Nicole

After we finished getting ourselves spiffed up and dressed in our professional all-black suits and dark shades we were always supposed to wear to special occasions and missions, we immediately made our way over to HQ.

Our timing couldn't have been better. There wasn't any traffic to slow us down and we got there just in time for seating.

As we walked down headquarters to head back to the memorial of our fallen members, we suddenly ran into Jackson.

"Nicole. Jaden. You made it!" he said with a welcoming smile. "I think I saw your names next to mine, come, I'll show you to your seats."

We followed him out to where there was a high leveled stage next to our huge memorial wall and then thousands of people from different parts of our association sitting in front of it, conversing with each other while they waited for the "meeting" to begin. Jackson showed us to our seats in the third row then he sat in a chair on the right of us.

"This 'meeting' looks much more important than any other meeting he's ever set up before," Jaden mumbled to me.

I nodded in agreement as I bounced Nicholas on my lap, "I told you, it's not a meeting. It's an announcement about his retirement. There wouldn't be any other reason for him to invite all these people."

"You're right. Plus, he did talk about retiring before, I just didn't think it'll be this soon."

I shrugged, not knowing the reason for that either. We never really talked about it and I have been meaning to ask him more about his decision before. He told me before that it was because he wanted to be here for family but my instincts told me that there was a deeper reason than that. I guess I'll wait to figure that out now.

Jackson leaned over and smiled at us, "Our little guy is getting big." he chuckled.

I nodded and kissed Nicholas' cheek, "And becoming a handful." I added. He should know a little about that too, he's visited us a few times to help babysit his godson every once in a while.

Jackson grinned then tapped Jaden on his shoulder so he could whisper something to him.

I narrowed my eyes as Jaden nodded and shook Jackson's hand like they had just arranged some type of bet.

"What was that about?" I asked when he smiled at me.

All he said was, "Nothing serious." then tickled Nicholas' cheek to get off subject.

I chuckled and shook my head, knowing I would find out soon enough. One thing I hate more than surprises are secrets...

"Ladies and gentlemen..." a woman suddenly spoke from the stage, behind a podium, causing everyone to quiet down and turn their attention to her.

"Thank you for joining us today for this special ceremony dedicated to all of you, the members of our United Secret Services..."

Ceremony?

"Each and every one of you sitting before me today knows that you do not put your lives on the line day after day just for the money or any rewards but today, today is the day we recognize you individually for the hard works and dedication you put into serving the country."

Ah... I see now...

I smirked at Jackson who smiled back and tapped his temple with his finger, letting me know that he remembered our last conversation at the memorial wall.

So he was a part of putting this whole thing together... Nice one.

The woman continued, "No member will leave here unrecognized. That goes for all of our heroes in front of me and our lost ones, who sadly can't be here to see this day... Please stand and remove your hats in respect for our fallen members."

She walked off to the side of the stage as everyone silently stood to their feet and did as she said. Jaden and I removed our shades and gazed at the presentation on the stage for the faces on our memorial wall.

Smooth violins and soft pianos played as the screen displayed each picture one-by-one along with a video of some of the things they did while at work or, simply, with their families and friends. Each face that showed became more familiar than the last, the ones I did recognize happened to be the ones I could never forget. I grew up with most of these people and some of them were even my trainers or mentors.

When Starla's face appeared, my heart nearly crumbled to pieces. I didn't know her very well but I know that she died in my responsibility which I never intended to happen to her or the next 20 people involved in the mission that appeared on the presentation.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and held back my tears to stay strong about it. There were way too many people here for me to lose it now. That was a tough thing to contain within me, especially when my guard and friend, Jerry appeared at the end...

This time, I let a tear fall.

He didn't even have to join in on the mission but he did anyway and he did it by staying loyal and true to his oath... To protect me. He risked his life, catching a shotgun bullet to the gut in order to save my life... While having his own ripped away from him.

Dammit, I could still remember that day like it happened hours ago!

Rest easy, Jerry...

Jaden put an arm around my shoulder and searched my eyes, "You okay, Nicki?"

I noticed that his eyes were a little red but he didn't shed any tears. I nodded in response to his question, "I am."

He nodded slightly and turned back to the screen. When Nicholas looked at me, he pouted and began to whimper as if he knew what was going on. Obviously, he had no clue and he probably did that because he noticed the tears in my eyes, sensing that I was upset.

