Never Have I Ever (Camren)

part five

"I have the warehouse address," Lauren said walking into the police station confidently.

Lauren handed Sergeant Linda Lawrence the piece of paper she'd been holding ever so tightly.

"Great work, Jauregui. I knew I could count on you," Lawrence said. "Would you be interested in coming down to the warehouse with me and busting our perp?"

"I didn't do all of that work for nothing," Lauren said with a smile.

–

An hour later, Lauren hopped out of Sergeant Lawrence's cop car and walked toward the huge warehouse in front of them.

The rest of the squad hopped out of their cars respectively. Many cops stationed themselves outside the warehouse in the case their perpetrator tried to run. Only Lauren got to enter the warehouse alongside Lawrence.

Both women got stopped at the door by a scraggly looking man in his thirties.

"This is a private warehouse," the man said.

"I'm Sargeant Lawrence from the Miami Police Department. We are looking for Alejandro Cabello," Lawrence spoke.

"Ale, corre!" the man yelled.

Lauren watched as Camila's father started running and exited through the back of the warehouse.

"Cabello left through the warehouse back," Lawrence said on her walkie-talkie.

Moments later Lawrence received a reply via walkie-talkie from Philips. "We got him."

Lawrence and Lauren exited the warehouse and found Philips and the rest of the squad in the back of the warehouse with Alejandro in hand cuffs.

"Lauren, tell them to release me. You know I am a good guy," Alejandro pleaded with Lauren.

"No can do, Ale," Lauren said.

Lawrence took Alejandro and threw him in the back of her car. Lauren hopped in the passenger seat and Lawrence drove them to the precinct.

–

"Lauren? What are you doing here?" Camila asked, shocked to see Lauren at the precinct.

"Camila, can we talk for a moment?" Lauren asked.

"Thanks for your help on the case, Jauregui. I'll let Graham know you passed and that you're ready for certification," Lawrence said on her way out.

"No," Camila said, nodding her head furiously.  "No, not you!"

Camila started running down the long hallway but didn't make it very far due to her bawling.  She leaned against the wall and slid on to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest.  Lauren followed Camila into the abandoned hallway and stood in front of her.

"By now you've probably figured out that I'm an undercover cop, but, Camila, that doesn't change the way I feel about you," Lauren told Camila.

Through her tears, Camila said, "It obviously does change things because it means our whole relationship was a lie!"

"No, it wasn't," Lauren said.  "I mean sure, we didn't meet by coincidence and yes, I was hired to befriend you, but that doesn't change the times we shared together.  Or the way I feel about you Camila.  I was hired to befriend you, not to have sex with you or tell you I love you.  I did those things because I wanted to.  I love you Camila.  I'll say it a thousand times and not once will the words be any less true than they were last night."

Camila began crying harder.

"Don't cry," Lauren said, sitting down on the floor next to Camila.

"I didn't know he sold drugs, Lauren.  I swear."

"Camila, I'm so sorry for putting you through all of this.  You don't deserve it."

"You were only doing your job," Camila shrugs.

"If you're up for it, I'd like to continue being your girlfriend.  You make me really happy and my profession doesn't change that," Lauren said.

"Frankly, I don't know if I can trust you anymore, Lauren," Camila responded.

"So that's it?" Lauren asked, tears stinging her eyes.

"I guess so," Camila said.  "Not every story has a happy ending."