Chapter One

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn

Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out

The precinct was smaller than the others that Madeline Hart had worked in but it was far from the worst. The squad room seemed small and intimate which was something she appreciated these days. Her old precinct had been far too big, there were too many people there and not enough of them gave a damn about the things that happened in the real world. They didn't see what was right in front of their eyes and Maddie found that infuriating. She had been one of them in the past, long before her partner Craven had been killed. Afterwards there wasn't a hope in hell she could ever close them again.

Shake it off, she told herself as she set her shoulders and straightened her spine. This was a fresh start for her, she had left everything else in the rear-view mirror as she high tailed it out of Seattle. This was a new place, somewhere she could start over and make better connections. Her dainty hand came to rest upon the door handle before she took that leap of faith and stepped inside the squad room. The chatter dulled as she closed it quietly behind her. It felt like the whole world was watching, she could feel their gazes prickling along her skin as she stood before them like the new kid in class.

At least there were no whispers this time, she thought as she tilted her head up and stared back coolly at the other detectives in the room. Things had gone sour after Craven had died and nobody had been able to look her in the eye. She wondered if that was part of their own sense of guilt or the blame they laid on her. She supposed it must have been hard for them to view her as a team player after what had happened.

One of the detectives was already raising to his feet, his fine dark hair falling across his forehead as a broad, welcoming smile spread across his features. The mirth in his eyes seemed genuine as he clasped her hand and shook it firmly. She had wondered vaguely in the early hours of this morning as she stared at patterns on the ceiling, if her story would make it here, if one of the detectives back in Seattle would send a copy of those news clippings, the ones that they had stuck to her locker back there.

"Nick Burkhardt." he introduced himself before his partner, a tall, stocky detective took his place, that same welcoming smile gracing his features, she found her own lips twitching as his larger hand embraced hers.

"I'm Hank Griffin, his better half." he greeted her before tilting his head at Nick.

It was clear the two of them had been partners for a long time, it was in their mannerisms and the way their energy seemed to resonate. She found herself smiling, despite the apprehension that was twisting knots in the pit of her stomach. The natives seemed friendly and that was settling her just a little.

"Maddie Hart." she responded in kind, clasping her hands in front of her as she surveyed the rest of the squadroom, her icy blue eyes already seeking out the nearest source of caffeine.

All those late nights were catching up on her and she wasn't the sort of person who went at things half cocked. This was a her second chance and she was determined to work her ass off in order to make it worth while. That said, the only reason she was functioning at maximum capacity today was because of the caffeine. She made a move towards it, the aroma flooding her nostrils as a gentle hand came to rest upon the crook of her elbow halting her progress.

"Trust me you don't want to drink from that." a warm rich voice uttered in her ear, drawing her away from the coffee pot.

Maddie found herself face to face once more with Captain Sean Renard. His hazel eyes stared deeply into her own as his thumb lightly caressed the curve of her elbow. The gesture was familiar, strikingly so and Maddie found herself withdrawing slightly at the intimacy that was already generating between the two of them.

This had happened before when the two of them were in the same proximity and she still found it as alarming as she had the first time when they had shaken hands during her initial interview in Portland. There had been a stirring heat between them, it had thrummed to life as soon as their skin made contact. She knew she wasn't the only one who had been surprised by the reaction they had to one another. Renard had tried keep his facial features impassive but she had seen the same weariness in his hazel eyes that she felt deep inside.

During the interview she had found herself noticing the little things about him, like the way the right side of his mouth tipped into a smile when he was genuinely amused by something she said or the way he would catch himself suddenly before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. She had caught herself wondering what was underneath his crisp white shirt before mentally slapping herself. The flush of heat that coursed through her at that thought had caused her to cross her legs and rub her hands together between her knees. It had been a long time since she had 'dated'. She had convinced herself at the time that it was her hormones running wild but even now the desire still rushed up inside of her and he had barely touched her.

The phone was ringing, she could hear it humming in her ears as she was brought back down to earth by the abrupt sound. Renard's fingers slipped from her arm and she found herself cursing the absence of his touch.

"Captain's right." Hank piped up, drawing her attention back to him as he dropped back into his roller chair, snatching up the phone and covering the receiver with his hand for a second. "Station stuff's nasty."

"There's a coffee shop around the corner." Nick supplied into the conversation nonchalantly. "We could show Maddie around and give her a tour of the place."

"Scrap that." Hank submitted, altering the trajectory of his chair until it faced the rest of the group. "We'll have to take a rain check on that coffee, we've got a case."

"I'm sure Maddie wouldn't mind tagging along." Renard murmured, crossing his arms over his chest. "Get to know the way we work here in Portland."

He was feeling defensive, she could see it in the way his demeanor shifted. It would seem she wasn't the only one that their chemistry made uncomfortable. That made her feel a little more soothed, emotions were not things that came naturally to her. She had spent such a long time hiding behind the pretty pale mask she wore and donning her armor that sometimes she forgot what it was like to stop acting like a cop. She thought Renard must be the same.

"I would really like that." she agreed before following her fellow detectives from the room.

Hi guys, I would like to say thanks to my friend Nat for all the nights she's spent talking out ideas. I couldn't have done this without you!