Break ins!

[mitochondriaaya]

"...and then I said how was I suppose to know the difference right? Denture paste, tooth paste? Who knew one was glue?!" Kyle laughed and held open the door to her floor. They'd just exited the stairwell after Kyle's normal night of taking Darlene out.

Pheh. Normal. That was a depressing thought. "Well...they do put nice, step by step pictures on the side of one of them?" That was a CLUE Mr. Detective.

"Who reads toothpaste tubes? Really, I just passed it to him!"

"...I do? Janna's allergic to Xylitol and a lot of toothpastes have that in as a sweetener." Because it was bacteria neutral or something. Anyway! "So do a lot of chewing gums, so no giving her gum unless you've checked!"

That was...not the come back he was expecting. "What the fuck is Xylitol?" She was making that shit up wasn't she?

"No, honest! It's a fake sweetener! Toothpaste can't use sugar right? That defeats the point of brushing, so they use fake stuff but Janna's allergic. The doctor said it wasn't uncommon!" SHE WAS NOT MAKING IT UP!

"Huh," weird. "What do you use then?"

"Toothpastes that are mainly baking soda based with mint extracts!" The whole family did! It was a solidarity thing!

"Damn allergies huh?" Kyle smiled as they turned down her hall then...froze, hand reaching for the gun he wasn't wearing. Fuck. "Darlene, stay here." The door was kicked in.

"What? You need my key t-" Oh. OH. THAT WAS HER DOOR. WHO WOULD WANT TO KICK HER DOOR IN?!

"I think some of those people Traver pissed off may have stopped by. I'll look around."

Darlene nodded mutely, wide eyed...then lifted her cell to her ear to call Traver the moment her partner went into the apartment. Because...that was her life in there. Her material life. She needed to talk to Traver.

Comments

[sliceitwithwind]

After a short phonecall the boys showed up...with a large, empty duffle bag to put Darlene's clothing in. She was obviously not going to stay the night there!

"Hey, baby...you okay?"

[mitochondriaaya]

Darlene was...leaning against the wall across from her smashed door when they arrived. Leaning a blank eyed and just...in shock probably. "They tore it apart." Her apartment. Sure, it was a crap apartment but it was hers. And now it was...

"And where was that damn dog you got?" Kyle snarled from just inside the doorway, arms crossed.

"Sheeva's a good dog!" Darlene snapped back, stung. "I don't want her locked in here when I'm not home! What if we'd been late? She's here when I'm here!"

"...yeah, sorry." Kyle grumped and eyed the two men balefully. "What do you think you're doing?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Darlene," or was that darlin'? Hard to tell with Traver's accent, "called me. You don' think I'm gonna make her sleep here without a lock on her door." It was a flat statement, not a question, "Once the po-lice report is filed Breaker'll pack her up."

[mitochondriaaya]

"We'll see about thta," Kyle was...not feeling friendly if the body language was anything to go by.

"I haven't gone in yet," Darlene admitted.

"She doesn't need to see this." Kyle pointed out grimly.

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver met Kyle's look with one of his own, and Breaker loomed a little bit (just a tad) too close to the male detective.

"It's up to you, baby." Traver said, brushing her cheek, "I ain't gonna try to stop you from lookin' in there." He just wants her to come home afterwards because she needs a safe place to sleep.

[mitochondriaaya]

Kyle...didn't shift back. Nope, he bristled, jaw jutting out stubbornly. "If any of you go in don't touch anything." It was, for all intents and purposes, a crime scene.

Darlene wrapped her arm through Traver's and leaned her head on his shoulder a moment. "I was waitin' for you." She didn't want to go in alone and Kyle was guarding the door.

"Anyway, we can get you into a hotel for tonight." Kyle continued.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Not until the uniforms have been here." Traver agreed, slipping an arm around Darlene's waist so that she could lean on him better, "No reason t' spend the money, baby, you know I gotcha covered." Darlene, after all, didn't have money really. A night in a hotel? That'd hurt her pretty badly.

Breaker stayed where he was, appearing to ignore all of them while watching down the hall absently. It was a pose. He knew exactly what was going on at every second.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Hotel's cost," Darlene agreed softly. "And they aren't comfortable anyway." They'd stay here a little longer. She didn't want to go in until she was allowed to touch things, else she'd reach for things and...yeah.

"Not that much," Kyle countered. "And I'll spot you if necessary. You don't have to end up anywhere you don't want to be." Because, in his head, she never really wanted to be with Traver. "Or hell, I have a couch."

"That's sweet Kyle but I like Traver's bed."

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver nodded and kissed her ear lightly. For a human, nothin' special, for Olia it would be casual eroticism. What Traver meant by it was anybody's guess. "Got some clothing there already, too, baby." Traver agreed with her choice, thank you, "So if they don' let'cha in tonight you'll still have somethin' to wear t'morrow."

[mitochondriaaya]

There had been a slight choked sound when Darlene said something about Traver's bed so casually. Kyle may also have turned a slightly red shade...

...he wasn't going to be responding for a moment while he got his bearings.

Darlene had more important priorities though. "Work clothes? I'm back on shift tomorrow..."

Gape. Gape. Glare. "Do you really think it's safe for her at your place?" Kyle finally gritted.

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver closed his eye while he shuffled over various outfits in his brain, "Yeah, baby, you've got some work clothes. Not a lot, but enough for a day 'r two." Then he opened it again and said, "Yes, de-tec-tive, I think it's a damn sight safer than anywhere else in the city. Breaker can take the couch t'night."

Breaker nodded at that. He didn't mind, much. Extra hours meant extra pay.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Good. Kyle said it's pretty messed up in there, the clothes I do have at your place may be my best sets now." And it was all just making her...tired. "Thank you Breaker." For giving up his time.

