Participants:
| Scene Title | Coming Forward, Finally |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Tess goes to the one cop she trusts, to give some news that should've been shared months before. |
| Date | January 10, 2011 |
Dorchester Towers: Penthouse
Patient is not a trait that anyone who knows Tess would attribute to her. Quite the opposite in fact. Which could be why, after leaving a message for Christine the day before, she's already antsy, waiting to hear from the single cop she can call a friend. And that's also how, when her door gets knocked on, she opens it quickly. Very quickly.
She stands on the other side with jeans and a tee-shirt, her hair pulled back into a messy knot. And the moment she spots Christine, she beams. "Donut lady! Thanks for comin' by so soon! I was gettin' ready to call you again," she admits, reaching out for one of Christine's hands to try to all but drag her into the penthouse.
While the voicemail she received did sound important, it even had the word 'important' used in it, Christine has been busy, between work and…well, something else that she had to do. Regardless, she's got the day off today, and makes her way to Tess' home. Knocking on the door of the penthouse suite, she waits. Open it's opening, she can be seen wearing a white shirt, a longish black jacket and jeans, with a pair of runners on her feet.
"I would've come sooner but…you know, life is what it is." Christine says with a shrug, entering the penthouse and looking around. "Nice place. Really nice place." She comments. She can't help but be a little bit jealous. Not that she'd ever actually come out and say it, however. "So, what is it you needed to talk to me about?" She asks as she turns to look directly at Tess.
"Yeah, it is. It was my dad's. When he died I got it," Tess says, glancing around for a moment and feeling a pang of loss. But she's changeable enough that she can shake it off quickly enough, and she looks back to Christine. "It's actually sorta about my dad. Well, this place anyway. But you want a drink or somethin' before I start ramblin' on more than usual?"
Christine nods ever so slightly. "Well, you're definitely lucky to have a place like this. Even under such circumstances." She says, offering Tess a kind little smile. Shaking her head, she says, "No, no. I'm fine. Thank you for the offer though." Motioning toward the couch, she says, "May I sit?" It's only polite to ask, of course. She won't sit until it's offered to her. Etiquette 101 and all that.
"Of course," Tess says, nodding and motioning to the couch before she heads that way and flops down on one end, curling her legs up beneath her. "Anyway…You remember me tellin' you 'bout gettin' shot, right? Manifesting, the break in, right here, all that good stuff?"
Christine smiles, taking her own seat on the couch and looking toward Tess with interest. "Yeah, of course I remember. Is…that what this is about? That break in and getting shot?" She asks cautiously.
"Yeah. 'Cause of who it was who shot me," Tess says, nodding. "I didn't say anything before 'cause of who it was. I didn't figure that anyone would believe me, and, well, he'd already shot me once. Nearly twice. Threatened to kill my dad. I wanted to though, you gotta believe me about that," she says, looking and sounding earnest about that fact. "And I know I might get in trouble for it now, but I was really afraid to say anything before…"
Tilting her head ever so slightly, and furrowing her brows, Christine listens to Tess. "Are you wanting to tell me who shot you? What has you worried? Whatever it is, you don't have to worry. Just…I'll help you any way I can. But the first step is to trust me and to tell me what it is that you want to tell me. I can't help you unless you tell me how."
"If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have called you to begin with. I just…wanted to explain," Tess says, shrugging a little. "I probably still wouldn't be tellin' ya, but since you guys are already lookin' for him, I'm guessin' that you'll believe me when I tell you that it was that detective Walsh guy."
Christine blinks slowly. "Detective Walsh? The man that the NYPD and FBI are looking for in regard to Humanis First and firearms smuggling?" She takes a deep breath in. "Okay. Has he been in contact with you at all recently? And if so, has it been since it was released that he was being looked for?"
Shaking her head, Tess answers, "No, I've just seen him the once. Never spoken with him other than that. Believe me, I wish I could tell you right where he was, and not just because I could totally use the reward, but because he shot me. It hurt like hell. And he was just blase about it. I spoke, he shot the couch next to my head. Then he shot me in the stomach, even though I hadn't said anything else. He…from what he said, he wanted to kill me. And would've managed it if it weren't for my manifestation. The glue stopped the bleeding."
Christine nods a little bit. "Okay. I might need you to come into the station to make an official statement. Would you be willing to do that? It's the only way that I can think of to be able to bring him up on those charges as well. I mean, it's big to bring charges up against an officer in general, but the fact that he's already under investigation, and he's being looked for…it will probably make things easier."
That has Tess wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Do I gotta? I guess, if it'll help make sure he stays behind bars for a really, really long time. 'Cause that jerk totally deserves prison, but like, an old style prison, not one with three squares a day and cable tv."
Christine smiles softly. "If you don't want to, I'm not going to make you. I'm sure he's going to stay behind bars for a while yet anyway, when he is caught. But look at it this way…you could have kept quiet. In fact, you have kept quiet for so long! And then you decided, one day, when you knew that the truth could be told, that you wanted to tell someone. And then, who do you tell about this? A cop. Someone who can indeed help make sure he's caught." Taking a deep breath in, she says, "The only thing is, when he is caught, and if you make this set these charges against him officially, then you may have to testify in court."
