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Chapter Text

Emma looked at Lia and before her eyes widened slightly, she turned her attention to Ortega. He could briefly see the knowing smile on Lia's face before she looked out the window and left him alone to order. The waitress shyly lowered her eyes to the small notepad in her hands.
"Hello Emma, that's a nice necklace." With a slight blush in her cheeks, Emma lifted her head and made an effort at a friendly smile.

"Thanks, my best friend gave it to me as a symbol of friendship, she loves this pattern more than me, I have to admit. What can I get you?"

"It's nice to have such thoughtful friends. Bring us two coffees and two of the apple pies, please."

Stealthily, Emma's eyes swept over Lia once more, then she quickly disappeared to the coffee machine.

"Are you okay Lia?"

Slowly she turned back to Ortega, her movements controlled and deliberate. A change in her that was spooky to him, she never seemed truly relaxed. It made it even harder to guess what was going on inside her. He always had to ask.
"Does it bother you that these things happen?"

"It's all right, I'm used to it. It makes it easier to be left alone, I just have to allow them to look straight at me and most of them try to look somewhere else. Only with you it somehow doesn't work".

"If some scars would shock me, I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror. The only thing that's painful for me is not being able to see you."

"Now I wish there was a strong shot of whiskey in this coffee so I could bear your adoration better."

"We're about to go for a bike ride and you want a drink?"

"Of all people, you come to me about not drinking and driving?" Lia countered, raising her right eyebrow. "I'm going to behave myself and just drink the coffee. Though I'd still be faster than you in the mountains even under the influence of alcohol."

Ortega knew that challenging look, appraising and somehow dangerous, he had missed it.
"Why does everything we do end in a competition? We could just be boring together, couldn't we?"

"Did you really just say that?" A smile began to form on her face, mocking, but a smile, and thus something that had become very rare.

"We should stop teasing and challenging each other. Enjoy quiet movies and dinners, or go for walks. Best of all, I'd have to worry less about how reckless you are with your safety." Ortega was proud to maintain an uncharacteristically calm and lecturing tone without smirking.

With her eyebrow still raised, Lia stared intimidatingly straight into Ortega's eyes, who tried hard to keep a serious expression on his face, even though he could feel the grin twitching in his muscles.
Then she laughed, loud and heartfelt, and it sounded like angelic music in Ortega's ears. He struggled to swallow the lump in his throat and control his emotions, which briefly got out of control when he realized that he had never heard her laugh like that since her return.

"If you keep this up, I'm going to think you're really old. You know what, I'll stop challenging you when you acknowledge my superiority. I drive better than you, I shoot better than you, and I would still make a better marshal than you." The challenging grin on her face was a little crooked from the gruesome scar that extended into her lip, but for a moment the same fire blazed in her eyes as before.

"And you call me presumptuous? You're definitely wrong on two counts. And I'm not the marshal anymore, you'd have to beat Chen now."

"You think that's a problem? After all, I quickly realized where your team's problems were that you just turned a blind eye to. Besides, I train your newest recruit every week. Who would have thought that a Ranger would have to rely so much on external training?"

"You have a point. You could just join us, and I promise I'll put in a good word for you as the next marshal."

She sat up straight and leaned forward until her gaze was back directly in his eyes as she whispered, "tempting ..." again her eyebrow rose, a suppressed grin twitching at the corners of her mouth as she continued to speak. "Forget it, Ortega."

Then she paused briefly as a man entered the café carrying a bouquet of flowers. Ortega could almost see her reach out and scan the room again for a threat without changing her stance in the slightest. The brief familiar feeling of teasing each other like they used to faded, giving way to the realization of how much more cautious she had become.
"It's just a guy bringing Emma some tacky flowers. Stay here with me."

"I'm just being cautious, you have all the attention that I can spare."

"You should give that attention to the rangers. Otherwise you'll never be able to prove your claims." There was a pause in which Lia again seemed to be paying attention to something that escaped his awareness. He thought she had completely missed his attempt to bring her back to the teasing mood when she turned back to him.

