SWAT Short Stories

[Stris] Deserve You

He pressed their foreheads together again, almost like that drunken night in his backyard.

"I'm the one who doesn't deserve you," he whispered back.

*General*

Chris didn't know exactly why she was on a random beach in LA at 10pm. She didn't know where she would stay for the night, having just moved out of Ty and Kira's apartment. And she most certainly didn't understand why she had just clicked Jim Street's contact on her phone to call him. 

She did know that she was sad, but not for the expected reasons. Chris knew she needed to move out and move on with her life. She was never in love with Ty and Kira; in fact, she was only ever even mildly infatuated with Kira. Their relationship was a sinking ship from the beginning. Kira would never leave Ty for her, and she could never love him. Chris wasn't even sure she could ever actually love Kira. The thought was nice, but she knew that her heart belonged to someone else. And now he was on the other end of her phone call.

"Chris," Jim said sweetly but worried. "Are you alright?" 

Jim was concerned. She hadn't called him since he 'quit' SWAT to go undercover. She never called him anymore.

Chris didn't know how to answer that question. Actually, she did; the answer was a big fat no.

"I'm not sure," was all the brunette could say.

Her answer was enough to get Street moving.

"Chris, where are you? I'm coming to you."

Urgency was in his voice now as he spoke.

Chris looked around. She wasn't exactly sure where she was.

"I'm not sure about that either," she said. "I'm on a beach somewhere in LA."

Jim shook his head to himself and took a moment to think. 

Where could she possibly be?

Then it struck him. He knew how to find her.

"Share your location with me on messages. I'm on my way."

"Okay," was all Chris could say before the call ended.

---

Jim and Luca were having a nice late-night dinner at their house when Chris called. 20-David was on call that night, so as soon as his phone rang in the living room, Street went to answer. But the caller ID was not one that he expected.

Chris? Jim thought. Something isn't right.

She had called out of work that day, and now she was calling him late at night.

Her tone of voice was the first thing that struck Jim. 

She sounds... not like Chris, he thought.

As soon as Chris said she didn't know if she was okay, Jim retrieved his keys from the kitchen counter and pulled his coat on. He knew he had to find her.

Jim walked out their front door without a word to Luca, praying he'd soon be with Chris.

---

Jim knew he had to be in the right spot as he parked next to Chris' truck. They were a long way away from her apartment, though.

After walking a little ways toward the sand, he could see her sitting on a public bench.

"Chris?" He called, hoping that she would confirm her presence.

She turned to look at him and gave a sad smile in his direction.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked as he sat next to her on the bench, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and putting his jacket over her.

It was a breezy November night; she had to be freezing.

"I don't know," was all Chris said as she turned to wrap her arms around Jim in a hug.

"Shh," Jim said softly. "It's okay. I'm right here. We'll figure whatever this is out."

Tears were steadily flowing down Chris' face and onto Jim's shoulder. Jim let her cry silently for a few minutes, not knowing what else to do but relieved she had called him.

Once Chris had semi-composed herself, she moved back into their previous position and rested her head on Jim's shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jim asked quietly, praying that Chris would open up.

Chris let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

"I'm not sure exactly what to talk about. I don't even know why I called you."

"Why don't you start with why you're at a beach forever away from your apartment at 11pm," Jim suggested.

"I moved out," she paused briefly. "I didn't know where to go, so I just drove. I ended up here, I guess."

The look in Chris' eyes was more painful than Jim had seen in a while.

"Did something happen with Ty and Kira?" Street asked, concerned.

She shook her head a little, hoping he would understand that she was the problem.

"No. Something happened with me."

Chris paused to collect her thoughts. 

How can I explain this to him without screwing his life up, she thought.

"I wasn't in love," she started with a shaky breath. "I was somewhat infatuated with Kira and running away from my own problems. So I jumped in headfirst, knowing that I would get hurt or hurt them. I think I've done both" 

She paused again and sighed. 

"I couldn't live in their happy wedding bliss knowing that I would never be happy. So I called in sick to work, packed all of my stuff into my truck, and left them a note with my house key. I just drove, and I ended up here. And some part of my brain decided to call you; I just never expected you to pick up."

Jim was stunned. He had a feeling Chris wasn't finished, an instinct feeling that she was still hiding something.

"Kira's been calling and texting me for hours, and I don't know what to say to her. I'm done with our relationship," she briefly stopped herself again but not long enough to fully comprehend what she was about to say.

"I was so naive ever to believe we could work when I'm in love with someone else."

Now the both of them really didn't know what to say.

"Well damn, Chris," Jim said as he leaned back on the bench with her. "I don't know what to say to that one."

They both just sat there semi staring at each other for a few moments, almost like time was frozen with them.

Jim finally pulled her into another hug, but this one somehow felt different.

"You know you can always call me, and I'll pick up," he felt the need to reassure her. "I don't care what's going on right then or what has happened in the past; I'll always be here for you, Chris. I promise you that."

Chris held onto him tightly before letting go so she could look at him in the eyes.

"I don't deserve you," she said softly.

He pressed their foreheads together again, almost like that drunken night in his backyard.

"I'm the one who doesn't deserve you," he whispered back.

[END]

-----

[written 7.7.2020 - edited 9.15.2021 + 3.30.2022]

[originally "Somewhere On a Beach"]

Hi. So I hate having Molly mentioned in my stories, so I replaced her with Luca and did away with the ending. Maybe y'all can stop fighting me for doing her dirty now. I just really don't like her. Also, I know Chris wasn't on a beach when she called Street, but this is my story, and I'll do as I please. The plot is mostly the same, so hopefully, y'all still like this. I personally like it better than the original. <3 -Sharna