Author's note: The action-y part of the plot ends at chapter 8, so if you're only interested in the drama, skip to there, but do it your own risk; if you miss a joke because it refers to a previous chapter, you're on your own with that (and you'll have to wait until I publish that far, hehe, jokes aside; please read the entire thing, I put effort in it *sob sob sob*). Also, Yes, the character of Olivia is totally a mix of me and my office room mate, except that Olivia's character in my mind looks and sounds like K. D. Aubert.
And, yes, , I gave Helena the rank of Special agent for the sake of story so that she can conduct investigations and has the authority to make arrests. I don't know if in Resident evil world D.S.O. agents have such authority or not, and I like to be sure (never say I don't put effort into my stories and the research that comes with them, because I really fucking do, sometimes I even look beyond the first page of Google's search results. That's how you know I'm like SUPER SERIAL about my work!1!1!)

"Why don't you just drive?" Helena asked from Hunnigan at the locker room of the gym in the training facility located in the basement floors of the D.S.O. headquarters.

"I can't drive," Hunnigan let Helena know and opened the door to her locker to block the view from Helena (and anyone else who might come into the room) with it before removing her towel and reaching for her clothes.

"You're a genius and you don't know how to drive?" Helena continued questioning, her voice laced with genuine disbelief. Hunnigan sighed and got dressed in her underwear before she stuffed her towel, her sweatpants and her sweaty T-shirt into her bag.

"I know how to drive, but I choose not to drive because I'm so bad at it that I make Leon look like a great driver," she said as she began to put on her suit, preparing to face another day at the office. No one would even stop to think that she traveled the distance between her apartment and the HQ by roller skates (or bicycle at times), she never turned up at the top floor looking like she'd just skated over five miles. Usually she got the gym locker room to herself for the twenty or so minutes she needed to quickly shower and get dressed; most of the agents who preferred morning workouts were here at five in the morning and had already finished by the time Hunnigan came over to use the facilities.

The same would've applied today too if Helena hadn't felt like taking a shower over here before heading home from her night shift rather than do it at home and risk waking people with the noisy pipes and running water. The lady in the apartment below hers was a cranky one, she'd already shoved two less than nice notes under Helena's door, telling her to learn how to pull a chair back without scraping the damn floor with it (something Helena hadn't even realized could possibly bother someone so greatly since it wasn't a constant noise and she certainly didn't do that, say, in the middle of the night).

"Wow, that's pretty bad," Helena agreed and they both chuckled.

"Yeah, so, in the name of public safety... it's better this way. Besides, I hate pointless exercise. Like, I don't go for a walk just to go for a walk. Say I have some reason to walk somewhere, I'll walk ten miles if I have to, but without at reason? No thanks," Hunnigan said, tucked her shirt in and yanked the zipper of her skirt up before shrugging her jacket on.

"Ah, so, this doubles as your workout," Helena commented, turning to face Hunnigan when she heard the other woman slam the locker shut, deducing it was safe to turn.

She knew she wouldn't have had to turn away, but she didn't want to risk making Hunnigan uncomfortable. Helena noted the other woman was wearing the suit that Helena considered her personal favorite on Hunnigan. The color combination of the black pin-stripe suit with the Fuscia shirt always made Helena think of liquorice with raspberry filling. She could practically taste it just looking at Hunnigan.

"Exactly. Plus, this way I get around much faster; if I drove, I'd be constantly stuck in traffic. And I figure this is good for the environment... but, honestly, that's just an added bonus," Hunnigan said and shouldered her bag.
"Ever tempted to just take the bus? Like, when it rains?" Helena tried teasing a little and Hunnigan smiled.

"Waterproof," she answered smugly and tapped the backpack, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to work."
"Yeah, and I've gotta get home," Helena yawned.

"Hasta mañana," Hunnigan waved over her shoulder and exited the locker room making her way over to the elevator, swiped her keycard in the reader and headed to the top floor.

The office space was separated into smaller offices with glass walls. They didn't exactly offer much privacy since the sliding doors were anything but soundbroof, but everyone having their own little fish bowl was better than having everyone just sitting bunched up together. Hunnigan's personal fish bowl was at the very end of the office space, beyond the kitchenette and across from the lounge-area, which meant that most of the time, she got to enjoy being alone and somewhat isolated, almost unnoticed if she closed the shades, because no one had much reason to wander that far back. Or, to be more precise, she had been able to enjoy being isolated until she'd been assigned a room mate.

