(5 days before the switch)
Location: Downtown San Francisco, California, on Earth
The midday sun was bright but gentle as Ben and Vivian stepped out of the apartment building. The air was fresh, a welcome change from the quiet intensity of their work-from-home morning. They walked in comfortable silence for a few blocks with the sounds of the city as a soft backdrop to their thoughts. Ben, however, couldn't shake the lingering tension from their earlier conversation. He'd been too blunt, too accusatory, and he regretted it.
"Look, Viv," Ben started, breaking the silence, his voice softer than before. "About this morning... I'm sorry. I overreacted. I know you can handle yourself, and I shouldn't have jumped down your throat about Alex." He rubbed the back of his neck, a familiar gesture of apology. "It's just... I worry about you, you know?"
Vivian glanced at him, a small, tired smile touching her lips. "I know, Ben. And I appreciate it. Really. But sometimes you get a little... intense?"
"Yeah, well," Ben chuckled, a dry sound. "Comes with the territory of being your best friend, I guess. Someone's got to look out for you when you're busy chasing down arsonists and having strange dizzy spells." He paused, letting the last part hang in the air, a subtle reminder of his underlying concern. He wanted to ask more about the buzzing, about the shapes she'd seen, but they were in public, and those were conversations for the apartment, not a public street.
They turned a corner, and the aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering spices wafted towards them from a small bistro. "How about that place?" Ben suggested, gesturing with his chin. "Their sandwiches are amazing."
Vivian nodded, her stomach rumbling in agreement. "Sounds perfect."
As they settled into a small table outside, away from the immediate chatter of other diners, Ben steered the conversation back to safer, yet still relevant, ground. "So, about your latest case. Have you identified any new sites you intend to visit? Any more of those 'unreported test runs' for your map?" He carefully avoided any mention of Alex, or whether he'd be joining her.
Vivian pulled out her phone, bringing up the map. "I may have a few new sites to check. I went over the interviews and data and found there's another space downtown slated for redevelopment, another vacant commercial building near the waterfront, and a smaller, defunct factory out in the industrial district." She looked at the clusters of yellow markers. "The textile mill is probably the most promising next step, given its size and isolation."
"And will you be able to get to them before your rotation starts at the fire station?" Ben asked, his gaze fixed on the map, but his mind was already calculating the logistics of the dwindling time.
"I hope so," Vivian replied, her finger tracing a route on the screen. "I'll prioritize the textile mill tomorrow. It's a big one that could take a while to process. The others might have to wait until my next off-rotation block, unless something changes."
"What might change? Other than a visit from your 'regal cousin'?"
"Heh. I'm writing that down to tell her what you said."
Their food arrived as two generous sandwiches piled high with fresh ingredients on toasted sourdough bread and a micro green on the salad. They ate in silence for a few minutes, the easy rhythm of their friendship reasserting itself.
"Regarding your question on change, my boss hinted that I might go off of rotation early to be dedicated solely to the case I'm working on until it either reaches a conclusion, or it is handed off to someone else," Vivian answered after wiping her mouth and wondering if she should be eating the sandwich with a fork and knife.
"Do you think something like that will happen?" Ben asked, hiding his concern for the sake of a peaceful lunch.
"He said it might be difficult to hand it off because none of the seasoned investigators wanted to go anywhere near it," Vivian said, trying not to sound too pleased for the sake of a peaceful lunch.
"Let me guess, you got it while he was on his vacation?" Ben smirked.
"That obvious?" Vivian chuckled softly.
She's so focused on the case, Ben thought, watching Vivian take a bite of her sandwich, her brow furrowed in concentration even over lunch. She's so dedicated, so brilliant. And so oblivious to... everything else. He found himself admiring the way the sunlight caught the red in her hair, the faint freckles dusting her nose. He'd known Vivian his whole life. She was his rock, his confidante, the one person he could always count on. But ever since college, he'd started to see her differently. Not just as his best friend, his sister-in-all-but-blood. He wanted more. He wanted to be the one she came home to, not just the one whose guest room she borrowed.
The thought of Alex Greyson, effortlessly charming and undeniably interested, sent a fresh pang of jealousy through him. He hated it. Hated the feeling, hated the reason. He knew his own overprotectiveness, his animosity towards Alex, wasn't purely about Vivian's safety or professional ethics. A part of it—a significant, uncomfortable part—was pure, unadulterated jealousy. He wanted to be the one who fascinated her; the one who she shared her theories and findings with; and the one who she turned to for everything. But he couldn't risk it. Couldn't risk messing up the perfect friendship they had. It was too precious.
A small smile tugged at Ben's lips as he thought about how much his mother would be scolding him right now. She treated Vivian like a daughter, even though Ben was an only child. But she'd always hinted to both of them that she'd be okay if Vivian became her daughter-in-law someday. Ben's father always nodded in agreement, his normal stoic response.
"So," Vivian said, pulling him from his thoughts, "What about you? Any breakthroughs drafting your deposition questions?"
Ben blinked, shaking his head slightly to clear the haze of his internal monologue. "Yeah, actually. What little you could share of your case data gave me a new angle on liability clauses for mine. Might be able to tie it back to some negligence on the part of the property management firm. Good stuff." He forced a bright, professional smile, pushing his personal turmoil back down. "Just another day at the office, right?"
Vivian chuckled, a genuine, relaxed sound. "The home office, anyway."
Vivian's phone buzzed with a new text message and she quickly checked it in case it was an alert or an off-duty call. She looked puzzled and shook her head as if in disbelief. Ben waited for her to share whatever it was with him. Instead, it buzzed again.
"Something up?" Ben inquired, hoping she would share.
"Nothing important. Just unexpected," she responded.
Ben tried to be more direct. "Something you can share?"
"The demolition of that warehouse I visited yesterday? It's been postponed. The site is now considered a possible crime scene." Vivian sounded genuinely surprised.
"Did you report it?"
Vivian shook her head. "The owner postponed their own site demolition and asked for the site to be included in the current investigation."
"That's… proactive of them."
"And they submitted a list of additional properties that might match."
"So, your investigation just got a lot bigger," Ben said flatly, already imagining that Alex was orchestrating everything so he would have a reason to be around Vivian even longer.
"It would have anyway. Once I submitted my report to the joint investigation team, this was going to happen. At least now, I'll get some help up front from the assigned detective and prosecutor." Vivian looked back at her phone, which buzzed a third time. "If anything, the extra resources will help speed things up, especially if we continue to have cooperation from the property owners."
Ben wanted to ask more questions, but decided it was best to enjoy their time in reconciliation before that can of worms got toppled over again. "How about we head back after stopping for some fancy coffee to get us through the afternoon?"
"I wouldn't say no to it. But your coffee is pretty fancy already," Vivian said as she stood, putting her phone back in her pocket despite its continued buzzing.
They headed back for an afternoon of work-from-home after they stopped in for some professionally prepared percolation.