Hostage | Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Seven

Amy

I watch as Jake storms out of the bar, three or four emotions mixed in his eyes, and when I turn around, I just manage to see Fawn leave out the back with her head hung low. Everyone starts to go back to what they were doing, but when I make eye contact with Rosa, we both nod at each other. 

I finish off the rest of my drink before I walk out the front, hoping that I'll be able to talk to Jake without him getting angry. When I step outside the bar, I look around to not see him anywhere but then, I look over towards the nearby park and see the back of his leather jacket.

Heaving a sigh, I walk towards the park and pull my phone out of my pocket. After flicking through the limited contacts I have, I find Rosa's and send her a text message:

Tell Fawn to come to the park near the bar, Jake is there.

I enter the park and walk over to Jake, who is leaning over and his eyes stare at the ground. When I reach him and sit beside him, he doesn't flinch or move dramatically, but I see him glance up ever so slightly to acknowledge my presence. A few awkward seconds pass before I open my mouth.

"How are you feeling?" I ask, keeping my voice fairly quiet and my tone polite. Jake heaves a large sigh before he responds, "I don't even know... at first I felt happy, then upset, angry and..." 

He sighs again, his voice cracking ever so slightly in the middle of his sentence. I try not to push his buttons and make him even more emotionally frustrated, but I feel like I need to dig down and find out why he stormed out of the bar instead of just talking with Fawn. 

"Why couldn't you have just talked to her?" I ask, which makes him look up at me and I see that he is overwhelmed with emotions, sorrowful tears bubbling in his eyes as his mouth trembles with nerves. I can't help but be taken aback and a short gasp leaves my mouth, shocked that Jake is showing this much emotion.

"She was my best friend, the only person who always had my back in high school and the morning after graduation, she told me she was leaving... I tried to convince her to stay, but once she's made a decision, she will be strictly adamant about it. There's no changing her mind."

I watch as he reaches down his shirt and pulls out a golden locket. He flips it open and a sad smile emerges on his lips, a single tear falls from his eye and he doesn't try to wipe it away or hide his sadness.

"I was picked on a lot during high school and when it was at its worst, Fawn came into my life. She threatened anyone and everyone who picked on me, planted cheat sheets in their desks if they didn't stop and constantly defended me. When it all began to stop, my confidence began to soar and I cared less what people thought of me. She was the one who taught me that. This locket was what she gave me the day she left and every day since then, I have worn this... every day... without fail."

He looks over at me as several tears start to fall down his cheeks, his eyelashes soaked and his eyes carrying a deafening sadness. 

"I couldn't understand why she wanted to leave and what further confused me was that she didn't tell me anything!" He shouts before he lets out a small, choked sob and hangs his head low, muffled cries leaving his lips. I try to think of how to reply, but all train of thought stops when the screen of my phone lights up. 

I'm here. 

And true to her word, I look to my right and I see Fawn, her hands in her pockets with a dull smile on her face. I send her a smile before I turn back to Jake and say, "Well, maybe she can explain why." He looks up confused as I stand up, but the confusion immediately disintegrates when his eyes fall on Fawn, who looks to the floor.

As I walk past, I give her a small shoulder squeeze and whisper, "Just be patient with him." She smiles, whispers a 'thank you' in reply and I walk out of the park to Rosa, who is stood just outside the gates.

"How was Jake?" She asks, her arms folded and her face painted with seriousness, something that almost never falters. I heave a sigh as I brush some fly away hairs out of my eyes. "Really emotional, the most emotional I think I've ever seen him," I reply and I turn around, watching as Fawn sits down next to Jake, who stares at her with his pleading eyes.

"Do you think they'll be able to talk it out? Fawn wasn't visibly upset and even though I could tell that she wasn't happy with Jake's reaction, I don't think she was incredibly surprised by it," Rosa adds, a small exhalation sliding off her lips. We start to walk away as I reply.

"I hope so. Jake seemed heartbroken that his best friend left him after graduation and hasn't contacted him ever since, but I'm sure that she had her reasons for why she didn't. She doesn't seem like the person who would just disappear for no reason, especially from what Jake told me their relationship was like in high school."

Rosa nods as we head back to Shaw's, both of us feeling slightly despondent but there's a small twinge of hopefulness mixed in. I find out from Rosa that despite Fawn not relaying much information to her, she said that staying away from Jake tore her apart but she couldn't bring herself to attempt any contact with him. Additionally, she said that her life has been full of dark patches that she was able to hide from Jake, which could be another reason why.

"I'm sure it will be fine."