For all their differences and disagreements, Yves would still trust Kennedy when it truly mattered. He hadn't set out camp at the station in hopes of finding her there, but when she showed up, the part of him that still held onto their past adventures and familiarity felt almost grateful that she was there now. That it was someone that would, at least, be honest. Even if she wanted something different for him, Yves trusted her to be nothing but who she always had been. He looked away at her answer, not expecting more, truthfully, but still hard to hear. Yves didn't expect the police to solve this case though, he had a better chance if he asked Charlie to help do that, if he were honest. Their opponent this time was some leagues ahead of the NYPD, that much was clear.

𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 breath through her nose. this case was personal now, and a smarter cop probably would’ve stepped back, handed it off, not given unfounded theories to the brother of a victim. but kennedy couldn’t. “i think the same motherfuckers who tried to blow us up on robins island just killed three people in an arson attack,” she said bluntly. “and ‘increased police presence’,” she added, making air quotes with clear disdain, throwing harvey’s own mt. sinai press conference wording back into the air between them, “isn’t going to do shit if we don’t actually know who we’re dealing with.” her voice stayed low, but the edge underneath it was impossible to miss. she was angry. exhausted, too, but mostly angry. “that’s what i think.”

cesar had finally gotten some sleep. when he woke up that morning he actually felt grounded, like his body had melted into another shape. one that was happy to be alive, joyful and ready to have a good day. he took his time in the morning, made his coffee just right and arrived to work just at the start of his shift. He had been sorting through some online orders when he heard someone speak to him. he cringed at the sound of Mr. Flores' being reminded of how his teachers used to speak to him in school. he glanced at the badge, pausing for a moment before he put the items in his hands down. "i didn't see anything if that's what you want to ask. i did break that glass though so if they want me to pay for it...well. i was trying not to die."

𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 huff, almost a laugh, at the absurdity of that idea; her, coming to charge him for the broken glass. though there was something self-deprecating tucked in it. she understood the impulse to assume the worst of cops in this city. hell, half the time, she did too. “god, no. i’m not a fucking asshole, i promise,” she said, shaking her head. “if anything, you’re a hero. i read in a couple of statements that people got out because you broke the window. that true?” she paused, letting that sit for a second before her tone eased back into something steadier. “anyway, i’m really not trying to give you a hard time. it’s just that sometimes after...” she stopped herself before the department-approved language could come out. traumatic event. incident. all those clean little words for something that had almost burned people alive. “after fucked up shit like that happens, things come back later. trust me, i know from experience.” kennedy looked at him plainly, not pushing. “that may not be the case for you, and you can absolutely tell me to fuck off. but i’m trying to find something, anything, that helps us arrest whoever almost killed you and a bunch of other people at the corner market.”

“𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜…” 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝 him, then paused, reconsidered, and lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. “you know what? you’re probably right.” the image of isaac sitting at his desk, quietly writing little scenarios where she and conall finally got together, made her chuckle despite herself. “you’re right, you couldn’t write fanfic. you act like you barely have a grasp on the english language as is. can’t go two seconds without saying fuck.” she grinned, fully aware he could say the exact same thing about her. “ew. i am not ass-licking anyone, especially not harvey. i don’t even like the guy,” kennedy admitted, because it was true. she walked farther into her place, where there was, in fact, dinner waiting for him. that part hadn’t been a lie, even if the whole thing was absolutely a trap. “you’re lying,” she said, glancing back at him. “anyway, i stopped by, and honestly, a girlfriend was the last thing i expected to find. and she wasn’t, like, some trashy loudmouthed girl.” a pause. “what? that’s what i always pictured you with. that and, like, ten thousand children.” she rolled her eyes, then leaned against the counter like she had all night to interrogate him. “so what’s the real story? how did you meet her?”

