Between the Shadow and the Soul: Chapter 9/?

A/N: I've had a crazy busy week, and I'm working all weekend once more, so I'm posting this before my Sunday schedule again.

While my intention was to get I Was Married finished before posting more of this, I just haven't had the time to complete the final chapter, it's about ¾ of the way done, and the epilogue is only in bullet points at this point. So... This is the last pre-written chapter of Between the Shadow and the Soul I have written. Chapter 10 is started and the rest are well planned out in my notebook (aiming for 13 chapters in total) but there may be a little wait for updates in the coming weeks as I'm about to pack up and move.

So, as always, thank you for your support on my fics, and know that your patience is much appreciated :)

Things change gradually after that night.

They start hanging out tentatively to begin with, getting food or coffee together during their breaks on shift, or going for a few drinks after work, sometimes just the two of them, or sometimes with the rest of the gang. They take part in trivia night despite the fact Dov or Holly always win, and Frankie even goes so far as to letting Chloe coax her into going along to Oliver's monthly karaoke night.

She doesn't sing, refuses to let herself be dragged up on stage, but she can't help but laugh openly at how awful all of her colleagues are at carrying a tune – except Gail, who, despite being super tipsy and mushy and hopelessly in love, starts serenading Holly like a bloody pro – and even finds herself clapping and whistling supportively when Chloe jumps up on stage and sings 'Walking On Sunshine' by Katrina & The Waves, complete with ridiculous 80s dance moves.

(In her intoxicated haze, Frankie can't help but wonder, worryingly, if Chloe is subtly singing parts of it directly to her, especially when she seems to stare at Frankie while she sings 'Now, I don't want you back for the weekend, not back for a day, no, no, no, I said, baby, I just want you back, and I want you to stay' and leaves Frankie's heart convulsing sharply, unsettlingly, in her chest. But then, just as passionately, Chloe hops off stage and starts singing in Nick's face, and Frankie feels relief crash over and considers that maybe Chloe's crazy is contagious because she sure seems to be losing her damn mind lately).

The most startling thing about the shift in their dynamic however, is just how easy the transition is overall. Whereas before it was foreplay banter and rough, meaningless sex and awkward interaction, now it's hanging out – which isn't actually as awful or exhausting as Frankie envisioned – foreplay banter, and fun, no-strings attached sex.

It's a much better balance, Frankie's discovering, them being friendly, because it's removed the layer of tension that was always there, surrounding them, stifling them slightly, before. There's no more awkward moments after their sweaty bodies collapse in a heap next to each other, they still don't cuddle, but instead of immediately rolling away from each other and falling asleep stiffly, Chloe will grin at her and say something ridiculous like 'thanks for rocking my world, chummy' or 'we're gonna be well sore tomorrow, champ' and it will make Frankie roll her eyes, but fondly, and playfully shove Chloe away from her as they settle down to sleep easily.

Chloe still makes them breakfast in the mornings after she's stayed over – moving around in Frankie's apartment so comfortably, so effortlessly, that it's almost like she's the one that actually lives there – only now, Frankie rolls out of bed with her, and helps by working side by side with Chloe preparing their coffees.

She's mid-chew of a mouthful of waffles one morning when Chloe does what Chloe does best, and surprises her by asking a random question out of nowhere, presumably the first one that's popped into her head that morning as a suitable 'get to know each other' question, something that Frankie's growing more and more accustomed to.

"What do you like to get up to in your free time?" Chloe asks, pinning her with a curious look as she takes another sip of her coffee. When Frankie just stares back at her, eyebrows knitted together in confusion, Chloe rolls her eyes fondly and then with a smile, clarifies, "Like hobbies and interests? I can't imagine you just sitting about at home in the quiet after shift, so like, do you secretly skateboard or collect knives, or play guitar, oh, or maybe you're a secret knitter."

"I don't really have hobbies, especially not knitting, I'm in my thirties, not my seventies," Frankie replies snottily, scowling when Chloe stretches her legs out to breach the gap between their chairs and prods at Frankie's thigh with her toes until she flinches away. "Ouch, okay, fine. Tell me some of yours, Princess."

Chloe lights up in response, but doesn't draw her legs back, simply leaves her feet resting in Frankie's lap, completely comfortable now invading Frankie's personal space despite the scowl she always receives in return whenever she so brazenly crosses what Frankie would consider as a normal social boundary.

