Ray sat upright on the bed, one arm propped on a pillow, the other holding the remote. Shin Chan babbled across the screen in high-pitched chaos as a food fight broke out over a jar of sauce. It was the kind of humor that took the edge off the hospital smell.
A knock came from the door.
"C'mon in," Ray said.
The door opened. He muted the TV before turning his head.
Emma stepped in. She looked gloomy and sleep-deprived. Well, who could blame her? She went through a lot in the last few days. She set her bag down near the chair and gave him a small smile.
"You look better than I expected," she said gently.
Ray raised an eyebrow. "What, you thought I'd be wrapped like a mummy? Maybe missing a kidney?"
Her smile faltered, guilt flickering in her expression. She sat down on the stool beside the bed, her fingers knotting together. "I thought you might be worse. And I thought it might be my fault."
Ray tilted his head, watching her carefully. "Fault? Emma, you didn't pull the trigger."
She met his eyes. "If I hadn't been involved in all this... if I hadn't asked questions or stirred things up, you wouldn't be lying here."
Ray reached over, his hand brushing lightly against hers. "No. You don't get to carry that. I'm a cop. It's my job to walk into the mess. I chose this. You don't owe me an apology."
Her throat tightened. She looked down at their hands for a moment. "Still... you could have been killed. And I don't think I could handle that."
Ray let out a low chuckle. "Well, instead I just earned a couple of scars. Not the worst trade. Besides, some girls find scars attractive."
Emma's lips tugged into a half-smile. "Always deflecting with jokes. You haven't changed."
"Neither have you," he said, his tone softer now. "Still stubborn, still blaming yourself for things out of your control."
She exhaled slowly, the kind of breath that carried weight. "When I saw you go down... I froze. I wanted to run. But you... you didn't even hesitate. You were bleeding and still trying to keep me calm and were looking out for me."
"Old habits," Ray said. "Can't help it."
Her eyes glossed, but she blinked quickly, steadying herself. "You always had that protector streak. Even back when we were..." She paused for a moment before saying, "You remember that night at the club, you saved me from those creeps trying to spike my drinks."
Ray leaned back against the pillows. "Oh, yeah. I remember. I beat the crap out of them, and then we ran from the bouncers. Haha."
Emma shook her head with a faint smile. "Well, thank you. For being reckless, for stepping in, for being... you."
Ray raised his brows. "That's the nicest insult I've gotten in weeks."
She laughed softly, the sound easing the heaviness between them. "Idiot."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It was the kind born from history, from knowing each other well enough not to need to fill every second with words.
Finally, Ray turned the volume on Shin Chan back up, the cartoon's nonsense filling the space again. He glanced sideways at her. "You're welcome to stick around. Shin Chan makes terrible company. I need someone who actually laughs at my jokes."
Emma leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs, her smile a little steadier this time. "Then you're in luck. I still think you're funny. Sometimes."
Ray grinned. "Progress."
...
[2 hours later]
The door swung open. Rosa stepped in carrying a large paper bag that smelled like bacon and home-cooked soup. She was already rehearsing the smug line in her head about how hospital food was garbage and how real people ate sandwiches.
Then she saw her.
Emma. Sitting right there in the chair next to Ray's bed, laughing at something he had just said.
Rosa froze mid-step.
Ray perked up like nothing was weird. "Hey, babe. You're just in time. This is Emma. An old friend."
Emma smiled warmly. "Hi. Nice to meet you."
Rosa's eyes flicked from Emma to Ray. Her voice was flat. "Old friend?"
Ray nodded, oblivious to the firestorm building in Rosa's skull. "Yeah. We go way back."
Rosa set the food bag down on the counter with a thud.
'Hold up. Old friend? Emma Watson? What the hell? Ray knows celebrities now? Since when? And why is she prettier in person than in all the movies? Also younger. Fantastic. Great. Absolutely love that for me.'
Emma offered her hand politely. Rosa shook it, her grip just a hair tighter than necessary.
'Old friend? Did they date? Is this one of those past flames that just happens to get reignited during a case? Are we in a soap opera? Because I did not sign up for Days of Our Lives: SWAT Edition.'
Ray, completely oblivious, added cheerfully, "Emma, this is Rosa. My girlfriend."
The word hit Rosa like a defibrillator.
'Girlfriend. He actually said it. Out loud. In front of her. Okay, good. Great. He didn't say "partner in crime" or "colleague" or "random scary woman with an axe." He said girlfriend. Still… why does it feel like my ribs hurt more now?'