As the presentation came to an end, the woman made her way back to the podium, "Thank you, you may take your seats..." she paused for a silent moment before saying, "Truly amazing, aren't they? Before you all officially joined the United Secret Services, you all made a commitment to serve, protect, and win no matter what the cost may be. To help those in need whether they know they're in trouble or not. You've agreed to put yourselves second so you could put the citizens first and that's what these people did... Let's give one more round of applause to our fallen heroes to thank them for their service, shall we?"

Agreed.

We all clapped and some cheered until she spoke again.

"Thank you. Now here are a few words from our main founder of these associations, Simon Ortez..."

I smirked as everyone applauded when Simon walked with the help of crutches, side by side with Janet to take the spot behind the podium. He gave me a silent nod and I responded with a two-fingered salute before he handed Janet his crutches and began to speak into the mic.

"Thank you, Olivia..." he said to the host. "And thank you all for coming out today. I also want to thank my secretary and assistant for putting that priceless presentation together for us."

Everyone around me clapped for him and Janet until Simon spoke again.

"I've met some amazing people while on my journey of expanding the USSCI, people I would never ever forget because of everything we've gone through as a team. People who stuck with me through thick and thin and supported me all the way so that this agency could be what it is today... This is why saying farewell is the hardest part of it all... As some of you know, I will, in fact, be retiring as of this week..."

I knew it.

A few people in the audience gasped and murmured softly at his words as he continued, "This isn't something I just randomly decided to do, I gave it months and months of thought before I made my ultimate decision... You may be wondering why I've decided to do this so soon so here it is: I've been visiting my doctor for a long while and apparently, my health isn't the way it used to be."

He isn't wrong about that... He used to be a lot more active and a lot more happy back then.

"... My blood pressure gets too high under all the stress and pressure and my heart is just getting weaker and weaker and I have to keep taking drugs and pills to keep it relaxed which... Is clearly unhealthy for me and my age."

He chuckled but hearing what he said actually broke my heart. I never realized how much force he applied to himself to keep this place running and so that he could get here each and every day... He really needed this retirement more than anyone.

"Aside from that, I needed to be here for my family... My growing family." he took a quick glance at Janet who smiled at him before he turned back to the mic. "I think it's time that I start focusing on what's important to me. Being here required me to make tons of sacrifices in my life that I didn't mind making because I knew my purpose was to help those in need. I think I've done my part in that, right?"

"Hell yeah!" someone from the back yelled, causing everyone else to applaud and cheer.

Simon laughed, "Thank you... What I'm trying to say here is that my family needs me now. I haven't been doing much of my part as a father and with a new grandson introduced to the world, I want to be there for him too." he smiled at me and I smirked back in appreciation while everyone else clapped for him once more.

He gestured everyone to quiet down, "There's part two. I'm sure some of you are thinking 'Now what?' and it was a question I had in my head as well while I was going into this... Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean the United Secret Services and all of its associations are history, but instead, it's a new beginning for all of us. You all looked at me as inspiration to you but really, it's all of you who inspired me... And speaking of inspirations, there is one person in particular I would like to recognize here today..."

A familiar picture showed up on the screen behind him. A picture of me playing in the backyard of the first house he's ever introduced me to and where he helped nurse me back to health.

I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks redden as he continued, "This girl inspired me since the day I met her... An eight-year-old with a true purpose in life... She always had a passion for helping people whether she'd get hurt doing it or not. I knew that the first time I laid eyes on her."

He looked at his hands as if he was trying to visualize the event he was about to tell, "I could never forget the day I met her... I remember it all as if it only happened yesterday. There was this little dog who had run off into traffic and she... This eight-year-old... She fearlessly darted into the streets after it and almost got herself killed trying to save it." he looked at me almost with the same worried look he gave me that night, "I happened to be in town when I saw her and out of instinct, I pulled her away from those moving cars. She was terrified and I thought she was scared for her own life until those big brown eyes looked at me and she said, 'the dog...' She was scared for the dog."

He chuckled then looked at me with his eyes asking if he should go on. I nodded, knowing that my childhood was what made me strong and allowed me to join the USSCI in the first place. A lot of my past has been revealed after I murdered Fire Catcher and since then, I realized how much people cared about me and each other around here. Not everyone is always against me and not everyone will use what they know about me for revenge, especially not the loyal members of the USSCI. I won't mind if my teammates learned the missing pieces to the puzzle in my history now. In fact, it'll even help them understand me a little better.

