Amy Santiago Blacked

Amy sat at her desk, her files stacked in a neat pile, not a single one overhanging the rest, tabs cascading down coherently. She typed quietly, closing out the arrest she had made only that morning with Rosa, a simple B&E of a string of bodega's. She submitted it and sighed and closed down the system to the home page. Boredom lurked on the edge of her mind, she shouldn't acknowledge it, shouldn't allow it any room at all to fester but she knew it was true. She was bored. She needed something more, something exciting, ever since her bet with Jake had come to an end there had been less of a drive to her work performance. Factor in that he was given the exciting opportunity to go undercover which he would not stop talking about since returning, Amy couldn't help but feel overlooked.

"I'm more than capable." She muttered under her breath as she reached forward and grabbed the folder on the top of her open case pile.

She just needed something new, something exciting, something big to showcase her abilities to Captain Holt and his superiors. Why should Jake get all the fun? She frowned as she read through the file, it was a cold case, one that had frustrated her due to not having any recognisable pattern. A series of random arson attempts but there was no rhyme or reason that Amy could see, nothing that connected the targeted buildings. She pinched her nose and rubbed her eyes before closing it, hunched over the desk, defeated only to immediately jump out of her skin and sit up straight at the sound of the deep voice calling from behind her.

"Detective Santiago, a minute please." Captain Holt spoke from his office doorway.

Amy gulped and looked across the desks at Jake who shrugged and smirked and then buried his nose back into his case report. She stood and let out a shaky breath as she glanced around the room for sympathy from someone, anyone, yet only Charles offered a smile, albeit weak and strained. Rosa just stared blankly and nodded while Gina grinned with a sense of glee that only made Amy simmer in annoyance.

"You asked for me, Captain." She said in a neutral tone as she closed the door to his office and moved to stand before the desk.

"Yes." he said simply folding his hands together, his elbows resting on the dark wood between them.

"I have noticed you seem, as the kids would say, down lately, is everything okay, detective?" Captain Holt asked.

"Oh." Amy answered honestly, caught off guard as she felt her eyebrows rise up, "yes, yes I am sir, thank you for asking." She said in a low tone.

"Are you sure? It seems that ever since Peralta's return you are more and more...despondent. Or have I read this situation wrong?"

"No...sir...I...I am glad Jake is back and that his time undercover went well." She said in a false voice.

"Then why the negative attitude?" he asked bluntly.

"I...I guess I have been struggling with..." Amy faltered, hating the word that bounced around her mind, knowing it would sound childish, "jealous." She admitted, looking down at the ground.

"Oh." Captain Holt said, the inflection of his tone now higher than before.

Amy looked up to see a look of surprise on his face and immediately panicked, "not that I have an issue with him, we work well together, I would never begrudge him for the opportunity he had."

"But you wish to have your own opportunity to go undercover?" He summarised.

"I...don't know, I don't want to go undercover for the sake of it, I just...I want an opportunity to prove myself, be given a task that I can do a good job with." She said quietly, looking back down at the floor.

"I see." Captain Holt said thoughtfully, "I see, well I appreciate your candid approach to this conversation Detective, please, let me give your request some thought, there may be something that we can do, you are a model detective in this precinct, there is no reason why that cannot be demonstrated through your great work ethic." He said.

Amy looked up again, her features softer now as she stared across the space at the older cop, her respect for him only continuing to grow as her heart swelled at his praise.

"Tha...thank you sir, that means a lot to me." She said earnestly.

He nodded holding her gaze for a moment, and then dropped it and returned his attention to the brief before him.

"That will be all for now Santiago." He said, ending the conversation.

"Thank you sir." Amy said politely before turning and leaving, returning to her desk.

"Ahhhh someone's in trouble." Gina teased.

"The only one likely to get in trouble here is you for being lazy." Amy retorted as she sat down at her desk.

"Ooh quick reply, lame burn, two out of five." Gina said in a low voice from behind her.

"What did Captain Holt want?" Rosa demanded, appearing beside her desk.

Amy squeaked and looked up at the other detective looming over her and then glanced around to see the others all looking her way, including Scully and Hitchcock. Why did everyone always want to know?

