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Darkseeker
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(All is good^^ And don't worry, I'm not great with reunions either, XD. Also, do we want to do a month time skip to when Sorcha is returning to duty so the two can make up?)
Savannah snorts,"I'm not saying you were!" Sorcha sighs to herself, she loved her family dearly, but they could be a righteous pain in the ass. Sorcha side eyes her eldest sister, before glancing at her mother,"So, has the doctor said when I'm going to be released from the hospital?" Rhea shrugs,"He hopes that you continue to heal at the rate you've been healing. Colin agrees,"He thinks you'll be out in a week. But that it will be at least a month before you can return to work."
Sorcha raises an eyebrow,"Like full time field?" Colin grimaces,"Maybe not right off the bat. At least nothing serious. So no chasing criminals, no tackling, nothing--" Sorcha cuts her father off,"Nothing physical? At most they'll let me limp around? Probably sit at the desk and do damn paperwork." Rhea sends a sharp look at her daughter,"America!" Rhea didn't like cursing, she didn't absolutely forbid it, but she did kind of scold her family when they did. Sorcha sighs, she hated when her mother used her first name. Hell, she hated her first name in general.
"I'm just saying!" Theo cuts in, his voice gentle as he attempts to defuse the tense situation,"At least you will be able to return to the field. I had a friend who was permanently injured and the best the precinct could offer him was desk duty." The boring job. Sorcha knew they needed people to do the desk duty, but, it was still the boring job. Wasting away in an office while the officers and detectives got to go have fun. Chasing down criminals, solving murders, and laying down the law.
Sorcha lays her head back, closing her eyes. She was exhausted. Between Ajax and her fight, the pain in her body (which it didn't help she punched the railing of the bed), and her family's visit. She couldn't handle anymore today. No more yelling, no more arguments, no more fussing. None of it. She just wanted to go back to sleep. Where the pain was gone and no one was fussing or yelling. Sleep was her safe space at the moment and currently, she was unable to do it.
Rhea studies her daughter with a frown on her face. The last time they had talked on the phone, which was right before the Jamie Hawkens case, Sorcha had been cheerful. While Sorcha had admitted to feeling like everyone was still treating her like a child, she had been ecstatic about her job. She had gone from the academy straight to a K9 officer and gotten to keep her K9. Most rookies got a T.O. and then they were patrol officers. They usually had to work their way up to K9 officer, but because of her family legacy and the hardwork she'd put in at the academy, she'd skipped a few ranks.
Now, Sorcha just looked defeated. She had the look of someone who was much older and much more experienced. Someone who had faced death. It worried Rhea, the life of a law enforcement officer wasn't pretty. But it seemed to be sucking life out of Sorcha faster than it did Colin. Colin put in fifty long years and it had sucked out a lot, Colin still had a lot of youthfulness to him. Unlike Sorcha, who at the moment, looked beyond her age.
