Hey, everyone. This is a crossover fic from 24 and ER. I was a fan of Jack Bauer and Renee Walker when they we're together. I always looked to them like Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway of ER. After Renee's death, I stopped watching 24. Now I am creating this fanfic that leads to the events of Day 8 and ER's season 15. The events of Day 8 are the same, except one big difference. Renee is alive and it will be explained later. I was inspired to make my own version with Renee alive after Day 8 from Day 9 by Ghost141 and Retrieval by GDA2000. How Renee was revived in my story will be explained later on.

This isn't my first time writing a fanfic, but the first time I publishing a story to this site. So, I would like to see some good reviews. Conservative criticisms are okay.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of my story.

Soulmates

Meeting the new receptionist

September 3rd, 2019

University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington

3:21 PM, Pacific Time Zone

Outside the University of Washington Medical Center, pediatrician Dr. Doug Ross and his wife for over 15 years, transplant coordinator and registered nurse Carol Hathaway-Ross, returned to the hospital where they work. They came back from a lunch break. Then Doug said to Carol, "Well, this first year resident Dean Edwards almost misdiagnosed that 12-year-old Jerry Mapleton. He thought Jerry was playing sick to skip school, but as it turns out, Jerry had leukemia when I ran the blood test."

Carol sighed and speaks to her husband about the patient under his care, "So, what's his current condition."

Doug hung his head as he stopped to face Carol, "Well, he's on the donors list for a bone-marrow transplant. And I informed his parents about Jerry's condition."

Both Doug and Carol proceed walking back to their hospital as she asked, "They didn't take the news well?" Carol asked since they dealt with parents with sick children before.

Both of them entered the hospital through the Emergency Department as Doug replied, "No, they did not. They fell helpless and guilty about it."

Then Doctor Neal Griffith, the Chief of Emergency Medicine, came to Doug and Carol and says, "Guys, we're having a new receptionist in the ER to replace James."

Dr. Griffith was referring to James Duncan, the old receptionist who retired and moved to Montana with his family. Carol asked, "Who is it?"

"Ah…Sarah Connolly. She'll be working with us for awhile. Try to make her feel welcome." Dr. Griffith replied.

"Okay." Doug replied. Then Doug continued to walk alongside Carol in the corridor of the Emergency department.

"I hope this new receptionist will be good, Doug. Because we are in need of the good one." Carol stated.

Then Vicky Sheridan, an African-American nurse in her upper 40s, came to Doug, "Doug, we got a boy attacked by a mad Doberman coming in."

"Alright. Vicky, prep the trauma room right now." As Vicky was getting a trauma room ready, Doug then orders Amanda Fisher, a nurse is a blonde in her upper 30s, "Amanda, get a gurney and some IV ready. We got a boy attacked by a mad dog."

"Yes, Dr. Ross." Amanda said as she went to get a gurney and an IV fluid and line. Doug was walking at the ambulance bay as Carol walks alongside him as she spoke to him.

"Doug, looks like your going to have a busy case. I'll let you get to work."

Doug quickly replied, "Yeah, I'll talk to you later, Carol." With that, he went to the ambulance bay.

Then an ambulance arrived as a paramedic says to Doug, "We got a 10-year-old white boy name Bruce Andersen, attacked by a Doberman. He has bite marks in his left arm." As they opened the ambulance, it has the boy screaming out in tremendous pain due to the dog bites. A female paramedic was treating him. The male paramedic tells Doug, "This is Louise Torres, the mother of a friend. She called 911 and rode with him."

Doug asked the female paramedic, "Where the boy's parents?"

As Doug asked that question, a woman with long auburn hair came in the ambulance bay. She was wearing a blue-red-white long-sleeve plaid shirt and blue jeans. That woman was revealed to be Renee Walker. She stood by to the wall of the hospital as she was overhearing everything. The female paramedic says to Doug, "Dad's on his way. Mother's visiting out of state."

