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"Well," Faye Lau said apologetically as she slid a glass in front of Cara. "It's not the best whiskey sour in Manhattan, but it'll have to do."
"I'll take it," Cara said. "Hell, I'd take just about anything right now." She said before taking a sip of her drink. The whiskey was rough, and it burned her throat on the way down. Cara didn't particularly give a shit at this point. The wound on her side pulled, she couldn't wait for the stitches to come out. If it weren't for those damn Rikers, they wouldn't even be here. There was a storm out, and Rikers hammered the two of them for hours. Now, they were stuck and would just have to wait it out till morning.
"So, Morley, you ready to wait all night to kick some ass?"
"Seeing as how I don't have a choice, yes." Cara said, deadpan. Faye eyed her for a moment, chuckling slightly. "Though I wish we were back at base, this sucks."
"New York sucks." Faye countered before knocking back a shot of whiskey.
"And we volunteered to clean it up, like a bunch of idiots." Cara said, swirling her drink. Faye raised her glass at this and Cara toasted after a moment's hesitation. "So, what now? It's only," she checked her wristwatch, "a few minutes after seven."
"Drink until we burn through this rich guy's stash." Faye said, motioning to an impressive array of bottles. They'd broken into a high-rise condo downtown, and if the owner had an affinity for snooty liquor brands, that was just an added bonus.
"Say goodbye to your liver." Cara said before taking a drink.
"Gladly," Faye winked at her before knocking back another shot. Cara rolled her eyes; Faye either didn't notice or didn't care. "You know," Faye shot her an evaluating look. "I've just realized I know nothing about you except a last name and an Agent identification number."
"I don't even know what your favorite color is." Cara admitted before knocking back the rest of her drink. She shook her head at the burn, ignoring Faye's amused smirk. "My name is Cara, by the way."
"Cara," Faye turned the syllables over her tongue carefully, as if sampling a fine vintage. Cara looked to Faye's lips, trying in vain to ignore the approving nod sent her way. "It suits you. My favorite color is red."
"Not orange?" Cara teased, a small smile playing on her lips. "I lost a bet."
"I don't even want to know." She said, jabbing an accusing finger at Cara when she opened her mouth again. "No, that's not an invitation for you to explain."
"Fun sucker," Cara said, pouting. She slid her glass across the granite bar to Faye. Faye measured out proportions and shook another whiskey sour up for her. After it was ready, she slid the glass haphazardly back across the bar. Cara caught it, sending Faye a dirty look when she almost dropped it. Faye shrugged in reply. There was no bet, in fact, but the incredulous look from Faye was worth the lie.
"That's my job." Faye said. Cara didn't protest, opting to drink instead. "You like it."
"You have no proof." Cara said. Faye didn't say anything, her eyes going to the now barely flickering fire. Faye cursed under her breath before rushing over to it, coaxing it back to life. Cara poured her a shot in the meantime and handed it to Faye when she returned. "This really makes me miss the base, remember when we installed central heating?"
"It was like a damn party in there that first night." Faye said, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Like Christmas came early, or the liberation of France."
"And Rhodes says I'm the dramatic one." Cara said, rolling her eyes. Faye snorted before downing her shot. The day you come to me with good news is the day the world ends, isn't it? He'd said the fifth time she came to see him with broken gear. She wondered if they were worried about her and Faye, but decided against it. Rhodes was probably already passed out, and Kandel would be in the lab until the night turned to dawn; it wasn't in Benitez's way to worry. In any case, they'd be home soon.
"How's your side treating you?" Faye asked when Cara grimaced at getting up.
"How's your leg?" Cara shot back, hand curling protectively against the deep knife cut. Faye narrowed her eyes, scowling at Cara. Immediately after the words left her mouth, Cara knew it was the wrong thing to say; still, she didn't need Faye mothering her. They had a job to do, injury or not.
"Well, forgive me being worried for you." Faye said, shooting a withering look her way.
"It's not your job." Cara said gently, not quite meeting Faye's eye. "You can't worry about me, not in the field; there's too much at stake."
"Right, what is it they say? Don't get attached." She said with a cruel twist of her lips.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it." Cara said, a familiar bite in her words. It felt like being in the ring, sizing up her opponent, seeing how quickly she could take them down. "I just need," she cut herself off, not quite knowing how to finish. I just need you to be careful. I just need you to continue on when I die. I just need you to be there at the end, please say you'll be there. She couldn't say any of these things, and Cara knew it.
