The Nomination:

This is the first fan fiction I ever read (I didn't even know fan fiction existed before this) and it continues to stand out in my mind. It is a prime example of how to build a case - the right amount of angst yet the ability to keep the trust level intact. I read this story before I knew any of you and yet I never feared that permanent damage would come to the characters. The characters and story line remain so true to the show's premise that I catch myself once in awhile thinking of it as an episode rather than a story.

I believe, it should continue to be a shining example for some of our newer writers.

Chapter 1: A Convincing Cover

Inside a rather large house located in a wealthy suburb of Washington D.C., two couples sat in a living room eating appetizers and drinking iced tea. A casual observer likely wouldn't have guessed that one of those couples was actually a pair working undercover for the FBI.

"So, how long have you two been married?" Mary Ryan asked the young couple sitting on the couch across from her. They smiled at each other, his hand reaching for hers. It was a question they had anticipated, so the answer came without hesitation.

"Just under three years," Sue Thomas replied. The truth was, they'd known each other for nearly three years. This was their second undercover assignment as a married couple.

"Hard to believe that it's been that long, it's gone by so fast," Jack Hudson commented.

"They still act like newlyweds!" Mary's husband Sam exclaimed. "Remember when we were like them, young and in love? It's been almost twenty years; it's getting harder to remember back that far," he said with a laugh. Mary nudged him, shaking her head.

"You act like we're old and gray, Sam. Okay, so there are a few gray hairs," Mary said with a chuckle. "However, forty-something and in love is even better than being newlyweds was…don't you agree, my love?" Mary looked into her husband's eyes and gave his hand a squeeze. Watching the two, Sue almost felt like she was intruding on a very private moment between them.

"Hopefully Sue and I will be just as happy as the two of you when we've been married twenty years. Right now it's hard to imagine what things will be like years down the road," Jack said.

"It's definitely hard to imagine. It actually still feels like we're on our honeymoon," Sue commented. Then, realizing how that must have come across, her face reddened.

Seeing the expressions on the faces of the couple across from them she realized that only Jack knew what she was really saying. "I mean, it just doesn't feel like three years have passed. It seems like just yesterday that we got married. I didn't mean--"

"Sweetie it's okay. It still feels like a honeymoon for me too." Jack winked at her, and Sue felt her blush deepen. She flashed him a look that warned him not to go too far, and he grinned at her. Of course, Sam and Mary had no idea that Jack and Sue really were "newly married".

"You two are so cute together!" Mary exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll be very happy. Hopefully you'll be blessed with a beautiful family just like we were." Jack saw Sue's eyes widen briefly at the comment but she recovered well, turning to gaze lovingly into his eyes for a moment. If he didn't know better he would have thought the look was genuine.

"We're working on it but we haven't been successful," Jack said quietly. "We're sure having fun trying though," he added with a grin at the blonde sitting beside him.

"Jack!" Sue squealed, looking mortified. He actually had to resist the urge to wince at the punch she delivered to his shoulder. He reminded himself that she did grow up with three older brothers, she was one tough lady. Their expressions turned serious as they looked at each other. This was the opening they'd been waiting for, and neither of them had expected it to come so soon.

"Truth be told, we're actually starting to get a little worried. We've been trying for a couple of years now," Jack said. "We've been to several specialists, but we've had no success in getting pregnant. Money is no object, but we can only take so much disappointment." Sue's eyes were full of tears when they met his, and he put an arm around her. She really was doing a great job, and Jack had to wonder if she'd ever taken acting classes.

"I'm so sorry," Mary said. "Having children came so easily to us, I can't imagine what you must be going through." The Ryans had two sons, the youngest of which had just gone away to college. On the surface, they really seemed like the all-American family.

"We've thought about adopting, but we've been told it could take years," Sue said tearfully. Jack knew that if his suspicions were correct these two would show their hand any moment now. The Ryans glanced at each other and Sue observed Mary nod slightly.

"That's true. Unfortunately it could take awhile," Sam agreed. "But if you're really serious about wanting to adopt we may be able to help speed up the process."

"We would love that," Jack said, squeezing Sue's hand. "But how is it possible?"

"We've got some friends who work for an adoption agency, they may be able to give you some pointers," Mary told them.

Sue flashed Jack a hopeful smile. Mary and Sam no doubt saw a childless woman given a new glimmer of hope that her dreams may finally come true. Jack knew that her look of hope meant something completely different. Hopefully this was the lead they'd been waiting for on a case the FBI had been following for months.

"We'll get in touch with our friends as soon as we can. They should be able to help. Who knows, you could be parents by the end of the year!" Mary said.

"Oh, thank-you!" Sue gasped, using ASL as she spoke. A tear escaped, and she sniffled. "I'm sorry, please excuse me." She dashed out of the room, and Jack looked at the other couple apologetically. Sue's hearing dog Levi, who had been sleeping peacefully beside the couch, jumped to his feet and followed Sue out of the room.

"I should go with her. This is such an emotional subject for us--" Jack started to explain.

"Of course, we understand. Go be with her," Mary insisted, waving him away.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Kiss

Jack found Sue in the kitchen petting Levi. A big smile appeared on her face when she saw him, and he gave her the thumbs-up. "You know, I think you may have missed your calling. You put on quite the performance in there. It's safe to say that any suspicions they had were put to rest tonight," Jack told her with a grin.

"Thanks. I can't take all the credit though. You did very well yourself," Sue replied, narrowing her eyes at him. "And I can't believe you said that! Am I still blushing?" she asked him, touching her cheeks.

"Not so much. I'm sorry but I couldn't resist." Sue glared at him but it turned into a smile as he grinned back at her. "Come on, you've got to admit it, you left yourself wide open for that one."

"Well, I'd say we're definitely onto the right people. We just need to keep this up for awhile longer, and we should be in touch with the kidnappers themselves before too long," Sue said, smoothly changing the subject before they got too far off track. She grabbed Levi's stuffed bunny off the floor and tossed it across the room for him. He went after it and settled in the corner, gnawing what was left of the poor bunny. Jack grinned at the dog, shaking his head.

"Yes, I think we do have the right people and we're too close to take any chances now. We've got to be as convincing as possible to pull this off," Jack said. Sue nodded in agreement and was about to say something when he put a finger on her lips to silence her. "I think our company is coming to check on us," he whispered so that Mary and Sam didn't hear. "Are you ready to do some serious convincing?" he asked, putting a hand on the small of her back, pulling her slightly closer to him. Sue nodded again, her heart beating faster as she got the full meaning of his words.

As she slid her arms around his neck and they looked into each other's eyes, they both saw hesitation there. Sue told herself that this wouldn't mean a thing, they were doing it all in the line of duty. It was for the good of their case, nothing else. With their faces only inches apart, Jack took the initiative and kissed her. He gently pulled her even closer to him and knew that when Mary and Sam entered the kitchen there would be no mistaking what they were walking in on.

Sue had closed her eyes the moment their lips had met and rather than dwell on the awkwardness of the moment, she chose to enjoy it instead. It was almost too easy to lose herself in the feeling of his lips on hers and his hands around her waist, holding her against him.

Jack kissed her, surprised by the passion in it, and he felt Sue respond in kind. He knew that if they wanted to fool Mary and Sam they would have to do more than exchange a chaste peck on the lips. At the moment though, he was having a hard time convincing himself that this particular kiss was all for show. The emotions he was feeling were very real.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mary's exclamation caused Jack to gently break the kiss, but he kept his arms around Sue. He glanced at her and was certain he caught just a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes. They turned to the other couple in the room who looked suitably embarrassed to find them in a clinch. "We didn't mean to interrupt," Mary insisted. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay, Sue."

"Apparently our fears were unwarranted. Your husband obviously has you well taken care of," Sam commented with a very amused expression on his face. Sue wriggled out of Jack's embrace but reached for his hand as she tried to regain her composure. She was breathing fast, and Jack wondered if it was because of the kiss or just the whole situation they were in. His own heart was pounding furiously, and he was having a hard time focussing on the task at hand. All he could think about was the kiss they'd just shared and how he wished it hadn't ended so soon.

"I'm sorry," Sue insisted, casting an embarrassed glance at Jack before turning back to Sam and Mary. He noticed she had carefully avoided making eye contact with him. "I just get so emotional when we talk about having a child."

"It's okay, Sue. Really," Mary said gently, then turned to her husband. "We should probably get going, Honey."

"You're right. I would imagine the dogs need to go outside," Sam agreed, glancing at his watch.

"No, you don't have to leave," Sue protested. She had been hoping they would have an opportunity to get more information, since things had been going so well. Plus, she wasn't ready to address the way she was feeling right now and having them stay would be a good distraction.

"We really should. It's getting late. Besides, I think you two would probably like to be alone…" Mary replied teasingly. Sam laughed along with his wife, and Jack squeezed Sue's hand, giving her a small smile. She smiled back but looked away just as quickly as before. Jack honestly didn't want them to leave either. The thought of being alone with Sue so soon after their kiss made him incredibly nervous. He had a feeling things were going to be more than a little awkward and wondered if he had made a mistake even suggesting it. Obviously it had helped their case but what would the aftermath be?

Well, thanks for coming," Sue said, as the two couples walked to the front door.

Mary turned so that Sue could see her lips. "It was great, thanks for having us. Next time it's our turn to host. We were going to ask you over first but you beat us to it. I can't believe how organized you are only three days after moving in!" she exclaimed.

"Well, we do want to get to know our neighbors since we want to settle down here, so we didn't see any reason to waste time," Sue replied.

"Good point," Mary said as they reached the door. "How about you two come for dinner the day after tomorrow? Plus, by then we should have more information for you about that adoption agency we mentioned."

"That would be great," Jack said. "We don't have plans then, do we Sweetie?" he asked, turning to Sue.

"No, dinner sounds great," she said, nodding.

"Good!" Sam said, holding Mary's coat for her to slip into. "How about you two come over around six then?"

"We'll be there," Jack assured them. They exchanged good-byes, and Jack locked the door behind them. He turned to look at Sue but was surprised to see she'd already left the room. He heard the sound of glasses clinking together and followed the noise to the living room where he found her putting the dishes back onto the serving tray. She hadn't noticed him enter the room so he gently put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, her brown eyes very serious, despite the small smile she gave him.

"Hey, why don't you let me help you with this," Jack said, gently taking the tray from her hands. She complied and turned away from him, straightening the cushions on the couch. Jack took the hint and after picking up the rest of the dishes he carried the tray into the kitchen, knowing that she would come talk to him when she was ready.

Sue felt guilty for avoiding Jack, but she just didn't know what to say to him. It was difficult to act natural and pretend that the kiss hadn't affected her, when just the opposite was true. Still, she knew that avoiding him was only going to make the situation worse. After all, they were living together, and if they were going to break this case then they would have to work together too. Somehow, they would just have to get past this. Turning around with a sigh, she saw that Jack had left her alone in the room. Well, turnabout is fair play…she thought to herself, picking up the empty iced tea pitcher and carrying it to the kitchen.

She realized that she was probably blowing this whole thing out of proportion. Her body had just reacted naturally to what had felt like a very tender, very passionate kiss. Even though she knew that it hadn't been real, it didn't change the way she was feeling. Undercover or not, she couldn't just turn her emotions on and off like a light-switch. She doubted that Jack could either, remembering the way he'd looked at her after that kiss.

* * *

Chapter 3: Beneath the Surface

Sue entered the kitchen to find him at the sink, rinsing the dishes. He didn't know she was there until he turned to open the dishwasher, giving her a hesitant smile as their eyes met. "Hey. Are you okay?" he asked, taking a few steps toward her.

Sue nodded. "I'm sorry. It's just been a strange evening," she said softly.

"Yes, it has," Jack agreed, taking the pitcher from her and walking back to the sink. Sue leaned against the kitchen counter, watching as he washed out the pitcher. When he was finished he turned to her again. "It was a strange evening but you know, we really pulled it off. And because we were so convincing I bet that we'll get even more information from them when we go there for dinner," he pointed out. "Maybe even enough to bust the kidnappers. Oh and speaking of convincing, have you ever taken acting classes? You're a natural."

Sue smiled. "I took theatre when I was in college," she revealed self-consciously. "It was fun but I never thought I was very good at it."

"Well you could have fooled me tonight. If I didn't know better I would have thought those tears were real," Jack told her, looking impressed.

"I'm doing my best to be convincing here. I'm glad I'm succeeding," Sue said, as Jack opened the fridge door.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked her. "I could pour you some juice?"

"Yes, please." Jack poured a couple of drinks, handing one to Sue as they sat down at the kitchen table.

"It must be awful to want a baby and not be able to have one. I guess I was just thinking about it and imagining how that must feel. That's where the tears came from," Sue admitted, taking a sip of her drink.

"I still think that means you're a good actor to be able to tap into your emotions like that. I'm not that good. I took theatre in school too but I crashed and burned," Jack revealed with a grin.

"You what?" Sue asked him, confused.

"Crashed and burned," Jack repeated, fingerspelling the words for her. "I didn't win any awards, let me put it that way," he clarified with a smile. Sue nodded her understanding. He was glad that things were so easy between them right now; the tension he'd felt earlier seemed to have disappeared.

"Well, this is giving you even more acting practice, Jack. I mean, you've never been married but I think you're doing a great job pretending to be," Sue told him.

"Why thank you," Jack replied. "It's nice to know that I can maintain my fake marriage," he said, winking at her.

"Don't worry, I won't be filing for divorce anytime soon," Sue joked. "So, should we call the team and let them know what we've found out?"

"It can wait until morning. There's nothing we can really do until we get more from Sam and Mary," Jack replied.

"I guess not," Sue agreed as she stifled a yawn. She smiled sheepishly. "I should just go to bed, we've got to get up early for our commute."

"Hey, at least we can carpool…the neighbors think I drop you off at the college on the way to court," Jack grinned.

"You like being a lawyer again, don't you?" Sue teased him. Part of their cover was that Jack was a defense attorney, and Sue taught ASL classes at a local college. Given the fact that Jack held a law degree and Sue was fluent in ASL, neither would have any trouble convincing anyone of their supposed careers.

"Well, I don't have any desire to go back into Law but I am kind of enjoying playing the part of high-powered defense attorney. I mean, look at my life…great house, beautiful wife. What more could a guy want?" Sue's heart skipped a beat as Jack's eyes met hers, and she stood up from the table.

"How about a good night's sleep?" she said, smiling at him. "Goodnight Jack."

Sleep well, he signed. Jack sighed as she walked away from him. He'd just been trying to keep the mood light but he could tell his last comment had hit a nerve with her. Why was he having such a hard time admitting how he felt about her? He closed his eyes, remembering how good it had felt to hold and kiss her earlier in this very kitchen and got the distinct feeling that sleep wouldn't be coming easily to him tonight.

* * *

Sue tossed and turned in bed, seeing by the digital clock on the bedside table that it was nearly two in the morning. Although she was exhausted, no matter how hard she tried to relax she just couldn't get her brain to shut down. Every time she was on the edge of sleep she'd start thinking about the kiss. Her heart would leap in her chest and she'd be wide-awake again. She'd even tried thinking about the case they were working on but no matter which details she focused on, all roads seemed to lead back to that moment in the kitchen when Jack had placed a finger to her lips.

That moment and the ones that followed it had been replayed many times in her mind. Kissing Jack had been something she'd imagined in the past, but she had never imagined that their first kiss would be an undercover one. She'd known for a long time that her feelings for him went beyond friendship and was fairly certain that he had similar ones for her. Sue realized now that they should have known better than to think they could put their personal feelings aside when it came to something as intimate as a kiss. Unfortunately, Jack had caught her off guard, not giving her enough time to think things through. She'd only had a split second to make her decision, and she'd honestly believed that it would only be a simple kiss, just for show. Now she knew that she'd been fooling herself.

Maybe some warm milk will help me sleep, Sue thought. Stepping out of bed she slipped on her robe and carefully opened her bedroom door. On her way to the kitchen Sue noticed a dim light coming from the living room. Apparently she wasn't the only one having difficulty sleeping. As she got closer she realized it was the flickering of the television. When she walked into the room she smiled at the sight in front of her.

Jack was on the couch with Levi beside him, the dog's head resting on Jack's legs. Both of them were fast asleep. After watching them for a few moments she turned off the television and then looked down as she felt a wet nose touch her hand. Kneeling down on the floor, she gave her dog a hug, patting him on the head. Then she grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and gently covered Jack with it. Although the room was dark, except for the little bit of light that streamed in from the hall, Sue could still make out Jack's features as she straightened up, smoothing down the blanket. She was filled with warmth as she looked down at him and reached over to gently put her hand on his cheek, feeling the light stubble there. Jack stirred slightly at her touch but didn't open his eyes. Sue stared at his lips for a moment, wishing that she could kiss him one more time. Suddenly feeling ridiculous, Sue removed her hand from his face and backed away from him, leaving the room.

Walking into the kitchen with Levi at her heels, she filled her favorite mug with milk and put it in the microwave, trying very hard to be quiet so that she didn't wake Jack. As she waited for her milk, she couldn't help but wonder at the strength of emotion that one man could stir within her. She was a mess after just one kiss from Jack. It had been a staged one at that! Glancing at the microwave she saw the word END flashing on the display. Carefully removing her mug, she took a sip before heading back to her bedroom.

Grabbing the latest novel she was working her way through, Sue curled up in bed, placing her now half-empty mug on the bedside table. Levi had followed her into the bedroom, and after turning around a couple of times, he curled up beside the bed.

Earlier Sue had tried reading in an attempt to fall asleep but she hadn't been able to keep her mind on the story. This time she was determined to put Jack Hudson out of her mind and get some sleep. If she didn't get control of her emotions it would only make the rest of this undercover operation more difficult. They'd worked so hard to set this all up and she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize it. Once it was over with, she and Jack wouldn't be spending as much time together. Then maybe these feelings wouldn't be so overwhelming and things could go back to the way they used to be.

Sue concentrated on the story, and after a short while she could feel her eyelids getting heavy. Putting the book down she flicked off her lamp and lay her head on the pillow, praying that sleep would finally come to claim her.

* * *

Chapter 4: The Morning After

Jack woke with a start, wondering for a moment where he was. Then he realized he was in the living room and, judging by the kink in his neck, he'd spent the night on the couch. He had vague memories of watching a strange infomercial on television before he finally drifted off. Noticing that a blanket now covered him and the television had been turned off, he realized that Sue must have been up late too. His internal alarm must have woken him because his watch told him that the clock radio in his room would be going off any moment now. It was time to get up. Jack stood up, stretching and yawning.

It was surprising how well he'd slept considering how long it had taken him to get there. Worry had plagued him the night before, along with everything else he was feeling. He'd never imagined things could become so complicated so fast. His decision to kiss her had been solely based on keeping up the appearance of a couple very much in love. He had little doubt that any suspicions Sam and Mary may have had about his "marriage" to Sue had been put to rest the night before. The fact that they'd been caught in a passionate embrace only made their cover stronger.

Certainly he had to admit that the decision to kiss Sue had been a relatively easy one on the spur of the moment. He just hadn't counted on the feelings that followed. Knowing that he had another ten minutes before Sue would be up, Jack headed for the shower, hoping that things wouldn't be awkward when they faced each other this morning.

* * *

"Wow! Something smells great!" Sue said as she entered the kitchen. Jack was standing over the stove and turned around when she spoke with a spatula in his hand.

"Good morning. You're just in time. I hope you're hungry because you're about to have the best omelet you've ever tasted," he informed her, flipping an omelet onto a plate.

"Your omelets are good! I remember you made me some the last time we were married," Sue said teasingly. "Are you saying you've outdone yourself?" She sat down at the table, and Jack put the plate in front of her, along with a glass of orange juice. Thank you, she signed.

"I've had lots of time to practice since then---I've got it down to a science," Jack assured her, watching her take a bite.

You're right," Sue signed, smiling with pleasure. It's delicious. Thank you!

No problem, Jack signed back. She watched him whip up another omelet for himself as she ate and realized that, just like last time, it was amazing how easily they had slipped into a domestic life together. Even though being around Jack often caused her heart to skip a beat, she was very comfortable with him and had been since shortly after they'd met. She remembered feeling an immediate attraction to him, but that had immediately taken a backburner to the friendship they'd developed. He'd shown her such kindness and was willing to go to bat for her, giving her the opportunity to prove herself.

It wasn't until Jack had told her that she was officially part of the team, that day outside the courthouse and she'd pulled him into a hug, that she'd felt the spark of something more than friendship. The connection she and Jack shared had only grown in intensity since that first hug. Now that there had been a kiss between them, even though it wasn't supposed to mean anything, Sue wondered if maybe they'd crossed a line that made it impossible to go back to the way things were before. The more she thought about it, the more confused she felt. A gentle tap on her arm brought Sue out of her reverie.

"Hey, did you have enough to eat?" Jack asked her. "I made two more and I don't mind sharing with you."

"Sure. I could probably eat some more, half maybe?" Sue answered, somewhat relieved that Jack hadn't asked her what was on her mind.

Jack gave her half of one of his omelets and sat across from her, smiling. "By the way, I meant to thank you for covering me with a blanket last-night and turning off the TV. Did you have trouble sleeping too?" he asked.

"Kind of. I got up to get something to drink and found you and Levi sleeping on the couch. Too bad I didn't have a camera handy..." Sue said, grinning.

"I'm glad you didn't," Jack responded. "In my experience, pictures taken when a person is asleep are never a good thing."

"Oh really?" She said, raising her eyebrows. Sue was tempted to press him further but decided to let it go for now. "Well, in this case I think it would have made a very cute picture," she said, smiling at him. He smiled back and both lapsed into silence as they finished eating. Unbeknownst to each other, they were both thinking about the kiss, both at a loss about how to deal with their feelings.

* * *

"Do you see what I see?" Tara asked Bobby softly, nodding her head toward Sue and then casting a glance in Jack's direction.

"Trouble in paradise?" Bobby mused.

"I don't know but something is definitely up with the two of them. They've both spent more time watching each other than concentrating on their work, yet they're avoiding eye contact like the plague," Tara observed.

"You're right," Bobby agreed, glancing at their friends. "Well, it's almost lunchtime…why don't you talk to Sue and I'll handle Sparky? A burger from Slappy's sounds good right about now, and I'm sure Jack would agree, what with all of those home-cooked meals Sue's probably filling him with." Tara rolled her eyes.

"I hardly think Jack has a problem with that part of his assignment," she commented.

"I doubt he has a problem with any part of this particular assignment," Bobby replied, nodding in Jack's direction. He was watching Sue with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Hey Mate! You into grabbing lunch at Slappy's?" Bobby called to him. Jack tore his eyes away from Sue, looking embarrassed. Getting out of the office was probably a good idea since he couldn't seem to keep his mind on the report that he had been trying to write for the past hour. Not with Sue sitting only a few feet away from him.

"I'm there; Slappy's sounds good," Jack said, reaching for his coat. He glanced at Sue, who had looked up from her work when he'd left his desk.

"Going for lunch?" Sue asked him.

"We're going to go to Slappy's. Do you want to come with us?"

"No thanks. I've got to finish this. You guys go ahead." Normally Sue wouldn't have hesitated to join them for lunch, but she wasn't ready to have another one of their awkward moments in front of any of their friends.

OK. See you later, Jack signed.

Sue nodded and smiled at him before turning back to her computer. Jack and Bobby left the bullpen. As she was typing away on her keyboard, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked up to see Tara standing behind her.

"Hey, I know you said you were busy but I was going to go to lunch. Since the guys went to Slappy's and everyone else is in a meeting with Garret, I was hoping you'd come with me," Tara told her.

"I don't think I should," Sue replied regretfully. "I really do have a lot of work to do."

"I know you've got your hands full with this case, but you've got to take a break sometime. Besides, then I won't have to go eat alone," Tara said, trying to convince her. Sue had to admit that Tara had a point. Besides, she was starving, and it would be nice to get out of the office. Maybe after she'd taken a break it would be easier for her to concentrate on working, whether Jack was sitting across from her or not…

"OK. I'll go," Sue signed and spoke, smiling at her friend.

Great! Tara signed. She waited while Sue put on Levi's leash, and the three of them left the bullpen.

* * *

Chapter 5: Tell Her

"So, how's married life treatin' you this time around, mate?" Bobby asked in between bites of his incredibly messy Slappy's burger. Jack was slow to answer, finishing a bite of his own burger. While he'd been hoping to avoid talk of his "marriage," he knew that it was bound to come up at some point.

"Married life is pretty good. I'm certainly eating a lot better than normal," he replied, patting his stomach and trying to keep the subject light.

"Yeah, it's nice when you can take a break from the frozen dinners. They're kind of unavoidable when you're single," Bobby said with a grin. "I like it when Darce and I are on the same schedule and can actually cook dinner together; seems to happen pretty rarely these days," he said somewhat wistfully.

"Well, Sue's been doing most of the cooking when it comes to dinner," Jack admitted. "She's a great cook and seems to enjoy it too. I'm trying not to stick her with all the cooking though, this morning I even made her breakfast."

"How domestic of you," Bobby said with a grin. "Breakfast in bed?"

"Funny," Jack said, as Bobby chuckled. "My point is, I'm not about to take advantage of her culinary skills. I wouldn't do that if we really were married, and I'm not about to do it now."

"Aww, that's sweet. What a good husband you are. I guess this is sort of like a dress rehearsal so that you're prepared for the real thing," Bobby pointed out, a serious expression on his face.

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," Jack agreed, looking suspiciously at his friend. Bobby was no doubt leading up to something here and Jack wasn't so sure he wanted to know what it was.

"When you finally get the nerve to tell her, that is," He said, smirking before taking another bite of his burger.

"Tell her what? Tell who?" Jack asked him with a frown. He finished off his own burger and washed it down with a swig of pop. While he waited for Bobby to finish chewing he realized his stomach was feeling a little queasy. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or the lunch he'd just inhaled. He decided on the former, since his stomach had been in knots since the night before. Not that lunch at Slappy's was likely to help matters any...

What with the tension between Sue and him, along with the turn this conversation seemed to be taking, it seemed his nerves weren't going to be given a break anytime soon.

"I'm not blind Jack; none of use are. You've had it bad for Sue since the day you recruited her for the team, maybe even before then. Obviously the two of you have feelings for each other, and it's just a matter of time before something happens…unless that something has already happened," Bobby said, looking at his friend curiously.

"Why would you say that?" Jack asked with equal curiosity.

"Well, when you weren't drinking her in with your eyes this morning, she was the one gazing over at you. You're both pretty transparent," Bobby replied, grinning.

"So I guess everyone's busy gossiping about us instead of doing their work," Jack commented, sounding irritated. "I bet the American public would really take comfort in that fact." Bobby raised his eyebrows at his friend's defensive tone.

"Easy Sparky. It's only obvious to those of us who know you well. You've both been acting strangely all morning. At first I figured maybe you'd just had a spat. It didn't exactly seem like a fight either, though. And now I know something is up."

"It's not a fight," Jack confirmed.

"Care to talk about it, mate?" Jack looked at his friend for a moment before answering. He knew he could trust Bobby, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell anyone about what had happened. Saying the words out loud might give them a life of their own. In a way, since only he and Sue knew about it, he could almost pretend that the kiss had never happened. Then again, was that something he even wanted?

"I kissed her. I mean, we kissed each other," Jack blurted out. Bobby's look of shock was quickly replaced by a wide smile.

"Way to go Sparky!" he said, reaching over to give Jack a good-natured punch on the shoulder.

"It wasn't what you think, though. It was for the case," Jack insisted, feeling his ears turn red with embarrassment.

"How do you always manage to score these sweet undercover assignments anyhow?" Bobby asked, ignoring Jack's comment.

"Well for one, I don't have a girlfriend who might get upset at the thought of me living with another woman," Jack replied.

"Good point. So you kissed, huh? How was it?" Bobby asked, grinning slyly and obviously getting a kick out of watching his friend squirm.

"It was an undercover kiss, I already told you that," Jack said, shaking his head.

"Out with it, Jack. I know you've always wanted to kiss her, and now you've finally done it. You can't make me believe that it had no effect on you at all," Bobby told his friend.

"It was work," Jack insisted, knowing it was futile trying to convince the Aussie.

"You may have intended to keep it professional but I can tell it didn't work. Everything makes sense now--the way you've both been acting. You'd better thank your lucky stars that Lucy wasn't in the office this morning, she would have picked up on it right away," Bobby informed him.

"I know. Maybe I can manage to avoid Sue until it's time to leave--anything to avoid being the subject of office gossip," Jack said.

Bobby's mouth opened in surprise for a moment, and he looked at Jack with amusement, as he realized what his friend hadn't been telling him. "You haven't talked about it, have you?"

"What?" Jack asked, feigning confusion.

Bobby saw right through him. "Come on! Tell her how you feel, she's probably feeling the same way but doesn't want to be the one to bring it up. Be a man, talk to her!"

"Gee, thanks for the moral support," Jack mumbled.

"Seriously Jack, you've got to talk to her. After all, you're still husband and wife for the foreseeable future. You may as well enjoy it since it's pretty much impossible for you to avoid her," Bobby said.

