Chapter 95: Come Away with Me
"If you choose the first option, by the time you get out of prison, I should already be married to Fiona," Officer Tony said.
"Keep dreaming!" Jimmy spat in Tony's face.
"Fine, looks like I'll just have to lock you up and let you sit there for a few more years," Tony said, wiping his face.
"Wait, you haven't told me the second option yet," Jimmy quickly interjected.
"The second option is you can save yourself by leaving. Leave today, abandon everything, disappear from Chicago. Don't contact Fiona. No calls, no letters, just vanish," Tony said, laying out the ultimatum.
"You have to decide now: prison or leave Fiona and Chicago forever," Tony continued.
"I understand," Jimmy replied.
"You're back. Can you help me with this problem? I can't seem to solve it," Fiona said, looking up from her book as Jimmy entered.
"Fiona, I have to leave. Come with me," Jimmy said, getting straight to the point.
"What?" Fiona looked up, confused.
"Costa Rica, it's beautiful there. I have friends, we can live well," Jimmy explained.
"Why do you have to leave? Are the police after you? Did they find out about the cars?" Fiona asked.
"Yeah, Frank set me up. He and Tony are in cahoots to make me leave you. If I don't, they'll send me to jail."
"So come with me, Fiona. Costa Rica. We can rent a place by the beach, watch the sunset over the ocean," Jimmy said.
"I don't understand what you're saying. I can't leave!" Fiona felt overwhelmed.
"The kids will be fine. Lip and Ian can manage the house, and Frank isn't drinking anymore; he can help," Jimmy insisted.
"What about Debbie, Carl, and Liam? Frank may not be drinking now, but what if he starts again? Lip and Ian can't handle everything; they struggle with their own issues!" Fiona argued.
"Kevin and V can help, and Karen, Frank's new daughter, her family has money," Jimmy continued to persuade.
"Are you serious? You expect others to drop by and help like feeding a pet?" Fiona laughed bitterly.
"If you turn yourself in, how long would you be in jail?" Fiona asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I can't turn myself in. If they dig deeper, I might never get out."
"Come with me. When will you start caring about yourself? When will you plan for your own future?"
"Liam is only two. You'll need to support him for sixteen more years. You'll be almost forty by then!"
"You said Frank might revert to his old ways. I saw he still has morning erections; he could have more kids and leave them for you to raise."
"Plus, Frank's using you. He never really cared. He plans to sell you off to the highest bidder. He promised Tony he'd help him with you after getting rid of me, who knows how much money he's getting."
"You deserve your own life, not to be dragged down by Frank's mess."
"Come with me to Costa Rica, or even Rio. Have you ever been to Rio? Have you ever left Chicago, or even the Southside, this suffocating pit?"
"I love you. I want to be with you. We wouldn't be gone forever, a few months, maybe half a year."
"You can call them every day. Consider it a long vacation, a spontaneous journey. Come with me, Fiona," Jimmy said, kneeling and looking deeply into her eyes.
"..." Fiona said nothing, sitting on the sofa, staring out the window, conflicted.
"Here's a first-class ticket, to Miami O'Hare Airport, tomorrow night," Jimmy said, taking a ticket from his pocket as Fiona remained silent.
"I don't have a passport," Fiona said.
"No problem, we can get one in Miami. I'll wait for you at the airport, at the American Airlines terminal. I love you," Jimmy said, kissing Fiona before leaving.
Faced with Tony's threat, Jimmy chose the second option.
But he didn't comply fully, ignoring Tony's demand to vanish without a trace.
Jimmy knew if he disappeared, Fiona would be angry and heartbroken, giving Tony a chance, just like during their last cold war.
So Jimmy planned to take Fiona with him, leaving no opportunity for Tony. They'd return when things settled, and once Jimmy resolved his issues, Tony couldn't threaten him.
"..." After Jimmy left, Fiona sat alone on the sofa, lighting a cigarette, staring at the smoke, lost in thought.
"He's right," a voice suddenly said.
Fiona turned to see Lip standing on the stairs.
Since his breakup with Karen, Lip had been down, even with his casual fling with Mandy, it was purely physical.
While his relationship with Karen was also physical, there was emotion involved, at least for Lip, since Karen was his first.
It's something unforgettable.
For men, their first is equally memorable, which is why Tony couldn't forget Fiona.
Lip felt the same because Karen was his first.
Unable to forget Karen, Lip skipped classes, moping at home.
Fiona didn't know Lip was home, and he heard everything Jimmy said.
"You should go with him, Fiona. You've done so much. We'll be fine," Lip said.
Fiona looked at Lip, her expression a mix of relief, confusion, and complexity.