"I'll be fine, no matter what trouble you get yourself into." Faye said, a sudden understanding in her eyes. Maybe, Cara thought, she didn't have to say anything at all. "Don't worry."
"You know I will." Cara said quietly. Faye refilled her drink, wisely choosing to leave it alone.
***
Cara woke up shivering in the middle of the night. Their fire was out. Cara sighed before tearing some pages out of a dictionary and lighting them. She kept adding books to the pyre until it was blazing again. It didn't help her shivering, she felt like her toes were going to fall off. She shook Faye awake, who opened her eyes with a grunt.
"I'm cold." Cara whispered. Faye unzipped her sleeping bag wordlessly, inviting Cara in. Cara crawled in next to her, zipping their sleeping bags together in a matter of minutes. Despite the fact that they had room to sleep apart, Cara found herself gravitating towards Faye. If Faye minded, she said nothing on it. Cara pressed her cheek into Faye's shoulder blade, her shivering subsiding rapidly. "Thanks."
"You know, human shaped space heater definitely wasn't in the job description."
"Shut up and go to sleep."
***
When Cara woke up next, it was to the smell of hot coffee. Cara sat up, barely having time to stretch before Faye was pressing a mug into her hand. She accepted it gratefully, happy for the chance to wake up. Warm sunlight streamed through the windows; at least they survived the night. Cara accepted her ration from Faye, eating it quickly. Soon they were putting on gear and double-checking ammunition counts. Rikers were almost certainly lying in wait, but they had to cover a lot of ground before nightfall.
They left through the window onto a fire escape. Cara kneeled in front of the rail, steadying her scout rifle on the railing. Rikers were in a gas station across the street, about ten total.
"Ten of them in the gas station." Cara whispered before handing Faye a pair of binoculars. Faye used them to scope out the rest of the street.
"Two in the alley below, three patrolling the street." Faye murmured as she handed the binoculars back. Cara put a silencer on her rifle, and Faye loaded a few shells into her shotgun. "Cover me?"
"Always," she said quietly. Faye grinned before heading down the fire escape. At the first level, she dropped off the edge, whistling to grab the attention of the Rikers in the alley. Their hands went to their guns a moment too late, Faye already took them out. The enemies in the street were alerted by the sudden gunfire, but Cara had a quick trigger finger; they were already dead when Faye emerged in the street.
The group of ten Rikers burst open the gas station door and flooded into the street. Faye took cover behind some overturned barrels while Cara worked on the stragglers. Faye pulled the pin off a grenade, let it cook for a few seconds, and then threw it. It scattered the lucky ones, and turned the unlucky Rikers into paste. Cara reloaded her gun, heart pounding when she heard Faye yell. Cara aimed down the sights quickly, gasping when a Riker came around the barrels brandishing a pistol. Faye rushed him to knock his hand away, but he was already pulling the trigger. Cara downed him a moment later, but she wasn't fast enough.
Faye collapsed to the ground, a gunshot wound in her left thigh. She dragged herself back behind the barrels, digging through her pack for gauze. Cara dropped the rest and shouldered her rifle. She ran down the stairs, making her way to Faye as soon as possible. By the time she got there, Faye was already tying off a knot in the gauze.
"How bad?"
"It went through, so no debris in my leg." Faye said around gritted teeth. Her hands fell on her lap once the knot was tied. "Fuck, I don't think anything is broken." She met Cara's eyes briefly before fisting a hand in her coat and pulling her closer. "You need to get back to base, I'll just be a burden; leave me behind."
"No," Cara said simply. "No way, you would never leave me behind. You can't expect me to do it to you."
"Your safety is more important." Faye said. "Cara, listen to me, you have to get back to base. Someone can come for me."
"I already said no." Cara said as she got up, offering Faye a hand. Faye looked at it, stubbornly refusing to take it. Well, in that case, Cara couldn't be blamed for her actions. She grabbed Faye by the waist and hoisted her above her shoulder. Damn, Faye was heavier than she looked. Faye squawked in protest but went limp against Cara.
"If you don't put me down I swear to god I'll—"
"What?" Cara cut her off. "You're out of pistol ammo and your shotgun is in the snow. Besides, you like me too much." She said. Faye went silent at her words; Cara smirked, knowing she won.
"I hate you." Faye declared finally, sullen as a child denied candy.
"I know."
