Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Big, black half-moons were placed under Emma's eyes, like someone had painted them on. But they were real, not something made with makeup. She had felt the swelling from under her eyes, when she looked into the mirror this morning. To think it was possible for a human being to look as awful as she did right now was… well interesting. She looked like shit.

And it didn’t get better. The blackness was almost hidden with carefully placed concealers, but she couldn’t hide them completely no matter how much she wanted to. They were the product of more sleepless nights than she could count to or even remember.

Right now she was packing the last few things. She was dressed in a grey pants suit, and the tailored trousers were tightly wrapped around her behind, when she bent down to pick up something. It was a plant that she had had for years now, and it was the only one she hadn’t been able to kill, even if watering it was on the bottom of her list.

She had named it Steve, and it had become a good friend at sleepless nights, where she had no one else to talk to. What kind of plant Steve was she didn’t know. She had just pulled it from the shelf in the nearest grocery store a few years ago. The only thing she had looked at was the price - Steve had been really, really cheap.

And she must have made the right decision as Steve has chosen to live even if she had mistreated him. She was no great plant-sitter at all, and even then he stood tall in his pot. The only one staying with her no matter how badly she had treated him.

Then she straightened up and took a frame from the nearest ledge. With a fond expression she looked at the picture. It was a black-and-white picture of a black Labrador. And it was only because she knew it was a black one that she saw it as such. A tear threatened to spill from her eyes, but she wiped it angrily away with her hand. She felt her throat closing up a little as a lump pressed against her larynx.

It was the dog Molly from her childhood home. The dog had been her best friend through some really tough year, and she had been heartbroken when the dog lost the fight against an aggressive tumor just over her right eye. The picture itself had been taken before it got really bad. Before the sickness and tumor had disfigured the happy face and turned the smile into  a frown.

But the fond look became hard as stone, when she heard the sound of the movers trying to lift the couch. They were having a hard time, as it was both big and heavy.

“Stop!” she said almost angrily, and walked towards them in long strides.

They stopped. One of the men’s arms was shaking slightly. Then she stretched out her arm a little and plucked an ugly, purple pillow with fringes from the couch. It was so ugly and worn out that most people would have thrown it out a long time ago - a pillow like that couldn’t hold any value. But for Emma it did. The pillow had a history, because Molly wasn’t the only one she had lost to cancer. Her mother - or well, her adoptive mother - had lost that battle too. And the pillow was the last remembrance she had. The last thing she was gifted with before the mother went into eternal sleep in the hospital bed.

Then she waved at them, clearly annoyed, and kept the pillow close to her chest in a short moment, before she put it under her arm. With one hand’s fingers closed around the plant Steve, and the other around the picture of Molly she went to the front door. The couch was the last thing they needed to get out of the apartment, and then into the moving truck.

With a small sigh she turned around for the last time, and looked at her apartment. It had served her well, even if she hadn’t been there much. Or for a long time either. She always jumped restlessly from job to job. Always the same job as Detective Chief Inspector, but always a new city - or town, she wasn’t really that picky about that part. So maybe she jumped from city to city - sounded better anyways.

Then she shook her head, and turned her back on the apartment and her old life. With the three most important things in her arms she walked down the stairs, until she got to the bottom. She looked back up the stairs, and tried to find some good memories from her time at the apartment, but the only stuff she found was sleepless nights and all but too many cups of coffee.

She went out the door and found her car: an old, yellow Beetle Volkswagen that she affectionately called her ‘Bug’. It was worn out, but all in all a good and loyal car. She had been really fond of it all the way. And even if she had had the money to buy something more fancy than the Bug she hadn’t. She didn’t want to. It brought back memories. Memories of all the good talks she had had with her mother. Maybe it was a little sentimental to keep it. Maybe.

After sitting down on the driver’s seat she placed the things on the front seat and in front of that seat too. At a second thought she put on the seat belt for both herself and Steve. She didn’t want it broken. She liked it too much. It was her best friend - in a way. And it had never left her, even if she forgot to water it all the time. It was one of the few ‘constants’ in her life.

“There you go Steve...” she said to the plant. “And now we should get going! I’m sure you will like our new home.”

It didn’t sound like she believed in what she had said, but she put on a smile to mask the nervousness and there was also fear? She wasn’t quite sure right now. But she didn’t know whether it was to mask her fear from herself or from the world. And somehow it really didn’t matter anyway.

First stop on the route wasn’t the new apartment like most people would. No, she drove directly to her new workplace: the police station. Many people had before told her that she was married to her job, and that might as well be true. Ok, it was true. And there was more reason than one of why she worked as much as she did. Most people just got the story of how she liked to work as much as possible.

Even if that wasn’t true. At least not the whole truth. To be honest she tried to run from the loneliness by burying herself in work.

She gave the GPS a side glance, and then turned into the station’s parking lot. And there she parked the small car and gathered up her things. To leave Steve in the car while she worked just wasn’t an option. That would not happen. He would be cold! Freeze even! Besides that she expected to be here many hours from now, and if even just one of the things got stolen she would be heartbroken.

And then there was another point: it was winther here. Snow everywhere. There was a nice crunch sound each time she took a step. It was a pretty long drive. And it was a long way to move, but she needed fresh air and new surroundings, which is why she moved as far away from her old home as possible. 

When she stepped inside the building the smell of freshly made coffee hit her nostrils. In a short moment she closed her eyes, and sucked in the smell in greedy huffs, before she opened them again and went farther into the station. Then she reached what she thought had to be the right room, and was met with a buzzing of sounds. Mostly voices. But what they said she couldn’t hear, because so many of them talked at the same time.

Her arms were full - with Steve the Plant, the picture, the pillow and the backpack - highly stacked that she didn’t see she was about to walk into someone before it was too late. Almost. She almost dropped it all, when a voice yelled: “Watch out!”

She tried to balance the things as she stopped dead in her tracks, before she sat it all down in a hurry on the nearest desk. She didn’t want to drop anything by accident.

“I haven’t seen you before.” A young woman said, and pulled the hand out of her jeans to shake hands with Emma. She had brown hair with two red streaks in it and very heavy makeup.

“Detective Chief Inspector Emma Swan at your service.” Emma took her hand shaking it, giving it a strong squeeze.

“Hey.” The woman said casually. “I’m Ruby. I’m the secretary here!”

“Hello Ruby.” Emma nodded formally at her.

“I had heard you would start here soon, but we didn’t expect you before tomorrow at the earliest,” Ruby explained with happy gestures with her hands along with the words.

“Hmm… I arrived early and thought I would give the office a quick look.” She answered brusquely, before she gathered her stuff from the desk.

For a short while Ruby stood blinking as if she didn’t understand what Emma had said. But then she nodded to the blonde.

“Follow me. I wanna show you your desk,” she said with a quick nod, the smile had disappeared, but then it came back just as quickly.

“Great.” Emma followed her to the only empty desk in the room.

“Normally you would have your own office, but we haven’t cleared out the old Chief Inspector’s office yet, so you have to do with this desk for now.” Ruby smiled somewhat bread-ladden, and pointed towards the desk.

It didn’t really look like much but it would do. Of that Emma was sure. It was fine and would match her needs nicely for now. On the desk there was a laptop that looked ready for her already.

“You can pick your own password, but the standard password is ‘PoliceUnit10’. That’s the same for all computers at this part of the station, but I suggest you change it. People around here are very curious, and you will want some privacy for your laptop.” She chatted away, and gave Emma a small lap of paper with the password on it.

“Thank you ehm, Ruby. Thank you.” She didn’t really know what to say which meant she just nodded to her. “Can you please just lay the paper on my desk? I kinda have my hands full here.” 

She nodded at the things in her arms. She had a hard time balancing the stuff she held. Ruby just nodded and put the lap of paper on the desk. Then Emma began putting the stuff on the desk. The pillow ended on the chair as it didn’t look all that comfortable, while the picture of Molly was sat on the right side of the screen. Steve found his place on the left side of the laptop. Before long she sat down looking at the laptop. It wasn’t the best machine on the market, but it worked and that was all that mattered.

Fingers were running rapidly over the keyboard as she put in the password. But then she was disrupted by someone who yelled through the room: “RUBY!”

Ruby quickly walked towards the sound and disappeared into a room that Emma hasn’t noticed before now. She shook her head and looked at the screen again. It told her that the password was incorrect. Which is why she deleted the written words and tried again. The computer opened this time, showing her the blue background of a public laptop. She could change that later.

And suddenly Ruby was right beside her again.

“Chief Inspector Swan the boss wants to see you,” she said with a nod towards the door she then pointed at: “That way.”

Emma mumbled something incomprehensible about stress and hopeless bosses, but not loud enough that the others in the office would be able to hear what she said. She closed the screen again and stood up. The pillow fell to the floor and she picked it up, placing it on the chair again, before she went to the given room.

“You wanted to talk to me, chief?” She said as she popped into the room.

“Chief Inspector Swan!” The Police Chief said excitedly. She was a pale, redhead with lots of freckles. The hair was in a bun - like Emma’s hair - even if a few of the red curls had escaped the stringent hairdo.

“Yes, Chief?”

“Sit, sit!” The Chief gesticulated enthusiastically at the chair in front of her desk.

“What can I do for you, Chief?” Emma was still standing, not wanting to sit down. The name tag on the desk said: ‘Police Chief Zelena Green’.

“Chief Inspector Swan, you can begin to imagine how good it is to see you today already. Even if we didn’t expect you before tomorrow.” Zelena had sat down behind the desk, and looked up at Emma, when she pointed at the chair again: “Sit!”

This time it wasn’t a suggestion, but an order and Emma did what she had to - what she was told - she sat down. Zelena nodded contently and flipped through some pages, before she pulled out some of them, and pushed them over the desk towards Emma.

“This is Mina Warren, 16 years old-” she began and pointed at a picture on the top of the first page with a long, pale finger. “-and she has disappeared.”

“Disappeared Chief Green?” Emma repeated slowly and looked at the page. Or that part of the page that wasn’t covered by Zelena’s hand.

“Disappeared. You heard correctly Chief Inspector. Nobody knows where she is, and nobody has seen her for two days now. And you understand that has had her family worried.” She nodded at the page again, before licking her index finger and thumb and revealing the next page.

Emma nodded brusquely. She was listening.

“She was last seen by her cousin Joel Warren two days ago, in the night, and after that she has been gone without leaving even the smallest trace. And it’s up to you to find her. Please look through these pages, Chief Inspector, and find the girl.”

“But Chief Green, by all means, I am a Detective Chief Inspector. My job is to find murderers, not running around after girls who drunk so much that they can’t remember where they are and thereby has disappeared.” She protested with a hand flat on the desk. In her anger she had almost pushed the pages over the desk towards Zelena, but stopped herself. That would be very disrespectful towards her Police Chief.

“We are understaffed Chief Inspector, and therefore we all must be pulling this wheel together to make it run smoothly.” Zelena shook her head dismissively. It was very clear that this wasn’t up for debate - in any way.

“Yes Chief. Of course. I will begin at once. Who is my Sergeant? I need to talk to him, or her, at once,” She asked and glanced at the door behind her.

“Sadly you have no Sergeant at the moment, which is why I am putting you on this case. It’s not new to me that you work best alone. As I said we are understaffed, so you will have to wait until I have hired one for the job. I will find one for you. But it will take some time to find the right one.” She waved dismissively with her hand, and then pointed at the door. “Go now Chief Inspector. Ruby can give you an update on what’s already found in the case. Go find that girl!”

Emma just nodded, and then stood up leaving the office and finding her own desk.

“I’m no Policewoman,” she mumbled fuming, but quiet so nobody could hear it. She sat down at her desk, and then opened the laptop, so she could go look for the information they had on the girl.

Chapter Text

“Ruby!” She called for the woman while scrolling through the database.

“Yeah?” Ruby came running immediately, and stood just beside her.

“Chief Green said you should assist me with this. What do we know about the case?” She explained nodding at the screen that showed a picture of Mina Warren

“Me?” She looked quite baffled. “But I’m just a secretary?” She mumbled maybe mostly to herself. “Which case?”

“Mina Warren. The girl who disappeared from the latino district.” Yet again she nodded towards the screen.

“Let me see what I can find for you. Give me just a sec!” Then she walked towards the entrance of the office, and gone she was.

She must have had her laptop in the hall or something like that. After all she was the secretary and most likely the one welcoming people who came to the station. The one who wrote stuff down and handed it over to the ‘real’ cops. Well at least it was a possibility. When it came to how the Police Chief ran this office Emma knew nothing - yet at least. But that was how it worked at her old job.

She sat scrolling forward in the case without finding anything useful. And then she called for Ruby again.

“Ruby!”

The woman walked in smiling brightly. The heels of her boots made a clicking sound as she walked.

“How do I print this?” She pointed at the screen. All systems was different after all, even if they had some recognizability.

"Like this." She bent in front of Emma with her boobs in her face, as she used the mousepad to scroll and find the printing icon.

"Umpf!" She squaled startled, as she push her chair backwards and then to the side. Ruby wasn't really cheap with her boobs, especially when she showed cleavage like that! It had been really awkward if Emma hadn't been able to ignore it completely. Ok you got it - it was awkward!

“Done!”

First page of the case file was ready for print. Emma scrolled to the bottom and realized that it was only the first page and not also the other pages.

“I need to print the other pages too.” She gesticulated towards the screen again.

“All of them?” Rubys mouth fell open in shook.

But when Emma nodded at that, she began readying the laptop for that too. Emma followed the work very closely, so she would be able to do it herself the next time. And then she didn’t have to get close and personal with Rubys boobs yet again. Because… boobs were nice, but Emma kinda liked choosing whose boobs she wanted in her face and she really hadn’t asked for Ruby’s, so she would rather not try that again.

“That would be it!” Ruby announced and straightened her back again. The boobs almost spilled out of both BH and blouse, but Emma schooled her features and forced her eyes back on the laptop’s screen instead.

And then Ruby leaned forward again of course.

“Just click there. There is an icon in the right corner, if you hold the cursor over it.”

“I’m greatful for your help Ruby,” she mumbled slightly awkward, and felt some heat rise in her cheeks and the sight she had gotten now twice in the last five minutes. She blinked perlexly a few seconds, before she could see other things that boobs when she closed her eyes, and stared at the screen again.

“Not problemo, at all!” Rose quipped cheerful and her heels clicked yet again as she walked back to her own desk in the hall.

“Hey Rose?” Emma shouted for her.

“The printer is inside that room.” Ruby winked at her, and pointed at a door just right for Emma. She hadn’t know what was behind it, but then again she didn’t know what was behind most of the doors. 

But she knew a few things: The door over there lead to the Chief’s office. Then there were two offices for the other Detective Chief Inspectors, one empty and one with the Chief Inspector himself inside. Just left for her there was the doors that lead to the toilets and then the door leading to the hall where Ruby had her desk.

And when she stood up and went over to the door pointed out by Ruby, she could see a sign on the door telling her that it was indeed the ‘Copier Room’. Which was something she hadn’t noticed before now. She turned the doorknob, and was about to walk in when she heard a strange sound.

It was hard to hear exactly what it was, and therefore she made the mistake of walking inside. The sounds were strange moans that she interpreted as pained moans. She gav the door a push and looked inside. Directly at a pale, fatty ass that wobbled every time it’s owner moved.

There was a woman in front of him, and her boobs rocked rhythmically as she was taken from behind by the man.

“Jesus Christ and his woolen underwear!” She yelled startled, and threw the hands in front of her eyes.

She used the other hand to feel for the doorknob. When she found it she began walking backwards out of the room, but almost tripped over something on the floor. The moans stopped as she shut the door very loudly with a deafening BANG that surely would make the pair aware of her existence, if they hadn’t heard her yell just before.

Everyone in the office looked at her as she removed the hands from her eyes. They stared at her, and her eyes wandered over the room. From where she stood she sent them all a dead glare, and tried to force the red colour away from her cheeks. Or at least make herself believe it was anger and not embarrassment.

“Get back to work! Nothing to see here!” She growled at them, before - with wide strides - walking back to her desk as quickly as possible.

And she sat there until the door to the Copier Room opened, and a man and a woman exited it. Nobody dared to look in Emma’s direction right now, which gave her a chance to shoot the pair a glare too from over her screen.

“That’s David and Mary-Magareth,” someone said from a place right behind her.

“What the hell!” She screamed alarmed, and jumped half a mile into the air.

“Those two. Those you saw uhm… having a good time?” Of course it was Ruby who was back again. And of course it was her who was in check with the office gossip too.

“I am really not interested in these kinds of things, Ruby,” she answered maybe a little too fast, before she closed the laptop by pushing down the screen. “I assume it’s safe to go in there now?”

“Usually it’s only those two in there, but if you want me to I can go look for you?” Ruby offered with an excited grin, even if Emma couldn’t figure out why she smiled like that. Maybe it was just the chance of more gossip?

She nodded anyway.

And Ruby still smiled as she walked towards the door. She poked her head inside. Then she turned around giving Emma the thumbs up. Emma rose from her chair, and walked to Ruby, but had a hard time not rolling her eyes at her. They weren’t in High School anymore.

“You should really uhm… vipe of the machines before you use them. And you know… touch them at little as possible? I can imagine they were going at it against the printer?” Ruby nothing but whispered to her.

“Copier.” She made a face as she saw David’s pale ass for her inner eye. Inside she prayed to the Gods that they hadn’t began at the printer. Because she really needed those papers without, ewh, sperm on it.

“Oh! David is mostly a printer man, normally anyways.” Ruby smirked at Emma and brushed past her, her boobs barely touching her arm.

Thereupon she went to the copier room. The inside smelled like, well, sex, but it looked like they had wiped after themselves. But even if that was the case she didn’t have much desire to touch anything in the room. She almost walked on tiptoes, as she moved towards the printer and plucked the papers from the machine. Her least worry was right now whether or not the pages were bound together. She just wanted to get out of there and now!

On the way out of the station she walked closely by Ruby’s desk to tell her goodbye and say she was going home. She had to be at the apartment to welcome the movers. Normally she wasn’t the type for going home early at all. Actually she would rather be at work and do something that helped someone than sit in her empty apartment and do nothing. She wasn’t good at doing nothing, not at all.

When she came to the apartment building the movers were there already. She cursed under her breath as she knew they had waited for her, and therefore she would have to pay more for the move. Well, that had to be that. With a sigh and a deep breath, she jumped out of the car and walked towards the men.

“Hey! There you are!” One of the men said cockily. He was almost bald and quite fat.

“Should we get this done gentlemen?” She said before she walked towards the entrance and opened the door.

She put her hand on her hip, and looked at them. They were still behind her and had just begun opening the moving car to take the furniture to the apartment. That made her shake her head.

“Are you coming or what? It’s me who pays the bill, and as I am paying by the hour I want this done quickly,” she said sternly, maybe a little more strict that she had meant it.

The men grumbled something before the first placed a box in the door to keep it open. The other man, the fat one, had begun towing a coffee table, and followed her upstairs to the sixth floor. Of course there were no elevators in the building, but that really didn’t concern Emma in any way. She was paying the men to move for her, and it was gonna be hard work for them!

When she had unlocked the front door she opened it after which she walked inside and sat down at the nearest ledge. She had payed them to move, and she herself helping them wasn’t on her list of things to do today. Even if she was quite a lot fitter than both of the men.

That was the results of running every morning, weightlifting and whatever else of stuff she had in her apartment. That was how she spend most of her time when she was at home. To keep herself in shape. After all it was a part of the job description!

The first man entered the apartment after a few minutes.

“Where. To. Put. This?” He breathed heavily.

Emma looked around the small living room, found the first and best corner and pointed at it. He just nodded and put it in that corner. Then he went out of the apartment again, and down the stairs to get the next piece of furniture.

And that’s how it went for about an hour, before everything was in the apartment. She was unable to not smile, when they struggled - a lot - to get the double bed up the stairs. It was really heavy and really big and was the one thing in her apartment she loved - when she was actually able to sleep, which sadly wasn’t that often. Maybe she should have mentioned that they had to carry it to the sixth floor. Maybe .

When everything was in their places they were all inside the bedroom. The movers had just put down the bed.

“Ok. How do we do this?” Emma said with a raised brow.

“We will contact you, lady.” The fat one of them said, and scratched himself on the bald head.

“Good,” she answered, but looked kinda enraged by the fact that the mover called her ‘lady’. She didn’t like that. Not at all.

The sweaty, smelly movers walked out of her apartment, and she closed the door behind them.

All around the apartment there were boxes. The living room wasn’t big, but clearly the largest room in the apartment, which is why most of the boxes were in there. Luckily there weren't as many of them as she had feared when she put everything in boxes in her old apartment. She had cleared out everything she wouldn’t need from here and forward every time she moved somewhere new. Most of it ended up in a thrift shop, because why not? Someone might have a use for her old shit.

Chapter Text

With a loud sigh she opened the box with the word ‘office’ written on it with a red permanent marker. And even if there wasn’t exactly a room in the small apartment for an office there was a desk in the distant part of the living room near the bedroom door. After roaming around in the box for a little while she found the laptop and put it on the desk.

When that was done she pulled out a cable from the box which was of course the charger. She had never been an expert at folding the cabels to make them fit better somewhere. She put it in the nearest electric socket, and then the other end in the laptop. To make the laptop work without the charger was impossible as the battery had died a long time ago. You could only turn the laptop on if it was connected to the charger.