"I know. And I'll talk to her. I just don't know what's going to happen when I do," Jack replied doubtfully.

"I'm sure you'll do the right thing. Good luck," Bobby told him, no hint of playfulness in his tone now. He knew that his friend had serious feelings for this woman and that it really wasn't a game to either Jack or Sue.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to need it," Jack replied. "I'll talk to her tonight," he promised. He was glad he'd talked to Bobby because he'd needed that extra push--and he knew that his friend wouldn't leave him alone either. "I need to ask you to keep this to yourself though, okay? I know you said that everyone knows something is up but no one knows the specifics yet, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"It's a deal, mate," Bobby agreed. "Should we head out?" he asked, dumping the garbage from their table into the trash.

"Sure, let's go." The two of them left Slappy's, each lost in his own thoughts. Bobby was wondering if Tara's lunch with Sue had been as successful as his with Jack, while Jack was both eagerly anticipating as well as dreading being back in the bullpen with Sue.

He felt very conflicted to say the least and realized that talking about it was the only solution. He'd known that all along, but being in denial was just easier than facing up to his feelings. Hopefully Sue would agree, and they could get things out into the open.

* * *

Chapter 6: Between Friends

As Tara and Sue ate their lunches, Tara observed that while she was definitely quieter than usual, Sue seemed a lot more relaxed than she had earlier. Her eyes still looked slightly troubled though, and Tara was fully convinced that a certain dark-haired agent had something to do with it. It was blatantly obvious that there was some tension between the two of them today. Tara wondered if it was just the fact that the two of them were living under the same roof or if it was more than that.

Tara gently patted her friend's hand and Sue looked at her. "Everything OK?" She asked. Sue nodded but Tara was far from convinced.

"Is it the case?" Tara asked. Sue looked down, focussing on her salad for a moment before looking up again.

"It's just, well…things are so complicated all of a sudden…" She answered quietly.

"I thought everything was going well with the case---or is something else bothering you?" Tara asked, hoping Sue wouldn't mistake her concern for prying.

"We kissed," Sue blurted out suddenly, much to her own surprise as well as Tara's.

"You what?" Tara wore a look of shock mixed with excitement, and Sue hoped that her friend would be able to keep an open mind in this situation. Sue was pretty sure that Lucy had managed to corrupt Tara just a little bit when it came to her relationship with Jack. Tara had been involved in "buying" Jack for Sue at the hospital bachelor auction so many months ago.

"It happened last night. We were just trying to portray a happily married couple, and the opportunity just kind of presented itself," Sue said, sure she probably sounded just as unconvinced as she felt.

"Something tells me that this kiss had an effect on your relationship as well as the case," Tara said sympathetically. As much as she felt Jack and Sue were good for each other, she knew that now was the time to act impartial.

"Things have been a bit awkward since it happened," Sue admitted. "We haven't discussed it, so I'm not even sure if he feels the same way as I do."

"Sue, did you not see the way he was looking at you all morning?" Tara asked, smiling gently at her. "I'd say you're definitely not the only one affected by your kiss. You should talk to him, tell him how you're feeling," she suggested.

"I don't know how much good that would do," Sue said, glumly. "I definitely felt something when we kissed and it's hard to pretend that I didn't. But even if he does feel the same, we can't act on our feelings. Not while we're working in the same unit."

"So, you can't date right now. I just think that if you ignore the way you feel it may make things worse. Believe me, the tension was palpable in the bullpen this morning. I think you two need to have it out."

"I know you're right. I just have no idea what the result of a conversation like that will be. It's a bit scary," Sue admitted.

"I agree, the unknown is always kind of unnerving. All I know is that you and Jack have such a great friendship, and it would be really sad to see you drift apart because of just one kiss. I think the longer you wait, the harder it will be to bring it up," Tara pointed out.

"I'm glad one of us is thinking rationally," Sue said, flashing Tara a grateful smile. "I'll try and talk to him tonight over dinner. No promises though."

"Good girl. I know you'll find a way," Tara replied confidently.

"Can you do me a favor though?" Sue asked, biting her lip.

Anything, Tara signed.

"Please don't tell anyone else about this. I haven't even told Lucy and I don't want it getting out yet."

"Your secret is safe with me," Tara replied.

Thank you, Sue signed. "And thanks for listening. It felt good to talk to someone about this. I thought about telling Lucy, but you know how she can be about Jack and I…" Sue's voice trailed off and she smiled.

"Yes, I do," Tara said with a grin. "I think Lucy would be beyond thrilled to hear about this; she'd probably want to start planning a real wedding for the two of you." Sue had to laugh at Tara's last comment. It was true that Lucy had been trying to set her up with Jack since shortly after they'd met. Sue had spent a lot of time trying to convince Lucy that she and Jack would never be involved romantically. She could just picture the excited and slightly smug expression that would appear on her roommate's face when she heard about this kiss.

"I know Lucy means well and I will tell her about it--just not until Jack and I discuss it and I feel a little less confused about the whole thing."

"Good call," Tara agreed. "Hopefully you'll feel better after you and Jack talk."

"I hope so too."

"So, what about the case? It seems like it's going great," Tara asked.

"It is. The Ryans definitely seem to be involved, just as we suspected," Sue confirmed.

"That's good," Tara said with a smile.

"I know it is--it means we're on the right track. It's just hard to believe they're involved in these kidnappings though, they seem so nice," Sue commented with a hint of regret in her last statement.

"It's hard to believe that anyone would kidnap babies from their families only to turn around and make money by illegally adopting them out to rich couples," Tara said, shaking her head.

"Well, hopefully tomorrow night we'll have more to go on after we have dinner at their house. They seem to trust us," Sue said thoughtfully.

"I'm glad. Hopefully your kiss will pay off--I mean, why wouldn't they want to help a wonderful, happy young couple like you and Jack get a baby? Obviously you're in love and your marriage is strong. A baby would only complete the picture," Tara said sweetly, an innocent smile on her face.

Sue rolled her eyes and reached for the dessert menu.

Chapter 7: A Woman Scorned

Jack and Bobby had just returned to their desks when Myles, D and Lucy walked into the bullpen.

"Hey guys," Lucy greeted them. "Where are Sue and Tara?"

"They went out for lunch," Jack answered.

"Well, it's good to see that you're keeping tabs on the little woman," Myles said sarcastically. D and Bobby laughed as Jack rolled his eyes.

"Stick a sock in it Myles," Lucy snapped. Myles looked at Lucy, his eyes widening in surprise.

"That was uncalled for. Tell me, what did I do to deserve your ire today?" Myles asked her.

"Hmm, let me see…it could be the fact that I've been stuck with you all morning, listening to your insipid rambling. I've had enough of you to last me all year." Lucy sat down at her desk and Myles walked away in a huff.

"Whoa, Luce. Are you okay?" Bobby asked her. "I know being stuck with Myles is enough to bring anyone to the end of their rope but are you sure that's all it is?"

"I'm fine," Lucy replied through gritted teeth. She began typing furiously on her keyboard, and all three men knew better than to bother her any further. Jack shook his head. It seemed like Myles always bore the brunt of Lucy's wrath. Apparently she saw Myles' cheating on her once upon a time as an excuse to use him as her personal verbal punching bag. Obviously something had made her upset and he knew that whatever it was, it likely had something to do with one of the male species, given her irritation with Myles today. Hopefully Sue would be back soon and then Lucy could vent to her roommate about whatever was bothering her.

As if on cue, Sue and Tara entered the bullpen at that very moment. They stopped talking as soon as they saw Jack, and Sue smiled in a way that left him with little doubt that they'd been talking about him. "How was Slappy's?" she asked him.

"Oh, you know. Goes down easily but leaves you with a nice case of indigestion," Jack told her. Sue wrinkled her nose at him. "Well, you asked," he said with a grin.

"Well, how about I make you a nice healthy dinner tonight to make up for it...how does that sound?" Sue asked, hoping he hadn't already made plans to go out with the guys. They really needed to talk, and she wanted to do it before she lost her nerve.

"Sounds good," Jack agreed. Sue smiled at him and didn't notice Lucy trying to get her attention, as her eyes were focussed on his. He pointed to Lucy, and she turned around.

"Hey Luce," Sue greeted her. "How was your meeting this morning?"

OK, Lucy signed. Can we talk in private?

Definitely, Sue signed back, nodding at her roommate with a look of concern on her face. Lucy linked arms with Sue, and the two of them headed in the direction of the boardroom.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Jack said curiously.

"My guess is guy troubles," Tara answered, looking at him. Knowing she'd just been to lunch with Sue and not having any idea what Sue had or hadn't told her, Jack saw something accusatory in her look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant--and not succeeding.

"I don't think she was referring to you, Romeo. Although, you may come up as a subject of discussion, come think of it," Bobby told him with a chuckle.

"No, I wasn't. I think you may be right though," Tara said to Bobby. "The guy troubles I was actually referring to are Lucy's, not Sue's," she said, raising her eyebrows at Jack. "Lucy had a date last-night with Don, that guy she's been seeing. Maybe things didn't go so well," she finished with a frown.
"That would explain her mood this morning," Dimitrius commented. "Poor Myles has been dodging bullets all day."

* * *

Sue nodded sympathetically as Lucy recounted her date from the night before. "Oh Luce, you're better off without him--the guy sounds like a jerk."

"He didn't seem like one until last night--he seemed really sweet. What's wrong with me, why do I always seem to attract the losers?" Lucy asked, looking depressed.

"Don't talk that way about yourself. You just haven't been looking in the right places, I guess. You'll meet someone, probably when you least expect it," Sue said, trying to comfort her. Sue truly believed that to be true. After all, it had happened to her, and she certainly hadn't been looking when Jack came into her life. She definitely hadn't expected the strong feelings she'd developed for him either.

"I can't wait until this case is over; I miss having you around to vent to when I get home from a bad date, plus you always seem to know exactly what to say to make me feel better," Lucy said with a smile. "Speaking of the case, how is it going being married to Jack again? I feel like we haven't talked in days!"

"Well, it's been so busy around here that we really haven't had much time to talk since I went undercover," Sue pointed out. "And it's going fine," she added hastily.

"Spill," Lucy said, instantly sensing that something was up.

"Really, everything's fine," Sue insisted. "In fact, we may get a real break in the case tomorrow night. We've been invited to dinner at the Ryan's. I'm going to wear a wire, and hopefully Sam and Mary will say something that will lead us to the kidnappers," she said, trying to steer Lucy's interest in a different direction.

"That's great but what I really want to know is: how are things going, living with Jack again?" Lucy asked eagerly.

"It's surprisingly easy living with Jack," Sue answered. "He's generous and considerate; that's not a problem at all. There's really nothing to tell," she insisted. She was determined not to blow the kiss out of proportion. As much as she disliked keeping it from Lucy, she knew that her roommate would definitely blow it out of proportion.

"Whatever you say," Lucy said, eyeing Sue suspiciously. "I just thought I caught a strange vibe coming from you two, but maybe I was wrong; though, I'm not usually wrong about these things, you know!"

"I know, but don't worry. Everything's fine," Sue said calmly, smiling at Lucy's doubtful expression.

"So you keep saying. Hey, do you want to do dinner after work?"

"Actually, I already promised Jack that I would cook him a healthy dinner tonight since he had Slappy's for lunch. Why don't you and I do lunch tomorrow?" Sue suggested. By then, she and Jack would have discussed their situation and she would feel better.

Deal, Lucy signed. "You know, if you keep spoiling Jack with home-cooked meals, he's never going to want this marriage to end. Maybe you wouldn't mind that though. He is a great catch, after all." She grinned.

"You never give up, do you?" Sue said, shaking her head and smiling at her friend.

"Nope," Lucy answered. Sue sighed, looking exasperated. "Look, I may not have any insight into my own love life but yours on the other hand…"

"But Lucy, I don't have a love life! David and I stopped seeing each other over a month ago and you know what? I'm perfectly happy being single right now. Why can't you just accept that?" Sue felt instantly guilty for her outburst as she watched the smile drop off Lucy's face like a mask.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that there's something wrong with being single. I only want you to be happy, Sue."

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to blow up at you like that. It's just hard for me to say the same thing over and over. Jack and I will never be a couple. It can't happen." Sue wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Lucy or herself. Either way, she knew it was true. There was just too much at stake.

"Okay. I won't bring it up again. It's just hard to ignore the undercurrent between you guys sometimes. You really have a connection that's hard to find but I promise that I'll let it drop," Lucy said, sadly.

"Luce, it's okay. You're right, there is something between Jack and I--now just isn't the right time to act on it. I don't know if there ever will be a right time. I'm perfectly happy right now, just being his friend. Choosing to change our relationship would just make things too complicated."

"You do have a point. I guess I just always feel like no matter how happy you are, a great guy to share things with would be the icing on the cake," Lucy said.

"I know what you're saying. And someday maybe I will find the right guy, at the right time and maybe I will get married. In order to be with Jack I would have to sacrifice my career and I'm not ready to go there, not now. Maybe not ever," Sue explained.

"I promise to let the subject drop, for now," Lucy told her. "But if things change…"

"I promise I'll let you know about it," Sue assured her friend, giving her a hug. She really hoped that when Lucy found out that she and Jack had kissed, she would forgive the fact that Sue hadn't confided in her right away. The last thing she intended to do was hurt anyone's feelings. Pulling apart, Sue looked at Lucy regretfully. "As much as I hate to say it, we should get back to work. I've got paperwork to finish." Lucy nodded and followed Sue back to the bullpen, unable to shake the feeling that her friend was keeping something from her.

* * *

Chapter 8: A Night Off

"Well, they're still not home," Sue said, peering out the window at the Ryan's darkened house. "Maybe they went out for dinner or something," she suggested, as she turned to face Jack.

"I guess we've kind of got the night off, then. I think we can basically relax, knowing we're going there tomorrow night. There's really nothing we can do until then," he commented. "Speaking of dinner, something smells very good right now."

Thank you, Sue signed with a smile. "I hope you're hungry; it should be ready soon."

"Believe me, I'm hungry. That's not even an issue," Jack assured her with a grin. "Oh, and since you wouldn't let me help with dinner, the least I can do is set the table," he offered.

OK, Sue signed. They walked to the kitchen together, and Sue checked on the chicken in the oven as Jack began setting the table. As Sue put the finishing touches on their dinner, thoughts of how to bring up the night before were swirling through her mind. It wasn't going to be easy but she vowed that after dinner she would tell him how she felt. So wrapped up in her thoughts was she, that she jumped when a warm hand gently gripped her upper arm. She turned around to face Jack, who quickly let go of her arm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you," he said, looking a bit taken aback.

"No, it's okay. I'm kind of used to it, by now," Sue told him, shrugging. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering if you'd like to have some wine with dinner?" Jack asked her. He was a bundle of nerves at the moment and thought that wine might help them both wind down a little. Judging by Sue's reaction to a simple touch, she was a bit on edge too.

"Sure, wine would be nice, since we have the night off and everything," she answered with a smile.

"Great," Jack said. He grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine-rack and found the corkscrew.

"Dinner is served," Sue announced, just as Jack finished pouring the wine. He moved to help her bring the food to the table, smiling with pleasure at the small feast that she'd prepared.

"You weren't kidding when you told me you had it all under control. This looks great," Jack said, as they sat down across from each other.

"Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks," Sue said modestly.

"I have no doubt," Jack replied. He picked up his glass of wine, holding it out to her in a toast, and she did likewise.

"To us," he said and Sue raised her eyebrows, holding her breath as she waited from him to continue. "We make a great team and I think we'll bring these kidnappers to justice in no time."

"I'll drink to that," Sue said, as their glasses gently clinked together. She felt some of the tension ebb away as they each took a sip of wine, and she looked into Jack's smiling eyes. She hadn't known what to expect with his toast, but what he'd said was very true. They made a great team and worked very well together. No matter what happened, they were here to do a job and they were doing it, despite whatever fallout they may face as a result.

* * *

Sue was on the couch watching the news when Jack came in from cleaning up the kitchen, wine in hand. Smiling, he handed her a glass. She reached for the remote and turned off the television as he sat down beside her. "Thanks. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk," she said with a laugh.

"Who, me?" Jack asked innocently. "I'm hurt." Sue rolled her eyes at him and took a sip of her wine. "I just thought it would be nice to relax with a glass of wine. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, no. I was just kidding. I agree with you; this is nice. Thanks for cleaning up, by the way," she said, smiling at him.

"Hey, it was the least I could do, considering the dinner you made tonight. I could get used to this, you know," Jack said, his eyes growing serious again.

"I'm sure you could. It's nice having someone else cook dinner for you every night, isn't it?" Sue said teasingly, as she tried to ignore the way Jack was looking at her.

"Definitely. But that's not what I meant," Jack said, and Sue felt herself blushing under his gaze.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what did you mean?" she asked him softly.

"I could get used to this, being here with you and feeling the way I do right now. I've always cared about you and after last night I've been having a very hard time keeping my feelings out of it," he admitted.

"So am I," Sue told him. This whole conversation felt a bit surreal; she couldn't believe they were actually saying the words aloud. "I keep trying to tell myself that no matter how it felt, it wasn't real. I didn't expect it to be so hard, though."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Jack said, appearing relieved. "I thought maybe I was the only one. What can I say, I'm a guy, and you're an amazing, beautiful woman. I don't think it would be normal for me to not feel something after a kiss like that."

Sue could feel her heart race as the meaning of what he'd said hit home and it took her a moment to find her voice. "Don't worry, you're not the only one," she told him. "I felt something too. Maybe it would have been different if I'd had more time to think about it and try to separate myself from the situation. I don't know," she said, shaking her head.

"I agree, it was pretty spontaneous but then that's part of being undercover, you've got to think on your feet. I've got to admit though, I never expected our first kiss to happen undercover," Jack commented.

"You had expectations about our first kiss?" Sue asked in surprise.

Jack swallowed, realizing what he'd admitted out loud. "I can't deny it; I've thought about what it might be like to kiss you since the first day we met," Jack confessed, looking embarrassed.

"I won't say I haven't thought about it either, but maybe it's better that it happened this way," Sue said softly.

"Why do you say that?" Jack asked curiously. It seemed to him that if this was something that they both wanted, there must be a way to make things work.

"Jack, if that kiss had been real, we would have to deal with it. We would have to think about what it means and how it's going to affect our relationship. Luckily, this kiss happened as a result of a case, not out of any feelings we have for each other."

"It felt real," Jack said, taking her hand.

Sue felt her heart skip a beat at the simple contact. "I agree with you and that's partly why I'm feeling so confused. Things just feel so complicated now."

"They don't have to be," Jack replied, his brown eyes looking into hers with an intensity she'd never seen in him before.

"You don't think so? What are you suggesting?" Sue asked him, trying not to sound as nervous as she suddenly felt.

"Nothing illicit," Jack assured her, with a smile, reaching over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he continued. "I just think we should take the time to explore our feelings, now that we're no longer denying they exist."

"That could be dangerous," Sue protested weakly. She couldn't help but return his smile though.

"We'll be careful. I know we're skating on thin ice here, but I really think we should take the chance, find out what we could have instead of just writing it off as too complicated. We might regret it if we don't."

"We might regret it if we do," Sue pointed out.

"It's risky either way," Jack agreed. "But wouldn't you rather be able to look back and know that at least we considered all of our options?"

"Jack, please don't do this," Sue said softly.

"Don't do what?" he questioned.

"I just don't think I can deal with all of these feelings right now. Not when I know that there's nothing we can do about them."

"We can't just ignore this forever. I know that I can't at least," Jack said, squeezing her hand. Sue looked away from his gaze for a moment, looking down at his hand holding hers. As unsure as she was about being with him, it just felt so right. She met his eyes again and Jack was pleased with what he saw in them.

"We just have to remember that whatever happens undercover, we can't pretend that it's not going to affect our lives, Jack."

"That's not what I want to do," he assured her.

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm not exactly sure," he admitted. "I know that I don't want us to brush this aside. We may have kissed as part of our undercover assignment, but that doesn't make the feelings any less real. I've never experienced anything like this, Sue. I had to kiss someone undercover once before, and it was so different. When you and I kissed, I'm surprised that sparks didn't fly," Jack told her with a grin.

Sue smiled back and felt herself blushing deeply. If only he knew the effect he was having on her. Forget sparks, she felt like she was on fire every time he touched her. It had only gotten more intense since their kiss. As she continued to look into his eyes, she laughed nervously, at a loss for words. It suddenly felt impossible to vocalize how she was feeling. Finally she reached over, putting a soft hand on his cheek and then removed it just as quickly. The intensity of her feelings was actually overwhelming her---she didn't know what to do. He caught her hand in his own and just stared into her eyes for a moment, keenly aware of how close she was to him. Without hesitation he closed the distance between them, kissing her the way he'd been wanting to since the night before. Neither of them held back this time, and for a few moments, nothing existed but the two of them.

* * *

Chapter 9: Gone in the night

Earlier that same evening…

Looking in on her sleeping five-year-old twins, Marina Murphy placed a soft kiss on each little forehead. Both girls were sleeping peacefully, and Marina smiled softly, thinking again how this was always her favorite part of each day. As much as she loved listening to their constant chatter throughout the day, there was something very precious about them when they were asleep.

Closing their bedroom door softly, she went down the hall to her baby daughter's nursery. She too was sleeping soundly in her cradle. At only four weeks old, Annie had been an unplanned but welcome addition to the family. While her arrival had definitely put a strain on their already unstable financial situation, Marina and her husband were doing everything they could to make their family comfortable. Right now that meant that Jon was working two jobs. He and Marina barely saw each other, and of course, he didn't see nearly as much of the children as he would have liked. She found it difficult being alone at night with just her and the children, as she was tonight. Touching her baby's tiny fingers and admiring the way her long eyelashes rested against her cheeks, Marina knew that whatever sacrifices they had to make right now, it was all worth it.

After making sure the baby monitor was turned on, Marina left the room and went downstairs to finish folding the laundry she'd just taken out of the dryer. Turning on the television, she flicked the channels for a while before finally settling on the local news. Stories of a hit & run, a kidnapping case that sent shivers up her spine, and a robbery at a local bank made her wonder if anything good ever happened in the world. She knew that good things did happen, but it was easy to feel pessimistic after watching the news. Putting the last of the folded laundry into the basket, she flopped down on the couch, turning off the TV.

Her ears perked up as she heard a slight rustling coming from the baby monitor but relaxed as she heard the sweet sound of Annie cooing softly in her sleep. Closing her eyes, Marina gave into the exhaustion she felt after a long day with the children. As much as she loved being a mother, it was nice to have a moment's peace. She knew the baby would be waking up in a few hours for a feeding so she would get some shut-eye while she could.

After what felt like only seconds, Marina woke with a start and rubbed her eyes. She could see by the clock on the wall that she'd drifted off for about ten minutes. Wondering what had woken her, she held the baby monitor up to her ear. Hearing nothing at all, she suddenly had the strangest feeling that something wasn't right. Taking the stairs two at a time, she tried to brush away her feelings of paranoia. She opened the door to Annie's room and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the sleeping form of her daughter from the doorway.

It wasn't until she got closer that she realized something was horribly wrong. Staring into her daughter's cradle, Marina let out a cry of terror.

* * *

Sue kept her eyes closed as they kissed, just giving herself over to the way he was making her feel. There was so much passion between them; she could feel her body tingling with his every touch.

It ended all too soon when Jack suddenly pulled away. She gave him a look of confusion as she caught her breath.

Telephone, he signed, reaching for the phone on the table next to him. He'd tried to ignore it at first and it had rung about five times before he'd finally decided that he really should answer it. Considering they hadn't given the number out to anyone but co-workers and their new neighbors, the call was likely work-related.

Sue watched him as he answered the phone, feeling very guilty about what she'd just allowed to happen---what they'd both allowed to happen.

She couldn't help but wonder how far things might have gone if they hadn't been interrupted. Even now, she knew there was no going back to the way things used to be.

Focussing her attention on Jack's lips and trying not to think about the fact that they'd been pressed against hers only moments before, she could tell he was speaking to Dimitrius.

"Hey D. No, you didn't catch us at a bad time," Jack said, winking at Sue, who smiled weakly at him. His heart sank as he saw her expression. She didn't look as happy as he felt right now; she looked very stressed and Jack was sorry to be the cause of that stress.

He was so distracted by the whole thing that he was having a difficult time concentrating on what D was saying.

"What's up?" He asked.

Sue watched Jack's expression turn very serious as he listened to D and she wondered what was going on.

"Oh, no. When did it happen?" He still hadn't given her any indication of what was going on so she just kept watching. "Wow, that was fast."

What happened? Sue signed

Another kidnapping, Jack signed back. Sue shook her head sadly, letting out a sigh.

"Do you need us to come in?" Sue watched Jack carefully, wondering what D's answer would be. Being called into work would certainly put any discussion of their relationship on hold. Part of Sue wanted that but another part of her wanted to deal with things right now. "Ok well, please keep us posted. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye." Jack put the phone back on the table and turned his attention to Sue.

"Do they think the same people are responsible?" She asked him.

"Yes, this one has the same MO as all of the others. The baby was taken about half an hour ago. The mother had fallen asleep and a noise on the baby monitor woke her up. When she went to check on her daughter, the baby was gone and a doll was left in her place."

"Was there a note?"

"Yes. It said that her baby has gone to a better place," Jack said, imagining the shock and grief that young mother must have been going through.

"It's so horrible" Sue said, a shiver passing through her body. "That poor family."

"I can't imagine what it must be like for them. They're a low-income family with three kids. The baby was taken right out of her unlocked bedroom window--there was no sign of forced entry. What I don't understand is why people aren't taking extra precautions with their children. The kidnappings have been all over the news for awhile."

"Most of these families are just barely getting by. They can't exactly afford fancy security systems," Sue reasoned.

"Yes but why wouldn't they at least lock their windows?"

"They probably didn't realize the window was unlocked. Besides, you know how people are, they never think it'll happen to their family." Jack nodded.

"True," he agreed. "The scene is being investigated right now but if it is the same kidnappers, I doubt that forensics will turn up anything."

"Do they need us to go in?"

"No. D said we should just maintain our cover. If Mary and Sam are involved then we don't want to do anything suspicious. Their house is under round-the-clock surveillance from the outside so if anything out of the ordinary happens, they'll let us know," Jack said.

"How old was this baby?" Sue asked him.

"Just four weeks old."

"My God," Sue breathed. "I hope that we can get her back to her family soon. We've got to solve this case Jack," she said, her voice full of sorrow.

"We will," Jack insisted gently. "I'm certain we're on the right track. You know, it'll be interesting to see what time our good neighbors get home tonight. I wonder if they're involved in the actual kidnappings or if they're just in the background?" Jack wondered aloud. "Insurance Salesman and Pediatric Nurse by day, kidnappers by night?"

"Maybe," Sue said thoughtfully. "The fact that Mary works at a hospital where most of the kidnapped babies were born is the reason she was under investigation in the first place. Was this baby born there too?"

"That hasn't been confirmed yet," Jack told her.

"I'm even more suspicious of Mary now that we know that she and Sam are friends with people who perform adoptions. I guess we'll find out more tomorrow night."

"If all goes well maybe we'll get an interview with the agency and be well on our way to solving the case. This marriage may end up being even shorter than our last one," Jack said, grinning at her. She smiled back and then looked away until he took her hands in his. "I'm sorry about earlier. So much for going slow--I guess I just got carried away."

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I was a willing participant," Sue pointed out, trying to reassure him. "I think it's a good thing that we were interrupted though." She was blushing again, and Jack thought she looked breathtaking.

"I don't know about that. I'm sure we're capable of stopping before we go too far," Jack said.

"I don't even know what 'too far' is right now. Maybe we're already there. We really need to slow down, though. We need to think things through," Sue said, hoping she didn't sound as anxious as she felt.

"Of course," Jack agreed. "I don't think we should rush into anything either. I'm just glad we're finally being open with each other. Let's keep it up, OK?"

OK, Sue signed, nodding. "So let's agree to let things cool off for now. Until we're not posing as a married couple anymore."

"Good idea. We'll wait until this is over before we explore this a bit more. Otherwise it might be a little hard to separate our feelings from what's going on with our cover," Jack reasoned.

"So we'll keep things platonic then?" Sue questioned. "Avoid anymore undercover kisses?"

"As hard as it's going to be, especially now," Jack told her, smiling widely. "I think that sounds like a good plan." Even just seconds after saying the words though, he felt the irresistible urge to kiss her again. He knew that this was going to be a major test of his self-control and he wasn't fully confident he'd be able to make it.

"What are you thinking right now?" Sue asked him suddenly, her face coming dangerously close to his again.

"Just how hard it's going to be, keeping my distance from you. All I want to do is kiss you one more time," he admitted. Sue felt her resolve weakening, wondering what possible difference one more kiss could make.

It was almost like Jack sensed what she was thinking because he reached over and rested a hand on the side of her face, gently caressing it. Her hand covered his, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"One more time?" she whispered, leaning toward him before Jack even had time to answer her.

* * *

Chapter 10: Traffic

"Jack and Sue still aren't in yet?" Myles questioned Tara, looking at his watch. "Has anyone heard from them?"