***
It was half past six when Cara staggered in to the base with Faye draped over her shoulders. They should've stopped an hour ago, but Cara was determined to get Faye in the sick bay before the night was over. She was no medic; Dr. Kandel would have to help her. She wasn't suited to being a medic; then again, she thought, Cara never thought she'd be suited for the ring. For a long time, it was the only place she belonged. Nobody questioned her, and nobody tried to be her friend.
She immediately carried Faye to the med bay, putting her gently on a table. Faye's eyes were flickering closed. Cara patted her cheek, forcing Faye to keep her eyes open.
"We're back, you'll be okay." She reassured her. "Someone get Dr. Kandel!" She shouted at the staff milling around. A young woman wearing scrubs ran off and came back with Kandel a moment later.
"What the hell happened? You two were supposed to be back yesterday." Kandel said as she put on a pair of latex gloves.
"We got held up by Rikers." Cara said, holding Faye's chin in her hand. "Will she be able to walk?"
"No broken bones, so a week or so of rest should have her fairly recovered. It's not like last time." Kandel said as she unwrapped the last of the gauze. She set to work cleaning up the wound.
"Did you hear that? No extended vacations this time." Cara said, trying to keep her tone light. Faye groaned in reply, her hands fisting the sheets on the table.
"You can't do anything for her, you should make some rounds." Dr. Kandel said. Cara opened her mouth to protest but was cut off by Kandel's glare.
"I'll be fine." Faye said, her voice low and rough. Cara nodded and stepped back, leaving Kandel to do her work. She found her locker on the security side and divested herself of armor and weapons. Cara took off her leather jacket, replacing it with a warm cardigan. She made her way to Benitez, who clapped her on the back once before sending Cara on her way to Rhodes.
"You said you'd be back yesterday." Was all Rhodes said when he saw her come up the stairs. "You know I hate it when you two chuckle fucks keep me waiting."
"Rikers are bastards who like to throw wrenches in plans, you should know this by now." Cara said simply, shrugging when Rhodes sent her a suspicious look. "Faye's fine, by the way. She got shot, but Kandel's good at her job."
"Wow, I didn't ask. You got my tech?" He asked, sticking out a palm. Cara rolled her eyes before dropping a radio and some circuit boards into his waiting hand.
"You're welcome." Cara prompted, rolling her eyes when Rhodes waved a hand at her.
"Get some sleep, you look like shit." Rhodes said. Cara flipped him off and he laughed in reply. Nevertheless, she made her way downstairs to a small room of cots set up for agents. It was by the special gear vendor, in a room adjoining their supply closet. Cara picked out an empty cot and fell into it, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
***
A week later, Cara finally had a moment to visit Faye in the med bay. She ditched her gear at the locker and rushed to see her. Faye was limping to her bed when Cara walked in, grimacing as she helped herself into the bed.
"Hey," Cara said. "How you feeling?"
"It's better than it was, it still hurts like a bitch to walk." Faye said, something guarded in her expression. Cara nodded, leaning against the wall next to Faye's bed. "Why did you do it?"
"You dragged me away from the helicopter wreckage after Brooklyn, remember? I couldn't just abandon you."
"You can't take risks like that, you're too important! You're too important to the Division, to this city, to the people you've saved!" Faye yelled, cutting herself off before she could say anything else. Cara pushed away from the wall, fists clenched.
"I can make my own decisions, mission be damned!" Cara shouted back, rolling her eyes when Faye scoffed. "You don't control me! How dare you make me choose between you and the mission."
"You should've picked the mission." Faye said, quieter this time. "That's more important than me, than all of us."
"Bullshit, I choose you." Cara insisted, freezing in her spot when Faye leaped out of the bed and fisted a hand hard in her sweater.
"This is bigger than me, Agent. Next time, choose the mission." Faye pushed her away, hard against the wall. Cara spun on her heel before she could say something she'd really regret, practically sprinting out of the med bay. She didn't see Faye put her head in her hands, or the shaking of her shoulders. All she could think was how stupid she was, how she should've known. Next time, Faye could bleed all over the place for all she cared.
***
Faye never meant for it to end this way. She thought, no she knew it would be safer if Cara hated her. Cara was grand and unattainable, and it was really much safer if it stayed that way. She sat back down on the bed and pulled the thin blanket up around her; there was really no use in wondering, as Cara would ask to be paired with a different Agent. That was what she wanted, wasn't it? Suddenly, she wasn't so sure.
