Just something that had been floating around in my brain for the past couple days.
Mistakes were a part of life. There were the mistakes that you forgot about the next day. There were some that followed you around for a while and messed with your conscious. And then there were the mistakes that haunted you the rest of your life. As much as you tried to forget about those mistakes, the memory kept coming back.
Really, in life, there was no way around them. They happened, just like the term 'shit happens.' It's how you came back from those mistakes or how you learned from them is what made you into a better person. Or so they say.
Sam had one mistake that had followed him around for years. It was the main reason he hadn't been in a committed and serious relationship until Andy. And then, it still scared him to death. Like, really scared. The last time he had gotten that involved with somebody, it hadn't ended pretty. On both sides. If you could put the definition of messy breakup in the dictionary, their names would be beside it.
So when she walked into 15 Division, one morning, looking from Frank, he wanted to hurl. He was safe in the office that he shared with Traci and some of the other D's. But he couldn't help watch the scene unfold.
What was worse… was when he saw her in uniform about 10 minutes after looking for Frank. And she was heading towards Parade. If she had transferred in here… shit was about to go down. No. There was no way she could transfer. She knew Sam was here. But there was that memory in the back of Sam's mind that they were good together before it all went to hell.
Traci got up and Sam got the hint that it was time to head to Parade, so he stuck close by Traci's side and snuck in the back with the rest of the D's. McNally and Collins were still undercover and Diaz had been promoted to Training Officer. Peck, well, let's just say he felt sorry for Oliver for having to ride with her. Epstein was still Epstein. Noelle had just returned from maternity leave last week. And Oliver had moved, officially, back in with Zoe.
Frank got up to the podium. "I just want to start off on welcoming our newest Training Officer. She had worked out of 10th for many years and had been a part of ETF at one point. Everybody, welcome Marlo Cruz," Frank said to applauds.
Sam felt like he had got punched in the stomach. Hard. He wanted to double over. No. No way he was having to work with Marlo. She could be unpredictable, impossible to read and a flight risk. They were too similar and that's why they hadn't worked at all and ultimately, the point of no return in their relationship.
After the other cops had left to check assignments, Frank, Oliver, Traci, Marlo, Sam and Noelle stayed behind. "It really is good to have you on board, Marlo," Frank was telling her. "You must know Sam, Oliver and Noelle?" Traci took the hint and snuck out.
Marlo smiled. "Of course."
Sam cleared his throat. "We all go way back. Where were you Frank?"
Frank shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."
Noelle smiled. "Weren't we partners for that project back in Academy days?"
Sam had no idea how Noelle recalled that fact but then again he could remember every detail that lead to the demise of his relationship. He really recalled well that they were really good at fighting. Something that people told them, straight up. The arguments could get pretty heated. Objects thrown, words hurled and insults that burned.
Marlo laughed. "I so do remember that," she turned to Sam. "How are you, Sammy?"
Sam raised an eyebrow. "You have no right to call me that anymore, Marlene." He threw that back at her because he knew she hated her given name. But only select people called him Sammy, mainly being Noelle and Oliver.
"You two know each other that well?" Oliver asked. "What am I missing between you two?"
Marlo looked at Oliver and then turned back to Sam and looked him squarely in the eye. "We used to be married."