Fake Fan Fiction ❯ The Devil's Sweet Ride ❯ "Meeting" JJ ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

 

“No, his name is Jemmy J Adams,” Sam explained patiently to the bewildered nurse.

 

“What an unusual name.”

 

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

 

“And where did you say he was from?”

 

“He's a cop in New York City. My brother and I met him when we went there last summer.”

 

The nurse didn't act like she doubted him, but she did seem confused—and why now? Sam certainly didn't understand what was happening here any more than she did.

 

“Then how on Earth did he end up here?” the nurse was asking. “New York is three thousand miles from here!”

 

“I know that,” Sam replied. “And we need to get him back there—his friends are probably worried to death.”

 

The nurse nodded with a kindly smile. “I'll page his doctor. Why don't you go try to explain some of this to Mr. Adams?”

 

“I will. Oh, and if you see my brother, would you tell him I said to get back here?”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“Thanks,” Sam called after her, already heading for JJ's room.

 

The boyish, usually-energetic young man looked just the slightest bit irritated when he got there, and the reason for it was made plain when he asked, “Why does everyone keep running away from me?! Aren't I supposed to be the one who's freaking out?!”

 

Sam smiled encouragingly at him, suddenly seeing that he was actually much more unnerved by this than he appeared. “I'm sorry,” he said sincerely. “I just needed to talk to your nurse. Turns out that there are a couple of people in this state who know you, and you're looking at one of them. I'm Sam.”

 

“…You know me?” Sam nodded. “Oh. Well, then, would you mind telling me my name, please?”

 

Sam chuckled—apparently this man was still a little quirky, at least. “It's Jemmy J Adams, but most everyone who knows you calls you JJ. You're a cop in the NYPD. New York Police Department,” he added, remembering what he'd been told about JJ's confused state of mind.

 

“That's on the other side of the country, right?”

 

“Yeah. I have no idea how you got here, but we need to get you back. Hopefully, the people there can help you remember. We don't know each other very well, see,” he explained. “Not that you're not…friendly…or anything—you are, believe me. We just weren't in town long enough to really get to know you.”

 

JJ nodded at that. “Well, can you tell me a little more about myself?”

 

Sam was about to answer when JJ's doctor came into the room, followed by Dean, and he mouthed, “Later” before standing up to greet the man.

 

“Hi. I'm Sam,” he said, reaching out to shake the doc's hand. “Nice of you to join us, Dean,” he added over the man's shoulder.

 

The doctor chuckled as Dean glared. “I'm Dr. Hamil. So I understand you know our mysterious man here,” he said, smiling kindly at JJ. Sam nodded again. “That's a relief—we were beginning to wonder if you'd fallen out of the sky, young man.”

 

“My name is JJ,” JJ responded. “Sam told me.”

 

“Ah. Well, that's a good thing to know,” Dr. Hamil grinned, but then frowned a little. “But I'm sorry to tell you that I can only release JJ here into the custody of family.”

 

“Yeah, I knew that,” Sam replied smoothly, and Dean looked surprised. “But you can also release him to the police.”

 

“Well…yes…”

 

“Simple, then. JJ here works at the NYPD. All we need to do is get his partner out here, right?”

 

Dr. Hamil thought about it a moment, then nodded. “I suppose that will work, if JJ consents.”

 

JJ shrugged, his polite streak showing a fine crack at last as he replied, “Hey, at this point I'd leave with a flying monkey named Bob, if it helped me get out of here.”

 

XXX

 

 

Dean didn't grouch and grumble too much over his assignment to go outside and call Ryo in New York. After all, it did get him away from JJ. He wouldn't have grumbled at all, but it was sort of a principle thing, since his little brother had been the one to ask.

 

Not that he didn't like JJ or anything. He supposed he did, from a distance of ten to twenty feet. But the last time he'd seen JJ, the smaller man had been an uncontrollable ball of energy who jumped Dean every time they were in the same room. And now here was the calm polite guy with JJ's face who was plainly not JJ at all, and it was just…creepy.

 

And it didn't help that he had no idea what had caused it, Dean brooded moodily as he leaned against the brick outer wall of the hospital and dialed. Dean liked to know things, and even though his line of work did include a mystery pretty much every other day, he'd never been quite this puzzled before…because seriously, what kind of monster attacks with amnesia?

