Shadowsinger

Chapter Two

Blearily putting the squad car into park and turning off the engine, Teigen wiped her eyes and headed inside the station, finishing up with her two written reports before submitting them and clocking out, placing her equipment in her locker and shutting the door. 

The streets were nearly silent, a surprisingly normal occurrence for this small area of Brooklyn, and clambered into her car. Teigen glanced to her right and sighed before placing her head on the steering wheel as she berated herself for not getting coffee during the quiet parts of her shift, deciding not to drive to her flat when she was this tired. 

Grabbing her knapsack and keyring, Teigen opened the car door, immediately being hit with the acrid smell of smoke. Glancing up, she saw the orange glow of a fire, hearing the sirens of a firetruck getting louder as it approached. Teigen got out of her car and shut the door, locking the door and making her way out of the parking lot, her gun and badge clipped to her hip where she could easily access it if needed. 

The orange glow of the fire and the siren lights seemed to get brighter as she got closer to her old home, the cold hand of fear gripping her heart as she eased into a jog the closer she got the flat. Turning the corner, the breath was forced out of her lungs as she saw the building on fire, seemingly only from the inside, the fire lighting up the windows with an eerie orange glow. 

Breaking into a sprint, Teigen attempted to get close to the building, only stopping when a pair of strong arms grabbed her 'round the middle, preventing her from moving any closer. "No! No! You have to let me through! My family's in there! Let me go!" 

Crying out, Teigen sunk to her knees, tears streaming down her face as the arms restricting her let go and wrapped them around her shoulders, bringing her face into their neck while rubbing a hand down her back. 

"Teigen, hey Teig. Listen to me, the firemen already went in there, they couldn't find anyone. Your family made it out." Jackson, a fellow officer and one of her friends reassured her, calming her down enough for her to pull back and look into his grey eyes. 

"What do you mean, they coul-they couldn't find anyone?" Teigen sniffled and wiped at her eyes to remove the tears.

"There was no one inside of the flat when they went inside to try and rescue anyone. Either something happened before the fire, or they got out. We won't know anything until the fire is put out and Forensics can take a look."

Teigen nodded, sniffling as she shakily rose to her feet. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he led her over to his car.

Numbly, she stared out of the window as the car began to move, watching as the flames were finally put out, leaving the outside of the building intact.

Jackson drove for a while more, glancing at Teigen out of the corner of his eye, reaching over and squeezing her hand before placing it back on the steering wheel.

Pulling up in front of his flat, they both got out of the car, Teigen wrapping her arms around herself as she followed the blonde morosely. He unlocked the flat and stepped inside, quietly moving into rooms and checked in on the sleeping life forms all tucked in their beds.

Wordlessly, he showed Teigen to the guest room, one she had used many times before.  After she silently thanked him, he drew her into a hug and left after giving her a quick peck on the forehead.

Slipping into the loose shirt and pyjama pants, she slipped underneath the covers and slipped into a fitful sleep, tears staining the pillow beneath her head.