"Sometimes, you won't know it but

the one who is always there is the love you are

searching for."

V.

Tiffany has long been calm after talking about her ex, thanks to Taeyeon who was there to listen. Jessica would've scolded her for being so stupid. Yuri and Hyoyeon would’ve made fun of her. Taeyeon was argumentative about love but she listened nonetheless. And Tiffany was grateful for that.

"Pizza's here!" Yuri cried with excitement. Sooyoung wrapped her arms around her and both looked at the food menacingly.

Tiffany smiled because it was fun seeing her co-workers find other friends. Their start wasn't as nice as it should have thanks to the tension brought by the case. But at least, they found means to get closer.

She looked at Taeyeon and she won’t be able to deny that Taeyeon had something, something that was drawing her nearer. Though it was scary, it was also nice at the same time.

“Umma, I am fine.” Taeyeon stammered on the phone. It made Tiffany crack a wider smile. “The news exaggerated the whole thing. God, trust me!” And she hung up.

“Mom issues again?” Tiffany asked casually when Taeyeon sat near her.

“I am not in the mood, Tiffany.”

“Do I sound like I am teasing you?” The former knitted her brows. She really did a negative mark on Taeyeon.

“Sorry.” Taeyeon said, leaning her chin on her palm. “She’s just worried.”

“She’ll get used to it once you have your fourth or fifth case on the field.”

The woman shook her head. “This is the first time I went out and pro’lly the last.”

“No way.” Tiffany let out a gasp. “You’re good!”

With a smile, the shorter woman cracked the joints of her neck. This is the first time they talked without teasing and fighting and it felt lighter and warmer. She could easily be used to this side of Tiffany. “They require everyone to pass the shooting test. I can’t even hold a gun!” She said in frustration.

Tiffany ruffled Taeyeon’s hair. “You’re cute. You should ask Sooyoung or Sunny to teach you. It’s fun out there, Taeyeon.”

“I know.”

They both watched their friends celebrate over the huge pizza. "I never thought we could be friends." Tiffany, out of nowhere, said to the quiet woman beside her.

"Me too. But it's cool, right?" Taeyeon turned her head.

"Yeah."

"Are you okay now?" It was soft, Taeyeon's voice. She still couldn’t take the idea of Tiffany crying so hard.

Tiffany thought in that moment that Taeyeon was sincere. For a person who only lived by the book, Taeyeon was different. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Taeyeon then stood up and took two slices of pizza. She put both on separate plates. She handed Tiffany one. "Here, you should eat." The latter took it and smiled. Taeyeon hesitated to get the other one and Tiffany noticed it.

"Hey, are you not eating?"

"This," The shorter woman bowed down. She bit her lip. "Isn't mine."

"Then whose?"

Taeyeon gulped and looked at the room at the far end of the hall. The lights were still on. "Is she not coming here?"

Tiffany looked at the same direction. She realized who Taeyeon was talking about. "I called for her but she said she was okay."

“Oh.”

The former bowed down. She pointed the room with her chin. "You can take that to her if you want." She bit her lip when she realized, crap, Taeyeon liked Jessica way more than her. And she hoped that Taeyeon was dense enough to not notice how cold and distant her words were.

“Okay.” The woman hesitated. “Will you be okay?”

“Of course, I am not a kid anymore, Taeyeon-ah.” She snapped.

“I was just-” Taeyeon paused. She couldn’t find the words to say. “Worried.” She immediately covered . She was surprised that she, for the first time, said those words. She never cares. She looks after other people just because she was aware of the so-called good karma. That’s it. There was nothing more than that. “Okay, I’ll head out now.”

Tiffany, like Taeyeon, was surprised. Her heart swelled in so much appreciation though she was still kind of hurt to see Taeyeon going after her best friend.

“You did it wrong, Fany.” Yuri chewed her slice slowly while nodding.

“Why do you guys always appear suddenly?!” Tiffany held her chest as she tried to calm herself down.

“You should just show her the sweet Tiffany we all knew.” The tan inspector continued. “You chose to play on her. You should’ve been in Jessica’s place.”

“Yah!” The woman glared. “I am not jealous whatsoever, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

****

Jessica heaved a deep sigh. She looked over their case for the thousandth time and she still couldn’t place the pieces in their rightful places. The more people they had to let go, the further they go away from solving the murders.

A small knock startled her. “Come in.” She said but all she heard were rustlings by the door. She put down her papers and stood quietly. The door was still moving but wasn’t opening at all. She opened the door and she saw a small figure with her hair splayed over her face. "Taeyeon?" She said with a surprised tone and the woman lifted her face. "God, I thought it was a ghost!"