"I haven't heard from them this morning," Tara replied evenly. "They're only a half hour late though. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"I guess they are still on their honeymoon, aren't they? I suppose we could allow them a bit of leeway," Bobby said with a grin. Myles rolled his eyes. "Seriously mate, I'm sure they just ran into traffic. They do have a bit of a commute now."

"You're right," Lucy said. "I tried calling the house but there's no answer. I'm trying not to worry but Jack's cell isn't on and Sue isn't answering her Blackberry. It's just not like them to cut off communications like that."

"I’m sure there's a reasonable explanation. Let's not start worrying yet." Tara shot a look at Bobby, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"What's up?"

"Can I talk to you for a second? I need your expertise on something," she said with a smile.

"I’m happy to help."

"Great, come with me for a minute." Tara grabbed a file and led the way out of the bullpen with Bobby close behind. Lucy glanced up at them somewhat suspiciously as they left, but everyone else got back to work and took no notice of them.

Once in the hallway she stopped and turned to face him, a conspiratorial smile on her face.

"So, we never did get the chance to talk after lunch yesterday. What happened with Jack and Sue?"

"I've been sworn to secrecy."

"You too? Now I know that something has happened between them. I wonder if that something is the reason they're late this morning," she said, excitedly. Bobby grinned at her.

"You women, you can't get enough of the romance can you?"

"That's a silly question, a girl can never have too much romance in her life! You of all people should know that, Bobby," Tara chided.

"Why, I'm not a woman?" Tara sighed loudly at his response.

"Clearly. By the way, how's Darcy these days? You haven't been buying her any candy or flowers lately, have you? Don't forget that even though you've won her over, a girl still appreciates some romance now and then."

"I'll have you know that---" Bobby's voice trailed off as they heard a bit of a commotion coming from around the corner. Tara put a finger to her lips as they listened.

"Stop for a second, your tie is crooked." Tara peered around the corner to see Jack standing in the hallway; feigning annoyance as Sue adjusted his tie.

"You could have told me that before we left the house," he told her.

"I don't think it was crooked when we left the house," Sue retorted playfully. Tara turned to look at Bobby, her mouth open in amazement.

"Ok, well you could have told me before we came into the building," Jack insisted, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watched her.

"Relax. I'm telling you now, and I fixed it for you, too. Besides, I think you look good when you're a little rumpled." Sue smirked at him, and Jack smiled back at her.

"Come on, we're already late. Everyone's going to be wondering where we are." Jack put an arm around her waist and let her lead the way back to the bullpen.

Bobby and Tara ducked into a nearby office so that Sue and Jack wouldn't know they'd been eavesdropping. They watched unnoticed as their friends hurried by and then looked at each other with matching grins.

"The tension seems to have lifted, wouldn't you say?" Bobby commented.

"Most definitely. Now they're just acting like an old married couple," Tara said. "I wonder what happened?"

"Something tells me that we won't be finding out the answer to that one anytime soon," Bobby replied, as the two of them headed back to the Bullpen.

* * *

"Ah, the newlyweds. Nice of you to grace us with your presence," Myles announced loudly, as Jack and Sue entered the Bullpen, both looking little embarrassed at being the center of attention.

"So much for slipping in unnoticed," Sue said, looking at Jack. He shrugged his shoulders and helped himself to a cup of coffee as Sue released Levi from his leash.

"Not much slips by this group," D observed wryly.

"That's right. We do possess keen skills of observation, some of us more than others," Myles commented smugly.

"Why, thank-you for noticing Myles," Sue retorted, as she sat down at her desk. "It's good to know that you appreciate my contributions to the team." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Hey, I was worried," Lucy said, approaching Sue's desk. "I tried to call you this morning to confirm lunch and couldn't get through. Jack's cell wasn't on either."

"Sorry, Luce. We were in a rush this morning and I forgot my blackberry at home; I guess Jack forgot to turn on his cell," Sue said, feeling guilty for causing Lucy to worry unnecessarily. "We're definitely on for lunch," she assured her with a smile.

Good, Lucy signed. Jack started speaking, and Lucy directed Sue's attention across the room.

"Sorry we're late," Jack said, glancing at Sue, who tried not to laugh at the guilty expression on his face. "Traffic," he mumbled.

"What did I tell you?" Bobby yelled, as he and Tara walked back into the bullpen. They said their good mornings to Jack and Sue and both of them fought to keep straight faces, considering what they'd just witnessed in the hallway.

"Well, why else would they be late?" Tara asked, smiling at Jack and Sue innocently. Something in Tara's expression set off warning bells in Jack's head, but he chose to ignore them for now.

"Any new developments since last night, D?" Jack asked, smoothly changing the subject.

Sue's eyes met his, and she gave him a small smile as he came to stand next to her desk, before looking at Dimitrius. Jack had definitely picked the right moment to take the subject of their tardiness out of the spotlight.

"Unfortunately not," D answered. "Though it has been confirmed that Annie Murphy was born at the same hospital where Mary Ryan works. Forensics didn't turn up any evidence at the scene that could lead us to the kidnappers. Whoever took that baby was very careful not to leave a trace behind."

"Annie's kidnapping brings the total over the last three months to 16. All of the babies were taken from their bedrooms, late in the night," Myles stated. "All came from low-income families with multiple children and when each child was taken, a doll with a note was left in its place."

"The whole idea of having a baby kidnapped is frightening enough but the dolls just give me chills," Lucy commented. "And the note that says, 'your baby has gone to a better place'---that's even worse," she finished with a frown.

"Plus the fact that note was made by using letters cut out of a magazine," Sue chimed in. "Whoever is behind these kidnappings is just cruel. Isn't it enough for them to take someone's child, without having to taunt them that way?"

"All the more reason to catch them before they can take another child," D said firmly. "The Ryans returned home late last night but there was nothing in their behavior to raise our suspicions. So, we're depending on you two to uncover something tonight." D looked to Sue and Jack as he finished speaking.

"Well, tonight we're planning on getting to know our neighbors a bit better," Jack informed the team.

"One of the things I'm having a hard time with is that Mary and Sam both seem too nice to be behind something like this," Sue said, looking troubled.

"Well, we're pulling one over on them. Maybe they're just doing the same thing to us," Jack pointed out. "After all, by gaining our trust, they stand to make a lot of money."

"True," Sue agreed thoughtfully. "I guess it's possible they're putting on a performance of their own, to win us over."

"If they're anywhere near as convincing in their all-American act as you two are at being married, I can see why you've fallen for it," Bobby said, grinning cheekily at them.

"I didn't catch that," Sue said, looking from Bobby to Jack.

"He thinks we're very convincing as a married couple," Jack told her, smiling sheepishly. Sue looked at Bobby and smiled slyly.

"We've had enough practice; I should think we'd be able to pull it off by now," she told him. "Sort of like your Elvis impersonation, or Myles being a vagrant." Sue looked at Myles, giving him a wink. Myles snorted and shook his head in disbelief at being targeted, yet again. "After awhile, it's quite effortless pretending to be married to Jack."

Thank you, Jack signed, smiling at her.

"Yeah, Myles and I know what you mean. Sometimes all you have to do is tap into your natural instincts when working undercover. It's hardly acting at all," Bobby said, grinning.

"Whatever you say, Elvis," Myles said, no longer frowning as he realized the target was now on someone else's chest as well. "So what is the secret to making your undercover marriage work? Is it all romance and flowers?" Jack felt his face and neck go warm and glanced at Sue, finding her looking just as uncomfortable as he felt. Everyone had a good laugh at their expense until D cleared his throat loudly.

"OK guys. As acting supervisor I've got to spare the Hudsons any more embarrassment," D said with a smile. "I'm sure everyone's got something else, though maybe not as fun, that they need to do." The laughter died down and some semblance of order returned to the office.

Crazy people, Jack signed to Sue, rolling his eyes at her.

Yes, and I think it's going to be a long day, she signed back. Jack nodded and walked over to his desk.

Lucy waited until Jack had walked away before she approached Sue, grinning widely.

Haven't I been saying it all along? Lucy signed furiously. Tell me I'm wrong all you want but everyone sees it, now more than ever. You can't deny that you see it too.

"Lucy," Sue said, her tone holding a warning. Lucy put up her hand.

Don't worry. I'm done. Just think about it, please. With that, Lucy walked away. Sue rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache. It was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Chapter 11---Snowball Effect

"So, how was lunch with Lucy? I forgot to ask you earlier," Jack asked, as he and Sue took Levi on a walk around their neighborhood. They had a bit of time before they needed to go to Sam and Mary's and it was a nice evening.

"It was actually really good. I half expected her to grill me about you and I, but she managed to stay away from the subject, just like she'd promised."

"She promised?"

"Yesterday I kind of lost my patience and she told me she wouldn't bring it up again," Sue explained. "I'm sure you know Lucy has been trying to set us up for a long time," Jack nodded at that. He knew all too well what she meant. "so you'd better believe she's loving the fact that we're in an undercover marriage. I didn't tell her that we kissed though; I knew she'd be like a dog with a bone if I did that." Levi looked up at her and whined. Jack pointed down, and Sue looked at her dog.

"Sorry, boy. I don't have a bone," Sue told him with a laugh, leaning down to give him a pet on the head.

"You're in luck, Levi," Jack said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a dog biscuit." Sue gave him a look of surprise.

"From the other day when we took him to the park at lunch," he explained, tossing the crunchy bone into the air for Levi to catch.

"You'd better be careful, he'll come to expect that from you and he'll be trying to get into your pockets all the time," Sue warned him.

"Well then, I'll just have to keep dog treats in my pockets at all times," Jack replied, grinning.

"So, I guess that means that you'll be coming over every day to take Levi for a long walk to burn off all of those extra calories?"

"You wouldn't have to twist my arm. I'll come over every day if you ask me to." Jack winked at her, and Sue felt herself blush. She'd lost count of how many times she'd blushed over the past two days.

She didn't respond other than narrowing her eyes at him and smiling. They kept walking in silence for a few minutes until they reached the house. Sue unclipped Levi's leash from his collar, and he bounded towards the front door.

"You know, I think it might be easier for us to keep our distance if you would stop flirting with me every chance you get," she told Jack, as they walked up to the house together. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"You think I'm flirting with you?"

"Come on," she said, the hint of a smile on her face. "You're a terrible flirt!"

"Really? I always thought I was kind of good at it," Jack retorted with a grin. He ducked as Sue swatted at him with Levi's leash.

"Hey, hands off, remember? If I recall, you're the one who came up with that rule."

"It was either that or be even later for work than we already were this morning," Sue protested. "You're the one who said just one more kiss, last night. So much for that," she said with a laugh.

"Hey, I'm not the only one to blame for last night, and you just looked so cute this morning, I couldn't resist." Sue's cheeks turned even pinker as Jack spoke. "Plus, you're the one who started things in the car. I think I was being very good until you---" Sounds from next door caused Jack to pause mid-sentence.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We'd better take this inside. The neighbors don't really need to know this about us," Jack said, unlocking the door and motioning for her to go inside.

"You know, they'd probably just laugh, considering what they witnessed the other night. They'd just chalk it up to the fact that we still act like 'newlyweds', and can't keep our hands off each other," Sue said, once they were both inside.

"Yeah, if only they knew the truth about that kiss the other night--and how things have snowballed since then," Jack added.

"Well, as much fun as it is kissing you, Jack," Sue admitted with an embarrassed smile before her expression turned serious. "We can't keep this up. Our jobs would be on the line if anyone knew what was going on." Jack nodded. "We couldn't get any more distracted than we were this morning; we weren't even reachable by phone."

"You're right. It would be very easy to forget all the risks, but I guess we have to remember that first and foremost, we've got a job to do," he said regretfully.

"So no more until we're done here, okay? This time I mean it," Sue insisted, doing her best not to cave in to the puppy-dog eyes he was giving her, whether he was aware of it or not.

OK, Jack signed. There was an awkward silence between them for a moment, finally broken when Sue looked at her watch.

"Well, I guess I should go and get changed. We've got to be there in half an hour."

"See you in a little while then," Jack replied. "I'll feed Levi," he added.

Thank you, Sue signed with a smile before she turned and walked away.

Jack headed for the kitchen with Levi at his heels, and he decided with determination that he would control his feelings for the time being. Once he and Sue were finished with this case and they could take a step back from the situation, they would decide what the next step was in their relationship.

They would either take a step forward, see what lay beyond their friendship, or they would take a step back and realize that they couldn't put everything at risk for love. Jack shook his head, almost unable to believe what was happening. He was in love with her. As much as he doubted it before, that's how certain he was of it now. It was more than just wanting to kiss her and be close to her. He loved everything about her and could absolutely envision spending the rest of his life with her.

That's what makes this undercover marriage so ironic, Jack thought, as he headed for his bedroom to make sure he was presentable enough to take to dinner. It was so easy for him to pretend to be married to her because it was something he wished would happen for real.

* * *

Sue looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied with her appearance. Lucy had dragged her to Macy's the previous week, insisting that her wardrobe needed an overhaul, and this was the perfect opportunity to wear one of her new outfits.

Hopefully Jack will approve, she thought to herself, then shook her head, glaring at herself in the mirror. She felt like things were beginning to spin out of control in her relationship with Jack and didn't know how to stop them--or if she even wanted to. It was astounding the effect that one kiss was having on their relationship. She felt so unclear as to what should happen next, but one thing she knew with crystal clarity was that she was in love with him. She'd been keeping those feelings underneath the surface for a long time, but now they were coming up for air, and there was no getting rid of them. Of course, that didn't mean she had any clue what to do about them.

As she ran a brush through her hair, which she'd left cascading over her shoulders just the way Jack liked it, she thought back to the previous night and how they'd nearly lost control after she'd agreed to just one more kiss.

Before long she’d been laying back on the couch with Jack's body covering hers, and they were kissing each other hungrily. The memory of it literally made her weak in the knees, and Sue laid the brush down, putting her hands on the edge of the counter for support.

Jack had broken the kiss and started nuzzling her neck, causing her to shiver at the sensation. It wasn't until she'd felt the buttons of her blouse coming undone that the reality of what was happening hit her full force, causing her to open her eyes. Her hands had covered his, stopping him, and she'd looked at him with regret and a touch of sadness.

"We can't do this," she'd said. He'd nodded, looking guilty. "It's not that I don't want to but now isn't the time." She'd smiled gently at him and given him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving him on the couch by himself, looking adorably disheveled and a little dumbfounded. As she'd closed her bedroom door, Sue hadn't been able to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. Something she'd always wanted but never imagined possible was finally happening, yet under the wrong circumstances.

Living together undercover left no room to think and no room to breathe. She couldn't help but wonder why it had to be now, of all times, that everything was suddenly out in the open. Because something was always in the way before, and now most of those barriers had been removed, she thought. Now they were both single and didn't have to worry about hurting anyone but themselves. There was also the fact of the kiss; something neither of them would have initiated under normal circumstances.

When she'd calmed down, Sue got ready for bed and realized she should let Levi in before she went to sleep; otherwise she might end up oversleeping. She'd opened the door and was relieved to find Levi waiting outside. The last thing she had wanted was to face Jack while she felt so emotionally raw. She'd managed to sleep but when Levi had gently nudged her awake in the morning, the first thought on her mind was of Jack, and she knew that he'd been in her dreams all night. Throwing on some sweats, she'd taken Levi out for a morning jog, and the fresh air and morning sun had cleared her mind a bit.

She didn't even see him until she headed into the kitchen later on to get something for breakfast. He was dressed and drinking a cup of coffee at the kitchen table, reading the morning paper. He'd glanced up as she entered the room, and her heart had skipped a beat as their eyes met.

"Good morning," Jack had said, smiling uncertainly at her.

"Good morning," Sue had responded. "I guess we should talk, huh?"

"If you want to."

"Don't you think we should?"

"Look, Sue," he'd said, getting up from the table and coming to stand near her. "I feel like such a jerk about last night. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For losing control. I just can't seem to help it when I'm around you," he had admitted sheepishly.

"You seem to be under the mistaken impression that you're the only one responsible for what happens between us. You're wrong."

"I'm not saying that at all. You just have a lot more self-control than I do. If it weren't for you being so appealing all the time, I'd be just fine. What can I say? You make me weak, Sue," he'd said with a smile, reaching out to touch her hand. Sue had raised her eyebrows at him and couldn't help but return his smile.

As if to prove his point, Jack had cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. Despite every instinct that told her to end it, she'd kissed him back. Jack had wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close, while her hands traveled to his hair, running her fingers through it as she felt the passion rise. It was Jack who broke the kiss this time, and Sue had opened her eyes to find his gaze resting on his cell phone on the kitchen table. Keeping one arm around her, he'd reached for it, shaking his head as he read the number on the display.

"It's my mother," he'd said, switching off the phone and turning his attention back to Sue. She had flashed him a surprised smile, wondering why he wasn't answering it. "She knows we're here together and believe me, she just wants to quiz me about how I like living with a woman. She's so eager to meet you, you'd think that we were really married," Jack had explained, reaching over to softly touch her cheek before he leaned in to kiss her again.

Sue had pulled away before he could make contact though and put a hand on his chest, keeping him at arm's length. "I think we need to make a rule, Jack. No more touching or kissing unless it's work-related. We're going to be late for work if we keep this up," she'd said firmly.

Jack had nodded reluctantly. "Okay, okay. You're right; we don't even have time for breakfast now. Do you want to pick up something on the way?"

"Works for me," Sue had answered. Jack had grabbed his cell off the table, Sue called Levi, and without further adieu they left the house.

It wasn't until they were about ten minutes away from the house that Sue had realized her blackberry wasn't in her purse.

"We could go back," Jack had offered.

"No, I guess I can do without it for a day. I just can't believe I didn't put it back in my purse last night," she'd said, shaking her head at her absent-mindedness.

"You were a little distracted," Jack had pointed out helpfully, a devilish grin on his face.

"Good point," she had agreed. They'd grabbed breakfast at a fast-food joint and things went along very smoothly until just after they'd finished eating.

Remembering that moment of weakness in the car, Sue vowed not to let it happen again. Sue touched up her lipstick and realized she was as ready as she was going to be---she needed to stop thinking about Jack and get to work. No matter how tempted she became, it was important for them to keep things professional while they were undercover. Any changes they wanted to make in their friendship would just have to wait.

She turned out the bathroom light and left the room, wishing she could shake the feelings of anxiety bubbling up within her. She was nervous about being able to maintain their cover and the fact that they'd put a wire on her before she left work didn't do anything to quell her anxiety. With any luck, their dinner tonight would be the beginning of the end of their case. They could put a stop to the kidnappings, and then she and Jack would each have the space to figure out what to do next.

* * *

Chapter 12: It's Only a Game

As Jack and Sue stood on their neighbors' porch, waiting for them to answer the door, Sue still felt very nervous. She knew there was no way Sam and Mary could tell she was wearing a wire, but it made her uneasy just the same. She was glad that at least she wasn't in this alone and that she had Jack by her side.

Jack gave her a smile of encouragement and reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. Ready? he signed. She nodded but didn't have time to answer before the door opened, revealing the smiling faces of Sam and Mary.

"Hi! Come on in," Mary said, gesturing them inside. "We're really glad you could make it," she told them.

"Well, thanks for inviting us," Sue said, unbuttoning her coat. Jack's hands settled on her shoulders for a moment before he helped her slip out of her coat. It was starting to feel more ordinary, always having him so close, but it still caught her off guard at times. She just hoped that she was hiding it well. "What a nice home you have!" she exclaimed as she looked around.

The view from the entrance showed only a small piece of their home but from what she could see, it was well decorated and displayed many pieces of fine art. Sue had the fleeting thought that it was hard to believe this had once been home to two growing boys.

"Oh, thank you," Mary replied. "Sue, you look lovely tonight! I love that skirt."

Sue smiled modestly at the compliment. "Thank you," she answered, signing and speaking. Jack came up beside her and slipped his arm lightly around her waist. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, and she smiled at him. Forcing herself to relax and act natural, Sue put her hand over the one touching her waist, reminding herself that they would have to show some affection if they wanted to maintain the image of a happy couple.

"Well, dinner should be ready in about ten minutes; why don't we go sit down?" Mary said, leading the way into the dining room. She and Sam pointed out rooms along the way, giving them a mini-tour of the house.

Wow, Sue signed to Jack. He nodded at her. The house was very impressive and to Jack, it made them look even more guilty. People in this neighborhood were certainly well off but this was a bit much. Upon seeing their house, it was obvious they had money, and Jack had to wonder where that money came from. He certainly had his own strong suspicions.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" Sam asked as they walked into the dining room. Mary and I are going to have red wine but there's also some---"

"Red wine will be fine, thanks," Jack said quickly. He still had his arm around Sue, holding her close, and she looked over at him with a small frown after he'd spoken. Jack smiled at her, knowing she'd felt the vibrations of his voice. "Sorry. Red wine is okay, isn't it, honey?" Sue nodded.

"Wine would be great," she answered. Everyone sat down except Mary, who went to get the wine. While she was gone, Jack and Sam soon became embroiled in a discussion over which team was going to win the hockey game the following night. Sue chuckled as she watched each man cite the attributes of his favorite team and soon felt as though she was watching a game of Ping-Pong. She had her own opinions but decided it might be best to stay out of it this time. Jack seemed to be holding his own very nicely when it came to supporting their favorite team.

Sue felt a vibration on the table where she was resting her hand and looked over to see a glass of wine. Mary was standing next to her, shaking her head at the men. "More hockey talk?" she asked. She passed around the rest of the wine and sat down next to her husband.

"Not a fan?" Sue asked her.

"No. I watch as little of it as possible. You?"

"Sure, I like to watch…it's something Jack and I can do together," Sue said, noting an approving grin from both men. "You should go to a live game sometime, Mary. There's so much energy from the crowd; it's really different than just watching it on TV."

"Oh, maybe someday," Mary said, looking doubtful.

"Yeah, maybe if I bound and gagged her she'd go," Sam declared, earning a sharp look from his wife. "Sports aren't Mary's thing. She does like to shop, though," he offered, chuckling at her guilty smile.

"Don't worry Mary, Sue can relate to you on that one," Jack said with a grin.

"Well, at least I usually only shop the sale racks!" Sue protested, giving Jack a small glare. He put one of his hands over hers, giving her those puppy-dog eyes again.

"Sweetie, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm glad you have a vice. It's just an expensive one at times," he said with a laugh. Sue frowned at him, but her eyes were smiling. He heard a timer go off in the kitchen, and Mary stood up from the table.

"That was the roast," Mary said, motioning toward the kitchen.

Food is ready, Jack signed to Sue. She nodded.

"Do you need any help?" Sue asked Mary.

"No, thanks. Sam's going to help me out," Mary replied, glancing at her husband, who immediately rose to his feet.

"What can I say; I've got to earn my keep," he said cheerfully, following his wife out of the room. Jack and Sue smiled as they watched them leave. Jack continued to hold her hand, and Sue gave him a look of warning before gently pulling her hand away from his.

Be careful, she signed, her brown eyes serious.

Don't worry, he answered. I'm just acting like your husband until we get home. I promise. Sue nodded, smiling at the irony in his statement. You OK?

Yes. I was nervous before but I'm better now. In truth, her stomach was in knots, but it wasn't Sam and Mary who had caused those knots to form. Her thoughts kept drifting to life beyond this assignment and how potentially complicated things could get.

You're doing great. Just remember that I'm right here with you.

I'm glad, Sue answered. She saw Jack's eyes look at something behind her and turned to see Sam and Mary re-enter the room with the food.

"Oh, you two were using ASL; I thought it was rather quiet in here," Mary observed with a smile.

"It must nice to be able to communicate with each other that way," Sam commented. "Kind of like having your own language."

"Well, it is my language," Sue pointed out, doing her best not to sound defensive. "There are times I choose to use ASL instead of speaking, and I appreciate that the people close to me have taken the time to learn. I love spending time with friends and only using ASL--there's nothing else like it." Sam nodded distractedly as he took his seat, and Sue felt a wave of annoyance at him. Mary on the other hand, seemed genuinely interested.

"I'm still learning," Jack added. "I'm taking classes and of course Sue's teaching me new signs all the time. I know I've still got a lot to learn though."

"He's definitely getting there," Sue said, looking at Jack with admiration. What he'd said was the absolute truth and had nothing to do with their cover. While all of her co-workers were making an effort to learn signs, it was Lucy, Tara and Jack who had gone that extra step and started taking ASL classes. It wasn't something they had to do, since she could communicate without it, but it really showed her how much they cared and how open they were to learning more about deaf culture.

"Well, you've definitely got a great teacher," Mary declared. "I'd love it if you'd show me some signs sometime, Sue. I've always thought it would be a fun language to learn."

"I'd be happy to."

"Great!" Mary enthused.

"This looks amazing," Jack said, surveying the food in front of him.

"It does look amazing," Sue agreed. "Next time it's our turn to host dinner," she offered.

"Definitely. Sue's a great cook, too," Jack said, as he dished up his plate."

"You may appreciate her cooking now but believe me, you'll really appreciate it when that baby arrives, and she's too tired to cook every day." Sam told him. Mary laughed out loud but looked embarrassed by her husband's comment.

"That's how you remember it, huh?" Mary challenged her husband. Sue looked at Jack, not even bothering to observe Sam's response.

Chauvinist, she signed and then finger-spelled quickly. Jack managed to catch it though, and he grinned at her, nodding. He'd been kind of floored by Sam's comment and thought he'd been kidding at first but obviously he was serious.

"What did she say?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes and looking none too pleased at being left out.

"She just said that things will be very different when we have a baby," Jack replied, winking at Sue. "And she's right. I plan to be very hands-on."

"Oh, I was hands-on," Sam insisted, "I just used those hands to pass the boys over to Mary when it was time for a feeding or a diaper-change."

"My modern-minded husband," Mary said sarcastically. "It's true, he didn't change any diapers as long as I was around," she confirmed, sounding almost sad. "As the boys got older, he made up for it though. He was the one always shuttling them around from one sporting practice to the next. He never missed any of their games either."

"Don't worry, Honey," Jack said, after softly touching Sue on the shoulder to get her attention. "When our baby comes I'm going to change my share of poopy diapers," Jack assured her. Sue laughed at him. They were both having fun playing this game right now, and she didn't feel nervous anymore.

"I hope you don't live to regret those words," she retorted playfully.

The rest of dinner was quite pleasant; Mary and Sam talked about their sons, which led to Sue telling stories of what it was like to grow up with three older brothers and some of the trouble they used to get into.

She's a great storyteller, Jack thought to himself as he watched and listened with rapt attention. He could easily picture her as a mother, entertaining her kids with stories of their mischievous uncles. All of this talk of adopting a child was really making him wonder what it might be like to be a father one day. In his daydreams, the mother of his children always had the same face and blonde hair as the woman sitting next to him, talking animatedly. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her out of his head or out of his heart.

* * *

After everyone was finished eating, they moved into the living room. Sue's nervousness had completely disappeared as she sat down next to Jack on the couch. He draped his arm along the back of the couch behind her, and she moved slightly closer, so that she was snug against his side. He looked at her, fighting to keep the surprise off his face. She smiled sweetly at him, and Jack moved his arm lower, running his fingers through her hair.

Looking at his expression, it seemed like he was almost daring her to push his hand away. Sue didn't discourage his actions, just rolled her eyes at him. She quickly glanced at Sam and Mary to see if they'd witnessed her little exchange with Jack. Much to her relief, they were talking to each other and had taken no notice.

"I think you two will be glad to know that we've spoken with our friends at the agency," Sam told them.

"And?" Sue asked eagerly.

"They'd like to meet with you. They said you sound like perfect candidates." Jack squeezed Sue's shoulder, and they smiled at each other happily. Sam took a business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Sue.

"Bundle of Joy Adoption Agency," she read aloud. Jack noticed the card was very plain with just the name of the agency in the center in bold, black lettering with a small graphic of a bundle-carrying stork just below it, and the name 'Jodie' in one corner.

"Is Jodie your friend's name?" Jack asked them, as Sue handed the card to him for closer inspection.

"Yes, that's Jodie," Mary confirmed. "She's in charge of interviewing prospective parents."

"No last name?" Jack asked. "Seems kind of odd for a business card," he said carefully. Sam and Mary glanced at each other quickly.

"It's for security purposes," Sam explained. "Things can get ugly when someone is turned down for an adoption."

"I understand," Jack replied with a nod. "Sorry, it's the lawyer side of me coming out. I like to have all the information before proceeding."

"No problem, Jack," Sam assured him.

"I'm sure that once you meet Jodie, she'll be able to answer all of your questions and put you right at ease," Mary added. "We told her all about you, and I doubt you'll have to wait very long to get things started."

"I don't want to get my hopes up," Sue said quietly. "After so much disappointment, I'm trying to prepare for the worst."

Jack touched her face to get her attention. "Don't think that way. I've got a good feeling about this, Sue." Sue managed a sad smile that was very convincing. It tugged at Jack's heart, in spite of the fact that he knew it wasn't real. He looked over at Sam and Mary who were watching sympathetically.

