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I knew something was different as soon as I rounded the corner in my apartment building. The wallpaper was the same, the damp, rotten smell was still there, the light still flickered on the roof and everything was the same as it usually is on a Monday morning... and yet I could tell that something was different. What it was though, I couldn't tell you.
I looked up and down the hallway, trying to tell what had me on edge. I slowly crept down the dank hallway, trying not to wake my sleeping neighbours. Mrs. Walker did not take well to being woken up earlier than at least one in the afternoon.
I put the grocery bags down on the floor outside the door to my apartment. I was rummaging in my pockets for my keys before realising that the door was in fact, unlocked. That's odd. Maybe Jake accidentally left it unlocked when he left this morning.
I pushed the door open slowly, peering into the dark living room. Something was definitely off. I picked up the groceries and shouldered my way into the apartment, eyes shifting every which way.
I switched the light on and it flickered to life, obviously on its last legs. It was a shame that I had to live somewhere so disgusting as this but I didn't really have much of a choice. The cost of living is going up. I can barely afford one night in a hotel let alone rent for this crapbox. My boyfriend, Jake, keeps telling me that I need to find somewhere else to live. He has repeatedly offered for me to stay at his place until I find somewhere.
I heard a crash from the bedroom and I whirled around, startled, dropping the cabbage that I had been trying to find a place for in my tiny fridge.
My heart began to beat faster. That couldn't be Jake. He had work today and his shift started at eight this morning. I remember him telling me the night before. I left a note on the bedside table telling him to remember to lock the door when he left. Obviously, he either didn't read it and someone is robbing me or Jake slept in and hasn't gone to work yet.
I moved forward to the bedroom, trying to keep my breathing steady. It was hard work. Another crash.
I reached the doorway and looked through narrowed eyes in the crack of the doorway. The light was on so that made it easier to see what was going on inside. I couldn't see anything though.
A shadow passed by me and I sucked in a breath. The person moved into my eyesight and I had to hold back a shriek. That was definitely not Jake.
The man had dark black hair that fell to his ears. It was mostly covered by his equally as black beanie and he was smirking to himself, going through my bedside drawer, taking anything of remote value. I fought the urge to go in guns blazing and instead, continued to take in his features, knowing that I'd need to remember them for the police later. And besides, he could have a gun. What use would that do me? Go in and start yelling only to startle the man and have him shoot me out of instinct.
I bit my lip, watching as he took my grandmothers jewellery. No, thats it. I can't not do something. Luckily -or unluckily, depending on how this goes- the only window in my room is jammed shut and too small for him to get out through so he will have to come back out this way when he tries to leave. I backed up quickly and all but ran to the very back room, which was the small storage room.
I pulled out my phone and dialled the three numbers I hoped would help me... 911. The phone rang and I couldn't help but groan at the time it took for someone to pick it up.
"Hello, who would you like? Police, Fire Department or the Ambulance?" The lade on the other end asked leisurely.
"Police," I rushed, looking through the small crack in the doorway I had made to check on the whereabouts of the man.
"One second, I'll put you through," she said. I nodded even though she couldn't see me do so.
The phone rang for a few more seconds before someone picked up.
"There's someone in my apartment. They're stealing my things," I puffed out nervously before the person could say anything.
"We'll be there shortly. Please tell us your address," the person, a woman, said from the end of the line. I gave her the address and then sunk down to the floor, adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
I could still hear the man destroying and taking things from my bedroom. A solitary tear made its way down my cheek and I wiped it away angrily.
Standing up, I quietly moved to the kitchen to find my bag. In it, I retrieved the pepper spray that Jake had absolutely insisted that I needed to have on me at all times. I silently thanked him for it and I moved to the bedroom.
He wasn't facing me so I quietly opened the door wider and uncapped the can. He must have heard me do it and he whipped around, smirk no longer in place.
The moment he stepped forward, I brought the can in front of his face and pushed down, watching with glee as he crumpled to the ground, shrieking from the pain. I couldn't have the robber leave before the NYPD got here.
Before he could recover, I quickly rushed out of the room, closed the door and locked a chair underneath it from the kitchen.
Then I returned to the kitchen, put the spray on the bench and continued to put away my groceries.
I was just putting the last of them away when there was a knock on the door. I pulled it open and was greeted by a scary looking woman who was wearing all black and a short kind looking man who was looking sympathetically at me.
"Are you the woman who called about a robbery?" The woman asked, gun in hand. I nodded silently, opening the door wider.
She and her partner came inside and looked around, obviously unimpressed with the quality of my living arrangements.
"Where are they?" She asked, getting straight to the point.
"In my room. I locked the door," I said, leading them to where the man was still locked in.
The man pushed my back lightly and told me to stand back. Then, the woman raised her gun, standing in front of the door. She nodded to her partner, who took the chair away and opened the door.
"NYPD, hands on your head!" They yelled at the same time. The man was sitting up, wiping the tears from his eyes. The woman looked over at me and smiled. It was a little unnerving to be completely honest.
The small man rushed over to cuff him and read him his rights.
"We need you to come down to the station to fill out a witness report," the man said.
"Yes, of course. If you don't mind me asking, what are your names?" I asked, ready to take note.
"I am Detective Charles Boyle and this is Detective Rosa Diaz," the man, Charles, said. I nodded, pleased.
"And you?" He added, raising an eyebrow.
"Emma," I smiled slightly, still very shaken by the ordeal that I had just been through.
The two detectives offered me a lift but I declined, thinking that it might have been best to think about what had just happened. I picked up my car keys and bag and just as I was about to walk out the door, I noticed the wrapped sandwich I made for Jake this morning. I chuckled, picked it up and left. I made sure to lock the door, not particularly keen on a reply of todays events.
