Chapter 1: Exhausted
Chapter Text
When she had arrived in Los Angeles, Stella remembered why she disliked Americans so much. Maybe it wasn’t even necessarily the country itself, more so the people. She came here to try and relax, and everybody just kept screaming and blasting music everywhere she went. The only place she was able to relax a bit was her hotel room, where she had spent most of her time so far, although not always alone.
She found the company of most men here to be boring and felt like the city offered few men that didn’t think only and explicitly about themselves. The women here on the other hand weren’t only incredibly beautiful, she found- they were also much nicer and capable of talking about something that wasn’t themselves, which Stella appreciated. Not that she conversed a lot during her one-night stands, but still, she had mostly slept with women since she got here. Maybe that also had to do with Tom Anderson, but she pushed every thought of the younger detective aside.
It was a windy Monday evening and Stella sat in the hotel lobby drinking a glass of wine, her thoughts still inevitably wandering around her most recent case. When she had gotten back to London after Paul Spector’s death and the inevitable wrap up of the investigation that came along with it, her boss had given her some mandatory time off. For one, because he told her she should try to clear her head, and because of the review of Operation Music Man, that was still going on that would clarify the consequences Stella would have to face. Although her leave wasn’t exactly a suspension because she was still being paid, it still stung her professional ego. But she had decided to make the best of it.
Now she had flown all this way to the other side of the world, just to keep thinking about it? Annoyed at herself and her own thoughts she scoffed and took a sip from her glass. She wasn’t even surprised; she knew better than anyone that running from ones problems only made them stick along that much longer.
Despite her relentless thoughts of the monster that was Paul Spector, and of his victims who she had tried so hard to avenge, she was able to somewhat enjoy her stay in the city of angels. California was so different than everything the Brit was used to. She’d been in the states before, but Los Angeles was a first. The city beamed of energy and life, but also extreme social differences. Stella was in part used to the huge crowds and fast-moving spirit of the city. Living and working in London her whole life, she wasn’t shocked about the sheer masses of people. Still, she preferred her rainy, cold and most importantly English hometown.
But she didn’t want to complain. It was summer, people around her seemed somewhat content, her hotel had a delicious restaurant and a pool. Things could be worse.
While sitting at the bar, she noticed the other woman even before she sat down next to her. She seemed exhausted, maybe from work, maybe from a man, Stella speculated. The woman let out a sigh. Curiosity was in Stella’s nature, but something caught her attention more than usual about the blonde sitting next to her. Carefully she kept observing her. There was something familiar about her that Stella couldn’t really put her finger on. The woman ordered a whiskey on ice, and Stella noticed the frustration in her voice. Probably a man, Stella thought to herself.
Her hair was falling down her back in soft waves, it was a much darker shade of blonde than her own. Stella thought the woman was a natural beauty and the way she carried herself only added to that observation. She was clearly confident and aware of her own flawless exterior, but she didn’t seem full of herself. Quite the opposite, her makeup was subtle, and she wore casual jeans and a longsleeve with a black leather jacket. To most people she probably blended in. She wasn’t one of the typical overdressed LA sweethearts that tried so hard to impress with their looks that they achieved the exact opposite. Stella nibbed on her glass and boldly glared at the woman next to her.
-
Chloe herself couldn’t help but notice the attractive blonde, the moment she stepped foot into the hotel bar. She had officially been handed a new case today and got into an argument with Dan right after. Recently he had questioned every professional decision she made, and it drove her crazy. She was the one to make the connection that tied the two murders together, and her lieutenant had pointed out her good work and put her in charge of the investigation. Although she normally worked homicide, she felt confident that she would solve this case.
But still, Dan had asked her about irrelevant details she had ruled out days ago. She knew she was a good detective, and her ex-husband of all people questioning her, aggravated her. So, she decided to go find something to drink that night, in hopes of calming down.
Since their discussion had been just around the corner at the site of an interview in Santa Monica, she chose this hotel’s, maybe a bit too fancy, bar, but when she laid eyes on the elegant blonde woman sitting at the counter, her worries from the day faded away. She decided to act on the tingling feeling in her gut for the first time in forever, and sat down next to her.
The woman carried herself with such a sophisticated kind of confidence that she immediately caught Chloe’s attention. The woman wore a cream V-Neck with straight black sweatpants. It was casual and made Chloe wonder if she was staying in the hotel for a vacation. Though her feet were in high inch stilettos, and since Chloe couldn’t imagine wearing shoes that uncomfortable voluntarily, she wasn’t too sure what the woman was doing here. Chloe ordered her drink and in the corner of her eye she noticed the woman staring at her a bit too obviously. She decided to ignore it for just a moment longer and let her mind wander back to her previous thoughts of anger about Dan. She let out an annoyed sigh and moved the glass in her hand.
