Chapter 18: Goodbye Paris, Hello D.C.

The next day everyone is packing up their suitcases including all their souvenirs to bring home. They promise to keep in touch. Jack is wearing black polo and black slack. Dimitrius gives Hannah his home email address so that Danny can write to his son anytime he wants. Hannah thanks Dimitrius for coming up with the pen pal idea. The ladies hug Hannah and the men hug Danny goodbye. As the men hug Hannah, the ladies hug Danny goodbye.  Tara gives Sue a card with the contact information on Brendan Miller. Sue gives Hannah the card and tells Hannah she hopes things work out for her and Brendan. Sue also gives Hannah her business card just in case Hannah wants to talk with her. Sue reminds Hannah not to wait 10 more years to find out why he left her all those years ago.

Sue: You have a fresh start with Danny and maybe with Brendan too. Give him a call and find out if the love you two share is still there. Take a chance or else you will keep wondering. Someone wise told me that the other night. I’m listening to her advice. So maybe you should too.

Hannah: Thanks. When I get up the nerve to call Brendan and find out the truth of what really happened between us. I will definitely call him then.  But does this mean what I think it means for you and Jack?

Sue: Honestly, I’m not really sure. But I don’t mind spending time with him to find out if there is a future for us somewhere down the road.

Hannah: Good luck. You and Jack do make a great couple. And when you do finally tell each other the truth, and way down the road, maybe get married; don’t forget to send me an invitation.

Sue: I’ll be sure to do that if and when that does occur in my lifetime. Good luck to you, Danny, and Brendan. I hope it works out. You deserve happiness in your life. Goodbye, Hannah. I’ll miss you.

Hannah: I’ll miss you too. Maybe Danny and I will come visit you all in D.C. sometime.

Sue: That would be great. I would love to show you around D.C. Who knows by then maybe I’ll even get to meet Brendan in person.

Hannah: Okay. I promise to call him.

Sue: Good. My work here is done.

Jack: Sorry to interrupt. But we have to get to the airport.

On the Lear Jet flight back to D.C.

Jack: Signing-You okay?

Sue: Yeah. It’s just that I already miss Paris so much.

Jack: Me too. I’ll tell you a secret. All I have to do is close my eyes and think about last night and I’m back in Paris with you again.

Sue: Awe. That is so sweet. Thank you for saying that. You always know what to say to make me feel better.

Jack: Signing-It’s a gift. You are very special. Are you hungry?

Sue: I could eat. (laughs)

Lucy is talking to Sue, while Bobby is grilling Jack about last night. But Jack and Sue aren’t fooled. They are keeping mum about last night at least for a little while longer. Several hours later, the plane touches down in D.C. They all get off, pick up their suitcases, and head back to their own individual places.

Patrick O’Reilly thanks the team once more and tells them I hope I see you all before I go back to L.A. in two days. Bobby suggests they all hang out at Breakers Billiards & Sports Bar’s for a game of pool, dartboard, and lots of fun. Patrick tells Bobby that is a good idea; give me a call when you set it up. I’m staying at the Waterfront Hotel and have a meeting with the President tomorrow morning. After that I am free to explore D.C. and enjoy a little nightlife in the nation’s capital with a few friends. Everyone says they will love to hang out together. Bobby will make arrangements and let them know soon.

Back at the bullpen next morning, Jack is wearing a blue suit with white shirt and gray tie.

Jack: Good morning, all. It is such a beautiful day.

Bobby: Good day, mate. You are in a cheerful mood. How come? I still have jet lag.

Jack: What can I say; it’s good to be back in D.C.

Myles: I agree with Jack. I’m glad to be back at work.

Tara: Speak for yourself, Einstein with a gun. I could use another day of rest.

Garrett walks in the bullpen and says; Welcome back, everyone. Congratulations on capturing Sean Balitran and his merry men. I got a call from the President telling me what a spectacular job you all did in Paris. He was very appreciative and impressed with everyone. Homeland Security has lowered the threat level back to Yellow. So with that in mind, everyone gets a day off. Get recharged and ready to tackle all the cases that need to be handled first thing tomorrow morning. Enjoy your freedom for one more day guys.

Bobby: Awesome! This calls for a celebration. I’m going to call Patrick and Wes to have them join us at Breakers Billiards & Sports Bar. And have Darcy join us there too.

Jack: Great idea. Let me know when and I’ll meet you guys there. Right now, I’m going to meet Jessica for lunch. I promise her I would touch base with her when I got back in town.

Tara: I’ll call Stanley and see if he can join us tonight also.

Myles: I think I’ll call Nora and see if she wants a break from writing her book and join us.

