Changes.
I was across town in record time, and 20 minutes later I was rushing through the corridors of the crime lab. I was almost to the debriefing room when my name was called from behind me.
"Bella! In here."
Stevens head was poking from around a door frame and disappeared when I looked back over my shoulder. I about turned and nearly crashed into one of the lab techs.
"Sorry Dave." I said as I rushed passed him, coming to a halt in front of Stevens door.
I didn't come in here often if I could help it. The art work he had up gave me the creeps. I knocked on the door before entering. Steven wasn't alone. The head of the crime lab and the chief of police both sat with him.
"Boss, where are the homicides? I will head there now to collect and process." I said, with my hand still on the door handle. If the big guys wanted to talk i wasn't going to keep them waiting.
"Swan, wait. Take a seat."
"But what about..."
"Bella," he sighed, "will you please just sit down." I did as I was told and took the last available chair.
Steven waited for me to be seated before starting up again. "The call I made to you was a ruse. There has been no homicides, only a RTA, but I gave that to Sophie. I just needed you here as soon as possible."
"So why didn't you just say that on the phone? I would of come in anyway." Maybe after my shower, I thought grudgingly.
"I needed to show Detective Grayson how fast you respond to calls." He motioned to a fourth man in the room that I hadn't noticed before.
"Uhm...why?" My brows furrowed in confusion. Steven sighed again and steepled his fingers in front of him.
"I'll cut right to the chase. Swan you've been transferred." It took a moment for the words to sink in, and I could see Steven was bracing himself for my outburst.
"WHAT!" I yelled as I jumped to my feet. "Why? How could you?!" I could feel my face flush red with anger.
"Sit down Swan." I didn't budge. "I said sit down, officer Swan." I reluctantly took my seat and Steven started to explain. "Bella, Detective Grayson here needs the best, so I am sending you."
"Why not White? Or Moran?" I butted in.
"Because they have families here. There is nothing for you here but bad memories. You need a fresh start."
"And where exactly will my 'fresh start' be?" That's right, I used air quotations, sue me!
"Seattle."
"What!" I jumped from my seat again and began to pace, while the four men warily watched me as I yelled my head off. "You're moving me to the other side of the country because I have no family here! Tell me, if I drove to Vegas right now and married the first single man I saw, would I still have to go then?"
"Bella, calm down." Steven attempted to defuse the situation.
"Jake is here. I can't leave him."
"Bella, Jake is gone. Has been for five years now. Only his memory remains." The head of the crime lab stated.
"How could you say that?" I glared at him. "He was my partner for three years. You know
how much he meant to me. I'm not going!" I exited the room and went straight to my office.
Locking the door behind me, I walked to my overly cluttered desk.
In a fit of frustrated anger, I swept everything from the surface and relished in the echoing crash that reverberated around the room.
I crouched down with my head in my hands as I let my emotions bubble over.
There was a knock on the door and the handle was jiggled. I didn't bother opening the door. It was probably some lab techs from the next room, curious about the noise.
"Bella?" A muffled voice called from the other side.
Still ignoring them, I began to pick up everything from the floor. A crunching under my boot made me stop and look down.
A choking sob errupted from me as I realised I had smashed the only picture left of me and Jake. I picked it up and gingerly wiped off the broken glass. Crawling through the mess I had made, I sat on the floor behind my desk and brought my knees to my chest as tears ran silently down my face.