Piece It Together - Gavin Reed

1

"Hey, Hank, do you think I could hitch a ride? Jamie refuses to drive me to work." Her lips were pressed into a line, the sound of nails repeatedly tapping against the wooden table beneath her hand. In the other held a phone that was near her ear, her heart racing a bit. She felt bad for calling him so early in the morning for something so selfish but she was finally going to have the chance to do real detective work; the stuff she trained for.

On the other side of the phone was the cranky and gruff Hank Anderson. Pushing some hair out of his face, he sighed and checked the time. "Yeah, okay. I don't understand why he can't drive you."

"I know, it's just... he's tired and isn't really interested in my career-"

"He's a gym intructor!"

"Don't shout, Hank..."

"Sorry, sweetheart. I'll get you in 20. Make sure you've got some cash with you cause you're paying."

Wincing at the idea, she mumbled a thank you and ended the call.

"Who the fuck were you calling?" She turned to see her boyfriend, Jamie and gave him a tired smile. He stood with his arms crossed, a scowl overtaking his features. He walked over and held his hand out, causing her to flinch away from him and hand her the phone.

"One of my new colleagues-" He took slow steps towards her, his step echoing off of the hardwood floor.

"He called you 'sweetheart'. Are you cheating on me?"

"H-He's my uncle-"

The scent of whisky invaded her nostrils as he invaded her personal space, making her cringe. "You better not be lying to me, babe, or you know what will happen."

"Yes, Jamie."

"Good. Now, get ready for work. You can get your phone back when you get home from work." Nodding, she rushed to pack her things. She had her bag for work which contained some lunch, her wallet, sanitary items and her keys.

Hearing a car pull up outside, she kissed Jamie goodbye and left for Hank's car with a box of her things that she was going to put on her desk in her hands. He was standing outside of it, his hands in his pockets. She was glad to see he was getting by. Hugging him tightly was the first thing she did, melting into his warmth and comfort.

"It's good to see you again, sweetheart. I'm glad you're here for good." Despite his intimidating exterior, the man was quite sweet to those he loved dearly. After Cole died, Y/n took time off of work to visit Hank due to the rocky divorce. Her presence was enough to give him some hope in humanity while he was still there. She visited every so often, meeting Jamie on one of those visits.

"I'm not sure how much money I've got so try not to buy anything too expensive for lunch-"

"I was joking about that. I'm paying for your first lunch on your first day here. Come on, I won't make you any later." He let her get into the car, climbing into the driver's seat himself. 

She was thankful to have Hank whilst growing up. He took her in when she was 6 and raised her while her father was struggling with cancer. He passed away when she was 8 and from that day on Hank was her caregiver. He didn't care all that much - he loved having her around the house - and it was him that influenced her into becoming a police officer.

The drive was a little bit chatty, the radio talking about the weather for the next week whilst the two talked about life so far. He was glad to see his niece so excited about her new job. It reminded him of himself when he was younger.

Arriving at the precinct, Hank wished her good luck and let her know that he'd get her a hot drink during her meeting. Nodding, she entered the precinct and walked up to the counter where she saw an android working on a computer. The robot looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi, welcome to the Detroit City Police Department, how can I help?"

"Um, hi, I'm Yn L/n? I'm the new recruit and Captain Fowler wished to see me early?"

"Of course, just head on through and go to the office with the glass walls. Just knock and you'll find Captain Fowler. You'll receive your badge and gun during the meeting." Thanking the android, she walked through the gate and towards the office. Her heels clicked against the cold flooring and she shivered slightly in her blazer. She wished she had kept her coat with her but she left it in Hank's car along with her bag.

Raising her fist, she knocked on the door to Fowler's office and listened out for the go-ahead to enter. Once granted, she opened the door quietly and entered. Fowler stood, towering over her at 6'0 and held his hand out to shake. "Good morning, Miss L/n. It's good to see you early. Punctuality is hard to find these days."

She laughed a little at his joke and shook his hand, the handshake firm. She sat down in front of his desk while he picked up her file and inspected it briefly.

"So, am I right in saying that you were previously working for the New York Police Department?"

"Yes, I've worked there since I was 24."

"I see, and you're 36 now?"

"Yes, sir."

"12 years is a long time. How come you decided to apply?"

"Well, I've heard that this precinct is a lot more inclusive than most. I was sick of the sexism and misogyny I had to endure whilst working in New York. Plus, I have some family who lives here along with my partner."

"Am I right in saying that Hank Anderson is your uncle?"

"Yes, and my legal guardian for 12 years of my life."

"I remember you now! Ah, you always used to keep Hank up playing cops and robbers with him. It's interesting to see how you've matured since when I knew you all those years ago." He slid a badge and gun towards the girl, "As Hank's prodigy I'm expecting big things from you, Detective L/n. I'll give you the rest of the day to get unpacked and familiar with the precinct. I'll have one of my best detectives come over to your desk later today to give you a tour."

"Thank you so much, Captain Fowler! I won't let you down." He grinned and nodded, leaving her to exit the office with a gun in her holster and her badge worn proudly on her neck with the chain provided.