Then she opened the laptop and the screen lit up with the HP’s standard screen and that little sound an HP computer always made when starting up.

Yet another sigh fell from her lips before she looked at the other boxes. There was a box with books and a little clothes. The other boxes with clothes were inside the bedroom. Then there was a box with all the kitchen things - what else do you need but one skillet and one pan? - and the last box was the one with the office articles in it. Folders, post it’s and different kinds of writing utensils like pens, pencils, erasers and stuff like that.

But to begin taking stuff out of the boxes wasn’t what she had in mind for the time being. No, there was much more important stuff to do!

She looked around in the apartment and tried to find the papers she had brought with her from the station. But they weren’t easy to find. Only when she went inside the kitchen she found the pages on the hotplate. Good thing the plate wasn’t hot, because that would have caused a small - or big - house fire. She thought while shaking her head at her own forgetfulness.

Steve was sitting on the coffee table, but he had to be moved soon. She had a small TV that had its place there. Maybe it could just hang on the wall, but she didn’t feel like using a power drill at any moment. After all she didn’t even put pictures on the walls or other sentimental nonsense like that. She didn’t have time for it. And the time it would take her to hang up everything was better spend one doing her job. She was sure the citizens would say and think the same.

Next she sat in the office chair. But she ended up standing up again soon after and walked towards the island between the kitchen and the living room. She sat at one of the bar stools. They had been there before she moved in, so she concluded they came with the apartment. Sitting at the chair she looked at the pages.

She flips back and forth through the pages without actually finding anything of interest or of use. No news in them. Or anything she had overlooked in any way. She had read this case file backwards and forwards, and she wasn’t even one step closer to solving the case. Or just getting the first clue! It was damn frustrating, if she should say it herself. 

But after all - she told herself - these kinds of cases weren't what she was trained to solve. She was a Detective Chief Inspector after all, not just a cop. She was used to having a body and some clues. This case had nothing.

And then she unintentionally looked at the clock on her phone. 00:03 it said and she decided she had to unpack something, as this case gave her nothing to work with. Therefore she went directly to the box with the few kitchen stuff she had. The stuff in the top wasn’t what she wanted to get her hands on first of course. First thing she took out was the frying pan and it ended up on the dresser. Then the pan. Then a spoon and a spatula, and finally she found what she was looking for! Her precious coffee maker! It had been really, really expensive, but it made damn good coffee!

With the coffee maker put on the dresser she looked, almost feverishly - like a junkie - for an electric socket. When it was found she connected the cable to it, and then went back to the ‘kitchen box’. Below the flatware and some chipped dishes she finally found the coffee. It smelled wonderful as she opened the bag. The other hand found the coffee filter, and then she just had to put it in the machine. A drink for Gods!

A few teaspoons of coffee in the machine, water in it and then it was in the process of making her amazing coffee. The scent was more than fantastic! And a lot better than the hazy liquid they served at the station. To call that coffee was a crime in itself!

She shook her head while she hummed a song. Then she moved to the itty-bitty balcony. It was important to get some fresh air once in a while. Or so she had read in what felt like a lifetime ago. But she quickly went inside again. To stand out there in a suit was too cold. She fetched her jacket, and then she was on the balcony again.

From her pocket she drug her other addiction. The most important one. Actually more important than the coffee. A cigarette was placed between thin lips as she pulled out a lighter from another pocket. The cigarette was lid, and she greedily drew in, whereafter smoke came out of first her nostrils, like a dragon, and then her mouth. A content sigh came from her lips in a ‘aaah’, as she inhaled again.

That was exactly what she needed after a day like this. A long day even if it really hadn’t been that long. She had had longer days than this, but just now she realized that she hadn’t gotten a smoke since… well, not even yesterday before she drove all the way here. The harsh climate here wasn’t at all what she was used to. There was even snow on the balcony, a thing she only realized now as it melted under her feet and soaked her socks completely. Damn it!

But she stayed on the balcony, her need for finishing the cigarette bigger than her need for dry feet. It was more important than her cold feet. Especially when it was the first smoke of the day!

When she went inside, exhaling the last bit of smoke out the door, she could hear the coffee maker was done. She pulled off her sock, throwing them at the nearest chair, and went to the kitchen. Dusting off a cup she poured the brown liquid into it.

Thereafter she moved back to the desk with the pages in hand to give them yet another look. Even if the case file made her damn frustrated. After a while, without getting to take even one sip of the coffee, her head fell onto the pages and she was asleep.

She didn’t wake up until next morning, even if most people couldn’t get a good night’s sleep like that. But when she woke she rubbed one eye with her hand when the other eye fell on a word. The only word she could really see laying like that: ‘Cousin’ - was the word. And that gave her an idea of how and where to begin. She of course had to begin at the place where Mina Warren was last seen!

After having a morning smoke and a cup of coffee she pulled on her jacket and went to work with a stiff neck from the sleeping position. The idea wouldn’t leave her so why not just get started and go to work? Even if it wasn’t more than six o’clock in the morning she had her mind on the idea and had to figure things out. Her mind felt very awake and restless, even if it was sharp as always.

With a wide yawn she got into her car with a to-go cup she had picked up at the nearest Starbucks. They made great coffee, but not as great as her own machine. Maybe she should buy her own to-go cup, so she could bring real coffee with her to work. Because she really would need it, if she worked like she did on her old job. But on the way she pulled over and looked at the case file. Maybe it would be more logical to, as it was still early, just check out where Mina disappeared from? No real reason to go to the station at this time of day. Nobody would need her there right now.

She started the car again and turned to the right after putting on the GPS on the phone and choosing the bar.

Soon after she got there she parked at some parking spots nearby. The bar was named ‘The Rabbit Hole’ and was a bar for the young people. It was kinda perfect for a 16 years old girl like Mina Warren - if you asked Emma anyways.

Inside the bar a few people sat even if the clock had barely hit 6:30. Mostly, she figured, it was people from last night and then the bartender. With a steel glare she walked right up to the bar, nodded at the man with her arm slightly leaning on the table.

“Good morning Miss,” the bartender said with a nod. He had a thick moustache and not even one hair on his head.

“Good morning,” she answered politely, and took a sip of her coffee.

“Do you want something or is your coffee good enough,” he asked, wrinkling his nose and he pointed at the to-go cup with his pinky before resuming to dry a glass.

“I’m here to gather information.” She pulled out her badge and he looked like he was gonna protest or make trouble.

With a sigh he nodded: “What can I do for you? What kind of information?

“Have you seen this girl four days ago in this bar?” She had pulled out the photo from the case file and showed it to him.

He picked the picture up looking at it with scrutiny while the wrinkles on his forehead only got deeper. As he squinted Emma just looked at him with no clear expression, but something in her body language said very clearly that she was waiting for his answer. And finally he nodded and gave back the picture.

“Yeah, I saw her that night. Why?” He said lastly and stilled with the glass in his hands. Then he put it on the table behind him and turned to look at Emma again.

“The matter of fact is that young Mina Warren has disappeared.” Her expression was very professional with not even a shadow of a smile.

“Disappeared?” The Bartender asked, surprised.

“Yes, disappeared. Her family hasn’t seen her since that night. Was there anyone with her?” Her questions were quick and sharp, like she didn’t have a lot of time for this or like she has impatient.

“Hmm...” he hummed and scratched his moustache with the index finger. It almost looked like he was picking his nose by the way he did it. And then he said: “I saw her with a young man slightly older than her. But before that she was drinking with the guys over there.”

He pointed at a table over his shoulder with his thumb. The boys at the table looked quite drunk, and wouldn’t be of much use, but at least she could get their names and then interrogate them when they had sobered up.

“Those guys over there?” She nodded towards the table, but didn’t move towards it.

“Yeah,” the bartender answered and began drying another glass.

“And the young man she was with… do you know who he was?” She lifted an eyebrow at him.

“No. I didn’t recognize him, but the girl did. She did… was it Mina you said her name was?”

“How could you see that?” She put pressure on him.

“They hugged each other for quite a long time, so maybe they were friends or even boyfriend and girlfriend?” He said pensively.

“Was it this guy you saw?” She took a picture of Mina’s cousin Joel Warren from the case file she had under her arm.

Yet again the man watched the picture closely before he answered as he shrugged: “Sure looks like him.”

“Good. Very good,” she mumbled more to herself than to the bartender. “Thank you for the help.”

When those words were said she moved to the table the bartender had pointed out earlier. At the table four guys were sitting. They were all really drunk and had definitely gotten the last beer that morning. The bartender didn’t look happy with them being so loud.

She cleared her throat, which made the boys look at her.

“Yeah?” the first guy said. He had pretty long, thick, and black hair and a slightly stubbled chin.

“I am looking for information about this girl who has disappeared,” she began calmly.

“What hunny?” another boy asked also with black hair, but it was shorter and he had a high mohawk.

“As I understand it you guys were here with Mina Warren a few nights ago?” Emma looked thoughtful.

Chapter Text

“Oh itty-bitty Mina?” A third guy laughed. He had thick brown hair, also short.

“Ey Alejandro! The lady is looking for Mina!” A fourth guy called to the first one who looked like he was about to fall asleep sitting.

“And I thought she was grounded by Mommy!” The guy named Alejandro chuckled.

“Yes, I am looking for Mina. Do you know where she is?” Emma asked, getting more and more impatient with them. Mostly because of the way they talked and how little information she got out of this.

“No idea. What about you Jose?” The guy with the brown hair asked, shrugging.

“Abso-abslolutely no idea,” Jose with the mohawk slurred.

“Has she disappeared or what?” Alejandro then asked.

“Yes, she has disappeared.” Emma could feel a migraine creeping in on her, as this went very slow and barren.

“Well, she must be somewhere, right?” The guy with the brown hair stood up and fell over the chair next to him.

“If I can get your names then we can talk when you are-” She looked for a better, more delicate way of saying it, but her mind was blank. “-more sober. What do you think about that?”

“Sure,” Alejandro answered with a nod.

“She can’t have my name!” The fourth guy protested aggressively.

“Calm down Luis! She is not arresting you or anything!” Jose put at hand on Luis’ shoulder to calm him.

“I’m Emiliano Garcia,” the brown haired guy said as he got up from the floor.

Emma wrote down looking aloof at them.

“Alejandro Muñoz.” Alejandro smiled a smile that most likely won many girl hearts, but it didn’t work on Emma of course.

“Jose Díaz.” He kicked Luis and gestured at Emma who wrote down the names.

“Luis Romero,” he mumbled angrily at the floor before downing half a glass of beer in one mouthfull.

When Emma had written down all the names the bartender addressed them.

“You boys should go home. I am not serving more for you at this time of hour.” He gestured towards the door.

“Thank you for helping me,” she said almost friendly, nodding curtly at him.

The guys of course began to argue with the bartender, but Emma wasn’t about to watch them do that. Instead she went out the back and into an alley, just to look for any possible clues.

“Hmm...” she hummed for herself, while walking around the alley finding nothing.

Not until she saw someone moving anyways.

“Hey you! Stop!” She yelled at the person.

But they just began running out the alley, not doing what Emma asked them to do. Which is why Emma went into a faster pace, replaced by running soon after. She had to catch them! If they knew something she wanted to know!

“It’s the police! Stop this instant!” She yelled as loudly as she could, her lunges burning from the yelling and the running.

But of course that didn’t work at all. And when she thought about it this kind of approach never had any effect on people who chose to run from her. Which is why she was now chasing this someone, forgetting all about giving the alley a closer inspection. She had to do that later, but she had this feeling that this person knew someone. That they were involved in Mina’s disappearance somehow.

“Stop!” Her breathing was heavy as she ran. 

Even if this person wasn’t really that tall they could really run like a gazelle. They were sooo fast!

Ok yes this person was fast, but soon Emma caught up with her a little and got close enough to 1) see it was a woman and 2) grab her arm. So she grabbed her arm with both hands and then put her heels to the ground to make the woman stop running. She almost slipped on the asphalt because of the snow, but soon after finding a foothold.

“Let go of me!” A woman’s voice said, deeper than Emma had expected.

The woman tried to shake Emma of her, but didn’t succeed as Emma grabbed her arm tighter in a stronghold. She kept holding on, and finally the woman stopped trying to run from her. She was dressed in a pair of worn out jeans, a Rick Jeans tank top and a closed leather jacket with a few flowers on the bottom. And Emma found that weird clothing as it was cold as Satan’s bare ass out here.

“Stop it! Let go of me I said!” Her accent was clear and kinda Brooklynn-ish, even if Emma wasn’t sure if English was actually her first language.

“Not unless you are gonna tell me why you ran from me!” Emma’s voice is stern and her tone hard, almost solid.

“ You were the one running after me !” The woman almost yelled at her.

“I-” At first Emma was totally perplexed, but then she shook her head: The anger was back.

The woman had put her free hand on the hip, and had challenging lifted an eyebrow at her.

“You ran, I followed!” She spat angrily and maybe a little blunt.

“I wouldn’t have run, if you hadn't frightened me!” It was clear that the woman was angry, but there was an underlying feeling. Almost as if she was… embarrassed? But embarrassed by what? By being frightened by Emma? Well, that was a possibility…

Emma tilted her head, but didn’t get to talk before the woman talked very angrily again.

“You could have been a rapist? How the hell should I know you weren’t? Only crazy people run after others when they are running from them!“

“Yeah, or the police!” She punched back her fingers locking around the woman’s wrist.

The woman blinked mutely a few times before she repeated: “Let the hell go of me!”

“If you can tell me you are not gonna run, I will let go of you,” was the only thing Emma said.

“I… let go!”

“If you stay I will let go,” she repeated with a nod.

“Okay, okay, you win!”

With a lifted eyebrow Emma let go of the woman’s wrist, and took a step backwards. She watched as the woman rubbed her wrist, and then ran her fingers through dark brown curls. She didn’t have long hair, but it went to her shoulders or so, and looked really… well, she looked more and more Latina the longer Emma looked at her.

“What do you want from me?” The woman asked, looking very displeased.

“Let’s begin with your name, Miss.” Emma looked at her with a pending expression and a polite smile on her thin lips.

“Roni Ramirez. Ron amongst friends.” From her tone it was clear that Emma wasn’t a part of her friend circle.

“Detective Chief Inspector Swan,” she introduced herself as, as that was her title. That was what one did, when someone told them their name. She also showed her her badge.

“Well… Chief Inspector , what do I owe the pleasure?” Roni’s tone was so clearly sarcastic, but if you didn’t hear it at first you could see it in her smile - which was more like an angry grimace.

“I am looking for information about Miss Mina Warren’s whereabouts, as she had disappeared,” she explained in a calm manner.

“Mina?” Roni repeated with a surprised expression. Like she couldn’t believe what Emma had just said.

“Do you know her?” The question was quite direct, because that was how Emma rolled. She was polite of course, but she was more a straight-to-the-case kind of person.

“No,” she answered flatly, but the dark eyes were watching her curiously.

“Really?” She honestly didn’t believe that one word coming out of Roni’s mouth.

“I know her area. Her home district is the same as mine. Same heritage.” Roni’s eyes were now more guarded than curious.

“And what district is that?” Emma tilted her head.

“The Latino District of course.” She rolled her eyes at her like her answer was the most logical thing ever said - like two plus two equals four.

“Good, good,” Emma said with a nod, pulling out her notepad writing on it. That hadn’t been in the case file. An address? Yes, but that was really all she had. A disadvantage of being new in town - she guessed.

Roni gav the notepad a look that one would give a poisonous snake. She didn’t trust Emma that much was clear. Even if she had a feeling that it hadn’t much to do with her as a person. And everything to do with her job at the police.

“You know that area well I take?”

“Yes, Chief Inspector I know the area well.” She just repeated Emma’s words back to her like she had something to hide. Or like she didn’t really care.

“And you are familiar with the city, I take it?” Emma just kept firing questions like she didn’t care much about her reluctance and her dodging her questions.

“It’s a big city, Chief Inspector.” Again with that reluctance from before.

“It really is Miss Ramirez, but I feel like you know it quite well anyways.” She had a hard time not smiling as Roni gave her the feeling that this woman could actually help her. If she chose to that is.

But Roni just shrugged. She wasn’t willing to share that information apparently. Which is why Emma changed tracks.

“What were you doing in the alley in the back of ‘The Rabbit Hole’?”

Roni’s eyes made contact with Emma’s as she shrugged again.

Emma gave herself a mental high five. That had to be something!

“Nothing.” Roni shook her head no longer wanting to meet Emma’s eyes.

“Nothing? Really? You must have done something?”

“Nothing at all. I was on my way home.” Roni’s facial expression was both blank and stubborn at the same time.

“Ok and you don’t know anything about that alley that makes it special? Like the fact that it was the last place Mina Warren was seen before she went missing?” Emma roasted her a little there, her lips curling into a triumphant smirk.

“Nope.” She popped the P.

“Hmm...” Emma pretended like she was writing on the notepad.

“I haven’t done nothin’ wrong. Can I go now?” Roni tapped impatiently with her hear on the asphalt. Her boot has quite a high heel, and now that Emma actually got a better look at them she was quite impressed by the woman’s ability to run fast in them.

“I think you are gonna go for a ride with me.” Emma stepped forward reaching for her arm, but Roni was faster stepping backwards as she ducked the grip.

“I haven’t done anything wrong! I have as much right to be here as anyone else!” She protested angrily, and stepped backwards again. Just for a second it looked like she was gonna run again.

“Don’t run, it won’t do you any good. It will only do two things: 1) you will look even more guilty and 2) I have already proved that I can run faster than you.” She gave her a cocky grin.

Roni just returned the grin with an angry grimace, and rolled her eyes at her. But she stayed where she was. Then Emma tried to grab her arm again.

“I am indeed capable of walking myself, Chief Inspector!” Aggressively she pulled out of Emma’s grip, and stepped backwards again.

“As you wish.” She nodded. “Follow me Miss Ramirez.” She pointed at the direction from which they came from.

Roni was mumbling something under her breath, but in such a low tone that Emma wasn’t able to hear what she said. And even if she had been able to hear it she was pretty sure she wouldn’t have understood any of it anyways, as she was speaking Spanish. Hearing the words or not hearing them was all the same for Emma, as she didn’t understand Spanish.

She just shook her head and followed Roni back to the alley.

“This way.” She pointed at a small pat between the bar and the building beside it.

For now she was in front. She was able to hear Roni behind her because of her heels making click-sounds, while the snow was making a crunching-sound under her own boots. How she could even walk, let alone run , in boots that high, in snow nonetheless, was a mystery she wouldn’t be able to solve. But she didn’t interfere in any way. It wasn’t her place to do so.

She just walked towards the yellow Bug, and opened the backseat door.

“Oh no! Hell no!” Roni’s eyes were big with disbelief.

“Get in,” was the only thing she said, even if she wanted to tell the woman to not insult her baby .

With a displeased ‘hpmf!’ Roni got into the car like Emma had told her to. Soon after Emma was in the driver's seat, and looked into the mirror to be sure Roni was still in the car. Luckily she was still there on the backseat.

She turned the key and the small car buzzed slightly. It coughed a few times before jumping into gear and Emma was able to pull into the driving lane.

“Querido Dios!” Or something like that Roni mumbled from the backseat.

“What was that?” She asked her looking into the rear mirror.

“Estúpida policia.” Roni met Emma’s eyes in the mirror with a hardness that not even Emma could match. She was the first one to look away and avert her gaze to her road in front of her.

“I am not speaking spanish in any way, so I will just assume you said something nice about my hair,” she answered, maybe a little too provocative as she was met by Roni rolling her eyes at her in the rear mirror.

Then they drove towards the station.

Chapter Text

The yellow Beetle Volkswagen drove into the parking lot parking at one of the spaces for cars owned by people working at the station. Emma got out of the car slightly smiling at Roni as she wasn’t able to open the car door. But what the Latina didn’t know was that the door was children safed, so opening it from the inside wasn’t possible. Only from the outside of course - it was her ‘Police Car’ after all.

Then she opened the door.

“Estúpido!” Roni kicked the air angrily, and luckily didn’t hit the car itself.

“This way Miss Ramirez.” Emma made an open gesture with her hand, and then waved her with her.

Inside the station everyone was busy as always. Ruby winked playfully at Emma as the two women passed her.

“Who is that Emma?” She asked with her eyes big and maybe a little nosy too, while she pointed at Roni with a long, red painted nail.

“I have brought Miss Ramirez in for a questioning.” Not to say that Emma actually ignored Ruby’s question, but that was actually what she did right there.

“Have you already found your first witness?” Ruby yelled after her as Emma crossed the corridor to go towards the door for the rooms for questioning.

“Right door Chief Inspector ,” Roni laughed mockingly, and pointed at the door she talked about before adding: “Novato...”

Emma couldn’t do anything else than rolling her eyes at her. Mostly because she didn’t know what the word meant, even if she was pretty sure it was some kind of insult.

They went through the right door, and ended up in a long corridor with many doors. On many of the doors were a small sign with the words ‘for questioning’ written on them. Which is why she just chose the first room. Inside was a table and four chairs. And a recorder was settled on the table. Roni lazily sat down in the nearest chair. She put her foot on the seat, looking like a lion watching its prey.

When Emma had sat down she pressed the button on the recorder and began: “Thursday the 12th of November 2:41 PM. In the room there is I Detective Chief Inspector Swan and the suspect Miss Roni Ramirez-”

“Hey! Listen girl-cop!” Roni cut her off.