"Sorry I couldn't open the door." Taeyeon smiled.

Jessica chuckled with a shake of the head. "Come on in. Can I help you with something?"

"No I uh-" Taeyeon placed the cup and the plate on top of the table. "You're not going to get a slice, are you? So I thought I should take one here."

The smile on Jessica's face grew wider. "Thanks, Taeyeon. You're sweet."

"I am not."

"Have you eaten though?"

"I'm fine." She hasn’t, actually and she didn't want to admit it.

Jessica stopped writing and she reached for the knife. She cut the pizza slice in two. She took the first one and pushed the plate towards Taeyeon. "Go on, let's share."

Normally, she wouldn't share. Normally, she would reject this kind of offer. But for the woman across her, she relented. "Thanks." Without thinking about the numerous bacteria Jessica could share to her, she bit the pizza.

"So, how are you and Tiffany now?"

Taeyeon swallowed before nodding. "We're fine. I think."

"Of course. Both of you should look after each other." The brunette sipped her drink. Though she knew that the two would be okay, she still has to know what happened to her best friend. "Are you okay with the team?"

"Yes, they're fun."

"Good."

Taeyeon watched Jessica flip through the papers with a smile. "You care a lot about us." She casually remarked.

"Why? Do I look like I am not?" Jessica's brow shot up.

"No offense but you looked cold at first."

It made the woman giggle. "Don't worry I get that a lot."

"But you are the opposite."

"Thank you, Taeyeon."

****

"So what do we have?" Another night passed and everything was still unclear for everyone who was studying Sohee and Soyu's case. The interviews they had with Mihyun and Jisuk just opened up new possibilities that they have to find out. And it was unnerving. Their lack of sleep and rest just added spice to it. Sunny shook her head.

Pictures of the victims, the crime scenes and the people involved were on the board. And just by looking at them, it causes everyone to get more frustrated.

"Nothing." Sooyoung sighed. Her eyes were still heavy.

"Connection." Tiffany said, taking the marker with her. She stood by the board. She drew linking lines between Soyu and Sohee. "Let's see. They both died with the same position, same means. What more?"

Taeyeon knew what Tiffany was telling. "What did we miss?"

The woman in front nodded. "Whatever it is that linked them, we should find it, fast."

"They died of arsenic poisoning so we should look for someone who has access to this chemical." Hyoyeon butted in.

Yuri slow clapped on Hyoyeon. "Nice, doing your homework now, Kim?" She asked. The woman just nudged her on her ribs.

Jessica listened well and she was proud that this team had made a huge improvement. "Hwang, Dr Kim, go to the hospital where they were taken. Maybe the hospital staffs know something."

"Inspectors Kim and Kwon go ask everyone near the girls if they knew someone who has access to arsenic. Chemist, lab workers, pharmaceutical companies’ employee, professors or even hospital personnel." Sunny added, pointing at the two cops. "Go, chop chop. And Agent Choi, go get some rest. We'll take the work from here. Captain and I will look for similar cases for the past years and try to find any juncture."

****

"I hated hospitals, you know." Tiffany admitted while Taeyeon was driving towards the hospital where both victims were taken.

Taeyeon shifted gears as the car's speed accelerated. "Why?"

"I was a weak child. My parents always take me to the hospital. I was afraid of injections, until now."

The other woman chuckled at the confession. "You are not afraid of guns but you are afraid of small punctures?" She asked, amused. There was the red light and she stopped the car.

"Hey, at least you know that you will die once a gun is pointed at you. But when it comes to needles, you will never know." The copper haired woman playfully snapped. It was too early for banters but she didn't mind. There was this growing comfort she has for the driving woman.

"Guess you're right." She answered, still giggling. Taeyeon had opened the possibility that she and Tiffany could really be good friends. They even exchanged messages the night before, telling each other to be cautious and to take care of themselves.

And early this morning, she bought the woman a cup of coffee from Starbucks that she noticed Tiffany liked the most. It was crazy, though, how the past night’s events turn into a friendship they started to share.

"You're not afraid of doctors and nurses?"

"No."

Tiffany pouted. "What are you afraid of, then?"

The street light turned green and Taeyeon pressed on the gas pedal. "Clowns?" She said, unsure.

Tiffany slightly slapped the woman's arm. "McDonald is a clown. He's very nice!"

"Do you know that a serial killer named John Wayne Gacy dressed up like a clown? He killed at least 33 victims, Tiffany." Taeyeon said and Tiffany grimaced. "He lured young boys and teenagers and got them ually assaulted and killed."

