Chapter 8
Chris had put off inviting 20 squad, or at least she tried, as Erika had realized her stall tactic and just invited the guys over herself.
"I would've invited them eventually," Chris whines when Erika tells her the guys are in.
"Yeah, last minute and hoping someone had other plans. But no luck. Luca decided to be the driver," Erika studies her friend and frowns.
"What's going on with you two now?" she tilts her head and places the rest of the beer in the cooler on the balcony.
"Nothing," Chris states and then shrugs, "I mean, we haven't exactly been talking or anything at all."
Erika must've picked up on the sad tone, and even Billie appears right next to her, poking her leg.
"Hey," Chris smiles down at her dog, "You always want to make me happy, huh? I am good. See, smiles," she pats her head and ruffles the ears gently. Billie replies with a soft woof and then trots to the door.
Chris and Erika share a look and then laugh.
The smart animal had already figured out more humans were expected today, and she knew just where to be to get the most pets.
About 30 minutes after the first guests had started to arrive, the apartment is bustling with people and laughter.
Erika suddenly reaches for her phone and holds it up. "Go. Be safe!" Chris mouths at her before her roommate rushes out the door.
Billie, who had been wandering around and greeting everyone again and again, now sits firmly in front of the door again.
"I know you hate that Erika left us, but look, George is here," Chris walks over to her partner after a few minutes to cuddle her and tries to redirect her to another handler. But no dice.
A few minutes later, a knock at the door has Billie even on her feet and wagging her tail.
Chris frowns a bit. Was Erika back already? But she had a key.
Who else was missing?
And when she pulls open the door, she is met with deja vu. Behind a smiling Bonnie and a slightly frowning Tan, she spots once again a fidgety Street.
"Luca had an emergency at Kelly's... he might not make it," Tan explains and then adds in a whisper, "Talk to him. He was waiting again."
Chris frowns as her eyes fly to Street. She is about to nod her head to get him inside when Billie pushes past her with her leash in her mouth.
"Looks like someone wants to go for a walk," George comments to Chris and laughs before walking off to grab something to eat from the table.
While Chris is distracted for a moment, Street has already coaxed the leash from Billie and clipped it in place.
"I can take her for a walk and bring her back." he offers with a half-smile that turns to a confused frown when Chris shakes her head.
"No, I should walk her. No one here will think badly if I go outside with Billie for a bit. They will think bad about you if you don't come back again," she adds the last part as a joke but realizes quickly it wasn't all that funny but too reminiscent of their last walk at a party.
"Sorry," Chris mumbles after a moment of shocked silence.
"Don't be. You're right. I'll wait here?" Street questions Chris's final decision.
"No, we... we should talk, probably," Chris reasons and still has no idea how this will go. They hadn't spent time alone in a long time, and she didn't know where even to start.
They walk in silence for a while, just observing Billie happily exploring every bush along the path.
"What happened to us?" Street finally asks.
"I don't really know," Chris sighs, "Things were good before I left for Germany, and then we somehow stopped talking. I was hurt when I realized you hid things from me, and I didn't know how to act," she trails off.
"You still showed up for me, though," Street muses and looks up at the sky, "it really felt like we were on the right track again when you found me at Lookout Point Park,"
"Yeah," Chris nods in a whisper.
"And still, you didn't mention you were leaving before Hondo made it official,"
"I am sorry, I didn't know how. We weren't... you weren't..." Chris mutters while stopping to walk.
Mere moments later, she feels herself engulfed in a hug.
"I am so sorry for making you feel like you couldn't talk to me," Street whispers in her ear and squeezes her body before pulling back again.
Chris quirks her lips up into a small smile.
"Can I ask you something?" Chris tilts her head and continues walking slowly to catch up with Billie.
"Anything," Street gives back in earnest and glances sideways at Chris, who focuses her eyes on Billie.
"Are you sure you're ready to be my friend?" Chris whispers, and Street stops dead in his track this time.
"Ehm, yes. Why do you ask?" he finally mumbles, and Chris just looks at him with that patented "You know why"-look. Street gulps down the lump forming at the memory.
"Chris, I was hurt and confused. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I am sure. And I am sorry for accusing you of being the only reason this was so complicatedā¦Please. Can you just," he stops and slumps down onto the next bench.
"I am not going anywhere," Chris tells him and sits down too. Billie strolls to them and places her head on Street's knee. "And neither is Billie."
"Okay," he nods, and the all too familiar dimpled smile suddenly reappears. "So tell me, why K9? Explain to me why you had to leave SWAT. I am hoping not to get rid of meā¦" he adds the last bit jokingly, but Chris can read him like an open book again and can see the insecurity just like three years ago. So instead of slapping him, she reaches over and squeezes his hand.
"No. This was the only way I could get this promotion and keep control of this project. City hall wanted someone with a higher rank, so we did this," Chris shrugs.
"I am proud of you. You deserve this. Not just as a pony show, but really deserve this. You won TLI fair and square, and, yeah, I have no other words. You simply deserve this."
Chris never could take a compliment, and the slight blush in her cheeks was just too telling. She clears her throat twice.
"Okay, enough of that. Let's get back to the party, Erika forced me to have and then disappeared." Chris pushes off the bench, and Street follows suit.
"I knew that party wasn't your idea. Again," he bumps his shoulder into hers, and they both laugh.
Right now, it feels almost like they are back to normal. Well, their normal anyway. Whatever that may be.
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
Invictus - WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY
Thank you for following along. This is it for me. I plan to focus some more on my original project for a bit.
