Chapter 4: Pinwheel – Jake

Jake threw his keys on the kitchen table of his apartment. The table was piled high with receipts, empty Gusher wrappers, a couple of whoopee cushions, and a lone pinwheel. Jake briefly thought that he would have a hard time finding his keys in the morning, but he pushed that thought aside and dragged himself to his shower.

The warm water was nice after the long day and he felt refreshed afterwards. He quickly changed into a pair of boxers and a ragged t-shirt he found on the ground, and then jumped into his bed. He stared at his ceiling. He was exhausted, but knew he wasn't going to sleep, at least not right away.

"Amy…" he thought and the cursed himself. He had done so well. He had finally gotten to the point where she wasn't the last thing he thought of before he went to bed and here he was, back at square one: lying in his bed and thinking of her.

Jake dragged both hands down his face and groaned. Why did she have such a hold on him? Why did he have the overwhelming impulse to tell her everything whenever she looked at him? He could slap himself for how dumb he was in the car with her today.

First, he acts like a god damn infant about how the case was hard, then he makes some cryptic remark about something Anna said about Preston, and then he stares at her stupid, beautiful eyes for years when she asks about it. He was coming undone and it'd only been two days. At least he wasn't stupid enough to say what he initially meant to. The reckless romantic in him was going to say something along the lines of "Anna said she thought Preston was the 'one' and that he was 'different', well you've always been like that. Since the first day we met, you were different" and then something about how he'd die without her or whatever.

Jake groaned again. Thank god his common sense came to the rescue and stopped him from saying that. How could he even get so close to saying it? He needed to stop that line of thinking, not encourage it.

Admittedly, it was hard, especially when reckless-romantic Jake was 100% telling the truth. Jake did have a weird feeling when he met Amy, a feeling that was much different from how any other girl had ever made him feel.

"Nervous about meeting your new partner, Peralta?" Terry asked, files in his hand and a smile on his face. Jake looked up at him from his desk and smiled back.

"Pft, nervous? No. It's not like we're going to be working together all that much anyway. I work better alone" Jake said, slapping on his best, arrogant grin.

"Oh, you're not going be able to pull off that whole 'Badass Cop Who Doesn't Need No Help From Nobody' thing with this one. I interviewed the girl, Peralta. She's gonna give you a run for your money" Terry said, his smile growing wider. Jake wasn't convinced and his face showed it.

"I highly doubt that Sarge. Just hope your new rookie doesn't quit in a week" Jake said. Terry gave him a knowing look, smiling as if he had a secret.

"This one ain't quittin', Peralta. In fact, she might solve your cases before you do" Terry said, which was just the right thing to say to get Jake revved up. He was about to comment when Boyle and two other cops brought in a massive perp.

"Charles! Is that the guy who kept stealing ceramic bulls?" Jake asked, remembering the case Boyle had been on for weeks.

"Yup! Ceramic bulls of New York City can sleep safe tonight" Boyle said as he and the other cops handcuffed him to Boyle's desk. The perp was about to rip his shirt, his muscles were so big. Jake wondered how they pinned him down in the first place.

"Well, thank god for that" Jake said, turning back to Terry to tell him off. He was stopped, however, by the sight of the elevator doors opening in the corner of his eye. He stared transfixed, as if his body knew this particular door-opening was monumental. The doors opened slowly. Had they always opened that slowly?

He saw her shoes first—sensible, low heels that led to her practical grey slacks that bled into her same-colored blazer, which covered a night-sky-blue blouse. When he finally saw her face, Jake involuntarily stood up. She was beautiful, sure, but it was more than that. He was sure he had never seen her in all his life, and yet he was certain he recognized her. It was like he was a mountain and she was an avalanche that dropped three thousand tons of snow onto his soul. She was an epiphany and he understood.

"I have to talk to her" he thought, starting towards her, but Terry got to her first. He smiled at her and shook her hand. She smiled back and Jake's heart stopped. He briefly wondered if he was sick. The last time he went to the doctor was six years ago.