He continued, "Later that night, I found out she was homeless... She ran away, on her own. From Texas all the way to my home city to escape the harsh conditions she was put through from her previous home... After gaining her trust, I took her in, bought her clothes and restored her health, then I adopted her. She even made me pay hundreds of dollars just to add an 'E' to her last name as a symbol of being free from the people she escaped from. It took about two years for her to start coming up to me about her history. I learned a lot about her since then."

"She was obsessed with nature and she was so fascinated by the pictures and stories I told of my father during his war years, she fell in love with camouflage then. She still wears it a lot these days." he smirked. "I also found out about her unique talent in using and building weapons. Growing up with neglectful parents, it's what she had taught herself to do so she could survive and try to satisfy the needs of the people who were impossible to satisfy... When she asked to come with me to see headquarters, something told me that she would fit in easily and I even took a chance to test those skills and exposed that ten-year-old to some 'big boy' guns. That's what she called them."

He and everyone else laughed softly at that as another picture faded onto the screen. A photo from the time I started training with firearms for the first time. Laying in the pale-yellow, goggles over my eyes with my tiny fists trying to aim my weapon at the targets.

He grinned at the picture and shook his head, "Still can't believe it..." he muttered to himself.

"She used that thing like she's been using them since she was born. She was the reason why I began to hire younger people to join the agency, more specifically, people no younger than 28. Just to keep it safe."

I chuckled. 28 isn't that young compared to the age group before but it was an improvement.

"Of course, she began to grow up into a rebellious teen and told me that the agency was becoming a 'smelly retirement home with guns' so that later changed to an age minimum of 19 with some exceptions for younger recruits which you should all know about."

A few people laughed but Simon only grimaced. "You laugh now but I know some of you older folks have felt the flames this little girl has brought to your lives."

When the next picture displayed, everyone "oohed" painfully while I tried to contain my laughter. They recognized teen Nicole easily for obvious reasons.

This photo was one of my favorites, I remember getting it taken after acing my obstacle course test with record breaking time. Instead of listening to the photographer who asked me to pose professionally, I stuck my tongue out at the camera and mocked the guy.

Jaden chuckled, "Damn, everyone remembers. What did you do them?"

"I... Had a very short temper back then... And pretty much enjoyed making people suffer. Don't ask why."

I shook my head with a small snicker and turned back to Simon who continued by saying, "Yeah, I know... I have to admit too, she was a handful but it isn't her fault..."

He sighed and took a moment to pause, "She was growing up... She began to realize that she wasted eight years of her life trying to please people who never loved her, who hurt her, who abandoned her... I guess, putting her in school with other children played a factor in helping her see that. She kept comparing herself to others and shaming herself. It broke my heart but she also helped me open my eyes."

He smiled at me, "One day, she was sent home for... Getting involved in a little dispute with another student because he bullied her and called her stupid for not being able to read as well as the other kids and she believed that it was true... I remember telling her that every soldier who carries confidence will always conquer and she lived by that for a long time..."

I caught him wiping a quick tear from his eye as he proceeded, keeping his tone strong, "Even when times were tough for me, even when I felt like giving up, she would wink at me and quote it back to me. She is why I've kept my head high and fought through ups and downs until I can't any longer. She brought a new light to my life that I never knew existed..."

He cleared his throat as Janet handed him a plaque and medal, "She is my rock and she has always been my main influence for making headquarters 10 times better than it was years before we met. I am proud to announce that my daughter, Nicole Greene, will be taking my place as the leader of this agency! Please come up and accept this award."

Wait what?!

I widened my eyes and looked over at Jaden and Jackson who clapped and cheered along with the thousands of other members in the audience.

"Get up there, Nicki!" Jaden grinned and took Nicholas out of my lap.

I hesitated but ended up nodding as I stood up and tried to look normal, walking onto the stage.

How did I not see this coming? This is huge! A dream come true!

When I approached Simon, I suddenly felt a high jolted power of happiness pump from within me. I took a deep breath and bowed my head so that he could place the medal around my neck.

"Congrats, you've earned this." he smiled.

I grinned then pulled him in for a tight hug, "This is a huge honor, thank you."

