Love and Duty - C.H. (Cop!Calum, Ch. 1)
AN: sooo i got this idea for cop!calum and i’m just kinda running with it. sorry the beginning might be a little slow, but i have an idea of how i want this to go and i’m excited for it so i hope you guys like it :) if the formatting is weird, it’s because i wrote it/am posting it on my phone! lmk what y’all think!💙
Sutton was late. Extremely late. She power walked down the street as fast as she could, rushing to the quaint cafe that she was meeting her brother, Elliott, at for brunch. She prayed to whoever might be listening that her older brother wouldn’t be too pissed at her tardiness.
She finally got to the restaurant, throwing the glass door open, the motion making her caramel color highlighted locks blow behind her shoulders. She glanced around and found her brother at their usual table by the window; that table was their favorite because it allowed them to people watch those that walked by outside.
Elliott’s head was down as she approached the high top, dark wooden table. His dark brown hair, the same color Sutton’s was naturally, was finally starting to get back to its normal length after he had to shave it for the police academy. He was still dressed in his uniform, having just finished a shift he’d worked all night. He glanced up as he heard her get closer, his hazel eyes meeting Sutton’s as he gave her a teasing look of disapproval.
Sutton was winded as she plopped down in the chair across from her brother, setting her bag on the corner of her chair nearest the window. She exhaled deeply as she settled in, her fingers going to comb through her hair anxiously.
“I am so sorry I’m late-“ she started as Elliott chuckled.
“You’re fine. I actually just got here a few minutes ago anyways,” Elliott reassured her. Sutton exhaled again, this time in relief. She knew Elliott wouldn’t be that mad; it was impossible for the 25 year old to stay mad at his little sister for long.
“So why do you look so nice? That part of your reason for being late?” Elliott quirked a dark eyebrow as he gazed over his sister. Sutton looked down at her outfit as if she didn’t dress herself this morning: she wore a dusty rose colored silk camisole tucked into tight black trousers with a matching black blazer and black flats. Definitely not her go to look at 11 o’clock in the morning.
“It is actually,” she informed him. Her brother waited for her to continue, crossing his arms and leaning them on the table. “I had a job interview this morning.”
“You did?! Why didn’t you tell me?” Elliott questioned, feigning hurt. Sutton rolled her emerald eyes at him and smirked.
“I guess it just slipped my mind. Plus you’ve been so busy with work lately,” she pointed out. Elliott nodded, agreeing with her. “It was kind of a last minute thing too. They called me yesterday asking if I could come in this morning.”
“So, where was the interview at? How’d it go? Does dad know?” Elliott fired off, but before Sutton could answer, the waitress came to take their drink orders. Sutton ordered a water and a mimosa while Elliott opted for just a water. On the job or not, Elliott was still in his work uniform and couldn’t be seen drinking.
“It was at the courthouse, as a clerk, so I’d work up tickets and different cases and even be in the courtroom. I think it went really well! And no, dad doesn’t know yet. I’ve barely had time to process it myself,” Sutton told him, resting her arms on the table and raising one to place her chin in the palm of her right hand.
“Oh, that sounds like it’d be perfect for you. I work with clerks here and there, they’re real nice,” Elliott told her, making her all the more excited and hopeful that she’d get the job. “Dad will love to hear that.”
Elliott’s last comment brought a soft smile to Sutton’s face. Their father, the chief of police in their town, would be thrilled to hear that both of his children were working in the judicial system in some way. She couldn’t wait to call him and tell him the news, but it would have to wait until after brunch.
The waitress brought their drinks and took their order, scurrying off to give it to the kitchen before the place got slammed for lunch. The siblings made small talk as they waited, Sutton asking Elliott how his shift went. His hazel eyes were slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep, and it looked as though purple thumbprints were pressed underneath his eyes. Sutton hoped he would be taken off this night shift soon, but since he was a newer officer, she really doubted it.
The waitress returned with their orders ten minutes later, Sutton’s mouth watering at the sight of her french toast, bacon and eggs. She dug into her food quickly, as she hadn’t had breakfast this morning, and almost burnt her tongue in the process. As she chewed her eggs, her phone began to ring.
“Oh fuck,” she mumbled, small pieces of egg flying out of her mouth and making Elliott laugh. She shot him a glare as she dug her phone out of her bag.
“Oh my god.” Sutton felt her eyes grow wide as she saw the number on her screen, tuning her brother’s “what?” out as she quickly finished chewing and swallowed, choking slightly, before she answered her phone.
“Hello?” She could feel her brother’s eyes on her, but she didn’t meet them. Her voice had gone up an octave or two so she knew that he knew it was probably something important.
“Hi, Sutton? This is Linda with the courthouse,” the voice spilled over the phone. Sutton felt like her eyes might pop out of her head. They were calling her already?
“Hi, Linda!” she exclaimed, making the older woman laugh.
“I was just calling to ask if you’d like to become a part of our team?” she asked. Sutton’s mouth fell open before the corners of her lips began to tug upwards.
“I would absolutely love that!”
Elliott raised his eyebrows as he shoveled more of his biscuits and gravy into his mouth.
“I was hoping you’d say that! Does starting on Monday morning work for you?” Linda asked. Sutton would have started whenever she’d have asked her too, but she was thankful that she wasn’t going to have her start in the middle of the week since today was Tuesday.
