After the interrogation, Lizzie and Jackie walked back out to where Danny was standing. He looked genuinely pissed.
At the same time, Lizzie was trying to figure out how she was going to convince Jackie to give her a gun and help her get back to Chicago. She seemed nice, and she knew that Jackie would do anything to help her (or at least she hoped, because that would be going against her uncle's wishes and Jackie would help him over her any day).
"We're gonna get this guy, Jack." He held out a folder to Jackie, the same folder Erin had handed her that morning. Lizzie, annoyed she was being left out, tried to see what they were looking at.
"That's him." She said motioning to the picture in the folder. That was the reason she was alive...
...And the reason her parents were dead.
"Their DNA matches... this is Lizzie's father..." Danny whispered.
"You do realize that I can hear you right? And I know he's my father. And he seems to want to claim what is rightfully his in his mind, which is me and Erin." Lizzie stomped out of the building, staring blanking at the NYC streets in front of her until she realized she had absolutely no idea where she was going. She was just so sick of this whole mess that had become her life...
She was about to turn around and start making her way back to the precinct when a lady with red hair wearing a business suit decided to step right in front of her.
"Elizabeth Reagan? Special Agent Anderson with the FBI." The redheaded lady, this Agent Anderson, held out her badge. Lizzie didn't know how to tell if a badge was real or not, or if this person was about to kidnap her. Lizzie stepped back hesitantly.
"What can I help you with?" Lizzie asked, trying to keep her voice normal, debating whether or not to pull out her cell phone and dial 911 because that would mean Jackie and Danny and Jamie and the PC would be able to get to her... right?
"We would like to request your help with something."
"And you'll expect me to just agree to this... why?"
"Your Uncle Joe was not killed in a police shooting. He was killed by this group called the Blue Templar."
"The Blue Templar...what is the Blue Templar?"
"It was started by your great grandfather as a union type group of police officers. Once it met its purpose the original members left and the group became corrupt. Now they're involved in drug dealings, robberies...possibly terrorism... and they kill anyone who tries to expose them... including your Uncle Joe. He was working for us, trying to expose him when he got killed because they caught on."
The lady held out a tape recorder and pressed play. "I think I'm in." the player said. The man's voice seemed familiar.
"And how do I know that this is my Uncle Joe? I've never met the guy." Lizzie crossed her arms. "And what does this have to do with me? I have no training whatsoever and quite frankly I don't think I am the special agent cop type."
"We want you to finish what your Uncle started. You're a fresh mind. Help the FBI take out the Blue Templar."
"Yes... one that has no police background! I've never seen a gun in my life, and the only combat skills I have were from when I was bullied in the fifth grade." Lizzie declared, deciding she wanted these creeps to get out of her way. She was starting to feel sick. Sicker than she felt before.
"You are a Reagan. That means you have blue blood whether you like it or not. And we know you're going to help us."
"And why is that?"
"Because it will help you avenge the death of your parents... while saving your family."
"What do my parents have to do with this?"
"The man who killed them was possibly led by the Blue Templar."
"My fath- my family never said anything about him being a cop. They would know and tell me if he was."
"Because your birth father was not a cop. We have evidence pointing to the conclusion that he is working with the Blue Templar only because it is you they are after. It is not because he cares about the outcome for the Templar. He was only interested in getting to you and your parents. He had his own agenda."
"What does the Blue Templar want with my parents?"
"They didn't want your parents. They wanted you. And he would've taken you, had you not gotten away. Killing your parents was just him claiming you. That had nothing to do with the original plan."
"I don't understand."
"You're a Reagan. Had you been killed, Erin would've found out and gotten vulnerable. Then take her, reel Danny and Jamie in. Then your grandfather would give himself and his position up. All the Reagans with power put out, the Templar gets what they want."
"And what would I do? I can't fight. The family is already on high alert cause they think this guy is probably coming after me."
"Well maybe that's what we do. Lure him in."
"You want to use me as bait?"
"In a way yes. But if you get trained in your combat skills... you would be able to defend yourself, if you even needed to use them. Once we get him, we take him into custody and hopefully he will give us the rest of the Blue Templar. That's all we would need from you. After that, we would leave you alone."
"How would we get him out?"
"At your parents' funeral. He would expect you to be there and show up, but he wouldn't know that we would have the CPD there to take him away."
"Now you want to use my parents death as bait? These people were real. They were the people that raised me!"
"Exactly. So wouldn't you want to make sure the person that killed them ended up behind bars?"
She had a point there.
"Here, take my card. If you get to Chicago call that number. He'll be able to teach you how to fight. And, if you haven't seen that many cop shows, you should know to say to a word of this to any of the Reagans. We don't want to get the NYPD involved."
Lizzie fumbled with the card. Agent Amy Anderson. Manhattan, NY. When she looked up, the agent was gone.
"Hey!" Jackie screamed, running towards her. Lizzie shoved the card and her hands into her pockets. "Your Uncle wanted to give you a sentimental deep talk, but I volunteered because I think he's too stressed to be logical. And I figured you wanted to be alone for a bit. Want to grab a coffee?"
"Why does everyone assume I want a coffee? I hate coffee."
"It was an excuse to go for a walk. I know I'm not your mom or aunt but you can talk to me. I'm like your cool adopted aunt... yeah that has a nice ring to it..." Jackie said, walking alongside Lizzie. Jackie really was pretty... She admired the fact that she worked alongside her uncle, who clearly had his own way to do things.
