Busted

“Breach,” someone said and seconds later the explosives on the door blasted, making the first men storm in with their guns pointed in front of them. “Police search warrant,” they said and would command anyone they met to put their hands where they could see them, before they’d arrest them. Michael walked ahead of some officers, routinely searching the place for people. As soon as the criminals were alarmed, they had to act quickly before they succeeded to get rid of anything illegal.  

He opened a door into an office with a serious expression, pointing his gun in front of him, but quickly lowered it as his eyes landed on a familiar face. He was about to say something when he heard another officer’s footsteps. “Quickly, hide underneath your desk,” he commanded before he turned around as the other officer walked in and looked at Michael. “All clear,” he said, letting him know that there was nobody in here. It didn’t exactly look like a place where they’d hide anything either. The officer nodded before he continued towards other areas of the hideout. He watched him leave and breathed out. He knew that they’d arrest Cassandra and take her in for questioning, if she couldn’t escape. In worst-case, Michael would have to arrest her. He walked over to close the door and turned around. “What the hell, Cas?” he said, even though she had just as much of a right to ask that of him. He knew that there was a chance that the raid they were conducting would take place in her mafia, but he had hoped it didn’t have to come to this. Then he walked closer to her. “Is there any way you can escape from this room?” he asked, before he looked up to see if there were any doors leading somewhere. The windows were not an option as they were watching them. It was always where people would try to escape or throw something out. “There might be others coming,” he said, trying to figure out a plan that would help her. “And if they see us, I'll have to cuff you and get you out through the front door…” he said. There was no safe option. None of the scenarios were preferred, but it wasn't like they had much of a choice. She just had to trust him.

Outfit [minus brillerne)

It had been some hectic days. The guys - Tidus and Bienvido - had been sent off to handle some issues with a shipment from Argentina, leaving Cassandra to handle the internal business for a couple of days. During that period, they had gotten aware that a snitch had left them, only to rat them out to the police. They had been busy moving everything from their stock in SouthSide to the family mansion back in Bristol, leaving with the last shipment only minutes before Cassandra had returned to her office to handle some paperwork before she was to join with the last few employees on a truck to Bristol.

The office was clean and neat. Two desks sat in opposite ends; one with a massive stack of papers, and one simply with a laptop and a gun on it. Cassandra sighed, as she realized that Bienvido had left without his gun, and in an attempt to simply make the office look nicer, she took it with her to her desk and placed it on the waist of her jeans, tightly against her back. A collection of succulents rested in an assortment of small pots in the window next to the desk with all the paperwork, next to framed pictures of the three joined leaders of the Patrons; Tidus, Cassandra and Bienvido. She sat down to make a note of the last of the stock being shipped away during the last time period of their scheduled work-day, when she heard the massive commotion outside her office. The door to the office opened, and without looking at whoever had entered, she had gotten up from her desk and pointed Bienvido’s gun right at the intruder.

As she finally reckonized him, she lowered her gun as well, but only slightly. She heard the footsteps and his command got her to admit to herself that this was one of the times she needed to do as commanded. She dodged down under the desk and pulled in the chair enough to it being almost impossible for anyone to hide underneath the desk at all; luckily, she was nimble as heck and managed to be so tiny that it was no problem at all. She heard someone else enter the office, only to be told by Michael that the office was ‘all clear’, before the other officer left the office. As soon as the door was closed - even before the archangel had time to ask his questions, Cassandra had pulled a thumbdrive from the laptop on her desk and forced it down her bra. Luckily for her, the laws protected her from being frisk-searched by male officers, due to the risk of sexual assault. Then, she looked at Michael, as he asked her something she had not foreseen leaving his lips. Although they were friend, she knew that this situation was shitty for the both of them. She held the gun ready in her hand - which in hindsight could be considered threatening to some. ‘’Yeah, what the hell, Michael?’’ she asked, slightly frustrated with him. It was clear that she found the situation incredibly annoying to say the least.

As he started to walk closer to her, she tilted her head as she pointed the gun at him once more. ‘’Back up,’’ she said, her voice being careful although she knew that she wouldn’t hurt him. In this situation, everything would end badly if they tried to hurt each other. They were friends, after all. He looked around for a route for her to escape, and she sighed silently. ‘’No,’’ she simply answered. It was a lie; but that way would lead them straight to the last team that was leaving with the last shipment. She needed to stay put for the others to get away anyway. She looked at him, considering her options. Either, she left with Michael and risked getting arrested, or she escaped alone, risking to get the other one’s caught as well. She narrowed her eyes. ‘’So,’’ she said, still pointing her gun straight at him. ‘’I thought you helped them with missing persons. Why the hell are you on a razzia!?’’ she asked him, clearly both frustrated and confused. Thankfully, they only dealt with drugs now, and not human trafficking or straight up assassinations any longer.

He raised an eyebrow when she hid a thumb drive in her bra. “Really?” he said, before he sighed, knowing that he had to keep that a secret as well. She was clearly hostile, keeping the gun pointed at him and it made him raise his own slightly - not to make them equal, but because it would look weird if he didn’t and another cop walked in. He didn’t know why she pointed it at him after he’d just prevented her from being caught. It wasn't like she'd actually shoot him. Then she returned the same question to him. “The hell is that you’re a member of The Patrons,” he said in a frustrated tone. He thought she’d just been an accountant, but he was beginning to realize her job title consisted of much more.

