Convincing an old man is much harder than convincing a young woman. After leaving Rossi's mansion, Jack drove Jennifer's car to take her home.
Jennifer had made a small fortune with Jack in the past, and then bought a house in Los Angeles. The house wasn't big, but it was very cozy, fitting her image as a virtuous wife and mother.
Within the BAU team, she had always played the role of the housekeeper. Nearly every case the team handled had to pass through her inspection and review first.
Moreover, Jennifer's excellent image and demeanor made her quite suitable for handling interactions with police forces and the media. Sometimes, she even acted as a spokesperson for the police.
So even though Jack knew it wasn't the best idea to have both of his girlfriends stay with him, he had no choice but to go along with it.
First, he couldn't always favor one over the other. While he and Hannah were close on the East Coast, leaving everyone else on the West Coast to fend for themselves wasn't right. Though both women had their careers and could afford to be independent, Jennifer had given him some attitude before, and that made him feel like he had to compensate.
Second, the future team urgently needed someone with diplomatic skills like Jennifer. Jack wasn't like Rossi, who had a wealth of connections within the FBI. The BAU was famous and had a natural edge when dealing with local police departments, but his new team was essentially starting from scratch. Dana Moray's title as Assistant Director might have worked locally, but on a national scale, it was less effective.
If Jack didn't want to be ridiculed as the little chick hiding under the mother hen's wing, the best way to establish his own name was to quickly build a reputation. At the very least, he needed to become well-known in the field so that he could travel across the country to handle cases, just as he had done in the BAU.
And Jennifer, as the BAU's liaison officer, was far more connected and famous in police circles across the nation than he was. So, even though Rossi was reluctant, he eventually agreed to lend them their best liaison officer, provided she didn't oppose it.
Yes, the agreement between the old fox and the little fox was essentially a temporary transfer. Just like how Jack was once transferred to the New York office, Jennifer would now temporarily join the new team in New York under the title of BAU consultant.
The reason why Jennifer was considered a "virtuous wife and mother" was because, outside of home, she would never embarrass Jack in front of others. But once they were behind closed doors, it was a different story.
So when Jack walked in, he was immediately pressed up against the door with a furious look from Jennifer. "Agent Jack Taverner, did you forget something today?"
"W-What did I forget?" Jack was startled and quickly explained. "I'm still a senior agent. I won't get promoted for several more months. Senior Agent Jennifer Langet."
"Didn't you think about asking for my opinion first?" Jennifer's big eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Haha, no... it just slipped my mind, haha," Jack awkwardly chuckled. This time, he was indeed at fault. He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of building the team on the way back that he forgot he should have consulted her first.
But sometimes, a few words were enough. Sometimes, what girls needed wasn't an explanation of every detail but rather a mutual respect.
So Jack quickly raised his hands in acknowledgment of his mistake, admitting that he hadn't considered it properly.
Jennifer glared at him again, feeling like she was hitting cotton with her fist. She subconsciously looked down at her small bag in her left hand, where she still had the gift Jack had given her during dinner. With a sigh, she bit her lip and released him.
Though she hadn't been there for a few months, Jennifer's house hadn't changed much. Jack walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing two bottles of beer before heading back to the living room and settling onto the couch.
Before long, Jennifer, who had just entered the bedroom, came back out. When they went to the restaurant earlier, she had changed into a small dress from her usual work attire. Now, with the addition of a deep emerald necklace, she looked even more elegant.
Jack's eyes went wide for a moment. "I'm not sure whether I should hide this necklace or hide the beauty in front of me."
Jennifer, not familiar with the idiom "golden house to hide a beauty," understood the compliment and immediately leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.
"This is to thank you for the gift, but it doesn't mean I've agreed to go to New York with you. You'll need to convince me, just like you promised Rossi: BAU agrees to lend me to the new team on the condition that I don't oppose it."
This time, it was Jack's turn to be surprised. He thought to himself, "If I really had the chance and didn't apply to have her by my side, I don't know how awkward that would make her feel. Now, she's getting bold with me?"
Without warning, he stood up, swiftly grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder, "I'll make you cry and beg for my consent."
Sizzle! A large, thick-cut rib-eye steak landed on the hot iron plate, producing a mouth-watering sound. Not far from the barbecue grill, a large white tablecloth was spread out on the lawn, where two little babies were babbling in a language adults couldn't understand.
Jennifer was teasing the two babies while chatting with Angela Lopez and Braxton's wife, Elia, the two new mothers, about topics that only women would understand.
Chris and Braxton's farm hadn't been this lively in a long time. Thanks to Jack's visit, all of their old LAPD colleagues, including the gruff-faced police commissioner Grey, had arrived. The BAU team was also fully represented, including the new Latin handsome guy, Luke Elvis.
Jack was no longer working alone. Justin, now swinging a spatula, looked quite professional. No one would have guessed that these hands had only once been used for typing on a keyboard.
Justin was also one of Jack's objectives for this trip. However, she was clearly not suited for direct recruitment into the FBI, so Jack planned to keep her working behind the scenes.
Having a hacker extraordinaire was a staple for nearly every detective show, and Jack wasn't going to break tradition. With someone like Justin on his side, many things could be accomplished more easily.
Of course, evidence gathered through hacking methods often couldn't be presented in court, and sometimes it caused trouble with case reports later on. Jack still needed to find a reliable computer expert to cover up any issues. However, someone like Garcia, who was a rare gem, was hard to find, so he'd have to search slowly.
In addition, Jack needed at least one strong and clever individual. Unfortunately, the Wolf brothers weren't ideal candidates. Chris was better at working in the gray areas, and he was currently focused on business. As for Braxton, while he could fight, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and now he had just become a new dad, which wasn't an ideal time to recruit him.
Luckily, Jack had plenty of time. If nothing else worked, he could always go through internal systems and look at resumes for familiar faces.
To be honest, BAU's new recruit, Luke Elvis, was quite promising. He had even worked in the Fugitive Unit before. Unfortunately, Jack couldn't keep poaching people from BAU.
Whether Rossi or Hotch would approve didn't matter much. If half the new team came from BAU, it would be better for Jack to just return to the team himself once Hotch got promoted or retired.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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