Cop Bar, center of Chicago — February 17, night, 1991

The cop bar was full that night; Bea and Erin walked across the bar, through different people, laughing, brooding, and just talking around; the music was at a low volume, audible but not enough to cause trouble; they both walked towards the final part of the bar. A stall with cushioned seats. Both ordered their drinks. They came on glasses.

They both sit in there, and Erin waits for the drinks to arrive. She sat close to Bea, leaning in a bit “So, what is on your mind?” She knew Beatrice very well, including when the woman was brooding.

“Nothing much… Well… Just all that happened today and yesterday... and all that mess... I can't take the scene out of my head” she said softly cupping her glass with a brown liquor in it, lost in thought.

Erin frowned a bit. “Yeah, it was a lot.” She gently laid her hand on top of Bea's arm; their backs were turned to the rest of the bar, the most discrete area there.” She smiled. “I'm here… speak, please...”.

Beatrice leaned in a bit , looking at her glass there, she drank a sip of it before speaking “That scene is still in my mind... The sheer pure cruelty of it… Even if it was with Olive Riley… Still… It was too much, you know? I keep thinking about why someone would attack him like that. Who could even pull it off? Many questions, no answers… And on top of that it felt… too cruel."

Erin gave her a small smile, her hand moved to Bea head as she pressed her head against her shoulder softly with a smile “It was... “ she sighed “You are right, it was fucked up in so many ways I can't even start to speak on it...” She drank a bit and gasped, “And, as things go, this will fall upon Johnson lap as well to keep the investigation going, such a mess."

“You don't trust him?” Bea looked at her softly.

“I don't trust most people in the police force, but he... I wouldn't let him care for a rock, the amount of times he made some lower-class cop wear the jacket is beyond me”!

“Damn, you really think he is dirty like that?” She smiled and sipped a bit more of her drink more, she gave a smile seemingly enjoying Erin's warmth; Erin seemed glad about that and turned around.

“I cannot prove it... He is clean, I checked it several times, he is clean... but... hell I don't even know, but he does irk me...” Erin looks at her drink and sips it a bit before placing it on the table there. Looking back at it, she did not know what to think of Johnson, not like she wanted to think of him now. Honestly, if she could just be with Beatrice now, she would.

Bea let out a frown and drank a bit more “I see, well, I suppose we need to take care, especially nowadays...” She smiled and cupped her glass with both her hands.

Erin got a bit frustrated, she really wanted to help Bea, was just hard, nothing she could say would help much that day. The scene was bad even for her. She grabbed her glass and drank quite a bit, with a sigh and a smile after “Well... Let's not dwell on work and horrors , shall we?” She gave a smile “We will have a lot of time for that. How about we drink a bit more, listen to music... how is your sister?”

Bea gave out a small laugh and then drank a bit more “Alright, I guess we should have some breaks , right? Dwelling on everything won't help" she looked to the glass and drank a bit more “She is alright I think… Have not spoken to her in a while. It's for her safety as well.”

Erin looked at her and finished her drink, she groaned; really, she wanted to have a lot more subjects to speak with Bea, just being around work was... a bit bad. She sighed and was a bit serious for a moment “I will grab more drinks" She got up, Bea kept looking at her glass all the time.

Going to the bar she asked for two more drinks and looked down, she waited for them to be ready and took the two glasses back, thinking about how to cheer Bea. Erin gently pressed the glass on Bea face, which made her jump a bit, she then placed the glass back on the table.

Bea looked at Erin for a couple of moments, Erin sat down and turned to her glass; gently, she just looked at her. Bea looked back at the glass and Erin could see her biting her teeth “I have a terrible feeling about all this...” Bea says before moving her new glass with her hand a bit.

Erin placed her gaze upon Beatrice's eyes; she herself was worried but she wanted to listen more. That was all for Bea to avert her eyes with a slight blush—cute, she thought. The girl continued.

“I... Feel like we are missing something big, you know the sensation that you forgot something and cannot place what it is? Maybe it's bigger than Andrea… “

Erin gave a light smile, she leaned on Bea shoulder for a second, “Perhaps. We will not figure things out right now... Look I know the sensation, trying to figure everything out... but if you do it like that all that there is is a bunch of pills in your future so... Relax, you tend to overthink things and forget to take breaks. Not a nice trait”

Bea laughed a bit “They say it is a great trait to have, you know? Being a good detective and all that? Never resting until evil is put down?”

