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Station 45 - home of Anderson Cleary, the youngest Chief in the history of Cascade. This man gave his all for the station. He brought it back from the brink of closure as a Captain. He remodeled the building, made sure that everything out of date was improved and replaced. However, the station soon came upon turmoil as it was torn in half by the actions of two men. Even after all the close calls he had gone through, nothing could take him away from his beloved station and job. That was until his life was taken in the performance of his duties. It left the station in shock of losing their leader and friend.
As they gave the highly decorated hero his final ride on the truck and laid him to rest, a new threat came to Station 45 and the two others in the city. A pyromaniac was about to make his mark on the city and give this station a new threat to face without their leader. This wasn't their only problem. The actions of two men a few weeks before Anderson's death left the station torn. Five crew members and a Captain was replaced and left a gap in the personnel. Now this burden rests upon the shoulders of a new Chief and old friend to Anderson - Gavin O'Leary.
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 166 Karma: 2
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #15 on Feb 14, 2009, 12:32am »
Courtney sighed then nodded. She knew that no one could hurt her in the courtroom because there were so many cops and bailiffs around, but it still dredged up memories best left repressed. "Just some bad memories, is all", she explained. She wouldn't further her explanation while Haley was right there, but she might explain it to Danny without little ears listening to her every word. Despite not really wanting to return to a courtroom, she still figured that she might take Danny up on his offer, just for the fun of it. Because of her interest in judicial proceedings, she found that kind of thing interesting.
Like Danny, Courtney worked a lot. She spent a lot of her free time at the bar while it was closed in the morning and early afternoon, and then she spent most of her nights behind the counter, slinging drinks and washing glasses. The only thing she didn't concern herself with was cooking. She had someone working to send out the pub-style food that was served there. The menu was small though, so it wasn't bad. From time to time she would get her friend Mark to work as a bartender if she felt she wanted a night off, but a night off truly wasn't a night off. No, she always had laundry to do, an apartment to clean; the list went on and on. Courtney knew full well that she could run herself ragged if she had the chance, and most often she was running on nothing more than fumes.
When Haley asked if it was OK that she let go of her hand, Courtney nodded. "That's fine", she said, letting go of Haley's hand and watching her skate ahead. Courtney moved a little closer to Danny so they could talk without having to talk loud enough for Haley to hear. She wasn't sure she wanted to discuss her unease with courtrooms with him, but she knew he saw that kind of thing on a regular basis. The scars, both emotional and physical were still very much with her, though she was a bit more self-conscious about the physical scars. It had taken a long time before she had let Daniel see her scars, though he had known about the incident. It was just the way she was.
Courtney glanced at Danny when he asked what had brought her to the rink. She didn't really have an answer for that, considering this wasn't a usual hangout for her. "I was here earlier for the hockey practice they had for the junior team. I volunteer with the Big Brother/Big Sister program, and the child that I'm paired with plays goalie for the team, so I was here with him. I just decided to come back for the public skate after I took him home", she said, watching as Haley kept a close eye on her and her father. "I don't usually come here to skate, because I usually fall more than I skate". She smiled. So far she had only fallen once, and she was considering that a good day. A good day made even better after meeting Danny and his daughter.
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #16 on Feb 14, 2009, 1:00pm »
Danny nodded to show his understanding. He wasn't going to ask Courtney what her bad memories were. Obviously, they were bad enough, and he wasn't the type to press about that kind of thing. He figured that she was either a victim or a family member or friend of a victim. In turn, though, being a family member or friend would make her a victim. Crime impacted a lot of lives that criminals just didn't seem to understand. Or maybe it was just that they blatantly didn't care. He didn't know. But, he was committed to putting away the bad guys and had been since grade school when one of his classmates was beaten up by some high school students. They hadn't even been close friends, but it had effected Danny. And had light his fire, a flame which still hadn't died out.
Regardless of the situation, he would listen to Courtney if she wanted to talk about it, but he wouldn't press or pry. Especially since they didn't know each other very well despite how easy it was to talk to her and how quickly Haley had decided that she wanted to befriend her. If she wanted to come by, Danny could show her around. Sometimes, he had learned, knowing the inner proceedings of a courtroom helped victims feel more at ease. It was frequent that he would show victims around the place and explain the processes to help the VA's gain the trust of the victims, especially those in his cases. Ex-gang members, ex girlfriends of gang members, little siblings and other family often felt insecure going up against someone from one of the gangs.
