After meeting Cortez to brief her on the case she requested, it was a slow start to the shift. Street was thankful for that, he still felt exhausted, but he also wished he had something to occupy his thoughts. Dwelling on what just happened with Chris and wondering what she was so nervous to tell him was killing him. Deacon saw him stewing on his own thoughts in the locker room and talked him into doing a few boxing rounds with him. Deacon knew it would be good for him, both as stress relief and a chance to debrief if that's what he needed.
"Come on Street, I'm dying of old age here" Deacon sung out from the boxing ring.
"Okay, okay" he said strapping the last glove on and climbing in with him.
Deacon motioned for Street to begin sparing. Street nodded and bounced his way into it. He was going a bit faster and harder than Deacon had tried to regulate.
"Woah…. Woah…. slow down…..." Deac said ducking a left punch. Street shook his head and frowned.
"Sorry man…" before readying himself to go again.
"You ok?" Deac asked using the pads on his hands to lower Streets fists.
"Yeah…...no…yeah… I'll work it out" he answered shaking his head. Deac furrowed his brows. He knew Street was worked up about something and needed to get it out.
"How's Whip?" Deacon asked
"Good" Street said begin to pant a little as he bounced around. "Hopefully the new place for his trailer is more secure than where he was"
The two of them continued, talking about Whip, Street's mom, Annie and the kids and how tried Deacon was some days with 4 of them plus working two jobs. As they finished up Deacon could see Street was still holding something in, something that was hurting him and worrying him. The last time he had seen Street like this was when Chris was having surgery to remove the clot from her brain. He knew Street wouldn't talk about her and his feelings here but wanted him to know he was there if he needed him. As they walked back to the locker room to tidy up Deacon put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey…. Look…I know this more of a chat for after shift, outta here, but how are things going with you and Chris? I can see your pretty wound up and using my superpowers of deduction I'm guessing it's Chris. If you ever need to unload, talk it out, I'm here to listen" Deacon offered,
"Thanks" Street said smiling as he shut his locker. "We just really need to spend some time together and talk it out, but we haven't really had a chance lately. So much has been happening"
Deacon nodded, "Remember Chris is a complicated woman and she might take some time to process it all too"
Street turned his head to Deacon and nodded whilst chewing his lip.
"Look" Deacon said pausing and sitting down with Street on the bench. "Feel free to take my advice or completely disregard it all" he paused looking at Street. "Chris is gunna be absolutely terrified to have that chat, no matter what you say and how you say it, the thought of being open and honest with you about her feelings will be horrifyingly scary for her. Her SWAT family" he said motioning around the locker room "is everything to her. She won't wanna comprise that and my guess is that is why she hasn't let anything happen between the two of you before now. If you want my opinion. She deeply, deeply cares about you Street. I think she has for a long time but has been supressing it to keep the team together. I can see that she cares for you deeper than the kind of care you have for a friend and team mate. I see it in the way she treats you, looks at you, talks about you, fights for you and is so much happier when you are around." Deacon paused... "Well except for the bit there after the fundraiser when you two were not speaking, but all that makes sense now." Street smirked and nodded.
"We have...had...have…. god I dunno… I think we have gotten to a much place now, but" Deacon could hear the indecisiveness in his voice "I just ... I need her to see I want to try, I want to know if we can make it work, I know she doesn't want to lose all this, she thinks it can't work because of SWAT, and she is scared that if we try a relationship and it doesn't work out there will be no going back, but I don't want to miss my chance with her either and never have the right one because we were too scared. Deac I really feel like she is the one, the one I was supposed to find."
Deacon placed a reassuring hand on Street shoulder,
"When you talk to her, help her to see that Street. For God's sake tell her all of that. Tell her that Hondo and I both understand and that if the of you both wanna give it a shot that we will do everything we can to help make it happen with as little disturbance as possible.
"Yeah, I ... I know I just gotta go about this the right way. If I stuff it up and lose her" he swallowed hard and paused "I just gotta get it right and make sure she knows where I'm at"
Deacon stood up and closed his locker and looked at Street, "Can I be honest for a minute?"