"He just asked me how I was." She answered quietly.

"Boring." Jake said loudly shaking his head.

"Come on now, Jake, Captain Holt's just showing that he cares." Charles said moving over to join them.

"Nope, not buying it, she's clearly being moved downstairs." Jake said.

"To the basement, so we don't have to see her suits anymore." Gina added earning a wide grin from Jake.

"This is a good suit, it has pockets." Amy said lamely, earning eye rolls from everyone, "and I'm not moving department." she added.

"Guys knock it off, leave Amy be before Captain Holt comes out and tells you all off." Terry ordered from his desk.

"You got it Sarge!" Jake said loudly, spinning around and giving Terry a thumbs up, "Amy we'll get you a leaving card later." He added as she simmered, pouting at him.

The rest of the day was uneventful, with Amy being partnered with Rosa to respond to a report of a B&E, a smashed window, muddy footprints and jewellery all stolen and a bitter suspect already blaming an ex partner. It was once again not the most exciting case, but it was simple and easy, and at least she was paired with someone who wouldn't wind her up as they left the apartment and Amy ran through the notes she had taken from the interview with the victim.

It wasn't until the next day at the morning briefing did her luck finally begin to turn as Captain Holt addressed the room, his stoic form drawing their attention. Even Jake who normally spent the meetings goofing off and distracting Charles or making asinine jokes was silent as he leant forward eager to get the exciting opportunities.

"Peralte, Boyle, I want you both on the Maddison garden case, reports of a stalker harassing and following Deputy Commissioner Lewinksi and their family."

"Stake out." Jake said gleefully, fistbumping Charles before dropping the goofy smile, "thank you sir."

"Sergeant Jeffords, take Diaz and look follow up with the B&E case she and Santiago began investigating yesterday." Captain Holt continued.

Amy's heart fluttered as nerves began to twist into knots in her stomach, not only was she not good enough to be chosen for any undercover work, she now wasn't even good enough to continue investigating a simple theft. She was halfway through coming up with a conversation in her head to have later with Captain Holt when he cleared his throat and regained her attention.

"As you may know there has been an increase in illicit activity lately, rumours of a new gang bringing increased quantities of narcotics into the city. Other precincts have confirmed that territories have shifted as a result. Therefore we here at the nine nine must do our part to investigate this new gang." He announced, his facial expression unreadable as he stood before them all letting the information sink in.

"Detective Santiago, I am placing you in charge of this investigation," he stated.

Amy did her best to contain her emotions, offering him a curt nod and professional short smile as she watched the reserved police captain collect his papers from the podium.

"That is all." He stated with finality.

Amy rose quickly and made her way out of the briefing room and to her desk, and immediately got to work, fired up by the opportunity Holt had granted her following their conversation the previous day. She wouldn't waste it, wouldn't squander it. She obtained every file she could from their own database and the files from all relevant precincts, reading each one thoroughly and making notes to understand any patterns of behaviour that would begin to flesh out the gang.

"Elliot street." She muttered as she stirred the coffee freshly poured from the pot, the wooden stirrer doing a poor job to mix the cream into the dark liquid.

She watched as it turned a pale gold colour and then sniffed it, scrunching her nose up at the bitter scent before carefully slurping up the first sip. Sufficiently recharged she returned to her desk, the steam rising from the mug beside her as she began to put together a plan. It felt strange being in charge of such a large case, with multiple uniformed officers now reporting to her to give her enough support and man power.

They hit the streets, and eventually one after another, Amy sat across from multiple drug dealers caught in possession or even in a couple of cases, openly caught trying to make a sale. She flicked through files, wrote up reports in great detail, making a special note of the areas in particular the arrests were made. Yet nothing came of it, no matter how many arrests were made, no matter how hard she worked, she could find no real leads into the upper echelons of the gang.

Frustration and irritation began to build within her, along with a fear of being seen as a failure, marked by others as not good enough. Worry began to gnaw at her heart that if she didn't bring any concrete results soon then Captain Holt would replace her.

