Chapter 64: U-Turn
Their decision was taken. In fact, it was more Jim's one but he only validated it because he agreed on it with Chris and this morning when they woke up, they felt a little lighter. But also nervous and nostalgic. Their decision was nothing but simple, but it was necessary and Jim was happy to take it easy and take care of the boys.
"So you can rise!" He couldn't stop telling this. She had already risen, she had been the first woman to integrate SWAT. She had opened doors for her fellow colleagues and she had been chosen as best sniper of SWAT by Hicks. She didn't need to rise more. She didn't know how to be honest. She had paved the way to more equality in SWAT. Hicks had heard her, helped her to work on a better way to select and evaluate cadets.
Alicia and Nora were now in active duties at SWAT, Erika had been. Could still be if… She stopped her mind flow to restrain her tears. She will always miss her, this woman who had been like a sister to her. Still was even if she was not there anymore.
"Maybe we could tell about our decision to everyone during the boys's party? Like yeahhh twins are one year old and actually, I'm leaving SWAT active duty for the academy. Happy birthday!"
Jim got her out of her dreams. She turned to him with a faint smile. He was holding Aaron and Nate in his arms.
"Hey! You're all up!" She came closer to drop a kiss on each of her boys's head and one last on Jim's mouth.
"No way, we couldn't let Mama leave without hugging her!" Jim dropped his sons on the ground who ran as they could to embrace her mom. She took some minutes to smell their so special perfume.
"See you tonight, Mama. Kick some bottom for us!" Jim told Chris with a mischievous smile on his face.
She laughed at the joke, letting go of her kids, telling them she'll be back tonight to put them in bed.
"You really thought I'll forget about you?" She walked to him and kissed him slowly, ending it by putting her forehead against his. "See you tonight… Miss you three already."
"Miss you more." He stole one last kiss before she left home. She was about to be late.
"Mama's gone. "Aaron told as Chris closed the door.
"Yeah, son. Today, it's just you, Nate and Daddy! Men's day! And what about a good milk bottle to start the day?"
The two boys nodded to their daddy, with a big smile on their faces. It was gonna be a great day.
[…]
Days spent fast, Street finally got an appointment with Hicks. He didn't explain why, he just told him he needed to see within the next few days.
"Would you like me to come with you?" Chris asked shyly tonight.
The house was quiet, kids were asleep, Diablo was lying at their feet and they were enjoying the silence to watch a movie, cuddled against each other, under a blanket.
"Guess, it's best if I go on my own. Explaining my reasons. Father to father. Just a clear and open-minded talk." He kissed her head. "Won't be mad at me?"
She raised her head to look at him in the eyes, grinning at his face. "No… I'm proud of the man you've become, Long Beach…"
He blushed to the compliment. Even after all these years next to him, she still surprised him. She placed her head again his chest again, as she was before. Letting her arm go around his waist. He hugged her tightly.
"Won't be there if it wasn't for you, C. You're the reason I've become a better man, every single day."
He dropped another kiss on her head. And this time, it was Chris who blushed. She might have helped him to have become a better man, he definitively taught her to accept who she really was by his way to always believing in her skills.
Three days after, it was finally the day Street met Hicks to tell him about his project. This morning, when he changed into tactical gear, he was a little nervous. But he kept all for himself. He didn't want a single word to his colleague till Hicks agreed to let him go.
He worked as he used to do. He caught some criminals, tidied 50-Squad stuff with Kotonin, who told him about his son soon going to university to study law. Cleaned guns, did some muscles work. At the time of the appointment, he slipped away to his duty and walked till Hicks's office.
He knocked at the door. Hicks was still on the phone, talking hardly and passionately.
"I can come..." He started whispering. He was cut by Hicks who waved at him, telling him to sit in the sofa and wait for him there. He hung up ten minutes later and joined him.
"Sorry for the waiting but the commissioner was not really cooperative today. He wants to give orders but he doesn't understand a single thing about work on field! Anyway, you wanted to see me, I'm listening!"
Hicks sat in the sofa next to Street who was fidgeting with his hands to try to make the stress get away. Spoiler alert: it didn't work. But at least it made him feel as he tried something.
"In fact, I'd like to talk to you about an idea I had a couple of weeks ago, and then there was this informal meeting and then we talked with Chris and…"
"Easy, easy, kid!" Hicks calmed Street down. He could feel his stress spreading through the room and it was not a good thing. "Let's start from the beginning."
Street nodded at Hicks and took a deep breath. He told him how it was complicated for Chris and him since they came back at work, to handle both SWAT shifts and the kids. That it was even more difficult since he was back in 50-Squad and that Chris's and his shifts were different.
