"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
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Jenna ran her wet hands over her face, trying to scrub off as much of the dried dust and blood as possible. She knew how were father would get; as soon as he saw her wounds, it become less of a welcome-home party and more of a don't-you-ever-put-yourself-in-harm's-way-again lecture.
She fluffed up her hair to give it more bounce, pinched her cheeks to return some color to her face, changed the bandage on her arm, and rubbed some of the hand soap onto her wrists and neck to mask the smell of burning plastic and dust. After five days of being cooped up in a small living quarters, being forced to communicate via only through land lines, radios and emails, she was ready to have a long shower, snuggle up in her living room with her dad on the couch, and have an all-night marathon of The Office.
While she continued to fix herself up, one of the bathroom stalls swung open, and a young woman came out. She smiled at Jenna through the mirror as she washed her hands. Jenna watched her carefully, something about her seemed familiar.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked her. The woman looked at her and continued to smile.
"No, I don't think so," she replied. Jenna chuckled sheepishly.
"Sorry. You just seem kind of familiar," she said.
"Surprisingly, I get that a lot," she said, "But I think I've seen you. You were just on the TV, right? You were stuck in the district,"
"I wouldn't call it stuck, I'd call it more like fighting for my life against scary boys with a lot of anger issues and language barriers," she replied.
"Well, you made it out at least. You must feel pretty good," she said. Jenna smiled and leaned against the counter.
"Yeah. I feel pretty amazing," she said.
"And that guy out there, who just spoke about that kid... is he your boyfriend?" she asked. Jenna's smile grew wider, and she shrugged coyly.
"Uh... yeah. I guess so. It's been weird but, it works," she replied.
"Well, if there's one thing I know about Jake Riley, is that once he's comfortable, he'll put his entire trust into you," she said, "And I see the way he looks at you, and I can tell he really cares about you,"
"How do you know Jake?" she asked.
The woman shrugged back, "We worked together a couple of times," she said.
"So you know how he can get, too?"
"Kind of like a big, overprotective teddy bear,"
"Exactly!" they both laughed.
"Well, I wish you good faith with Jake Riley; he'll give you the world, if you ask for it," she said.
Jenna sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "I don't need the world, I just need him," she smiled back.
"Good luck out there, hey?"
"Yeah, thanks. You too," she was about to turn to leave, but then she stopped and turned back, "Oh, hey! I didn't get your name," she said.
The woman smiled back, "I'm Katie,"
"Jenna. Nice to meet you, Katie,"
"You too, Jenna. Take care of yourself,"
Jenna smiled as she left the washroom, filing back out into the mass of victory in the precinct. She felt like a bird set free from the nest and flying for the very first time, now feeling like she had the chance to go out and spread her wings. For the first time, she was going to change her life.
"Hey," Jake approached her, "You ready to go?" he asked.
She put her hand out, stretching her fingers are she did, "I've been ready for five days, let's go home," she said. Jake smiled as he took her hand. He placed a kiss on her forehead, and they started for outside.
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Jenna couldn't keep still on the car ride to her house. She was extremely talkative, which was lucky for Quentin, because he had so many questions for her.
"So, what was it like to shoot someone?" he asked, "Were you scared?"
"Hell yeah! But, it's kind of like getting a shot at the doctor's office, it's over before you even realize it's happened, you know?" she replied.
"I really want to learn how to shoot a gun, but Jake won't teach me," he playfully glared at Jake, who sat up front in shotgun while Dave drove. He looked at Quentin in the rear view mirror and smirked back.
"We'll talk when you start growing facial hair," he said. Quentin crossed his arms.
"Hey. Believe me, Quentin. It's okay to continue to be a kid," Jenna said.
"See, listen to Jenna, she knows what she's talking about," Jake said.
"So do I," Quentin argued.
"Alright, boys. That's enough," Jenna called.
Quentin looked up at her, "Are you still going to hang out with us after you go home, Jenna?" he asked. Jenna looked at Jake in the mirror, who had the coy smile playing on his lips.
"I think that's up to Jake," she said.
"Jake?" Quentin then turned to him.
"I don't plan on kicking her out any time soon. What do you think, bud?" he asked.
"I think we should keep her," he replied.
Jenna scoffed, "Uh, what am I, now? A pet?" she asked.
"Well..."
"Don't you dare answer that, Jake!" Jake just laughed as Jenna snapped at him. Dave gave him the sneaky side-eye as he drove. He could tell Jenna would be right as rain for his friend.
The sun was beginning to set and they pulled up to the little house at the end of the block. There was a group of people standing out on the lawn, all of them crowding around a man in a wheelchair. The man held a large sign in his lap, reading in big blue letters: Welcome Home Jenna!
Jenna's heart swelled up at the sight, tears glossing over her eyes. She immediately hopped out of the car and ran to her dad, giving him the tightest hug she ever had. Peter had tears in his eyes as he held his daughter, saying thanks to his wife, who he knew was watching over her the entire time.
"Oh, Jen. I'm so glad you're alright," he breathed out. Jenna sniffled, trying not to let herself cry.
"I missed you too, Dad," she replied.
