Seasons (Ari AU)

Chapter 15

Ari POV

  Of course Shauna is begging me to get a paternity test when I tell her the news a few days later. I can't bring myself to do it, not after I've since met Mason. Brown hair and blue eyes, certainly favors me. And for whatever reason, I trust Felicity, even though in the back of my mind I think she hasn't really given me reason to do so.

  As I'm getting ready to close out my shift I get called into Schneider's office. "You wanted to see me?" I ask, poking my head through the doorway, waiting for the go ahead as I see he's on the phone. He waves me in, pointing to the small chair across from his desk. As I sit I notice he's got Jeremy's file open wide on his desk again. 

  "Yeah, alright. Thanks for double checking on that for me," he tells whoever he's on the phone with, hanging up after a quick goodbye.  He rubs both hands down his face before looking at me sternly.  "Have you said anything to the widow?"

  Adamantly I shake my head, "No, sir. Why? Is someone saying I have?"

  "No. But she's on her way here now, gonna grab what's left of his stuff from his locker. I'm gonna break the news, wasn't sure if you wanted to be here for it since the two of you seemed close, you and Gable I mean, not you and the wife."

  "Widow," I correct him. She's not married anymore, and when she finds out another piece of his scheming it's all going to make things a lot more difficult for her to understand. 

  "You know what I mean, Levinson. You want to be here for it?"  

  I'm exhausted from three automobile accidents and a restaurant fire, but I agree easily.  "Maybe have an oxygen tank on stand by, some smelling salts even," I suggest.  Schneider rolls his eyes at me, thinking I'm being dramatic. "I'm being very serious, sir.  Her blood pressure is borderline right now, it's too early for it to be this high so she's been keeping a watch. This is going to do some damage."

  I leave him in his office, heading over to Jeremy's locker with a box. No one has opened it since his last shift before his leave of absence.  We all just assumed it would be a quick turn around and he'd be back in a couple weeks. We had no idea what laid ahead for he and Holland. The metal clangs as I unlock and open it, immediately seeing his top shelf full of hygiene products. I drop those in the box with ease.  Inside, along the walls are taped photos of him with various family members, including Holland. There's even a photo from the wedding day, he's whispering in Holland's ear while I'm giving my best man speech. The smile on her face was of pure radiance, making me wish I could see it just like that again, some time soon. I pull it off the wall, tucking the tape behind it before dropping it into the box as well, along with a photo of he and his parents, he and his infant nephew and even one of he and I from our days playing high school lacrosse. I'd never noticed there was also a photo of a large group of us from the night he met Holland, those sparkly red heels hanging off of her fingers while the rest of us were all clutching a beer bottle, Shauna holding a microphone in her hand as we all belted out "I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" at the top of our lungs.

  Life was a lot simpler seven months ago.

  The radio on my waist goes off, telling me to make my way back to Schneider's office. Hurriedly I put everything that's left into the box and close the locker with a clang. I reach up, tearing off the masking tape that's labeled J. Gable, balling it up to toss in the garbage on my way out of the locker room. 

  His office door is barely cracked when I arrive so I quietly knock even though I can hear him trying to have light conversation with Holland, her voice bubbly and chipper.

  I hate that it's about to change.

  "Come on in, Levinson."

  Holland stands up, surprised to see me enter. "I thought you were getting off like fifteen minutes ago. Shouldn't you be headed to pick up Mason?"

  "Mason?" Chief asks, looking at me curiously.

 "Another day," I answer him as I accept Holland's hug. I give her a kiss on the forehead. "Good to see you, beautiful."

  "You too," she smiles back at me as I motion for her to sit back down. I set the box of Jeremy's things on the floor next to her chair before moving to lean against Schneider's desk, facing her but turning my head towards him as he speaks.

  "Mrs. Gable, I want to just say how grateful we are for Jeremy's time here at the station." I can already hear Holland sniffle, never needing to turn my hand to see she's fighting back tears. "We were surprised when he asked for the leave of absence, but knew he'd be back just as soon as he could be. Ari here has told us that Jeremy was going to be a father." Cue all the water works as I give her my attention, reaching my hand out to touch hers that sits on the arm of the chair. I offer her my hand, palm up and she automatically drops her hand into mine. "We wanted to offer our condolences as well as our well wishes to your growing family. You will always be a part of our family here at Station 143."

 The urge to reach over and wipe away her tears are strong, but instead I gently squeeze her hand in comforting reassurance. Schneider clears his throat, causing me to give him my attention as he looks at me wondering whether to proceed. My eyes shift down to his desk where the folder of information sits. I give a nod with my chin, preparing myself for the drastic change that is about to hit my dear friend. 

  "Mrs. Gable-"

  "Please," she stops him, "call me Holland."

  "Holland," Schneider continues, "I made a call when I knew you'd be coming in for Jeremy's belongings, just to double check something, wanted to make sure the ducks I needed were all in a row for this conversation."  Holland's sad eyes move to me, but I can't look her in the eye, choosing instead to focus on her hand in mine, still seeing her engagement and wedding ring sitting on her ring finger. 

  I remember the day Jeremy came into the station with the ring, giddy with excitement at the plan of proposing to Holland. It was a huge diamond, making several of us wonder where exactly he'd gotten the  money for something so extravagant just to be told it was a family heirloom, something about several generations old with a family member that had been apparently well off.  

  I always thought it was too gaudy for a simple, classic woman like Holland. To me she screams uncomplicated, simplicity and classy. This ring was certainly not that, but if it was a family heirloom then it's understandable that it wouldn't match her personality. 

  "I don't really know how to tell you this particular information, Mrs. Gable," he goes back to formalities, and for the topic at hand, I don't blame him. "Jeremy had put in enough time to procure a fifteen year pension, at twenty five it would've been  a full pension."

  "That's great," she sighs, a smile playing on her lips. "It'll be a little something to help with the baby." 

  Her grip on my hand eases up, and reluctantly I release her hand, my arms crossing against my chest as I urge Chief to continue.  "This is a paper that tells what is in his funds," he informs her, passing the entire folder over to her. She looks between the two of us, as if she's wanting me to help pass it on to her. I can't bring myself to even touch the item, feeling like then I'd become some type of an accomplice to the missing money. Instead, I look away, down at my feet feeling a bit of shame in the actions of my friend.

  "I'm confused," she chuckles softly. "I can read the most chicken scratch doctor's handwriting, but this typed mess is like reading German. A little help?" she asks, passing me the paper in which I've already looked over weeks prior. 

  I slip it out of her hand, glance over it for only a moment before taking a deep breath and finally meet her eyes. "There's nothing in his pension, Holland. It's been cleared out."

*Unedited