“Of course they say that... Chilling a bit is not bad~ Especially with someone as special as me here~” She raised her tone a bit in a joking manner.

“Oh, special? You really do think highly of yourself, people did warn me about that big ego of yours!” she jokingly poked at her , Erin smiled, the feel was getting lighter, she wanted that, she leaned on the seat “Oh? Who said that? I bet it's because I rejected them. Or maybe it is because I could figure out something that they could not?”

Bea started counting “When I called you for my team the chief called you abrasive, arrogant, egocentric, angry and a nutjob!” , Erin rolled her eyes “Maybe you should fire me then, big detective Vieira~ The hope of the force!” She gave out a grin.

“Never!” She gave an honest smile that took Erin a bit out of balance there “I could have brought in plenty of people, but knowing you I know you are right for this...” She drank a bit more. Erin heart skipped a bit, her face was neutral. She furrowed her eyebrows “And just this?” she asked.

“No...” Erin could see the move on Bea neck that she makes when gulping “Oh my I must be getting drunk, been a while since I did this!” She let out a laugh before she downed a bit more of her drink.

Erin gulped herself and looked at her drink “Yeah” she said and sipped it a bit , turning to the bar “TURN ON THE MUSIC!” and some people cheered, the bartender shrugged and turned on the volume a bit.

Bea laughed and pressed her shoulder on Erin. They drank a couple more drinks before going out...

... Bea was shaking a bit with the cold, Guiding Star moved with them for protection, but they both were laughing together barely noticing, as they entered the car. Erin was genuinely happy there, Shining Star got into the driver seat “Should we go to base?” he asked, Erin was about to say yes when Bea spoke.

“No! Not yet! Go to the pier!” she was giggling a bit and laid on Erin shoulder, “I want to see the moonlight on the pier!” , He looked at them, Erin shrugged and he went there.

...

He had parked a bit away, Bea had used her badge to let herself in one of the fenced areas that were closed that day. She smiled and sat at the pier with Erin a bit, looking at the lake and then at the waxing crescent moon in the sky and its wavy reflection. “Haah… this is nice.”

Erin could just smile “Yeah it is”

“I don't want to work tomorrow...”

She laughed and gently placed her hand on Bea shouder "Lets take a day off together? Mmm? Since we had to work on a sunday"

Beatrie laughed a bit “Aaaah...” She leaned even more “Maybe...”

“Maybe eh...” Erin was a bit disappointed but could not complain, she smiled.

...

Back at the secret base, Erin slowly dragged the half awake Bea back to her room, guiding Star moved “Want me to help?” - "no...” she said almost coldly, she closed the door of the bedroom. Gently placing Bea on her bed, taking off her shoes , bringing a cover and then looking at her face, she smiled and approached her face... kissing Bea forehead for a second less than she wanted.

She got up and closed the door after leaving the bedroom, grabbing a bottle of water and sitting down there. Guiding Star looked at her “Miss... may I ask something?” — Erin was a bit drunk and did not think much of that , just waving for him to continue. He looked at her “Are you in love with her?” he said looking at her, Erin sensed no judgment there; still, she became nervous.

“What!?” Her voice was more rispid than she wanted but was almost defensive.

“Sorry its just...” He looked at her and at the door "the way you look at her and your history... The way you are defensive... and today...” He looked at her “I do not judge people based on that but… It was just something that appeared”.

She placed the bottle on the table "FUck...” She knew the boy was observant, that was trouble, a lot of trouble. If the force knew she was a dyke she would be fucked; hell, they might even get her expelled ... maybe... even worse... Bea might hate her or something, her mind was racing. She jumped forward in such a way that she saw Guiding Star instinctively activate his portal “Look! Just stay quiet! You hear me?” Her eyes were piercing, he nodded with a smile “I was never intending on telling anyone...”

That made her a bit calmer "good... Especially Bea... Just pretend you didn't see anything right?” he nodded "sorry , miss, I won't pry anymore”

She gulped and, with her heart and mind racing, went to her room.