Something To Hide • •

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Devon had hardly had the time to sit back and enjoy being the new Mrs Pierce. She had been bombarded at work the moment she informed her Captain of the sudden engagement and wedding, which she had only done because she had needed to change a lot of her details at work. Not only was her name no longer Walker, but Bryce was officially her next of kin, and she was slowly moving her things into his place whenever they had a day off together to start boxing things up and sorting through the stuff she had in her apartment. Her Captain had brought out champagne and a small gift at the end of her shift, apparently ignoring her pleas to keep things quiet, and then there had been a drink or ten down at the cop bar most of them favoured after a long day. All Devon had wanted to do was to go home to Bryce, but that wasn’t allowed until she had celebrated with colleagues. It was strange after all she had done with her own parents was share a bottle of wine over dinner and quickly blurt out the news and diffuse any sudden beliefs of pregnancy – something her mother had instantly thought when she heard about the city hall ceremony and the quick turnaround between engagement and wedding bells.

It was a rather messy time getting around to telling people. Devon didn’t want a big fuss, and she knew Bryce didn’t either; that was why they had gone to City Hall in the first place to exchange vows and rings. Plus, they had been busy with the rest of their lives, too. Their jobs kept them occupied and the rest of the time they were adjusting to their new married life, and sorting everything out that came with that. It was a lot more than Devon had considered that night she had shown up at Bryce’s door and asked him to marry her! All of that meant that she still hadn’t gotten round to telling Fallon the big news. And, if she was honest, she may have put that off deliberately. As much as she loved her fellow blonde, she knew Fallon would want to throw a party, or scold her for the way they went about it despite how perfect it had been for Devon and Bryce. Telling Fallon would take tact, and Devon wanted to be prepared for that.

So, when she got a text message asking if she was free for lunch that weekend, Devon knew her time was up. It was her weekend off, but Bryce was working the Saturday day time. She had planned on boxing up more of her things so they could use Sunday as another relaxed move day if they didn’t just veg out in bed or on his – their – couch. She had to admit that the moving process was definitely hindered by them making the most of their newlywed phase. After telling Fallon she was free for lunch and getting the arrangements, Devon set about preparing herself mentally for the weekend. When the day did come, she got ready, kissed Bryce bye in the morning when he left, and then headed out herself to meet Fallon. She got to WD-50 before her friend, which was perfect because it meant Devon could ensure her left hand was hidden by her sleeve before Fallon arrived. She wanted to lead into her big news gradually, and not have Fallon scream and grab at the diamond ring Devon was still getting used to seeing herself.

• • •

TAGGED! Fallon Alexandra Flynn
WORDS! 595!
OUTFIT! Married Missus!
LYRICS! Cry Baby - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES!

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon was excited about the wedding planning. It all meant that very soon she would be walking down the aisle, saying her vows and I do's and becoming Mrs Gabriel Fitzpatrick and Fallon couldn't wait for that day. She already had everything figured out, there was just a matter of the little things that needed to be done and all the bookings that needed to be taken care of and asking her closest friends if they would be willing to be in her wedding party. It was still a lot to figure out but first things first. Trevor had been too excited to hear the news, laughing and doing his little 'I told you so' dance that he'd ended up telling Bernie to pack a bag and dragged her along with him to New York to celebrate in person! It had only been a couple days since Gabe had proposed and though Fallon already had plans, she knew there would be a lot more to figure out but she wanted to spend a bit of time just soaking up the feeling of finally being engaged to Gabe.

She could still do that and ask Devon and Imogen if they would be bridesmaids. She was thinking of asking Paisley as well but she hadn't actually spoken to Gabe about those finer details. What with the proposal and then there was really no time at all to enjoy it before Trevor was pounding his fist into the door, demanding to be let in when their flight arrived. Fallon should have seen it coming of course, she knew her father and knew he couldn't be trusted to stay in California with news like that. She wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if he was the reason Gabe's Frat brothers found out about the engagement. She had her suspicions that he was the real reason the brothers found out about the couple when they'd been newly minted and not at the hands of one particular CSI with an issue of having loose lips. But all of that meant that they'd yet to have the chance to talk about how big they wanted their wedding, how many people in the wedding party. Fallon assumed Gabe would want his brothers and maybe even some of his Frat brothers up there with him. There was so much that needed to be thought about and figured out and Fallon needed a girlfriend or two or three to keep her from falling down the rabbit hole that wedding planning could become.

