A/N- new story time! :)
Julianna Callaghan walked through the doors to her second home, SRU headquarters. Still clad in her street clothes, she dreaded having to change into her mandatory SRU uniform. It was the dead middle of summer and Toronto just happened to be going through a major heat wave. So not really in the mood to dress in something 'Jules-style' she opted to go for a pretty, but not overly dressy tank top and (appropriately short) short shorts, so definitely not 'Jules-style' but hey, if it kept her cool, then it kept her cool.
She strode through the halls, Tim Hortons Ice cap in hand, and to the elevator; definitely too hot for the stairs today. She breathed a sigh of relief and she entered the elevator and felt a brief but cold blast of air. She silently thanked the good lord above for the newly installed air conditioning.
She tapped her fingers impatiently against the cool metal bar that wound its way all along the interior of the elevator, watching as the colourful numbers lit up one by one, finally reaching the fifth floor. The door opened up and she stepped out into the heat once again.
Winding her way through the twisting halls and training equipment, she approached Winnie's desk to say hello, just like every other morning.
"Hey Winnie."
"Morning Jules." Winnie smiled to her. "How'd the date go last night?" Cutting right to the business, just like always.
Jules scrunched up her face, and simply shook her head.
"A dud huh?"
"Ugh yes! It was bad… like really bad…"
Winnie facial features lit with sympathy; she just wanted her friend to have a good man in her life.
"How bad?"
"Well let's just say that about five minutes in I was seriously considering drowning myself in my soup…"
Winnie gave a small chuckle. "What was his name again?"
"Seth, also known as self-absorbed-thinks-he's-funny-douche." Jules rolled her eyes as she remembered her night out.
"Yikes, sounds like a really crappy time."
"Oh Winnie, you don't even know half of it."
"Well don't give up Jules; the right guy is out there somewhere." As cheesy as it sounded, it had to be said.
"I'm beginning to doubt that." Jules admitted with a soft chuckle.
Winnie gave her friend a sad smile.
"Morning ladies!" Sergeant Greg Parker greeted as he entered HQ, him too, carrying an ice cap. "Gonna be a hot one today!"
Jules and Winnie gave their boss and friend a warm smile. "I already worked up a sweat just walking into HQ from my car!"
Greg nodded his head in agreement. "Well be prepared for a long day, the heat makes good people do crazy things."
"Isn't that a full moon…?" Jules asked lightly.
Greg shrugged in indifference. "Full moon, crazy intense heat, all the same."
Jules and Winnie laughed with him.
Officer Wordy Wordsworth chose this time to join his friends, already in his uniform. "Hey guys. What's so funny?" He asked, feigning hurt that he wasn't included in their joke.
"We're just talking about the heat." Winnie filled him in.
Wordy nodded in understanding. "Gosh I know, Shelly was thinking about driving all the way out to the beach today just so the girls could go for a swim!"
"I don't blame her; I would drive the hour and a half just to feel the cool ocean water on me." Jules said, just melting at the thought, no pun intended.
"Geez Wordy, I'm jealous of your little girls." Winnie said, causing the group to chuckle once more.
"Oh, Jules!" Wordy suddenly remembered. "How'd the date go last night?"
Jules simply groaned.
"She wanted to drown herself in her soup." Winnie summed up for Wordy and Greg.
"Aw, what happened? I thought you were kinda interested in this guy." Wordy asked her.
"Ah, I don't know, he just… well it just wasn't going to work out."
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Greg asked, ready to go full on papa bear on the guy.
Jules rolled her eyes. "If by 'hurt' you mean bore me to death, then yes, he hurt me quite a bit."
The men chuckled and patted her on the back. "Well Jules, there are other fish in the sea." Wordy told her.
Jules couldn't help but smile at her friend's antics. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before."
"Don't worry kiddo, you'll find someone eventually. There's somebody for everybody." Greg told her as he squeezed her shoulder and then he and Wordy continued the way to the locker room.
"I tell ya, those two swear they're cupid or something." Jules told Winnie, laughing. Jules was just about to leave to get changed when a man approached them.
"Excuse me ladies," A voice interrupted their conversation.
Jules turned around to see a strikingly handsome blond man starring down at her.
"Would either of you two beautiful ladies be able to point me in the direction of Sergeant Crae? Team two?" He held up two fingers as he as it, as if the girls were stupid.
Handsome but cocky. Very cocky. Jules thought to herself as she discretely looked him up and down. He was tall, his hair was very blond and messy, but in a cute way. He was rather well built. It was his eyes that she noticed last. His eyes. Oh god his eyes. They were a hard steel blue, but at the same time they held a soft stare, they looked as if they had seen too much already in his young life.