"Come." Rhea murmurs, turning to usher her family away from her injured daughter. "She's tired." Savannah opens her mouth to protest but Rhea continues firmly. "She's been in quite the traumatic experience, stood on death's doorstep, was put into a medically induced coma, and we have bombarded her the minute she woke up. Let her rest." Savannah's mouth shuts as Rhea ushers the family out. Rhea glances back at Sorcha, whose eyes were still closed. "We love you honey. Let us know if you need anything." Then Rhea pulled the curtain around to give Sorcha privacy and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
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{Yeah! A month makes sense :) Could you do the time skip though? I wanna write this last scene out between Ajax and his family!} - Ajax watched as his sisters dragged his brother off somewhere quickly, arguing about whether they should eat something or go on a ride first. He had bought them a few hours worth of tickets for the local amusement park, which Olivia and Lilly happily take and dashed off. Jack had followed in suit, claiming that he was 'going to keep them in check' and 'look after them', but everyone else knew he wanted to have just as much fun as the younger girls. Ajax and Matt hung back, following the energetic family members at a more legisuler pace. Nyx had been left out home, sleeping in her dog bed. Matt could tell something was up with his son. Even though they hadn't extanged pleasant words in years, he could still read Ajax pretty well. Ajax kept frowning, his eyes clouding over with guilt or regret every few seconds. "How're you feeling? Anything hurt from the job?" "No. I didn't get any injuries this time around." Ajax's voice was strained, and his lips curled into a frown as he said those words, ones he should be happy about. "What's going through your head, 'Jax." Matt asked softly, looking straight ahead. "A lot." He grumbled, but relented after a glance from his father. "You." He admitted. "The case." "I understand me, but the case? It's finished, isn't it? You saved the girl, she's with her mother and brothers in protective costidy, and legal action has been taken." Matt sounded confused. "Jack was right, you know. You are a hero." Ajax felt his gut twist. He didn't want to be called a hero. He sure as hell didn't feel like one right now, or for the past couple of days. "Don't call me that. I'm not one, and I don't deserve to be called a hero." Ajax hissed under his breath, but loud enough for Matt to hear him. "Not when I did practically nothing, not when I don't have a single injury on my body while my partner did everything and ended up in the hospital nearly dead." He didn't even want to bring up the argument between him and Sorcha that had happened only a few hours ago. He hated himself for not being a more reliable partner, and for snapping at her when she had only just woken up from the medically induced coma. He felt like a total dick, thinking back on it, and wanted nothing more to either have the ground swallow him whole or apologize to Sorcha. Matt hummed, not responding right away. "Law enforcement is always a dangerous game. Everytime we step out there, we're gambling our lives, and possibly the lives of those around us. But we take that gamble, and play that game, solely for the purpose of saving lives. For making other's lives easier than our own. That's the duty that we swore an oath to. That's what we've dedicated our lives too. And there's no going back on something like that. Your partner, she's in the hospital, yes, but she isn't dead. That Jamie girl, the one that you saved, she's beaten up and scared, but she isn't dead. Your fellow officers that rushed to the scene as backup, they're not dead either. Count your blessings, Ajax. You did your job, and you did your job well. If you keep dwelling on the past, and what you could have done, it'll destroy you, just like it had me when your mother died." Ajax's body stiffened at the mention of his mother, but he acknologed Matt's words. They were...surprising to Ajax, to say the least. For someone who had spent the better part of seven years drunk, angry, or in rehab centres, his words held a deep meaning and wisdom. He didn't speak, but Matt seemed to have understood that he had understood his words. "When are they letting you back in the field?" "They aren't giving me serious jobs right now, nor will they be for another week and a half or so. For now, I'm on paperwork duty and training with Nyx." Matt rolled his eyes. "Ugh, paperwork duty. I remember that being bloody hell when I was still in the department." Him and Ajax laughed about that for a little while before falling into a more comfortable silence. The corner of Ajax's mouth uirked up in a small smile. Maybe he could salvage his relationship with his father after all.
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Darkseeker
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(Of course^^ And aw, such a sweet scene between Ajax and his dad)
-A Month Later-
"Boys. I love you to death, but if you nose me one more time. The both of you will be sleeping outside tonight."
Sorcha grumbles good naturally as she limps around the house, getting ready. After a week in the hospital, she'd been released to return home where a physical therapist came by once a week to make sure she hadn't lost function in her knees. And now, she was finally cleared to return to work. Well, not full time and especially not in the field. But returning to the station was a start. Hopefully the knee would heal up the rest of the way and she'd be allowed to return to field work.
Hades and Titan had made great service dogs as Sorcha had worked through her recovery. While her parents had stayed with her for the first week she had been home. Even now the two dogs were being a little annoying, nudging and making sure Sorcha was okay. Which was sweet, but a little annoying as Sorcha finishes buttoning up her shirt. She was back in uniform, complete with her utility belt. Her gun, which had been confiscated as part of the case, and had only just been released back to her. The rest of her gear had finally been released as well.