"Then maybe we have to use that to our advantage. There's got to be a pattern with it all somewhere, right?" He knew that neither of them wanted to revisit what they'd done to protect themselves - to protect each other - but he couldn't help but feel like it made them uniquely placed to figure it all out. First hand experience with the people who were pulling strings and making their city unsafe. "Incompetent is an understatement." He didn't know how anyone was supposed to put their trust in the force when they seemed to be continually scrambling for any kind of footing to just keep up with the events. "But maybe that'd the point. Everyone panicking with nowhere to turn." Frown quickly creased his brow, jaw ticking as he felt a spike of anger at her confession. Adding to this group's list of sins the fact that they were making Kennedy, someone who'd already had to endure so much, fearful in the city she'd made her home. It was quickly wiped from his features, knowing that as much as they could provide each other a space to vent his anger wasn't what was needed then.

𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 a pattern so badly. maybe then it’d have an answer. “you’re the detective, you tell me.” she said, a smirk crossing her features. teasing, always teasing the guys - isaac and conall and leon too - who managed to make detective. unis versus detectives, though kennedy had never had much patience for any of that in a real sense. who gave a shit? “no, but seriously. that’s what’s been driving me insane. it looks random, right? like they just want chaos. but it can’t be. you’re right, there has to be a pattern. a plan.” she paused, steadying herself before pushing forward. “take what we know about sebastian hope.” her chest tightened at the name, but she kept going. “they kill an ada…and then don’t even take credit for it. they pin it on someone else and then make his death look like a suicide. why?” she shook her head slightly, going back to the beginning. she caught the shift in his face. it was that familiar frown, the one that’d been there more often lately. she hated it, hated that look on him. for a second, her gaze lingered. she wished she could take something off his plate. anything. maybe that was part of it, too. why she couldn’t let this go. part of it was her family. part of it was anger. but there was him, threaded through all of it, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧, kennedy hadn’t been a cop when they first met. she was the furthest thing from it, trouble starting and shit talking. but even back then, she’d been persistent; a dog with a bone. “no, ronan, conall and i are only in love in the fanfics you surely write about us.” she gave an instinctive eye roll. he and isaac both always brought this up. as if she were some girl with a crush, sprawled across her bed tehee-ing and scrawling mrs. ward over and over in cursive on notebook paper. “i love you all equally, okay?” she said with exaggerated faux-contrition, like a mother telling her children she loved them all the same. “now, come on, spill. i’m sure she mentioned i stopped by.” she stepped aside, just barely, and let him in. “she’s really fucking pretty, ronan. sweet too. how’d you pull that off?”

"Yeah, you might want to have those checked. I could do that after dinner, if you'd like." Leon suggested, picking up a spare towel and helping her to fan the air, get the smoke out as soon as possible. With two children in the house, it was important to make sure that all the safety factors were in place, and Leon was more than willing to help Kennedy out. Not that he didn't believe that she couldn't manage to do it by herself - he was just more than aware that a spare hand was always welcome. Besides, he trusted in her to know that his intentions were always genuine. "You know that anything helps. WHat have you got on it? Even the smallest details coud lead to something." Leon insisted. One of the many great things about Kennedy was that she was so observant and so smart; yet, two heads were always better than one.

“𝐠𝐨𝐝, 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 over and put you to work. i’d be the worst fucking host of all time. i already charred dinner.” she exaggerated with a grin. the truth was, she appreciated his kindness more than she let on. which felt strange, given how much shit she talked on men as a general rule. yet somehow she’d ended up surrounded by a handful of genuinely amazing ones, including leon. she drifted to the window, letting the outside air cool her face. “the bomb was expertly made, that’s what our techs are saying. someone smart enough to build a bomb is probably smart enough to start a fire, don’t you think?” eyebrows lifting faintly in question, kennedy figured that night and the recent fires were linked. “someone should’ve talked to the girl who disarmed the bomb. but i don’t think anyone ever did. and that’s fucking weird to me.” she paused only for a second before going on with her theories. “and how did they manage to get a bomb on a private island? there’s no way a family as wealthy as the klines don’t have, i don’t know, security cameras on their private fucking island. or guards? how did someone sail across and plant a bomb without being seen?”

