Chapter Twenty-One

Innocence Proven

The lights of towboats, fireboats, and National Guard boats flickered in the Hudson Bay, playing upon the flickering waters. Jackie leaned against the snow-covered railing shivering a bit, gazing out into the city. At first she didn't notice the shadow coming up behind her until a gloved hand suddenly came to rest on the coin-operated telescope beside her. She looked around in surprise, exhaling sharply when she saw who it was.

"Professor," she said softly. "How did you find me?"

"The combined intuition of your café friends," he said, taking off his jacket and draping it around her shoulders. "Not dressed for this sort of outing, I see."

"I just needed to go somewhere to think. I find it so hard to do in this city, all bustle and go. I can't imagine what I'm doing living here."

"If you could be anywhere, where would you be?" Mycoft asked softly, leaning against the rail.

"I don't know, just not here," Jacqueline said, choking back tears when she noticed Mycrofts' scrutiny. "Mark knew about the pills."

"The night pills?" Mycroft asked quietly.

"He said Erascus wanted me not to have to worry about dreams for awhile. He said he went along with it because he thought it was best," Jacqueline said.

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Jacqueline said, angry tears finally appearing. Mycroft slowly put an arm around her, straightening the coat as a pretense. "How can I believe anything they say? For that matter, how can I believe you? You've lied to me too."

"I don't want you to believe in me, Jacqueline," Mycroft said. "I want you to believe in yourself. Nothing else really matters at this point."

"How can I when I don't even know myself?" she demanded.

"Jacqueline, do you know what you want out of life?" Mycroft asked.

"What do I want?" Jacqueline said. "To be more than what I am! To not be under everyone's thumb, and to be able to discover for myself who I really am without interference from anyone! Perhaps even to learn to love again, because that's something I've not felt since I woke up, but I did once."

"For Mark?" Mycroft asked quietly.

"No, no, that's impossible," Jacqueline said with a grimace. "Because I don't love him now, I know that. What I've lost isn't the sort that would just die because my memories gave me a change of heart, because a heart doesn't forget. It's more like… I suppose it's like what you were talking about, Professor, about your wife," she said in almost a whisper. He nodded slowly. "I've lost something too, I know that now. It's like a huge ache that seems to increase with every day. Something that no one is telling me about," she said gazing at him. There was something about the look that he was giving her that was heart-wrenching in itself, although she wasn't quite sure why; his face was frosted by more than the falling slow. "Can you help me?"

"In what way?" he asked quietly.

"Help me find out what it is they're not saying. Help me find out what I've lost," Jacqueline said pleadingly. "Erascus certainly won't, and Mark... I don't think Mark can."

Mycroft looked out over the bay silently for while, aware that she had moved in closer to him on her own, still looking at him with those pleading eyes that he knew he couldn't meet without losing his restraint completely.

"Perhaps it's something we both can find together," he said at last. Jacqueline's expression turned to one of surprise and sudden realization, still staring at him when he finally dared to look back over at her. "But first, let's get you home. Everyone is worried, and Mark is afraid that Erascus might find out if we don't get you home soon."

"Mark said that?" Jacqueline said with surprise, letting him guide her away from the rail.

"I wouldn't lie to you about something like that," Mycroft snorted. "I'm sure he got what he deserved for whatever it was that happened tonight."

"I guess he was only doing what he thought was best for me," Jacqueline said cautiously. "But it doesn't change the fact that I believe he's not right for me."

"What a coincidence, I believe the same thing," Mycroft said expressionlessly. "So I suppose that means you believe in something after all, doesn't it?" he added. Jacqueline gave him a warm smile as they walked out of the park together.

Jacqueline was at the café early the next morning, immediately having Sally and Rob fuss over her about the night before.

"It's all right, it's all right," she insisted, sitting down at the bar. "Mark wasn't angry at me for getting mad at him. In fact, he just seemed relieved and apologetic, and I don't think he told Erascus what happened either."

"I can't believe you took off like that, it's not like you," Sally scolded. "It's a good thing the Professor found you. He left us a note letting us know you were all right."

"Ugh, I didn't mean to worry everyone here! And I suppose I'll have to make it up to Tony that he lost a night of work because of me," Jacqueline realized.

"No one forced any of us to go look. We went on our own," Sally said, filling her cup.

Just then the door opened and Tony came in, looking around worriedly. Jacqueline hopped off her stool and went over to him, hugging the slightly embarrassed driver.

"They told me you went to look for me! I'm sorry I worried you!" Jacqueline apologized quickly.

