Hello everyone! I am back! :D Finals are over so I finally have some time to myself again so I'm starting with Lawless :D This chapter takes place outside Franklin and the next one probably will to but I hope you like it :D I am working on updating my others too so don't worry about that :D I have also been thinking of a lot of other ideas like perhaps a Gangster Squad one, maybe a prequel of Jerry during the war or something :D that would be something I'd like to start so if you don't want to miss out add me to your author subscription :) So that's all for now, I hope you're all keeping well and sure there we go, thanks to everyone for being so patient and understand, I really appreciate it you guys! Love 3 xoxo ~Sailor

I sat for the rest of the night in the station, the light occasionally flickering over my head. I suppose on some level what I did to cricket was perhaps too far…no it wasn't, it was necessary. My thought process was interrupted when I heard light footsteps outside the station. Forrest was probably coming back to apologise or shout some more. But Jerry appeared behind the mesh part of the door.

"Jerry what are you doing here?" I muttered, my voice cracking due to exhaustion.

"I saw the light was still on from my hotel and I wanted to see if Forrest had left"

"Yea he left after losing his head over this Cricket thing"

"Deputy…you shouldn't feel bad for what you did, it was necessary" he said stepping in and sitting on the desk where I was resting my legs.

"I know…it's just maybe we don't understand how these country folk work"

"Of course we don't!" he laughed. "We come from a modern society and thank God. If I had to live here, I'd have to kill myself"

"I know, you're right Jerry"

"Really? You're starting to sound like maybe you wouldn't mind living here" he said quietly.

"What?" I stuttered.

"Just the way you've been going on lately Deputy" he said treading carefully knowing his job was on the line.

"No, there is nothing that would keep me here" I snapped, but unfortunately I did not fully believing it. Forrest was still bugging me.

Jerry was silent for a few minutes and I began to hear the birds starting to chirp indicating the morning starting to creep up on us.

"Hey Deputy I have an idea. How about we go back up to the city…"

"We can't leave yet Jerry I already told you this"

"No how about just for the weekend. Yea, we'll take the weekend off, head back up to Chicago have some fun and come back on Monday"

"I don't know Jerry…"

"Come on, you need some fun in your life. Since we got here all we've been doing is working"

"I don't know…"

"Come on" he smiled down at me.

Then something clicked in my head.

"Yea you're right, fuck it let's go"

"Yea that's it!" he grinned. "Friday we'll drive up. Now, come on I'll walk you back to your hotel" he smiled offering his hand.

Yea Jerry was right, I needed some time to relax for a while and going home does sound like fun. Getting all dolled up and a night on the town to shake off the dust and stress of this place was exactly what I needed.

Friday, mid-afternoon Jerry knocked on my office door with a cheeky grin on his face. I knew he was itching to get back to the bright lights of the city but it didn't mean we were going to take an early day off work. He closed the door as quietly as he could after him so as not to draw unnecessary attention, mainly from the local boys.

"Jerry…"

"We leaving soon?" he grinned.

"It's only an hour past lunch" I laughed.

"Yea but we'll beat the traffic!"

I opened another file ignoring his tempting offer.

"C'mon, we'll tell them we're chasing down some lead"

I nodded my head but I couldn't help but smile and he knew he had me.

"But I haven't even packed yet"

"That's fine; we'll drop by the hotel on the way. I'm sure you don't need a lot of stuff you've probably left all your nice dresses back at home because, well why would you need them here?"

"That's true"

I closed over the file and tied the desk while Jerry tried to calm himself but the excitement was getting to him, he could barely stand still.

"Jerry, contain yourself" I said as I rested my hand on the door handle ready to lie to everyone. "We're not going to lie very convincingly if you look that excited about going to hunt down a lead"

He eventually composed himself and we headed out the door.

"Ok, could everyone please gather around?"

The conversation ceased and all that could be heard was the occasional gush of tobacco being spat onto the floor.

"Stop spitting that shit on the ground" I growled. "Now, officer Winters and I are leaving early because we have just got a lead straight off the presses and since I don't trust most of you do track it down given your history I am personally going to sniff it out. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

One hick raised his hand, of course.

"If you're going early does that mean we can too?"

