❝ ISN'T IT TRAGIC? ❞
In which Gemma Moretti, a hard-working bounty hunter, clashes with Los Angeles' most hot-blooded defense attorney.
[LUCIFER PRE-SEASON 1]
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GEMMA MORETTI'S WORN NIKES DRAGGED AGAINST THE CREAKY FLOORBOARDS OF HER APARTMENT BUILDING. She moved slow and sluggish, pain and ache all over her limbs as she dug out her keys from the leather jacket that had been all the rage in the early 90s – now, it was just a graying old relic that hung on her shoulders most days. Her brown hair was pinned back with a clip to avoid all the dirt and dust of the day getting in her lashes, and a yawn slipped from her lips as she made it to her floor of the dingy building with no working elevator.
She loved her job, but on days like these when she could barely see out of her right eye and her knuckles burned with every stretch of her hand, she couldn't wait to be buried in foamy bubbles followed by her trusted weighted blanket to keep her restless feet still. To say it had been a long day didn't even cover half of it, and yet, it was just another Wednesday for one of L.A's trusted bounty hunters.
Her keys jingled in her hand, along with the old keychains she had gotten from her favorite aunts a long time ago, and she lifted her head from her tired feet to make sure she was reaching the right door. Just as she was about to, though, she found a familiar face waiting for her in the dim hallway.
Sighing, Gemma managed a tired smile, "Hey, kiddo", she greeted her seven-year-old niece with a duck of her head to avoid her seeing the shiner on her — too late.
"Did a bad man hurt you again, Auntie?" the observant girl queried while following Gemma into the apartment she was more than familiar with. She didn't hesitate to flop onto the couch with her TMNT backpack by her side, watching her aunt flick on the lights and kick her sneakers off next to the towers of CDs and old books.
"Where's your mama, huh?" Gemma deflected and dropped her duffel bag on the kitchen counter before reaching into the freezer and grabbing a bag of ice for her eye. As soon as she pressed it on her face, she hissed and little Fiona cringed from the couch.
"Working. She dropped me off and said I could spend the night with you", she explained casually, but when she noticed the unhappy look glazing over Gemma's eyes, it cued her to add, "is that okay?"
Realizing from her meek tone that her annoyance for her sister's antics was coming off the wrong way, Gemma mustered another smile and seated herself on the armrest of her leather couch. "Of course, it is. I've got a pint of ice cream with your name on it, peanut", she promised, always happy to see her only niece, even if it grated her that her half-sister was so focused on her aspiring actress career, and nothing else.
Fiona threw herself into Gemma's arms in a gracious hug, and the woman huffed when her little fingers dug into the freshly blooming bruises on her ribs. Still, she reached an arm around her smaller body and hugged her tight with her lips leaving a brief kiss on the top of her head.
"And it wasn't a bad man", Gemma finally spoke into the quiet room, "it was a bad woman, and I totally kicked her ass."
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Author's note:
A very brief introduction to my girl but it sets up a few things I'm excited to write more about!! I really appreciate the support this lil story has gotten so far, so thank you all for being interested <3 I don't know how this is going to develop but as of right now my plan is to make this 12 chapters + epilogue, we'll see how that goes!