"I'm quite content to shake you up enough so that none of you gets killed by incompetence and lack of teamwork. That's enough excitement for my retirement."

"If that's all you need to be satisfied with your abilities."

"I'll be very satisfied waiting on the yellow hill until you show up on the horizon much later."

"Forget it. Let's ride. You won't have to wait, instead you'll have plenty of time to stare at my butt while you try to keep up," he grinned mischievously.

"It's not a bad sight, and I'm going to enjoy it while I drive slowly to keep an eye on you for your protection. As usual."
Lia scribbled something on a napkin as she spoke, not stopping Ortega from looking over her shoulder and reading the note, "Sam's not being honest with you. Be careful."

"So you've been spying and you even have a good heart in the end? Do you know where that kind of quality is in demand?" He asked curiously, earning a solid elbow to the ribs that made him curse. He didn't have time to lick his wounds for long, because Lia was already out the door and on her way to the bikes.

Chapter Text

"Hi, I'm Emma, how can I help you?"
With a cheerful smile, the waitress greeted the new guests, who adopted the smile as if infected.

"Hello Emma, nice to meet you. Two coffees for us to start and .... mhh wait a minute. Do you have an idea yet, Eden?"

"No, but I'm sure you can recommend something," Eden turned to Emma. "What would you say is the special of the day?"

"My friend and colleague always says it's the apple pie, but if I'm being honest, the chocolate mousse strawberry cake is the real standout. It's so unassuming, but the filling is a treat."

"With a recommendation like that, I can't resist, I'll take it."

"Me too. Thank you, Emma."
After noting the order, Emma disappeared behind the counter.

Smiling, Ortega watched as Eden looked around the entire bakery once more, then stood up briefly to take a closer look at the pictures of the windows' views of mediterranean landscapes. He nodded again to Emma, who was busy with the coffee machine, before sitting back down and looking into a still smiling face.
"The pictures are beautiful, the view is so peaceful. It must be nice to live in a place like this. Have you ever been to an area like that?"

"No, not yet, but it's tempting." Gently, Ortega's fingertips dance over the back of Eden's hand. "Maybe one day we'll make it there together. An afternoon with you is already my highlight of the week, I imagine exploring the world with you would be wonderful."

"I'm sure there are many who would mind me whisking away the city's hero for weeks of travel." He turned his hand so that Ortega's landed in his and was suddenly the one being held. "But I'm sure no one will mind some nice afternoons."

A comforting warmth crept through Ortega's chest, the feeling of being held, of feeling affection, was almost foreign to him. The warmth intensified when Emma came to the table with the tray, but Eden didn't pull his hand away, remaining with his as a matter of course.

"Here are your sweet treats. My boy friend likes the cake too." Emma nodded at the man who seemed to be waiting for her in front of the counter, flowers in hand, and nodded back in a friendly manner.

Ortega didn't look at the man behind him for long, he was too focused on the feeling of warmth enveloping his hand and was glad that Eden was taking over this conversation. Ortega enjoyed every moment of it.

"Looks like he didn't just come for the cake, he even brought flowers. Oh, and that shirt goes perfectly with your necklace pendant! It's a cute way to show togetherness."

Emma turned pale, her cheerfulness disappeared, and she stammered slightly before hurrying back to the counter. "Yeah, sure, that's nice. Enjoy your meal."

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Not that I noticed, you were friendly as always." This time, Ortega turned his head curiously toward the sales floor and spotted the man in the striking shirt, which clearly had the same pattern as the pendant on the necklace.
The conversation at the counter grew louder until the first words could be heard clearly at the table, then the volume dropped to a whisper until the intensity of the conversation increased again.
Ortega could tell that it was about the shirt and its provenance, but he preferred to focus on his counterpart. They put their heads close together over the table and whispered so as not to disturb the young couple's conversation.
"Apparently, the origin of the shirt is not clear. You've given her an idea she wasn't aware of."

"What do you think is going on? It doesn't sound like the answer is as simple as 'I bought it myself.'"

"Maybe she doesn't even like the necklace and is annoyed by this pattern." Amused, Ortega watched as his friend's eyes swept past him, unobtrusively but excitedly trying to notice every detail.