"It's an honor to have you take over! You're perfect for the position." he pulled back and saluted, "I'll be here to support and help you with anything you need."

I saluted back, "Roger that..." I hugged him again, feeling him kiss my cheek. After he pulled away, he handed me the mic.

"They want to hear from you now..."

I nodded and headed to the podium, smirking at the audience who cheered for me. "Thank you... I- I didn't expect this so I didn't really prepare a speech... I guess I'll start by saying this is one hell of a dream come true for me. Being a part of the USSCI has been the best experience for me and it never failed to teach me new things about everyone I work with and new things I've learned about myself..."

"I've learned that you guys will stick with each other and back each other up no matter what the cost may be. That clearly showed during one of our toughest missions: Operation Find Simon and Exterminate Fire Catcher. You all proved that you'd do whatever it takes to help a team member, whether it costs you a limb or costs you your life. That is a team I would be proud to lead and fight alongside with and that team is this team... I am honored to be chosen to take over and continue on with the legacy Simon left here. My motto had always been to fight, to protect, and to win. No situation is too tough and no problem doesn't have an answer. Being here has taught me that literally, anything is possible as long as you use your head, tools, and skills to achieve your goal. That's the effect I want to have on you all, to make sure that you know these things, to work together and stay together as a team... To make each other stronger... Thank you again for giving me this opportunity."

The audience roared up into cheers, whistles, and clapping as I headed over to Simon and Janet to firmly shake their hands and give them tight hugs.

"Good job, soldier."

I smiled, "Appreciate it..."

He put an arm around me and pursed his lips, "One more thing." he said gesturing towards Janet. "I hope this is good timing and I know I said I wouldn't fall for another but Janet brought those feelings back to me... Of course, I promised you a long, long time ago that I wouldn't do these things without your consent so I want to ask you something. Would you mind adding room for one more to our family?"

I laughed. "I'm surprised you remembered that promise from like a decade ago..." I turned to Janet and crossed my arms. "I do like her... I trust her and you seem like you trust her too, so sure. Why not?"

Janet smiled and headed to Simon to kiss his cheek but I stopped her, "Only! If she promises to keep you happy... You break his heart, I break your limbs."

"Nicole!" Simon looked at me sternly and I only shrugged. I was serious about that.

Janet laughed, "Don't worry, I promise."

Good.

"I'm happy for you, Simon... And congrats Janet, he's a keeper." I nodded and gestured for her to kiss him before I began to head off of the stage. Just when I was taking a step down the stairs, Jackson ran up and grabbed my hand so that he could lead me back to the podium.

I gave him a confused eyebrow raise as he quickly took the mic off of the stand and excitedly led me to the front of the stage, "Everyone! Everyone, may I have your attention please?"

The spur of cheering and clapping gradually stopped, making the atmosphere go cricket silent in a matter of seconds. When I looked back at Simon and Janet, they gave me identical clueless expressions, not knowing what the fuck Jackson was doing either.

"Congratulations again on this achievement but there are a few people out there who still have a few words to say to you..."

I chuckled, feeling a bit awkward now, "Okay..."

He smiled, "Alright, I'll start off by saying how proud I am of you. I know that your plans for the future of the USSCI will benefit the people who work here and will help the agency grow into something more powerful."

I smiled, "Thank you, Jackson."

"You deserve it. In fact, you deserve more than just that plaque." He smiled then tossed the mic into the crowd and Jaden caught it, making the mic squeak an eery noise.

I chuckled as I watched him stand up with the microphone in one hand and the baby in the other arm. "Thanks, Coach... I'm not good at speeches, guys, so please bear with me on this one..." He smiled then began to walk to the stage with his eyes fixed on me, "Nicki, remember when we met for the first time at Barhama Paradise?"

I nodded, confused as to why he's bringing this up now, "Of course... You were a toothpick."

He laughed, "Yeah... Kind of. You hated me also. But I'm sure you also remember when this toothpick saved your butt too."

I rolled my eyes with a small smile as others laughed softly.

"And Simon was so impressed with my skills, he let me get into the agency. Remember that?"

"Yeah, I do." I chuckled almost humorlessly, "Where are you trying to go with this?"

He walked up to me and smiled sweetly, "I'm going back to our memories... Sometimes I can't help but think about how you've managed to change me into a better man... I used to be a pig before I met you, shit, I was flat out stupid before I met you."