Emma lifted her hand to make her quiet, but it didn’t work.

“Why am I a suspect?!” She wanted to know.

“-here for questioning about the missing girl Mina Warren.” She talked into the recorder, like Roni hasn’t just interrupted her.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” She sounded really angry now.

“Miss Ramirez,” she nodded towards Roni.

Roni nodded to her with her arms over her chest not liking this situation one bit.

“On what ground were you in the alley behind ‘The Rabbit Hole’?” She asked again talking into the little microphone connected to the recorder.

“I was on my way home. I have already told you this,” Roni sighed, possibly irritated and sat correctly in the chair now, before she pushed herself backwards a little.

But before Emma got to say anything else someone knocked on the door. 

“Enter!” Emma called out slightly irritated. She wasn’t in the mood for getting interrupted anymore by others this interview.

Opening the door Ruby came inside the room with a little notepad.

“Secretary Ruby Lucas is entering,” she told the recorder before looking at Ruby: “What do you want Ruby?”

“Police Chief Floyd asked me to assist you.” She pointed at the notepad. “You know, write down stuff.”

For a second Emma looked kinda perplexed, but then she nodded and pointed at the chair beside her. Quickly Rose sat down. The Secretary was ready to write everything and anything down now.

“Secretary Ruby Lucas is not here with us, writing down what ever need to be,” she told the microphone, and then turned to Roni.

She actually looked kind of reluctant as she watched Ruby from across the table. She looked like a caged animal right now, as a contrast to her looking like a predator just before Ruby entered the room. Clearly she wasn’t comfortable with this situation.

“Ok. You are telling me you were on your way home. Does that mean on the way home from ‘The Rabbit Hole’? Correct?” Emma resumed the questioning seemingly not caring about the interruptions.

“Correct,” Roni answered reluctantly.

“And where were you when Mina Warren disappeared?” She then asked, glancing at Ruby who was writing on the notepad.

“Refresh my memory, Chief Inspector . When exactly did she disappear?” She said mockingly using Emma’s title against her.

“Four nights ago Mina Warren went missing. She was last seen in the alley where I conveniently found you , Miss Ramirez. And from where you tried to escape from me.” Her tone was neutral.

“ I have told you that I thought you were a rapist! In that area you meet many suspicious types!” She clearly tried to defend herself with words, her arms crossed over her chest again in a defiant way.

“And I told you that I was from the Police.” Emma didn’t like her tone. Not one bit.

“And I told you that you will be surprised about how many people say that!” The arms still crossed she glared at Emma, an angry grimace on her face.

“Oh for the love of!-” She stopped herself just in time shaking her head.

The last thing she wanted was to argue with the woman. She shouldn’t let her provoke her, and it didn’t sound good on a recording either. It was like the woman tried to provoke her. And now Roni sat smiling a Cheshire smile at her. Damn! Sometimes the woman just made her want to choke her! Not literally of course!

“It doesn’t matter.” She rubbed her forehead as a migraine had begun hammering at her brain. “Where were you when Mina Warren disappeared, Miss Ramirez?”

“I was home of course,” was the simple answer she gave.

“And where is ‘home’?” She put air quotes around the word.

“The Latino District of course. Where I live.” Roni’s answer was mad like it was common knowledge.

“That means you live in the same area as Mina. Correct?”

“I have already told you that! Get on with it!” She flicked her wrist and rolled eyes at Emma.

‘Showing me respect would be better for your case…’ Emma thought, but didn’t say it out loud.

“For how long do I have to stay here? For how long do you wanna keep me here?” She wanted to know.

“As long as it takes to get the information I want and need.” She shrugged like it was nothing.

“I have already told you what I know!” Big, brown eyes did a roll, before olive skinned fingers ran through the brown curls.

“What about you tell me again? And this time you talk into the microphone?” Emma hissed through clenched teeth.

“I know nothing! I was on my way home! I have already told you this!” She flicked her wrists angrily then waving dismissively at Emma.

“On your way home from what?” Emma leaned slightly forward towards the microphone, before turning it towards Roni instead. She wanted every little word caught by it.

Roni moaned exhausted before telling: “I was on my way home from ‘The Rabbit Hole’ of course. And I chose the way through the alley as my way home.” She shook her head irritatedly.

“And why didn’t I see you in there?”

“I guess I was already outside at that point.” She shrug.

“You guess? Were you outside or were you not?” Emma put pressure on the Latina.

“I was of course outside. If I wasn’t you would surely have seen me with your sharp eyes Chief Inspector .” The brown eyes flashed in anger and challenged Emma so clearly.

“Am I understanding this correctly-” Roni snorted. “When I came inside the bar you were already outside. But when I went outside you were still in the alley messing around?” She tilted her head in question.

“I was not ‘messing around’. Maybe I had fallen. It was quite slippery out there with the snow and the ice and all!” She rolled her eyes.

“What you are telling me is that you weren’t sober at that time? That you still aren’t quite sober?” Emma looked at Roni. She was not smelling the alcohol on her breath, but then again she could have eaten breath mints or something.

“I am sober! Totally sober! And if I wasn’t at the time you pulled me into your car I most certainly am now after you talking nonsense for so long!” Her tone was aggressive and her dark brown eyes flashed dangerously. An anger that matched Emma’s own.

“What you are saying is that you are sober now, but not then? When I met you?” Emma demanded to know, tilting her head slightly: asking her, maybe even dared her to say something.

“I am sober. I was sober. I told you I fell!” She pointed accusatory at Emma, and that was when Emma notied that her nails were painted black. Maybe with a slight purple glow. Most likely very dark purple.

“Who does your nails, Miss Ramirez?” She then asked to clear the very, very tense air a little.

“You are not interested in my nails, Chief Inspector . You want to know if I am somehow involved in Mina’s disappearance,” she answered in a demand.

“And are you?” She thought she had her now.

“Am I what?”

“Involved?” She tilted her head slightly again, to the left this time.

“Not in the least. I don’t know her.” She shook her head dismissively.

“And yet you knew who she was, when I told you her name,” Emma drilled at her with half a smile. Finally she was getting somewhere!

Ruby looked from Roni to Emma and back at Roni again like she was watching a tennis match.

“Of course I knew who she was. I have bumped into her a few times, but to say I actually know her is quite a stretch, don’t you think?” Yet again she ran her long fingers through the curls.

“But you have ‘bumped’ into her and you know her name.”

Roni nodded ridgedly as an answer.

“Suspect Miss Roni Ramirez is nodding,” Emma told the recorder talking into the microphone. That was important to mention as it was a sound- and not visual recorder.

“Are we done now or what?” Roni’s arms were crossed in front of her chest yet again.

“If you don’t have anything to add, then yes.”

“I don’t.” Roni stood already on her way out of the room.

“Questioning of Miss Roni Ramirez has finished at 3:12 PM,” she told the microphone before turning off the recorder. “Let me see you out.”

“I can walk on my own,” Roni answered sharply, as Emma stood up herself and almost took her arm to lead her outside.

“Good,” was the only thing Emma could say.

All three women left the room to go to the entrance of the station. But before Roni was able to flee the situation Emma cleared her throat nodding at Ruby.

“Miss Ramirez! Stay in the area please,” she told her.

“Where else should I be?” Roni asked before turning on her heel to walk away.

“Miss Ramirez!” She then called out because she remembered something. “I need your address. And your phone number, if I need to contact you about the case. Or if I have questions for you. More questions.”

“If you want a woman’s phone number you should at least ask her out first.” She smirked as she went back to Emma brushing imaginary dust off of her shoulder. That made Emma freeze for just a second.

“Emma,” Ruby said, giving her a slight push.

“Give it to me anyway, Miss Ramirez. If you want to go home today it is, and I really think you want that,” Emma said trying to sound confident even if her voice was shaky. And she didn’t know why.

Roni looked a little surprised, but still smirked almost cheerful, as she gave the information to Ruby who wrote them down on the notepad. Then she waved at the women leaving the station’s grounds as she mumbled something about being very far from home.

“What was that?” Ruby smirked catlike.

“What was what?” Emma answered with a shrug like this conversation meant nothing to her. Hint: It did!

“That just there!” She gestured between where Roni had just disappeared into the streets and Emma.

“Watch it Ruby,” her tone stern and her face just like it.

“Okay. Okay!” Ruby put her hands up avertedly in front of herself, before she left Emma outside in favor of the higher temperature inside. She didn’t wanna be cold.

After a little while Emma realized that maybe Roni had given her, given them , a fake number. Or a fake address, or both! And that she had to check up. She pulled out her phone but then went inside. The number and address were on the notepad inside the station with Ruby, and she couldn’t call and check without it.

“Ruby?” She said as she couldn’t see Ruby anywhere. Then the always smiling secretary showed up nodding at her.

“Yes Chief Inspector?” She answered like Emma hadn’t snapped at her just before, her tone light and bright as always.

“Miss Ramirez’ number please,” she added the last word quickly as she saw Ruby’s hurt expression.

“Here you go!” Just that quick she was back and all peppy again.

Yet again Emma thanked her before taking the paper and going outside again. Why she wanted to talk to Roni in private she didn’t know. She really didn’t, but that was what she wanted. Punching in the number of the cell, she pressed call and lifted it to her ear. It rang a few times, Emma almost sure of the fact that Roni had given her a fake number. Or just that she didn’t wanna talk to her. OR it could be a fake number.

“Hola?” was the answer she got.

“Roni Ramirez?” She asked with a slight nod that Roni of course wasn’t able to see.

“What is it now Chief Inspector Aburrida?” 

The voice was so clearly Roni’s. Mostly because it was so different from most female voices she had heard through her life. It was just well… very deep. When she talked to Emma anyways… Wait what?

“Are you there or should I just hang up?” She could almost hear Roni smirking.

Emma still didn’t say anything. She really liked… no, she just listened to her voice.

“Is this the Police’s version of a prank call?” Yet again she could hear the smile.

“Eheem, no. I just wanted to be sure that-”

“-I hadn’t given you a fake number,” she ended her sentence like it was something she was used to.

“Exactly.” She cleared her throat again.

“Is it good enough for you?” Roni asked just the right amount, curious and amused. Wait what?

“It doesn’t matter. Talk to you later Miss Ramirez.” But Emma didn’t hang up. She waited for Roni to do that.

Roni laughed and then there was a click-sound. She had hanged up and Emma had a hard time not feeling… disappointed somehow? Wait… why was she disappointed? And about what? She didn’t even know it herself. The more she talked to Roni Ramirez the more confused she got.

But then she smiled at the phone and shook her head. She must have been crazy or something. Would she really like to hunt down Roni yet another time? The answer was a resounding ‘yes’, and that just made her feel even more crazy than she already felt she was becoming. Something had to be wrong with her head. She thought, slapping herself on the cheek.

“Snap out of it!” She told herself sternly, before going inside the station again.

Chapter Text

Just this day Emma was out and about visiting pubs and bars hoping that she would find some more information about what happened to Mina Warren. Or that was the purpose anyways. As of now she hadn’t gotten any kind of helpful or useful information. And she really wanted to know what had happened to Mina, especially after she had talked to her cousin behind ‘The Rabbit Hole’.

But as of now her investigation had been fruitless. No one from the Latino District wanted to talk to her. Nobody wanted to talk to a cop, that much was clear. Even if she repeatedly told them that she was not a cop, but a Detective Chief Inspector. And even that fact hadn’t made it better in any way. Not at all.

While shaking her head she went inside yet another pub or bar or whatever. It was called ‘Roni’s’, but she didn’t really noticed that before she saw Roni Ramirez serving drinks for the customers. Because of fucking course she worked in this bar. And if she wasn’t all wrong the woman actually owned the pub too! Why hadn’t she told her about that? Was she dreaming or something?

Wait… since when had she begun dreaming about suspects? This job was becoming a horrible mess, if she said so herself. Or this case at least.

She didn’t get far into the pub before Roni waved at her with a smirk - obviously amused by Emma.

“Chief Inspector Aburrida? I didn’t expect to see you here - of all places!” Her voice was loud as if she owned the place - and yes, Emma got the irony of it all, thank you very much!

“Miss Ramirez? Who would have thought that,” she laughed but didn’t mean it, before sitting right in front of Roni. The chair was empty anyways.

“Thought what? Why shouldn’t I own a pub like this?” Challenging the lifted an eyebrow at Emma.

“Why not?” Emma shrugged seeming like she didn’t care even if she was more than angry on the inside.

“What do you want, Chief Inspector?” She asked polishing a glass with a rag.

“Information maybe? About why you didn’t mention that you worked in a bar? In this neighbourhood?” Yes, she knew she was trying her luck with this one, but she just couldn’t help herself. After all she was trained by the police. Being curious was an occupational injury and a risk of this business.

“Why should I mention that? It really didn’t seem relevant in any way.” She shrugged carelessly even if her smirk was lopsided and almost teasing. That made Emma drop her jaw a little.

“Of course it’s relevant! Everything is relevant!” She gestured wildly with her hands sighing with irritation.

“Oh, of course, everything . Do you also wanna know if I sleep on my right or my left side? Or on my back? On my stomach? Is that relevant too?” She quirked an eyebrow put one hand on her hip.

“Nonsens!” Emma spat angrily, and turned her back on the woman. “And I don’t need a drink!“

“You don’t? Because you really look like someone who might need it.” Roni’s hands were back on the glass and the rag.

“I really don’t!”

Then she turned her back on Roni, and went through the pub, until she found a spot to sit. She had to talk to the customers to figure out if they knew anything about the disappearence of Mina Warren. They had to know something, right? Someone had to know something ! And until now everything had been nothing but fruitless.

Then she found herself standing up, and walking towards the nearest man.

“Hello sir,” she said to the man in the red flannel.

“Hello to you Chief Inspector, what can I do for you?” He answered, clearly he had been listening to her and Roni’s conversation.

“Information, good sir, information.” Emma put her badge back into her pocket. She clearly didn’t have to show it to the man, as he already knew who she was.

“Of what kind, Chief Inspector?” He tilted his head to the right.

“About a young woman, Mina Warren, who has went missing. And I wanted to know if you have maybe seen her? Maybe you can remember her? That she had been at this pub?” She knew that the answer for ‘information’ was quite cryptic, which is why she explained herself.

“I know nothing about that.” He quickly got quiet about everything, and the polite maner of speaking was gone.

“Listen pal,” she began, nodding towards Roni. “If you don’t start talking I will talk to my good pal over there instead.”

“You really didn’t seem like good friends,” the man answered with a shrug, drinking heavily from the beer in his hand.

“Mi-” She just stopped herself, before she was being too formal towards the woman she claimed was her friend, and changed it to: “Roni!” As she called for the woman.

“Yes?” Roni answered almost submissively, as she sashayed towards the table.

“Can you please tell this man that he has to tell me what he knows?” Emma asked hoping that she would take the hint and help her. Probably not though.

At first Roni smiled in a way that Emma knew meant payback later. It almost looked like she wouldn’t help her, but then she nodded and turned her sharp gaze towards the man. Smiling she nodded at Emma again.

“Antonio please answer the lady,” she said sternly in a tone Emma hadn’t heard before from her.

“Or what?” The man, Antonio, answered almost cheeky.

“Or what?” Roni mocked twisted at him, shaking her head. “Or I will make sure you can’t wet that dry-spot in your throat in this city ever again - of course.”

“Y-you can’t do that!” He stuttered and drank quickly from the beer.

“Oh but I can. I already know a few pubs where you are no longer welcome. Pub owners who has kicked you out. Do you want me to double that number? Triple it?” She had put her hand on her hip as she with her eyes dared him to cross her.

“Okay,” he nodded febrile at her. “Okay, okay!”

“Good,” was the only thing she said before leaving them and going back to the bar. But halfway she stopped. ”And know I think you deserve a beer on the house!”

He smiled happily, and sipped the beer quietly, before he turned towards Emma again: “What do you wanna know, Chief Inspector?”

“Mina Warren. Have you seen her in the area a week ago?” She asked with pen and paper readily in front of her.

“Mina Warren? Itty-bitty Mina? Yes ma’am I have seen her. Even if pubs like this one really aren’t for her. Someone has a soft spot for the girly.” He smiled secretively, before he talked again, before Emma could ask. “She went outside to go home the night between saturday and sunday. Got into a cap I think. Maybe it was just a car. I don’t know.”

“A cap? Like a taxi? Can you remember the number? The driver? Something?” Emma fired away with her questions as something finally had started making sense! Finally!

“No idea. The guy looked like a basic taxi driver. With a beard I think. I didn’t really stand watching them or anything. I’m no creep. I was on my way home myself,” he answered scratching his grey beard.

“Do you remember anything else that can help me find her?” She maybe sounded a tad desperate now.

“Not really.” He lifted his hat scratching his head.

Emma put the notepad on the table, sighing and surrendering a little. At least she had gotten something , but it wasn’t much. But when she turned towards Roni the man’s eyes lit up a little like he remembered something.

“Yes of course!” He had lifted his index finger. “It was strange really. A family like itty-bitty Mina’s didn’t have the money for caps, normally. Not as far as her home were from here anyways.”

“Hmm… thank you sir. Thank you for helping me.” She nodded at him, writing down the last part and standing up from the chair.

In a short moment she caught Roni’s eyes. She was on her way towards Antonio with yet another beer, before she could turn back to the other customers.

“If you know anything about the disappearance of Mina Warren or think you have seen something-” she began, everyone going quiet. “-then talk to the Chief Inspector, or I will kick your ass out of this pub faster than you can say Quidditch!” She threatened them, before going back to the bar.

A mumble of voices began roaring inside of the pub, but no one did stand up or tried to either.

“A beer on the house for everyone who can give the Chief Inspector useful information! I decide if it’s useful or not!” Roni’s voice was stern like she was a captain on a ship and these people were her crew.

When these words were spoken many of the customers stood up, walking towards Emma. Most of them were only able to say that they had seen her on the night she disappeared. Or they knew the family and wanted to make sure that Emma did her job. The last type was a big part of the customers. And it was weird. It was like now that Roni had put her stamp of approval on Emma; they all wanted to talk to her.

But then again she noticed that most of the people in the pub actually might be Roni’s people. People from the Latino District.

Chapter Text

Roni sat in peace and quiet counting the money from the night before, while trying to make herself think of something else. She had a hard time not lingering on the thoughts of Mina Warren. That poor girl! It’s not like they were best friends or anything, but the girl was pretty far from being a stranger. She actually knew the girl’s mother quite well. Not that she would tell that to Chief Inspector Swan. Nope, not gonna happen.

She shook her head and smiled when she thought of the blonde. Then her phone rang. She pulled it out, pressed the green button and held it up to her ear.

“Yes?” She answered curiously because the number wasn’t one she knew.

“Am I talking to Miss Roni Ramirez?” The voice was light and feminin.

“Yes, that’s me?” The way she said it made it sound more like a question than an answer, but it seemed to be good enough for the person calling.

“Good. Good.” It sounded like the person - female? - nodded at the way the phone cord clattered.

“Who am I talking to?” She then asked, leaning against the counter.

“Chief Floyd,” the voice answered before she kept talking: “I want to talk to you at my office, today. I trust you know where the station is?”

“Yup.” Yes, maybe she sounded a little cheeky, but Chief Floyd didn’t seem to care about that.

“Good. Can you be here in an hour?”

“Make it an hour and a half, and we have a deal,” she counter-bid, closing the cash-register. The money was already on the counter after all.

“Deal Miss Ramirez,” Chief Floyd said and the cord clattered yet again.

“See you, Chief Floyd.” Roni pressed the red button.

She looked at the money before collecting the cash and going into the back of the pub. Normally she went directly to the bank, but to be honest she didn’t know if she had time for that. Which is why she put the money in the safe in the private part of the pub. When she had placed them there, and she had double-checked that the safe was locked and couldn’t be opened, she went upstairs to the upstairs apartment.

The apartment was, as already said, upstairs just above the pub. And mostly it was practical. Not so much when it was her night, and one of the girls had the shift at the pub for the night. Because it was hard to sleep with all that noise, even if her customers were loyal, always going to her pub. And her wallet was happy about that. But her circadian rhythm? Not so much.

“I juuuust have to get my jacket,” she mumbled to herself, while opening the door.

Inside she walked around like a zombie, the routine on her spine. She almost went directly to bed as she always did after a shift. But then she reminded herself that she had an appointment. That she had to meet with someone. With the Chief of Police of all people. That was really the last thing she had thought would happen, when she woke up yesterday.

She fetched her leather jacket with all the flowers on, and put it on while walking down the stairs. And then she found herself running up the stairs again to get the keys for the pub too. She couldn’t go without them if she wanted to keep her pub free from thieves and the likes. There were lots of them in this neighborhood after all.

When she had locked up the pub she went to the back of the an alley of sorts behind the bar. That was where the most precious thing she owned was placed. A beautiful, black Aprilia Shiver with red details. She smiled at the mere thought of the mighty beast, and then opened the door to the alley.

She then pulled out the bike, and swung onto it. Sitting in the back of the bike she opened the box in front pulling out a helmet. With it on she drew towards the station. She had an appointment to make it to.

On the ride to the station she waved at familiar faces she drew by. Once she stopped the beast to talk to ole Miss Torres who was in need of help with her groceries. She helped her with that of course, and then she drove towards the station again. She thought she had time for that at least.