"Stressful day?"
Chloe turned to face the woman next to her, who gave her a slight smirk. She didn’t even know what she had expected, but it definitely wasn’t a posh British accent. She raised her eyebrows and replied;
"Yeah, you could say that." She smiled a bit exhausted, when she realized it was a genuine question of interest on behalf of the blonde.
"Stella." The Brit introduced herself.
"I’m Chloe."
They smiled at each other for a moment, and it was obvious how fascinated both women were by the other.
"So…", Chloe started; “Vacation?”
Stella smiled slightly and nodded.
“I suppose the accent gives me away around here. Mind me asking what was so annoying about your day?”
Had it been someone else, Stella would've stuck to her usual way of picking someone up and directly inviting them to her room. But Chloe was different somehow. She seemed interesting on more than just a one-night stand level. Stella couldn't remember the last time she felt so intrigued by someone she couldn't see through at all. Usually, her skills at reading people came in handy when meeting new people. But the woman that sat in front of her, whiskey glass in hand, was incredibly capturing, especially because she couldn’t see through her.
“Oh, you know, the typical annoying ex, stressful day at work...” Chloe shrugged.“Ah, got it.” Stella smirked and nodded. So she had guessed correctly.
Chloe took a sip from her glass and then looked back at Stella.
“How have you liked LA so far?” She asked.
Stella thought about her answer for a bit. She wasn’t going to be too honest about how she actually wished her flight back would come along as soon as possible.
“Well, it’s quite different here than back home, honestly. But it’s a welcomed change of tapestry.”
Chloe friendly smiled and nodded.
“Oh, I get that. Sometimes I myself am pretty dumbstruck by this country, even though I’ve lived here all my life.”
“Here in LA?” Stella asked.
Chloe nodded in response.
“Yes, I grew up a bit more in the suburbs near Hollywood.”
They kept up the formal small talk that Stella would normally barely even manage to get through, before inviting someone she found so attractive into her room. But somehow, with Chloe it felt easy and, more surprisingly, she enjoyed it. They talked about the common misconceptions about Brits and Americans, how they both didn’t particularly like loud and annoying people at the beach and if the hotel staff was nice. Stella couldn’t deny the feeling spreading through her whole body. She felt electric almost. It was not even just the simple feeling of being physically attracted to someone. No, she actually enjoyed spending time with a stranger.
Get it together Gibson. She scolded herself.
When their eye contact became visibly more intense and they went longer moments without speaking, Stella desperately hoped her gut didn’t betray her and that Chloe was in fact also into women. In her raspy, low voice she finally just asked.
“Tell me Chloe, have you ever been with a woman?”
Chapter 2: Join me for a drink?
Chapter Text
“Tell me Chloe, have you ever been with a woman?”
A bit baffled by Stella’s direct question, Chloe’s mind went blank for a moment. Was this insanely attractive stranger really trying to pick her up? She hadn’t been too sure if Stella’s low, sultry voice was just a casual trait, or if she had been flirting with her.
“I- I have yes.” Chloe answered, to which Stella only nodded with a knowing smirk. She had guessed correctly about the woman in front of her once more.
“When was that?”
Chloe blushed a bit as she thought about her wild youth, and the girls she used to hook up with on film sets, while her mother was waiting for her in the car.
“Probably in my early twenties I’d say.” She answered the bold question with as much of a poker face as she could manage.
Stella nodded again, with that incredibly sexy subtle grin of hers.
“I don’t know whether you work tomorrow but I would happily invite you on a drink in my room.”
And with that, the British woman stood, her heels clicking on the marble floor, leaned over near to Chloe’s ear and whispered;
“Room 407.”
Chloe felt herself involuntarily blush at that, and was glad that Stella couldn’t see it when she walked away through the lobby toward the elevator. For a moment, Chloe debated whether accepting that offer would be irresponsible or maybe even foolish. She hadn’t been with anyone since she and Dan broke up. She wasn’t the kind of person to have meaningless one-night stands anymore. But there was something about Stella that was so… captivating. The confident, subtle but powerful way that seemed so natural for the Brit, pulled Chloe in.
Emptying her glass, she put it down on the counter and got up to follow Stella.
Only a few minutes had passed after Stella entered her room, when she heard a knock. She smirked to herself and realised she hadn’t been this happy about someone joining her room since she arrived.
