Sunshine ~ Diego Hargreaves

•16•

I Tend To Overreact

I tapped my foot to the music playing over the car radio as I waited for Diego. He had parked across the street from Griddy's Doughnuts; just outside the police barricade. I was rather annoyed at the fact that Diego had dumped Klaus back at the academy as soon as he heard the police radio announce 'shots fired'. He could have at least had some kindness to it, but he refused to let Klaus get any breakfast food, let alone waffles. I didn't get any either.

I saw Diego emerge from a side entrance and begin walking towards the car. Happy he was finally finished, I sat up and buckled my seatbelt. Then Eudora appeared out of nowhere and began to arrest him. I cursed under my breath and grabbed the car keys as I went to go bail him out. I marched up to the barricade and yelled as politely as I could while trying to be heard. "Excuse me! Detective Patch!"

She glanced my way just as she held up Diego's mask in front of him. "Who are you?" She yelled back. That was a strange question. I mean, we weren't best buddies or anything but Eudora knew me pretty well.

"It's me! Victoria!"

Her jaw dropped and I suddenly realized why she didn't recognize me. On the way over, I had changed into my vigilante outfit and it was rather different from my regular t-shirt and jeans. She dragged a handcuffed Diego over to me, a knowing smirk on her face. "I see Diego brainwashed you into going out on the streets with him."

"Yeah," I chuckled, trying to keep her in a friendly mood, "I know he's an idiot,—"

"Hey!"

"—but do you think you can let him off with a warning?"

"Victoria, he snuck onto a crime scene and interrogated a key witness without any authority to do so," she sighed, irritated at the question.

"I know. I know, but...," I fumbled for an excuse, "His dad just died today and he's not in his right mind."

I felt Diego's anger flare up and he went to speak, but I forced him to forget what I just said. It was weird to manipulate him so casually, but he was too angry for his own good.

"That sucks. It really does, but a familial death is not a get out of jail free card. I'm sorry," she began to walk away with him.

"Eudora please!" I yelled after her and she stopped. I was never one to call her by her first name while she was on the job, but I needed to stop her. I wasn't sure why. "Please...he just did something stupid. He didn't think about it. It won't happen again."

Diego's faced changed from feigned confidence to very real concern at the sound of the desperation dripping from my voice. Eudora furrowed her eyebrows and looked me up and down. "You didn't care this much all the other times he's been brought in. What's going on Victoria?"

"I...I don't know, but please, please don't arrest him."

"Victoria I have to—"

"Eudora please," Diego chimed in, causing her grip to tighten, "Sorry, Detective Patch please. Please just let me go with her."