"I just need a win." Amy told Rosa in the corridor seeking comfort from an unlikely source.

"Do you have anything?" The other detective asked.

"I have a mule in holding, interrogation room is being prepped but if they're anything like the rest I won't get a name." Amy whined.

"Give me a turn, I can get him to talk." Rosa said bluntly.

Amy sucked in her lips, unsure, she wanted things to be done properly, but then again bending a rule wasn't breaking it, and if Rosa was able to get results for her then she would take it.

"Okay, do what you know will work." Amy said, nodding as she felt a little of her tension ease.

She stood up a little straighter and leaned into Rosa's space, "just you know, nothing illegal." She clarified.

Rosa rolled her eyes and let out a drawn out sigh, "fine." She said putting the long knife back in her jacket.

Later on, once again sitting at her desk Amy typed the name Rosa had been able to acquire, although she didn't say how, from interrogating the latest drug dealer that had been arrested. She clicked enter and watched as the police database loaded, the small circle spinning around and around, testing her patience until at last a profile loaded up.

"Luke Jackson." Amy said to herself as she saw the profile image of a tall, well built man before her.

His hair was short, along with his beard which cast a shadow on his neck, tattoo's visible as they broke out from underneath the orange jumpsuit, contrasting against his dark skin. She scrolled down, reading further, making notes on his profile, his arrest, his case, his time spent in prison and every detail she could glean. It was unclear whether he was involved in the Elliot Street gang, Rosa didn't know, but it was a lead, and it was enough for now.

Released from bail, his current address was listed and Amy wrote it down quickly on a post it note and checked the location on her phone, a twenty minute drive, easy enough to achieve before the shift was over. She looked up at the empty space opposite, and then across the bullpen at the other desks also empty. Jake and Charles were on a stake out, Rosa had left to rejoin Terry on door duty for their B&E. Hitchcock and Scully's desks were also vacant although Amy knew that was due to the fact they were "secretly" napping, rather than actually working on a case. She frowned, considering reaching out to one of the uniformed officers that had been helping her on the case and then decided against it. It would be easier if she went alone, less threatening than seeing bades and blues. She gathered her keys, phone and weapons, and ignored Gina who was sitting staring at her phone and left.

The drive was longer than she had thought, with traffic being an inescapable fact of New York, but eventually she made her way to the location pin visible on the map and turned the engine off. Broken windows, damaged doors and vandalised walls covered in large obscene graffiti greeted her as she stepped out of her car and she clicked the lock button repeatedly as she made her way to the main entrance of the apartment building, ignoring various looks from the group of young boys that were on the other side of the open space.

The main entrance was unlocked and open, with the door hanging a jar and the lock mechanism clearly broken as the handle was suspiciously missing. She paid it no mind and climbed the stairs, wondering just how many apartments around her would have cause for a visit from the NYPD judging by the unpleasant odour that filled the stairwell. Eventually she reached the floor she needed and after a quick walk down the corridor located the door she needed and took a moment to present herself before knocking and clearing her throat.

"NYPD. Open up." She called through.

She heard the muffled sound of music fade to silence and then heavy footsteps and a muttered curse and then locks twist and turn before the door was opened slightly, a chain loudly rattling as it moved.

"You a cop?" Luke Jackson asked in disbelief.

Amy looked up, raising her chin to meet the man's gaze as he stood visible in the narrow gap between the door and the frame.

"Good afternoon, my name is Detective Santiago, I wondered if I could have a moment of your time to discuss a case I am currently working on." She said politely, pulling her jacket open to flash her badge at her hip.

"I didn't do anything." Luke said quickly.

"I didn't imply that, I simply want to talk and ask you questions." She said, offering a smile.

"You really a cop? I'm not being pranked?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he stared at her.

"I am." She insisted, replying calmly.

"I don't do cops." he said moving to push the door closed.

"Wait!" Amy called out in a panic, not willing to let the opportunity go.

"Wait please," She repeated quieter, "I wonder if you could tell me anything you knew about the Elliot Street gang." she said quickly.

