Chapter Text
Norman could not wait to get out of Philadelphia. Anything was better than this damned wet and cold town. The rain was starting to make him sick, as he finished up paperwork. He would go home, drink like the devil, and sleep for a week. He missed the solitude of no one bothering him and attempting to make insulting small talk. He could work for hours in a much nicer office than this shithole. He grumbled as he shoved his files into his suitcase and began out of the gross stuffy basement of an “office” and stormed towards the front. He was done with these crooked police stations and these crooked cops. He grunted as he shouldered into Perry.
“Ah, Mr. Jayden I was looking for you-“
“Sorry, I’m a bit of a rush, I have a bus to catch” Norman interrupted. Norman really was a polite guy. But he was not polite to people who would willing let another cop beat a suspect into false statements.
“Agent Jayden-“
“Our cooperation is over. Goodbye.”
Norman pushed passed him and headed for the door before HE arrived. Norman did not want to see Carter’s face at all before he left. That asshole was beyond frustrating to him. He tried to work with him, but that man was horrid. Norman himself did questionable things but only to prevent people like Carter from destroying and ruining the case. Lucky for Norman, he wasn’t in today and he walked out of the station getting drenched again in the rain. God damn rain, I just want to see the sun for fucks sake. Norman walked down the road staring blankly ahead, finding the bus stop. Sitting on the bench, out of the rain and looked at his hands. He was beginning to shake. Shit. He quickly dug into his case and grabbed his phone and tried to drown out the shakes and headache with music. He coughed and rubbed his hands together trying to not focus on the dizzy feeling.
You’re okay Norman. Here look at that car. Count the blinks from the taillight. One. Two. Three. Okay that’s making me feel sick let’s look at something else.
Norman began drumming his fingers on his legs finally calming down as he distracted himself. God the bus was late. Or maybe he was early? He left in such a hurry he didn’t check if the time was even right. Shaking his head, he crossed his arms across his chest. He couldn’t wait to get home and have a good vacation. For one, he did not want the ARI anymore. He’s been tempted to use it again since the investigation, but he forced himself to avoid it. He knew it was affecting him negatively.
Triptocaine addiction was only part of the problem. It was the hallucinations. The difficulty in separating reality from the unrealistic images the ARI provided. On top of the awful withdrawals. Sometimes they made Norman faint they would get so bad. Norman had to shake the icky feeling again. He was wondering how he could avoid using the ARI when he got back.
“Agent Jayden?”
Norman’s head snapped from his thoughts, ear buds falling out, turning to find a tired man, holding hands with a child. It was Ethan and Shaun Mars. Norman sat up straight and gave a very awkward smile. “Mr. Mars, hello.” Norman mentally groaned as he was always awkward when it came to interactions like these.
“We tried finding you at the station but they said you had left, my son wanted to give you something. A-As thanks.”
Ethan smiled back and looked at Shaun. “Want to give him the surprise?”
The smaller child shyly had his hand shoved in the jacket as to protect whatever he was holding from the rain. Shaun walked in front of the agent and pulled out a somewhat crinkled sheet of paper. Norman carefully took and observed a very carefully drawn and colored drawing of… him? He figured it was him, the person was wearing a suit.
“Th-thank you for saving me, Mr. Jayden” Shaun stuttered out.
Okay, Norman couldn’t help but crumble. The kid was too precious for words.
“Thank you, Shaun, I never been given a drawing before. I like it a lot.”
Shaun’s eyes lit up with excitement then and he smiled. Ethan chuckled grabbing Shaun’s hand again as a bus pulled up. “Thank you again, Mr. Jayden. I really appreciate your help.”
Norman responded with a nod.
Norman was never good with being thanked. He always hopes to be one of those mysterious guys that disappear before you thank them as to avoid awkward responses. However, this was just different somehow.
“I’m just glad your son is safe, Mr. Mars.” Norman looked at the drawing again, feeling inner pride, before opening his case and carefully sliding the picture in.
Ethan tugged Shaun’s hand. “Come on, we have to get you home before you get a cold. I believe Mr. Jayden is going back to his own home”
Thank god, Ethan knew to not linger around and make this even more awkward for Norman.
The kid willingly followed his dad but not before looking back at the cold and blank agent and gave a smile and waved. Norman waved back as they walked off.
The bus he had waited on strolled in front of him. He could finally head home.
Norman came to a decision. He could not find any other option he’d be satisfied with. This was thought the whole ride home. After seeing Shaun and Ethan again Norman decided that he would resign from the FBI. He couldn’t keep the ARI either. This was going to be a hell of a change. Norman was going to hate it too, but it was the best choice he had made these past few weeks.
Things were not going to be the same, whether he stayed or not. He feared his safety from the ARI and could already feel the anxiety eat at the back of his mind. He’ll resign tomorrow when he goes into work.
Norman walked through the front door of his home, an empty echo as he shut it behind him. He took off his damp coat and hung it up as he carried his case to his study and opened it ready to just get into bed. He paused seeing the drawing Shaun had made him. Allowing a smile to creep back up he picked the picture up again and gave it another moment of admiration. He really had never received anything from people he had helped. Mostly because he was never involved as deeply as he was in the Origami Killer case. Sometimes kids were even fearful of him. Norman hummed a bit as he went into his kitchen and placed the drawing on the fridge.
A drawing of him and a smaller person, whom he guesses to be Shaun, smiling, and marked at the corner -Shaun Mars. A perfect depiction of a child’s drawing. Somehow, he almost felt less alone looking at the picture. Making the home air a little brighter.
The agent finally dragged his cold self to his bedroom and prepared for a decent rest in his actual bed and not that of a hotel. The things he did for work. He comfortably settled into the sheets and started to scroll through his phone. Not much update, no messages, not like he expected any. Alone. He sighed and tossed his phone on the nightstand before clicking the lamp off and passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow.