After about two weeks of Athena being her temporary T.O, Nathan had officially come back to work after fully recovering from the shooting. Charlotte was thrilled for Nathan to come back but slightly sad that she wouldn't be with Athena anymore and most likely seeing less of the 118. She had grown close to her dad's team over the past two weeks since it seemed like her and Athena was always responding to scenes the 118 was at.
After a long day, the rookies decided to go to get dinner at the restaurant/bar setting. "Right ankle?" Lucy asked Charlotte who shook her head. The three were guessing where the other kept their off duty weapon.
"Nope," Charlotte said. "Small of your back?" Charlotte asked Lucy.
"No! Uh, left ankle?" Lucy asked Charlotte and Jackson.
"Dang it, how did you know?" Charlotte groaned as Jackson shook his head said, "You were so close for me."
"Lucky guess. So you're left ankle and then you must be right ankle?"
"Hold on. It's my turn. You don't get to go twice," Jackson commented.
John came up with their drinks and handed the drinks to them. "Favorite body parts? I don't–" John asked confused.
"Guessing where we keep our off-duty weapon," West told John.
"Oh!" John finally understanding what was happening after walking in at a weird part of the conversation.
"Wait. Hold on. Let me guess. Ankle holster- like old-timers?" Jackson asked with a laugh causing Charlotte to roll her eyes.
"Okay, 'A', I'm not an old-timer. You're confusing age with experience. "B" not even close," John answered.
"He doesn't even carry an off-duty piece," Lucy stated, causing Charlotte to look at her.
"I'm sorry. How did we not know that?" Charlotte asked gustering to her and Jackson.
"I'm still getting used to carrying a loaded weapon on the job. I don't know that I could handle packing heat in my real life," John answered.
Jackson began to laugh causing Charlotte to elbow him in the side. Jackson looked at her confused as he rubbed his side as John said, "Oh, no."
"What?" Lucy asked.
"Sergeant Grey is sitting over there with his wife. He's coming over here. Oh, man," John muttered as Charlotte took a sip of her beer as Sergeant Grey walked towards the four.
"Hey! Small world," John laughed nervously as the four stood up.
"Too small right now. You know, for nineteen years, my wife and I have gone out on February 13th. Why the 13th, you ask? Because the 14th, Valentine's Day, is for amateurs. The 13th is calm and relaxed. It's easy to find a table. There's no overpriced prix-fixe meals. It's me and my lovely bride, good food, a warm conversation, a place where I can not think about the job for a little while," Sergeant Grey told the four.
"Sounds nice, sir." Jackson stated.
"That's super sweet, sir," Charlotte said, glancing up at the Sergeant.
"It is, which is why on my special night, I don't want to see your faces. So by the time I walk back to my table, you will be gone. Am I clear?"
"Crystal." Lucy answered.
"Like ghosts," Jackson commented.
"You won't even hear us make a sound," Charlotte assured the Sergeant.
"Have a good evening."
Sergeant Grey began to walk away and the four began to gather their things, "Shall we?" John asked.
"Yup, I gotta use the restroom before we leave. I'll meet y'all by the door." Charlotte said, walking away from the three.
Before she got to the restroom her body collided with another, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," a familiar voice said.
"It's fine. I wasn't either–" Charlotte began to say and looked up and saw the man she had met in the grocery store a few weeks ago. "Wait, Eddie right?" Charlotte asked noticing Eddie recognized her as well.
"Charlotte? Small world," Eddie said.
"Literally. One of the stations Sergeants is here with his wife and kicking me and my friends out cause he doesn't want to think about us," Charlotte told Eddie.
"Is that even legal?" Eddie asked, raising his eyes.
"I don't think so. We're just too scared of what Sergeant Grey would do if we would have stayed. What are you doing here?" Charlotte questioned wondering if he was here on a date or not.
"Few buddies from the academy decided to come here to celebrate half way done with the academy." Eddie answered.
"How much longer do you guys have?" Charlotte asked.
"Just six more weeks and then we get placed into our stations," Eddie replied with a grin on his face.
"Congrats, Eddie, that's a big deal!" Charlotte exclaimed.
A few feet from where Charlotte and Eddie were talking, Lucy noticed Charlotte talking to a man she didn't know, "Who is that talking to Charlie?" Lucy asked causing John and Jackson to look up to see Eddie was typing something into Charlotte's phone.
"No clue," Jackson hummed out as a woman began to yell close to the three.
"Now you have my phone number, maybe we can hang out sometime? I'm still getting accustomed to living in LA. Maybe you can show me a few cool spots?" Eddie asked, causing Charlotte to smile.