Arriving at the station she drew towards the parking for guests stopping the bike there and pulling the support leg down. She threw a plastic cover over it, from the room in front, and patted it down so it stayed around the bike. Her baby shouldn’t suffer from rain nor scratches. Nope. Not gonna happen.

The inside of the station felt kinda busy. Luckily she spotted a familiar face as soon as she stepped inside. It was of course Ruby the secretary who sat in a spot behind a desk looking at her like she waited for her.

“Miss Ramirez!” She said cheerful like a puppy, and stood up behind her desk.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Roni answered with a shrug.

“What are you doing here? Are you gonna talk to Chief Inspector Swan again? Do you have anything new to say about the case?” Ruby stood beside her, and pulled out her hand for Roni to shake.

“No, I have an appointment with Chief Floyd.” She flicked her wrist like she could wave away all of the questions.

“With the Chief? What does she want you for?” The question moved Ruby’s brows all the way up to her forehead.

“She called wanting to see me,” she answered coolly, trying to not feel offended by the way the secretary talked to her. And then it was like Ruby realized what she had just said.

“I didn’t mean-” she began uneasily, “that wasn’t… I mean, okay? Let me lead you to her office.” She waved at Roni to make her follow her.

The two of the women went towards the Chief’s office in a calm manner and tempo. Like they weren’t busy in any way. And maybe they weren't? The appointment didn’t begin before half an hour, but Roni liked being here early. It was better than being too late after all.

“Wait here,” Ruby said to her, knocking at the Chief’s door.

A mumble sounded and Ruby looked like she understood, before shortly after she opened the door stepping inside. Someone talked inside the office, but Roni wasn’t able to hear about what. This room was already really noisy and that masked any kind of conversation from the inside of the office. And maybe that was a good thing? She wasn’t sure.

The door opened again, and a tall redhead looked at her.

“So this is the famous Roni Ramirez,” the redhead said cheerfully, waving her inside the office.

Ruby was sitting on one of the two chairs in front of the Chief’s desk with a pen and a paper in front of her. That made Roni yet again not sure about the Chief’s motives, but she talked - or thought - down her inner panic rather quickly.

“You wanted to see me, Chief Floyd?” She said after sitting down.

“Exactly, darling!” Chief Floyd answered with a nod. She was quick Roni had to admit.

“Uh hm?” She looked kinda confused. That was really uhm… new?

“I called you here before I think you have some… let us call it ‘gifts’ which can be of use for us,” she began, standing from the chair and then sitting on the edge of the desk just in front of Roni.

“Wha-what gifts?” She croaked nervously, glancing at Ruby, but she wasn’t of much use right now. She looked just as clueless as Roni herself.

“I have heard about you. Mostly when Chief Inspector Swan has cursed you existence in front of the whole station-”

Roni opened her mouth to defend herself and possibly curse about Emma herself, but Chief Floyd lifted a finger, shaking her head. It wasn’t her time to talk yet.

“-BUT I have of course also heard good things about you.” Chief Floyd smiled complacently.

“Oh,” was the only thing Roni could think of saying.

“And that is one of the reasons why I wanted you here today.” The Chief nodded at her.

“What do you want from me?” She found herself answer, and only realized that it sounded rather accusatory.

“Dear Miss Ramirez it’s less about what we can do for you, and more about what you can do for us.”

Roni didn’t like the way Chief Floyd lined it up.

“I am offering you a job,” the Chief finally said.

Roni flabbergasted.

“A temporary position of course, but maybe you can earn permanent employment with time.” Roni was about to say something, but Chief Floyd lifted her hand silencing her yet again. “A special position. A position as a consultant."

“Wha-what is that?” She tilted her head slightly.

“The position? Oh yes, of course.” She nodded once, and then pushed some papers towards Roni. “It’s a job where you as a civilian with special qualities can assist a Detective Chief Inspector in solving his or her current case.”

“Special qualities?“ She tilted her head again like a confused puppy.

“In your case it is your big knowledge about the area and its people,” Chief Floyd answered happily. “And because of that you will be perfect to assist one of our newest Detective Chief Inspectors, who of course don’t know much about the area yet.”

“And who is that?” She wasn’t able to not ask that question her tone laced with scepticism.

“Chief Inspector Swan. She has as of now no assistant, which is why I thought you would be perfect for that job.” She smiled grimly as if she found her reaction funny.

“Her?!” She almost yelled, before she stopped herself, and turned it into more of a whisper.

“Yes, her. Something the matter dear?” Chief Floyd lifted an eyebrow challenging and tilted her head slightly.

“She is kinda...” Roni stopped for a second thinking about her answer. “... boring?”

That just made the Chief laugh, before pressing the button for the intercom. And that’s when Roni realized Ruby had left the room. Even if she didn’t know when.

“Ruby! Bring me Chief Inspector Swan at once!”

She couldn’t hear what Ruby answered, but she assumed it would be something like: ‘It’s already done, Chief Floyd!’. Then the Chief looked at Roni again, but didn’t say anything as she looked like someone waiting for something. Even if Roni couldn’t figure out what.

Then the door opened. Roni turned her head and looked at the Chief Inspector who had just stepped inside. She smiled insidiously at her, which made Swan squint, shaking her head in irritation.

“Ah Chief Inspector Swan! Welcome!” Chief Floyd sounded really excited.

“You wanted to see me, Chief?” Swan stood a few steps from Roni as she waited for a command from her Chief.

“Yes. Sit.” Chief Floyd gestured towards the chair beside Roni.

Swan looked at it like it had grown teeth, but then she gave it a small push away from Roni. She sat down and glanced angrily at Roni.

It couldn’t be the first time the Chief Inspector had worked with a consultant - Roni guessed anyways - but she was quite sure that Swan wouldn’t be happy about the news that she should work with her. They really weren’t the best friends. But Roni just answered by rolling her eyes at her, and then looking thoughtfully at Chief Floyd.

“Chief Inspector Swan I am to inform you that I have found you an assistant!” She gleefully clapped her hands together once, before looking pendingly at Swan as if she should figure it out herself.

Swan sat and looked like a question mark for a little while. But then it was like she realized that Roni was sitting beside her. Her eyes went big as she shook her head in disbelief.

“S-seriously Chief? She is a civilian!” She protested loudly. She stood from her chair, but probably didn’t realize it herself.

Roni just sat watching them. She knew exactly what Swan wanted to say: That she was a pain in the ass, that she had never cooperated and that she was a possible suspect. Even if she hadn’t said anything suspicious through the interview - to her knowledge at least. She was actually still angry about being called a ‘suspect’ on the recordings, which made her ready to work together with Swan just to annoy her.

But the stiff-necked Chief Inspector held her tongue about that. Mostly because it would be the same as admitting that Roni provoked her. Which would also mean that she admitted that Roni affected her. And that? Swan wouldn’t do that. That would be out of character for her - if you asked Roni.

“Chief Inspector, sit down!” Chief Floyd commanded pointing at the chair.

Grumbling Swan sat down, but her hands were clenched into fists in what had to be anger.

“Yes, she is a civilian, but she knows the area. She knows its people. And that, Chief Inspector Swan, is something you need, if you want to solve this case and finde Mina Warren!” The redhead's voice was sharp. Not at all teasing as it had been before. It was an order, and Swan was put into her place by that.

Roni had a hard time not smiling, and laughing at her without sound. Which of course just meant Swan glancing at her. That look would have killed her, if looks could kill.

“But she has no education! She by far doesn’t know shit about using a gun! It’s… it’s not right! It’s down right stupid!” She growled lowly, still with her eyes on Chief Floyd. Even when she nodded towards Roni.

“You don’t wanna follow my orders then? You don’t wanna follow your Chief?” A red eyebrow was lifted in challenge. Thin lips had become nothing but a line. She also stood from the chair, towering over them both.

“No Chief. Of course not,” Swan answered submissively, her hands still clenched. But they were in her lap so the Chief couldn’t see them.

“Sorry?” Roni said, maybe a little too pleased.

“Yes, Miss Ramirez?” The Chief sat down slowly, rubbing her temples.

“I’m not without knowledge about guns,” she said quietly as she smiled towards Swan who looked more and more bitten. Like she would explode any minute now.

“Ha!” Swan uttered, but quickly looked like she had never said anything. Especially after that look she got from the Chief.

“Do tell, Miss Ramirez.” Chief Floyd made a bidding gesture with her hand towards Roni.

“I have a gun in my apartment, in a safe of course.” She saw how Swan almost spat in anger, and added just to make her even more miserable: “And with a permit too.”

“Amazing! Then I can give you a gun without much training,” Chief Floyd answered with a complacent nod.

“A gun? For a civilian?!” Swan spat with anger.

“She has to be able to defend herself after all.” The Chief shrugged.

“I can’t take responsibility for her!” She gestured wildly towards Roni, almost looking desperate.

“Oh but you don’t need to, Chief Inspector Aburrida.” She smiled superiorly while her eyes gleamed with fun.

“She is your responsibility whether you want it or not, Swan. She is your partner now, and until the case is solved and that’s how it’s going to be.” Chief Floyd rubbed her temples again, before waving them out of the room. “And now go and solve the case and find the girl. I only wanna see you again, if you have important information for me!”

When the words were understood - in a few seconds or so - Swan stood up and trampled angrily out of the office. Roni followed her. She had a job now - well, one more, and she wanted to find poor Mina. With or without this boring, stubborn Chief Inspector’s help.

Chapter Text

On the table lie Roni’s phone, and suddenly it began to ring. Emma looked at her, and gestured sternly towards the phone. Roni lifted the phone to her ear, while sending a dead glare Emma’s way.

“Hallo? You are talking to Roni Ramirez?”

It was quiet while Roni walked back and forth in front of Emma.

“Yes? Just let me-”

She squeezed the phone between her ear and shoulder waving at Emma who gave her a notepad.

“Yes, I am ready now. Speak!” She commanded the person she was talking to, while writing down something Emma wasn’t able to see.

Emma tried to look over her shoulder, but was pushed away with a bump of Roni’s hip, before she sat down writing at the notepad. That of course made Emma irritated, but she jsut snorted angrily, and crossed her arms over her breast, while looking at Roni from a distance.

“Where do you say?”

Quiet again while Roni was actively listening.

“Ok. And your name was what again?”

She wrote down on the notepad, but Emma was still unable to see what she was writing.

“Good. Thank you very much. See you soon!” That being said she hung up and smiled complacently without directing the smile at anyone.

“Who was it?” Emma asked, stepping closer to Roni.

“Whom?” She smiled like a cat with a stomach full of canaries. It was very clear to Emma that she had heard what she said, but acted like she hadn’t.

“The woman you just talked to, on the phone, of course!” She facepalmed in defeat, and shook her head.

“ He was a young man who possibly has some information for us,” she answered with a shrug.

“Information? About Mina Warren?” The surprise was clear on her face as her eyebrows moved upwards.

“Bingo!” Roni high fived herself. Emma just rolled her eyes at her.

“Where am I going? To meet this guy?”

“You mean: Where are we going,” she corrected her cockily.

“We? You're going absolutely nowhere! So put your pretty ass into the seat and look at the case file while I’m gone.” She flicked her wrist in rejection as she pointed at the office chair Roni had gotten just in front of the woman’s desk.

“Oh,” she said tilting her head slightly, and lifting one eyebrow, “you think my ass is pretty, huh?”

“That’s what you got out of what I said?” Emma sighed and facepalmed yet again.

And the only answer she got was Roni sticking out her tongue at her.

“Give me the information Ramirez.” With expectancy she held out her hand towards Roni to get the paper handed to her.

“Nope,” she answered, shaking her head.

“Give it to me!” Emma tried to reach the paper, but Roni snatched it away, out of her reach.

“Not unless you let me go with you.”

“And why oh why should I do that?” She crossed her arms in front of her breast again, while Roni placed one hand on her hip.

“Because he doesn’t wanna talk to you,” she answered cleverly, and tilted her head arrogantly.

“And, tell me, why doesn’t he wanna talk to me?” She demanded to know, quite irritated at the latina as of now.

“He doesn’t wanna talk to a cop of course,” she said in the same way as she would assert that the sky was blue. Or the earth was round. Her tone was permeated by logic.

“I’m no cop!” She had begun getting really angry now.

“You aren’t?” The tone was playful and light, but sertantly she was trying to provoke her.

“I am a Detective Chief Inspector! And you-” she spat in anger, “-you are nothing!”

And of course as she said it Chief Floyd had come out of her office to get herself a cup of coffee - if the cup in her hand was any indication. Emma fixed her bun a little, looking at the floor as the Chief walked towards them in long strides. 

“And let me hear: Why are you yelling at Miss Ramirez, your partner?” Her eyes were shining with something that looked like irritation, but could also be seen as if she was enjoying this conversation in her own twisted way.

“Chief, she is...” She gestured hopelessly, and ended up saying: “... so very annoying.”

“Annoying?” The Chief lifted an eyebrow, before shaking her head dismissively. “Chief Inspector, you are not in kindergarten anymore, and Miss Ramirez is not a four-year-old boy who had just pulled your pigtails. Get over your school-girl-crush and work together with her for once! And that is an order!”

When she was done she left them, getting into her office. Emma just stood with her jaw on the floor, so perplexed that she wasn’t able to put a sentence together right now. The Chief had said that before the whole office, and put her on the line! It was so… embarrassing! Slowly her cheeks grew hot and her ears red, and she tried to duck, making herself look as small as possible. But then Roni laughed.

“Shut up Ramirez, and let’s get it over with!” She snapped at the brunette, and left the office in furious strides.

Roni just followed her laughing all the way out, while shaking her head and winking at Ruby who herself was twisting and turning by laughing so hard just beside the door that led inside the copier room. A room that Emma wasn’t able to forget. Even if a 100 years went by she wouldn’t be able to forget that room or David’s pale and floppy ass. It was etched into her brain! 

“Get in!” She pointed at the small, yellow Beetle Volkswagen, and opened the door after unlocking them.

“Me? Being inside that deathtrap? Not again,” Roni said with her arms crossed over her breast.

That made Emma boil inside. She had officially had enough of her tone and her childish behaviour - because of course she couldn’t see that she was the one being childish -, and that made her grap Roni’s bicep and just tow her all the way to the front seat.

“Hey! Let go!” Roni protested outraged, but no matter how she twisted and turned she couldn’t get out of Emma’s hard grip.

Before she knew the door had been opened, and she was shoved unceremoniously into the front seat. Then the door was closed, and the door slammed just to the right of her, as Emma had sat down in the driver’s seat. It looked like Roni was actually frowning right now. And it was not like Emma was jubilant either. 

She put the key in the ignition, put it into gear and then they drove off. After driving a little Emma realized that she had no idea where to go. She didn’t have the address after all. With an grumpy almost insulted expression she looked at Roni mumbling:

“Where are we going.” It didn’t sound like a question but a statement.

“What did you say?” Roni was clearly teasing her, done with pouting herself.

“I said-” She growled, “where the hell are we going? Where are we meeting with him?”

“Just drive and I will give you directions,” Roni answered, rolling her eyes at her. Then she pointed to the left, and that was the way Emma turned to.

After 15 minutes give or take they were in the right place, and it only took so long because Roni had led her a little astray - unintentionally, the brunette had insisted on.

But now they were there, and Emma pulled into the curb parking the car as fast as possible, before looking at Roni.

“Here? Really?” Emma looked at the building in front of them. It was a burgerbar of some kind, quite possibly owned by foreigners as she couldn’t understand what was written on the door - maybe it was spanish?

“Yup. Right here.” She nodded, opened the door and got out of the car.

Emma did the same, locking up the car before continuing to walk towards the burger bar side by side with Roni. And the way the brunette mumbled the words from the door made it sound like it was spanish, so that was what Emma concluded it had to be. This burger bar was owned by latinoes. And she was the first to admit that she didn’t understand shit about what Roni had just said. She had never taken spanish in High School, because she had never known how useful it would be for her - until now that is.

She put her hand on Roni’s shoulder to tell her non-verbally that she was right behind her, but she ended up with her arms locked behind her back - most likely before she had startled Roni. Emma twisted and turned in her vice grip.

“Let go of me!” The words sounded familiar as it was usually Emma holding Roni and not the other way around. And that made Emma furious and her cheeks flush with anger.

That made Roni let go of her immediately without question.

“Shall we?” Roni said, gesturing at the door in front of them.

“Let’s do it,” Emma grumbled bitten, before pushing open the door and walking inside.

“Stay in the back and let me lead.” She looked around in the shop vigilantly.

“What?! It’s not you of all people who run this investigation, Miss Ramirez!” Emma spat furiously, but the brunette clasped her hand over her mouth.

“He doesn’t wanna talk to the police! He wanna talk to me!” She hissed in a low voice, “So sit down and shut up!”

Roni waved at the young man behind the counter, which made him go around the counter towards them. Holding a grouch Emma sat down on the chair beside Roni, and kept quiet, even if she had at least a 1000 things to say right now.

“Who is that?” The man said as soon as he was inside hearing range. He had a clear accent, but spoke 100 percent understandable english. He pointed accusatory at her with a rough, hairy finger.

“Someone you shouldn’t worry about. You are talking to me, Rafael, if you can remember that.” Roni’s tone was flat and harsh as she dominated him from the beginning. And it was kind of funny to see the big, tall man try to make himself smaller under her stern gaze.

“Okay Roni,” he said, still glanzing at Emma suspiciously occasionally.

“Let’s get this over with?” Emma said and she only realized too late that she should have just kept her mouth shut. It was the cop in her, who wanted to ask questions, and she had a hard time stopping herself from blurting out something stupid.

“Why is she asking so many questions?” He wanted to know as he pointed at her again.

“Ignore her, and focus on me Rafael. What was it you wanted to tell me?” Again Roni caught his eyes, and forced them away from Emma. He was clearly not comfortable with the whole situation.

“Roni, I have talked to my Tío, and he has realized that he had more to tell than what he told you,” he began, while rubbing his hands against each other nervously. “And-”

“Technically-” Emma blurted out, but ended up in the receiving end of a dead glare from the brunette.

“Doesn’t matter, blondie. Just shut up, ok?” She spat angered, and turned her attention back to Rafael. With an encouraging smile towards him she said wordlessly: Just go on.

“My Tío doesn’t wanna share this with the police, and after what happened to itty-bitty Mina then… yeah, he was just unsure of whether the police were in the pockets of the kidnapper. And that we will never see her again.” His Adam's apple did a little jump as he swallowed harshly.

“What the heck are you in-” Emma cursed at him, very angry at the man because of his hard words about the police.

“Do me a favor Aburrida: Shut the fuck up and open your ears, will you?” Roni nudged Emma harshly with her shoulder, before adding: “If you can’t do that then you are waiting outside!”

That made Emma swallow hard, and then just do as she was told even if she didn’t like to be told what to do. She wasn’t one to submit, but she was interested in what this Rafael had to say. But at the same time she had a hard time not blurting out every minute when he presented such preposterous theories for them. Her insides were tingling and boiling at the same time as she tried to do what she was told and just keep her mouth shut.

To wait outside just wasn’t an option. And maybe she had become a little afraid of Roni right now. The tone she had used in front of her wasn’t one she had heard before from the normally so cheerful woman.

“Keep talking Rafael. She is not disturbing you anymore.” She gestured for him to go on, and then reached for his hand giving it a soft squeeze.

“Thanks Roni,” he almost sounded like he was relieved, and gave her hand a squeeze back. “My Tío, he had seen the name of the taxi firm.”

“The taxi Mina got into?” Roni’s eyes got very big in surprise.

Emma herself had a hard time not blurting out again, but she knew she didn’t have any more chances. Next stop would be her sitting outside in the cold. This was their first real clue. It was so close she could almost taste it, smell it! Almost like a bloodhound. She almost had dollar-signs in her eyes, but only almost: She saw her near future. That she herself had solved her first case, even if this kind of case really wasn’t her area normally.

And most importantly: She would do it all on her own - without Roni. She didn’t need the brunette, because she could do this herself. All by herself!

“¡Exactamente!” Rafael nodded eagerly.

“What taxi firm Rafael? What did your Tío see?” She asked, her accent more clear when she talked, especially when she said the last word. The word Emma didn’t understand. She had to ask about that later…

Rafael waved Roni closer. She leaned in over the table, and he whispered something in her ear. The words made her nod eagerly, and then pat him on the shoulder - like she had known him always.

“Thanks Rafael. Thank your Tío from me. Tell him that Roni is solving this. That she will bring Mina home.” With a smile for the young man, she stood and pulled Emma with her out of the burger bar.

“Hey!” That was what she got to say, before she had to follow her as she didn’t exactly want to fall on her face. The brunette was a lot stronger than she looked.

When they got outside and beside the car Emma leaned against it and pulled out a cigarette. Out of her pocket she took a lighter and lit it. Then she blew out some smoke. She tried to look calm and collected, even if she wasn’t near any of those things.

Roni tilted her head slightly to the right, but didn’t comment on the terrible habit. Not yet anyways.

“What did he say?” She wanted to know as she blew smoke circles by making an ‘O’-shape with her lips.

“Whom?” Her eyes gleamed with humor.

“That guy, your friend!” She could feel herself beginning to get provoked by Roni’s attitude yet again.

“Rafael?” With her thumb she pointed backwards towards the burger bar.

“Who else?” She sighed tiredly, and rolled her eyes.

And Roni? She just laughed at her! A really deep laughter like she was the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Emma sent her a dead glare, but that of course didn’t help at all.

