An Unfortunate Meeting (Cal)

[ERIN O'BRIEN]

"Stay inside and I'll be right back, okay?" Erin said as she got out of the van. "But mom, I..." "I'll be right back!" Erin opened the back door and grabbed the wedding cake she was delivering. "Lock the doors, okay?" She told her daughter before shutting the door and rushing into the building as quickly as she could. It was chilly outside today and she wanted to get this delivery done and over with so she and Molly could go grab some lunch and get home for a bit. Julie was at the store with her mom and was helping out, giving her some time to spend with Molly outside of the bakery that was practically a second home.

Erin was just about finished giving the caterer instructions when she her a soft "Mom?" beside her. She looked down and raised a brow at her tall but youthful daughter. "What're you doing in here?" She hissed. "I have to pee." The little girl bit her lower lip and Erin frowned slightly before looking at the woman she was working with. "I'm sorry.. Do you have a restroom she could use?" The woman confirmed they did and pointed it out. Molly ran off and Erin finished her business and then waited for Molly by the door. When the girl came out Erin had a slightly scolding look on her face. "I wish you would have told me that before I got out." She told her daughter, opening the door for her to exit. "I tried!" She insisted as they walked into the cold afternoon, the wind biting at their faces despite their scarves and hats. Erin stopped suddenly seeing the smoke coming from the van. "Oh, Molly.. if you leave the van you need to turn it off!" She told her going and opening the passenger door for Molly only to find it was locked. "Sorry, mommy." The girl said softly, but Erin has bigger issues to deal with "Molly? Did you lock the doors with the keys inside?" She asked and looked at the kid beside her who offered a curious look in response. "Well, yeah. You told me to." Erin groaned and cupped her face in her hands. "Oh, Molly.." She sighed shaking her head. "Molly you can't lock the keys in the van! How are we going to get back in?" She asked offering a stern look and the light bulb suddenly clicked in her mind. "Oh.. oh no..." Erin nodded. "Oh no is right. Alright.. okay, go back into the catering hall and sit in that little sitting area and stay warm while I figure this out, okay?" "Okay." Being angry at Molly wouldn't help the situation, so there was no point. She made an honest mistake, too young to know what she'd done was completely stupid, and now Erin would deal with it. She pulled her phone out and called the police, not knowing what else to do since she didn't have AAA.

Dispatch said they would send someone out as soon as they could and Erin went inside briefly to check on Molly. The woman at reception was kind enough to bring her daughter a hot chocolate and Erin accepted the tea that was offered, warming herself up while they waited for someone to come help them. Finally a cruiser pulled up and the girls both headed outside to take care of the little mishap. Erin almost dropped her cup when the man in the drivers seat stepped out. She was suddenly filled with dread. Of all her luck.. "Mom, it's Cal!" Molly hissed excitedly and Erin looked down at the girl. "Go back inside, please." She said firmly. "But mom.." "Molly!" The girl got an angry defiant look on her face and folded her arms, her empty mug nestled in her neon gloved hands. She glowered at the girl but it was suddenly clear that she wouldn't have time to duke it out since Cal was smugly standing before them. Erin turned her attention back to him, frowning. "So you're doing cop work now? Don't captains get big cushy offices where they boss their insubordinates around all day?" She spat, clearly not happy about his presence. At least Molly was keeping her mouth shut as she had instructed.

[CALVIN HAGAN]

“Dispatch to all units—there’s a woman in need of assistance with her vehicle. Says she locked the keys in the car and it’s running and she has a small child with her. Name is Erin O’Brien.”[/b] Cal immediately perked up in his car, hearing the woman’s name come over the short wave radio in his vehicle. So Miss O’Brien was having a problem with her car, huh? Sounded like Molly was with her too. This would be a good chance to rub his good, kind nature in that snob’s face. He saw the woman at least three times a week, making it a habit now to go to Cora’s for at least a coffee in the afternoons. Molly wasn’t allowed to speak to him now, but that didn’t stop them from waving at each other when they saw each other. He liked the girl—she was sweet. It was her mother who he had an issue with. Cal snatched up his receiver as the woman gave out the location, realizing he actually wasn’t that far from the spot. “24601 to dispatch—I’ll take it. I’m only a few blocks away.” There was a momentary pause and it was like all of the police cars and dispatchers paused to hear his badge number come over the radio and offer to take such a minor job. “Dispatch to 24601—I’ll make note of that, Captain. Thanks for going out of your way.”[/b] Cal rolled his eyes a little. “24601 to dispatch—not a problem.” Honestly, he didn’t always have to take the big busts. True, it was where he was needed most, but he didn’t think any big crime would happen in the next hour or so that he’d be with Erin and Molly.

