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Kim didn’t do partners. The whole precinct knew this. It wasn’t that Kim refused to work with anyone, she just refused to have a permanent partner because a permanent partner was someone you had to put all of your trust in and know everything about. Kim though she knew everything about her last partner; thought she could trust them; trust him.
Kim worked great with Jason and Zack so Zordon usually partnered her with one of them for the day or week; most times she went on her own. Today was one of the days Kim was on her own.
Kim just wanted to get her morning coffee before going across the street to talk with a possible suspect; but of course the world-and her possible suspect-had different ideas.
The barista behind the counter waved at Kim like she would any other morning, gave Kim a smile, and got started on Kim’s order.
“Morning Detective!”
Kim gave her a smile as she pulled out her wallet and phone; handing the barista a ten dollar bill, she unlocked her phone and scrolled through the text message Jason sent her on their possible suspect. She only called him possible because this kid doesn’t look like much, but Kim has learned to not let appearances fool her and the kid’s record was clean so why was this kid tied to a string of robberies? Kim’s next thought on the matter was why she was given this case; Zack was the one who specialized in B&E’s; the result of his daredevil youth. And having Tommy Oliver for a best friend, but who was Kim to judge?
The barista handed Kim back her change just as a text came in from Zack; she took her change with a smile and dropped all of it into the tip jar; she was their favorite tipper.
“Here you go, Detective.” The barista smiled and handed Kim her large coffee.
Kim smiled as she took her drink. “I’ve told you to stop calling me that; you know my name.”
The barista gave her a sheepish look before she replied. “Have a good day, Kimberly.”
Kim gave a triumphant smile before she looked down at her text. Her eyes went wide and she looked up to see another unmarked squad car parked across the street.
‘Dad found out I saddled you with one of my cases so I’m meeting with our possible.’
Okay, that would explain why the case file ended up on her desk, but Zack was never the subtle kind and they had little to nothing on this guy. She watched the door to the sandwich shop their possible worked at fly open and said possible took off in a sprint.
“Shit!” Kim placed her coffee back on the counter. “I’ll be back for this!” She told the barista before taking off out of the coffee shop.
The barista took the coffee and placed it inside the microwave. It wasn’t the first time Kim had to ditch her coffee in favor of chasing after criminals.
Kim met up with Zack on the sidewalk. “What the hell, Zack?!” Kim shouted as they turned down a street and the kid threw a few chairs from the outside dining area of a restaurant in their way. Both easily hurdled over them and continued their chase.
Their suspect was a Latino kid of only eighteen, worked at the deli, graduates high school in the summer, lives with his parents in a nice neighborhood, and if he was innocent he wouldn’t be running.
“Hey!” Zack yelled. “Police! Stop!”
Kim scoffed. Like that ever worked.
The kid ran across the street and nearly got hit by a yellow motor cycle that stopped mere inches from him but he kept running.
Kim and Zack ran past the motorcycle barely sparing it and its rider a glace. If they had they would have seen the rider look around and maneuver their bike around.
Kim and Zack turned into an alley where the kid was already half way over the wire fence. Kim was so not in the mood for this. First she was out on a case that was not her own, second, she hadn’t had her coffee yet, and third, it was too early for her to be chasing after someone through downtown Angel Grove.
“Hey!”
Zack leaped at the kid but he was already over the fence and Zack was still heaving himself over.
The kid glanced behind him to see Zack almost to the top and turned around, taking off out of the alley and out of sight of Kimberly and Zack.
Zack and Kimberly rushed out of the alley and looked both ways trying to locate their runaway.
“Damn it!” Kim shouted as she ran a hand through her short locks.
“He was a fast one.” Zack grinned as if it wasn’t a big deal that they just lost a possible suspect.
Kim just glared at him before she heaved an exasperated sigh and shook her head.
“I’ll see you back at the precinct.” She headed back toward the café, her hands shoved deep into her pockets, head down, and eyes on the ground.