"I'm a sucker for old black and white films, the classics, you know? I love reading autobiographies because I feel like they're kinda like a window into a person's soul, at least a little glimpse," Chloe says merrily. "Oh, and I have the biggest passion for antiques; old ornaments or furniture that look like they have a good story behind them, some real character, none of this mass produced nonsense. I think it's just really fun to take something old and forgotten and make it relevant again, but at the same time still keep its original essence, kind of like bringing parts of history into the present."

"Not a big reader, get enough of that at work going over cases," Frankie replies absently, taking her final bite of her breakfast. "I only really like action films, so I can't say I've seen many of what you'd deem the classics. But I guess if I had to sum up my 'hobbies'," Frankie drawls, making air quotes as she says the word with a hint of disdain, "they would be drinking, dancing, and fucking."

She flashes Chloe a wink and a lecherous grin as the words leave her mouth, and she has to fight hard to contain her smile when she sees Chloe frown in response, her mouth twisting into an adorable, petulant pout.

"Those aren't- they're not hobbies, you ass," Chloe fires back, glaring at her slightly.

Frankie can't help but smirk in response. "Sure they are, they're things I like to do when I'm not working. They're enjoyable and they keep me occupied and make me happy, so thus, they're hobbies."

"Why can't you just answer like a person for once, instead of always being an insufferable brat," Chloe huffs grumpily, drawing her feet back and getting up to take their dirty plates to the sink, and dumping them down noisily

"Don't be so dramatic, Muppet, I'm just playing," Frankie sighs heavily, rolling her eyes and getting up to stand at Chloe's side. If there's one thing she's slowly learning about Chloe Price, it's that she's a rather sensitive soul about some of the most strangest – most smallest – things. It's becoming quite the learning curve to know when to tease and when to back off, and so, Frankie waits patiently, keeping her eyes trained on Chloe as she runs the hot water and begins rinsing their plates, and remains silent until Chloe relents to her staring after a few, stubborn, quiet-filled moments, before saying, "Shopping."

"Shopping?" Chloe echoes, her eyebrows arching in surprise as she pauses mid-rinse of a mug.

"Yes, shopping," Frankie nods seriously, reminding herself that it's all about taking baby steps, and that it doesn't hurt her to share just a little of herself, especially something as trivial as what her hobbies are. "Just because I'm a lesbian doesn't mean I'm not into dressing nice. I like keeping up to date with what's in fashion. I don't want to end up looking like Holly, all nerdy cardigans and ugly jackets, do I? So, I guess I could call shopping a hobby."

Chloe slaps her arm for her back-handed Holly-comment and then smiles brightly. "I love shopping too; shoes, bags, dresses, underwear, all the super cute accessories there are now to enhance an outfit," she replies cheerfully. "There's never a bad time for a little retail therapy."

It surprises Frankie a little then, how Chloe doesn't suggest that they go together sometime, that instead, she lets their mutual love for shopping hang between them pleasantly without turning it into something overwhelming, and simply turns to finish the last of their dirty dishes, completely content with the small snippet of herself that Frankie has given her.

In ways she didn't expect, it feels remarkably easy – easier than Frankie ever anticipated being friendly with Chloe would be – and in a strange, unexpected way, Chloe's lack of judgement and her quiet acceptance and satisfaction with her answer leaves Frankie wanting to willingly offer more.

"We could go sometime," Frankie finds herself offering after a few minutes of silence has passed between them, Chloe having passed her the dish-towel to dry up as she continues to wash, and them working together in perfect rhythm. "Shopping, I mean," Frankie expands awkwardly when Chloe just blinks back at her quietly for a few seconds.

"I'd really like that," Chloe replies with a soft smile that makes Frankie's stomach flutter. "It's always more enjoyable to shop along with someone."

Frankie clears her throat and tries to ignore the way she can feel her cheeks growing flushed under Chloe's appreciative gaze. "Okay, cool... well I was gonna go tomorrow anyway, I need some new sunglasses; Peck sat on mine with her fat ass and broke them. So, I guess, if you wanted, and you're not on shift, you could tag along?"

"Nope, I'm off tomorrow. It'll be fun hobby-ing together, I promise," Chloe grins excitedly back at her. "Do you want to go together or would you rather we do the more friend-type thing and arrange a time and meet somewhere?"

