Title: The Detective Needs Proof: Five Times Valerie or Sandra Know Exactly the Right Thing to Say
Fandom: Almost Human
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1536
Content notes: Brief, vague references to violence as part of their police work
Author notes: Spoilers for the most recent ep. For fan-flashworks for the "Rough" challenge.
Summary: Five important moments in Valerie/Sandra's relationship.


“When we did your background check, we found that you’ve had some very high-paying job offers from leading consulting firms,” Captain Maldonado said. “So why would you want the long hours and crap pay of a detective? You could have a very promising career as a research psychologist.”

“I can assure you, Captain,” Valerie said, “I am dedicated to police work.”

“Why? It doesn’t exactly attract people of your… nature.”

Valerie’s lips thinned. “You mean chromes.”

The Captain said nothing, her silence the answer.

Valerie swallowed. “If you know my background, you know that I did research on psychological mechanisms for ignoring the suffering of others and for refusing to acknowledge when one is going down a bad path, so to speak, despite all evidence to the contrary.”

“Two topics that are very good for studying the criminal mind,” the Captain acknowledged with a nod.

“Yes, but what I mean is, our society is going down a bad path. You obviously know that as well as anyone. We are barely hanging on by a thread, and I don’t want to give in to the easy way, the way that shuts my eyes and pretends everything is fine. I’m not doing that. I want the people who are tearing us down to be brought into the light, where we all have to see what they’ve done, and what they’ll do if we don’t stop them. There are people out there who need to be stopped, Captain, and I would be damn good at doing it.”

Captain Maldonado leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. She narrowed her eyes for a long minute, then – finally – gave her a smile.

The Captain kept asking her questions. By the end of the interview, Valerie had a job.

--

Almost everyone had gone home, but Valerie was still at her desk. She was staring at a screen, at the files she had been over again and again, but mostly now she just saw a blur. She smiled at everyone who walked by, not letting on that she was still seething at being made a fool of by the latest criminal, who had gotten away right from under their noses. Again.

She didn’t even notice that Captain Maldonado was sitting at her desk.

“Sometimes, you just wish you could punch something,” Maldonado observed casually.

Valerie smiled. “We should put a training bag right next to the coffee maker.”

“Caffeine, violence, and cops? That can’t go wrong,” she answered, and they both laughed.

Sandra put her hand on Valerie’s shoulder. “Tough break today. We’ll nail that fucker tomorrow, though. You should go home and get some sleep.” Her hand lingered there, warm.

Valerie shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m happier here.”

Sandra sighed and nodded. And to Valerie’s surprise, she pulled up a chair and started to go over the files too.

“What?” Sandra said with a little smirk. “Like you’re the only one with an unhealthy obsession about this case? And you call yourself a psychologist.”

Valerie just grinned and showed the Captain another file.

--

Valerie was hiding in the women’s restroom, trying to breathe.

She turned on the sink, splashed water on her face. She looked up in the mirror. Her face was red, blotchy and rough from crying. She looked … unprofessional. Ragged.

She turned toward the other wall when she heard someone come in, hoping it was someone from another unit.

No such luck.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Sandra said, in that voice that brooked no argument.

Valerie leaned with her arms against the sink, pretending to stare into the mirror.

Sandra walked over, close, and said, “Nobody could have saved them, Stahl. None of us could have known.”

Valerie managed to choke out, “Thank you, Captain,” and tried to smile reassuringly.

Sandra placed an arm around her shoulders, soft, and said, “Listen, Detective. You are coming to my office and we are drinking a very old Scotch. Okay?”

Valerie really wanted to act like she was fine, like she was too professional to fall apart. But as she nodded, she felt the tears leaving her eyes again, felt Sandra’s arms wrap around her, holding her in.

“You’re going to be all right, Valerie,” she whispered in her ear. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now. But you’re all right.”

Valerie closed her eyes and tried to listen.

--

No one in the department believed her. And Valerie herself had to admit that her hard evidence was flimsy. But she knew – she was sure – that the brutally violent robbers were going to hit the same target again. They should wait for them at the same museum they hit last week.

