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Fiona felt a strange sense of relief as she packed up her belongings in the penthouse suite she and Jake had shared. The police had taken over, bringing Ted Dunn down to the station, and for Fiona and Jake, the worst part was over.
Still, as Fiona stuffed her pajamas back into her overnight back, she felt like she really was going to miss this room. They hadn’t spent much time here, but she felt like she’d grown closer to Jake. Their friendship was growing, and Fiona appreciated that more than he knew.
It was late into the evening now, and Fiona was exhausted. She walked out into the living area, where Jake was packed up and ready to go.
“Well, guess that’s it for this place,” he said. “Great work on talking Dunn down, Red. Seriously. You distracted him enough to get his guard down.”
Fiona smiled a little, feeling proud of her accomplishment. “I’m glad I could help,” she said softly.
“Me too,” Jake replied, his gaze intense. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”
Fiona felt her cheeks flush a little, and she nodded. “Me too,” she said. She thought of Lauren, the one Jake was so used to being with, and felt a pang of sadness for him. “For what it’s worth,” she said, “I am very sorry about Agent Price leaving the team. I know you two had a lot going on…”
“Ah, it’s okay,” Jake said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I mean, I’m learning to deal with it. Lauren was a hell of a partner, but we had our ups and downs.”
Fiona nodded, feeling a little bit of relief that Jake was opening up to her about this. She knew how hard it must have been for him to lose someone he had grown so close to. “I’m sure you two were great together,” she said. “She seemed so strong and capable when I met her.”
Jake nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she was,” he said softly. “We had a lot of fun together. We laughed, we worked out cases together…we even did some crazy things that I’ll never forget.” He smiled fondly at the memories.
“It sounds like you two had something really special,” Fiona said quietly, wanting to show her support for Jake’s loss but not wanting to pry too deeply into his feelings.
“We did,” Jake replied with a nod. He looked away for a moment before turning back and continuing on, his voice sincere and full of emotion as he spoke about Lauren’s impact on his life. “I guess it is for the best, though. I want Lauren to be happy, and if I wasn’t doing that for her, then she has every right to move on.”
“That’s very mature of you, Jake,” Fiona said, and she meant that. It was nice to see that Jake just wanted what was best for Lauren, even if it didn’t include him. That was a sign of maturity—and sign that he truly cared about her wellbeing. This only reminded Fiona what she had known from the beginning; that Jake Tucker was a great guy.
Jake smiled, and the two of them stood there for a moment, just looking at each other.
It had been a long, hard day, but they had made it through. Everything was going to be okay now.
Jake nodded and looked away, breaking the spell.“I meant what I said, by the way. About teaching you to spar and helping you get ready for training.”
Fiona smiled, warmth spreading through her. “Do you really think I could be a good field agent someday?”
Jake laughed. “You’re well on your way already, Red. We can get you trained up, teach you how to shoot a gun… and you’ll be just as qualified as me.”
Fiona smiled and laughed a little. It was hard to picture herself ever being as qualified as Jake, but she truly appreciated his optimism. She had never imagined herself as a field agent, but now it seemed like a real possibility. She was excited to learn new things, and to see how far she could go.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jake said, gesturing toward the door.
Fiona nodded and followed him out the door, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride. She had faced her fears and come out victorious. The future was looking brighter than ever, and even with the ups and downs on the case, Fiona was proud that they’d stuck together and solved it.
With how well things were going, Fiona even dared to hope. Maybe she could even look back into Joslyn’s case—possibly, someday, with Jake’s help.
***
In the car on the drive back to HQ, Fiona relaxed in the passenger seat of Jake’s car, enjoying the lull of the vehicle beneath her. They’d gone quiet, simply relishing the silence, and Fiona preferred it this way for now. She was exhausted, and had a lot to think about.
She wanted to talk to Chief Whittaker about getting into training to become a field agent. Jake believed in her, and it just felt right.
She had faced her fears, and it had been worth it. She felt like she had grown so much in the last few weeks, and it was all thanks to Jake. He had been there for her, encouraging her and believing in her. Fiona was grateful for his friendship, and she knew that no matter what happened, it was a bond that would never be broken.
This was her chance.
Fiona looked over at Jake, who was focused on the road ahead. She wanted to thank him for believing in her, but didn’t know how to put it into words.
Finally, she cleared her throat. “Jake,” she said softly, “I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.”
Jake glanced over at her and smiled. “It’s no problem,” he said. “You’re a natural talent, Red. I knew you had what it takes.”