Jake hopped out of the car and watched as Peter Desmond's friends surrounded them, hugging Jenna and wishing her welcome. Jenna looked so happy, so at home. So relieved.
"Her dad's the one in the wheelchair, right?" Quentin asked.
"Yeah," he replied, "He's a very brave cop,"
"Like you," he said. Jake smiled down at Quentin and gave him another hug.
"I love you, Quentin,"
"I love you too, Jake,"
As they pulled away, Jenna came back up to them, wiping away some of her tears with her sweater sleeve, "So, my dad really wants to meet you," she told Jake, "He was surprised to hear that another man besides himself was willing to put up with me for five days," she smirked.
Jake chuckled back, "Yeah, sure," he and Quentin started walking alongside her, "And for the record, you weren't that much of a pain in the ass,"
"You want to tell that to him?" she replied.
Peter saw Jenna walk up Jake, and he immediately wheeled himself over, blinking back his happy tears, "So, you're the boy who kept my pain-in-the-ass daughter safe, huh? I hope she didn't give you too much of headache," he laughed. Jenna glared back at him, but Jake just laughed it off.
"I was more than happy to help Jenna. You raised a great daughter, Mr. Desmond," he said.
"Please, call me Peter," he shook Jake's hand, then he turned to Quentin, "And you must be Quentin. Jana mentioned you quite a bit. You think you want to join the force one day?" he asked him.
"Yeah, as soon as Jake teaches me how to fire a gun," he replied.
Jake rolled his eyes, "Tell you what, I'll take you to the gun range for your sixteenth birthday," he said.
"Fifteenth,"
"Want me to bump it up to eighteenth?"
"Dude, take sixteen and be happy with it," Jenna warned him.
Quentin nodded back, "Okay, sixteen,"
Peter chuckled heartily, "Would you boys care to join us for dinner? Mrs. Weidemyer basically cooked us a Thanksgiving Dinner, and I don't have enough room in my fridge," he said.
"We appreciate the offer, Peter, but couldn't impose on you like that. Besides, I need a serious shower before I come within five feet of another person," he said.
"Aw, come on, Jake! You can shower at home," Quentin sad.
"I have to agree with your boy, Jake. I must insist," Peter said. Jenna rolled her eyes.
"My dad's a big believer in the Southern hospitality concept," she said, "Seriously though, come join us. Because it'll just be me and Mrs. Weidemyer; Dad's just going to drink beer with his buddies and reminisce about the old days," she said.
Quentin looked at Jake with pleading, hopeful eyes, while Jenna gave him a smile he couldn't refuse.
"Alright. But then I got to get my deputy home. You still got school tomorrow," he said.
"Don't remind me," Quentin replied, "What're you going to do tomorrow, then?" he asked him. Jake looked down at Jenna, who had a mischievous smile on her face.
"I'll think of something,"
Needless to say, it was one of the most enjoyable and unexciting dinners he ever had. Unexciting in a way that he didn't have to be called away to another case, or feel rushed to be somewhere else as soon as possible. He met new people, and ate great food, and he got to hear the wild stories of Jenna's childhood, especially the ones that made her go red in the face. But on top of everything, he had never felt more at home, then when he sat with Jenna laughing together as one of Peter's old cop friends told a story of a crazy run-in with a perp and a toilet plunger.
By the end of the night, poor Quentin was falling asleep on his feet, while the old cops were getting a little rowdy as they reminisced about the golden days. Jake decided then that it would be a good time to take Quentin home.
Since Dave had gone home, they decided to call a taxi. Jenna walked them outside; Quentin sat on the porch and tried to let himself catch forty winks before he had to get up.
"You happy to be home?" Jake asked her. Jenna took a deep breath and nodded happily.
"This is my I'm-frigging-ecstatic-I'm-just-too-tired-to-show-it face," she replied.
"I hear you," he huffed, "As soon as I get home, I'm going to bed, and I'm not waking up until mid-afternoon,"
"Then who's going to get your deputy to your school?" she asked, motioning towards the sleepy twelve-year-old.
"I'll figure it out tomorrow," he replied.
"Speaking of tomorrow, you said you may or may not have had some plans for tomorrow. Would it be such a bad thing if I were one of those plans?" she asked.
"Were you supposed to have plans tomorrow?"
"I have my shift at eight, but I think I'll be out of a job for the next six weeks until we can rebuild the district," she said. Jake smiled at her.
"In that case, why don't you swing by some time at around one-ish? We could have some lunch, or... maybe we could relax together?" he gave her a coy smile.
He was pretty sure Jenna was blushing, it was hard to tell with the street lamps shining down on them, "One-ish sounds perfect," she said.
Jake looked at Quentin, just to make sure that the sly kid wasn't watching. He seemed to be in that space between sleep and consciousness.
"You know, if it weren't for you, we'd probably still be fighting Max and his voids," he said.
"Well, if it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead in the street somewhere," she pushed herself onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips, "Thank you for being my hero, Jake,"
"The pleasure was all mine,"
As he pulled away, he placed his hand on his hip, about to say something else, when he suddenly noticed the empty space on his belt. His badge was gone again. Jake then scowled at Jenna.
