Disclaimer : The characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for this story. Only those who I invented for the story are mine !
Hello everyone,
You might know this chapter, because I already poste dit last week, but I deleted it so I could post it again, but in this new account that I've created for my translated stories. You can refer yourself on my profile, where I explain everything.
When I started writing this story, I was watching the first part of the season 4, and I get every more frustrated and decide to write my own version of Chris et Street love story. So, this took right after season 3, and nothing on season 4 happened in my story. And no Covid !
I hope you'll like !
Los Angeles – S.W.A.T.'s Headquarters !
Street had been punching in the sandbag for over an hour. He had lost the notion of time. It was six o'clock in the morning, and there were comings and goings without him paying any attention to them. Those who had worked at night returned home for a few well-deserved hours of sleep. And those who were on call for the next ten hours, or even more if ever..., arrived at the command center. But James Street didn't care. He kept hitting, again and again in the sandbag. His boxing gloves protected his hands, but he was no longer sure if he felt them anymore. He didn't know how long he had been there, punching in that bag. All he remembered at that precise moment was that he wanted to surprise his girlfriend for dinner the day before, by going to meet her at her office while she was working late, and that he had caught her kissing another man...
Flashback !
The helmet of his motorcycle fell heavily to the ground, separating the two lovers. Horror, and shame, was painted on Molly Hicks's face. She pushed the man – whom Street had already seen several times when he came to see Molly at work – and hastily rebuttoned his shirt.
« Jimmy... »
« No, shut up ! » he slammed in a strangely calm voice. « That's why you work late, every night ? Or that you claim to have to work late ? »
« No, I... »
« Yes ! » replied the man, not ashamed at all.
« You shut up before I use my helmet to break your teeth. » Street warned him, before turning to Molly again. « He forced you ? »
« Who are you taking me for ? » the man protested.
« Shut up ! » replied Street, without leaving Molly's eyes. « Answer me, did he force you ? »
In reality, he did not need a verbal response. He could clearly see in his girlfriend's gaze that, no, the man hadn't forced her.
« Goodbye, Molly ! »
He picked up his helmet, turned around, and walked out of the office, ignoring Molly's calls.
End of the flashback !
He had been driving all night on the streets of Los Angeles, and when he finally stopped driving at more than a hundred kilometers per hour, he was in front of the headquarters of the S.W.A.T facility. Failing not having been able to punch the face of this jerk and stupid lawyer, clean on him in his costume no doubt very expensive, Street continued to hit the sandbag, without realizing that the members of his team had arrived and observed him, dazed, for a good five minutes.
« What's happening to him ? » asked Tan.
« No idea, but he didn't come home last night. » says Luca, Street's best friend and roommate.
« He was supposed to see Molly at her office last night, he wanted to surprise her. » says Chris.
« It feels like something went wrong. » says Hondo, the head of unit. « Let's see what happens. »
They advanced towards Street, and they could hear him muzzling cries of rage as his gloved fists hit the bag.
« Hey Street, are you okay ? » asked Hondo. No response. « Street ! »
He put a hand on the young man's shoulder, and the young man came out of his trance by deflecting his fist from the bag towards Hondo, but Deacon grabbed his wrist and prevented him from making a huge mistake.
« Wow, it's just us. » he tells him. « What's happening to you ? »
Street shook his head, and he realized that his whole team was there.
« Sorry, I don't know what took me I... »
« Did you at least sleep ? » asked Chris, who approached him. « How long have you been here ? »
« I don't know. What day are we ? » he asked.
« It's Wednesday, and it's seven and a half in the morning. » Luca replied. « Dude, what's going on ? Weren't you supposed to see Molly last night ? »
When his ex-girlfriend's first name was mentioned, Street looked away, took off his gloves and put them away in his sports bag.
« It's over, with Molly ! » he says, passing the strap of his bag over his shoulder.
« Wow, uh, how's that over ? » asked Tan.
« I caught her with another guy she sees behind my back for I don't know how long, I broke up. End of story. » he said in an unswered tone.
He turned his back on them and walked to the showers, leaving his team in shock at the revelation.