"Who found you, can I ask you that?" Tony said.

"Professor Doyle did, why?" she asked with a frown.

"When do you get back?" he asked.

"To the house? About ten-thirty or eleven, why?"

Tony broke out in laughter.

"There you have it! Boy do I feel like an idiot! It's not him!" he said, shaking her shoulders happily with a smile.

"What?" Jennifer asked in surprise.

"The robberies. One happened last night just before ten o'clock. Where were you?"

"Well, we were just leaving the park, actually," Jacqueline said, brightening. "Are you really sure there was one last night?"

"Yep, same MO and everything. It's not the Professor!" Tony declared.

"Thank goodness! I was beginning to wonder if anyone around here was trustworthy!" Jacqueline said with relief.

"Hey!" Rob said. "What about us?"

"And me?" Tony added teasingly.

"Present company excepted," Jacqueline protested, the three of them grinning at her. "How about a round of coffee to celebrate, on me of course!"

"Oh no, I'm paying for the coffee," Sally insisted.

"Hey, if you're paying that means I'm paying," Rob said, hands on hips.

"Well that's the best part of it," Sally said back, pouring them all cups. "So um, what did you and the Professor talk about, anyhow?"

"Oh, Mark, mostly," Jacqueline said, stirring her coffee absently. "He was very understanding. In fact, in some ways I think he seems to understand me better than anyone. He knows what it's like to lose part of himself," she murmured.

Sally and Tony didn't say anything for a while, watching Jacqueline getting completely lost in stirring her coffee before exchanging a glance between each other.

"Nothing like an evening walk in the park to figure out what's important in life, eh?" Tony asked. Jacqueline nodded absently, taking the spoon out and looking at her reflection in it before stirring the coffee again.

"Maybe he's the burglar after all," Sally murmured to Rob when she picked up a plate at the kitchen window.

"He sure seems to have stolen something, hasn't he?" Rob agreed. "Speak of the devil, here he comes now."

In fact, Mycroft was already making his way to the bar. Jacqueline looked up startled when he sat down beside her, then smiled warmly at him.

"Good morning," he said. "Everything all right at home?"

"Yes, all right. And we both decided we've had enough of this Friday fiasco thing," Jacqueline said. "From now on if we go out, we're coming here and just relaxing. No more fancy stuff."

"Hallelujah," Sally said. "Mark may be a wet blanket sometimes, but he's nicer being himself instead of trying to show off."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Jacqueline said, sipping her coffee then grimacing. "My coffee's cold."

"Well don't blame me, you're the one daydreaming this morning," Sally said.

"Thinking about anything in particular?" Mycroft asked her thoughtfully, noticing the color rising to her cheeks.

"No, it's nothing," Jacqueline said. Sally smiled at her. "Just thinking how strange things have been lately is all."

"Since when are things normal around here?" Tony chuckled, waving at Emma who came in frantic. But it was too late to wave her off as she came up to the bar.

"Did you hear? There was another robbery last night! Close by, too," Emma said. "Who would guess he'd come over this way, eh? They'll be searching the area, I hear."

"Emma, it's all right," Sally chuckled.

"Settle down, Emma, it isn't him," Tony agreed. Emma glanced over at Mycroft nervously. Mycroft was looking puzzledly at the old woman when he realized that he was the only one who was puzzled. In fact, Jacqueline seemed to be hiding her face behind one hand as she stirred her coffee.

"Might I ask exactly whom they're searching for and who it is that 'him' refers to?" Mycroft asked suspiciously. The others looked at one another thoughtfully until one by one their eyes rested on Jacqueline. Reluctantly she looked over at Mycroft, whose face had the look of one who was putting together several pieces of a puzzle and was beginning to see the picture. "Jacqueline? Does this have something to do with fishing?"

"Someone show him the paper," Jacqueline said at last, still refusing to look at him in the eye as Sally went to the back and drew it out, the group of conspirators all looking slightly sheepish as they put the paper in front of him.

The moment his eyes reached the picture his jaw dropped and face paled, quickly scanning the article and accusations in disbelief.

"How long has this been going on?" he snapped. "Since this picture has been out?"

"Couple of weeks," Jacqueline admitted.

"A couple of weeks?" he repeated, standing up.

"Well, it was on the news first, but they re-released it everywhere recently," Jacqueline said.

"I knew those questions of yours were anything but innocent! You should have told me," Mycroft said with a scowl.

"Don't yell at her, Mycroft, you can't blame her for this. She was afraid you might be in trouble," Sally said.