Sending Devon a text message was actually the hardest thing she'd had to do. She had wanted to call her fellow blonde and squeal in her ear about her great news. But Devon wasn't the type to squeal with her and she knew that. So she chose to send her a text and make plans that way to meet up or she would end up spilling everything and asking over the phone. You couldn't ask someone over the phone when you lived in the same city. It would have been different if she were asking one of her friends back in California but she wasn't. She was asking Devon. Fallon spotted Devon sitting at a table seconds after she stepped through the door of the diner. She weaved her way over to the table, a huge grin on her face. "Hey, been waiting long?" She asked, taking her seat across from her friend and fellow blonde.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 579
Clothes || Excited Sweetheart
Music || Sierra --Maddie & Tae
Notes || <3!

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Devon still woke up some mornings unable to believe that she was actually Mrs Pierce. It had been such a sudden decision, but not at all one that she regretted. She may have realised very quickly that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Bryce, but she had definitely not made a mistake letting him put that ring on her finger and make her his wife. He had brought out the best in her ever since they met. When she wanted to throw herself completely into the NYPD he had given her something else to look forward to. Her life wasn't solely about finding justice now. She had a future of her own whereas a few years ago all she wanted was to chase down bad guys until someone finally stopped her. Devon would always wanted to lock criminals behind bars and she would always admit to being a workaholic, but she had to admit that curling up with her now-husband on the couch and binge watching something while eating her body weight in pizza was appealing, too. And since Bryce had changed very rapidly through boyfriend, fiancée, to husband, Devon had grown to love it more. She didn’t want to throw herself back out to reality and ‘fess up to everyone why she had been hiding away so much lately. She liked it being just them in their own little bubble of newlywed bliss; even if it included a lot of packing and moving which often got left forgotten once the flirting and teasing began.

Still, Devon knew she couldn’t hide forever. The big bad world was just outside their front door and so many people still didn’t know. It seemed like every other night one of them would remember another name of someone who they hadn’t told who they probably should – at some point. Devon wasn’t in a rush for the fussing. She already knew that Fallon was going to give her grief over doing such a low key affair and then hiding it for a good few weeks from her. It didn’t matter how many reasons or excuses Devon tried to give, she knew there would be no soothing her fellow blonde; which was probably why she had kept putting off making plans to tell her!

Hearing the familiar voice behind her, Devon tightened her hold on her sleeves, making sure it just looked like she was cosy and warm dressed as she was, and not hiding something that might have included a diamond. She smiled and shook her head “Five minutes, tops.” She answered, folding her arms on the table and leaning forward slightly. Devon glanced at the menu and made sure to grab for one with her right hand, lest her sleeve slip back and expose the concealed truth too soon. “But I did miss breakfast this morning, so I am famished.” She’d been a terror to Bryce knowing he had work and she didn’t, which meant the poor CSI had been rushing off to work in the end by the time she left him alone to actually get ready. After that she hadn’t had much time herself to get showered and dressed for the day, and she then had to walk the dogs. Food was definitely being saved for this. “Is it totally weird of me to order a veggie bean burger and asked for a side of guacamole? I’ve been eating the stuff like it’s going out of style.” Devon did that though. She latched onto something almost addictively and then consumed it with nearly every meal until she was sick of it and didn’t want to look at it again. Then she moved onto something else. Her dad was convinced that behaviour in her very early years with chicken was how she ended up a vegetarian in adulthood.

• • •

TAGGED! Fallon Alexandra Flynn
WORDS! 645!
OUTFIT! Married Missus!
LYRICS! Cry Baby - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES!