Street nodded "yeah" as he folded his arms and looked back at Deacon,
"Just be honest with her, if u feel something, tell her, if you want something, tell her. Don't assume she knows anything" he said patting him on the shoulder. Street nodded and his dimples flared as he thought about it.
Beep beep... beep beep... beep beep
Deacon flung his locker door shut and motioned for Street to come, the team assembled in the situation room as Hondo entered with Hicks. Gather round Hicks said.
"We got a hostage situation unfolding at the OUE Skyspace Observation Deck. It appears to involve a disgruntled ex employee who is heavily armed and unstable" Hondo said,
"Great recipe" Deacon muttered tilting his head and frowning,
"Several 911 calls say he has shot 2 people getting in there, a security guard and manager and is carrying a duffle bag of weapons" Hicks explained.
"Central is sending a negotiator to location now, this is of the highest priority as we have confirmed there are 76 third grade students there with 6 teachers from Southwood Elementary" Cortez said entering the room.
"Gear up and let's roll" Hondo said thumping the table and walking out in front of the team.
Street stood at the back of Black Betty waiting for Logan and Deacon to finish loading a few boxes, he pulled out his phone,
"Good Luck Chris, we are heading off on a mission, kick some arse out there, show them how amazing you are!" he hit send on the message as he felt Hondo pat his back,
"You good Street?"
"Yeah just sending a good luck message to Chris for her PFT."
Hondo smiled and raised his eyebrows, "She better be kicking some arse, I want her back on this team ASAP"
Luca steered Black Betty out off the carpool and hit the lights and sirens, Street sitting next to Logan in the back listened to Deacon running through the case information whilst he clipped up his vest and his helmet. He was struggling to keep his mind focused on Deacons voice as he wondering if Chris had started her fitness test yet and how she was going?
Deacon finished and the team was up to speed on the latest and knew their roles once they arrived on scene.
"Rolling up in 10...9...8..."
"Fill the gaps" Hondo called
"Stay liquid" they responded, and whilst Logan had slotted into the team with ease Street still thought it all felt too weird without Chris's voice in that chorus. Again, he realised she was on his mind.
Hondo climbed out and went straight to speek to the incident commander on scene whilst the test of team readied themselves. Tan and Street grabbed their repelling gear as Hondo had planned on sending them over the edge if need be.
"You ok?" Tan asked as Street passed him a coil of rope, "you were unusually quiet on the ride here"
"I ah... yeah... I mean I was thinking about Chris and her PFT today. I just hope she passes and is able to re-join the team, it's killing her not being out here with us"
"Knowing her" Tan said, "she will be kicking arse, you know how much she wants this"
"yeah I'm just worried about her, she wasn't herself today, earlier at HQ"
Tan patted his back and nodded, "She's got this" he answered before he motioned for Street to come. They joined Deacon, Logan and Luca who were waiting with Hondo to hear an update.
Cortez arrived beside them and called them all to the mobile SWAT command bus.
"Hondo, I want to try to begin negotiating with our suspect former marine Sergeant Dale Jones. I feel like you have a better chance of talking him down than the female negotiator he is refusing to speak to." Hondo nodded and took the ear piece and phone he would need from her hands. "50 David have just arrived on scene and will help support, Deacon and Luca can you coordinate a covert entry with Rocker and 50 David?"
Deacon nodded at Cortez and patted Lucas shoulder as they went outside to find 50 David.
"Tan, Street and Logan I need you to grab the gear and get to the roof, if I can't talk him down, we need to be ready for an emergency entry" Hondo ordered as he re-joined the team.
"Sure, come on" Tan said to Logan motioning for him to come and get the gear he would need. Street finished studying the schematics and turned to follow them. As he hit the top step he froze, Chris was jogging up to the bus in her full tactical gear. A smile spread the width of his face as he saw her, and the realisation hit him that she must have passed her PFT.
"NO WAY" he shouted at her, she looked up at the sound of his voice and couldn't help but smile too.
"WWAAYY" she answered holding out her arms and laughing.
Cortez and Hondo looked at Street from inside the bus and frowned in confusion as he jumped down the steps to hug her. He picked her up and twirled her around as she laughed. She was so happy to be back, and Street felt so relieved to know she did it.
