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Once Dawn agreed to his idea for Mexican, she followed him as the headed to his car. She chuckled and rolled her eyes along with Connor. [i "Pff, of course. I mean, I could care less who gets the credit. I just want to help people. That's what's important."] she smiled. They continued to the restaurant in mostly silence. Even with how close they have gotten, they did still had those moments of silence between them. They weren't awkward though, just quiet. Dawn enjoyed these moments, where they could be together but didn't feel the need to entertain eachother. She just stared out the window, allowing her fingers to tap her leg lightly.

The pair arrived at the restaurant, following behind Connor. As the made their way through the restaurant to their table, she could tell Connor had been here before. Nodding to people as they made their way. Dawn ordered a lemonade and eyed the chips and salsa. She smiled, licking her lips quickly before taking a chip herself, dipping it in the salsa and popping it in her mouth. She did a little wiggle in her seat, but stopped when she heard Connor's question, coughing lightly as it caught her off guard. She finished her bite, swallowing hard before thinking about his question.

Dawn didn't know Rodger very well. Sure, she had made eye contact a few times across the office and made small talk in the elevator on the first day with him, but otherwise she knew nothing about him besides his name. He was handsome, a good job and clearly had interest in her, but there was something inside of her holding her back. She wasn't sure what it was yet, but something that made her nervous. [i "Oh, Rodger..."] Dawn spoke, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. [i "Uh, I don't think so. He's nice but I really don't think I could see him as anything more than a co-worker. He also doesn't know me at all, so it seems like he's just asking me out for a drink to be able to talk about it later with his friends. I don't know, it seems weird to me."] Dawn shrugged, taking another chip dipped in salsa and popping it in her mouth.

As Dawn chewed on the chip, she got to thinking why Connor cared if she went out with Rodger or not. Were him and Rodger friends? Was he gonna talk him up to her now that she seemed to not want to go out with him? [i "Why are you asking? Did he ask you to talk him up or something?"] she asked, taking the menu in her hand, scanning the menu quickly. [i "Or are you the messenger for someone else asking if I'm single. It seems like everyone at this station looks at me like a new piece of meat. I mean, you never did. I think I scared you a little bit when I first walked in."] Dawn laughed, taking a sip of her lemonade as the waitress placed down their drinks.

[b "Can I take your orders?"]
[i "Oh yeah! I'll take the spicy chicken quesadilla with rice please."] Dawn smiled toward the waitress, looking over to Connor after she was done, the smile sit resting on her lips.

“How about some Mexican?” he suggested. He was looking for something causal with a warm atmosphere and there was a place that wasn’t that far from the station. Once Dawn was all set to go, they were making their way toward their car. He figured he would drive as it would make it easier for him to focus on something other than his feelings for Dawn though that was easily said than one as he thought about Ken’s comment and the fact that Rodger approached her so casually. He wondered if Dawn even really thought about taking a chance with anyone whether from the station or not. He knew she was single and he was as well, but they both had made it clear that last night had kind of just [I happened] and it would be best for their relationship if they didn’t allow it to happen again. Though he couldn’t have been imagining the flirtatious looks the two shared. Nor could he deny that seeing her biting down on her bottom lip in such a fashion wasn’t driving him insane in a good way.

“Nothing of relevance. It looks like we did most of their work for them and I’m sure they’ll still be pushing greatly for credit,” he said with a roll of his eyes. Even though they complimented Dawn, who had done so well with Tessa, Connor knew that Ken would make it seem as though he had been the one leading the overview. He didn’t do things for the credit though and he surmised that neither was that something that Dawn actually cared about.

The eventually reached the little restaurant and after parking began to make their way inside. There was a lot of chatter which kind of drowned out the sound of the music playing, but it wasn’t overwhelming at least for Connor. They were led to a small table in the back, Connor a regular and nodding at those he recognized. He took a seat in the booth, asking for a water before taking a chip and dipping it in the salsa as he looked over the menu. Though, he couldn’t hold back his desire to question Dawn any longer.

“So, you going to take Rodger up on that date?”

