Chapter 14
"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" Cragen asked Amy, it was 6 weeks later and Amy was due to be returning to work, she'd recovered incredibly quick given the extent of her injuries, and it was largely to due to how quickly she'd dealt with the emotional issues.
"No Captain, nothing at all, this isn't something I've rushed into either." She replied and he nodded in understanding before allowing her to leave the office.
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"Why?" Olivia asked Amy as she sat down at her desk and told Olivia what she'd just done, Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing, Amy loved her job and now she was leaving it. "You love being a detective." Olivia stated.
"I do but I love being with the children more," Amy replied looking at the photo of her twins on the desk before turning back to face Olivia. "At work I felt guilty for leaving them, at home I felt guilty for not being at work. I think I need to take time out to be with them, be a better wife and mother. I'm not saying I'm going to be at home forever, there's things I want to do. You know go to college, get my official counselling qualification, maybe become a teacher? I don't know what I'm going to do but I'll be doing it for me and the kids. Some parents would kill to be able to afford to stay home, and what's the point in paying for someone else to look after them when the best person to do that is me?" Amy finished, Olivia noted that she looked relaxed and happy with her decision. The fact that she really was happy with it was enough for Olivia, she understood that Amy wanted to be a good mother, and knew that she already was a good one, especially if she was ready to give up her career for her children. She also knew that the decision had possibly been on the cards for a while; Amy had considered giving up her career not long after they were born, and it wasn't something she had rushed into deciding.
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"Detective McAllister is no more, all hail Mrs McAllister." Casey led the toast on her sister's leaving party; it had been 8 weeks since Amy had told Cragen she was leaving. Casey still couldn't believe her sister was leaving the Police Department but respected her decision, the younger woman had been a lot more relaxed since making her decision and seemed happier than she had been in months without her attentions being split between home and work.
"Yes, good plain Mrs McAllister with no more paperwork to fill in, no more reports to write, no more raids at stupid o'clock in the morning." She started with a smile, although she had cleared her backlog of paperwork before leaving the 1-6 for the last time that afternoon.
"No more handsome detectives greeting you with coffee and a muffin in the mornings." Eliot interrupted handing her a drink and sitting down at the table next to her, it was an unspoken rule that Eliot bought the girls breakfast at least once a week.
"No more annoying detectives giving you their paperwork to do." Olivia added referring to the time Eliot had bribed Amy into writing a set of reports for him, a set that had taken her all night to do.
"No conspiracy theories from your favourite conspiracy master." Fin said joining them and looking at Munch who simply smiled.
"Nobody to seal your chocolate." Munch added recalling the time Fin had taken her chocolate bar from on top of her desk, it was her emergency stash and she'd needed it that day.
"Are you sure you're doing the right thing? Will you cope with such a change in situation?" Casey asked with a smile, knowing how much her sister was going to miss her colleagues, they'd grown incredibly close over the last few years.
Amy smiled thinking of how happy Ellen had been when she told her Mummy would be staying at home with her and Ethan. Ellen had screamed in delight and done a little dance before running off to tell Ethan mummy could play with them all the time. Jack had come up behind her, snaking his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "I'd do a happy dance but I prefer this." He'd said kissing her gently. Looking at her family she knew it was the right decision.
"You know what I think I'll mange." Amy replied honestly whispering into her sister's ear, "and this pregnancy should be a lot easier than the last one." She answered placing a hand over her stomach as Casey spat her drink out over Munch's face.
"Really?" Casey asked excitedly as Munch wiped his face, Amy nodded, it was early days but she knew she could tell her sister, and Casey's expression was worth it. Amy smiled as her sister gave her a hug. Casey smiled at her sister seeing her so happy and relaxed, knowing Amy was like that after everything she'd been through; it gave Casey hope that she'd eventually find her own way to happiness.