The cold season was starting to come to an end and everything was starting to warm back up. Sorcha had worked hard to recover without pushing herself to far, and now she could walk almost all day without having to stop and rest. Although she did still limp. The bruises and cuts on her face were long gone, although there were faint scars that could only be seen upclose. The cuts on her arms were healed, although there were long and angry scars on them. Currently, Sorcha was wearing a long sleeved shirt. She was self conscious about the scars, constantly thinking about how badly they marred her body.
She was nervous to return to the station, a few of her fellow officers had come by to wish her swift recover. But she hadn't seen or heard from Ajax since the day she'd woken up. Their argument still laying between them. Sorcha sighs as she beckons Hades,"Come on boy, we can't delay this any longer." * Sorcha stares at the station, Hades sitting in the front seat beside her. She was parked in her normal spot in her repaired cruiser. It had taken some hits when Jamie had drove it back, but it had been sent to the shop to be repaired while she was in the hospital. Was she ready to return? Her parents didn't think so, they had been trying to pressure her into seeing a therapist and trying to get over the emotional damage the accident had caused. Sorcha had out right declined.
Hades whines and Sorcha sighs,"I know. I know." She unbuckles and shuts the car off, getting out, holding the door open as Hades jumps across the console and out. He was currently out of gear, wearing only his collar that marked him as K9. Hades noses Sorcha as she shuts the door. "Come on." She walks to the station and inside, Hades right beside her.
Sorcha ducks her head as she enters, doing her best to stay on the down low. Perhaps she wasn't ready to return. She reaches down to grasp Hades' collar, using him as emotional support and physical support as her stress causes her knee to ache. The long sleeve shirt she'd chosen felt hot, but she refused to take it off. Refused to look at the scars that littered her arms. Hades whines as he makes his way to Sorcha's desk, sensing his handler's stress.
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{Sorry, kind of fell into a rabbit hole for the past couple of days, lmao, as well as mAjOr writer's block XD} - Ajax walked back into the main building from the training grounds behind the department, Nyx trotting in after him. Nyx's tongue was hanging out of her mouth as she panted, a bead of sweat dripping off the tip of her nose. Ajax looked a lot healthier than before. His skin had regained its color, and he had begun to sleep regularly again, meaning that the dark bruises underneath his eyes had begun to fade back into his natural skin tone. He was dressed in the 'Class B' uniform of the department, which was, unfortunately, soaked in sweat after the long, early morning he and Nyx had. Ajax made a beeline toward the showers in the back bathrooms, freshening up quickly and getting dressed into his actual uniform. He wasn't going to be doing anything major today, just some more miscellaneous paperwork that he never got around to doing, and since he wasn't going out into the city, he removed Nyx's gear. After cleaning it, he put it away in her cubby in the kennel room. The department had allowed him to go back to his regular patrols and jobs around two weeks ago, and he was glad for the distraction. Despite the words of his father about his predicament with Sorcha, he still felt extremely guilty. He had yet to apologize, and even though he had plenty of chances to do so, he had always chickened out last minute. A few times when his patrol was done, he'd swing by the hospital, hesitate by the doors for a few minutes, but then leave without going in. He honestly didn't know how to apologize to her and figured that he'd know what to say when she returned to the station. And oh, how he was wrong. Ajax froze momentarily when he saw Sorcha sitting at one of the other desks, Hades lying down at the foot of his handler, free from his gear. Maybe it was because they were partners, or maybe it was just dumb luck (or misfortune, seeing as their relationship was still strained) that his desk just so happened to be off to Sorcha's left. Nyx didn't seem to feel her handler's hesitance or anxiety as her ears perked up, black nose quivering slightly as she sniffed the air. Her tag began to wag as she noticed her fellow canine friend. She paused to greet Sorcha for a second before laying down next to Hades. Ajax sighed, running a hand through his still-damp hair as he walked over, cursing his dog for forcing him into this situation, even though it was technically his fault for never apologizing. He stopped a few feet from Sorcha, his head tilted up as his eyes focused on the ceiling tiles, the feeling of shame and guilt crashing over him ten times more than before. "Hey Sorcha." He finally said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand while the other restlessly tapped on his leg. "I just wanted to say..." His eyes darted around, trying to gather the right words to say. I really should've thought this out. He thought to himself. Ajax felt himself growing more and more flustered as he stood there. He quickly grabbed the chair from his desk and sat down, still avoiding her piercing green gaze that he could feel burning into him. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know words don't really cut it, and they don't serve as an excuse for the way I acted, but please, hear me out. It was way out of line for me to speak to you like that, especially after what you endured back there. I was panicking and felt useless, but it was awful of me to take it out on you. I wanted to come back to the hospital to apologize to you sooner, but I kind of cowarded out of it each time I went." Ajax winced at that, feeling bad for the workers who had to see him hesitate outside the hospital doors several times over the past month. "I was a complete twat, and I really am sorry for that." Finally, Ajax glanced down and met Sorcha's eyes, waiting for her response while mentally preparing for a chewing-out form his partner.
