The cab dropped him off at Eagles Nest, and Street felt a bit odd at needing a visitor pass to get in, but it was the right way. On the way to interrogation, he passes a few familiar faces in Rocker and Stevens. They nod at him in greeting.
His guide points to an observation suite, and Street opens the door. His feet stop moving at seeing Chris inside shaking. She must've heard the door as she turned her head.
Seeing her pain-stricken face, Street can't help himself, and he is next to her in a flash. His arms move around her. "Why are you listening to this?" he whispers and softly rocks her back and forth.
"I need to know what happened to me. To all of them," Chris rolls her shoulders and tries to step back to the window.
"You shouldn't be here," he says as softly as he can.
"I worked this case!" she fires back, and Street has to grin. There she was again. The proud woman he knew.
"I know," he lets out, "but you also went through something horrific. I promise we will get him to tell us everything."
The door opens again, and Luca walks in. "I heard you had arrived," he greets Street and then turns to the window, too. They listen to Hondo and Deac taking turns on José. The man seems practically unphased. Until they tell him he actually abducted a cop, and that's how they were able to dismantle his operation.
"He kept keepsakes from all the girls he liked. And turns out he was stupid enough to keep the necklace with Chris's tracker," Luca explains to a surprised Street. "When we first activated it, we didn't get a signal, but yesterday, the tracker suddenly appeared at LAX."
"That's how you got him!" Street nods.
"We're still sorting through everything we found at his place," Luca adds, "Maybe you can take a look and see what the girls you interviewed mentioned?"
Inside the interrogation room, the interview gets interrupted by a man in an expensive-looking suit claiming to be Mr. Gonzales's lawyer.
Street follows Luca and Chris out of the room and up the stairs to a conference room. Tan looks up when they walk in. "There you are. Did he give us anything more?" "Nope, the lawyer showed up," Luca shakes his head.
"We don't need his confession," Tan gestures over the pieces on the table. "We got him. He will never be able to explain all this away,"
Street can see his friend was able to put a girl to almost every piece of jewelry they had found.
In his head, he is wondering though why he is here. They had everything. There was nothing he could do anymore. His case had been solved in LA.
"Ah, Officer Street," Hicks's voice commands all their attention from the door frame. "If you could accompany me for a moment,"
Street swallows and frowns at the rest of them before following his former boss.
Hicks offers him a seat, and Street perches himself at the edge. He feels a bit uncomfortable.
"Congratulations are in order, I hear," Hicks starts, and Street frowns. "You solved a big case," Hicks elaborates.
"Hardly," Street scoffs sadly. "20 squad did the hard part and closed it by arresting José."
"Wouldn't have been possible without all your surveillance photos," Hicks explains. "And this is why we are sharing the credit with you."
Hicks pulls open his top drawer and takes out a shield. "And this is still waiting for you if and when you decide to return."
Hicks gets up and leaves the room while Street slowly picks up his old shield.
Could he really come back?
What would that look like?
A knock on the door pulls him out of his swirling thoughts. As it is not his office, he slowly gets up and is met by a stunned Chris.
"I was looking for…"
"Hicks? Yeah, he left me behind with this," he holds up his shield.
Chris's eyes focus on it and go wide. "You're coming back?" her voice is shaky, but he thinks he can hear some happiness behind the shock.
"I don't know," Street glances at his feet before clearing his throat. "Can we maybe have dinner and just talk?" he looks at her, pleading.
He has no idea if it is a good idea to be anywhere alone with her, but before he can even contemplate taking this obvious offer, they have to clear the air. About everything.
To his surprise, Chris agrees and even texts him an address.
When he climbs out of his Uber a few hours later, Street finds himself near the beach. He breathes in the salty air and closes his eyes. He is a bit early, but that isn't too bad. Glancing across the road, he could see the small restaurant Chris had chosen. The place wasn't too crowded, so he chose a place at the bar to wait. He orders himself a coke in the meantime and lets his eyes wander around. Trying to figure out why Chris chose this place.