"Do you really have to inform me about that?" The woman huffed in annoyance. "You just ruined my childhood memories. Thanks a lot."

"I am just stating a fact." Taeyeon the curb before entering the hospital premises. "Now go, I'll be there after I park."

"Sure, you creepy genius." Tiffany stepped out of the car.

The other woman just shrugged her off and looked for an available space near the emergency room, where Tiffany went in. She stopped the engine as soon as she positioned the car appropriately.

Upon entering the buzzling hospital area, she found Tiffany talking to a man, who has white scrubs. She assumed him as a nurse since doctors wore blazers. She sat next to them.

"I, when did this happen again?" He asks.

"Soyu was taken here four days ago. And Sohee, two weeks ago. Don't you remember anything?" Tiffany asked again.

The man frowned, trying to remember the events that happened inside the hospital for the past weeks.. "I was off duty four days ago and-"

"Taeyang! We need CPR here!" Another man in scrubs shouted.

Taeyang looked apologetically at the two officers. He was about to stand up when a tanned female nurse patted his shoulder.

"Go, talk to them, I'll cover up." She said, smiling.

Taeyang smiled back. When the nurse disappeared in sight, he turned to Taeyeon and Tiffany. "That's Bora. She's nice and hardworking. Wait," He paused. "I think you should ask her. That girl comes here even if she's not on duty. Maybe she knows those patients. Would you like me to call her?"

"If you could." Taeyeon glanced at Tiffany before nodding.

Taeyang wiped his damp hands on his pants when he pushed the chair with the back of his knees. "Bora, they need you." He said, pointing at Taeyeon and Tiffany.

"How about her?" The female nurse pointed at the patient inside the trauma room.

Taeyang shook his head. "I'll take care of her."

Soon enough, the woman came out of the small room. She pulled her hair in a nicer bun before sitting on where Taeyang just sat on. "Hi, I am Bora. How may I help you?"

"We are here to ask about Ahn So hee and Park Soyu." She noticed that questioning look on the girl's eyes. "They were taken here but they were already dead when they arrived."

For a moment, the nurse paused to think. After a minute or so, her eyes shot up in realization. "You mean the two suicide victims?"

Like they got a spark of hope, their eyes widened in anticipation. "You were there?" Taeyeon asked. Her hand was ready to jot down some notes.

"Yes I was on duty. I even tried to CPR both but, they were gone." She inhaled deep. "A lot of people died in here you know. I wasn’t this stressed when I was in the OR."

"When people die in here don't you have routine tests or procedures to do?" Tiffany asked.

Bora pursed her lips. "It depends on the physician. And with DOA cases like them, it depends on the family or the police." She said. "Why? Did something happen? Were they in trouble?"

"We believe that they were killed, Bora."

The nurse gasped. Her hand covered . "Really? Christ, we didn't know that. If we-"

"No, it's not your fault." Tiffany rubbed Bora's hands.

"Whatever it is that you needed of us, I'll be here. I'll help." More personnel on scrubs ran behind the three of them as another patient arrested on one of the ER beds. And like Bora had developed an instinct, she abruptly stood upright. "I have to go. They need me." She smiled a hit at the two officers and off she went.

"Wow, she is dedicated." The cop remarked, whistling.

Taeyeon nodded. She watched the busy area and she wouldn't work on that place ever. They went out of the place with nothing but empty notes. With deep sighs, both of them got into the car. “Some people might see hospitals as safe but do they know that these facilities are breeding grounds for lethal drug – resistant microorganisms? Deadly because your first line of drugs would never be effective anymore causing the doctors to change to another one. And this cycle, if repeated would be the reason for another mutation of more resistant pathogens.”

The other woman rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I hate you, really.”

“What?”

"Will we ever catch this guy?" Tiffany ignored her and played and twirled her pen with her fingers instead. She looked at the hospital once more and bit her lip. She hated this place and she hated the ER.

Taeyeon sensed that something was wrong and this idea came to her mind. "We still have time."

"What?"

She started the engine. The car started moving. "I always go this place when I get tired or frustrated. And the coffee there is great and cheap too. Want to try it?" She pushed her glasses back and gazed at the woman next to her. It has come easier for her to talk to Tiffany without being so scared of being bullied.

"But-"

"One hour, two tops. Is it okay with you?" Taeyeon asked persistently.

Tiffany heaved a sigh. "Fine. Two hours. Okay?"

"Great!"

****

"This is what you do when you're bored? It also induces boredom, Taeyeon." Tiffany said as they walked pass through shelves of books. The books were old and tattered too. Where's the fun in here? She thought.