« Tan, watch the cameras to see what time he's been there. » says Hondo. « I'm going to go and talk to him. »
« How could she do that to him ? » asked Chris, who held back with all her strength not to go find the Commander's daughter and give her a piece of her mind.
She was the one who had arranged the spark for them, even though a large part of herself had told her that it was a bad idea, reminding her of the feelings she felt for her teammate. Feelings that she had forced herself to keep quiet because of her rule of not dating a cop.
Hondo found Street an hour later at the shooting range. He waited until the charger was empty to let him know his presence. The young officer put down his weapon, took off his goggles and noise helmet, and turned to his leader. And his friend. Without Hondo, he might not be at the S.W.A.T., at this time. He knows he screwed up, the first year he joined the team. He had had a low profile, had left for the Academy benches and had been reinstated. Since then, he has been beyond reproach.
« Sorry for what happened back there. » he said. « I don't know what took me."
« How do you feel ? » asked Hondo simply.
« Betrayed. » Street replied. « You know, I asked her if this guy forced her to sleep with him, and she didn't answer me. I saw it in her eyes that she had not told him no. »
« You surprised them. » understood Hondo.
« They were kissing, but her shirt was open. I don't have to be a genius to know what that means. » Street replied. « I can't forgive her that, Hondo. She lied to me for weeks, even months, so she could bang a guy she worked with. How am I supposed to react ? »
« It's up to you alone to find the answer, Street. » said Hondo, who drew closer to him. « There ! »
And he pointed his finger at Street's heart.
« No matter how much I love her, I can't forgive her. It's beyond me. » Street confessed.
« So don't do it, and take the time to heal and turn the page. » says Hondo. « And you have all the support of the team. We are behind you. »
« Thank you, Hondo ! » Street took his face into his hands before saying : « What about the Commander ? I promised him never to harm his daughter and there... »
« She's the one who's at fault, not you. » Hondo cut him off.
Street doubted it. He didn't know the reasons that led Molly to cheat on him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. It was necessarily her fault, if she had got to this point. His stomach growl, reminding the young man that he hadn't eaten anything for hours.
In the conference room, after changing, Luca, Chris and Deacon were gathered around Tan who had viewed the HQ's surveillance videos to find Street.
« He arrived at three o'clock in the morning, and he spent about two hours doing push-ups, abs and bodybuilding. » he says. « Then he chained up with the sandbag on which we saw him hitting when we arrived. »
« He knocked in the bag for more than two hours ? » said Deacon, taken aback.
Chris was going to speak, when she saw her enter the premises. She went around the computer console and went crashing in front of the woman who had broken her best friend's heart.
« You have the nerve to show yourself here after what you've done. » slammed Chris.
« It's none of your business, Chris. » Molly replied.
« Yes, it's up to me. » Chris slammed. « Street is my teammate, and my friend. Here at S.W.A.T., we are a family, and when you hurt one of us, you face everyone. What did he do to make you cheat on him ? »
« If you could just meddle in your own affairs and let me pass so that I could go talk to my boyfriend... »
« Ex ! » said Luca.
With Deacon and Tan, he had gotten closer to Chris to face the Commander's daughter.
« I know Jimmy, he will never forgive you. » Luca continued.
« So you don't want to hear about the reasons that led me to do that. » Molly understood.
« Because you have explainable reasons ? » said Tan. « There's no excuse for what you did, Molly. You screwed up, so assume the consequences and leave Street alone. »
« I have to talk to him. » Molly insisted.
« And I really want to punch you in the face. » says Chris. « But you can't always do what you want. »
« What's going on here ? »
The voice of the Commander gave way to the stature of the one who led the S.W.A.T.
« Molly ? What are you doing here ? You should be at work. » he said.
« Yes, but I had to talk to Jimmy. » Molly says.
« And you were formally forbidden to approach him. » replied Deacon.
« Can someone tell me what's going on ? » asked Hicks.
« Ask your so perfect daughter ! » replied Chris.
Without leaving the time to any further explanation, Hondo arrived with Street, and gathered his team around him.
« We're changing the morning program. Street hasn't eaten anything since yesterday, so we're going to get some fresh air and give him strength. » Hondo said.