She opened the door and looked into the slightly unsure but mostly confident face of the blonde she had spent the evening with.
“Come in Chloe.” Stella said with a subtle but obvious gesture for Chloe to step inside.
Something about the way Stella said her name in her smooth British timber turned Chloe on immensely.
“When you say my name, it sounds much more special than it is somehow.” She said.
“Oh, I think it’s rather beautiful. Chloe. It means something along the lines of blooming, right?”
Surprised at Stella’s knowledge, Chloe raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. How do you know that?” she asked.
“I used to be somewhat obsessive about the meaning of names for quite a while.”
The Brit chuckled. While speaking she swiftly moved through the room and grabbed two glasses. Without asking, she poured a scotch into both and offered one to Chloe.
“Thanks”, she accepted, “The room is nice.” Chloe stated.
“It’s quite honestly a bit too large for just one person but you know, it’s not often you get paid leave in the middle of the year… So, I thought I’d make the best of it.”
They sat down on the two lush armchairs in one corner of the room. Quietly both women nipped at their whiskey and simply looked at each other for a bit.
After a while, Stella put her drink on the glass table and leaned over to rest her elbows on her knees.
“I do have to admit, since I got here, I haven't had the pleasure of a company this attractive.”
Without noticing it herself, Chloe’s face started to heat up. When was the last time someone had complimented her like that? Genuinely thinking of her as sexy?
“Thank you.”, she said, a bit more insecure than she wanted it to sound, “I can only give that compliment back.”
Stella smiled a bit smug, realising how easily she could make the woman in front of her blush. She kept eye contact with the American and slowly took a sip from her glass.
Chloe wondered what exactly it was that made her heart flutter this much. She usually wasn’t a nervous person, but right now she could’ve sworn her heart beating was audible through the whole room. Clearing her throat, she looked around a bit hastily.
“I- I should probably go…” She stuttered, but didn’t actually make any indication to leave.
Still looking at her, Stella slowly rose from her chair and stood directly in front of Chloe. She reached out and softly pushed a strand of dark blonde behind her ear.
“Okay.”, she only whispered. “Whatever you’d like dear.”
Chloe’s breath hitched, and before she could even realise what was happening, she stood, and her lips met Stella’s. She could taste the harsh bite of Whiskey on Stella’s lips. She didn’t mind.
Stella pulled Chloe in by the waist as their mouths crushed together.
All doubt whether she was acting irresponsible or not left Chloe’s mind, she could only think about the woman in front of her.
Both a bit disoriented by the alcohol in their blood, they stumbled toward the bed. Chloe giggled a bit when they eventually fell onto the covers.
For Stella, sex wasn’t usually funny or playful. It was the means to a cause; it was solely based on her pleasure and her own need to get off. She was always the one in control, even if the person she slept with was someone she cared about. But right now, it felt different somehow. Maybe she had had one or two whiskeys too much, but she felt too ecstatic for this to just be a casual thing. She knew that she was going to regret opening herself up this much in the morning, but she couldn’t resist the happiness radiating off of Chloe.
The woman beneath her was panting heavily as she softly layered her neck and chest with kisses. As Stella kept going lower on Chloe’s body, her shirt was soon torn off and she got to admire the blonde’s naked form. Stella took a moment to stare, which was even more untypical for her. Chloe lifted herself onto her elbows to look at Stella.
“You okay?” she asked.
Stella smirked a bit and pulled forward to kiss Chloe once more.
Chapter 3: Beach
Notes:
This chapter is a bit longer and so far my favourite. Also I’m sorry if there are some logical or grammar mistakes, I really just wrote this for shits n giggles
Chapter Text
Chloe arrived late at the precinct the next day. Sunglasses on and a strong coffee in hand, she tried to dodge all the nosy looks that followed her. A bit scared that the glow of the objectively best fuck of her would give her away, she sat down behind her desk without greeting any of her colleagues. She later realised the looks were probably because she was now the Detective in charge on a not irrelevant murder case. But that all seemed a bit less stressful today. Secretly, she hoped to meet the attractive blonde again, but she knew that it was probably just another one-night stand to her.
-
Stella had decided to go to the beach today. The thought of loud teenagers and busy families didn’t particularly fill her with excitement, but she wasn’t going to spend her entire California vacation stuck inside, just because she wanted to avoid people. After a relaxing breakfast in her room, she threw some beach necessities together and stepped into the elevator. Bag in hand, she pressed the button for the ground floor.