"We're not trying to give you false hope, Sue," Sam insisted. "We're just telling you what Jodie told us."

"Just give her a call and she says she'll fit you in as soon as possible," Mary said gently.

"Thanks, we really appreciate everything," Jack said. "We never imagined it would be so hard to have a family. We're ready to do almost anything to become parents."

"I think the folks at the agency will be able to help you out. It can be a bit expensive though," Sam warned.

"Money is no object," Jack insisted without hesitation. "We've already spent enough money on fertility treatments that didn't work; we're definitely willing to pay if it means we can adopt a baby."

Sue nodded tearfully. "I don't think I'll be able to relax until we actually sign adoption papers," she admitted. "We really do appreciate that you're trying to help us, though."

"It's our pleasure," Mary told her. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Sue. You're both young and healthy, with a very stable income. Plus, the fact that you have money is definitely one less obstacle to overcome."

"I feel bad for childless couples who don't have all of the options that we do. We're certainly going to take advantage of every option possible though," Jack said.

"Well, please let us know how your interview goes; we'll be eagerly awaiting your good news," Mary told them.

"If there's any good news, you'll be the first ones on our list---we're so grateful for your help," Sue said. She made eye contact with Jack, and he winked at her. She was doing a stellar job again; he was more than impressed.

Sam changed the subject then, and the couples chatted about various things. Unfortunately for Jack and Sue, the opportunity to subtly dig for more information on the agency didn't come up.

Jack's phone rang at one point, and it was Tara, telling him that all they'd been able to turn up on the agency so far was that they cover up any illegal doings very well. Sue looked questioningly at Jack and he finger-spelled T-A-R-A. She nodded at him, trying to appear casually disinterested at his answer.

"I'll do my best," Jack promised, glancing apologetically at Sam and Mary. "Look, now isn't a great time; can I call you back?" Sue watched him, wondering what Tara was telling him. "That was a client," he explained, when he'd hung up the phone. "He's one of those clients who seems to think I'm constantly at his beck and call."

"Do you get many of those?" Sam asked.

"Fortunately no," Jack answered. "I take enough paperwork home without having to field calls from clients too." Sam began telling them stories about some of his clients, who sometimes bothered him at home too.

Sue stifled a yawn and finally stopped following the conversation. It was boring her to tears and just wasn't worth her concentration anymore. Jack glanced at her, and then looked at his watch, noticing how late it was getting. Sue gave him a slight nod, and Jack realized it was probably pointless to stay any longer. At least for the moment, they weren't going to get any more information out of the Ryans. He was more than ready to escape and obviously Sue was, too. Jack sat back, politely nodding at Sam, and waited for an opening.

* * *

Chapter 13: In the Doghouse

"So, I'd say they're definitely hiding something, wouldn't you?" Jack said, as they walked back to the house.

"I agree. They definitely weren't saying any more than they had to. What did Tara want, by the way?"

"Well, as soon as you read the name of the agency she began doing research on them. On the surface, they definitely look legitimate. They're going to have to investigate all of the couples who allegedly gave up their babies. But she was just calling to tell me that right now, we have nothing incriminating on them and asking us to try and get more out of Sam and Mary."

"I guess now we'll just have to make an interview, and hopefully we'll find something at the agency." Jack nodded and unlocked the door. Levi bounded up to greet them as though they'd been gone for weeks.

"I have to compliment you again on the great job you did tonight, Sue. With you around there won't be any problem convincing the agency that we're a childless couple. All I have to do is sit there and hold your hand--I'll let you do all the talking," Jack told her with a grin.

"It's getting easier, the longer I do it, you know," Sue told him. "All of it is getting easier. Pretending that we're married, and pretending that we'd do anything to have a baby."

"You're right, it is getting easier. It starts to feel real after awhile," Jack said. "Especially the marriage part," he added, watching her face for a reaction. She raised her eyebrows at him and proceeded down the hallway toward her bedroom. Jack followed her and stood behind her as she opened the door.

"Well, how about you pretend that we're in a fight tonight, and I'm kicking you out of the bedroom," Sue said sweetly, stepping through the doorway. "It's late, and I'm going to bed. Come on Levi!" she called. Levi ran past Jack and curled up on the floor next to the bed, looking quite at home.

"Oh sure, the dog gets to come in, but your husband is in the doghouse," Jack said, a mock pout on his face. "Besides, making up could be really fun."

Sue let out a shocked laugh. "How many glasses of wine did you drink tonight?"

"Hey, it takes a lot more than a few glasses of wine to get me drunk, if that's what you're insinuating. I just don't like to go to bed angry," he teased.

Goodnight, she signed, grinning at him. He returned the sentiment, and then headed for his own room.

Sue watched him walk away and wished for the first time that this wasn't just an undercover marriage they were in. Then she wouldn't feel so guilty for all of the thoughts running through her mind right now.

* * *

"So, it's all set up," Jack announced from his desk, rubbing his hands together gleefully. Sue flashed him an exuberant grin as everyone in the bullpen turned toward the pair.

"We've got an interview at the agency first thing tomorrow morning," Sue explained, leaving Jack's side to lean against the front of his desk. "Jodie was more than happy to squeeze us in," she added.

"That's great," Tara responded. "We haven't had much luck digging up any dirt on the agency, so hopefully once you two are inside you'll get the chance to do some digging of a different kind." Sue glanced back at Jack, waiting for him to respond.

"We're going to do our best to snoop around a bit and hopefully find some adoption records," Jack assured Tara. "So, you haven't been able to find anything on Jodie or any of the other employees?" Myles cleared his throat and Jack directed Sue's attention in his direction.

"Not much," Myles answered. "They're all squeaky clean; unusually so, I might add."

"How do you mean?" Sue asked.

"Not so much as a traffic ticket in the bunch," Myles replied. "They're all model citizens, Jodie being the most standup of them all. She's active in raising money for children's charities and volunteers at a soup kitchen that serves dinner to needy families once a week."

"That would be the only lead we have so far, because guess who else volunteers for that soup kitchen?" D asked, after waving at Sue to get her attention.

"Mary Ryan?" Sue answered, exchanging a glance with Jack. D nodded.

"So let me guess, this is something else all of the kidnapped babies have in common?" Jack volunteered. "I'll bet money that all of their families went to that soup kitchen at one time or another."

"'We have yet to confirm that," Myles answered, "although we have discovered that while Mary has volunteered at the soup kitchen for years, Jodie has only been doing it for just over five months."

"It seems Jodie may have more on her mind than helping out needy families," Tara added. "Since tonight just so happens to be family night at the soup kitchen, Myles and I are going to offer our volunteering services," she said, flashing Myles a smile, which he returned with a nod.

"Hopefully we'll be able to buddy up to Jodie and Mary as well as find out exactly how friendly they are with the families there," said Myles.

"Also, maybe you can find out how some of the families heard about the soup kitchen in the first place. I wonder if Mary uses her position at the hospital to lure families there, where she can get more familiar with them?" Sue suggested. "After all, she probably gets a pretty good idea of which families have less money than others just from working at the hospital."

"That sounds reasonable," D agreed. "In the meantime, we need to speak to as many of the victimized families as possible. We need to find out if this is another common link between them. It's going to be a long day, guys," he said. "Bobby's already out there so the rest of us need to get a move on." Tara and Myles grabbed their coats and hurriedly left the bullpen, while D approached Jack and Sue.

"While we're out there pounding the pavement, you two need to have an answer ready to any question they might ask at the agency tomorrow. Lucy is getting some information right now that should help. Hopefully by the time you leave there tomorrow, they'll be begging you to adopt a baby." D said, giving them a crooked smile. "I'll check in later," he added, before grabbing his own coat and heading out of the office.

"So you ready to bone up on the history of Mr. and Mrs. Hudson?" Jack asked, turning to Sue, who looked at him in confusion.

"Am I ready to what?" she asked, puzzled by Jack's comment.

"Bone up," Jack repeated, finger-spelling the words as well. "Um, practice, get ready for something." At Sue's nod of understanding, he continued. "Once we get a better idea of what they're going to be asking us, we've got a lot of history to create."

"You're right, we've got a lot of work ahead of us. I just hope I can remember everything," Sue said, a hint of doubt in her voice.

"I'm sure between the two of us we'll do just fine. We're a good team, you and I." Jack replied reassuringly, as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"That we are," Sue agreed, looking into his brown eyes with a smile. He returned the smile and continued to hold her hand. The moment was broken by Lucy, entering the bullpen with a stack of files in her arms. Sue followed Jack's gaze to find Lucy looking at them with raised eyebrows.

Jack let go of Sue's hand too late. Lucy had already noticed and was grinning widely.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything," she chirped, still grinning.

Sue shook her head. "Luce, I honestly didn't catch that," she said with a frown. Her roommate was notorious for speaking too quickly or grinning while she spoke. One was bad enough but the two combined made it virtually impossible to read what she was saying.

"Sorry, Sue," Lucy said, toning down her grin. "I just thought maybe I'd interrupted something. I could leave you two alone, if you'd like?"

Sue smiled knowingly at Jack. Jack rolled his eyes and looked back at Lucy. "No, you weren't interrupting. I was just encouraging Sue to have faith in the fact that she's going to do just fine tomorrow during our interview," Jack explained.

"I don't doubt if for a second," Lucy agreed. "I'm sure you'll both be amazing. I've got some information that should help you prepare," she said, placing the files on Jack's desk.

Thank you, Sue signed.

You're welcome, Lucy returned. "By the way, Sue, I heard about a great shoe sale today. Do you want to come with me after work to check it out?"

"That sounds like fun, but Jack and I drove in together today," Sue said apologetically, glancing at Jack.

"I can give you a ride home; I don't mind. We could get some dinner afterwards," Lucy suggested.

Sue glanced at Jack again. "What do you think? Can you survive one night without my cooking?" she asked him slyly.

Jack looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "Well, I guess I can manage to heat up some leftovers," he said, giving her his best pout.

"Thatta boy," Sue said cheerfully. "Oh, and would you mind taking Levi home with you so that he doesn't have to tag along with us?"

"I'd be happy to. Maybe Levi can give me some pointers on getting on your good side," Jack said, winking at her. Sue flashed back to their conversation the night before when Jack had implied that he wanted to come into her bedroom, since Levi was allowed in there.

She had assumed he was kidding, but part of her wondered now what would have happened had she complied. She pushed the thought out of her mind. Now was the time to concentrate on the case; there was no question of anything else happening at this point. "You're really hopeless, you know that? Always trying to break the rules." Sue chastised him, shaking her head.

"Well, you're one to talk," Jack retorted playfully.

"Okay. I have no idea what you two are talking about, but I have a feeling it would be pointless to ask. You wouldn't tell me anyway, right?" Lucy chuckled at them and walked over to her desk.

"Let's just agree that one of us is just as bad as the other," Sue told him. He nodded.

"I'll agree to that," he replied. "I guess it's time to do some reading." Jack reached for one of the files, and Sue pulled up a chair.

* * *

Myles let out a yawn as he waited for Tara. She was grabbing them each a coffee before they went to the last family on their list. So far, every family they'd spoken to had indeed been to the same soup kitchen where Jodie and Mary volunteered. Calls from Bobby and D had confirmed that they were finding the same pattern. It was only three in the afternoon, but Myles felt ready for bed. Speaking to all of these families, still so sad over their lost children, was emotionally draining, to say the least. He stifled another yawn as Tara came back to the car, coffees in hand.

"Something tells me I'm just in time," she joked, handing him his coffee. "I saw that yawn."

"Guilty as charged," Myles confirmed. "Thank you for this," he said, holding up the coffee before taking a sip of the hot beverage.

"Well, at least we're nearly done for the day," Tara pointed out. "Until we have to go to the soup kitchen tonight, that is."

"Don't remind me," Myles grumbled. "How did I get recruited for soup kitchen detail, by the way?" He placed his coffee in the cup holder and started the car.

"I volunteered you," Tara informed him, with a smile.

"Why would you do that?" Myles asked, genuinely mystified. He gave her a quick glance before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Why not? I think you'll be great. Besides, you're the one who discovered the soup kitchen link," Tara pointed out. " I figured that would be right up your alley, since we'll be going in as people a little down on their luck. Plus, you've got a lot of experience with that sort of cover," she remarked with a grin.

"Very funny," Myles commented, rolling his eyes. "I suspected it would be something along those lines as soon as you brought it up. After all, we'll need some kind of disguise just in case any of the families we speak with today are there tonight."

"Why do I still get the feeling you're not too enthusiastic about this particular assignment?" Tara asked him.

"Well, the thing is, I'm just not all that comfortable around children and would prefer to avoid crowds of them if possible," Myles grudgingly admitted.

"They're going to be there to eat a good meal, Myles, not to bother you," Tara told him sharply.

"I know that. Don't get me wrong; I like kids. I just never know exactly what to say to them," Myles protested.

"Don't forget that you, too, were child once, Myles. Just talk to them like you would any normal person. Kids are just smaller versions of us, after all. What were you like as a child, anyhow?" Tara asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Sometimes I think I really missed out on being a child when I had the chance. I was so busy trying to one-up my sister in the eyes of our parents to really enjoy myself," Myles admitted, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Why am I not surprised?" Tara said with a sigh, shaking her head.

Myles pulled into the driveway of the final family they were going to interview. "I don't know Tara, why doesn't it surprise you?" he asked her, sounding irritated.

"You're just so competitive. You've got to be the most competitive person I know. Doesn't it sometimes take the fun out of life?" Tara asked him softly.

"I'll have to think on that one," Myles said sarcastically. "In the meantime, we've got a job to do so I suggest that we do it." He left the car, and Tara rolled her eyes, partly at him and partly at herself. For a moment it had seemed like Myles had been about to open up a bit, but then he'd gone back on the defensive. She had to admit that her response had been a little uncalled for so really, so she wasn't surprised the conversation had taken a turn for the worse. Unbuckling her seat belt, Tara went to join Myles.

The blonde agent was standing beside the car, waiting for her with a look of impatience on his face. "Let's get this over with," he said. They walked up to the door together, and Tara rang the doorbell, followed by three sharp raps on the door. Myles gave her a look of annoyance, and Tara just shrugged.

After a few moments, there was the sound of the deadbolt turning and then a bit of fumbling before the door opened a crack. A little girl of about five with long dark curls, peered out at them. "Who are you?" she asked, her curiosity evident as she looked up at them with big brown eyes.

Before either Myles or Tara could respond, they heard rapid footsteps approaching, and the little girl moved from the door. Then they heard a woman cry out in a voice bordering on hysterical. "Elizabeth Murphy! I told you never to open the door without Mommy!" There was a small silence, and then they could hear the voice again, speaking much more gently this time. "I'm sorry I yelled, baby, but you need to remember that rule, okay?"

"I will, Mommy," the little voice responded.

"Okay, go and play with Vicki for a bit while Mommy answers the door."
The door opened, revealing a woman who bore a striking resemblance to the little girl they'd seen moments before. She had the bloodshot eyes of someone who'd been doing a lot of crying. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "Can I help you?"

"Mrs. Murphy, I'm not sure if you remember me or not. I'm Special Agent Myles Leland and this is Tara Williams. We're with the FBI. " Myles and Tara both held out their badges, and a look of recognition came over Marina's pretty features.

"Oh, yes. Of course, I remember you. Is there any news about Annie?" Marina asked hopefully, her tired eyes lighting up at the possibility.

"I'm afraid not," Myles answered apologetically, hating to see the dejected look that came over Marina as he spoke.

"We do have some questions for you though, if that's okay," Tara said.

"Anything, if it will help find my baby," Marina replied. "Come on in. Please excuse the mess," she added, as Myles and Tara stepped into the house. "I haven't really had the energy for housework lately," Marina said tiredly, as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't worry about it," Tara replied. "It's totally understandable." Marina led them into the kitchen and motioned for them to sit down at the table.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Tea, coffee?" Marina offered.

"No, thank you," Myles answered. "We don't want to take up much of your time. We really just need a bit of information from you regarding the case," he told her. Marina sat down at the table, looking a little worried.

"What is it?" she asked them.

"Well, right now we're still trying to come up with connections between all of the kidnapped children, however random they might seem," Myles explained.

"Okay," Marina said, nodding.

"Have you ever taken your children to a soup kitchen, say in the last five months?" Tara asked. Maria shook her head slowly.

"No. Aside from my grandmother, who insists on helping us out occasionally, we get by on our own," she replied, with a small smile. "Jon works two jobs in order to make that happen, but we really do take pride in being independent," she added.

There was a brief silence that followed, which was broken by the sound of little feet running down the hallway. Moments later, Marina's twin daughters appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Mommy, can we have a Popsicle?" one of them asked, while her sister nodded excitedly. Myles looked from one to the other, wondering how on earth their parents could tell them apart. Other than their different colored t-shirts, they were virtually identical.

"Pardon me?" Marina said sharply.

"Please?" the girls chimed in unison. Marina smiled and nodded at them.

"Go ahead," she told them. The girls scrambled over to the freezer and each grabbed a Popsicle. On the way by Myles, both of them stopped and looked him right in the eye.

"Are you going to bring back Annie?" one asked him, still staring intently into his eyes. He recognized her by her pink shirt as Elizabeth, the one who had answered the door earlier.

Myles was shocked into silence for a moment, but recovered quickly. "We're working on it. We're doing our very best to find your little sister," he assured them.

Both girls nodded and looked from Myles to their mother, their eyes lighting up. "See, Mom! They're going to bring Annie home, just like I told you," Vicki said with a grin.

Marina stood up, pulling the girls to her for a hug, her eyes filling with tears. "I hope so, baby," she murmured before releasing them. "How about you two go out onto the deck so that you don't get drips everywhere, okay?" The girls nodded and left the room, both of them smiling at Myles.

Myles glanced at Tara with a pained expression. He hadn't been lying to the children; they were doing everything possible. Still, the last thing he wanted to do was get their hopes too high, when there was no guarantee they'd be able to find Annie.

"They're beautiful girls," Tara commented, seeing Marina's tearful expression.

"Thank you," she replied in a shaky voice, clearly trying to regain control over her emotions.

"We are doing everything we can. If you or your husband think of anything, no matter how small, please call, okay?" Tara asked, handing her a business card. Marina nodded, and Myles and Tara stood up from the table.

"So that's it?" Marina asked them, the disappointment evident in her voice.

"For now," Myles replied, wishing he had more to tell her. "We'll keep you posted on any new developments." Marina nodded and walked them to the door, bidding them a sad goodbye.

After the door had closed behind them, Tara turned to Myles in surprise. "Of all of the families targeted, I wonder why this is the only one that doesn't have the soup kitchen connection? What makes them different?" Tara questioned aloud.

"Well, there's no way this is a copycat at work; there are too many other similarities for that to be the case," Myles reasoned. "Besides, there is still the link to the hospital where Mary works," he pointed out.

"That's true," Tara agreed. "All I know is, whoever is responsible for this, we'd better figure it out soon. Otherwise, I have a sick feeling that we're going to end up with another grieving family on our hands," she said, determination clear in her voice. Myles nodded at her.

"Between our undercover assignment tonight, and the Hudson's appointment at the agency tomorrow," Myles said with a smirk, "I think we'll be the victors. We have to be," he declared, his expression turning serious as he pictured the faces of those two little girls, pleading with him to bring back their baby sister.

* * *

Chapter 14: A New Wrinkle

Jack sat at the kitchen table eating an early dinner and realized how quiet the house was without Sue. It was strange, because after all he was used to the quietness of living alone. It hadn't taken him long to grow accustomed to living with another person, though. He was starting to take comfort in having her there with him. And now that his feelings for Sue had deepened, all he wanted was to spend every moment with her. Levi padded over to Jack, laying his head on Jack's knee.

"You missin' Sue too, Levi? Or do you just need to go outside?" Levi wagged his tail in response and Jack scratched his ears. "Just let me finish eating first, buddy." Levi whined a little and sat down on the floor beside Jack.

Ten minutes later, the two left the house. Maura, the elderly woman who lived two doors down, was outside tending to her roses and gave Jack a friendly wave as he and Levi walked by. Jack gave her a smile and a wave and was about to continue on his way when Maura called out to him.

"How are you liking the neighborhood so far?" Maura asked him kindly. She was a slightly frail looking woman with silvery white hair that she wore pulled back into a braid.

"It's really great. I think we made the right decision moving here," Jack answered with a smile.

"Well, it's nice to have you here. You and your wife are such a lovely young couple. Where is she tonight?" Maura asked.

"Oh, she's out shoe-shopping with a friend," Jack replied, chuckling.

"Ah. Well, she's lucky to have a husband like you. You seem very accommodating," Maura said with a wistful smile. "My late husband, Bill, was like that. He passed away years ago now."

"I'm sorry," Jack said, feeling slightly awkward having her share such private information with him.

"Oh, don't be," Maura insisted gently. "We had many happy years together before it was time for him to go. I hope you and Sue enjoy your lives together as much as we did."

"Well, we're sure going to try," Jack replied.

"So, have you met many of the neighbors yet?" Maura inquired, as she continued to carefully cut dead roses off the bush.

"Well, besides you, we've also met Sam and Mary. We had dinner with them just last night, actually," Jack told her.

"Oh yes, Sam and Mary. They're interesting people to get to know," Maura said thoughtfully. "I remember when they moved in here with those boys. They were an unruly pair."

"Boys can be that way," Jack commented. "I was a bit of a troublemaker myself," he admitted with a grin.

"Looking into those eyes of yours, I don't doubt it," Maura chuckled. "It was different with the Ryan boys, though. They were troubled from birth, I think."

"Were they really that bad?" Jack asked. Maura nodded emphatically.

"Mary used to tell me that she thought it was her fault the boys had turned out the way they did. All she had tried to do was rescue them but she said that they must have been too far gone." Jack looked at Maura quizzically, trying to make sense of what she was telling him.

"Wait, trying to rescue them from what?" Jack asked her.

"From their birth parents," Maura explained. "They were born into an abusive family and the Ryan's adopted them when Kyle was three and Kevin was just over a year old." Jack was floored but did his best not to reveal that to Maura. How could Sam and Mary have left out this minor detail, considering what he and Sue had told them?

"Maura! Jack! Hello!" Jack looked over and saw Mary waving at them from her front porch. A look of something almost resembling fear appeared in Maura's eyes, and she waved at Mary before turning her back on Jack and continuing to tend to her roses. Jack got the distinct impression that their conversation had come to an end.

Jack waved to her and watched as Mary opened the gate at the entrance of Maura's yard and approached them. "Hi Jack, it's a nice evening for a walk," Mary said pleasantly. Jack nodded in agreement. "So, tell me, did you call the agency to set up an interview?"

"We did and we're going in first thing tomorrow morning," Jack confirmed, smiling at Mary.

"I'm so glad, Jack. I wish you and Sue the best of luck, although I’m sure you won't need it," Mary said confidently, before turning her attention to Maura.

"Maura, why don't you come over and join Sam and I for dinner?" It seemed to Jack as more of an order than a request and Maura nodded, taking off her gardening gloves.

"Just let me go and put my gardening things away, and I'll be right over," Maura told her before turning to Jack. "It was nice talking to you Jack. Please give my best to Sue. I'd love to have the two of you over one evening."

"That would be nice," Jack nodded. He watched her hobble away and had to admit that he was itching for the chance to speak with her some more. Their conversation had been very enlightening.

"I'm sorry if she was bothering you," Mary said quietly to Jack once Maura was out of earshot. "Ever since her husband died she hasn't been the same."

"She seemed okay to me," Jack told her. "She said that her husband died years ago."

"It's been less than one year," Mary said, shaking her head sadly. "Since then, the poor dear has been suffering from dementia and can't remember what year it is half the time."

"I had no idea," Jack said sympathetically.

"She gets around okay, but I try to help her out as much as I can. She's like a mother to me and a grandmother to the boys. If her own family would come around more often, I wouldn't feel so responsible for her. The unfortunate fact is, they're too wrapped up in their own lives," Mary said, with a touch of sadness in her voice.

"It's sad when that happens," Jack replied.

"Well, I should get back. I volunteer at a soup kitchen tonight, so I don't have much time to eat before I have to leave," Mary explained.

"Okay. I'm sure we'll talk again soon," Jack told her. Levi jumped to his feet and looked up at Jack eagerly.

"Yes, I'm sure we will. I can't wait to hear how things go at the agency," Mary told him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Jack replied and continued down the street. His mind was reeling from what he'd heard and he wondered what it meant. He couldn't wait to tell Sue and the rest of the team.

* * *

Chapter 15: A Dose of Reality

Glancing at Myles, Tara smiled inwardly at the fact that they had pulled off his disguise so well. After much cajoling, she'd talked him into using a washout dye in his hair, which was now a surprisingly flattering shade of light brown. The new hair color and a pair of eyeglasses, coupled with some very casual, almost scruffy attire, altered his appearance considerably.

In keeping with the spirit of his slightly unkempt cover, Myles was also sporting a five-o'clock shadow that Tara was unaccustomed to seeing. He told her that normally he would shave in the late afternoon if he was going out in the evening, but in this case, it suited his character perfectly.

If she had passed him on the street, she probably wouldn't have given him a second glance. Any fears they had about being recognized could surely be put to rest. It was highly unlikely that any of the couples would look closely enough at them to recognize them from the one or two brief encounters they'd had with the FBI agents.

Tara's own appearance had been altered considerably as well. She was wearing a wig that was a few shades darker than her own hair and also quite a bit longer, falling past her shoulders. Like Myles, she had dressed much more casually than normal. The biggest and most important part of her disguise however, was the empathy belly she'd donned, giving her the appearance of a woman in about her seventh month of pregnancy.

They were hoping that her appearance, along with their story, was going to give them some much-needed insight into how Mary and Jodie chose their "victims". They had just arrived in the dining hall of the church that played host to the soup kitchen and Myles was casually asking one of the other volunteers where they might find Mary Ryan, the volunteer coordinator.

"That would be me." Mary came up behind the young woman Myles had questioned and stuck out her hand. "I'm Mary Ryan, and you must be Marcus?" she said, offering him her hand.

"Yes, I'm Marcus, and this is my sister, Shelby," Myles replied, as Tara came up beside him. He took Mary's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "We spoke on the phone earlier."

"Yes, and we really appreciate you helping us out today," Mary told him with a smile, as she and Tara shook hands. "There can never be too many of us on the front lines." Tara and Myles looked at each other with a smile.

"Well, Marcus heard about this soup kitchen and told me he was planning on volunteering. Since I've just moved here, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to meet some new people," Tara explained. "Times are tough right now so it's great to know what you all do for the community. I have a feeling things are going to get even tougher for us when this little one arrives." Tara smiled softly, putting a hand on her belly.

Mary nodded with understanding and Tara could see that her interest was piqued. "When are you due, Shelby?"

"I've got about 9 weeks to go," Tara replied. "That should give the kids and I enough time to get settled. At least, I hope so." Tara was sure to sound considerably anxious as she said her last line and knew that she had Mary hooked.

"How many other children do you and your husband have?" Mary asked politely. Tara was pretty sure that it was just an attempt at subtly gleaning information.

"Well, I have three other children," Tara replied, noting Mary's raised eyebrows, "but unfortunately, their father is no longer in the picture."

"Good riddance! If there's anything Shelby's done right, it was getting rid of that weasel," Myles growled, embracing his role as the overprotective older brother. "If only those babies hadn't kept coming along." Tara turned on Myles, eyes blazing.

"How dare you say that! Those kids are my life!"

"I know, I know. Calm down, Shelby," Myles said gently. "I just wish that you would have considered other options when you got knocked-up with the first one, other than a shotgun wedding," he added.

"Why did I even come here with you? I should have stayed home with Mom and the kids!" Mary put a hand on Tara's arm, and Tara turned to look at the older woman.

"Shelby, I'm really glad that you did come. It's hard for brothers to be objective when it comes to their sisters, but I'm sure that Marcus means well," Mary said kindly. Tara nodded at Mary but fired another glare in Myles' direction. "Come, both of you, and let me introduce you to everyone. The families are going to start arriving pretty soon."

* * *

It was much to Myles' disappointment that Mary's friend Jodie was not in the group of volunteers that Mary introduced them to. Investigating her involvement would have to be left in Jack and Sue's hands when they met with her at the adoption agency in the morning. Thinking about the phone call from Jack just before they'd left for the church, Myles was now more suspicious of Mary than ever. If indeed Mary's sons were adopted, Myles wondered if those adoptions had been legal ones or if those boys were victims of kidnapping as well.


Still, he could see why Sue was having a difficult time accepting the fact that Mary Ryan could be involved in the murky business of kidnapping. She was so personable and cheerful. The families had started to pile into the church and as he watched Mary with them, it was apparent that she was definitely someone whom many people liked and respected. She seemed to put everyone at ease.

It was going to be interesting to see what she would do with the information she had about "Shelby." The cover story they had come up with was a sad one, and they were hoping it would be enough to prompt Mary to make a move. They needed more than just the suspicion they had now.

