The Only One • •

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

She couldn’t believe she was thinking about it, but even as Devon pulled her sweater over her head she was tempted to call her Captain and see if they needed a spare uniform in the precinct. She already knew they would. It was Christmas, staff were making the most of their vacation time and people were running riot in the city with tourism, petty crime, and people acting just more ridiculous than usual. Her Captain would jump at her offer to work a double, maybe even a triple shift. Devon sighed, shaking the thought from her head as she pulled her hair free from the collar. She couldn’t do that to Bryce when she had promised to go home with him to meet his family, especially not when he put up with the mess that was her family in the city. The Walkers were still in tatters, and it was looking like they were going to remain that way unless something big could bring them back together. Yet Bryce listened to every rant Devon had about her parents hating her career, helped her pick up Stephanie from a bar or club when she was on a weekend bender, and joined them for lunch when Devon couldn’t put it off any longer. He even went with her when she visited the cemetery to replace the flowers on Frankie’s grave. It was too painful for her mother, and her dad only went on the anniversaries. Devon maintained the plot, kept it fresh with flowers that she told Bryce Frankie would kill her for putting there. He was brilliant with it all, so this was the very least Devon could do for him. Plus, it was Christmas. It was a time for family, no matter what.

Still, he seemed a little nervous about it. Devon knew about his past from what he had told her, but she couldn’t understand why it was starting to seem like such an awkward trip. She felt nervous because she was meeting his parents for the first time and she had fears that they wouldn’t think her good enough for their son. Sure, she was clever with a Stanford education under her belt, but she was a New York girl, a New York cop, and she was happy with that. Her story wasn’t one for glamour magazines or a Hollywood movie. She was about as real as the gritty city could make a person, and it had hardened her, changed her from the person she had once been. Devon couldn’t regret it, but she knew people had walked out of her life because of it. She didn’t want Bryce’s parents thinking terrible things about her just like those people did now. He meant far too much to her to have that happen.

It was ridiculous. Give her armed criminals, dangerous scenarios, and the blackest of nights, Devon wouldn’t bat an eyelid or even feel her pulse race. The thought of meeting her boyfriend’s parents and sitting down for dinner with them? She wanted to crawl under her bed and hide with her gun. Shaking her head to try and knock some sense into herself, Devon pulled her boots on and laced them up before heading off to meet Bryce at his place so they could leave nice and early to make it to his parent’s place. The whole ride she knew she was fiddling with the curls in her hair, or the hem of her sweater, but she couldn’t help it. It was rare that Devon ever felt nervous or fidgety, but the closer they got to Bryce’s childhood home, the more she wanted to grab the wheel and swing them back around to the city and try to convince him they should catch a show and maybe just spend their own vacation time locked away in one of their apartments, enjoying their own company. She was being ridiculous, and she knew that. When she took Bryce’s hand she held on slightly tighter than normal. She didn’t want to be a disappointment to him.

• • •

TAGGED! Bryson Kyle Pierce
WORDS! 676!
OUTFIT! Winter Walker!
LYRICS! Betting Everything - - - Royal Pirates
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bryson Kyle Pierce]

Christmas in the Pierce household wasn’t like anything else. It was a formal thing, by which he meant it was stiff and no one acted like themselves. He and his brother were treated awkwardly and then dismissed if their parents didn’t approve of what they said or did. Bryce only really wanted to drag Devon along for two reasons; one was to keep him sane and the other was so they could meet her. He liked Devon a lot, thought they were pretty serious. And he thought the next step for them was to meet his parents. He’d met hers on a number of occasions and she’d met his brother, sister-in-law and nephew a dozen times or more. For Bryce, it didn’t matter if they didn’t approve or not, their opinions meant little to him or his brother anymore. But it was the proper thing to do. Later, when they left the lunch his parent’s personal chef was putting together, he would take her to the one woman whose opinion did matter and he would introduce her to his old nanny.

But he was still nervous. Bryce didn’t want Devon to feel uncomfortable with his parents and they would try. They didn’t seem to care now that their kids were grown. His grandparents were great; they were so warm and friendly. Bryce missed them so much since they moved and he didn’t get to see them too often but his parent’s didn’t get their memo about how to be parents. They were barely welcoming, hardly even civil but his father faked it well. His mother didn’t try though he hoped she would with Devon. She meant a lot to Bryce. He didn’t bring anyone home with him, never had. This was a big deal for the youngest Pierce child. Luckily for them the whole family would be there so if need be Tatiana could whisk Devon away so the rest of them could get the parents to simmer down. Bryce and his brother and sister-in-law had a plan if his parents started upsetting Devon or even Tristan. It had been in place since Tristan had been young. Tatiana had always been able to hold her own when it came to the Pierce’s. She wasn’t afraid of them. And though Bryce knew Devon could give as good as she got, he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable; it was as plain and simple as that.

