When she went to the precinct the next day, Drea found a coffee cup on her table. She picked it up and saw something written on the cupsleeve. "Drea •‿•". It was her name with a smiley face, and the penmanship seemed familiar.

There was a smile on her face as she placed her jacket on her chair and picked the cup up to drink on it. It was goddamn bitter that she almost spewed it out if not for Mick who suddenly appeared right beside her.

"Hey, I got your text last night. How are we gonna get Juliet surrender the fin?"

Drea is almost turning blue because of not breathing but luckily she was able to swallow that bitter coffee. 

"What's wrong?" Mick asks.

"The coffee is terrible," she almost choked while saying that. Just then did the two found Jared on their opposite side. He's scowling.

"And here I thought you were appreciative," he glared at Drea and she had this surprised expression. 

"This coffee was from you?" She pointed at the cup she's holding.

"Both of you told me to give you my other coffee," he complained like a baby. He even stepped closer to Drea, attempting to get the coffee back and drink it but she's already had it on her mouth. She sipped big gulps from it and smiled at him.

"I appreciate your bitterness, thank you. Next time get me two creams and one sugar, 'kay?" She tapped his shoulder. "Anyway, I had to be resourceful last night so I used my engagement as an excuse to meet Juliet. Told her I would fancy a cruise ship for my wedding reception."

"Clever," Michaela smiled.

"But there's a catch," she said then continued drinking the coffee. "She wants to meet my fiance with me and he's somewhere else in this world so I think I've got to bring Edward as--"

"Why Edward? He doesn't look like someone you would marry," Jared grumbled with his eyebrows almost kissing each other.

"Wow, he shaves just to inform you. And he cleans up pretty well." She defended Edward. That boy who taught her how to ride a horse.

"Woah. Okay. Who the hell is Edward and why are we fighting over him?" Mick says, stopping them two.

"My butler."

"Her butler." 

They said that at the same time, the reason why Michaela had both her eyebrows raised. These two are too much trouble.

"Okay. I don't think we should involve him here, Drea. He doesn't know anything about this and we might be putting him in danger," she suggested. Jared stood straight and put on a proud face because Mick agreed with him. Meanwhile, Drea glared at him. Mick's head hurts seeing them like this right now.

Finally, she had an idea. "How about... you bring Jared there and he can pretend to be your fiance?"

"What?"

"No way!"

"Yes way. We don't have a choice. It's the three of us here and no one else is involved."

"Okay," Drea, with a scowl.

"Fine," Jared, with a tight expression on his face.

Mick was finally able to breathe. "It's just gonna be a night of pretending so do your best to convince Juliet. Is that a deal?"

"Deal," said Jared.

"One condition," Drea glared at Jared. "Shave. You don't look like someone I can call my baby with that beard."

Jared immediately reacted. "Now that's not a deal."

"Fine. Then I'll bring Ed."

"Jared, just do it!" Mick whispered harshly to Jared and got back at Drea who's still pulling a face. "Anyway, Drea, when is this?"

"I'm still waiting for her message. Hopefully by this week."

"You heard that. Shave by this week." She whispered to Jared and he walked away from Drea's cubicle with a frown. That left them two standing there.

"He bought you coffee, go easy on him." Mick says to Drea who crumpled the paper cup. 

"Yeah. This coffee is as bitter as his heart."

Mick just smiled. Jared and Drea often bickers like this but there's this bond between them that she can't deny. She  knows that they're looking after each other no matter how bad they argue.

"Do we have any case today? I want to go out right now." Drea said, preparing to fetch her jacket again. Mick looks at her watch.

"So far we don't have anything but paperwork. I'm ditching mine, how about you?"

Drea smirked. "You ditch yours, I ditch mine. Where do we go?"

"Wanna have lunch with us? Grace and Zeke are gonna cook today. And Olive's going through something, I think she could use some girl time."

"Why? What happened to Olive?"

Michaela inhales. "TJ's leaving for Egypt this morning."

Drea pouts. "Poor babies."

Since the both of them agreed to ditch the duty, they went out right after. As usual, Drea's got the steering wheel and Michaela is beside her, sitting and doing nothing but stare.

She stares at Drea, wondering why since the first day they became partners, she always had put herself on the line if it meant saving her even when they barely know each other. Sometimes she'd get suspicious but Drea just proves herself eventually and her doubts of trusting her fades away.

She had her back during her and Zeke's undercover. She helped her find the truth about that bartender and the Xers. She helped redeem Cal from those kidnappers and every single dangerous thing she did cost her badge and her life. Michaela wants to ask her so badly as to why she didn't just stay in the palace where she grew up in and continue being a princess that has her own personal bodyguards instead of being a cop.

"Why did you want to be a cop?" It finally sounded out her mouth. Drea chuckled. 

"I don't know, maybe it's in my blood. My maternal side of the family are cops and soldiers and my dad's, well, let's just say they've been living the life of guns and crime. Or maybe I was inspired of that little boy who ssved me once. He dreamed of being a cop. I think part of me hopes that the chance of finding him again is better since I am in the same field. But I don't even know if he really made it." The sound of her voice when she was near the end of her speech became a little sadder. She then looked briefly at Mick. "Can we pull over the mall? I have to buy something."

"Sure. Of course."

"Why'd you ask anyway?"

"I don't know, it's just a little hard for me to absorb that you work your ass off in the precinct as if you're starving to death and badly needs a paycheck."

She received a louder laugh from Drea. "Believe me, Mick. I badly need my paycheck. I want to start a life of my own, you know?"

"Oh you'll be when you get married."

