Not Just Another Number

First Victim

Sarah's POV

Light shines on my face as I stir. I groan as I peel open my eyes. I find myself on my couch, with The Breakfast Club playing on my tv. I feel a comforting weight along my waist. I look down and find an arm wrapped around me. I look back up and I am greeted with a sleeping Steve. I smile at him and rest my head back on his chest.

I stare at the tv while credits roll. Though, something catches my eye. The clock beside the tv says 8:15. Crap, I have to get to work soon. I groan under my breath and try to sit up, but Steve's arm prevent me from doing so.

I sigh and shake my head with a fond smile.  I start to pull his arm off, trying not wake him up, but I don't succeed at either task. Steve groans from above me, tightening his hold on me. "Noooo..." He groans sleepily, pulling me even closer.

I chuckle under my breath. "Steve, c'mon, you gotta let me go."

"Whyyyy?"

"'Cause I have to go to work soon." He groans again, but this time he releases me. I laugh at his actions and sit up on the couch. I reach my arms up and stretch, hearing my back pop as I do so. I sigh at the feeling and stand up, patting Steve's thigh before I move away from the couch. "I'll be right back." I tell him as I walk down the hall to my room.

I nudge open my bedroom door and walk inside. I walk over to my closet and pull out my uniform. I lay it on my bed and start to get changed. I pull my shirt over my head and toss it on to my bed next to my uniform. I hear a noise come from the doorway behind me, making me turn around.

Steve stands there, leaning against the doorway. His hair is messy and his clothes are wrinkled from sleeping in them. I raise an eyebrow at him, silently asking him what he's doing there. I grab my uniform shirt and pull it over my head, putting it on. "You sure you have to leave right away? You still have some time before you really need to be at work."

"Yeah, but you never know what could happen. It's better that I get there a little early." I tell him as I finish getting changed. I look over at my full-length mirror to check my appearance. I look at my hair and reach up for the gray streak in my hair. Memories from the mall start to rear their ugly heads in my brain.

I shake my head a little to clear my thoughts. I turn back around to face Steve and give him a small smile. I walk up to him and reach up to cup his cheeks. I lean up and place a soft kiss on his lips. He melts into it, reaching up to place his hands on mine.

I pull away before the kiss could continue any further. I rest my forehead on his and look up at him. His eyes are still closed. "I'll see you during lunch, right?" I ask as I pull away. He sighs and nods, opening his eyes. I smile and kiss him again, thanking him. I take my hands off his face and move into the hallway.

I start to leave, but then a thought pops up in my mind. I turn back to Steve with a pleading look. "Could you take Christine to work today for me? I'll owe you big time!" He sighs again, but he nods. I shoot him a big smile as I walk down the hall once again. "Thanks sooooo much! I owe ya one!" I yell to him as I make my way out of my house.

I close and lock the door behind me and jog over to my car. I unlock the car and climb in, starting it as soon as I sit down. I buckle up and pull out of the driveway. I make my way down the road to the precinct in silence, still kind of waking up. I drum my fingers along the steering wheel while I drive.

The drive goes by rather quickly, and before long, I pull into the precinct parking lot. I unbuckle and move to shut off the engine, when I see Powell, Callahan, and Fredricks running out of the precinct. I hurriedly climb out of my car, not bothering to shut off the engine anymore, and call out to them. "What's going on?"