YOUTH GONE WILD ↝ Chloe Decker

↳ EPILOGUE

KAI NOLAN WAS a name that had become well-known in the LAPD. Sometimes it was spoken in hushed rumors, sometimes in exaggerated urban legends shared in the break room, sometimes reminded as a cautionary tale. Sometimes it was spoken with affection and respect, but regardless of the tone, it was a name that dozens of detectives and officers alike had accepted into their daily lives. No one had expected the arrival of a new transfer into their ranks cook up such a big storm, but with their Lieutenant beaten to bits and then killed, right after their trusted attorney had suffered the same fate... It was safe to say they hadn't prepared enough.

Of course, Kai wasn't directly responsible for either death, but it didn't take the sharpest investigator in the precinct to figure out that curious things had begun happening right after the Nolan's arrival.

That said, it wasn't all bad — his first day back at work after everything had gone down and he had been assigned the cases Chloe usually would have worked, he had been welcomed with appreciative claps and words of praise. It was bittersweet, but at that moment, with people he had barely talked to stopping by his desk with kind smiles, Kai felt like he had truly blended in, after all that struggle.

Not that there wasn't any more to keep him up at night.

"I miss you." Kai didn't bother to hide his sadness as he slowly seated himself on the grass in front of Charlotte's recently dug grave, bouquets of flowers and candles still adorning the dirt. He had been there a couple of times since the burial, though this marked the first time he didn't immediately burst into tears. It was a gradual battle, but things were slowly starting to get better. He was starting to get better.

"I know we weren't that close, but... you didn't deserve this. Neither did Dan, you know. He's really struggling", Kai frowned as he thought about the other Espinoza — the other one, at least, was thriving in his new job behind the bar counter at Lux and his relationship with Lucifer stronger than ever. "But you made me all those charts to help me with cases. You knew reading long texts was hard for me and... you were really thoughtful about it. I'll never forget it", he went on, recalling his fondest memories of Charlotte with a faint smile on his lips.

Even if Pierce was to blame for her death, he still sometimes wondered if would have been able to stop her from bleeding out, if there was more he could have done. He supposed showing up at her grave routinely was his way of atoning, his way of keeping her memory alive, and refusing to let her fade out.

It wasn't like he expected an answer, but when his own voice haunted the chilly air and the gray stone only stared back at him, he fell into a new frown.

"Work is going well, at least. Izzy got her job back and she's over the moon. I think her and Maze are doing really well, too", Kai continued recapping. The day Izzy had returned to the precinct had been a joyous one for everyone, her boxes of donuts earning cheers from all her co-workers. She had been deeply missed around the building, and having her instead of Pierce was no longer taken for granted by anyone.