"Who found him?" Doug asked the paramedics.

Louise Torres answered for him, "My son Al did. He saw a dog charged to Bruce and attacked him. I and the other people went to get the dog off him. I kept hitting the dog with a baseball bat and it got away. Then I called 911 and I rode with him since he needed someone to comfort hm."

Once Doug and the nurses we're wheeling Bruce into the ER with Ms. Torres following, Renee went inside the ER and went to the reception desk and went to Desk Clerk Nathan Duvall. "Can I help you, ma'am?"

Renee looked at him and says in the quiet tone, "Hi, I'm Sarah Connolly. I'm a…

Before the woman can finish, Nathan stands up and shook hands with her while saying, "Oh, hey there. Nathan Duvall. Welcome to University of Washington Medical Center, one of the finest hospitals known."

Then Renee quietly and somberly nodded and asks in a quiet tone, "So, should I get a tour in this place so I can know the place and such?"

"Alright, let me show around for a bit." Nathan stated as he got up. He goes to student nurse, Molly Daniels, "Molly, take over my spot. I'll be back."

Molly, a student nurse in his upper 20's with blonde hair, took his seat while saying "Right, Nate." Then Nathan takes the beautiful auburn-haired woman and shows her around the area. Renee thought, "Oh, god. I hate this place already." She felt sick on the inside since she hates hospitals because of her nearly dying in the hospital after being shot by Pavel Tokarev, but has to take that job to get some money.

3:52 PM

As Doug, an Emergency Department resident Dr. Warren Smith and the nurses treated and stabilized Bruce to prepare up to surgery, trauma surgeon Dr. Ed Jones joined them for a surgical consult. Dr. Jones asked, "What do we got?"

Doug gives Dr. Jones the medical assessment, "Ed, we got a 10-year-old male attacked by a Doberman. He's got bite marks in his left arm, around 25 to 30 bite marks and 3 marks in his left side of his chest. He's got some blood lost. BP is now 92 over 80. We we're to keep the blood from going out even more. He's should stabilized enough to go to surgery.

Dr. Jones looks at his charts and x-rays for the moment, which confirms everything that Doug said. He then says, "Alright, he's stable enough; let's get him to surgery now.

Doug turns to Bruce, "Son, remember you're going up to surgery."

The scared boy replies, "Yes…"

"We'll now's the time, Bruce." Doug replies gently to Bruce. Then he tells Dr. Smith and the nurse, "Let's move him up."

As they we're doing moving Bruce up to surgery, a man comes rushing to the reception desk.

"Excuse me; I'm looking for my son, Bruce Andersen." The worried man asked in a desperate tone,

Then Renee, under the name is Sarah Connolly, stood up, recognizing the kid's name. She asks him in a professional tone, "Are you the father?"

"Yes, I'm his father. Where's my son?"

Renee remembered where the boy was when she saw in a trauma room where Doug and the others are when Nate took him to the tour and states to him, "Alright, calm down. Follow me. I'll show where he is."

Then the woman was leading the father to the trauma room when they saw Doug and the others we're in the process of moving Bruce to surgery. The worried father sees that his son is in the gurney. "Oh my god." He rushed to him as Renee watched on. "Bruce."

"Dad." Bruce lets his words out in relief. Doug sees the father coming to his son's side.

Mr. Anderson got to the gurney and looked at Bruce's left arm and lets out a horrified look on his face.

"Oh my god! Bruce." Mr. Andersen said as he saw how horrible Bruce's left arm looked with the nasty bite marks.

"You're the father?" Doug asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm his father. Gary Andersen." The father replied to Doug. Then the elevator doors opened.

Then Louise Torres came to him. "Gary."

Then Mr. Anderson saw Ms. Torres and asked, "Louise? What happened?"

Ms. Torres answered, "Al said a dog charged at him and attacked him. I saw it was a Doberman that mauled him. Several people and I we're fighting the dog to get off him and then it ran off."

