Sorry it's taken a long time to update. I'm in college and fanfiction just can't be my priority a lot of the time. Hope you enjoy and please review!
Scotty listened to the sound of traffic outside his window as he lay in bed, Lilly fast asleep in his arms. The two hadn't moved in together despite being together almost a year, but he wasn't concerned. He knew Lilly and she was not the kind of person to trust easily. He didn't mind, not usually, but this case was getting to him. Matilda and Matthew had thought they had plenty of time to be together too, and look what happened to them. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Lilly shifted to turn to face him.
"You need to get sleep Scotty," Lilly sighed, her eyes barely open.
"I know Lil, I know," he said. "Just thinking, that's all."
"About Matilda?" She asked. She didn't blame him for taking the case home with him. She was just as frustrated with the progress of the case, or lack thereof. There just didn't seem to be anyone who had a motive to kill her.
"Yeah, I guess." He said. "Nick and Will are talking to Matilda's boss tomorrow, but I doubt they'll get anything from him. He was interviewed over and over when Matilda died since he was the last one to see her alive."
"Maybe Luther will give us something," Lilly said. "He should be getting into Philly around noon tomorrow."
"We have to be missing something Lil," Scotty said. "None of this is making sense."
"Maybe it'll make more sense in the morning once you've actually gotten sleep," she said groggily, burying her face into her pillow.
"Yeah I know Lil," he sighed. "I don't think I'll be getting sleep for a while."
"I know Scotty, I know," Lilly replied. "I keep thinking about Matilda's little girl."
"She'll be okay, she's got her dad and grandparents," Scotty said, but Lilly shook her head.
"No, Scotty. That just isn't the same," Lilly said. "You don't get it because you always had your mom around but believe me; not having your mom around makes things rough. No one should have to go through not having a parent around."
"I know it was hard on you Lil," he said, kissing the top of her head. "You turned out fine though."
"Hardly," she laughed. There was a moment of silence before Lilly gathered her courage to tell Scotty what she had been thinking for days. "Do you think about what would happen if you got hurt? Once you have kids I mean."
"Yeah, sure," he replied. "I don't want to leave my kids without a father, but that isn't going to stop me from having kids. What about you?"
"I really don't know Scotty," she said, not looking into his eyes. "Isn't it selfish for us to have kids? Is it selfish to bring kids into this world when we aren't sure if we are going to be here tomorrow?"
"Come on Lil, no one is certain how long they have," he told her. "Healthy people just drop dead everyday."
"It isn't the same Scotty. We're putting ourselves in the line of fire everyday," she said.
"To keep this city safe," he told her. "We're making this city safer for the kids we are going to have."
Lilly just didn't know if she could handle having kids and be a cop. She knew this was something that could push Scotty away, but she was trying to be something at least close to an adult. Scotty needed to know she wasn't sure she was quite on board with having kids.
"Maybe," she sighed. "I'm just not sure it's worth it."
"Of course it's worth it Lil," he said, "I've seen the way my brother is with his kids. That kind of love is something I don't think you want to miss out on Lil. You'd be an incredible mom."
"I'm sure," she laughed as she drew the covers close to her face. "Now get some sleep, we've got a long day tomorrow."
"Okay Lil," he said as he kissed her on the head again. "Love you."
"Love you too," Lilly sighed and they both drifted off to sleep.
Kat was busy working on paper work in the station room when she noticed the room had gotten oddly silent. Once she looked up, she knew why. Luther Yale, who had retired from his position as the Gladiators point guard almost fifteen years ago, was walking up to her desk.
"Mr. Yale, we thought you weren't going to be coming to Philadelphia until this afternoon," she said as she stood up to shake his hand.
"I was able to get out of a meeting," he responded. "I told them Matilida was more important than investors."
"We really appreciate you coming to talk to us Mr. Yale. I'm Detective Williams," she told him. "If you want to me follow me we can talk in private."
Luther nodded and followed Kat into one of the interrogation rooms. Luther took a seat and Kat sat directly across from him.
"I still don't believe Patrick had anything to do with this," he said. "He was her friend."
"Is there anyone you do think was involved?" Kat asked.
"No, but you probably think I was," Luther grunted.
"Because of the argument you two had?" Kat asked. "From what Matthew told us, she was pretty upset about what you had done."
"I apologized to her Detective," Luther said, shaking his head. "I wasn't thinking and I knew I screwed up. But Matilida knew I was sorry, she wasn't angry with me when she died."
"Was there anyone she was angry with when she died?" Kat asked. "Did she tell you if anyone was bothering her?"
"She was frustrated when she died Detective," he said. "More than frustrated really."
"About what?" Kat asked.
"She was tired of waiting for someone to believe in her," Luther said.
Matilda had been on edge the entire dinner. Luther hadn't pressed her about it since it had been their first dinner together since their fight. He had offered to drive her home so she wouldn't have to get a cab, but also so they could have a chance to talk in privacy.
"So when are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Luther asked, but Matilda continued looking out her window.
"Nothing is bothering me Luther," she sighed but Luther shook his head.
"Come on kid, I've known you since you were born," he said. "You've never been that great at hiding things."
"You sure I can trust you again?" She asked. Luther wasn't hurt by the comment, he knew he had broken her trust and it would take a while to earn it back.
"It's just between you and me," he said and Matilda nodded her head.
"He said no," Matilda said. "One of the assistant coaches is stepping down and my Pop said I couldn't replace him."
"Come on Kid, do you really think you're ready for that?" He asked. Matilda was a smart girl and he knew she had her grandfather's incredible coaching abilities. But coaching in the NBA was a big step from her coaching high school aged kids.
"Yes, I do and I really wish other people could see that," she said. "Why does no one think I can do this? Plenty guys have been made assistant coaches when they are my age! Why can't I?"
"Maybe because Henry doesn't want people thinking you only got the job because you're his granddaughter," Luther said.
"You know I've been afraid of that my entire life Luther," she said. "But I know now no one else is going to give me this chance. He has to give me this job, he just has to."
"But he said no," Luther reminded her. "Henry doesn't change his mind once it's made up."
"Then this will be a first," Matilda smiled. "Can't you see it Luther, me on that bench next to all those guys who don't think a woman will ever be a head coach?"
"If anyone is going to do it, it's going to be you Matilda," He said. "But you have to be patient. Keep working with the referee department. You'll learn things that will make you a better coach."
"Come on, you and I both know I was born to do this," she said. "I see basketball differently than everyone else. I've been watching my Pop coach this game my entire life and I need to start getting real experience."
"Maybe you should wait for another team to ask you to be an assistant coach," Luther suggested, but Matilda violently shook her head.
"Luther, the Phoenix team is my family. This is where I belong and I'm never going to coach another team," she sternly said.
"Just like Henry, stubborn as hell," Luther laughed.
"I'm going to talk to him again tomorrow," she said. "I know he believes in me."
"I believe too Kid," he sighed. "I believe too."
"Did Matilda ever tell you what Henry said when she confronted him again?" Kat asked.
"No, but Justin Lynn was made an assistant coach, so we know what his answer was," Luther said.
"Okay, so Henry turned down Matilda when she thought her golden opportunity had come up," Kat said. "Any idea how Matilda would have responded? I know you said she didn't want to go to another team, but maybe she got tired of Henry giving her the chance she wanted and Henry didn't like that."
"I don't know Detective, I really don't," Luther said. "Matilda was just as stubborn as her grandfather, but he loved her. I can't imagine he would hurt her just because she wanted to go to another team."
"You wouldn't believe what I've seen people do to the people they love," Kat sighed. "That you just wouldn't believe."