CARDS
AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER
Another "Antonio is actually Jake" fic inspired by Jay's conversation with Upton in the episode "Saved". Belongs to NBC and Dick Wolf.
"Voight gave Lindsay a card when she was fourteen. It was why she said he saved her life." Antonio's eyes flickered as he listened to Jay's words. Cards. Such little things, but they could change lives in an instant. One had changed Erin's life, he knew that and so did the others. No one knew it but he had his own card. It wasn't from Voight though. It was from John Keller, the finest man he had ever known. Hell, he still remembered the day he got the card. Almost if he had bidden it, the memory came back.
Thirteen-year old Jake scowled at the man as he placed the card down on the table in front of him.
"I told you: I can take care of myself. Been doin' it for years," he snapped, flicking it back at him. Don't need no one, he thought.
"I'm hearing you," John assured. "But if there ever comes a time that you can't or you don't want to, you can call me. No strings attached," he continued, giving him the card a second time. At this, the boy's eyes flickered.
"No strings?" he asked.
"No strings," the man promised. Not going to make him do anything he doesn't want, he mused. Kid had already been through enough hell.
"Okay," Jake agreed, taking the card.
Antonio gave himself a mental shake and then went back to his desk and opened his top drawer, smiling as he looked at the worn card. Yeah, cards could save lives. He knew that better than most. And the reason he knew that was because one had saved his.
THE END