When he pulled up to the location, he leaned over and saw exactly who he was expecting to see standing out in front of the fancy building. The cupcake shop’s van was right in front of him, so he assumed that was the vehicle the keys had gotten locked into. He climbed out of his cruiser and the second his and Erin’s eyes met, he saw her face fall and his lit up smugly. There was something so gratifying about tormenting her. Molly on the other hand looked happy to see him, and she said something excitedly to her mother. A confrontation ensued, but Cal couldn’t hear a word of it from the distance he was at, seeing only the unhappy stares going back and forth. As he walked up he saw Molly’s defiant stance and secretly commended her for it. Screw the system! His attention was caught by her mother’s big doe eyes coming to his once again and deep down he might have noticed how pretty she was for the hundredth time. “So you’re doing cop work now? Don’t captains get big cushy offices where they boss their insubordinates around all day?” Though her tone was very testy and catty, he just smiled wide at her. “I happened to be on my way back to the station from a drug bust when your name came over my radio. I thought, ‘Who better to help her out than me?’” His grin grew before he looked down at Molly. He brought his hand down to the side as if he was trying to be secretive and threw her a little wave. The girl giggled and mimicked the gesture before looking up uncertainly at her mother’s stern face. She tried to hide her smile, she glanced back up at Cal and then looked down to the cup in her hands. Really, it was just ridiculous the way Erin forbade Molly to talk to him.

His eyes came back to Erin’s and he sighed a little and gestured toward her van. “Shall we? I’ve got the tools to break into your van.” As Molly passed he gave another big smile and a little wink, making the girl grin again. He parted ways with the women before he went into the trunk of his cruiser to get his tools. They came in handy on some investigations, so he made sure to always have them. As he walked over to the van, he held up his wedge and hook. “I hope you don’t think any less of me.” It was a dry statement, certain she literally couldn’t think less of him. To this woman he was just above pond scum…or maybe below, he wasn’t entirely sure. Just as he reached them, though, he heard a crack like thunder even though it was a bright day and the sound of screams. He immediately halted in his footsteps and turned toward the noise, all trace of a smile gone replaced with a look of urgency. His hands dropped the wedge and hook as he looked to the woman and the girl. “Stay here.” Just like that he was running toward the sound of the noise, knowing it had come from the back of the property. He could hear a man yelling and a couple women crying, one pleading it sounded like. What the fuck was going on?! He didn’t even look behind him to see if he was being followed. His gun was in a holster on his hip and he yanked it out, clicking the safety off before he approached a corner of the building. Cautiously he looked around the corner slowly, finally seeing what made the noise. It was a gun, shaking in the hands of a man breathing heavily, still pointing it at another man bleeding profusely on the ground, groaning with his hand clasped over the right side of his chest. A woman was holding him, crying and pleading, “Please, Joey, don’t do this! Please, he has to go to the hospital!” “No! Not until you tell me why you’re fucking my best friend!” Shit…it looked like a lover’s quarrel but with hostages thrown in. The man had two guns, one pointed at the couple, the other pointed at the other people surrounding him. Anyone who made a sudden move he jumped and pointed the gun at. Cal didn’t even see the little head that popped out from around the corner on the other side of the building. Had he seen Molly, he would have panicked sooner.

[ERIN O'BRIEN]

“I happened to be on my way back to the station from a drug bust when your name came over my radio. I thought, ‘Who better to help her out than me?’” His grin grew but she felt more annoyed than ever. What was with him and pestering her? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She wondered deep down if it wasn't her he was trying to be near but Molly. That angered her even more and when he looked down at her young daughter, Erin stepped protectively in front of her not liking the way they waved at each other. “Shall we? I’ve got the tools to break into your van.” She huffed and shrugged. "The sooner the better." She offered a little exasperated. “I hope you don’t think any less of me.” He said pulling out his tools and she forced her little smile once more, a shiver running through her from the bitter cold. "It's hard to go lower than rock bottom, but you seem like a talented man." She replied wanted to get this done and over with so she could enjoy the rest of her day Calvin free.

