The following day at work.
Taraji arrived earlier than usual. She got her partner Detective Brooks some latte. She was happy to have her back.
"that's for always standing by me, thanks partner" Brooks smiled. "you do the same for me. Well, there is murder," Brooks said. "let's go," Taraji said standing up to leave.
"not so fast..." The Captain said blocking Taraji's way out. Taraji and Detective Brooks looked at him then attach other.
"so I see you are back," he said. "I was never gone Cap," she said
"Maybe not this time..." the Ladies looked at each other again. "the next time you pull shit like that in my unit, you will be gone, for good this time, and need I remind you that, both the Chief and the Mayor will back me up on this one, see, the chief hates your guts and wants you gone for good, the only reason you here is because I always backed you up. But not anymore, I am best friends with the Mayor and I can fire you at any minute without having to worry about Ethics. I am friends with powerful people Detective and I can see that your career in this department never sees the light of day. Now go to work!" he said in a commanding voice and stepped into his office slamming the door.
"Now he hates you too?" Brooks asked puzzled.
Taraji felt dizzy and fell flat dizzily on her chair. "I will go check our murder. Stay here, I will call okay?" Brooks said.
"and give him a fast reason to fire me? Oh, No, let's go" Taraji said. They left the building.
Taraji wasn't okay. She threw the car keys to Brooks. "You Drive. I need to make a call or maybe a couple of calls"
Detective Brooks drove.
Taraji made a call to call ID - John, who didn't pick up.
She sighed and called Fantasia.
After three Rings.
Tasia: I'm busy, Detective, what can I do for you?
Taraji: my job, how worried do I need to be?
Tasia: what are you asking me?
Taraji: You publicly hate me the whole unit knows it. Now my captain needs me out too, he's just waiting for me to flop, and knowing me, I won't last 24 hours. So I guess what I'm asking is, are you gonna let him take everything from me?
Tasia: ask me the right question
Taraji: Chief Barrino-Taylor can I count on you to help me keep my job at the unit?
Brooks was just listening and driving.
Tasia: Meet you at your place at 7. Cook something for me. And oh Detective... Wear something sexy.
Fantasia dropped the call
Taraji froze. The speaker was on high volume Brooks heard it.
She turned to look at Taraji with her jaw hanging.
She burst out laughing. "she doesn't hate you, she wants you? She wants to get nasty. Now she's using your desperation to get what she wants" Brooks said laughing.
Taraji kept quiet.
"Oh my Gosh Henson, you want the chief?"
"no. No! No.its complicated okay."
"how complicated? Have you done this before? Cook for her, wearing something sexy?"
Taraji nodded a little. Brooks's jaw dropped. "spill!".
"that was about a decade ago okay, it's a very long time ago. She used me then, and she wanna use me now but this time I'm not shallow, naive, stupid, and dreamy. So it never gonna happen. I will wait for her, but I'm not gonna shower or change or cook for her ass." Taraji sounded frustrated. Brooks was laughing. "you like her! Oh Gosh you like The Chief"
"I don't-do not" Taraji defended.
Brooks looks her in the eyes.
"no... You love her!"
"Just drive the damn car" Taraji lashed out.
"we here" Brooks announced and got off the car. Taraji groaned before getting off at a crime scene.
Going back to the Prencict to solve a murder. She noticed that the Captain was being nasty to her all day.
"just go sleep with the Chief, what do you have to lose? keep your job here, and when Captain Mean and Nasty strikes, you will have a backup. Think about Jack." Brooks whispered in her ear.
"I'm gonna need you to not help me-" Taraji said. "I mean--"
."shut up Brooks. We have murder to solve" Taraji shut it down.
"but Henson--" Brooks Whined.
"Dani you have a life, why in the hell would you act like you don't? A respectable honorable hardworking husband, two beautiful kids, and murders to solve, yet your nose is picking inside my business, my non-existent, uninteresting life. Don't you have something better to think about? Go to the morgue, and ask about the test results. Maybe there is a lead there, I need them urgently" Taraji commanded.
Brooks rolled her eyes playfully and walked away.
Taraji huffed and lifted her eyes to look at the captain's office. He was looking at her intensively like he was gonna kill her ass.
"gosh, that's creepy!" Taraji whispered to herself.
She picked up her phone and texted the Chief.
*tonight 7. Show up Fantasia, I need you... I'm desperate*
Fantasia didn't respond.
After Hours.
Taraji got home, tired after a long day of trying to solve, what seemed to be an unstable case. She plopped on her couch. And checked the clock.
It was almost 7.