Taeyeon pouted. "Hey, the coffee is great and these books," She pointed at each book. "These are classics. I won't get tired of them, you know." She stopped in front of a book and took it out from the old shelf. "This one is Inferno, written by Dante Alighieri in the 14^th century. Inferno is the Italian word for hell.  The story recounts the life of Dante. Elaborate yet ambiguous." With a dreamy tone, she explained. “Oh, and this one, this is The Black Sheep by French author Honore de Balzac in 1842-”

Tiffany didn't bother to interrupt. She listened well instead. She found the excited Taeyeon very cute and it brought a smile on her face, pushing the idea of boredom off of her mind.

"Are you even listening?"

"I am totally fine with the coffee but," Tiffany raised a finger. "No to these books." She started walking towards the empty table located just at the end of the shelves. It was near the window and she would like a great view.

Taeyeon chuckled. She returned the book gently before going after the cop. "What coffee are you having?" She inquired when she sat down.

"Americano, extra hard." A soft giggle escaped Tiffany's mouth when she saw the grimace on Taeyeon's face. "Just kidding. 21% death toll, right? What are you having?"

"A cup of caramel macchiato. Decaf."

It was Tiffany's turn to grimace. "What's the use?"

"Health issues, Ms Inspector." Taeyeon looked through the menu, in that part where pastries and desserts were posted. Her eyes lit up at the variety of treats.

"Fine, decaf. I'll have what you'll have."

Soon, their orders arrived. Two cups of decaffeinated coffees and two slices of banana and apple cheesecakes. Taeyeon, with her sweet tooth, dug in first. Then somehow, a simple question about books led them to a nice and friendly conversation. Taeyeon talked most about the books her mother read to her when she was young, how she ended up being a psychologist and how she found the NIS.

“There was a shootout in my neighbourhood. I was curious.” Taeyeon said. “When I went outside my house, a man ran over me. I looked at the direction he came from and more men were shooting. I almost got killed! It was scary but it changed everything.”

“How so?” Tiffany asked. She was starting to like this version of Taeyeon, the happy, more outspoken Taeyeon.

The shorter woman smiled a bit. “I thought, I am not living my life to its fullest.” She saw the twinkle in Tiffany’s eyes and she what that meant exactly. “Hey, I am boring but I am still thinking about enjoyment too!”

The other woman laughed. “Go on.”

“I came to teach the next morning and I thought, there was more to that life. So, I applied for the NIS. Lucky, even if I don’t look and dress like I could take down a goon, they hired for my brain.”

Tiffany remembered teasing Taeyeon about her fashion sense but to be honest, she has grown to like it. It was like it wouldn’t be Kim Taeyeon if she dressed up a little better. “You’re awesome, don’t worry.”

“Thanks.”

Then Tiffany blabbered about the cases she handled. She shuddered on some because they were gruesome and unbelievable. Their coffees were long cold but it didn’t matter at all. As long as the stories continued coming in, it was totally fine.

"They didn't care." Taeyeon said in midst of silence.

Tiffany furrowed her brows. "Who?"

"My parents. Other people told me to go be a doctor or a lawyer, because I am smart. But when I asked my parents, they just told me to do whatever I want. I just wanted them to be proud, you know." And then suddenly, the atmosphere changed to a sadder one. "But then as I grew up, I realized no one really cared. Umma drowned herself in alcohol while appa took home different women. I am irrelevant to them. I was just a product of a one-time love."

"I am sure everyone's proud of you." Now she understood why Taeyeon hated love. If only she could teach her how to love, if only.

"Yeah, I just hope so." Taeyeon smiled. "How about you? Why did you become a cop? You're pretty and smart."

Tiffany leaned back and contemplated. "My mom. When uh," She massaged her temple. "I was twelve. We were at the church. I held onto her when we walked out and then I heard a gunshot. The last thing I remember, I was crying and there was blood on my hands. Mom died." Her voice trembled.

“That’s why you hated hospitals. Not because you were sickly.”

Tiffany nodded. "Her assailant wasn't found until my last year in high school. He was my mom's friend. That's when I thought of being a cop. I don't want people like him roaming around and killing people."

"I'm sorry." Taeyeon said, bowing her head.

"It's okay. Let's just help these families get the justice they deserved."

And so, they were two hours late. Yuri and Sooyoung asked them where they went. Instead of telling them they went to the hospital, Tiffany just blushed and Taeyeon walked out on them.

To be continued....

****

I am so dead tired today -_- and people pissed me off like seriously. FML >.<

But! I honestly hope that you guys had a great day (unlike me, apparently). :)

Tell me what you think, babies! <3