The door had almost shut, only a thin sliver of space was left, as she panted loudly, huffing at her continued bad luck with the investigation. A loud creak accompanied the door as it opened once more to its previous position, the chain locked tight, stretching to its full length as Luke once more became visible.

"You asking me to snitch?" he asked in a low growl.

"I'm only asking for a conversation, please, five minutes of your time." She whined.

She stood in silence, hoping with every cell of her body that she had been polite enough to convince him only to frown as the door closed with a click. She hung her head, resigning herself to failure only to hear the rattle of the chain and the door once again creaking open. Sunlight poured through the open doorway as she looked up to see Luke Jackson's full form before her. He was taller than she had expected, his broad shoulders on display along with his arms as the white vest clung to his torso, and grey shorts fell to his knees. He leaned out and quickly looked down the corridor and then stepped back.

"Get in quick then." He said and swung the door shut behind her, locking it again.

He turned without another word and padded down the narrow corridor, which Amy noted were bare white walls, no photos, no decorations, empty. The rest of the apartment was less barren, with a brown leather couch and matching armchair in the middle of a small lounge facing a tv that was off. A small collection of frames were on the walls, holding posters she didn't recognise. He caught her attention once again as he moved to sit down, stretching out across the couch across from her.

"How'd you know where I live anyways?" He asked her as she moved to stand in front of the armchair.

"Your file is on record Mr. Jackson, your arrest, conviction and sentence served, and your current address." She answered.

"Damn, you don't have to do me dirty like that." he sighed, shaking his head.

She frowned, her lips drawn tight as she hesitated, caught off guard by his reply, "I meant nothing by it, you asked and I answered honestly." She said.

"But why me? Whole ass city outside, why you coming around and knocking on my door, detective?" He asked.

"May I?" Amy asked, gesturing at the armchair behind her.

He nodded and she nodded in return and sat, perching herself on the edge of the cold leather. She pulled a notebook out from her pocket and unclipped the pen from the front and then opened to the latest page where her notes stopped.

"As I said outside I am here to ask about the Elliot Street gang, the reason I'm here and not anywhere else is because your name was given during an interrogation, as such, here I am." Amy said simply, pen poised above the paper.

He let out a low whistle, and sighed and then dropped his head down, his chin resting on his chest, his eyes closed for a moment.

"You know I served my time." He said snapping back up and looking at her.

"I know, as I said, I'm not here for you, yourself, Mr. Jackson, I'm simply here to find out if you know anything that could help my investigation." She said

"S'that right." He said stretching his arms out along the back of the couch.

"Yes," She said brightly, "and I am hopeful that you and I could work together." She said simply flicking through the pages.

"Now perhaps we could start with an answer to my first question; do you know anything about the Elliot Street gang?" She asked, looking up from her notes to look at him.

He rolled his chin and she saw his jaw move side to side before he closed his mouth and hummed. He tore his gaze away and looked out of the window, and despite her curiosity to know what he was looking at, she kept her gaze on him, patiently waiting for an answer.

"I might." He said slowly, turning his head back to face her, "I might," He repeated shrugging.

"Might know a lot of things, might not, but one thing I do know is I'm not going back to Rikes. You hear me?" he said, sitting forward.

She sucked her lips in and nodded, "I do, I hear you, I understand, I can-"

"No you don't." He scoffed "You don't understand anything I've been through."

She paused and sat back, leaning up straighter as she held his gaze, "no, you're right, I don't. But I recognise what you are saying." She answered softly.

"Good." he said quickly.

"On that note, I do have to say that there are certain ways that I can in fact help you with that desire." She said looking down at the open page, ready to lay her cards on the table.

"Help me how?" he asked.

"For starters, as a member of the NYPD I do have certain legal powers I can use, certain legislations I can act upon." She said.

"You sure you're a cop, not a library?" he asked.

Amy paused and breathed in and out and thought quickly to rephrase her words "What I am trying to say is that I can help your situation, there are certain deals that can be made, certain privileges given by the NYPD if we receive your cooperation." She said,

As he tilted his head and looked at her, Amy watched as his eyes flicked down and then back up and she suddenly felt uneasy as his position sank further into the couch.