Case Files of Selene

Before

"I think it's time to let this go, Diaz." 

"We're at the brink of it! I swear!" 

"Diaz, come on. We have to go."

"NO!" she screamed. 

"Detective Stefano, please assist."

"No! If you touch me, Emilio, I swear to God!"

"C'mon, Diaz. You have to learn when to let things go."

Detective Stefano attempts to grab Selene's arm, but she quickly snatches it away and snarls at him. 

"You, out of all people, Stefano come fucking on!" 

"Selene, please."

"Don't fucking Selene me. What's the difference between me and you, huh? You're allowed to get obsessed and angry at every fucking opportunity. You get to obsess, craze, be stuck, be ANGRY. I'm angry! I'm so fucking sick of this. Captain!"

"Be careful of what you say next, Diaz, so help me, God!"

"You know how much this means to me. You've BEEN ME! You've obsessed over a case!"

"But it has never consumed me, Diaz! Youre swallowed up whole and pretty soon, one more step, it's gonna swallow your entire being. Report back... now!" 

"You're jealous." Selene scoffs. 

"Excuse me?"

"You're jealous. I'm closer than you've ever been to solving your cold case and you're jealous."

"That's it, Diaz. You're done! Pack your shit and head out. You're so off this case, you'll never hear of it again!"

"Look at you! I'm so close to solving this that you're taking it away from me!"

"Get her out of my face, Stefano, or you'll be looking  for a new partner." Captain scoffs as he walks towards his car. 

"Let's go, Diaz." Dectective Stefano attempts to grab her again but she yanks her arm back so hard, she elbows him in the face.

He grabs his nose in extreme pain. 

"I -I I'm so sorry, Emilio, I didn't mean to -" 

"That's it. I tried to be so extremely patient with you, Selene." he states, attempting to mend the wound. 

Stefano grabs both her arms and reaches for his handcuffs.

"Are you serious right now?" she says in disbelief. 

"Selene Diaz, you are under arrest for the assault of a fellow officer." he states in the monotone state.

"You're fucking joking. Stefano, you can't be serious." 

"You've gone too far, Diaz." 

"Stefano. it was obviously an accident."

"You were hyped up, going ballistic. I can't tell between you spazzing out and reacting or accidentally taking it too far but at this very moment, I don't know who you are but I am sure you assaulted a fellow officer and i'm taking you in. Do I make myself clear?"

He ducks her head under as she climbs in the back seat. He slams the door as she continues, irritated and processing. 

He climbs in the front seat and attempts to mend his nose before driving. He looks in the rearview mirror and sighs as they lock eyes for a minute. He shakes his head out of it and starts the car. Selene shakes her head and stares out the window. 

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"Are you really gonna process me?" Selene asks, still gazing out the window.

"Maybe not, didn't plan on it but the way you went off on me and Cap today, I damn near should." 

"You know just as much as I do that I was just a smidge close to solving." 

"Selene.  Do you know how much you just put on the line? Do you know how much you already had on the line with this case? I'm asking as your friend and not your partner." 

"I'm aware."

"I don't think I hear you, Diaz. You're right, we all have cases that we've attached to. That's part of this job. Part of this job is also knowing when to step the fuck back. I got obsessed with the family murder back when it happened because of Marlene. I acknowledged that but I also am aware that Mrs. Danothan is not Marlene. Connie Danothan is not Emory. This wasn't my family, this wasn't my vengeance. This was my job. As long as I applied all that I could and fully did my job, some things remain cold. That. Is. The. Job. "

He checked his rearview to see Selene, teary-eyed, staring deep out the window. 

"You almost lost your fiancé to this case. You could've lost Marene. This man or woman or person threatened to kill your entire family if you didn't let this go. Your fiancé threatened to leave you and take Marene with him if you didn't sign off of this case. Your sanity is either at it's brink or pushed over."

He pulls over and looks directly into Selene's eyes.

"Your fiance is leaving you and taking your child with him. Your life is ending. You're right, you probably were just a smidge away from solving this case, Selene. But you know what? You've already lost everything else. So what? You solve the case, find the killer. Then you go home afterward, all high and mighty, you finally caught him. You walk in your front door, so accomplished, yeah? Guess what? No Auslin, no Marene. Marene isn't there, excited that you're home from work. Auslin doesn't take that sigh of relief he does when he realizes you've survived yet another day. Nothing. It's dead silent. It's you and your win. You,  the killer, and your win. You are just as dead as those girls. You're just  another life under his belt."

They stare intensely for a moment before he returns to the wheel and continues driving. 

"We are different, Selene. You can save your family, you can still go home to your family. I don't have one to go back home to."