He backed up as she asked him to, not understanding why. Was she threatened by him or simply being cautious? She said there wasn’t a way to escape, meaning that she’d have to go with him. It wasn't like she'd have much luck hiding with the place full of cops. Her question shouldn’t surprise him, but somehow it still did. What had she expected? Now, it wasn't something he did often, but he had good friends in the police, and was considered a high-ranking officer, so of course he came when they needed help to raid a hideout. “You really don't know me,” he said with a stoic expression as he looked at her. “I despise drugs… gangs… always have, always will… so when the police got tipped about this, I had to help… I need to keep them safe,” he said. Michael had been appointed to serve humans working in law enforcement, so he often went on missions to help them. Usually, he wouldn't consider helping someone who supported the distribution of drugs into the world, but now he stood in front of the exception. “And point the gun away from me,” he said, slightly annoyed. “In fact, hand it to me,” he said with a serious voice, before reaching his free hand out, so she could give it to him. “Now... if you want my help, think of a cover story - a fake name and reason for being here,” he said, although he still doubted whether she wanted help.

She looked at him with a cautious expression as he raised his gun at her once more; obviously just to make it look less suspicious if someone saw them. His comment about her status with The Patrons made her look slightly confused at him at first. ‘’Darling, whoever decided to hand you information seems to have left out one rather crucial detail,’’ she said, smiling a crooked smile at him. ‘’I’m not a member. I’m the boss,’’ she said, winking at him. Had he not caught onto that when he stormed the office? Who, in their right mind, did not know the name of the boss which mafia they decided to raid?

As he backed up, she lowered her gun slightly, as she had no intention of harming him. She cared too much for him to even consider it. Instead, he seemed vexed with her for not knowing him - which she found slightly unfair, since he had not told her about his plans to raid any mafias. ‘’No. I don’t know you. And you don’t know me.’’ She said, looking at him slightly hurt over the fact that he had decided to phrase it that way. She didn’t even take note of the fact that he mentioned despising drugs. She didn’t like them herself - not one bit - but Tidus decided that they were the best way of keeping the mafia running smoothly while they decided on what to do. She simply followed his commands. The moment he had asked her to point the gun away from him, she spun it on her trigger-finger, making it face her, before he handed it to him with not hesitation. He seemed to doubt if she wanted his help or not. Honestly, regardless, she would get arrested. It was simply easier for her to accept it if Michael was the one with the cuffs, so that when he touched her, she wouldn’t be fearing showing him something. He already knew her story.

She handed him her wrists, calmly. ‘’Avalynn McGivens, sir. And I was simply looking for my husband. He has been working for the Techniques as their driver for years, and now he’s gone. Oh, where could he be!?’’ she said, her voice changing drastically; getting lighter and more feminine. It was clear that it wasn’t the first time she had done this; lied about her intentions regarding the mafia. Earlier, she would have to lie to Jasper on the daily, and that behavior she now showed seemed to be the best one when lying to the authorities. She then looked Michael straight in the eyes, searching for some slight part of the friend she had gained that night in her house. ‘’Are you vexed with me for not telling you?’’ she asked him, her voice normal and slightly concerned. What he thought of her did matter to her, regardless of what he thought.

His expression changed slightly as she admitted that she was the boss. “Come again?” he said, clearly finding it hard to believe that he had missed that part of the information. To be fair, he hadn’t been at the meeting before this raid. He had simply showed up this afternoon and gone with them to the raid. He almost felt stupid for not knowing that Cassandra was the boss. It was something he should’ve known. “Okay, boss... who would've known,” he said as he looked at her, still getting used to the idea.

He certainly felt like he didn’t know her after this, having no idea about the role she played for the mafia. He could’ve probably figured it out, but somehow it was difficult for him to accept that she’d chosen this lifestyle. It was a profession he’d never agree with. Michael grabbed the handle of the gun as she handed it to him and put it away in his belt, before he put his own gun back in its holster. He stepped closer to her as he took out his handcuffs, placed them around her wrists and locked them shiftly. He looked into her eyes as she told him her name and cover story, sounding highly convincing. It was clearly not the first time she’d lied to the police. “Alright, Mrs. McGivens… You are under arrest on suspicion of drug trafficking. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in court,” he said with a serious expression, before he gave her a small smile to ensure her that he was only playing along. He hadn’t expected her question. He didn’t really have the right to be mad at her. They’d both withhold information. “I may not agree with all of this, but no… I’m not vexed with you,” he said as he looked into her eyes. Then he grabbed her arm before leading her out of the office. He felt the others eyes on them as they walked through the hideout.

Outside, he took her to his car, opened the back door and waited for her to take a seat. “I wish I didn’t have to do this,” he admitted, hating every bit of this situation. Then he closed and locked the door, before he went behind the car and took out an evidence bag from the trunk to put the confiscated gun inside of it. “I’ll be right back,” he informed her before he closed the trunk and walked over to a few officers. He got updated on what they’d found so far and asked for permission to head back to the station with the woman he’d arrested. An officer granted him the permission, so he went back to the car and sat down in the driver’s seat. He then looked at Cassandra in the rear-view mirror. “They said they didn't find much, so I'm assuming you knew we were coming?” he asked, before he turned on the car. The police radio started to make noises, so he turned it off, before he started to drive out onto the road, heading back to the police station.