"That's a great thing to do, Courtney," Danny said with genuine admiration. To him, anyone who attempted to make a positive difference in a child's life was hero worthy. There were so many ways a child could fall into the negative crowd in this place and so few to keep them on the right track. Any sort of nudge in that direction was great and anyone who nudged was not only helping that child succeed, but this neighborhood. Danny had decided a few months back he wanted to start an after school program for kids to give them some place to go after school that wasn't an empty house. He wanted it to corraborate with the school district, police department, attorney's office to help these kids stay out of gangs. It was going to take some financial work and a lot of time, so he had to get support first. Alex, his co-worker, was already on board and the two of them were drafting up plans to make it work.
"Is he teaching you to play hockey?" Danny asked, curious. He laughed when Courtney commented that she was more apt at falling than skating. "Well, you've done very well so far. Maybe you just need something to distract you from actually skating. Like a conversation. Or Haley. She's a magnificent distraction from anything." He laughed again thinking how much work sometimes weent undone until after Haley was asleep because he would get caught up running around the house with her. Of course, he didn't regret a single moment. And, fortunately, he was completely capable of pulling things out of his ass in the middle of court if he wasn't prepared and actually having it sound intelligent and well thought out.
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 166 Karma: 2
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #17 on Feb 14, 2009, 10:41pm »
For only having met him, Courtney felt strangely at ease around Danny. He seemed to be genuine, which was a nice change to what she was used to. Being surrounded by cops day in and day out tended to grate on a persons nerves after awhile. A lot of the men on the force were the typical macho guys, and the badges did nothing but inflate their already overinflated egos. She had long since grown tired of hearing them recount stories of big busts or heroic take downs. Then there were those who were ready to toss their badges out the window and forget about the whole damn precinct. Those were the ones that scared her. A man with a gun, a boatload of problems and a bottle of whiskey didn't seem to have many possible good endings.
Courtney didn't see her volunteer work as anything special. She knew that Matthew loved hockey a lot, and his parents really didn't care if he made it to practice and his games, so she felt good when she helped him out. But, on the flip side, he provided her with a welcome distraction as well. The time she spent with him was time she wasn't thinking about her own problems or the problems of others she dealt with on a daily basis. Seeing him excel doing what he loved rather than on the streets wreaking havoc with other teenage hoodlums was all the reward she ever needed. "It's nothing special", she said, becoming modest, "It's just one less kid to smash the windows of my car or the bar". Vandalism, she'd found, was expensive in Cascade.
Courtney couldn't help but laugh. "Are you crazy?!", she asked in return. "I do well to stand up on skates. Give me a hockey stick and ask me to hit a puck... no way!" Matthew had offered more than once to let her use one of his hockey sticks so he could teach her, but she had declined that offer, citing the fact that she didn't need any more bruises from on-ice activities as her reasons for not wanting to learn. Courtney shrugged softly. "Maybe you're right - all I need is a distraction", she said, thinking aloud. He was right about one thing - Haley was a magnificent distraction for sure. "I take it you're interested in hockey?", she asked. Every once in awhile she could be caught wearing Marcus' Washington Capitals t-shirt, and it was much too large for her. Heck, she didn't even like the team and couldn't name a single person that played for them either. It was just her 'lazy day' shirt, and it was comfy and well worn. She truly didn't care that it belonged to her ex.
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #18 on Feb 15, 2009, 2:02am »
Danny smiled. "You're doing more than keeping him from smashing windows, Courtney," he said, "I imagine you're teaching him how to handle the everyday stress of life appropriately and that he always has someone there to turn to for help. I've only been here for a couple of years, but I'm discovering that a vast majority of the children don't get that kind of attention and affection. It's unfortunate, but all it takes is one person to turn someone around. One person to even keep them out of the wrong side of life. He has some influence on his friends. Who knows, you might be keeping a whole group of boys away from drugs." He shrugged, laughing softly. Danny had always been an advocate for children. He was often assigned position of guardian ad litem in the courthouse, a lawyer chosen to represent the best interest of the child in question. He opted to stop talking because he figured he was embarassing her. Courtney had seemed so modest and unsure of the compliment a few moments ago. He should have bitten his tongue, but it had slipped up.
At her outburst, he genuinely laughed. It was a warm sound, paternal without being patriarchal which his mother seemed to like about his laugh. So had Sarah and a few other women in his life. Haley was always trying to make him laugh. And, in so doing, always succeeded no matter what happened. Danny could get mad at her, and she would do something goofy and he would laugh. He would explain to Haley why he had scolded her, and she would promise to do her best to not act up again. She was good on her promises mostly, though she did like to test the waters. "Alright, alright," he said, "we'll work on making it around the rink some more before putting anything in your hands."