She took a moment to check herself in the mirror. Her curls weren’t at their best, but she wasn’t as perfectionist about her looks in the safety of being in another country on her own. Still, she tried to put herself together, even if it was just for a day at the beach. The white linen pants she had bought earlier on the trip were neatly ironed and held up by a small leather belt. Her top was a signature cream silk piece. She had put on a bikini underneath, even though she wasn’t too sure if she felt like being that exposed while in a public place such as the Santa Monica beach.
When she stepped out of the hotel, she removed her sunglasses that had been tucked in the strands of blonde that played around her face. For a moment, she let the sun shine on her face and closed her eyes in an attempt to relax but if there was something about Stella Gibson, it was that truly relaxing was as far away from her as could be. She more than often found herself overly obsessive over her work, anxious during an investigation or maybe even comfortable during a more personal encounter. But letting go never really made its way into her reach. This vacation was, if anything, the failed attempt of doing so, but it just proved the point even more. She was stuck in a loop of overthinking, drinking and excessive swimming, but never truly felt herself calming down. That was nothing new to her, but it was still frustrating when thinking about how her colleagues had urged her into this trip. “Take some time off Stella, relax and enjoy yourself!”
Easier said than done.
Stuck in her thoughts she strolled down the street along shops and cafés on the pier. Her mind wandered back to the evening prior, and she couldn’t help but smile unintentionally. She rarely paid any mind to past lovers. It wasn’t like there were any strings or feelings attached. They were just casual fucks. But sleeping with Chloe had been different. It had felt more like something close to making love, than all one-night stands she had had in the last months combined. It confused her if she was honest with herself. She did find the blonde American much more interesting than any other people she had encountered here, but she hadn’t thought she would leave this much of a lasting impression on her.
At the beach, she quickly found a spot a bit less crowded than she had anticipated. She was relieved to realise her worries about the beach being incredibly overfilled had been unnecessary. After all it was a random Tuesday morning in early June and few people were around to enjoy the oceanfront. Settling under a beach umbrella, she reached for the book in her bag and read for a while to try and distract from the thoughts, mainly about the encounter from last night, circling through her mind.
It wasn’t until she heard upset voices, that she looked up from the pages. About a hundred yards away from where she sat, she spotted what looked like an active crime scene. Stella stood and in her curious manner she decided to see what was going on. She was well aware of the fact that her high rank in the Met might have allowed her to get involved in most investigations in Britain, however here, she was just another tourist appearing incredibly nosy. But it was in her nature to want to see what was happening around her, preferably take control of the situation if possible. As she walked through the sand and moved her sunglasses into her hair again, she thought to make out a familiar face under the busy officers assessing the scene. ‘No, that couldn’t be-’. She needed to get closer in order to confirm what – or rather who, crossed her mind.
The area was largely cordoned off, the yellow barrier tape fluttering in the breeze of the ocean. Some confused bystanders had gathered where she assumed the view was best and it didn’t take long to get through to it. An unexpected glimpse of a smile shifted its way onto her face as she saw a blonde ponytail striding between the working field. Chloe wore sunglasses and a basic blue shirt and with a pair of jeans and her badge it made for a better look than Stella would’ve guessed.
It didn’t take her level of police force experience to understand that she was the leading detective. From what it looked like to her it was a homicide scene. A body bag and the staff in sight certainly accounted for it. Usually, the British Detective would’ve been head over heels to get involved in the details of the case but right now she only had eyes for the blonde woman that now talked to some colleagues. There was a confidence to the way she moved around the crime scene that Stella wasn’t used to seeing in other female detectives, it usually came from herself. Yet it was somehow clear that the woman worked with a level of empathy and lightness that couldn’t really be pinned to Stella’s own, often cold and harsh way of working an active scene. Whether it was just the relaxed and friendly California ways or the woman’s spirit, she wasn’t sure, but she was hoping to find out.
While she was still busy boldly staring and puzzling in her head, Chloe had spotted her along the viewers that were slowly losing interest. They probably realized that they weren’t going to see a dead body and the rest was boring either way to them. Not to Stella though.
“Hi!”
When she was suddenly greeted with a soft smile, Stella came to her senses again. She forced her face into somewhat of a smile as well.
“Soo, I guess this is me. LAPD Homicide Detective; caught at work.” Chloe chuckled and Stella wondered if there was as much a layer of slight embarrassment to her words as she thought.
“Well, life’s a pretty coincidental thing, isn’t it.” She phrased it more a fact than a question.
“I’m a Detective with the Metropolitan Police in London.” She explained to the now a bit confused looking woman opposed to her. When she put it together, Chloe couldn’t help but let out an excited laugh.
