Having a good time with this. Almost sad to see it coming to an end.
Jill was buried in paperwork. She was sitting at a table in Raven Inn typing at her laptop. She was currently banned from any field work, not that there was much left in the case anyway. Marlin was being treated at the Hospital, along with Bob and Paolo. It seemed weird to have everything wrapping up. Everyone was caught, the case was now winding down. She could finally relax, but she felt anything but. Her anxiety was high because of Marlin. She found herself feeling a sharp pain in her chest when she thought of him. She had never intended to hurt him, or to fall in love with him. She still hadn't been able to talk to him since they'd arrived back in town.
"Jillian," her father said. She looked up at him. "I don't think I need to tell you how much of a crapshoot this case is." He looked irritated. Jill suppressed the urge to respond. She knew that the way her emotions were at the moment, she was going to get angry. Her father would only use that against her.
"Is there something you need?" Jill asked. She forced her voice to remain calm.
"Yes, I need you to wrap this case up quickly," he responded.
"Most the agents are at Claire's farm, that's where the drugs were being produced. They're bagging and tagging everything as we speak," Jill answered.
"What's this I hear about you talking to Claire about a deal?" He asked.
"I never promised anything."
"You're not authorized to make those decisions." Jill stopped. Her father could never say anything positive. She has managed to bring in two hostages alive, and take down Bob's operation, and still all he found were the flaws. Jill was not sure why it even surprised her anymore. Her father was not the type of man to dole out compliments.
"I'm almost done here," Jill responded changing the subject to something less volatile.
"We will have a conversation later about your performance on this case," he said. He turned and walked away. In that moment Jill questioned everything that she had done to bring her to this moment. Her future with the agency; did she even really care if she had one?
Marlin sat waiting in a small hospital room. Because the shortage of doctor's high number of patients, he was being pushed back. He didn't have anything seriously wrong with him, but everyone had insisted he needed an evaluation before he was allowed to leave. Finally the door opened and Nurse Elli stepped in.
"Well hello there," Elli greeted. "Sorry about that wait, I just want to check some vital signs and make sure you're okay."
"Lot of fuss over nothing," Marlin grumbled.
"You've been through quite a bit," Elli stated. She quickly got to work.
Finally after being released, it was well into night. There was no point in trying to get back to the valley. Marlin instead opted to head to the Inn. He was surprisingly hungry and very exhausted. He stepped into the Inn, and saw a dining room packed with agents in suits. At the bar Jill sat drinking a glass of bourbon, she looked different in a suit with her hair pulled back in a bun. So this was Jill the agent? While everyone else was talking loudly and seemed to be celebrating, she was by herself. Unfortunately for Marlin, Ann was behind the bar, which meant he'd have to go near Jill to tell her he needed a room. He took a deep breath and walked over.
"Good evening Ann," Marlin greeted. He could feel Jill's gaze on him, but he ignored it. "Need a room if you have one."
"Only one left!" Ann said. "It's your lucky day!" She handed him the key.
"Thanks." Marlin turned to head towards his room without so much as looking at Jill.
Jill watched as Marlin walked away ignoring her. She wondered what he would think if he knew that his room had an adjoining door to hers. She knew this because it was the room her father had been in, and he had left shortly after their less than pleasant conversation. It was nearing midnight, and Jill decided that she was going to call it a night too. She paid her bar tab, then made her way upstairs to her room.
As she lay in her bed, she couldn't help but think of Marlin. He was only a door away. She longed to feel his lips against hers, but she knew it was a futile longing. Her and Marlin were not going to have a happily ever after. After a few minutes of watching TV she attempted to sleep. Her sleep was haunted and filled with nightmares.
The next morning was a somber one for Jill. It was going up be her last day on this island. She was going to head back to the valley to pack up, then she'd be leaving forever. It was painful to think that. As she was exiting the room, she ran into Marlin who was leaving his.
"Hi," Jill greeted.
"Hi," came Marlin's stiff reply.
"For what it's worth I'm sorry," Jill stated.
"You think that matters? Do you think that changes anything? Shit Jill you can't just say sorry! Was any of it even real?" Marlin asked.
"Mar-"
"You know what? I don't even want to know! Goodbye Jill," Marlin growled. His anger showed clearly on his face. Jill let him leave and said nothing more. She owed him that much.
"Goodbye Marlin," she whispered.