The Shining Example

Who: Danny, Elle, and Parker
Where: One More Round
When: Lunchtime

Parker was still trying to recover from the disaster that had been his first been assignment. Thankfully, Danny hadn’t told anyone of his faux pas, at least not that he was aware, and he was grateful for that. He wasn’t expecting to get into Danny’s good graces any time soon, but maybe he could made some gesture that would salvage some of Danny’s impression of him. With that in mind, he’d invited the detective to lunch - and was surprised when Danny actually agreed. Danny had chosen the location, a place he was obviously familiar with. Parker guessed that he should have expected it would be a bar, but he tried not to let it bother him. Too much.

Danny wasn’t interested in eating, but drinking his lunch always seemed like a good idea. Plus it would be a good experience for the kid to see the ‘Round. They didn’t love cops there, but Danny was mostly tolerated provided he didn’t arrest anyone. This straight and narrow kid was good in that regard, but he needed to see a thing or two before he got his wings. Danny led the way to a small corner booth, one of his favorites and sat down.

Parker followed Danny, eyeing the clientele of the place warily. He felt conspicuous in his uniform, and he could feel the eyes of everyone in the bar on his back. “So. Do you come here often?” It sounded like a pick-up line, but Parker was completely serious as he looked around the room. He couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to be here. Then again, he didn’t drink. His idea of lunch was actually along the lines of food.

Danny gave Parker the same look he’d been giving him all morning. The kid just stayed weird. “No,” he lied. He came here often enough that he knew a few of the staff, but it wasn’t like he was a regular. “Don’t look so scared rookie...it gives them something to target.”

Elle had been busying herself with the very exciting task of cleaning glasses. It didn’t come as too much of a shock to see Danny enter the Round in the middle of the day but what did take her somewhat by surprise was the fact he wasn’t alone. The cop wasn’t one she recognised, not one of the few who ventured into the bar. Eager to break the monotony of the task, and to just say hello, Elle put down the now polished glass and headed over to where the pair sat.

“Good afternoon, officers,” she greeted warmly, flashing a smile. “What can I get for you today?”

He looked over at Danny disbelievingly. “The uniform isn’t enough?” He wasn’t scared. He was... uncomfortable. There was a difference, he was sure. He reached out to tentatively run a fingertip across the table in front of them, lifting it up to inspect it for grime. “I must have missed this place when I was walking my first beat. I can’t imagine why.” He gazed around the bar again, the waitress almost on top of them before he noticed her coming. She was fast. For some reason that didn’t surprise him. She probably didn’t want to spend much time in here either. Anything to make it go faster. At her question, he mumbled under his breath ‘a tablecloth?’ but what he actually said was much more pleasant, more keeping in line with her tone. “Just a soda for me to start, please.” He gestured across to Danny. “And whatever he’s... having.” He could assume it would be stronger than a soda, even on duty. Parker looked back up at her, returning her smile. It was pretty, just like her. Too pretty to be trapped in a place like this.

Danny let one of his rare smirks show through at the sight of Elle. “Hey doll,” he greeted her, though it hardly sounded like a come on. As much as he enjoyed the girl’s company he couldn’t bring himself to treat her like that. She was far too young for him anyway. “Usual,” he said with a nod when Parker gestured for him to order. Alright when it came to Elle, maybe Danny was a regular.

Whatever it was that was muttered, Elle didn’t quite catch it and so kept on smiling. “Coming right up,” she said in true chirpy waitress form and disappeared off through the bar to fetch their drinks. Upon her return, she placed them on the table, looking between the pair of them. “There you go, Danny. And friend.” It may have been presumptuous but she hovered to try and prompt an introduction, curiosity getting the better of her.

Danny smiled a little into the drink as he took a swig. “McClelland. Officer McClelland,” he said gesturing towards Parker. “He’s a rookie.” The last comment was said as if it were a joke towards Parker, which it was.

