The Threat Of Fear

chapter 27

         "Rachel," Alec groaned. "It's not safe for you to go back to work."

Right. Right. Because it's so dangerous being surrounded by other fellow cops.

"When is going to work ever safe?" I retorted. "They need the extra hand. I'll just be questioning a few people then I'll be back."

"But..." he trailed off.

Stop preventing me from doing my job just because I'm pregnant!

"I'll be safe. I'll be where there's a ton of cops with guns. I even have a gun and I'm a cop as well. I will be very well protected." I sighed, crossing my arms. "I'm a grown-up too, you know."

"I'll drive you," Shade said, placing his hand on my hip.

"You're seriously okay with this?" he asked in confusion.

"She's an adult." Shade answered. "She doesn't need to be treated like a child. She's able to make her own decisions and she wouldn't go if she didn't think that she would be safe there."

"Thank you, Shade," I murmured.

"Anything, for the one who's captured my heart." he winked with a playful grin on his face.

I giggled in response.

Dork.

        "You seriously can not be a real cop. You're a girl!" the woman that I'm trying to interrogate shouted. "An expectant mother no less!"

Keyword: trying.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked dryly.

"Get a real cop to interrogate me," she ordered, crossing her arms and leaning back in the chair.

I'm so sick of dealing with people like this, thinking that they can tell me what I can and can't do just because I'm a female.

"So, just because I'm a pregnant woman I can't be a good cop?" I retorted. "Just because I'm a woman I can't even be a cop. Is being a cop solely a man's job still? News flash, sweety, this isn't the 1940s anymore."

I'm sick of these kinds of people.

"Now," I politely smiled at her. "Can we stay on topic or am I going to have to leave you in here by yourself while you get a hold of your emotions ma'am?"

She looked away and started grumbling to herself.

"Alright then." I sighed, standing up from my chair. "I'll be back in about 15 or so minutes to see if you've calmed down."

I walked out of the interrogation room, closing the door behind me.

        "Shouldn't you be in the interrogation room questioning the suspect?" Marino asked when he saw me in the break room.

"She needed some time to collect herself." I shrugged. "Apparently we're still living in the 1940s before women were allowed to be cops. But alas! Dealing with people like that comes with the job."

I stood up.

"Anyways." I sighed. "I'm gonna go back and see if she's done throwing a temper tantrum about women being cops now."

My partner looked at me worriedly.

"Do you," he started to say. "Do you want me to come in and help you out in there?"

"Nah. I've got this." I brushed off. "Besides letting you, a male cop, it would be giving her what she wants. Keeping me in there will anger her more. The more she's angry, the more likely that she'll make a mistake and tell us something".

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm sure."

Right before I left the break room I turned back around to Marino.

"Oh, and Marino," I said. "Thanks for not treating me differently because of the pregnancy. Thanks for not babying me."

"Yeah." he smiled. "No problem, partner."