He tried to keep up a light banter through the drive to Connecticut but Devon was preoccupied, most likely with nerves since Bryce had shared all his horror stories of growing up on the Pierce Estate and Bryce was worried about his parents upsetting Devon. To say it was a tense ride would be an understatement but Bryce was determined to make the most of it. The estate was expansive, with plenty of trails around the area he knew by heart. They could run off into the woods and enjoy the tranquility before or after the mess that would be dinner. Slowly, Bryce turned onto the private mile long drive. To others, the place was massive, much bigger than a family of four needed but it was family money, a family estate and Bryce’s uncle, the only other Pierce heir had been more hippy than money hungry. So his father, despite his need to learn and to teach got just about everything whilst his uncle got enough money to live on for three generations and nothing more. Freddie was good with that though and sent cards to all his family from wherever he was currently travelling for the holidays and birthdays, showing up randomly for a couple nights before running off on yet another adventure.

“Welcome to the Pierce family estate. Home of the first nineteen years of my life, give or take.” He said with the house, if it could be considered a house came into view. Bryce thought it was way too much, and it was mostly for show. It screamed old money and thought Bryce had that money in his accounts as well, he wasn’t interested in it like his parents were. He was quite happy to live off the money he earned and not the green he was born into. With a heavier sigh than he intended, Bryce pulled up behind Patrick’s car and cut the engine before looking over at Devon and taking her hand. “Are you ready?” He asked, wondering if at any minute, she would beg him to start the car back up again and drive back to New York.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 761
Clothes || Flustered Fella
Music || Overrated --Allister
Notes || <3

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Christmas for Devon was about as magical as her birthday. She didn’t make a big fuss over it and thought it a holiday more aimed towards those with children. The youngest person in her family was Stephanie and she hadn’t believed in the big man in the red suit in roughly eight years now, after Frankie rudely let the cat out of the bag when he was in a bad mood one blustery afternoon. There were those at work who had been hiding Christmas presents under their desks and in their lockers for weeks now, keeping their fingers crossed that they’d be lucky enough to get the time off to spend with their loved ones and children. Devon had put her name forward to cover anyone who hadn’t been so lucky, as long as she could have this time to be with Bryce and visit his family. When she had told her Captain his eyebrows had almost left his forehead entirely, chuckling as he signed off on her request. She had hoped to escape his office then, but not before he made a comment about things getting serious and how he thought Detective Pierce was a good influence for the workaholic officer. Only then did a beet red Devon manage to get out and get back to work.

She knew Bryce was good for her. Without him she might very well live for the job. Her other friends were great, and they did drag her out often enough, but Bryce knew the job, and he knew exactly what she needed after the tough days. That alone meant more to her than she could express. It was support she hadn’t had before, and each time he was just there she found herself falling for him a little more. It was the right time to meet his parents, even if she was petrified of screwing this whole thing up and not being good enough for their youngest son. Devon didn’t think herself anything special. Not when she was committed to her job more than she was to pretty much anything else. She just kept reminding herself that she got along just fine with Bryce’s brother and sister-in-law, so that would count for something today. It wasn’t like she would be sitting in a room just swallowing hard and hoping that at least one person would think she was half alright.

Her blue eyes widened when the house came into view. Bryce may have told her stories, but she had never quite pictured anything like this. It caught her off guard and it took Devon another second to gather herself again. She didn’t really know what to expect, but it hadn’t been what was in front of her. “No.” She answered honestly, squeezing Bryce’s hand before smiling across at him. “But let’s do this anyway.” Leaning over, she stole a kiss to steel her nerves. Devon looked back at the grand house and took a deep breath, mentally telling herself that everything was going to be okay today. “However, if I start rambling or if I say something stupid, please drag me out of there before your parents can hate me too much.” She said, speaking quickly as the last of her nerves slipped through. There was no way she was going to be good enough. Definitely not a chance in hell that she was going to make it through this meal and come out of it like the sweetheart every mother wanted for their son. The thought was so prevalent in her mind that she didn’t think for one minute that it might be Bryce’s family who would make the afternoon uncomfortable. Devon had it all resting on her own narrow shoulders, despite the tales he had told her. She couldn’t believe it was so bad, though that like most he was just exaggerating. Hell, she did it most of the time and usually had him laughing and telling her it wasn’t so bad when he was confronted with her supposed horror stories of Walker family life. Devon was expecting to do the same to Bryce after this. If she didn’t screw it up in the mean time.

• • •

TAGGED! Bryson Kyle Pierce
WORDS! 702!
OUTFIT! Winter Walker!
LYRICS! Betting Everything - - - Royal Pirates
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bryson Kyle Pierce]

Most people thought Bryce was making up his childhood stories. Unfortunately, what he told people was the truth. He was his parents "surprise" baby and they never let him forget it. Neither of them would outright call him a mistake but ultimately that was what he was. It had never stopped Bryce from doing what he pleased or having a loving family environment; even if his parents weren't a part of it. His nanny and brother were his family and then his sister-in-law when she started seeing his brother and then Tristan. They were his family. For Bryce, Christmas wasn't Christmas unless he was sitting in his old nanny's apartment with the rest of her family, laughing and joking around. He'd always felt more at home there than he ever did in his own home. It was ridiculous how much he wanted to be anywhere else. But he promised his parents he would be at their dinner and since Devon didn't believe just how disconnected his parents were, especially his mother, he needed to show her that her childhood wasn't half as bad as she thought it was; there were worse out there. Plus, she meant quite a bit to the young CSI and even though his parent's opinions didn't matter to him, he wanted them to know that their youngest son had a wonderful, gorgeous woman in his life that he cared for too much to put into words.
 
