Terrible Habits

Whiplash.

Luke.

"You working tomorrow?" I hear Watson yell in my direction as I hang up my belt

"Nah," I mumble, squinting my eyes, the headache was coming. Withdrawal from tobacco is the fucking worst, which is probably why I am still smoking.

"First Sunday off in a while," Watson badgers keeping up the small talk. "What you gonna do with it?"

"Not sure," I grab a cigarette from the pack, relieved that I am done with another shift. Today wasn't bad, just long. I turn around the corner and I see legs dangling down from the counter. My eyes travel up the long legs to see Lenny, looking right at me. Her long black hair is wet and falling over the right side of her shoulder and she is looking up at me.

"There you are," she jumps down, her soaking wet flats splatter water on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, aware that I have an un-lit cigarette in my hand.

"Waiting for you," she looks around the office, as if her answer is so obvious. I glance around the office and notice that everyone eye's are on us, smiling. "Come on let's go," she grabs the cigarette from my hand and makes her way to the front door, grabbing a lighter from her purse.

I stand in the middle of the office, trying to process her presence in the office and the fact that she was expecting to get a ride with me.

"Yeah, I know what you're doing tomorrow," Watson elbows and I turn to look at the rest of the squadron.

"Looks like you got yourself a stray," Morrissey laughs and I turn around to see her waiting for me at the door.

"Come on," she raises her eyebrows and blows the smoke from the cigarette out the door.

I follow her out towards the door and leave the precinct behind me. "What are you doing here?" I ask, trying to keep up with her in the thick mist that was swirling around us. Damn, I hate Seattle sometimes.

"I was in the area, figured I'd stop by and say hi, then someone said your shift was almost over so I decided that I would stay," she shrugs as she finishes as if showing up to other peoples work was the most normal thing in the world. "Also I'm hungry, wanna grab a bite?" She finishes and takes a long pull from the cigarette.

I grab it from her hand and take a drag, relieving the pressure that was building up in my head. "Sure," I unlock the car, still trying to process Lenny sitting in the passenger seat next to me. After she moved in with Hollis, I hadn't seen or heard from her in almost two weeks. I am actually surprised that she was still "cut-off". I thought her situation would have been temporary, she must have really pissed them off.

"You know smoking is a terrible habit," she comments and pulls the cigarette out of my hand, taking another drag.

"So I've been told," I laugh, once

"I've got lots of those," she adds and I turn my head to look at her. "Terrible habits, I mean," she adds with a mischievous smile.

I face straight ahead, focusing on driving. The sun was starting to peak through the clouds and the mist had finally stopped. "So where to for dinner?"

"Your place is fine," she responds, opening her window a crack to let the cool air from the rain into the car.

"I don't have much food," I rub the back of my neck, trying to think what Jay had left in the freezer.

"That's ok, I'm not that hungry," she responds and kicks her feet up on the dashboard and I turn to look at her again in confusion.

"Didn't you say that you wanted to eat?"