"Might as well go together since you'll probably stay over tonight after we have drinks with Gail and Holly at The Penny," Frankie says distractedly, her focus momentarily shifted to the bubbles clinging annoyingly to the cup she's drying. "We can get up, have breakfast like normal and then head into the city to shop."

When she finally gets rid of them and looks back up a second later, Chloe's eyes are shimmering brightly, a small smirk playing on her lips as she stares at Frankie with her eyebrow arched teasingly, and Frankie feels herself blushing at once, suddenly realising what she's said and how exactly it sounds.

Chloe catches her noticing her slip-up and can't help but bump elbows their elbows playfully and cheekily reply, "It's a date then."

"Ugh, god you're annoying," Frankie huffs back, trying to be grumpy but failing as Chloe breaks into a laugh and moves to wrap her arm around Frankie's, clinging to her in a way she knows Frankie will find irritating. "Forget this whole friend thing, Price, you've ruined it, and you're uninvited from shopping with me and my awesome taste."

Chloe just laughs harder at her and doesn't relent on her grasp on Frankie's arm until Frankie flicks water at her, and then breaks into a laugh herself at Chloe's shocked squeal, and darts quickly away before Chloe can retaliate.

They spend the rest of the morning bickering like always, and even though it makes Frankie roll her eyes when Chloe parts from her in the locker room, calling obnoxiously – and rather smugly – over her shoulder, "it's a date, Detective" when Frankie says she'll see her for lunch, she tries not to think about the way her heart seems to swell happily in her chest at the notion and why she can't seem to stop smiling whenever she catches a glimpse of the wacky officer throughout the day.

Having Chloe come along shopping with her, does in fact turn out to be surprisingly fun.

She ends up liking most of the same stores that Frankie does, and she even, without teasing or pushing too far, helps Frankie pick out some new button-down shirts for work and a new pair of sunglasses to replace her old ones.

They simply browse the stores together, chatting about work and their friends and the clothes they see, and Frankie wonders, as she looks around at other women shopping together, if this is what it's like to do a normal friendly activity. There's no attempt at flirting or sexy taunts, and there's no efforts from Chloe to hold her hand or link arms or anything else Frankie would consider couple-y and date-like, it's simply just time spent together interacting on a non-physical level.

It's all rather surprisingly nice – albeit a little unusual for her – and by the time they're getting ready to call it quits and stop for the day, their arms both full of bags, Frankie thinks this could definitely become something they do together on a frequent basis that doesn't involve them being naked.

(Although, Frankie has to admit, catching glimpses of Chloe's soft, supple skin in the dressing-rooms as she's removed her clothes to try new pieces on has been an added bonus, even when Chloe has caught her looking and made her blush hotly in embarrassment for acting like a hormone-driven lecherous teenager, Chloe has simply smiled in amusement and let her look).

"Hey, can we just have a quick look around here before we head back to the car," Chloe asks as she comes to a stop in front of a store window, her eyes glued to the mannequins presenting an array of gorgeous dresses.

Frankie sighs tiredly. "If we have to," she replies, "although I don't see what you'd need another dress for, you've already bought two today, Price."

Chloe just smiles back at her and shrugs. "Dresses are a girls best friend."

"Diamonds," Frankie corrects as she follows into the store behind her. "Diamonds are a girls best friend, Muppet, not dresses. Dresses are just-"

"Something you like to take off women?" Chloe teases, cutting her off with a flirty wink before turning to the rack and searching for her size. "I'm going to try this on, be right back."

Frankie watches her go wordlessly, knowing there's no point in arguing now Chloe's on a mission, and wanders aimlessly around the store for a few minutes, wanting nothing more than to just go home now and put her feet up for awhile, completely and utterly shopped out.

Her exhaustion fades quickly however, when Chloe steps out of the dressing-room wearing the dress she's opted to try on; the deep red material clinging tantalizingly to the curves of her body and contrasting stunningly with the paleness of her skin, and the low v-neckline running down along her chest, just low enough that Frankie can see a hint of the soft swells of her breasts peaking from beneath its edges.

Frankie feels her breath lodge in her throat as her gaze trails down across the smooth slope of Chloe's neck, down the exposed and utterly hypnotising skin of her chest and breasts, to take in the suppleness of her mostly bared thighs and the sleekness of her calves, and the adorable contrast of her bare, little feet.