 

It never even occurred to him that this might not be their kind of job—that it might be something completely natural, the result of some sort of trauma, something that Drake and Ryo and Dee could solve—in short, something he and Sam weren't needed for. It never occurred to him, and for one simple reason—Sam had a hunch.

 

So that was it. Sam had a hunch, and so they were staying.

 

“H'lo?”

 

The voice that came over the line sounded tired—exhausted, actually—and Dean decided to cut straight to the point.

 

“Hey, Ryo, it's Dean. Remember me?”

 

“Yeah, I remember you, but now really isn't the best time—”

 

“Oh, trust me, it really is. See, me and Sam found something of yours. Bouncy, nutty, wanted for public indecency in, like, every state on the map?”

 

He heard Ryo's breath catch before his somewhat choked voice said, “Oh, thank God. Is he okay?”

 

“Well…ah…that sort of depends on your definition of `okay.'”

 

“What? What's wrong with him?!”

 

“There's nothing physically wrong with him, but…uh…well, he sort of has no idea who he is.”

 

“…You're not serious,” Ryo said slowly.

 

“`Fraid so. He's got amnesia—a lot of amnesia. He's forgotten everything from his name to the names of the states.”

 

“What…but…I…how?”

 

Dean shrugged even though Ryo couldn't see him. “Not a clue. That's why me and Sam should probably stick with him. Problem is, they won't release him to us because we're not family or cops.”

 

“At least not today, eh?” Ryo asked rhetorically, chuckling weakly.

 

“If you want to look at it that way, sure. Anyways, we need you guys to get here as fast as you can. Once we spring him and get him back to New York we can start trying to get to the bottom if this.”

 

“Wait, what do you mean, back to New York? Where are you?”

 

Dean hesitated. “This is the part you're not gonna like.”

 

“Yeah, `cause this has been a really happy conversation so far. Where are you?”

 

XXX

 

New York City

 

“He's where?”

 

Ryo ran a tired hand over his face and repeated, “Palo Alto. That's in California.”

 

“How the hell did he get there?” Dee asked, looking a little wild-eyed.

 

“I have no idea, but then again, Dean and Sam were the ones who found him, so draw your own conclusions.”

 

Dee groaned. “Aw, man…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Dee sighed. “Okay. Guess we'd better go down to the precinct and get Drake. He shouldn't hear this over the phone.”

 

XXX

 

Drake had developed the rather uncleanly habit of biting his nails since JJ had gone missing. It seemed like his hands had been too nervous all the time and Drake would spend all his time just trying to find something to do with them.

 

Unfortunately there was only so much paperwork to be done, and he'd been unceremoniously banned from fieldwork as a result of the panic that seemed to seize him at odd moments. So once he'd finished Dee's paperwork, and Ryo's, and Marty's, and Ted's, and finally Rose's—pretty much every single form in the stacks that had been accumulating for months in every tray on every desk in the 27th precinct—the nail-biting habit was born.

 

He was at it again when Dee and Ryo came into his and JJ's tiny office. The place had been cluttered once, but the mess had not survived the surgical cleaning of every office in the building that Drake had performed somewhere between the form-writing and the nail-biting. He sat at the desk, one hand at his lips while the other danced on the metal top in front of him.

 

“Hey,” he said, and the exhaustion in his voice was a perfect contrast to the restlessness of his hands.

 

Ryo smiled softly and went to gently pull Drake's hand away from his mouth. “Drake, have you been here all night again?”

 

“Yeah,” Drake replied candidly. “I wanted to be here…in case. It was okay—I slept on the couch a little.” His hand went back to his mouth and Ryo pulled it down again, still gentle. Drake sighed and asked, “Do you have any paperwork for me?”

 

“Nope,” Dee said cheerfully. “But we do have some news.”

 

Drake's whole body gave an odd little jerk, and in his dead eyes sparked a little hope. “You found him?” he asked in a hushed voice, as if loud words would somehow frighten the knowledge away.

 

“Well, not us…exactly,” Dee admitted. “But we'll get to that later. Right now we have to get to the airport.”

 

“Airport? Why?”

 

“To go get JJ,” Ryo explained. “He somehow ended up in—”

 

But Drake was already running out the door.