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon felt like she was all over the place lately. She had so much on her plate already and then there was the addition of Freddie whenever she could steal him away, which she never complained about. She loved her baby nephew and any chance she had to take him, she did. But now she had wedding plans to figure out and ways to ask those handful of women she considered sisters if they would be part of the happiest day of her life. And she was still working through all her maternal issues. She knew what would come next if it didn't happen before the wedding. And though it scared her more than anything else ever had, she knew she would feel differently when the time came. She wanted a family for Gabe so much more than she had ever wanted one for herself. He would be an incredible father, so loving and caring and dote on those little rascals running around. She had never had a normal childhood. The adults around her were paid to be around her, to watch out for her, keep an eye out for everything that she missed by being an excitable child.

Today wasn't about talking about babies or happy families. Today was about weddings and celebrations and asking one of her very best friends in the city to be part of that day. That was the plan for lunch. She'd spent part of her morning gathering up little supplies here and there for wedding planning. She'd picked herself up a planning book, magazines and while having a coffee, considered the pros and cons of hiring someone to do this all for her. In the end, she'd tossed that away, rather liking the idea of doing it herself. She liked being kept busy with projects and this year she didn't have any summer courses so she had plenty of time coming up to figure it all out. Though too much of that time, she had to remember, would be spent actually working at the studio and proving to everyone that she was an actual producer and not just someone with a title because she was the daughter of the owner and partial owner herself.

“Oh, good. Good. I thought I was still running around on time but one stop took longer than I thought it would. Doesn’t matter now.” Fallon admitted with a laugh, settling into the seat across from her friend. “Oh, I missed breakfast, too.” She realised, pulling a menu closer to her. Fallon wasn’t a picky eater and tended to latch onto the first thing she saw on a menu and just prayed it tasted good. She’d practically been raised on catering and Kraft Services so her daily menus when they were out of the house relied on whatever was brought in for the day and then wherever they went for dinner that night, unless they had some night filming, then it was whatever was brought in for that, too. Fallon had never minded of course, she had loved it all but she had especially adored when she finally returned home and Bernie cooked up some wonderful feast. “Why would that be weird? I’ve been on a fully loaded nachos kick for over a month now. It’s getting out of hand.” She joked, deciding she would indulge that craving and throw caution to the wind. Her trainer would probably kill her for it but she ran around the city enough to work off the calories before he ever found out.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 590
Clothes || Excited Sweetheart
Music || Sierra --Maddie & Tae
Notes || <3!

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Devon couldn’t wait to be settled in with Bryce. Once the moving was complete she had plans to lock him away for a long weekend where they wouldn’t have to look at another box, worry about work, or even have to think about chores for a few days. She was in no rush to start thinking about the rest of their lives, wondering if they’d ever move again to a bigger place, or how many kids they might have – one day. Devon was not having daydreams about little monsters, or her belly swelling while they decorated a nursery and stockpiled on baby things. She wanted a detective’s badge and a good few more years of serving the NYPD before she had to sign off on maternity. Hell, they hadn’t even spoken about children yet, and Devon wasn’t about to come home with the takeout containers and ask Bryce if he had a number in mind and the names to go with them! No, in her mind, they were a good few years away from that. Celebrate some anniversaries and then, perhaps, consider becoming mommy and daddy. At least that was her plan.

Devon didn’t feel like she had missed out by having the very low key wedding. She wasn’t one for being the centre of attention anyway. The thought of the hassle of trying to fit wedding planning around her work pattern coupled with the overtime she crammed in was tiring enough. Skipping it felt like a bonus of the quick ‘elopement’. Her mother had prattled on about bridesmaids and celebrations, but none of that was them. Devon didn’t want a big bash for something intimate, and while she had friends who she could have called upon to share in her day, she hadn’t. The event that pressed Devon to act had been dark, barely shared with anyone, and were a reminder of how short life was. She didn’t want to spend twelve months deciding on a menu or a fancy dress to wear for twelve hours only. Hell, she might not have even lived that long! Bryce, thankfully, had been as impatient as she was. That definitely helped.

“I had a busy morning, too.” Though hers was tormenting her husband in ways she knew would have him plotting revenge for, and trying to empty at least one of the boxes sitting in what was now their apartment. The first she had achieved easily enough, but Devon had probably pulled two things out of the latter before realising she had no time left to do that. One day they might be unpacked, but Devon had a feeling she’d be closer to thirty at the rate they were managing it. “That probably is out of hand.” Devon agreed with a smirk, dropping the menu to the table, still wary of concealing her hands. “Though we’ve been living mostly of takeout lately. I’ll be thankful for something a little healthier.” Ordering in was just easier when they were exhausted from their version of moving; a version with involved more time without their clothes, and less time actually unpacking Devon’s things. Still, they were newlyweds, and Devon planned to keep using that as an excuse even when they were five years down the line and still acting like hormonal teenagers.