Suddenly there was an explosion which made Erin jump, reaching instinctively for her child. Was that thunder? A gun? The sky was cloudy but it didn't look like rain. Snow perhaps, but she had the feeling it wasn't thunder at all. She looked to Cal who looked concerned. “Stay here.” He instructed and she was immediately filled with dread. What the hell was going on? "Molly, come with me." She said, wanting to bring the girl inside and away from whatever was going on, but when she turned the girl was gone and panic filled her. She turned around and looked frantically for the girl. "Molly?!" She called out a little louder. Terror gripped her and adrenaline began to pump through her. Where was her child? Where had she gone? "MOLLY!" She yelled louder, coming around the side of the building where Cal had gone, seeing the man but not her little girl. She could see the couple arguing ahead, the gun out and waving as the man began yelling at the woman. There was blood.. so much blood.. Maybe Molly had gone inside? Turning Erin ran off towards the front again and went into the building.

The woman inside was on the phone with the police so Erin didn't have a chance to ask if they'd seen Molly, but she didn't see her in the lobby area. She went to the bathroom and threw the door open. "Molly?" She called out, her voice cracking a little with the worry of where her daughter was when something so dangerous was happening outside. No Molly. She turned around and went to the desk anyway. "Did my daughter run in here?" She asked in a hushed voice and the nervous woman on the phone shook her head indicating that she had not. Erin ran a hand over her face and then charged back into the bitter cold looking around once more. No sign of her daughter. She went around the other side of the building and moved towards the back and relief flooded her when she saw the bright pink coat. She ran over and grabbed the girl, turning her around sharply. "What are you doing!?" She demanded in and angry hiss, terror clear in her wide, brown eyes. Molly suddenly looked scared as she peered up into her mothers eyes. "I..." "You could have been killed!" "I just wanted to see!" "This isn't a movie! Guns kill!" "But Cal went!" "Cal is a trained, armed police officer! You're a ten year old girl! There's a BIG difference!" "You never let me do anything!" She whined and pouted which only infuriated Erin more. She never noticed the arguing in the background had stopped. "Don't start! Let's go. Now." She grabbed the girls jacket sleeve and started hauling her away.

[CALVIN HAGAN]

Cal’s heart was hammering his chest as he cocked his gun and reached for his radio at his hip. He moved slowly, making as little sound as possible even though the couple was still going at it around the corner. “This is 24601, please send all available units to my location. There is a hostage situation in progress. A man has been shot.” His voice was just above a whisper but he knew the dispatcher would hear what he said. Still, he repeated the information before turning down his volume as low as he could and still hear it if he needed to. The man with the gun was far enough away that he wouldn’t hear the radio chatter. Even Cal could barely hear it. Just then he thought he could hear Erin’s voice calling for Molly. Surely he must have been mistaken. They were over by the car and Molly wouldn’t be dumb enough to come looking for him. Sure enough, though, Erin showed up around the corner of the building looking frantic and he felt a rush of fear. Why was she looking for Molly? She was gone before he could ask her and while he wanted to run after her, he couldn’t move from his post. What if the guy shot again? He was miserably torn. When he glanced around the corner again, gritting his teeth in frustration, he tried to see if Molly had somehow gotten caught in the crowd of hostages. No…she was nowhere to be seen.

Just as he was going to feel relief that even though she’d gotten away from her mother, she was safe, his eyes caught movement on the other side of the building. A head of dirty blonde hair made his stomach sink through the ground. What the fuck was Molly doing over there?! He couldn’t even think of what he would say when this was all over—all he could think about was making sure she got out of there okay. There was a man with a gun for God’s sake! Just when he was about to jump out and distract the man with the gun so Erin would have time to find Molly and get her out of there, Erin’s voice rang out loud in the air. What was she thinking?! He could even see her around the corner of the building! The gunman’s attention was completely drawn away from his hostages and victim as he heard the two arguing. God damn it! Cal had to do something. He could see the fear on the gunman’s face as he registered there were people around the corner and the police officer had to think of the best way to go about this situation. He couldn’t just jump out there and get his ass shot, but he couldn’t let the guy hurt Molly or Erin.