He was wearing shorts, they were a dark beige colour, with a dark green belt, almost the colour of what you would see in the army, and a tight black v-neck t-shirt. Not bad. Jules noted.
"They're actually out patrolling right now but they're due back in about ten minutes. You can hang around if you like." Winnie told him, obviously not noticing him like Jules was.
"Sure, I'm here early anyways."
"What are you here for?" Jules spoke for the first time. Funny, she didn't sound like her normal, confident self.
"I have an interview." He said just as team two stepped out of the elevator.
"That's actually team two right there, I guess they are back early." Winnie said, shrugging at the coincidence.
Sam looked somewhat disappointed that they were back so soon. "Well thank you very much ladies, hopefully I'll see you around." He said to both of them as he winked.
When he was gone, Jules couldn't hold back the smile that was forming on her lips. She turned to Winnie only to realize that Winnie was staring at her with a questioning look on her face.
"What?"
Winnie laughed quietly as Team Two and the blond man were still in ear's length. So instead of questioning Jules, she made conversation, mentally noting to ask Jules about him later.
"I wonder what he has an interview with Rollie for."
"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing." Jules agreed. "He doesn't seem like the SRU officer type."
"Team two is full anyways. They already have seven members." Winnie told her young friend.
"Well I guess we'll find out eventually if we ever see him walking around HQ." Jules said, starting to walk to her changing room to get ready for the work day.
Winnie noted that Team Two and the man had left so she decided now was a good time to crack a joke.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Jules stopped, hearing the teasing note in Winnie's voice and turned around, heading back to Winnie's desk. "I'd like what?"
"To see him walking around HQ." Winnie told her friend, a huge smile forming on her lips as she noticed the light pink blush creeping up Jules' neck.
"What are you talking about Winnie?"
"Oh come on, Jules; I saw you basically drooling over him!"
"Drooling, seriously? I had no idea we're going back to being grade seven girls! I have no clue what you're talking about."
"I don't blame you; he was pretty good looking after all."
"Ok Winnie, whatever you say…" Jules trailed off as she started walking towards her changing room once again.
Jules changed quickly as she was unusually running late, this would be the last time she gabbed so much before she was even ready for work. She changed out of her street clothes and into her uniform in a matter of minutes. She didn't bother putting a braid her hair today; not enough time. Instead she just put it in a quick, messy bun.
Just before she went to leave the changing room, she stopped to look in the full size mirror. She looked at her reflection, her tiny body covered in easily fifteen extra pounds of uniform, boots, gloves and vests. Typically they only wore the vests when on a call but they had their weekly weight in today, so full equipment it was.
She looked herself up and down. This, this grey clothing, it was her life, everything she knew and loved, it represented her life at SRU, her Team One family. But it made her different, which for the most part, she didn't mind. But it was the little things that it took away from her, things that the job took away from her. Like her real family, her dad and four older brothers. Of course they would still talk because they are still a family, but it was nothing more than a simple card at Christmas and a few phone calls here and there. She tried to visit when she could, but it wasn't the same as before Jules was a cop. Her dad had seen life as cop, had lived it once before and he didn't want anything like it for his little girl. Therefore, things were strained between the two of them.
Another problem that the job messed with: her love life. Jules was beautiful, brown hair, chocolate eyes, amazing, petit form; she was literally a man's dream. But she couldn't commit, couldn't commit to being on time for date because of work, couldn't commit to a relationship. Her father had warned her that it's hard to juggle a relationship and the job, but Jules was convinced that she could do it. But now, she wasn't so sure. No matter how much she wanted to, Jules just didn't think of herself as a relationship type person. That is, until she saw that blond man today.
He was perfect.
His looks were perfect. Which probably means that he's a total jackass.
She finally tore herself away from the mirror, deciding that she was being ridiculous, her whole life wasn't just the SRU, well okay, it kind of was… But one day, that will change, when she finds the right man. Because she will find the right man eventually.
Jules left the changing room, head down, deep in thought. She hardly realized when she walked right into Ed.
"Whoa there kid, watch were you're goin'."
"Sorry Ed." She mumbled, and tried to continue on her journey to the briefing room.
But Ed stopped her. "Hey there Jules, you ok?"
Great. Jules thought. Now the whole damn SRU is gonna know about my boy issues. Not wanting that at all, Jules perked up right away.
"Yeah, why?" She asked, trying to look more upbeat and carefree.
"You just seem down."
"Well, thanks a lot. I'm sure every girl loves being told that." Jules said sarcastically.
Ed wasn't buying it. "Jules." All he had to do was say her name; he might as well have been saying 'tell me now.'
