Rookie Resolve

Chapter 12

The rookies were setting the LAPD table at the neighbourhood block party.

"I feel so used." Ember complained.

"We should be flattered about this, right?" Nolan tried to cheer up his red haired friend.

"On our day off? I think not." Ember huffed as she went to admire the flowers Jackson brought. As Nolan and Chen were teasing Jackson for going above and beyond once again, he then hands each of them a vase to fill with water.

Ember filled her vase, and she felt someone tap her shoulder and to her surprise, she saw Chen with a determined look.

"We need to talk."

"No, you want to talk and have me listen to whatever bullshit reason you managed to come up with over the past 12 hours we last saw each other. So I'm gonna say no to..." Ember waved over Chen's form, "all of this."

She grabbed her vase and tried to leave but Chen blocked her path.

"So you're still mad at me." Ember sighed at Chen's persistence.

"Do I look mad?"

"It's not about how you look. It's about how you feel."

"Chen, if I wanted a therapy session, I'd ring up your parents, but wait, that would be a conflict of interest, huh?" She snarked and gently pushed past Chen and headed towards Jackson, who could practically feel the irritation rolling off her. Knowing better than to pry the answers out of her, he gave her a side hug.

"After the shift, why don't we head to my place and I'll cook you something. I still owe you a meal." Jackson beamed at her, and Ember slightly teared up at the effort.

"I'd like that alot."

Grey came by and led West and Chen to hand out buttons, leaving Nolan and Ember to man the table. Eventually a kid waltzed toward them and asked a hypothetical question, which Ember found funny as Nolan tried to be professional, but noticed the boy's attention turned to her and she stopped laughing.

"Are you a Viking?" He asked as he looked at her hair. She smiles sweetly at him and nods.

"A direct descendant of Tyr actually." She winks at the boy.

"That makes you a modern day shield maiden." He was just about to start jumping with excitement.

"That's a nice way of thinking. Although, I think I'd rather have the old attire, wouldn't you agree?" She hands him a button and dismisses him. The boy rushed to his friends and pointed at Ember, and she assumed he was gushing about their exchange.

" You're good with kids." Nolan nodded at Ember.

"Yeah, when they're not yours it's easy. I look back at the way I behaved around Reggie and Marina when I was younger, and I still feel bad." She laughed as she reminisced.

"That's true. I thought because I was once a teenager, I could handle Henry through that phase, but it was like trying to get to know a stranger, but I wouldn't trade it for the world." Ember smiled at the sentiment. Nolan decides to mingle about but not long after, Ember sees him rushing towards the firefighter with a kid in his arms.

"He's not breathing!" Nolan yelled and the firefighters managed to resuscitate the kid, and as everyone cheered, a firefighter that was talking to Chen earlier walked towards Ember.

"It's always a good day when the fire department saves a life." He smirked.

"Well if we're being technical, you were only able to save the kid, because my friend found him on time, but yeah, what matters is that he's alive." She gave him a strained smile.