Perfect Storm

Chapter 8 - Lady In Red

As the month of November drew to a close, December bought blankets of white snow that reminded Kate of a Christmas card or one of those cute snow globes you picked up at a festive market stall. Pulling her maroon beanie down over her ears, she wedged her gloved hands into her coat pockets and trudged up the street where her unit were waiting near a burned out car. Lifting the red crime scene tape above her head, she jogged the last few feet and came to a stop at Kevin's elbow, patting him on the arm in greeting.

The team huddled close in a small circle, heads bowed together as they discussed everything they knew about the new case. Kate had situated herself between Kevin and Adam, elbows knocking together as they all bounced from foot to foot in an attempt to keep warm. Whilst the team were focused on Antonio who was briefing them with information that the fire department had given him, Kate chanced a look towards Hank who was stood opposite her, adopting a similar stance with his hands pushed deep into the pockets of his jeans.

As though feeling her gaze on him, his eyes drifted from Antonio to lock with her own and the two of them shared an almost imperceptible smile. Just over a week had passed since Thanksgiving and, in that time, the two of them had barely said two words to each other outside of the usual workplace dialogue. She wasn't sure if it was a conscious effort or just bad timing but, in that time, Kate had spent many hours lost in thought mulling over the new information Erin had given her about Hank's past. Despite knowing better than to even entertain the idea of getting involved with someone carrying that kind of emotional trauma, Kate still found herself wanting to get close to him.

'Only you could fall for someone more damaged than yourself Katherine.'

She almost laughed out loud at the thought. Despite her every effort to keep a professional distance, there was no doubt in her mind that she already had some pretty strong feelings for Hank Voight. Having said that, she'd rather have her fingernails removed with a pair of rusty pliers than admit it out loud.

Realising she was still staring at him, she dropped her gaze to the floor and refocused on Antonio. From what Kate could tell it was a case for Homicide rather than Intelligence but, given that it had been called in by Burgess and Roman, it was currently sitting in their in-tray.

"Antonio, you run point on this one with Olinsky and Ruzek. Use Burgess and Roman if you need to, I'll clear it with Platt. Rest of you, get back to the district and start on the backlog of paperwork. No free passes on the CPD Christmas Gala tonight." Hank gave Erin and Jay a pointed look who had been very vocal over the past week that they'd rather take some patrol OT than attend the gala. Kate couldn't really blame them. She didn't relish the thought of spending one of her rare, free evenings schmoozing with top brass, politicians and potential benefactors but apparently she didn't have much of a choice. The only silver lining was the free bar so at least she could be miserable and tipsy.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Kate and, between her and Kevin, they managed to clear nearly all of their outstanding paperwork. When five o'clock rolled around, Kate leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms up over her head in an effort to release the tense muscles in her back and neck.

"Alright, everyone out. See you in a few hours."

Hank had stepped out of the kitchen and in the bullpen, mug of coffee in hand as he dismissed the team with a wave of his hand before heading into his office.

"Jay? Erin?"

The two detectives in question looked up at the sound of their name, watching as Hank hovered in the doorway.

"Don't be late."

Kate snorted in amusement, watching Erin smirk and roll her eyes while a cute blush spread across Jay's face and neck at the parting comment from their Sergeant. Getting to her feet, Kate bid the team a goodbye and headed back to her apartment to get ready. After a long, hot shower, Kate wrapped herself in a large, fluffy towel and padded out into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine before making a start on her hair and make-up. She blowdried and styled her hair into loose beach waves, keeping her make-up light, opting for a neutral eyeshadow and a nude lipstick.