"Future husband's a rich kid like me, I don't really think our lives are our own. If it was ours, we wouldn't ever be stuck in this arrangement."

"Can't you just call it off? It's not fair."

"It's family business," Drea made a face. So did Mick.

"You're just gonna let it happen? How about you? You have a heart, it can't possibly just beat for someone who calls himself your husband."

Drea doesn't give an answer. They were approaching the mall and she had to focus on the road but part of her also didn't know what to say that's why she didn't reply. The dumb tale of her knight in shining armor isn't something to be shared to someone as literal as Michaela. 

Going up the elevator, they stepped on the third floor, inside a bookstore. 

"Does Olive like to read?" She asks while running her fingers on the spines of the books that are neatly arranged in the shelves.

"Yeah, she does." Mick replies, getting herself a pocket book and reading the plot behind it. 

"Any particular genre?" 

Michaela's eyes were still on that book she's holding. "I don't know, maybe her taste changed but she loved fantasy and adventure when she was ten."

Drea just nodded and fetched a basket. It seems like Michaela likes reading too, that's why she wooshed her way to the fantasy book selection shelf and found books from her favorite fantasy authors. She picked up each one of those and put it in the basket. Three complete series and then she moved back to where she left Michaela; the romance genre alley. 

She's a sucker for romance novels but grew up being contented in just feeling the characters. She never tried having a romantic relationship with anyone because it scares the hell out of her. Of course, in the books, they're written beautifully. They meet countless times without knowing it and end up together in the end, but she knows real well that the chances of thos happening for her is low. However, she still has the best selections. Olive is torn because of TJ's departure so she chose those novels that can help her ease the feeling while he's away. 

Drea tiptoed. The uppermost section had the John Green books and it was too high for her that she can only reach one book. Her finger was able to swipe that book, causing it to fall down and land on her hands. 

The Fault In Our Stars.

Michaela smiled at it. "The Fault In Our Stars, huh?"

"Why? You think Olive won't like it?" She asked worriedly.

"No, it's a great book. I just remember Jared. That's his favorite," she laughed and then dumped the book she got to Drea's basket. 

"Jared reads romance?" 

Mick nodded as she got another book, this time it's a cook book. "Jay has an obsession with stars. He's kind of attached to them that's why he read that."

She scoffed. Strange, I've got an obsession with stars too.

"Anyway, where'd you get that necklace?" Mick says and she quite didn't understand it at first until she noticed her necklace that hangs in front of her shirt. It must've come out earlier when she tiptoed, but she doesn't intend for anyone to see it that's why she hid it away quickly.

"It's a sentimental thing. I know, corny." 

"No, actually I recall that. I think I've seen it somewhere." 

She rolls her eyes. "Of course you did. They sell this all over New York."

Mick pouts and raises her eyebrows. "But that old? I don't think so."

They both just scoffed and continued shopping books. Drea used her card for the payment and then they moved to another shop because Drea wants to buy Cal crayons and markers for his sketchpad, then after that, to a department store where they bought clothes for Eden. 

"You know I'm their aunt, right?" Mick laughed. They're already at the cashier, fourth in line and with a gigantic pushcart in front of them full of things not only baby needs but toys for Cal and makeup for Olive. Also a few good stuff for each of the adults at home.

"I wasn't able to get them anything for Christmas. Let me do this." She replied as her eyes travelled through the shelves, still, as if she forgot something she needs to buy. She found it at the westmost alley and excused herself from Mick to go there.

When she came back, she's holding a set of acoustic strings and guitar strap with her, adding it to the cart.

"You play the guitar, huh?" Mick comments happily, like she wants to see Drea perform in front of her.

Smirking, she said, "Why? Have a crush on me now? Jared told me you have a thing for guitarists."

"He told you that?" Mick exclaimed. "Traitor."

Once they were done checking all of those things out, they took the road home. Drea made the late Christmas gifts wrapped individually with a nametag attached to each of them. They parked at the backyard because that's Drea's usual routine in going to the Stone's residence. The partners entered at the backdoor where it meets the kitchen.

"Drea!" Grace Stone, wearing an apron, ran to Drea and hugged her immediately. Drea opened her arms wide but unfortunately she can't hug back because of all the bags that hung on both her hands. She silently asked Mick for help and the blonde carefully transferred the bags from her hand so that she could hug Grace. 

Since the day they saved Cal from the abduction, Grace has always treated Drea as family seeing that she has become very close to Mick and to the kids. To Grace, Drea is just like Jared, except that she doesn't know a thing about the callings.

After Grace, Drea went to Zeke who's also wearing an apron. She hugged him shortly before Cal noticed she was there and yelled her name then came running to her like the excited little boy that he is. More than anyone, Cal trusts her the most, he loves her like a bigger sister and that's why the Stone family doesn't have a doubt on her.

Drea knelt down to hug Cal and she excitedly informed him about the gifts she brought. it was on the table and Michaela's the one distributing it to them. The little guy's got quite the several gifts that he settled on the floor opening all of them.

Zeke, Grace, and Cal are busy opening their unexpected presents and Michaela went out of the scene to join Drea who's just standing across the room and watching them with a smile on her face. She tapped Drea's shoulder.

"They like it," Michaela smiles. 

Drea taps her hand back and gives a sincere beam. "No biggie."

Moments after, Drea's hands itched for something to do. She was just about to ask Zeke and Grace if she could help with the cooking but when she took a single step from the living room, she was distracted by something else.

Footsteps are audible from the staircase and two voices were talking. Her head turned to that direction only to find Ben and Jared going down.

"We can't convince her." Ben says to the family. While everyone frowned at that, Jared and Drea locked surprised eyes with each other.

"You're here?"