• • •

TAGGED! Fallon Alexandra Flynn
WORDS! 553!
OUTFIT! Married Missus!
LYRICS! Cry Baby - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES!

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon was a workaholic in the best of ways. She was energetic as well, so she was able to jump around and do it all and get in a workout on top of it and still be wired for whatever came next. She was hyper and instead of just being a humming ball of energy, she put it to good use and created movie magic; and taught the next group of aspiring film makers the ropes. Oddly enough though, one thing she hadn't done growing up, was plan her own wedding like every other little girl had. She'd been planning zombie attacks, apocalypses, alien invasions, banana peel slips and everything in-between instead. And now that she was actually thinking about it, all the years she'd been putting towards planning everything else out, helping all the departments, had her easily making plans and knowing without a doubt that it was all exactly what she wanted. She was trusting her dad and Bernie to deal with the catering, though she knew it would kill Bernie to pass off the food. She loved cooking. But Bernie was going to be a guest and play an important role in the whole ceremony and she couldn't be fiddling with the food in the background and play her part in the show as well.

The blonde's biggest concern was asking her friends to play a part as well and picking one over the other to be her maid of honour. Fallon already knew she just couldn't do that and would end up asking them to share the role. It would probably just be the pair of them anyway and Fallon wanted it simple. Her entire life was over the top and a bit of a spectacle. She didn't want the biggest day of her life with Gabe to be that much of a show. She wanted it to be like what they were, surprisingly lowkey; especially considering how she was! After asking Imogen and Devon if they would stand up with her, it was just a matter of finding the dress and paying for everything else on her list. She didn't need to worry about reminding Gabe about asking his Frat buddies to stand up or remind him about his suit until closer to the date. That was something else they needed to work out but right now everything was still so new and Fallon just wanted to enjoy it all a little longer.

"Please tell me you've done something more productive than I have." She asked, keeping her fingers crossed. She'd done plenty but felt like she'd done nothing at all. And there was still more yet to do before she could curl up on the couch. Eating lunch would be the first on that long list. "I should probably see someone about this, someone other than my trainer but not today." She said, pushing the menu further out of her way. She didn't need it to ask for her nachos with extra toppings to make up for the lack of jalapenos. When the waitress arrived, Fallon was quick to order up what she was after and a drink to go with it before leaning back in her seat. And while Devon ordered up her healthier option, Fallon promised herself she would eat something healthy for dinner to offset the craving she was about to indulge.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 561
Clothes || Excited Sweetheart
Music || Sierra --Maddie & Tae
Notes || <3!

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Devon didn’t know when to stop. She would drop before she realised she needed to take a break and look after herself. Before Bryce she had to be ordered home, instructed not to take on more shifts, and forced to take her leave from the NYPD. Now it wasn’t her Captain who told her to take a break, but her newfound husband. Devon found it easier to walk away from a hard day now that she had Bryce in her life. He could lure her away with the promise of a night in. In the past she was prone to pushing through those hard days, working more until she had the resolution she wanted. Her drive hadn’t decreased in the slightest, but she knew that the work would still be there in the morning, and that a night of rest and reminding herself that she still had a life to live wouldn’t end the world around her. Finding someone who understood when she did need to work though was something Devon didn’t think she’d ever have. Bryce understood and that was more than she ever thought she’d deserve. There were many late nights when she still didn’t think she deserved it, or the man who gave that to her.

There was a large part of Devon that was still shocked to see the ring on her finger. Her name had changed, they’d taken a leap off a huge cliff overnight, and it was still surprising. She caught herself looking at her ring, twisting it in the light and taking a moment to let it sink in that she was actually someone’s wife. It still felt surreal to her. Right now, with it hidden beneath her bundled sleeve, it was like she was a teenager hiding a love bite with a bulky scarf. It was only a matter of time before it was revealed she had been sneaking around with a man. The only difference was that it wasn’t some cocksure boyfriend, but rather a husband who often earned himself an eye roll and a slap to the chest before they found themselves in the bedroom. That rush was still there though. The feeling like she was still a teenager with her first love.