Finally the gunman pointed his gun at the two females which made Cal’s blood run cold. He fired a shot and Cal literally felt like his heart stopped. A couple of the women screamed in shock as the shot rang out, but it was soon clear the gunman hadn’t been aiming to hurt either of the women. “Get the fuck out from behind the building!” There was a moment of hesitation where Cal had to calm his heart rate before he jumped out half-cocked. “NOW!” Just as Erin was appearing and he could see Molly’s legs coming into view, both moving very slowly and hesitantly, Cal jumped out from his corner with his gun held straight and aiming right for the gunman. “Police!! Drop your weapon!” The gunman spun and fired a shot at Cal which Cal returned in the blink of an eye just before his shoulder exploded in pain. “Fuck!” he cried out, his hand coming to his shoulder quickly to squeeze the pain away before he straightened his weapon again. He’d hit the guy in the shoulder as well, only his shot wasn’t just a graze. The bullet was imbedded in the man’s shoulder and the guy had buckled to one knee and dropped his gun. Cal didn’t even have time to register the commotion around him. He rushed forward until he was right beside the gunman, kicking the gun away and falling to his knees. Both of his hands pressed on the guy’s shoulder, making him groan. His eyes looked frantically to the woman holding her wounded lover. “Put pressure on his wound or he’ll bleed out! And someone go out front to let my backup know where we are!” After he’d finished barking out his orders he looked around and his eyes fell on Erin and Molly both watching him. “Are you two okay?” he called out, the adrenaline rushing through him letting him forget the blooding pouring from his own shoulder at the moment. His mind was racing so fast he didn’t even have time to process his frustration with the two women his eyes were trained on.

[ERIN O'BRIEN]

Molly fussed when her mother grabbed her coat. "I want to watch Cal!" She insisted. "Nothing's gonna hap--" A shot rang through the air and Erin yelped and jumped, reaching to pull Molly closer. “Get the fuck out from behind the building!” Erin felt her stomach twist dangerously and her wide eyes widened further. Molly suddenly had terror in her eyes and Erin knew the girl was regretting her decisions. Where was Cal? What was he going to do? “NOW!” If she tried to run he would catch up and possibly shoot them, and she couldn't put Molly in danger that way. But could she let either of them face a crazy gunman?

"Stay behind me." She ordered Molly softly creeping out from behind the side of the building, Molly holding tight to her mother now, obviously afraid of being shot. The girl was going to get a stern talking to if they survived this ordeal. Before they could get far, though, Cal was jumping out from behind the building, his gun in his hands. “Police!! Drop your weapon!” Erin watched the man twist and another shot rang through the air, then another, making both herself and her daughter scream out. Erin put her arms around her back, holding Molly as her eyes shut tight, her heart racing a mile a minute and her breath coming out in short ragged breaths. “Fuck!” Was that Cal or the other guy? She peaked an eye open and saw the policeman bleeding and she thought she would pass out. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, she was frozen in her spot. What was she supposed to do? What could she do? Cal was going to the scene and her legs felt like jelly. She couldn't move, weak and paralyzed at the scene before her.

"Mom, I want to go.." Whimpered the girl at her back. Yes. They needed to go. Now. Adrenaline started to move her, but her eyes met Cal's for a moment. “Are you two okay?” She stopped and stared at him, horrified and terrified and unable to do anything at all about anything. Without uttering a single word she turned and ushered Molly towards the front of the building, scrounging around in her pocket for her phone. The tears suddenly started welling in her eyes as she messed with the buttons. Finally she got her phone to work and she searched her favorites for Cora. She put the phone to her ear, her hands trembling. "Hey.." She said trying not to sound as terrified as she was. "No.. no, we locked the keys in the.. I know.. no, there wa--" She turned and looked around. "The catering hall." She was getting choked up. "It's not that, just can you bring the extra keys? I kno--" She was biting her lip. "There's a guy with a gun and.. yes! Thank you. I'm sor-- yes. Okay, please hurry." She shut the phone and Molly had tears in her eyes. "We should hide! He shot Cal!" She insisted, sniffling. "Is he okay?" Erin ran a hand over her face. She didn't know.. She didn't know what to say at all. "Let's hide inside. In the bathroom, okay?" She turned quickly, trying to usher Molly into the building just as the other squad cars pulled up, their sirens blasting and their lights flashing.

