Just The Right Black

Chapter 57

Ariana stood alone in the rain as she stared at her mum's grave. It had been a month since that night at the hospital, a month since she took time off work to spend time with her mum.

Two weeks. Her mum had had two weeks and Ariana hadn't left her side until the second they announced the time of death. Only then had she stepped out of her mum's room to catch her breath. She couldn't regret anything, she had spent every moment with her mum, talking and laughing with her. Her mum laughing was all she had needed to hear, all she longed to hear even at this moment. But she knew those were just unrealistic expectations.

Her mum was gone and there was nothing she could do to change that. She felt numb, physically and emotionally and she knew exactly what to do that would make her feel something.

She brought her hand to her mouth and kissed her fingertips then placed it on the headstone.

"I love you so much, mum." She whispered in the rain before she turned around and made her way to her bike.

As she manoeuvred every vehicle in the rain not caring about how reckless she was, she let her mind wander free. She had no reason to stay back anymore. Her one reason no longer existed, so why stay. She wasn't one to make irrational decisions because they ended up being bad decisions but this, she didn't care. She took the turn to the precinct.

Arriving at the bureau, she dismounted her bike and walked in, her black leather pants, jacket, and hair damp from being in the rain. She made her way underground to the Director's floor. Walking out of the elevator as it dinged open, all heads turned in her direction as she made her way to the director's office without a single glance at anyone.

Of course, they all knew, news travelled fast within but never found its way out of here. She turned the doorknob and pushed into the Director's office not bothering to knock, he could fire her for that if he wished and she would gladly leave but she just wanted to be done with this.

The director looked up from where he sat, phone pressed to his ear.
"Feilman." He said, clearly surprised. "I'll call you back, Jace."

Ariana almost flinched at the sound of his name, her heart ached for him, but she was glad when Jack put down the receiver and turned to give her his full attention.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, "You still have two weeks on your time off."

She cleared her throat feeling uncomfortable at the first encounter of someone trying not to mention her mum's death.
"Director..." She began,

"Jack." He offered.

She sighed.
"We both know why I took this job in the first place."

Jack's lips thinned.

"I don't have any reason to keep it anymore." She said

"Ariana, you're grieving and you need time to think this..."

"More time." She interrupted, "That's all we need. But time's up now. It's over." She swallowed reaching into her pocket, "I appreciate everything you've done, truly." She pulled out her badge and her gun tucked behind her, "But I quit." She placed her gun and her badge on his desk.

Silence filled the room as he stared at her badge and she stared at him.

He looked up at her.
"I understand." He said, "What are you going to do now?"

She'd been thinking about that,
"I'd reenlist if I could." She let out a soft exhale,

"So, still working it out."

Not exactly.
She knew she wanted to do something that would take her mind off how much she was hurting on the inside.
"Something like that"

Jack gave her a curt nod.
"Good luck, Agent." He said deliberately using Agent being the last time he'd use it on her.

"Thank you." She said then turned around and headed to the door.

"I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other soon enough." That made her pause to consider his words.

She doubted it.

Ariana drove back home packing her usual bag before she headed to her thinking spot. Or should she call it her thinking ring?

Jace jumped out of the car immediately it was parked safely. It took everything in him not to run into the bureau as he dialled Jack's number.

"I'm here." He said jogging up the stairs and through the doors.

Jace was still pacing the hallway when Jack arrived. But stopped as soon as he spotted Jack.
"Where's she?" He asked,

Jack stopped right in front as he rubbed the back of his neck shaking his head
"She quit."

Jace had that same feeling, the same one he felt that night at the safe house when he heard she had left.
"What?!" He said when he finally regained his ability to speak.

It had been a month since that night and every single day that passed, he thought of her. She filled his mind, his thoughts, his heart and he hurt to see her hurting like she was.

So many times he had gone to the hospital when he found out about her mum's condition but he never directly went up to talk to her. When she left the room to either get something for herself and her mum or when the doctor called her, he snuck into her mum's room to talk. It had been their secret and he made her a promise he was sure as heck going to keep.

He had been at the funeral and his heart broke at the sight of Ariana. He wanted to walk up to her and take her in his arms and let her let the pain all out. She had been keeping it together and he feared the outcome of the pent up emotion that was building inside her.

"She's planning on re-enlisting." Jace snapped his gaze back at Jack.

That definitely got his attention. He felt the fury build up inside him. He had been mad when she left him at the safe house but now he was furious. She wasn't thinking straight and he wanted to do so many things to her to make her see sense but mostly he wanted to kiss her and feel her in his arms.

Ariana.

He knew she wouldn't be home. She hadn't been there in days and he knew she'd try to stay away from the memories of her mum to avoid grieving. Where could she...?

He paused as a place sprung to mind. There was a fifty percent chance she'd be there.

"I'll see you later, Jack." Jace called as he jogged out of the precinct.

He got into his car and drove off to where he was now certain Ariana was.