A part of her did feel slightly offended that it seemed to be the case that he simply had a hard time accepting that she was the constituted boss. ‘’Well, your rat certainly didn’t. then again, he could simply have showed up to work this morning instead of being a dick and try to run off with the goods,’’ she answered, clearly over it with that drug-dealer that had gone to the police rather than actually do what he was paid to do. Soon, he would find it really difficult to walk the streets without fearing that someone - or something - would attack him.

She followed suit as he took her gun; cuffed her and then said his far too formal statement. ‘’Understood, sir,’’ she said, returning the smile to ensure him that she was also just playing along. It was rather funny, when she thought about it. Even a tiny bit kinky - had it not been for the fact that those families she had placed under protection now had their information in the hands of the cops. Tidus would not approve. ‘’And please, do call me Avalynn,’’ she said; the name rolling of her tongue as if she had used that name her whole life. ‘’Thank you,’’ she sighed in a whisper, as he stated that he was not vexed with her. She would have a hard time cooperating with him if he was mad at her.

They walked to the car; Cass bowing her head slightly as they walked, to prevent anyone from actually looking directly at her - a smile placed on her crooked lips. It was rather amusing, all of this. As the got to the car, he opened the door to the backseat, making her look at him. ‘’Oh, sweetheart. You’re not the first guy that has put me in cuffs,’’ she joked, before she elegantly took her seat and waited for him to close the door. He fixed something in the trunk before he left to speak with someone. She started humming a gentle song she had heard, while she waited for him; swaying gently from side to side. Then, as he returned, he asked her a question that made her chuckle slightly. ‘’I’m not sure I understand the question, officer,’’ She said in her sweet-voiced persona. She was under arrest - she needed to stay in character to not cause any trouble; right? ‘’But I had an idea, since my husband didn’t come home last night, that something might have been problematic at work, sir,’’ she said; indirectly admitting to knowing something had been brewing since her former employee didn’t show up for work that morning. She looked at him in the rear-view mirror before she blinked; showing that she was somewhat amused by the whole ordeal. There was simply something very sexy about being arrested by a handsome man. Add roleplay to that, and you had a kink-fest!

He just nodded as she implied that the rat was stupid, and to be honest, he didn’t exactly know what the rat had said. However, he knew that the police would do their best to protect him. He chuckled briefly as she told him to call her Avalynn, before getting back into character. “That wouldn’t be appropriate, ma’am,” he informed her. He gave her arm a comforting squeeze as she whispered 'thank you' before walking out with her. By the car, he held back a smile when she said he wasn’t the first guy to put her in cuffs. “You think this is funny?” he asked. He either had to say nothing or act serious, as he knew that some of the officers might be able to hear him from this range.

Under other circumstances he’d act strict and professional, but it was different with Cassandra and even though he had to do this, he still didn’t want her to end in prison. He looked at her briefly when she said she didn’t understand his question, acting like she was clueless to his sentence. “Alright…” he said, as he realized what she was doing. He caught on to her information about someone not showing up, letting him know that it was what had made her suspicious. “I’m sorry about your husband… we’ll make sure to file a missing person’s report when we get to the station,” he said, finding it quite amusing that she was so committed to staying in character, when they were all alone in the car. However, it would be helpful once they reached the station.

He parked in front of the station, walking behind the car to get out the evidence bag, before he opened her door and grabbed her arm. He took out his keys and unlocked a different door than the main entrance. He then walked in with Cassandra towards the custody area and put the evidence bag in a drawer. “Ma'am, please place your index finger on the scanner,” he asked her as he stood behind the counter by a computer. As soon as she did it, the information about her showed up on the screen. There was no one else near them, but it was still an open space, so he hoped she acted accordingly. He typed some things on the computer, before he looked at her again. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it all seemed so unreal to him. It was a completely different side of her. His eyes stopped at something, however. It clearly stated that McGivens was her real name, making him frown slightly, then he read that she was married to Jonathan. “Your husbands name is Jonathan McGivens?” he said, shocked to see that she was still married to the man he’d almost killed. He took a deep breath in as he tried not to freak out, before he looked at her. “When was the last time you heard anything from him?” he asked.

It was easy for him to be strict with her, no doubt. After all, he was an angel and she was a criminal. As he chuckled at her name, she almost wanted to give him a nudge - but that might elude to the fact that it actually was her name.
At the car - after her comment about the cuffs - she smiled sweetly at him. ‘’Funny isn’t one of the things I would associate with cuffs. Sexy, maybe. Kinky, even. But not funny. Sir. ‘’ she said, winking at him as she entered the vehicle. As they continued their little act - staying in character - as they drove off to the station, she found it rather amusing. She eluded several times to the fact that she had not seen her husband for days, which was the truth. In honesty, she had not seen him since Michael had chased him off that evening.

She followed him inside when they arrived at the station. He had grabbed onto her arm, making her grind her teeth slightly as she found that a tad too harsh. She was under arrest however, so it was only expected. She did as instructed when he asked her to put her index finger on the scanner - something she had grown quite accustomed to in the years she had been on the wrong side of the law. She remained silent, until he frowned and ask her - rather shocked - that Jonathan was her husband. ‘’yes, sir.’’ She answered; still in character - using her sweet and innocent voice. He then asked about when she had heard from him last, making her look at him with an expression that tried to tell him that he already knew. ‘’The last time I heard from him was yesterday, when he told me that he would come straight home after work. I assumed he had gotten off late from work, but when I hadn’t heard from him this morning, I decided to swing by his work to make sure he had everything he needed.’’ She said, lying through her teeth. The truth was that she had not seen him since Michael drove him off, but she had heard from him as recent as that morning, when he called her to apologize for his recent behavior. She wasn’t going to tell Michael that; he would without a doubt need to swallow the pill that she was legally married before she even could explain why she had not gotten a divorce yet. She looked at him, slightly apologetic, as she knew he would have a hard time processing her ‘real identity’.