Doug then said to Mr. Anderson, "Sir, I'll talk to you about Bruce. Right now, he needs to go up to surgery."

Mr. Andersen didn't want to leave Bruce's side, but realize that the medical team we're taking him to surgery. So he nodded and turned to Bruce. "Alright, Bruce. Listen to me; I'll see you after surgery."

Bruce was scared, but nodded as he understood. "Okay, dad."

As Dr. Jones and the nurses went to the sky bridge to take Bruce up to surgery, Doug turned to both Mr. Andersen & Ms. Torres and spoke to them while Renee stood by and listened to their conversation.

"Ms. Torres, could you give a minute?" Doug asked quietly.

Ms. Torres nodded and walked away as Doug speaks to Mr. Andersen.

"Mr. Andersen, your son has one large bite in his left arm. Bruce also has bite marks on the left side of the chest and the upper hip area. He lost some blood, but his blood pressure is doing alright so far. We are moving him up to surgery on the 4th floor to repair the damage done by that dog." Doug explained honestly.

Renee feels bad for Bruce and felt sick on the inside as she overheard the conversation. Mr. Andersen scoffs in disbelief and felt really tense as he asked Doug. "How and why did that dog attack him?"

Doug says that, "We're still not sure yet. Ms. Torres called 911 and went with him in the ambulance. And I heard what she told you what happened. That's all I know."

Mr. Andersen acknowledged silently. He still wanted to know more about what happened, but was still more concerned about his son.

"I'll have a nurse take you to the surgical waiting room." He then calls out to Amanda, "Amanda, take Mr. Andersen to the surgical waiting room."

"Yes, Dr. Ross." Amanda acknowledged.

As Amanda was taking Mr. Andersen to the surgical waiting room, Doug looks at Renee, who looked at him. He sees that Renee looks beautiful and sexy on the outside. But Doug noticed how troubled she looked, judging by her somber expression on her face. He asked her with concern, "Hey, ma'am. You're okay?"

Renee looked at Doug with a hardened expression on her face briefly and says while looking away from him, "Yeah. I just overheard what you had to tell that father about his son and what that boy's condition is."

Doug mildly sighed and asks Renee, "So who are you? Are you the new receptionist sent to work with us?"

Renee answered in a quiet tone, "Yeah, I'm Sarah Connolly." Renee is using her alias to protect herself.

"Dr. Doug Ross, Attending Pediatrics." Doug raised his right hand.

Renee shook hands with him quickly. "Nice to meet you, Doctor Ross." Renee said in a low tone.

Carol came to Doug and says to him, "Doug." Doug immediately turned to his wife who continues on what she was saying, "E-mail came in from the Denver Health Medical Center. We got a match for a new heart. O-positive, Ryan Quinn. The plane will be landing in Sea-Tac (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport) in 30 minutes."

Ryan Quinn is a 14-year-old boy who has an enlarged heart and is need of a heart transplant. His middle-class worker mother Annie has decent health insurance to have his son on the donor's list.

"Did you notify his mother?" Doug asked his wife.

Renee then turned her face at Carol and Doug as Carol silently nodded to Doug that she had notified Ryan's mother.

Doug got to what Carol gestured and asked again, "What happened to the donor?"

Carol answered as she looks at her charts, "17-year-old male shot in a head in an armed robbery of a supermarket. The family gave consent to be an organ donor and his heart is on its way here now."

Then Renee then signed sadly and her face turned grim by the mere thoughts of the man got shot dead in the armed robbery. That brings back the horrifying memories of her getting shot by Pavel Tokarev and Jack carrying her to the hospital. But Renee knew that she couldn't show emotions in front of two strangers. She then looks at them and acted cool "That poor guy had to go through the worst final moments of his life, like your whole world is turned upside down in a split second." Renee stated in a cold, somber demeanor.

Doug and Carol were mildly surprised by Renee's seemingly bitter tone. Carol says to her, "Hey, I know it's terrible for what happened to that guy and his family. But his heart will give someone else a chance to be saved."

