"¿Necesito repasar las reglas nuevamente?" Ana asks as she grabs her bag off of the counter. (Do I need to go over the rules again?).
"Ana, si repasas las reglas una vez más, regresaré a Cuba." Jose, Ana's paternal grandfather, says. He's perched on the couch, watching the Monday morning news. (Ana, if you go over the rules one more time, I'm moving back to Cuba.)
"No es gracioso, abuelo" Ana says, frowning. (Not funny, granddad.)
"Pensé que era muy gracioso." Mario, Ana's maternal grandfather, pipes up. (I thought it was pretty funny.)
"Me alegra que ustedes dos estén bromeando, pero lo digo en serio. No he ido en todo el día desde que estaba en la Academia, e incluso entonces volví para ver cómo estabas durante mi hora de almuerzo." Ana replies, stressing over leaving her grandparents alone in her apartment for an entire day now that she's starting her job as a cop. (I'm glad you two are joking around, but I'm serious. I haven't been gone all day since I was in the Academy, and even then I came back to check on you during my lunch break.)
"Nieta, estaremos bien. Tenemos tu número de teléfono y vivíamos en la Cuba de Castro, creo que podemos sobrevivir nueve horas en Los Ángeles." Carmen, Ana's maternal grandmother says, entering the living area of the apartment. (Granddaughter, we will be fine. We have your phone number and we lived in Castro's Cuba, I think we can survive nine hours in Los Angeles.)
"Está bien, pero hablo en serio, llámame si pasa algo." Ana sighs, checking to make sure her bun is all good and that her light makeup isn't awful. She's so nervous that her hands are shaking, therefore her mascara definitely isn't the best but Ana will take it not being awful. (Okay, but I'm being serious, you call me if anything happens.)
Ana sees Esmerelda, her paternal grandmother, open her mouth but Ana beats her to the punch.
"Y sí, si veo policías mayores y atractivos, me aseguraré de enviártelo." Ana sighs. (And yes, if I see any hot older cops I will be sure to send them your way.)
Esmerelda and Jose are divorced and unfortunately for Ana, have a very active dating life. Hearing her grandparents have sex with random strangers might just be the most traumatic thing Ana has ever experienced, and Ana watched her father be killed by corrupt police in Cuba when she was 11.
[Time Skip - 8 AM - Monday | Roll Call]
Ana is the first in the roll call room. She has serious anxiety with being late and she got there thirty minutes early. In her head, she's trying to go over every little thing she remembers from the Academy. Her head is down and she doesn't look up as the roll call room fills. She looks across the aisle and sees the other three rookies sit down.
Lucy Chen, John Nolan, and Jackson West. Ana knew them from the Academy, but they weren't really good friends. They all kinda clicked on the first day while Ana threw herself into her studies at the Academy. Plus she was taking care of her grandparents so didn't have much of a social life at the Academy. Though, to be fair, Ana has never really had a social life.
Ana's thoughts are interrupted when Sergeant Wade Grey enters the room and sits his file down on podium stand.
"All right, all right. Settle down. Settle down. So, okay, we got some new blood this morning. And some pushing the expiration date." Grey starts and Ana senses the jab at Nolan.
He's a nice guy, but Ana has never really gotten to know him. Though he was definitely a source of gossip at the Academy.
Ana looks back up to Sergeant Grey who glances at her and the other three rookies.
"Get up." Ana is the first to stand, with the others following after her.
"After six months together in the Academy, you've earned the right to be here. But you'll have to prove yourself to stay. The way we do things matters. Protocol and tradition are the metal from which every cop in this city is forged. Understand?"
"Yes, sir" All four rookies say in unison.
"Sit down. It's time to play the Training Officer match game. Our contestants are: Lucy Chen, a hotshot who made her first arrest before clocking in for work. Legacy Jackson West, who broke all his dad's records at the Academy. Ana Cabrera, the short one from Cuba. and John Nolan, who was born before disco died."
Most of the rooms laughs except for the rookies, Ana mainly because she believes age is just a number and the others because they are friends with Nolan.