She feels her body rage heatedly with overwhelming desire as she licks at her lips and allows her gaze to wander back up to meet Chloe's own, her heart thundering in her chest as she takes in the hungry darkness of Chloe's eyes, and the coy but tormentingly sexy way Chloe is biting at her bottom lip as she stares back at her knowingly.

And just like that Frankie feels the ease of their friendliness being replaced with the electric spark of want, the air around them growing thick and consuming as their temptation draws them together like opposite pole magnets unable to resist the universe's natural laws of attraction.

Frankie hears herself swallow audibly as her feet carry her towards Chloe, stopping only she's close enough to reach out and run her fingertip slowly down between the valley of Chloe's breasts.

Chloe's breath hitches at her caress, and Frankie feels herself leaning in to capture Chloe's lips with her own before she can stop herself. Chloe moans at the force of her kiss, tasting Frankie's lust with her tongue, her hands reaching up to twist in Frankie's hair and hold her close as Frankie's hands slip beneath the hem of the dress and palm at the soft globes of Chloe's ass, grinding their bodies together desperately as she urges a leg between Chloe's own.

They're so lost in each other, their mouths slanting together hungrily, over and over again, that they don't stop until a loud, angry voice booms out next to them and snaps them out of their haze.

"You can't do that in here!" the shop assistant snaps furiously. "This is a shop, not a gay-bar! So either take the dress off – respectfully – and buy it, or get the hell out and take your lesbian mating ritual into the privacy of your own home."

Chloe stares back at her, blinking in surprise and breathing heavily, her fingers going up to touch her kiss bruised lips as a small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, and all Frankie can do is huff out an amused breath in response and reach into her pocket, passing the shop assistant her credit-card without even bothering to look at her.

"Looks good on you," Frankie compliments Chloe as the shop assistant huffs away angrily to charge them (probably double, she thinks absently, for the disturbance they've caused), and lets her eyes roam appreciatively over Chloe's body once more, this time taking in her smudged lip-stick, the flush of her skin and the dishevelled state of the dress.

Chloe flushes a deeper shade of crimson in response, her cheeks almost matching the colour of the dress, but nonetheless, confidently husks, "I look even better out of it."

Frankie feels wetness pool between her thighs at Chloe's sultry tease and swallowing thickly, confesses, "I think I quite like hobby-ing with you, Muppet."

"Told you it would be fun," Chloe fires back sexily as she reaches behind herself to unzip the dress and slowly starts backing into the dressing-room, her heated gaze never leaving Frankie's own, "and now that we've done the shopping part, how about we go try out the rest of your interests together?"

Frankie's never heard a better plan before in her life, and the $300 the dress ends up costing her seems totally worth it when they end up a club later that night, drinking and dancing and having a good time, and teasing each other until neither of them can handle the overwhelming desire brimming between them for a second longer.

Being friends with Chloe seems even more worth it later that evening, when they head back to Frankie's apartment, so barely able to contain their want for one another, that Frankie ends up pressing Chloe to the wall just inside the door of her apartment, her hands slipping behind Chloe's back to peel the dress from her body as her lips ravish every inch of skin she exposes along the way with hot, open-mouthed kisses that leave Chloe panting wantonly and crying out in pleasure.

The next time they get together for some friendly hanging-out, turns out to be far less wild than the last time.

Chloe turns up unannounced at her apartment early one Friday evening, after their shifts have differed from each other for a few days, with a pizza and a bottle of vodka, and a bright, cheeky smile that makes Frankie's stomach flutter in delighted anticipation.

She's gotten quite used to their balance now in these past few weeks, always a couple of hours of hanging out, chit-chatting, normally accompanied with a few drinks before tearing each other's clothes off and heading to bed for another couple of hours of naked fun.

This time however, once the pizza is long gone and they've traded stories from their few days apart, instead of leaning in to kiss Frankie hungrily, Chloe simply leans over and hands her a deck of cards.

"You planning on doing some kind of sexy magician strip-tease?" Frankie asks, turning the cards over in her hands and glancing up at Chloe curiously.

Chloe shakes her head in response. "Nope," she says, intentionally popping the 'p' and getting up to fetch the vodka and the shot glasses. "We've done a bunch of your hobbies recently, which has been great fun, but now it's time you return the favour and try some of mine."

