Welcome to this new world that has been in my mind for a little while now. Chapters won't come out as quickly as for Collision Course as there is still a little more work to be done. I hope you still enjoy this very AU world.
Molly waits nervously at the airport for her father to pick her up. She still isn't sure her decisions in the last couple of months were all that correct and moving back to LA is the one decision she can't make yet. That decision will be made for her. She just has to go to one final job interview in the next couple of days and she will be out of excuses.
Her phone suddenly buzzed and pulls her out of her thoughts. Molly opens the message from her father and her face contorts slightly. He won't be able to pick her up because of some emergency budget meeting, so he asked Chris. Half a year ago she would've been happy for her friend to show up but now? How was she going to explain? Her mind wanders back to Chris last visit – in February:
Chris had taken advantage of the long weekend around Mardi Gras to surprise her. She had excitedly told her all about her relationship with a couple. They had talked about that in detail and she had asked a lot of questions. Chris had been extremely happy and excited. Molly remembers the moment Chris had shown her the pictures of two attractive people. When she had seen Ty's face her mind had flashed back to New Year's Eve and Morning. Something in his features just reminded her of Jim. She couldn't put in words, but it had frozen her. That had been the moment when Chris had realized something was off with her.
Chris hadn't stopped until Molly had told her the story of how she had been happy again for a couple of weeks only to realize she couldn't just start over with her ex. She couldn't tell Chris that it's Jim. She never could hurt his career or his position within his team. That wouldn't be fair. Chris had just looked at her with so much understanding. Patiently waiting for more. And Molly had explained that their lives were just too different. Their schedules didn't allow them to see each other or talk to each other regularly and a text or email relationship just wasn't what she wanted. Molly had been honest about that fact and he had left almost immediately, and they hadn't spoken since.
Shortly after, while they were munching on their fortune cookies her stomach had turned with what she now knew was morning sickness. Who decided on that name anyway?
Molly gets pulled out of her thoughts by a surprised gasp and a bone-crushing hug from her friend.
"Hey, so the rumors are true. The commander is a grandpa. Why didn't you say something? I bet on girlfriend." Molly can hear the laughter and tease in Chris's voice and she blushes slightly.
"I felt silly, that you were right. And it took me another month to actually take a test and see my gynecologist. But yes, it wasn't food poising. Josie was saying hello." Molly replies while hanging her head. Chris sounds so excited and happy.
"Okay, let's get you two settled, and then we are having brunch or lunch and you can tell me all about this little cutie here. And I need your input on something too. I kind of did something stupid a few weeks back." Molly raises her eyebrows and inwardly prays that Chris is not going to talk about what she thinks she'll talk about. That conversation she overheard a few weeks ago when she had the crazy idea to fly to LA and …
She had flown to LA with a mere two weeks old baby to finally fess up. Her dad had been overjoyed to have his grandchild in his office and she had spotted Chris walking into the kitchen. But what she hadn't noticed was that Jim had entered the same room while she took the back stairs down to avoid him. The irony. She had wanted to talk to Chris and find a solution. She still remembers the pained voice she heard through the door that had frozen her into place.
"We can't be like that anymore Street. It wouldn't be fair to them."
She didn't want to listen in but she hadn't been able to walk away immediately. She had been frozen into her spot.
"They aren't right for you. I just don't want you to get your heart broken."
"Something wrong?" Chris's concerned voice comes from the driver's seat.
"No, not at all. I am just… can you keep a secret?" Molly decides in a quick second to tell Chris half the truth and get that moment out of her head.
"You finally going to tell me more about the idiot who apparently got you pregnant and then decided he won't date you?"
"No, that's not what I meant. And it wasn't like that. Not completely. It was naïve to think we could just pick up where we left off. His life changed. I changed. He doesn't know about Josie. And that was my decision. I actually wanted to tell you why I am LA, but if you are not interested." She shrugs her shoulders for good measure and turns to check on her little girl in the back seat.
"You are here for more than a quick visit?" Molly hears the surprise and a tinge of happiness in her friend's voice.
"Yes, if all goes according to plan, I will start my new position with the firm's LA office in two weeks. Tomorrow is my final interview, but dad doesn't know yet. I only want to tell him when it is certain. He is excited to see Josie again and I don't want to get his hopes up if it doesn't work out."
She explains as Chris pulls up in front of her father's house. When Molly gets out of the car, she finds herself again in a bone-crushing hug.
"You will get that position. You are amazing and they would be stupid if they wouldn't take you."
A soft whimper from the car returns their attention to Josie. Molly grabs the carrier and Chris the bag and stroller. They decide to just order some food to the house and enjoy each other's company.