Before long, the dining hall of the church was a sea of bodies. A couple of times, Myles found himself forgetting the real reason they were there. He found himself looking at all of the families gathered together and began wondering what had happened to get them to this point. Many of the children looked up at him with big hungry eyes, and anger boiled up inside him. Poverty was something that was so easy to forget about in his everyday life. Sure, he saw panhandlers on the street every day, but it wasn't the same as seeing children who were clearly starving.

Casting a glance in Tara's direction, he could tell she was affected as well. She looked at him with sad eyes, and he nodded at her. It was so easy to take their comfortable lives for granted; this was serving as an unexpected reality check for both of them. Myles promised himself that when this was over, he was going to make an effort to do some real volunteering. Not just for the children, but for their parents, too. Most of them were probably just hard-working people who had suffered a stroke of bad luck. Maybe an illness had struck, or sudden unemployment. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a gentle nudge from Tara.

She widened her eyes at him and subtly directed his gaze to the slowly dwindling lineup. He immediately saw what had captured her attention. There were a couple of familiar faces making their way through the line.

One of the couples they'd met with earlier that day was about to come face-to-face with Tara and Myles. Myles held his breath as they approached. The eyes of the woman met his for a moment and gave him a soft smile, but there was no sign of recognition from either her or her husband. Tara breathed an audible sigh of relief after they'd passed, and Myles smiled at her briefly. Their disguises had been successful. As far as Myles was concerned, they'd passed their first real hurdle.

* * *

The evening was beginning to drag for Tara, as she began to feel the full effects of the empathy belly she was wearing. She wondered what on earth had possessed her to strap this thing on when surely they could have fashioned a belly for her using a pillow. However, she'd opted for going with the most realistic-looking choice.

At the time, she'd thought it might be interesting to experience something of what pregnancy felt like. Now, her back was beginning to ache a bit, and she'd had to make several trips to the bathroom over the course of two hours. That alone, makes this more believable, Tara thought to herself.

She was thankful for the fact that she would only have to deal with this for a little while longer. Also, she was glad that when she did become pregnant someday, the buildup to this point would be a lot more gradual, thank goodness. Searching out Myles with her eyes, Tara saw him talking with a couple of the fathers still remaining and hoped that some of the conversations he had would shed a little light on this case.

Seeing Mary alone at one of the tables, gathering dirty dishes into a tub, Tara approached her, hoping that this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for. "Can I help you with that Mary?" she asked, absently rubbing her lower back.

Mary looked up at her with a smile. "Oh, Shelby, that's sweet of you to offer, but you've already helped out so much tonight. You look exhausted; why don't you have a seat?" Mary replied, gesturing to one of the empty chairs.

"No, I'm here to help. Besides, this is a vacation compared to what I've got waiting for me at home," Tara answered with a smile. Mary didn't return her smile, just looked at Tara sympathetically.

"Well, that's all the more reason to get off your feet," Mary told her somewhat sternly. Tara relented and sank into one of the chairs, letting out a small sigh of relief as she did. She smiled guiltily at Mary, who put a stack of plates into the bin and then sat down beside her. "I think now's a good time for us both to take a break," she declared with a smile.

"It does feel good to sit down," Tara admitted. "I'm so exhausted right now, but I know that when I get home, I've still got to get the kids to sleep. My mom's helping me out as much as she can, but she lives in a small apartment, and we can't stay with her forever. The kids and I are about to move into our own place, and I'm still trying to reach a custody agreement with my ex." Tara closed her eyes for a moment and sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry things are so difficult right now," Mary told her, placing a hand over Tara's as they rested on the table. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help," she told the younger woman.

"I appreciate that, Mary. Please don't get me wrong, though. I love my kids and would do anything for them. It's just very…overwhelming sometimes," Tara told her, thinking in the back of her mind that her high-school drama teacher would be proud of her right now. There were real tears stinging her eyes, threatening to overflow. "Johnny seemed like such a great guy when we first met; he swept me off my feet. Before I knew it I was pregnant, and the only thing we could think to do was get married. Right after the wedding, I realized he was into drugs, but I loved him so much; I just kept hoping he would change."

"I can just imagine," Mary replied, nodding sympathetically.

"Of course, he didn't change. And he just got more violent over the years, too," Tara added with a shudder. "Now, three and a half kids later, I'm left with lousy memories, and an ex who has trouble holding down a job. I don't know what we're going to do," she said, allowing the tears to spill out onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she told Mary, who patted her on the back gently as Tara choked back a sob. "I'm not usually like this, telling complete strangers my life story."

"Don't be," Mary insisted. "I'm not a stranger anymore, Shelby, and I'm happy to listen anytime," she told her gently.

"Thank you," Tara said, gratefully. "I do feel better now, actually," she admitted, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Well, this sounds like a lot for anyone to handle. But I want you to know that there are people here who can help you. For starters, since you're new in town, I can arrange for the Welcome Wagon to drop by and give you a basket of goodies. Why don't you just give me your address and phone number, and I'll have them call you?"

"Okay," Tara said, nodding. Her mind was racing, wondering if this could possibly be one of the ways that Mary got to her potential "victims". "I'll write it down and give it to you before I leave. That's very kind of you," she told her. "It's hard to admit it, but I feel like we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Don't worry about it. I'll give you my phone number, too. If you ever need anyone to talk to, just give me a call," Mary said kindly.

"Oh, that's so nice of you, but I don't think I could bother you at home," Tara said hesitantly.

"Oh, please! Don't worry about it; my husband is used to it," Mary told her with a smile. "I do what I can, helping out here, but it still doesn't feel like enough sometimes. I figure the least I can do offer is a shoulder. I'll go get my purse so that I can write down my phone number for you. I'll be right back." Tara nodded and watched as Mary picked up the tub of dirty dishes and hurried off to the kitchen.

Mary seemed so genuine and kind, Tara could absolutely see herself going to her for help if she were in the same desperate situation as some of the people here. She glanced around the room, noticing Myles sitting at one of the tables, speaking with a couple and their two children.

Mary returned before Tara could make eye contact with him and pressed a piece of paper into her hand. "This is the number to my private cell phone; you can call me anytime," she told her.

"Thanks again, Mary," Tara said with a smile. "I just might take you up on that," she warned.

"I hope you do. I know you're new in town and probably need someone to chat with once in awhile. Please don't hesitate to call," Mary told her kindly. "Now, as much as I've enjoyed this break, I really should get back to it." Tara nodded but felt disappointed that the conversation had to end. Still, at least she had forged this friendship with Mary. If Jack and Sue weren't successful on their end, there was a chance she would be able to use this cover to entrap Mary. As far as Tara was concerned, Mary Ryan was looking guiltier than ever now.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Myles and Tara exited the church. Tara let out a groan she'd been holding in for too long, causing Myles to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"Everything okay?" he questioned.

"Ask me that after you've been carrying around 35 extra pounds for three hours!" Tara exclaimed. "My back is killing me; I have to use the bathroom again---I need to take this thing off!"

"Sorry I asked," Myles said, looking mildly amused. "I guess I'd kind of forgotten how uncomfortable you must be."

"Typical male response," Tara muttered, glaring at him.

"Hey, don't look at me! I'm not the one who got you into this mess!" Myles told her, throwing his hands up in the air as if to defend himself. "I knew that Johnny was trouble the moment I laid eyes on him."

"Funny, Myles. Seriously, can we please get away from this church so that I can change out of this get-up?" She rolled her eyes as Myles pretended to search his pockets for his keys, making a big show of pulling them out of his coat pocket. Then he fumbled with them, finally settling on the right key. Tara was ready to throttle him but decided that might cause some unnecessary attention if someone chose this moment to walk into the parking lot.

Myles unlocked her door first and opened it for her. "On a more serious note, it looked like you and Mary had a nice heart-to-heart," he observed, as Tara got into the car.

"We certainly did. Just please, can we get going? I'll tell you everything once you get driving," Tara replied in a tone that bordered on desperation.

As Myles slid into the drivers' seat, he glanced over at his colleague, who was leaning back against the seat with her eyes closed. "Tara, are you okay?" he asked her, sounding concerned.

She opened her eyes, looking at him sheepishly. "I am; I just had no idea how tiring this would be," Tara admitted. "Remind me of this night if I ever decide to get pregnant,"

"I'm sure it wouldn't hinder your decision one bit," Myles told her. Tara raised her eyebrows slightly, always surprised when Myles decided to show his sensitive side. "I actually have always admired what women go through to bring children into the world. But I'm sure when you decide to have a child it will all be worth it. After all, at the end of it, you'll be a mother." He started the car and drove out of the church parking lot, seemingly unaware of the look of surprise Tara gave him.

"Astute observation, Myles," she remarked, with a grin. "In any case, I'm not ready for motherhood yet, and I've had my fill of fake-pregnancy to last me awhile."

"Well, hopefully your fake pregnancy will have a positive result as well," Myles told her. "So, are you going to leave me in the dark, or are you going tell me what you and Mary discussed?"

"Drive a little faster, and I'll tell you everything," Tara told him. Shaking his head, Myles stepped on the gas.

* * *

Chapter 16: Be Careful What You Wish For

After his walk with Levi, Jack had settled down on the couch to watch television while he waited for Sue to return from her shopping trip with Lucy. The show he was watching couldn't seem to hold his attention, however, and his mind kept wandering back to the events of the past few days. It had only been three days since the night they'd had the Ryan's over, but his mind had replayed the moments since then many times. Jack was still thinking about those moments when he drifted off to sleep. Even though he was dimly aware of the fact that he was asleep and he must be dreaming, it felt like he was truly there again, living the moments as he dreamed them. Sue had been haunting his dreams since the night of their first kiss but with dreams like these, he wouldn't have minded being asleep forever.

Right now, they were in the car. They'd just finished eating a fast-food breakfast that Jack knew would leave him feeling hungry again in a couple of hours. Sue had made an off-hand remark about how she hadn't eaten fast-food for breakfast in years and what a bad influence he was on her. He'd just told her with a cheeky grin that he was happy to be of service, resulting in laughter from Sue.

Things had been really great between them that morning. After what had happened the night before, he had feared that things might be awkward, but the opposite seemed to have occurred. Their connection had deepened, and he felt closer to her than ever, despite the fact that Sue had insisted that they keep their distance from each other until the case ended. Jack had agreed, knowing that it made the most sense intellectually; however, it didn't change the fact that he was having a very hard time stopping himself from reaching for her hand or leaning over to kiss her lips. Still, he was proud of the fact that his willpower hadn't wavered once.

He was just about to start the car when Sue asked him to look at her for a second. He complied, his curiosity piqued. "You've got something on your face, right near your mouth," she said with a grin, grabbing a napkin. "Looks like ketchup," she told him, gently wiping at his face, while cupping his chin in her other hand, holding him steady as one might a small child. He watched her with amusement. "There, that should do it," she said, putting the napkin in the bag with the rest of their trash before meeting his gaze.

"Thanks, Sue. What would I do without you?" he teased, his brown eyes twinkling. They looked into each other's eyes, and before Jack knew what has happening, she was kissing him.

He was momentarily thrown, wondering why she'd suddenly changed her mind, but the feeling was a fleeting one, as he found it impossible not to respond to her kiss. He pulled her closer to him, which wasn't nearly close enough, considering where they were at the moment. Jack deepened the kiss, seeking entrance to her mouth with his tongue. She gave it to him without hesitation and let out a soft moan as their tongues met. Any doubt, along with all rational thought, left his mind when he heard that moan. Just like the night before, he felt the remnants of his self-control fade away.

Her hands wandered over his chest and shoulders, while Jack was beyond being careful about where his own hands traveled. Sue didn't seem to notice; she was kissing him with equal passion. He was completely lost in the heat of the moment, and a little voice in his head chided him, asking him where all of his willpower had gone.

It wasn't until his fingers began tracing the outline of her breasts that Sue finally broke the kiss, pulling away from him slowly as they both gasped for air. Jack smiled at her hesitantly, suddenly wondering if she was going to smack him, even though she was the one who'd initiated the kiss in the first place.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a shy smile. "I guess I had a weak moment. I can't believe I did that, considering I'm the one who insisted we keep our distance!" Sue's cheeks were flushed, and they were getting redder by the second. She glanced outside the car and seemed relieved to see that there wasn't anyone else in the parking lot.

Jack waited until he had her attention again before he began speaking. "Don't be sorry. You evened out the playing field." Sue looked a little confused by his comment. "It's just good to know that I'm not the only one here who's guilty of impulsiveness," he explained with a grin.

"Well, I can be impulsive," Sue told him, smiling mischievously. Jack raised his eyebrows at her, smiling with pleasure. "I just think we both need to reign in our impulsiveness a little. At least until this case is over," she added.

"I can't wait," he admitted, reaching over to gently touch her face. "As much as I'm enjoying living with you, I'm eager for this case to end so we can find out what comes next." Sue just smiled and then looked away from him. Jack watched her for a moment before finally starting the car and wondered if she had any idea of the power that she held over him right now.

As he watched her, he was startled to see her expression of happiness contort into one of fear. Sue suddenly let out a gasp and somewhere deep in his subconscious, Jack was confused. This wasn't how it had happened. He followed her gaze and discovered to his horror that the car was no longer in the deserted parking lot, but in the middle of rush-hour traffic. The car had veered into oncoming traffic, and there was another car headed straight for them. His mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. He couldn't hear himself, but he could hear Sue, crying out in fright.

Jack woke with a start, feeling an awesome sense of relief that it was indeed just a dream. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and he could still hear Sue's cries echoing in his ears. While it was obvious to him why he'd been dreaming about that moment in the car, he didn't even want to hazard a guess as to why on earth such a sensual dream had turned into a nightmare.

Glancing at the time, Jack realized that Sue would be returning at any moment. The way he was feeling right now, he was glad she wasn't home yet. He wouldn't want to have to try and explain this dream that had shaken him to the core.

Jack wasn't a big believer in the deeper meaning of dreams, but there was no denying that this one had left him with a strong sense of foreboding. All he could do was pray that it wasn't a sign of disaster ahead in their relationship. Heading for the shower, Jack hoped it would help clear his head and take away the coldness that had settled in his limbs.

* * *

After his shower, Jack put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was getting late and since they had to get a very early start in order to make their appointment, Jack wasn't planning on staying up much longer. Luckily he was in a better frame of mind than when he'd woken from his dream. The dream was still very vivid, but he felt a lot calmer. Jack wondered if Sue had arrived home yet and received his answer when he saw her bedroom door standing ajar. As he got closer, he could hear the sound of bags rustling.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her. Her back was to him, and she was going through some shopping bags on her bed. Levi was sitting on the floor beside her and looked up at Jack. "Levi, get Sue," Jack commanded the dog, and Levi jumped up, putting his front paws on the bed.

"What is it, boy?" Sue asked, as she turned to face Jack. "Oh, hi," she said, smiling at him. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," he answered. "I actually just got out of the shower."

"Umm, yes, I know," Sue replied, and Jack noticed that she was blushing a little. "I kind of walked in while you were in there. You hadn't locked the door and since I couldn't hear the water running…" her voice trailed off, and she looked embarrassed.

Jack forced himself not to laugh at the expression on her face. She looks so cute when she's embarrassed, he thought to himself. "Sue, it's okay," he insisted with a grin. "I don't mind if you want to come into the bathroom while I'm showering. Why do you think I didn't lock the door?" he asked cheekily. He got the expected reaction when her eyebrows shot up in shock.

"Jack!" Sue squawked, flushing an even deeper shade of pink.

"I'm kidding," he told her. "I guess I just forgot to lock the door." It was too late, though. Sue grabbed a pillow off the bed and hurled it at him, hitting him squarely on the head. "Hey! What was that for? You're the one who walked in on me, remember?" Jack snatched the pillow off the floor and tossed it in her direction. She ducked, and it sailed over her head.

"Nice shot, Sparky," Sue said sarcastically. The look in his eyes told her that she'd started a war. Jack lunged for the bed, grabbing another pillow, while she reached for the one that had fallen on the floor. They playfully swatted each other for awhile, both of them feeling delightfully childish. Jack noticed that Sue somehow always managed to keep the upper hand, though, and decided to change tactics.

Dropping his pillow, he grabbed her gently by the waist, lightly tickling her sides. He watched her expression as she tried not to burst out laughing.

"Hey, this isn't fair!" she gasped, as she continued to pelt him over the head with the pillow. Finally, the feather-like tickles became too much, and she dropped the pillow on the floor, moving to try and get away from him. Suddenly in a fit of giggles, Sue lost her balance. Jack held onto her waist to keep her from falling, and she gripped his shoulders. Sue's giggles ceased, as she became aware of their closeness.

Neither of them moved for a moment; they just stared into each other's eyes. Jack reached over and gently caressed her cheek. Sue closed her eyes, marveling at her body's reaction to even the simplest touch from this man. All she wanted was to stay like this, in his arms. But she knew that it wasn't possible right now. Almost as though he were reading her mind, Jack removed his hand from her cheek and released her from his grip.

He'd been about to kiss her again but had somehow found the strength to stop himself. He wondered if part of it was his dream. The fact that disaster had struck almost immediately after they'd kissed in his dream was giving him serious doubts as to where they should take things when this was over. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. What if the dream had been a sign that their relationship would only cause her pain? Jack pushed the thought out of his mind. It was complete insanity to believe that was the case. It had to have meant something else. I would never hurt Sue, he thought to himself.


"I'm sorry," he told her. "We seem to keep ending up back here, don't we?"

"It seems that way," Sue replied regretfully. She backed away from him and sat down on the edge of her bed. They watched each other in silence for a moment before Sue spoke again. "Look, since we both know that we need to focus on the case right now, how about we avoid temptation? You sit over there," she said with a grin, pointing to an armchair a safe distance from the bed. Jack complied, smiling back at her. "I want to know more about what you found out when you were out walking Levi. I'm not sure I'm totally clear about what you told me on the phone earlier. Mary and Sam's sons are adopted? Maura is delusional?"

Jack filled her in on everything he remembered from his conversation with Maura and what had happened when Mary had come into the yard. They both agreed that when they were finished with their appointment the next day they would seek out Maura, then try to discreetly find out what she knew about the Ryan family.

"I guess we should probably call it a night," Jack said. "Tomorrow's shaping up to be a busy day."

"You're right, it is," Sue agreed. "So, I guess I'll see you in the morning," she said, getting up from the bed as Jack headed for the door.

Sleep well, Jack signed, then gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

You, too, she signed back and smiled at him softly. "Goodnight." Jack left her bedroom and headed for his own. His thoughts remained with her though, as they always seemed to when he wasn't by her side.

* * *

Jack glanced at Sue as they sat together in the brightly decorated waiting room of the adoption agency. She'd been very quiet all morning and Jack knew that she was apprehensive about their interview. She looks nervous, he thought. As though she really was trying to adopt a child. Jack reached for her hand and she looked at him with worried eyes. "You're going to be great," he assured her. His encouragement was rewarded with a tiny smile.

"I just can't wait to get this over with," Sue admitted softly. Jack nodded in agreement, then directed Sue's gaze to the woman who'd just entered the room. It was Ronna, the woman who'd greeted them when they'd first entered the building. Jack and Sue looked up at her expectantly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, if you'll come with me please," she said with a kind smile. Jack and Sue rose to their feet, still holding hands, and followed Ronna down a hallway and into one of the many rooms inside the agency. Sue couldn't help but notice that the building seemed awfully large for an adoption agency and wondered what they used all the space for. She hoped that she and Jack would get the opportunity to poke around after their interview. The place actually appeared to be pretty deserted, with very few employees on the premises, and Sue could only believe that would work in their favor. It would be much easier to do some exploring when there wasn't an employee around every corner. "Jodie will be with you in a few minutes," the pretty brunette told them.

"Thanks," Jack replied, while Sue nodded silently. Ronna left the room, closing the door behind her. "Ready?" Jack asked Sue, as they took a seat on the sofa.

"As I'll ever be," Sue answered, placing her hands in her lap. Her body was full of nervous energy and she began to fidget. Jack smiled at her and placed a hand on top of hers, easing her tension a little. Sue looked into his eyes and returned the smile just as the door opened. A tall woman who looked to be in her early forties entered the room. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. They stood up to greet her.

"Hi! You must be the Hudsons," she said brightly. "I'm Jodie." She shook hands with both of them before sitting down on the chair across from the sofa. "Can I get either of you a cup of coffee?" she asked them as they sat down again.

"Oh, no thanks," Sue replied.

"I'm fine," Jack told her.

"Okay, then. I guess we'll get right down to business. I understand from Sam and Mary that you've been trying unsuccessfully to have a child," Jodie glanced down at the pad of paper in front of her before continuing, "for almost three years?"

"That's correct," Sue replied. "We wanted to start a family right after our wedding."

"We were together for three years before we were married, so we didn't see a reason to wait any longer," Jack explained, glancing at Sue as he spoke. She wore an expression of sorrow and Jack squeezed her hand again as they both looked to Jodie.

"So, you were unable to conceive?" she asked. Jack and Sue exchanged a glance, and Sue bit her lip before speaking.

"Well, actually we did…" her voice trailed off, and she closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry; it's just really hard to talk about this," she apologized.

"It's okay. Take your time," Jodie told her gently.

"We actually did conceive once, shortly after we were married," Jack continued as they'd planned, while Sue watched with tear-filled eyes. "We lost the baby after five weeks, though. We tried again for over a year before we finally began seeing fertility specialists."

Jodie nodded sympathetically as she listened. "Were they able to diagnose the problem?" she asked.

"Yes and unfortunately there turned out to be more than one problem standing in our way. That first pregnancy was a miracle in itself," Jack said, looking into Sue's eyes for a moment before turning back to Jodie. "Sue has problems ovulating. Her case is severe, and while the doctors said that it may be possible to treat, it turns out there are also problems on my end," Jack said, looking a little embarrassed.

"So, treatment didn't help then?" Jodie asked.

"No," Jack answered, shaking his head. "Nothing has worked, and we've finally come to realize that we may never have children of our own. We decided that adoption would be our best chance to have a family. Other than praying for a miracle that may not happen again." Sue was watching Jack and found herself so caught up in his performance that she forgot to look at Jodie until Jack directed her attention toward the other woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Hudson," Jodie said. "Mary and Sam mentioned you were deaf, but I must admit I'd forgotten."

"It's okay," Sue replied with a shrug. "I follow along as best as I can, but I do appreciate people's patience when I ask them to repeat things for me," she explained with a smile.

"Not a problem," Jodie replied. After expressing sympathy for their troubles, she proceeded to explain what they needed to qualify as adoptive parents. The deeper into the interview they got, the more Jack was sure that their cover had convinced Jodie as well.

* * *

Chapter 17: Deception

Just over an hour later, the three of them emerged from the office and Jodie turned to the couple beside her.

"Well, after speaking with the two of you, I can definitely say that I feel confident recommending you as adoptive parents." Sue grasped Jack's arm, her eyes lighting up. "Now, I still have to speak with my colleagues and go over your case with them, but I don't think you have a thing to worry about," Jodie said to the now-beaming pair.

"Thank-you so much for seeing us, Jodie," Jack told her. "When do you think you'll have news for us?"

"I'll speak with my colleagues later today and we'll make our decision in the next day or two. You'll know as soon as I do," Jodie promised.

"We appreciate that," Sue said gratefully.

"Well, you appear to have a very stable marriage and are obviously very much in love," Jodie observed. "I have no doubt that you have a lot of love to give to a child as well." Sue gazed into Jack's dark eyes, at a loss for words. Out of all the undercover situations that she'd been involved in, she'd never been in one that wreaked havoc with her emotions like this one was. Her mind had suddenly gone blank and she was thankful that she wasn't in this alone.

"That's all we really want. Sue and I are very happy already but we know that a child to love would make our lives more complete," Jack replied, smiling softly at the look in Sue's eyes. He could tell she was deeply moved by this whole situation but was trying desperately not to show her true emotions in front of Jodie. When they had first gone undercover, they had both been concerned that they wouldn't be able to pull it off. Now Jack was thinking that it was going a little too well. Obviously Sue was also having trouble keeping her heart out of the situation. Jodie cleared her throat and Jack nodded in her direction so that Sue would know she was about to speak.

"I want you both to know that I'll do everything I can to make that happen for you. I really need to get to another appointment right now, but I'll be in touch," Jodie told them. "Let me show you out."

"Actually, would you mind telling me where to find the ladies' room?" Sue asked. Jodie nodded.

"Certainly. Just go down that hallway," Jodie told her, pointing. "Go around the corner and it's the third door on the left."

Thank you, Sue signed.

"Is that the sign for thank you?" Jodie asked her. Sue nodded. "How do you sign, 'you're welcome'?" Smiling, Sue formed her right hand into a flat five, holding it in front of the middle of her chest. She then arced it slightly downward and drew it to the top of her stomach. Jodie mimicked the sign, doing it a couple of times before Sue nodded that she had it right. "It was really great to meet the two of you; you'll be hearing from me soon," Jodie assured them with a smile. She went back into her office, closing the door, and Sue turned to Jack.

"I'm just going to go and find the bathroom; I'll be right back."

"I'll be here," Jack told her, squeezing her hand. Sue smiled nervously at him and started down the hallway Jodie had pointed out.

* * *

Wandering through the halls of the agency, Sue studied the various works of art that hung on the walls. Lucy would like some of these, she thought to herself. Most of them were quite abstract, not Sue's taste at all. She was trying to appear casual in case someone who worked there spotted her, but so far she hadn't seen a single soul. If anyone approached her and asked her what she was doing, she would claim to be lost. At this point, she had turned so many corners since she had passed by the ladies' room that she truly felt lost. She'd been paying attention to the room numbers, though, and was confident she'd be able to find her way back without difficulty.

Sue yearned to be done with this case and back in her comfort zone. It wasn't just the fact that she and Jack had to pretend to be a married couple deeply in love, while at the same time keeping their real feelings at bay. She was tired of hiding her feelings for him; it was becoming more and more difficult, living in such close quarters. There was also this case, which was breaking her heart. Her emotions had been on a roller-coaster ride, and Sue had to admit that it was leaving her feeling drained. All she felt like doing right now was going home, curling up in her bed and taking a nice long nap. Sue's mind began to wander even further from her task and she forced herself to concentrate.

It felt like she'd been walking for miles, and Sue began to lose some of the hope she'd felt when she'd first left Jack. Aside from the pictures on the walls, every hallway was exactly the same as the one before it. Other than being numbered, the doors she had passed were all nondescript and she had no way of discerning which ones were offices and which ones might be file-rooms. She felt frustrated and decided that she might as well try to find her way back. Just as she was about to head in the opposite direction, she saw a door at the end of the hallway with a small windowpane on the top of it. Sue walked over to it and stood on her tiptoes, peering through the window. She could see a stairwell leading down and reached for the doorknob, feeling her heart skip a beat as the door opened easily. Finally, she was making some progress!

Sue looked behind her to make sure that no one was coming, and stepped through the open door. She carefully pulled the heavy door closed behind her, hoping that any noise she was making wasn't enough to attract attention. Her heart thudded in her chest as she made her way down the stairwell. When Sue reached the bottom, she only hesitated for a moment before slowly opening the door in front of her, revealing a long hallway. At the end of it was another door with a big sign that read EMPLOYEES ONLY. Sue strongly suspected that going through that doorway would reveal some of the answers they were looking for. There was also a strong possibility that she would be discovered the moment she did. Taking a deep breath, Sue reached for the door handle and stepped into the other room. She looked around in surprise at the sight in front of her, but before she could do anything more, a strong pair of arms gripped her by the shoulders.

Sue spun around and found herself face to face with a short bearded man wearing a white doctor's coat. He appeared none too pleased to find her there, and while he wasn't very large, his grip on her shoulders had been strong. "I said, what are you doing in here?" he asked her. Sue was glad that his beard wasn't heavy. If she hadn't been able to read his lips then she would have really been in trouble.

"I'm sorry, but if you were speaking to me before, I didn't hear you. I'm deaf," Sue told him, hoping her voice didn't sound shaky. He had beady little eyes that seemed to bore into her very soul, and his anger at finding her there was very apparent.

"Then how do you know what I'm saying?" he demanded, looking at her suspiciously.

"I read lips," Sue explained quietly.

"Why are you in here?" he asked again. Taking her by the arm, he escorted her back into the hallway and up the stairs. Sue noticed he handled her gently and didn't appear to be angry anymore. The apprehension and fear she'd been feeling were slowly replaced by curiosity.

"My husband and I were here for an interview today," Sue explained. "I needed to use the ladies' room. I guess I got a little lost," she admitted sheepishly.

"That's an understatement. Why did you come downstairs?" the man wanted to know.

"I thought maybe it would lead outside. That would be easier than finding my way back through the maze of hallways. I never expected an adoption agency would be so large," Sue commented.

"Well, there's a lot that goes on with the process of adoption, and we handle a large number of them. I'm Dr. Marsh by the way, but you can call me John." He stopped and extended his hand to her.

Sue reached out to shake his hand. "I'm Sue Hudson," she replied. "I must admit, I'm kind of surprised that they have a doctor on the premises. I felt like I'd stepped into a hospital back there."