“Come on! We can stand here all day, so you can get a good laugh, but that’s not what we should be doing right? And freezing out here!” Emma spat, stamping at the snow covered sidewalk.

“It’s important to have fun while working!” The brunette laughed at her.

“Just say it already!” She was on the edge of a smaller hysterical seizure right now. Stepping forward with just two steps she was all up in Roni’s face baring her teeth furiously.

“Ok! Ok!” She gestured averted, and gave Emma a slight push backwards.

Emma stepped backwards, and gestured with her hand in a way that said: Good. Get to it!

“Gary’s Taxi Service.”

“I don’t know them.” Emma shrugged carefully.

“Anyways, it’s kinda a good thing it’s them,” the brunette answered cryptically.

“Why is that?” She didn’t exactly understand what she meant, but she just shrugged again like she wasn’t really affected by it.

“Because it’s a very small firm. They don’t have a lot of cars, and that my friend-” She was of course totally sarcastic while calling Emma her ‘friend’, “-is why it will be a lot easier to find the exact car that drove Mina to...” She scratched her head, “to wherever she ended up.”

“Cool. So… you know it?” She asked as she didn’t know much about the town. She had just moved here after all, and could barely find her own apartment without using a GPS. To know something about some strange, little taxi service would be beyond weird.

“He has around… maybe 10 vehicles or so. This is gonna be almost too easy.” She smiled, looking very sure of herself.

“That easy?” Emma inhaled one last time, before extinguishing the cigarette by tapping the butt of it on her shoe. Then she put it in the nearest trash can. To just throw it on the streets wasn’t a possibility for her.

“Yep.” She popped the ‘P’ as she looked at Emma kinda secretively.

But Emma had seen her looking, and it wasn’t really a secret anymore. Even if Roni really tried to hide her glances.

She scratched her neck for a while, while thinking. Then she turned her gaze back towards Roni, who still looked at her with an unreadable expression and a mysterious smile on her full lips.

“Do you have their number?” She ended up asking with a shrug.

Roni pulled out her phone, and punched in the number, but then Emma stopped her.

“Nope! You are not gonna run this show once again! I am the one calling them!” She shook her head, and tried to take the phone from Roni. But the brunette was faster, and stepped backwards escaping Emma’s hand. Then she wagged her finger at her.

“Ah ah!” She murmured, shaking her head in a ‘no’.

“Then give me the number damn it!” Emma had gone from irritated to burning hot mad in seconds.

And of course Roni ended up laughing at her - at first at least. Then she gave her the number. Emma put the phone beside her ear, and waited for someone to answer.

“Gary’s Taxi Service! Where are you, and where do you wanna go?” A man’s voice asked her.

“I don’t wanna go anywhere. I need to talk to your boss,” she said with a nod that he couldn’t see anyways.

She heard a click and then she got to talk to the boss. Talking back and forth she wanted to know if a taxi driving that night had disappeared. Then she learned that a taxi had indeed disappeared that night, but if that was the taxi she was looking for the owner didn’t know. With yet another nod she thanked the man for the information and gave him her work email and phone number. Then she hung up.

“Looks like we are going to the industrial district,” she mumbled mostly to herself, and not even nearly loud enough for Roni to be able to hear what she said.

She got that confirmed by Roni saying: ”What?“

“Follow me. We have a lead to follow!” She pointed at the door and then got into the driver’s seat herself.

And then they drove towards the district.

Chapter Text

Emma pressed the break calmly, as she pulled into a stop just in front of an old factory. She glanced at the sign that told her that this was really ‘Factory Road’. But which one of these buildings was the right number? She didn’t know and none of them had numbers on them either. The Taxi-man Gary had said that they lost the communication with the taxi near Factory Road 12, so that was where they were going.

“Where are we going?” Roni asked for the fifth or sixth time, since they got into the car - Emma hadn’t answered her even once.

“Number 12,“ she answered vaughly, and stepped out of the car. It hummed lowley as she hadn’t pulled the key out of the ignition yet. She had just pulled the handbrake and that was that.

“What do you mean about that?” The brunette asked, clearly irritated now.

“I mean number 12 of course!” She yelled through the wind. It felt like it was more powerful in this part of the time. Powerful and ruthless.

The brunette got out of the car.

“Seriously! Chief Floyd said we should work together!” The tone was irritated and she looked at Emma sternly.

“And so what?” Emma shrugged while smiling provocatively.

“Then tell me what we are doing? Where are we going? Or just why we are standing right here?” The anger was indeed very clear in her voice as she sounded like she was trying to not let it spill over. Normally it was her who provoked Emma and not the other way around - and that made Emma smile.

“Number 12! How many times… seriously just listen woman!” She answered, glancing around. There wasn’t much to see really. Only a few abandoned factories who weren't in or of any use anymore.

Standing there she tried to figure out why Mina wanted to go here of all places. Then she pulled her phone out again and called back the taxi firm. The man began his long rant as just before, but Emma cut through that.

“I need to talk to your boss again. Tell him Chief Inspector Swan says hello,” she interrupted him with, and waited for the man to connect her to the boss. 

“Chief Inspector! What do I owe the pleasure this time?” He sounded like he tried to sound happy, and not because he actually was happy.

“The name on the taxi driver who drove the taxi here would be a good place to begin,” she answered, glancing at her nails. But it was just a cover, as she looked at Roni just out of the corner of her eye. She looked furious about not being included. And then she could feel what Emma had felt when Roni had talked to Rafael! Ha!

“Smith. James Smith.” The answer came promptly with no wavering. Like he had expected her question, clearly.

“But there are half a million James Smith’s in this state! In the whole of the US!” She sighed clearly, very irritated.

“Yeah, around that I can imagine.” His tone was cool like he didn’t care a snitch.

“Oh well, thank you.” When the words were said she hung up before he could speak again. Then she glanced at Roni.

The brunette was standing, watching her closely while she looked like she was growing more and more angry. Almost fire spitting like a dragon. Or like a fireball could be thrown by Roni at Emma at any moment. But Emma just smiled cooly at her while walking towards the building even though there were multiple big signs telling her to ‘not enter this building’.

“Where are you going?” Roni’s anger was just below the surface, but her curiosity won the battle soon after.

“Inside of course. What do you think I was gonna do? Just stand here like a mannequin without a purpose?” She asked with a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes at her. She was about to enter the building when Roni spoke.

“Wait!” She almost yelled at her, “stand still! Not one step more!”

Emma rolled her eyes once again - and if they kept that up they would get stuck in the wrong side, she was sure of that! - but stopped the step she was taking just to please her. For fun of course. She was in no way interested in actually pleasing Roni.

“Are you happy now?” She then said, raising an eyebrow in a challenging way.

But instead of answering her, Roni almost ran to her side, and then squatted down near where Emma was about to step. She put her foot in the ground beside the other, no longer dangling over the spot Roni was looking at, before squatting down herself. There had to be a reason why she had told her to stop, right? Right? If not Roni was doing it to make fun of her in some way. That was a very clear possibility if you asked Emma.

“Look.” Her voices drew away Emma’s thoughts as she pointed at something.

“Cartracks?” Her expression was clearly surprised as she looked closer at the track.

“Bingo!” Roni answered clearly amused, and looked like she was giving herself a mental high five. In her eyes were a special kind of light that - nope, Emma didn’t even see that. No she hadn’t noticed that at all!

“It’s not like we have any use for that kind of track. We already know what car it belongs to. If it had been a footprint on the other hand it would have been something else. Something useful,” she pointed out clearly confident in her own words.

The brunette looked like she either wanted to kill her or kiss her. Wait what? Maybe just hit her then. Emma’s eyes quickly retreated, and she felt her neck getting hotter. And it looked like Roni noticed as she smiled knowingly.

“No, but a clue is a clue, right?” She shrugged carelessly, and buried her hands in the pockets of the leather jacket.

“And thaaat isn’t correct. This -” she gestured towards the tire track, “-is not a useful clue.”

“That’s not right!“ She spat angrily, but stood up yet again walking towards the factory.

“Where are you going?” Emma’s anger was right there and very noticable.

“Inside of course. What do you think I was gonna do? Just stand here like a mannequin without a purpose?” She answered with a crooked grin, as she repeated what Emma had said earlier.

“Bitch,” she grumbled as she realized what Roni had just done.

“What was that?” She placed her hand behind her ear like she was trying to hear better, but it was indeed very clear that she had heard what Emma had said. You could see that in the way she grinned.

“Go fuck yourself Ramirez!” She yelled at her, kicking the snow in front of her and then almost falling on her ass, because she kicked at somewhere very icey.

And Roni of course laughed at her as they both walked towards the building.

Inside the factory they kept endlessly bickering.

“But it is actually a clue! We could have followed the tracks and-” Roni was the one talking but Emma interrupted her.

“But we couldn’t have followed it you dimwit! The car of course turned back to the pavement shortly afterwards. If not he would be indeed very stupid!” She spat. As of now she was getting very tired of Roni’s attitude.

“But maybe he was stupid! We could have used it, Swan!” She answered while shaking her head.

“How could we have used it exactly? What did you expect to find? The taxi parked just where everyone could have found it?” Emma was more than annoyed right now. Nobody had the right to be that stupid!

“It could have!” Roni growled furiously at her.

“Of course it couldn’t Nobody would be that stupid!” She shook her head, waving dismissively towards Roni.

“But it is because of people being idiots that cases like these are solved!” She answered more than angry. She was furious.

“And now you are calling the police idiots?” Emma almost yelled at her, pointing at her accusatory.

“That wasn’t what I said, but what you wanted to get out of it!” She was also yelling now to match Emma’s feistiness.

“How can I interpret that differently? You clearly called us stupid!” Her voice was now a mix of a yell and a growl.

“Seriously stop interpreting everything the wrong way! As usual you kickstart your brilliant brain, and come up with the wrong result!” She bit at her, pointing accusatorial at her. Her voice echoed in the empty factory building.

“My brilliant brain always comes up with the right conclusion!” She gestured wildly with arms and hands, walking further into the building.

“I beg to differ.” Roni’s nose wrinkled, “and you keep putting words into my mouth, Swan!”

“It’s just so typical coming from your kind!” She had just said it, blurted it out, before she actually realized what she had said.

“My kind? My kind?” She roared in anger, and pushed Emma roughly backwards. “Oh no you didn’t, you racist asshole!”

“You didn’t just pull out and dust of the old racism card did you?” Somehow slightly calmer she rolled her eyes at her.

“When you are being a racist prick I will draw it any day! I-” she growled but then fell quiet.

Emma assumed that Roni stopped because she had realized that she was wrong, which is why the blonde just kept walking. Actually she was several feet in front of her, when Roni cleared her throat.

“What in the world do you want now, Ramirez?!” She growled tiredly without looking at her.

“Look at this,” Roni said, her smile clear in her voice.

That made Emma turn around and her tone surprised: “What?”

“Get over here you stubborn Copper!” Roni sweared at her, pointing at something. Then she kneeled on the floor to get a closer look.

“What is it?” Even if her tone was disinterested she was quickly at her side. But kneeling on a dirty factory floor wasn’t something she would do. Her clothes were too nice for that.

“You mean this? Well, I know I’m not a Chief Inspector or have your brilliant brain, but I’m pretty sure that this is blood.” She showed her, her index finger that she had just dipped in the red substans. Then she smelled it.

“Blood?” Emma was very surprised indeed as she grabbed Roni’s wrist, pulling her towards herself. She looked curiously at the finger and the substans a little while before nodding quietly, then saying: “I think you are correct with that assumption.”

“Yo-you actually agree with me?” Her eyebrow was raised in surprise, and she looked through her pocket with the other hand. Upon finding what she was looking for she pulled out a handkerchief, and was about to clean her finger with it.

“Wait!” Emma still had Roni’s wrist in her grip.

“For what?”`She placed her free hand on the hip.

“Let me,” she said, holding her hand out for the handkerchief.

With a raised brow she gave it to her, and let her clean the blood off of her finger. Then she dipped it into the spot on the floor, and with the other hand she pulled out an evidence bag that she put the handkerchief inside.

“Then what now?” Roni asked with her head slightly tilted to the right, watching her closely and curiously like she would be able to read her mind if she looked at her for a long enough period of time.

“Now? We call the station of course.” She rolled her eyes at her, before putting the bag inside her pocket, and pulling out her phone.

Roni watched her with interest like she had forgotten all about Emma’s racist comment earlier today.

“Hallo?” Emma said, tilting her head slightly.

“Is that you, Emma?” Ruby asked, her voice cheerful.

“Yes, it is I. Listen, I need you to send some vehicles to this address I’m at right now,” she said with a nod for herself and not for others to see.

“Does it have to be right now?”

“Yes, it has to be now.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Why you ask? Well, because I have found blood spots at this address of course.”

“Really? Good job Emma!” Ruby answered enthusiastically.

“But it was me who found it!” Roni interrupted her with, but Emma just waved dismissively at her.

“What was that?” She could almost hear Ruby grin.

“It was just Miss Ramirez mumbling. The address is Factory Road 12,” she told her and tried to push Roni away as the brunette tried to take part in the conversation.

“Hey! You are not gonna get away with taking the credit of MY discovery!” She yelled at her.

“I will send some patrol cars right over. Give me a minute.” Then some mumbling was heard, as Ruby talked to someone. “I have sent them your way now. See you Emma!”

Then she hung up.

“ I am the Chief Inspector here, not you. I would have seen the spot, if you hadn’t been so busy distracting me!” She spat at her.

“Ha! Not!” Roni stuck out her tongue at her, but then winked at her almost in a flirty manner, which confused Emma to no end. What was happening?

“It is your fault, because you were so busy with arguing with me!” Emma argued angrily.

“Mine? You were the one so busy with disagreeing with me that you overlooked the evidence!”

“I didn’t overlook anything! I-” She stalled for a short moment, but then kept arguing: “You distracted me!”

“Oh, so you find me distracting, Chief Inspector Swan?” Again her hands were on her hips, and she smirked in a flirty and humored way that just made Emma even more confused than she already was.

“Damn it, just forget it!” The words were said and then she was tramping towards the exit again. Roni just followed her.

“What are we doing now?” She sing-a-song-ed at her while doing a small series of comic jumps beside Emma.

“We are waiting for my people to get here of course,” she answered, rolling her eyes.

Only a little time went by before they were able to hear the sirens from outside the factory. And when they got outside they could see the patrol cars too. Emma  waved at them as the cars parked outside the building. Then some officers stepped out of the cars. Roni just stood where she stood, watching them stunned.

“This way guys!” Emma called at them, and went towards the building again.

That kicked Roni into gear and she followed Emma inside.

“ You are staying here!” She yelled at Roni, pointing at the door.

Furiously, Roni mumbled something Emma couldn’t hear, but for once she did as she was told. That was new.

Chapter Text

After overlooking the investigation of the area for a while both Emma and Roni agreed that they weren’t of much use here anyways, and therefore they went back to the station with the blood sample for analysis.

While driving Emma’s phone started to ring. Roni held out her hand for Emma to hand over the phone, but didn’t get it. Instead Emma drove into the curb, effectively parking the car and then pressed the green button. She didn’t even have time for looking at the ID.

“Yes? It’s Chief Inspector Swan?” said Emma almost impatiently as she glanced at Roni who was sitting at the seat just beside her.

“Chief Inspector Swan! I’m glad you picked up so fast!” The voice was one she recognized as Officer Fa, and she nodded thoughtfully.

“What do you want, Officer Fa? Have you found something?” She asked, her tone clearly milder. The chances of them finding something were quite good, and she wanted to hear what, if they had found something that is.

“Besides the spot of blot that you found yourself, Chief Inspector, there aren’t any clues at all. Not even fingerprints besides your own and Miss Ramirez’s of course. It’s almost too clean out here,” the woman answered brusquely as she rapidly fired away the words like a soldier with a gun.

“So nothing? Nothing at all?” Emma couldn’t believe her own ears. They had found nothing ? How could that be? She counted on the scene being full of clues and evidence. And then again: The man who had done this was smarter than she had thought possible. It was really tiring, she had to admit.

“Yes, Chief Inspector Swan. Sadly nothing. But we will keep looking, trust me on that!” Officer Fa answered, and as the soldier she was she probably saluted right now, while talking to Emma on the phone.

“Thank you Officer Fa. Keep me updated!” It was a clear command, one Officer Fa accepted just like that.

“Of course Swan. Goodbye.” She hung up with that.

“What’s up?” Roni looked at her with those big, brown eyes of hers, and even though the woman was infuriating most of the time Emma gave in.

“Just Officer Fa telling me that they haven’t found anything yet,“ she answered with a stiff nod.

Then she drove off again. Roni didn’t say more. She just nodded back at Emma, before turning her gaze towards the buildings outside the window. Both were clearly eager to get back to the station. Roni eager to get to wash her hands as she still had blood on her finger - micro remains that is. That’s what would have been the top priority, if it had been Emma with blood on her finger.

Soon after she turned into the parking lot, picking out the first and the best booth. They got out of the car and inside the station. Emma pulled out the evidence bag, and dropped it on Ruby’s desk.

“Ruby!” She said loudly, looking at the woman who was wearing headphones and clearly enjoying herself while listening to some music.

This was the time a day where almost no one came to the station, so apparently the loud music was allowed? Right? She wouldn’t have done that, if it was ok. No reaction to Emma’s words though. Ruby was engulfed with the music. And to make her notice Emma she slapped her hand onto the table top in a harsh manner that made the coffee cup jump a little, but never spilling.

“Ruby, God damn it!” She yelled this time, making Ruby jump in her seat just like the coffee cup before.

“What?” Ruby pulled off the headphones almost lazily like she wasn’t really surprised by the yelling and the noise. Nope, she wasn’t that was clear in her face. No fear in her eyes.

“This bag is going to Forensics at once. I have a special interest in hearing whose blood it is. Tell them to make it quick!” Emma gestured towards the evidence bag. 

“Right away boss!” Ruby grinned and then winked at her.

Emma just rolled her eyes glancing at Roni. She looked like she was going to laugh at her or something.

“What?” She barked, her eyes narrow in irritation.

“Nothing,” Roni chuckled darkly and looked after Ruby who was leaving with the evidence bag.

“Hmpf.” It was more a sound than a word, but it had to do. She was very annoyed by Roni right now - as always - and the woman was to know that of course!

“Then what now?” The brunette asked, cocking her head slightly in an inquiring gesture.

“What now, you say?” Emma laughed sarcastically, shaking her head and pointing at the table that was Roni’s, before talking again: “Now you put your ass in that seat and wait. We can’t really do anything before we have gotten answers from Forensics.”

“Really? There is nothing to do?“ She had raised an eyebrow at that.

Emma was about to answer her, but then her name was yelled through the room.

“SWAN!” It was the voice of the Chief, and it was clear that it had to be now and not later.

That made her walk towards the Chief’s door. And as she was standing in the door, tilting her head the Chief spoke again.

“And bring Miss Ramirez with you!” Yet another order.

Emma waved at Roni to tell her to follow. Then she went inside the office, letting Roni be the one closing the door behind them.

“Miss Ramirez! Chief Inspector Swan! Good to see both of you. A little birdie told me that something has happened with the case and-” She stopped talking, but then waved dismissively with her hand “-anyways, that doesn’t matter, but it’s a good thing that something has finally happened.”

Finally? Emma thought irritated, because they had only just begun? What did Chief Floyd expect? Miracles or what? Surely that was what the Chief wanted. And normally Emma could give her that, but with a case that was outside her field it was kind of hard to do that. Impossible someone would say.

But as it was now something finally made sense! Not that she wanted Mina Warren to be dead, but it was kinda more her field, if the blood was Mina’s. But it was still quite confusing without having a dead body, but it made it a little easier for her anyways. It was progress! Of some kind at least...

“Are you listening to me, Chief Inspector Swan?” Emma got pulled out of her head and back to reality by Chief Floyd.

“Sorry Chief Floyd. I’m listening,” she said, nodding stiffly.

“As I said when you were daydreaming Miss Ramirez has done a splendid job finding that clue.”

The blonde’s jaw almost hit the floor when the Chief said that. How could she know that?

“Wha-what?” She was mumbling but didn’t tell the Chief that she was wrong.

“It was I who found the blood, Swan. You surely remember that? Right? Or do you have problems with the old noodle?” God damn Roni was provoking her now!

“For christ’s sa-” She was stopped by Chief Floyd who had lifted her hand telling her to be quiet - or actually: Shut up!

“And as I said Miss Ramirez has already been a fantastic asset for this station. It’s really nice to see someone work hard-” The Redhead glanced dissatisfied with Emma. “- AND get results. Even if it might be mildly annoying, inconvenient even. We still want to find Mina Warren alive of course, but with the newest evidence there is a chance of the girl having parted with life all but too early.”

“D-dead?” Roni stuttered with a weird look on her face, her eyes going back and forth between Chief Floyd and Emma.

“Yes, dead of course!” The blonde spat at her, shaking her head in defeat. “What did you expect? That she had gotten a papercut and just dropped a smaller puddle from that? You truly can’t be that dense in the head!” Sarcasm dripped from every word leaving her mouth.

“Don’t be so rough, Swan,” the Chief said angrily, before looking at the brunette again. “We have to expect the worst while hoping for the best of course.”

“Oh,” was all that left the brunette’s lips.