[CALVIN HAGAN]

Cal watched Erin expectantly, waiting for her to answer his question, but instead she just stared at him with those big eyes of hers. Was she going to answer him? Without a word she turned away and started marching Molly to the front of the building. Was she mad at him? He looked around at the scene and realized she was probably terrified. This wasn’t Cal’s first rodeo, so he was immune to all of the blood and adrenaline. A little princess and her ten year old daughter, though? That was a different story. He could hear the sirens drawing closer and before he knew it there were several other officers on the scene along with a team of paramedics. One raced over to the gunman and Cal and took over putting pressure on the guy’s shoulder. The first victim was barely responsive at this point, but the paramedics were still shouting orders to keep pressure on the wound, set up a transfusion bag and such. Apparently if they hurried, the guy would be okay. As for Cal, one of the officers and paramedics tried to escort him back to an ambulance to have his wound dressed, but he wasn’t cooperative. “Just give me ten fucking minutes, alright?! I need to see if the woman I came out here to help is okay.” With that he broke away and headed into the building, having been told by one of the officers that he’d seen a woman and a girl heading in as they pulled up.

Inside was panic. Event planners and staff were huddled and crying in different corners of the room, clutching each other and talking in raised and strained voices. The apparent manager, an older woman, was trying to calm everyone down but failing miserably. When her eyes fell on Cal her face went completely ashen. “Officer are you alright?! It was so brave what you did! You should get that checked!” He held his hands up to keep her away, fighting not to roll his eyes at her fussing. “I’m fine for the moment. Did you see the woman and girl who I was helping before come inside?” The woman looked taken aback by his question and she had to consider it for a moment. “Uh…well yes! They went into the ladies’ room just a few minutes ago.” “Where is that?” The woman pointed to wear the bathroom was located and he immediately rushed over to the room. He was more worried about Molly than he was worried about Erin, but he didn’t want either of them to be traumatized by this incident. The look in Erin’s eyes before she bolted was haunting him though. He never thought she could be capable of looking that scared.

His fist pounded on the door of the bathroom before he walked in, grabbing his bleeding shoulder once more. The pain was really beginning to sear through the torn muscle and it was getting harder to ignore. But he needed to know they were okay. “Molly? Erin? Sorry to barge in but the manager told me you were in here. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay…” His hands and clothes were covered with blood and he had to notice he stood out in the very clean room. Why were women’s bathrooms always cleaner than men’s? Before he got too far in he heard the lock click on a stall and Molly poked her head out before rushing out to meet him. “Cal, are you okay?” He would be sick of that question by the end of the day. A small, pained smile came to his face as he looked down at the little girl. “I’ve been better, but it’s not so bad. Are you okay?” He looked up as Erin came into view and that terror was still written all over her face joined by a couple tear streaks on her cheeks. It made him sigh in defeat, hardly able to stand it when women cried. Even Erin O’Brien provoked his sympathy it seemed. “And you?” he asked in a slightly softer voice, just wanting to know they weren’t going to have a meltdown over this.

[ERIN O'BRIEN]

Erin had no idea what to do about the situation they were in. Cora would be there soon, so she really just needed to stay put there in the bathroom, but was that safe? She had a child to worry about now! "Is aunt Cora coming soon?" Molly asked and Erin wiped a tear from her eye, trying her best to remain calm and brave for Molly's benefit. "Yep, any minute I'm sure." She lied knowing the woman would be at least another fifteen to twenty minutes. They were a bit out of the way, but all she wanted to do was go home and forget this all happened, forget she saw Cal get shot, forget that they had nearly been shot.

Just when she thought they were safe someone banged on the door and Erin jumped and Molly shrieked. She instinctively held the girl tight and turned her away from the door in case someone started shooting the place up. She would be her child's meat shield if she needed to be! “Molly? Erin? Sorry to barge in but the manager told me you were in here. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay…” The sound of the idiot cops voice was almost a relief and Molly squirmed away and opened the door before Erin could really stop her. "Molly!" She hissed at the girl, who continued to disobey her on that morons account. “Cal, are you okay?” She looked out of the metal door at the man who was covered in blood feeling faint. “I’ve been better, but it’s not so bad. Are you okay?” His eyes met hers and she blushed a little. “And you?” She looked at him for a second and then down at Molly, biting her lower lip. "I've been better." She admitted in almost a whisper. "Me too." Molly admitted with a grave nod. "Did you really get shot?" "Molly!" "What? Look he's all bloody, but if you get shot in movies you die, but.. are you gonna die?" Erin put a hand to her forehead. "Molly, please.." She pleaded feeling a migraine setting in.