« Yes, it's a good idea. » Deacon said.
« You don't have to come all. » Street says.
« Hey, we're a team. » Luca reminded him. « We won't let you down. »
Street dodged a smile, and let Chris wrap his arm under his. The group of six was on the move, and Molly tried to talk to Street.
« Jimmy... »
« I don't want to talk to you. It's over ! » he said, looking away and following his team.
When his team left, Hicks turned to his daughter, and brought her into his office, which he locked and asked for an explanation.
« Can you tell me why Street said it was over, between you ? »
« He... he came to the office last night. » Molly said.
« Yes, I know. He wanted to surprise you and take you to dinner. » Hicks said.
« I... I was... » Molly couldn't align the words. She waited for the frenetic palpitations of her heart to calm down to pursue and confess the truth to her father. « He surprised me with another man. »
« Is that a joke ? » asked Hicks.
« Dad... »
« Do you have an affair ? But how long has it been ? Hicks asked.
« Could you stop looking at me with those eyes ? » asked Molly. « Like if... like if you don't recognize me. »
« But I don't recognize you, that's the problem. » replied the commander. « It's not your habit to fool the man you're with, and Jimmy is a good person, and I thought it was very serious between the two of you. »
« He... he was always busy, or he was beeped when we spent the evening together. » Molly said, sighing and sitting on one of the sofas in her father's office. « He was beeped in the middle of the night. »
« I'm sorry to tell you that Molly, but it's part of the job of a S.W.A.T. officer. You knew what you were getting into when you decide to date a cop. » Hicks said. « And it certainly doesn't give you the right to go see another man because you felt lonely. You should have spoken with Street. »
« So you're on his side instead of mine ? » Molly felt betrayed. « I am your daughter... »
« And you made a mistake. » Hicks reminded her. « You may not be married to Street, but you have been together for almost a year. What you've done isn't something you can easily forgive, and you have the whole Hondo's team ready to block you from approaching Street. How long has it been going on with this man ? »
Molly blew a two-month, which drew a long sigh of resignation to the Commander.
In a diner in town...
Hondo had taken his team to a restaurant familiar to the cops. Once seated around a table for the six members of the unit, each placed an order. Coffee, orange juice, pancakes... Street was sitting in the middle of a bench, between Luca and Chris, while opposite were Hondo, Deacon and Tan. Despite the boxing gloves, Street had some abrasions to the phalanges. He had struck non-stop, for two hours without being able to stop. Caught in a frenetic rage.
« You should have had your hands healed. » says Chris, who took the young man's left hand into her own.
« I don't feel anything, it's okay. » he tried to reassure her.
« You beat up that poor punching ball for two hours. » Tan said. « Even if you've worn gloves, it's a miracle that you can still use your hands. »
« Why didn't you call me when you left Molly's office ? » asked Luca. « Me or another member of the team. »
« I... I don't know. It's like I couldn't think anymore. » he explained. « I drove my bike for hours, and I ended up at HQ, but I was still angry. I felt this furious desire to find this guy and smash his head, but I let off steam by the sport. I didn't feel any fatigue, just anger. I'm sorry, I should have called you. »
« It's good, we were just worried about you when we saw you this morning. » soothed Hondo. « And I told you earlier, we are here for you. If you need to talk, or a partner to knock in a sandbag, do not hesitate. »
« Okay ! »
The waitress returned with coffees for each member of the team, then came back a minute later with a plate of chocolate chips pancakes for Street and a glass of orange juice, as well as bowls of cut fruits.
« I'm starving ! » sighed the young man.
The first bite of pancake snatched a kind of grunt from him that made the table smile. An hour later, cups, plates and bowls were empty, and Street felt better. His stomach was full, and even though he was heartbroken, he was surrounded by the only people who really mattered to him. Molly had betrayed her trust, and despite his love for her, Street wasn't sure he wanted to forgive her. How could he ?
« Do you feel better ? » asked Deacon.
« You can say that. » replied Street, who looked at the front door and his newcomer. « You've got to be kidding me ! »
He did not know his name, but he would never forget the face of the bastard who'd seduced his girlfriend. The team turned to see what Street had seen.
« Do you know this guy ? » asked Tan.