“But when all is said: Good job Miss Ramirez. Really good. Incredible that you found the blood before our Chief Inspector Swan here. Normally she is more present than this-” She nodded towards Emma, which made her mad. “But it was so good that you found it instead, when Swan wasn’t that present. I am really happy about your working moral.” 

Emma looked like she was about to explode. And then she did.

“Seriously! You are not even a real cop! You are not educated. You are nothing!” The jalouzi in her voice was almost childish as she pointed accusatory at Roni.

“And so what? I saw the blood before you did!” Roni answered, just as feisty as always.

“And so what?! You distracted me! It’s your fault I didn’t see it! Everything is your fault!” Emma almost roared at her, even if the brunette was sitting right beside her.

“No I didn’t! You were just inattentive! You wouldn’t have been able to see that puddle of blood, even if you had stepped right into it!” The brunette was beginning to sound angry now, even if she was still smiling very self-assured.

“Have you gotten the answers from Forensics yet?” The Chief tried to break up those two, but didn’t get an answer as Emma interrupted her yet again.

“Oh be quiet! Just-” She shook slightly. “-just shut the fuck up!”

“Ok, that’s it Chief Inspector Swan! Get out of my office! Get out and figure out if you have gotten any answers yet!” Chief Floyd roared loudly at both of them, pointing angrily at the door. “And don’t argue with her anymore, Swan, I’m warning you! You are acting like a child!“

That made both of them shut up at least. For the second time since she had gotten this job she tramped out of the office, yet again with Roni following her like a shadow. She went directly to her desk - the office hadn’t been cleared yet - but it was just annoying to sit there. There was too much noise in the room, and Roni’s confident grin haunted her every time she blinked. And don’t even make Emma start on the fact that the woman was constantly two feet behind her for God’s sake!

Emma pulled her inside the printing room, and tried to ignore Ruby’s suggestive looks and smile.

“What the fuck do you want!” She roared in the face of a slightly skittish Roni.

“W-we are working together?” Roni stuttered, she actually stuttered! That made Emma smirk in an almost evil way. She liked the brunette as insecure as she was right now, and she wanted her to stay like that.

“So what? I’m not interested! So just fuck off! I can do this all by myself. I don’t need you and your latino-connections!” She growled, pushing Roni backwards by the shoulders.

“My what?” She looked completely blindsided, even if an angry fire had begun burning in now pitch black eyes.

“Your stupid burito-eating-friends for christ sake!” She hissed angrily at her. She didn’t want for the Chief to hear them. No, she just wanted to hurt Roni as much as possible. Because she was angry. So damn angry about how a woman with no education could be better at the job than someone who had climbed the latter and worked so damn hard for this!

“Fuck you Swan! Fuck you and your snobbish values! I am so out of here!” When the words were said she left the station with long strides and didn’t look back even once.

The conscience didn’t gnaw even a little bit. Not to begin with at least. The first half hour was great. The next one was good too, and then she began to feel it. A conscience gnawing at her heart. It didn’t happen that often that Emma had pangs of her conscience, but when it happened she either 1) pushed away the feelings or 2) follow her conscience and said she was sorry. But the second one only happened if it was a close friend.

As Roni was neither friend or family, which is why she tried to push away the feelings. And that proved to be more than complicated. That stupid, little voice, known as Jimminy Cricket from Pinocchio - constantly pocked at her shoulder and just wouldn’t let her be. But being bullied by a bug? No, she didn’t think so.

Which is why she sat behind her desk stubbornly while blazing through the case file, waiting for the results on the blood test.

“Emma?” Ruby’s voice broke through the darkness inside Emma’s head.

“What?!” She spat, but instantly regretted that and made her voice softer. “What is it?”

“We have gotten the results,” she said lowly, and pulled a chair towards Emma’s desk, before sitting down on it.

“Godt?”

“Bad. Or that depends on who you ask. Where is Miss Ramirez? She has to hear this too.” Ruby looked around, but didn’t seem to find her.

“I will tell her later,” Emma answered, shaking her head. “What did the test say?”

“It’s Mina Warren’s blood,” was all Ruby said.

Emma’s heart skipped a beat. Then maybe the poor girl was actually dead?

Chapter Text

After walking around the station to see if she could find Faustina, Emma gave up. She was clearly not here. And what to do now? Other than trying to find her that was. But no, she didn’t wanna do that. It was unimportant, and she could handle it herself for that matter. She had the education, she was a policewoman. She had to be able to do this herself.

Nevertheless she had a hard time not missing the woman even a tiny bit - which was of course complete madness, because they never did anything other than arguing. But she decided now that she was done thinking about the brunette. It was necessary if she wanted to get anything done today. And to do her work was something high on her list of priorities. It was highly important.

Looking back at the room one last time she went to find Ruby.

“Hey Ruby,” she said, sighing lowly.

“Is it really me you are sighing after, or is there someone else occupying your mind?” Ruby smirked, openly amused by both of the possibilities.

“I do not sigh after anyone!” She spat at her, shaking her head heavily.

“If you say so.” Ruby winked at her, and then continued to talk: “What did you want? Since you came here that is?”

“Ehm, yes. Yes, ehm,” she stammered, looking at her hands.

“Did you wanna know where Faustina went?” Ruby asked with the grin of a cheshire cat.

“No!” she almost yelled through the building, before lowering her voice, “No, of course not. Why would I want to know that?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I was just trying to make you say something, really. Or answer my question perhaps?” She tilted her head slightly as she looked at Emma with a puzzled expression. Like she was trying to read her.

“Well, yes,” she stalled slightly, but then continued, “I just wanted to say that I was about to go to the crime scene.” Ok, granted, this didn’t sound as convincing as she wanted it to, but it had to do.

“Oh?” Ruby smirked yet again, annoying Emma to no end.

“Yes, that was it. I just gotta - you know - go?” She pointed at the door walking towards it, when Ruby spoke.

“Wait a minute,” she said pointing at Emma, “Get over here.”

Emma swallowed once, swallowed twice, and then went back to the desk.

Ruby looked at the screen for a few minutes before opening her mouth again: “You can’t go without those who are going to go with you.”

“Who?” Emma just could not, not ask that.

The question answered itself as a man and a very big dog came into the room from a door to Emma’s right.

“Those.” Ruby pointed at the two, as if it wasn’t clear enough that it had to be them.

“Oh,” was all Emma could say as she looked at the big dog. What did they want her to do with that beast? Hopefully it wasn’t going into her car! But that was a question Ruby answered for her.

“Those two are going with you,” she said nodding towards the man and the dog again.

“In my car?” She sounded more appalled than actually angry, which Ruby took as a good sign apparently.

“Yes, in your car.” Ruby only looked at her nails with a bored expression.

And what else could Emma do but nod and sigh? Probably not much, if she was honest with herself.

“Ma’am.” The man addressed her, but she waved dismissively at him.

“Not Ma’am, but Chief Inspector Swan or just Chief Swan, if you want to talk to me.” The dog gave her the puppy dog eyes, and she sighed yet again, “Follow me then.”

The man had no trouble controlling the dog, luckily, as they walked to her car. It seemed well-trained, even if she didn’t know much about dogs. Least of all about the niche that was police dogs.

But that picture - of the well-trained dog - was destroyed in minutes by the dog jumping unto the backseat, when she opened the door for its trainer.

“Get. It. Down!” she hissed angrily, and pointed at the floor behind the front seat. The dog had to sit there, if it was coming with them. That beast ought to not damage the seats of her baby . Nope!

The man frowned, smiling apologetically and put the dog on the floor where it should sit. Giving her a nod he entered the car, sitting beside the dog. Surely to keep it where it was. Emma got into the driver’s seat, and they drove away.

To praise the dog just a little it didn’t bark even once through the drive, and neither did its trainer. And only when they got out of the car the man realized he hadn’t introduced himself yet.

“Graham Humbert Ma-ehm-Chief Inspector Swan,” he quickly corrected himself almost calling her ‘ma’am’ yet again. Lucky for him he readdress her and therefore she just shrugged.

“Officer Humbert, good,” she said, nodding at him while duly noting his name in her brilliant brean - and now she was thinking about Faustina again. Great!

“At your service,” he answered, nodding back at her.

“What are you and the be-dog going to do out here?” She almost called the dog a ‘beast’ in front of its trainer. Nice going Emma.

“He is going to try to find the body, if it’s here that is. Wolf can find anything. Can’t you boy?” He pat the dog on the chest lovingly.

“The body?” Emma’s eyebrows had wandered into her forehead.

“Yeah. Since it was Mina Warren’s blood that was found it’s possible that the body is here somewhere.” He nodded again, scratching the dog behind the ear.

“Aha,” was all Emma said. All she could say.

She straightened up her bun, before looking at Officer Humbert again who was still standing beside the car with the dog. That fact made her raise an eyebrow as she saw he hadn’t moved a muscle.

“Are you gonna stay there all day, or are you and that-” she gestured towards the dog “-gonna find that body?”

“Of course ma’am, I mean Chief Inspector Swan.” He called her ‘ma’am’ again. Dammit!

“Officer Humbert you need to know one thing about me: I don’t like to repeat myself,” she poignantly told him, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

“Of course not Chief Inspector Swan,” he answered like a soldier, and then turned his attention towards the dog, “Come Wolf. We gotta find that girl.”

When that was said he walked directly towards the building. He was probably already informed of where the blood was found and other things relevant to the case. 

But even if she found the dog an abomination - it was a beast - she could still find interest in the process. Earlier in her career, multiple times, she had seen dogs just like this one find bodies or missing people. And that’s why she wanted to take part in this. If it didn’t disrupt the dog of course. She didn’t want to ruin the search or investigation.

“Officer Humbert!” She called him after a few seconds - seconds spent on thinking about whether to follow him or not.

“Yes Chief?” He answered after stopping and calling the dog to his side.

“I’m gonna trail behind you for a little while,” she said in a way that made it clear this wasn’t a question or a request. It was a direct order. Something this soldier-like Officer Humbert wouldn’t be able to say ‘no’ to or deny her.

“Of course Chief Inspector,” he answered, still standing in place. 

She slightly jogged to his side, and then they walked together towards the factory building. Put on the ground in front of the old building was some tents, and that was where Humbert and the dog went. With Emma just trailing behind them.

“Excuse me. I need something that smells like the missing girl,” he informed them as he entered the tent, “My dog needs a scent to follow.”

Those in the tent, technicians possibly, looked kinda uncertainly at Officer Humbert, and that’s when Emma decided to break in. Why not make everyone’s job easier by helping the Officer a little?

“Chief Inspector Swan,” she introduced herself as, and showed them her badge, “We need something with the girl’s scent on. What is of use for you and the dog, Officer Humbert?”

“Clothes, hair, blood. Anything that smells like her. Something Wolf can use to track her with,” he answered stiffly, nodding towards the dog.

“Blood. Good. We found that. Where is the evidence bag with the blood? The one I and Fau-ehm Miss Ramirez brought to you?” She held out her hand in a commanding way, and demanded and expected for the bag to be put in her open palm.

Instead she got a rubber glove on her extended hand. She almost protested, but all fight disappeared when she was handed the evidence bag with the blood. Procedure of course. She wasn’t allowed to contaminate the evidence.

“And you can use this?” She pulled the napkin out of the bag with a pair of tweezers that she had been handed, and looked at Officer Humbert.

“Hold it towards the dog, so he can smell it,” he requested without a demanding tone.

“Well ok,” she answered with a nod, and squatted down in front of the dog. She then extended her hand towards the beast.

Walking forward a few steps, with permission from its trainer, the dog sniffed the paper. It made a face that would have been funny in any other situation, and sniffed the blood again. Then it began to bark, and pull at the leash towards the exit of the tent.

“Follow us, Chief,” Officer Humbert called as he followed the dog outside.

Emma had to almost run to be able to follow the fast and eager dog. But she was able to follow, even if her boots weren't made for running in any way. And least of all in wet grass and mud. Her heels sank into the grass, but she couldn’t do much about it right now.

The dog kept yapping, pulling on the leash hard in an attempt to run forward. Its nose was in the ground at all times, seaking right and left until it ended up behind the fabric.

“How long does this normally take?” she found herself asking him.

“Not to sound rude, Chief, but it would be best if you didn’t talk. He can concentrate better if we don’t converse while he is seeking,” he answered smiling in apology.

“Yes of course,” she answered in a whisper, and then just trailed behind them.

She couldn’t imagine what was going through the dog’s head right now. There had to be many smells and scents in this area, so how it found exactly the one it was seeking for, was a mystery to her. But it zigzagged through the area, barking energetically once in a while. Especially if it changed directly abruptly.

Chapter Text

They ended up inside the factory itself, but quickly went out of it again as Emma told Officer Humbert that they building had already been searched from top to bottom.

In the end they ended around a mile from the factory located in an industry district. There were abandoned buildings everywhere, but also buildings that were still being used. They ended up behind an empty building. Some large containers were located there, even if Emma couldn’t - for the love of God - understand why they were there. What was the use for them?

With its nose in the dirt the dog finally came to a halt for the first time since it had smelled the blood. It was standing in front of one of the blue containers, and began barking loudly while looking stiffly at the container. Officer Humbert walked over to the lid and opened it. Then he pulled a face, making a choked noise and walking a few steps backwards.

“Chief Inspector Swan, I think you need to see this,” he said pointing at the container, while covering his nose, as to not smell whatever it was.

“Ok,” she answered, nodding at him.

She walked towards the lid, opened it again and looked into the container, using her phone as a flashlight. Inside of it there was a plastic bag covered in blood. It seemed like the bag was kind of leaky, and the blood was therefore leaked from it. She wrinkled her nose, stepping backwards again, while waving in front of her nose. This smelled like dead.

“Officer Humbert,” she said, pointing at the container.

“Yes Chief?” He was just standing there, feeding the dog treats while praising it for finding… well, something at least. Something very bloody.

“I think we need to get the technicians here. I trust that you can get back to the factory on your own, and get some officers who can help with lifting the body out of there. I am calling the forensic as we speak,” she told him, closing the lid again with the hand where she was still wearing the glove.

“Yes Chief!” When that was said he began jogging back towards the factory.

Emma pulled out her phone, but then called for the officer: “Ask them to wear gloves!”

“Yes ma’-ehm Chief!” he yelled back, and then he was out of sight.

After pushing in the right number she held the phone to her ear.

“Hello? Ruby Lucas here?” the voice answered.

“Ruby? Good. I need you to send the forensics out here. We have found-” Her throath was suddenly dryer than before, “We have found something she needs to have a look at.”

“Of course Chief. Is there anything else I can do for you? Find Roni maybe?” Ruby teased.

“I will find her myself. I know where she is,” Emma answered with a biting tone, and was about to hang up.

“You got it boss!” Ruby laughed and then hung up.

Soon after four big officers came running with Officer Humbert and that beastly dog in front. Why he didn’t leave the dog with some officer, she didn’t understand. But then again she didn’t know much about dogs. Could one even leave it with a stranger just like that? She didn’t know to be honest.

“Officer Humber,” she said clearly pleased, and looked at the four cops, before saying, “Officer Faa, Officer Dunbroch, Officer Booth and Officer Pendragon. We have found something that you need to help us with lifting out, when the forensic is here and ready for it.”

“And until then Chief?” Officer Faa asked.

“Until then you will wait here. I need to go. Guard this crime scene with your lives!”

“Where are you going Chief, if you don’t mind me asking?” Officer Dunbroch asked with a strong whiff of skottish accent.

“I need to find someone. But you stay here! Wait for the forensic. Only let Jasmine come near the body. Nobody else!” she was firing orders at the, rushing towards the car and then driving towards ‘Roni’s’. Which were where Roni was. Hopefully.

She was cursing throughout the whole ride, because she had to share this with Roni. But at the same time she had a trump. She had found something without her. Yes, well it was the dog who had found the body, but she didn’t need to tell that to Roni after all.

The car, the small, yellow bug, was parked outside the pub, and she didn’t really care much about the laws as she just placed her badge in the windshield. And just like that that was fixed!

“Roni!” she yelled as she walked inside ‘Roni’s’.

“What do you want, Chief Inspector Aburrida?” she asked while sighing, “I don’t need to see you more than once a day to be honest.”

“Follow me,” she ordered her.

“Why? What is going on?” She had tilted her head slightly to the right, but was still looking quite angry. But she had clearly cooled down after their fight earlier today.

“We have found something ,” she hissed through her teeth.

“And what have ‘we’ found?” She made air quotes around ‘we’.

“Follow me to the car, and I will tell you,” she bit at her, and tried to get a hold of her arm to drag her out of the pub.

“I can’t just leave! I have a pub to look after!” she protested and pulled her arm away from Emma.

“Then find someone to take over, because you shall come with me!” She looked at the only person sitting in the pub, “Or kick that guy out, and we can go!”

“In that deathtrap you call a car? Over my dead body!” She shook her head.

“It will not be the only dead body I have seen today,” Emma growled angrily.

“Wha-what?” Roni’s eyes were big, barred and baffled.

“We have found her body Roni, so come on and follow me, ok?” she hissed.

“You, Leroy! Out!” She pointed at the man, who grumpily stood and staggered out of the pub.

When the door was closed behind him, Roni walked over to it and locked it.

“You say what?” she whispered, clearly mortified.

“Her body. We have found her body. Or a body at least.” Emma rolled her eyes at her. She, in a kind of morbid way, hoped that it was Mina’s body they had found, because if it wasn’t they suddenly had more than one murderer to find. And that would be a damn pain in her ass, to be honest.

“You have what?” Roni repeated like she didn’t understand. She then narrowed her eyes, looking at Emma with a glare and hissing: “Who? Whose body?”

“We have found Mina’s body,” she answered seriously, and looked at her hands. It was hard to handle the glare she got from Roni right now. That dark anger. The deep sadness. She didn’t know what to say.

“Where?” she demanded to be told with her hands on her hips and a serious glimt in the dark brown eyes. But Emma could see her throat bobbing as she swallowed again and again like she was going to throw up. Like she tried to suppress her feelings.

“At Factory Road.” She shrugged, but gasped without sound as the dark and malicious anger was replaced by the deep sadness. A sadness that reached only Roni’s eyes. The rest of her face was like stone. No feelings at all. 

“Where we-” She stalled, swallowing yet again and then spoke. She whispered, “She was there while we-?”

Emma just nodded, and reached out for Roni to… well, what did she want to do? Comfort her? She understood that a civil person would get quite affected by someone’s death, even if something about Roni, that told her that this was more than that. She didn’t know… But Roni shied away from her.

And Roni was just standing there, saying absolute nothing. Like she didn’t know what to say at all. Emma cleared her throat.

“We gotta go Miss Ramirez. We have an appointment with the forensics.” Her face was serious as she looked at her.

Roni still didn’t say anything. She was just quiet and cold, but at the same time full of emotions that much could Emma see in her expressive eyes.

“I...” Emma stalled, but forced herself to keep going. To get Roni out of this hole she was digging herself into, “... I need your help.”

That did it for the latina: “Really? You need my help?” The tone was teasing.

“Not if you use that tone. Then I can do it myself,” Emma answered and turned her back on her. She walked towards the door, pushing the handle down but it was locked. She gestured towards it, “Are you opening this for me?”

“Where are we going?” she said instead of doing what Emma told her to.

“The morgue,” she answered, shrugging, and pointed at the handle again, “The door, Miss Ramirez.”

“But then it’s really thanks to me that you find the b-body,” she stammered the last word, but acted like she didn’t. Like Emma hadn’t noticed it. But she had, even if she acted like she didn’t. Because she hadn’t liked the darkness in Roni’s eyes just before. She liked it much better when they were arguing like this instead - to be honest.

“It wasn’t. You found some blood, but I did all the work,” Emma bit at her, waiting for her to unlock the door.

“And how did you find it? Did you trip over it, smacking your head on the pavement?” she asked sarcastically, while opening the door. 

They went outside. 

Roni locked the door after them, and glanced at the small, yellow car. She raised an eyebrow, wrinkling her nose in distaste, but then rolled eyes at Emma who hadn’t answered her.

“How did you find it, Chief Inspector Aburrida?” She poked her with the words, like they were knives.

“The dog found it,” she mumbled unclearly and low.

“What?” Roni sing-a-song-ed at her, moving towards the car side by side with her, “What did you say?”

“The damn dog found it!” she yelled in the end, annoyed by herself. That she let the latina provoke her like that. She always did this!

“So? You were outsmarted by a dog? You didn’t exactly find anything?” she kept teasing.

“Get. Inside. The. Damn. Car!” she bit annoyed, and pointed at the door after unlocking it.

Both got into the car, but from the corner of her eye Emma could see Roni smiling joyfully and a littlé smug. She was almost bunching on the seat. And that made Emma burn from the inside, red and angry. This woman always knew exactly which buttons to push!

The rest of the drive was in a deafening silence, except some sharp comments that Roni threw at her head. And she did that a few times. A few too many for Emma’s tasta, but the closer they got to the morgue, the more quiet and introverted the brunette got. And Emma didn’t know why, but she didn’t like it one bit...

When they got there Roni seemed like she couldn’t look anywhere but at the bottom of the car. And that kept going even after she stepped out of the car. Her eyes were glued to the pavement. And her normally expressive deep brown eyes missed their normal spark. What had happened on the short drive that Emma hadn’t noticed? This was really weird.

Without a word Emma led Roni towards the morgue.

Maybe she kind of understood Roni’s restraint towards the morgue. If this was her first time at a place like this Emma could sympathize with her behavior. She had, herself, been pretty cautious when she was at a morgue for the first time. It had been awkward and scary at the same time. She didn’t know where to look - and still had that problem today.