Since Cricket none of them have been too interested in doing any more work for me than they have to.

"Let's clarify. If you had of been listening you would know I'm not leaving early, I'm putting in more hours in fact. So that means that you're all staying the rest of the day are we clear? And if I get word that anyone has left early" I sneered "you will never work in this county again. Do I make myself clear?"

They nodded among some nervous coughing.

"Alright then. I'll probably see you all on Monday then, have a nice weekend"

I walked out the front door with Jerry hot on my heels. We hopped into his car, picked up a few things at our hotel and we're off along the main road back to the city.

I didn't realise but I soon fell asleep in the car mid conversation with Jerry. It was an odd sense of easement that suddenly washed over me. Maybe it was the familiarity of everything as the car drove further and further into the bustling city but I awoke as soon as we hit the first traffic jam.

Jerry lived in an apartment block a few blocks away so he said he'd drop me at my place to get changed and leave the car at his place then get a cab back up before we hit the town.

I opened my door to my apartment and took a deep breath, I was home. I opened my wardrobe and saw all my dresses hung up properly and neat. No dust or anything. I heard a loud series of beeps coming from downstairs and looked out the window to find two cab drivers shouting at each other as their cars stood bumper to bumper and it brought a smile to my face. I would miss all of this if I moved out to the sticks with Forrest. I can't believe I ever contemplated the idea. Then the familiar voices from the couple next door, who I had never met, arguing and I knew I was definitely at home again.

After a quick bath and change with my make up on perfectly for the first time in months, I heard a knock on my door. I opened it and saw Jerry's eyes widen and the slit up the side of my skirt revealing more leg than I had ever shown when out in the country.

"That's more like it! Make up and a dress, that's the Florence I remember" he smiled. "You don't look good with that constant layer of dust on you" he laughed.

"Yea, I guess not" I laughed nervously as I slipped my arm under his and we walked out into the florescent never ending lights.

Ten minutes later we were sitting in a jazz club listening to music that will never reach Forrest's neck of the woods while I sipped cocktails and Jerry gulped his bourbon and let the smoke from his cigarette billow slowly from his mouth and nostrils. The local police were scattered around nodding and waving in our direction and Jerry smiled and returned their waves before one stumbled over to him.

"Jer man, where have you been?"

"Been working in the sticks with the Deputy"

"We've missed you down at MCU"

I took this break in conversation from Jerry to light a cigarette. I have to admit I wasn't having as much fun as I had thought. I suppose it was just the start of the night, I had to give it a chance. Eventually, that drunken cop hobbled away and our conversation started back up. Soon, I could see Jerry's eyes begin to droop drunkenly and I was feeling slightly numb myself.

"So come on Florence, tell." Laughed Jerry as he stubbed out his smoke.

"Tell what"

"What's with the lack of boyfriends keeping you here instead of letting your work control your life?"

I didn't say anything, just quietly sipped my drink. But Jerry wasn't letting up.

"No, your hard assed approach won't get you out of this"

"I don't know…maybe it's because guys can't deal with the fact I have a high powered job and I won't sit at home all day washing tea cups"

"Wow."

"What?"

"Nothing…well no, I can understand why some guys would be intimidated by your power…but I for one…" he slurred, his hand slowly snaking across the table to mine "find nothing sexier than a woman you have to salute to in the morning"

"Jerry you're just saying that" I laughed sipping more.

"I'm not I swear!" he said looking jokingly horrified.

I just laughed while he pulled all sort of faces and the band started up again with their slow set.

"C'mon, I didn't bring you out to just sit around for all the other guys to stare and be jealous. We gotta dance" he smiled stumbling to his feet and taking my hand.

He brought me out into the middle of the floor and I noticed everyone's eyes were on us. I rested my head against his chest as we swayed slowly. He smelled like rich aftershave, not the mustiness I was used to from the last man I got this close to. I could feel the polyester of his suit jacket against my cheek and I could smell the oil in his hair. He was so clean cut and well groomed. I could hear him humming in my ear and whispering softly. This should be what I was looking for in a man…and it was it, it has to be. This was the proper and natural way my life should be progressing, with a guy like Jerry...right?