"Did you see the flowers? They're not from a garden center, they're a cheap bouquet from a gas station. Still fresh, so bought at the last moment before he got here."

"Impressive combination. A guilty conscience, perhaps?" For a moment, a shadow of memories flashed through Ortega's mind, watching people together, excitedly guessing together what they were thinking. With someone who could enlighten them if they were right. He quickly pushed the memory away and reached for Eden's other hand, something to hold on to, stability that wouldn't disappear like a memory.

"That could be. Maybe that's why he's wearing the shirt that matches her outfit? Did the effort he put in betray him?" Without hesitation, Eden's hands remained on Ortega's as he spoke, their faces close enough that they could feel each other's breath.

"Maybe we should leave and let them work out their problem on their own."
When Eden's eyes met his again, Ortega planted a kiss on his nose, grinning as he noticed the blushing cheeks.

There was a brief flash of realization in Eden's eyes, as if he had just become aware of the extreme closeness, but he didn't pull away, to Ortega's relief.
"You're right. Although I don't like to leave a mystery unsolved."

Ortega placed more than enough money on the small table and was about to put his hand on Eden's back to walk with him to the door, but he turned back to the table once more.

"Wait. I need to take someone with me." Gently, he guided a small beetle from the flower that served as a table decoration into his protective hands. "We'll take the little one outside. A small bakery might be a cozy place for us, but for him it's a prison." Then he smiled at Ortega and quickly walked outside to release the tiny creature into the open.

Another dark cloud of memories shifted in front of Ortega's mind, fogging him until he was outside, where an open hand waited for him to create new and brighter ones.

Chapter Text

The waitress approached the table with a friendly smile, unable to take her eyes off Ortega's well-built figure. "Hello, Emma," he greeted her with an equally friendly smile. "You're new here, I see, but you already seem very familiar with your job."

"Thank you, I am glad to hear you say that. I try very hard, but when I have to carry many cups, my fingers still start to shake." She giggled sheepishly. "What can I get you?"

Ortega glanced over the table at David, who seemed to be looking right through him, lost in his own thoughts. He gave him a brief, affectionate smile, unsure if his counterpart even noticed. Then, with a barely audible sigh, he let the smile fade and ordered coffee and apple pie for both of them, paying no further attention to the young woman who noted it down.

"I still need to get used to it. It's not so easy not to be nice," he addressed the word softly to David, unsure if he was even listening to him.

David's attention slowly focused on Ortega, a reluctant smile forming on the worry- and fear-ridden face.
"No one is asking you to be unkind. You can be very nice without flirting with everyone and raising their hopes."

"There you are again," Ortega remarked with relief. He hadn't seen him this upset after a therapy session in a long time, and they had barely spoken on the way to the café. Since then, he had wavered between the impulse to push David further so that he would say something, or to hold back so as not to make things worse. " I was already starting to miss your voice. Was the session so intense today?"

David barely flinched at the question and the furrows returned to his forehead. Ortega watched anxiously as David again avoided his gaze and carefully stroked one of the small waxy blooms from the plant on the table.

Emma broke the tense moment and, with an unskilled hand but a friendly smile, placed coffee and two pieces of cake on the table. After a "Enjoy your meal," she went back behind the counter.

After a first sip of coffee, the soft brown eyes returned to Ortega. David hesitated, as if considering his options, before beginning to speak.
"We talked about loneliness. Questions I know, but would never consciously ask myself. Even though I think I know myself, some of the realizations are hurtful. I feel wounded and far too vulnerable right now. I don't know what to do with these thoughts yet."

"You know I'm here? You're not alone." Ortega slid his hand across the table, open and inviting. David looked at it, then glanced around the room at the few people Emma was currently serving, shaking his head slightly as his anxious eyes visibly filled with tears.

Ortega took the hint and quickly pulled his hand back from the table. He inwardly scolded himself for not realizing that this was not an appropriate time for public displays of affection.
"Wait."

