Chance and Reason

Chapter Thirty-Three

A/N: I originally started writing this chapter to celebrate passing 10,000 reads, but to my utter astonishment, in the time it has taken me to write this, the read count has gone past 15,000. I am honestly amazed, and so grateful for all the support that this story has received. Thank you!

Over the following few weeks, Lauren poured the entirety of her resources into the operation. Her team were working longer shifts than almost any other department in the whole station, and with help from Shawn's considerable influence in Head Office, another six new police officers had been drafted in to work under Lauren's command.

The need to disable the large underground network of criminal activity was known, and the importance of Lauren's work was being realised. In around a month, she had gone from an agent in disgrace, to an agent running the investigative case that had become the focal point of the city's policing force.

They were exciting times. News travelled fast, and soon most of the staff in the building were discussing the ins and outs of the operation. What with all the funding cuts in the police sector, people were happy to be involved in a case that was bringing the departments together again. There was a new sense of camaraderie, and a fresh wave of energy through what had once been a tired and rather neglected division.

Amongst all this animation and enthusiasm, Lauren remained silent on the whole topic. This did not surprise people, although it was frustrating. She had never been one for idle gossip, and so there was no point in pressing her for details. Her hard and determined exterior reminded everybody to keep their curiosity to themselves, but also reinforced the sense of strong leadership.

With Lauren's hand on the steering wheel of the operation, few had any doubt that she would bring down the gang that she was pursuing. Any memory of the broken person that she had been during her trial was forgotten; this toughened warrior instilled hope and fire into the hearts of those that were relying on her success.

When she entered the office in the morning, heads turned. She was never distracted, though, and would proceed straight to her team's offices to brief them for the day ahead. They were ruthlessly efficient in their methods. One entire wall of their main briefing room was plastered in a complex web of names, faces, addresses, dates, and evidence; all of which were linked together by a tangle of string and pins. At the end of each day, Lauren would stand opposite it, arms folded, gaze steely, as she tried to unravel the enigma before her.

"You'll drive yourself mad," Shawn said with a small smile; leaning against the doorframe, and watching her study the board.

"Driving oneself mad requires at least a scrap of sanity to already be in place," Lauren sighed back, "And with another day like today, I hardly think that is likely,"

"It's been a rough day then?" he inquired.

"Just full on," she replied, turning to face him, "I'm feeling the pressure,"

"That's to be expected," he said, "You're the talk of the town. Everybody wants to know what the mysterious Agent Jauregui is up to next,"

"Well," she chuckled, checking her watch, "I'm going to the hospital to visit Austin Mahone, and then I'm on a night-time surveillance task with Agent Iglesias,"

"You still visit Austin Mahone?"

"Yes," Lauren nodded, "Every day,"

"Any improvement to his condition?"

"He still hasn't woken up," Lauren told him despondently, "But we can still hope,"

"And his girlfriend?" he pondered aloud.

"Overdue by two weeks, so I've heard," she answered, "The baby is likely to arrive any day. Obviously, she can't visit him in that state, so it's important that I keep going in, you know? He shouldn't be alone in there,"