Nodding, he watched Haley from where she was in front of them, holding on to the side of the rink and twirling in order to move herself forward. She was such a girl sometimes, which he found most endearing. But, then, she would surprise him and do something tomboyish. He supposed her youth allowed her to cross gender lines without as much concern considering the trains and planes she loved to play with and the fact that she'd wrestle with the boys at school. She was forever coming home with scuff marks on her jeans and holes in the knees.
"I used to play back in college," he said, "before I joined the military. I played a little in the Army, but mostly focused on my work in JAG. Now, I mostly watch. Except Haley wants to learn, so I'm teaching her a little, but enrolling her in classes in two weeks. I've never seen the kiddo more excited." He watched as Haley nearly took a dive into the ice but caught herself on t he side with a jerk at the last moment. She looked up to see if he had noticed. He pretended he didn't, and she skated back with a slightly less bruised ego than if he had acted like he had noticed.
"Daddy, I'm hungry," she complained in four year old fashion, "can we get a hot-dog?" She gestured to the little food area off the rink that sold snacks and coffee to skaters. Haley hadn't eaten since lunch, and that had been early because they had been running some errands outside of the city.
Danny nodded. "Sure, kiddo. Why don't you ask Miss Courtney if she wants anything." Danny looked up at Courtney with a questioning look, unsure if she ate junk food or not. Usually, Danny satisfied himself at the rink with a bottled water and some peanut M&Ms, but occasionally he caved and bought a hot dog for himself, too.
Haley stopped skating and looked at Courtney. "Miss Cour-tey, Daddy's gunna get me a hot dog to eat. Do you wanna eat somfin? Or maybe get somfin to dink?"
« Last Edit: Feb 15, 2009, 2:04am by Jordan Mage »
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 166 Karma: 2
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #19 on Feb 15, 2009, 11:17pm »
Courtney had always been modest. She didn't care much for compliments, and usually went about her life doing what she felt was right. She never expected to be lauded for her actions, but from time to time someone took notice of what she did and thanked her for it, whether she wanted it or not. Danny made a good point - if Matthew had any sway with his friends, she could very well be keeping a group of young boys out of trouble, but she would never see it that way herself unless someone else pointed it out. "I guess someone has to help the kids around here. They're all this city has now, and if it loses the innocence of the children, it'll never be rebuilt".
She cared a lot for Cascade, considering it had been her home now for three years and change. It was a far cry from being Montreal, the french city she came from, but it was home despite all of its shortcomings. Danny had a great laugh, Courtney discovered when he laughed at her. "That sounds better. I'm likely to hurt someone if you gave me a hockey stick", she said, then smiled. She was watching Haley ahead of them as well, and looked away when the girl nearly fell to the ice, looking at Danny instead and pretending like she hadn't noticed either.
"I guess my ex played for a little while. He taught me to skate - kinda", she explained. Daniel had always been great to her, but they were complete opposites - the relationship had been destined to fail from the beginning. Sure, she missed him, but she was long over him, just like she was long over Marcus, and Eric too. All had been cops. All had been real winners too. She had a knack for choosing men that really didn't have the relationship potential, and was even better at trying to make a relationship work with them. The only problem was that you couldn't get blood from a rock - it just didn't work.
Courtney tried to avoid junk food as much as she could, but considering almost all of her waking hours were spent in a pub, her efforts were most often in vain. Courtney shrugged when Danny looked at her, seemingly asking her without any actual words whether or not she sprung for that kind of food often. When Haley asked, Courtney nodded. "Sure, let's go get something", she replied. She figured that a hot chocolate would do her just fine, giving her a bit of a sugar rush which her body quite badly needed. Plus, she'd get to spend a little more time getting to know Danny and his daughter, which seemed to be a fine proposition to her.
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #20 on Feb 16, 2009, 9:56pm »
Danny nodded to show his agreement. The kids were what any city had, no matter how well off or how crime ridden. They were the future and if allowed to wander down the wrong path, the city they lived in would continue wandering down the wrong path. It was part of why he had the ambitions he did. He was working diligently on the planning of a centre in all of his spare time. Haley really enjoyed helping out as much as she could, and Danny really enjoyed letting her.
"Well, if you ever want to learn, just give me a call. I haven't ever done coaching, but I've taught people one on one how to play." He laughed with a wide smile. "Of course, we won't do any of that until we can get you skating." He knew it was a little presumptuous to think that he would be seeing Courtney again, but she was a nice person and Haley liked her which made her good in his book. Heaven knew he needed a few friends in the city outside of work.
Haley hopped off the ice, stumbling a little as she did so. She caught herself on the railing, Danny hopping off just behind her, grabbing her hand to steady her. "I wanna hot dog, peas," she said as she more or less duck walked over to the tables set up for skaters wanting to take a break.