He took the heavy motorcycle jacket from his chair and hung it over the corner of the table instead. Hidden by the table and the jacket, he repeated his offer under the tabletop and was relieved to find that David's hand quickly found its way into his.
"Does that help?"

"If I say yes now, you'll never let me go home alone from these sessions, will you?

"Never," he replied with complete seriousness and certainty.

David chuckled softly and silently maintained the loving eye contact for a moment before answering.
"Yes, it helps."

Satisfied, Ortega squeezed the hand hidden under his jacket a little tighter. "What do you say we order some more coffee to go and drive a little further out of town? We'll take the first place where we're undisturbed, enjoy some peace and quiet ... and us."

"That sounds much better than going home and being alone with me. Thank you for ..." David stopped mid-sentence and seemed to be listening to something. Ortega looked around the bakery, a man had stepped up to the counter and handed Emma a small bouquet of cheap flowers, probably from a gas station. The conversation between the two was barely audible, the scene seemed completely unsuspicious to him, yet he noticed that David seemed to be concentrating very hard on it.

"Are you okay David?" He leaned forward worriedly and looked at David's now concentrated face, still marked by worry lines. He nodded slightly in response, but his attention remained elsewhere.

Then the mood in the sales area changed abruptly. The bouquet flew across the counter and hit the visitor on the shoulder, followed by a loud "I don't believe a word you say anymore, get out!" Which seemed to take the man completely by surprise.

Suspiciously, Oretga stared at his counterpart, becoming even more skeptical when a smirk played around the corner of David's mouth.
"What was that?"

"She's nice, isn't she? He's not, and he's not faithful either. Apparently she just realized that." David grinned slyly and glanced back to the counter where the suspect was collecting the flowers and leaving the bakery.

"So I'm holding the hand of a secret hero of the city after all?" Ortega's whole face grinned so exaggeratedly that David had to smile.

"Who's holding on to you heroically because he can't be alone today? Incredibly brave."

The exaggerated grin gave way to a sincere smile. "Every hero needs a partner he can count on."

For a long moment they just looked at each other. Ortega let his thumb gently massage the back of David's hand, watching with concern as the brown eyes once again became moist as David seemed to struggle to control his emotions for a response.
"Thank you for being that."

"Always. Now let me get you out of here."

Ortega threw money on the table, picked up his jacket and loosened his grip on the hand he was holding, but to his delight, David didn't let go. Not even as they left the bakery together.

Chapter Text

"Hello, I'm Emma and I'm at your service."

Ortega put on his most charming smile to greet the young woman. "Nice to meet you Emma, so you are new here?"

"Yes, I got the job thanks to my friend who is now my colleague. It's wonderful to work with someone you like. Unfortunately, she had to leave spontaneously today, so I'm stepping in and it's the first time I'm here alone. But there's not much going on and I'm all yours, what can I get you?"

"I imagine she feels the same way now that she has such a nice colleague to work with. I'm sure you'll be an asset to this café. Coffee and apple pie, please." With a broad smile, he handed the menu back to Emma, who hurried to prepare the order.

A moment later, she placed the coffee and pie on the small table. "Enjoy it."

"Such a charmingly prepared meal is sure to be enjoyed. Thank you, Emma." Ortega punctuated his thanks with a wink that had Emma blushing slightly before moving back behind the counter.

Ryder, who had been watching the scene in silence, shook his head and looked at Ortega doubtfully.
"Oh come on, she's really too young for you, this is starting to get embarrassing old man."

"I'm just friendly. Besides, you're as young as you feel, and judging by the way you act, I'm the younger one today," Ortega countered with a grin.

"Ouch. Is this your mean day? It's all your fault if I'm not such an eye-catcher today, this whole therapy thing is giving me a headache."

"As long as it helps somehow, it's worth it."

"So far it's just torturing me. Maybe I'm just not fixable, like I told you." With a furrowed brow, Ryder began to rub his temple.

Ortega placed a hand on his. "You'll get there."

With a jerk, Ryder pulled his hand away and scowled at Ortega.
"Don't get all clingy. It's not nearly dark and empty enough here for that."

"Then maybe we should find a place that matches your description."