"Yeah, yeah, I would love that. Just texted you, so now you have my number. When do you–"
Charlotte was cut off by a man being knocked over a table that was occurring on the other side of the restaurant. Charlotte covered her mouth seeing that John was by Sergeant Grey along with his wife as he was handcuffing the man. She couldn't hear what he was saying but Eddie asked, "A friend of yours? I'm guessing?"
"Oh yeah, he's gonna get an earful of it tomorrow," Charlotte laughed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of that night, Charlotte and Eddie texted until she had fallen asleep way past one in the morning. "So, how is that guy?" Lucy asked as the two walked to the armory to get their gear.
"What guy?" Charlotte asked.
"The guy who gave you his number yesterday! Don't tell me you two haven't been texting each other," Lucy said as Charlotte grabbed the gear from the station.
Lucy looked at Charlotte for a moment before the oldest Nash sighed out, "Okay. fine. Maybe I have been texting him. We just have a lot of similarities between us. Is that bad?" Charlotte asked.
"No! You should go for it. I mean it's Valentine's day. He's single, your single. Perfect match right there!" Lucy exclaimed just as John and Jackson walked up to the two.
"You have a date tonight Charlie?" John asked.
"No! Lucy thinks that I should go out with Eddie tonight. He has a kid and finding last minute arrangements would be hard," Charlotte exclaimed.
"Ohhh, his name is Eddie?!" Jackson exclaimed, causing Charlotte to roll her eyes.
"Well, I'm having a little get together tonight. Kind of an anti-Valentine thing. Ben's having it catered," John said.
"Sadly, I'm not doing anything else," Jackson sighed out.
"Well, if Jackson's in. I'm in," Lucy added.
"Still single here, so I'm in as well," Charlotte said, smiling at him.
"Wow. way to make me feel like a consolation prize," John muttered to himself.
"Since when are you anti-Valentine's Day? You're a romantic. Well, I-I mean, you seem like one," Lucy covered up her mistake causing Charlotte to raise her eye at her friend.
"Yes, well, traditionally, yes, but, uh, this year, I thought I'd just embrace the single life," John stated just as Angela came up to the counter.
"Shouldn't you be at the front desk, Boot?" Angela asked Lucy.
"Oh. right. Sorry. Muscle memory. I don't need the gear today, so-sorry," Lucy said handing back her gear and looked at Charlotte, "If he asks you out, tell me," Lucy whispered, causing Charlotte to shake her head.
"Come on boot!" Nathan called out from the garage where their shop was.
"Coming!" Charlotte yelled out feeling like Angela was staring at her as she walked away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, are you doing anything with Grace tonight?" Charlotte asked Nathan as the two were patrolling.
"Babysitter canceled at the last minute. So if we miraculously find one before 5:30 tonight we'll just be staying in," Nathan told her.
"I don't have a date tonight, I could watch your daughter?" Charlotte suggested.
"I couldn't ask you that," Nathan said hesitantly.
"No, I would love to. I love kids, remember? And you two should go out on Valentine's Day," Charlotte exclaimed.
"Okay. Great! You have no idea how hard it has been to get into this restaurant that Grace and I have been wanting to try. She's going to be thrilled when she hears that you are going watch Chloe tonight," Nathan said in an excited tone.
Charlotte smiled slightly until a male dispatcher said, "7-Adam-12, your closest in the proximity of a potential break in at 3214 Lighthouse Avenue. Resident is requesting a property search."
"7-Adam-12, show us responding," Nathan said into his radio.
"Have you ever noticed that we either get Abby or the male dispatcher?" Charlotte questioned recognizing the male's voice but never have met the man before.
"Nope, I don't pay attention to that. Hundreds of dispatchers come and go throughout our time as an officer," Nathan said, flipping on his sirens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just checked the perimeter of your home and it's clear ma'am," Charlotte told Stephanie who was standing in her living room.
"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked biting her lip and looked over towards the window as Nathan was passing on the other side to search one more time.
"Yes ma'am. Is there a reason anyone would be stalking you? Maybe an ex or a co-worker?" Charlotte asked.
"No one that I can think of," Stephanie replied, causing Charlotte to raise her eye thinking there was something she wasn't telling them.
Charlotte reached for her card with her number on it, "Well, if this happens again don't hesitate to give me a call."
"Thank you, I will," Stephanie said as she closed the door behind Charlotte.
"Everything good with the owner?" Nathan asked, seeing Charlotte was looking at the house.
"Yeah. She seemed a bit off, that's all," Charlotte told Nathan.
"You think she's running from someone?"