As the agents left to work on tracking down a warehouse and a warrant, the partners were left with a bit of free time for now. After a moment of silence, Connor spoke up. Dawn smiled, [i “Thanks. She’s a tough nut to crack, but she seems to like me.”]. Dawn did like Tessa, she hoped she’d try and stay out of trouble, at least away from Gidecci kind of trouble. She was smart, but those people were smarter. Of course having a teen do smaller deliveries for them was wanted, she wasn’t a suspicious looking kid either. If she didn’t have the PD knocking at her door, Tessa would have gotten deeper and deeper in until she became Vicki herself. That thought alone sent chills along Dawn’s spine. Dawn always loved working with youth, taking them on tours during ‘Bring Your Child To Work Days’ at her information desk job days. She hoped she could work with them again, of course when she wasn’t in a case like this, it could put more kids in danger.

[i “Yeah, that’d be nice. Where are you thinking?”] Dawn asked as they arrived at their desks. Realizing they would be alone again, Dawn assumed they were going to have a conversation of their night last night. Of course, they were both in the moment and Dawn was a bit vulnerable due to the actions that happened that day, but it didn’t mean Dawn wasn’t attracted to the man she was standing in front of. Trying to build a romantic relationship during a case of this caliber would be crazy, would it? That didn’t mean they couldn’t be flirty and hook up from time to time. But one thing really ate away at Dawn,

Connor’s wife.

Connor’s wife had been brought up by a few people the last couple of days, but she still didn’t know exactly what happened. She knew she had passed, but under what circumstance? How long ago? Was he even over her? These things circulated around in Dawn’s mind, but she knew asking about something that deep would be rude or even make Connor push her away. Being pushed away after working so hard to get close to him would hurt, and she wasn’t sure if that was good for either of them right now. [i “Oh, did you get anything from the agents while in the other room? Or any juicy gossip between officers?”] Dawn asked, excitedly biting down on the left side of her bottom lip, looking over at him over her glasses that slightly slid down her nose.

They all stepped outside and into an adjoining room that had a two way mirror they could look through. Connor wasn’t surprised that the agents didn’t think that someone as young as Dawn would be able to conduct an interview alone. He also knew it had to do with the fact that she was a female. Admittedly, he had worried about having a female partner and that day in Vicki’s apartment certainly hadn’t made the situation any better. Still, Dawn had proven countless times she was able to do her job and that had nothing to do with forming an opinion based on the inkling of attraction he had for her. though that inkling was slowly growing he felt.

“So,” Kenneth said as he started for the table in the corner to make him a cup of coffee. Connor followed suit while the other agent paid attention to the interview.
“So?” Connor reached for the creamer.
“You and the brunette?” Connor didn’t raise his eyes, knowing something would give him away. He didn’t look at Kenneth until he was sure there was no hint of discomfort.
“You two . . . “ Kenneth winked toward Connor. He wasn’t a bad looking guy, h was successful too; he was just a true scum ball, no matter how right he was.
“She’s my partner Ken, that’s all.” Connor leaned against the counter, his eyes briefly trained on Dawn. She was a natural and he could see Tessa slowly becoming more comfortable with her. She had uncrossed her arms, had move her chair closer and she had stopped bouncing her leg so much.
“So she’s available?” Connor pursed his lips, his annoyance hidden by another drink from his cup.
“I don’t know, you may have to get in line. I think Rodger has his eyes on her,” Connor said. To leave the conversation alone entirely, he walked away from Ken and focused on the interview.

Soon enough he could see both girls getting up, laughing about something that he could see made Dawn’s cheeks turn red. Though by then they had turned off the mic and were heading out. They met her in the hall where Tessa was being escorted by the female officer back out the back door and into a van that would take her to the safe house.
“Warehouse in the harbor, there’s got to be hundreds. I’ll see if we can cross-reference any that have been tied to Rivera or Gidecci,” Agent Gregory said before leaving.