Frankie's eyebrows knit together in confusion as she opens the pack of cards and shuffles through them. "These aren't antique or film related, Price," she comments as she sets the deck down. "Unless we're going to get crafty and soak them in coffee to give them that old, musty, rustic parchment look like some third-grader art project?"

Chloe rolls her eyes at her and unscrews the lid from the vodka bottle, carefully pouring them both three shots before setting the bottle back down again. "Uncle Frank taught me to play cards growing up, so that's what we're gonna do tonight, okay? Dov would never play with me, and Chris never gets the rules, and Gail's always more concerned with the shots, so..."

"What makes you think I'm going to be any better? Peck had the right idea about going straight for the alcohol, playing cards is about as exciting as doing a puzzle," Frankie replies, reaching over to grab one of her shots only to have her hand slapped away.

Chloe ignores her scowl and slaps her hand away again when Frankie makes a second, stubborn attempt for the shots, and simply leans forward to grab the cards. "How about if I make it worth your while?" Chloe questions, shuffling the deck so quickly and efficiently that she looks like she could be a casino game dealer.

The movement of the cards sliding masterly between Chloe's dexterous fingers peeks Frankie's interest enough that she decides that playing a couple of rounds of whatever game Chloe has in mind can't possibly be that painful, and with the way Chloe is promising to make it worth her while with a ridiculously confident smirk curling at her lips and mischievous twinkle in her eyes, Frankie can't possibly resist seeing what exactly she has in mind.

"Alright, I'm game," Frankie relents holding Chloe's gaze daringly, "but how exactly do you intend to make this interesting, Price? Because I warn you, they'll be punishment if it's not."

Chloe just smirks sexily back at her and leans over to set each of Frankie's three shots in front of her, before explaining, "I thought I'd try and teach you how to play Big Two – some people call it Deuces. Do you know how to play?" Frankie shakes her head in response, not being one to have really played cards before, except for a weekend in Vegas with some buddies once which ended in her gambling a lot at the casino (and losing) and sleeping with a woman who kept beating the dealer at blackjack in the master suite of the casino hotel to ease her pain. "It can take awhile to get but once you do it's a fun game and-"

"Still not hearing how you're going to make this worth my while, Muppet," Frankie cuts in, her eyebrow arched challengingly.

"You're so impatient, I was getting there," Chloe fires back with a fond grin, dealing them both a hand of cards. "I'll teach you the rules and we'll play a couple of practice rounds, and then it's game on. The loser of each round loses a piece of clothing and has to take a shot, while the winner gets to ask the loser a question that they must answer truthfully, no forfeits."

Frankie picks up the cards that have been dealt to her and flicks through them quickly, checking to see what she's got, and then realising that she doesn't know what the hell they're going to play, rolls her eyes at herself, and says, "Okay, Princess, let's do this."

The first hour passes without the removal of any clothes, Chloe patiently trying to teach Frankie the rules to Big Two while Frankie grows increasingly frustrated at how complicated and confusing the damn game is. Chloe ends up laughing mercifully at her after their fifth attempt and suggesting they change games to something easier that Frankie already knows how to play, and so they end up, much to Chloe's amusement, playing Crazy Eights, because it's the only game Frankie can really remember how to play from her childhood.

In the following hour, the game of cards becomes far more interesting, much to Frankie's relief, the pace picks up and their alcohol consumption increases, while their clothing level decreases, and they both merrily trade answers to questions asked.

Thanks to Chloe's game, Frankie learns a few trivial things about her that she didn't know before; she discovers that Chloe is a Libra, that her birthday is October 23rd, that her first concert was NSYNC – which she judges and laughs at – that she had a brief marriage to a controlling guy named Wes, that she wants to go to Paris, that she lost her virginity at fifteen to a geeky boy who played cello in her school band – also something she teases Chloe for – that she has an older brother – Frankie's not sure if it's the vodka messing with her perception or not, but she thinks she picks up a hint of sadness in Chloe's eyes when the question turns towards her family – and that her favourite all time movie, after The Breakfast Club (which she apparently watches on her birthday every year) is Casablanca.

"Doesn't that film have a bittersweet ending with the couple not getting together?" Frankie questions when Chloe claims it to be her favourite romantic movie of all time, the burn of the vodka still stinging the back of her throat.