"Well, some of the children who are adopted come from foster homes; others are abandoned. We need to check them over and make sure they're healthy before they're eligible for adoption through this agency," John told her.

"That's good to know," Sue said with a smile as they stepped out of the stairwell and re-entered the main floor of the agency. "My husband and I are hoping to become adoptive parents soon and we certainly want our baby to be healthy."

"Of course," John agreed. "And you have nothing to worry about, Sue. Every baby that is adopted through this agency is checked over by me personally," he assured her, flashing her a smile. There was something very phony about this man, right down to his cheesy grin. He seemed harmless enough, but there was something in his eyes that made her feel he was less than genuine in his concern for the children. She was sure he was hiding something and wished she knew what it was. He made her feel very uneasy and was now eyeing her in a way that made her skin crawl. When he spoke to her, his eyes rarely rested on her face.

"I'm glad to know that," she replied. "I'm sure I can find my way back from here. I know my husband must be wondering where I am."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Definitely. Thanks for helping me, though. And I'm sorry to have disturbed you." All Sue wanted right now was to get as far away from this man as possible.

"No, no. You didn't disturb me at all. You turned out to be a welcome distraction, Sue," John assured her, smiling again. "Good luck with your adoption. Hopefully I'll see you again very soon." Sue nodded at him and quickly walked away, feeling his eyes on her as she did.

When Sue rounded the corner she was surprised to see Jack waiting right where she'd left him with Ronna standing beside him. "There you are! I was starting to get worried," he said, coming over and putting his arm around her. "I looked around for you myself but I couldn't find you anywhere."

"I got a little lost," Sue admitted, looking embarrassed. "There are a lot of corridors in this place!" she said with a laugh. She basked in the feeling of Jack's arm around her waist. His comfortable presence made her feel safe and helped her get her mind off the creepy way Dr. Marsh had been looking at her.

"Well you're right about that," Ronna agreed. "We were about ready to send out a search party for you," she joked. Sue smiled, wondering if Ronna was involved in the kidnapping scheme or if she was innocent in all of this. Unlike the good doctor, Ronna seemed very sincere. Then again, so many seemingly good people were involved in this mess. Nothing would surprise Sue at this point.

"Luckily that wasn't necessary," Sue said with a smile. "Are you ready to go?" she asked Jack.

"I'd say we've been here long enough, wouldn't you, sweetie?" Jack replied, grinning at her.

"Sure, rub it in!" Sue playfully swatted him in the chest and then turned to Ronna. "He thinks he's a comedian," she said with an affectionate smile at Jack. After saying goodbye to Ronna, Jack and Sue left the agency. They waited until they'd gotten into the car before they turned to each other, both eager to know what the other had found out.

* * *

"A quick search revealed the fact that Dr. John Marsh does not exist," Tara announced to the team, minus D, gathered in the bullpen. "However, on a hunch, Sue and I went through pictures of all of the doctors who work at the same hospital as Mary Ryan," she said, sharing a smile with Sue. "And Sue has identified the man she saw as one Dr. John Lee."

"What kind of incriminating information have you been able to uncover on Dr. Lee?" Myles asked. "Please tell me this is a break."

"We can't say that yet, I'm afraid," Tara replied. "Right now we've got no proof that he's involved in any way with illegal adoptions, let alone the kidnappings themselves."

"The fact that he's using an alias pretty much tells us he's guilty of something," Sue commented. "Plus, he just gave me the creeps," she added with a shiver, remembering the way the doctor had looked at her in the hall.

"If only that would hold up in court," Myles retorted wryly, leaning back in his chair with his hands laced together behind his head. "It's just too bad neither of you found any incriminating paperwork. Any documentation at all would have been helpful," he repeated, resting his eyes on Jack. "At least Sue ran into the doctor, which is something."

Thank you, M-Y-L-E-S, Sue signed with a smile. Myles smiled back at her, giving her a small nod.

"Well, I'm sorry to have disappointed you, Myles," Jack said sarcastically. "I had every intention of looking around but I hadn't made it very far before Ronna tracked me down. There wasn't much I could do at that point," Jack protested.

"Yes, apparently Ronna has her eye on my husband. She'll be thrilled to know our marriage is a fraud," Sue said, winking at Jack who shook his head at her. "If she doesn't end up in jail when this is all over maybe you two could go out sometime." She laughed at Jack's exasperated expression.

Bobby waved to get Sue's attention. "Tsk, tsk Sparky!" he chided his good friend. "The least you could do is wait until this marriage is over before you start looking for other women." Sue continued to laugh, looking over at Jack again, who simply rolled his eyes.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Jack told him. "Now, Sue, you and I should get going. We've got to speak with Maura before Mary and Sam get home from work. Hopefully she'll be able to give us more information on the adoptions of Kyle and Kevin. If we can get proof that those boys were kidnapped, it'll be enough for a warrant for Sam and Mary's arrest." Sue nodded her agreement.

"That would be great. I'm sure our application for adoption will be approved, but if we could just get a confession from Mary it would be a lot faster," she reasoned.

"So, should we be shopping for pink or blue?" Bobby asked them teasingly.

"Pink or blue?" Sue asked him in confusion. She glanced at Jack for clarification; seeing the amused expression on his face, she realized what Bobby was trying to say. She looked at him in amused disbelief but decided to play along. "If you really feel the need to shop for baby things, why not stick with white, or green? That way it's gender-neutral," she retorted cheekily. Bobby roared with laughter.

"We'll be sure to keep you posted," Jack said with a mischievous grin.

"Thanks Sparky. Uncle Crash is eager to start spoiling your little rugrat," Bobby replied, seeming to enjoy the game he was playing. Sue laughed, looking at Jack with wide eyes.

"It's okay, honey. We won't be leaving our little rugrat with Uncle Crash anytime soon," Jack reassured her.

"I think everyone's losing their grip on reality," Myles interjected. "Let's not forget that we're trying to find kidnapped babies here."

"Lighten up, Myles," Lucy told him, her voice surprisingly gentle. "Bobby was just having some fun."

"Myles is right, though. We have to get to the bottom of this before the kidnappers strike again," Sue said. No one could disagree with that. "You ready to go?" she asked Jack. He nodded and the two of them bid the rest of the group farewell before leaving the bullpen together.

* * *

Chapter 18: Dangerous Territory

They'd been standing on Maura's porch for a few minutes, and there had been no response to the ringing of her doorbell. Jack looked at Sue, disappointment evident on his face. "I guess she's not home," Sue said with a shrug. "Should we leave a note on her door?" Jack shook his head.

"Maybe she just went for a walk. Her car's in the driveway so she can't be too far away," he reasoned.

"Well, we've got a very nice porch swing that we haven't put to use yet," Sue pointed out. "Maybe we should sit there and wait for her to come home."

"That's a good idea," Jack agreed a grin. "I can certainly think of more unpleasant ways to spend an afternoon." Sue smiled back at him and they left Maura's porch, heading for their own.

"Wait here, I'm going to go get us some iced tea," Sue told him. Jack nodded, settling down on the porch swing. Jack promised himself he'd remember this whenever he thought that his job was too difficult. Going undercover with Sue had to be one of the most pleasant assignments he'd ever had. His thoughts inevitably drifted to their lives beyond the case and he wondered if they could really have a future together or if it was just wishful thinking on his part.

Sue returned with their iced tea, handing him one and sitting down beside him. She let out a small sigh as she leaned back against the swing and Jack looked at her. You OK? he signed. She nodded, but Jack wasn't convinced. "What is it?" he asked her, leaning forward to eye her with concern.

"I'm just getting tired, Jack," she reassured him. "It's hard enough concentrating on lip-reading all day, and then add that to the fact that I'm spending half of my time pretending to be someone else. It's just getting to me," Sue admitted, but then quickly added, "I'm okay though," when she saw the concern remain on Jack's face.

"This case is really taking its toll, isn't it?" he asked sympathetically.

Sue nodded before taking a sip of her iced tea. "It's emotionally exhausting. I feel like my heart is breaking, thinking about the families who have lost their children, and thinking about couples who find themselves in the situation that we're only just pretending to be in."

"It definitely is heartbreaking," Jack agreed quietly, sitting back in the porch swing as he continued to watch Sue.

"I find myself wondering what I would do, if I were really in this situation," Sue said thoughtfully.

"I'm sure you'd do everything you could to have a child. If you didn't succeed then you'd probably look into adoption," Jack said, with the confidence of a friend who knew her well.

"Adoption isn't for everyone, Jack," Sue said pensively. "Just because I would want to adopt doesn't necessarily mean that my husband would be supportive of the idea. I actually have a friend who battled with infertility for years before she and her husband finally gave up. Unfortunately, he didn't want to adopt. The topic wasn't even up for discussion with him."

"That's very sad," Jack commented, shaking his head.

"It is sad," Sue agreed. "But everyone has their own feelings about adoption. He didn't want to raise someone else's child, whereas she just wanted a child to love."

"Are they still together?" Jack questioned.

"They are," Sue confirmed. "They love each other very much; they've just accepted the fact that they'll never have children."

"I know that I would be open to the idea of adoption. Just because a child isn't biologically mine doesn't mean I'm not the father," Jack stated simply.

"It's great that you feel that way," Sue said, smiling at him. "I agree with you, but not everyone does." They sat in silence for a few minutes, both looking out over the immaculately groomed front yard that they would call their own for only a short while longer.

"You want kids?" Jack asked suddenly, gently touching her arm. Sue looked at him thoughtfully.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "Maybe someday, but most of the time I don't really think about it. This case has definitely made me imagine the possibilities more than I ever have, though. The idea of having a baby with someone I love is a very nice one." Sue's eyes met his and she blushed, looking down at her hands. "What about you?" Jack placed a hand on top of hers, and she looked at him again.

"Sure, someday I definitely want to be a husband and father. I don't want to be a bachelor forever," Jack told her, looking meaningfully into her eyes. Sue had the distinct feeling that they might be treading into dangerous territory and desperately searched her mind for something else they could talk about.

Jack reached over to gently caress her cheek, and Sue felt the now-familiar jolt of excitement in her belly in reaction to his touch. Any apprehension she had seemed to drift away when his fingers touched her cheek. He leaned in closer, and she bridged the short distance between them, softly brushing her lips against his. He saw a longing in her dark eyes when she pulled away from him, and he softly traced the outline of her jaw before pressing his lips against hers again, kissing her slowly and deeply. All of the tension they'd been holding in for the past few days was released as they kissed.

She shifted in his arms, and Jack heard the shattering of glass. Sue broke the kiss and looked down in embarrassment at the remains of her iced tea glass shattered on the floor of the porch. They both got off the swing, gingerly stepping over the broken glass.

"I'll go grab some towels, okay? And something to put the broken glass in," Jack told her gently. Sue nodded, irritated that she'd been so clumsy. Somehow while she'd been kissing him she must have forgotten about the iced tea she'd been holding in her lap. Sue knelt down on the floor and began carefully picking up the pieces of glass. I'm lucky I didn't get it all over me, she thought to herself. Suddenly she felt gentle vibrations shake the floor of the porch and was surprised that Jack had returned so quickly. She glanced up, her eyes meeting those of an unexpected visitor.

* * *

When Jack returned to the porch only minutes later, Sue was nowhere to be found. His heart stopped as his eyes rested on a few small droplets of blood on the floor of the porch. Panic set in as Jack dropped the container and towel he'd been carrying to reach for his cell phone.

* * *

Before he could start dialing, Jack heard the familiar sound of Sue's gentle laughter coming from nearby. Taking a deep breath he hastily turned off his phone and left the porch, following that wonderful sound.

"I'm sorry I startled you like that, Sue. I wasn't trying to sneak up on you," Jack heard Mary Ryan say. He breathed a sigh of relief when the two women came into view, standing next to Mary's car. Sue looked up at him sheepishly as he approached and he could see that she was holding a wad of tissues wrapped tightly around her right thumb.

"There you are," Jack said in relief. "I wondered where you'd wandered off to." He put his arm around her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before gently taking her hand in his to take a closer look at her injury. "You cut yourself?" he asked her with concern, and Sue nodded.

"I kind of surprised her while she was picking up the broken glass and she cut herself," Mary told him. "We came over here because I knew that I had some tissues in my car we could use to stop the bleeding."

"I'm not having the best afternoon, am I?" Sue said lightly, smiling at Jack. She had seen the look in his eyes when he'd first caught sight of her, and she felt bad for worrying him. "I guess I should stick to plastic cups from now on," she said with a laugh.

"That might be a good idea," Jack told her, still holding her hand gingerly. "So did you tell Mary about our meeting with Jodie?"

"No, she didn't!" Mary exclaimed. "And that was my reason for coming over in the first place. How did it go?" she asked enthusiastically.

"I think it went well," Sue answered, sharing a glance with Jack. "Jodie was very positive and said she'd let us know in a day or so."

"That's great. I'll be praying for you both," Mary told them.

"Thanks," Jack replied. "That means a lot."

"It really does," Sue agreed, staring intently into Jack's eyes for a moment before turning her gaze to the other woman. "Oh, by the way, I was wondering if you've seen Maura today?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Mary answered, shaking her head. "Why do you ask?"

"We rang her doorbell earlier to try and reach her, but there was no answer. Her car is still in the driveway though," Sue said worriedly.

"I wouldn't be concerned," Mary told them. "Her granddaughter often comes by and takes her out for the day. I'll check in with her later just to be sure, but I'll bet that's where she is," she said confidently. "Can I pass on a message for you?"

"No, thanks. We were just going to invite her over for dinner, but we can do it another time," Jack answered, looking at Sue's thumb again. "Sweetie we should go and wash this cut so it doesn't get infected."

"You're right," Sue told him, grimacing at the amount of blood that had seeped through the tissues. She turned to Mary as she gratefully said, "Thanks for the tissues."

"You're quite welcome, my dear," Mary replied, taking a peek at Sue's thumb. "I don't think it's serious enough to warrant stitches, but if it continues to bleed I'd have it checked out. Better to be safe than sorry." Jack and Sue both nodded at her advice. "See you both soon, I'm sure," Mary replied, before heading into her house.

* * *

"Jack, are you all right?" Sue asked him. "You look a little pale," she observed, as he gently tended to her cut. She'd told him she could do it, but he'd insisted, making her sit down on one of the kitchen chairs after they'd washed the cut in the sink.

"You scared me, Sue. I came back onto the porch and you were gone. Then I saw the blood…" Jack's voice trailed off and Sue reached up for a moment to touch the side of his face.

"I didn't think there was that much blood," Sue said gently, smiling up at him. She was touched by his concern.

"I guess after your run-in with that creep this morning, I'm a bit on edge. All I knew is that you were gone and there was blood. I jumped to the wrong conclusions," Jack said, doing his best to keep his expression neutral. He didn't want her to know how much the whole thing had really scared him.

"Well, don't worry about me. I'm okay," Sue assured him. Jack put some ointment on her cut and gently applied a small bandage.

"There, you're as good as new," he told her, patting her hand gently. Sue wanted desperately to pull him to her, to pick up where they'd left off when she'd broken her glass, but she held back. She watched silently as Jack went into the cupboard, grabbed a plastic cup and proceeded to fill it with iced tea from the pitcher in the fridge. He handed it to Sue with a sly grin. "I'm going to go and clean up the broken glass. Just be careful while I'm gone; don't get into any more trouble." Sue gave him a dirty look, but it quickly turned into a smile as his twinkling eyes met hers. "I'll be right back," he assured her.

As Jack left the kitchen, Levi padded by him, coming over to Sue for some attention. Sue stroked his furry head, wishing that he had been with her that morning at the agency. Levi had been given the morning off since his presence would have made it a lot more difficult to be inconspicuous. Sue thought back to her run-in with the creepy doctor and suddenly had an idea. Telling Levi to stay, she walked out onto the porch where Jack was just picking up the last of the broken glass. He looked up with a smile as she walked over to him.

"Hey, I was just thinking about Dr. Lee from the agency and I realized something," Sue told him excitedly.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"At the time I was a little afraid and probably wasn't seeing things clearly. Thinking back now, I realize that his anger at finding me there practically vanished when he realized I was deaf," Sue explained, thoughtfully.

"So what are you thinking?" Jack asked curiously.

"The hallway I entered looked like part of a hospital. It's like I was in another building altogether. Dr. Lee said that it's where he examines the babies before they're adopted, but what if the babies who are kidnapped are actually taken right to the agency? Maybe that's where they hide them." Jack sat down on the porch swing, contemplating what Sue was telling him. She sat down beside him, watching him for a reaction.

"It's an interesting theory," Jack mused. "It could explain his odd behavior. He figured you had heard crying babies and were onto him, but when he found out you were deaf, he realized there was no reason to worry."

"Exactly!" Sue exclaimed. "I think we should go back. There must be an outside entrance and if there is, we'll find it. If there are babies there, you'll be able to hear them crying."

"I don't know," Jack said doubtfully, shaking his head. "It's pretty risky, Sue. Anyone who sees us there is going to recognize us and our cover would be blown." Sue sighed and bit her lip, deep in thought.

"I guess you're right. But there's got to be some way to find out what they're hiding in there," Sue said.

* * *

Jack looked at Sue, her head resting on his shoulder as she slept, and smiled softly. Well aware that Mary might be watching them, they had taken a walk around the block with Levi before ringing Maura's doorbell once again. The last thing they wanted was to arouse suspicion by appearing overly eager to speak with the elderly woman. When there was again no response, they'd taped a note to her door, asking her to give them a call so they could invite her for dinner sometime soon.

Once they got home, they'd sat side-by-side on the couch and made a phone call to the office. They'd had a small conference call with the rest of the team to discuss what their next move should be. Everyone had agreed that Jack and Sue showing up at the agency unannounced wouldn't work, and also ruled out anyone else from the team going in to investigate, since they wouldn't let just anyone through the door. They would have to wait for Jack and Sue's next appointment with Jodie before going back to the agency--assuming they got another appointment. In the meantime, they would go forward with Tara's undercover assignment as an expectant mother. A house would be set up and she would begin a communication with Mary Ryan the very next day. They had surveillance on all of the suspects in the case but so far there had been no suspicious behavior. If the Ryans or Jodie were indeed involved, they were hiding it well.

When it was all settled and they'd ended the call, Sue suggested they just relax for awhile and watch a movie. About ten minutes into it, however, her head had slipped down, coming to rest gently on his shoulder. Jack looked down at her, thinking that he'd never seen anything more beautiful than the way Sue looked right at that moment. She looked so peaceful and serene; strong feelings of admiration, protectiveness and love overwhelmed Jack. He reached over to brush a lock of hair off her face and let his hand remain there for a moment, feeling the softness of her skin. Across the room, the cordless phone began to ring. Jack gently eased Sue down so that she was lying on the couch and went to get the phone.

Sue opened her eyes slowly and saw Jack standing with his back to her, talking on the phone. Fighting the urge to close her eyes again, Sue sat up on the couch, stifling a yawn. Jack put the phone down and turned around, smiling when he saw she was awake. "Hey, sorry if I woke you," he said, coming to sit down next to her again. "I hated to disturb you, but I had to answer it," he said with a smile.

"No, it's okay. Who was it?" Sue asked sleepily.

"It was none other than Mary Ryan, inviting us over for a nightcap this evening," Jack replied.

Sue gave him a confused look. "Really? I wonder why she would do that?" she asked.

"She says they're eager to hear more details about our interview and that they'd love to have us over for a visit," Jack told her with a shrug.

"Well, I guess we can't pass up another opportunity to dig for information," Sue pointed out.

"No, not really," Jack agreed. "Oh, and she also told me that she's spoken to Maura and that she's at her granddaughter's house for a couple of days. She told me so that we wouldn't worry about her."

"Well, it's good to know she's okay," Sue said thoughtfully, wondering if that was really the truth.

"I told Mary we'd be over in a couple of hours. That gives us enough time to have some dinner. What do you feel like tonight?" Jack asked her. Sue let out a soft yet audible sigh.

"I'm honestly not hungry right now," she told Jack. "I think I'm just going to go lie down for awhile."

Jack placed a hand on her back: the soft movements of his fingers giving her gentle comfort. "Everything okay?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine, really. I think I just need a little nap," Sue replied evenly. Jack looked at her doubtfully. "Why don't you come and wake me about half an hour before we've got to leave?" she suggested. "Maybe I'll be hungry by then."

No problem, Jack signed. Have a good rest. Sue smiled at him and got off the couch, heading for her bedroom. Jack got the distinct feeling that something was bothering her. It wasn't like Sue to have an afternoon nap, yet she acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. Telling himself not to make a mountain out of a molehill, Jack headed for the kitchen to figure out what to make for dinner.

* * *

Chapter 19: A House of Cards

"Sorry about dinner. I guess some of us aren't blessed with culinary talent," Jack joked, as they walked over to Sam and Mary's.

"No, Jack, it was good," Sue insisted. "I just wasn't very hungry. I've got a bit of a stomachache, probably from nerves. I just have to try and relax and not let this case get to me."

"I understand," Jack said sympathetically as they stepped onto the Ryan's porch. "Are you sure you want to do this? We could always call them and tell them you're not feeling well."

"No," Sue replied firmly. "We have to do this. I'll be fine."

"Okay," Jack agreed, eyeing her with concern before reaching for the doorbell. "Here goes nothing."

* * *


The four of them sat down in Sam and Mary's living room as Jack and Sue filled the other couple in on their interview with Jodie. Jack could tell that Sue was fighting hard to relax and hoped that it was only noticeable to him because he knew her so well. From their demeanor, it didn't appear that Sam or Mary had noticed anything unusual. They seemed genuinely interested in how the interview had gone, but Jack had to admit he was beginning to find some of their questions oddly intrusive. He was trying to think of a way to change the subject without seeming too obvious when he felt the vibration of his cell phone on his hip.

Reaching for it, he saw Dimitrius' number on the display and knew he had to answer it. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I have to get this. Do you mind if I take it in the other room?"

"Not at all," Mary replied. Sue gave him a curious look and he grinned at her.

"Work," he said, shrugging his shoulders; Sue nodded at him in understanding. Jack walked out of the room quickly and made sure he was a safe distance away before answering.

"Jack, it's D. We've got some news." Jack frowned at the tension in his friend's simple greeting.

"What's up?" Jack asked him, beginning to feel uneasy.

"SOG has been on Dr. Lee and they just let us know that he's in the car and appears to be heading to your neighborhood. His home is in the opposite direction. They're going to stay on him, but we wanted to warn you that he's only minutes away." D replied tersely.

"Sue and I are at the Ryan's right now," Jack told him, as his uneasiness grew.

"We'll send backup Jack, but you should get out of there. If that doctor recognizes Sue…" D's voice trailed off, but his concern was apparent. Jack shared it, and knew that he needed to get Sue and himself back to the safety of their house---and quickly.

"Got it. We'll be in touch once we're back home." As Jack hung up the phone, he heard a sound from the living room that made his blood run cold.

There was no doubt in his mind that the cry of panic he'd heard had come from Sue. Jack raced back to the living room, silently praying that she wasn't in any danger. Please let it be nothing, he prayed.

But it wasn't. Sam had a firm grip on Sue with one hand and a gun pressed to her head with the other. Fear shone in Sue's eyes and Jack wished for a moment that he could take her place. Mary turned to him with eyes as cold as ice. "You almost had us fooled," she hissed at him, the pretense of being a kind, caring neighbor long gone.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Jack asked desperately.

"You can stop pretending you don't know what I mean. We have the upper hand here," Mary said, gesturing to Sam and Sue. "One wrong move from you and your wife's brains will be all over the carpet," she said cruelly, then turned to Sam. "Honey, we'll have to tell the cleaning lady not to come by tomorrow. She might get suspicious of the mess." Sam chuckled, moving the gun against Sue's head. Sue gasped, and Jack could tell she was holding back tears. He was glad that Sue hadn't been able to see Mary's previous statement; she was terrified enough as it was. Jack looked at her helplessly, unsure of what his next move should be. He hadn't even thought to bring his gun because they had been under the mistaken impression that their cover was secure. Looking at the metal barrel pressed against Sue's head, Jack doubted that his weapon would have done any good now.

"Look, I don't know what's going on," Jack said, trying to stay calm. "Please let my wife go; there's been some kind of mistake."

"Just be quiet," Sam barked. "There's too much at stake to let you mess this up for us. We've worked too hard." Sue couldn't see what Sam was saying, as he was standing behind her. She could feel his rage though and remained as still as possible, not wanting to do anything that might set him off. Her eyes continued to hold Jack's and she prayed that they would make it through this.

Jack wracked his brain, trying to figure out how things had gone so horribly wrong. "Your story was very convincing," Mary told him, as though she were reading his mind. "I wouldn't have suspected a thing, except for something that happened the other night when we had you over for dinner." Jack shook his head, at a complete loss. "That little phone call you received…from a client was it?" she chuckled, and Sue held back a shiver as she watched Mary. "I must have forgotten to mention in any of our little chats that while I don't know many practical signs in ASL, I do know how to fingerspell," Mary told him, a smile of satisfaction on her face. Jack looked into Sue's eyes, seeing a realization dawn in them that mirrored his own feelings. "Since I don't know many men named Tara, it certainly made me wonder what you were hiding."

A soft knock on the door put a stop to Mary's monologue. She motioned for Jack to follow her to the door, while Sam and Sue followed behind. Sam kept Sue and Jack out of sight, while Mary peered through the peephole. She unlocked the door and opened it to allow their visitor to enter. Sue gasped as Dr Marsh, a.k.a. Dr. Lee, stepped through the door.

"John, so glad you could join our little party," Sam said. "You're just in time."

"Ah, Mrs. Hudson, how nice to see you again," John said softly. Sue kept quiet and turned her nose up at the doctor, meeting Jack's gaze once again. He saw quiet strength in her gaze and felt the anger at their situation welling up inside him. He felt absolutely responsible for this mess, considering he was the one who'd slipped up. He was the experienced one, the one who should know better. Now he'd made a mistake that could get them both killed. Jack could only hope that back up would arrive in time to save them.

* * *

"Jodie's been caught red-handed trying to kidnap another infant." Myles heard Tara's voice in his ear and smiled to himself.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Finally, things are going our way!"

"They've taken her into custody and we've got people on their way to the agency right now. If there are any babies there, we will certainly find them," Tara said.

"Has she confessed to the other kidnappings?" Myles asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Tara replied. "She insists that she won't say anything without a lawyer. There's no way for her to get out of this, though. She was caught with the baby in her arms. The doll and the note had been left in the crib. I just wish she would tell us who else is involved. Have you reached the Ryan's yet?"

"I'm en route, probably five minutes away. I hope Jack checks in soon, though. The doctor should have arrived by now," Myles said worriedly.

"He has and he just went inside the house, but there's still no word. He and Sue are still inside and we haven't been able to make contact with them." Worry was evident in Tara's voice as well.

"D and Bobby should be arriving there any second and I'm certain Jack has the situation well under control," Myles told her, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

* * *

Sam pressed the gun into Sue's back, roughly forcing her back into the living room. Jack helplessly followed with John and Mary closely behind him. His mind raced, knowing that SOG was now outside the house.

"I'm told you were sneaking around in places where you had no business being today," Mary said, eyeing Sue accusingly. Sue stared right back at Mary, still in shock over the woman's complete transformation. "You'll pay for that later," she promised, smiling at the doctor.

"I'm looking forward to it," John replied. Jack gritted his teeth, using every ounce of willpower he had not to wipe the leer off the shorter man's face. The gun that Sam had pushed into Sue's side left him no choice.

"You know, I'm still a little blown away with the performance the two of you have been putting on," Mary said, sounding impressed. "If I hadn't done my research, I might still believe that you're struggling with infertility. With the sources I have, it wasn't hard to discover the fact that there is no record of either of you receiving any sort of fertility treatments; not here in D.C. or in any other state for that matter. It was a good try, though," Mary said with a smirk.

"Sweetheart, I know you're enjoying this but maybe we should just get this over with," Sam suggested. Jack and Sue eyed each other, and he signed I'm sorry, to her. Sue shook her head at him, tears of sadness and anger stinging her eyes. She wanted to tell him not to blame himself, to tell him that she loved him, but the gun pressed painfully against the side of her abdomen forced her to keep silent and still.

"Don't be hasty, Sam," John said calmly. "There's plenty of time for that later. Why don't we give them some time to say goodbye first," he suggested sarcastically, "then we can take care of business." Sue looked at Jack in shocked disbelief at the doctor's words.

"We'll put them in the basement," Mary announced. Sam nodded and motioned John over to him, handing him the gun. Jack stiffened as Sam approached him and began searching him for a weapon. He took Jack's cell phone, which was now vibrating continuously, and threw it across the room. "You certainly won't be needing that," Mary informed him coldly. When Sam was finished, he took the gun from John and looked at him with a grin.

"Shall I let you do the honors?" he asked the doctor. Sue stood frozen in horror as the doctor's hands began to wander slowly over her body. He took Sue's blackberry out of her pocket and handed it to Sam before returning to his task. Sue forced herself to keep still as John's hands traveled to where his eyes had frequently rested during their first meeting. Seeing the look in Sue's eyes as the doctor's hands violated her, Jack snapped. He dove forward, lunging at the other man, but Sam intercepted him and used the gun to deliver a sharp blow to the back of Jack's head. He was aware of Sue calling out his name as he fell and then…darkness.