"And the winners are: Officer Bradford, you get our hotshot and our short one. Officer Lopez, you get our legacy. Leaving Officer Bishop to ride with the 40-year-old rookie. Now, hear me. Today is your first day. Don't let it be your last. Forget the Academy and listen to your T.O.s. They'll teach you the way it should be done. That's it. All right. Be safe out there. Officer Bishop, I need a word with your rook."
Ana follows after Lucy and Bradford. They go and get the gear, Lucy makes no move to grab the gear and is too busy examining Bradford, so Ana picks it up without instruction. Next stop is the garage and they stop in front of a cruiser.
"This is your shop. Do not call it a car. It is where you work."
Bradford starts, while Ana sets down the gear and pulls out a little notepad that she keeps on her person. Ana learned long ago to keep short concise notes, so she simply writes "cruiser = shop"
"First you check the exterior for damage. Any nicks, scrapes, or dents, log 'em in. Has the suspect left anything? Money? Drugs? A dookie?" Bradford continues with Ana jotting down notes while Lucy stands and listens.
"Why aren't you taking notes, Officer Chen? You think I'm impressed because you picked some low-hanging fruit on your way to work?" Bradford asks and Ana's eyes widen at his harsh tone.
"Onto the shotgun-safety check. Verify it's empty. Clear it. Close the action." Bradford instructs. "We have police tape, road flares, spike strips. Next, body-cam check"
"Officer Ana Cabrera" Ana says, checking the body-cam with Lucy doing it after her.
"Get in" Bradford orders.
Ana picks up the bags and puts them in the back. Lucy has already gotten into the passenger seat and Ana climbs into the middle row of the car, sitting in the middle so that she can see what Bradford is talking about and take notes.
"Log in to the computer. Put in our serial number." Bradford instructs and Ana watches as Lucy does as he says.
"Test lights and sirens." Bradford says and he puts up a hand to Lucy to stop her and gestures for Ana to do it.
Ana leans forward and tests the lights and sirens before turning them off and leaning back to sit normally in her seat.
[Time Skip - 9 AM - Monday | Patrol]
"So, why do you want to be a cop?" Bradford asks and Ana realizes that he's talking to Lucy.
"Is this a trick question?" Lucy asks, hesitantly.
Ana, meanwhile, is watching the scenery pass, her eyes taking a second to examine every person on the sidewalk, smiling when she sees someone she knows.
"You want me to train you, I need to know why you're in this car." Bradford responds, not amused.
"Okay. Um, my parents are both therapists, so I spent my childhood talking about my feelings -" Lucy explains but is quickly interrupted when Bradford slams on the breaks.
Both Lucy and Ana jolt, only held back by their seatbelts.
"I've been shot!" Bradford explains, confusing both Lucy and Ana.
Ana sees how Bradford is looking at Lucy and realizes that he's talking to her so Ana stays quiet, confused.
"wh-?" Lucy starts, confused.
"Where are you boot?!" Bradford yells.
"what?" Lucy asks, still confused.
"I'm bleeding to death. You have to call for help. Where are you?" Bradford responds, his voice loud and demanding.
"Um -" Lucy says, frantically looking around for street signs.
"Now I'm dead. It's your fault. Get out." Bradford says, his voice expressing his disappointment.
"What?" Lucy asks.
"Get out and walk. You can get back in when you know where you are." Bradford responds and Ana's eyes widen as she realizes how strict Bradford is, but she can't help but respect him for it.
"You know where you are yet, Officer Chen? No? Then finish your story why you became a cop. Here, I'll do it for you. You wanted to piss off your parents for making you an emotional science experiment." Bradford says, with the window down.
Ana watches as Lucy seems pissed off.
A vehicle behind them honks their horn. A small truck has stopped behind the patrol car; inside are three men who look like laborers singing along with the radio. Bradford gets out of the patrol car and walks up to the driver of the truck. Ana gets out as well and follows after him while Lucy waits on the sidewalk.
"Gentlemen, I have an honest question for you. Were you grown in a petri dish of stupid?" Bradford starts.