"Something. Always something." Bitterness tinged his tone when he felt like they were eternally a step - or several - behind. Bound to play by the rules while others flaunted them for their own gain. "Gotta be linked to the Hope case, right?" But why seemed like the more pertinent question. None of it making any sense to him. The questions and theories that had been plaguing him along with their brush with death were set aside though, taking her up on her unspoken offer to put the weight of their work down. A chance to at least pretend at some normality for a while. "I wear an earring all the time, Ken." Teasing as if she didn't already know that. Phone was pulled out as he spoke, flicking through the few pictures he had since that night to save her the time. Not like he had anything to hide from her. "Here." Screen turned towards her, showing a picture with him doing his best not to look uncomfortable in a suit that had technically fit well but he felt like didn't fit him. "Far be it from me to deny you the opportunity to laugh at my get up just because duty called." He leaned against the counter next to him, conscious of his hands and the fact that they weren't doing anything useful. But for once he bit back his offer of help, trusting Kennedy had it under control. "Yeah, me too. Can't say I'd have been great company though." Stress had gotten the better of him that night though it didn't help that he'd felt vindicated given how it all panned out. There was no doubt in his mind though that a bit of time with her would have taken the edge off.

𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐝. “i have no fucking doubt it’s linked to the hope case.” her stomach lurched when she said it, thinking about what she’d done, what she’d covered up to protect herself and her secret. she hadn't said much about it. but she didn't have to pretend it hadn't happened, either. not with him. “and the fires,” she went on, sharper now. “we’re calling it arson, and yeah, it is, but come on. we both know who’s behind it. that was a message. a giant middle finger for disarming the bomb.” she huffed out a breath, shaking her head. “they’re trying to scare the shit out of the city, and it’s working. people are losing it at town halls, like full-on fighting, and we just…” she trailed off, jaw ticking. “we look incompetent.” she sighed, then met his eyes. “i’ve been keeping josie and mckinley home from school. i dunno, maybe i’m scared too.” there was no one else she’d admit that to but conall. the tension broke just a little when they discussed his formal attire. “yes, but i had never seen the earring-suit combo before.” when he showed her the picture, she stilled, eyes taking him in. with ronan or isaac, she would’ve said something quick, teasing, easy. but this was conall. same years, same history — just…different, somehow. something felt softer in her chest, something she ignored as her mouth curved despite herself. she resisted the urge to say something disgustingly genuine. “i’d never laugh,” she said instead and meant it, turning back to the counter, knife moving through what she was chopping with a little more focus than necessary. “i wasn’t exactly great company that night either,” she added. “probably should’ve just treated it like a fun night out, if i’d known what was coming with the fires.” a small breath. “i think i’ve worked, like, quadruple overtime this week. interviewing a lot of victims. it’s been…heavy.” she glanced over at him, giving him a quick once-over. “what about you? what do they have you detectives up to?”

CLOSED FOR: @kennedycamara

𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 to herself in days. she wasn’t ready for one. she stayed busy with work, not wanting to think about dior, about the terrifying way she died. it wasn’t fair. seeing yves at the station stopped her short, and she felt her stomach drop. there was nothing she could say. there was no version of this that was okay. “yeah, that tracks. it’s kind of a zoo here right now. i don’t know if harvey’s still in the hospital or what, but we’re all kinda scrambling.” her jaw shifted slightly, like she was chewing on something she didn’t say out loud. “there aren’t a ton of updates yet,” she continued, keeping it straightforward, because anything else would feel like lying. “we’ve confirmed arson. but outside of that, it’s a lot of pieces we’re still trying to put together. i know that’s probably not what you want to hear.” she looked at him, keeping her expression even, her eyes not too soft, not lingering too long in one place, trying to avoid looking at him the way people had looked at her after her dad died. she wanted to ask how he was holding up, but that was a stupid question to ask. instead, she tipped her head slightly. “have you eaten today?”

Yves couldn't help but smile at Kennedy's words - it almost felt as if they were younger all over again, and she was rambling on and on about whatever was bothering back then. Those days, everything felt like the end of the world, but now as an adult, Yves almost say all the disagreements that led them to separate and to become other people was almost nothing. "Wasn't that better than you having to work that event though?" To be fair, Yves didn't even know if cops worked private events. They love rules though, so having them work boring events was probably right up their alley, sue him.

𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐮𝐠, not disagreeing. “i mean, herding rich people to safety technically counts as working. which, might i add, is hard enough without the added bonus of them all packing fucking heat.” her mouth twitched. “i was just waiting for one paranoid idiot to set the whole place off.” she huffed out a quiet breath, then added, “feel free to clown us, by the way. commissioner can say whatever he wants. we do not, in fact, have this handled.” she was loyal to the job but she also wasn’t a liar. she believed in transparency, in accountability. and frankly, she was fucking frustrated. they were chasing shadows. the edge softened when he slid the beer toward her. “oh yeah?” she said, glancing at him. “i’m trying to picture you in a suit. have i ever seen you in one? i feel like no.” she tilted her head, thinking it over. “anyway, i’m sure you cleaned up good.” she meant it, too. she was sure dior and chanel looked beautiful as well.

The confusion on her features had quickly shifted to something closer to guilt, doe eyes widening as the name Kennedy struck a familiar chord. Head immediately shaking at the apology that was offered when she felt like she was the one who should be grovelling. "Oh my god, no, I'm so sorry." Words blurted out, always so much of a reflex when she'd spent her childhood trying to make up for the inconvenience of her just existing. "I didn't mean to give you a hard time I just -" She trailed off, figuring it was pretty obvious what had happened and it seemed as though she'd managed to make the other woman feel just as awkward about it as she did. "I don't think he should be too long, you can still come in?" Offer was made almost eagerly, stepping to one side to let her in as she sought any way to right the situation she'd caused. Mushroom perked up slightly at the movement. "Do you like dogs? He's really friendly, wouldn't hurt a fly, but I can put him somewhere else if you want?" The smile that flickered onto her features was tentative but not lacking warmth, contrition lingering in her gaze as she tried to make the invitation more enticing. "I was actually just about to make a smoothie but I'm sure there's enough for two?"

𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 apology unfold with a curious tilt of her head. something about those rushed words and that nervous smile seemed too genuine for a casual fling. plus there was that “we” she’d dropped earlier. people didn’t usually refer to themselves and a one-night stand as a unit. her cop instincts revved to life, searching for the connection she was missing. “you’re not giving me a hard time. like, at all.” she shook her head like the idea was ludicrous. “you’re actually making it really easy to get in here. which, i mean, i could be here to steal his electronics,” she let out a small chuckle. “i’m not, by the way. and i’m also assuming the reason you’re letting me in is because ronan told you about me?” she asked, curious and hopeful her hunch was correct. ronan mentioning his friends to this woman would suggest something beyond casual. “oh i don’t mind dogs. i wish i could get one, i just work the most ridiculous hours.” she was grateful for ronan and isaac and conall, who helped out with babysitting. especially earlier in her career when she did constant overnights. “god, i’m not trying to barge in and steal half of your smoothie. you must think i’m so fucking rude. ronan may agree. he’d probably say i can be a little shit.” and don’t even get him started on her daughter and her f-bombs. “and, as such, i’ve gotta ask. are you…i mean, are you guys…?” she let her question hang in the air.

It had become a tradition over the years, really. A family he no longer had appeared in the form of Kennedy and her daughter, and over time, Leon had come to cherish those dinners, those moments of normalcy. And whilst Kennedy was the one to take care of those dinners, Leon always made sure to bring some kind of dessert, to do his part. Not that he was the one making them; more often than not, it was ice cream from a deli nearby, or a some kind of pie from the 24/7 diner he so often frequented.

𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰 latch, letting the smoky cloud escape into the night air. “i’m shocked and somewhat concerned that the fire alarm didn’t go off,” she told him, fanning the air with a dish towel. the thought of sharing what was eating at her made her hesitate. once they started talking shop, the whole night would spiral into case files and theories. still, she was honest. “yeah,” she admitted, rolling her shoulders like she could physically shake the tension off. “been going over the bomb scare stuff. trying to find something useful before it turns into more ‘classified, don’t touch it’ bullshit.” her eyes moved to him, brow raising slightly. “figured if i had something solid, i could bring it to you, or conall, or isaac…someone who won’t just sit on it.” she huffed a small laugh, nodding toward the pan. “clearly went great.”