It made sense since agent Brooks was kind of a newbie and needed guidance and reassurance still, and since Hunnigan was the one who'd been training Brooks for the past couple of years... and this arrangement was supposed to be only temporary. Hunnigan certainly hoped so. It wasn't that she didn't like Brooks, it was just that... she liked being by herself more.

"We gotta get a rearview mirror of some sort so that I can see you coming," agent Brooks commented, inhaling and exhaling deeply after recovering from being startled by Hunnigan's sudden appearance.

"What have you got to be so worried about, Olivia? Were you watching gay porn again?" Hunnigan smirked as she dug into her bag and draped her towel and sweaty clothes over the back of her chair and on the coat stand in the corner so that they'd dry out by the time she'd be wearing them again at the end of the day.

"Oh, please, I only do that at home, what's the point of doing that while at work, I can't even rub one out here," Olivia smirked back and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, you'd better keep your hands above the desk," Hunnigan agreed and took a seat. Their desks were facing each other, the room divider stuck between them offering some much needed privacy, even if it did only reach high enough to barely hide the other person behind it.

"Honestly, I'm bored with gay porn, once you've seen a couple of vids, you've seen them all. I find that porn featuring two women is far more creative... and fake, but still," Olivia shrugged and then straightened her back to be able to see over the divider between their desks and look at Hunnigan.

"Did you know that there are ejaculating dildos?" Olivia asked a little too excitedly and Hunnigan leaned her elbows to her desk, burying her face into her hands.

"I did not know that, and quite frankly, I don't think I needed to know, but thanks for the info," she grumbled, her obvious dislike regarding the topic of conversation doing nothing to deter Olivia from it.

"Apparently, they've been around forever, but I'd never heard of them until recently."

"I already regret asking this, but... what exactly does it ejaculate?" Hunnigan then frowned, sitting up straight and crossing her arms over her abdomen as she leaned back in her chair.

"Jizz juice, apparently," Olivia responded after typing something.
"Please, don't tell me you just Googled that on your work computer."

"I'd be lying."
"All right, can you just calm down and focus on work?" Hunnigan then sighed deeply.

"I'll try, but it'll take a while after getting all hot and bothered," Olivia smirked, "Speaking of hot," she then said and let out a sound that resembled a purr when she saw Helena cross the lounge.
"Hey, Liv," Helena greeted the young woman who almost giggled at the field agent.

"You dropped this," Helena then said to Hunnigan and reached her arm out, turning her palm to face the ceiling and unwrapped her fingers from around the stud earring in her hand.
"Thank you," Hunnigan smiled as she accepted the item.

"Anytime. Okay, now I'm outta here," Helena chuckled and left.

"What?" Hunnigan then asked from Olivia who was staring at her as she put the earring back in place.
"All right, number one: where did you lose the earring? And number two: why was Harper returning it to you?" Olivia demanded to know.

"At the locker room and obviously she returned it because she noticed I'd lost it... What's the matter with you?" Hunnigan frowned and slumped into her chair. Olivia on the other hand stood up, leaning into her desk and peering over the divider.

"You were in the locker room with her?"
"Well, it's not exactly uncommon, it's not a private space," Hunnigan scoffed at the curious brunette whose dark green eyes narrowed at her.

"All right, just what the hell is wrong with you?" Hunnigan snapped then, "If you have a little girl crush on Helena, believe me, nothing lewd happened in the locker room, she's all yours for all I care," she continued and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I'd love to be colleagues with benefits with her, but I get the feeling she's one of those sickeningly loyal 'mates for life'-types who only does long-term relationships, and I don't do those. Besides, at the end of the day, I really do prefer guys," Olivia shook her head, "And of course, there's the fact that Helena already has a girlfriend," she then added.

"Well, then what the hell are you questioning me for?" Hunnigan frowned.

