nadiazahedah

[nadiazahedah]

"You wouldn't be crashing anything. They seem to have taken to you, so I think they'd be disappointed they didn't get the chance to spend more time with you," she reasoned with a slight shrug and a smile. What she didn't say out loud was that that was how she was feeling in that moment, too. "But I also know spending the day with someone else's kids isn't always on someone's top ways to spend their Saturday, so if you can only stay for a little while or don't really want to join and are just being polite, you can let me know. I won't be offended, promise."

Ella had to bite back their grin as they watched her keep her eyes closed. It was definitely worth staying over, especially with the promise of more of this happening in the near future. "Soccer? Hell yeah. Such a great time to be getting into soccer. The women's league is so cool, they've got some pretty amazing teams." At the invitation though, Ella raised an eyebrow, not wanting to get themselves too involved but they had to admit is sounded better than the plans they had for today which was nothing. Sitting at him and trying to avoid thinking about the shit storm their life was. "I mean I wouldn't want to crash your family time but I do have to admit I'm pretty decent kicking around a ball. I have dated one too many soccer players," they admitted and glanced back at the couch. "Plus, your kids are pretty cool, I wouldn't mind hanging out. Like I said, if it wouldn't be me totally crashing quality family time."

#threads. #t: ella

[nadiazahedah]

Having this task force utilizing the police department for their headquarters in some ways felt like an invasion. She didn't work in homicide, so she had only been pulled into the investigations surrounding the happenings in town when some children had been injured at the bike festival -- not that they had seen anything that could be of use to the investigation. She had tried to maintain some level of cordiality with them, though, and had brought the few in the office coffee when she heard the leader's words.

She stilled, turning towards him with a frown. "You don't live here so it probably doesn't concern you much but be careful not to stir anything up that'll negatively impact the people who actually do for the sake of... whatever it is you're doing." Or not doing, as the case seemed to be. "You don't have to live with it long term like we do." She took a quick glance towards the board in the room that had a timeline of events laid out on it. "Do you have any people of interest for what happened at the Gala yet?"

who: @nadiazahedah where: tonopah pd station, conference room

"It's been too fucking quiet around here," Raf grumbled over the lip of his mug of coffee. For fuck's sake, his first week in town had consisted of an event that was raided by fucking paratroopers, caused a stampede and traumatized Katy Goddamn Perry. And other than a few situations that have popped up since, it had felt eerily quiet knowing how rare that was for the town. Perhaps he was jinxing it, he knew many other first responders would punch him for even thinking the 'Q' word, let alone saying it. But maybe at this point he didn't really give a shit. He would do just about anything for a fresh lead. "---At this point I'm about ready to go knocking on doors just to ruffle some feathers."

#threads. #t: rafael

[nadiazahedah]

#musings. #musings: ella #:*

[nadiazahedah]

"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Nadia replied with a soft chuckle and a shrug. In an ideal world, she never would've had to be worried about dating again because she wouldn't have had a failed marriage. "I think making more friends would be a good start," she admitted. "Maybe other mom friends, so we can commiserate. Not that being friends with you and Ian isn't fantastic, but I don't want to inundate you all with stories about the kids. What about you, though? Are all of these stories you're sharing from serious dates or have you just been looking to hook up?"

Nadia was right. Gaby knew that better than anyone given who her ex was. So she could understand the idea of a small pool, even if Tonopah had a constant stream of newcomers and tourist coming through. "If you're not read, then you're not ready." Gaby didn't want to push because at the end of the day, it was her decision what she wanted to do with her time. She just wanted her friend to relax a bit, enjoy life as it was because it sucked to lose moments. "Yeah, well..." Gaby may not have experienced what Nadia had, but she had her own terrible story of her and her ex. She doubted anyone would have wanted to be involved in the thing she had been. And she couldn't exactly say that didn't fuck her up either. "Well, then besides that... What would you like to do?"

#threads. #t: gaby

[nadiazahedah]

It wasn't that the kiss was surprising so much as the way Nadia leaned into it almost immediately, returning it. Ella's lips were soft, and Nadia could clearly see why she'd been so willing to kiss them and bring them home the previous night. Her eyes remained closed for a few moments after Ella pulled away and she nodded some in agreement before opening them, offering up a small smile. "I'd like that. We don't have much planned, but Amelia's been talking about possibly playing soccer this year, so I was going to take them to the park to kick the ball around and see if she was still interested." She glanced over towards them. "You're more than welcome to join."