As Terry and the woman talked, Terry made a vague reference towards Jake and stepped in his direction.

"Oh, god. They're coming over. Oh god oh god oh god. I didn't shower today. Oh my god" Jake thought as they approached.

"Jake! I want you to meet your new partner" Terry said, gesturing to the woman next to him, who was way prettier up close.

"My, what?" Jake asked. This was the rookie?

"Your partner. This is Detective Amy Santiago. Santiago, this will be your partner Detective Jacob Peralta. He's only been with the Nine-Nine for two years, but he has the best arrest record out of everyone in the precinct. I think you guys are going to make a great team. You have a lot to learn from each other" Terry said genuinely. Jake was still stunned by the news that this was his new partner. How could he concentrate with a huge beacon of light blinding him every five seconds? Still, he put his hand out for her to shake.

"Call me Jake" and a smile was all he was able to get out before she shook his hand. His hand burned from her touch and was also a little sore because, damn, that was a firm handshake. She had a glint in her eyes that said "I'm gonna pound your dumb record into the ground". Maybe Terry was right about this girl giving him a run for his money.

"It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. Can't wait to get to work" she said and this time she smiled directly at him. If his heart had stopped before, she had just kick-started it into full-on racing mode.

"Yeah. Me too" he said, his voice weaker than usual. She was going to say something else, but the sound of a battle cry interrupted her. The perp that Boyle brought in had seemingly broken his handcuffs and began flinging the chair he was sitting on above his head. He threw the chair, hitting an officer square in the face and then punched Boyle in the nose, which made him promptly fell over.

Jake was about to help when a haze of grey took down the guy so fast he didn't see how. After his eyes adjusted, he saw Santiago on top of the perp with her knee in his back and her hands cuffing his wrists. Had Santiago, a rookie who weighed about 120 pounds just taken this guy out?

"Did I just see what I think I saw?" Jake asked.

"Oh, yeah, Jake. What'd I tell you? Run for your money" Terry said with a quick smile. He then went over to help get the perp in the holding cell. Once they had him in, Terry led Santiago to the Captain's office.

"You'll like Captain McGinley. He's very…um, laid back" Terry said right before they disappeared into the office. Jake collapsed back into his chair.

That was his partner? Part of him was terrified to work with her and then another part would be glad to spend as much time with her as possible. He didn't know what to make of her just yet, but one thing was clear: this girl was different.

Jake hadn't been wrong about that. She was different. After that incident, he learned that Amy Santiago was fiercely competitive and she wanted his title for most arrests badly. A couple of times he had tried to impress her with how good of a detective he was, but she took that as a challenge and would do her best to one-up him. She was also an unbelievable brown-noser and pencil-pusher, always doing what she could to get ahead. She was a know-it-all, a nerd, full of arrogance, and she followed every stickin' rule there was.

Jake would also learn that she was kind, smart, loyal, and overall, just a great detective. Even though they seemed to always be competing with each other, Amy never failed to help him when he needed it. He tried to deny the feelings that kept bubbling up whenever she smiled or said something vaguely nice to him, but after Boyle's probing and stupid Teddy flirting with her, Jake couldn't keep lying to himself. He liked her. A lot. It wasn't just a crush either. He knew she was different.

"Different…" Jake thought. He knew what different felt like, but what did it mean? The answer was floating around in his brain, but he was scared to acknowledge it. His talk with Anna popped into his mind.

"I kind of had this feeling that he was going to be the 'one', y'know?" she had said.

The 'one'. Hell, if that wasn't a heavy statement. A sweeping realization punched him in the gut. Was there a part of him that thought of Amy as the 'one'?

Another punch to the gut.

A flash of Amy in a white dress.

Another flash of her smiling and looking down at her stomach.

Another punch to the gut.