'I see. She's gorgeous. Darn it! I'm not going to give up after waiting six freaking years for him. It's on, Rosa.' Emma's smile didn't falter. "I've heard a lot about you."
Rosa narrowed her eyes. "From who?"
Emma tilted her head toward Ray. "From him. He's been talking about you for like two hours."
Ray pulled and opened the bag. He took out a bacon strip and put it into his mouth before Rosa could interrogate further. "Yep. Told her you're scary, beautiful, amazing, and caring. In that order."
Rosa arched an eyebrow. "Scary first?"
Ray chewed, then nodded seriously. "It's your defining feature."
Emma chuckled softly. "It's true. He wasn't exaggerating. You look kinda angry right now, probably because of me spending time with him."
'Oh great. Now they're bonding. Over me being terrifying. Perfect. Just perfect. At this rate, they'll be finishing each other's sentences while I'm sharpening my knives in the corner.'
Rosa pulled the chicken soup from the bag and slapped it onto the bedside table harder than necessary. "Eat. Before you faint dramatically and give Emma here another reason to think you're a hero."
Ray blinked. "Why would fainting make me a hero?"
"Because you'd somehow make it look cool," Rosa deadpanned.
Emma laughed again. Rosa hated how nice it sounded.
'Yup. Totally jealous. This is me. Jealous Rosa. Congratulations, universe, you broke me.'
Ray dipped his spoon into the soup, oblivious as ever. "This is good. Almost makes me want to get shot more often."
"Say that again and I'll shoot you myself," Rosa muttered.
Emma covered a laugh with her hand.
'Oh yeah. She's definitely too charming. This case better end fast before I end up stabbing someone.'
Ray kept spooning soup like it was the most natural thing in the world. Rosa sat stiff-backed in the chair, watching Emma with the expression of a wolf guarding its territory. Emma, to her credit, didn't look intimidated. She kept her posture relaxed, legs crossed, smile unshaken.
"Relax, Rosa," Ray said between bites. "You look like you're about to interrogate her under a heat lamp."
"I might," Rosa said flatly.
Emma tilted her head, studying Rosa with a calm, curious gaze. "He told me you had that look. The one that makes people confess to things they didn't even do."
Rosa's lips quirked, but she didn't smile. "Good to know he's been running his mouth."
Emma shrugged lightly. "He's proud of you. You should hear the way he talks when he thinks you're not listening."
Rosa shifted in her chair, trying to keep her face unreadable, but a flicker of heat rose under her skin. Ray, blissfully ignorant, drained the last of the soup and leaned back, satisfied. "That hit the spot. Rosa, you're officially banned from making fun of my comfort food ever again."
"You almost died. You get one free pass," Rosa replied, her eyes still locked on Emma.
Emma caught the tension but didn't press. Instead, she stood, smoothing her shirt. "I should let you rest. It was good to meet you, Rosa."
Rosa gave a curt nod. "Yeah."
Ray waved lazily from the bed. "See you around, Em."
Emma's smile lingered for a second longer before she walked out.
Rosa leaned forward, arms crossed. "Old friend, huh?"
Ray gave her a patient look. "Don't do that."
"I'm not doing anything."
"You're doing the voice. The voice you use right before someone disappears and nobody ever finds the body."
Rosa smirked faintly, though her eyes stayed sharp. "Then stop giving me reasons to use it."
Ray chuckled, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
"And you're reckless," Rosa shot back, but the edge in her tone softened as she reached for his hand. "So we're even."
...
[Two days later]
John F. Kennedy International Airport buzzed with the usual chaos of travelers and flashing cameras. Among the crowd that spilled through customs was Emma Stone, sunglasses perched on her nose, a long coat brushing against her boots. She smiled politely for a few photos but kept her pace brisk.
Her film promotion schedule for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was relentless, but she had managed to find a brief window to breathe before it began. She got two days to breathe and enjoy some time on herself.
She checked into her hotel under her own name. A high floor, a corner suite, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city lights. After a long shower and a change into something casual, she slipped out for dinner at a quiet Italian restaurant a few blocks away.
The pasta was warm, the wine was smooth, and for a couple of hours, she almost felt anonymous, just another woman in the city.
While she was enjoying her night out...
Back at the hotel...
Someone had used a spare key. The door opened and that person entered...
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[24 advance chs] [No double billing.]
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