The last thing she wanted to do was deal with all of this. Yes, Cal had just saved their lives, but she wasn't quick to forget the way he'd been tormenting her for weeks now. Besides, if any other cop had showed up, they would be the ones greeting their praise. He shouldn't have been there. This wasn't the sort of thing he was meant to do considering his status at the station. "Are you?" She asked more quietly as though her mother might not hear her three feet away. "Cal I think you should really go get that looked at. I'd appreciate if Molly wasn't exposed to that." She told him in a voice bordering on hysteria. "I appreciate what you did. We're fine.. and you should go. My aunt will be here soon to collect us and the van." She explained, not wanting to delay this confrontation from ending any longer.

[CALVIN HAGAN]

“I’ve been better.” “Me too.” Well Cal could understand that. As much of a bitch as Erin was, he didn’t like the thought of anyone going through what they’d just been through. He knew how to handle it since he was a cop, but these two were just civilians, one just a child. “Did you really get shot?” “Molly!” Cal snorted, actually amused by the completely honest question. “What? Look, he’s all bloody, but if you get shot in movies you die, but…are you gonna die?” A big smile crossed his face, his hand still holding his shoulder. The girl was a cute kid. Her mother looked exasperated but Cal thought it was funny. “Molly, please…” He didn’t know why Erin was getting so upset about Molly’s questioning. It didn’t bother him at all. The girl leaned in closer and he did the same, glancing furtively at Erin. “Are you?” Cal smiled warmly and shook his head which made the little girl give a wide, relieved smile as well. It would take a lot more than that little flesh wound to stop him.

“Cal, I think you should really go get that looked at. I’d appreciate if Molly wasn’t exposed to that.” He gave her a confused look. What was he exposing her to, excessive blood? “I appreciate what you did. We’re fine…and you should go. My aunt will be here soon to collect us and the van.” He forgot about the van…it was probably still running out in front of this venue. His eyes were still focused worriedly on Erin, though, both irked at being bossed around and concerned at the shrillness of her voice. “Erin, breathe—you’re okay now. Don’t get an attitude with me when I just saved your ass.” His eyes glanced down at Molly. “Don’t repeat that word.” The girl now looked like she was holding back a giggle. He looked back at Erin and motioned with his head for her to follow. “Come on. I’ll get one of the other officers to help you get the keys out of the van.” Both ladies seemed hesitant even after he took a step towards the door and he looked over his shoulder at them expectantly. “It’s alright, the shooter’s been detained.” Finally the ladies followed him out of the bathroom.

Clutching his shoulder the whole way, the pain and heat of his wound was radiating through his whole arm. The paramedics saw him coming and immediately started getting gauze and peroxide ready to clean and dress his wound. A few of the officers looked his way as he came closer and gave him smiles, congratulating him on his work, to which he responded with nods and a stern look. He was doing his job and shot a man—he didn’t need congratulations on that. One of his officers caught his eye and he decided the man would be better suited for getting the keys out of the van than he was. “Rocco! Over here.” The giant wall of muscle moved toward Cal and the ladies obediently. For a guy his size, Roccograndi was actually a pretty nice guy and had a good head on his shoulders. Cal liked him, though he wouldn’t say it to the guy’s face. He might get complacent if he knew the captain liked him. “Help these ladies get their keys out of that van. The tools are on the ground next to it.” Roccograndi looked over at the van and then back to his captain. “Yes sir.” The detective smiled kindly at the two ladies and motioned them to follow him. Cal heard Molly comment on how tall the guy was and it made him smile a little as he turned to the ambulance and paramedics waiting for him.