"No! Stop it!" He thought as he forced a pillow to his face. He wanted to erase all of these feelings, but it was no use. They had been there for six years and after squashing them down constantly, something had to give. It gave that night he kissed her. He realized he loved her soon after, then after squashing all those feelings down for another three months and then working with her again—it had led him here. If this wasn't a dam breaking, he didn't know what was. Amy was more to him than someone he wanted to date; she was someone he wanted to be with. For a long time. A really long time.

"Hell, if I'm so serious about this, then why don't I get a goddamn transfer and ask her out?" he asked himself. He knew he still didn't want to leave the Nine-Nine, but maybe it was worth the sacrifice. He loved this girl, for god's sake.

A horrible thought entered his mind. He had rejected her. She had tried to give them a shot, but he told her 'no'. She might have been completely over him by now. Why would she even be interested? He hurt her. He had been very clear and she wasn't the type to pine forever. Like he was.

Horrible fear gripped his heart.

"I probably ruined the shot I had with her for good" he thought and grief filled him. He had completely messed this up. He pulled the blanket over himself and gripped it tightly.

He promised himself that tomorrow would be all about the case and nothing but the case. He could worry about Amy after it was over.

That was, predictably, easier said than done. Amy was itching to get to the John-in-the-Box Toy Store so she picked him up at his place first thing in the morning. With Amy driving, it was easy to sneak glances at her, which made it almost impossible to "think about the case". He kept noticing little things like how she would bite her lip before every turn and the way her hands gripped the steering wheel. It was dizzying, intoxicating, and stupid.

"So if this place doesn't pan out, where do you think we should try next?" Amy asked, her eyes fixed on the road.

"I guess we'll talk to someone close to Kelly Fieldson. Maybe we can figure out something they all have in common"

"Sounds good. I think we're here" she said, pointing to a building at the end of the block.

"Yup. That's it. Hey, there's a spot in between that flower shop and 'Mama Empanada'" Jake said and Amy parked her car where he indicated.

They exited the vehicle and walked over to the shop. It was an old corner shop with big letters in the shape of toy blocks that spelled out its name. Next to the lettering was a Jack-in-the-Box that was on a spring and moved in the breeze. The paint was chipped and the wood splintered.

"I don't know if our perp would let his toy shop look like this" Amy said.

"Yeah, I was thinking that" Jake said with a sigh. Despite the dismal exterior, they both went inside and a bell tinkled as they opened the door.

The inside was nothing like the outside. The shelves were alive with beautiful hand-made, hand-painted toys. There were dolls, carousals, Jack-in-the-Boxes, trains, toy guns, and pretty much every toy (that didn't require batteries) imaginable. Jake thought how he would have loved this place as a kid.

A man quickly appeared from behind the counter. He was a large, jovial looking man with a receding hairline and half-moon glasses.

"Ah, welcome, welcome! Let me guess: looking for a birthday present for your son?" he asked and Jake could feel himself going pale. Amy was quick to take the bait, though.

"Wow, yes! How'd you know?" she asked, smiling her best undercover smile.

"Well, my dear, I've been doing this a very long time. You get a sixth sense. Beautiful couples such as you don't come in just to have a quick peak. The son part was all my toy-builder intuition though"

"That's some top-notch intuition there" Jake said, trying not to make it sound sarcastic or nervous. The idea of pretending he had a son with Amy was not something he wanted to do for any length of time, especially when the prospect made the one stupid part of him particularly giddy.

"How old is your son turning?" the man asked.

"Four" Amy said a little too quickly.

"Now, that's a great age. What's his name?"

"Alejandro" Jake said and it gained him a funny look from the toy maker.

"It was my father's name!" Amy quickly piped in, saving him.

"Yeah! We really wanted to make sure he felt connected to his culture" Jaked added.

"Ah, I see. Tradition is important for a child. So, what's his favorite toy? I can probably help you find something"

"Uh, well, he uh, really likes Toy Story and he has a Woody doll he really loves" Jake said, a sad pang hitting him.

"A cowboy! I have a few things for that" he said and disappeared to the back of the store.

