The Agents

Epilogue

A/N: Here it is... The end of The Agents... I hope you enjoyed the book. I certainly had fun writing it. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you thought of it! I might be convinced to write a sequel if you want... Otherwise I have many other stories I'm working on that I hope you decide to read and enjoy :)

Epilogue

"The doctors said she is expected to make an almost full recovery if she wakes up, but she might have slight brain damage. They are worried that the bullet wound coupled with the other minor injuries will be too much for her... And that she won't wake up because of them. The only thing we can do is wait and see," a voice whispered.
I groaned as I came into semi-consciousness. Where am I? My eyes cracked open, and I blinked a couple times, trying to focus.
"Jay? Jay, can you hear me?" the same voice said, a lot louder and closer than before.
My eyes finally focused and I saw that I was in a hospital room. The recruits were all sitting on a bed adjacent to mine, looking absolutely exhausted and slightly bruised. My brother and Taylor were sitting on chairs next to my bed and Jaxon was on my other side in a chair of his own, leaning over me.
Jaxon reached over and grabbed my hand. "Come on, baby, say something," he said, sounding desperate.
Finally, I croaked out, "Who are you ugly people?"
"Oh, thank god," Drake said, heaving a relieved sigh. "She's fine, no brain damage."
"What gave me away?" I croaked again, curious.
"Same old Jaycee," Taylor said chuckling.
"Because, little sister, if you really did have brain damage and didn't remember us, you wouldn't have called us ugly. You just can't resist making a dig at us," Drake answered with amusement.
"Whoops," I said. "Where is Jesus?" I asked, my throat incredibly dry.
"He left after the doctors took you into the operating room, saying something about being in trouble for being gone so long," Drake answered.
"Here," Jaxon said quietly, picking up a cup and putting the straw in my mouth. I took a curious sip and found it to be water. I drank more, draining the cup.
"Thank you," I said, my voice a lot more even. Jaxon just nodded, his expression guarded.
"So, Jaycee," Taylor asked, looking at Jaxon. She turned to me and cautiously asked, "What do you remember about what happened?"
I fell silent, the small smile I was wearing disappearing. I watched the stream of memories run through my mind; taking out Trujillo's men, getting captured, Trujillo beating me, seeing them sitting in the warehouse tied up and bruised, Trujillo revealing what he did to me last time we were together, Aaron dying, getting shot, shooting Trujillo, kissing Jaxon, and escaping. I looked at Taylor and quietly said, "Everything." I turned to Jaxon and said, "I remember everything."
He still wore the guarded expression, not really sure what that meant. Drake chuckled and I looked over at him, curious as to why. He explained to Jaxon, "Dude that means she doesn't regret kissing you."
Taylor slapped him on the arm for chuckling and saying it so blatantly and I just shook my head in amusement before looking back at Jaxon. "Really?" he asked quietly. I just nodded and squeezed Jaxon's hand that was still holding mine.
"Oh, good, you are awake," a doctor said coming in. He was in his late fifties with graying hair and deep smile lines.
"Hi Dr. Ramirez," I said quietly.
"I take it you are doing fine?" he joked, knowing I was going to say I was fine even if I wasn't.
"Of course," I replied. "So, do you have my release papers?"
His smile fell and he said, "I'm sorry, Jaycee. I can't let you go yet."
"Why not?" I asked confused.
Dr. Ramirez explained, "With the nature of your injuries-"
I cut him off saying, "It wasn't that. I got checked a couple of days ago."
"I'm sorry, Jaycee. I wish I could let you go, but I'm afraid Dr. Arthur insisted on talking to you before you left."
It dawned on me what was happening. I groaned, "She talked you into an intervention, didn't she?"
"We both just want to make sure you are okay, Jaycee."
"Well, I'm perfectly fine so you can call and cancel." I watched as Dr. Ramirez looked at me guiltily. I sighed, "She's already here."
Just then, the door opened again and another doctor walked in. She was very pretty for being in her early forties, and she had an air about her that screamed authority. "Jaycee, how are you doing?" she asked.