"Eh I mean time is a social construct, no need to be embarrassed. But I'll take your word for it that's been a while." Ella smiled as Nadia spoke about her daughter, trying not to falter when Nadia used the words 'seeing someone.' Not that it scared them off but it scared them that it hadn't scared them. At least not entirely. Or maybe they were just swept up in how pleasant this morning had been. They glanced back at the kids to make sure they were indeed glued to the tv before turning back to Nadia, looking her face over for a moment before they leaned in and kissed her softly. "We should definitely do this again some time," they told her as they pulled away. "Especially so you can remember what it's like." They smiled at her resisting the urge to kiss her again as they pushed away from the counter and grabbed their fresh cup of coffee. "What do you three have planned for the day?"

#threads. #t: ella

[nadiazahedah]

Nadia took in a deep breath, meeting Tony's gaze. The weight of his words settled over her, and in that moment, the yearning for what their relationship could have been -- something that had lain dormant for so many years -- reared its head again. "Really?" she spoke, voice barely above a whisper. Although a small part of her had hoped for it, she hadn't actually expected Tony to think of her on what was supposed to be his day. The fact that he did... Did that mean there was a part of him that cared for her still? "Tony..." She felt the need to say something, but words escaped her in that moment. She closed the space between them, taking hold of his face, and bringing her lips to his. It took a few moments before she came to her senses and she pulled back, though her hold on his face remained. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't -- I don't know what came over me."

Swallowing thickly, Antonio found himself looking away for a moment, the weight of his mistakes still a bit difficult to bear even though he fully owned it. Acknowledging and living with it were two completely different things, and he was still trying to figure out the latter. He’d sensed a but before Nadia had trailed off though, and so he willed himself to look at her again, meeting her gaze as she continued. Tony cleared his throat, desperately trying to rid himself of that clump of emotion that had settled there, threatening to choke him up. He’d be lying if he said there wasn’t a part of him that latched onto those words of affirmation, especially considering that at one point, he’d been so convinced that he couldn’t change his ways. But he’d been fighting tooth and nail for the last year and so for her to see that progress, it meant the world– especially because she’d been hurt the most by all of his mistakes. “I appreciate that,” he murmured, fearing that if he said anything more, the dam holding back the flood of his emotions would break. “I really am trying, Nadia.” Some days were easier than others, but the vast majority were still fucking hard, but he kept going, kept pushing. Tony only hoped it would be enough, because the day that it wasn’t? He knew whatever loose grip he had on his self control would fly out the window. Pushing that sobering thought aside for a moment, he turned his attention back on Nadia and chuckled softly, “Fair enough– nobody likes a cliffhanger, right?” Sighing gently, he rolled his lips into a thin line, taking a second just to figure out how best to phrase the sudden wish that had popped into his mind while blowing out his birthday candles. “I wished for you to be happy,” he answered softly, shrugging his shoulders, “You’ve been through a lot– not just the shit that I put you through, but everything else too.” He held her gaze then, hoping she could see just how genuinely he meant that. There was no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda– just truth. “Think you deserve a soft landing, you know?”

#threads. #t: antonio #I didn't start out this reply thinking this would happen #but here we are #LMAO #okay Nadia

[nadiazahedah]

Nadia let out a soft chuckle. "It'd be embarrassing to admit if I told you," she confessed. It had been a few years now since her divorce had become finalized, and even the few years before that she and Tony hadn't been intimate when she was too busy trying to raise their kids while he reveled in his addiction. She smiled, grateful that they had handled the kids well and actually seemed to enjoy the time spent with them. "I'm glad to hear that. She's definitely a lot smarter than I was at that age, though, so it's probably the best excuse we could've come up with on short notice. I don't think I'd be ready to have any sort of talk with her to explain the possibility of me seeing someone." She laughed. "Thank you for that. And maybe we could... do this again sometime? With maybe a little less alcohol."