Connor couldn’t help but beam at Ken complimenting Dawn, though he wasn’t surprised she would impress them so.
“I’ll work on getting a warrant,” Ken said before disappearing. Connor looked to Dawn then.
“You did real good in there with Tessa.” He told her, as though it weren’t obvious. They were walking down the hall then, it would take a while before they could just get up and go. They couldn’t risk getting to the warehouse and scaring potential suspects off or worse, losing any evidence if they didn’t have the proper warrants. Not to mention it was still early in the day, they had received new shipments he was sure, but no one there to check it. More than likely it looked like they would be planning a stakeout. “Not that I’m surprised. We’ve got some down time, you want to maybe catch something to eat?” Connor knew that him being forward came from a place of jealousy, Dawn was catching eyes from a lot of people and with her smarts, she’d be even more enticing.

As Tessa entered the room, Dawn smiled. She knew the girl must be petrified, as she had been in the hospital and then moved to a housing facility so she would be out of Gidecci's reach, she was probably nervous to be out and about anywhere. She watched the girl seem to relax when she noticed her, and Dawn was happy she had established some type of trust with the young girl. She hadn't seen Tessa in a while, at least since she was hurt at Gidecci's a few days ago. Dawn could tell the girl had been in a different state than we saw her last, no makeup, baggy clothes, and probably hadn't slept much.

Dawn felt a bit protective when Kenneth seemed to be harsh with her, much like an older sister. [i "Yeah, I can handle it."] she smiled, happy that Connor backed her up, even if he did call her 'his girl'. [i "Thank you."] she responded with a smile to Connor before he left the room. She seemed to get a look from both agents as they left, almost that she wouldn't be able to get anything out of her. They were underestimating her, which she knew she needed to prove her wrong.

As soon as the door closed, Dawn was surprised to feel arms wrapped around her. Tessa had run over and hugged her, small sobs escaping out of her as well. Dawn hugged her back, pulling back and handing her a tissue to wipe away her tears. [i "Tessa, I know. This is scary. We both have been put in a really scary situation and it's all happening so fast. But I need you to give me any information you might have. I'm here for you, I want to help you."] Dawn said, sitting Tessa down as she wiped her face. [b "I know. I don't want to talk to those guys though. They did shit for me. I'll talk to you though."] Tessa spoke, her exterior hardening again as she calmed herself down. [i "Okay, let me hear it."].

Tessa talked about a warehouse that Vicki talked a lot about. It was far, near the harbor. Tessa wasn't sure exactly where, because she was never brought there. But she did know that was where a lot of the meetings with Rivera were held. She assumed that's where they kept a lot of their stock too, but disguised it as other goods. She had heard things about designer bags and using those as holding devices for huge amounts of drugs. She knew Rivera didn't leave the warehouse much, so he probably had a base set up very close by or even somewhere in the warehouse. Rivera had used Vicki to mule letters back and forth from Gidecci, even bring him in some drugs when she was able to visit close up with him.

[b "That's all of what I know and remember. They tried not to say too much when I was around, and most of the time I was high. But I did catch those things. I hope that can help a little."] Tessa said, kicking her feet up on another chair in the room. Dawn finished up the notes she took from listening to Tessa speak, double-checking to make sure she got everything she could. [i "Tessa, this is great. Thank you. If you remember anything else, I'll give you my cell number, you can text me."] Dawn smiled, started writing her number down. [b "Don't. I got rid of my phone, Vicki had it bugged so she could listen in on things, so dad threw it in the harbor. So, I'll call you from my dad's phone or the phone we have at the housing place."] she said, taking the number and sliding it in her pocket.

[b "Oh, and thanks for helping me. I always thought you guys were out to get me. Not you though. Also, I think that guy you work with likes you."] Tessa said, examining her nails at this point. She seemed to relax the more time she spent with Dawn. Dawn tried to hide the fact that her face heated up, but Tessa could tell. [b "Wait, [i you] like [i him]! Don't you?!"] Tessa exclaimed. [i "Thanks, Tessa. Keep in touch, okay?"] Dawn smiled, standing up with her, avoiding the subject altogether. Tessa just gave her a cheeky smile, [b "Okay."]. She escorted Tessa back to the female officer, Tessa giving her a fist bump before leaving.