"Give it back!" he said. Jenna laughed like a little girl and gave him his badge.
"I'm sorry, but in my defense, you keep it at a pretty vulnerable place," after she spoke, the taxi then pulled up to the curb.
"And that's our cue. Come on, Quentin!" he called. Quentin forced his eyes open, and almost like a zombie, he shuffled over to the cab. Jenna just laughed at him.
"Oh, poor little guy. Just you wait, Quentin, this is nothing compared to frat parties," she said.
"He's in the seventh grade," Jake reminded her.
"There's nothing wrong with a little glimpse into the future," she replied.
"Goodnight Jenna" Quentin mumbled sleepily.
"Goodnight, little dude. Get some sleep," he gave her a hug, then he hopped into the cab.
"And I will see you tomorrow?" he asked before he got in.
"I wouldn't miss it," she replied. He gave her one final kiss, and then he got in and shut the door. Jenna waved them off as they left, and she went back inside to have one of the best sleeps of her life.
Jake just looked out the window as the rows of houses passed by, all he could think now was finally. It was all finally over. And unlike last time, he wasn't broken, he wasn't depressed, he wasn't even angry. He was genuinely and ecstatically happy.
"Jake?" Quentin muttered sleepily.
"Yeah, Quentin?"
"Is Jenna your girlfriend now?" he asked. Jake couldn't contain the smile on his face.
"You could say that, yeah. She's my girlfriend,"
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Three days later, after a lot of rest and relaxation, Jake took the day to travel to the Federal Prison of Atlanta, just on the other side of the city. He drove by the clean up site, booming with rescue workers and volunteers who eagerly worked away to rebuild the city.
He continued to think about the aftermath of the district, how he excused Quentin from school for one day just so they could hang out together, and how he spent his time with Jenna. Jenna, the little pick-pocketing firecracker who managed to pilfer his heart. Jenna, the girl who started as a common sneak-thief, and turned into the reason he was able to make it home to Quentin. He didn't think it would ever be possible again, but he fell in love with her, and he knew he would never regret it.
He arrived at the prison, where he had to give his gun and badge to another officer for the lock box, then, he was escorted to a private room, where two armed guards stood on other side of the door. An alarmed honked as the door slid open, and Jake was free to get himself ready.
Five minutes later, he heard the rattling of chains down the hall, coming closer and closer. He looked up, and two other guards were escorting Max into the room. To put it simply, he looked absolutely miserable. He wore a bright orange jumpsuit, and locked in a set of full-body chains. His face lacked color, and he looked thinner since he last saw him. More than anything, his eyes were dull and gray, lacking their light.
The guards forced him to sit down, and they were about to strap the chain to the table, but Jake stopped them.
"No, those won't be necessary," he told them. The guards looked at each other, but they complied, and they left the room. Max was at a loss for words, while Jake just tried to smile, trying to be friendly.
"You're the last person I expected to see in here," he said, "Why are you here?"
Jake took out the yellow file he managed to scrabble off of Lex earlier yesterday, and he laid its contents out on the table. They were photos, photos of a happy young boy with his family. Photos of Max.
"I thought I'd bring you something to give you comfort," he said. Max looked at the photos, and he pushed them away.
"These only bring a painful reminder," he said. Jake placed one of the photos back in front of him.
"I know what happened to you wasn't fair, and if anything, I know that you don't belong in here. You were just as innocent two years ago as you were sixteen years ago," he said.
Max scoffed back, "They're going to fry me like a piece of bacon. Why are you here, trying to build some sort of rapport with me?" he asked.
"Because I know if that dickhead kid hadn't called the cops on you that day, we wouldn't be sitting here. Hell, you'd probably be higher up the food chain than I am now," he said, "I'm just here to tell you that I don't blame you for what happened. I don't condone it, and I don't approve of it, but I understand it. And if I could rewind the past, believe me, I would..."
"But here we are," Max said.
"Yeah," Jake nodded, "I know that deep down somewhere, in that icy exterior you've built around yourself, you're sorry. I know that if your childhood had been different, you wouldn't have wanted to hurt anybody. So, I forgive you, and I hope you can forgive me, Max," he said.
Max looked at him warily, "Why do I need to forgive you?" he asked.
"For not being a better friend last week, for not being a mentor. I'm sorry, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me," he replied.
Max didn't say anything at first, he just picked up the photograph, and he stared at it for the longest time. He remembered that day, that day when his parents took him to Coney Island. His dad won him a stuffed elephant from the balloon darts, and he went on the ferris wheel with his mom. That was one of the happiest days of his life, a day that he would never forget.
"Could I keep this one?" he asked. Jake smiled back and nodded.
"Of course," Jake placed the rest of the photos in front of him, "You can keep these, too," he got up and he left, leaving Max to reminisce about the good days. He figured that if one thing were true from Jenna's broadcast, it would be that the good memories were always better than the bad. He would never forget the smiles he shared with Katie, or how good she made him feel inside. He chose to remember how beautiful and wise she was, and how much of a guardian angel she'd truly been to him.
He would never forget Katie, but he was ready to move on and live.