Cooper Elias Hawkins was born on October 31st back in 1984 to two loving and hardworking parents named Thomas and Heather (neeâ Cooke) Hawkins. The Hawkins clan was very well known and well liked in their town of Southport, North Carolina which is where they resided and where Cooper had grown up. Thomas & Heather are very successful owners of a diner thatâs family owned. Itâs beloved in their town. It was a small town and one of the hot spots for tourists to always go to.
Ryan Hawkins was the first of the Hawkins clan, then Ethan, the Annie, then Cooper and finally the baby Megan whom they call Meg. Growing up Cooper idolized had idolized his older siblings, his brothers were his best friends and his sister Annie was someone whom he admired and aspired to be like. Meg was someone Cooper always took care of and adored. He made a promise to himself to always watch out for Meg. The Hawkins siblings were well known and well liked by the town and could do no wrong.
They were one big happy family. They were fun and successful and everyone loved them. That was until one 4th of July Annie and Cooper had decided to take their family boat out onto the water alone, without their parents permission. Thomas and Heather were too busy at the diner to notice they were gone. He was eleven at the time and Annie was a little bit older. They drove it illegally, neither of them having a boating license but Annie really wanted to go and she always had a way of making Cooper follow in her footsteps. So he did, because all he cared about at the time was if Annie was happy. They were having a good time and being safe until Annie decided to jump into the water after Cooper had told her and begged her not too. It was a while until cooper had realized she hadnât come up from the water. Panicked and scared, Cooper illegally drove the boat back to shore for some help. Once reaching his parents & some cops, they ruled it as a drowning accident. This nearly destroyed not only the family but the town. They always said that Annie held the family together and her death tore it apart.
His father was furious and devastated and wrongfully accused & blamed Cooper for Annieâs death even though he knew it wasnât his fault. Growing up for Cooper wasnât easy anymore. He wasnât the happy go lucky kid he used to be. His father mentally, and sometimes would physically and abuse him for years, and his two older brothers followed in their fathers footsteps. Cooper closed himself off and didnât talk to them until he actually needed too. The only ones who truly cared about him and were worried about his well being was his mother & his little sister Meg. He was thankful for them even if he didnât show it often.
He kept to himself and got into reading and writing. Cooper found that he hid himself away in his room, and only had a couple of friends. He felt exiled in his own family and in his own town. Excelling in school Cooper kept his grade average high, he graduated high school with honors and had decided to move as far away from Southport as possible to get a fresh start. Choosing the city that never sleeps, Cooper was accepted into almost every New York City College but ended up choosing Brooklyn College. He majored in & has a master in Criminal Justice, and minored in Florescence Science.
However that wasnât what he wanted to do in life. After graduating college with honors again, he decided to go into the academy and become a police officer. A couple years of being a cop, he took the detectives exam and has been/is in the homicide unit ever since. He was in Brooklyn for a really long time, up until he fell in love with his partner who was his best friend. Their Sargent soon found out, and Cooper had decided to transfer to move to another Country so that this way, he can officially start over. A place where no one knew him. A place where no one knew his story or what had happened to him and his family as child. Or what had happened to him within his young, adulthood life.
The one spot he chose was Vancouver, Canada. He essentially transferred so that his ex girlfriend, the love of his life, Nora Freeman wouldnât have too . Cooper was trying to not only protect her but protect her career as well. However what Cooper didnât know, was that before he moved to a different Country, what broke them up was their big fight. The big fight that killed Cooper in so many ways possible. What Cooper didnât know was that Nora was pregnant with his child.
