Devon enjoyed the time he spent with his family, even with the presence of Andres and Samiya, whose friendship both he and Jennie were enjoying immensely. Something was missing, even Jennie felt it too. There was a longing that they were feeling. Now that there was no job to hold them back, and with Amelia being born, Jennie no longer felt the urge to continue with her law degree. It wasn’t as if they needed the money. Besides, raising her little bundle of joy left her feeling fulfilled. After a few months and considerable deliberation, Devon called a meeting for himself, Jennie, Clarice, Samiya, and Andres. When they were all sitting comfortably in their living room, Devon stood up, took Jennie’s hand, and started, ” We have decided to go back to the US, where I am going to turn myself in to the FBI. I no longer want to live my life under an assumed name and identity, and besides, Jennie and I are both homesick. As a wedding gift to you, Andres, and you, Samiya, we have decided to sign over our villa here in Rome to both of you. The only stipulation is that you allow Clarice to live under your roof as long as she pleases. As a favor to me upon my retirement from the Gendarmerie, the Pope obtained a concession from the Italian government that this villa and the surrounding land would no longer be assessed any taxes. To cover expenses for the foreseeable future, I have left three million dollars in a small, private safe in the master suite to cover the villa’s expenses. This is mainly to ensure that Jennie’s mom will always have a house over her head. Even if she decides to come back with us, the money is still yours.”
Andres and Samiya were speechless; even Clarice was without words, thanks to Devon and Jennie’s largesse. Devon continued, “You don’t need to thank us, Jennie and I are glad to do it. Within a year, with my investment earnings, I will recoup all the money I invested in the villa. Besides, I feel like I have been living a lie. The Anderson family name has always stood for something. My family has fought in every major war since we first crossed the Atlantic Ocean. We have a proud heritage, and it is time for me to reclaim my heritage and name, even if it means facing some hardships in doing so.”
Clarice finally found the words to speak out, “Are you quite finished, Devon? Of course, I will not stay here in Rome if you, Jennie, and Amelia go back to the US. You are my family, and the only reason I moved here in the first place was so that I could be with my family.” After she finished speaking her piece, she stormed out of the room.
Well with that display of impetuosity, it was decided that Jennie’s mother was going to be coming back to the US with them. Right after Andres and Samiya’s wedding, that is. It is funny how things work in one’s life. Just a few months ago if you were to tell Andres that they would end up not only moving to Rome, but owning one of the nicest villas in Rome, they would have told you to get your head examined. Their trip to Rome was just supposed to be for a couple of weeks, which turned out to be several months. They had also planned on getting married in the Philippines where Samiya had her family. The actual location for their wedding didn’t matter much to Andres, because he was the sole surviving member of his family. His parents and his only sibling had died in an MVA when he was overseas, fighting in some mindless and meaningless war.
Since there would be no family present for their wedding, Samiya and Andres decided to keep it simple, with just Devon, Jennie, Amelia, and Clarice being present at it. Thanks to the work that Andres had done for Pope Pius XIII in the Philippines, he offered to marry them. Since a wedding involving the Pope would mean a lot of fanfare, they politely declined. Especially with what Mina had been through. With all the press coverage her past would come out. Something that Andres and Samiya were dead set against happening. Samiya was a very private person. She would have been mortified if her kidnapping and multiple rapes had been made public. She was finally coming to grips with this. Re-opening old wounds was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.
The blessed day came quite quickly. Even though the wedding was simple, Jennie made sure that certain proprieties were followed and that was that the bride had to wear a stunning wedding gown. She also insisted that Andres shave his beard. She said that he would look a lot younger if he did so. I don’t know about you, but I have to agree with Jennie, Andres does look a lot younger without his beard. A little Grecian formula didn’t hurt either.
As soon as the newlyweds came back from their honeymoon to the Philippines, where they got remarried with the family being present this time. I know families are crazy like that. Devon signed the villa over to Mr and Mrs Andres and Samiya Aguinaldo. The villa was already for them. All of the Howards or in this case the Andersons’ clothes and personal belongings along with Clarice’s were all crated up and we’re on their way to the US.
Because Devon/Peter did not know what his future held for him. The couple decided to just rent a house in Washington D.C I know this may be a little confusing to the reader, but don’t blame me, blame the hero in this book. He decided to return to using the birth name of Peter Anderson.
Of course, our idea and Peter’s ideas for a simple rental house are vastly different. Once Peter, Jennie, Amelia, and Clarice got settled in and they found a reliable nanny for Amelia. While Peter was grateful to Clatice for her help in caring for Amelia, it was important to him that she also had a life of her own. He also wanted Jennie to finish her law degree, so getting a nanny would essentially kill two birds with one stone.
We also can’t forget about Spot and Dante. They of course came to the US with their owners, though they had to go through a quarantine procedure. Once all of their ducks were in a row Peter contacted his old friend James Pierany at the FBI. He was no longer just a special agent, he was a Special Agent in Charge.*
*Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
- Special Agent (SA): The entry-level position for FBI investigators.
- Supervisory Special Agent (SSA): Oversees a squad of Special Agents, often handling administrative and personnel matters.
- Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC): Manages several investigative units within a field office.
- Special Agent in Charge (SAC): Leads an entire field office.
- Deputy Special Agent in Charge (DSAC): In larger offices, this role manages several ASACs and reports to the SAC.
- Assistant Director (AD): In the largest field offices (like New York and Los Angeles), an Assistant Director oversees the office.
- Director of the FBI: The highest-ranking official, appointed by the President.
Of course, Archbishop Ignastius and Pope Pius XIII had all been apprised of this by Andres, who was secretly dead set against Devon’s plan of turning himself in. He understood it, he just didn’t agree with it.