Dawn walked back over to the agents and Connor, a small smile rested on her face. She had her notebook in her hand and adjusted her glasses. [i "Warehouse on the harbor. She wasn't sure which one, they drugged her a lot most of the time she was there. They use designer purses to hid the stock they carry. Rivera probably stays in that warehouse in the back or close by, he doesn't like to leave much. Honestly, he could just have guys up here working on it while he's off in Columbia still. But, it's a start."] she spoke, handing her notes to Connor to look over with the agents, [+blue "You took these notes, Matthews?"] Kenneth asked. [i "Yeah, why? I wrote them as I listened to her."] Dawn replied, confused. [+blue "They are just...really good. You know all the shorthand and everything."] He replied, clearly impressed. [i "So, ready to go?"] she asked. Clearly, her mission to not be underestimated was starting to work on these guys.

“Gidecci likes to get close. He likes to get as much information on people so he can hit them where it hurts,” Connor said. He wasn’t surprised at all that he had been trailing Matthews, though Connor knew this was mostly because she was working the case with him. Had the Captain put her on a much simpler case, this wouldn’t have been anything they had to worry about. He tried to have faith that Dawn would eb alright, btu hearing that her apartment was broken into and even that her father’s home had been surveyed was definitely making him nervous. Some part of him wondered if it was out of line to suggest that Dawn stay with him the next couple of days. He had a guest room, though small, it was still furnished with the basic necessities and with both of them in the same home, he would be comforted in knowing that she was safe and they had each other’s backs. Connor figured he would bring it up when they were alone. That said, it was clear as well they would have to then clear the air about what had happened between he both of them last night.

Connor was glad that they were discussing the case which made it much easier for him to stop thinking about the night he shared with Dawn. Though, something about how she took charge of the conversation made her much more attractive, if at all possible, and his mind was wandering. He focused on her neck, thinking about who he had buried his nose against it, inhaling her scent. He could still remember how his lips tingled at each sound of pleasure she made seemed to pulse against his lips when kissing her neck.

The door opened a woman officer was mentioning that the witness, Tessa, had arrived. The girl looked a bit tired, but she had definitely toned down her look. She wasn’t wearing makeup, had her hair tied up, and wore a large baggy sweater. She was terrified, which was clear, but upon seeing Dawn she seemed to relax.
“I only want to speak with Dawn,” Tessa said immediately. Connor looked toward Dawn then.
“Now listen young girl, we’re calling the shots here. You’re in quite a bit of trouble.” Connor looked to Kenneth. He was and had always been a hard ass, his compassion only went so far, but Connor didn’t think a centimeter counted for anything.
“Look, Dawn and Tessa have worked together before. I know my girl.” Connor cleared his throat then, realizing his slip up. “My girl here, my partner is definitely up to the job.” He came to a stand, eventually the other agents followed. Connor placed a hand on Dawn’s shoulder.
“You got this,” he told her with a smile.

Dawn smiled as she walked with Connor to the room where they would be meeting up with the agents. Dawn really couldn't believe her luck with the job she had received. She was so worried about starting a new job and getting stuck on bottom level cases like parking tickets and such, but she was on one of the most popular cases going on right now. Something she learned about when she was in school and was so interested in, was now her actual job. Even with the lowest lows that came with the job, like being held at gunpoint, she enjoyed the position she was given. She had such a great partner that she connected with, in more ways than one, and she knew he was part of the reason she was able to handle this job. [i "I've been pretty lucky the way this job has been going..."] she spoke softly, winking toward Connor before they entered the room, even before they opened the door.

As they entered the room, Dawn let herself stand slightly behind Connor, as she knew he had been involved with them previously. He introduced her, and she allowed herself to smile at the two agents, pushing some hair behind her ear. She shook both of the agent's hands before she and Connor both took a seat at the table scattered with paperwork regarding the case. Seeing pictures of people they have seen in the last few days, reminding her of how she assumed this case she started would only last a couple of days and now she was knee-deep in a case she knew they would be working at for a while. But she didn't mind, as long as she was working with Connor, it all seemed worth it.

Why did she keep thinking like that? Why was Connor her main focus? She liked him, sure, but she thought it was all friendly until she was wine drunk at his house very late at night. She knew that they had to keep their relationship professional, at least for now while working on a case like this. But she knew that, at some point, they would actually have to talk about what happened. Did she want that to happen again, one thousand percent, but she didn't know if that was his intention as well. If anything, she knew she at least wanted to be friendly with him, as she really just enjoyed his company. She was broke out of her thoughts when the officer spoke to her.

