The first few drops of the light morning drizzle fell in constant rhythm with his widow's tears. Sergeant Raymond Harris- finally a name to the lifeless face that haunted Jamie's dreams. The widow sat clutching her little boy's hand, a sight too painful for Jamie to bare.

She had only been able to attend the funeral of one of the officers that died that night. As Officer Ahmed had to be buried immediately due to religious beliefs, while Jamie continued her stay at the hospital for observational purposes. She contemplated visiting his family, but she didn't have the gall to face them after doing nothing to stop their loved one from dying.

She hated funerals, but who didn't? It wasn't the memory of the dead that made it sad, instead, it was watching the faces of the living as they come to terms with their loss. She wondered if that's why the people cried at her parents' funeral. Was it because they were gone or did they cry because of who they left behind?

Her thoughts were interrupted as everyone was asked to rise for the prayer. She and Liam arose in unison. She bowed her head slightly letting the pastor's words flow through her ears. The prayer ended and she sat down.

"Thank you all so much for being here, I'm sure Raymond is smiling from the heavens as he sees all of us gathered here today to celebrate his remarkable life." An amen or two were sung by the choir in response to the Pastor's opening words. "Before we begin I'm told that Ray's son would like to tell us about his dad."

A boy, no older than eight, with tear stained cheeks walked to the pulpit. "G-Good morning everybody, I'm Johnathon, but my daddy always called me Johnny." Jonathan's lonely eyes looked into the crowd that viewed him with great sympathy. Jamie saw his nerves and gave him a small smile to boost his confidence when she met his view.

"I wanted to talk to everyone about my dad. I'm very sad that my dad is gone because he used to always tell the best stories and he used to always let me win in c-cricket and football. But he was the best dad, not because of stories and games, but he was a brave superhero. Mummy said dad is a superhero and that's why he had to leave us. My dad always told me to be brave and do the right thing even if it scared me a little. And this here scares me. . . being up here alone without him. So maybe if I continue to be brave I will become a superhero like my dad. . ." The boy stepped down leaving no one with dry eyes.

But, the boy's words left an impact on Jamie. His speech only made Jamie feel stronger about needing to avenge the death of the policemen. . . It was her turn to play hero.

Liam and Jamie had been bickering over the very same matter for the past three days. She knew he did it out of love, but she hated that he couldn't see how important this was to her. The guilt ate her up at almost every moment. She selfishly hoped testifying would provide her some atonement.

The ceremony ended and the social portion of the funeral was already in gear. Jamie wanted to leave before she had been pulled into a conversation, only to be asked what her relationship was to the deceased. "Well, I'm the woman who sat idly by as your dad got murdered, Johnathon." Jamie pictured what it would be like to have to confront Raymond's son, could she bare looking at his doe-like brown eyes and then having to lie to him about how she met his father?

Just as she got up from her seat and swung herself towards the exit, she had caught sight of a familiar frame. He towered a petite redhead who seemed to be continuously chatting without taking a moment to breathe. The red head stared up at him, running her hand up and down the sleeve of his black coat. Jamie noticed his eyes wandering in search of a way out of this conversation and wondered if she should step in.

Probably not.

Liam had gone to offer his condolences to the family, while Jamie headed back to the car. As Jamie approached the large wooden doors, she felt a force pushing her to the ground. It smelled of coffee liquor. At a funeral, seriously?

The weight was lifted off Jamie and then Jamie was too lifted off the ground.

It was the agent. He helped her off the ground and just as he was about to open his mouth to speak Jamie turned her head to the woman behind her.

"Are you alright?" Jamie asked the red head who had just toppled over her.

"I would be if some people watched where they were going," she slurred while eyeing Jamie with contempt. Jamie clenched her jaw, she wasn't going to rid herself of her dignity by slapping a drunk woman at a funeral, maybe a birthday, but definitely not a funeral.

This little incident drew a small crowd and Jamie felt arm tug her.

"Don't mind Lara, she has a bit of a problem." A plump woman in her mid-fifties spoke motioning a person chugging down a drink. "It's a shame she couldn't clean up her act today. Speaking of which, how did you know Ray?"

"Well. . . err. . . at work, I mean his work. . . he rescued my dog from err the ocean."  Well, that sounds incredibly believable.

"Sounds like him, he wanted to help people from as long as I could rememb- are you alright dear, you like like something is troubling you."

"Oh no, it's nothing. . . just thinking," Jamie lied, yes she had been thinking, but by no means of the definition was she alright. Jamie felt the weight of her situation. The right thing or the safe thing?

"Ahh I see, dear, sometimes we think too much. Sometimes we just have to feel and let life take its course."

Honestly, Jamie thought that was terrible advice. Who would tell someone to think less and feel more? It sounded like something a sleazy person would offer before groping someone. But, did she have a point. Maybe it was time for Jamie to do something solely because it felt right rather than safe?

"I must go now dear, it was lovely meeting you," the woman bid Jamie an adieu.

"The pleasure was all mine." Jamie offered the woman a smile before she disappeared into a crowd of people leaving Jamie alone.

Jamie's eyes searched for Liam until finally, she saw him. He stood listening to the window and smiled every now and then when she reminisced about her happier times. Beside Liam and the widow, Jamie noticed Agent Reigner on bended knee talking to Johnathon. She saw Johnathon's genuine smile emerge as Agent Reigner spoke, causing Jamie to mirror the little boy's expression.

She must have been staring because the agent had paused his conversation and met her gaze. Her cheeks blushed with a barely there pink hue.

Reigner turned his attention back to the boy and said a few words to him before running his hands through the boys head, ruffling up his hair and evoking a large grin from the Johnathon.

Wait, is he coming this way? Is he going to ask me if I've made my decision yet? What am I going to tell him?

"Afternoon ma'am. Sorry I didn't get the chance to see if you were alright?"

"I'm fine. . . thank you."Jamie gave him a half smile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Chris replied with a slightly concerned face.

"Does he know why his father died?" Jamie looked at Johnathon, his arms wrapped around his mother's waist as they rotated discussions between the other mourners.

"Yes. Well, at least the important bits. His dad had to protect the city from some bad men and understands that." Chris paused for a moment. "It wasn't your fault, in fact, I was the one who should have gotten there sooner. You did the right thing that night. If you stepped in, you would have surely become just another casualty and I don't think I could live with yet another person's blood on my hands."

"Liam keeps telling me that, but if it was the right thing why do I feel so awful about it?" There was a small silence after Jamie said that, she looked at the ground for a moment then began to speak again, "And don't be ridiculous. I'm sure you had done whatever you could that night and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it."

Chris flashed a quick and nearly invisible smile. "How can you be so certain of that and it seems that someone should learn to take their own advice."

"I guess some things are easier said than done."

Word Count: 1 504
Status: Re-written and Edited
Re-written on: 5 September 2017
Last Edit: 5 September 2017