Snapshots 4.0
Chapter 22 – Nina and Frost's Promotion Ceremony
December 31, 2039
Kate couldn't stand it anymore, she has been waiting for her scheduled facetime to talk with her best friends Kelly and Erica, she picked up the phone and called Kelly. "Hey, Kelly, I know we were supposed to facetime in an hour but I needed to talk to you guys now. Do you have time or are you in the middle of something?"
Kelly wouldn't have answered the phone except that it was Kate and she always answered the phone when Kate called unless she was on duty and chasing a criminal or something but lying in bed with her wife, well Erica understood and told her to answer the phone. "No, we were just getting a few extra minutes of … sleep, ya that's it sleep, before we got up to facetime with you. What's up, are you so impatient you couldn't wait until our facetime?" Kelly asked as Kate's voice seemed panicked.
"I really didn't interrupt you guys, did I?"
"Well?" Kelly said
"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you." Kate said
Erica chimed in, "Kate, don't listen to Kelly, she is just being her normal smart-ass self."
"Well, I really am sorry, but I don't want to wait anymore to ask Carina to marry me. I want to ask her now but I don't have a ring and I don't want to fuck this up. She is important to me. She is my person. I don't know why I have waited we have been together for years already."
"Calm down, Kate. Have you spoken to your mothers?"
"No, I called you first. I know they are tied up with Gen's retirement and Aunt Nina's promotion."
"Ya, that is kinda a big thing around the station."
You could hear a child crying in the background. "Did I wake the little guy?" Kate asked knowing she should have waited for Kelly to initiate the facetime call. Erica got up to take care of the little guy, while Kelly continued to talk to Kate.
Kelly and Erica had a ten-year son, who had a problem with his time. He mixed up day and night and it caused problems with his sleeping. It didn't help that Kelly was switching between nights and days at the moment. It was messing up his schedule. His doctor had said it would help him if Kelly and Erica were both on days. Kelly's lieutenant had switched her to days, just a few days ago. Once he got used to their work schedules hopefully his sleep issue would clear up.
"Call your mothers and let the walk you through everything. They are very helpful."
"Okay, thank you Kelly. I would say go back to sleep but now that everyone is awake, I know that won't happen."
"Yeah, but it's okay, I have to get up anyways. I have work later. I am on duty during the ceremonies today. Luckily because I am related, they gave me an inside gig so I can see the ceremonies."
"Okay, have fun at the ceremonies and thank you. Please tell Erica I said goodbye and that I am sorry for interrupting your sleep time."
"Well do, Kate. Breathe, everything will work out." With that they ended the call and Kate went back to looking at engagement rings online. She needed to talk with her mothers soon.
After a short break at the conclusion of the retirement ceremony the MC, Stacy Jacobson, Director of Public Relations at BPD, rose and stepped to the podium and asked for everyone to please take their seats.
The break was needed to reset the stage for the promotion ceremony. The colors were already on stage as they had formally been brought in earlier for the retirement ceremony, even though they had been escorted out at the conclusion of the retirement ceremony.
The MC continued, "We have gather this afternoon for the promotion ceremony of Nina Rizzoli-Holiday and Barold Frost. I would now like to introduce out soon to be retired, Superintendent in Chief, Gen Booker, I said soon to be, because she is retired as of midnight tonight so this is her last official function as the Chief.
Gen thanked Stacy and then welcomed everyone to the promotion ceremony and gave her brief remarks. She then introduced the Mayor, who she hoped would keep his remarks short. Which he did, Gen was pleased. Gen then introduced the Police Commissioner, who had a habit of making long speeches. His first words were, "Thank you Chief, I will keep my comments short so don't worry about being caught making any gestures with your hands at the length of my speech."
Gen looked at the Police Commissioner who smiled at her and continued, "I saw on the video tape the hand gesture as most of the people present today probably saw a few months ago when then Superintendent Rizzoli retired. It's okay Gen, you have always been honest. Today we are here to promote two outstanding officers to new positions within BPD." He continued for about two more minutes before handing the podium back over to Gen.
He stepped away and then wiped his hand across his forehead and sighed like she did and the guests started laughing. Gen looked and he just smiled at her. Gen said, "I guess I deserved whatever you just did. I will look at the video tape later."
"No need Gen, I just did what you did at Jane and Maura's retirement ceremony." He stated as he smiled and went back to his seat. Before he sat, he took a bow and the guests laughed again.
"We seem to be in a great mood today. Stacy, I believe it is time to turn the podium back over to you." Gen said as Stacy approached the podium.
"This afternoon two officers will be promoted to new positions within the department. If the Mayor could come to the podium." Stacy said as the Mayor rose and went to the podium. Stacy stepped out of the way and went back to her seat.
"It is my pleasure as Mayor to promote new leaders of the Boston Police Department. It is one of the responsibilities of my office I enjoy the most. It seems as if people are having a little fun with Chief Booker so I will join in. Chief Booker, I was not Mayor when you were appointed but I liked the work you had accomplished so I didn't remove you from office." The audience laughed as that had happened in the past, not to Gen, but to other Chiefs.
