Jack POV:
This has been the morning from hell. After the fight I had with Maria—and Hannah overhearing—I literally ran into someone when I was leaving the apartment. He happened to be carrying a hot coffee with him, which landed on my suit and burned the hell out of me. Luckily, I wasn't too far away, so I went back inside to get changed.
The second time—on my way into work—I nearly got run over trying to get into my car. Then pulling out into traffic, I almost hit a kid on a bike.
If that wasn't bad enough, someone hit my car at the traffic light outside the federal building. Thankfully, there wasn't any damage, but it still makes for a shitty day.
I head inside my office, catching sight of Samantha and Vivian working at their desks. Sam looks disappointed and I can't blame her. She's probably pissed at me for leaving and not saying goodbye.
I let out a sigh. There isn't an easy way to right any of the wrongs that have been made. I hang up my coat and take a seat at my desk.
"Jack?" Samantha pokes her head in. "Do you have a minute?"
"Yeah." I run a hand through my still damp hair and she comes inside.
"I need your signature on this."
She hands me the paper. "What is it?" I question, glancing down and seeing a Request of Transfer Application staring at me. As if my day couldn't get any worse.
"Sam?" I eye the chair, but she refuses to sit down.
"My sister called this morning. She's sick and needs someone to watch her little girl."
"Then take a few days off. You have the time."
"Jack," her eyes meet mine. "Please don't make this any harder than it has to be."
"Fine." I sign the form and shove it back towards her.
She looks as though she could cry. Who am I kidding? I'm not exactly being the most comforting guy. I'm fairly confident the story about her sister is a lie, since she hasn't spoken to her sister in years. But what if it were the truth? I close my eyes and hear the door shut as she leaves the office.
I glance towards the blinds, watching as she heads down the hall, presumably to Van Doren's office to turn in the application.
A few minutes later my phone rings.
"Malone."
"Jack, can I see you in my office?" I hear Paula Van Doren's voice and watch as Samantha carries a box and heads towards her desk to pack her things.
"Yeah, I'm on my way." I hang up the phone and slip out of the office. I notice Danny talking to Samantha and I make my way towards Van Doren's office.
"Jack, take a seat."
She glances down at the application Samantha brought her.
"I can't believe how easily you let her go. I never thought you had it in you."
"What?"
"To give up so easily."
"You think that's what I'm doing?" I retort.
"I don't believe she wants to leave and her last chance was hoping you'd stop her. Since that didn't happen, I submitted her request. I've given her two weeks leave in the meantime and I've arranged for her to transfer to the Chicago Field Office—at her request. Apparently there was an opening, so she lucked out. I told her to go home and start packing."
I let out a frustrated sigh and head for the door.
"Jack."
"Yeah?" I turn around once more.
"I hope things work out for you and for Samantha."
"Thanks Paula." I make my way down the hall, watching as Samantha boxes up all her personal belongings.
Her back is to me, but I know she can feel me watching.
I move towards her desk and she continues to ignore me.
"I hope you're happy in Chicago," I tell her.
She spins around to face me, her eyes never wavering.
"It's for the best," she answers and turns back around to finish packing her things. Danny glances over towards us and gives me a disapproving stare. "I should get going. I need to pack what I can at home."
"You flying? I can drive you to the airport."
"Thanks, but I'm driving. I'll need my car."
"In the city?"
"You'd be surprised," she answers. "Besides, I'll probably drive up to visit my mom. She's not that far away."
"That'll be nice."
"Yeah," she whispers, although she doesn't sound thrilled with the idea.
I head back into my office. I don't know what to do. I never meant for things to turn out this way and to go this far. I hadn't anticipated Sam requesting a transfer. If only I hadn't said anything in the first place. If only she hadn't seen the application. I let out a sigh and take a seat at my desk, watching as she gives Danny a hug goodbye, then Vivian and Martin.
She grabs her box and heads towards my office.
"Bye, Jack." She doesn't step inside and I don't force her. If she wants to leave, fine. What right do I have—telling her how to live her life?
