Happy Weekend and thanks for stopping by. Enjoy.
Walking into HQ Chris tells the desk sergeant who she is there to see and gets lead up to Deacon's office immediately. On the way through the corridors, she scans the people on shift and working out. A few familiar faces greet her.
She waves at Erika and mouths a "Later" across the rotunda hoping to catch up with her friend after this meeting.
The officer leading her up announces her presence to Deac and then closes the door.
"You already made a decision?" Deac questions her with a raised eyebrow. He clearly didn't expect her to show up today.
Chris glances down. "No, I wanted to ask you about a message I got yesterday." she looks up into his patient face, "Owen asked me to meet him. Was that your idea?"
She can see Deac smile and shake his head. "No, I didn't ask him to do that but to be completely transparent we always check the promotion lists and Owen contacts potential hires. You would be a perfect candidate if you were considering private security." Deac answers her.
"I don't know," Chris replies quietly.
"Look, Chris, let me give you the same speech Buck gave me when I was hesitant to meet with Owen. Just meet with him, listen and if isn't for you. No harm is done. It is your decision."
He walks over and squeezes her shoulder lightly.
"Okay, I'll take the meeting. And I guess it would be great to work with you again. Although I don't think I am as qualified as you guys think." Chris nods her head and pulls out her phone to reply on the spot, as to not lose her nerve again.
When she puts her phone back, she can see Deac smirking.
"Yes, I just sent my reply." she clarifies laughing.
"Anything else I can help you with?" he asks when she makes no move to leave while debating how to get rid of the letter burning a hole in her purse.
"Sort of," she pulls the envelope out. "I seem to have moved into Molly's building and this needs to reach the correct recipient."
"I see." Deac answers and reaches out. "I can see to it that he gets it."
Chris blushes slightly. Deac had figured out that she wasn't willing to do this in person and she felt bad because of it.
"I am sorry, I just..." she mumbles and takes a breath trying to form a coherent sentence. "I don't know if I want him to know where I live. Too much has changed in the past four years. I am sorry."
Deac steps closer again and pulls her into a hug. "Hey, you don't have to apologize to me. I won't mention you, just put it in his locker."
Chris slips out of Deac's office grateful to have at least a little reprieve before she has to figure out how to act around Street again.
Four years is a long time, but Molly's reaction to her had spoken volumes and so she preferred not to get in the middle, again.
Walking downstairs she sees Stevens and Rocker now standing with Erika in what looks like a lively discussion. Carefully she approaches the trio when suddenly Rocker turns around with a curious grin.
"So, the rumors are true? Alonso, you are back!"
Chris can't help the smile on her lips while shaking her head. "Nothing is decided yet. But SWAT is an option apparently."
Erika steps over and pulls her into a bear hug. "Please, I could use you around here."
Stevens mumbles something about needing a workout before arguing more with lawyers and heads off back to the training equipment.
"You are still dealing with that officer misconduct?" Chris asks carefully and can see she hit the nail on the head. Rocker cringes and Erika just looks downright angry. "This is ridiculous, she had us in that room for two hours yesterday and yet again..." Erika seethes.
"Erika, calm down. It's not helping. She needs to find a hole either in our recollection of events or in her clients. I don't believe for a second she is anything but diligent." Rocker tries his hand at calming the angry officer down.
His phone ringing pulls him away and he walks out with a wave to Chris and a mouthed "See you around.".
"Come on, you need some fresh air." Chris motions for Erika to walk with her.
"You already carry yourself like a sergeant. Congrats by the way." Chris can hear the admiration behind that statement.
"Remember what I told you? Take every opportunity and it will work out for you."
"Which team are you going to be on when you are back?" Erika sits down on a bench and just opens the questions.
"When? I didn't know I made that decision yet" Chris laughs a little, "They offered me my spot back, well Deacon's spot to be precise. But I don't know..." she trails off at the end. And hangs her head to hide the blush that always threatens to appear when she thinks about the offer and how humbling that feeling is.
"Wow, the guys will be jealous, but you are going to be amazing."
Chris gives Erika a little shove. "Stop it. I should have my meeting with Deac's firm and one or two others first."
Erika's eyes widen slightly at the mention of Deac's firm, but she nods her head understanding anyway.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Chris follows Erika's eyes to the entrance. She hadn't expected to see Street leaning there just looking in their direction. Slowly Erika gets up from the bench.
"Well, if you don't believe me, let him tell you? We would all love to have you back," the slightly raised eyebrow asking if her walking away now is okay with Chris.
Chris reluctantly nods her head and Erika leans in. "He took it hard when it got out you wouldn't come back. Try to be nice?"
Chris rolls her eyes but nods again.
When Street reaches the bench, she can see him standing still but looking uncomfortable. It seems he, just like her, has no idea how this will work or even turn out.
"Can I ask you something?" Chris finally hears him open the conversation quietly.
"I think you just did, so go ahead." she can't help the dismissive undertone.
"Why didn't you say goodbye when you left? Why didn't you call and tell me you wouldn't come back, and how come no one here knew you are back and got promoted to boot?" he rattles off.
"That was more than one question," she states and takes a second to get her thoughts straight.
Thinking back to that dreadful day saying goodbye to everyone but him. She probably would have if he hadn't been talking to Molly at the time.
"I couldn't, I didn't want to put myself in between you and Molly. That wouldn't have gone over well, and you know it."
"Come on you are my best friend. She would've understood." he fires back a little louder now and Chris has a feeling this could end in them just shouting at each other. She takes it as a little compliment that he still thinks of her as his best friend even if they haven't even talked in the past four years.
She takes another second to formulate her next sentence.
"I don't think Molly appreciated me being in your life. And I understand that. You told her I understood you better than her. You put me in the middle, and used me to what? Win an argument? Show her she isn't important enough? That was unfair on both of us."
Chris tries to stay calm, especially around here but she can't quite keep the anger and the shake out of her voice.
His surprised expression tells her he had probably no idea she had overheard that exchange.
"I never said any of that." he starts, and Chris just shakes her head. "I was just telling her the truth she didn't understand."
Chris gets annoyed by that start very quickly.
"She had no chance to understand you because you didn't tell her anything. And then pointing to me ... you are just an absolute ass."
She turns to walk away to her car knowing full well this can't lead to anything good right now. Not if he hasn't learned that lesson by now.
Chris ignores him calling out to her again, to wait to let him explain. She just can't right now.
She dares to glance back once she is close to her car and from there, she spots a blonde head of hair sitting a little out of the way.
"Oh god." runs through her head. "If she just heard all that..."
Chris feels bad but she can't do anything about it. It's not her problem, well apart from being the problem.
She shakes her head again and gets in the car.
Her next meeting with the chief and the mayor will be an intriguing one. Was she ready for a strictly administrative role, much like Lynch has at SWAT?