/\/\/\/\
Kim was shorting through case files trying to find any connection to their lost possible; hoping to locate him through friends, as his family hadn’t seen him since he left that morning. Kim typed something into the computer and sipped her reheated coffee.
(It wasn’t reheated. The baristas love her, they made her a whole new coffee. Kim was sixty percent of their daily tips. She stopped in at least three times a day minimum.)
Kim hand just placed her coffee down when loud screaming caught the attention of the whole bull pen.
Loud screaming in Spanish.
Everyone looked up to see a short woman walking in with Kim and Zack’s possible suspect who was screaming his head off as he struggled in the woman’s hold; she dragged him in as if it were nothing and the kid had at least a foot on her.
“No way!” Zack laughed as he got out of his seat.
The kid continued screaming and the woman rolled her eyes.
“You kiss your mom with that mouth?” She asked.
The kid cursed at her again and she smirked as she responded to him in Spanish.
Whatever she said worked because the kid went silent as a uniformed officer took the kid off her and escorted him to holding.
Zack walked up to the woman ready to introduce himself but Zordon stepped out of his office.
“Gomez! You’re late!” Zordon shouted.
Trini smirked. “I came bearing gifts!” she motioned to the kid who was being led away.
Zordon rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Now, Gomez!”
Trini gave him a mock salute and made her way to his office.
Zack went back to his desk and looked across at Jason. “Who is that?”
Jason looked up and glanced at Trini. “New girl.” Jason mumbled before going back to filling out his paper work.
Kim rolled her chair over. “What new girl?”
Jason answered without looking up or realizing that he was even answering because if he was aware he never would have answered as nonchalantly as he did. “Zordon hired on a new detective to fill the opening. She’s supposed to be Kim’s new partner, the Brass has been bugging him about it for weeks.”
Kim’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
Jason looked up, realized it was Kim and his eyes went wide. “Shit! I mean-“
It was too late, Kim was out of her seat and stormed to Zordon’s office.
Kim threw the door to the office open and Zordon smiled at her, acting as if nothing was wrong. She slammed the door shut and leveled him with a glare.
“Ahh, Kim, come meet Trini Gomez, your new partner.” Zordon said motioning his hands between the two. “Trini Gomez, Kimberly Hart.”
Trini stood up and extended her hand out to Kim. “Nice to meet you.”
Kim eyed the outstretched hand for a moment before slowly taking Trini’s hand and shaking it.
“Likewise.” Kim said, smiling politely, but her eyes said she hated every bit of this. She turned to Zordon who held up a hand, pausing the inevitable tantrum Kimberly was about to throw.
Zordon addressed Trini. “Go out and meet the guys, have Jason bring you down to the lab to meet Billy and Alpha.” Zordon told her with a smile.
Trini gave him another mock salute and Kim a blinding smile.
She had a nice smile. Kim internally cringed; this was not the time. She was not going to have a new partner no matter how pretty she was.
As soon as the door shut behind Trini, Kimberly whirled on Zordon.
“A partner?” Kim asked, index finger pointing to the shut door, her eyes narrowed, and jaw set.
Zordon sighed. He knew this was coming, but god, he wished he could have put it off longer. “The Brass…”
“I don’t care about the Brass, Zordon, I care that you didn’t even give me fair warning to try and accept that this horrible thing was happening.” Kim practically snarled at him.
“Detective Gomez is a good cop, she is also the daughter of a friend.” Zordon said. “So please, be nice, don’t make her time here terrible.”
Kim could tell by the look on his face that this talk was over. She took a deep breath, schooled herself, and nodded; resigned in her situation. “Fine. I’ll play nice.” She raised her hand in an ‘I surrender’ motion and backed away.
“Thank you, Detective.” Zordon said in dismissal.
Kim left the office and exhaled heavily.
All she wanted this morning was her damn coffee.
What she got?
An early morning chase, Zack’s annoying presence before said coffee, and a new partner with a pretty smile that reminded Kim of the sun.