Devon tucked her hair behind her ear and chewed on her lip. “Erm, no. Nope. I can’t say I’ve been productive.” It wasn’t even like she had managed to get one box unpacked. She was too caught up in her husband, in teasing him, in trying to distract him and drag him back to bed. “You see anyone about that and it’ll open a whole can of worms that’ll see you institutionalised.” Devon said dryly. She placed her order with a soft smile, and then tucked the menu back in the holder on the side of the table. “So, lovely summer, right?” Devon thought it ridiculous that she could chase a criminal without a second thought, but sitting opposite her best friend, thinking about how to tell her she was Mrs Pierce, was terrifying.

• • •

TAGGED! Fallon Alexandra Flynn
WORDS! 513!
OUTFIT! Married Missus!
LYRICS! Cry Baby - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES!

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon was unbelievably happy about how her life was starting to look. She couldn't wait to spend forever with Gabe and creating a life together. She'd has a weird childhood, weird upbringing altogether and had honestly never thought she would be able to settle down. Then again, when she'd been thinking this, she had just gone through a weird breakup and had been in a bit of a self-loathing spiral. Fallon should have known then that Gabe was the man of her dreams but she was still refusing to see what was right in front of her. She could only hope when they got married, no one mentioned the day she finally opened her eyes because she was embarrassed it had firstly, taken so long, and secondly, she'd reacted the way she had; like a petulant child whose favourite toy was being taken away from her. She hadn't liked that feeling but she'd known even then that if that other woman would have made Gabe happy, she would have smiled and wished them all the luck and happiness in the world. And then she would have thrown herself into work until she was too exhausted to do anything but sleep when she finally let her head hit a pillow.

It was all quite selfish and she would be the first to admit she'd been happy when Gabe had shown up on her doorstep after his abysmal date but also sad that it had happened to him and angry that the stupid fool couldn't see what an incredible human she'd had in front of her. He had his quirks, and his favourite hobby seemed to be making Fallon turn green and wanting to vomit but she wouldn't change a single thing about him. She loved him completely. Fallon knew she was stubborn and picked fights, refused to acknowledge something that didn't work for her. She knew she binged too many movies in a row, took work home with her and generally spoke her mind without thinking about the words, or the consequence of them but for all her faults, Gabe loved her, too.

The Hollywood blonde had asked Devon to brunch because she'd wanted to ask her to be a bridesmaid. She didn't have many friends she would consider real. There were only a few people who really knew her and Devon was one of them. "Damn." She sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just pretend you were." She added with a chuckle. She was constantly working, even when she looked like she was just sitting there, watching a movie. It was good to know what was going on in the industry. With so many production companies and studios out there, they really needed to keep on top of what was brought out so they didn't accidentally recreate it and have a lawsuit on their hands. It wasn't Fallon's job to worry about things like that but she did love to watch movies so it wasn't a hardship. "I've been told more than once I should probably see a therapist," Fallon admitted with a grin. She didn't think she could do all that she did, love what she was surrounded by without being a little bit crazy. But then, as Alice said, "all the best people are." And she would stand by that quote. Fallon sat back and looked at her friend across the table. "The weather? Spill it. What's up?" She asked, immediately, not even bothering to be polite and work up to asking. Devon was trying too hard and Fallon was not in the least bit fooled.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 597
Music || Sierra --Maddie & Tae
Notes || <3!

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

Devon hadn’t been sure how her life would turn out ever since Frankie died. Everything she thought she wanted had crumbled to dust overnight and she had taken her life in an entirely different direction. She had no clue that she would end up marrying a man she considered to be her best friend. She had no idea that it would happen in the spur of the moment, without them telling pretty much anyone that it was happening. She didn’t know how wonderful it felt to wake up as Devon Pierce, even if she was still getting used to the change of name. At least it gave the other officers something to laugh at when she was genuinely oblivious to someone calling to her. Once or twice they had been forced to shout “Walker” at her to make her look up at them. She had never really expected to be known by her last name so changing it had proven a little more complicated than she had expected it to be. Still, she saw the wolfish grin on Bryce’s face when he heard it, knew by the look in his eyes that he was going to show her how much he loved her once they got home. Thankfully, Bryce was rarely around her at work unless he had to speak with someone in her department or was meeting her for lunch or to go home. She wasn’t sure she would survive if he was around her for longer than that when she was on the clock.