"And how long has it been exactly? Inquiring minds would want to know. Specifically one mind, mine." All of Ella's friends knew that Ella had a particular weakness for divorcee's so it wasn't any surprise but Ella had genuinely enjoyed every time they shared space with Nadia. Even if she was a cop. That and they were nosey overall. "Yeah of course, no problem. I'm happy to help. Mom of two is no joke,"they told her, their admiration clear. Maybe they were turning into a big softy. "They were great, clearly excited to watch cartoons and I'm sorry about the bigass bowls of cereal but their eyes were so wide when I picked them it was comical and I couldn't pass it up. And I love questions, especially when sometimes I get to make up random answers. Very clever kid. Must get it from her mom." Ella moved to stand closer to her, brushing her shoulder as they reached behind her to grab the mug they had used for coffee. "I take it you don't usually have new people around at this hour of the day. I told them I was an old friend who had a sleepover, you know, very vague and all of that."

#threads. #t: ella

[nadiazahedah]

A sigh fell past Nadia's lips at the realization that things hadn't progressed to the point she'd assumed they had. Not because she wouldn't be interested, but because it would've been a repetition of a pattern that began with Tony and that was the last thing she wanted to do if she was going to start something with someone new. "Well, that's reassuring. I'd like to remember it if I got laid after that long," she replied with a faint laugh. Self-consciously tucking some loose curls behind her ear, she glanced at them again. "That was okay, yeah. And... actually really thoughtful. I can't remember the last time I slept in. Thank you." She sipped her coffee. "You already ate otherwise I'd offer to make you something. Were they behaving for you? Sometimes Amelia asks ten million questions."

Ella had to stifle a laugh at Nadia's expression, setting their bowl down on the coffee table before hopping up from the couch. "Did we..?" Ella smirked as they leaned against the counter. "Make out passionately? Absolutely but by the time we got back here you were pretty drunk and I was honestly too tired to get my ass home. Plus your bed is wicked comfy. You're a great kisser by the way. We should absolutely do it again some time. And a little more when you can remember. I like to make a good impression." They glanced back at the couch for a moment. "I ran into them in the hallway when I was going to the bathroom and figured i could make it less weird and you could get some sleep. was that okay? do you want me to go?" they hoped she didn't but a mother had a right to be protective of their kids and ella understood that. "you look super hot in the morning by the way. even hung over."

#threads. #t: ella

[nadiazahedah]

Nadia's head was pounding. "That's the last time I let Ian take me out..." she grumbled as she roused from slumber, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. The time it read send her bolting out of bed to get dressed, rushing to throw some clothes on and get breakfast started for the kids. She was surprised neither of them had come to wake her up as they usually did on the weekends, but when she heard the sound of the TV on and the clink of spoons against porcelain bowls, she was surprised to see they were both on the couch with cereal and Ella sandwiched between them. "Uh, hey..." she replied, trying to piece together the rest of her evening and how Ella Cooper of all people had ended up within her house. Nadia had a vague memory of seeing them while they were out the night before and some sort of challenge with shots involved... A sharp pain shot through her temples and she closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, coffee sounds good right now. Could you meet me in the kitchen for a minute?" She went into the kitchen and poured herself a mug, glancing over towards Ella as they entered the room. "Did we...?"

On a Saturday morning, Ella would usually be sleeping in as much as possible. But considering they weren't in their own bed, they had woken up with a start, turning over to find Nadia sound asleep next to them. It brought a slight smile to their face before they felt the pounding of their head and groaned. They tried to slowly get out of bed as to not disturb he and slowly gathered their clothes. But they weren't actually inclined to rush off, too tired and too in need of coffee for that. That and when they tried to tip toe out of the bedroom, they immediately ran into Nadia's kids in the hallway. "Oh, hey dudes uh...you guys got cheerios?" A short introduction but soon enough they were seated with the little ones on the couch, watching morning cartoons, all three of them with hilariously big bowls of cereal. "Oh your tastes are immaculate little ones, teen titans go is my sh-my stuff," they told them, spooning another mouthful of cereal before they heard Nadia coming down the hallway. "Morning sunshine," they told her with a grin, "Me and my new besties were just taking in some quality tv. I made coffee if you want some." @nadiazahedah

