Haunted|| The Rookie x 911

fifty one

After dropping Christopher off at school, Charlotte and Eddie strolled back to the car, enjoying the rare quiet moment without the morning rush.

Eddie unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat, glancing at Charlotte as she settled in beside him. "That went smoother than usual," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, no drama this morning," Charlotte laughed, buckling her seatbelt. She paused for a moment, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her jacket, then turned to Eddie. "You know what might help get Buck back in the game?"

Eddie raised an eyebrow, starting the car but not pulling out of the parking lot just yet. "What's on your mind?"

"I was thinking... Maybe he could spend some time with Christopher. Just for a day," she said, her voice thoughtful. "I know Buck's had a tough time with the healing process, but he loves Chris. And Chris loves him. Maybe they could go to the pier or something. It might help Buck feel like himself again."

Eddie stared ahead for a moment, considering the idea. "You think that would help him?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I do. It'd give him something else to focus on. Plus Christopher would have a blast. He always does with Buck."

Eddie drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his expression softening. "You're right. They both could use it."

She leaned back in her seat, watching as a group of kids passed by the car, already lost in their own little worlds. "Sometimes, a change of pace is all it takes."

"Yeah," Eddie said quietly, "it might be just what he needs."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day, Lucy's car pulled up in front of Charlotte and Eddie's house, and Charlotte hopped in, greeted by Lucy and Jackson. As they drove toward John's place, the car filled with the sound of casual chatter and laughter, the kind that comes naturally among close friends. They talked about everything and nothing—work, the recent chaos, and small updates on their lives.

A few hours later, Charlotte walked alongside Lucy as she moved through John's home, cleansing each room with tendrils of smoke. The earthy scent filled the air, swirling gently around them. Charlotte watched, intrigued.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"To get Armstrong's energy out of this house," Lucy explained calmly, focusing on the ritual. After a moment, she glanced at Charlotte with a playful smile. "Speaking of clear energy... are you ready for your date with Eddie this week?"

Charlotte blinked, caught off guard by the shift in conversation, then smiled. "I think so. We haven't had much time for just us lately."

Lucy grinned, her eyes twinkling. "It's about time you two had a little break. I bet it'll be good for both of you."

The two walked into the kitchen where Jackson and John were, "Okay, all done. Armstrong's energy is no longer welcome in this home. But if you feel it coming back, just call me. There's a more intensive treatment I can do," Lucy told John.

"Ah, that sounds awesome, but no, actually, this is– this is good." John assured Lucy as Jackson and Charlotte exchanged a look.

Lucy, undeterred by John's polite refusal, grinned mischievously. "You know what? We should really cleanse the station," she declared.

"Oh, trust me, that process is already under way. They've reassigned about a third of our officers to other divisions, bringing in a bunch of new blood," John stated.

"Word is, my new T.O. is from Valley Bureau." Jackson exclaimed, causing Charlotte to frown slightly at the thought that Angela wouldn't finish out Jackson's rookie year with him.