He gave Simon a grimace as he told him, "Honestly, I wasn't a risk-taker going into this, sir. I joined because your daughter was hot!" that made the audience laugh and I didn't dare look at Simon's expression

This dumbass...

I gave Jaden a stern look that screamed, "Shut your stupid ass up!"

He looked back at me with a laugh, "Don't worry, she wasn't here for my bullshit. She worked hard to make sure that I took this job seriously and that I was ready to overcome everything and anything that would be thrown in my way, prepping me for every possible scenario we might run into on our journey."

That's better.

I smirked with a nod.

"It was tough for both of us to work together, I've gotta admit. I've been slapped, punched, choked, pistol-whipped..." he chuckled. "She scared me a lot but for some reason, I couldn't stay away from her... I cared about her and still do. Something I found deeper than her violence attracted me in ways I didn't think possible. Things I've never seen in anyone else..."

I heard awes coming from the audience which made my cheeks redden.

He bit his lip for a moment and his voice became softer, "She told me things she would never tell other people, she began to trust me, she saw my potential and I began to see that she cared about me as well even when she wouldn't admit it... You told me once that you wouldn't die for me when I said I would die for you but now I see that, that wasn't true... You felt for me the same way I felt for you and you permanently changed my perspective of things... Everything..."

He looked at Nicholas then back to me, "You helped me figure out that women were not just an object and that love really does exist... I love you and only you, Nicki."

Awes and gasps filled the audience at those words and my cheeks grew hotter as I began to feel vulnerable now. I never liked it when people could see my soft side but I couldn't help it now that Jaden was saying all these things to me in front of everyone I know.

"So remember the last walk we had while you were pregnant?" he asked as he walked over to Jackson and handed him my baby.

I crossed my arms, "Yeah." I answered softly.

"Remember when you said you didn't want to change your last name?" he asked.

"Mhm..." Of course, my last name defines my independence from my abusive childhood.

"Well, I didn't get a chance to ask before and I've been thinking about it a lot but, now I wanna know..." He bit his lip and reached into his back pocket, getting on one knee now, "Are you sure you don't want to be a Brown?"

The audience simultaneously gasped loudly and stood to their feet as he flashed me a large white diamond in a velvet box.

Oh... My... God...

I froze up but I could feel my fingers tremble as I stared into his eyes, asking him if he was serious about this.

Of course he was serious!

I just never thought I'd see myself doing this with anyone. I know nothing about marriage but I do know a huge commitment when I see one and Jaden was definitely a person I would forever stay committed to.

"Nicki? Will you marry me?" he asked.

I nodded and nodded and nodded again before actually saying, "Hell yeah!" causing everyone to spur up into cheerful applause as he slipped the ring onto my finger with a bright grin, "I knew it!" He said ecstatically.

When he stood up, I pulled him in for a kiss and a tight hug then I suddenly felt more arms wrap tightly around us, engulfing us into a large group hug.

At this point, I really felt like I was dreaming because of all the happiness I felt at once. It was almost too much for me to handle.

When we separated from the hug, Jaden kissed my lips and told me, "I love you." again and again as he kissed me over and over.

"I love you too, Jaden... We should head back to our seats so they can finish the ceremony."

"Nicole!" Jackson called, rushing over to us and stopping us from leaving the stage.

When we looked back at him, he smiled with humor, "Not so fast, you two! First of all, you almost forgot Nicholas..."

I laughed as I watched Nicholas tug on Jackson's necklace, "I didn't forget my son, I just thought you wanted to hold him longer."

He chuckled, "Actually, yeah. I think he wants to hang out with me more anyway... Plus you might need me to since Simon wants you both to go help him finish this ceremony. You are the new leader after all."

I nodded with a satisfied smirk. I could get used to hearing everyone calling me their leader. "My pleasure..."

I rested each arm around Jaden and Jackson's waist who did the same with one of each arm around my shoulders as they walked with me to the podium.

This is officially a new start of a whole new era for the agency. I knew I wouldn't be doing it all alone because I had the support and belief of friends and family plus all of the members of my agency. I trust and believe in each and every soul standing with me today. They've earned it and proved that they will be here for each other and this country we serve.

To serve, to protect, and to win.

* * * * *