Dawn chucked a bit when the agent talked about her keeping him in line. [i "More like we keep each other in line. I think I scared him half to death when I first came in with how excited I was."] she spoke, flipping through the file in front of her. [i "So Rivera and Gidecci are currently working together, then why are they going after me and my father?"] she asked Connor, and they turned to the agents. [i "Sorry, I noticed someone broke into my apartment, taking a photo of my father and I. Then at his home, I noticed the license plate. Why would he be after the Matthews?"] she asked, thinking the agents could clarify if they had any extra information she wasn't aware of.

[i "Matthews, Daughtry, Agent Kenneth, and Agent Gregory. The informant just got here, can we let her in?"] Their captain asked. Dawn smiled, happy to not be the only woman anymore. She had never realized how alone as a woman she was until just then.

Connor had to admit that he was certainly a bit jealous to see Dawn talking to Rodger. He knew the guy, this wasn’t just a friendly chat. That said, he had no [I claim] on Dawn and Rodger wasn’t necessarily a bad guy. Their fling the previous night was just that, a fling. So, why was he getting upset that Dawn was socializing with another guy? He tried not to focus too much on it and was grateful her back was to him so as she couldn’t see the look he had. By the time she had come over, he managed to wipe that look off his face and tried to focus on the case. Right now their main concern should be getting Gidecci off the streets as well as this Rivera guy.

He gave Dawn a smile then.
“They can be a bit . . . pompous,” he said with a light chuckle. It was strange, seemingly being carefree at work despite all that was going on. He hadn’t really laughed or smiled in what felt like forever. They began their way down the hall of the station that would lead them to another office. “I’ll say, so young and already making your mark. This could be the case of your career that really sets you apart.” Connor knew that his work with Gidecci alone had put a spotlight on him. He had every bit of a chance to make sergeant since that and yet with the passing of his wife, nothing seemed to sit well with him.

They eventually reached the room where they were met by two male agents who already seemed to be going through their paperwork. Connor couldn’t resist rolling his eyes as he recognized one of the agents. Agent Daniels, who didn’t make his life real easy when it came to working on cases together.
“Connor, nice to see you again.”
“Kenneth,” he responded before shaking his hand.
“This is my partner Agent Gregory.” Connor shook his hand as well before looking to Dawn.
“This is my partner Dawn. So, you guys all caught up?”
“We are, in fact we’re just waiting on our informant to send us a lead on Rivera.” Kenneth looked to Dawn then. “So, they finally found someone that could keep him in line?”

As Dawn listened to Connor and other officers chime in, she wasn't sure how to react. This wouldn't be her first time working with the FBI, as she was sometimes getting calls from them for information regarding a case, but she never had been working this closely on a case with them. She preferred working with Connor alone, as she trusted him, but she would do whatever her job required. She shot a look over to her father, who just smiled at her and made his way back to the captain's office for now. The captain made the call that he shouldn't be staying at home, and would be giving him details of where he would be housed for the time being. He would tell Dawn she would not be going home tonight either, but he would let her know later on today.

Dawn had taken notes on what Connor had said about the case, about Paolo Rivera, and anything she found necessary to know. It was important for her to take notes as her brain would scatter when filled with too much information at one time. She could feel a presence behind her of another officer, but nothing that concerned her at that moment. As the captain began giving specific instructions to different groups, the presence behind her made him know. It was an officer by the name of Rodger, and he tapped Dawn on the shoulder.

Dawn turned, a small smile on her face but a look of confusion in her eyes. [i "Hi, uh, Rodger right?"] Dawn asked. [b "Yeah, you're right. I wanted to say you did a great job up there. I've been seeing you around the office and you have caught my eye quite a few times. I didn't know if you wanted to get coffee or a drink sometime."] Rodger spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. Surprised, Dawn bit her bottom lip. She didn't have any reason to say no, but the thought of Connor made her not want to say yes. [i "That's really nice, but- ."] Dawn started, and turned to look at Connor and flashed him a smile, before being cut off by the captain. [+red "Rodger, join your group please."]. [b "Yes sir."] Rodger said, jogging over to his partner, taking one last look at Dawn as well with a smile.

