Homecoming

Chapter 4

3 weeks later

The ensuing weeks following Nayeli's return to Hope County followed a pattern of filling out mundane paperwork and ending the day with curling up on Deputy Hudson's couch, who was, thank God, gracious enough to give her a place to crash until she found her own place. Nayeli felt a pang of guilt intruding on Hudson's own personal space, and going from having her very own place in LA to relying on the kindness of those around her was enough to make her feel like a good-for-nothing. Tack on Pratt's passive aggressiveness at work, Sherriff Whitehorse's insistence that she stay back at the station for safety reasons, and John's continuous texts taunting her (no matter how many times she blocked the various numbers he used), she really felt like she had made a mistake coming back here.

There had to be a reason though. Otherwise, how could she justify leaving a man who loved her behind in LA, and a career? A future. She sat at her cubicle, filing some reports from the past week, contemplating just stabbing herself in the eye with her pen. She had her earphones in, playing The Clash on low volume as if to amplify her already boiling angst. Should I stay or should I go?

Nayeli glanced up from the files just to catch Hudson walking towards her, so she removed one earbud, "Hey."

"Hey Rook." she responded, another lovingly-crafted nickname to add to her collection.

"Nancy called over the radio, some folks called in a disturbance but wouldn't really what it was. Figured we could go check it out together." she said, cracking a smile.

Nayeli was instantly filled with joy at the thought of getting out from behind her desk, but that joy diminished quickly.

"I really shouldn't. I'm still on my probation period."

Hudson, who was now sitting on Nayeli's desk at this point looked down at her with a sympathetic gaze, "I know Whitehorse is keeping you on a short leash after...well, what happened with your mother."

Hudson looked down. Nayeli knew Joey had been with Whitehorse when they responded to the Lamb residence on that night. Neighbors had been passing by, walking their dog, and saw that the front door had been left open but none of the lights were on so they called for someone to come check it out. That's when they found Sokanon.

"I was never close to my family." Hudson stated suddenly, "Never lost anyone close to me, so to speak. Few years ago though, my partner Danny and I grabbed a bite to eat, and some milkshakes while on patrol. Pulled a couple of guys over for speeding."

Nayeli removed her other earbud as Hudson continued on, engrossed with where her story was headed.

"Stay in the car, he said. He was just going to give them a warning so I went back to shoveling fries in my face and drinking that damn milkshake when I heart two shots go off. Looked up, the car was speeding off and Danny on the ground."

Hudson paused there, knowing Nayeli could probably imagine the scene without her going into explicit detail.

"My point is, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

Nayeli smiled at Hudson's sincerity, placing the files she had before her away before standing up from her desk, "Well, let's get going then."

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"Wait-wait-wait...wait. You're telling me...Staci Pratt was your first kiss?" Hudson exclaimed in shock as they drove down one of the main highways of Hope County towards the area of the disturbance.

Hudson was laughing out loud as Nayeli sat in the passenger's side of the cruiser, blushing and laughing with her, though she was trying to defend herself.