“You’re kidding!?”
Chuckling a bit herself, Stella nodded, underlining what she had said. Still a bit shocked but excited, Chloe lifted the tape and signalised Stella to step under it. A bit surprised by her enthusiastic welcome, she stepped under it, giving her a thankful smile.
“I really don’t want to intrude; I mean officially I’m just on vacation here.”
“Oh, don’t worry you’re not. Actually, I could really use the expertise of someone outside of the department who doesn’t judge my every move.”
Not really knowing what she was hinting at Stella accepted the offer and accompanied the detective back to the site of the crime.
“Well then, what have you got?” Stella snapped on a pair of latex gloves.
“Homicide. Looked like some kind of a surfing accident at first. But I’m pretty sure it’s a murder. We’re just wrapping up here and then I’m heading back to the precinct. You’re welcome to join if you want.”
Stella hesitated. She was on vacation. She shouldn’t do this. Especially because she was still under review at the Met. But she was curious. Not only did this seem like an interesting case, it would also allow her to stay in close contact with Chloe.
“Alright. If you superior is fine with it, that is.” Stella agreed.
The American nodded with a smile.
“I’m sure he will be. It’s common practice over here to have civilian consultants. And since you’re not only law enforcement but a Detective as well, it’s probably a welcome asset to our investigation.”
Stella nodded, a bit unsure about American police work, but she was glad that Chloe seemed actually excited to involve her in her life this much.
“Okay.”, Stella smiled politely, “Let me just get back to the hotel and drop off my stuff.”
It was slightly ironic, the Brit thought. They acted as if she hadn’t made Chloe scream her name, with her face between the American thighs the night prior. She smirked a bit, and realised Chloe must’ve picked up her thoughts wandering back, because she gave her a knowing look as well.
As Stella walked back to the hotel, she thought about how last night had in fact, probably been a bit more casual for her, than it had been for the blonde detective she had left at the beach. Sure, she was entirely intrigued by the woman. And she had expected them to hook up again during her time in the States. But Chloe was so open and genuine as if they had known each other for much longer than they actually did. Then again, she wasn’t in England. Americans really were as friendly and welcoming as one anticipated.
She entered her room and threw her bag on the bed. She pulled a pair of pants and a blouse out of her suitcase and grabbed a pair of heels that weren’t too formal but didn’t scream vacation either. She didn’t want to come across as overly professional but not be too obvious as a tourist either. While stepping into the elevator she wondered if it was stupid of her to get this close to Chloe. She debated simply staying in the hotel. But then again that wasn’t what she was here for, was it? She wanted to meet new people and forget about the events of Belfast. She just wasn’t the type of person to get close to others.
-
Chloe’s heart had slightly jumped at the sight of the Brit at the crime scene. It wasn’t too far of a stretch for her to be at the beach nearest to her hotel, but still, she hadn’t expected to be seeing Stella again so soon.
“Detective!”
Somebody called her and pulled her out of her thoughts.
“So far, the crime scene’s been processed. Forensics is taking over the body now.”
Chloe nodded and replied to the officer.
“Alright, Thanks Ramirez. I’ll head back to the precinct now and start with the paperwork. Tell Forensics to make sure they get started ASAP. I need to know if I can connect this to my case.”
The Officer nodded and walked back over to CSU. Chloe tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and pulled off her latex gloves.
“Chloe.” A smooth British timbre said behind her and Chloe turned around with a smile.
“Hi again. Your timing is great, I was just gonna get in the car now.”
Stella smiled and followed her to the parked cars next to the sidewalk. They got into Chloe’s grey Dodge Charger and Stella naturally walked toward the driver's side of the car.
Chloe chuckled.
“What, do you wanna drive?”
Stella gave her a questioning look but then realised she stood on the wrong side of the car.
“Sorry. Force of Habit.”
Both of them chuckled as they got in and Chloe started the car.
“I get it. I’d probably be confused as well.”
They drove away from the beach into the city.
“So, what cases do you usually work?” Chloe asked. As she looked over to Stella, she thought she saw her expression becoming a bit more serious and hesitant than before.
“Well, I used to work all kinds of violent crimes, especially rape and homicide cases but as a Detective Superintendent I oversee all kinds of Investigations. I still often get consulted in sex crimes or do inquiries but I’m not really in the field as much anymore.”
Chloe nodded interested.
“That’s impressive. I guess you- “ She stopped as she was interrupted by her phone ringing.
“Sorry, I gotta take this.” She apologised to Stella and answered the phone.
“Decker.”