#i am mobile so apologies for any weird formatting stuff LMAO i just couldn't wait to reply #threads. #t: ella

[nadiazahedah]

#semblance. #musings. #the short person struggles

[nadiazahedah]

Nadia scrunched her nose. The more Gaby spoke, the less inclined Nadia was to even attempt dating. She'd heard and seen too many horror stories that started with this and ended far worse through her work. "I'm sure they do, but the number of them who don't know who my ex is, aren't involved in criminal activity, or have a favorable opinion of what I do for a living is small, so pickings are slim." She shook her head. "I don't know, Gaby. If you saw some of the stuff I did, you'd never want to date again either. Besides, I don't know if I'm ready to open myself up to someone just for them to make promises they don't intend to keep again."

"Just showing up is easy to deal with." Gaby countered. "It's the freaks that think they won you, you have to worry about. Same thing as you said, except they think you're they toy and because you got a drink from them, they think now they suddenly own you." They were the worst types, and yet, sometimes you just didn't know if they were going to turn out good or not. Safety, apparently, wasn't easy to crack. "Ian;s doing God's work then." She teased. "Nads, what century do you think we live in? People go for all kinds of things these days. You just have to date a few frogs until you find one nice enough. Besides, it's dinner, not a marriage. What are you so afraid of? Have a conversation and let them shower you with compliments and then you can decide what you want from it. You want me to hook you up? I know some pretty looking men that come through at the gun range? Or, I help out Kath, if you want the bookish type?"

#threads. #t: gaby

[nadiazahedah]

"You're right, I shouldn't," she replied, though she made eye contact to ensure he was aware she meant what she was about to say, "but considering where we were before, I want to thank you for showing up. You could've kept going the direction you were before, but... you're doing the work. I know that's not easy, so I'm letting you know I see it." It was the least she could do, acknowledging the work he was putting in to be there for their kids now. She could wish all she wanted for him to have done it while they were still together, but at least he was doing it at all, and that had to count for something. She tilted her head, curiosity getting the better of her. "I mean, it might be, but you can't tease me with a question like that and then say nothing," she laughed. She reached in to remove the candles so she could cut the cake as she waited for his response. A small part of her hope it would have something to do with her and their relationship, but she scolded herself for even having the thought.

“Fingers crossed they figure it out soon,” Antonio supplied, keeping his tone light and even so as not to convey just how rattled he felt by what was happening. He had his doubts, though. Crime thrived right underneath the noses of the local law; if they couldn’t bust the criminals right in front of them, how could they possibly neutralize an anonymous threat? Shaking the thought aside, Tony slid onto one of the barstools and eyed her, shoulders lifting in a soft shrug, “Might start to feel too familiar, that’s all,” he answered on the coattails of a long sigh, but he couldn’t help but soften at her concern for his well being, “You make a fair point, though– I’ll stay,” Antonio relented, knowing she was right about this one. He was exhausted and could fall asleep damn near anywhere– on the road wasn’t exactly at the top of his preference list. Eyeing the box again, Tony shook his head, “You shouldn’t have to thank me for being a father to our kids,” he started, though he felt that really went without saying, “Happy to help, though– you’ve done a phenomenal job with them.” Swallowing hard as he glanced down at the cake and the happy birthday scrawled across it, Antonio forced a smile that he hoped might be warm enough to burn out all of the guilt woven into his features. Glancing up at Nadia, he nodded then, preferring to focus on his sobriety instead of getting older. “Definitely a win,” he agreed, chuckling softly, “this cake wouldn’t last two seconds around Aaron.” Sitting back as she placed the candles and lit them, Antonio grinned and shook his head, “Neither have I.” He was the furthest thing from a singer and would be the first to admit it. “Thank you– this really means a lot,” he murmured moments before blowing out the candles. “Is it still bad luck if I tell you what I wished for?”