"Just fine, thanks," I replied.
She sighed, "Must we do this every time?"
"Yup," I replied cheerfully, popping the p.
She rolled her eyes before looking around the room. "I see you have some friends here today. Why don't you introduce us?"
"So you can pick their brains and find out all my deep dark secrets?" I asked sarcastically.
"I'm just trying to help you, Jaycee. I thought you had accepted that already," she replied.
"I don't need help," I defended.
"Two cases of attempted suicide and more of self-harm, many of which brought you to the hospital and left obvious scars. I think that's a cause for help," she replied instantly.
"What?" Jaxon asked, outraged at my history.
I cringed before saying, "That was a long time ago."
"Yet here you are again, sitting in a hospital with a very major injury and multiple minor injuries."
"My roommate hid the cookie jar on the top shelf and I fell trying to get to it," I offered with an innocent smile.
She snorted, "And I'm a belly dancer for an elite club in my spare time. How about we stop wasting each other's time and you just introduce me to your friends."
I rolled my eyes before sighing. Starting with the recruits and pointing to each person in turn, I said, "That's the jerk, the jerk's quiet friend, the tool, the tool's quiet friend, the cool one, the nice one, the best friend, the brother, and the other one."
"Oh," Dr. Arthur said instantly, "I didn't know it was them. Wait, when did the last three come back. Last you told me they were gone forever." I played with my lip, trying to think of the best way to answer that. "Jaycee," she threatened.
"A couple weeks."
"And you didn't think it was worth mentioning when you came to see me a couple days ago?" I just shrugged in response.
"Wait, you told your doctor about me? And you called me a tool?" Victoria asked.
"Where did you get that idea?" I replied instantly, hiding my smirk.
"Jaycee, why didn't you tell me they had come back?" Dr. Arthur asked again.
My smile fell and I avoided looking at everyone in the room as I quietly said, "I didn't think they were going to stay."
"How did that make you feel?" she asked.
"Like I wanted to frolic through a field of sunflowers and daisies," I stated dryly. Sighing at Dr. Arthurs unamused expression, I responded, "It made me sad, but it didn't make me feel depressed. It's gone now. The feeling that there was nothing left for me, it's gone now."
Dr. Arthur asked me something, but I couldn't hear her. "What?" I asked. She said it again, but I couldn't hear anything. Then those darn black spots were back, jumping around my vision.
My eyes closed as Dr. Ramirez stepped forward to try to talk to me and check the different things sticking out of my arm.
----------
"Jay? If you could just wake up, that'd be great. Anytime now. Hello? Anyone in there?"
"Quit that!"
I peeled my eyes open, taking a second to adjust to the brightness around the room. Drake was sitting next to me, rubbing his arm, and Taylor was sitting next to him, looking at him with disapproval.
I chuckled. "You should know by now that waking me up is never a good idea, brother dearest." He snorted in response. "Someone page Dr. Ramirez please." I looked around the room as Taylor got up to do as I asked. Jaxon had his head resting on the bed next to me, asleep. Jennifer and Stacey were the only other people in the room.
Dr. Ramirez came in before I could ask where everyone else was. "You asked for me?"
"Yes, I did," I replied.
He sighed, already knowing what I was going to ask. "Please Jaycee, just stay a little longer. That was a really bad injury. If you leave now, you might not heal fully. Dr. Arthur also wants to finish your conversation."
"Dr. Arthur knows the truth, even if my past contradicts me. I want to go home, Dr. Ramirez." He sighed once more before handing me a packet of papers and a pen. I signed, already knowing the drill. I gave him back the papers and he started processing me out.
Half an hour later, I was being wheeled out to the parking lot.
"I could have walked," I said.
"No, you would have tried to walk and ended up hurting yourself worse. Dr. Ramirez said you needed to stay in the wheelchair for now," Jaxon argued.
I was cut off from arguing when we stopped by a van. It took me a minute to recognize it as the same van we had arrived in. Jennifer and Stacey climbed in and Jaxon and Drake helped me in. Taylor loaded my wheelchair in the back before riding shotgun up front with my brother.