The response to Ortega's smug grin was a roll of the eyes.
"Lovely Emma didn't respond to your charm, so you're going back to that messed up guy you dragged here?"

With a victorious chuckle, Ortega replied, "As long as I end up with someone in the dark, empty corner."

"Damn, I'm really not quick-witted enough to stand up to you today, you stubborn lecher." Ryder rubbed his temples with both hands now, but could not hide the grin the teasing had elicited from him.

Abruptly, the casual expression faded and Ryder tilted his head as if listening to something Ortega couldn't hear.
"You all right?"

"Yeah. There's just more going on with this guy and Emma than it sounds, it's annoying. I don't need other people's problems in my head. Maybe we'll go to the park ... where it's bright and busy."

"I'd love to, but at least let me eat the cake first."

Again, Ryder seemed to stop really listening to him and concentrate on something else, until he turned back to Ortega with a much more serious tone.
"Tell me, how honest are you with me?"

Serious questions were rare between them, Ortega felt caught off guard and quickly tried to catch up while chewing a piece of cake.
"What kind of question is that all of a sudden?"

"Since I have no way to check it out, I have to ask you. Very few people are really honest, so tell me, how bad is your honesty?"

The serious topic made Ortega forget about the cake and instead let his alarm bells ring. He became very aware that at that moment he could maneuver himself into a disaster.
"It depends. There are things I can't just tell you. Job things especially. But if I tell you that I'm worried or that I care about you, I'm being very honest."

"Huh."

"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Was that honest?" Ryder's eyebrows knitted as he looked at Ortega appraisingly.

He was beginning to find the topic of discussion too volatile, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had been placed on a powder keg unnoticed.
"Where did all this sudden suspicion come from, Ryder?

"From the liar at the counter with the ugly shirt."

"I may not tell you everything, but I don't lie to you." Curious, Ortega looked at the person talking to Emma. "That shirt is really ugly, but you never turned to him, how do you know?"

"Emma thinks it's ugly. But she didn't tell him. And he's lying to her, saying he bought it himself, because he doesn't want to tell her that her friend gave it to him. I don't want to know all this, but apparently these two want to shout every thought into the world. And I get them all."

Once again Ortega tried to place his hand on Ryder's as a sign of support, this time the expected flight response did not come. Soft as silk, he touched the cool hand, not daring to move a finger that might trigger a retreat.

Ryder stared at the hand that touched his, seemingly fixated on the contact until he took a deep breath and repeated his request in a much calmer tone.
"Can we go now?"

"Depends, dark corner or bright park?" quipped Ortega, pleased by the slight, amused twitching of the corners of Ryder's mouth.

"Maybe we'll find a dark corner in the bright park to make you happy. I don't care. The main thing is to get out of here."

"You give me a tiny bit of hope, that's kind, I can work with that. I know exactly where I'm gonna take you." Ortega quickly put enough money on the table so they could leave before Ryder changed his mind.

"Don't make me regret this, Ortega."

"Me? Never." He put his hand on his chest indignantly.

On his way to the door, Ryder stopped briefly and looked directly at the man who had given Emma the flowers. "Nice shirt," he said, shaking his head and rejoining Ortega on the way out.

Chapter Text

Ortega opened his mouth to give the waitress, Emma, his order, but before he could utter a sound, Justin beat him to it with a voice dripping with charm.

"Hey Emma, thanks for the coffee. You move around so confidently, it doesn't seem like you're new here, which is very impressive." A slight blush rose in Emma's cheeks and her fingers began to play with the edges of her apron as her eyes lingered on the dazzling guest.
"Would you bring me some of that chocolate mousse, please? I'm sure it's not half as sweet as you, but it will do. Do you want anything, Ricardo?"

"Coffee, apple pie," Ric brought out, his eyes fixed on Justin, whose smile and seductive gaze seemed to belong to Emma alone.

"Very ... gladly, I'll be right back," Emma whispered, not in the least bit confident, and disappeared behind the counter where the grind of the coffee machine could be heard immediately.

"Why are you staring at me, Ricardo? Are you overwhelmed when someone orders their own coffee instead of letting you have your say?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you flirt so blatantly."