* * *


"What's our status?" Myles asked as he walked over to Bobby and D.

"Well, we have no way of knowing what's going on in there," Bobby answered in frustration. "We haven't heard from Jack or Sue, but we know they're still in there, since SOG never saw them leave." The Aussie ran his fingers through his hair, worry for his friends' safety written all over his face. They were stationed just down the street from the Ryan's to avoid being spotted.

"Do we know if Jack is armed?" Myles asked.

D shook his head. "We've got people going through his things right now so we should know pretty quickly," he answered. The three of them looked over at the street as a beige station wagon in terrible need of a tune-up rumbled past them and parked near the Ryan's. Myles held a pair of binoculars up to his eyes to get a better look. A young woman got out of the car, and he took a sharp intake of breath.

"What is it?" Bobby asked him.

"I recognize that woman. It's Marina Murphy, Annie's mother," Myles replied.

"Maybe she's involved in this somehow," Bobby suggested.

Myles shook his head. In the two brief meetings he'd had with the woman, he'd witnessed her pain over her missing child and felt certain it hadn't been an act. "I highly doubt it," Myles said firmly, believing that Marina's anguish was truly genuine.

"Well then, what is she doing here?" Bobby asked. As they watched, Marina walked right by the Ryan's house and entered the neighboring yard. Walking up to the door, she rang the doorbell and stood there for a few moments before walking over to the front window and peering through.

"That's Maura's house, isn't it?" Myles asked D, who nodded. "I'm going to go and talk to her." Myles was overwhelmed by curiosity as he approached Marina. She was almost back at her car before she looked up and saw him walking toward her. She gasped in surprise, putting a hand over her heart.

"Agent Leland, you scared me! What are you doing here?" Marina asked.

"Sorry about that," Myles replied gently. "I'm here on FBI business. What brings you to this neighborhood?"

"My grandmother lives here. I haven't been able to reach her by phone all afternoon, so I decided to come and check on her," Marina answered worriedly. Myles' eyebrows shot up in surprise. He was willing to bet that this was no coincidence. "There's no answer at her door, though. I don't have a key and I'm not sure what to do now." The young woman's eyes filled with tears and Myles put a comforting hand on her arm.

"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of it," Myles assured her. He was about to say something more when he heard D's voice in his headset. His face broke into a wide smile as he listened, and Marina shook her head at him, wondering what was going on. "I need you to come with me," he told her.

"Where are we going?" Marina asked him hesitantly.

Myles smiled gently at her before answering. "We're going to go get your baby."

* * *

Sue cried out in fear as Jack fell to the floor, and instinctively she rushed to him. However, Sam stepped in front of her, pressing the gun to her head once more. Sue couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face as she looked at Jack lying so still on the floor. Sam handed the gun to Mary, and she roughly pushed Sue out of the living room and into the hallway. Once they reached the end, she opened a door, and Sue saw a set of stairs leading into the basement. Mary pushed her through the door, and Sue grabbed the railing so that she wouldn't fall. She looked worriedly behind her and saw John and Sam carrying Jack toward them. Mary nudged Sue, and she continued down the stairs into the cold unfinished basement.

There was a single light bulb hanging from the low ceiling and while it was dim, it was enough for Sue to be able to see that Mary was speaking to her. "We'll be back for you soon," she told Sue coldly. Sam and John dumped Jack on the floor near Sue and headed back up the stairs after Mary. Sue went to Jack and felt for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she found it to be steady and strong. A hand on his chest reassured her that he was breathing normally, too. After gently running her fingers through his hair to make sure he wasn't bleeding Sue looked around, taking in their surroundings. While she highly doubted she'd be able to find a means of escape, she had to try.

Suddenly, her eyes rested on something that made her heart stop. A small figure was crumpled on the floor just a short distance from where she was sitting. As Sue approached, she realized with a heavy heart that it was Maura and that she wasn't moving. Her face was covered with blood, and she was so pale that Sue was certain she was dead. Taking one of the elderly woman's hands in her own, Sue felt for a pulse and was relieved to find one. It was weak but it was there. Looking around the room, Sue saw a sleeping bag lying in a pile of other odds and ends. Grabbing it, she unfolded it and covered Maura. Sitting down next to Jack, Sue prayed silently that help would arrive in time. Jack stirred suddenly and slowly opened his eyes. Sue grasped his hand with one of hers and gently touched his cheek with the other. "Jack, I'm so glad you're awake," she said softly, tears overflowing onto her cheeks again.

Jack tried to sit up but winced in pain and lay back down on the floor again. "Where are we?" he rasped, closing his eyes again.

"We're in the basement. They said that they're coming back soon, though," Sue replied fearfully. "Maura's here, too," she added.

Jack opened his eyes again and looked over at Maura's still form. "Is she alive?" he asked her, fearing the worst.

Sue nodded. "Just barely," she choked."

Jack saw Sue's tears and reached up to brush some of them away. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" His eyes were full of concern as he struggled to sit up.

"I'm okay," Sue insisted. "I'm more worried about you right now."

"My head is throbbing pretty badly. Other than that, I'm okay, too," Jack told her with a weak smile, then winced as he touched the painfully swollen knot on the back of his head. He frowned as he looked up at her. "I'm so sorry for getting us into this mess," he said, his own eyes filling with tears.

"Don't say that," Sue said in a shaky voice. "You didn't make them do this, Jack. You're not to blame," she insisted firmly.

Jack lifted his head and then winced in pain again. "Sue, there's something I have to tell you, in case we don't get out of here," he told her, squeezing her hand. Sue looked at him sadly and choked back a sob, shaking her head in disbelief at the situation they were in.

* * *

Chapter 20: Going Home

Still lying on the concrete floor of the basement, Jack took her other hand, gently pulling her toward him. Sue buried her face in his chest and cried, sobs wracking her body. He softly stroked her hair and her back, shedding a few tears of his own. After a few moments, he gently took Sue's chin in his hand, lifting her face so that she was looking at him again. "When they come back, I'm going to fight as hard as I can to get us out of here," Jack promised her, and she nodded. "If they want to hurt you, they're going to have to kill me first," he vowed.

"Please don't talk that way," Sue pleaded with him. "We have to get out of here. I won't lose you, Jack, and I'm not ready to die yet." Her heart was so full of emotion as she looked at this man, who clearly shared her anguish. Jack slowly sat up, wincing as his head pounded in protest. "Take it easy," she told him, putting a hand on his back. "You took quite a blow to the head."

"I'm okay," Jack insisted, taking a deep breath. "I'm not ready to die either, but if anything happens, I need you to know something," he said softly, putting a hand on either side of her face. "I love you, Sue Thomas," he told her, his eyes on hers. Sue just stared at him for a moment, stunned by his declaration. "My life has become so full since I met you, and I can't imagine being without you," Jack continued, emotion choking his voice.

Tears streamed down Sue's cheeks as she looked into his eyes. She took a deep breath to try and compose herself before responding. "I love you too, Jack. I never thought I'd meet someone like you, but here you are." She said the last words with an air of disbelief, and Jack smiled softly at her before leaning forward to kiss her tenderly.

When their lips met, Sue allowed herself to forget where she was for just a moment, to forget about the danger they were in and just get lost in the warmth of his embrace and the way his kiss made her feel.

The kiss was a bittersweet one. He could feel her passion as she responded, but he could also taste the salt of her tears. The sound of the basement door opening caused him to pull away, and Sue looked at him fearfully as light streamed into the basement. The sound of footsteps on the stairs sent a surge of adrenaline through Jack, and he quickly pulled himself to his feet.

* * *

Myles and Marina could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles even before the agency itself came into view. The car had barely stopped moving when Marina was out the door, running toward the crowd of emergency personnel in front of the building. Myles caught up to her just as she was being told by a stern-looking police officer to keep her distance. "Myles Leland, FBI," Myles told him, holding up his badge. "This is Marina Murphy, mother of one of the infants. I was told that Annie Murphy was among the children found inside."

"I'm sorry," the officer apologized kindly. "Just see the lady over there," he said, pointing to a woman in her early thirties with long wavy brown hair. "She's the doc who checked over all of the babies and made sure they were stable before they were taken to the hospital."

"My daughter isn't here?" Marina asked, her voice trembling. She looked at Myles anxiously.

"I'm honestly not sure if all of them have been taken to the hospital yet; you'll have to check with Dr. Davis over there," the officer replied. Myles nodded his thanks to the officer and followed Marina over to the doctor.

"Excuse me, Dr. Davis?" The woman looked up from the chart she was studying when Marina said her name.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Davis. Can I help you?" she asked them with a smile meant to reassure the anxious mother.

"Yes, you can," Myles replied, showing her his badge. "I'm Special Agent Myles Leland, and this is Marina Murphy. Her daughter, Annie, is one of the babies who was found here tonight."

Dr. Davis briefly checked her chart and then nodded. "Yes, Annie's here," she confirmed.

"Is she okay?" Marina asked worriedly.

"She's perfect," Dr. Davis assured her with a wide smile. "Come with me, and I'll take you to her."

* * *

Dr. Lee came into view, gun in hand, and Sue cringed. Jack stepped in front of her and eyed the doctor warily. "Mr. Hudson, I'm surprised you're awake. But then, that'll make this more fun," John chuckled as he walked closer to the pair, a depraved smile on his face.

"Just stay away from us," Jack warned. The doctor laughed and came closer still, pointing the gun at them.

"Now, now, Mr. Hudson," John said in a singsong voice, "don't you think your wife should get to experience a real man before she dies?" As the doctor laughed, distracting himself with his own wit, Jack shot forward and knocked the gun out of his hand. Sue dove for the weapon as Jack's fist connected with the side of the stunned doctor's face.

One punch was all it took to knock the doctor out cold. Jack looked at the little man in disgust as Sue handed him the gun. He pointed it at John, and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to pull the trigger. Sue gripped his hand firmly and gave him a brilliant smile. It was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen, full of hope and happiness. Jack lowered the gun and smiled back at her, feeling confident that they would be able to face whatever came next.

Suddenly Jack heard a loud crash from upstairs, followed by some muffled yelling coming from the other end of the house. "Something's going on up there," Jack told Sue.

Sue looked at him with wide eyes. "Hopefully something good," she said softly. Jack eyed the doctor, who was still prostrate on the floor. Although he was fairly sure the guy would be out for awhile, he couldn't help but expect him to suddenly spring to action, the way the villains always seemed to do in the movies. After a few moments, things quieted down upstairs, and then footsteps sounded on the stairs again. Jack raised the gun, ready to put it to use if necessary.

Upon seeing the person who appeared at the bottom of the stairs, two things happened: Sue gasped out loud, and Jack finally allowed the painful pounding in his head to overcome him. The gun fell to the floor with a clatter as he let go of Sue's hand and sank to his knees. As his face touched the coolness of the cement floor, Jack closed his eyes, falling into darkness once again.

* * *

Marina cradled her daughter in her arms, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. "I need to call Jon," she told Myles. "He has to know she's okay."

"What's the number? I'll dial it for you," Myles said, pulling out his cell phone. Marina dictated the number to him, and he handed her the phone. Annie gazed up at her mother with a look of pure contentment, almost as though she knew she would soon be going home again, where she belonged. Myles smiled to himself as Marina sobbed happily into the phone, telling her husband the wonderful news. Taking another glance at the rows of cribs lining the walls of the room, Myles left so that Marina could have a bit of privacy. Stepping out into the hallway, it was clear to him why Sue had felt like she was in a hospital when she'd wandered into this part of the agency. With plain white walls and a shiny tile floor, it had the same sterile feel as a hospital, not to mention the smell of disinfectant that every hospital seemed to share. Myles wondered how his colleagues were doing right now, and hoped that Jack and Sue had managed to keep the upper hand with Dr. Lee and the Ryans.

"That was quite the happy reunion." Myles turned around to see Dr. Davis standing behind him, smiling at him.

"I couldn't agree more," Myles said. "Have the parents of the other children been contacted as well?"

"The last few families are being called as we speak," she confirmed. "The babies are all at the hospital, except for Annie of course, and the four others who just left by ambulance. I'm glad you two arrived when you did because we were just about to send Annie to the hospital along with the others."

"I'm glad, too. So, are all of the other infants okay?" Myles asked her.

"They're all fine, and appear to have been well cared for. We were asked to move them to another location though, since this is considered a crime scene," Dr. Davis explained. "Of course, you know that," she said with a smile.

"I most certainly do," Myles agreed. "My colleagues and I have been working around the clock trying to solve this case. It's definitely a relief to find these babies."

"I've been hearing about it on the news and praying that they would be found. When I received the page tonight asking me to come to the agency, it was one of the few times I've actually been happy to be on call," Dr. Davis told him, laughing pleasantly.

"Do you work at a hospital?" Myles asked her.

She shook her head. "No, I actually have my own pediatric practice in downtown D.C., but I live close to here and was able to arrive before the ambulances."

"So you probably don't know a Dr. John Lee?" Myles asked impulsively.

"Actually, I do," she told him distastefully. "Only by reputation, though. He's been involved in a few lawsuits over the years, patients claiming he acted…indecently. They were all settled out of court, from what I remember," she said thoughtfully. "Why do you ask? Is he involved in this?" Seeing the look on Myles' face, she rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Of course, what was I thinking? I can't get details out of an FBI agent."

"Unfortunately, I can't share any details with you, since the investigation is still ongoing," Myles said apologetically. "I'm sure you'll hear about it soon, though."

"I'm sure," Dr. Davis said with a smirk. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Agent Leland. Good luck with your investigation. I'm off to the hospital to witness some more happy reunions."

"The pleasure was all mine, Dr. Davis," Myles told her and returned the smile she gave him before she turned and walked away. Though still worried about his colleagues, he was surprised to realize that just being in the presence of Dr. Davis had calmed his nerves considerably. He watched until she was out of sight and then headed back into the room where Marina was talking softly to her daughter. She didn't even notice him come in, and he was about to gently get her attention when he heard Tara's voice in his headset.

* * *

"Jack!" Sue knelt on the floor beside Jack, cradling his head in her hands, as Bobby ran over to them. "Jack, please wake up," Sue pleaded softly. There was a flurry of activity around them as other agents descended the stairs. One of them went to Dr. Lee, while another leaned over Maura's still form.

"We've got an agent down!" Bobby yelled. Seeing the unconscious Dr. Lee, as well as Maura's still form lying nearby, he told Tara to send for additional paramedics. "Sue, what happened to him?" Bobby asked her, putting a comforting hand on her arm as he knelt down on the floor beside her.

"Sam Ryan knocked him out with the barrel of the gun," Sue replied, softly stroking Jack's hair and face, willing him to open his eyes. "They put us down here and he woke up after a little while. He said he was doing okay, though," she said softly. "Jack even punched out the doctor when he tried to come near me," she added with a tearful smile.

"He'll be fine," Bobby insisted. "Sparky's a fighter. Are you alright?"

"I am. They didn't hurt me," Sue replied, studying Jack's face for a moment before turning her attention back to Bobby. "Did you catch the Ryans?"

Bobby nodded with a grin. "D took them into custody. They caught Jodie tonight as well, trying to kidnap another baby." Sue looked at him in surprise.

"So, it's over, then?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yup. It's over; we've got the bad guys. And with all the dirt we've got on them, all four will be behind bars for a long time," Bobby assured her. Sue smiled at him, closing her eyes for a moment in relief. Jack stirred suddenly, groaning as he opened his eyes. The movement under Sue's hands caused her to open her eyes, and she smiled as he looked up at her. She didn't say anything as tears of relief streamed down her cheeks.

"Hey, I'm okay. You can't get rid of me that easily," Jack told her, taking one of her hands and bringing it to his lips. Bobby watched the pair with raised eyebrows. It was as if there was no one else in the room but the two of them. After a few moments of watching them stare into each other's eyes, Bobby cleared his throat and Jack looked over at him.

"Glad to see you're still in one piece, mate," Bobby said to his friend, grinning. "I can see that we had no reason to worry, though," he added, looking over at Dr. Lee, who was just beginning to stir.

"Yeah, well…I was pretty motivated," Jack told him, giving Sue a wink. "I'm assuming that since it was you guys who came down the stairs and not Sam and Mary, you must have good news for me."

"The Ryans are in custody," Bobby confirmed. "Their friend Jodie has also been apprehended, while trying to kidnap another child, I might add."

"It's nice to know this hasn't all been in vain," Jack said, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Have the kidnapped babies been found yet?" Sue asked anxiously.

"Most of them have," Bobby replied. "Unfortunately, some of them have already been put up for adoption, so it will take a little more work to track them down. It turns out that a few of them have been adopted out of state as well."

"I'm glad that the babies will finally be able to go home to their families, but imagine what the adoptive families will have to go through when they have to give them up," Sue said softly.

"It's pretty rough, all right," Bobby said grimly. "At least it's being uncovered now and not years later," he pointed out.

"True," Sue agreed. "That should make it a little easier." The three of them watched as a pair of paramedics came down the stairs, carrying a stretcher. The mood was somber as they gently lifted Maura onto it and carried her back up the stairs.

"I hope she makes it," Jack said quietly. "I blame myself for getting her involved."

Sue shook her head at him. "You shouldn't. Aren't you the one who once told me that I'm not personally responsible for every little thing that happens? Well, the same goes for you, you know."

"Point taken," Jack told her with a grin. She smiled back at him and then looked over as two agents began to lead the now conscious Dr. Lee over to the stairs. Sue glared at him and moved to get up but Jack held tightly to her hand. She gave him a questioning look, and he shook his head at her. "He's not worth the energy," he said softly. Sue let out a sigh and stayed where she was.

"Sparky, can you walk, or should we get you a stretcher, too?" Bobby asked his friend. He knew Jack well enough to know what his answer would be.

"No, no stretcher for me," Jack insisted stubbornly. "I may need a hand up, but I'm sure I can walk out of here." Bobby and Sue glanced at each other before they each took a hand and helped Jack to his feet. He groaned as the pounding in his head intensified, and Sue looked at him in concern.

"Are you sure you don't need a stretcher?" she asked him, still holding onto his hand.

"I'm sure," Jack assured her. "I could definitely take something for this headache, though."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll give you something on the way to the hospital," Bobby told him as the three of them climbed the stairs.

"Oh, I don't think I need to go to the hospital," Jack protested, as they stepped out into the hallway. "Really, all I need is something for the pain."

"You most certainly will go to the hospital," Sue told him. "You blacked out twice today, Jack." Jack could tell she meant business and wasn't about to argue with her, knowing he would never win.

"Okay, I'll go," he agreed. "But I'm sure that they're not going to keep me for very long--I really am okay," he insisted, even as he swayed slightly, and they had to steady him.

"That remains to be seen," Sue replied, much to Bobby's amusement. Bobby shook his head, chuckling at them.

"She really has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she, Sparky?" he teased. "Obviously married life is agreeing with you, and I think it's more than just the good cooking." Jack and Sue looked at each other, but neither said a word, afraid that any response might confirm Bobby's suspicions.

"Let's get you to that ambulance," Sue said to Jack instead. He nodded and gave Bobby a wave.

"I'll see you guys there," Bobby told them and smiled knowingly as he watched them head for the door.

* * *

Chapter 21: Slip of the Tongue

"Well, Mr. Hudson, it goes without saying that you're going to have a pretty sore head for the next few days." Jack snorted at the ER doctor's attempt at an amusing bedside manner. The doctor, a man in his mid-to-late fifties, chuckled before continuing, "You do have a concussion, but your symptoms don't warrant us keeping you here." Jack nodded, flashing Sue an "I told you so" look. She ignored him and continued to watch the doctor. "I'll prescribe some painkillers for you to take for the next couple of days, as needed," the doctor added, reaching for his prescription pad and scribbling something onto it.

"Sounds great. Whatever they gave me while I was in the ambulance certainly helped my headache," Jack said with relief. The doctor tore the paper off the pad and passed it to Jack.

"Now, so long as someone is going to stay with you, you're free to go home tonight," the doctor said, peering over his glasses at Jack, then glancing at Sue.

"I'll be staying with him," Sue said quickly, keeping her eyes on the doctor. Jack raised his eyebrows at her, surprised by her lack of hesitation. With the case being over, he hadn't been sure if he should ask her to stay with him, but she had taken the decision right out of his hands.

"Good. You'll need to keep a close eye on him for the next twenty-four hours," the doctor instructed Sue. "If he suffers from any nausea or dizziness, you should bring him in immediately. The information is on the discharge sheet, so you can refer to it as needed."

Sue nodded. "I will. Thank you, doctor," she said. It looked as though she had a sleepless night ahead of her, but she didn't mind a bit. She was just relieved that Jack was going to be okay.

"You're quite welcome," the doctor replied. "I'll need you to sign this discharge before you leave," he told Jack, handing him a clipboard. "Just please try to avoid any more blows to the head," he warned with a smile.

"I'll do my best, doc," Jack answered wryly as he signed the release form. A few minutes later, the two of them left the examining room. Sue gave Jack an apprehensive smile as they stood in the hallway.

"I hope you don't mind that I stepped in and told the doctor I would stay with you. I just figured that since we've been living together, it would just make sense for us to stay at the house while you recover," Sue explained hastily.

"Are you kidding me?" Jack said, putting a hand on her arm. "I'll take any excuse to keep myself in close proximity to you." Sue blushed at his words and couldn't think of anything to say in return. Ever since their mutual revelations in the basement, when they'd both been afraid they wouldn't make it out alive, she'd felt a new awkwardness between them. "Besides, it'll take a day or so to pack up the house. We'll just ask that the movers don't come right away to pick up the furniture," Jack added.

"That would be nice, since we should take our time packing. You are going to need to take it easy," Sue pointed out.

"I doubt there will be any huge rush, what with the weekend almost upon us," Jack said. "And I'm okay, although, I won't waste much time heading to bed when we get home," he confessed with a smile.

Sue's eyes widened at the implication of his last statement. He couldn't possibly think… "Jack?" Seeing her flustered expression, Jack realized that she must have mistaken the meaning of his words.

"Uh, I just meant that since the doctor told me to get lots of rest, I should probably get to bed pretty soon. Plus, my head does still hurt a bit," Jack told her, holding back a chuckle. He was sure that Sue had no idea how irresistible she looked at the moment, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Sue shook her head at the misunderstanding and felt herself blushing even more deeply. "I'm sorry; I guess I'm more tired than I thought," she said, looking a little mortified.

"Please, don't be sorry. We've both been through a lot tonight," Jack insisted. "How are you feeling, by the way? I know you weren't feeling well this afternoon and that was before we were held at gunpoint. How are you holding up?" Jack looked at her with concern, taking her hand in his.

"Oh, I'm okay. Still pretty exhausted though," Sue admitted. "But that all went out the window when I thought we were both going to die. I really want to thank you for what you did tonight, Jack," she said quietly. "If you hadn't been there…" Sue shuddered, thinking of the doctor with his hands all over her and picturing him coming toward her with a gun.

"But I was there," Jack told her, squeezing her hand. "And I still am."

Sue smiled at him, looking into his eyes. "I'm glad," she told him. Jack gazed back at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he pulled her against him, enfolding her in his arms. Sue held onto him, resting her head on his shoulder. In moments like this one, when she felt so comfortable and safe in his arms, all of the complexities and confusion of their relationship seemed to slip away.

They remained that way for a few minutes, each taking comfort in the mere presence of the other person. Jack finally pulled away from her slightly so that she could read his lips. "I guess we should get to the waiting room, huh?" he said regretfully. "Bobby and Lucy are probably waiting for us by now."

"You're right. We should go," Sue agreed. He reluctantly released her from his grip but took her hand in his. She smiled softly at him, and they started walking down the hallway, only releasing their hold on each other when they neared the waiting area. Much to their surprise, Ted Garrett was waiting there instead of Lucy and Bobby. They certainly hadn't expected to see him because for the past few weeks he'd been working with another department trying to uncover a large drug-smuggling operation.

"Thomas, Hudson--congratulations on a job well done," Garrett told them. For a moment Jack felt unworthy of the praise, thinking again about how he had inadvertently blown their cover and put them both in danger. Then he thought back to what Sue had said in the basement, reminding him to not feel personally responsible for the things that had happened, and he brushed the feelings aside. "Dimitrius filled me in on the new developments; I know that without your efforts, we wouldn't have broken this case as soon as we did. I know that all of the families of the missing children thank you," Garrett said, looking at the two of them.

"Well, we were glad to do it," Jack said honestly. "We just didn't count on it becoming so complicated in the end," he added with a grimace.

"Undercover work is certainly unpredictable," Garrett agreed. "I look forward to reading your reports," he told them. "In the meantime, I'm giving you both the next four days off." Jack and Sue exchanged a surprised smile at their boss' words. "I know you've both been through a lot; I want you to just take some time to recuperate," he explained.

"Thank you, sir," Sue said, relief at the prospect of some time off washing over her. After everything that had happened in little more than a week since they'd moved next-door to the Ryans, a little R & R was exactly what she needed.

"Yes, thank you," Jack echoed her sentiment.

"No problem. I'll see you both on Monday morning," Garrett replied. "And take care of that head, Hudson. That's an order," he added. He eyed Jack sternly but there was the hint of a smile.

"You've got it, sir," Jack replied sheepishly. Garrett said goodbye and left the waiting room, passing Lucy and Bobby as he did.

Lucy hugged them both, tears of relief in her eyes.

"I'm so glad that you're both okay!" Lucy exclaimed. "You are both okay, aren't you?" she asked them, looking from one to the other worriedly.

"Lucy, we're both doing good," Sue assured her friend with a smile. "Jack has a mild concussion but he's going to be fine."

"Thank God," Lucy breathed. "I was so worried about you guys when we lost communication."

"I second that," Bobby said. "Next time you go to the neighbor's for a nightcap, please be sure to bring your gun," he admonished Jack.

"Let's just say it's a good thing that not all neighbors entertain the way that Sam and Mary Ryan do," Jack quipped. "How are our friendly neighbors by the way? Have we been able to find out any more details about their involvement?"

"Or why they were involved in the first place?" Sue added.

"Myles and D are in with them right now," Bobby answered. "They're going to be in touch when they have some information."

"Good," Jack said. "Luckily Sue and I won't be involved any further, though---other than writing up our report, that is."

"And why is that?" Bobby asked curiously.

"Garrett told us to take the next four days off," Sue replied. "So that we would have some time to recuperate, he said."

"Well, aren't you the lucky ones?" Lucy said excitedly. "Then again, you have had to give up your personal lives for this assignment," she admitted. "But still, at least you get a nice long weekend out of the deal!"

"Right, you two definitely deserve to get some extra time off, even though some of us will end up having to pick up the slack," Bobby told them, feigning annoyance.

"Oh, I have no doubt that you guys will be able to handle things while we're gone," Jack assured him.

"True enough. After all, we've been handling things pretty well while you and the missus have been out gallivanting," Bobby said cheekily. Jack and Sue exchanged a glance.

Is this guy for real? Jack signed to her, raising his eyebrows and glancing at Bobby.

Sue chuckled at Bobby's suspicious expression. Let him have his fun. We're the ones with the four-day weekend, she pointed out.

"What are they saying?" Bobby asked Lucy, who grinned.

"Well, basically I think they're happy to put up with you for now, since they're both off for the next four days," she told him.

"Ah, yes. Couldn't have come at a better time either. At least now you two will have time for one last fling before the divorce," he commented cheekily. Jack rolled his eyes and Sue began signing again. Jack and Lucy both laughed and Bobby looked at the trio with narrowed eyes. "Why do I think that I don't really want to know what was just said?" he muttered, a good-natured twinkle in his eyes. Lucy signed something and Jack nodded with a chuckle.

"Next thing you know, he'll be starting a trust fund for the baby," Jack said, causing the confused look on Bobby's face to intensify.

"Okay, I'll bite," Bobby told them. "What on earth are you talking about? Is there something you two aren't telling me? I know that babies don't come from kisses." Now it was Lucy's turn to look confused.

"What?" she squealed loudly. "What kiss?" she asked, looking at Sue with wide eyes. Bobby flashed an apologetic look in Jack's direction as it dawned on him that Lucy was hearing this for the first time.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just something Jack and I were talking about the other day. Guy stuff. Nothing that would interest you," Bobby assured her. Jack winced at his friend's well-intentioned attempt at backtracking.

"I think it might," Lucy insisted, unconvinced. She looked at Sue with raised eyebrows and Sue sighed inwardly, knowing that she was going to have to confide in Lucy sooner rather than later. Things had been so intense lately that she'd completely forgotten about leaving Lucy in the dark.

"So, what were you signing just now?" Bobby asked them, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Well, Sue signed that it almost seems like you are the one who was hit on the head tonight, since you seem to keep forgetting that this marriage isn't real. Then Lucy signed that maybe you are just a little crazy," Jack told him. "And I'm thinking that the latter is a good possibility," he added.

"Ah. Well, I guess I deserved that, didn't I?" Bobby replied.

