"He did seem a bit off today. Just give him time he'll open up," Bobby told his daughter.
"Boot! We're leaving," Nathan yelled out.
Charlotte sighed, "Wish me luck guys. Are we still on for dinner this Thursday?" Charlotte asked her father.
"Boot!"
"Yes, go before you get in trouble," Bobby said, nodding at his daughter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlotte and Nathan had found the man and arrested him for stealing the women's purse from earlier. The two brought him into the booking area and saw Angela and Jackson with a woman trying to book her. "Booking's closed. We got a bus in the garage to take everyone to County," the processing sergeant told the group.
"Why? What's going on?" Jackson asked exchanging a look with Charlotte.
"There's been a shooting," Angela said as she looked at John walking into the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlotte learned that John had shot a man on scene. There was a woman sitting across from Charlotte in an interrogation room asking her questions about John to make sure it was out of defense and not just because he was a cop. Charlotte hated being in an interrogation room since the last time she was in one was telling the detective about her abusive ex boyfriend. Memories from the past flashed through her mind and she closed her eyes for a moment as the woman asked, "How would you characterize Officer Nolan?"
"Officer Nolan is one of the finest people I have ever met. At the academy, he was the one when I would go to if I was having a tough day or feeling anxious about the upcoming exam and would help you study for it all night." Charlotte replied.
"Is he on any medication?"
"Not that I know of," Charlotte answered.
"Has Officer Nolan ever talked about wanting to use force?" the detective asked.
"No never, he's the nicest man you'll ever meet," Charlotte answered.
She continue answering the questions and was released and sent Lucy in next. She met Jackson outside the interrogation room, "Hey, you okay?" Jackson asked about her situation.
"Yeah, memories from that day just kept trying to come up during that. Just every time I think of what that man did to me—" Charlotte replied feeling tears threatening to spill over.
Jackson noticed and wrapped his arms around his friend and said, "He's not here though. He's away for a few more years."
She nodded as Jackson let go of his friend and saw his dad coming out of an office, "Dad," Jackson stated.
Charlotte turned around and saw the man she thought as like a second father to her. "When I got the call about your station, I was worried it was one of you," Percy West told Jackson and Charlotte.
"We're okay. If it had been me, I'd handle it," Jackson assured his dad.
"I know," Percy replied.
"You know, Nolan's a great officer. I'm sure it's a good shoot," Charlotte told Percy.
"That's what I'm here to determine."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moments later, John was in the middle of determining if the shot was necessary or not. Charlotte was staring at her coffee that Jackson had made her as the two of them sat with Lucy and Angela. "I can't imagine what Nolan's going through. Can you?" Jackson asked his T.O.
"Yeah. my second year as a T.O., a prisoner transport went sideways. My Boot didn't search the suspect properly, lost her gun. The guy would've killed us both if I hadn't pulled the trigger," Angela told the three rookies.
"What happened to the Boot?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know. She wasn't a cop after that," Angela truthfully told the three.
"Is there anything anyone said or did that helped you through it?" Charlotte asked Angela.
"No. I just had to make my peace with it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day during their lunch break, Charlotte sat with her two friends in silence until Jackson asked, "Have either of you heard from Nolan?"
"Not since yesterday. You?" Lucy asked Charlotte.
Charlotte shook her head, "I texted him and tried to call him. No response, you?"
"No," Jackson said with a sigh.
"I didn't know if I should call. Maybe he needs us to reach out. I don't know," Lucy said.
"He'll tell us what he needs," Jackson said.
"You didn't," Charlotte reminded him.
"That was different, okay? I was ashamed."
"Maybe he is, too," Lucy stated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Do you need anything at the grocery store? I'm getting a few things to make John something. Maybe it will cheer him up," Charlotte asked Jackson on the phone as she walked through the aisle.
"Not that I can think of, can you make double of whatever you're making?" Jackson asked.
"Maybe," Charlotte answered as the two said bye and hung up. "Vanilla, vanilla, where is vanilla?" Charlotte muttered to herself as she tried the next aisle. Charlotte eventually found it and grabbed it.
She looked down the aisle and saw a boy with crutches and glasses trying to reach something. "Need help?" Charlotte asked, walking towards him.
"Yeah, too short to get the chocolate chips," the boy told her.
"No worries, I actually needed some too. Are you going to make something with these?" Charlotte asked as she grabbed two bags and handed the boy one.
"Dad and I are making cookies. Don't tell him I said this, but he's not a good baker," the boy whispered causing Charlotte to laugh.
"Hey, I wasn't a good cook until my dad taught me before I went off to college," Charlotte told the boy.
Charlotte glanced up and saw the most beautiful man she had ever seen walking towards them. Quickly realizing that this must be his father as the man said, "Chris, there you are. You know not to wander away from me in the store."
"Sorry. But this nice lady helped get the chocolate chips for us tonight," the boy said, holding up the bag she had handed him.
The man looked at Charlotte who smiled at him, "Thank you."
"No problem. I was already in the aisle needing the same ingredients as you actually, so alway love lending a helping hand," Charlotte told the man.
"Thank you really. I'm Eddie and this is Christopher," Eddie said, placing a hand on his son's back and extending his other hand to her.
"Charlotte. Most people call me Charlie though. Are you two from LA?" Charlotte asked, shaking the man's hand.
"Actually we're from Texas," Eddie told her. "Just moved here."
"Well, welcome to the LA area. If you need to know the neighborhoods not to go to, let me know cause I know the worst of the worst neighborhoods here... Not like I'm a criminal or anything, quite the opposite–" Charlotte rambled cursing at herself knowing he probably thought she was crazy.
Eddie chuckled a bit, "You're a police officer then?"
"Yeah, only two months on the job. Still in the rookie phase," Charlotte replied as a text came through on her phone. Don't forget your special ingredient! Jackson texted her. "Sorry I gotta get going. Roommate is blowing up my phone. Good luck on baking cookies tonight!" Charlotte said, waving at the two as she left the aisle.
"You didn't get her number," Christopher told his dad.
"I know." Eddie replied, watching her walk to another aisle.
"She was nice. I like her," Christopher said.
Author's note
Woohoo! Charlotte met Eddie and Christopher! I have so much in store for these three!
YOU ARE READING
Haunted|| The Rookie x 911
Action"Come on, come on, don't leave me like this I thought I had you figured out Something's gone terribly wrong You're all I wanted Come on, come on, don't leave me like this I thought I had you figured out Can't breathe whenever you're gone Can't turn...
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