Day Break fic: A Day in the Life (PG-13)
Jan. 4th, 2008 02:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
toxic_cornTitle: A Day in the Life
Author: toxic_corn
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Day Break belongs to ABC, not me.
Summary: A day in the life of Chad Shelten.
Spoilers: None, this takes place pre-series.
Pairing: Chad/Rita
Notes: Written as requested for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladytalon1's birthday.
A Day in the Life
Chad slid into the passenger seat, holding the cardboard tray to his chest. “Coffee and doughnuts. Now it feels like we’re real cops.”
His partner, Brett Hopper, gave him one of his patented “where did you come from, jerk?” looks and took one of the Styrofoam cups. “Think going through the academy might’ve done that for you.”
“Well, yeah. I just mean the stereotype. Coffee. Doughnuts.” Chad picked up his bear claw and tore into it happily. That action finally made Hopper unclench and he actually smiled.
“That looks good; you get any of those for me?”
Chad nodded, talking through a mouthful of sweet doughy goodness. “Yeah, go for it. They look good and taste good, too.”
Hopper and Chad ate in watchful silence, not taking their eyes from the warehouse their suspect had gone into an hour ago. This sort of work was boring and when it wasn’t boring, it was dangerous. Chad hoped to one day advance beyond this; he was missing the middle ground more and more with each passing day. He wanted something safe that made good money so he could keep coming home to his wife and give her what she deserved.
As if reading his thoughts, Hopper asked, “So, do you and Rita got anything planned this weekend?”
“Yeah, I got us this package deal to Catalina, covers everything. Transport, hotel, tours.” He sipped his coffee and smiled. The trip was just what they needed. Since the mess with her brother and dad, Rita had been acting distant lately. A little one on one time in a romantic setting was the perfect way to get their marriage back to what it had been.
“That sounds nice,” Hopper said then sat up straight. “There’s our guy. Let’s roll.”
Chad hastily put his coffee in the cupholder and held onto the ‘oh shit’ bar above the door; Hopper always drove like a lunatic.
~*~
Rita had been asking him for ages to fix the faucet so when Chad got home, he went under the sink and started dicking around with the pipes. He was probably going to have to call in a plumber but it would make his wife happy to see he was at least making an effort.
He heard the front door open and Rita’s keys jangle onto the coffee table. “I’m home,” she called, tiredly.
“In here,” Chad answered and slid out from under the sink. She walked in, her recently dyed blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, looking cute in her pink scrubs. “How was work?”
“Exhausting. A four year old came in today with a broken arm and an hysterical mom. It took hours to calm both of them down.” She rubbed her eyes and then looked at him, brow furrowing. “Were you trying to fix the sink?”
“Yeah, I know you’ve been wanting me to look at it,” he said with a crooked grin.
Instead of the gratitude he was expecting, she sighed heavily. “I wanted you to call a plumber. Did you cause any more damage we’re gonna have to pay for?”
His grin faded. “Rita, I was just looking at it.”
“Like you looked at the toilet upstairs that runs constantly?” she retorted then buried her face in her hands, letting out a frustrated huff of air. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re trying. I’m just so tired.”
“I understand.” He got up and crossed to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “We’ve both been working too hard lately. So I got us a surprise.”
“Surprise? What surprise?”
“You and me. This weekend. Catalina Island.” He kissed the top of her head. “St. Lauren hotel, a glass bottom boat tour, maybe a spa visit if you treat me nice.” He tickled her side and she laughed, swatting at his hand.
“Chad, that sounds amazing. But…”
He frowned and pulled back to look at her. “But?”
“I wish you wouldn’t make these kind of plans without consulting me.”
“That’s why it’s a surprise,” he said slowly, wondering how this could’ve gone wrong.
“I get that, but Chad, I have to work this weekend.”
“So? Take some vacation time, you could use it.”
“I wanted to use my vacation time to visit my mother next month,” she said sharply. “I told you about that.”
Chad sighed. “I forgot.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured.” She squirmed out of his embrace. “It’s a nice idea but maybe another weekend, okay? I’m just going to go upstairs, take a bath, and go to bed.”
“I thought we could go out for dinner tonight,” Chad said without much hope, and wasn’t surprised when she left the room without responding to him.
After a moment squeezing the back of a chair until the wood squeaked in protest, Chad crossed the room to the phone and dialed a number. “Hopper, it’s Chad.”
“Hey, Chad, I’m kinda busy right now, so-”
“This’ll be quick. Do you want the Catalina package? I can’t use it and I spent good money on it, so…?”
“Rita didn’t want to go?” Hopper sounded surprised and Chad clenched his teeth, feeling like a miserable failure.
“No, it’s just that she already made plans for us in Mexico, this little place that her mom used to take her when she was a kid. So do you want the package or not? Provided you can find a lady friend to take, that is.”
Hopper chuckled. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Sure, Chad, I’ll take it. Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll give you the tickets tomorrow.”
“That works. See ya, then.”
“Bye.” Chad hung up the phone and laughed humorlessly. Hopper was going to be enjoying his romantic weekend. What else was his partner going to claim, too?
After grabbing a beer from the fridge, Chad spent the rest of the evening in front of the tv, where he fell asleep in his La-Z-Boy.
THE END
Author: toxic_corn
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Day Break belongs to ABC, not me.
Summary: A day in the life of Chad Shelten.
Spoilers: None, this takes place pre-series.
Pairing: Chad/Rita
Notes: Written as requested for
ladytalon1's birthday.A Day in the Life
Chad slid into the passenger seat, holding the cardboard tray to his chest. “Coffee and doughnuts. Now it feels like we’re real cops.”