"I think she is. Whenever I left Ben, I was always looking over my shoulder thinking he was behind me up until he was arrested," Charlotte replied.
Nathan nodded, "We can send an officer to come check on her later on to make sure everything is okay," Nathan said.
Charlotte nodded but still couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right in that house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How long am I going to jail for?" James asked as Charlotte led him to the booking area.
"That's up to the judge, sir. But most likely only a few years give or take. Can you open cell three Tommy?" Charlotte asked after James went through the booking process.
"Sure thing Charlie," Tommy said and opened the cell for her.
"Man, I was gonna treat my girl good tonight," James muttered as Charlotte led him to the booking cell.
The cell door closed and felt her phone buzz. Do you want to go to the park with me and Christopher? He learned that I got your number and was asking if you wanted to join us, Eddie had texted her causing Charlotte to smile.
I would love to. I'm babysitting my T.O.s kid tonight, but I bet she would love to play with Christopher this evening, Charlotte replied.
Charlotte passed cell one and stopped when she saw a familiar face sitting down with his head resting against the wall. "Wesley? What on earth did you do to get yourself arrested?" Charlotte asked, putting her phone away and walking up to the cell her friend was in.
"Barely got into my opening statement with Judge Bollard. He kept interrupting. One thing led to the other, words were exchanged. He held me in contempt," Wesley sighed out causing Charlotte to laugh. "This isn't funny!"
"Oh this so is! I'm taking a picture of this to always remember this moment," Charlotte said, taking her phone out and taking a picture of Wesley.
"And I think Angela's mad at me..." Wesley muttered, causing Charlotte to raise her eye.
"Why would Angela be mad at you... unless–" Charlotte gasped out. "Are you two a couple?! She was the one I was trying to set you up with a few weeks ago!"
"Maybe we are. I don't know what to do. I screwed up with the case this morning and now her," Wesley said, putting his head in his hands.
Charlotte sighed and said, "She'll come around. I–"
"Come on boot!" Nathan called out.
"Good luck in there Wes!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thank you again for doing this. I know you probably had plans for tonight," Grace said as she was putting in an earring.
"Of course! You two have fun tonight!" Charlotte said as Chloe was hugging her mother's leg.
"Do you and daddy have to go?" Chloe asked in a sad voice.
"We do sweetie, you're going to have so much fun with Charlotte. I heard she was going to take you to the park in a bit," Grace told her daughter, hugging her as Nathan came into the room.
"Ready hun?"
"Ready, you have our cell's if anything happens. Just make sure she goes to bed before eight thirty tonight," Grace said as Nathan was hugging Chloe and whispered something to his daughter making her laugh.
"I will, don't you worry. You two have fun!"
Grace began to walk out the door as Nathan grabbed his wallet and keys, "You are a lifesaver. You get to drive the shop tomorrow," Nathan said.
"Wait really?!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"Yes, really. Don't break anything in this house. Love you Chlobear," Nathan said kissing his daughter on the head and walked out the door.
Chloe pouted as the door closed, "Who wants to go to the park?"
"And ice cream?" Chloe asked looking up at Charlotte.
"Ice cream afterwards."
"Let's go!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlotte found it hard keeping Chloe from running off from her as the two walked to the park that was in their neighborhood that Eddie and Christopher was going to meet them at. "Chloe! Slow down!" Charlotte yelled out as she ran after the five year old girl who was running to the monkey bars on the playground.
"First time alone with a five year old?" Eddie asked walking up to her with Christopher.
"No, I've had experience before with my siblings. But this is Chloe Price we are talking about. The most energetic five year old you'll meet," Charlotte told him. "Good to see you again Christopher."
"You too Charlie!"
"You want to meet my friend over there?" Charlotte asked, kneeling down to get on his eye level. He shook his head, "Chloe! Come here, I have someone I want you to meet," Charlotte called out waving the girl over. Chloe jumped off the monkey bars and came over, "Chloe this is my friend Eddie and his son Christopher."
"Want to come play with me?" Chloe asked Christopher who immediately shook his head and followed Chloe over to the playground.
"She seems sweet," Eddie said as the two sat on a bench.
"Her whole family is. If anything happened to her my T.O. would murder me, literally," Charlotte stated, causing Eddie to laugh.
Charlotte couldn't imagine the night to go anymore different than it did. The two adults kept an eye on the kids as they talked endlessly. Even by the end of the night Eddie asked for her to go on an actual date soon without kids third and fourth wheeling them. Of course, she said yes.
Author's note
Holy cow y'all! thank you so much for all the love you have already given this book.