Fifty-Nine
Kelly didn’t want Jack to leave. Scratch that. She didn’t want any of them to leave, but they’d be headed out today anyway. Zach had also been released and was on the mend. She’d gotten over to see him yesterday afternoon, but given what she’d found out, she was glad that she’d decided to give the team some time alone.
Zach is leaving the BAU.
She’d repeated it to herself probably a million times since she’d heard the news. Even now, as she sat at her desk working on paperwork and the team tore down the conference room, she couldn’t get over the fact that there was an opening on Jack’s team out of her mind. But she had to be crazy to seriously consider a move from Miami PD. Despite it requiring her to give up year-round summer to contend with some cold weather and snow—ick—the thought of a career change fired her up inside.
It felt amazing to bring down a killer who had claimed at least six lives. There was a rush to it that was indescribable, a sensation that made her feel whole, as if she mattered and had made a real difference. She’d swallowed the flipside—that she’d failed to save those lives—but it was a tough thing for her to do. She was a perfectionist after all.
Jack was the same way—and so much more than that. Being around him these last few days brought her grandfather back to life. Instead of Jack’s presence stirring up painful memories, it had been healing. Beyond the personal, she respected him as a member of law enforcement. She aspired to be like him, to see things through without imbuing them with too much emotion. That’s really the way she preferred to work.
She remembered a training officer from the FBI Academy once saying that people are only as good as their leaders. Not an original thought to be sure, but a poignant one nonetheless, and something she believed to be true. It wasn’t too promising if she stuck around here.
Ramirez was no leader and certainly no mentor. He’d seen no issue in showing up at a grieving widower’s house with the mayor and a news crew in tow. He’d thought nothing of violating the boundaries and confidences that went with the job. Even at a basic level, his thinking was different from hers, as were his motivations. She was all about uncovering the truth, while Ramirez was just about lapping up attaboys. He’d made a good display of that by soaking up the lights at the news conference to update the public on the case. He had told everyone that Miami was safer now—the implication plainly being that it was because of him, his leadership, his people, and his executive decisions. He’d spoken as if bringing in the FBI had been his idea and that Jack and the BAU had been his puppets. Mayor Conklin had stood beside him, not even objecting. Then again, Conklin had made his own plays for the camera as he had talked about how tragic the murder of his niece was and lamented that the city had lost a bright light.
Kelly glanced at her hands, half-expecting to still see nail impressions in her palms from clenching her hands yesterday when she’d heard his little speech. She’d wager the man had hardly known Jenna.
Neither Ramirez nor the mayor had ever mentioned Kelly by name, just that one of Miami’s own contributed to bringing down the killer. All that was fine by Kelly. She preferred her name out of the headlines.
She sighed. How could she stay here in good conscience?
She tapped her foot. Clearly, law enforcement wasn’t for everyone, but it came with its own rewards. They’d never be able to save every victim, but she was committed to finding justice for those she could. It just wasn’t for Miami PD anymore. It was time that she let her mother go, move beyond her past, and embrace her future—no matter how daunting it was. But as Kelly thought about it now, nothing about it scared her. Rather, she was excited. It was time to take a bold step. She needed to go after what she wanted, and after working so closely with the BAU these last few days, she knew what that was. She shot up from her chair.
“Hey.” It was Paige. Zach, Brandon, and Jack stood behind her. “We thought we’d drop by to let you know we’re headed home.”
“Well, they are anyway,” Brandon said with a smile. “I’m starting vacation the moment I walk out those doors.” He pointed to the exit.
“Nice place to take some time,” Kelly said.
“I’m actually headed to Sarasota,” Brandon told her.
“Still. Beautiful weather.” She smiled at him. When he smiled back, something ached in her chest. She’d miss all of them—even Brandon. Though that wouldn’t be necessary if she joined the team… Kelly glanced at Jack.
“Thanks for all your help with the case. And for saving my head—literally,” Zach added with a chuckle. He held his hand out for her to shake.
“Hey, I was there, too,” Brandon whined in jest.
They all laughed.
“Well, anytime you guys find yourselves back this way…” She rubbed her hands on her pants, her eyes darting to Jack again.
Paige pulled her into a hug.
“Oh,” Kelly said, caught by surprise.
Paige stepped back. “We’ll definitely have to share a bottle of wine sometime.”
“It’s a date.” Kelly turned her attention to Brandon and held out her hand to him. He took it. Their relationship had a more than rocky start, but it landed on solid ground.
Jack was the only one left to say goodbye to, and it was ripping her apart. She couldn’t let him go for a couple of reasons, but she definitely couldn’t let him walk away without at least talking to him about joining his team. Plus, seeing him go would somehow make her feel like she was losing her grandfather again. She had to give her dream a shot. “Jack—”
“If you guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up,” Jack said, inadvertently cutting her off.
Paige, Zach, and Brandon took off down the hall.
Kelly angled her head, a smile curving her lips. “Jack, I—”
He pulled out a card and handed it to her. “You decide you want to become FBI, you’ve got a spot on my team.”
Her heart bumped off rhythm. Had she heard him correctly or were her ears playing tricks on her?
Jack pressed on. “You were too good to have left after the Academy. But your grandad, he had to come down here.”
“I couldn’t let him come alone, and then when he got sick…”
“I understand. But he’d want you to have a job you love. And you’re not happy here.”
Tears stung her eyes. Was her misery really that obvious?
“He would,” she admitted, her insides whirling with excitement.
“You’ll have to jump through some hoops, but if you do that, I’ll get you on my team.”
On his team.
He had said it before, and now he’d said it again. This was getting real.
“Think about it.” Jack gestured to the card she still held and extended his hand.
“There’s nothing to think about.” She hated that tears sprung to her eyes again—and a couple actually fell—when she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him.
He even hugged her back.