Though she sadly miscarried and never got to tell him. He also does not know that Nora transferred to the exact same unit in the exact same Country. The death of his sister still haunts him. When he can not sleep, heâll sit out on his fire escape and smoke cigars to make himself feel at ease. Heâll leave empty beer bottles on the living room table and his house a mess. Though heâs happy, heâs happy in this new Country and heâs happy in this new city. A city where no one knows who he is, what he had to go through in order to get here
 Where: The Bullpen at Vancouver Police Department, Monday, March 14th, 2022 sometime night
 Cooper had been going frantic. He had it. His journal. The one thing that kept Annie alive. The one thing that kept Cooper from keeping her memory alive. The journal. A journal. This one specifically though, he had talked to her a lot more than normal lately. He wasn't sure if it was because he was in a new city or if it was because he was really missing her. Of course Cooper missed his sister. There were moments in time and in his life where if he would trade places with Annie, then he would. She didn't deserve to pass so young but it was accident and accidents happen. Though it was engraved into his head that it wasn't an accident and that it was somehow his fault. That's what was in the journal. His conversations with his deceased sister and his thoughts, those dark thoughts that just played in the back of his mind. Taking a deep breath, Cooper ran his hands through his hair and yelled out for a moment in the bull pen "Has anyone seen a black journal? I have some notes in it for the case and i need them." Cooper lied, of course he lied. He was a liar, and a damn good one at that. "Shit." Cooper yelled through his teeth and then slammed the drawer to his desk closed shut making a loud noise.Â
 He needed that journal. Cooper needed all that information, it was his and for his eyes only. This is what happened when he carried it around in public though. Normally Cooper didn't, well he did but only when Cooper was at a diner grabbing coffee and some food. Never did he have it at work and the man took a deep breath again. "Come on. I fucking need that journal!" Cooper said out loud but it sounded more like a plead, a beg and a cry. He was on the verge of tears. That was the only thing that kept Annie alive in his mind. The only thing that didn't block her out from his memory. "An---" Cooper almost said her name, and felt like he couldn't breathe. it was like he had almost lost the color of his skin and turned pale as a ghost. Cooper really needed that journal. Then Cooper looked up at Nolan Gallagher. The Private Investigator that Cooper always had a problem with. He wasnât sure why, but him and Nolan just didnât get along and this gave Cooper another reason not to trust the guy. "Give that back. Please. Don't fucking touch my stuff." The people on his squad knew how Cooper was. He wasn't here to make friends, that's what almost broke him the last time. Making friends and falling in love. Cooper took a deep breath and looked at the other male "How the hell did you get this?" He asked with a bitey tone and rightfully so. Cooper licked his lips "Don't fucking touch my stuff."
There was an urgency about Noor as she scanned her surroundings. The coffee shop she frequented was incredibly crowded, most of the chairs occupied. Now, crouching on the floor and peeking under various tables while other grownups tried to enjoy their cups of coffee and baked goods wasnât her idea of a good time but it had to be done. Her little niece had lost her beloved stuffed elephant and had been clearly distressed about the whole thing since the moment she had first noticed her toy had gone missing. Now, having returned the girl to Maryam, Noor had returned to the scene, desperate to find the priced possession.
Feeling the presence of someone who had not been there just seconds ago, she looked up for a momentâs time. âIâm looking for an elephant,â she informed matter-of-factly before going back to the task at hand. âA stuffed one. My niece lost her toy. I think she might have dropped it here earlier.â
Cooper had been getting lost within his thoughts within the pages of his journal that was covered in ink. Turkish Coffee and Bakery was one of his favorite little finds within the city of Vancouver. He was calling this place home for the past two years and even though Cooper found it, he made a mental note to come here more often. The business of the small business reminded him of New York. To say that he missed New York was an understatement, but the move was a good idea. A fresh start. He wasn't going to get his walls knocked down this time. He was going to focus on work and work only. That was it. He wasn't going to fall in love like he had before.Â
Taking a deep breath, Cooper took a sip of his coffee and continued to write i his journal. Singing, the man ran a hand through his hair and then noticed the brunette talking to him. He smiled softly and looked down at the ground, realizing the stuffed elephant was by his feet. Cooper had no idea how the hell it had gotten there. Though bending down for a moment, Cooper picked up the elephant and smiled "Does stuffed elephant have a name?" He asked holding it up, shutting his journal with his other hand "I'm Cooper by the way. I'm assuming this doesn't belong to you?" He took a sip of his coffee and smiled âYour daughters?âÂ
 Where: Affinity Night Club, Monday, March 15th, 2022 sometime at nightÂ
 Cooper hadn't seen Angelia in what felt like months. He's been busy, the cases that have been piling onto his unit were becoming a mountain he couldn't climb. He needed a brake, badly. The one place where he knew he would get a brake was Affinity Night Club. Usually he wasn't in the mood but for some reason tonight he was. He didn't need the women who worked there, he needed the loud noise to block out his own noise in his head. Not really sure why, the Detective had asked Angelia to meet him here earlier in the morning. Thankfully Cooper had finished his paperwork early. The beer in his hand had burned the back of his throat and he watched for a few moments but let out a breath. He wasn't in the mood for this tonight. Affinity Night Club was a bad idea. He bit his lips and then looked around for a few moments.Â
The plate of shots a waitress came by with, Cooper stopped her and downed one. He needed a few more but right now the shot and beer was good enough for him. Standing up when Cooper finally saw her, the music was blasting and the smell of alcohol was making him nauseous. "Hi stranger. Thanks for meeting me here. I would've meet some place more casual but I don't know, I was kind of in the mood to drink tonight. Maybe dance." He laughed a little and looked at her. He still had no fucking idea on how the hell she ended up in his bed that night. He was an asshole that night but thankfully the two had stayed in touch and stayed friends "I'm not trying to take advantage of you.. please tell me you don't have a boyfriend now or something..."
