Chapter Text
“Night guys, see ye tomorrow” Ellie waved her colleagues away, she was close to finishing the last of her paperwork, she reckoned one more tepid cup of coffee would be enough fuel to allow her power through the last monotonous pages of her after-action report, she wouldn't have Tim and Tony's banter distracting her, lulling her into their easy camaraderie, sidetracking her from the job at hand.
In truth she preferred the office at this late hour, this was the sweet spot for her at work, actual peace and quiet in the bullpen, now devoid of her colleagues (which would last until the cleaning staff would arrive). She’d finish typing the rest of her report before braving the cold Washington D.C. weather. She was eager to make her continued contribution to her team's reporting backlog, but not at the expense of her own paperwork. Her habit now was clearing out her own case files on a same-day basis, while it had proved arduous at first, it meant her work didn't need to leave the office.
Ellie stretched languorously to relieve the tension in her back, she could feel the additional hours hunched over her computer in her stiff back. The rigid set of her shoulders sagged as she switched her computer off, relieved that she had tackled her stack of paperwork. She stifled a yawn, while she slowly reached for her go-bag before ensuring her notepad was securely locked in her pedestal. After a long day’s work she was happy for her autopilot to kick in, easily navigating the dark of the office parking structure to her waiting truck. Feeling more than the evening chill in the air, she rummaged around looking for her warm overcoat, some how this felt colder than a mid-western winter.
As she pulled out of the basement parking lot, she noticed that the light snow from this morning had metamorphosed into full-on winter wonderland territory, with snowdrifts forming at the side of the road. The late hour and inclement weather gave the environs of the Navy Yard, a ghost town vibe. Ellie manoeuvred her car carefully through the deserted streets, chiding herself about not being organised with snow tires. She drove carefully thankful that she’d visited the laundromat yesterday, she could hold off grocery shopping until tomorrow, she was too tired to bother with it at the moment. She knew she had no real distance to go for her usual parking space and with no further jobs that she needed to accomplish tonight, she would grab as much rest as possible; her body and mind weary from the day's travails.
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The last splutter of tepid air from the air-con was futile against the chill of the cold night, as Ellie eased her truck into her usual parking space. She did not allow the car to idle, it was more important to conserve the fuel. She turned the ignition key off in a swift motion, she would warm herself up shortly. The electronics switched off automatically casting the car into darkness. She fixed her woolly hat down over her ears, sighing as she slipped gloves over her numb hands, stowing her car keys into the pocket of her bag, before vaulting herself onto her lowered passenger seat.
Even after four months of sleeping in her car, she hadn’t quiet managed the art of wrestling a bundle of loose clothes into a comfortable makeshift pillow, she fumbled with her sleeping bag. First unfurling its bulk from the footwell, then fiddling with the zipper, the dexterity of her fingers were negated by the bulk of her gloves. Once ensconced in the warm tangle of material, she shimmed herself out of her overcoat, sad to get rid of the bulky warmth, but understanding that she’d need to ration her use of layers until the winter weather really hit the city. She curled herself into a tight ball wrapping herself in her sleeping bag conserving her body heat as best as she could. It wasn’t a set-up conducive to a great night’s sleep but she was in a relatively safe neighbourhood and she was thankful to have shelter from the outside weather, knowing that she could eke a couple of hours shuteye in the cushiony warmth of her sleeping bag. She closed her eyes and willed herself to drift into the oblivion of sleep.
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She had rested as much as possible, her sleep (as-always) was fitful, the noises of the alleyway would invariably disturb her each night. She was beginning to forget what a full night’s sleep was like, since joining Gibbs team, she was now used to late night stakeouts and the necessity of surviving on snatches of car-based sleep. Everything seemed so much harder now. The divorce had been a sucker punch. What had been a temporary measure when she moved out of her marital home, to the limbo of this ‘living-between-places’ state, was now her demoralising reality. The house hunting had not gone well, expense and location all conspiring against her best efforts. She needed to keep enough money in her bank account for a security deposit as well as the first and last month’s rent , a hotel room seemed like an impossible luxury, but if the weather got colder she might have no choice but to accept the additional expense. Now as the low morning sun filtered through her darkly tinted car-windows she was forced to face the day cold and unrefreshed wishing she could switch her mind from continuing to churn on her current predicament. She would direct her mental focus to her work, at least that was the one element in her life that wasn't currently in the doldrums.
She mused, the one benefit to her early start was that she’d have the gym and shower facilities to herself at work. She could freshen up in peace and eschew any awkward questions. This typically allowed her to feel slightly more human to face the day ahead, she might even get an hour of online house hunting, before the bustle of the morning workload would fully overtake her. She could brew her coffee and hopefully get a head start on the day’s work, thankful that she would be able to make a positive contribution to her team. She navigated the snowy streets slowly inching her car through the quiet calm streets finding her way back to the Navy Yard, retracing her last night’s route in reverse.