Renee took a deep breath and silently replied, "I know, I know and I hope for the best for that boy."

Carol then asked Renee, "Who are you exactly?"

Before Renee could say who she was, Doug introduced Carol to their newest receptionist in the hospital's Emergency Department, "Sarah Connolly, our new receptionist at the ER."

"Oh, hi. Carol Hathaway, transplant coordinator. I'm also a registered nurse." Carol introduced herself to Renee as they shook hands.

"How you doing, ma'am?" Renee asked politely as possible, despite her sad features even though she tried to hide it.

"I'm alright." Carol replied. She can sense the woman seemed emotionally troubled.

Doug then states to Carol, "I'm going back to PICU (Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit) to check on Ryan." With that, Doug went to the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, Carol turned to Renee.

"So, uh, have you been shown around the hospital?" Carol asked the new ER receptionist.

Renee took a deep breath and answered, "Yeah, by Mr. Duvall. He gave the tour of this Emergency Department."

Carol nodded. Then she noticed how gloomy Renee looked and had a feeling that was familiar to her. Carol asked, "Ah…Have you worked in the hospital before, Ms. Connolly?"

Renee looked at Carol with a hardened expression on her face. She hates hospital since she almost died in St. Andrew's Hospital. She remembered waking up in the ICU a week later and hoped that Jack was okay, only to learn from the CIA agent who had her revived that he kill Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Novakovich and tried to assassinate Russian President Yuri Suvarov. Renee was completely distraught over the news and felt that she woke up to the worst nightmare of her life. She really didn't want to answer Carol's question. But she replied to Carol in a quiet, somber tone, "No, I hate hospitals. But I needed a job to pay my debts, among other things."

Carol silently acknowledged. She senses that something wasn't really right with Renee, judging by the tone of her voice and the look on Renee's eyes. But realizes that she has to let it go for now.

Renee asked Carol in a polite tone, "Where is the women's room? I'm still trying to get familiar with this place?"

Carol tells Renee to follow her and leads her to the woman's bathroom. When they got the women's restroom, Carol pointed to the women's room and says to her. "Now if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask, Ms. Connolly."

"Thank you." Renee acknowledged. Then she opened the door and went inside the bathroom.

As the bathroom door closed, Carol was slightly concern about the well-being on ER's new receptionist and looked at the women's restroom with genuine concern. But was interrupted with Vicky came to her and said, "Carol, Francis wants to see you in his office about the Ryan Quinn case."

Vicky was referring to Dr. Joe Francis, the hospital's Chief of Staff, who is also a surgeon. The man is strict about the rules and regulations of the hospital health care.

"Okay, thanks, Vicky." Carol nodded. She left the hallway to go and see Dr. Francis. But Carol turns her head back to the women's restroom, still showing concern for their new Emergency Department's receptionist as she continues to walk towards the elevators.

At the women's restroom, Renee was alone in the women's restroom. She was putting water in her face. Then Renee looks at herself in the mirror somberly. She feels so alone. Renee hated how she looked in the mirror. Her face became more haunted and somber as she was looking at herself in the mirror. Painful memories came back to haunt her.

"Jack is on the run because of me. He supposed to be in California with his daughter and granddaughter, but now he is wanted by both Russians and the American government because of me. I made such a terrible mess of everything in Jack's life…" Renee thought darkly as she was looking at herself in the mirror with great sadness. A tear was coming out of her left eye and it came to her left cheek, but she wipes it away with her left hand.

Then a nurse came to the restroom and that interrupted Renee's thoughts. She left the woman's room. After taking a deep breath and composing herself, she was heading back to the reception desk.

Apartment complex, Caracas, Venezuela

10:44 PM, VET

At the apartment somewhere in Caracas, the bearded, grizzled Jack Bauer entered the apartment. The apartment's landlord, Carlos Sanchez, sees him coming to his building. Since 15 months after he killed corrupt Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Novakovich and attempted to assassinate President Yuri Suvarov, he's been hiding in Venezuela and is living under the name Michael Rimgale. Jack is doing construction work on a hotel in Caracas.

