Ashley turned her head, and Spencer took an unwilling step backwards, afraid that the gun would be pointed at her, “What?” The word erupted angrily from her throat.

                “Stop…” she reached out a tentative hand, showing that she meant no harm, “you need to put your gun away; this isn’t why we’re here.”

                “Would you get this maniac off me?” The man pinned beneath Ashley pushed up against her, trying to throw her from off top of him.

                “If you move one-more-fucking-time I’m going to leave your brains all over this sidewalk. Do you understand me?” She pressed the gun harder against the side of his head, relishing in the fear she was creating within him.

                She can’t seriously be doing this? “Davies, you can stop now or I can call the Chief and tell him what’s been going on.” And whether the two of them wanted to admit it or not, this had been a problem for the past three weeks, ever since she had been attacked by the Rainbow Strangler Ashley had been flying off the handle at anyone and everyone. Spencer had found herself on the receiving end of several of Ashley’s explosions.

                “Fine,” Ashley stood, pushing herself up roughly, using the suspect’s chest as a driving point for her knee, “you better be damned glad she showed when she did.”

                The man scrambled to his feet, turning on his heel, and fleeing into the darkness, to afraid to even glance back over his shoulder as her ran. Afraid that maybe the cop would be following him.

                “You need to get your shit together.”Spencer step closer, shoving a finger into Ashley’s chest, “now.”

                “You don’t run me Carlin,” Ashley’s face was now a cool emotionless mask, “what you do is your business and what I do?” She holstered her gun, “is mine, and that’s how it should stay.”

                “You sound absolutely ridiculous, we’re partners! Everything you do falls back onto me! Everything that happens to you, happens to me! Don’t you—”

                “Don’t you ever say that!” Ashley grabbed Spencer’s shirt, jerking her roughly towards her, “It didn’t happen to you! You weren’t the one who almost died, so until he comes after you, until you know what it feels like to think you’ll die, don’t you ever say that!” She pushed Carlin away from her, causing the other woman to stumble backwards, “do whatever you want. I’ve got more leads to check.” The she turned, stalking away, not looking back once, as she turned the corner, disappearing from sight.

                I don’t know what to do…Spencer stood in the middle of the sidewalk for a moment, do I go after her? Before deciding to leave Ashley alone to cool down, she wouldn’t listen to me anyway…

HLF

                The didn’t see him…hidden within the shadows, but he saw them, he had watched the entire scene unfold before him, and he couldn’t be more pleased with what he saw as he watched the brunette stalk away from her partner. And what he saw? What he saw, was the blonde he had wanted all along. Alone. Stranded. His.