"Por favor, no hablo inglés-" The driver starts. (Please, I don't speak English -)
"Don't pull that crap with me." Bradford snarls.
Ana decides to step in. "Licencia y registro por favor" Ana requests, softly. (License and Registration, please)
"Well, aren't you fancy? Tell him that it's immigrants like them that make Americans like you look bad. If it was up to me, we'd send them all back by catapult." Bradford turns to Ana, whose eyes widen when Bradford says that.
Ana huffs, turning back to the men. "Mis disculpas, mi compañero es un cerdo racista. Si pudiera por favor darme su licencia y registro?" Ana says, softly. (My apologies, my partner is a racist pig. If you could please give me your license and registration?).
"Officer Cabrera" Bradford says, pulling her aside.
"Do I look like an idiot?" Bradford asks.
"no, sir" Ana says, softly, her eyes widening when she realizes that he can speak Spanish.
"En el momento en que dejas que tu ira se apodere de ti, es cuando arriesgas la vida de todos en ese auto." Bradford lectures in Spanish. (The second you let your anger get the best of you, is when you risk the lives of everyone in that car.)
"yes, sir" Ana responds, softly, nodding.
[Time Skip - 10 AM - Monday | Patrol]
They get a call from Officer Bishop and Nolan about a runner. They arrive quickly and Bradford turns to both Lucy and Ana.
"Go get him, boots" Bradford orders.
Lucy and Ana are quickly out of the car and running after the suspect. Ana is a little faster than Lucy and manages to trip the man while Lucy pins him and arrests him. She helps Lucy pull the struggling man up while Bradford walks over to Nolan, who got himself stuck in a gate. Ana tilts her head in confusion but decides that she doesn't really want to know.
"Please let go of me! You have to let me go! You don't know what you're doing! You don't know what you're doing! You don't know what you're doing! I have to find him! Help me! I have to find him! The unicorn! The unicorn!" The man is yelling and Ana takes over holding the man while Lucy walks over to Nolan, wanting to make sure he's okay.
It's clear as day to Ana that Lucy and Nolan are more than just friends and Ana can tell that it's obvious to Bishop too, who comes running over.
"Welcome to the arrest" Bradford says, sarcastically, as he frees Nolan.
Bradford and Bishop exchange a look and Bradford turns to Ana.
"let the forty year old rook have our arrest" Bradford instructs and Ana obeys, walking the struggling and yelling man over to Nolan.
Ana walks over to Bradford and Lucy and follows them to their shop, getting in and continuing patrol.
At lunch, Ana is instructed with getting lunch while Lucy goes to Jackson and Nolan. Ana orders Bradford's food, getting all of the sauces just in case while calling Abuela Carmen. Ana huffs when she calls three times and all of them go to voicemail.
Once the food is ready, Ana grabs it and takes it to Bradford.
"You didn't forget the hot sauce, did you, Boot?" Bradford asks, and Ana hands him all of the sauces she bought with the food.
He gives an unimpressed nod, but Ana will take whatever she can get. Ana spends the rest of lunch calling all of her grandparents and texting them but to no answer.
The rest of the patrol goes fine, not amazing but not terrible. By the end of the day, Ana is scrambling to get home. When she does get home, her grandparents are all there, just chilling.
"Los llamé y les envié mensajes de texto a cada uno de ustedes al menos una docena de veces, ¿por qué no respondieron?" Ana asks, pissed off. (I called and texted each of you at least a dozen times, why didn't you respond?).
"Porque, cariño, debes concentrarte en tu trabajo. Ya vivimos en tu casa, no debes preocuparte por nosotros. Preocúpate por ti mismo y tu trabajo." Carmen replies. (Because, honey, you have to focus on your work. We already live in your house, you don't have to worry about us. Worry about yourself and your work.)
"Déjame preocuparme por ti, por favor. No pararé. ¿Y esas son carnitas?" Ana asks, her anger dissipating as she looks at the pot with her favorite food resting inside. (Let me worry about you, please. I won't stop. And are those carnitas?).