 

“Uh…okay…” Dee said, following him. “We could…do it that way, I guess…”

 

XXX

 

Back in Palo Alto

 

Sam and JJ were deep in conversation when Dean returned to the room, but Sam looked up the second he got to the door, sensing him immediately. He said something to JJ, and then got up and walked out into the hall to join his brother.

 

“I called Ryo. He's gonna bring Drake here today—well, either him or Dee, whichever can get away. They're catching the next flight out.” He paused for a moment, then said, “So…have you explained to him about…”

 

Sam shrugged. “I'm getting to it. We're still working up to it. Actually, I'd better get back in there. Why don't you…go somewhere? I know you don't really want to stick around here until they get here, and I don't particularly want to go out there.”

 

“You sure?”

 

Sam nodded. “You can pick me up later.”

 

“`Kay. Thanks. Call me when they get here.”

 

“Will do.”

 

JJ was waiting patiently for Sam when he got back. “So tell me more about me,” he said as Sam pulled up a chair.

 

Sam chuckled. “Well, I really don't know all that much.”

 

“You know more than I do at this point.”

 

“True. Well, let's see…” Sam said, searching his fairly limited memories of JJ last time they'd met. “You talk a lot. More than anyone I've ever met, actually. You can't seem to stand any sort of silence for more than a minute or two, and you don't really seem to care if anyone's listening.”

 

“Wow. I sound…obnoxious,” JJ said, and Sam laughed.

 

“Well, people do sometimes seem irritated with you, I'm not gonna lie. But you also have a lot of friends who would do anything for you, and your partner on the force thinks the world of you.”

 

JJ smiled. “Oh. That's good.” He paused for a moment, then shrugged and said, “Whatever, I'll ask. Am I…seeing anyone?”

 

Sam coughed. “Well, uh, actually I was gonna tell you about that. You're living with your partner on the force. That's who I called to fly out here and get you. It seems to be a pretty serious relationship.”

 

JJ was grinning now. “Cool. What's her name?”

 

“His name is JJ,” Sam said, rather pointedly.

 

JJ was still for a moment. Then, suddenly, he looked down at himself, studying his hands, his arms, his stomach—most of his body, actually. “Okay, just making sure,” he said upon finishing his expression. “So I'm—”

 

“Yes,” Sam replied, secretly wondering if JJ even knew what that really meant.

 

As if sensing the thought, JJ suddenly gave a wry smile. “Sam, I'm confused, but I still know how the world works. At least a little. Enough to know people aren't very open to that idea. But my friends….they accept it, right?”

 

Sam shrugged. “Well, your two closest friends are together, too, so I'd say so.” At JJ's questioning look, he went on to tell him about the two cops. “Their names are Ryo MacLean and Dee Laytner, and they work with you. Dee is one of those people I told you about who pretends to be annoyed with you, but really he'd probably kill for you, and if you knew what he was like you'd understand the significance of that. Ryo is a lot nicer to you, but then again, Ryo is nice to everyone. Anyways, one of them will probably come with Drake to get you.”

 

JJ's expression became a little wistful, and his next words were oddly heartbreaking.

 

“I'd like to meet them.”

 

XXX

 

Six Hours Later

Palo Alto Airport

 

Drake chewed on his nails for most of the plane ride, despite Ryo's best efforts, and by the time they got off at the airport he'd worn them down to stubs and was gnawing at skin—which was just gross, it must be admitted.

 

If it was at all possible, knowing where JJ was and that he was alive and at least physically well had actually made Drake more nervous and jittery than before. By the time they got off the plane he could barely be contained, and Ryo and Dee found themselves half-jogging to keep up with his quick steps.

 

Dee decided that maybe he'd better drive, since Drake was far more likely to kill them than to get them to their destination—a fact that was whispered sidelong to Ryo when Drake wasn't listening.

 

Luckily, they'd already called Dean, so there was no need to make Drake fly apart completely while waiting for directions. Even more fortunately, the hospital was close enough that with Dee at the wheel, they were there in ten minutes and inquiring at the desk in approximately twelve.

 

“Drake…wait,” Ryo said hesitantly, reaching out to catch his friend's arm as the other man started toward JJ's room.

 

Drake stopped and looked impatiently at him. “What?”