"I've got nothin' to be ashamed of," Tess says, smiling a bit. "I did nothin' to deserve gettin' shot, and he deserves to pay, even if what he did to me is the least of his crimes. I mean really, who just hates evolved? We're awesome! We got super powers and all that. And how could anyone think I am evil? I mean, glue, hello!"
Christine nods a little bit. "People fear what the don't understand. And they fear change. And they just plain fear anything that's different. Some may be jealous that they didn't get an ability. I can't rightfully say, to be honest. All I know for sure is that they have a belief that is so strong, that they're willing to do anything for it." Her nose twitches slightly. "I'm not saying it's right, but that's how it seems to be."
Tess sighs and nods, tilting her head against the couch. "Yeah…I know. Which sucks. But I'm not gonna hide what I am. I'm proud to be who I am, and what I am. If that means that I gotta be hated by some jackasses, so be it. I've got enough friends that it doesn't bother me."
Christine shakes her head. "It's one thing to be proud of who or what you are, Tess. But you've got to hold it close to your chest sometimes. Those 'jackasses', as you call them, are capable of doing lots of harm, as you've seen. They won't think twice about maiming or killing someone because they're SLC-Expressive." She smiles softly. "Just…be careful. It's no crime to be proud of you you are, but don't flaunt it about, and I wouldn't suggest telling people unless you know you can trust them. I'm not saying keep it a secret. Just…keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to volunteer the information right off the bat."
"Oh I don't flaunt it…" Not yet anyway, "But I'm not goin' to go out of my way to hide it." Tess grins impishly. "Can't anyway. I get worked up, I still get gooey. It's takin' some time learnin' how to use my ability. I'm gettin' better, but…well, you remember me gluin' myself to that Humanis First bozo."
"As I say, just don't volunteer the information if you have the choice." Christine states. "If your ability activates and you get stuck to a person…well, there's no way out of that one. But there it is." She says softly. "No, would you want to go down to the station now, and make a statement? Or do you want to wait until I'm actually in uniform?"
"Speakin' of, why aren't you? You're not off duty or whatever, are ya? 'Cause I don't wanna make you go into work on your day off. I can go in whenever though. Days are pretty open right now," Tess says, shrugging.
Christine smiles a little bit. "It's my day off. I thought I'd come by to answer your call. But I don't mind, really. If you do want to go in. I've got my badge on me." She doesn't go anywhere without it! "Not that it matters. They know me at my home station. I leave it in your hands, to what you want to decide. I'm fine with anything."
"Nah, enjoy your day off. I'll come in tomorrow, get that done. Promise. Tomorrow," Tess says, smiling and drawing an X over her chest.
Christine shakes her head. "I think I'm in the Bronx tomorrow. If you really wanna come out there tomorrow." She says softly.
"Anything wrong with the Bronx? I don't mind a walk. Or better, a run. Been too long since I did a lot of runnin'. Hard to run while you're recoverin' from bein' shot," Tess says, smiling wrly.
Christine crosses her arms. "Well, it ain't exactly the best of the Boroughs, you know. Especially not parts of it. And a white girl who definitely doesn't look like she comes from the area?" She shakes her head. "Maybe I should come and pick you up before the end of my shift and I'll give you a ride back to the station…assuming I don't have a something going on near the end of my shift."
Tess laughs and nods. "Alright, yeah, that'll work. And if you do have somethin' goin' on, I'll manage, some way or another. And Christine? I appreciate it. I really do."
Christine shakes her head. "It's my pleasure. Anything I can do to help, I will. Just…one of these days, we need to meet up not because there's any crime happening or that has happened, but just to hang out and have some girl time. What do you think?"
Tess beams at the suggestion and she nods. "That sounds awesome! I like girl time. And my girl time can now totally include alcohol. I turned twenty-one last week!"
"Well, happy belated birthday, then!" Ah, for Christine to be 21 again. Sure it was only 4 years ago, but it seems like it's been forever. "Well, we'll go out and have a few drinks soon."
Tess grins. "Thanks. Went out with a couple of friends. Got bombed. Good times, man, good times. And we'll totally do that. And you got my number now, so gimme a call next time you have a day off!"
"Well, sounds like you had fun." Of course it's not as fun as getting drunk and then driving a cop car around. Not that Christine has ever done that, of course. But she's heard things. "Alright. I guess I should be going. But I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Totally!" Tess says, smiling warmly. "Maybe after I give my statement we can do somethin'. Assumin' you're not exhausted by catchin' bad guys and all that."
Christine nods a little bit. "Maybe. We'll see." Standing, she clears her throat slightly. "Well, Tess. I'll see you tomorrow. Until then, be safe." Oh yes. That's not a stereotypical line from a cop.