To dress his wound, the paramedics made him take off his shirt which left him in the white tank top he had on under his shirt and allowed the cool air to soothe his burning wound. There were plenty of previous scars visible, but the most noticeable wound was the angry one at his shoulder. One of the paramedics simply dumped hydrogen peroxide on the wound and Cal groaned at the pain, biting his tongue against the string of insults he was ready to bestow on the innocent EMT. They cleaned the wound and the surrounding area as gently as they could while Cal grimaced, glancing occasionally to Roccograndi and the girls. Eventually they got the door open and Roccograndi leaned in and produced the keys for Erin. Of course she would smile like that at the tall, handsome detective who was hardly younger than Cal. He didn’t know why it made him feel bitter but it did and he chose instead to watch the paramedic dress his wound. “Make sure to keep it clean, Captain.” “Yeah, yeah. It’s not the first time I’ve been shot.” He watched a car pull up and none other than Cora Brady jumped out and raced to Erin and Molly, throwing her arms around both. Cal liked Cora—she was funny and abrasive, but quite caring all the same. At least the girls were taken care of now. The EMT was almost done dressing his wound when the sound of rushing footsteps caught his attention. Molly was running toward him and he’d barely gotten to his feet once more when she threw her arms about his waist, her face buried just below his chest. It surprised him and he gently placed one hand on her head and one on her back awkwardly. He looked uncertainly over at Erin and Cora before his eyes went back to the head at his chest. “Thanks, Cal. I’m glad you’re not dead.” A small but warm smile came to his lips as he looked down at her. “Same to you, kid.” When she pulled away he was still smiling and she was grinning too. She had to be one of the few people in the world who actually liked him. She was a good kid.

[ERIN O'BRIEN]

“Erin, breathe—you’re okay now. Don’t get an attitude with me when I just saved your ass.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she glowered at him in her upset stage. Only he would hold it over her head like this! The arrogant, cocky son of a bitch! “Don’t repeat that word.” It was hard for Erin not to snap at him and tell him to not tell her daughter what she could or could not say, but she didn't want Molly to repeat any of that. Then again, she liked to believe that Molly was smart enough to know better, and she was. “Come on. I’ll get one of the other officers to help you get the keys out of the van.” Last thing she wanted to do was to follow him out, especially considering what was happening out there when they were nice and safe in the bathroom. “It’s alright, the shooter’s been detained.” She was still reluctant to follow, but the thought of leaving, and quickly, was a good one. Finally she moved out, still unhappy with the situation and the man who was arrogantly aiding them.

Outside looked like a crime scene on a cop drama show. There were lights flashing everywhere, some on police cars, others on ambulances, and even a fire engine had made an appearance for some strange reason. Erin kept an arm around Molly, keeping her close and not letting her move away from her even an inch. Not again. The girl was in some serious trouble, but she would save her scoldings for when they were in the privacy of the van or at home, depending on when Erin calmed down enough to not completely blow a fuse. A man came by and congratulated Cal and Erin felt a little miffed by that. Not because he didn't deserve it, but because he was probably eating that shit up which bugged her. Finally he called a hulking cop over to work on the lock for her before turning and heading towards the ambulance. "Whoa.. he's like a giant." Molly whispered loudly up at her and Erin tried not to roll her eyes. "Don't be rude." She grumbled to her daughter as 'Rocco' began to process of getting their door unlocked.

Erin was quiet as the man worked, silently admiring his build. He wasn't wearing a wedding band, but now wasn't the time to try and flirt. Besides, she was hardly in the mood. Still, she couldn't help but feel as though he might be the sort of guy she could like getting close to. She put the thoughts to bed almost instantly. Erin wasn't one to date. She had a career and a child and she didn't need to burden her family with babysitting any more than she already did, even if they were happy to do it. Molly was hers, she needed to care for her. "Can we stop at McDonald's on the way back? I'm hungry." Molly asked softly, knowing her mother was tense, but also hungry after the ordeal they'd been through. "I think if you're old enough to not listen to me when I tell you something, you're old enough to wait until we get home to have something to eat." "But--" "Don't push it, Molls. I'm not exactly thrilled with you at the moment, and you'd be wise to keep your trap shut for a while." The girl huffed but resigned herself to her fate. She would just need to be hungry. Just then the handsome Rocco got the door open, pulled the key out and handed it to Erin. With a heavy, grateful sigh she took it and thanked him, smiling defeatedly at him, and that was the moment that her aunt pulled up.