Jules sighed. "I'm just a bit tired Ed, I'm fine. Really." Lies.
Ed laughed. "Late night Jules?" Ed. Always the annoying big brother.
Jules just rolled his eyes and kept going.
Ed followed her. "Is there a guy in your life Jules? Because you know that me and Greg and Wordy all need to meet him." Ed teased her.
"Believe me Ed, after last night you all have nothing to worry about."
"So I take it the guy is a nerd then? Maybe him and Spike can have a play date sometime."
Jules stopped and looked at Ed. "Can you please go away?" She practically begged.
"Geeze, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed… OH! Maybe your geeky gentleman-friend was in your bed, and you only had one choice on which side to get out of, and apparently, it was the wrong side!" Ed said, looking awfully proud of himself after coming to, what he thought was a very rational conclusion.
Jules was about to answer with a snarky remark when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around and was both surprised and extremely happy.
"Excuse me- Oh." The blond man said as he saw Jules turn around and realize that she was the women he spoke with earlier. "I didn't realise that you were a cop." He said surprised, much to Jules' displeasure.
"Yep. Cool pants and all." She tried her best to smile.
Jules was surprised yet again when he smiled, looking rather impressed. "Nice. What's your main position?"
"Sniper."
"Wow, that's kinda sexy, a female sniper." He gave her the most amazing lopsided grin.
Jules tried her best to keep the rosy pink blush that was creeping up her neck, out of her face. She completely forgetting that Ed was standing right behind her.
Ed however, does not like to be forgotten. He cleared his throat and made his presence known. "And who are you?" Ed asked.
The man looked up from Jules face to Ed's. "Sam Braddock sir."He stuck his hand out for Ed to shake. Ed seemed surprised that Sam had done this.
Sam, Sam Braddock. That's a nice name… not what I expected, but I like it. Jules thought, smiling again.
Ed shook his hand. "And what are you doing here Sam Braddock?"
Sam didn't back down, not at all intimidated by Ed's height or position, which was clearly marked on his uniform as 'Team Leader'. "I had an interview with Sergeant Crae Sir."
"For what?" Ed spat at him.
"For a position on the team." Sam answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"So you're a cop?" Jules asked.
Sam looked back to Jules, giving her that grin again. "Well ex-military actually…"
That explained the Sir thing that he had going on.
"So why'd you leave behind the glorious life of a soldier?" Ed asked, keeping the interrogation going.
Sam simply shrugged. "Long story."
"But I thought that Team Two is full."
Sam shrugged again. "No answers for that one, all I know is that I was supposed to be here for an interview, which went great in case you were wondering." Sam winked at Jules, secretly making her heart throb.
Best to play it cool. Jules thought. "Well I wasn't wondering," Yes I totally was. "But good for you." She said sarcastically. Jules had never been one to play 'hard to get' but this seemed different with Sam, a guy she didn't even know…
Sam seemed a bit thrown off by Jules' snide remark, but then again, what else should he have expected from this living breathing ball of fire?
"Well maybe I'll see you around then?" Sam asked, ignoring Ed once again.
"Not likely Braddock, our girl here already has a gentleman warming her bed." Ed told him straight up.
Jules' jaw dropped to the floor. This time the blush broke past the barrier and covered her cheeks and face a bright red colour. "ED!" Jules gave him the I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that stare.
"What?" Ed asked innocently. "I'm just lookin' out for ya kid." Ed gave her a friendly slap on the back and walked away laughing to himself.
Totally embarrassed, Jules looked to Sam. "I'm sorry about him, he's, well… he's, ugh, he's something else."
Much to Jules' surprise, Sam laughed. What a magical sound. "No worries, my dad would have done the same to me."
Jules smiled, she felt relaxed around Sam. "There's no way your dad could be as bad as the guys on my team." Jules told him truthfully.
"Well, like he said, you're their girl."
Jules gave him a soft smile. For the life of her, she could not figure out why he was creating this feeling in her, it was just some random guy that she literally met about fifteen minutes ago.
"So, uh, you think I'll be seeing you around?" Sam asked, turning on his full charm. Screw the 'gentlemen who's warming her bed'.
Wait, was this amazing guy actually asking her that? Jules wanted so badly to jump at the chance and just tell him yes, but everybody knew that that's not very Jules-style. Best to keep up my act. Jules made up her mind, she wasn't going to let Sam sweep her off her feet, so she simply smirked and walked past Sam. "Nice meetin' ya Braddock."
A/N- So anyone interested in seeing where this goes? I'm hoping for at least a few reviews to let me know if this story possibly has any potential.