My car, like my apartment, was crappy. It smelt, the paint was chipped and I could barely get the thing to start most days. It was my baby though so what am I to do?
After a few tries, the engine grumbled to life and I sighed in relief. Pulling out of the buildings carpark, I headed down the street toward the police station.
How had that man known that the door was unlocked when I didn't? I didn't even know and it's my own apartment. Jake would know what to do. He'd help me.
It seemed like mere seconds later when we pulled up outside the station. Officer Diaz yanked the robber out of the cars and into the station and Charles, the nicer of the two, waited for me to leave my car. He walked me to the door and asked me how I was doing.
"You know, nervous, startled, rattled. All those kinds of adjectives," I chuckled halfheartedly. He nodded, sympathetic.
"Come meet my best friend, Jake, he's the best. He'll cheer you up," he smiled, rushing to the elevator and holding the doors open. I smiled, looking at the sandwich in my hand.
The doors closed behind me and I waited patiently for them to open again.I felt the elevator shoot up and I could see Charles smiling beside me.
Jake had told me about Charles. How he practically worshipped him. I had laughed at the time, wondering who exactly would worship Jake of all people. I saw now however that he had been telling the truth.
Jake had told me little bits and pieces about his squad but never had he offered to introduce me to them. I suppose that now was a good a time as any.
The doors opened with a ding and I was greeted by shouting from none other than my boyfriend. He was yelling excitedly about something and I merely smiled.
"We, the people, shall bear the weight of this tyranny no longer! Join me, fellow detectives, in a fight to the death... against the system!" He was standing with one foot on what I assumed was his desk and the other on the chair next to it. One of his hands was on his hip and the other was in the air, head held high. A group of people were gathered around him, looking unimpressed but amused at the same time. I stepped forward.
"What exactly has the system done this time? Oh, and you forgot your lunch this morning, Oh, Forgetful One," I chuckled, watching him whip around. I had also gained the attention of the small group around him, who were all looking at me with a confused expression.
"Emma, babe, what are you doing here?" He asked, smile widening after seeing me.
"You, you idiot, left my apartment unlocked this morning and I was almost robbed. Also, I was going to bring you your lunch because you forgot it," I raised my eyebrow, holding out the food expectantly.
He got down and walked over, puppy dog expression on his face.
"Wait, what?"
"You..." I pointed at him, "forgot your lunch," I replied, looking pointedly at the bag.
"What, yeah, no. I meant what did you say before that?"
"The apartment was unlocked and someone got in and tried to rob me," I said as if it were no big deal.
"I'm sorry, babe. I was just in a hurry this morning. I slept in and almost knocked myself out, trying to get into these damn jeans," he explained.
"It's okay, as I said, they tried."
He looked at me with a confused expression.
"What kind of detective are you?" I asked incredulously before adding, "I got home, saw him in my room, pepper sprayed him and then locked him in there," I shrugged. He grinned and embraced me in a tight hug.
"That's so badass," he said. "Who knew I was dating a badass these last few months," he laughed, kissing me on the lips slightly before stepping back.
"Does this mean you'll look for a new place? You can crash at mine until you find somewhere," he offered, again.
"Are you only offering so that there will be more sexy time?" I asked, chuckling at my use of his lingo.
"Maybe," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I scoffed, punching his shoulder. He grinned, rubbing the area gently.
Someone coughed behind me and I turned to see it was Charles.
"Wait, so, you've had a girlfriend for several months?! And you didn't tell me? I am outraged. We're best friends Jakey, we tell each other everything. I told you about that time that I had to-"
"Ah, ah, ah! We don't need to discuss that right now, Charles," Jake rushed.
"How come you didn't tell us?" A different girl asked. She had brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and she was wearing a pantsuit.
"You haven't told anyone?" I asked, hurt. He looked at everyone in the group quickly before replying.
"There was just never the right moment," he tried. I could hear the question in his voice.
"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" I asked, voice quiet.
"No, of course not. I love you. You."
"Then why?"
"The situation just didn't come up," he reasoned.
"Okay," I shrugged, still unsure.
"Time for introductions," Jake said quickly, eager to change the topic.
"This is Amy Santiago, Terry, Rosa, Gina, Charles, Scully, Hitchcock and Captain Holt is in his office over there," he explained, gesturing to each person as he says their name.
"Wow, it's weird saying your first names and not your last," Jake shakes his head, as if chasing a bad dream away.
"Anyways, guys, this is Emma, my girlfriend," he says proudly, embracing me with one arm. I smiled up at him.
"Babe, I have a, uh, form to fill out, I think," I looked over at Rosa to confirm. She nodded.
"Okay. Tell you what, after you're all done, I'll take you home and help you pack some of your things up and move them to my place. Then, you can have a shower, get changed and we can relax with some pizza. How does that sound?" He asked, looking at me. I smiled.
"That would be great. You're the best, babe. I love you," I grinned, kissing him on the lips.
"I would run you a bath but it is currently being occupied by my entire adult life's worth of mail," he said as if it were some kind of achievement. I just laughed.
"I am going to help you sort that out at some point but that sounds lovely. You really are the best boyfriend ever. Maybe I should get a tattoo that says 'I have the best boyfriend ever' and I can put it on my forehead.
"Yes, to all of that except the mail tub. It's fine how it is," he shrugged.
"I've seen it. Something needs to be done."
"Sure, sure."
I grinned, pecked his cheek and then followed Rosa to her desk where we filed reports in silence.
Later, after Jake had taken me home and helped me pack my things and move them, we lay on the couch together, talking, laughing, and eating pizza.
We fell asleep that way and while we had sore necks the next morning, it was worth it because I have never felt safer than when I'm in Jake Peralta's arms.