Heat. Hot oppressive heat.
Dani felt the thin bead of sweat trickle down her shoulder blades.
Finish up already Crews.
She looked at her partner questioning the owner of the cafe they were in.
He was standing next to a metal collapsible gate that shimmered in the blazing rays of the sun.
Heat. Hot brassy summer heat.
Which seemed to be leaving Charlie Crews unfazed.
Damn you Crews.
Reese shook her head. If I had a dime for every time I said that...
Crews looked over at Reese and gave her a look.
She waved him away. Heat doesn't bother him, let him deal with it.
She went and sat in the shade at the back of the cafe. She looked around aimlessly, sipping her drink.
Which had gotten to room temperature, by the way. Dani sighed.
Be nice to take a day off. A day without Crews can only be a good day, she mused.
She looked at the people in the cafe. People sitting together. People talking.
She sat in the shade, and closed her eyes, savouring her moment without Charlie Crews.
" - Crews right? The guy who got that settlement?"
Dani opened her eyes and blinked in annoyance. Not one moment alone. Not even one fu-
"Look at that sonofabitch just standing there. Do you know what he did to that correctional officer?"
Dani discreetly looked in the direction of the voices.
Two people were sitting at the table behind her. Kids, she noted. Not older than twenty three, give or take.
"What, you mean Dan's cousin? At Pelican Bay?" said the first one.
"That's the one. Look at that smug bastard. I don't care what the law says. It's full of shit anyway. That sonofabitch put Dan's cousin in the fucking hospital. And he's free!"
Dani looked at the second kid warily. She paused a moment to look at Crews standing, now uncomfortably, in the sun, the pink of his face clashing horribly with his hair.
Where did they get smug bas-
"I don't care. I say we pay him back for what he did to Dan's cousin. Let's get the sonofabitch."
Dani flipped opened her cellphone and began typing.
"I don't know man... They do a lot of shit in prisons we don't even know about.. They let him go free. Plus he's a cop..." whined the first kid.
Dani clicked the 'send' button and walked up to their table.
"I don't give a fuck, man. I say we get this guy, cop or not. I say we -"
"You say we what?" interrupted Dani coldly.
The second kid looked up at her and scowled. "What's it to you? Who the fuck are you anyway?"
Dani smiled slowly, a smile that did not reach her eyes. She pulled aside her jacket to reveal her badge.
"Me? I'm LAPD. I'm the uh, what did you call him? Oh right. The sonofabitch's -" she casually flicked her head in Crews' direction "- partner".
The first kid began to look panicky. "I told you, he's a fucking cop, he -"
Dani cut him off and looked at the second kid, who was staring at her badge. "I suggest you take your friend's advice. Or I take care of you both."
Both kids scrambled to their chairs and ran out of the cafe. Dani looked at their retreating forms and smiled to herself.
We're even now, Crews.
She walked back to the front after paying, and saw that Crews had almost finished up.
He walked up to her, waving his cellphone. "I got your message. What did you have to 'take care of' ?"
"Nothing important." She said blandly. Nothing you need to know about, anyway.
She looked at him as he stood there. Heat's definitely affecting him now.
Crews' face matched the pink of his lips.
Did I just think about his lips? Get a goddamned grip, Dani.
She looked at him. God he was so annoying! Was it even possible for someone to annoy ANY one this much?
Dani stood and stared at him, tapping her foot on the street and getting more and more irritated.
SAY something already Dani! Stop standing here gawking at CREWS!
"What were you doing that took so goddamned long anyway?"
He looked at her and blinked. "I was fighting crime."
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Dani shook her head and continued walking.
"Hey Reese?"
She turned to look at him.
"If I was a crimefighter, would you like, be my sidekick?"
Dani raised her eyebrows. And stared at him some more, before she turned around and began walking to the car.
Get the message Crews. I've done my good deed for the day. I'm no longer obliged to be nice to you.
"I mean like, watch my back and all. Kinda like Robin."
Dani stopped in her tracks. Crews was still talking.
"-Ted asked if he was Robin, but I mean he couldn't be Robin. Because - "
Dani clenched her fists.
I will not shoot my partner. I will not shoot my partner.
"Shut up, Crews", was all she said aloud as she got into the car.
All that, and I get to be Robin?
She looked at him,now safely esconced in the car, away from the heat.
He looked at her and smiled.