D: I will ask Garrett to join us as well. And get a babysitter for my kids so Donna and I can have a night out with you all. I can’t let you guys have all the fun without me. (Laughs)

Lucy: Sue and I are looking forward to going to Breakers Billiards & Sports Bar. We are going home to relax. See you all tonight.  

Bobby: Jack, don’t forget to ask Jessica to join us too.

Jack: I will ask Jessica to come tonight if she’s not busy. I’m going to invite Sonny to join us also. She helped Jessica while I was in Paris. I told her I would return the favor. So tonight, it’s my treat to you all.

Bobby: Now that, mate is what I call a really good deal. We meet at Breakers Billiards & Sports Bar at 7 PM.

Jack meets Jessica at The Bistro Café.  

Jack: Hi Jessica. You look great.

Jessica: Thanks. You look great too. And thanks for inviting me to lunch.

Jack: No problem. I’m glad we get the chance to catch up. You were a huge help to us in Paris. I know we could not have found Sean Balitran without you.

Jessica: Thanks for saying that. I’m glad my visions helped you to solve the case.

Jack: Enough business talk. What do you want to order?

Jessica: I think I’ll have a Caesar salad and pasta primavera. What about you?

Jack: I will have a large Caesar salad and scampi shrimp & scallops over fettuccini.

During lunch, Jack and Jessica talk about everything. Jessica told Jack about a job offer working for the FBI field office of the Missing Person Unit in Illinois. Sonny told Jessica that she has a friend who works there. Sonny thinks this is the perfect job for Jessica. But Jessica is not so sure.

Jack: Did you go to Illinois to meet with Sonny’s friend?

Jessica: Not yet. I did talk to Sonny’s friend on the phone. She seems nice but I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of change in my life. I like living on a farm in Middleburg, VA. Where no one can bother me, I don’t really relate well to other people except for you and Meg. People don’t like me much once they find out I have “the gift”.

Jack: Don’t worry about what other people think. Just believe in yourself the way I believe in you. I know you will do a fantastic job if you decide to go to Illinois. I could put in a good word for you with Sonny’s friend if you want me to.

Jessica: Thanks. I appreciate that. You’re always looking out for me. Sonny’s friend said I should sleep on it and get back to her soon. What do you think I should do?

Jack: I think with your “gift”, and it is a gift that God gave you. You could help a lot of families who have been torn apart by kidnappings. You can make a real difference in their lives. And I know you would be an asset to the Illinois FBI field office of the Missing Person Unit. Just think about it what I am saying before you make your final decision. Besides if you move to Illinois, it’s just several hours away from Wisconsin. You and Meg would get to see each other more often.

Jessica: That’s true. But I would miss my home here and I wouldn’t get to see you anymore.

Jack: I’m always just a phone call away whenever you need me. You know that you can always count on me. And I promise to come visit you until you get tired of me coming around. You can show me all about Illinois.

Jessica: You make it awfully hard to say no to the job offer. And it would be a great opportunity for me to spread my wings and fly so to speak.

Jack: Well, what have you got to lose?

Jessica: A lot. What if I go there and I can’t help them solve cases. What then?

Jack: If that happens, which I doubt it will; you can always come back here to Middleburg, VA. If you are not happy in Illinois, then come back to D.C. I’ll still be glad to know you. And we will always be friends. Remember that. By the way, I bought you a little something from Paris. I wanted to thank you for your contribution to the case.

Jessica: You bought me a gift from Paris? You didn’t have to do that.

Jack: Yeah. I did. I think you will like it a lot. And even if you don’t, it’s non-refundable. (Laughs)

Jessica: I have no doubt I will like my present. You are good at picking out gifts.

Jack: Thanks. Here. Open your present.

Jessica: (Takes the box). Oh, this is a beautiful scarf. I love it! Thank you so much, Jack.

Jack: I’m glad you like it. One more thing, my team and I are going to Breakers Billiards & Sports Bar tonight to have some fun. Do you want to join us? I know that my team would like to meet you. I called Sonny to ask her to join us there; she said she wouldn’t miss it. So you already know me and Sonny and you will get to meet the rest of my team. You are going to like them, more importantly they are going to like you. Trust me.

Jessica: Okay. I don’t have any plans for tonight anyway. Maybe it will be good for me to go out and have fun for a change. It would be nice to hang out with you too.

Jack: It’s a deal. Meet me at Breakers Billiards & Sports Bar at 7PM.

Jessica: Okay. See you there. Guess you have to go back to work now?

Jack: No, I have a free day. My supervisor gave us the day off. So we can hang out together for a couple of hours if you want to.

Jessica: Sounds great. Let’s go now.

 

NEXT