"What is the matter with you?!" I nearly yelled as I shook my partner, Chris, and he shrugged. "You're being the target of an investigation and you just go around questioning the witnesses?! Do you realize how serious this is?! If the prosecution hears about this, you're done for!"
Chris sighed as I laid back in the chair. "I didn't question anyone. I didn't break rules, I bent them."
I ran a hand through my hair, before I let out a deep breath, grabbing my whiskey and taking a sip of it, trying to feel calmer before I turned back to Chris. "Listen," I began softly as I reached over the table to hold his hand. "We're not those fresh out of police academy kids we were when we began. You have a husband now, you are about to have kids, and you have responsibilities to your family. You can't act this recklessly."
"It wasn't me. I swear it Y/N." Chris said and I nodded.
"I know it wasn't Chris! But someone's framing you, and both of us are too involved emotionally to think rationally, at least for the time being." I said as I finished my whiskey, flagging down the waiter and asking for two more rounds. "So, let's try and relax. How's Mark doing?"
Chris smiled brightly at me. "He's babyproofed everything, even my toolbox for crying out loud."
"Do you know the gender yet?" I asked softly and Chris smiled.
"Two healthy baby girls. We're naming one of them after you, the other one after our surrogate, she doesn't know it yet." Chris said as the whiskeys I had ordered came to the table, and I nodded before realization dawned on me, and I stared at Chris wide-eyed.
"You-you're... I-What?" I asked completely confused, as tears left my eyes and Chris laughed.
"Naming one of the kids after you, got it slowpoke?" he asked and I smiled brightly, completely disregarding his insult.
"Oh my god! Thank you!" I said as I hugged him closely and Chris laughed.
"Don't mention it. You're going to be a godmother as well, so get ready."
"Oh Jesus, I need to babyproof my apartment!"
"Get a man first. We're just like babies. I swear I can't work the babyproofing. The locks on the cabinets and toilet seats and windows! Those things need magic to open." Chris said and I slapped his arm.
"I am actually waiting for my date tonight." I admitted and Chris smiled as he leaned forward, snagging one of the whiskey glasses for himself.
"Isn't he here yet?" he asked and I checked my phone.
"Nope, we agreed he'd text me when he got here. He hasn't said a thing." I said and Chris laughed.
"How did you meet him?"
"My mom, for once had a great idea, and she set me up with the nicest guy!" I said with a laugh.
"Well then, stop drinking like a sailor and fix that lipstick." Chris advised and I laughed.
"Relax, Ash has seen me drunk before." I said with a laugh, and Chris smirked.
"Ash?"
"Short for Ashton," my phone dinged and I looked at it, seeing a text from Ash. "And he's here!" I exclaimed before I looked around and, upon spotting Ashton by the door, I threw a twenty dollar bill on the table and picked up my things. "I'll see you later, if you'll excuse me, I have a date."
Chris laughed as I walked towards Ashton.
"Ash!" I called out, and Ashton smiled as he embraced me and I hugged him back.
"How are you?" he asked and I smiled at him.
"I was just downing whiskey with one of my cop buddies." I laughed lightly and Ashton shook his head. "What about you?"
"Well, I was driving here, Ms. Officer, so no drinking for me." he laughed as I guided him to a booth and we sat down.
As soon as we sat, the waiter brought us two orange juices and I rose an eyebrow, "The gentleman over there sent the drinks, with 'love from Chris', apparently."
I laughed as I raised my glass toward him and laughed.
I turned back to Ashton, who was watching the interaction. "That's the cop buddy. He's a bit of a meddler, but he means well." I explained and Ashton nodded as he looked at the menu.
"How long have you known him?"
"We went through police academy and graduated together, been patrol buddies ever since."
"Oh, so you just met?" Ashton asked and I laughed.
"Ash, I graduated police academy at twenty. I've been working for six whole years."
"And you don't look a day over twenty," he said with a flirtatious wink and I smiled.
"You're just buttering me up."
"Is it working?"
I winked at him as I leaned back in my seat. "Maybe."
