T H I R T E E N

"reunited"

—

Jake's POV

FINALLY. It was over. Everything was gonna go back to normal, he would go back to the precinct, come in late and get scolded by Holt, which he weirdly missed. But, as long as it was the same old routine, he would be happy.

He and Rosa took their stuff and cleaned more or less decently the safe house. The morning was somewhat cold, yet there was a warm light that hit them through the curtains. There was a little tension between them both, but at least they didn't have to stay there anymore.

"Hey, man," Rosa said.

"Hmm?"

"Sorry if I yelled at you, I should've understood what you were going through but I guess I wasn't helping."

Jake smirked, sighing. "You don't have to apologize."

"No, I do. I know I'm not the best at it or at any kind of relationship, but... you and Sarah might be tired of this."

He got a little tense when he heard that name. Sarah. He missed her so much. Jake was surprised by Rosa, who was now hugging him, and he felt home. He could already see Charles getting excited because Jake was out of there. 

"Okay, we gotta go," said Rosa, patting his shoulder.

"Where?"

"To the precinct. Everyone's already there. Don't worry, you're not going in to work, but Holt and everyone wants to see you."

"Alright," Jake muttered.

They both finished packing their clothes and, relieved, left.

Sarah's POV

SHE KNEW JAKE WAS COMING. She was still a little anxious to see him, but above it, she really missed him. Since they'd been separated and she was at the hospital, all she could think of was how he was coping and if he was doing well. She barely even cared about her wound, which wasn't so bad after a few days. 

After Amy gave her the news that it was over, she and Sarah began to get ready to get out of the hospital. She had to stay a little more, so they waited until she was allowed to leave. Holt picked them up on Wednesday and took them to the precinct, and he was surprisingly smiling. 

"Sarah!" Charles said when they arrived. He hugged her, careful not to bother her wound. 

"I'm fine, Charles," she chuckled, rubbing his back.

"I know, but I was just so worried."

"Yeah, you should've seen him," Terry intervened, standing up to hug Sarah as well, "he wouldn't stop talking about you and Jake."

"Sounds like Charles," Sarah said.

A while after everybody greeted her, she sat down at her desk, waiting for the only person she cared about to come. She knew Jake was there when Charles screamt in even more excitement and got to his feet quickly, running toward the detective who'd just stepped out of the elevator. Jake looked a little weak, still not rested, and Sarah was sure that his hair could look better, but at least, he smiled. 

Sarah missed that smile.

"I can't believe you guys are finally here," Amy told Sarah, looking around. 

"Yeah, me neither," Sarah mumbled absently. 

Jake walked over his desk, she noticed how his tired eyes got wide in happiness. He sat down, relaxing. 

"I missed this," he closed his eyes, resting. Sarah was about to say something to him, but she decided it would be better for him to enjoy being back before they had to get into some awkward situation again.

"Do you want me to take you home before you fall asleep in that chair?" Rosa told Jake.

He shook his head, stirring. "No, I... gotta do something first," he turned to Sarah. "Can we talk?"

"Absolutely," she wasn't planning to sound that desperate, but once she said that she just stood up, feeling dumb, and followed Jake into the breaking room, curious eyes following them too. 

Jake took a deep breath, looking at everywhere but Sarah's eyes. She wanted to tell him how happy she was to see him, how good he looked even in that state and how much she wanted to just forget everything and... go back to normal. She'd been wanting that for a lot of time. 

"Alright, so..." he started, nervous, "I just wanted to say I'm happy you're okay. I feel so guilty because you got shot, it was all my fault."

"Jake... it wasn't your fault. Things like that happen sometimes. Besides, I'm fine now, and I'm glad you're too, Holt said you were acting weird or something, when you and Rosa were at the safe house."

"I wasn't. Well, yeah I was. But I'm also good now."

His weak smile caused her to smile too. "Can I admit you something?"

"Uh..." Jake hesitated, and scruted her face as if he could guess what she was gonna say, "sure."

"I wish we could go back to normal. Could we start over? I wanna give you the opportunity I never did, because you deserve it, Jake. I was too rough and I didn't care to understand you, but now I do. And I'm sorry for everything that happened, I know you blame yourself, but let's just... I don't know. Start anew."

Sarah would also add the ring thing had it not been because she wasn't even supposed to know about it, and right now she couldn't screw up.

Jake beamed enthusiastically, though. "Start anew. I would like that."

TIME SKIP ‣ three weeks later

Jake's POV

IT HAD NOT BEEN SO LONG. He remembered the fear he lived in a month ago, when he and Sarah had received the threats. He remembered the attack, and how he thought he was gonna lose one of the most important people in his life. But now... everything seemed fine. He wished it would stay like that, just fine. No more bad things. 

"Jake?"

He lifted his gaze. Suddenly, he fell back into reality, he was surrounded by his friends and everyone talked and laughed in the venue. Gina and Rosa had finally gotten married. Jake couldn't be happier for them. He was just sad because he thought that soon, he would also get married to be person sitting right nex to him.

"We're gonna take a picture," said Sarah, smiling. 

"Right," he said, standing up.

All the squad posed with the newlyweds already. Everybody seemed proud of them. Jake was lost in his head, but with some effort he could imitate his friends' expressions and also look like he was enjoying that. He didn't mean to be rude. 