Sanchez came to him, "Hola, Mr. Rimgale."

"Hola to you too, Mr. Sanchez." Jack said as he was going to the elevator.

"Oh, Mr. Rimgale. You still owe me that rent." Sanchez said honestly. Jack owned Sanchez $190 to pay his rent on the apartment he's living.

"Yes, I know. I'll pay the rent tomorrow. I'm getting my paycheck at that time." Jack replied to his landlord as he pressed the elevator up button.

Sanchez asked to him, "When will that hotel be finished?"

"It will take at least from eight months to a year to complete building it." Jack replied. But he has a feeling that he may have to leave Venezuela to get away again in case of anyone found him.

Sanchez nodded. Then the elevator arrived and Jack went on, saying to Sanchez,

"Adios, Mr. Sanchez."

"Same here, Mr. Rimgale." Sanchez replied as Jack pressed the floor button and the elevator doors closes. Sanchez went back to his own apartment.

Jack reached the floor he currently lives in and went to his apartment on the third floor. As he went inside, he only turned on the kitchen light.

Jack went to the window and sadly gazed at the view of the city. He was in deep thought of Renee, the woman who he was in love with and the woman he failed to save. To this day, Jack still blamed himself for what happened to Renee. He can only wish he can turn back the clock and save Renee from that bastard Pavel Tokarev. During these 15 months, he still have nightmares over that fateful morning that claimed Renee's life and what would happen if the Russians got to his family to use them against him.

As he couldn't look at the view of Caracas anymore, Jack closed the cretins and went to his bed. He knew he couldn't sleep well anymore due to the nightmares he has in his life, but he needed to rest for awhile. During all these 15 months, he wondered how things would turn out to be if he just saved Renee from the sniper's bullet that claimed her life. He failed to protect her, just like Teri and Audrey. Kim and her family are living on the run from the Russians because of him. He felt that James Heller was right that "everyone he touched, one way or another, winds up dead." Those words still vivid in his memories as he drifted off to sleep, but he'll hardly get a good night sleep.

The Ross family house, Mercer Island, Washington

8:33 PM, PDT

At the Ross' lakeside house in Mercer Island, Doug and Carol came home. Their 19-year-old twin daughters, Tess and Kate, we're in Harvard. Carol was making lasagna for dinner while Doug was finished watching Monday Night Football when the NFL game was over. Carol came to the living room and said to him.

"Doug, the lasagna will be ready in 15 minutes." Carol announced. She's been making some good lasagna when since she took practice how to cook lasagna when she, along with Tess and Kate, moved to Seattle 19 years ago. Carol always tries to be a good wife and mother, feed them well and get whatever they need.

Doug turned to his wife while hanging his head down and says sarcastically, "Man, I'll feel younger with that lasagna." Doug hated getting older, but knows that he will never getting any younger.

"Oh, come on. We're all getting old, Doug. We're not going to get any younger." Carol stated in a soft, but serious tone.

"Yeah, I know. I know. Nobody wants to get old." Doug admitted.

Carol says to Doug, "We can't beat the clock, Doug. All we can do is live as long as we can and make sure our patients get that chance as well."

Doug nodded. As Carol was checking the lasagna, Doug noticed that his wife seemed to be thinking of something, judging by her look on her face. "Carol, are you alright?"

Carol was deep in thought. She has been thinking about Renee, whom she refers as the new receptionist. After taking a breath, she admits to her husband, "I've been thinking about that new receptionist Connolly, Doug. She seemed so…troubled."

Doug would have to agree with his wife about the beautiful new receptionist who just joined the hospital, "Yeah. She did act a bit cool about the guy who was killed had to go through the worst final moments of his life, like your whole world is turned upside down in a split second."