"Yeah," Chloe answers with a small, somewhat dreamy smile, "but you know how much they love each other anyway, it's portrayed so beautifully... and I mean, that's what it's all about really, right? To experience a great love like that in your life at least once."

"You're disgustingly sappy," Frankie teases tipsily, and then, sobering slightly, not wanting them to get off course and stumble back into too deep a territory, reminding herself to keep things light and easy, asks, "What's your favourite colour? And don't say rainbow because I genuinely will vomit on you."

Chloe laughs and shoves at her shoulder in response. "Don't be gross," she chides lightly, reaching for the bottle and with rather shaky, intoxicated aim, pours them another round of shots. "My favourite colour is not rainbow, thank you very much. It's coral," she answers easily.

Frankie blinks back at her for a few seconds, letting the information soak in and then chuckles. "Coral?" she breathes out in amused exasperation. "Your favourite colour is fucking coral? You can't be serious."

"Yeah, I am," Chloe nods surely, not understanding why it's so funny. "What's wrong with that? Coral's a lovely colour."

"Why do you always have to make things so complicated," Frankie retorts, and then counting the colours off on her fingers says, "Why can't you just pick a normal colour, like red or blue or yellow?"

Chloe's brow furrows in return. "Are you just naming the primary colours?" Frankie shrugs and takes another shot, not caring to wait to play another hand. "Whatever, coral is my favourite because I like coral best, so there," she declares petulantly, sticking out her tongue at Frankie and breaking into a grin when Frankie reaches over to tickle her side playfully in retaliation. The pestering caress makes Chloe flinch away from her with a chuckle. "What's yours then, Detective Serious-Pants, let me guess, something bleak and boring."

"Black," Frankie answers with a shrug.

Chloe laughs at that. "Now there's a surprise," she says with a teasing smirk. "As wild and exciting as predicted."

"Fuck you, Princess," Frankie laughs in response. "I'll have you know that black goes with everything, unlike fucking coral."

"All girls like pink colours," Chloe protests even as she laughs along with her, and then as they settle down again, she reaches to down her last shot as Frankie shuffles the cards and readies herself to play another round.

Frankie feels herself growing smug as they play, having switched from Crazy Eights to Gin Rummy for the last couple of games, and stares down at her mostly perfect hand. She only needs to swap a couple out and she's got a flush, it's perfect, Chloe's only wearing her bra and underwear now, so it finally feels like it shouldn't be too much hard work to get through a couple more hands and get her down to her naked glory, exactly how Frankie's wanted her all evening.

Her strategy is all going perfectly to plan – she just needs the queen of hearts to complete her set – until Chloe throws her hand down, not with a winning hand, but with her damn card, the queen of hearts staring up at Frankie just as smugly as Chloe looks as she pushes up to her feet.

"Hey, Muppet, where the hell are you going, I was winning here," Frankie demands competitively, following Chloe with her eyes as she makes a start out of the room.

Chloe pauses in her exit, turning to face her with seductive smirk that makes Frankie's heart stutter in her chest. "No you weren't, but I think we've been friendly enough for tonight, don't you?" she purrs provocatively, reaching behind her back to un-hook her bra and letting it fall easily to the ground as she holds Frankie's gaze invitingly. "Now it's time for us not to talk so much, Frankie."

Frankie feels a flaming desire ripple through her, engulfing every inch of her body with a desperate, inferno of want, and with a final, quick glance at the queen of hearts, Frankie throws her own cards down and rushes eagerly towards Chloe, her wobbly legs moving far quicker than they probably should.

She scoops Chloe up somewhat clumsily, nowhere near as smooth as she'd like to be in her drunken state, her body not quite predicting the correct balance as she grasps and lifts Chloe up into her from under her thighs, and as they stumble into the bedroom, Chloe's legs wrapping tightly around her waist and her arms grasping at Frankie's neck as she releases a surprised squeal at their unsteadiness, she nonetheless leans in to kiss Frankie hungrily, albeit a little sloppy, in between rounds of giggling.

And as they fall together, rather ungraciously onto the bed, their laughter ringing out into the room for a few moments before being replaced with laboured breathing and deep, gasping moans as their bodies come together and move seamlessly as one, Frankie can't help but think that losing her stoic attitude around Chloe Price hasn't been anywhere near as terrifying as she thought it would be, in fact, it's turning out to be rather rewarding in all the best ways imaginable.