Parker tossed him a look, but continued smiling as he transferred his gaze back up to Elle. He extended a hand. “You can call me Parker.” Another look shot at Danny, “and I assume your name isn’t ‘doll’.” She was pretty enough to be one... but that thought was quashed quickly with a sip of his drink and suddenly averted eyes.

“So you’ll be showing him the ropes, right?” she said to Danny, though it was more of a statement than a question. She got that he was teasing but Parker didn’t look too impressed. Even if she did find his seriousness kind of comical herself. Shaking Parker’s hand, she said, “Most of the time I’m just Elle.” She gave Danny the same look Parker had, though hers was obviously playful. More teasing Parker than scolding Danny.

“Something like that,” Danny agreed with a shrug. “You should remind him though he has to earn the right to call you doll.” That implied that Danny had earned the right, but he was fine with that idea being put in Parker’s head. He could see the way the guy looked at Elle and he wasn’t sure he was keen on that. He hadn’t fully decided how he felt about Parker in the first place.

“I would never call you that,” Parker assured her, obviously not realizing that he was being teased by either of them. Or maybe he did, because he wasn’t above a bit of it himself. “So, Just Elle, what do you have here besides alcohol?” A dig right back at Danny, too. Not quite as playful maybe, but not entirely malicious. “Anything you’d recommend?” And hold the cockroaches.

Elle smiled serenely at the both of them. “Well, if Parker doesn’t plan on calling me that, I can waver the right to earn it. So it all seems to have worked out fine,” she told Danny. The trading of potshots at the unfortunate rookie could have gone on for a while but Elle didn’t want to make too much of a bad first impression. And the two of them seemed to be doing a fine job of bantering between themselves. “Personally, I’d recommend the club sandwich. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, I promise.” The Round might not have exactly been the pinnacle of sophistication but Elle was sure there were far worse places out there.

Well, if there was one thing he had learned, it was to trust the recommendations of the people who worked in the place. They usually knew what they were talking about. “The club sandwich then, Justelle.” He also trusted in the fact that he would be surprised if anything in the bar turned out to be edible. The soda was all right, but then it was hard to go wrong with that. He turned to Danny. “Will you be joining me?”

Danny made a face at their little back and forth and the pet name. That didn’t amuse him at all. He had no claim to Elle of course, but he felt that pull to protect her like he did most women and Parker hadn’t passed his bill of approval yet. Normally he wouldn’t have bothered with food, but today he nodded, just because the kid had an attitude. “Sure club sounds great,” he said to Elle, ignoring Parker completely.

Figuring that Parker was just trying to be funny, Elle didn’t comment on the nickname that had apparently been bestowed upon her. Maybe he was feeling awkward, being a fledgling cop and in the Round and all. Still, Danny’s expression, and his lack of acknowledging Parker, didn’t go unnoticed. “I’ll go and get those taken care of.” After a momentary pause she added, “Be nice while I’m gone, okay?” While it was said light heartedly, Elle was making a bit of a point. Keeping an eye on the two men seemed like it might be a good idea. With that, she left Parker and Danny to their own devices so she could sort out their order.

Parker really had no idea when this day had begun to go so horribly, horribly wrong. He’d been excited to work his first big case, excited to be in the company of a veteran detective, thrilled by the atmosphere surrounding the mystery. He didn’t set out to annoy people, but it seemed that once again that had been the inevitable conclusion to his interactions. Best to probably keep a lid on himself the rest of the day and hope he didn’t do or say anything more to irritate Danny. He would apologize to Elle at some point, too, but for now he kept quiet, every now and then taking a drink, looking around the bar, and fiddling with something in his pocket.

Danny gave Elle a look that implied that he was rarely nice, but he didn’t comment as she left the table. Instead he took another gulp out of his drink, waiting on Parker to say something. After a long moment it seemed like Parker was just going to sit there awkwardly and fidget. That left Danny scowling again, giving Parker a look as if he were waiting on him for something. “What has got you all twisted up now?”