"Alejandro?!" Amy whispered.

"He was named after your father" Jake whispered back.

"My dad's name is Robert!" she said and gave him a little whack on his arm for emphasis. The man came back with a handful of toys and put them on the counter.

"Okay, so I have a stick horse, some toy guns, and a sheriff set with hat, badge, and scarf. I'd recommend the whole kit-and-caboodle so he can get the whole cowboy experience. Everything is hand made by me and hand painted by my wife. These are one-of-a-kind items and you won't get this kind of quality anywhere else in Brooklyn, I can promise you that"

"Awesome! We'll take them!" Jake said, eyeing the wooden gun.

"We will?" Amy said so only Jake could hear.

"Yeah, he'll love it" Jake said, smiling.

"You're total will be $73.95" the man said and Amy dropped her jaw.

"Oh, honey, I left my wallet at home. Let's use your card" Jake said, sending her a devious smile and Amy scowled at him, but handed her debit card over to the toy builder.

"Um, so, my friend Kelly Fieldson comes in here all the time, do you know her?" Amy asked, trying to get a reaction from him. The man lifted his head and shook his head.

"No, I haven't heard that name" he said and casually went back to ringing them up. He put the toys in their own separate box and handed it to Jake.

"Thank you, good sir! By the way, what's your name?" Jake asked.

"Well, John of course!"

"Oooh, so that's you, huh?"

"Yup. Now you tell Alejandro to have a very happy birthday" John said as Jake and Amy headed towards the door.

"Thank you for all your help!" Amy said as she waved and then exited. Jake followed her to the car and put the boxes in he back, but taking the small box with the wooden gun with him to the front.

"What are you doing?" Amy snapped.

"Going to bust out that sick wooden gun" Jake said, but Amy quickly grabbed the box and put it in the back seat before Jake could rip into it.

"No, I'm going to give those to my nephew and be the best aunt ever. That's one less Christmas present to get"

"Aww please can I play with it? Just for a little!" Jake pleaded.

"No! Stop behaving like a child and let's get back on track. What do you think of John?" She asked.

"He could be our man, Ames. I mean did you see how well the toys were made? They looked like they could be the same kind of materials used at the crime scenes"

"Yeah, but he didn't so much as flinch at the name Kelly Fieldson" Amy countered.

"Maybe he never even learned their names. I doubt the killer cared about who they were. Preston Vice was G.I. Joe and Kelly Fieldson was a ballerina in a jewelry box" Jake said.

"I mean, I get what you're saying, but Jake, he never asked us where we worked"

"Maybe neither of us fit his requirements" Jake said, starting to feel like he was grasping at straws. Amy shook her head.

"I don't know, Jake. I don't think we have enough to really warrant probing any further"

"There's something here, Amy. I can feel it"

"Jake…"

"Trust me"

"I do trust you"

"But?" Jake asked.

"But nothing. If you want to dig around more, we'll dig around more" she said, a small smile blooming on her face.

"Oh…thanks" Jake said, his head feeling dizzy again.

"No problem," she said and an odd tension filled the car, "Look, I got a message from Dr. Farris this morning"

"What, really? What'd he say?" Jake asked, coming out of his spell.

"He's got more info on the poison and the third victim" she said.

"Then what are ya waiting for, Santiago? Let's go get some evidence!" Jake said, excited for more information.

"You got it" Amy agreed as she started the car. Jake wasn't sure why, but he felt like a breakthrough on the case was just in reach.

And it was.

AN: Boy this fic feels really different than the other stuff I've written! It's really challenging actually. Haha. Also, I literally cannot stop myself from writing angst. I think this is just my life now.

So, the flashback section when Jake first meets Amy was based on the song "Avalanche" by Walk the Moon. It's a great song so I def recommend.

Thanks again for all the support! I hope you guys like the mystery. I'm trying to add little clues here and there, but I don't want to make it obvious! Ahhh it's so hard. Either way, you guys are great and thank you!