But only a little. She was surely stronger than her stomach and her urge to throw up. Plus she had a reputation to uphold.

“A-are you ok?” she found herself asking while glancing at Roni who still looked at the ground in front of her.

“Hm?” That was the absent sound that came from her as she shrugged.

And what… was that tears Emma could see in her eyes. It couldn’t be, right? She kept her mouth shut the rest of the way down with the elevator, but squeezed Roni’s shoulder just slightly because… well, to make sure she kept her spirit high, even if this was very hard for her.

Then the elevator gave of a ‘ding’-sound that told them they had gotten to the right floor. Emma walked out of the elevator without much thought, but stopped walking when she couldn’t hear the brunette behind her. She looked behind herself and saw Roni just standing in the opening of the elevator. It seemed like taking even one more step forward would break her.

“Are you coming?” she said kind of insensitive, which somehow pulled Roni together and she walked completely out of the elevator.

Even if she still didn’t say anything, and hadn’t said much since Emma had ordered her to get inside the car.

“Are you coming?” she repeated as they walked through the doorway and into the obduktion room.

This time this happened: Roni shook her head. That made Emma sigh and fake annoyance as she looked at her. But then she just shook her head herself, and left Roni in the hallway.

“You do whatever,” she said, walking towards the forensic.

She greated the muslim woman formally as she had already talked to her earlier this day.

Chapter Text

“Mrs. Shirin. Good to see you,” she said politely, shaking hands with the forensic.

“Chief inspector Swan, good to see you too, even if the reason is quite sad,” Jasmine said in a friendly tone, as the hijab wearing woman smiled at her, cheerful as always.

“Shall we get to it?” Emma said, tuning out the sound of Roni speaking Spanish at a very fast pace, in the hallway.

“Let’s get a look at it, shan’t we?” Jasmine answered and walked to the table, where the body was placed in a bodybag. Ready to be examined.

Emma pulled a face and followed, even if there was clearly a body in that bag. She could smell it.

“I have waited for you to get here, before I looked at the body. I know how you like to be involved from the beginning,” she said teasingly, as she KNEW that Emma hated to be too much of a part of this process like this.

But she didn’t comment on it, no, she just followed Jasmine.

Jasmine opened the body bag, pulling down the sides, so she could see what she was doing. Naturally she had done a short investigation of the crime scene, but that was apparently all she had done until now. Unless she was joking of course. That was a possibility as the muslim woman had very dark humor.

Jasmine and Emma talked back and forth while Roni was in the hallway talking even faster in spanish. It was in a tempo where no one else but native speakers could follow, and as Emma wasn’t anything near being a native speaker she only caught a few words here and there.

In a moment of not being attentive Jasmine cleared her throat.

“I see a bullet wound here.” She brushed dark curls away from the side of the body’s head, and pointed at a clear entry hole in the cranium.

Emma nodded in interest, and looked at the hole Jasmine showed her. She was thinking about what had happened to Mina, since she had been shot. Then Jasmine pointed out the next thing.

“She has been bound with something. I will look at what, but she has clearly been bound on her hands and feet.” She pointed at some angry red marks at the girl’s wrists and then her ankles.

With rope I suppose?“ Emma answered thoughtfully.

“I chose to think that too, as she has small fibers at the wrists that I have to get a closer look at.” With a tweezer she removed some fibers, and took them to the maschine to look at. She looked at it through the magnifying glass in the maschine, “Yes it’s rope. Probably some very thick rope like the one you would use at a ship,” she nodded and then added, “And she has fought against her attacker.”

She stood up from the chair, then pointed at some bruises that the body had on her arms and legs and stomach. Emma nodded again.

“Was the attacker a man or a woman? The one who did this to her?” Emma asked then.

“I will think it was a man. The bruises are big, and the girl wasn’t exactly small. There would have been a hell of a fight. But it also seems like the attacker has been on top most of the time,” she said as she moved to the body’s feet. There were bruises under them, Emma could see.

“What is the reason for those bruises?” she asked, scratching the side of her neck.

“Hard to tell. But I presume that she has been standing on bumpy ground. Or has jumped onto bumpy ground. She might have tried to run from her attacker,” Jasmine pointed out with interest, as they both saw the small wounds on the underside of her feet too, “Possibly she has been on a boat, and jumped into the water to get scratched up by the bumpy bottom of the sea.”

“I gotta get a hold of the girl's family,” she mumbled to herself, then she nodded in agreement to Jasmine, when Roni cleared her throat from the door opening, “Yes?”

“I have talked to the girl's mother. I presume she will have to identify the uhm… body?” Roni seemed restless as she was jumping from one foot to the other and had a hard time standing still, while talking to Emma.

“Yes, she will have to do that,” the blonde answered, glancing at Jasmine who was still examining the body.

It was only now she noticed that the body’s face was really bruised and swollen too. Probably because she had had her focus on the rest of the body, as Jasmine had explained what she saw.

“I have asked her to come. I presumed that she was to identify her here,” Roni said, putting her hand on her hip.

“Get in here. I can barely hear what you are saying,” Emma answered in annoyance, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“N-no thank you. I’m fine here.” The dark haired woman crossed her arms too, and had a stubborn glimt in her eyes.

“Suit yourself.” She rolled her eyes at her, and looked at Jasmine, “Is there more now?“

“Not right now. I will keep examining the girl, until the mother shows up and then after that again. How much time until she shows up?” the woman in the hijab answered.

“How long, Roni?” She looked in her direction.

“20 minutes max,” she answered, clicking impatiently with her tongue, “Can we go somewhere else to wait?” She almost begged.

“If you say so,” the blonde sighed, and began walking towards Roni.

They stepped into the elevator, going to the first floor, and then waiting for Mina’s mother to show up - in silence. Not a word was said while they waited, even if Roni was clearly more comfortable up here. But on the other hand… how could one expect a civilian to be comfortable around a dead body? It wouldn’t make any sense if she was.

With a sigh from Emma they waited. And waited. Finally an officer showed up with a woman who was Mina’s mother. Roni talked to her in fast paced spanish, and again Emma didn’t understand shit. Did the dark haired woman know Mina’s mother? Or what exactly was happening?

“Mrs. Warren,” Emma said to the woman, even if Roni kept talking to her in upbeat Spanish, “I’m Chief Inspector Swan.”

“Inspector Swan, is it really Mina?” the woman asked with a thick accent. Her thick, black, curly hair was rumpled, and she seemed out of breath too.

“We presume that, but we need you to identify her for us. We wouldn’t ask, if we didn’t have to,” she answered the woman, and tried to send her an encouraging smile, but that didn’t go well. She wasn’t exactly the type to smile much.

Then Roni again spoke to Mina’s mother in Spanish, as she reached out and squeezed her hand.

“Can we try in English?” Emma asked in annoyance, and sighed as she saw Mrs. Warren’s facial expression. It was the same as Roni’s right now, as the woman glared angrily at her.

But no one commented on her crass words. Roni just kept holding Mrs. Warren’s hand.

“Shall we?” Emma asked then, and nodded in the direction of the elevator.

Mrs. Warren’s face was emotionless, as she nodded stiffly.

“This way, Mrs. Warren,”  she said, and led them to the elevator to take the ride down to the morgue in the basement.

When they got there Emma saw that Mina’s mother was squeezing Roni’s hand hard, as it had gotten white around where she squeezed. But she didn’t put more into it, as Mrs. Warren was a worried mom, and Roni tried to comfort her to her best ability.

“Mrs. Shirin?” Emma said into the room as they got to the right floor. Roni and Mrs. Warren was still in the hallway.

“Is it now?” Jasmine asked, as she began covering up the body, except the head.

“It’s now,” the blonde nodded, calling in Mrs. Warren and Roni.

Weirdly enough Roni followed the older woman into the room, even if earlier that day she hadn’t wanted to enter the room. It was a little strange, but then again, most of Mina - except the face - was now covered up. She lead Mrs. Warren to the table, still hand in hand. But when Mina’s mother saw the body a sound like a dying whale came from her lips.

She fell to her knees, crying loudly.

Emma - who was less in contact with her emotions - said, “Is this her? Is it your daughter?”

Mrs. Warren wailed. The tears ran down the darker skinned woman’s cheeks, as her makeup began to run. Roni squeezed her hand, which was barely noticed by Emma, as Mrs. Warren nodded stiffly.

Roni nodded too, even if she wasn’t the one Emma had asked. Why she did it, she couldn’t understand at all. 

“it’s her,” Roni said with an emotionally unstable voice, and her eyes was glaced over with tears.

Again Emma didn’t understand. Why did she cry? She didn’t know Mina, did she? It was all so weird. But maybe she was just touched by someone being dead. That would be pretty normal, Emma figured. Emma had seen so many dead bodies that them being dead didn’t touch her much. But Roni was a civilian so it touched her of course. Emma should have foreseen that.

Mrs. Warren was still on her knees on the floor, roaring out her grief. That made Emma lean forward, and whisper in Roni’s ear, “Take her upstairs. She doesn’t have to see more than this.”

The dark haired woman nodded back at her, with tears in her eyes, and together they helped Mrs. Warren back on her feet. She sobbed and spoke quietly in Spanish to Roni, as they left the room and got upstairs - or so Emma thought at least.

She was - herself - on her way to exit the room to talk to Mrs. Warren, when the woman was ready, when Jasmine waved at her, waving her towards the body.

“Look at this,” she said, pulling the fabric from the body’s stomach and hips.

At first Emma didn’t understand what she should see, but then she realized. The body had ‘slave’ burned into the slightly darker skin on the side of her hip. That made her gasp startled, and she seeked Jasmine’s eyes.

“Mrs. Shirin? Is there any sign of sexual assault?” she asked the forensic, who nodded sadly.

“Yes, there is. But the one assaulting her was wearing a condom. No seemen is to be seen, so we can’t track him like that.” Jasmine’s facial expression was said, as she covered the body in the fabric, the face too. Then  she pushed it towards the freezer.

“Okay then. We are talking about more than just murder…” Emma said, more to herself than anyone else as she was now alone in the room.

On the first floor she had a short talk with Mrs. Warren, but it didn’t lead anywhere as the woman wasn’t able to remember that anyone had been after her daughter. Or flirted with her for that matter. Mina had apparently been her own girl, and had gone to parties on her own. And never talked about a boy harassing her, or her having a crush on a guy. So the trail was cold now.

When Mrs. Warren left the station, only Emma and Roni were left. The dark haired woman swallowed lump after lump in her throat, and Emma felt like… yeah, she pitied the woman. Then she heard herself say:

“I reacted the same way, when I saw a dead body the first time.”

Why  she said it she didn’t know, but somehow she had sympathy for Roni. And the gods must know why. Stupid civilian…

“But try to control yourself amongst relatives,” she said sharply, because she wouldn’t want to seem too emotional.

“You...” was all Roni said in anger, before she left the station herself.

Chapter Text

Emma yawned as she moved towards the car, her trusty yellow bug. While waiting at the parking lot she pulled out a cigarette. She needed a smoke, if she had to put up with Roni for the rest of the day. Pulling out a lighter she held it towards the end at the cigarette, and lit it. Putting it against her lips she inhaled greedily, she needed one, if she had to work with Roni for the day.

With a sigh of pleasure she exhaled, blowing smoke into the clear and cold winter morning. Then she heard the roar of a bike, and soon after Roni pulled into the parking lot beside Emma’s bug. That made her kind of smile, but when she realized what she was doing, she quickly turned it into an unimpressed scowl, bordering on a frown.

“Hey!” Roni said, pulling off her helmet, and putting it in the backbox of the motorbike, before pulling some kind of protective ‘blanket’ over the bike, clearly to protect it from the snow. 

She was wearing black leather pants, but not her signature black leather jacket - today she was wearing a dark, but not too dark, red leather jacket, and some black gloves, also leather. 

That made Emma wrinkle her nose, because she had never seen her in any other jacket than the black on with the flowers on. That was just… plain weird.

“Hey,” she answered, trying to act as casually as possible.

“So where are we going?” Roni then said, putting a hand on her hip.

“Crime scene,” was all Emma told her, as she put out the cigarette in the snow, before throwing it in the trashcan nearby. That act made the brunette roll her eyes, but she didn’t say anything about it.

“Okay then,” she only said, and moved to the front seat of the car, when Emma had unlocked it.

She herself got into the driver’s seat, and sighed again as Roni looked at her eagerly in a way she hadn’t done before. Maybe even someone like Roni could find pleasure in solving a crime? That was entirely possible after all. Right?

Then they drove off.

When they got to where they had found the body, Emma pulled into the side, effectively parking the car and getting out. Roni wasn’t quite as quick, but soon followed after her. There was yellow tape everywhere, and some lower ranked police officers let them into the lot, when Emma had showed off her badge.

“So what are we doing here?” Roni asked her in a low voice.

“I like the hands-on experience of looking through the crime scene myself,” she found herself explaining, even though she didn’t know why she explained anything to the brunette at all. She did use to do that after all.

“Right,” she said, making a face as if she didn’t believe her. It wasn’t the norm that Emma explained herself after all.

There were no cops on the scene, other than at the entrance and around it. Nobody seemed to be looking around, as that was what Emma was supposed to do right now. Her and Roni that was. Together apparently, even if Roni was more feet behind her than she wanted to count.

But then suddenly Roni yelled her name. As Emma turned around she saw the brunette wave wildly at her. She just shook her head, rolled her eyes and walked back to her. She was standing by one of the containers, pointing at something apparently.

When she got to her side, she saw a piece of paper flowing in the air, bound with some kind of string to the container. Looked like yarn.

“What is it?” Emma said in an annoyed tone of voice, looking down at Roni from above her nose.

“I found this paper!” Roni sounded excited as hell, uhm heck, as she moved to grab the paper.

“Wait!” she told her, putting on a rubber glove.

“What?” The brunette lifted an eyebrow, looking both quizzically and annoyed as she looked at Emma.

“We need to touch it as little as possible with these on,” she pulled on the other glove, moving closer to Roni and the paper, taking it carefully in her hands.

“Yeah yeah,” she sighed, and rolled her eyes at Emma’s clear form, reaching out to take the picture from Emma.

“I mean it, Roni. We shouldn’t touch it more than necessary!” she snapped, turning her back towards the woman, trying to read what was on the paper, “If you really want to read it, put on some gloves!” she told her then.

She could see Roni rolling her eyes at her again, but put on some leather gloves that she fished out of the pockets of her leather jacket. The red one that she had only seen her wear once before.

The woman shuffled around for a while, probably impatiently, as Emma was reading the note.

“So… what does it say?” Roni said in an excited voice, but also very impatiently, as she wanted to know what was going on. Which Emma could totally understand, even if she wanted her to roast in her own fat for a while longer.

“It says… well look yourself,” she told her, reading the sentences once again, before handing it over to Roni’s leather clad hands.

“It says…” Roni said, just like Emma had, while reading the note, and then exclaimed excitedly, but with dread, “This is from the murderer!”

“Yes,” Emma agreed, nodding. But she did give her more time, as she snapped the note from her hands again, “Which is why we need to get it checked for prints.“

“I can agree to that,” the brunette said with a nod, and looked around the place.

Emma pulled out a small evidence bag, and put the note inside it.

“So what do we do now?” the brunette said, looking around again.

“We go through the rest of the crime scene, and then we go back to the station,” she told her, and put the bag with the note in the pocket of her coat.

“Good,” Roni nodded her agreement, and began walking around the place.

“And… good job finding it,” Emma told her aversively, and moved to her side to pat her awkwardly on the shoulder.

That made Roni lift an eyebrow and smirk, even if she didn’t say anything. She just grinned. Emma rolled her eyes, and thought to herself that Roni had come far. She had learned a lot from Emma, and she was almost proud that Roni was actually this good at this. Finding clues and all that. 

Well, really she was proud, but she didn’t know how to express it, which is why she just grunted, and began moving around the scene too. They didn’t find more though. Only that small piece of paper with the note on. And Emma was kind of disappointed in her own deductive skills in that way she hadn’t been able to find even one clue herself.

And Roni? Well, she had been smirking and grinning all the way back to the station. That idiot…

Chapter Text

EMMA

Emma sighed, when they got to the station, and pocketed the evidence bag once again, before stepping out of the car. Roni followed close behind her, as they entered the station, and Roni waved at Ruby.

“Hey girls!” the chatty receptionist said, and waved at him.

“Good evening Miss Lucas,” Emma answered like the snob she was, not one to get friendly with her underlings.

“Hey Rubes!” Roni said loudly, and waved back.

“So what’s going on?” the lanky brunette said, always hungry for gossip, but Emma wouldn’t give it to her.

“Just give me a piece of paper, Miss Lucas,” she said in an annoyed tone of voice, and held out her hand for the paper.

“Oh,” Ruby replied, clearly disappointed and gave the blonde a piece of paper.

Then Emma pulled out the evidence bag from her pocket, and began reading it through. But the more she read the words, the more confused they got. It said: 

‘Hello Chief Inspector. I have heard that you have found my little present. Good for you. Now listen closely, because I’m only saying this once. Or I guess you can re-read it. Doesn’t matter though. 

I will be willing to meet up with Roni Ramirez, and that’s that. I will meet with her on a street she knows very well. Just don’t ask her which. She will have to be alone , completely alone. If I see any cops I will flee the place immediately. Or worse, my next victim will get the knife, if you catch my drift. 

Well, I’m looking forward to seeing Miss Ramirez on the street where she was born, she will know the one, at 5 PM tomorrow (12/05). If she doesn’t show up it will be sad, as that victim I talked about also will get the knife.

Don’t try to find me though, cause you can’t. I have left absolutely NO trace anywhere. You will never find me. Say hello to Miss Ramirez from me.’

Emma reread it a few times, before she began writing down every word for further investigation. And Roni was standing beside her reading the words too. Or at least trying to, even if Emma tried to not show her what was written. There was NO way in hell that she would let Roni show up wherever alone, but she couldn’t exactly let another girl die either.

With a loud sigh she handed the evidence bag to Ruby.

“Get it checked for prints!” she told the woman, before with long strides walking towards her office. Or well, desk. Didn’t matter. She just had to get there.

“Right away boss!” Ruby said, winking at Roni, before leaving the desk.

“I’ll do it,” Roni said with a firm voice, and looked at Emma with the chin pointing slightly upwards. A sign of stubbornness.

“You will absolutely not !” Emma answered, maybe a little more aggressively than she would have liked. It wasn’t like she cared about the brunette in any way.

“Oh but I will !” the brunette bit aggressively back at her.

“You will not !” the blonde repeated as Roni crossed her arms over her chest, “There is no way in hell a non-cop is going to meet up with a murderer without backup!”

“ I am the only one who knows where we are meeting! I can do it behind your back if I have to!” she argued back, biting into the air as she talked.

“You… you are so stubborn!” she sputtered.

“I can’t let another girl die !” Beautiful. Now everyone in the office was looking at them.

“Do you think I want another girl to die?!” She grabbed onto Roni’s arm, and pulled her towards storrageroom. 

Luckily Roni went with her without protest. 

When they got inside the room Roni began talking again:

“I can’t just sit on my ass while another girl gets killed. Not if I can do something to prevent that!”

“I can’t let a civilian walk into a situation like that. Why won’t you understand that?!” Emma spat, backing the woman with her own body towards the wall.

“Like I wouldn’t do it anyways, if you say ‘no’!” she bit back at her.

“Then I can’t let you leave this station!” the blonde said with wildfire in her normally ice cold, blue eyes.

“So? What are you gonna do? Arrest me?!” the brunette mocked her, which flipped a switch inside Emma.

She launched forward, backing Roni further towards the wall behind them, as she grabbed her wrists, pinning them against the wall behind her. Just above her head. They were both breathing heavily, as Roni struggled against her grib, but wasn’t able to get loose. They were breathing into each other’s face, almost close enough to…

Emma pressed her lips against Roni’s, and for some Godsend reason the brunette just welcomed them in a fiery kiss that made the blonde’s toes curl. But then Emma realized what exactly she was doing, pushing back with her hands on Roni’s chest - accidentaly of course - and glared daggers at the darker woman.

And Roni? She just smirked like the minx she was, licking her lips with lust in the dark brown eyes. But none of them got to say anything, before someone opened the door. Probably lured by all the noise.

“Inspector Swan and… Miss Ramirez?” Zelena said with a huge smirk.

Luckily Emma stood with her back towards the door, but turned around in some kind of calm rage, as she breathed deeply through her nose.

“Yes Chief?” she asked, trying to keep her calm, while Roni was standing in the corner smirking.

“Come with me to my office at once!” Police Chief Green said and tried to be serious, but there was laughter in her voice as she said it.

Roni walked out of the storage room surprisingly confident, as she on the way brushed her arm with Emma’s. That just made the blonde stomp angrily with her foot. She stopped her on the way to the Chief’s office though.

“What?” the brunette said, still smirking like a cat that got cream.

“We don’t… I didn’t…” she sputtered in a whisper, and looked Roni dead in the eye as the woman’s smirk grew, “Not a word!”

“Whatever you say… boss,” Roni answered, then walked inside the office.

“So what is going on?” Zelena wanted to know, as she sat down behind her desk, “What were you doing in the storage room?”

“Uhm…” Emma began, not knowing where this would go.

Zelena’s curious, green eyes looked from Roni to Emma.

