AN: 2.13
Snowflake
By Day 26, Linden has nothing left but the case and when she finally crosses that finish line, she's left wondering if it was really worth the chase after all. Holder seems to think so, but then he still has a home and a family to root him in this place. Linden doesn't think he's in the position to speak for her, even despite what he's gone through.
The car ride back to the station is a little awkward. Since the day they'd met, the case had always been present. It was something they could fall back on when conversation strayed where it shouldn't have gone or nerves were touched. With that safety net removed, there's nothing to keep things in the… personable but professional classification and it's not easy to just… talk.
It is then that Holder's phone rings. When he tells her about the body, Linden finds herself at an impasse.
A force, one greater than her stubborn pride or relentless need for closure, guides her to get out of the car. The look Holder gives her through the rolled-down window is a pleading one, but the words never make it to his lips.
He disconnects his gaze for a split second, "Linden, we got the bad guy."
"Yeah, who's that?" Her reply is biting, but she knows he can take it.
Holder accepts that this is how they'll say sayonara, "Hey, keep in touch. You're my ride, you know?"
She finds herself wandering after he's driven off. She strolls down the familiar streets aimlessly; no time crunch, no pursuit, no being vilified by those she'd set out to help. It's a cleansing for her, a way to become a blank slate again.
She thinks about a new start and how it would look. It'll probably be away, where no one really knows her or cares to know her. Maybe she'll want a job with actual hours, one that's easy and stress free. She'll want to be able to keep in touch with Regi and Jack, maybe through Skype or something. There are so many things to consider that she doesn't know where to start.
But then there's also a lot of time, which is really all she has left. Time. Lots and lots of time.
-End-