He wasn't ready to drop the L-word just yet but he felt close to it. She was good for him and he thought he was good for her, too. Before, he'd only ever seen her at crime scenes or when he needed to go to her precinct. And then he sort of pushed himself into her life, trying to get her out of her shell and it looked like it was working; especially if the phone calls from her captain to his was any indication. He had already lost count how many times his boss had said something or implied something when Bryce was around or when he brought up the blonde officer. He certainly got teased quite a bit by his brother and then laughed when his wife smacked his arm for teasing his little brother in the first place.

Thankfully they were going to be at this silly dinner as well or Bryce might have brushed it off. Too many people thought that because his house was one of the biggest in the area and the family actually had house staff, that his life was like some perfect little fantasy. It was far from it. He’d been alone more often than not with only his nanny for company and even then, when he’d gotten older she was only kept on to make sure he did his homework and he actually ate. His parent’s spent most of their time in their respective offices. And when they weren’t, they were either at parties or throwing them and naturally, children were best seen and not heard; or in his case best neither seen nor heard. He’d even spent countless birthday’s without his parents. For the longest time, Bryce actually thought his nanny was his only family. Except at ten, he had his own credit card and didn’t look anything like the pretty Italian woman who raised him to have manners and respect. Without her, he probably would have been a giant asshole but thanks to her, he knew how to treat people.

Bryce took Devon’s hand when he rounded the front of the car and lifted their joined hands to his lips. “You’ll be fine.” He promised. It wasn’t Devon Bryce was worried about, it was his parents. His father was one of those professor’s who had his head so far up his own ass, it was ridiculous and his mother could care less in general. She was more concerned about closing the next deal at her law firm. “Besides, the second my mother says the wrong thing, we’re out of there. Tristan is giving them an hour. Idiot has high hopes.” Bryce said, trying to lighten the mood. He’d given his parents ten minutes and Tatiana had given them five. Tristan had them all beat though saying the second they found out Devon was a cop, they’d say something stupid. It was just plain sad when a couple’s own grandchild hated being around them.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 768
Clothes || Flustered Fella
Music || Overrated --Allister
Notes || <3

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Devon had a wonderful childhood for the most part, but all of those memories were clouded now with the loss of Frankie. If she had known what had happened that night, or why it had been her brother, then maybe she could reflect on those times a little differently, but she just couldn’t. Even when she was laughing about something that had happened there was a sadness behind it that her brother was gone. She wanted to hold on to the best of memories, but it was difficult when the best were also the most painful, because there could never be any like them ever again. It was one of the reasons why Christmas was so tough on the whole family, and it didn’t make it easier when the anniversary of Frankie’s death was only six weeks following the festive season and it was the only thing that Devon could think about once the ball had dropped come New Year’s Eve. It was difficult to put into words for others to understand, and it had cost Devon so many friendships in the past because she had been the ‘buzzkill’. They couldn’t understand and Devon wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone just so they could relate. It was too monstrous.

She had already decided not to bring it up at this dinner. It was her first time meeting Bryce’s parents and while his stories had been daunting enough, seeing the house itself was even worse. Devon wanted to make a good impression as their son’s girlfriend and not be the woman with a murder in the family and a chip on her shoulder over its unsolved status. It had scared away people before and had given her a reputation at the station. She didn’t want one with Bryce’s family. She cared too much for the CSI and the thought of losing him was unbearable. He kept her sane these days and pulled her back from the edge of the rabbit hole when she was close to falling in. Devon honestly didn’t know what she would do without him.

Swallowing hard, Devon managed a small smile. “I hope so.” She whispered, wishing that they could stay outside, but there was no chance of that happening. Besides, she knew that the longer they stayed out there the worse she would actually feel. “I felt less nervous when I was in that sequin dress and going undercover.” She admitted quietly with a nervous chuckle. At least then she had a gun in her purse and back up watching her every move. This time she felt like was on her own. Even though she had Bryce holding her hand, if she slipped up there was no way of taking it back. “And if I manage to last an hour without word vomit, we’re celebrating on the way home.” Devon said. She didn’t know what she was walking into, or if Bryce’s stories were true, but she wanted to get this over with. “Come on, let’s get in there before I’m asking you to lock me in the car and make up an excuse.” She tugged on his hand and took a deep breath.

• • •

TAGGED! Bryson Kyle Pierce
WORDS! 536!
OUTFIT! Winter Walker!
LYRICS! Betting Everything - - - Royal Pirates
NOTES! <3 <3 <3