“Of course, that definitely works for me!” Sutton bounced excitedly in her chair, meeting her brother’s eyes and grinning.
“Perfect. We’ll see you Monday morning at 8!” Linda told her. After Sutton thanked her, they exchanged goodbyes and hung up. Sutton let out a squeal as she set her phone down
“I got the job!!” she exclaimed, her brother going wide eyed.
“That was who just called? They let you know that fast?!” He was almost in disbelief. Not that his sister wouldn’t get the job, but that her now employer got back to her that quickly.
“Yes! Can you believe it?!” Sutton was over the moon excited.
After graduating from college in almost a month ago, she’d had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. When she was looking for jobs, she came across this listing at the courthouse and it sounded too good to be true. She tried not to get her hopes up when applying, but when they had called her the same day she’d submitted her application and had asked her for an interview, Sutton was all too happy to oblige. It finally seemed like things were falling into place, and it sounded like maybe she’d get to work with her brother every now and then too.
“That’s amazing, Rose, I’m really proud of ya,” Elliott praised her, using her nickname. Rose was Sutton’s middle name, and since Elliott was only 3 when Sutton was born, he had had some difficulty saying her name. So, her parents had him call her by her middle name, since that was much easier for a three year old and Elliott would still call her Rose to this day. He often called her that more than her first name just because it was still easier (and he was a bit lazy). It had even rubbed off on her father and even a couple of her closest friends. Sutton loved her middle name, so she didn’t mind when people called her by it.
“Me and my buddy actually have to be in court next Wednesday so maybe we’ll see ya,” he continued.
“Which one? And for what?” Sutton questioned, resuming her meal that had now cooled off enough for her to eat.
“We both have prelims we gotta testify for. Cal had a domestic call and mine was a speeder but they scheduled ‘em back to back so we’re goin’ together.” Sutton had heard Elliott talk about ‘Cal’, but she’d yet to meet him. She also knew that prelims meant a preliminary hearing, thanks to both her father and brother being cops and to her minor in law enforcement. She had her fingers crossed that all of that knowledge would help her out.
They finished their meal in a comfortable silence, occasionally pointing something out about a person who walked by. Elliott insisted on paying as a ‘congrats on the job’ gift, so once they’d settled the bill, they headed out.
“Alright, I’m goin’ back home to get some fuckin’ sleep. You goin’ back to dad’s?” Elliott asked as they walked down the sidewalk.
Sutton nodded, yawning and immediately looking forward to the nap she was about to take. Her 9:30 interview had come early this morning since she couldn’t fall asleep until after 1.
Sutton had moved back in with her father after she graduated, and she was happy to be there. She often worried about her dad living by himself. After their mother died when Elliott was 18 and Sutton was 15, it had just been the three of them. But then Elliott went off to college a few months later, so it was just Sutton and her dad. Which was really hard on her; her mom had passed away right around the time a young girl needed her mom most. But her father had done an exceptional job of stepping up and filling both roles. He had worked his ass off his whole life, especially after his wife died, to give his family everything they’d need. He was appointed chief of police when Sutton was 17, and she felt like the most proud daughter in the world. Even though her father was in and out of the house throughout the week, she still hated to think of him alone at home. She was probably one of the few college kids to be happy to be back home.
Elliott walked her to her car in the parking lot, enveloping her in a hug after he opened her door for her. “Don’t be a stranger, Rosie. Come by and we can go get drinks to celebrate.”
Sutton groaned. Every time she drank with her brother, she got waaaay too drunk trying to keep up with him and his friends. The last time she’d gone out with him she’d been sick for the next two days.
“We’ll see about that,” she told him, ducking into her car. Elliott chuckled before giving her a wave and shutting her door, heading off to his own car parked across the way.
As Sutton started her car and began the drive home, she called her dad over the bluetooth speaker in her car.
“Hi, sweetie,” his voice boomed over her speaker, making her jump as she turned her volume down.
“Hi dad. I’ve got news!” she told him happily.
“Oh? And what’s that?” he asked curiously.
“I got a job at the courthouse as a clerk!” Sutton exclaimed to him, bouncing up and down again.
“You did?! Oh honey, that is just fantastic. I am so proud of you.” Hearing her father say that made tears spring to Sutton’s eyes; she knew her father was proud of her, but hearing him say it made her emotional every time.
“Thanks dad. I’m really excited about it,” she told him, turning onto their street.
“I think that’ll be a good job for you. I know a lot of the people in there so you make sure to tell me if anyone gives you any grief,” his tone only slightly joking. Sutton giggled.
“Oh, I will. And Eli said the same thing, about it being good for me. Says he works with clerks every now and then, too.” Sutton pulled into the driveway of their colonial home, a big white house with light blue shutters and a wrap around porch that her mother loved.
“He sure does. He’ll probably try to make his way over more now that you’ll be working there.”
“Alright dad, I’ll let ya go. I’m home now, so I’ll see you when you’re off,” she told him.
“Alright Rose, I’ll see you when I get home. I’m proud of you sweetie, love you.”
“Love you dad. Bye,” Sutton clicked the end call button on her steering wheel before turning her car off and heading inside.
For once in her life, she couldn’t wait until Monday.