"Oh my god" Street said placing her feet back on the ground and letting her go, "so happy for you"
She smiled a huge smile at him and nodded, "thanks" she then pointed to the bus, Street knew she needed report to Hondo and Cortez.
"Go" he said, knowing that distracting her or any further contact was not a good idea at all.
Street smiled back at her over his shoulder as he ran off to catch the others and head to the roof. Chris climbed the steps 2 at a time. Clearly on a high after being reinstated. As she entered the bus, both Hondo and Cortez smiled "Yeah! oh hell yeah" Hondo said proudly as he hugged her into him.
"Chris" Cortez smiled, "I heard you kicked some pretty impressive arse out there today!" hugging her too.
"Yeah baby!" she answered "I'm back"
"Congratulations and welcome back, we've all missed you" Hondo said.
"Lt Harrelson" a uniformed officer bought a middle aged woman into the bus. "This is Sergeant Dale Jones wife"
Hondo took her aside to talk to her about her husband quickly and Cortez looked at Chris.
"So, I guess your itching to go?"
"Hell yes" Chris replied. Clearly on a high. Cortez smiled. She knew in the same circumstances she would feel the same, Hondo might want you on the roof with Tan, Logan and Street. Hondo heard their conversation and looked over.
"Chris, grab your repelling gear…. go"
She smiled so broadly she looked like an excited kid on Christmas morning. Hondo grinned at Cortez and refocused on trying to establish a communication link with Sgt Jones.
Chris ran to Black Betty and raced to try to catch up to Street, Logan and Tan. By the time she got to the lobby though she saw Street disappear into an elevator. She stood at the bottom pushing the button before looking around for the stairwell. She stood contemplating taking the stairs briefly, but 70 floors up was a huge climb. As she fidgeted and stared at the elevator lights, she heard Cortez in her ear,
"Mobile command to 24 David…"
"24 David go ahead"
"I need you to come back the bus, pronto, we have a situation" Cortez ordered, as Chris went to answer her, she saw the lights around her flickers and go out.
"Roger that" Chris said, looking up at the elevator numbers now all dark in frustration. She turned and jogged back to the bus, Hondo was pacing and talking to Sgt Jones. Cortez was further down the end and motioned at Chris to come to her.
"Sgt Jones has cut the power to the entire building… Street is stuck in an elevator on the 67 Floor." Chris saw him on the monitor. He had removed his body cam and was holding it up with his tac light, so they could see him.
"26 David to Command" She heard him calling in
"Command go ahead Street"
"I… um… might try to see if the roof hatch will open and climb up to the next floor?"
"Roger that 26 David, be careful" Cortez said before she turned to Chris. Chris was watching him on the monitor. He was climbing up banging on the roof of the elevator trying to loosen the service hatch. Chris bit her bottom lip and the concern for him was clear on her face. What he was doing was dangerous and being on his own made it worse.
"Chris," Cortex said putting her hand on her arm,
Chris snapped back realising she was staring intently at the monitor where Street was.
"he is gunna need your help," she said, "I will get you up there using our air support and you can firstly help Street reach the team and then I need you both to support Tan and Logan if we need an emergency entry".
Hondo took his earpiece out. "I'm coming up in that chopper too…... Jones has stopped talking now. If I can be up there and maybe even enter that floor and talk to him face to face, we should have a better chance of this not going sideways"
Chris nodded and she followed Hondo out to the building across the street. They rode in the elevator heading for the rooftop where the SWAT Chopper was waiting for them. Chris glanced at her forearm screen and flipped the display to Streets body cam. He had managed to loosen and open the hatch and was tying ropes to begin the climb up in the shaft to the nearest floor.
Hondo saw Chris watching Street closely. He could see the worry on her face, the eagerness to get up there and help him,
"Chris," Hondo said placing a hand on her shoulder "Street is just fine…. He is not a careless little boy anymore" The comment made her smile, exhale and shut her eyes.
"hmmm I know" she said, "he is just about to enter that shaft on his own though" she said without looking at Hondo, she didn't want to be able to read her too well.
"He's fine" Hondo patted with authority in his voice, trying to refocus her, Chris heard it in his voice and dropped her screen nodding at Hondo. The elevator opened and they up in the chopper headed for the roof on the OUE Sky Space Rooftop in no time.