[+red "The two of you will be meeting up with the agents. So, head out. Dawn, I need to talk to you before you leave for the day. Make sure you come to the office before finishing up for the day."] The captain spoke. Dawn's eyes widened lightly, [i I hope it's not about last night.] [i "Yes sir."] she responded before the two of them were off to meet up with the agents.

[i "So, the FBI don't seem like something we'd like to be involved with, huh?"] Dawn teased, but she was curious about any information she could get out of Connor before meeting up with the agents. The more information she had, the more she had to work with. [i "For my first case, this is going to be a pretty big adventure, huh?"] she asked as they headed to the room where the agents were waiting for them.

Connor knew that Dawn was going to be nervous, but she just had to trust her gut. She was doing great so far and she ha damaged to narrow all the information they discovered down into a concise presentation. It was clear that they were dealing with some dangerous people and he liked to see that she hadn’t been turned off by her incident with Vicki’s goon. Though, considering how her father was looking at her, he determined the possibility that he was upset. Of course he would be to learn his daughter nearly lost her life and hadn’t brought it up. Connor himself was a bit upset as he could only think this to mean that she hadn’t signed up for the counselling and he felt like he played some part in that. Instead of sleeping with Dawn, he should’ve helped her through this. He kind of felt like a jerk and he hoped at least that her father wouldn’t find out about that. Though, could he deny that since their coupling, that he hadn’t become just a bit more attracted to Dawn? So much so that he was staring at her in a trance nearly before she said his name.

He cleared his throat, coming to a more standing position and pushing form the desk he was leaning on.
“Right, so as Dawn has mentioned of course we are dealing with Gidecci. Now, unfortunately it appears our victim is receiving threats. As well as Tessa and her father. We have moved them to a hotel outside of the city while we get things handled. The detectives are working on getting more information out of her, but as you can imagine she is terrified. I ran the plate that Dawn was able to recall and it looks like we may have an idea just what Gidecci is getting into now.” He put up an image of a man who was in his mid-fifties he had dark hair and a mustache, and an intimidating stare.

“This is Paolo Rivera, he’d currently the leader of a cartel in Columbia that the FBI has been trying to dissemble for the last three years. We think that Gidecci is hiring people and using them to illegally take on people’s identities in order to fund his work with Rivera. They’ve got to be working out a warehouse for the bigger shipments as I imagine Vicki’s place is too small.”

“Shit so we are walking into someone’s else territory.” Officer Mike said. Connor nodded.
“Unfortunately, this will mean that we are going to have to team up.” Everyone groaned, it was known that the FBI could get a bit pompous when it came to working on a case with them.
“So, we need to track down Rivera. There haven’t been any sightings of him in Columbia, so best bet is that he’s out here and regularly meeting with Gidecci. More than likely, he’s the one who helped in getting rid of the witness that allowed Gidecci out. We find this guy and we might be able to put him away for good.”

They were all assigned different task then by the captain. Their job was to go meet up with the agents which Connor wasn’t happy about, but considering they were the lead detectives it was their job. He figured her father would stick around, though he couldn’t stay there forever.

Dawn ran her hand through her hair, still looking down at her sheet of notes before looking up at Connor and a small smile pulled at her lips at his comment. [i "Very funny, tough guy."] she teased. His teasing though did let her relax a bit and that let her finish her notes up quickly. She knew she would get an earful later from her father, but right now she could at least smile. It was her only defense she knew.

As Connor mentioned he had a hit on the license, she perked up. She was about to ask more about it until the captain asked if they were ready. Connor looked at her before nodding, the pair standing and walking toward where the group of other officers was standing. Dawn looked back, her dad had his head in his hands, clearly taking her news harder than she expected. She told the captain she would tell him, and she didn't. She never even went home to process, she went to Connor's. The thought brought a flush to her cheeks until she was able to shake the feeling when he spoke to her and placed a hand to the small of her back, and it caused her to jump a bit.