//beklager længde og eventuelle fejl - min hjerne er grød efter arbejde

He just looked at her with a straight face, but underneath it, his mind was taken back to the night they spent together. He knew that she couldn’t possible mean any of her flirtatious remarks and that she was just joking around, but the way she looked at him made him unsure.

He caught on to her expression, making him realize he knew exactly when she’d last seen him. He listened as she came up with an answer that followed suit with her cover story. “Alright,” he said as he was filling out a form on the computer. He had a hard time understanding why she was still married to him, but he’d just have to ask about it later. “I’m charging you for illegal possession of a firearm,” he said. He didn't want to have to do it, but she couldn't get around the fact that her fingerprints were on the gun. He just hoped she’d give a good explanation of it in court. “Do you need to make a phone call?” he asked as it was one of her rights. There were a lot of rights he hadn’t told her about, but there was no reason to. Just like he had no reason to search her body upon arrest like he normally would. He’d simply trusted that she didn’t carry any other weapons without telling him about it first.

Another police officer entered the hallway with a drunk guy, so Michael went over to Cassandra before the drunk guy would start talking to her. “Follow me,” he said, before he walked with her into an interrogation room and closed the door behind them. He wasn’t going to start any recording, so it was simply a way to enable them to speak in private. He took out a key to unlock her handcuffs, before putting them back into his belt. “It’s safe to talk in here… I will have to take your statement at some point, but I’m not going to interrogate you about the mafia, so let’s just hope everyone else buys your story,” he said before he sat down in a chair and sighed. She seemed so calm about this, making him wonder if she realized how bad it looked. Maybe she'd dealt with this many times and was confident about not getting sentenced to prison. “If the rat tipped us about your location, it’s very likely that he has given your names as well…” he said thoughtfully as he just looked towards the door. He hoped that he hadn’t for Cassandra’s sake, but either way this incident had still harmed their business. “What do you suggest we do?” he asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back and looked at her.

It all seemed to unrealistic, although it was nothing but. As he charged her with illegal possession of a firearm, she looked rather confused at him. Then, she remembered that it was Bienvido’s gun and not hers. Hopefully she had smothered her prints on it so much that they wouldn’t be able to pick up on anything but her. ‘’No, sir. The only person I could call is my husband,’’ she said, looking at him for a moment, before they got interrupted by another officer with a drunk idiot. She then followed him into an interrogation room, and with a sigh of relief, he freed her hands - making her look at him with a little smile. His words made her shrug slightly - had he not understood that this wasn’t anything new for her? She was so used to handle cops that she didn’t even need his help, if it had not been for him entering her office. He sat down, making her sit down in front of him, on the other side of the table. ‘’No one in the mafia knows my name, Michael. It’s not the issue.’’ She said, crossing her arms. She knew that he was being rather unpleased with the whole situation.

‘’Let’s get it over with. My name is Cassandra Angela Avalynn McGivens, maidenname Dumor. My husband is Jonathan McGivens. We’ve been married since I was eighteen, we haven’t lived together since I was nineteen. The last time I saw him, he tried to kill me. The last time I heard from him, he tried to apologize over the phone.’’ She said, looking straight at the angel. She hated to recall her status as a married woman, solely because no one besides her knew about it in her life. Well, besides the man she married.

‘’We don’t do anything. You’ve charged me for possession of an illegal firearm. That’s it. Your team have 24 hours from my arrest to gather the information you need to charge me with more before you’ll have to release me. Possession of a firearm is not an offense punished by a sentence. It’s a fine, the size determined by the type of firearm. A handheld unit like mine; 500 quid.’’ She said, looking at the table shortly. She then sighed, rubbing her face for a moment. ‘’Hey… I’m sorry, for not telling you. You must think I’m some lying sleezeball or something…’’ she then said, biting her lip slightly, before she looked at him once more.

So nobody in the mafia knew her real name. “Good,” he said. It made him feel slightly better about the whole situation and he was happy that she'd still confided to him about her role. It showed him that she trusted him. Michael was far too loyal and confidential to go against her, but he knew that many probably would have. When she said she wanted to get the statement over with, he leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. “Alright,” he said as found a pen, and wrote down her statement and the information she’d already given him prior to this. He asked her a few more questions, just to make sure they covered anything relevant and complied with the standard procedure. When he didn’t have further questions, he put the pen down on the table and leaned back again.

She didn’t want him to do anything to help her, but he didn’t understand why. He had the power to release her before the 24 hours, but it seemed like it didn't bother her. He tilted his head slightly when she started mentioning the rules to him, as if he didn’t already know them. “You still risk a sentence… but I hope you’re right,” he said. The cops still had time to present more evidence, and she was previously convicted of crimes, which didn't speak in her favor. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at her as she apologized. “It doesn’t matter what I think,” he said as he looked at her. Regardless of his own opinions about criminal organizations and drugs, he had to believe that she was a good person… that her path had led her to that for a reason. “What does matter is that you’ve been telling me the truth now,” he said. There were still many things that they didn’t know about each other, but withholding information wasn’t the equivalent to being a liar and even if she had lied, he would try to understand it. “If you don’t mind me asking. Why are you still married to Jonathan?” he asked.