« Yes, that's Molly's new boyfriend. » Street replied, clenched his fists.
« This guy ? » grimaced Luca.
Street's knuckle turned white as he clenched his fists, which Chris noticed. She put a soothing hand on his, and Street took a deep breath to calm down. He focused on the touch of his best friend. He heard Hondo ask the waitress for something, who came to collect the payment for breakfast, and Street heard only :
« No, this is the first time I've seen him here. »
Then she moved away. The man in question had blond hair, an anthracite suit and a black tie.
« Come on, we're leaving. » Hondo decreed.
Chris did not leave Street from a sole, and remained by his side throughout the path they took to the exit, when the man planted himself in front of him.
« Jim Street, isn't it ? We have not been properly presented. »
Street clenched his fists again, flanked along his body.
« Dustin Shepard ! » the man introduced himself.
« We don't care what your name is. » replied Luca. « You'd better get out of our faces. »
« I just came to introduce myself, and apologize for the way we met. » says the man.
« You want to apologize ? » asked Street, whose voice was astonishingly calm. « You came to apologize for what, exactly ? For fucking my girlfriend ? »
« I know, we were wrong to act that way and I told Molly to talk to you. » the Man continued. « But, you know, she felt lonely and I was there. »
And there, he did something he shouldn't have done. He patted Street's arm « friendly » twice. The next second, he found himself with the arm in question pressed into his back, and his face stuck on a table, Street's hand on his head.
« You know what, Dustin ? Your take your apologies and you can stick them very deep where I think. And while we're at it, you can keep fucking Molly as many times as you want, I'll leave her to you. »
Street let him go and walked out of the restaurant, followed closely by Chris and Tan. The lawyer stood up, tried to put his posture in order, before saying :
« Have you seen what he did to me ? »
« No, I admit that I was blind for a minute. » says Luca.
« I'm going to press charges. » Dustin warned.
« Go for it ! » said Hondo, who entered Dustin's personal space. « We know that you have never come to this restaurant before, and everyone has seen you provoke him. This place is packed with cops, and it will only take me a phone call so that we know that you are just a liar and a manipulator, so I'll give you a little advice. Drop it, because you won't win against the S.W.A.T. »
« Do you want to bet ? » tempted Shepard.
« Not worth it, I know I would win hands down, because Molly Hicks is the daughter of our Commander, and he will swallow you raw if you try to attack one of his men. »
Hondo waited for Shepard to look down first before leaving the restaurant, followed by Luca and Deacon. Near Black-Betty, Tan and Chris were reassuring Street, calmed him down with comforting words.
« You're not the one to blame. » the only girl on the team tells him. « He provoked you, we've all seen him do it. »
« She's right, and we know you've been restrained from putting your fist in his face. » Tan added. « He's not going to try anything against you. »
« Tan is right. » says Hondo. « And even if he tries, he will find himself facing the S.W.A.T., and it will heat up for him I guarantee you. No one is crazy enough to go after Hicks. »
« It would surprise me if Hicks stood up for me. » Street couldn't help but say.
« Hey, you did nothing. Molly is the one to blame for all of this. » Deacon said.
« But it's his daughter. » Street pointed out.
« And she fucked up. » says Luca. « Stop hurting yourself. »
Hondo's phone rang. He answered.
« Hondo, I'm listening ! All right,we're on our way. » He hung up and looked at Street. « Are you ready for some action ? »
« I'm just waiting for that ! » he confessed.
« There is a hostage situation in a bank near Venice Beach. Let's go ! »
Luca hastened behind the wheel of Black-Betty, Tan in the passenger seat while in the bunker in the back of the armored truck, Hondo, Chris, Street and Deacon rushed in and prepared as the additional information reached them by radio.
It was a group of four men who stormed in the bank and held employees and customers hostage. Luca parked the armoured truck at the back of the building, where there was no surveillance camera. Tan hacked the cameras of the bank, and the images were loaded on his screen on his wrist. Weapons in hand, bulletproof vests, helmets and goggles, Hondo at the head of the wire and Deacon who closed the march, the unit entered the back room with caution. Chris and Street were the first to enter what looked like a storage room.