"Te lo dije, ella se alegra fácilmente cuando le preparas comida." Carmen teases her husband, talking about Ana. (Told you, she's easily happy when you make food for her.)
"Huele delicioso, abuela, gracias." Ana says, kissing Carmen's cheek before going into her room to get changed before dinner is ready. (It smells delicious, grandma, thank you.)
[Time Skip - 8 AM - Tuesday | Roll Call]
"So, all right, all right. Settle down. I just got a disturbing video. Never seen anything so horrific. So prepare yourselves." Wade Grey says, turning on a video on the TV in the roll call room.
The video shows Nolan getting stuck in the gate. It doesn't amuse Ana, instead it clears up the confusion on how exactly he got stuck.
"Such grace and athleticism has never before been seen in the LAPD. Is that a gazelle wearing the blues? Or a dinosaur from a long forgotten age? Now you will see Officer Lucy Chen execute a perfect tackle with an assist from Officer Cabrera." Wade narrates, making everyone except the rookies laugh and applaud.
"All right, fun's over. This is a BOLO for Mr. Lance Selby, who violated his parole yesterday. Scale from 1 to 10, this guy's a 12. Did a nickel for attempted murder with a claw hammer. So whoever gets him off the street will get a sincere handshake and Super Bowl Sunday off. That's it. Be safe out there." Wade says and Ana jots down the information before they are dismissed.
[Time Skip - 9 AM - Tuesday | Patrol]
"I've decided on your punishment." Bradford announces.
Ana is confused before realizing he's talking to Lucy.
"Are you gonna tell me what it is?" Lucy asks, unamused.
"More of a "show you" kind of guy." Bradford replies with a smirk.
He rolls down the window and calls to a man on the sidewalk "Ghost Head. No, no, hold up a minute."
The guy turns to look at the shop. "Yo, this is harassment."
Bradford rolls his eyes, getting out of the shop with his two rookies following.
"What? No, it's just good customer service. Kind of like a frequent flyer program for dirt-bag drug dealers." Bradford responds.
"Search him, boot." Bradford orders Lucy, while Ana hangs back by his side.
"Uh- Turn around, grab the wall." Lucy instructs.
"Make me, Boot." The man spits out.
Ana watches as Lucy struggles to pin the man down. Ana is nervous while Bradford looks amused, calling out "Keep your hands up, Chen. Don't let him get on top of you!"
Lucy manages to pin the man face down on the pavement.
"You're under arrest." Lucy says, arresting the man before standing up.
Ana wordlessly takes the man and starts guiding him to the cruiser while Lucy and Bradford talk.
"That was my punishment?" Lucy asks.
"Yep. Plus I got to see if you could handle yourself, so it's really a two-fer." Bradford responds.
"When you're telling this story in lock up, you might want to leave out the part where you got your ass kicked by a girl." Bradford tells the man as Ana pins him against the car and opens the car door to put him inside.
"Hey! Hey! Hey, let him go! Come on." Suddenly, a blonde woman comes running over.
Ana's eyebrows furrow as she watches Bradford freeze.
"You all right here? For real." Bradford turns to his two rookies, who nod.
He turns to the woman "Isabel?"
Lucy is watching the interaction while Ana keeps the man pinned against the car, not sure what to do.
"Leave him alone." Isabel responds, obviously on some sort of drug.
"Isab- Isabel- it it's it's me. It's Tim. It's okay. I've been trying to find you just- just to make sure you were okay. Are you okay?" Bradford says, stuttering and approaching Isabel like she's a skittish animal.
"I'm fine. I'm fine! Get off me!" Isabel insists, taking a step back.
"I just want to help. I just want to help" Bradford pleads and it breaks Ana's heart as she watches.
Her attention shifts when the guy she's pinned down struggles and manages a kick to her ribs before Ana pins him back down onto the car.
"You want to help me?" Isabel asks.
"Yeah" Bradford begs.
"Give me all your cash." Isabel demands and Ana's jaw drops.