As her statement had been written down, it seemed like they fell back into their known roles of friendship once again. It was somehow curious how they could sit like this; working one moment to then not the next moment. As he leaned back in his seat once more, she tilted her head slightly. ‘’A sentence is better than backstabbing the family,’’ she pointed out. The rat had done just that; backstabbed. He had snitched, and that was worse than getting caught. Besides, she had the funds to keep herself out of jail - one of the perks of the corruption in the justice system.

His next sentence made her furrow her brows. ‘’Why do you think so? Have I ever expressed that your opinion mattered not to me?’’ she asked. Somehow, she felt like he was keeping a safe distance from her, emotionally, after what had happened that night. It felt a bit like she had hurt him… had she? ‘’If I tell the truth, it’s only because I trust you with the information.’’ She said, smiling softly at him. She trusted him with much, including her real name and her body at times.

‘’I do mind you asking,’’ she quickly answered, snapping back at him. All of a sudden, her calm demeanor shifted to being somewhat on guard. For a moment, she just sat there, considering if she should tell the truth or remain silent. The truth was probably the best bet… ‘’To file for a divorce, he would have to be served by the attorney. That serving would include my address.’’ She said, looking down at her hands for a moment. ‘’Up until the night when you showed up, he had only contacted me in public or at my… Josiah’s place.’’ She said, biting her lip for a moment. ‘’I thought that if I kept things low - didn’t use my name or posted about where I lived, then he would leave me alone. I was a fool.’’ She said, and looked back at the archangel across from her. ‘’I loved him once… Some part of me still do. It’s… messy. Letting go of someone you used to love. The heart doesn’t like to agree with the mind…’’ she admitted, shaking her head, as she knew that she was sounding silly.

He agreed that family didn’t end in blood. Once he wouldn’t dream of leaving his own family behind, but he couldn’t run from the fact that he had more than once. That’s why he’d always been hesitant and careful about getting close to anyone again. He noticed her frown at his words, and it made him lower his gaze away from her as he scoffed at her sentence. He was used to people caring about his opinions, constantly being viewed as a saint and they trusted him, confided to him and confessed their deepest secrets and sins. Cassandra hadn’t proved that his opinions didn’t matter to her, but truth was, he had a hard time believing that she viewed him as a friend. That she cared for him in any way. He looked back at her when she told him that she trusted him with the information. “I know,” he said looking into her amber eyes.

He nodded slowly when she said she did mind him asking, thinking that she wasn’t going to tell him. He was about to say something when she changed her mind. It sounded like she had tried to flee and hide from him, in which case he didn’t blame her. It made sense that filing the divorce hadn’t been her first priority. He’d often thought about her since that night, wondering if he should visit her and make sure that Jonathan hadn’t found her again or that she'd protected her house. He scoffed quietly at her last sentence, thinking of all the people he'd let go of. “Yeah… but you have to let him go,” he said. For her to fully move on, she needed to file the divorce. “You’ll find love again… someone who will treat you the way you deserve,” he said. That's all he wanted for her.

He looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. He didn't like the idea of leaving her here, but he couldn’t exactly chat with her all night either. “Is there anything I can get for you?” he asked, before he got up from his seat and collected the papers in front of him.

All of this; speaking about Jonathan, her past and the fact that she was indeed one of those unfortunate souls that seemed to be involved in much more dirt than someone should, made her feel rather uneasy with the archangel. Briefly, as he mentioned her finding love again, with someone that would treat her right, she felt an urge to roll her eyes. She resisted, however, smiling ever so calmly at him. All the scoffing, sighing and gnarly comments seemed to be a very fitting indicator on the barometer for if she should even consider trusting Michael with anything else than what she had already done. As he got up, she shook her head for a moment, letting him know that there was nothing he could get her, really. ‘’No, thank you,’’ she said, looking at him with a calm smile, although her insides churned but the mere thought of what had happened between them earlier. A part of her knew it was wrong, as she was dating the Don’s right hand, yet… It also felt so right; defying the verbal law that angels and dark witches shouldn’t be at all friendly - and certainly not flirtatious.

As he left her, the time passed slower than the seasons it seemed. A minute lasted an hour, leaving her to practice her magic. From time to time, someone would check up on her, seeing her sitting by herself, mumbling ancient words and deeming her crazy. No further charges were announced, leaving her with a fine, a confiscated weapon and bit of a stiff back, as she had been sitting by the table for nearly twenty-four hours. she was in desperate need of a cup of coffee, and as she finally saw a familiar face enter the room once again, she couldn’t help by smile thankfully. Keeping up the façade of Mrs. McGivens took a hold of her whenever it was for a longer period of time. She was by no means a method actress. ‘’Please tell me that you’re here to let me out?’’ she sighed, clearly tired of this little game. Into the table was scorched ancient marks, predating even the Egyptians, signaling that whatever she had been doing while she was alone wasn’t the standard healing spell.


//beklager længden og den manglende krea...

“I’ll see you later,” he said, sending her an assuring smile before he left the room. He saw that the drunk guy had difficulty walking, so he went over to help the cop put him in a cell. Then he went into an office to finish his report.