"Yes, but none of us were going to turn you in," Emma offered. "At least not as long as you were seeing Jacqueline as it were."

"Emma!" Jacqueline said in shock. "Mycroft, I am sorry, but as you can see, it did look bad."

"Yes," Mycroft said, sighing with irritation. "No matter, I will take care of this. Perhaps I'll catch up with you at lunch, Jacqueline. At the deli."

"Do I get to order?" Jacqueline asked brightly.

"Only if you get there before I do," he challenged her, paying for his coffee and heading out the door.

"Goodness, another date, and this time it was his idea," Emma smiled enigmatically as he left. Jacqueline's cheeks turned pink again.

"He said perhaps," Jacqueline pointed out, getting up herself. "It doesn't mean he's actually going to be there."

"Leaving already?" Sally inquired.

"Of course, I'm going to go put in an order at Isaacs now while I have a chance," Jacqueline said. Emma tittered a bit, but Jacqueline ignored it, hurrying out the door.

"No doubt about it," Tony said, taking a sip of coffee. "If she wasn't gone on him before, she is now."

"Far gone," Sally agreed with a nod.

"So the question is, then, is he?" Rob asked, throwing bacon on the grill. Sally looked thoughtful and gazed at the door but didn't answer.

"I need to ask you to come down to the Ministry with me for questioning."

"Pardon me, Minister Brown, but exactly on what grounds do you want to question Professor Snape about?"

"On the grounds that we believe that Severus Snape was one of the last people to see Cornelius Fudge when he was alive. He was found dead in his house this morning and the evidence would suggest that he was murdered."

"That's absolutely ridiculous! My brother wouldn't murder anybody!"

"So, are you going to come along quietly? I for one would rather not make a big deal out of this in front of the students."

"Well, I'm going to go get Vallid!"

"Severus Snape? Being questioned for murder? How the mighty have fallen."

Mycroft was thinking back over some old memories as he stepped into the penthouse of a business high-rise. To the center was a long walnut desk with walnut doors to either side of it. Ivory couches were on both sides of the room, all unoccupied except one where a man wearing camera case wearing a press pass slept.

A thin old receptionist with thick glasses was answering several calls on a small switchboard box. She looked up at the tall Englishman in complete surprise and suspicion. He didn't look much like a politician or a reporter.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, would you please tell Judge Vallid that Professor Mycroft Doyle is here," he said.

"I'm sorry, Judge Vallid doesn't see anyone without an appointment. May I ask what the matter concerns?"

"I didn't ask to see her. I merely asked you to tell her that I am here," Mycroft pointed out.

"I have orders not to allow anyone to disturb her without an appointment either."

"Well, I find there are exceptions to every rule, and I am sure that if you do not tell her I am here, she will most definitely be put out," Mycroft said, not budging.

"Yes, that's what everyone says," she said skeptically but picked up the phone. "Mrs. Staple? Yes, I know, but there's a rather insistent gentlemen here that wants to be announced without an appointment. Yes, I told him that, too," the receptionist said, looking at her nails. "Professor Mycroft Doyle."

Mycroft drummed his fingers impatiently against the desk, despite the receptionist glaring at him.

"I don't have to do this, you know," the receptionist warned him.

"Yes you do, you just don't know it. Who's Mrs. Staple?"

"Vallid's undersecretary. She's checking with her personal secretary now," the receptionist explained. Mycroft rolled his eyes. Finally she turned her attention back to the phone a minute then leaned it against her shoulder. "You're not on any lists. Is there a message I can leave so that he can get back to you about at a more convenient time?"

"I have a message, although I would prefer to deliver it personally," Mycroft said, losing his temper. "It's called a fly-swatter."

"Ah," the receptionist said, turning back to the phone. "Hello, Christie? He used the 'F' word. Yeah, that one." A moment later she hung up, reaching for a magazine.

"Well?" Mycroft said impatiently.

"They're letting her know you are here," she said, then noticed a blinking light and picked up the phone again. "Huh. Guess you can go right in," the receptionist said with surprise as one of the walnut doors opened.

Swiftly he walked in, straight through a second waiting room where Mrs. Staple looked over at him thoughtfully, and then through an open door into a third waiting room where another secretary waited by a pair of open double doors, closing the doors behind him as he entered.

Lunette Vallid stood quickly from where she sat behind her desk, looking him over with an appraising eye and a sympathetic smile.

"Mycroft Doyle? Is that the best you could come up with?"

"You knew who it was, didn't you?" Severus said dryly.