 

“I'm sorry. I just…I thought I should warn you. I know I told you that JJ has no memory, but I want to make sure you really get it. He won't be…the way you remember him, and he doesn't remember us at all. Any of us. I just…want you to be prepared, is all.”

 

“I know,” Drake said quietly, and he smiled even though he looked pained. “But I need to see him anyway.”

 

“Well, obviously,” Dee snorted. “We certainly weren't trying to keep you away from him. What the hell do you take us for? Jeez…” Still grumbling, he led the way to JJ's room.

 

They heard sounds of quiet laughter from outside the door, and despite himself Drake stopped to listen.

 

“…So now he basically avoids you whenever he can, and whenever you're in the same room he tries really hard—and really obviously—to keep ten or twenty feet between you at all times.”

 

The voice was deep and slow, quiet and thoughtful, but the one that replied was different as night from day.

 

“My God, I'm horrible!”

 

And then the person laughed loudly, and Drake's resolve crumbled.

 

XXX

 

Sam was telling JJ more about himself when Drake burst in, wild-eyed and frantic. JJ yelped a little, and Sam had to commend him for not climbing right under the bed, because Drake just looked…insane. He obviously hadn't slept in days, and it would seem that he had been neglecting to care for himself lately. He was clearly exhausted.

 

But his eyes lit up like the rising sun the moment he laid eyes on JJ, and suddenly all that didn't seem to matter a lick.

 

There was more movement in the doorway, and Sam nodded in greeting as Ryo and Dee joined the crowd in the room.

 

“Sorry,” Ryo said, mostly to JJ.

 

“Yeah, we tried to keep him leashed, but…” Dee shrugged, then grinned as Ryo elbowed him in the ribs. “What? I haven't had the nightmare around for a month. There was a vacuum.”

 

“Subtle,” Ryo muttered, then repeated, “I'm sorry.”

 

Drake was still staring at JJ, only not in addition to his rumpled appearance, he was shaking like a leaf in the wind and his eyes seemed a little wet.

 

JJ smiled kindly. “You must be Drake,” he said, his voice oddly sympathetic. “Sam told me all about you.”

 

“Sam…? Oh…hello…” Drake said absently, without taking his eyes from the man on the bed.

 

JJ was still smiling. “You definitely look a lot worse than me right now. Are you sure you don't need to be in here?”

 

“I don't know…maybe…” Now Drake looked puzzled, as if he didn't quite know where he was or what was going on.

 

Sam knew that look, had seen it before, and so he saw it coming before anyone else did. He was able to brace Drake as the other man started to sag and get him safely into a chair next to the bed.

 

Once he was safely sitting down, Drake just sort of seemed to fall apart. Sam, Ryo, Dee, and even JJ—who had no real idea of who this man was and would have been completely justified in being rather put off—watched with pity as he brought one shaking hand up to cover his face. He then sat so still he seemed to be a statue, except for the slight quaking of his shoulders that told clearly of crying.

 

Then, suddenly, JJ did something very surprising. He reached out, put a hand on Drake's back, and began to move it in slow, soothing circles. He looked a little unnerved, but more than that, he looked understanding.

 

Drake didn't really react to the gentle touch, except to let himself go a little bit more, to allow the tears to come. But his whole body leaned unconsciously back into JJ's hand, and for now that would have to be enough.

 

Sam, watching the scene unfold, started a bit when a hand came down on his shoulder. He turned, nodded at Ryo's silent gesture, and followed him and Dee out of the room.

 

In the hallway Dee leaned against the wall and sighed heavily, his hand going to his pocket before Ryo pointed out the “No Smoking” sign.

 

“Damn,” the black-haired cop muttered, and he wasn't just talking about the nicotine ban. “I think this is the only time in my entire life that I've ever been in the same room with him without the words `stud' or `sexy' or `psychopath' being thrown around.”

 

“He's…different, all right,” Ryo agreed, standing a little closer to his partner than was strictly necessary, though his timidity didn't allow him to come in contact. “When did you find him?”

 

“Me and Dean came here this morning. We'd been looking for jobs and when I heard about a John Doe turning up with no memory or injury I got curious. We had no idea it was JJ—actually, Dean didn't know why we were here at all.”

 

“Where is he, anyway?” Dee asked, looking around as if expecting the question to produce what Ryo and Sam jokingly referred to as his counterpart.