She shut her eyes, only to wake up from a buzzing door. She checked the time. It was 20 minutes after 7.
"shit!" clearly she didn't mean to fall asleep.
She started sniffing herself, trying to put her living room, kitchen, and dining room together... Her son made a mess earlier.
Another buzzer
She rushed to the door. And took a deep breath. She opened, her eyes nearly fell off, wide open.
"what are you doing here Jeff?" She asked her furious Captain.
He invited himself inside. "you are becoming a big gigantic nuisance. I want you out of my unit. I talked to the Mayor and he agreed to talk to the 22 Unit downstairs. You are officially out of my unit. I'm here for the badge and gun. You start tomorrow." He said.
Taraji scoffed. "The mayor huh? Did he say that? Son of a bitch!" Taraji cursed. Her tears were coming out. Not because of this jerk but the Mayor.
She teared up and opened the door wide open.
"I will send someone to bring the gun," she said handing over her badge. He nodded and walked out. She shut the door and broke down. After what felt like forever for Taraji. Only being 7 minutes long. There was a buzzer. Then a knock
She regrouped and opened the door.
It was fantasia. It made Taraji very upset and emotional.
"what do you want Fantasia?" she asked about to cry.
Fantasia saw right through her.
"I made an appointment but this seems like a very bad time. Rain check or you can use a friend?" Fantasia asked sweetly.
"you are not a friend. Bitch you use people for your boost and gain and power and your own selfish needs. You do that with your husband. Do it with everybody else and you did that with me" Taraji spurt
Fantasia just looked at her saying nothing.
"so, no I do not need you in any way. Leave my cramped apartment and leave me the fuck alone, tell your daughter to leave my son alone too." Taraji said and slammed the door on her face.
Fantasia left after debating on what to do for a minute.
She went home.
She stepped inside her big ass mansion. The maid took her bags and jacket
"Thank you. Is anybody home?" she asked.
"the kids are home" the maid answered.
Fantasia went to the big living room.
"Mommy" her little boy, Josh shouted rushing for a hug. She embraced him tight. Maybe too tight.
"you need a drink mummy?" he asked. Fantasia's tear rolled. "what's wrong mummy?" he asked, grabbing his sister's attention. Halle looked at her mom.
"mom?" she exclaimed. Fantasia looked down and wiped her tears and sniffled then pasted a smile on her face. "nothing babies. I just had one of those days, but I will take you up on that offer champ. Red wine" she said. Josh walked to the kitchen to bother their maid.
Fantasia sat next to Halle.
"Baby you know I love you right? And I want more than anything for you and your brother to be happy..."
"Yes ma'am I know," she said taking her mom's hand into hers.
"you okay Queen?"
Baby I need you to be honest with me... Are you and Jack...a thing? Like are you still dating even after his mom and I told you not to?"
Fantasia was skating on thin ice here...
Halle smiled. "Mom, is there something you and Ms Taraji are keeping from me and Jack? Are we related? First cousins? Second cousins?" Halle was laughing but to her mom this was serious.
"Please be serious. And no, you are not. But it's kind of complicated baby, could you just please trust me on this one? Please!"
"don't freak okay, but I need to be honest with you, if you promise to be honest with me," Halle said. Fantasia just looked at her daughter.
"I went through your things a couple of weeks ago--"
Fantasia gasped. "what?" she snapped.
"by accident, I was looking for a sweater, I found notes and a picture, Ms Taraji's picture. Mom, I read them. So now, I gotta ask"
"no, no no no! You are never to ask me that. Halle Never!" fantasia said running away... She rushed upstairs. Leaving her daughter a jaw drop.
"Mom!" Halle called. Fantasia stood at a stairwell.
"what Halle that's a private matter. Can't I have something confidential of my own?"
"cool have it then. And I will elope with Jack and have his many kids"
Fantasia looked at her daughter furiously. She slowly made her way downstairs. Halle stood up, she knew she poked the tiger.
"Baby girl, you are out of your league. I'm gonna need you to stop," She said.
Halle kept quiet
"and don't say anything to your father either, are we clear?"
Halle kept Calm.
Josh walked into the room. "wine, Red, just like you asked my Queen" Usually this would make Fantasia smile but not today. She was way too pissed
She accepted the drink. Looked at Halle then stormed away.
Halle's phone beeped.
*My mother lost her job. Does your mother have something to do with this?*
Halle was shocked. She looked upstairs where her mother disappeared then looked at her phone screen, then down at her little brother.
"What?" Josh asked.
Halle picked up her car keys and rushed out.