"Nobody else would have picked that," she agreed. "Not to mention how few people know what my Animagus form is. You know, you actually look good in those glasses. But if you don't mind my saying so, your mind is reading like shredded Swiss cheese. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I have a problem I was wondering if you could fix," Severus said, tossing a paper at her.

"Ah, yes, this," Vallid said, glancing at his aghast expression. "Of course I knew, Severus, I was just reluctant to fix it considering who put this tip into the police."

"Let me guess. Erascus," Severus said.

"Yes, I think he was taking out a bit of insurance hoping that it'd give you trouble. Has it? No, just trouble with her, is that it?" Vallid asked.

"Would you please stop with the mind trick?" Severus said, rubbing his forehead.

"I can fix this, of course," Vallid said. "But the moment I do, Erascus is going to know someone is tampering. So how are you doing?" She waited patiently for him to answer but it didn't come, gazing at his face for a long time. "So well as all of that?" she said dryly, going over to the liquor cabinet.

"She still has some faith in Mark," Severus said at last.

"Yes, but she's in love with you," Vallid smiled at him. He shook his head.

"No, Jacqueline is love with Mycroft, someone who doesn't even exist," Severus murmured.

"Severus, I don't care if they do have her on drugs. Jennifer still has her Truth Seeker instincts. And even if she didn't, I would conjecture that Mycroft is in love with Jacqueline as well," Vallid said, handing him an anise wine.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Severus said. Vallid nodded, pouring herself a glass.

"Yes, because you're in love with your wife as well as Jacqueline. But if I can hazard a guess, I don't think this is a one-sided problem. On a subconscious level, I bet she's going through the same thing."

"She doesn't remember me, Vallid. There is no hint of recognition of me at all. Even her dreams seem to be about a boy, and not me."

"A boy? Who?" Vallid asked with interest.

"No idea. When it came up, I didn't have time to find out more," Severus grumbled.

"Hm. Well you know, if she were dreaming of you, I seriously doubt she would tell you, especially if she has feelings for you." Vallid said. "She didn't recognize Ratfly either?"

"No," Severus said, not even trying to hide his depression. "I'm tired of this charade. I even attempted to wish her back to her own self again, wish this was all over and that it'd all end up just being a nightmare, but as usual my wishes never seem to pan out to benefit myself." Vallid smiled at him sympathetically, patting his arm a bit. "She's searching now, she knows things are not right. But something tells me that it's too soon to try and bring her out of there yet."

"You have to follow your instincts on this, Severus. No one knows her like you do."

"I don't think I can hardly claim to know her better than anyone else now," Severus said soberly.

"Then who does, Mark?"

"Definitely not," Severus snorted.

"Erascus?"

"I hope not for her sake."

"Well then, as far as I'm concerned you're still the expert," Vallid said, swirling her wine a bit.

"Then if I'm such an expert, how is it that I cannot answer the one question that has been plaguing me since this whole thing started?" he asked.

"On whether or not she's still your wife?" Vallid said knowingly. Severus nodded somberly. "Well, I would think ultimately that's up to her and her alone, isn't it? But then that begs the question, can you let her go if you need to?" Severus didn't even begin to try and hide the grief and devastation he was feeling. It wasn't as if it would have done any good attempting to. "It's all right to hope for the best, Severus. Have a little faith in her. It's easier to believe in oneself if someone else believes too, you know," Vallid said gently. "You believing in yourself wouldn't hurt the situation either."

Severus nodded slowly, trying to get his composure back, thinking things through.

"I believe I still want the problem with the media fixed, Erascus or not," he said at last. "Perhaps if he thinks someone is onto him, he will slip up enough that Jacqueline will have no reservations left."

"All right. Consider it done," Vallid agreed, moving back over to the desk. "Anything else you need?"

"No. Thank you, for the wine as well," Severus said, standing and setting the glass on the table.

"Come by any time. And don't worry, I'll make sure they show you straight in next time," Vallid said, writing a memo to herself. "Oh and Severus, one last thing. It is all right, you know, to love Jacqueline for who she is right now too."

"I am not ready to give up hope on Jennifer yet," Severus said firmly.

"Of course you're not," Vallid smiled. "But getting her memories back isn't going to make her all the sudden forget what she's been doing since then. If Jennifer does come back, Jacqueline is coming with her." Severus stared at her a moment as if digesting that before leaving. Vallid inhaled deeply and let out a long, heartfelt sigh before pushing a button on a small box. "Get the chief of police up here please, and let Doctor Miller know I'll be late for our luncheon."