The Criminal and the Criminologist 8

"I am not going to wallow. I was the lead criminologist for the FBI and I can get another job. I will have a new job by next week." Tess chanted to herself over the course of the next few days. It kept her calm and her mind on track. She needed to be looking for a job, not freaking out.

The day after Tess lost her job, her brother and sister-in-law returned for Percy. It presented her with a new challenge; how she was going to tell her family she had lost her job. Telling them wasn't necessarily the problem, it was the question they would undoubtedly ask, 'why?' Why did their daughter lose her job?

'Because I overstepped my boundaries with a criminal and neglected my job for him,' she thought sardonically.

She would never tell anyone that. Tess would probably make something up. She would also never tell them that she didn't regret it either. She knew was doing the right thing. The girls were safe with Felonious and needed to be with him.

'But is the world safe from Felonious?' A nagging voice asked in the back of her mind.

Tess was prepared to overlook that part of him, but only if it met her conditions.

She would tell her family about her job when she acquired a new one.

That week, she filled out countless applications for a new job and had a few employers interested in her. She had several interviews set up for the next week.

Next week was the court date. Felonious had only one more week with his daughter. Tess felt her heart clench at the thought. She could just see Felonious in Agnes' room, packing away her things in cold cardboard boxes. Tears stung her eyes.

'I could have done more.' She thought angrily. She knew that she could not have done more for Agnes, but she would not allow herself to feel anything but guilty.

Around noon, she received a call from Felonious. He was taking Agnes to the park and invited her to come along. Despite her rotten mood, she wasn't about to pass up time with Felonious.

As Tess drove to the park, she buzzed with excited and nervous energy at the thought of seeing Felonious again. She felt silly, and hadn't felt this way about a guy since high school, but she didn't care. Tess was going to enjoy as much time with Felonious as she could before they would undoubtedly be pulled away from each other.

Felonious greeted Tess with a kiss as Agnes ran to the monkey bars.

"Help me daddy!" She exclaimed excitedly, pointing up to the metal bars.

He smiled a sad smile, probably thinking it was one of the last times she would call him daddy. Felonious put on a brave front for her as he helped her across.

After Felonious and Tess taught Agnes how to build sandcastles using a bottle of water, they played tag, swung on the swings and countless other things that almost distracted the adults from the impending future.

Just as Tess and Felonious were wearing out, Agnes started playing a group of little girls her age and became uninterested in playing with either of them. They took this as a chance to sit under a shady tree and catch their breaths, keeping a watchful eye on Agnes. Tess sat down her knees drawn up her chest with her back and her head resting against the trunk of the tree. Felonious laid down, propped up on his elbows with his long legs stretched out before him.

A question that had been nagging Tess for days bubbled up an she asked, "What are we, Felonious?"

He gave her an odd look, not understanding her question. "Are we dating? Am I your girlfriend? Are you my boyfriend? Should I change my Facebook status to 'in a relationship'? If I hear a stupid love song on the radio can I think of you and me? Or do I have bring myself back to reality, knowing I cannot have that?" The questions came one after another and she wanted, needed, answers.

"I prefer the term 'courting'. 'Dating' is too casual. I don't want to waste my time on a woman who doesn't want to put forth the effort to make a relationship last. And I am no more a boy than you are a girl, those terms are too childish, but yes we are in a relationship. As long as you will have me and not run at your first chance of escape?"

Tess' heart fluttered in joy, "Yes Felonious, I will have you and I wouldn't want to run." she answered.

"I take that back, I am giving you one chance to leave. Now. Being with me will not be easy. I cannot always guarantee your safety and I am a man of many enemies. You have seen that for yourself. I may leave on a mission and never come back, save for in a wooden box. However, from me directly, you have nothing to fear. I was raised to treat women with respect and treat them like a queen and I fully intend to with you."

"I'm not leaving."

Felonious smiled, "Good", he said, reaching up, cupping Tess' chin drawing her down for a sealing kiss.

"The irony of our relationship is not lost on me. The word 'felon' is literally part of my name. A criminal and a criminologist." He chuckled. "A criminologist is not a career everyone strives for. It's only suited for certain people. What made you choose such a path?"

Tess quieted, remembering the horrid memory that changed her and her family's lives. She still had nightmares about that night. Tess' entire family just completed therapy from the event only a few years ago. Despite that, they would never the same.

