Just Turn Left

Chapter 4

Lost Memories

The first he thing he noticed about the man standing next to Regina was that he seemed to loom over everyone there. His skin was dark and reminded Jamie of a few people he had met from Africa. His stance was protective and stiff, and his eyes seemed to be on Regina and not on the service. Regina was stoic with no tears coming from her eyes. Beside her Teddy seemed to try and follow her example but big tears running down his face spoke to the emotional turmoil in the young boy. He had, over time, come to see Joe as an uncle – maybe even a future dad. His grip was tight on his godmother's hand and during parts of the speech, he buried his face in her side.

The fact that he was standing at his brother's funeral bothered him in more ways then he could describe. He and Joe had been inseparable and while he loved Danny and Erin, he wasn't as close to them as he was Joe. It appears as though it was just yesterday he was ribbing his brother for not asking out Regina yet and for tip toeing around a relationship with her. They were meant to be but now? Now, Regina had lost someone else and looked as though a light breeze would knock her over.

The funeral and wake that followed was beautiful, but she couldn't focus on that right now. Instead her eyes were focused on the man Jamie had spotted by her side at the funeral. She was sitting hunched over in a chair in her home while he kneeled in front of her waiting for her to be ready to speak.

"How long until they don't remember me?" she asked softly. He sighed and checked his watch. Her eyes followed his actions as though every single movement drained her.

"Within the hour," he gruffly answered. She stood and began to pace, he tracked her progress with a careful eye. "Are you sure this is the only way? Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have no choice if I want to keep not only Joe safe but his family as well," she told him. "If anyone knows Joe is alive before we are ready, it could blow everything apart and many more people would die."

"That is a bit dramatic," he told her. "There has to be another way of taking this group down without all of this."

"Really?" she asked sarcastically. "Wow, I wish I had thought of that over the past several months, thank you so much for pointing that out to me! I really wish I has asked your opinion on this whole mess in the very beginning!" He cringed.

"If they don't remember me they have no reason to ask any questions about what happened, and they won't put themselves in harms way. If everyone, including his own family, thinks he is dead then he can put this group down quicker. I wish it wasn't like this, but it is."

For awhile the room remained dead silent after she sat next to him on the couch.

"Would you like me to stay with you until it's over?" he asked softly.

"Please," came her plea.

Over the next several months she carried on the best she could. She ran her business and kept occupied with Teddy. He was quieter, more sedate after the funeral for the first couple of weeks, but he seemed to be coming out of his shell. She knew he had grown attached to Joe just as she had. She made sure to check their previously set up dead drops as randomly as possible, so she knew he was okay, but she hadn't seen him in months.

The first month after everything had happened he spent recovering. She had revealed to him exactly who she was and what she could do. It took some time for him to process everything. But what took the most time was adjusting to the fact that his family thought him to be dead and that he couldn't see them for a while. He wouldn't let her near him after she explained how everything went down. She began to fear that everything she had done would be useless and he would go to his family anyway. She feared that he hated her. Then he asked to speak to her, he wanted to know how his family was doing and what needed to be done so he could be back with them. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a voice, a familiar voice.

"Regina Potter?" Surprised, she turned around. A NYPD officer she didn't recognize stood in the door hesitantly.

"Can I help you?" she asked. The young officer looked sheepish as he stepped forward.

"I'm Jamie Reagan," he told her. Immediately she took a seat in a nearby booth.

"I haven't heard the name Reagan in a while," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "What are you doing here?" He shifted slightly before pulling out an envelope and handing it to her.

"We were going through some of his things recently and found this," he told her. He watched her for a moment before taking a seat.

"Before yesterday none of us had even heard your name," he told her hesitantly. "If I may ask, how did you know Joe?" She smiled sadly.

"We met right here in this restaurant," she said. "He saved me." Hesitantly he handed her the envelope.

"None of us looked in it," Jamie explained. He stood and then headed to the door before he looked back at her once more. "You seem so familiar, but I just can't place you." He shook his head before heading out to a police car parked on the street. She smiled when she spotted him rolling his eyes at what could only be his trainer. When she had heard that Jamie had decided to become a cop, she almost had a heart attack. Little Jamie a cop? But she realized that the death of his older brother had changed him in more ways than imagined. The response she had got from Joe when she had sent him a message was down right hilarious.

Shaking away her thoughts she headed into her office in the back of the restaurant and opened the envelope. With shaking hands, she read his words.

Dear Regina,

If this letter somehow reaches you, it means that it is time to put our plan into action. I know your part will not be easy why is which I included a few things with this letter to help you. My father will be the hardest to convince. I have watched him from afar and my death hit him hard, but we will need his help. Jamie on the other hand might be the easiest to convince. The best way to get them on your side is to show them the letters I have included for each of them. I have explained all I can. There is something going down this Saturday and I have all the evidence needed to take them down. I have entrusted it all to the King. He has made copies and forwarded them to my dad and Erin. They should receive the information tomorrow. I set up an appointment for you tomorrow morning with my dad using your title which will get his attention. Before you step in his office, he will have, hopefully, seen all of the evidence. I wish you luck my dear and I hope we can all be together again soon.

With all my love,

Joe

P.S. – Tell the little Rugrat, I am expecting a lot of chocolate when I get home and that I will see him soon.