𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 ► 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗚𝗢

[ 023 ] CFD: all hard parts

𝐈 HONESTY 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔

chapter twenty-three ; all hard parts
[ season four, episode fourteen ]

MELISA WAS BACK to work, and she couldn't be more relieved. She made a cup of coffee as she had done at the beginning of every shift. That was the routine.

Something was different this time. She looked next to the coffee pots and spotted a bowl of love hearts, her favorite candy. That couldn't have been a coincidence.

Hermann walked up to her. He saw that she was looking at the candy. "Yeah, I knew that was your favorite. I wanted you to have a sweet welcome."

Melisa smiled back at Hermann. "You didn't have to."

"Of course I did." Melisa grabbed a few in her hand. Hermann looked at her with concern. "How are you doing?"

"Better. I've— I've been seeing someone. A therapist. I thought I could try it out." Melisa felt a bit ashamed to admit that she was talking to a therapist. She didn't know why, though.

Hermann saw no problem with that. "That's good. Maybe it can help." The two went and sat at the table.

"Maybe." Melisa looked up and saw a woman walk in.

"Excuse me, are you Matt Casey?"

"Yeah, that's me." Casey stood and went up to the woman. "What can I do for you?"

"You can run for alderman." Her statement took them by surprise.

That included Casey. "I'm sorry?"

"I get ahead of myself. Tamara Jones." She shook his hand. "I think you should run against Becks for Alderman of the 52nd Ward and win."

"Uhh, I've never done a political thing in my life."

"Neither have I. I teach junior high. But I'm over the empty suits in front of the cameras. You for the tornado victims? That was real."

Casey obviously wasn't on board with the idea and thought it was ridiculous. "Listen, Tamara, I'm flattered, and I hope you find someone. But I'm not a politician."

Tamara didn't seem too upset about it. "Okay. Well, thanks for your time." She waved at them before leaving— Melisa waving back.

Gabby sighed. "Well, there goes my shot at First Lady."

"Is that a gag?" Casey accused them. "Did you guys put her up to that?" Everyone denied it.

꧁ ꧂

MOUCH TOOK a poster down from the wall. They were betting on who would win the fight.

"The betting window is closed. Dawson and Hermann are the only two idiots— sorry, people— who think that Jimmy will make it out of the first round."

"Idiots was right," Melisa muttered. Hermann shoved her in response.

Connie waltzed into the room. She went up to Jimmy. "Do you have," she did a spin, "a ring girl yet?"

"Not yet. I wasn't really planning on it."

"Can I be the ring girl?"

"Isn't that kind of..." Mouch trailed off.

"Demeaning?" Otis asked, looking confused at Connie.

"That's the word."

"It's always been a dream of mine."

"You know what my dream's always been, Connie?" Hermann retorted. "Getting rid of that single-ply toilet paper you signed off on three months ago."

Connie stood behind Hermann and played with his hair. "I can probably make double-ply happen again."

Hermann smiled. "You're the ring girl." Connie chuckled as she walked away, happy.

Mouch shook his head at Hermann. "Shrewd."

The fight was later that night. Firefighters and police officers were gathered to watch.

Amy was in attendance. She was sitting next to Kim— both with a cup of beer in their hands. Next to Amy was Kevin, Trudy was next to Kim, and Adam sat behind them.

Melisa was sitting with everyone at 51, between Otis and Brett.

Everyone cheered as Mouch went into the ring, microphone in hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, before we get to the main event, I wanted to remind you that all ticket sales tonight go to help the families of those affected by the attacks at the Morrison Center for African American Culture."

They applauded, happy with where their money was going.

Connie got into the ring, wearing a glittery dress. She held up the banner that read "Round 1." She did her walk and swayed her hips as everyone cheered her on. "We're not worthy!" Otis yelled.

Antonio and Jimmy got in the ring.

They started cheering as the fight began. Jimmy even managed to get a punch in, but it only went downhill from there.

Antonio was pissed. He was gonna go all out and punched Jimmy down.

Gabby started shouting at Antonio while Hermann yelled at Jimmy to get up. It was very chaotic.

꧁ ꧂

HERMANN HAD TO pay back a lot of people the following day. Everyone except Gabby had bet against him. Melisa thought it was fun to watch.

He was upset with Jimmy. "Listen, and all I'm gonna say is, you had one job."

"I said I was sorry."

"Don't be so hard on him," Melisa told Hermann. He only glared at her, too.

"Hermann? Did you try and rig it by making Jimmy look like a bum so we'd all get fleeced?" Casey asked.

"Yes," Hermann admitted with no hesitation.

Casey was leaving the room when he saw the poster Cruz made on the wall. He turned to everyone, almost looking like his poster. "You can take that poster down now."

They were disappointed, but Gabby had something planned. And she would change his mind.

꧁ ꧂
WORDS: 917
A/N: sorry for this very short chapter
Btw, Chili was fired at the end of this episode