Molly enjoys the first day back in LA. Even if the brunch with Chris is surprising. Finding out that what she overheard was a little more one-sided than she had imagined after seeing a picture of Ty. But having heard Chris tell the story of the kiss and the aftermath reaffirmed Molly's decision to not get in the way. She was sure her friend had feelings for the man that had broken her.
The next day Molly had used to visit Annie and the kids and to introduce Josie to more people. Josephine Barbara Hicks. The love of her life.
Annie had had tears in her eyes, after meeting Josie. The way her name held the memory of the woman who had shown Annie the ropes as a SWAT wife and the way the shortened endearment was also Victoria's middle name. It just was a sign to ask Annie to be Josie's godmother. And her friend had gladly accepted.
When she had broached the subject of her job interview with Annie, the other woman had immediately offered to look after the little girl for her.
Before picking up Josie at the Kay house, Molly had one more task after her meeting. Bringing the freshly cleaned, pressed, and starched dress blues of her fathers to SWAT HQ. The one place in LA where she was almost certain to run into the last person she wanted to see right now. Not until she had figured out what to say to him. She had meant it when she told Chris she wouldn't just tell the father and get back together with him. Yes, a kid deserves a mother and father in their life, but he had moved on. And she wouldn't want to be the second choice. Not even to be with him.
Molly felt somewhat uncertain, almost uncomfortable when she walked into SWAT HQ with her father's dress blues, but he needed them for tonight. She felt a couple of glances going her way. That was to be expected. She remembered being here for the toy drive. The thrill of running into Jim.
As tears threatened to build up at the memories of Christmas and New Year's, she forces her mind back to the interview. It went well, and she probably will be living in LA again in a few weeks. They said, they'd call later today.
How was she supposed to solve this mess she found herself in?
When she had gotten the offer to interview for the position here, she had taken it as a sign. A sign to mend fences. To take a leap. But right now, she was scared. When she had been here last month to tell him about Josie, she had overheard him, basically fighting for another woman. It all made sense then. In an instant, she had figured it out. The attractive guy that had been hitting on her friend was the fiancé she had left behind. It was only a matter of time until Chris gave in. And from what she heard, it happened.
Her thoughts go back to the beautiful night they had spent together after their encounter at the toy drive. Catching up, making out like teenagers, and just reconnecting. He even visited her for New Year's, and they had a great time together or so she thought.
It hadn't been until he had brought up the possibility of her moving back to LA that their evening had turned really sour. She hadn't meant to be that harsh in telling him no. What she had meant was, not now. She needed to be sure it would work between them. But he had left without another word. She had been speechless and broken. And now she was almost certain he hadn't put up any fight because he had already moved on. If not physical but emotional. And she didn't know how to deal with that knowledge besides pretending there never was a connection anyway.
Thankfully, she spots her father a couple of paces ahead of her and so she forces a smile on her face catches up with him quickly. He asks again, why she is LA again so suddenly. And he has asked about her situation more than once. She couldn't give him an explanation. Not really. She hadn't figured it out herself yet. And so, she just offers him the lame excuse of a loving daughter visiting her father.
After that exchange, she makes a quick exit. Molly would've loved to go visit Chris, but she couldn't. She needed to get out of there. She couldn't risk running into him now. She wouldn't know what to say.
In a weird way, she was excited. She wanted this new job and that surprised her. She had avoided moving back for so long and that moment in January, when he had walked out the door, had only strengthened her will to stay away. At least it was supposed to.
Now she wanted nothing more than to live here again. Be in LA and get the support, from her friends, she needed. She had friends in Pittsburgh, but nothing compared to the systematic support the close-knit community of SWAT had to offer. In all her years growing up she had both reveled in that safety net and at the same time resented the work her father had done.
Her father.
Seeing him so happy to have her around made her smile. She couldn't tell him why she was in town. Not now. Not without knowing for certain.
On the car ride over to the Kay's, her hands rest on her stomach. That was the second challenge she had to solve. Having recently realized her father was a lot more observant than she thought, she was sure he had already a good idea about the father of his granddaughter. But she couldn't confirm that if the father didn't know.
But how could she do that to him? Tell him, he had a daughter, after just cutting all contact. Not even telling him about the pregnancy.
While she is talking with Annie about the arrangements for the ceremony her phone goes off and she gets offered the position together with a hint, that they will accommodate her schedule so she can care for her daughter. Molly felt flattered and almost overwhelmed by so much care.
The two of them celebrate with juice and watch the kids play while also checking the news every so often. There is a high probability all of SWAT is on the hunt for the emancipators today.
At the end of the day, both women breathe a sigh of relief that everything worked out well. Annie even makes the offer that Josie can stay with their babysitter tonight and doesn't take no for an answer.
"You deserve a night out to celebrate. Just a couple of hours and then your beautiful girl will be all yours again."