 Teddy for some reason was one of the first people that Cooper had met when he first arrived in Vancouver. Though Teddy was younger, him nad Cooper had gotten along fine and the two became friends. In some ways, Teddy reminded Cooper of his younger self and felt the need to protect him. Felt the need to look out for him. Teddy had become the little brother that Cooper always wanted. Dont get him wrong, he loved his siblings but after everything that happened that one horrible summer, it changed things and they weren't the close knit family that they were once known for. They had some things in common and maybe that's where Cooper felt the need to protect him, to make sure that this kid didn't screw up his life the way he did, so Cooper decided to stick around. Getting off of work early was one of Cooper's favorite feelings. Itâs a feeling a relief that he didn't have to force himself to stay awake. He loved what he did, truly but right now with the week and weekend he's been having, it was good that he got home at three and not at any odd hours throughout the day.Â
 He had texted Teddy earlier to come over and have a couple of beers. The Detective didn't feel like going to a bar tonight which was rare, but in all honesty the man didn't feel like running into someone who was here from his past so at this time, Cooper was hiding. Hiding from the past like always and the thirty-seven year old had a feeling that Teddy somehow knew. Opening the door after hearing a knock, Cooper held up two beers in his hands "Happy fucking Sunday man. I made food because I was getting hungry. Just pasta, nothing too fancy. I was going to make stake and potatoes but Im to fucking lazy for that." Cooper said as he started to walk back into his kitchen "Tell me what's new in the life of a twenty something year old."
Where: some local diner downtown, sunday, march 13th 2022 at noonÂ
 Cooper was meeting Nima for breakfast. They usually did for Sunday mornings. It had become apart of his routine. Part of his routine before he was called out to a case or before he began shift. They had two very different jobs but Cooper didn't care. He liked that she was a podcaster. Sometimes he would listen to them while going for a jog, but most of the time it was music. The two had formed an unlikely friendship but he wouldn't of wanted it any other way. The man needed friends. Sometimes his loneliness swallowed him whole. It was his loneliness and his thoughts. The dark thoughts that were in the back of his mind that had the voice of his father's. No one here in town knew what had happened and he wanted to keep it that way. He was doing a good job with it.Â
Cooper decided to meet Nima at the local diner where Cooper found himself every morning for breakfast. It reminded him of his diner and the diner that his family owned, and Cooper loved it. The happy memories would flood through his brain when he was in here, not the bad ones. Writing down in his journal while drinking his coffee, he saw Nima come in wit what looked like a file of something. "Nima if that's paper work, it's too fucking early. I don't have to do paper work until this coming Friday." He said with all honesty, but then looked at Nima when he saw the black and white newspaper sticking out, having the title of 14 Year Old Drowns In Boating Accident. His heart dropped into his stomach and his face became pale "Nima..." Cooper choked out a little and closed his journal. Taking a deep breath, the Detective looked at her "You want coffee?" He tried to ignore it, hoping to God that it wasn't what he thought it was. âAmy is our waitress this morning, per usual. Iâll leave the tip this time if you pay.â Cooper tried to play it off.