"What?" Bradford asks, now appearing to be hurt.
"Give me your money." Isabel insists.
"God, I'll get you rehab." Bradford decides.
"I don't need rehab! Come on. Please." Isabel pleads.
Bradford pulls out his wallet and hands Isabel all of his cash before she runs off. Ana is stunned into silence.
"Sir? Do you want to arrest him?" Ana calls, softly.
"Just let him go." Bradford replies. Ana obeys wordlessly while Lucy is pissed off.
The trio climbs into the car, Ana in the back since it seems that Lucy has wordlessly claimed shotgun for the rest of their probationary period.
"What the hell just happened?" Lucy asks.
"Are you okay?" Ana asks.
"That was my wife. I haven't seen her in almost a year." Bradford explains.
"oh" Ana whispers.
"I won't tell anyone" Lucy promises with Ana nodding her agreement.
"You're damn right you won't" Bradford says, toughening back up.
"7-Adam-15. Requesting additional unit to meet us at 1350 Bellview Street. Possible location of our BOLO suspect. We are en route." Bishop's voice comes over the radio.
"7-Adam-19. Show us responding." Bradford says into the radio.
"7-Adam-19, be advised, we are approximately five minutes away." Bishop's voice says on the radio.
Ana looks outside as they drive down a residential street.
"That's the address for Selby. All right, we'll set up in the alley behind in case Selby rabbits when Bishop and Nolan come calling." Bradford decides, parking the car at the entrance to the alleyway.
In front of them is a man next to a car with the trunk popped open.
"That's our guy, Selby." Lucy says.
"Cabrera, you're with me. Chen, Call it in. Backup and airship." Bradford instructs.
Ana obeys, getting out of the car on Bradford's side.
"LAPD, gentlemen. Step away from the car and show me your hands." Bradford says, his hand on his service gun.
"There a problem, officer?" Selby asks.
"There will be if you don't show me those hands. Now!" Bradford orders.
The men grab guns from the trunk of the car and start to shoot at them. Ana isn't behind the open door of the car, instead standing next to Bradford. So, when they shoot at them, Ana is shot in her right shoulder. Her gun drops from her hand and gives the men the opportunity to shoot Bradford in the midsection.
Ana drags him to the back of the car so they're not in the direct line of fire.
"7-Adam-19. Officer down. Shots fired. In the alley of Bellevue and Clinton. I repeat, officer down! Please send help right away!" Ana says over the radio, propping Bradford against the back of the car.
"I got him" Ana calls to Lucy, who notices that both Ana and Bradford have been shot and stops firing back.
The patrol car catches on fire and Ana starts to drag Bradford to better cover, but Selby starts shooting at them. Ana grabs a smoke bomb from her utility belt and throws it at Selby, which disorients him. Ana watches as Nolan shoots at Selby but he escapes through the alley.
"are you okay, sir?" Nolan asks, running over to Bradford.
"No! I got shot! You go get him, Boot! Just go!" Bradford yells.
Lucy and Nolan start running towards the alley, with Bishop meeting up with them. Bishop and Nolan exchange some words but Ana is too busy trying to take off Bradford's uniform.
She manages to get him shirtless.
"shit" Ana says, realizing that the bullet didn't pass through.
"you're bleeding, boot" Bradford realizes but Ana doesn't answer him.
Instead she presses down on the bleeding wound, trying to prevent too much blood loss. Bradford winces in pain and Ana's eyebrows scrunch.
"sorry, sir" Ana apologizes, softly, her own shoulder is erupting in pain but she'll survive, she's more worried about Bradford.
An ambulance arrives five minutes later and Ana insists on Bradford getting in the first ambulance. She gets into the second, needing to have a small surgery to remove the bullet from her shoulder. She'll be on desk duty for a day, but it's definitely not as bad as Bradford got and she's just glad he's okay.
Being a cop isn't what Ana expected, but she feels fulfilled when she gets home on Thursday after being released from the hospital. It's hard, but it's worth it, at least to Ana it is.
Plus, she gets carnitas when she gets home.