AN: 1.8
Prepared
The irony of working with a partner and working as part of a team is that they're not exempt from suspicion when there's a cause to do so. When a leak is sprung, eyes are peeled and no one escapes scrutiny.
But it's this kind of alertness that Linden is accustomed to. She likes to think herself independent, strong, objective, resilient and all the other connotations that comes with being an efficient detective. And she also likes to think herself unbiased when she bestows her astute judgment on the detective from "County," especially with regards to his work ethic.
Her mind is already thinking five steps ahead, to how she's going to go about the Larsen case alone, as she secretly tails behind her partner's car. She thinks she has this one in the bag; that she has one-up him on this one and she's proud of it. It's also an opportunity, she thinks, to prove to the Lieu that this partnership isn't working and that she'd seen it coming. Maybe he'd work harder to screen people when they join the team as well.
And it never occurs to her that her partner is anything other than a detective. The side she'd seen she'd automatically assumed was the only side to see, so when the secrets to what lay within that discreet community building came to light, she finds herself at a loss for words.
Through the frosty window, Linden bears witness to Holder's personal life. For a brief moment, the case is set aside and a guilt-evoking truth is presented to her. Accompanied by the safety and security of those like him, Holder bears his raw scars. He speaks with hesitant words about old sins that cannot be buried and his ever-relentless pursuit of redemption. His eyes and gait are determined and he's like a child wanting more than anything to make things right again.
A genuine connection between them forms then.
Linden feels rooted in this moment because she knows it's a rare glimpse into his humanity. Behind his back, she is granted this access without a sacrifice on her part. It is how she likes it and she plans not to lose her position.
But then there's hitch in her plan. Some force; maybe fate, karma, or the god that Holder believes in (and subsequently submitted all power to) is the cause behind it. Or maybe it's just bad timing. Her phone rings, giving away her hiding spot. She takes off before they make eye contact but knows it's too late. The ringing of her phone brings the case back to the forefront for the both of them and an awkwardness hangs between them until the next time they speak again.
And when they do, there is born a new sense of trust, one that will prove to make this partnership a little more enjoyable.
-End-