Who would have thought that a sequin dress and pizza would have eventually led to marriage? Devon sure hadn’t. She hadn’t built her future with Bryce on their first date. She hadn’t even thought about that after their sixth date, or their twenty-sixth – and by that time there was a lot of spare time spent in each other’s homes. It just wasn’t something they did. They fell in love, lived their lives and then one tragic day made them realise they didn’t want to waste time anymore. Devon wanted to spend her life with Bryce, growing old as he drove her crazy.

Devon leaned back in the chair her fingers rolling the new piece of jewellery still concealed by her sleeve. “Funnily enough I’ve been told the same!” The NYPD did insist that all officers see an in-house therapist after a rough case, or more recently it had been random appointments every so often since they were getting serious about the wellbeing of those with a badge. Devon never had a problem and always passed her evaluation with the only criticism being what she thought was positive; like her drive to see the right people put away for a long time. Smiling tightly, Devon leaned forward and looked Fallon in the eye. So, something happened, but before I tell you anything I need you to promise that you won’t make a big deal out of it or get mad.” Devon knew already that Fallon would insist on a celebration, but the tiny cop was already very comfortable with the celebrations she had shared with Bryce…most of them without clothing.

• • •

TAGGED! Fallon Alexandra Flynn
WORDS! 529!
LYRICS! Little Bit Love - - - Sunrise Avenue
NOTES!

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon had been helping to plan weddings for the movies for the better part of her life. She knew a lot and had been able to use those skills when Gabe proposed. In fact, it took her all of ten minutes to decide what she'd like. It took longer to get Gabe's opinions on things but he seemed to be more of the mind to let her work it out while he researched the origins and traditions of weddings. If it weren't for the fact that they both had family who would want a proper wedding, Fallon would have been more than happy to go the cheesy and potentially cliché route and head to a drive-thru in Vegas. Her father would kill her and she didn't think Gabe's parents would be none too pleased with them either. So, wedding planning it was. Once she'd started, she had so many ideas and thoughts on what she wanted. It took more effort to take things away than it did to add all the bits and bobs. Realistically, she could have just let Bernadette go to town on the planning and show up in the day with the dress and groom in tow. But Fallon had been compelled to plan at least a small bit of the whole thing because she loved Gabe so unbelievably that she wanted to do a bit of a thing just to show the world that she was completely committed to spending the rest of her days with the nerdy man who'd stolen her heart long before she'd ever realised it.

As it was, the blonde producer didn't much care what the wedding day looked like beyond making sure that Gabe was there with her. He was all she needed. Still, she'd known their parents would expect a bit more, especially her dad. Her last thing to do was ask her friends to stand up with her on the day. She'd meticulously chosen gifts to ask them and hoped that Devon, Immy and Ettie liked the little necklaces she'd picked out. They were simple but she thought them sweet. She was meant to have dinner with Immy and Freddie that evening when she would ask her to be her bridesmaid and a little toy to ask if Freddie would be the ring bearer. Everything else was set and ready, Bernadette was doing the final details in California, looking into getting some of the crew from the studio over to map out the path for Gabe's mum. After that, it was dresses and suits and a waiting game for the big day.

"What did you do? Get married without me or something?" She joked because she seemed to have weddings on the brain lately. It was ridiculous and Fallon knew she needed to start doing something else but it was a project for her and she loved tackling projects and getting them done as soon as she possibly could. Fallon liked to have things done and ready to be handled once the time came. She loved Ettie so much for taking care of the minor things around the office while she was off on her head doing this and that for the wedding planning. She was still around the office, getting things done, between classes but too often, she left a lot of Ettie's plate to deal with and she did so superbly.

Tag || Devon Olivia Pierce
Words || 564
Music || Sierra --Maddie & Tae
Notes || <3!