"This is great," Jake told Gina cheerfully. 

"Thanks, boy," she hit him playfully in the shoulder, and then he pulled her into a hug that she surprisingly didn't break immediately. 

Jake sat back at the table, sighing. He was supposed to be alright, to feel better, but, for some reason, he didn't. He was there, sitting miserably. 

"Hey..."

He looked up. Sarah stood there again. She looked beautiful dressed like that, for the wedding, and Jake had been meaning to tell her but he was afraid he would make it all weird. She sat down next to him, not looking uncomfortable at all, unlike him, who suddenly felt the need to run out of there.

"They're married, huh?" Sarah smiled, looking in Rosa and Gina's direction, as they laughed together. Only Gina had that effect on Rosa. 

"I know. I'm so proud of them."

"Yeah..." Sarah slumped her shoulders, resting her chin on her fist, "it's been a crazy year. I mean, at least these last two months."

Jake chuckled, because he didn't know what else to say. 

"So, how are you?" Sarah asked him.

"Uh... coping, I guess. I'm pretty much fine but something feels off. Don't you... feel the same way?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I think nothing's ever gonna be the same, after everything that happened, you know."

Again, he was speechless, so he just smirked, nodding. Sarah sighed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Jake frowned, "why wouldn't I be? You're okay, I'm okay, things are good between us, I guess... nothing to worry about, am I right?"

Sarah bit the inside of her cheek. "I was worried about you. When I was at the hospital. All I could think about was about you and I wanted you to be fine. And now we're here and for some reason I feel distance, but... I gotta tell you something."

"What?"

She took a deep breath, making Jake worried that it would be something unpleasant to hear.

"The day next to the threats, after we fought and the man cut you in the arm... when we were at your apartment I had to take a pill, remember? And I was about to do it but I dropped it and when I was gonna grab it, I saw something under your bed."

Jake shook his head. "Um... what?"

"I saw a ring. I didn't know if it was what I thought but then I told Amy about it and... she said that you were actually planning to propose."

She was no longer looking at him. Her tone told Jake she was ashamed to be saying that, but he didn't understand why. However, he didn't know how to feel about that either. She knew. She knew that he was ready to take another step just when things got screwed. Jake clenched his jaw.

"Yeah... I was."

"I miss you so much," Sarah said. 

"I miss you too," his voice was totally vulnerable, but he wasn't gonna cry right there. 

Before any of them could say anything else, a song started playing. He didn't recognize it, but it was far too... old and romantic to be of Gina's or Rosa's taste, so he thought probably Charles had suggested to play it. He looked at Sarah. That song didn't fit their situation, though Sarah seemed to think otherwise.

"Wanna dance?" she asked, when normally it was the man who would say that.

"Sure," Jake said firmly, but inside he was full of doubts. 

Around them, everybody else with a partner was already dancing slowly, including the newlyweds. Jake would tease them about it later. For now, all he could see was Sarah, and he stuck out his hand to her. She took it and he put his hands on her waist, hesitant. A few months earlier, he probably would've done that without doubting it, but now it was different.

Sarah must've been thinking the same, because she awkwardly put her hands on his shoulders, and after they started moving slowly, all tension left them. They locked their eyes, finally feeling comfortable. 

"You look beautiful with that dress," he whispered, and almost winced after saying it.

"Thanks," Sarah giggled. "You look good too. Well, you've always looked good in suits."

"Oh, I like that energy," Jake kidded.

They laughed quietly, and he kept remembering other times in which they'd done that before. 

"Would you... like to go somewhere else after this?" Jake asked.

"Um... where exactly?"

"I don't know. As long as I'm with you wherever's fine."

"Sure," Sarah smiled. "Are you ready?"

"For what?"

She shrugged. "Moving on. I know we left all in the past, but this was all just so... dumb. I feel like I wasted two months of my life fighting with the person I care about the most. We should... try to do something together again. I mean, if you'd like to."

"I would be the happiest man alive," Jake said, and he meant it. "I wanna... I wanna spend the rest of my life with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Sarah, I— I don't know what I would do without you, but I need you, and I want you to be happy, and—"

"Jake," she cut him off, smiling, before he could keep ranting. "I understand. And I feel the same way. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you too."

His stomach did a funny movement. Jake didn't know what to say but the thruth, though probably it was too sudden:

"I love you."

Sarah's eyebrows shot up. 

"Sorry, I... I don't... I mean..." Jake stammered.

"I love you too, Jake."

Now it was his turn to be surprised. "Oh. Cool, cool, cool."

"Jake," Sarah chuckled, "I do." 

"What?"

"I wanna marry you and grow old with you and have a future with you. That's all I want."

"Really?" he shrieked.

"Yeah, really."

Jake stared into her eyes, as if he was expecting it would all be a prank. But it wasn't. Nor was it a dream. He was sure he'd never been more happy. He finally heard the words he'd been longing to. I do. 

—

a/n: hey guys! finally updated this story. as you may know this was the last chapter, but i really enjoyed writing this, even though it was kind of a lame end but i didn't know how else to do it. anyways, i hope you are satisfied with it and that you liked the story, thanks for reading until the end! <3