The chief himself had mocked her ideas. No one was going to put resources into it.

She was starting to wonder what would happen if she went home, pretending to be sick. (She knew what. She’d probably get herself killed trying to stop the team of 20 highly trained robbers without backup, or she’d stand there helpless waiting for backup that would be too late).

Not to mention that Sandra would never buy such an obvious lie.

Luckily, though, she didn’t need to lie. Her Captain was better at it.

“Go down to check out this coffeeshop. They may or may not be selling designer drugs with their lattes,” Sandra ordered the team.

“The coffeeshop across the street from the museum,” John observed with amusement. Of course John was on board with anything that would piss off admin.

“Take as many MXes as you need,” Sandra said and promptly turned her attention elsewhere. Valerie could barely contain her grin.

“We’ll need a lot,” Valerie told them, and they nodded.

When it was over, no one was seriously injured and all the robbers were in custody. The chief pretended that it was his idea all along.

--

Valerie wasn’t much for birthday celebrations. But they all had had a frustrating few weeks, and she thought it might be nice to invite her coworkers over for some wine, maybe some snacks. She invited Sandra, John, Richard, Rudy, and a couple of friends who worked at the crime lab. When Dorian asked if he was invited too, she figured she should say yes (and she felt, oddly, a bit guilty for not thinking of it on her own).

They talked and drank wine and ate canapés, and everyone raved about the Gruyere popovers, even though John refused to call them anything but ‘bumpy cheese things.’ Richard and John refrained from escalating their arguments, which Valerie considered a lovely gesture since it went so fully against their natures, and everyone was polite when Rudy kept talking about dead insects. Richard brought her a box of candy as a gift, John and Dorian gave her a fruit basket (Dorian called it a joint present, but John objected to that wording, much to Valerie’s amusement), and the lab techs and Rudy all gave her gift certificates – to a bookseller, and upscale spa, and a store specializing in Venetian masquerade masks, respectively.

After a couple of hours, Dorian decided Kennex had had enough wine, and they headed home, and the others soon followed. Sandra was last, and she started to help Valerie clean up.

“You really don’t have to,” Valerie said.

“I’m happy to,” Sandra said with a smile, “Especially if it means that I get to stay longer and have more of that Pinot.”

Valerie smiled and accepted the dishes from her.

They finished quickly, and settled on the couch. Valerie put her feet up on the ottoman, and wondered if she could get Sandra to stay longer.

Sandra pulled a small box out of her pocket. “Happy birthday.”

Valerie opened it carefully, and her eyes widened when she saw the small, tasteful gold earrings, a delicate swirl design.

“These are lovely,” she said, immediately putting them on.

“They made me think of you,” Sandra said.

Valerie smiled. “How do they look?”

“Beautiful,” Sandra said, matter-of-factly more than flirtatiously.

“I love them. Thank you.”

“I’m glad,” Sandra said with a smile. “I guess it’s time for me to be leaving now too.” She stood and smiled down at her.

“Did you only come tonight because you’re my boss?” Valerie blurted out, much to her own embarrassment.

“Of course not. I came because you’re my friend.”

Valerie paused. “Well, that’s probably good. Since I think I’m about to ask you something that would be very, very inappropriate to ask my boss.” Valerie kept her outer calm, but she could hear her own heartbeat pounding.

Sandra stared at her, unreadable, for a long moment. Finally, she spoke: “I’m not your boss tonight. But if someone’s going to ask, then yeah, it has to be you.”

Valerie stood quickly and kissed Sandra, felt terror as Sandra hesitated, then the relief, the elation, as Sandra kissed her back, as Sandra’s hands moved to Valerie’s waist.

They parted, both out of breath.

“Happy birthday to me,” Valerie said with a raised eyebrow.

Sandra smirked, and she looked almost exactly like the day they met (the first time Sandra made her wishes come true). “It looks liked we’re not quite done celebrating,” Sandra said, and Valerie leaned in and kissed her again.