"So, Jaycee, where are we headed? The agency?" Drake asked, turning around to look at me. I smiled before saying, "No. We are going home."
----------
"Ring the doorbell, would you please?" I asked. Jaxon stepped forward and pressed the button before coming back to stand behind me.
"Hello?" A hispanic woman in her late thirties opened the door. She saw me and said, "Gracias a dios! Jaycee, you're back." [Translation: Thank goodness.]
"Yes, I'm sorry it took me so long," I replied guiltily.
When she noticed that I was sitting in a wheelchair, she muttered, "Usted y sus problemas." Chuckling, she added, "Well, come in, come in. My name is Maria." She moved away from the door and Jaxon started wheeling me inside with Drake, Taylor, Jennifer, and Stacey following. She shut the door after us and walked to the kitchen, calling out, "You kids must be hungry. Go on and wait in la sala and I'll bring some food out." [Translation: You and your trouble. Living room.]
I gave them directions to the living room and we all went in. "Tranquilizarse! Estoy viendo mis programas!" an elderly lady exclaimed as they sat down. [Translation: Quiet down! I'm watching my programs.]
"Lo siento, abuela," I apologized. She glanced at me in my wheelchair and chuckled while shaking her head. Then, we quieted down and watched the television. Most of it probably went straight over my friends heads because it was in Spanish. [Translation: I'm sorry, grandma.]
When over ten minutes had gone past and Maria still hadn't brought the food in, I yelled, "Mamá! Salir de la cocina! No necesitamos tanta comida!" [Translation: Mom! Get out of the kitchen! We don't need that much food!]
"Que están creciendo los niños! Usted necesitamos comer más!" she shouted back from the kitchen. [Translation: You are growing kids! You need to eat more!]
"Pero no necesitamos toda un fiesta!" I answered. [Translation: But we don't need an entire feast!]
"Usted no tendrá que sacarla de la cocina," abuela replied from the couch, still staring at her television. [Translation: You will never get her out of the kitchen.]
"You speak spanish," Jaxon asked.
I was about to reply sarcastically that no I didn't speak spanish, but ust then, the front door opened and shouts and laughter filled the house. I quickly yelled, "Policía! Corren!" The laughter died and the shouts grew louder. I could hear thundering footsteps as they ran back out the front door shouting policia. [Translation: Police! Run!]
I was barely able to breath from the combination of laughter and pain in my abdomen where I was shot. Maria stormed in from the kitchen and stood in front of me. She whipped me lightly with her towel, yelling, "Why? Why would you do that? Now they are going to be running for days!"
"Abuela thought it was funny too!" I defended, seeing the old woman chuckling with a devious from her seat on the couch. Madre looked absolutely furious at both of us as she stormed back to the kitchen, saying something about her food burning.
"Traidor," abuela said, causing me to laugh even harder even as I tried to apologize for throwing her under the bus. [Translation: Traitor.]
About half an hour later, the front door opened again and quiet footsteps tried to sneak up the stairs. I chuckled again before calling out, "False alarm, it's not the police."
I laughed as a couple of teenage boys came into the family room, grumbling about being tricked. They stopped talking as soon as they caught sight of me.
"¿Lo que le pasó?" one of them exclaimed. [Translation: What happened to you?]
"Your cousin is what happened," I replied instantly.
"De ninguna manera, he's only been scrapping cars this month," he defended. I started laughing again, and the other boys joined in with me. "What?" he asked confused. [Translation: No way.]
"Javier, you better hope your cousin never needs you as an alibi because you really can't keep your mouth shut," I explained, still chuckling.
"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled.
"Jaycee!" I turned to see a little four year old kid running towards me.
"Hey little man," I chuckled. One of the boys stepped forward and picked him up before he climbed up onto my lap. "If you're really careful, you can sit with me." He nodded vigorously and I nodded at Raymond, who was still holding him away from me. He carefully placed Chris on my lap and Chris made sure to stay as still as possible. "So, how was school?" I asked him.
Chris got very excited. "It was awesome! The teacher let us work with friends today and we got to cut pictures out and glue them to a piece of paper."
"That sounds awesome, little man," I told him.
"I wanna come up to!" A little girl said as she ran towards us to.
"Sorry Evy, maybe later okay?" I said. She looked sad, but nodded.
"Do you two have homework to do?" I asked them. They both shook their heads, but their expressions gave them away. "I'll give you my dessert if you go work on it," I said.
"Okay!" Evy said, running out of the family room and into the dining room. Raymond came and picked Chris up off my lap, setting him back down on the ground.
When Chris didn't immediately take off after Evy, I asked, "What's up, little man?"
"You aren't going to go away again, are you?" he asked shyly.
"No, I'm not going anywhere," I replied, tears threatening to pour out of my eyes. I didn't want Chris to be scared of leaving the room out of fear of me disappearing. He was reassured by my answer, though, and took off after his sister.
I turned to the rest of the boys, "Don't even try to tell me you don't have homework. Get in there and do it."
Raymond went first, giving me a kiss on the cheek as he walked passed. His friends followed him, all of them kissing me on the cheek as they passed. Finally, only the youngest boy was left. He looked to make sure none of the older guys were watching us before he came over and kissed me on the cheek, saying, "I'm glad your back."
I smiled, not realizing how much I had missed them all until now. It had been far too quiet without their constant shouts and arguments. The clearing of a throat brought my attention back to Jennifer, Stacey, Drake, Taylor, and Jaxon. They were all watching me with amusement and confusion.
I started explaining, "Shortly after you left, I met Maria. I was staring at the wall of an alleyway when she found me on her way home from work. She took me in, gave me a place to stay, food to eat, and a family. I've been living here ever since. Raymond, who you already know, is Maria's oldest son. Diego was one of the other boys that left to do homework and he is a year younger than Raymond. Ruben is their younger brother, that's the boy that just left. Chris and Yvette, who we call Evy, are the two youngest. Raymond has three older half-sisters that don't live with us, but float in and visit every once in a while. The rest of the boys are part of a huge group of them that hang out."
"And the old woman sitting on the couch?" Drake asked, getting the evil eye from her.
"That's abuela, Maria's mother," I said. "She only speaks Spanish, but she understands English, so watch what you say and show her respect."
"Jaycee!" Maria called from the kitchen. "Dile a tus amigos para venir aquí para que puedas comer!" [Translation: Tell your friends to come out here so you can eat!]
"Okay Madre!" I shouted back. I turned to them and said, "Time for dinner." Motioning for them to go first, I watched as they filed passed towards to kitchen. I turned to Jaxon in confusion when we didn't start following them.
"We need to talk," he said.
"Now?" I asked.
"Yes, now. You kissed me and told me I should have asked, then in the hospital you said you remembered everything. What does that mean, exactly?" he asked.
"It means," I said, smiling, "That I still like you. And that means that if you still like me, you should probably ask me to be your girlfriend."
He smiled, "Jaycee Carter, will you please do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"
I pretended to think about it a minute before saying, "I guess I will."
He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Good, because I've been dying to do this since you opened your eyes in the hospital." With that, he leaned forward, placing his lips on mine.
After a while, he pulled back, a huge smile on his face.
"Es guapo, buena elección." My face flamed with embarrassment as I looked over at abuela who was watching us with a toothy grin. [Translation: He is handsome, good choice.]
"Jaycee! La comida hace frío!" Maria yelled again. [Translation: The food is getting cold!]
I sighed, looking back at Jaxon, "I guess we have to go now."
With that, Jaxon smiled as he stood up, taking us into the dining room. I went through the doorway and saw the crowded table with all the boys trying to grab at the food while Maria snapped at them to wait, my brother and best friend laughing at something Evy had said, and Jennifer and Stacey talking to two of the boys and giggling. I couldn't help the huge smile that took over my face.

I was finally home.