"Okay," Danny agreed, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket. He looked over to Courtney. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" He asked her, intending to get whatever she wanted. It was how he functioned. He wasn't going to argue with her, but he had grown up learning to be a gentleman.
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 166 Karma: 2
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #21 on Feb 17, 2009, 12:09am »
Courtney smiled. It was nice of Danny to extend that offer to her. She knew that Matthew would be surprised if she could even make three or four laps while skating without falling down at one point, so if she actually could manage to learn something about hockey, he'd be floored. It would be a good way to spend more time with the kid, who really needed someone, even if he didn't want to admit it. Courtney could see how much it hurt him to have parents that weren't actively involved in his life. She wasn't sure what his parents did for a living, but that was no excuse. Take Danny for example - he was an attorney, and still had time for his daughter. Matthew needed every minute she could give him, and she was more than happy to dedicate time to him. All he had to do was call.
"I appreciate the offer", she told him, "But you're right - nothing too ambitious until I can at least skate". It'd be nice to see him again, she figured, and Haley too. She was an absolute doll, and Courtney really loved children. Since moving to Cascade, she had learned that everyone needed a good friend in a city like this. Courtney had pretty much alienated herself over the past year or so, after the fallout with Daniel and Marcus. Eric had been there for her when no one else had been, but she refused to let herself fall for him again, and had succeeded in pushing him away too. Being alone was getting old, even if she wasn't searching for a relationship. Friendship was different, and was great in her books.
Courtney followed along, stepping off the ice and heading to the concession stand that catered to the skaters. She was much more adept at walking in her skates than actually skating on them, it seemed. When Danny asked if she wanted anything, Courtney had her hand in her pocket, digging out a few dollar bills. "Don't worry about me, I'm just going to get a hot chocolate", she said. She'd been under the impression now for a long time that chivalry had died in the middle ages, but Danny seemed to be a true gentleman. It was just another trait that she was adding to the growing list of rarities he possessed. Why he was seemingly single, she didn't know.
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #22 on Feb 18, 2009, 10:01pm »
Danny shrugged. "I'm dragging you away from your practice time on the ice," he said with a warm smile, "least I can do is get you a hot chocolate." Whether or not chivalry was dead was up to the people one spent time with. Maybe Jordan was just so accustomed to being the single father, but he couldn't understand very well why people weren't just kind to each other. A large hot chocolate was only $2.75. That really wasn't anything compared to how grateful Danny felt that Courtney had been tolerant and playful with Haley. The child was bold, but she didn't take being snubbed too well, and more people here were likely to snub someone out of fear, and the girl didn't understand that. She took it personally every time.
"Why don't you two wait here. Haley, make sure Miss Courtney doesn't fall. Can I entrust you with that?" The girl nodded, becoming a little more shy now that she wasn't showing off for Courtney. Danny laughed and ruffled her hair. Haley pretended to look pissed, though she looked more comical than anything, and straightened her blonde hair out. "I'll be right back," he said to both Courtney and Haley, "a hot dog, only mustard, and a juice for Miss Haley and a hot chocolate for Miss Courtney. Do you want marshmellows? They had the mini ones that just sort of dissolve into the cocoa." With Courtney's answer in mind, Jordan joined the line for food. It was relatively short, and a few minutes later, he came back with a tray carrying two cocoas, a hot dog with only mustard, and a bottle of apple juice for Haley.
He set the hot dog in front of Haley and opened her juice for her. "Try not to get it on your dress, kay?" The girl was already picking up her hot dog, trying to figure out how to best get it in her mouth without making a mess. Danny didn't mind if she did, but some stains were difficult to get out, and he knew the skating outfit was Haley's favorite and she would be disappointed if it had a stain. He set Courtney's cocoa in front of her and set the tray on the trash can nearby before returning to his seat.
"Watcha girls talk about?" he asked. He could tell Haley had withdrawn a little, but that was normal and he wasn't worried. Still, she seemed to like Courtney so the bar tender might have been able to extract something from her. He didn't know.
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 166 Karma: 2
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #23 on Mar 2, 2009, 10:09pm »
Courtney didn't feel like fighting over the cost of a hot chocolate. If he wanted to pay, so be it. She would just return the favor at some later date, maybe buying him a coffee or something. That was if she got to see him again. And, after spending such little time with him and his daughter, she was already hoping for that possibility. Courtney laughed when he asked Haley to stay with her to make sure she didn't fall. She had done a fabulous job at making sure she remained upright while on the ice, so why not entrust her safety in the little girl again? Haley seemed shy again, but that didn't bother Courtney, considering she still was little more than a stranger to the child. To have had her warm up to her so readily on the ice was impressive enough.