"So, I maybe we should go home," Lucy suggetsed to Sue. "Levi's waiting back at the apartment for us."

Sue bit her bottom lip and looked at Jack before answering. "Actually, the doctor doesn't think that Jack should be alone right now, because of his concussion," she explained. "And since we've got a few days to pack up the house, we figured that we would stay there for a night or two."

"We also have to prepare our report together, and since we don't have to go to work…" Jack knew that their excuses probably sounded lame but they couldn't very well tell their friends that they wanted this time together so they could figure out their places in each other's lives.

"Do you want me to bring Levi over then?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Actually, why don't I go with you to the apartment to get him?" Sue suggested, knowing it would give them an opportunity to talk. "Would you mind giving us a ride back to the house?"

"Of course I'll give you a ride," Lucy replied. Lucy's mood was somber, and it upset Sue to think that she'd hurt her friend's feelings, however unintentionally.

Knowing the women had things to discuss, Bobby turned to Jack. "I can give you a lift to the house if you like," Bobby told him. "I'll wait with you until Sue gets there."

"I'd appreciate the ride, but I don't need a babysitter," Jack said stubbornly.

"I think I'd feel better knowing you aren't alone," Sue insisted. "You heard what the doctor said, Jack."

"Okay, okay. I'll see you later then," Jack said to her. Sue nodded, and she and Lucy left the waiting room together.

"Sorry, mate," Bobby apologized. "I just figured Sue would have told her roommate." Jack nodded at his friend. He did not envy Sue right now. She obviously hadn't told Lucy any details about what had been going on. While he could understand why, he knew that it wasn't going to be easy to explain to Lucy why she'd kept it hidden.

* * *

Sitting side-by-side on the couch in their apartment, Lucy listened silently while Sue told her about the undercover kiss and a bit of what had happened in the aftermath. Sue had been a little surprised that Lucy hadn't jumped all over her the moment they were alone. She had been afraid that Lucy was angry with her, but when she began to tell her what had happened, a smile had formed on her friend's lips. The further into her story Sue had gotten, the wider Lucy's smile had become.

"When it first happened, I was so confused about the whole thing. I hope you understand why I kept quiet about it," Sue told her friend.

"I do," Lucy assured her, reaching over and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "You know, I got the distinct impression over the last couple of days that things between you and Jack were different somehow. But, since I had agreed to keep my nose out of it…" Lucy said with a smile.

"And I appreciate that," Sue said, relieved that Lucy wasn't upset with her. "I really did want to tell you, but I knew how you would react," she said, indicating her roommate's wide smile. "I've just been…very unclear about where I want things to go with Jack. I needed some time to sort out my feelings for him without any outside interference," she explained.

"Fair enough," Lucy answered with a nod. "So, are you still unclear?" she asked Sue, raising her eyebrows in anticipation of her answer.

"I guess I am a little, but I know that I love him," Sue admitted happily. Lucy's mouth dropped open in surprise, and she pulled Sue into a hug.

"I'm not going to say 'I told you so.' Just…I'm so happy for you two," Lucy said when they'd pulled apart. "So what does this mean?" she asked.

"It means that Jack and I have some talking to do," Sue answered carefully. "We had decided to wait until the case was over before we sorted things out. Now that it's happened, hopefully we can figure out where to go from here," she said.

"So is that the real reason you're staying with him at the house?" Lucy asked with a glint in her eyes. "To have some alone-time?"

Sue chuckled at the bluntness of Lucy's question. "Actually, the doctor wouldn't discharge Jack unless someone was staying with him," she insisted. "It just made sense for us to keep staying at the house together," she finished feebly, blushing as Lucy rolled her eyes, nowhere near convinced by Sue's excuses.

"Sure, Sue," Lucy teased. "Perfect sense…uh-huh."

"Not that having some time alone will be a bad thing," Sue admitted, unable to keep a smile from forming.

Lucy gave her a knowing smile. "Well, I don't have to tell you that I've always thought that you and Jack would be good together. There's just always been something special between you two, ever since you first met. I really hope this works out." Sue could tell she was trying to contain her enthusiasm.

"Thanks, Luce. I hope so, too," Sue said softly.

"Will you promise me one thing, though?" Lucy asked.

"What is it?" Sue replied.

"Let me know how things go between you and Jack. Please don't keep me in suspense for too long," Lucy said, grinning.

Sue laughed and nodded at her friend. I promise, she signed. If there's anything to tell, you'll be the first to know.

Thank you, Lucy signed back. That's good enough for me.

"I'm glad," Sue said with a smile. Suddenly stifling a yawn, she looked at the time. "I guess we should get going."

Lucy nodded and grinned mischievously. "Yes, we don't want to keep Jack waiting," she said with a wink. Sue chuckled and shook her head, leaving the couch to go get Levi's leash.

* * *

Chapter 22: All in Good Time

When Lucy, Sue and Levi entered the house, they found Bobby and Jack in the living room. "Here come the sheilas now," Bobby commented with a grin. "Jack's been getting a little antsy waiting for you," he informed Sue. Jack's eyes lit up with a smile as they walked into the room, but he looked as exhausted as Sue felt. Knowing that it would only cause a stir, she fought the urge to go and wrap her arms around him. She smiled back at Jack, who ignored Bobby, refusing to egg him on.

Lucy laughed at Jack and Sue's reactions to Bobby's comment. "You're incorrigible," she told him.

"Why, thank you, Lucy," Bobby replied, still chuckling.

"Sorry we're so late," Sue said. "We had some catching up to do," she added with a glance in Lucy's direction. "How's your headache?" she asked Jack.

"I’m hanging in there," he answered with a weak smile. Sue took a seat next to him on the couch, while Lucy sat down across from them on the loveseat. Bobby was next to her in an armchair, the grin on his face fading as he witnessed his friend's obvious discomfort.

"We actually just got off the phone with Myles," Bobby told the women. "He was filling us in on what they found out about the kidnapping ring."

"And?" Lucy said impatiently.

"Well, as with most scams like this, money was the main motivation for most of the key players," Bobby replied.

"Most of them?" Sue questioned him. Jack touched her hand for a moment to get her attention.

"While Jodie, Dr. Lee, and even Sam were in it for the money, it appears that for Mary it was more personal," Jack explained. "She came from a family of five children, all of whom were abused and neglected. In some twisted way, she seems to believe that she was helping those babies escape a childhood like the one she had to endure."

"That certainly is twisted," Sue agreed softly, feeling sad for what Mary had been through, but also feeling anger toward her for her part in the kidnappings. "Why didn't any of this information turn up when we ran a background check on her?" she asked, looking from Jack to Bobby.

"Simple," Bobby answered. "When we did the background check on Mary, it revealed her maiden name to be Mary Bailey. Her real name was actually Marianna Bruce. She ran away from home when she was seventeen years old, right after high-school graduation, and started over with a new identity."

"How did a runaway manage to start over and eventually become a nurse?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"Mary is nothing if not smart. She's also very resourceful. She'd managed to save some money from an after school job, and used it to get an apartment, as well as a whole new identity," Jack replied. "Not legally of course," he added. "Then she met Sam, got married and they became your all-American couple." There was more than a hint of sarcasm in Jack's last statement.

"How did they get involved with the kidnappings?" Sue asked curiously.

"Well for them it started when they lived on the West Coast," Bobby answered. "Mary was working as a student nurse and met a family with six children. To make a long story short, this family was in pretty dire straits and, before leaving Oregon for D.C., Mary and Sam Ryan took off with their two youngest children. They got away with it too--until now, that is."

"Whoa," Lucy breathed. "I guess Maura's story did have some truth to it then. So, they actually admitted to kidnapping the boys?" she asked curiously.

"Actually, they didn't volunteer the information," Jack replied. "Maura woke up about an hour ago, and she gave a statement, telling everything she knew about the Ryans and the adoption of their sons."

"Thank God Maura's okay," Sue said with relief. "What did she say?"

"Apparently she and Mary have become quite close over the years, and Mary had confided that her children were adopted. It certainly wasn't common knowledge, but it wasn't until recently that Mary had become touchy when the subject of her sons' adoptions came up," Bobby said.

"I wonder why?" Sue asked thoughtfully.

"It might have something to do with the fact that Mary's involvement in the kidnapping scam was starting to spill over into her personal life," Jack told her. "We already knew that most of the victims of the kidnappings were either people she'd met while working in the hospital or at the soup kitchen. It turns out that the latest victim, Annie, just happens to be Maura's great-granddaughter," he revealed.

Sue looked at Jack in surprise. "That's about the last thing I expected you to say," she told him. "When did you find out about that?"

"Bobby told me on the way over here; I was pretty surprised too," Jack told her. "Anyhow, since Mary already suspected that you and I were up to something, she must have gotten really spooked when she saw Maura speaking with me the other night. She probably figured that if we found out that her boys were adopted, we might put two and two together."

"Maybe the stress of keeping the whole thing covered up was getting to her?" Bobby wondered aloud. "Maura said that lately Mary would snap at the drop of a hat, flying into a rage over the littlest things. Maura's hubby passed away last year, and she's been spending more and more time with her neighbors. These past few weeks, Mary's erratic behavior had begun to make Maura very nervous. She never knew what was going to set the woman off."

"When D and Myles confronted Mary with what Maura had revealed, she caved, confessing everything. Myles told us that she's quite a mess right now," Jack said.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Since Mary's family was poor while she was growing up, and she and her siblings were abused and neglected, she felt that it was her duty to 'rescue' children from large families so that what happened to her didn't happen to them?" Lucy said in disbelief. "But the others were in it just for the money?"

"Yup," Bobby confirmed. "And Sam pretty much did his wife's bidding. I'm fairly sure that getting a cut of the money from the illegal adoptions was an added incentive, as well."

"No doubt," Jack agreed. "And the doctor was recruited by Mary, who had some incriminating information on him, regarding the alleged abuse of one of his patients." Sue grimaced at the mention of the doctor. Lucy had already filled her in on the new information they'd discovered about Dr. Lee, and the thought of him sickened her even more than before, if that was possible. Seeing the look on her face, Jack touched her hand again, and this time he didn't let go. The action didn't go unnoticed by Lucy and Bobby, who exchanged a glance. "Since the doctor is obviously a man of questionable morals, he was apparently more than willing to go along with the plans, with or without blackmail," Jack added.

"It turns out that the brains behind the whole operation was Jodie. She was smart enough to set it all up, but dumb enough to believe that she wouldn't get caught," Bobby said, shaking his head.

"She was certainly no match for the Hudsons," Lucy declared with a grin. "None of them were."

"Amen to that," Bobby agreed.

"Hey, Bobby, did you find out the names of the other people involved? The ones who worked at the agency?" Jack asked suddenly.

"I did, but I can't remember them off the top of my head," Bobby answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if Ronna was one of them," Jack replied. Sue raised an eyebrow at him, and he gave her a reassuring smile. "She just seemed so genuine; it would be nice to know that at least one person wasn't a phony. She was the only other person we met at the agency," he explained hastily.

"No, Ronna wasn't involved," Bobby answered, grinning at his friends.

"Well, great," Sue declared sarcastically. "Maybe you should give her a call tomorrow, to offer your support?" she suggested, turning to Jack. He squeezed her hand, smiling weakly at her.

"That won't be necessary," Jack told her. Sue frowned at him, but Jack could tell that she was just playing with him. "I was just curious," he insisted innocently, and she smiled despite her best efforts.

"I think that's our cue to go," Lucy said, standing up and looking at Bobby expectantly.

"You're right Luce. We wouldn't want to interrupt a lover's quarrel," Bobby agreed, joining Lucy.

"Go on," Jack told him wit h a small grin. "Get outta here."

Sue looked at Bobby in time to see him laughing and wondered what the joke was. "What did he say?" she asked Jack. "I didn't catch it."

"Honestly, you probably don't want to know," Jack replied.

"I think I'll take your word for it," she agreed, eyeing Bobby suspiciously.

"Goodnight, you two," he told them. "I'm very glad you both made it out okay," he added, his face taking on a more serious expression.

"That's an understatement," Lucy said fervently. Sue got up to give her friends a hug, and Jack moved to stand, too, wincing as the pounding in his head increased.

"Whoa, Sparky," Bobby said, noticing the look of pain on his friend's face. Jack sat back down, and Sue and Lucy turned, both looking concerned to see him holding his head in his hands. "Just take it easy. I guess it might be time to take more painkillers," the Aussie suggested. Jack nodded and winced again.

Sue put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with worry in her dark eyes. "Tell me where the pills are and I'll get them while I'm showing Lucy and Bobby out," she told him.

"They're on the kitchen counter," Jack replied, sinking back onto the couch with his eyes closed against the pain in his head.

Sue nodded. "Okay. Don't move; I'll be right back," she ordered.

Jack opened his eyes and smiled feebly. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," he assured her.

"Feel better, Jack," Lucy said sympathetically, patting him gently on the shoulder.

"Try and get some rest," Bobby told him, his usual mischievous grin absent as he waved goodbye to his friend.

"I'll be fine, guys," Jack insisted. "It'll take more than a bump on the head to finish me off," he said with a small laugh. Sue followed Lucy and Bobby out of the room, casting a worried glance over her shoulder, and Jack sighed, stretching out on the couch. With difficulty he managed to get comfortable without aggravating the tender lump on his head. Closing his eyes, he waited for Sue to return with his medicine.

* * *

Sue walked back into the room with Jack's medicine in one hand and a glass of water in the other. She smiled softly as she saw him stretched out on the couch with his eyes closed. It was a relief to know that the pain in his head wasn't intense enough to hinder his sleep. Setting the medicine and water on the table, she carefully sat down on the edge of the couch. Reaching over to gently brush her hand against the side of his face, she was startled when Jack suddenly opened his eyes and reached out to grasp her hand with his own.

Jack smiled up at her, matching the loving gaze he saw reflected back at him. "I thought you were asleep," she told him in a surprised tone.

"Almost," Jack admitted, "but I felt you sit down beside me."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sue said apologetically. "Well, at least you can take your medicine now," she pointed out. Jack sat up a little so that he could take a sip of water to wash down the pills, and Sue put the glass back on the table. "How are you doing?" she asked sympathetically.

"Right now I'm doing pretty good," Jack answered, gazing into her eyes.

"I'm glad," Sue said, somewhat flustered by the look in his eyes. "I'll go and let you get some rest," she told him. She was about to get up when he took her hand, his brown eyes begging her to stay.

"Don't go," he implored her.

"You need to get some sleep, Jack," she insisted firmly, smiling back at him.

"I know, but if I were asleep, I wouldn't be able to do this," he said with a playful grin. Still holding her hand, he gently pulled her to him, kissing her firmly on the lips. He felt her stiffen for a brief moment, and then she relaxed in his embrace, giving herself over to the kiss. They kissed for what seemed like forever to Jack, yet at the same time, it was much too soon for him when she finally pulled away.

As much as she didn't want to, Sue had to end it when she did. With everything that had happened to them since that morning, she was certain that neither of them were thinking clearly right now. She leaned her head against his chest for a moment, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat.

When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with tears. "What is it?" Jack asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Sue smiled happily at him, and shook her head slightly. "Nothing's wrong. It all feels very right. It’s just been a very long, very strange day, and I think we need to get some rest before we deal with…this, with everything that's happened," she explained softly.

"I agree, it's been quite a day," Jack told her. "But haven't we been putting this off long enough? We need to talk."

"That's not exactly what we were doing just now, Jack," Sue pointed out with a chuckle.

"I know," Jack said. "But I've been wanting to kiss you ever since you and Lucy walked in the room," he told her, his eyes gazing intently into her own.

Sue blushed and looked down briefly before meeting his eyes again. "Well I'm certainly not complaining," she assured him. "But I think that for tonight, at least, we need to take a breather and just get some rest."

Jack was poised to argue, but he could see the fatigue in her eyes and knew that she was right. They both needed to sleep on it, literally. "Okay. But tomorrow, we're going to have a nice long talk," he told her.

"That's a deal," Sue agreed, grinning at him. "So, I know you were almost asleep when I came in, but wouldn't you rather sleep in your bed? I think you'll be more comfortable there."

"Yeah, as much as my head pounds when I stand up, I should probably move into the bedroom," Jack agreed. He slowly got off the couch and took the hand that Sue offered him.

"You're going to owe Levi some of his favorite dog biscuits by the time this night is over," Sue informed him as they walked to his room.

"Why is that?" he asked in confusion.

"Well, I need to check on you every few hours to make sure that you don't have any unusual symptoms," Sue explained. "So I'll be setting the alarm clock, and Levi will have to wake me up. Then I'll be coming in to wake you up."

Jack grinned at her, and they stopped at the doorway of his bedroom. "As tired as I am, I don't think I'm going to mind that one bit," he told her with a wink. Sue nodded and smiled knowingly at him. "I'll leave the lamp on by the bed so that you'll be able to see when you come in," he added.

"Okay. Sleep well, and I'll see you in a few hours," Sue promised, leaning over to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. Before she could turn to leave, Jack slid an arm around her waist and kissed her again. This kiss was much longer, and when it was over he pulled her into a hug.

"I hope you get some sleep tonight, too," he told her once they'd parted, and then looked at her thoughtfully. "So, dog biscuits for Levi, huh?" he asked. Sue nodded. "I'll have to think of a way to repay you for tonight," he told her.

Sue shook her head. "Just the fact that you're alive and well will be thanks enough for me," she insisted.

"I'll think of something," Jack said with certainty. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it, causing her to shiver slightly. If Jack noticed, he didn't let on. "See you in a few hours," he said, releasing her hand. Sue nodded and watched him walk into his room, closing the door behind him. She couldn't help but wonder what Jack had in mind, but she had no doubt that she would find out, all in good time.

* * *

Sue forced her eyes open as she felt Levi jump up onto the bed. He gently pawed her arm until she sat up, rubbing her burning eyes. Sleep had come very quickly, and she was not eager to abandon it. The day's events came tumbling into her consciousness along with all of the feelings that went with them. The love she'd felt for Jack in the basement, when they'd both thought they were going to die. The relief she'd felt when Bobby had come down the basement stairs. And later on, the comfort and safety she'd felt in Jack's arms. Sue knew that if she lay there thinking about it much longer, she was liable to fall right back to sleep. She reset the alarm clock so that it would go off again in a little over two hours and dragged herself out of bed, shivering as she traded the warm covers of her bed for the cool air of the bedroom. Putting on a robe over her thin pajamas, Sue walked into Jack's room, Levi at her heels.

True to his word, he'd turned on the small lamp beside his bed, and in the dim light, she could see him curled up on his side, sound asleep. She crept up to his bed and leaned over him, rubbing his shoulder. "Jack," she said gently. "It's time to wake up." He rolled over onto his back and yawned, but didn't open his eyes. "Jack," she repeated. "Wake up, or I'll have to sic Levi on you." His lips curved into a smile, and he opened his eyes slowly.

"You're a cruel woman," he told her, yawning again.

"I do what I have to," Sue informed him, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Pretty tired, and you?" Jack told her, causing her to frown at him. "I'm okay," he reassured her. "My head still hurts, but not as much as before."

"Good. I need to check your eyes, Jack, to make sure your pupils are normal. Can you move over so that you're closer the light?" Sue asked him. Jack obliged, and she stared into his eyes for a moment. Suddenly she realized he was staring back at her with an intensity she'd seen before, and she felt her cheeks go warm. She also realized how close together they were on the bed and quickly stood up, breaking eye contact as she did. "Well, your eyes look fine," she said hastily.

"And yours look beautiful," Jack replied.

"Thanks," she said shyly, shaking her head. "Jack…just get some more sleep, okay? I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Okay," Jack said, but Sue had already turned to leave the room. Levi looked up at him and whined, then followed Sue out the door. Jack grinned to himself as he thought of the way she'd looked just now, sitting next to him looking into his eyes. He'd loved her shy and slightly flustered reaction to his compliment. There were times he was sure that she was unaware of how beautiful she really was, and that was part of what attracted him to her. He certainly planned on telling her exactly how he felt about her over the next few days, if he could just figure out the right way to do it.

* * *

Chapter 23: In the Wee Small Hours

As she walked to Jack's room very early in the morning, Sue was surprised at how rested she felt, despite having her sleep so interrupted. She knew it was probably because she no longer had to worry about keeping up pretenses. Their undercover assignment was over with, and she couldn't be happier. That alone was a huge relief, in addition to the fact that Jack was doing wonderfully, showing no signs of a serious head injury.

She froze in her steps when she saw him. He was twisting and turning on the bed, his face a mask of anger, then fear. Looking at his lips, she was sure he must be yelling something, but she couldn't tell what it was. Sitting down beside him, she grasped his hands in hers and said his name in a soothing tone, telling him to wake up. He calmed down almost immediately, and after a few moments he slowly opened his eyes. "That must have been some dream," she told him, still holding his hands. She tried to smile, but her eyes were worried as she looked down at him.

"Yeah, it was," Jack agreed. "We were back in the basement with Dr. Lee, only things suddenly went wrong, and…" his voice trailed off and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Tell me," Sue said softly. "It'll make you feel better," she assured him.

"But it'll make you feel worse," Jack warned her.

"I'm a big girl," she assured him. "I'm sure I can handle it."

Jack looked at her doubtfully, but he was pretty sure she wouldn't leave him alone unless he told her. "I made a wrong move, and the gun went off. You got shot." His voice choked up with the last sentence, and he was glad, for once, that she couldn't hear it. "It was my fault," he said.

"It was just a dream, Jack," Sue reminded him. "You saved me, remember?"

"It may have just been a dream, but what if it was also some kind of warning?" Jack said. Sue shook her head in confusion, not understanding how he could read so much into a dream.

"You've been through a trauma. I'm not a doctor, but I'm sure that it's perfectly normal to--"

"This isn't the first time," Jack said, cutting her off. He carefully sat up, propping up his pillow so that he could lean against the headboard. She looked at him curiously, waiting for him to go on. "The other night, when I was waiting for you to come home from your evening with Lucy, I had a strange dream," he told her.

"Go on," Sue prompted him. "What was it about?"

"Well, the beginning of it was very pleasant," Jack told her, his eyes twinkling. "I was with you in the car, and we were…" He stopped and just looked at her, grinning softly at her embarrassed expression as she realized what he was referring to. "It was a nice dream, to say the least. But then, it changed. Suddenly we were in the middle of a busy road, and I was driving the car in the wrong lane of traffic. Another car was just about to come crashing into us when I woke up."

"Wow," Sue said, not knowing how to respond at first. He was clearly distressed by both dreams. "You must have been more worried about the case than you would admit," she told him.

"I don't think that's what it meant," Jack told her.

"What do you think it meant then?" Sue asked.

"As much as I want to be with you, I'm afraid that I'm only going to end up hurting you in the end," Jack told her, sorrow in his eyes.

Sue shook her head in disbelief. "How could you think that?"

"It's the way I feel," he answered honestly. "I guess I'm just afraid that I'm going to mess this up somehow. I can't stand the thought of hurting you, Sue."

"There's no guarantee that one of us won't get hurt, but we can't worry about that," Sue told him gently. "I know that you would never purposely do anything to put me in danger, so please don't worry about the dreams, okay?"

"I'll try not to," Jack promised. "And don't think that I don't want to be with you, because I do," he assured her.

"Good," Sue told him, taking one of his hands in hers. "What we have…Jack, I've never felt this way before," she admitted.

"Neither have I," Jack agreed, "and this might sound like a cliché, but I can't seem to get you out of my head these days," he confessed.

Sue raised an eyebrow, surprised by his admission. "Really?" she asked, feeling overwhelmed by what she saw in his eyes.

"That's pretty much been the case since the day I first laid eyes on you," he admitted with a laugh. "And the more I've gotten to know you, the more I've cared about you. But since this case has started, and we've allowed ourselves to let go of our uh, inhibitions," he said with a grin, "I've really figured out how much you mean to me," he finished, feeling a wave of relief when he saw the smile of happiness on Sue's face.

"I know what you're saying," she told him. "And I don't want to ignore what I'm feeling either. I just…I want to make sure that we don't let ourselves get carried away. Things have been so intense while we've been working on this case, plus we've been living together under one roof, making it impossible to breathe, or to really even think about our feelings." Jack listened intently, somehow anticipating that he wasn't going to like what she had to say next. "I just think that now that this case is over, maybe we need to take a step back. We don't know what's going to happen when we get back to our ordinary lives, and I think we need to give it some time," she finished, looking at him hesitantly.

"If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do," Jack told her, not even trying to hide his disappointment. "I know that my feelings for you aren't going to fade, though. For me, there's no going back."

"That's good, because I don't want to go back," Sue assured him, her heart fluttering at his words. "I like what's developed between us here," she said with a smile. "I'm just concerned that we're getting so wrapped up in these new feelings that we're not considering how it will effect our lives once we leave this house."

"You're right, but I think I would be unhappy if it didn't affect our lives," Jack said. "Seeing you at work every day isn't enough for me. I want to see more of you. A lot more," he added with a cheeky grin. Her eyes widened at the possible implications of his comments, but she decided to let it slide for now.

"Do you think they'll still let us work together if we start dating?" Sue asked uncertainly.

"Well, the no-dating policy is basically in effect to prevent agents in the same unit from dating. You and I do investigative work together, but a lot of your work is behind the scenes. I really think that if we talk to Garrett he'll okay it, so long as we agree to keep things professional at work," Jack told her. "Of course, he'll have to assign you a different training agent," he added.

"Of course," Sue agreed. "Hopefully we can convince him." Jack was holding her hand in both of his, gently massaging each of her fingers and sending tingles throughout the rest of her body. "So we'll just take things slow, then, and see what develops," she said, smiling at him.

"I can live with that," Jack told her. He studied her for a few moments, looking as though he had something else to say.

"Jack, what is it?" Sue asked.

"I'm definitely going to miss this," he replied. He didn't have to elaborate; she knew what he meant.

"So am I," Sue said quietly. His expressive eyes looked a little sad, and she reached over, giving him a hug. Jack's arms moved to her waist, bringing her even closer. Sue became well aware of the fact that she was now sitting in his lap, but didn't pull away. Instead, she shut her eyes and just enjoyed the closeness---being held by him was an amazing feeling.

Jack buried his face in her hair, inhaling the pleasant scent of her shampoo. He gently brushed it aside with his fingers, placing feather-light kisses on her neck. Sue shivered in response, and Jack smiled when she didn't protest. He continued to softly kiss her neck, moving slowly upwards until his lips found hers. She responded to his kiss, and he quickly felt the now familiar passion begin to overtake them.

Sue broke the kiss and looked at him playfully. "If this is taking it slow, I'm afraid to know what it would be like if we started moving too fast," she joked. Leaning forward, she gave him a quick kiss on the end of his nose before pulling out of his arms. Putting a safe distance between them, she smiled at him reproachfully. "I guess this means that you're feeling better."

"I'm actually feeling really good at the moment," Jack told her with a guilty smile. "I've got a dull headache, but you were sure making me forget about that just now," he said mischievously.

"I'll bet," Sue said with a laugh, narrowing her eyes at him. "Just the same, I'm going to go and let you--"

"Don't go," he said, pleading with his eyes.

"Jack…" Sue said softly, shaking her head as she continued to smile at him. "I think I need to leave now."

"Please stay---I just want to hold you," Jack insisted. Sue's heart lurched in her chest. She ached to take him up on his offer, but she didn't want to put either of them into a situation that could turn awkward. "We both need to get some sleep, and since you're going to be coming back in to wake me in a few hours anyhow, why not just stay?" Gazing at his sincere expression, Sue could see that he was determined not to take no for an answer.

"I've got my alarm set already; I should just go back to my room," she protested weakly.

"I've got an alarm clock, too. If I don't hear it for some reason, then Levi will come in and wake you up," Jack said rationally. Turning to the bedside table, he set the time on his alarm and turned back to her, looking somewhat smug. "I'm feeling fine, but I'd feel a lot better if you would come back over here," he told her.

Somewhat surprised, Sue's mouth dropped open at the boldness of his statement. "Oh really?" she asked him, chuckling.

Jack gave her his most charming smile and softly said, "Please come here." Sue finally obliged, as Jack moved over and lifted up the covers so she could slide in beside him.

"Sleep well," she told him, eyeing him with a suspicious smile.

You, too, Jack signed, grinning impishly as he put an arm around her. Sue smiled knowingly, and his grin began to fade, his expression growing more serious. He reached over to gently run his fingers through her hair, then put his hand in the air again. I love you, he signed, his eyes brimming with emotion.

"I love you too, Jack." Sue leaned forward to kiss him softly before turning in his arms, laying her head on the pillow. She felt him snuggle up behind her, spooning her body with his own. He put his arm around her, resting his hand lightly against her stomach, and Sue felt heat radiate from the places where Jack's body touched hers. True to his word though, Jack simply held her, and Sue felt her heartbeat slowly return to normal as she relaxed in his arms. Overwhelmed by feelings of love for him as well as from him, Sue suddenly felt enormously blessed to have Jack in her life. She had no idea what the future would bring, but she hoped that she would face it with this man by her side.

That's a wrap…

You can find this story, and all of TinaLynne's other stories here in her archive page. Comments are always welcome!