He stared up at Danny, startled out of his own thoughts. He wasn’t really expecting to be spoken to again. “Nothing,” he lied, making a show of innocence. “Just waiting on the food.” He gestured at the empty table, like it should have been obvious. Of course he realized immediately afterward that that had probably been a mistake, but he’d been making a lot of those lately so it didn’t much matter. “Enjoying the company. That sort of thing.”

“You’re hardly enjoying the company,” Danny pointed out. “You look more like your going to vomit now than you were the crime scene and that’s saying something.”

Parker pulled out the object he’d been fiddling with and started playing with it instead with both hands on the table in front of him. Just having it there to look at was calming to him. He didn’t know Danny at all. Did he really want to say anything? He took a deep breath and decided, “I probably get along better with dead bodies than I do with living people.” He wasn’t looking at Danny at all, and if Elle wanted to choose just that moment to bring out their food, he probably would have done something completely out of character for him and kissed her right then and there. But neither thing happened right away, so instead he just sat there and lapsed back into silence.

“Yes that much I figured out on my own,” Danny pointed out, deciding then and there that if Parker got creative with Elle it was over and Danny would deck him square away. “You might want to work on that or we’ll move you to a different department. You can spend more time in the morgue.” And well away from Danny. “What the hell do you have there anyway?”

He didn’t have to worry about Parker getting fresh with Elle. Parker wasn’t looking for anything from anyone. His strict adherence to the tenets of his faith ensured that he would behave himself in that regard, at least. “I was hoping to make detective some day. I want to help people, and make a real difference.” But maybe Danny was right, maybe the morgue was a better fit for him. It would be quiet, and he wouldn’t have to be around a lot of people. Living people. He sighed to himself, still fiddling, then held up the object for Danny to see - his favorite guitar pick. “Just this. Nothing special.” It wasn’t the truth - that was probably one of his most treasured possessions, aside from the guitar he used it on. Back to messing with it, a habit he couldn’t seem to control when he was nervous or upset. He finally had to make the deliberate decision to put it down and pick up his drink instead.

“Most people hope to be detective. Not everyone makes it.” Danny himself barely made it. Sometimes he wondered still why he did make it, even though he was more than qualified in the situation. He let out a small sigh at the comment though, wanting to make a difference. That was what Danny wanted too wasn’t it? It just didn’t seem possible. “Maybe you’ll prove worthy.” It wasn’t said pleasantly, but it was as nice as Danny got. “What is it?” he asked, reaching for the pick himself.

“I’ll make it.” It was said with a dark determination that wasn’t meant for Danny, or anyone else but himself. But even as he finished saying it, Parker had to physically stop himself from snaking his hand out to grab the pick before Danny could get to it. As it was, he could feel his stomach clenching when Danny picked it up, all thoughts of a reply to his worthiness gone. Eyes on the pick, he took another drink to calm himself, hoping Danny wouldn’t notice his distress. “A guitar pick. My guitar pick. It’s special to me. A gift from one of my mother’s old boyfriends.” One of the few who’d actually shown Parker any sort of concern or affection, which must have been why he hadn’t lasted for very long. No - Parker shook that thought out of his head almost as quickly as it had entered. “It’s my favorite. I carry it everywhere.” It was so old and worn it had become almost worthless for its original purpose, and was more of a sentimental worrystone for him now. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost it. The same boyfriend had given Parker his first guitar, showed him the chords and awakened in him a fierce love for blues and jazz that hadn’t shown any signs of abating. The man had changed Parker’s life, and probably hadn’t realized it. It was too bad that Parker couldn’t remember his name.

Danny looked at the pick in his fingers, turning it it over a little as he watched Parker twitch. It was there, obvious for him to catch especially when he’d made a living out of watching people. Mother’s boyfriend meant not his father and that had Danny putting it as the root to why the kid was odd. He’d hated his father, but the man was still his father and had raised Danny even if by force rather than love. “Everywhere.” Danny echoed handing it back. The only thing he definitely carried everywhere was the wedding ring on his finger.

