours after the testing was complete. Greg had selected her for the team which means they'd be working closely together until Jules returns.
I'm sure it'll be no problem, his mind tries to convince him as he enters the hospital parking lot, gets out and heads toward the attached Tim Horton's and then in search of the three men who had made a small impact on his mind and heart earlier in the day.
But just as he rounds the corner to the ER waiting area, he stops and literally offers a small but silent gasp at the last person he expected to see standing and talking to the three men involved in their call that day. Donna? Her hair was once again loose, hanging around her shoulders, casually dressed and offering the three men a kind smile; a scene that instantly strikes his heart with a smitten arrow, as if cupid himself had just pierced him right through.
"Donna?" He mutters in a whisper as he veers slightly to the right and enters the line for Tim Horton's; his brain racing to figure out what type of coffee she'd prefer. At SRU headquarters they had at first connected on a purely chemical level, a look, a smile and then instant sparks. At the gun range it had been purely professional, him impressed with her scores and her ability to really cope under pressure but this...this was different. What kind of woman, who after only seeing three desperate strangers on TV would take some of their personal time to come down and see if they were okay. It was the first first impression that would literally last a lifetime. Love at first sight? Damn now Wordy can say I told you so.
"One regular…one cream, one sugar," he lightly stammers as he orders himself a black coffee and three other regulars fully loaded for the three men in emotional misery just down the corridor.
She had ended up in the ER out of pure curiosity. Her heart had gone out to the three desperate men; further compounded when Greg told her the back story of them all. How could she not feel sorry for them? They had lost everything but in the end they went down fighting side by side and that was something she had to admire.
She offers them all a small handshake before she suddenly straightens at the familiar tone offering her name. "Ed," she manages weakly as she looks up with a small smile as he approaches, heavily laden with a Tim Horton's coffee tray. She watches him approach with a confident stride and much like in the morning feels her stomach turn a nervous somersault. When he held her gaze upon first sight she felt something inside that she hadn't yet for any other man and it was exciting and unnerving at the same time. At the gun range she had inwardly beamed at him making the first and only personal connection with the group and now to see his kind gesture of bringing the three down and out men coffee on his spare time was endearing. This first impression would be remembered for as long as they were together; and after tonight that would be a long time.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah…why…oh why am I here?" She slightly cocks her head to right as he nods. "I just wanted to hear their sides of the story," she shrugs as she watches him hand each of them a coffee. "And…you? You were part of all the tension today."
"Here," he stands back up and looks at her directly, the three curious onlookers seeming to fade into the distance despite being only a few feet away. "I wasn't sure what you liked."
"Thank you. I'm sure it's perfect," she answers kindly.
"I wanted to check on them also. Kinda hard not to feel sorry for them right?" Ed asks in a low tone as he keeps his gaze connected with hers.
"I'm glad it ended with no one dying."
"That's always the best day for us," Ed replies as he gestures for her to sit down next to him; Donna sitting down next to Brian, Ed on the other side.
"And them," she adds softly as he looks at her in wonder. "I'm a sucker for happy endings," she concludes in a soft whisper as her eyes hold onto the piercing blue eyes before her; her mind wanting to drown in the sapphire orbs.
"Happy endings," Ed ponders as gives her a small frown and then leans back in his chair. "But you know right now it's not that happy for them."
"Who says it's the end? You know a happy ending takes hard work," she counters and he nods and offers a sheepish smile.
"So you um…family…do you have a family to get home to?"
"Does going steady with the daily newspaper count?" Donna retorts lightly, as her smile widens. "Uh…you?"
"Had a goldfish once," Ed confesses mentally shooing away Wordy's comment about him being a forever bachelor.
"Once? Uh oh…" she once again adds some happiness to the morose space around them with a small giggle. "What happened? Couldn't take the bachelor cooking?"
"Burial at sea," Ed answers with a warm smile as she smiles back. The tension, however, remains slightly as both try to get past the obvious chemical connection and come to terms with the fact that they'd be working side by side on a daily basis and romantic relationships were forbidden on the same SRU team.
"So you passed I hear?"
"Yay me," she offers a musical laugh as she takes a sip of her coffee.
"Welcome to the team Donna Sabine," Ed extends his hand in official greeting. "Officially congratulations."
"Thank you Ed Lane," she takes his hand and holds it for as long as allowed, her heart skipping a small beat as her skin instantly warms; an outward feeling to match her inward inklings. "So what happens now?"
"Tomorrow you'll…"
"No, sorry," she interjects in haste, "I meant with these three?"
"Ah right. Well…" Ed launches into an explanation about the process; both of them talking in low tones until Stan is taken into the ER examination room to be checked over from his gasoline ordeal, Brian and Lorne waiting for their distraught friend; two uniformed officers on either side.
It wasn't the most ideal location to connect on a personal level; in an impersonal, busy ER waiting room with three handcuffed felons beside them. But neither seemed to mind. The day had started out with hope and promise; each of them entering the SRU headquarters as strangers but acting upon an instant connection that would now bind them to each other from this point forward in a very personal way.
"So Donna…you like hockey?"
"Of course. You a Habs fan?"
"Now that…hurts," Ed replies with a mock frown; her lips once again offering a discreet giggle as the two connect further.
THE END!
A/N: Okay well I hope you all liked this little piece (I hope it's not weak!) and would mean the world to me and (of course encourage the muse) if you reviewed before you left and thanks so much!