When: Sometime at night on Saturday, March 13th, 2022Â
 Cooper was in no mood to talk. This whole weekend has been shit and now his weekend was ruined. Well it wasn't ruined, he was just mentally and physically exhausted. All Cooper wanted to do was drown himself in alcohol. He found himself at City Brew Pub after every shift but this time he wasn't alone. This time Declan had decided to tag along which Cooper was grateful for. He had known Declan for these past two years and it was an unlikely friendship but it was nice since Cooper never really had any friends. He was a loner and liked to keep to himself. They were working on a gruesome case together and it was bothering Cooper. Of course it was. Any cases that involved children always bothered him.Â
Taking a sip of his beer though, he knew that Declan wanted answers about the blonde who happened to cross their crime scene. Taking a deep breath, the music was loud and Cooper let the alcohol burn down his throat "I know you want answers to the questions that are going through your mind right now because I see your head spinning, but I'm just not in the fucking mood to talk about it man. There's nothing going on between Detective Freeman and I. Nothing. Nothing at all. I just met her today. I kind of just don't like her. I dont like how she came in and took over. Thatâs all." That was a lie, a complete and total lie. Cooper knew Nora Freeman. He knew her quite well, actually. He was in love with her. That was the love of his life but Declan didn't need to know that. Declan didnât need to know his real story. His story that he kept hidden for two years so far since being in Vancouver. Cooper was doing a good job with that. He took another big gulp of his beer and swallowed hard âI need a third.âÂ
On the brink of losing his cool, he let out an exasperated sigh and tried to explain the situation to the attendant for the ninth time. âNo maâam I donât have another payment. Not sure why this one isnât working but as I said, if you allow me to leave and come back, with my coffee Iâll take care of bill plus leave a generous tip, I swear. Shouldnât be a big deal when all youâre gonna do is pitch it anyway, right? Plus itâs not like you wonât see me again, I come here almost every day! Am I making sense? Why is she looking at me like weâre proofing a math theorem?!â He demanded of the stranger who been unfortunate enough to overhear the whole exchange @vancitystarters
Cooper was sitting down at the table writing down his thoughts in the journal he had kept. He has been keeping a journal since he was twelve. It was something a little embarrassing to admit, but he didn't keep one for himself. Cooper kept one so he could write to his sister and keep her updated on things. No one needed to know that though, so at this point in his life the man didn't care what others had thought when people would stare at him. Taking a sip of coffee from his cup, it was still hot and before he took another sip, Cooper looked up to hear the commotion. Shaking his head for a moment, Cooper ran his fingers through his hair and closed his journal. "Listen, I'll pay for it this time, but don't make this a habit."
who: nora freeman and cooper hawkins ( @cooperhawkinshqâ )
where: main street farmers market
Nora had just gotten settled into a new apartment for her, Jane, and Abigail but they needed food and the one place that she had missed since she had been gone was the farmerâs market. There was something about it that felt like home and it was the one place that her mother would take them every weekend and she would run around and play in between the different stands while her mother shopped. She figured this was the best place to bring home the memories that she often forgot and to also get food that she knew they would need for the upcoming weeks. Her mind was on picking the different types of apples when she saw a figure standing next to her. Without even looking up, she grabbed two apples and turned toward the other person. âOkay, so which one do you think looks better? This one kind of reminds me of the poison apple from Snow White but this one just looks like it would be kind of perfect in apple pie, donât you think?â When she didnât get an answer, she looked up and her mouth dropped just like the apples in her hands. She apologized to the owner of the stand as she just stood there. âIâve got to go,â she started but her feet didnât move. Cooper had aged and he almost looked like a new person but also he looked exactly how she remembered him to be and her heart squeezed and tightened because she had not expected him to be there. Why was he there? How long had he been there? Those were her questions but she was too stunned to even speak.