***
You're important to me. The words had been on the tip of Faye's tongue, why didn't she say them? Say anything to make Cara stay? No, it was too late for that. It'd been three days since their fight and Kandel had finally ushered Faye back to her feet. She was going on a simple retrieval mission for medical supplies. Faye still limped slightly, but she was better.
"You're lucky Cara got you in while she did. It would've been a nasty infection otherwise." Kandel said, shooting a knowing look Faye's way. Faye bit her lip; yes she knew Cara saved her life. That's what Cara always did, that's why whatever they had between them was so dangerous. Well, she thought, you did your fair share of ending it. Kandel tied the gauze off and patted her thigh. Faye slid off the table and headed over to her locker, pulling on her gear slowly.
She was with a new Agent for this mission, a fairly new recruit named Matt. He'd signed on after they took New York back. He was a chatterbox, and didn't seem to get the point that she wasn't in the mood for talking. Oh well, as long as they got the mission done Faye was satisfied. Choose the mission.
***
"Thanks for being my mentor, miss Lau." Matt said, all earnest smiles as they put their gear back into the lockers. Faye gave him a curt nod, opening her mouth to say something when she saw Cara behind his shoulder. She was talking to Benitez, and she looked as beautiful as the day Faye first saw her. She remembered Cara walking towards her, sunlight lighting up her brown hair. The piercing in her brow glinted in the sun while a tattoo peeked out from under a green scarf. Faye mumbled a reply before Matt turned and made his way out of the security section.
Faye couldn't look away, wanted to memorize the lines of Cara's face like it was the last time she'd see her. Maybe it was, Faye wouldn't be surprised if she requested a transfer. With a great effort, Faye turned on her heel and left. Each step was a knife in her heart, reminding her of everything she could never have.
"Faye?" The sound of Cara's voice made her stop in her tracks. Cara skidded to a stop in front of her. "You requested a new Agent?"
"You requested a new Agent." Faye said. Cara stared back at her in disbelief, lips pursed into a thin line.
"I didn't, I thought you did." Cara said, arms crossed across her chest. "Then why were you with the new guy this morning?'
"Rhodes assigned me to him, he was pretty tight lipped about it. I thought for sure you'd requested a new partner."
"Well, I didn't." Cara said, fixing Faye with an evaluating look. "Faye, I," she cut herself off with a sigh.
"Hey, check in with Kandel." Benitez yelled from across the security section. "She'll roast me alive if she finds out you've been back this long without seeing her, Lau."
"I'm on it." She said before nodding to Cara. "See you around, Agent."
***
A week later found Faye at the southpaw safe house. It was snowing up a storm outside, and Faye was supposed to help them set up a new wing of their underground. It was slow going; by day three, electricity was restored. Faye was even starting to feel, dare she say, hopeful. At least in southpaw she was the only Agent, and had her own room. It was practically a closet, with how small it was, but she was still grateful to have it. The room had a door opening up to the roof, which was where Faye found herself late that night.
She had no idea why she was up there, but it might've had something to do with how she couldn't sleep. Cara made no move to approach her after that day in security, and Faye couldn't deny it hurt. You brought this on yourself, she thought. You have no right to complain. Suddenly, she heard a great clanging coming from the fire escape and a bout of swearing.
Her hand went immediately to her pistol and she pointed it over the edge. She stared down in shock at Cara, who was currently scaling the building via the fire escape.
"What the hell are you doing?" Faye said as she holstered her pistol. When Cara didn't answer, she offered her a hand. Cara took it gratefully and Faye hoisted her up over the ledge.
"I wanted to talk to you, but I knew you'd turn me away if I just showed up at your door." Cara explained once she was on her feet. She was shivering, Faye had no idea how long she'd been out in the cold already.
"Well, you're here, so talk." Faye said, gesturing for her to go on.
"I don't want to be paired with someone else, we work well together."
"I know, and I feel the same way."
"Good, we'll sort it out when we get back to base." Cara said resolutely, nodding to Faye.
"Is that what you came all this way to tell me?" Faye said, raising a brow at her. Cara shook her head, eyes flickering to Faye's mouth.
"No," she said before licking her lips. "Faye, I," she stopped herself again. It was almost exactly like that day in the security section. Cara shook her head and then surged forward, a hand cupping Faye's jaw. Suddenly, Cara's cold lips were pressed against hers softly. Faye froze in place, her eyes blinking shut after a moment. Cara was gone again in the span of a moment. She tried to step back but stumbled in the snow. Faye caught her, pulling her back upright. "I'm falling for you, get it?"
"Shut up and come inside, you colossal idiot."