#threads. #t: antonio

[nadiazahedah]

"Not yet. Then again, it's not really my department, so whatever they might know, I'm not exactly privy to." She hoped it would never come to that, either, but criminals like these were unpredictable. She furrowed her brow at his objection, though she didn't address it until they were in the kitchen. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea? If you're tired, I wouldn't feel good about you driving home this late and possibly falling asleep behind the wheel," she said, hoping for some clarification on his end. She liked to think that the two of them were on good enough terms at this point that things wouldn't devolve into the type of arguments they had in the past, but if he didn't feel comfortable with it, she certainly wouldn't twist his arm. "And I know I didn't, but... consider it a thank you for stepping up and being there lately." She lifted the lid off of the box, revealing a cake on the small size, coated in his favorite flavor of frosting and 'happy birthday' written out in elegant cursive. "We can celebrate that you're another year sober, then. If the kids weren't already down, I'd let them have a slice, but looks like we get it all to ourselves. I'd say that's a win, wouldn't you?" she joked, grabbing out a few candles and lighter from the drawer behind her. She stuck them into the top of the cake and light the wicks, allowing them to swell to their full potential before moving the box closer to him. "Don't expect me to sing, though. I haven't gotten any better at it in the time we've been apart."

“Can’t say I blame them,” Antonio murmured, wholly understanding why more patrols were called into action after the way NYE had imploded a year ago– no one could ever be too careful. Straightening a bit more once that sleepy, mental fog began to fade, he raked a hand through his hair, head shaking, “Any idea who’s behind it?” The anonymous message, that was. Naturally, Tony had a vested interest, considering how embroiled he was within Los Santos, but it went without saying that he couldn’t quite disclose that to his badge wielding ex-wife. And so, if nothing else, he could play the act of the concerned citizen, and leave it there. But all of that flew out the window the moment Nadia pitched the idea of him spending the night. “Wait– what?” He fired back, brown eyes blinking and flashing wide, letting his shock play out on full display in front of her. “I…I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Nadia,” Antonio murmured, although he couldn’t readily articulate why it wasn’t a good idea– he just felt that it probably wouldn’t be. And yet, the last thing Antonio wanted to do was leave– how fucked up was that? Swallowing hard, Tony narrowed his eyes, trying his utmost to appear skeptical just to conceal his pure shock over what she’d said, “You do?” He rose up from the couch, hands slipping into his pockets as he started towards the kitchen, “You– you didn’t have to do that.” Sure, tomorrow was his birthday, but he wasn’t expecting anything– really, he hadn’t even been expecting her to remember it. “Not like I really want to remember the fact that I’m getting older,” he teased, injecting a small bit of humor into the moment in order to try and make light of it.

#threads. #t: antonio

[nadiazahedah]

"I think it's something like that, or they happen to have parents who never told them no in their lives so they grew up thinking the world revolved around them. Hopefully he doesn't show back up and think he's still got a chance." Nadia nibbled on her pastry, glad for the distraction when she was asked about her own love life. "Uh... Not really," she admitted, chewing the bit of food in her mouth and swallowing before she continued. "Ian has tried getting me out there a few times when he has nights out, but the idea of having to actually date sounds awful. Who do you know who's my age that's going to want to be with a single mother with two kids under the age of 10?"

@nadiazahedah Where: Spill the Beans

"So then I told him, to get the fuck out. I mean, who even does that? Is it the age?" She'd been telling Nadia the story of the guy she had dated over the weekend. It was someone she had met at work who asked her out and Gaby thought he was cute enough to give it a go. She was definitely wrong. "You've got your kids, right? Is that how they are raised now? Because..." The woman shook her head in disbelief but laughed at the end. At least there was something going on? "Speaking of those, are you ready to start dating? I mean, at the very least - go on a date and enjoy a free dinner? I'll watch the kids."

#threads. #t: gaby

[nadiazahedah]

"Kind of hard to do my job when she won't even speak to me. Seems to be under the impression that they're in love and he doesn't deserve to be in there." Nadia had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the statement, knowing full well that Isaac Gonzalez had never loved a thing in his life other than himself. When she was asked if there was anything else she wanted to reveal, she briefly thought about offering the information about their being cousins. They had never been close, though, so she didn't think it would make a difference whether or not that was discovered. "No, that should do it. Good luck. I look forward to seeing how you intend to twist the evidence and gaslight the jury."