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Darkseeker
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(All is good, XD^^)
Hades comes to a halt beside Sorcha's desk, and the young woman sighs, patting Hades on the head. "Thank you." She murmurs as she sits down. There was paperwork on her desk, but not much. Most of it concerned Jamie Hawkens and all the paperwork Sorcha had to fill out concerning what happened when she had arrived at Kieran's house. She stares at it for a moment, she didn't want to do the paperwork, but she would have to. Sorcha sighs as she opens the file.
A small gasp escapes her lips as she sees a picture of Kieran sitting on top. That face had haunted her nightmares for the last month, taunting her and torturing her. Sorcha often dreamed that Kieran did shoot her, and that's when she woke up. Sorcha takes a deep breath as she takes the picture, hands shaking and sets it aside. Pulling the rest of the paperwork out.
However, before she could start on it. She hears Hades' lift his head and let out a grunt of greeting. She turns her head to look and spots Nyx who had just greeted her. "Hi." She murmurs to Nyx before looking up to confirm that Ajax was indeed right behind Nyx. Her eyes drop again as she turns back to her desk, hands still shaking as she puts Kieran's picture back into the file and closing it so she didn't have to see his face anymore.
Sorcha turns her chair around at Ajax's greeting. "Hi." Her voice was quiet as she stares at Ajax, not allowing any emotion into her green eyes. Even as he stammers. A glimmer of amusement flickers through Sorcha as Ajax gives up and sits down. She notes of how he avoids her eyes.
Her gaze softens slightly by the end of Ajax's apology. "You're right. You could have been a lot nicer to me when you visited in the hospital." A small smile flickers to life on her face,"There are nicer ways to scold your rookie." The smile falls and she sighs. "All is forgiven, Ajax."
(Ah! Writer's block is being an ass, XD)
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{ 100% agree lmao XD } - Ajax's tensed muscles relaxed slightly at her words, the frown that had been etched on his face lightening. He felt relieved that his partner forgave him and that the two of them wouldn't be walking on eggshells around each other, though things would most likely be a little awkward between them for a while. He wanted to apologize again, but he knew that with a practical person like Sorcha, it wouldn't get him anywhere, so he opted to just nod. "About that..." He said, motioning to the stack of paperwork that laid on her desk. A real headache, if you asked him. "Some where in there, probably buried pretty deep, you'll find a form offer to be promoted to a higher ranking - and better paying - position. Even though it's usually customary to have a new officer in the rookie position for a while, the Cheif and I thought if anyone deserved a promotion, it would be you. After all, you basically solves this case by yourself. Like you said, you were a rookie in rank, but not in skill. Congradulations." Turning back to his own deask, he began to go through the documents and paperwork that needed signitures or a response from him. His stack wasn't nearly as high as Sorcha's, probably because she was the one who freed Jamie and had to deal with Keiran's torchure after that. He made a mental note to ask her if he could help after he was finished with his own work. And even though he knew Sorcha wanted anything but to be treated like someone who needed help, when lunch hour rolled around, Ajax popped out of the station to grab them both something, already having Sorcha's regular meals memorized from them working together for a while. He was much better with actions than words, so this way he could repay her, in a sense.