The next morning, he arrived at 8 in the morning. Normally he wouldn’t take shifts as he wasn’t employed full-time, but they had a cop who was still recovering from a gunshot, so Michael had offered his help. Besides, he was curious to know how Cassandra was doing. He’d patrolled Southside most of the day, but was only called out for minor crimes, making his day a lot more calm than usual. In the afternoon he drove back to the station and did the paperwork. An officer came in to tell him that they hadn’t found anything else to charge Cassandra for, so he was told to release her and take off work afterwards. He finished his work quickly before he walked over to her cell and opened the door. Her smile made his work-day fade away and a small smile formed on his lips. “Yes ma’am,” he said, then his eyes landed on the marks she’d scorched into the table. He recognized some of them, mostly because of his experience with witches in the past, however those experiences hadn’t been pleasant, so he tried not to think about it. “How are you?” he asked with a hint of concern in his eyes.

He walked with her to an area where they’d kept her phone and other personal possessions – if she had any, before they entered the public area where she could walk out from. “I’m actually off work… so if you don’t have anything else to do, you’re welcome to come home with me,” he said as he looked at her. He would understand if she said no, but he figured that it might be nice for her to come to his place as he didn’t live far from the station. “Or is someone else picking you up here?” he asked, glancing towards the entrance before he looked back at her.

She smiled gratefully at him, as he announced that he was there to get her out. She stood op from the chair where she had been sitting since he had left her, and stretched all of her limbs, making some pleased noises whenever she managed to get a joint to crack. ‘’I’m fine, thank you. Well, as fine as I can be, under the circumstances,’’ she said, trying to assure him that the concern in his expression wasn’t needed, but appreciated none the less.

She followed him out to get her possessions - a phone, her keys and a ring she had not been allowed to keep with her apparently - before they entered the public area that would lead to ‘freedom’, so to speak. As she looked at her phone; seeing messages from both Tidus, Bienvido and Spencer, she furrowed her brows. Most of the messages were confirmations of their stock being moved successfully - besides those from Bienvido. Those messages were of pure concern for her well-being, as he had gotten to know that she had been arrested and charged for possession of an illegal weapon; his weapon. She was just about to call him, when Michael spoke and suggested for her to come home with him. At first, she wasn’t sure what he actually wanted from her. Why did he want her to come home with her, when all she had caused him was frustration? Before she managed to decipher if she should go home with him or not, he asked if someone was picking her up. That would be a strong no to that one. No one would come to pick her up. Therefor, with a calm smile, she looked back at him and placed the phone in her pocket. ‘’Well, I would like to see have you live, to be honest. You’ve seen my place, so it might be the right time for me to see yours?’’ she suggested, biting her lower lip slightly, for no apparent reason, other than she needed something to do while she waited for his response.

He expected her to call someone as she looked at her phone for a long while, and although she might have every reason to decline his offer, he wanted to at least give her the option. Besides, he felt like he knew Cassandra quite well, which was much to say about anyone in his life. His eyes lid up as she accepted his offer. “Alright, great,” he said, sending her a brief smil before he walked out to his black Chevy in the parking lot. “So, was it true that you talked to Jonathan?” he asked. He hadn't been able to tell whether she was lying about that or not. Normally he wouldn't ask, but regarding Jonathan he felt somewhat involved because of their fight.

It only took about fifteen minutes to drive to the apartment, making it much quicker than the drive to Atheria. He walked up the stairs to the second floor of the building before he unlocked the door to his place. Inside there was a demon’s trap painted on the ceiling. There were various scriptures and books on the desk by the window, an open kitchen and living room area, one bedroom and a bathroom. The walls were empty, there were no decorations and no television, making it seem rather empty. He kicked off his shoes in the entrance and put his gun away in a locked box. The rest of his weapons and ammunition were inside the walk-in closet in his bedroom. “Would you like anything to drink? Beer, coffee, tea?” he asked as he walked in to the kitchen and started making coffee. After she’d replied, he went into the bedroom to take off his uniform, so he was left wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. The bedroom was as bare as the rest of the place, except for a bible on his nightstand. He walked back into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee, looking briefly at the newspaper at his dining table before he looked at Cassandra. “You’re welcome to take a shower if you want,” he said. He could only imagine that she’d want to take one after being locked in a cell for 24-hours and he wanted her to feel at home.

It wasn’t the thing she wanted to discuss with Michael; that she had been speaking to Jonathan. The guy had tried to kill her, no doubt, and his apology was as hollow as she had been when she was told they had lost their son. She cared not for Jonathan, but he had saved her back then. Legally, they were still married; something she needed to talk to both Bienvido and Tidus about when she felt safe enough to do so. right now, there was so much more to handle than she had anticipated; the new rival mafia that had threatened Tidus, as well as Jonathan being unstable. She sighed, as they approached Michael’s car, solely because of his question. ‘’Jonathan called me yesterday. He wanted to apologize.’’ She said, before she entered the car with him.

Fifteen minutes later, they entered his flat. She wasn’t used to visiting other’s place. Usually, she would meet out in the public; just to be sure. This was… New, to her. As he kicked off his shoes, so did shit. Afterwards, her eyes followed him as he locked his gun away and left to get changed. ‘’Coffee, please,’’ she said, with a little crooked smile. he lived alone, it seemed. Nothing on the walls, no television… It all seemed so bare and empty. Had he no one? Of course he did, he had his daughter! Her pity wasn’t wanted, surely. As he had left to get changed, she slowly walked to the desk, just to look at the scriptures on his desk. She stopped when she realized that he as an archangel surely would have more holy scriptures around; making her shiver slightly. She didn’t want to remind him that she as a witch felt uncomfortable around those holy objects, so she simply tried to avoid them. Instead, she moved to look at the newspaper shortly, as he returned in a white tee and some black pants. He poured himself some coffee and mentioned the golden word; shower. She chuckled at him, crossing her arms at her chest for a moment.