Parker never knew his father; couldn’t pick him out of a lineup if his life depended on it. He didn’t even know the man’s name. His mother had had more boyfriends than he could count, a string of them parading in and out of his life, and his mother’s bed was never empty for long, as in between boyfriends (and sometimes even during) she had just ‘friends’. Most of them were a blur, faces he couldn’t remember, names he’d never caught, and only a handful had ever shown more than a passing interest in him. Parker had often been left to his own devices, practically raising himself from a tender age. If not for his music and his faith, Parker’s life would have turned out very differently. “Everywhere,” Parker repeated, taking it back with a small sigh of relief. He pocketed it again, but kept his hand there to finger it, taking comfort from its presence. He needed to change the subject to something less personal. “Are the club sandwiches as good as she says?” There. Safe.

Danny eyed Parker as he took the pick back but didn’t comment on it. There wasn’t a point in doing so. “Hell if I know,” he said taking a long swig of his drink. “I never eat here.”

While she had been waiting for their order to be prepared, Elle had been watching the two of them. From what she could tell, the discussions had seemed to remain amicable enough. The both of them were still seated at the same table and she hadn’t heard raised voices. That must have meant that things couldn’t have been too bad.

Food ready, Elle ventured back over to the table and placed one sandwich in front of Danny, the other in front of Parker. “I hope you enjoy it,” she said with a big smile. One that was almost over compensating for the less than friendly words exchanged earlier, and any that may have been tossed around in her absence.

“I’m sure we will.” It looked good, better than he’d expected. His own smile was more genuine now, with a hint of an apology behind it. “Thank you.” He was no longer in the mood to tease her, not that Danny would have appreciated it if he’d tried. The food was a good excuse to sit and take in the atmosphere of the rest of the bar, as he could munch silently and take a good look around. It also helped him to avoid the necessity of making small talk to fill the silence.

Danny felt the whole thing take a turn for the awkward and the glanced at Elle for some help. She was better at this than he was since her job dealt with making people happy while his was to arrest them. Completely different.

Taking the cue from Danny, Elle’s attention went to Parker. The least she could do was try and make him feel more comfortable. No doubt there was a decent guy underneath the uncertainty and awkwardness. “How are you finding being on the force?” she asked warmly, genuinely interested in the answer. “I would say that you must be showing a lot of promise if they’re putting you alongside Danny. Since he’s one of the best.” Whether those things were entirely true or not, she didn’t know. But she was sure that Danny was a good detective and so the rest followed suit.

He could have said something sarcastic like, ‘it’s everything I dreamed it would be’ but his heart wasn’t in it. She was being sincere, so he would, too. “I was just an extra pair of hands for the crime scene today, that’s all. Danny just got unlucky enough to have to be the one to deal with me. He is very good though, you’re right about that.” He paused long enough to take another drink, “being on the force so far... it’s different from what I imagined. I haven’t been working for very long - maybe people will come around as I become more familiar to them on my beat. Right now I’m just the cop who’s trying to catch them doing something wrong. Eventually I’d like to earn at least a little of their trust and respect.” He smiled sheepishly. “It’s a nice dream, anyway.”

Elle gave him a bit of a look. “Don’t sell yourself short. Everyone has to start somewhere. And you must have done something right to still have the pleasure of this gentleman’s company.” She threw Danny a slightly apologetic look for any implications that may have had. She meant to try and build Parker up but didn’t want to give the impression that Danny was a real hard case. Maybe on the surface he could be, but as far as Elle was concerned it didn’t run all the way through. Nodding, Elle glanced around the bar. “It was kind of like that when I started here. You try talking to people and they don’t know you, don’t know what you’re about. A lot of people don’t trust easily - they’re waiting for someone to turn their back on them or stab them in theirs. But they come around, with enough time and perseverance. You just have to show that you’re not out to get them. It is a nice dream, and you’ve got the right attitude to make it more than that.”