This has been the morning from hell. After the fight I had with Maria—and Hannah overhearing—I literally ran into someone when I was leaving the apartment. He happened to be carrying a hot coffee with him, which landed on my suit and burned the hell out of me. Luckily, I wasn't too far away, so I went back inside to get changed.
The second time—on my way into work—I nearly got run over trying to get into my car. Then pulling out into traffic, I almost hit a kid on a bike.
If that wasn't bad enough, someone hit my car at the traffic light outside the federal building. Thankfully, there wasn't any damage, but it still makes for a shitty day.
I head inside my office, catching sight of Samantha and Vivian working at their desks. Sam looks disappointed and I can't blame her. She's probably pissed at me for leaving and not saying goodbye.
I let out a sigh. There isn't an easy way to right any of the wrongs that have been made. I hang up my coat and take a seat at my desk.
"Jack?" Samantha pokes her head in. "Do you have a minute?"
"Yeah." I run a hand through my still damp hair and she comes inside.
"I need your signature on this."
She hands me the paper. "What is it?" I question, glancing down and seeing a Request of Transfer Application staring at me. As if my day couldn't get any worse.
"Sam?" I eye the chair, but she refuses to sit down.
"My sister called this morning. She's sick and needs someone to watch her little girl."
"Then take a few days off. You have the time."
"Jack," her eyes meet mine. "Please don't make this any harder than it has to be."
"Fine." I sign the form and shove it back towards her.
She looks as though she could cry. Who am I kidding? I'm not exactly being the most comforting guy. I'm fairly confident the story about her sister is a lie, since she hasn't spoken to her sister in years. But what if it were the truth? I close my eyes and hear the door shut as she leaves the office.
I glance towards the blinds, watching as she heads down the hall, presumably to Van Doren's office to turn in the application.
A few minutes later my phone rings.
"Malone."
"Jack, can I see you in my office?" I hear Paula Van Doren's voice and watch as Samantha carries a box and heads towards her desk to pack her things.
"Yeah, I'm on my way." I hang up the phone and slip out of the office. I notice Danny talking to Samantha and I make my way towards Van Doren's office.
"Jack, take a seat."
She glances down at the application Samantha brought her.
"I can't believe how easily you let her go. I never thought you had it in you."
"What?"
"To give up so easily."
"You think that's what I'm doing?" I retort.
"I don't believe she wants to leave and her last chance was hoping you'd stop her. Since that didn't happen, I submitted her request. I've given her two weeks leave in the meantime and I've arranged for her to transfer to the Chicago Field Office—at her request. Apparently there was an opening, so she lucked out. I told her to go home and start packing."
I let out a frustrated sigh and head for the door.
"Jack."
"Yeah?" I turn around once more.
"I hope things work out for you and for Samantha."
"Thanks Paula." I make my way down the hall, watching as Samantha boxes up all her personal belongings.
Her back is to me, but I know she can feel me watching.
I move towards her desk and she continues to ignore me.
"I hope you're happy in Chicago," I tell her.
She spins around to face me, her eyes never wavering.
"It's for the best," she answers and turns back around to finish packing her things. Danny glances over towards us and gives me a disapproving stare. "I should get going. I need to pack what I can at home."
"You flying? I can drive you to the airport."
"Thanks, but I'm driving. I'll need my car."
"In the city?"
"You'd be surprised," she answers. "Besides, I'll probably drive up to visit my mom. She's not that far away."
"That'll be nice."
"Yeah," she whispers, although she doesn't sound thrilled with the idea.
I head back into my office. I don't know what to do. I never meant for things to turn out this way and to go this far. I hadn't anticipated Sam requesting a transfer. If only I hadn't said anything in the first place. If only she hadn't seen the application. I let out a sigh and take a seat at my desk, watching as she gives Danny a hug goodbye, then Vivian and Martin.
She grabs her box and heads towards my office.
"Bye, Jack." She doesn't step inside and I don't force her. If she wants to leave, fine. What right do I have—telling her how to live her life?