“We were just strategizing. Emma uhm… Inspector Swan doesn’t have an office after all, and we needed to talk together in peace without interference,” the brunette was quick to explain that to the Chief, luckily.

“Oh, so that’s that,” she said, smiling secretively, “So what has happened that you had to discuss?”

“We got a note from the murderer, and I have already told uhm… Miss Ramirez that she is not going,” the blonde quickly said before Roni got a chance to open her pretty - wait what? - mouth.

“Of course I am! I’m the only one who knows where it is!” Roni added angrily, which just made Emma want to kiss that stupid mouth of hers again!

“You are not !” But before Emma got to say more, Zelena cut in.

“Okay I don’t understand pot or kettle of this. Can we start from the beginning?” she asked in a friendly manner, but still grinning like a hyena.

“Ok it goes like this…” the blonde began explaining things to her boss, and soon after Roni joined in.

It took a good half hour of explaining and trying not to bite off each other’s heads, before Zelena got the root of the problem.

“So… the murderer wants to meet up with Roni, and only her?”

“Yes, and that’s the problem!” Emma spat annoyed.

“And only she knows where they gotta meet?” the red-head repeated.

“Yep,” Roni popped the ‘p’.

“Let’s make it happen then.”

“That’s exactly what I told her Chief! She was so stubborn and…” And then Emma realized what her Chief had just said, “... wait no! We can’t do that Chief! She is a civilian! She doesn’t even know how to handle a gun!”

Roni just smirked, mirth glittering in her eyes.

“She is the only one who knows where to meet up, and if she won’t give us that information we can’t do much else than let her go,” Zelena shrugged at that, but mirth was also visible in her eyes.

“We can lock her up!” Emma tried to interject.

“We can’t. She isn’t exactly doing anything illegal,” her Chief shrugged again, still smirking.

“But we can..!” Emma was out of options.

“We cannot. We can’t do anything but let Miss Ramirez go home, and that’s that. It’s final Chief Inspector Swan. Let her go.” It was only then she realized that she had grabbed onto Roni’s forearm.

She let go, and Roni got up and left. When Emma herself was about to leave, the Chief cleared her throat.

“Uhm… Inspector Swan? You might wanna fix your lipstick,” her grin only got bigger, and Emma looked down in shame, before leaving the office.

Chapter Text

The next day Roni and Emma didn’t talk to each other at all. Emma just read some papers from the case, and Roni was standing some space from her desk chewing gum. Not that Roni didn’t have anything to say, she probably had, but Emma? No, she didn’t have anything she wanted to discuss with Roni. Nothing at all!

With a sigh Emma looked up from the papers, as Roni began chewing gum more loudly.

“Oh, go home will you?!” she snapped at her.

“Okay, okay. I’m going!” Roni replied in a crushing tone, and walked out the office.

But instead of letting her go, Emma followed. She stood up, and walked out too. Staying inside, she waited for Roni to drive off on her bike, and then got into her own car. The yellow bug. 

She had to take the chance of Roni realizing she was following her, because taking one of the station’s cars was suicide for them both. Because if Roni was going where she thought she would go, then she had to follow her. She had to figure out where the murderer would meet her in order to catch him!

Getting onto the road she followed Roni’s motorbike not-too-closely. Getting into the latino district she realized she didn’t really know that part of the city that well. Which kind of scared her. What if Roni got killed, because she followed her? Or what if they both got killed? Would the killer see her at all? Or would his/her focus be solely on Roni? What if Roni would have been killed anyway? She had no chance of saving her, if she wasn’t there!

She took the chance, because she somehow along the way had ended up caring for the woman. Dammit!

Roni turned into the industry district, and turned right into the parking lot of an old factory. Emma keeps driving a few more buildings, before parking her car, and getting back to the factory on foot. 

She brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, as she looked around a corner, trying to figure out where to hide, while still being able to hear what they said. Because even if the murderer hadn’t shown up yet, Roni was still there and had a chance of being shot, if the murderer so wanted.

Then she moved into the smaller nature area just beside the factory. There were quite a few trees and bushes, and she could hide pretty well there.

Roni looked around the area, she could see. As if looking for someone, which she of course was. The murderer. Going here on her own would have been suicide, as the murderer could kill and dispose of her, and noone would know where to look for her. Nobody knew where they would meet.

Quickly Emma texted the officers’ hotline, and told them where they were, but told them to come silently and not too close to the fabric as the murderer would then flee, and the next victim would be killed. Which she of course didn’t want. She just wanted Roni to be safe, that was all!

While she texted a dark figure showed up, tauntingly and maniacally laughing.

And that made her look up. She gasped silently, and looked at the figure with an open mouth and wide eyes. She couldn’t exactly see Roni’s face or expressions from this angle, but she could see her shoulders tensing up when the figure had showed up.

She tilted her head slightly, moving to her right to get a better look on the dark figure. It wasn’t anyone she knew. Or so she decided from what little she could see of her. Or him. Could be both. The person was wearing some kind of weird, otherworldly, black-ish cloak, and their face were hidden by the hood.

But when she moved to the side once again, she stepped on a branch and the cracking sound was loud in the factory area, making the maybe-murderer look up. She saw brown eyes and long hair, but that’s all she saw , before she saw the slithering silver of a gun.

It’s shot before she gets to do anything. She barely had time to move, before she shot her own gun towards the figure - female she had decided now - and the woman jumped just out of reach, before grabbing Roni by the wrist, pulling her towards her.

The gun is now pointed at Roni’s head, and Emma can’t move a muscle.

“Stay where you are!” a raspy voice called out to her.

Emma doesn’t move. She just looked at the women, still not able to see anything but the woman’s chestnut hair, dark eyes and red lips. Everything else is hidden by the shadows. That made her feel uneasy.

“I will shoot her! Don’t think I won’t shoot her!” the woman called out, her voice fastpassed and almost erratic.

“Let her go!” she heard herself yell at the woman, not really sure if she should move or not. She rarely was in hostage situations herself, which made her definitely not fit for this.

“You stay there! I will move backwards, and I will see if you move. Stay right where you are!” the woman yelled back, and with no remorse at all she squeezed the trigger slightly, telling Emma that she was serious.

“Okay. Okay!” Emma yelled back, holding her hands high.

The woman stepped backwards again and again, until she was out of sight. Then she was gone, and soon after a car drove away from the area. That made Emma run to her own car.

She looked around, getting into her car, and kicking the thing into gear. But it didn’t help at all. It just wouldn’t drive forward at all. Or it did a little, but the whole car moved like a ragdoll. So she stepped out of it, and took a look at what were punctured tires. All four of them. Shit!

Realizing that she wouldn’t be able to follow Roni and her capturer - possibly a murderer - pissed her off. And her backup had yet to arrive. Fuck! She kicked at one of the car’s flat tires aggressively, and brought her palm to her face, before calling the direct line to the station.

Chapter Text

EMMA

Finally the backup arrived. Took their sweet damn time, she thought angrily, and kicked the wheel of her yellow bug, hard. It hurt but it didn’t make her any less angry. Sadly it didn’t work like it normally did. But then again nothing seemed like it used to. One thing was to have someone like Roni as her partner, another thing was for her to be kidnapped by some maniac!

She was really worried for her, if she was honest with herself. If she could wish for anything right now, it was for Roni to be right beside her right now.

And as she stood there she realized that maybe she didn’t passionately hated her, but passionately… well not-hated her. Maybe she even liked her a little bit? Sure the woman was stubborn as a mule, and she had that self assured smirk on her face all the time like she knew what she was doing. And then there was the kiss in that closet on the station. What exactly had happened then? It didn’t make sense to her right now.

But as she walked into the station, she found herself stopping at Ruby’s desk. She needed… to know what others saw, when they saw her and Roni together. What was going on between them. What was it she couldn’t see herself?

“Ruby,” she said dryly, and looked at the woman, who yet again was wearing a very revealing shirt. Or the shirt itself wasn’t revealing, but the way she had left a lot of buttons unbuttoned made it just that.

“Yes Inspector Swan?” she replied in her usual flirty way, but Emma just brushed that off. She wasn’t interested in Ruby, even if she objectively was good looking.

“Can you tell me…” she began, but halted as she didn’t really know what to say, so she changed direction, “What do you think about Roni Ramirez?”

“Roni? She is nice? She has a banging body, but I’m sure that’s not what you are asking. You already know that,” Ruby smiled knowingly, cocking her head slightly to the side, apparently intrigued.

“What about her being here at the station?”

“Well she has knack for detective work as far as I can see,”

“And what about her in relation to me?” Emma asked, standing on her toes because of the tension.

“Well, she clearly likes you,” Emma was about to speak when Ruby interrupted, “And you like her. But I’m sure you already know that too. She came out of the closet once with your lipstick on her mouth. Do you two have a thing going on or what? A little office romance?” she teased.

“I’m… what? What are you talking about?” Heat rose on her face from her cheeks to her ears, because she knew exactly what day she was talking about. That day she had been angry. It was the only time they had ever kissed. She had been so angry at the woman, and just shut her up with a kiss. Why she had done exactly that she didn’t know, but done was done.

“You guys are in love silly. Can’t you see that? Or at least in lust. Hard to differ,” Ruby said shrugging, while smirking, pleased as a cat who got the canary.

With a sigh Emma rolled her eyes at the woman, and told her firmly, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Wasn’t that the reason for those questions?” Ruby poked her with the words like with a stick.

Emma just shook her head, and walked into the station.

Then a phone rang. The officer at the desk took it, and said, “Hello?” He was quiet for a while, before turning towards Emma who had just entered, “It’s for you.”

Emma tilted her head to the side in confusion, but took the phone, and held it to her ear, “Chief Inspector Swan speaking?”

“Hello Miss Swan,” the voice in the other end said. It was clearly masked with some technology of some kind, but somehow it appeared female still.

“To whom am I speaking?” she tried keeping it professional, even though she was probably talking to the murderer. To the one who kidnapped and maybe even had already killed Roni.

“Oh but Miss Swan that is not important,” she began, and Emma was about to comment as the person spoke again, “I have your little friend here with me.”

Roni ! Her mind yelled at her, and she swallowed heavily.

“Yes I have your partner right here, and I want something from you should I return her to you,”

“Don’t do it Emma!” someone yelled in the background, which sounded like Roni's voice.

“Shut up brat!” a slap was hurt, and then the sound of duct tape as it was probably placed over Roni’s mouth

“Don’t hurt her, or you will regret it!” Emma snapped at the person in the phone, but the female voice just chuckled darkly.

“Oh but you won’t get her unharmed Miss Swan. Be sure of that. I am taking my time with this one, unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless you give me what I want.”

“And what-” Emma swallowed, “-do you want?”

“Oh Miss Swan I want so many things,”

“Name it,” she said without hesitation.

“First is first. I’ll need some cash to get out of the country of course,” the maybe-woman stated, and said a tsk-noise when Emma was about to speak, “Don’t ask me when. I will get out no matter what. You can’t stop me no matter how hard you try.”

“What makes you think yourself smarter than me?” Emma bit back.

“Oh because I am. Nobody knows who I am. Nobody can prove what you think I have done. Not even your little friend here,” it sounded like she kicked someone, which was confirmed by a pained groan from Roni through the duct tape.

“I told you, don’t hurt her!” Emma growled into the phone.

“But dear Miss Swan where is the fun in that?” A cracking sound was heard, and she had probably broken something on Roni. Most likely just a finger. Another groan, clearly pained yet again.

“What. Do. You. Want?!” came angrily from Emma, as she squeezed so hard around the phone that her knuckles were becoming white.

“What do I want? I have already told you the first: Money. Then… we will see. I’ll call you back later with the last of my demands. Then we will see.“

“Wha-” She was interrupted by the woman.

“Goodbye Miss Swan.” Click. She had hung up.

Emma was furious! She stalked to her boss’ office, and almost kicked the door open. The tension in her shoulders were clear as day, and same with her jaw. She looked like a caged animal. Her blue eyes were wild as she looked at the boss.

“What’s going on Inspector?” Zelena asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

“So Roni has been kidnapped, and her stupid captor just called me, wanting money to release her, and I am like ‘no way josé’, and now I don’t know what to do!” Emma rambled off, not knowing where to begin, so she just shook off the words as they fell into her brain.

“She is what?” the redhead’s mouth hung open in shook as she looked at the Inspector.

“ You said she could go alone. And now she is kidnapped. So… so… so it’s all your fault!” she replied in anger, her fists shaking from that, “I followed her and-” 

The Chief interrupted, “After the murderer had said she shouldn’t be followed? That’s plain stupid Swan, and you know it.”

“I wanted to protect her,” came out in a small voice from the normally very firm and strict Inspector, but now she showed emotion, and didn’t even know why herself.

“You wanted to protect her, and now she is kidnapped. Her captor has called the station, and you talked to that person. Is that understood correctly?” Chief looked at her with sharp green eyes.

Emma nodded her answer.

“And she wants money to release your partner,”

She didn’t even deny the chief’s words, just nodded.

“How much?”

“Enough to get out of the country and start a new life elsewhere,” Emma said mutely.

“And you know we can’t do that right?”

“I’m not exactly keen on giving a murderer money, but we can’t just let Roni stay where she is. I heard the captor break a finger. Or I think it was a finger. She was quite violent with her.”

“How do you know the captor is a she?”

“Sounded like a ‘she’, Chief. I can’t explain how, because the person used some kind of voice changing app or something.” Emma shrugged, but her fists were still clenched tightly, making her knuckles appear white. The shrug was more like she tried to shrug off the tension.

“And the person broke a finger on Roni? We already know that the person is a murderer, but apparently being cruel without intention isn’t past her either. Let’s make a plan, and then figure it out from there.”

“The captor is calling me back later. She knew who I was. She asked specifically for me, when an officer took the phone,” she drew in a deep breath, before speaking once again, “But chief, we have to get her out of there. We have to do something.”

“And we will. But we won’t give in to demands,” Zelena replied firmly.

“What if she kills her, if we won’t do as she says? What then Chief?!” Emma taunted her boss, as she was desperate to get Roni outta there.

“I don’t want her to be killed either, Swan, but I can’t just give into some demands. Are you sure the person has her?”

“Yes, Roni told me to ‘not do it’. Whatever ‘it’ was,” she said quietly, and tried to keep calm, but she couldn’t, “We need to get her out Chief. She is… she is one of us!”

“So it took her being captured by a murderer for you to accept her as one of us?” Zelena looked quite amused. Or as amused as you could look, when someone had been kidnapped.

“Shut it,” Emma replied weakly, and pointed at the picture of Zelena’s daughter Robin, “What if it had been Robin. Wouldn’t you have paid the ransom?”

“It’s not Robin though. Why are you suddenly so emotional about Roni?” She quirked an eyebrow at her.

“But if it was Robin, you would pay right away right?”

“It’s not-”

“I’m sure you would. But Roni is my partner, and I am going to get her outta there no matter how. We are gonna find the money, pay the murderer and get her away from there!” Emma told her firmly without a moment’s hesitation. That’s what was going to happen, and not even the Chief could talk her out of it.

That said she left her Boss’ office, and began talking to the right people in the office to get the money going.

Chapter Text

EMMA

Emma was driving her bug towards where she was meeting the captor and hopefully Roni. Her grip on the steering wheel was so hard that her knuckles were slowly turning white. She was going to the harbor at the other end of the city, and hadn’t exactly been there before, so she was quite nervous. What if she couldn’t find it? Would the woman then kill Roni? Hopefully not.

She had a hard time not worrying about Roni, because how could she stop worrying? Roni was probably bruised and beaten, and she could do nothing about it! She wanted to, but she didn’t know where the woman was, and therefore she couldn’t help her. Even if she really, really wanted to. The need to help was beating fast in her chest alongside her heart, steadily but fast.

With a sigh, she brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, and looked from side to side, before crossing the junction even if the traffic light was red. There wasn’t time to wait for green right now, but she didn’t want to get into an accident. Because she didn’t have time for that either.

Ending at the harbor she stepped out of the car. From her backseat she pulled a big duffle bag. It was where she had the money for the captor. All she could do was wait for the woman to show up. The area was probably monitored by the captor, even though Emma hadn’t brought any back-up. She wasn’t interested in the captor fleeing the scene. Again.

Kicking the car door shut, she looked around the harbor. There was no one around as it rained. The water began dripping down into her shoes the longer she stood there, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was Roni back. A little rain wouldn’t stop her. Getting a cold would be worth it, if she saved Roni from more hurt.

Standing there for what seemed like an hour, but probably was shorter, a car showed up. Turning her head, but not her body, towards it, she watched as it parked. It was a taxi, or so it seemed. But an old one, probably vintage.

Running the fingers of one hand through her wet, blonde hair - free from the normally tight bun - she looked at the taxi, as no one stepped out of it. This was probably the captor. And hopefully, for the captor’s sake, she had brought Roni with her.

The window went down, and a soft voice said, “Come closer Miss Swan. But not too close.”

Emma stepped closer to the car, so she could hear the one talking, better. Emma couldn’t help but think about what the chief would say about all of this, as she was here without her acceptance, but with the money the captor wanted.

“I presume you have my money, Miss Swan?” the woman said. And yes it was clearly a woman, the voice sounded female, but somehow familiar…

“You assume correctly,” Emma replied coldly, squaring her jaw as she tried to see a face. She couldn’t though, because the woman was wearing some kind of cape thingy with a hood.

“Give them to me then,” the woman demanded and you could almost hear that she was smirking. She thought she had the upper hand, but she didn’t! Not if Emma had anything to say at least.

“Show me Roni first.”

The woman looked like she was thinking about it for a moment, then she pulled on something, which showed to be a tied up Roni with duct tape over her mouth. Then she pushed her head out the window, “Is this proof enough for you Miss Swan?” Roni’s face was badly bruised, and she was probably hurt in other places too.

“It’s fine,” she answered coldly, trying to contain her anger, but she spoke through her teeth to do that.

“Great,” the woman smirked again, “The money Miss Swan.”

Emma handed over the bag without a word, almost throwing it through the open window. The woman opened the bag, and seemed to consider the content for a minute, before pushing Roni towards the door. She reached down for a second, probably to loosen the rope around Roni’s feet, and then proceeded to push her out of the open window. That made Roni fall flat on her face, groaning in pain.

“Are you ok?” she asked Roni.

Roni mumbled something from behind the tape.

“Oh yes of course!” she removed the tape.

“I’m… ok…” she panted, and tried to reach her face, but her hands were tied too.

“Good,” 

Emma then pulled a gun from the edge of her jeans, she pointed it at the car, but it was already on the move. On their way away from here. She couldn’t stop it, but she could shoot at it! She ended up shooting at the taxi a few times, and then looked at Roni, who was laying on the ground. 

Helping her onto her feet, she asked, “Did you see her face?”

“No,” Roni answered after a few seconds.

She helped the woman out of the ropes. What could she say? Ending up examining Roni’s bruises instead, she accidentally cupped her cheeks.

“Are you sure you are ok?” Roni asked in a teasing tone, even though she was wheezing slightly. Probably had a few broken ribs or something like that.

“If you are ok, then I am ok,” Emma couldn’t help but answer, and smiled as a smile graced Roni’s plump lips.

“Did you really get that much money to save me from her?”

“Of course,” she didn’t say that it was her money though. Her savings. The Chief had stopped her from getting them elsewhere, because they ‘don’t give into captor’s demands’ or some shit like that.

“And the chief just gave you the money?”

Emma shook her head, but changed the subject, “Where are you hurting? I can hear you wheezing.” Worry was clear in her blue eyes.

“You didn’t catch the bad guy this time though. She is out of the country in no time,” Roni said instead of answering the question.

“It’s ok. The most important thing is that you are ok.”

“Really? Have you gone soft on me Swan?” she teased her, poking her in the ribs.

“Never,” Emma replied, but smiled warmly at her.

And then it happened. No one really knew who leaned in first, but suddenly their lips were touching. Gracing. Kissing. Tasting each other. Relief flowed through Emma’s body, as Roni kissed her back. Relief from Roni being safe, but also from Roni returning her feelings. The brunette’s hands were in Emma’s hair in seconds. Maybe this could actually work…

Chapter Text

RONI

“And that’s how I met your mother,” Roni finished, smirking at her wife.

“Really? Just like that? That doesn’t make sense!” Henry replied, shaking his head in disbelief, his tiny voice frustrated, “I thought this would be a cool story about Ma being a badass, and she didn’t even catch the bad guy!”

“I was badass!” Emma objected in a whiny tone of voice, and pointed at their son, “I saved your mother, kid!”

“But you should have caught the bad guy! You should have ran to her with smoking gun, and shot her in the face!”

“To be fair she did shoot at the taxi,” the brunette laughed, and ruffled her son’s dark brown hair.

“And we did catch her eventually,” Emma added, and sat down beside her son on the couch.

“And who was she? The murderer?” excitement shone from the kid’s eyes, as he looked at his Ma.

“That’s a story for when you get older. Now get going. The bus will be here in seconds!” She patted him on the back, and stood up turning towards Roni, before kissing her softly.

“When will you tell him that it was his grandmother who was the murderer?” Roni said, quirking a brow.

“When he gets old enough to understand that the world isn’t black and white, my love,” she replied, kissing her shortly but sweetly, “Right now he believes in fairytales. Good and evil. Good conquering evil.”

“To be fair, my mother is evil. That’s why I don’t visit her in prison.”