STRIS Bits

Straight A's (III)

Author's Note: This is the finale of a three-part-long bit based on Street's adventure of going back to school. Read to find out how it ends!

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CLINK

CLIIINK

The soft sound of plastic cutlery and cups dominated the space, as the group enjoyed refreshments, coffee and light snacks. Some chatted quietly, others took advantage of the time to make calls or go to the restroom. Street enjoyed a nice hot cup of coffee, while he eyed the room. He noticed the relaxed atmosphere inside and outside, the natural surroundings. Even inside of the building space, sounds of birds chirping and light traffic could be heard at a distance.

As the hot liquid made its way through his system, he took a moment to think of the woman he had just helped. The thought of Judy struggling to pick up the mess her partner caused was just like all those times his mom had to clean up the kitchen after his father had gotten home drunk and thrown a tantrum. He remembered all those times she had spent hours cooking dinner, waiting for him to come home to sit down as a family to eat, hoping this would be the day. Instead, she was greeted with a stumbling, mumbling, violent drunk who would pick fights, break plates and turned the kitchen and the dining room into a junkyard! He could still feel the tears running down his face, after locking himself in his room, sobbing for what felt like hours at an end. He remembered how helpless, frustrated, scared and angry he felt as he laid on his bed, covering his ears from the commotion coming from the kitchen. The breaking of glass, throwing of chairs, slamming of doors, his mother's screams and sobs, and the sound of his own beating heart, about to burst out of his chest...a total nightmare!

He hoped that wasn't Judy's case, though. He hoped it was just what she had said: a disagreement. Yeah, that must be it. After all, things can get nasty during an argument. He even went through it himself with Chris recently. He nodded his head slowly, convinced of his thoughts.

"Hey! You LAPD?" He heard a voice call next to him.

Street had been so deep into his thoughts, he hadn't noticed two men had approached. He had been staring intently at the grass outside through the glass window, while sinking deeper into his own thoughts. He swallowed and straightened up, wiping his face and making sure he was presentable. When he looked up, he immediately recognized Braxton, Cooper's son-in-law, standing in front of him with a red-haired companion.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Street stuttered quickly.

The other two chuckled lightly, keeping a close eye on him. The tall dark man held a cup of coffee, while his companion held a half eaten muffin and a bottle of water.

"Name's Braxton. I saw you talkin' with my in-law. Now," he paused to offer his hand for a shake, "what PD want with FD?"

Street shook the man's hand, "I'm Jim. One of my teammates is close with Cooper. We had a close case with a perp who went after FD... some years ago."

"Oh! You mean honorary mention: Deacon Kay?" the man asked sarcastically.

"Yup" Street answered with a nod.

"Aight!" Braxton responded with a light nod. He turned to his companion and said, "Basically, the only cop allowed in the firehouse!"

The other man chuckled and nodded, while glancing at both men. "Sounds about right."

"You FD too?" Street asked, turning to him.

"Nope. Paramedic. Well" he paused, "consultant now. I'm about to retire soon, so...Name's Hal!"