Elle was probably laying it on thick for Danny at this point but he could see Parker giving up a little and after first glancing towards Elle apologetically, he kicked the kid under the table. “Stop that,” he said. “If you want respect, you earn it, just like the rest of us beat cops did. They will always think you’re out there to get them an often you are, but when things go wrong, if you’ve earned their respect by chasing down the ones who deserve it, you’ll be the one they call.” Pouting certainly wasn’t allowed, even in front of Elle.

The kick startled him, but he recovered quickly with only a little bit of an indignant glance in Danny’s direction. “I don’t expect to just have respect handed to me. I’ve been doing what I can to earn it, by making myself accessible and trying to be friendly to people. I don’t let anyone get away with anything they shouldn’t be doing, but I don’t try to make things overly rough for anyone, either. I know what it’s like trying to get by when you don’t have much money or hope.”

“That’ll help you out. If you can relate to them, you’re already halfway there. You’re not some high and mighty type, you’re a guy like them just trying to do the right thing.” It seemed to make sense, at least. Elle couldn’t say the same - she’d never really wanted for anything. Not in that way. Which meant she could never fully understand the way she wanted to. With a gentle smile, she reached out and patted Parker’s hand. “You’ll get there, don’t worry.”

That had Danny curious, raising an eyebrow. The kid knew how people got when they didn’t have much, which meant either he worked with the homeless a lot or he’d once been someone who didn’t have much. He went with the latter because outside of his wife, he wasn’t sure anyone worked with the homeless. “You be the shinning example of what it means live under the means of law even when there are other simpler illegal options. You made something of yourself, now prove you’ve earned it and they’ll follow suit.” Danny have been a tougher cop, the type to throw streets kids with sticky fingers in jail with no mess for their sob stories. Though the girls tended to get special attention, food if they were in lockup overnight and the like, but still, in jail. There were lessons that needed to be learned.

Hadn’t had much, still didn’t have much. He wasn’t ever anticipating doing much more than scraping by. Even his newly-earned income didn’t go far when he was helping to support his mother, too. Among other things. Parker nodded at him, taking his words to heart. It was probably the best advice he’d been offered for some time. “I want to be that example. I grew up in the Sprawl - I used to be one of those street kids. I see them now and I see how I used to be and I know that I can help at least some of them. They don’t have to grow up without hope.” His lunch was ignored now as he spoke of his passion, slapping his palm down on the table for emphasis. It made the plates rattle just enough for him to catch himself, looking up at Danny and Elle with some embarrassment. “Sorry. I get ahead of myself sometimes.”

Elle gave Danny an oddly proud smile, impressed and pleased with the encouragement thrown Parker’s way. What also impressed her was the way the guy spoke about his job, the changes he could make. Even if the sudden noise of plates and palm made her jump. It echoed a lot of her own feelings. She may not have been a street kid but it was giving her hope. “As Danny said, you’ll be able to inspire them. Maybe you’ll be able to recruit a rookie of your own.”

Danny was glad Elle was pleased, but she wasn’t stuck with him. For a moment he squinted at Parker, curious if he’d arrested the guy at some point. He guessed no, leaning back in his seat again. “Well there you go. Now eat.” It was like directing a child, but he was worried the kid would start in again and spilling Danny’s drink wasn’t on his list of things to do today.

He’d never been arrested - come close a couple of times, had a warning here and there, but never actually made the trip to the police station. It was probably a miracle, really, considering. He flashed a bright, real smile to both Elle (where it might have lingered for just a moment longer than strictly necessary) and Danny, both pleased and satisfied with how things were turning out. He’d steadily been gaining a new respect for Danny during this conversation, even if his drinking was still worrisome, and the detective’s stature in his eyes had grown immensely in the course of just a few hours. He wasn’t ready to confide in Danny and make him his best friend, but he had the feeling that the man was not only trustworthy, but someone who wouldn’t lie to him or make excuses for the world. Parker hadn’t grown up with many role models; Danny would fill the bill nicely. He even went so far as to follow Danny’s latest order without argument, tucking into his lunch with a new-found enthusiasm.