"Of course, Chris's aunt helps us a lot by keeping the boys at home. She cooks for us, even does the cleaning, the laundry as often as she can. But she's not so young and we don't want her to lose some of her own family time because she spends all her time to help us. It's not fair, for either of us. Including the kids who don't often see both of their parents at the same time… Don't know if they realize anything yet but one thing is clear, they will sooner or later. And I don't want my kids to suffer because I put my job over them. I can't…"
Hicks came closer to him and tapped his shoulder. He didn't say a word, just repeated the same move, letting him he understood him. Street swallowed hard to find the courage to go further.
"Last week, I was called by a SWAT Academy training official. He was looking for a new chief instructor at the Academy. He told me that my profile really interested him. That I was the perfect candidate for the job, that they were looking for change, for new blood to give another image to the Academy. To start a new project with new, young, motivated recruits to make the process less unfair, more balanced, more impartial."
Hicks listened attentively to Street, analyzing every word, every move of this kid he knew for long years now. He was not the carefree, arrogant kid he was when he came to SWAT at first. He had grown into a responsible, attentive man, ready to sacrifice for his family. And he was proud of the path he had been through.
"And you took the job?" He asked calmly.
"No. I told him I'll think about it. That I didn't close the door to this option but that I needed to talk about it with my wife first. I couldn't take this decision for both of us. It was too huge, too important, too life-changing. I talked about it with Chris closely after this. At first, she refused. She didn't want me to sacrifice my career over hers. She didn't understand why I was tempted to accept, why me and not her and she was afraid I took it to save her career. Of course, not. It was my idea, for several months to be honest. And this impromptu meeting, it was a sign from… I don't know the universe, that I had to do it. For the boys. For Chris. For our family…."
"And what did Chris say?"
"She eventually accepted the idea. Even if she still had the impression, still has, that I do this for saving her career…"
"Isn't it the case?"
"No… I really want to spend more time with my kids… I don't want to just be a passing dad, being there between two shifts, still running to get things done. I want to be there to see them grow up. And I don't want to be like... You know. I really want to be there. 100%... And Chris, she's an amazing mom but she's also an amazing SWAT officer. She's a gem. One of a kind. She's on her way to do great things. She'll be a SWAT Squad leader, I'm sure of this when I'm more a follower. I hear the orders and I obey. Chris, she analyzes things, she's two, three steps ahead. She anticipates things, moves…"
"I know what you want to say… Alonso has all the skills to become a team leader. I can confirm that. Just miss some skills but she should acquire soon. Judging by her ability to learn and reproduce things on the field. You're right, she's a natural!"
"Tell her every day but she doesn't believe me, answering it's already a lot she was the first female officer at SWAT. She's too humble to recognize her power, her strength, her skills. Fortunately, others will and I know she'll rise."
Hicks nodded to Street's last words. The carefree boy who arrived in his life like a tsunami almost 6 years ago was now a wise man.
"So you're leaving active duty? Your decision is definitive?"
Street nodded and smiled. He was leaving. Was he sad? A little. In fact, this is the atmosphere, he will miss the most. But he was not far away. He will still be working for SWAT, he will just train the rookies who will go on the field. He will always see his colleagues and friends as the training was taking place at SWAT HQ. He didn't see this as leaving but more as reinventing his job.
"Yes, Leaving active duty. But still be around. Don't get wrong with this, you won't get rid of me so easily. My famiily needs stability and it implies one of their parents has to take a more stable job while their mom is kicking ass. As she knows to do so well. And to be honest, I'm not bitter. I even am honored they thought about me to train the recruits. Especially when you know the recruit I was."
Hicks laughed as he heard Street's last sentence.
"Proof that anyone can change for the best!"
"Living proof!"
Hicks became more serious. "Time to do the paper work. Should be effective in a couple of weeks. Let you the time to announce the news to your teammates and friends."
Street nodded and gave him a faint smile. "Will be done soon, Commander. By the way, are you available on next weekend? Chris and I organize the twins's first birthday. We'll be glad if you can come. Buck will be there too…."
"My pleasure, Street. You can count on me!"
On his way back, he saw Chris. She was staring at him, anxiously. She was with 20-Squad, probably debriefing their last mission but he knew she wasn't listening to Hondo, Tan, Luca, Alicia or Deac now. Her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking of him, of the moment he had spent with Hicks. He looked at her, discreetly waving at her, before nodding and smiling. It was done.
She got the message the moment she saw his face and smiled back at him. She waved back, secretly and dived into her team's talk. It was done, she was relieved but also scared to see Street let go of SWAT like this. Even if he said he did this for the kids, she also knew he did it for her, and she could never thank him enough for this.