« Clear ! » they whispered in their radio.
Tan walked them to another room, and knelt by a closed but unlocked door, and observed his screen.
« The hostages are still on the ground » he said. « Two men in the great hall, a third in the chest room with the director and the last one stands guard near this door. »
He pointed to the one in front of which he was. The team dispersed to hide. Tan straightened up. The plan was to lure this fourth man in order to neutralize him. Tan rotated the handle, making noise on purpose, and waited to see the robber on his screen, approaching the door to signal to his team that everything was going according to plan. Street, at the other end of the door, stood ready. The door opened in a squeak. When the hooded robber entered the room, he found himself with the tip of Street's gun stuck to his neck, plus four others pointed at him. Tan closed the door gently, tore off the robber's gun, and thirty seconds later, the robber found himself gagged and handcuffed under Luca's supervision. The chest room was the next step, closer to the position of the unit. Street and Chris were sent there, while Tan stayed behind to monitor the cameras on his screen. Deacon and Hondo took care of the two robbers who stood guard in the large reception room, but did not act immediately. Chris and Street, once the robber in the trunk had locked the manager in it, planted themselves in front of the crook, weapons raised.
« LAPD S.W.A.T., put your gun down ! » ordered Street.
He had a moment of hesitation, then, when he saw that a third policeman – Tan – was covering them, the robber raised his hands and put his gun on the ground. Chris planted herself behind him and handcuffed him.
« 26-David, robber No. 2 neutralized. » said Street in his radio.
It took Hondo and Deacon less than a minute to neutralize the last two robbers. The four men were gathered in the center of the great hall, stripped of their weapons and handcuffs on their wrists. The hostages were released immediately afterwards.
Back at HQ, Street went into the kitchen, took a bottle of water from the fridge, and swallowed it with a milking. This intervention had done him good. The fieldwork was like an adrenaline shoot for him, but today it had mostly allowed him to think about something else and focus on what he was good at.
« Jimmy ? »
And he was angry again. He calmed himself, threw the empty bottle in the trash and turned to face his ex.
« What are you still doing there ? » he asked.
« Please let me explain to you. » Molly pleaded.
« Because you think I'm going to forgive you with explanations ? » he replied. « You have no excuse for what you did. You have cheated on me, and you have lied to me. I don't want your explanations, just tell me what did I do to make you betray me like that. »
« You... you were at work all the time. » Molly eventually said. « You interrupted our evenings for work, you were leaving in the middle of the night."
« And what did you wanted me to do, huh ? That I told Hondo, or my Commander, your father, that I couldn't go to help my team because my girlfriend could not bear to see me leave like that ? » Street slammed. « That's my job, Molly. I'm a cop, and if you blame me for doing my job, you, the daughter of a cop, then I was really wrong about you. We are not meant to be together, and the months that have passed were just lies. »
« No I, I made a mistake and I'm sorry... »
« A mistake that lasted how long ? » he asked. Faced with the lack of response, his tone hardens, making her startle. « How long has it been ? »
The young lawyer swallowed, and a tear rolled over her cheek, but Street didn't care. He wanted an answer.
« Answer me ! »
« Two months ! » she replied, letting out a sob.
It was stronger than him. He burst out with a laugh full of sarcasm, just as Deacon and Chris entered the kitchen.
« So you've been taking me for an idiot for two months. » He passed a hand over his face. « I feel less guilty for putting this asshole back in his place. »
« What are you talking about ? » asked Molly.
« Ask your boyfriend. » he replied simply.
He left the kitchen. Molly wanted to follow him, but Deacon stood in his way while Chris followed Street.
« Deacon, let me pass. »
« No ! » he replied. « You hurt him enough like that. »
« I was lost, okay ? I was alone, and he was at work all the time... »
« Welcome to the life of a cop. » was Deacon's response. « Street asked you to leave him alone, and I advise you to listen to him. He will not comeback to you. Make yourself a reason. »
Translation is gonna take some time, because of all the things I do in my life [work + all my stories writing], so I hope you're all be patient.
Don't hesitate telling me what you thinked of this first chapter !
I'll post the chapter two as soon as I can !
See ya !