Under Pressure

Chapter 1

Mel POV

"We have to go!" I yelled up the stairs to my six year old son who needed to get to school. I felt the rush of the Monday morning getting to me.

"I'm coming!" He yelled down the stairs. I could hear his steps loudly from the first floor. Although I loved him, he was just as clumsily as I was and we didn't need any injuries this morning.

"No running!!" I yelled to him as he met me at front of the door. He giggled quickly and covered his mouth so I couldn't see. I hid the smirk that was threatening to show.

"I'm sorry." He said shyly and looking at the floor. I rough up his hair blonde, and his head shoots up, knowing I wasn't that upset. How could I be mad at him? He reminded me so much of myself as a child. His grin spread from ear to ear, and an equally one shined on my face. I push him forward to get him on way and we walk out the door and into the car.

"Adam, I'm going to have to get you up earlier if you take this long every morning." I say as we reach his side of the car.

"It's only cause it's the first day, mom." He says in his small voice as I strap him into his car seat. His innocent little smile, automatic melted my heart.

"You're lucky I don't start my shift early today or I would have been late too." I laughed at him, and he joined in. Although I was serious, I knew he was too young to realize the consequences of being late were.

"It won't happen again." He said ending his laughter as I sat in the driver's seat.

"It better not." I joked back with him. We drive a short way to school and before I know it, I'm in the line dropping off my first grader on his first day of school.

I get out and help him out of his car seat. Once I grab his backpack, he grabs my hand showing that he is slightly nervous. I feel his hands sweatier than usual, so I pull him aside, so the other students won't see.

"Adam, you okay?" I ask him as I squat down and look at him at his eye level. He gives me a shy smile, not admitting how he felt. "The first day is always the worst, but if you just show everyone how loving and kind you are, you'll make a lot friends no problem." As I finish his smile widens and becomes more real. His stance showed he became more confident.

"Thanks mom." He says hugging me tightly. I rub his back and then stand straight up. I wink at him as I hand over his backpack. He smiles and squeezes my hand once more before letting go.

I try to keep my tears away from his view when he waves from the door. He was growing up so fast before my eyes. I turn around and start to walk back to my car.

"I love you, mom!!" He yells and I turn to see him smiling from inside the school. I feel my heart skip a beat from joy. My little boy.

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I pull into work and enter the station. I walk through the doors and check in at the main office. The same routine everyday.

"Melissa! How was your weekend?" The front desk manager, my close friend, Caitlin asks me. Her giggle somehow gets me into a better mood.

"It was great thanks, Caitlin!" I tell her as I write my signature for my shift. She looks down at her hands. She seems a little off but by her actions, I decided to ignore it. "How was your weekend?" She smiled slightly and nodded.

"It was good. Rodney was working all weekend so it was a little lonely, but I made it into a great movie marathon." She squiggled with excitement of the past nights.

"We should do something sometime soon!" I say grabbing her hand and squeezing it. I knew it had been a while since we spent together outside of the station.

She looked down again and shrugged. This concerned me, and I was about to ask her what was up, she was never like this, but someone grabbed my arm.

"Melissa, boss needs to talk to you." Detective Wilson told me. I nodded at him and he left me. 

This is strange, I thought to myself. Why did the boss need me? I look back at Caitlin who wouldn't meet my eye. I started walking away, but I told myself I'd come back after I meet with the director to see what was wrong.

I move through the office, and everyone's eyes were on me. Every step I took, another's eyes looked, and they kept staring. I looked around suspicious at this strange stituation. It was as if it was my first day back, except for the fact that it wasn't.

"Sir? Is this a good time?" I say knocking on Director Johnson's door. He was talking with another detective, who's statute looked unfamiliar to me. They both turn at my words and I still don't recognize the man whom was there. The director nodded and ushered me to close the door.

"Melissa," He says as I sit down next to the stranger. "I have a case for you." I nod along following his words calmly. But what I didn't know was what his next few words were going to be. "I need you to go undercover."

"Sir. You know my situation. I can't." I say vaguely keep the details away from the strangers ears. I felt my body tense in shock as I held my breath.

"Melissa this is not a question. The most this case will last is two months." The director said in a calm tone, but I was anything but calm.

"Sir! I can't!" I say growing angrier by the second. I couldn't do this. I somehow kept my seat and stayed to his knowledge calm.

"Melissa, you are the most experience in this case-" I wanted to pause and think by what he meant but I needed to fight this. I couldn't go undercover.

"Sir-" I tried once more.

"Please let me finish." He says sternly, finally shutting me up. What did he mean by this case? 

That didn't matter. I couldn't get out of it, although I needed to. "You are the most experienced on the Smith case." The smith case I thought. This was not good. This whole situation was not good. "You are the only one I trust to get this job done."

"Sir." I whispered before taking a deep breath, "With all due respect. A lot has changed. I'm not the same person I was 7 years ago."

"You are the only one with the connections still intact. I need you to do this." I wanted to plead with him not to give me the case, but I knew he was right. I was the only one left.

"Sir. If I refuse this case-" I knew that I needed to stay, and hoped he understand.

"You will be fired immediately." But his harsh words confirmed he would not work with my situation. 

I thought to myself. I needed to stay, but I also couldn't lose my job. I am supporting my son on one income. 

I work through the details in my mind. I worked too hard for this job to get here, to end here. I need to keep it. It was 2 months. 2 months. Could I do it?

I can have Adam stay with my parents, maybe see him on the weekends. My cover was as a teacher. I can play it off as a tutor to see him more, but this also means I have to tell him the truth. I have to tell him everything. But I wanted to wait. I think to myself some more. What was the best move? I finally make up my mind. I didn't have any choice left in the matter anyways.

"Fine. 2 months." I say as I look back up the director.

"This will be your partner. Officer Wood." Director Johnson says to me looking at the man that sat next to me. I already hated this stranger, because of the situation I was forced into.

"Melissa." I say shaking his hand.

"Chris." His smile seemed genuine, but I couldn't get myself to like him.

"You two will be on the inside" I looked at him as he turned to face me. 

I analyzed him as best as I could. Brown eyes. Brown hair. Scruff. Slim face. Kind smile. I sensed that this wouldn't go well.

"Together."