There were plenty of farmers markets in New York. Especially on the skyline and there were plenty of farmers markets in Southport, but Southport wasn't home anymore and neither was New York. Vancouver was and even though Cooper has been here for two years now, the farmers market had become one of his favorite places. It was a place where he could take his time, he normally didn't buy anything other than food and sometimes he would find used books but that was it. This week was rough and Cooper was thankful it was the weekend. Drowning himself in alcohol the other night wasn't his best decision, but that was a habit he was trying to brake. There were a lot of habits that Cooper needed to brake. Getting lost within his thoughts all the time was another one. He could list off so many right now but not when a familiar voice filled his ears. Not when his heart dropped into his stomach. Not when he got all choked up.Â
Scared to face the women whom he assumed who was speaking at the moment, Cooper took a deep breath and finally looked at her. She was here. What in the hell was she doing here? Why wasn't she in New York? That's where she was supposed to stay. That's why he moved to a different Country so the blonde couldn't be near him anymore. So he could protect her. So he could protect her career. This wasn't going to end well. Whatever was about to happen scared the shit out of him and Cooper wasn't ready. Not ready at all to face her. Watching as the apples dropped from his hands, Cooper's heart started to beat fast and then he sighed. "You aren't supposed to be here." Was all that Cooper could spit out. It was the truth. He moved so she wouldn't have too. "Why are you here?" Cooper questioned her and picked up the apples for her, placing them back into the basket for the owner. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Cooper looked at her "You can't be here." He placed his hands on his hips and looked away for a moment and then back at her âWhat the hell are you doing here Freeman?âÂ
It wasnât that Krishna was paranoid, per-say. He was justâŠlooking out for himself. Moving to Vancouver had been an adjustment for him, something he never really saw himself doing, or a place he planned on going. It definitely wasnât the UK, but most days he did well since arriving. Today was just hell after his night was flooded with nightmares. He was looking over his shoulder at every turn, especially once the sun was setting. Hearing a noise, he stopped walking to look around, not sure if it was a stray cat, a person, or potential demon to come and take his soul, maybe a reptilian alien out for a hostage. âHello?â Smart move. Draw them in.
Cooper had been on a walk to clear his head. To clear his mind from going a million miles per minute. This case he just closed up had shook him and he didn't like it. Lately the cases weren't as grueling, but for some reason this one was. He drowned himself in alcohol the other night, and tonight in the cool of winter where the snow is melting and it's becoming spring, Cooper loved late night strolls. He could get lost for hours and living down town in Vancouver was perfect for that. There were still so many places for him to see and explore. Living here for two years, Cooper had thrown himself into work right away like he always did. Checking his cell phone for a moment, the man got startled for a second not paying attention and the realized someone was in front of him "Oh. Hi sorry, I didn't mean if my flashlight startled you. For some reason it keeps turning on, these stupid fucking phones. I have a love/hate relationship with technology." Cooper said honestly and finally shut his flashlight off on his phone and listened as the cars passed by. Taking a deep breath, he ran his fingers through is hair âIâm Cooper.âÂ
when: just after dusk, a friday
where: the pour house
@vancitystartersââ
Even when he didnât need to be at the bar, thatâs where he was. There was never anything to do at his place, much less out in the city at the beginning of the weekend. It was easy enough to cross the street from his house to his establishment, the only problem with it was that he never seemed to just be able to sit in a corner and mind his own business.
âYouâre done.â  He reaches for the brand new glass of alcohol being poured in front of a client, he could tell by the way they slightly swayed on their seat they were already past their limit. Luke simply drags the glass through the bar top, sliding it in front of another costumer.  âYou know, public intoxication is still very much so illegal.â  And even though he had no problem with it whatsoever, having cops pulling up was always more of an inconvenience than a fun time.  âYou get water from now on. â And what else can I get you?â
It's was one of those weeks. It was one of those weeks where Cooper was emotionally drained. This case shook up the whole unit and for some reason, it messed with Cooper's mind. He wasn't sure if it was because the vic reminded him of his sister or something else. Though the insomnia hit bad this past week. The only thing keeping him alive and awake right now were coffee and cigarettes. Though, that was a bad habit he needed to crack. Cooper had many bad habits. Alcohol was another one of them. Every time he got his hands on alcohol he had to drink it. Drink it to drown his sorrows and pain. Drink to feel the empty void that was missing inside of him whatever that was. That's how he always found himself at a bar after every shift.Â
 An older man who was sitting next to Cooper was starting to piss him off. He wasnât doing anything, just watching tv and Cooper would normally start a fight but right now he was in no mood. The images of the young vic came flooding into his mind and he needed something else. The Detective was on his fourth beer. It wasn't strong enough, usually he would've gone for whiskey but tonight he felt like having beer and when he heard Luke open his mouth, Cooper let out a frustrated groan "Come on man. You can't be fucking serious." Cooper slurred his words and shook his head "I just paid for that." He argued with Luke for a moment and then shook his head "I know the law, I'm not fucking stupid. Come on please. I need that. This case was fucking rough and I need that alcohol." He felt embarrassed that he was begging for alcohol but maybe Luke was right "Luke I don't want fucking water. Just call me a cab then I guess if you aren't going to give me that glass of beer back."
He was a fighter. He really was. Iâve watched people tear him down, and then ask for his help. And he would help them. He would spend hours helping them. Iâve always admired and hated that part of him.