[Devon Olivia Pierce]

If Devon had learnt anything, it was that life rarely went to plan. She had discovered that for herself when Frankie had died and her own ideas for her life had dissolved in the months that had followed, with dreams of political office melting into a better, harder chase to do something good for the city she called home. She heard it in every statement she took when the families of victims cried about the things that never would be. Sometimes she wondered why she was pushing so hard for her shield, for that coveted spot in homicide, but Devon knew that despite those tough cases, the ones that would grow as ice cold as Frankie’s, she wanted to be there. She wanted to be putting away the monsters who fucked up people’s lives for no sane reason. Her brother might not have been a saint, but regardless of what his case dug up, he didn’t deserve to be left to bleed out in a New York gutter. No one did. Devon would fight until her last breath for those people, and sometimes she needed pulling back from that abyss of endless work.

Meeting Bryce had been a blessing she hadn’t truly realised she needed. There were always stories about never dating those you worked with, but Devon didn’t spend every waking minute with him. They were both law enforcement, but weeks could go by without them really brushing shoulders at a scene, or crossing paths on a case. It was different. If they brought home the troubles of their day it was easy to talk it out over pizza because the other understood it completely, and there wasn’t quite so much red tape as there would be dating a civilian. Bryce knew the cases that would send Devon spiralling, and he knew the best ways to keep her from drowning in them. She shouldered a lot for the sake of her family and friends, hid the tough parts of her job so they didn’t worry about her, and she hadn’t realised just how much she had kept to herself, kept hidden from those who would worry until she had Bryce and didn’t need to do it anymore. He had always coaxed those burdens out of her, helped her untangle them over take out and re-runs. Now it was just what they did, part of what made their relationship as strong as it was, and one of the many, many reasons Devon had realised she didn’t want to spend her life without him – even if she could compose an equally long list of all the things he did that drove her crazy.

She laughed a nervous laugh, raising her eyebrows at what Fallon must have thought was an outlandish idea. Devon was usually known for being grounded, level headed and calm in times of panic. She didn’t really act irrationally, or do crazy things on a whim. “Well, actually…” She rolled her sleeve back, letting the light catch on the diamond set wedding band she was still getting used to seeing herself. It was simple, engraved just enough to be different from most she had seen before, but not so obnoxious that it got in the way of what she did every day. Quickly, Devon began talking again. “It happened all in one night. We pretty much eloped, but without leaving New York. No one knew – apart from Bryce’s brother – and that was only because we needed a witness. If we hadn’t then we’d have just gone off without a soul knowing at all.” Devon explained, not knowing until they’d actually done it that it had been perfect for them. She hadn’t needed some big expensive day, or a fancy celebration. She had just needed Bryce and the bit of paper that said they were legally man and wife. “We’ve only just started telling people. Lived in a little bubble for a few days until I had to tell my Captain for next of kin reasons, and Bryce had to do the same. Plus, the name change, of course, which has been just a riot a minute down at the precinct. Then we told the families and they were sorely disappointed that they didn’t get the big wedding.” She rolled her eyes. Her parents had come round pretty quickly, understanding their eldest daughter hadn’t ever done things the way it was expected of her. They liked Bryce, thought he was probably the only person on the planet capable of keeping her from running head first into danger. They just would have liked some happy memories to frame around the family home. His were, well, Devon didn’t really understand Bryce’s parents. She tried to treat them well, to include them how she included her own but it never seemed to end well at all. Bryce told her not to worry about it, that they were always the same, but Devon struggled with that idea. Her family had always been so close and she wanted Bryce to have that too. Unfortunately for him that meant he’d probably end up kidnapped to Sunday lunches when they were both free now, especially since she felt like she had to make up for the surprise marriage. Time wasn’t her own these days. “You’re the first person I’m not related to, employed by, or now joined to by marriage that I’ve told.” She offered up, hoping that would appease Fallon slightly. “My life is currently a constant of work, moving boxes and a CSI I can’t seem to keep my hands off.” Devon laughed again. She was exhausted most of the time, but she couldn’t remember ever being happier.

• • •

TAGGED! Fallon Alexandra Flynn
WORDS! 953!
LYRICS! Cry Baby - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES!