RUNAWAY
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN...!
❝ CHANGE , SEASON EIGHT ❞
WITHIN the next few months, a lot changed. A lot.
Jennie met Grayson's uncle for the first time, and joined him at Grayson's graduation ceremony at Yale University, before he moved onto Law School. Jennie was on her last semester at Columbia, beginning to fix up her resume so she could apply to the academy. Rachel, Jennie's roommate, was also helping her find some law enforcement jobs she could use as experience before she applies.
Back in Quantico, Jack found himself having his first crush on someone in his class. Although he could never admit it, it didn't take an FBI agent to see how he would act whenever he looked at her. Additionally, Spencer had a girlfriend named Maeve, who he was (un-admittedly, yet evidently) head over heels for.
And, all in all— life was going
somewhat smoothly.
"What about this position in Utah?" Rachel suggested, showing her roommate the papers in her hand, "It's decent pay, and it's near Bear Lake State Park!"
"I do love lakes and parks." Jennie nodded, taking the papers from her friend, "But...I just don't know. None of these stations speak to me."
"They're not supposed to. It's a temporary internship." Rachel reminded the girl, "The only reason you're trying to get this job is because you need the experience to apply to the FBI. Stop stressing it, Jennie."
"You're right. 100% right." Jennie nodded, "The next station you recommend, I'm applying to. Promise."
Rachel held up a new packet with information about another station, "How about this one in Texas?"
"No."
"Jennie!"
Rachel groaned, burying her head in her hands, as Jennie sighed.
"I'm sorry— this is hard for me! Everything is moving so fast." The brunette told her roommate, "I'm gonna be FBI Agent soon, Rach!"
"You won't be, unless you choose a precinct to work for." Rachel reminded her, causing Jennie to sigh, "It's harsh, but it's the truth."
"I know."
"You have to pick somewhere."
"I know."
"Okay, Jennie, I love you, but you're impossible." Rachel told her roommate, patting the girl's back, as she got up from her seat at their dining table. "Anyways, I have to go. I have an interview at the NYPD's 19th precinct. How do I look? Professional?"
"Very. Good luck, Future-Detective." Jennie told her roommate, "They'll love you."
"Thanks Jen." Rachel smiled towards her roommate, making her way towards the front door of their apartment, "Good luck choosing somewhere to apply to. Or, rather...staring at those papers all day."
Jennie sighed, mumbling something before Rachel left the room.
"Thanks, Rach."
—
"Zugzwang."
"Right now I can't focus on anything for more than four seconds at a time, which makes me the dumbest person in the room."
"Please help me. Help me find her."
—
"TEXAS."
Jennie held the papers in her hand, reading the description of the police station Rachel suggested to her. She looked at her computer, which held Grayson on a Skype call.
"I mean, is that really where I should work?" Jennie questioned, "Is that really I should spend the rest of my life?"
"Jennie, you'll be working there two years max." Grayson told his girlfriend, chuckling softly at her dramatics, "It's hardly the rest of your life."
The girl only huffed, "You know, it's hard to have fun while complaining, when you keep giving me actual good advice."
Her boyfriend only shook his head, failing to hide his laugh. The sound made the corners of Jennie's lips turn upwards.
"So.." Jennie began once again, after a momentary pause, "What's gonna happen? A couple years from now. Like— after you graduate law school. And I get out the academy?"
"Get a cat." Grayson spoke, a bit too quickly, "Immediately get a cat. You calling me at 3am, because another cute cat video made you cry, is cute— but definitely can't be healthy."
"Oh definitely. Yeah, yeah— for sure, for sure." Jennie nodded quickly in agreement, yet slightly timid, "But, I mean— about us? Like what are we gonna do?"
"What do you mean?" Grayson questioned his girlfriend. The girl only went silent for a moment, but the slightly nervous look on her face made him fall into realization, "Oh, you mean, like— us, us?"
"Yeah," She chuckled, somehow understanding what he meant, "Do you think you'll stay in Connecticut? I wouldn't blame you. I mean, it's a solid place, adequate healthcare—"
"Yeah, no. We both know I'm not staying here." Grayson chuckled, interfering in the ramble that he knew was bound to happen, "It's nice, but crime rate's too low."
"And...that's a bad thing?"
"Not necessarily. But, my advisor said I should challenge myself. Work somewhere with a higher rate." He explained, Jennie nodding understandingly.
"Makes sense."
There was a small silence filling the call, Jennie only biting the inside of her cheek, looking away. Meanwhile, Grayson only looked at her.
After the extended pause, the man spoke up, "Besides... I was thinking, you and I— we could maybe live together. In Quantico. You know, our own little place. With our cat."
Jennie looked back at her screen, her eyes meeting Grayson's.
And the man could soon see Jennie almost immediately look away again, trying to hide the smile on her face.
"Yeah," Jennie looked down for a moment, pausing briefly, only to look back up with a facetious remark to hide her adoration towards the plan, "But— only because I'll need help taking care of the cat."
Grayson chuckled, shaking his head.
"Oh yeah, of course."
—
"Who's Thomas Merton? Who is he?"
"He's the one thing you can never take from us."
—
THAT night, Jennie was found on her bed, scrolling through her computer. Her open suitcase was next to her, as she scrolled through several tabs, all relating somewhat to Texas and PI jobs.
Rachel peaked her head through the girl's bedroom door, "Hey."
Jennie's eyes brightened when she saw her roommate, "Hey! How was the interview?"
"Amazing." Rachel spoke, walking over to sit on the edge of the girl's bed, "They loved me. I mean, they were a bunch of old men who show no means of emotions on their face— but I think the nod they gave me when I left confirmed it."
Jennie laughed at her friend, "Nice job, Rach. I'm proud of you."
The roommate smiled softly at her friend, before looking around her room, "You all packed?"
"Yup, ready to go back home for the weekend. Gonna celebrate my birthday with my little brother." Jennie nodded. There was a small pause, before she spoke up again, "Hey, by the way, thanks for helping me with the internship positions. I really appreciate it. I know I was impossible to deal with."
"Yes, you are." Rachel remarked, chuckling softly, "But it's no biggie. Did you choose a location yet?"
At her roommate's question, Jennie only stared at the girl for a moment, before clearing her throat.
"Um—"
"Jennie! Seriously?" Rachel groaned.
"I just need a little more time to decide!"
Rachel groaned, placing her face in her hands.
"Jennie, this needs to stop." The roommate began, sighing, "You and I both know how messed up the real world is, and we've known it since we were kids. I grew up with parents in the NYPD, and you grew up with a dad in the FBI. And, you and I both know that within this messed up world, there is a large imbalance of innocent people coexisting with criminals. And there's not enough officers, or agents to maintain it, and keep us safe."
Jennie chewed the inside the of her cheek, processing the words coming from Rachel.
"People need someone like you to help them." Rachel continued, "But, if you don't start accepting the fact that you need to allow your life to change, then they'll never get it. You'll never be able to help people if you can't help yourself. And all these years of studying, and working towards being an agent will be for nothing. Do you really want that?"
Rachel took a large breath after her accidentally prolonged speech. The room filled with a silence, the two girl's only looking at each other. For a split second, Rachel was worried maybe she overstepped.
However, that worry went out the window when she noticed Jennie pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you." Jennie muttered over the girl's shoulder, before pulling away, but still holding onto the girl's hand, "Thank you, Rachel, I really needed that."
"Of course. You're too good at what you do to get strung up on something so small." Her roommate told her.
Jennie smiled, genuinely, squeezing her friend's hand. There was another small pause, allowing Jennie to think for a moment, before she nodded to herself.
"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go for that position in Texas."
"Yes!" Rachel immediately cheered, her smile widening, "That's my girl!"
Jennie laughed, her smile mirroring the one on her roommates face.
When her and her roommate first met, Rachel spared no introduction, immediately asking Jennie if she wanted one of the dozen cupcakes she was holding. That was when Jennie knew they were going to be friends. Not because of the free food ( although that was a helpful factor ), but because of the smile Rachel greeted her with.
She saw that same smile that night, when she told Rachel her final decision to apply for the position in Texas.
Jennie really was eminently grateful to have Rachel as her friend.
"Okay, but enough about me." Jennie closed her laptop, placing it on her nightstand, "Tell me all about your interview today. Spare no detail."
She could see Rachel perk up a bit, immediately moving to sit right next to her in her bed. The two stayed up all night, talking nonstop. It didn't seem like an ideal scenario, as Jennie still had a 7am flight in the morning.
Whatever. Sufficient sleep could never fill Jennie with such ecstasy as laughing with Rachel did.
—
"Wait!" Spencer shouted, at the top of his lungs, before the sound of the gun firing aired the room.
—
AUTHOR'S NOTE |
favs <3 #jenchel #rachennie #jenrach
ALSO the oscars tonight??? one of the best years imo. michelle yeoh and ke huy quan deserved those awards sm. i literally almost started crying. 🥲🥲
word count.
1726.