‘’You’re either a mind-reader or I smell worse than I thought,’’ she answered, to his suggestion about the shower. Suddenly, she felt like it was a possibility that he thought more of them than friends; making her a bit uncomfortable. Did he think she wanted something more with him? Did he think that was why she had returned to his flat with him? It was a possibility, after what had happened back at her house that night. ‘’I have to warn you though,’’ she then said, winking at him with a teasing smile. ‘’I sing in the shower,’’. It was no lie; she would sing whenever she was alone - but in the shower, she didn’t care if others would hear her. She couldn’t help it. She needed to sing. She then moved over to him in the kitchen and grabbed herself a mug to pour some coffee for herself. Being arrested seemed to be yet another way for them to share a beverage. What would it be the next time?

He simply nodded when she told him that Jonathan had called to apologize. He knew that if he was harassing her, she would tell him, so there was no reason to ask more about it. “Will you be going back to work tomorrow or how does that situation look?” he asked. After the police had barged into their place, he was sure there was much work to be done.

As she asked for coffee, he placed a second mug on the counter for her. Her response to his suggestion made him chuckle. “I’m just good at reading minds,” he joked as he looked at her. His smile widened as she told him that she sang in the shower. ”Knock yourself out,” he said, letting her know that he didn’t mind it. If anything, it would give him an idea of what music she liked. “The bathroom is the first door on the left and there’s clean towels in the cupboard,” he informed her as he looked at the door to the bathroom.

He then walked into the living room with his coffee and looked a bit around for anything that he needed to clean up. He tried not to think about her being in his shower as he’d only invited her home as a friend and they'd both agreed on that relation. His eyes landed on a few holy objects on his desk that he went over to move into the drawers, hoping that it would block out some of the holy presence that witches didn’t like. Most of the time they had to touch the object to feel uncomfortable, but other times the sight was enough. He took a sip of his coffee as he looked at some of his work, trying to figure out where he’d seen one of the symbols before. When he thought of it, he grabbed a pen to write a few notes about it. He then lifted his gaze to look out the windows as it started to rain and used his ability to turn on the light, so it didn’t seem so dark in the apartment. Afterwards, he went over to sit on the couch and answered a few texts on his phone.

His question seemed rather out of place, but she chose to ignore that fact. “Are you asking as a friend of as the man that gathered my information at the station?” She asked, a slightly teasing smile on her lips. It was clear to see that either way, she would answer his questions - just not to full depth if he decided to go too far with her compliance. “I have to go back to work. While the others are away, I’m the one to make sure things run somewhat smoothly. With you guys showing up, we had to change some rather delicate plans.” She said, smiling calmly at him. She didn’t like to explain her work, as it wasn’t really the most interesting. She was the stand in leader for a mafia while her friend and.... boyfriend, it seemed, was out of town.

“Then let’s agree for you to stay out of my head for the most part. Wouldn’t want you to get lost in that mess,” she said, winking st him. It was no joke, however. She was a literal mess, usually needing some sort of medication to keep her mind at ease and her nerves steady. That being said, she had never missed a target in target-practice. She finished his coffee as he explained where the clean towel were, making her nod at him. “Understood. Now, don’t be too frightened. My singing is horrible,” she joked. Maybe, there was some truth in her joke, but she joked nonetheless.
She placed the mug back at the counter and winked at him before she followed his instruction on how to find the bathroom. Once inside, she decided to lock the door. It wasn’t the usual practice for her, but with their history, she felt it better to make sure none of the possibilities to mess around. It wasn’t a good idea to ruin a friendship with that kind of behavior. She turned on the shower and started to take off her clothes. She looked shortly in the mirror, noticing her many scars and her mate-mark being particularly visible in the lighting. She started to hum some tune as she entered the shower. It felt amazing to just get lost in the water for once. The heat soothed her aching muscles, making her sigh loudly in something that easily could be interpreted as a moan. Then, she sang something in some ancient tongue, not even sure herself what the tune meant. She only knew it because her mother had been singing it to her as a child.
She decided to cut the pleasure of the shower short, as it wasn’t her home after all. She got out, dried off and got dressed. Instead of pulling her t shirt on however, she simply used it almost as a turban, to keep her wet hair out of her face. Then, she pulled on her jeans, bra and blazer, before she left the bathroom and joined him once again. “Missed me?” She asked, jokingly, as she went to grab herself yet another cup of coffee.

He glanced at her as she asked him a unnecessary question. Michael had burned in with thousands of questions at the arrest yesterday, so if he didn’t ask as a friend, he would’ve asked about it then. “A friend,” he replied as he looked at the road in front of him. Then she told him that she had to go back to work, which was all he was curious to know. He couldn’t help but think about the plans she was referring to, but he knew she wouldn't tell him, so there was no reason to ask.