She shook her head. "No marshmallows, thanks", she told Danny, and he left to go fill their order. With Haley in tow they went and found a small round table with four chairs around it to sit at while they waited for her father to return. During the time Danny was gone, Courtney tried to make small talk with Haley, but she didn't seem overly inclined to talk. Still, she'd managed to get her to talk about hockey a little bit. It seemed the child loved the idea of the sport and couldn't wait to learn to play. It didn't take long for Danny to return with the cocoa, hotdog and juice, and she offered a smile. "Thank you", she said as she wrapped her hands around the styrofoam cup to warm them.
"We talked about hockey", she said, smiling at Haley. Courtney was convinced that the child knew more about the sport than she did, but that wasn't surprising. Courtney wasn't really interested in hockey, and never had been. Marcus had watched the games when they had been living together, and when she was at the Haven, it was usually hockey, football or baseball on the flatscreen TV hanging on the wall. As much as she wanted to turn it off some nights, the guys loved their sports, and she in turn, profited as they drank beer while watching the game.
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #24 on Mar 28, 2009, 1:43pm »
Jordan smiled as he sat down with his drink. "Sounds like something Haley loves to talk about, dontcha kiddo?" he said as Haley set down her hotdog in defeat and handed him a plastic knife and fork. Jordan laughed and began cutting the hot dog into fork sized pieces for her. He knew it was easier for his daughter to talk about things she knew about rather than ask questions about things she didn't when he wasn't around. Haley had some light abandonment issues, but they were being quickly addressed so that she wouldn't have them her entire life. It was not a way to live, fearing that those one loved would leave. Jordan would make sure that she didn't view all those around her that way just because her mother no longer called or sent emails.
"Thanks, Daddy," Haley said as he handed her back the fork when through cutting. Happily, she stabbed the fork into a piece of bun and dog and popped it in her mouth. The child bounced around as she chewed her morsel, proud to have not spilled anything on her dress and to have figured out a way to eat her favorite meal without spilling.
Jordan ruffled Haley's hair. "No problem, Haley. That was some pretty good thinking on how to not spill." With Haley happily absorbed in eating her hot dog and drinking her juice, Danny turned to Courtney. "So, talk to me about you. What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?" He liked to know the random stuff about people and almost always asked. His job life was governed by asking relevant questions, so when being social, he liked to ask completely irrelevant ones. After all, those were sometimes the most relevant.
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 166 Karma: 2
Re: Lacing Up [open] « Reply #25 on Apr 21, 2009, 7:56pm »
[[OOC: Sorry for the wait - I truly am. I've just been lacking Courtney muse lately]]
Courtney nodded. Though Haley had been more quiet once her dad had gone to fill their order, she had spoken some, and hockey seemed to be a good topic to talk about. Haley had explained that her dad was teaching her to play, and she was excited to learn. Courtney was happy to discuss the sport with the child, even though she didn't know a whole lot about the sport. Her goal had been to make Haley feel comfortable when her dad wasn't immediately within arms reach, and though she had withdrawn a bit she had done well. Danny was doing a great job as a single parent, as far as she could tell, especially in a city like Cascade.
She couldn't help but smile when Haley proudly ate her hotdog, now neatly cut up into manageable bites. The kid was obviously happy that she could eat the hotdog without getting mustard on her clothes. Mustard was a horrible stain to get out - Courtney knew that one first hand. Courtney took a sip of her hot chocolate, watching Haley as she ate. Someday, she thought, she might have a family of her own and settle down with a nice guy. She was well overdue for a nice guy, it seemed, having dated more than one guy in Cascade, only to have them end up being complete assholes.
She nodded in agreement when Danny told his daughter that she had been quite smart, figuring out how to eat her hotdog without ruining her favorite outfit. As Danny asked her a question, she turned to pay attention to him now, sipping at her hot chocolate again. Spontaneous? What had she done that was spontaneous? "Well", she started, clearly trying to think of an answer. "Moving here was pretty spontaneous. I went from Eastern Canada to the Western United States without a job lined up, anyone to stay with, or a plan for my future", she explained. Why she'd left Quebec, she didn't know, but she had. Things had been far from idyllic since she'd left home too, considering she had given up her dream of becoming a lawyer to toil in a bar she had never intended on owning. She had been through shattered relationships and had lost a child. She'd been kidnapped, released, then shot three times a week later - Doctors still didn't know how she'd pulled through. But, she still had her sanity, so she considered herself lucky.
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