Erin felt a surge of relief at the familiar face, and when Cora rushed to them she opened her arms and wrapped them around the woman who had been like a mother to her over the last decade, holding her tight and feeling her daughter doing the same. "Are you okay?" She asked, leaning back with concern in her big, blue eyes. Molly turned and Erin looked down briefly seeing the girl looking at Cal. "Yeah... yeah, we're okay, just shaken up is all." "Cal saved our lives, Aunt Cora!" Molly gushed and Erin frowned. "Oh yeah?" Cora asked, looking at Erin and knowing how much the girl disliked the cop who terrorized her a dew afternoons a week. She herself had been privy to some of these sessions, and thought they were mildly funny though she would never let on to Erin. "And was then gracious enough to hold it over my head." She added with a sarcastic twang. "Can I see if he's okay?" "Just let him be, Molly." "Just let her see him for a second. She'll feel better." Erin grimaced, not liking being undermined, but having too much respect for Cora to say anything. "Two minutes and then we're going." She warned, and the girl was off.

Erin watched as Molly ran to Cal and hugged him, the two having some sort of exchange. "I don't trust him, Cora." She admitted, staring at Cal with uncertainty. "It rubs me the wrong way that he's only nice to Molly." Cora chuckled, "Well, if he was a pervert he would try to get you to trust him too." Erin looked back at her, confusion clear in her eyes. "Think about it. Would you ever trust him to look after her alone?" Erin said nothing, the answer written on her face. "If he was going to try and hurt her, he'd get in good with you. He'd just a cop. You know how cops are. All entitled.." It was true. Cora had a good point, but she still didn't like the man. He was tolerable at times, but 85% of the time she wanted to just smack him, and hard.

Erin was silent for a moment and then nodded. "I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to go home." Cora nodded. "Alright, sweetie. HEY! SHORT STACK! YOUR RIDES LEAVING, HAUL YOUR CUTE LITTLE BUTT BACK HERE!" She called out, cupping her hands over her mouth and Molly turned and one last thing to Cal, which Erin couldn't hear, before running back towards them. "Thanks for coming out, and sorry it was sort of a waste of time." "Don't be silly, you've never been a waste of time." Cora gave her another hug and then hugged Molly. "Be good for your mom or else!" "Or else what?" She asked hearing the playful tone in her aunts voice. "Or else.. I'll think of something volatile to happen." Cora ruffled Molly's hair before retreating. "I'll see you two a little later." She called out and Erin waved. "Bye." "Bye aunt Cora!" Erin moved to the drivers door as Molly went around to the passenger side. She gave one last look at Cal, meeting his eyes and with a stoic look gave a half wave before disappearing into the drivers seat. A bath was in her very near future.

[CALVIN HAGAN]

“I’m sorry Mom is so mean to you.” Cal shrugged and looked towards Erin who was apparently talking about him with Cora. He could only imagine what was being said. The man wasn’t about to bash the kid’s mom in front of her, though. “She’s not so bad. I’m not exactly nice to her either.” Molly looked a little confused. “But you just saved us.” He shrugged and shook his head from side to side. “But that doesn’t erase the fact that we’ve been jerks to each other.” Molly nodded gravely, still trying to understand. She was a good kid and he almost wished he’d been a little nicer to Erin just to get Molly out of her awkward position between them. Maybe it would be better for him to just back off, even if that meant Erin won their pissing contest. “HEY! SHORT STACK! YOUR RIDE’S LEAVING, HAUL YOUR CUTE LITTLE BUTT BACK HERE!”[/B] Cal’s eyes opened a little wider, looking up at Cora who was standing there with her hands cupped over her mouth. He supposed it was time for the little posse to be off. “You should just tell Mom you’re sorry.” Cal raised his eyebrows and looked down at Molly. “That always works when she’s mad at me.” He smiled and nodded. “Maybe I’ll try that.” When pigs fly. Cal still firmly believed his questions that started this whole face-off hadn’t been offensive and she had no right to get into it with him. He didn’t care how childish it was—not that he would admit if he did care, though.

Molly ran off and Cal moved to put his shirt back on, sliding the soft cotton over his shoulders and grunting as he was forced to move his arm in a way that made pain sear through his shoulder. Buttoning it up wasn’t so bad though and when he looked up again, he could see the girls climbing into the van. To his surprise, Erin took one last look at him, making him pause in his movements. Was she about to come over there? No, but she did give him a halfhearted wave. He returned it, not smiling, just raising his hand in recognition. Then the pretty lady disappeared into the van and he was left wondering if what had just happened was significant. Maybe that was her way of saying thanks. She certainly wouldn’t say it to his face. He just didn’t know how to feel about the whole thing. Women were so fucking confusing.