[i "What? Uh, sure. Okay."] she agreed, her growing nervous as they grew closer to the crowd. Dawn was clearly the youngest person who worked there, at only 25 years old with a babyface, she prayed the officers would take her as seriously she as wanted to be. She didn't want to be someone that the officers would dismiss or think she couldn't help in ways she knew she could. By offering this, Connor was putting a lot of faith into her, which she appreciated. [i "As long as you back me up, we're partners after all."] she shot to him playfully, sending a sly wink his way as well.

As Dawn and Connor stood at the board, it felt more of a circle than a presentation, which eased her nerves a bit. Dawn began speaking about what they had gathered. From the older woman and Erik, the bodega, Tessa and her father, the incident at the apartment, and the small amount of info they gathered today. She had yet to find out the hit Connor received on the license plate, so she decided to turn it over to him at that point. He had added in throughout her words, little things she may have forgotten or things she wasn't a part of. while she spoke, her demeanor flipped in a way that was similar to when she started. She was smiling, bubbly; trying to show that nothing had changed for her. She didn't want anyone to know how these last few days affected her, she wanted to look strong, and she hoped the feeling would come too.

The officers, and even the captain, seemed pleased with the amount of work the two had completed in the short time of working together. But they didn't know how close the two had gotten as well. [i "Connor was saying he got a hit on the license I mentioned before but we were called before we came over. I'll turn the rest over to him."] she spoke, looking toward him with a warm smile. She let her eyes lock with his deep eyes, wanting to get lost in them again but quickly broke the contact, not wanting the others who were staring at them to get any weird ideas. The only face to seemed to notice something was the face of Thomas who had drifted over to listen to his daughter speak, proud of his daughter but concerned at the closeness of the partners in a short time.

Awkward was one way to describe how he felt being in the a=car with Dawn and her father Thomas. Normally they would have some conversation. This morning had been different of course considering their relations the previous night. This was on a whole different level though. Connor didn’t want to come off too friendly or say something hat would-be perceived that way. He knew that Thomas was teasing him about Dawn’s beauty when they were in the house, but he didn’t think that Thomas would take kindly to the idea of his daughter dating him. Well more so the fact that they had gotten closer than partners should. Thomas should probably think that he was staking advantage of Dawn as she was still young and new to this world. Being a cop and actually being in the streets was a far away from working at a desk. It was more dangerous which was evident considering they were currently being stalked by some of the world’s most dangerous men.

Thankfully, Dawn’s father’s house wasn’t that far and they didn’t have to suffer from the silence for too long before they finally reached the station. He watched as Thomas greeted the captain, they were good friends by now and joking. Though, once Thomas mentioned why he was there, Connor expected things to become much more serious. He figured if they focused on their work, maybe that would make things better. Though Dawn was having a hard time, as she was peering from their desk and into the captain’s office, hoping to get a sense of the conversation being held.

Connor looked dup from his computer, he was running the license plate that Dawn had memorized and wrote down. He could tell that she was nervous. He figured her father would only further worry about her after knowing about her run in. He couldn’t help but chuckle though, “Something about you cursing is cute,” he said. He hadn’t realized that word came out of his mouth until he found himself looking at Dawn for too long. He nibble don his bottom lip then, some part of him having a flashback to the previous night. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat then.
“I think I got a hit on our license plate,” he said, trying to change the subject. It seemed he was just in time as the captain came to their desk then.
“You guys ready?” Connor looked to Dawn to confirm before nodding.

They were soon headed toward the main center of the floor where a couple other officers were already sitting or leaning against desks, coffee in hand. There was a large white board with pictures already up. they just had to connect the dots in a sense. Connor looked to Dawn then, he wanted her to impress the other cops as well as the captain. His hand pressed briefly on the small of her back as he leaned in. ‘Why don’t you take the lead?” he suggested. In all honesty, he wanted to find a reason to touch her, even if for a brief moment.

[i "Of course I did. Information is my specialty."] Dawn smirked, tapping her temple lightly. She finished her coffee, placing their mugs in the sink, rinsing them quickly as well.