"Do you pep talk Nicky as well? Are you close with all of the Reagans?" Lizzie asked. Her original idea was to use Jackie to get back to Chicago, but now there was a complication. Should she do this undercover stuff? She just wanted to bury her parents...
"No. Pretty sure she goes to her grandfather when she has a problem. But something tells me that you won't do that because you're scared. I'm closest to Danny and your sister, and I'm generally there when they're arguing about a case or trial."
"Scared of the Commissioner?" Lizzie scoffed. "I am not scared..."
Jackie raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Look, I know these guys are my family by blood... but I have known them for two days! And they pity me... I see it in their eyes. They see me as the kid they gained because her parents were brutally murdered. They would've never found me if I hadn't found them first."
"They didn't know about you. Danny would've personally gotten you himself had he known you existed, regardless of what Erin wanted."
Lizzie rolled her shoulders before crossing her arms."So why are you babysitting me instead of doing your job...? I don't think you get paid extra for babysitting me because I'm a Reagan."
"Because I'm not a Reagan. I know you need someone else besides a Reagan to talk to. I would walk on nails for Danny and anyone in his family."
"So would you be willing to help me out with something?" Lizzie smiled. She debated for a moment whether or not to tell Jackie. She was not a Reagan... But in a way she was just as much a member of the family as everyone else. At least to her.
"What?" Jackie asked.
"Help me get back to Chicago. Please Jackie. I know the Reagans are afraid something is going to happen, but I'm a legal adult and I can take care of myself. I'd rather have you help me do this than me have to do it myself." Lizzie begged, literally on the verge of tears because this whole situation was stressing her out. The fact that her parents were just a piece in this murderous rage that was going to take out all of the Reagans, and the PC would give up his power just to see his kids not die.
"Lizzie... look... I know this whole thing has been hella hard on you. You lost your parents and left the place you grew up in to come to the other side of the country to live with this family you never knew existed. I know that sucks... but hear me out. I was messed up in high school. I didn't give a shit about schoolwork or what I was going to do with my life. I decided to leave home and when I came back, the locks had changed. This family will always welcome you with open arms... so I think you should just tell them what you want to do. Because they love you, they will help you get back home."
"Jackie.. I don't want them leaning over me because they think something bad is going to happen. I love them. I love them even though I've only known them for a couple days. I don't want them risking everything for me."
"What do you mean, risking everything?"
Lizzie caught herself. She en realized she could not tell Jackie, because that would out Jackie in danger as well, and she couldn't hurt another member of the family. Besides, she would probably run and tell the family, and she needed to do this herself, apart from getting help back onto a train. That was all she needed, and could ask for. "I don't want them to have to drop everything for me. That's all."
Lizzie now knew that she had to go back to Chicago on her own, lure the damn asshole who had killed her parents to get her and her whole family...
She'd be damned if she was going to let them take away her family. She had just found them, after all.
Jackie and Lizzie ended up back at the precinct twenty minutes later. Danny was nowhere to be found, but yet Linda and Nicky were sitting at Jackie and Danny's desks.
"Hello." Linda greeted, getting up to hug Lizzie. Lizzie took the embrace happily.
"Hi Aunt Linda! Nick... what's up?" Nicky leaned back in her uncle's chair, spinning a little too madly. Lizzie gave Linda a questioning look.
"We're going to dinner... and to see Phantom of The Opera tonight!" Linda smiled. Lizzie smiled back. This was so nice of them. Nicky looked happy..ish...
"Where's Uncle Danny, and my mom?"
"They're working with your grandfather... trying to find.." Linda started, looking at Jackie for help.
"Oh." She understood now. No need to say anything else on the matter.
"The three of us are going to have a whole lot of fun! The boys are with Henry, and we can go get them in the morning! We can walk through Times Square, eat in that fancy restaurant..."
"Is everything okay?" Lizzie asked bluntly. She hadn't meant to come off as rude, but all of this was too sugar coated. They were softening her up for a blow.
"We just... want you to enjoy yourself. You need to relax because you're under a lot of stress.
"Not less than usual.." Lizzie crossed her arms.
"Look, I knew this is hard on you, but we just want to have a good time, is that too much to ask?" Linda asked. "Let's have a good night."
Lizzie nodded, at a loss of words. She looked over at Jackie, who nodded back.
Their plan was a go.
"He was arrested in 1994 for sexual assault and got a 20 year sentence, thanks to the great district attorney's office. He was let out, why weren't we notified?"
Frank sat at the dining room table, Danny leaning against it, and Erin pacing. Henry had taken Jack and Sean out, saying they needed some air.
"You were anonymous for the case. You didn't want your name popping up on the case. And if you had known, the press would've made a big deal about the sexual offender of the daughter of the New York City Police Commissioner being released and you both would have been exposed for all of the wrong reasons." Frank declared.
"Why was his sentence not longer?" Erin questioned, her head starting to ache from stress.
"Because you refused to testify..."
"Look, I needed to protect this family and my daughter. I had enough things on my mind without having to worry about the world knowing that I was raped. The guy couldn't get my daughter because he thought she was dead... I thought everything would be fine even if I didn't get up and give my statement."
"Erin, he is out there. And we need to find him before he comes after you or Lizzie." Danny said, deciding to jump in because he could tell his sister was getting tense.
"Forget me, I can handle it. It's Lizzie that wouldn't be okay. She watched this guy kill her parents..."
Frank nodded. "I know. And that is why we are going to find him. Now."