The Mayor has the responsibility of appointing the leadership of BPD and in the past, the Mayor had removed the Chief. "So, I hope that pleased you." Gen smiled at him. She liked working with him. He was fair.
"Superintendent Rizzoli-Holiday," he paused as Nina rose and stood beside him. "I have worked with you as Chief Booker's second in command and I am looking forward to working with you as Chief. We have already met and discussed that our goals for the department are aligned. Our commitment to the values of service transparency, accountability and professionalism are aligned. We agree that we need to ensure that our officers need the best training they can receive to ensure that they are equipped with the skills necessary to perform the duties of their job."
"Are you ready to take the oath of office?" The Mayor asked as he turned to her.
She smiled and replied, "Yes, I am." Nina then moved to the right side of the Mayor stepping in front of the podium to do so.
"Superintendent Rizzoli-Holiday is joined now by her husband, Frank, her daughter, Kimberleigh and her son, Trey. Would you raise your right hand and repeat after me." Nina faced the Mayor and raised her right hand. "I, Nina Rizzoli-Holiday solemnly swear." Nina repeated the statement. "to uphold the Constitution of the United States" Nina repeated, "The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Nina repeated, "and to faithfully discharge the duties of Superintendent-in-Chief," Nina repeated, "of Boston, Massachusetts to the best of my abilities," Nina repeated and then shook the hand of the Mayor.
The Mayor handed Frankie her new badge so that he may have the honor of pinning the badge on her. He then gave her a hug and kiss, each of the children doing the same as they walk back to their seats. Nina then moved back to her previous position on the left of the Mayor.
"Superintendent Frost, today you will assume the position of Chief of Staff for the Superintendent-in-Chief, a position that also carries immense responsibilities and will require personal sacrifices. Your service record and training have prepared you for this position. Your intelligence and integrity along with your passion for this community suits you for this promotion. The current and new leadership of BPD and myself have the upmost faith that you will perform your duties to the best of your ability. Are you ready to take the oath of office?"
"I am." Frost responded and moved to the right of the Mayor.
"Superintendent Frost is now joined by his wife, Susie and their two sons, Marcus and James. Would you raise your right hand and repeat after me." Frost faced the Mayor and raised his right hand. "I, Barold Frost solemnly swear." Frost repeated the statement. "to uphold the Constitution of the United States" Frost repeated, "The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Frost repeated, "and to faithfully discharge the duties of Chief of Staff, for the Superintendent-in-Chief," Frost repeated, "of Boston, Massachusetts to the best of my ability," Frost repeated and then shook the hand of the Mayor.
The Mayor handed Susie his new badge so that she may have the honor of pinning the badge on him. She then gave him a hug and kiss, each of the children doing the same as they walked back to their seats. Frost then moved back to his previous position on the left of the Mayor and Nina.
The Mayor then turned the podium over to Nina to make a few comments. Nina didn't waste any time in giving her brief comments as she wanted this part of the program over with as soon as possible. "I would like to thank everyone for coming here this afternoon to share this special time with me and my good friend and coworker, Frost. Sorry for those of you that are not police officers but we call each other by our last names and it is a hard habit to break. I would like to thank my family, especially my husband Frank. He retired from BPD today so that I could assume this role. I didn't ask him to do that. He realized this was a new situation for BPD and rather than having to wait to find out if he indeed would have to retire, he decided to retire on his own. My family is everything to me and I am able to be where I am today because of their love and dedication to me. Thank you." Nina blew kisses out to her family.
"The Rizzolis have been here for a long time and we all consider BPD our family. I would like to thank all of the members of BPD, officers and civilians for your support. When I first moved here from Chicago, it was the Rizzolis that made me feel at home, starting with Maura then Jane. Through my friendship with them I became friends with Frank and then well you know what happened, we fell in love and got married. I then became a Rizzoli. We as a family are dedicated to serving the citizens of Boston. We want to make Boston a safe place to live and raise a family. Trust me if I didn't feel safe here, I wouldn't live here. Thank you to the leadership of our great city and the Boston Police Department for instilling their faith in me. I will perform the duties of this office to the best of my ability with the support of you, thank you."
The Mayor then asked, "Superintendent Frost, would you like to say a few words."
Frost stepped up to the podium and said, "Yes, thank you Mayor, Chief Rizzoli-Holiday and thank you to my family and all the members of BPD for your love and support, thank you."
Stacy then stepped up to the podium and announced, "This concludes our ceremony, please feel free to stay and enjoy the reception with us after the colors have left the room."
The colors were then ceremoniously removed from the room along with the flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Everyone made their way to the reception which had plenty of snacks and an open bar for everyone's enjoyment. Jane grabbed a beer for her and a glass of wine for Maura as they found their way to a table. Jane was still trying to avoid the media who wanted to talk to her about her recent retirement. She had been successful at avoiding them so far but she knew at some point they would catch up with her.