Dawn watched as her father grabbed a few things, grabbing her small dog in his arms before heading out the door. Her father was like most, didn't care for dogs until he spent a week with it, and now it was more like a child to him. Dawn turned to Connor, a shy smile on her lips, [i "I hope you don't mind, my dad will refuse to leave the dog here."] she spoke, as she helped her dad with his things as they headed to the car, locking the door behind her. She knew it was more because of muscle memory, and that if anyone broke in, they most likely wouldn't use the front door. Her father had a decent security system due to his job, so they would be alerted if anyone did enter the home.

Dawn slid into the passenger seat in the car as her father slid in the back, the small dog happily panting on his lap. She sighed, not knowing if they should really have any conversation, her hands folded in her lap. Usually, Dawn would make simple banter with Connor, but, around her father, she chocked up. She was worried he would make some comment about the way she spoke that sounded too friendly. Her father was just as tuned in as she was, he could tell by the sound of her voice what she was feeling.

Thomas was surprised by the quiet manner of his daughter, considering she was never able to stay quiet for more than 5 minutes before. He was worried something had happened in her first few days, as he really hadn't heard from her since she started. He knew he would have to check in with the captain, who was now just a good friend of his, to make sure she was safe in this rough and tumble case she was thrown into.

Thomas's home wasn't far from the station, so they drove in mostly silence, except for the small noises the dog made in the back. As they made their way in, Thomas walked up to the captain, giving him a handshake, and the captain questioning him about why he was here with Connor and Dawn. The captain and Thomas had a small chat in his office, letting Connor and Dawn have a minute at their desks before taking them in to debrief. The captain did tell Dawn's father about her run-in with Vicki's gang, which you could tell it took a lot out of Thomas physically to hear that. As Dawn watched slyly through the small windows that showed the captain's office, and she knew exactly what was said. [i "Fuck..."] Dawn whispered into her paper she was writing notes on for their debrief. [i "He told my dad about my run in with Vicki's thugs."] she spoke, looking over to Connor. She sighed, letting her hair down from the ponytail it was in.

Connor was a confident man and able to hold his own, but no one really could not feel intimidated by a woman’s father. He’d heard good things about Thomas and with him being on the police force, he wasn’t surprised that his name had floated around the male. Connor had made some waves and especially once Gidecci had been arrested and actually charged for his crimes. It was a big win for them and for a moment he was considered a superstar though with this all happening around the planning of his wife’s funeral, Connor hadn’t really felt the need to celebrate. All he could think about was how he rarely saw his wife during all those weeks of being undercover and the one time he decided to spend time with her was what ultimately led to her death. Connor tried to hide the look of discomfort he had on his face then. He was glad that Thomas was doing most of the talking.

“Uh Dawn has been good, real good. She’s caught on quickly, though I suppose that’s not surprising to hear.” Connor told her with a chuckle. His comment made his cheeks turn red and Connor couldn’t help the nervous chuckle that escaped his lips. “What no? I mean yes. I –” Thomas chuckled and patted Connor on the shoulder.
“Relax, just a little joke.” Though her father could tell that he was right in thinking that Connor had of course noticed his daughter’s physical attributes. he didn’t think that Connor would make a move though considering he would try to keep things professional. Though he mostly hoped so, not wanting Dawn to get hurt.

“I’ll be sure to keep an eye on her,” he assured her father. Of course Connor knew that Dawn was full of surprises. Still, she was new to this and he knew that he couldn’t depend on her having it all together. They had to both be there to help one another. They had migrated toward the kitchen as the smell of coffee brewing was becoming stronger. Connor added just a splash of cream to his and took a seat at the kitchen island and enjoyed his coffee. It was certainly what he needed to wake up. he hadn’t noticed any disturbances in the home. Everything seemed locked tight. His guess was that they hadn’t hit the father’s place yet; a seasoned cop like Thomas would’ve said something by now.

Though it appeared they were right on time as both Dawn and Connor had noticed the car that had driven by.
“You remember the license plate?” he asked with a raised brow. Not that he was that surprised at Dawn again surprising him, but for most people they could only catch a few letters and even then having to write it down at least. He didn’t think they needed to wait around much longer. Her father looked confused, but Connor assured him they’d all speak at the station. The captain wanted to talk to them anyways so they could be briefed. They soon gathered their things and headed to the car. The black Honda was nowhere in sight, but Connor knew they would be back. Once in the car, he made the drive to the station.