When his eyes move across the doorway, his heart skips a beat. Chris walks in wearing tight-fitted black jeans, a top, and a leather jacket, but what draws him in immediately is the bloodred lipstick and what is undoubtedly skin at her hip when her hand tucks an unruly strand of hair behind her ear.
He puts on his best smile and lifts his hand to greet her.
A few moments later, Chris slides into a booth, and Street is hesitant about where to sit. Chris motions for him to join her, and he finally slides into the seat across from her. They both exchange insecure smiles for a bit until the server comes to ask for their order.
Chris tilts her head and bites her lip before speaking up. "So, you're coming back. This is why you wanted to talk, right?"
Her fingers glide across the rim of her water glass, and her eyes follow the movement.
"No," he replies, and Chris's eyes shoot up. "I meant what I said, we, I, I can't even think about coming back before we talk." Street admits and can see Chris freeze in her seat a bit.
"I, There is so much I want to say and ask and do…" he struggles to get his swirling thoughts under control.
"Start wherever you feel like. I just can't promise all the answers," Chris whispers, slowly reaching across the table. Street instinctively pulls back when her fingers graze the back of his hand. Her face falls immediately.
"I am sorry," he mumbles. "I just can't. Not yet."
He swallows. "Why didn't you call me? Really!" he stares across the table and sees Chris swallow deeply.
"I couldn't. I was afraid,"
"Afraid of me?" he can't help but be hurt.
"No, just what would happen. I guess we hurt each other so many times… I didn't want to risk getting hurt again," Chris admits quietly.
"I would never intentionally hurt you," Street shoots back, and Chris shakes her head.
"But you did,"
"Never intentionally," he repeats and whispers, "unlike…"
"Don't put this all on me," Chris's voice rises with anger. "You…" her voice breaks, and Chris starts shaking. She pulls her jacket closer, and Street fears she is going to run, so he quickly switches places to be right next to her.
"I am sorry for everything. But blaming each other isn't going to help us figure this out now," he softly grabs her hand and feels that spark. That spark that undoubtedly only Chris could ever light in him. Her eyes are glistening, and he can't help but get lost in them.
The server bringing their food breaks them out of their spell.
Chris pokes around on her plate with her fork. "Why did you just leave?" she finally blurts out.
"I felt lost and all alone when you just dropped me off after the funeral," he admits, then resumes half-heartedly munching on his burger and fries.
"I am so sorry. I just got overwhelmed myself. And I felt so guilty…" Chris mumbles and places her fork down.
"Why did you feel guilty?" Street turns to her and scoots closer.
"Because I am still alive," Chris breathes out, and, in that moment, Street finally can read her again. It is as if a switch had been turned.
He gently reaches for her and checks her face for any indication of resistance before mumbling. "And I am very happy you are," and placing his lips on hers.
It takes a couple of seconds before he can feel her lips moving under his, but the moment Chris kisses him back, butterflies take off in his stomach.
When the air finally becomes a necessity again, he pulls back and smiles coyly at her.
"Now I have to come back. At least to LA," he pushes a strand of hair out of her face, and Chris burrows her cheek against his hand while reaching up to cover it with her own.
"Are you sure you want this?" her eyes betray her fear.
"I do. And wherever I land. It will be worth it. Just to have a chance to be with you," he whispers, pressing his lips to her forehead. Loving the feel of Chris in his arms.
"We still have to take this slow, even if we have to inform Hicks," Chris whispers against his chest, shivering slightly when his fingers hit the patch of skin at her hip.
"I'll do anything for you," he declares one more time before Chris pushes his chest and admits, "Me too."
The rest of their night, they spend just quietly catching up. Ever so often, Street's heart breaks either explaining himself or hearing Chris explain her feelings at various points of their tumultuous past together.
In the end, though, it was well worth the fight. And he meant it; whatever Hicks had in store for him, after they told the commander about their relationship, he'd take it.
New York was just a memory now.
And LA his future.
The end.
Thank you for reading along.