Goddamn you Crews.
Dani felt the thin bead of sweat trickle down her shoulder blades.
Finish up already Crews.
She looked at her partner questioning the owner of the cafe they were in.
He was standing next to a metal collapsible gate that shimmered in the blazing rays of the sun.
Heat. Hot brassy summer heat.
Which seemed to be leaving Charlie Crews unfazed.
Damn you Crews.
Reese shook her head. If I had a dime for every time I said that...
Crews looked over at Reese and gave her a look.
She waved him away. Heat doesn't bother him, let him deal with it.
She went and sat in the shade at the back of the cafe. She looked around aimlessly, sipping her drink.
Which had gotten to room temperature, by the way. Dani sighed.
Be nice to take a day off. A day without Crews can only be a good day, she mused.
She looked at the people in the cafe. People sitting together. People talking.
She sat in the shade, and closed her eyes, savouring her moment without Charlie Crews.
" - Crews right? The guy who got that settlement?"
Dani opened her eyes and blinked in annoyance. Not one moment alone. Not even one fu-
"Look at that sonofabitch just standing there. Do you know what he did to that correctional officer?"
Dani discreetly looked in the direction of the voices.
Two people were sitting at the table behind her. Kids, she noted. Not older than twenty three, give or take.
"What, you mean Dan's cousin? At Pelican Bay?" said the first one.
"That's the one. Look at that smug bastard. I don't care what the law says. It's full of shit anyway. That sonofabitch put Dan's cousin in the fucking hospital. And he's free!"
Dani looked at the second kid warily. She paused a moment to look at Crews standing, now uncomfortably, in the sun, the pink of his face clashing horribly with his hair.
Where did they get smug bas-
"I don't care. I say we pay him back for what he did to Dan's cousin. Let's get the sonofabitch."
Dani flipped opened her cellphone and began typing.
"I don't know man... They do a lot of shit in prisons we don't even know about.. They let him go free. Plus he's a cop..." whined the first kid.
Dani clicked the 'send' button and walked up to their table.
"I don't give a fuck, man. I say we get this guy, cop or not. I say we -"
"You say we what?" interrupted Dani coldly.
The second kid looked up at her and scowled. "What's it to you? Who the fuck are you anyway?"
Dani smiled slowly, a smile that did not reach her eyes. She pulled aside her jacket to reveal her badge.
"Me? I'm LAPD. I'm the uh, what did you call him? Oh right. The sonofabitch's -" she casually flicked her head in Crews' direction "- partner".
The first kid began to look panicky. "I told you, he's a fucking cop, he -"
Dani cut him off and looked at the second kid, who was staring at her badge. "I suggest you take your friend's advice. Or I take care of you both."
Both kids scrambled to their chairs and ran out of the cafe. Dani looked at their retreating forms and smiled to herself.
We're even now, Crews.
She walked back to the front after paying, and saw that Crews had almost finished up.
He walked up to her, waving his cellphone. "I got your message. What did you have to 'take care of' ?"
"Nothing important." She said blandly. Nothing you need to know about, anyway.
She looked at him as he stood there. Heat's definitely affecting him now.
Crews' face matched the pink of his lips.
Did I just think about his lips? Get a goddamned grip, Dani.
She looked at him. God he was so annoying! Was it even possible for someone to annoy ANY one this much?
Dani stood and stared at him, tapping her foot on the street and getting more and more irritated.
SAY something already Dani! Stop standing here gawking at CREWS!
"What were you doing that took so goddamned long anyway?"
He looked at her and blinked. "I was fighting crime."
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Dani shook her head and continued walking.
"Hey Reese?"
She turned to look at him.
"If I was a crimefighter, would you like, be my sidekick?"
Dani raised her eyebrows. And stared at him some more, before she turned around and began walking to the car.
Get the message Crews. I've done my good deed for the day. I'm no longer obliged to be nice to you.
"I mean like, watch my back and all. Kinda like Robin."
Dani stopped in her tracks. Crews was still talking.
"-Ted asked if he was Robin, but I mean he couldn't be Robin. Because - "
Dani clenched her fists.
I will not shoot my partner. I will not shoot my partner.
"Shut up, Crews", was all she said aloud as she got into the car.
All that, and I get to be Robin?
She looked at him,now safely esconced in the car, away from the heat.
He looked at her and smiled.
Goddamn you Crews.