Kyle's mouth snapped shut as he stared between Traver and Breaker because...yeah, his mind went other places with that comment. Riiiiiight.

"It's the only place in the building that was hit," he finally pointed out. "They were gunning for her, probably to get to you. Keep her close and you put her at a bigger risk."

[sliceitwithwind]

"You've checked all t' other apartments?" Traver asked, eyebrows high. It was a gamble, but he was willing to bet, "Could jes' be the only one hit t'night. This isn't a good part of town."

His part of town wasn't great either, but it was better than this.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Unless the people decided only Darlene's door needed to be kicked in, yes." Rather certain. Certain enough. Besides, it was the most useful reason. "Her chains and such are still here, so it wasn't a robbery."

Darlene just...sank down to sit on the floor, head resting comfortably against Traver's thighs. "We've also pissed some people off Kyle. You haven't been home to check your place yet," she pointed out. Because...no. Just no tonight Kyle.

[sliceitwithwind]

One benefit of being as short as he was? Traver could sit on the floor with Darlene without losing any kind of height advantage. He was able to tug her half into his lap and press a kiss to her temple and still be powerful and masculine.

Breaker murmured, "New paint on several doorframes. Some scarring, too. Break-ins probably no more than a week or two ago."

[mitochondriaaya]

Well, Traver was good like that. Kyle, on the other hand, had a muscle twitching in his jaw the moment Traver tugged Darlene into his lap. This was NOT how the scene had played out in his head.

Not at all.

Darlene herself though just...relaxed. "Sorry Babe, just....tired. I was up real early." And then this. "I...really just want Janna's artwork, and my personal things? My gun is in the weapon locker at work." The rest...she could leave. If it disappeared she didn't care anymore.

"If people in this area had suffered break ins they would have been out here with guns when they heard her door crunch. It's a rabid neighborhood." And a vindictive one.

[sliceitwithwind]

"I know, darlin'." Traver said, keeping a comforting arm around her, "We'll see what we're allowed t' do after the uniforms come an' look it over." He was ignoring Kyle at that point. Kyle was not helpful and had an agenda to push.

[mitochondriaaya]

Kyle didn't like being ignored. Traver was just really reminding him WHY he wanted the man dead.

Very dead.

"I"ll have to sign a statement, but then we can leave." Darlene laid out, knowing the protocol. "As it's my property, kinda." Renting. Anyway. "Kyle can't sign." He had no right to.

"They may need more than that to determine motive," Kyle grumbled, shifting on his feet.

"More that I don't know and can't give! And we can't work the case anyway so I'm going to sleep tonight!" Darlene DID KNOW WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT thank you.

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver nodded to Darlene, "Whatever we need t' do, baby, we'll do." it was simple fact. He wasn't going to try to rush her off, or get Kyle to sign something, or anything. "Someone has called the uniforms, right?"

"Someone's coming." Breaker mentioned.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Called them after I called you." Darlene mentioned. Because...Traver came first.

That sound? That was Kyle's teeth squeaking while he clenched his jaw!

And the men coming up the hall were the rental manager and two uniforms. Handy that.

"How soon can this be repaired?" was Kyle's first question to the manager.

"Don't bother," Darlene sighed. "Wouldn't be able to trust it anyway." The uniforms, after getting people's names, went in to take stock of the situation. They knew their job!

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver nodded and kissed her temple again. Reassuring, comforting, that's what he was going for.

Breaker backed out of the way, finally giving Kyle a little bit (very little) of space while Traver helped Darlene off the ground. With luck they'd be able to go in and grab her things soon.

[mitochondriaaya]

"I"ll figure out long term housing...later." Once she'd had a private sit down with Traver probably. The living alone bit had been a temporary measure anyway.

It had just...become a thing.

Now she wasn't so sure it was necessary.

"I'll pick up a local paper, see what's on the market in a safer area for you." Kyle offered immediately. "Might even be something in my own building. A lot of cops rent there." There were...discounts. Steep discounts for cops there.

"That's sweet Kyle but don't worry," Darlene took Traver's hand up then smiled as the beat cops came out. They'd taken notes, had a team to take photos on the way, and after that was done she could take things out. "No, no rental insurer to send a copy to, just me." Darlene admitted with a tight, slightly shamed, smile.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nothin' to be shamed of, baby." Traver said, rolling his eye at Kyle's comment. Man came on too strong, even if she weren't Traver's lover. Even Traver had more subtlety than that. "If'n you need to find a new place, you know I'll help however you want." The you in however you want was slightly stressed. Her wants, not his...and he was leaving it open for her to not need a new place because she was going to live with him.

After all, she'd moved out. He hadn't wanted her to go.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Nothing worth insurin' anyway," she muttered quietly to Traver. Darlene didn't go in for shiny electronics or even a television. Her spare cash went to spoiling her baby girl, increasingly less to her habit, cell phone, then anything else like groceries and new clothes and such. "Mostly sentimental stuff."

The uniforms nodded, made soothing noises, and tried not to...get between everyone since something was going on.

The minute the detail crew showed up they disappeared back inside the apartment.

"We'll see what happens alright?" Darlene finally allowed. "After I've slept." And the way she squeezed Traver's hands around her waist probably gave clues to how she thinking the housing situation might go.

"Alright, that's fair." Kyle finally admitted. "But I'll still pick things up to look at. I know you don't want to be an imposition too long even with this bullshit here."

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver didn't let it show, but he was smug as a smug thing at that squeeze. He squeezed her back, lightly. He'd love to have her there, he would. Completely love it. "She is never an imposition." he half snarled it because, seriously. He'd been ignoring so much and that? That was just enough. "An' curse you fer sayin' it."

It was said coldly...coldly enough to know that he meant it. If he had magic, he'd curse Kyle.