 

Sam shrugged. “He can never stay in one place for long. I told him I had a handle on things here and he took off. He probably didn't go far, though—told me to call when you got here. I should probably do that, actually…”

 

Ryo rolled his eyes fondly as Sam went for his phone. “He's more like you than he seems at first, I guess. Still, you and Dean…”

 

“Shut up, Ryo, or I'll have to take you down,” Dee growled.

 

“Why, Dee,” Ryo said, all wide-eyed innocence. “What a shocking thing to suggest.”

 

“I can go further.”

 

“Can't take gritty reality?”

 

The two of them were still bickering lovingly when Sam returned with a murmur of, “He's on his way.” He glanced in the direction of JJ's room, from which no sound could be heard. “Think we should get back in there?”

 

Ryo shook his head, his eyes suddenly shadowed. “Give them a few minutes. Drake…needs this.”

 

Sam nodded, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets in an unconscious imitation of his brother. “He hasn't been doing well, has he?”

 

Ryo shook his head sadly. “This whole thing has been making him crazy. He's hardly slept—just a couple hours a night in his and JJ's office. He kept saying he wanted to be there the second any news came in. And he's been really nervous and jumpy. He even got banned from fieldwork and had to find something else to occupy his time.

 

“Yeah, that was nice,” Dee added, his voice laced with sarcasm. “I mean, I hate paperwork as much as the next guy, but it's still a little creepy to find out that someone broke into the office just to finish all of it.”

 

“Dee…” Ryo said.

 

“He cleaned the office, Ryo,” Dee replied, sounding extremely offended. “He put everything where it's supposed to be! How am I supposed to get any work done if I can't find anything!”

 

Ryo stared at him, and then suddenly his face showed comprehension and his mouth twitched at the corners. Then he chuckled and said, “Oh, Dee, I do love you.”

 

And then Dee grinned, and Ryo blushed furiously, and Sam felt a surge of compassion for him and changed the subject.

 

“So how did you both get away? I thought Drake would be alone, or at least with only one of you.”

 

Dee shrugged. “Chief's goin' soft, I guess. He gave both of us a couple days off to come here, get JJ, and fly back.”

 

“What about that Commissioner guy? The one who creeps everyone out?”

 

Dee looked smug at that. `Well, the Chief doesn't give orders often nowadays, but when he does that's it. Rose had no say in the matter.”

 

“Ah,” Sam said noncommittally. He hesitated, then decided to broach the subject while he had the opportunity. “Listen, guys, there's something you should know about JJ's condition.”

 

He looked around to make sure no one was within earshot, glimpsed Dean, and waved a greeting as he continued.

 

“I don't think it's…entirely natural.”

 

They both stared at him for a moment before Ryo asked slowly, “Well, what do you think happened?”

 

“We don't know. That's the problem,” Dean answered, coming up behind Sam and holding out a hand for first Ryo and then Dee to shake. “Hey, guys, good to see ya.”

 

“Wish I could say the same, but as I remember, nothing good tends to follow you two around,” Dee replied, then grunted when Ryo elbowed him. “Well, it's true…” he muttered, rubbing his ribs when an offended air.

 

“So, what, you guys want to come back to New York with us?” Ryo asked.

 

“Now `want to',” Dee corrected. “Have to. I don't like your city—actually, I hate it—and I'd rather not go there at all, but these things can mean serious trouble, and Sam and me may be the only ones able to help.”

 

Ryo sighed. “Great. Rose is gonna kill us.”

 

Dee grinned at that. “Hey. Maybe they have their uses after all.” Then he quickly and pragmatically covered his sides.

 

“So what time're you flying back?” Sam asked, more to distract Ryo from pummeling his boyfriend than anything else.

 

“Little after midnight. But aren't you flying with us?”

 

Dean rolled his eyes. “You're funny.”

 

“He has a problem with planes,” Sam explained at Ryo's confused look.

 

Dean glared at him, grabbed his arm and hissed, “Come on, Sammy, before you do anymore damage.” Then he led Sam off while adding over his shoulder to Dee and Ryo, “We'll meet you guys in New York in two days so we can start figuring this out.”

 

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Author's Note: So there you have it. My first actual chapter for this story. I have no idea when the next one will come out—finals time, ya know—but it shouldn't be more than a week or two.

 

So…

 

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