"Because I've met the girlfriend and let me tell you, that woman is a living and breathing ball of insecurity. Not that it surprises me when considering she is a little on the heavier side. Like, not 'can't leave the house without knocking down a wall'-fat, but still, a big girl," Olivia rambled on and Hunnigan inhaled and exhaled deeply, hoping her gesture of being uninterested in the subject would be enough to get Olivia to drop it. But of course it wasn't, the younger woman had gotten started and there was no stopping her.

"Is it weird that I think they shouldn't be together just based on how unequal they are simply because of their physical appearance?"
"Yes!" Hunnigan confirmed, but Olivia continued her speech regardless.

"I saw 'em at a bar a while back and I went to chat with Helena, and her girlfriend practically clawed my eyes out for just saying hello."

"Yes, I'm suuure you were just innocently saying hi," Hunnigan chuckled, her tone making it obvious she didn't believe that was all there was to that. Olivia was the kind of a person who couldn't keep herself from speaking in double entendres and outright shamelessly flirting even if she tried.

"I'm telling you, insecure! She was constantly hanging on Helena's arm, and doing the whole 'baby'-this and 'honey'-that, y'know, the whole 'look at my girlfriend, she's all mine'-act. I got the feelin' Helena didn't exactly appreciate being treated like a trophy."

"I still don't see what this has to do with me, I've never even met the girlfriend let alone given her reasons to be insecure," Hunnigan quirked an eyebrow. The more Olivia explained it, the more confusing the conversation became.
"No, but I like shipping you with Helena, so I totally consider this a good thing and if shipping you with Helena makes me a horrible person, then so be it," Olivia shrugged innocently and finally sat back down.

"Shipping me with Helena? I don't know what means," Hunnigan muttered absently as she browsed through her unread emails.
"Probably better that way, I get the sense that you'd just shame me if you did know," Olivia giggled.

"Speaking of shame, how was your blind date yesterday?" Hunnigan smirked, hoping that this would be enough to change the subject at last, and Olivia laughed, shaking her head a little.
"I'm pretty sure I ended up on a date with the missing link between humans and apes."

"Hm, a decent boyfriend would've been a greater scientific discovery," Hunnigan commented and opened an email marked urgent sent to her by someone at the F.B.I..

In the message, an agent explained he'd felt this should be forwarded to the D.S.O. and had enclosed the original email sent to the bureau, asking for their help, immediately. Attached was also a shaky, poorly lit photo. Hunnigan couldn't make out what it was exactly, but she had a feeling that it couldn't be anything good. While D.S.O. did offer assistance with practically any crime if someone requested their aid, they were best known for fighting bioterrorism, and the fact that the F.B.I. had felt this was their kind of a case spoke volumes.

"Liv, you studied photography and Photoshop and stuff like that..."
"Yeah, the most useless degree of all the degrees I've got," Olivia interjected.

"Well, put it to use. I just sent you something... can you make anything out of it?" Hunnigan then said and circled her desk, moving to stand beside Olivia's chair.
"I can try, but no promises."

"It's a Licker," Leon said after spending a few moments studying the image Olivia had cleaned up. He put the picture on the briefing room table and slid it across to Helena so that she could take a look before passing it on.

"A what?" Olivia asked, frowning deeply. She still had some catching up to do as far as recognizing the various types of creatures went. Frankly, she would've been all caught up had she spent more time reading the dossiers and less time stalking people online.

"It's a B.O.W.. I found a file way back in Raccoon City in which the officers who wrote it nicknamed this thing Licker because it has a ridiculously long tongue," Leon explained briefly.
"So, not exactly a new thing, which is good... considering," Hunnigan muttered and Leon nodded, shrugging one shoulder a little.

"Yeah, but what I'd like to know is where it was sighted at exactly," he said.
"I know, as would I," Hunnigan said as she accepted the picture from Helena and looked over the odd creature. It looked like it had been turned inside out, or like it was lacking a skin completely.

"Want me to take the case?" Leon then asked.
"Let me have it," Helena chimed in, "I could use the experience and quite frankly, I'm bored being on standby all the time."

"All right, so... Olivia, you're field support..."
"Yes, ma'am!"

"Helena, you work the field and Leon, you're on standby. Questions? No? All right, consider yourselves dismissed until I've made the necessary arrangements to deploy."