Sawyer's lips curled into a half-smirk. "Seems like keeping the alleged victim safe falls squarely in your court, detective," She remarked coolly, her voice carrying the unflinching certainty of a woman who knew the rules of the game. The police mantra of protect and serve seemed almost a taunt now. Her responsibility lay solely with her client, who was detained behind bars in the county jail. In a position where he could harm no one. "Better get a grip on the situation," Sawyer advised, her tone carrying the weight of a warning. Stepping back, her grip on the files Nadia handed over was firm. "Would be a real shame if your diligent work on this case went down the drain due to a mistrial," She finished, knowing that it wasn't a threat, that she was about to cause a legal shitstorm for everyone involved. "The ADA can expect a call from my office first thing in the morning." As she moved towards the doorway, she paused, her gaze flickering back to Nadia with a challenge in her eyes. "Anything else I should know?"

#threads. #t: sawyer #figure we can end this since he's dead and she's gone LMAO

[nadiazahedah]

Nadia hadn't expected warm greetings, but she was surprised by the clipped tone the other woman was taking with her. As a detective herself and coming from a family of officers, Nadia would've assumed that Zeynep more than anyone would know better than to let her personal feelings get in the way of the law. "Your face says otherwise." Nadia raised a brow, crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on. We're both adults here, so let's talk it out like adults. Whether you want to acknowledge the facts of the case or not, under Nevada law, he had to be brought in for what he did. The only reason he's in this situation is because of his own actions, both past and present." She made sure to emphasize past, hinting at his record -- the time he'd gone away because of Zeynep, because she had actually done her job rather than make excuses for criminals to get away with their bad behavior. "We can't be making exceptions because of our personal feelings towards people. That's not how this job works."

She was merely in the station to grab a few things before she left. Zeynep had a bunch of vacation time saved up, considering she hadn't taken any since her return, and it gave her some time to figure her shit out and still get paid for it. She contemplated if this was still the career she wanted. It was the last thing she ever thought would cross her mind, but life was taking her in another direction.

An envelope was handed to her, asked to be delivered to the last person she wanted to see. Part of her wanted to burn the contents and let her deal with it on her own. Yet, she showed up and gave a small scoff at the words directed to her. "Nothing to say to you." She tosses what was in her hands on the woman's desk.

"Have a good day."

#threads. #t: zeynep

[nadiazahedah]

She nodded as he gave her the update on the kids, grateful that he could understand a little better now how difficult getting even the best behaving children to go to bed was most nights. It was why her patience ran so thin when it came to grown-ups who should know better, but she knew she needed to allow people to make mistakes now and then, too. It was something she was working on. "Busy. Thankfully they didn't really need me much since I was just doing patrol around the Mayfair. Since what happened last year, they just wanted to be safe, even if there wasn't an official gathering happening." She glanced at her watch to note the time, biting her lip. "If you want, you can stay here tonight so you don't have to drive across town this late. Who knows what the streets are like." She looked back at him. "I have something for you anyway. For tomorrow. It's in the kitchen."

Antonio had jumped at the chance to spend the day watching the kids while Nadia was working. Luckily, he’d been able to switch his shift at La Macina, meaning he’d work tomorrow night instead, on his birthday, but he couldn’t say he minded– not when it meant he got to spend time with his kids. Plus, he wasn’t a fan of celebrating the yearly reminder that he was getting even older anyway. He’d put the kids to bed a couple hours after dinner and at some point after that, he’d accidentally fallen asleep on the couch, the steady drone of the TV in the background just enough to lull him off to sleep. Tony hadn’t meant for that to happen, but between the comfy cushions and the way the day had caught up with him, it hadn’t taken long.  Stirring when he heard Nadia’s voice, he roused slowly, sleepy brown eyes flicking in her direction, “Hey,” he mumbled, shaking his head as if to jar himself away, “Sorry– must’ve dozed off.” He rubbed at his eyes and shifted against the cushions, bringing himself a bit more upright, “Kids are in bed– and not without a fight, just like you warned me,” Antonio chuckled, reasoning to guess that that was why he was so worn out. “Oh, made some spaghetti for dinner– their request. Left you a plate in the fridge if you’re hungry.” Clearing his throat, he smoothed a hand through his hair in a feeble attempt to smooth the unruly locks back into place, “How was work?”

#threads. #t: antonio