{Just realized how weird that sounded lmao! 'He had her regular meals memorized' XD}
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Darkseeker
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In all honesty, Sorcha wanted to chew out her partner. Quite like how Ajax had chewed her out, but, it wasn't worth it. It would only push the two further apart, and as her father always use to say. What has happened, happened. Think about it, be mad about it, then get over it. There was nothing else to be said about the matter. Ajax apologized and Sorcha was over it. Sure, it hurt, but it would only hurt more if she mulled over it.
Sorcha's green eyes flash to the paperwork. A form for promotion rank? She hadn't even been there a year and she was already being offered a promotion? Now that was some paperwork Sorcha was willing to fill out. It would make her parents and siblings proud as well. Sorcha nods,"I'll look at it. Thanks." As she reaches for the file. She hesitates, not ready to open it and see Kieran's brown eyes staring at her. Sure he was dead, and it was just a picture. But he had been the bane of her nightmares for a month. Would she really be able to do the paperwork?
Sorcha had been able to push back everything that had happened. All of it, trapped behind a wall. She'd worked through it and shoved everything behind a wall. Refusing to let a psychotic man haunt her, especially one that she'd put a bullet in and then watched (well kind of watched) her dogs tear into. She hadn't let him defeat her in life, she sure as hell wouldn't let him defeat her dead. However, Sorcha would have to let down the walls. Rethink through everything that had happened so she could file the report and finish the paperwork. So the whole Jamie Hawkens case could officially be sealed up and put away.
Otherwise, Sorcha would have to face charges of manslaughter and her dogs would have to face charges of tearing apart a human being.
Sorcha sighs as she leans back, she'd chosen to find the promotion papers and work on those. She wasn't ready to fill out the Jamie Hawkens paperwork, and she didn't think anyone would rush her on it. She would have to do it eventually, just not anytime soon. Her gaze flickers sideways briefly as Ajax gets up, no doubt to get lunch. Not that Sorcha was very hungry. Another sigh escapes her lips as she returns her focus to her paperwork. Hades was asleep beside her, laying on the ground, although thankfully he was not in the way. Technically, Hades should probably be in the kennels, but Sorcha couldn't bear to part with him. Not yet at least, she still needed Hades beside her.
(LMAO, Ajax's a creep^^. Nah, XD, just shows he pays attention and cares)
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Once Sorcha had recovered enough for the higher-ups to clear her for going back into the field, she didn't waste another second and dived head-first into it, leaving Ajax to scramble behind her, making sure that she didn't go too far and cause her injuries to possible reopen. He would roll his eyes whenever his partner overworked herself, once again pushing herself further and further, but inwardly, he'd grin and fall into step with her. They had finally gotten over everything that had happened, and there was no longer a heavy awkwardness hanging over them like a thundercloud ready to release its downpour. For the majority of the time that he and Sorcha had been back on the streets, everything was calm. A few small things popped up where they were called on for their dogs to sniff out and follow a scent, but nothing big happened. There was a slight altercation with an aggressive denizen which resulted in a shallow knife slash across Ajax forearm, but it was quickly deescalated and the wound didn't even need stitches. He was talking with another officer about an old case when he got the message that he and Sorcha were needed in the Chief's office. Ajax raised an eyebrow, knowing something was up. Usually, when officers were dispatched to a job, they would've either been randomly picked by the phone operators or would've just been called as backup. When the Chief gave you a mission, it meant that it wasn't one to take lightly. he nodded his thanks to the information runner and excused himself from his conversation, walking towards the Chief's office. On his way, he found Sorcha and informed her of the summoning. (The summoning...it sounds so suspenseful lol)
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Darkseeker
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It didn't take long for Sorcha to finally be cleared to go back into the field, and when she was, she dove in head first. Although Ajax and Hades were always there, making sure she didn't push herself to far. But, still, Sorcha pushed herself pretty hard. It was the only thing that kept the nightmares away. She hadn't realized how bad they could get until she'd woken up one night with her gun in her hand waving it around. After that, she'd moved her gun to her dresser across the room and had both the K9's sleep on her bed now.
Sometimes she did regret not listening to her parents advice and going to see a therapist before returning to work. But now, she just told herself that it was too late. Work helped her a lot, mainly because the awkwardness between her and Ajax had disappeared. In fact, Sorcha enjoyed working with Ajax. Although most days, it was pretty boring. The biggest thing that had happened was an altercation when Ajax got attacked with a knife. But Sorcha had arrived to subdue the attacker before it went any further and Ajax's arm had healed quickly.
Today, Sorcha was at her desk, working through as much paperwork as she could. It was one of the things she hated most about the job, but she knew she had to get it done. Thankfully, none of the paperwork was too difficult. Since all of the cases and incidents they had been in had been minor. Hades was asleep beside her when Ajax came walking by, pausing only to inform Sorcha that the chief needed them. She frowns as she gets up, it was never good to be summoned by the chief. It mean either they were in trouble or one hell of a case had come up.
As she falls into step beside Ajax, she muses. "I wonder what the chief needs." She frowns,"Hopefully we're not in any type of trouble." She reaches for her bracelet, fiddling with it. She'd bought the bracelet after her hospital trip and would fiddle with it when she got nervous. She still wore long sleeves as well. The scars on her arms weren't as angry and prominent as they had been when she first came back. But they were still very visible and something that Sorcha had grown to be self conscious of. Mainly because it reminded her of the torture she had faced.
(It does, XD. Like "You've been summoned" dun dun duh! XD) Edited at February 10, 2024 09:55 PM by Dagger Pack
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Ajax shrugged, not knowing what they were getting into either. He wasn't one to sugarcoat his concerns, so all he said was, "Don't think we're in trouble. I know i didn't do anything wrong, and I'm sure you didn't either. We haven't even been out in the field very often. What could he be mad at?" He pointed out, eyes focused ahead as they made their way to the Chief's office. "It probably has something to do with a new assignment. Must be pretty big if we have to talk to him personally about it." He realized that that might not have been the best thing to say when his partner wasn't completely recovered mentally from her ordeal, but he couldn't take it back. He also wouldn't lie to try and make the truth seem softer. He sighed inwardly as he saw Sorcha's fingers fiddle and mess with the bracelet that wrapped around her wrists. He had noticed that she'd do it whenever something stressful or anxiety inducing would happen, a habit she picked up after she was discharged from the hospital. The fact that she only wore long-sleeved shirts, even underneath her uniform, didn't slip past his keen silver gaze either. even though it was late spring, fading into early summer, the heat was striking down on them heavily. Ajax, who hated the heat, was practically melting whenever he had to spend long hours outside during his rounds, and that was when he was wearing short sleeves too, so he couldn't imagine how hot Sorcha must've been feeling. He understood why she did it though. Even after you've physically healed from a job, it doesn't leave your mind for a long while. Ajax never commented on it, just went on with his job, though he'd offer Sorcha water or subelty slow their pace down when they were patrolling to make sure she never fell into heat exhaustion. He rapped his knuckles against the hardwood door, opening it once he heard the Chief call "Come in." He held it open for Sorcha and walked in after her, closing the door behind them. Ajax took a seat in one of the two chairs that were placed in front of Chief Peterson's desk, which had scattered files and paperwork all over the usually clean and organized desk. "Ah, Scorcher, MacKintosh, you're here." He said, looking up from the papers in his hands that he was previously pouring over. "just the two officers I needed to see." Edited at February 11, 2024 12:40 PM by Soulsilver
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