His partner, Brett Hopper, gave him one of his patented “where did you come from, jerk?” looks and took one of the Styrofoam cups. “Think going through the academy might’ve done that for you.”
“Well, yeah. I just mean the stereotype. Coffee. Doughnuts.” Chad picked up his bear claw and tore into it happily. That action finally made Hopper unclench and he actually smiled.
“That looks good; you get any of those for me?”
Chad nodded, talking through a mouthful of sweet doughy goodness. “Yeah, go for it. They look good and taste good, too.”
Hopper and Chad ate in watchful silence, not taking their eyes from the warehouse their suspect had gone into an hour ago. This sort of work was boring and when it wasn’t boring, it was dangerous. Chad hoped to one day advance beyond this; he was missing the middle ground more and more with each passing day. He wanted something safe that made good money so he could keep coming home to his wife and give her what she deserved.
As if reading his thoughts, Hopper asked, “So, do you and Rita got anything planned this weekend?”
“Yeah, I got us this package deal to Catalina, covers everything. Transport, hotel, tours.” He sipped his coffee and smiled. The trip was just what they needed. Since the mess with her brother and dad, Rita had been acting distant lately. A little one on one time in a romantic setting was the perfect way to get their marriage back to what it had been.
“That sounds nice,” Hopper said then sat up straight. “There’s our guy. Let’s roll.”
Chad hastily put his coffee in the cupholder and held onto the ‘oh shit’ bar above the door; Hopper always drove like a lunatic.
Rita had been asking him for ages to fix the faucet so when Chad got home, he went under the sink and started dicking around with the pipes. He was probably going to have to call in a plumber but it would make his wife happy to see he was at least making an effort.
He heard the front door open and Rita’s keys jangle onto the coffee table. “I’m home,” she called, tiredly.
“In here,” Chad answered and slid out from under the sink. She walked in, her recently dyed blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, looking cute in her pink scrubs. “How was work?”
“Exhausting. A four year old came in today with a broken arm and an hysterical mom. It took hours to calm both of them down.” She rubbed her eyes and then looked at him, brow furrowing. “Were you trying to fix the sink?”
“Yeah, I know you’ve been wanting me to look at it,” he said with a crooked grin.
Instead of the gratitude he was expecting, she sighed heavily. “I wanted you to call a plumber. Did you cause any more damage we’re gonna have to pay for?”
His grin faded. “Rita, I was just looking at it.”
“Like you looked at the toilet upstairs that runs constantly?” she retorted then buried her face in her hands, letting out a frustrated huff of air. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re trying. I’m just so tired.”
“I understand.” He got up and crossed to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “We’ve both been working too hard lately. So I got us a surprise.”
“Surprise? What surprise?”
“You and me. This weekend. Catalina Island.” He kissed the top of her head. “St. Lauren hotel, a glass bottom boat tour, maybe a spa visit if you treat me nice.” He tickled her side and she laughed, swatting at his hand.
“Chad, that sounds amazing. But…”
He frowned and pulled back to look at her. “But?”
“I wish you wouldn’t make these kind of plans without consulting me.”
“That’s why it’s a surprise,” he said slowly, wondering how this could’ve gone wrong.
“I get that, but Chad, I have to work this weekend.”
“So? Take some vacation time, you could use it.”
“I wanted to use my vacation time to visit my mother next month,” she said sharply. “I told you about that.”
Chad sighed. “I forgot.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured.” She squirmed out of his embrace. “It’s a nice idea but maybe another weekend, okay? I’m just going to go upstairs, take a bath, and go to bed.”
“I thought we could go out for dinner tonight,” Chad said without much hope, and wasn’t surprised when she left the room without responding to him.
After a moment squeezing the back of a chair until the wood squeaked in protest, Chad crossed the room to the phone and dialed a number. “Hopper, it’s Chad.”
“Hey, Chad, I’m kinda busy right now, so-”
“This’ll be quick. Do you want the Catalina package? I can’t use it and I spent good money on it, so…?”
“Rita didn’t want to go?” Hopper sounded surprised and Chad clenched his teeth, feeling like a miserable failure.
“No, it’s just that she already made plans for us in Mexico, this little place that her mom used to take her when she was a kid. So do you want the package or not? Provided you can find a lady friend to take, that is.”
Hopper chuckled. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Sure, Chad, I’ll take it. Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll give you the tickets tomorrow.”
“That works. See ya, then.”
“Bye.” Chad hung up the phone and laughed humorlessly. Hopper was going to be enjoying his romantic weekend. What else was his partner going to claim, too?
After grabbing a beer from the fridge, Chad spent the rest of the evening in front of the tv, where he fell asleep in his La-Z-Boy.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 12:46 am (UTC)You definitely get the bonus points for Rita's douche-ness; Tien Almighty I hate that woman! Chad was just trying to be The Man and she threw it back in his face; how can anyone be mean to someone that cute???? :D
YAY!!!!
and
THANK YOU!!!!!
and
♥!!!!!!!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 01:24 am (UTC)We went for lunch today and I chose Cherry Coke in your (and Chad's) honor 8)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 01:27 am (UTC)And I seriously had a gigglefit over the Cherry Coke thing. Yay! Chad's fanon preferences are taking over the wooooooooooorld!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 09:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 09:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 09:49 am (UTC)He was so happy there at the beginning too! It was nice to see him happy rather than the grumpy dog he's turned into on the show!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 02:08 am (UTC)*hugs The Chad*
*and you, too*
no subject
Date: 2008-01-08 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-27 10:46 pm (UTC)The link, it kept CALLING to me!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-28 12:17 am (UTC)