Frost walked out with Nina and told her, "Thank you, Nina. It's an honor to be promoted to this new position, and I look forward to working with all of you in this new role." Nina smiled at him and before she could respond the media latched onto her.
The media then started to approach the Rizzoli family and the other officers, asking questions about the department and their plans for the future.
The first reporter that caught up to Nina asked her, "What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the department going forward?"
Nina replied, "Well, I think one of the biggest challenges is going to be keeping up with new technologies and adapting to changes in the community. We'll need to work together to find innovative solutions to the issues we face."
The reporter then asked, "And what advice do you have for new officers just starting out in their careers?"
"My advice would be to always stay true to your values and to remember why you joined the force in the first place. It's not an easy job, but it's a noble one, and we're all here to serve and protect our community." Nina replied as Frankie took her by the arm and led her to the family who had a wall of police officers surrounding the family table so that Nina could sit down and relax with her family. "Thank you, Frankie, have I told you how much I love you today?"
"No," he replied and then said, "You had a few things on your mind today."
"That I did, and I do love you very much."
"I love you too, now sit down and just enjoy a few minutes of peace before the media manage to break through the wall of officers blocking them from our table."
January 1, 2040
Kate was in Paris attending Le Cordon Bleu and had a panic attack and called her ma, Jane. Kate forgot about the time difference and woke Jane up. Jane was a little surprised and immediately went into panic mode. "What's wrong Kate? What happened?" Jane's panicked voice woke Maura up. They were both sitting up in bed. Jane put the phone on speaker so that Maura could here Kate.
Kate wanted to ask her girlfriend, Carina, to marry her but was scared that she was going to fuck it up. She wanted her parents to come to Paris to help her. "I don't want to fuck this up ma." Kate explained.
"Language, Kate." Maura admonished.
"Mom, this is really important. I can't think straight. I don't care about my language right now. I am having problems concentrating in school. I went shopping for an engagement ring but I couldn't decide on what type to get her. I need help. I am going crazy. I need you to help me, can you please come to Paris? Carina is in Spain for a few more days and I could really use your help." Kate was on the verge of tears.
Maura quickly replied, "We will come, darling." Jane and Maura were excited to visit their daughter in Paris, even though they had just been there. Maura loved Paris and her family maintained an apartment there that Kate and Carina were living in. Maura had her own apartment in Paris with two bedrooms, which was just next door to her parent's apartment. Maura had talked to her parents about just buying it from them and converting the shared wall into an entry way with a locking door so that you didn't have to go into the hallway to go to the other apartment. The wall could easily be restored back to its original condition if they ever decided to sell one or both of the apartments.
"When are you coming?" Kate asked, "I need you here like yesterday!" Jane was starting to wonder if Kate would last a few days until they could get there.
"Don't worry, Kate, we will be there in a few days." Jane replied, "We need to arrange a few things and pack our bags. We both love Carina and can tell how happy she makes you. Have you spoken with Kelly and Erica?"
"Yes, Kelly told me to talk to you and mom. I knew you were busy with Gen's retirement and Aunt Nina's promotion so I didn't want to bug you. Ma, I love Carina so much. At school I am supposed to be listening to my instructor but I just think of Carina. I need to ask her to marry me before I fail this program."
"You won't fail the program, we will be there and help you get through this so you can pass your studies and graduate from the program, okay?"
"Thanks ma, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have yours and mom's support. I love you both so much." Kate exclaimed. They talked for a few more minutes before they disconnected the call. Maura had planned to go shopping and Jane had decided she would stay home and chill. She was still adjusting to walking without the cast and didn't want to stress her leg out anymore by walking all over Newberry Street.
As soon as Jane hung up the phone, she went into the home office and booted up the computer, she needed to check on flights. She called Gen to let her know that they were going to Paris soon and reminded Gen that she said that she would let her know the next time that she and Maura were going.
"Jane it is seven o'clock in the morning, why are you calling so early in the morning, knowing we didn't go to bed until … oh a few hours ago?" Gen asked. Jane explained about the reason they were going to Paris and Gen said that she and Steve could do things on their own while Jane and Maura assisted Kate.
Maura got out of the shower and found Jane, sitting in her bathrobe, in the home office. She was still on the phone with Gen. Jane put the phone on speaker so Maura could hear. Maura's offered for Gen and Steve to stay in her apartment with them. The apartment was set up with two master bedrooms on the opposite sides of the apartment.
Gen called them back ten minutes later stating that they would love to go. Jane and Maura had been looking at flights while waiting for Gen to call. Once Gen confirmed, Maura purchased the plane tickets, they would leave January 4th. Gen didn't expect to be traveling so soon after her retirement but she was officially retired so there was nothing stopping her. Steve had retired from his job and was just working part time helping his brother run the Dirty Robber so taking time off was not a problem as that was part of his agreement when he accepted the job with his brother.