“Agreed,” he said with a small nod. He knew exactly what she meant, reminding himself back on the moment he walked into her room that night. He was happy that she was joking around with him like this, even after everything, it was good that she stayed positive. “It takes a lot to frighten me,” he said and winked at her. It was the truth. Sometimes that was what scared him the most - how cold and numb he’d gotten to his job and the killing. In the shower, he heard her voice humming a tune, but it was something ancient, so he assumed it was a song her family had taught her.
He heard the bathroom door open and automatically lifted his gaze towards her as she walked into the room. His eyes stopped at her bosom before they found her face, then he quickly looked at his phone again. “Yeah, all the time,” he said with a smile on his lips, before he placed the phone on the table and drank more of his coffee. He took a short breath in, reminding himself that he shouldn’t feel this attraction before he looked back at her, now smiling at the fact that she put her shirt around her head. Did she not think she could use magic in his apartment to dry her hair? “You look great,” he said, slightly teasing. He hadn’t seen many wrap a shirt rather than a towel around their hair. “Are you hungry?” he then asked, wanting to make sure all her needs were taken care of. It wasn’t often he invited guests over, or had the time to cook, so he didn’t have much food in his fridge, but he figured they could always order take-out or make something light.

He had noticed how his eyes sought out her naked skin, but she didn’t really take an offense of it. It was only natural that a man would look at a woman that way. They were civil people after all, so she wasn’t concerned that he would act on any instincts unsolicited. ‘’Oh, all the time? I hope that doesn’t disturb your work then, sir,’’ she said, winking at him. She leaned up against the kitchen counter, grasping her mug in her hands, smiling at the archangel in a calm manner as she actually felt rather relaxed in his presence, regardless of what had happened last time they had been under the same roof in private. Then, as he fired a compliment at her - telling her that she looked great, in a somewhat teasing manner - she chuckled at him. ‘’Tell me something I don’t know,’’ she said, winking at him once more.

Then, as he asked if she was hungry, her stomach answered before she could herself. It rumbled slightly displeased, making her chuckle once more. ‘’I guess I am.’’ She then said, shrugging slightly. ‘’Want to order some takeout?’’ she then suggested, as she had a hunch that he didn’t spent much time cooking or actually live in the flat. It seemed to be a place he researched, slept and showered, but that was it. She smiled calmly, before she placed the mug back at the counter, before she pulled the t-shirt of her hair, showing off the damp dark curls, before she used the t-shirt to scrounge up the hair to remove some of the dampness.

His smile widened at her comment. “Honestly, it can be quite distracting,” he said as he looked at her. He was sure she got compliments from men all the time, and she was flirtatious in nature, at least so it seemed, so it felt harmless for him to joke about. He chuckled when she told him that she already knew she looked great.

It was a good thing he asked because seconds later her stomach rumbled, making him laugh briefly at the timing. “Sure,” he replied as she suggested takeout before picking up his phone to open a take-away app, grateful for his daughter teaching him how to use smartphones. He found a famous Italian restaurant and ordered a pizza for himself before he walked over to Cassandra, feeling his body warm up slightly as he neared her. He handed the phone to her. “Order whatever you’d like,” he said, and leaned slightly up against the kitchen counter. It wasn't his money anyway. He looked at the shirt in her hands after she’d removed it from her hair, seeing that it was pretty soaked. “Do you want to borrow one of my shirts?” he asked. Even though she was wearing a blazer, her bra was quite showing, distracting his mind more than she’d probably want it to.

It was somehow rather funny how they could banther like this. Her perspective was that they were friends - he had saved her from harm and they had shared a rather intimate night together, filled with feelings, instincts and truths.
She smiled at him as he laughed. It was a pleasant laugh, filling her chest with a warm feeling as it meant that he was getting more comfortable with her. Considering that in this moment, she was a mafia boss and he worked with the police. Had it been just a smidge more like the movies, they would have a heated affair in secret. Something she wasn't opposed to, but she was dating a person, so she wasn't going to pursue anything with him.

As he handed her the phone, she rather quickly found what she wanted - a pizza with cheese, ham, pineapple, shrimp and curry powder. She was a weirdo when it came to her food. She had been a vegan for years, but after what happened to her former mate, she had resigned that way of living, as she could not have been able to handle her veganism while recovering from her accidents.

She handed him the phone as she had chosen her order and chuckled by his offer. "is it bothering you that I'm wearing this?" she asked, looking at him with a teasing glimmer in her eye. Of course, if he asked her to cover herself up, she would. She just didn't mind wearing less than usual in front of someone she considered her friend.

He finished his coffee and walked over to the sink to clean it before drying it and placing it back in the cupboard. He took his phone back as she was done ordering, clicking on the button to buy it. He looked into her eyes as she asked if it bothered him, making him chuckle slightly nervously. “No, I just thought you might be cold,” he lied, before looking back at his phone to send one more text and then placing it in his pocket. If she was perfectly comfortable with wearing it, he wasn’t going to make her cover it up for his sake. He just didn’t want to think the way he had that night. He still remembered how it all felt. The mere thought made his hands tremble slightly, so he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He’d learned to control himself, so he didn’t understand why he reacted this way around her. It wasn't like him, but he could only blame himself for having dragged it out so far last time.

“I was wondering… your mental ability. Does it allow you to see others memories as well?” he asked, curious to know if he ever risked sharing any of his memories by touching her. Something told him that she couldn’t, or else she probably would’ve seen something already, but he wanted to make sure.
Thirty minutes later someone knocked on the door and Michael walked over to open it, giving the delivery guy a tip before he closed the door and placed the pizzas in the living room. It’s where he usually ate if he was home. He took a beer from the fridge. “Want one?” he asked Cassandra, only taking another one out if she answered yes. Then he opened the bottle and took a sip. He walked back into the living room to sit on the couch before picking up a slice of pizza and started eating.