Remember When

Prologue

Placing the last box in the back of her truck, Jackie turns and looks at the apartment building she's lived in for the past five years. She won't miss this place that much, she moved here after starting college because she was tired of the fighting at home. When her parents realized she wasn't going to pick sides they quit talking to her about as much as they did each other once the divorce was final. Well Jackie is out of school, and has had enough of the city life, now she's going back to the place she's always considered home.

"Jackie? Are you sure you're rested enough to be making this trip? You were up late last night closing your last case." Jackie's one good friend Tonya asks.

"Tony, this town is killing me, I have to leave." Jackie says. "I want to be where I remember being my happiest. In all the years I've lived here you're the only good friend I have, everyone else are basically co-workers or ex-classmates, Tony I hate it here. Even my parents don't talk to me anymore." Jackie sighs.

"I know." Tonya says. "I'm just going to miss seeing you at the office, having lunch with you. All the others are bitches trying to get to the top by any means possible. I even caught Fran in Marcus' office the other morning on her knees, if his wife ever finds out about that Fran won't have a job to be able to blow for." Tonya laughs.

"That's the curse of living and working in a big city. If you ever get tired of it give me a call." Jackie says. "Maybe by then I'll have my office set up and established, hell even where I lived before needs a lawyer." Jackie says as she gives her friend a hug. "I'll call you when I get to Paradise." She says with a small smile.
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Harry walks into the station, he by passes the front desk and heads straight for his office. Plopping into his chair, Harry spears his finger through his hair. Living in a small town all your life can be a blessing and a curse, he loves the fact that he knows everyone and everyone knows him. But when something bad happens, like today, and you have to tell someone you've known all your life a loved one is in the hospital, now that's the hard part.

"Hey boss, you okay?" Louis asks Harry as he leans against the doorway leading to his office.

Harry looks up at his good friend and deputy sherriff. "Yeah, Lou, I'm good." Harry sighs. "Did you and Liam find out what caused Eric to wreck his car?"

Louis pushes off the doorframe and walks into the room, sits in the chair in front of Harry's desk. "No, but Niall did. Looks like the kid tried to dodge a deer and hit a patch of black ice. How's Helen doing?" Louis asks.

"She's okay, now. I called mom, she's at the hospital with her. That poor woman has been through so much these past few years, I'm not sure how much more she'll be able to take. Her husband cheating and leaving her, Ben being killed over seas, now this." Harry says.

"What about that other thing? Have you had any luck finding Jack?" Louis asks Harry.

Harry looks at Louis. "What makes you think I'm still looking for her?" He asks, just hearing his one time best friends name causes his heart to skip a beat. Jackie Taylor was his best friend, they did everything together as kids, until her parents took her from him.

"Come on Styles, you've been looking for her for years. You can't tell me that now that you're sherriff and have all this equipment at your fingertips that your not putting it to good use." Louis chuckles.

"Okay maybe I have a few times, when I've had time." Harry admits. "But, I don't know where to start looking. We have no clue where they moved to. Hell, Jack can be married with kids by now for all we know." Harry says with a shake of his head.

"And she can be just as miserable as you and still can't stand being separated from her best friend." Louis says.

"Well, I haven't moved. If she wanted to get in touch with me she could, it'd be easy to find to me." Harry says.

"Maybe she doesn't know that though. Did you ever stop to think that you not going to tell her goodbye the day they left hurt her. Maybe she doesn't think you want to be found." Louis says, reminding Harry of that awful day so many years ago.

Harry shakes his head. "I couldn't do it Lou. I couldn't stand there and tell my best friend bye and act like it wasn't ripping my heart out."

"Well I just have one more question, then I'm out of here. Are you coming to Liam's tonight? He and Dani are having a house warming party now that they've finally moved in together." Louis asks.

"Yeah I'll be there. But Dani better not try and fix me up with anyone." Harry says.

Louis snorts. "I think she's given up on that, you've not dated anyone seriously since Kate."

"Well dating is a turn off right now. Especially after you find the girl you were going to ask to marry you screwing the towns only lawyer. But at least they had the thoughtfulness to leave town and not rub their relationship in my face." Harry snorts.

"Well look at it this way, maybe the next lawyer we get in this town will be a good looking female you can date." Louis laughs.

"I doubt that." Harry says. "Now get back to work. I'll see you later at Liam's." Harry says as he stands up to head back to the hospital to check on Eric and Helen.