"When I was ten, a man named Andrew Hill broke into my family's house and held us hostage for two days. We were tied up in the living room. I had a gun pointed to my head more times than I want to count. The entire time he kept saying 'God told me I had to kill you people!' He seemed to be at war with himself, never really working up the strength to kill us. Our dog tried to attack him, but he shot her. Thankfully, he was a terrible shot and only hit her paw. She survived. He fell asleep late into the first night and we planned our escape. I was little so I could get out of the rope and get my family free. When I had them freed, it was my mother's job to run next door and call the police. I went with her as my father and brother subdued Hill. Before my brother could grab Hill's gun, he woke up and shot my father and my brother. They survived but it looked grim for a while. Hill was arrested on the spot, but it took forever for the courts to convict. He's now serving a life sentence.

"I wanted to become a criminologist to understand why he would do such a thing to us and to understand what took so long to convict him. To me, it was so black and white. I know now it's not that simple."

"God, Tess. I'm sorry…" Felonious said, feeling bad for drawing up such horrible memories.

"You wouldn't do anything like that, would you?" Tess asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

"Never." Felonious said definitely. "I don't want to hurt people and I do my best not to." Tess gave him and incredulous look. "I know that look, the freeze ray is harmless. I would never go after a family or an innocent life. Your police records are wrong. I have only killed one person in my entire career. It was long ago and I did not plan to. It was in self-defense and I had no other option. Manslaughter, yes, I probably have killed people unknowingly, but if they were stupid enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, well, they deserve it. Everything happens for a reason."

Tess didn't want to hear about that subject anymore, so she abruptly changed the subject. "I lost my job." she stated.

"I'll keep you afloat until you find a new one, however long it takes." Felonious said without hesitation, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

A comfortable silence fell between them, until Felonious spoke up. "I wonder if Agnes will remember me. How I saved her and her sisters lives? Will she think the minions and Kyle were just a figment of her imagination?"

Tess knew that since Agnes was so young, it was unlikely that her time with Felonious would be remembered. Felonious didn't need to hear that. "She'll remember you." She reassured.

Conversation ceased once more. Tess idly glanced at her phone. "It's almost time to go get Margo and Edith."

Felonious nodded, "Will you stay for dinner?"

"I would love to."

At dinner, Tess found it harder and harder to fall into her safe fantasy land. The truth was looming too close to her. She could feel its hot breath of fear on her neck, feel its decayed arms encircling her and pulling her into its cold, harsh embrace, wanting her to succumb and break down there. Tears threatened to fall once more. She couldn't break down here, not in front of the girls.

Suddenly, Felonious' voice brought her back to reality. "Girls, I have an announcement to make. Tess and I are courting."

Tess could hear crickets in the background. They didn't understand his terminology. "We're dating." She clarified.

The girls cheered happily.

"I'm so happy for you, dad!" Margo gushed.

"Does this mean we have to listen to her, too?" Edith whined.

"Do you have a unicorn or a pony?!" Agnes asked Tess, eagerly.

"I'm afraid not, Agnes," Tess giggled.

"Yes, Edith you have to listen to Tess. I want you all to treat her with the same respect you do me." Felonious answered.

Both adults knew that only two girls would be left to listen to Tess this time next week. Possibly none of the girls would be there. It was all a front to keep the girls happy.

While not being able to dissolve into her own perfect world like she wanted too, the girls kept Tess distracted by all kinds of questions. Margo asked questions about Tess to get to know her. Edith asked about hypothetical consequences for misbehavior, trying to discern if Tess was strict or a softy and how to exploit it. Agnes kept asking if Tess had a unicorn or pony.

Tess stayed late, not having anywhere to be the next day. She sat down on the dragon like couch as Felonious put the girls to bed. Kyle had followed Agnes upstairs. He was apparently very protective of the girls.

Her phone rang, startling her. Seeing it was merely a Facebook notification, she was about to put her phone away when she remembered the conversation she and Felonious had at the park. She smiled as she changed her relationship status from 'single' to 'in a relationship.'

Tess heard Felonious coming down the stairs. She smiled and showed him her phone. It was silly, but it made her happy. It took a second for him to figure out what he was looking at. Felonious was not interested in social networks and grimaced when he learned his mother had a Facebook, however Felonious smiled at this.

"You're all mine." He said, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her lovingly. When they pulled away, Tess was content to stay in his arms forever. She felt safe and happy.

For the next few days, Tess practically lived with Felonious. She came over early to help get the girls to school and stayed until well after they had gone to bed.

By Friday, Felonious' mood darkened, Tess knew that he thinking of the dwindling time he had with Agnes. Monday was the day of the trial. Felonious put Agnes and her sisters to bed, on the last night, knowing he would never do this again. He finally broke down after he came back down stairs. Tess stayed strong for him, but broke down soon after he did. They just held each other, taking turns crying. They both had failed.