"Jealous? Maybe because I come off better than you?" A mocking chuckle interrupted him. "I was a good student, wasn't I? You were always right. Give them hope and soon you'll have them eating out of your hand. I learned that from you, Sensei."

"I don't remember saying that," Ortega replied dryly.

"It's what you did, not what you said, I'm a good observer. That's why I've never eaten out of your hand." A well-placed wink punctuated the cheerful chatter that gave Ortega goosebumps.

They paused their conversation to allow Emma to place her order on the table. Justin's, "That looks wonderful. Thank you, honey," rekindled the blush in her cheeks and she lowered her head shyly as she stepped back into the sales room.

"Cookies," Ortega said, trying to get some amusement into his voice as the conversation seemed to sink into superficial triviality as it always did. "Cookies you ate out of my hand."

"Point to you. Don't ever try that again. Now ask what you want to ask, your investigative stare is unbearable." Justin rested his chin on his clasped hands and gave him a wait-and-see look.

The sudden change to a more matter-of-fact tone almost startled Ortega, and it took him a few seconds to choose one of his many questions that would not result in an immediate end to the meeting.
"Don't you ever get emotional or confused after a therapy session?"

"About what? Talking about me, a subject I know pretty well? I told you it wouldn't help. But at least now I have someone who can certify that I'm mentally stable if it ever became necessary."

Ortega sighed audibly and rubbed his hand across his face to ease the strain of having to choose each word carefully. "So no therapeutic breakthrough yet? Come on Justin, I get it, it's not going to be me, but you have to be honest with someone and talk."

"Oh sure ... I'm very honest with Spoon."

Ortega's eyes closed in resignation as he pointed out, " he's cute, but a dog."

The grin he saw when he opened his eyes again reminded him of a predator who already knows his bite will be successful. "And a good listener who doesn't judge. You know what, you're right, I'll text Chen, maybe Spoon needs some more exercise."

Ortega tried to ignore the sting of the thought that Justin would flirt with Chen as bluntly as he did with anyone except him. Chen, of all people.
Justin stood up abruptly, Ortega realized the meeting was over, and sighed without hiding his disappointment. Justin patted his hand.
"Don't be sad, my charged friend. I'll see you next week."

"It's okay, I'm getting used to it. But Justin, Chen is my best friend, please don't let him down like you do me every week."

Justin's eyes widened and the right corner of his mouth twitched before he let out a manic scream of laughter.
"I let YOU down? Oh, that's a good one. I wish you knew how good that was!"

Shocked by the madness in his friend's eyes, Ortega just stared at him without saying anything back. The man who had come to the counter with flowers also looked at him, as did Emma, who quickly tried to turn her attention back to her visitor.

As the laughter slowly faded and Justin's usual smile graced his face again, Ortega stood up and walked toward him, ready to apologize for whatever mistake he might have made.
But Justin backed away before he could reach him, and stopped him with a sharp, "I'm leaving now."

"Justin, please tell me what I did wrong. Or at least give me a chance to apologize before you run away." Ortega whispered pleadingly, quietly enough that it couldn't reach other ears.

But the delicate features he looked into froze again as Justin delivered the final blow in a hateful voice. "No, save it for next time. I'm going to ruin Chen now, and I'll let a few more people down along the way."

Justin turned and headed for the door. The guest at the counter stared at him and Justin stopped for a moment and stared back. Then he turned away as quickly as he had gotten up and walked much slower than expected to the door.

Ortega just saw the door close behind Justin and was about to sit back down when the guest collapsed on the floor in front of the counter, crying and sobbing heavily. Emma rushed over to help him, but distanced herself from him as he loudly and clearly confessed his betrayal in tears and pathetically begged for forgiveness.

Shocked by what was happening in front of him, Ortega tried to back off to give the two of them time to sort out the situation and sat back down at the now lonely table. He looked out the window and was almost startled to see Justin standing in front of the dumpsters across the street.
Smiling adorably as usual, he seemed to be waiting for Ortega's attention, blew him a kiss on the hand and then disappeared completely.