"Yeah, I know. I saw that. She seemed really…I don't know…lost. I got a feeling that she…" Carol said as she trailed off from there. She can't really explain in the way. Carol suspects that Renee is feeling what she felt when she was alone without Doug around and she tried to commit suicide once in St. Patrick's Day in 1994.

"Let's talk about this some other time. You got dinner to cook." Doug reminded her.

Carol nodded as she checked on their lasagna to see how it's doing. Doug went back to their couch and see what's on TV.

Then Doug switches to a news channel. As the newsman said on-air, "In international news today, former President Allison Taylor has to give testimony before the international court against Russian President Yuri Suvarov. As you may recall, President Suvarov is accused of masterminding the assassination of Kamistani President Omar Hassan in New York on May of 2018 and providing radiological weapons to Hassan's enemies. With more, we go to our correspondent Jennifer Mullen who is live in The Hague in Netherlands."

The camera switches to the female, brunette correspondent name Jennifer Mullen who is in The Hague. "President Taylor will tell her part of the story during her testimony through an online video conference, since she remains under house arrest for her part in covering up Suvarov's alleged crimes. Her former Secretary of State Ethan Kanin will also testify against Suvarov. According to Kanin, he witnessed the moment when Charles Logan told President Taylor about the Russian Government's involvement in President Hassan's assassination and in providing nuclear weapons to Kamistani terrorists. Kanin also saw how Logan convinced Taylor to cover everything up."

Doug hung his head and scoffs. Carol looks on the news while deep in thought about the whole thing that went down 15 months before. Then the stand timer on the microwave beeped which means the lasagna is about is ready to eat.

Doug was getting up from his couch and was going to get some silverware for them as he remarked in a quiet tone, "Sounds like President "Betrayer" had her passport revoked. Otherwise, she would have permission to travel." Doug nicknamed Allison Taylor "President Betrayer" since she covered up evidence of Suvarov's alleged involvement in Omar Hassan's assassination. He then was putting their silverware on the dining room table.

Carol ignored Doug's remark and replied while cutting up the lasagna, "Doug, the only reason we voted for her because we didn't like Noah Daniels. She turned out to be a good president, but she has destroyed her reputation and her freedom by covering up evidence of Omar Hassan's murder." Carol felt a bit betrayed by the former president, like all of America and the world due to the face she in fact voted for her, despite that she was a democrat like Doug.

"Not to mention what Jack Bauer did." Doug added.

"Doug…" Carol tried to reply to Doug about Jack Bauer when Doug interrupted her.

"I know. It's just that we saved his family back in Chicago in 98." Doug stated. He remembered he and Carol saved Jack's wife Teri and his daughter Kim in a car accident they witnessed in the summer of 1998. "It's just that Kim and her family must be going through hell because of what Jack did in New York a year ago." Doug couldn't believe Jack almost started World War III when he tried to kill Suvarov. He knew Jack was avenging the death of a friend of his, but going after Suvarov didn't give him a right to do so. He had disliked Jack since then for almost causing World War III to happen.

Carol was also shocked that Jack tried to kill President Yuri Suvarov back then. She says to Doug, "Doug, I never forgotten that. It's just that we're not encouraged to talk about Jack Bauer. But what I will say is that Kim and her family must hate him now and are angry at him for causing so much pain. Can you imagine how that poor girl must be feeling?" As she was saying that, Carol set the lasagna on the plates.

"I think Kim feels exactly the same way how you and the others felt when I showed Joi Abbott how to bypass the lockouts on the PCA in order to end Ricky's misery." Doug speculated to Carol. He realized that Carol is right that Kim and her family might hate him now. Doug instantly suspected that Kim's fury towards her father must be at the rate, probably stronger, with the anger that he received from Carol, his old, deceased friend Mark Greene and most of the hospital when he showed a grieving mother name Joi Abbott how to bypass the lockouts of the a Dilaudid PCA, which enabled her to give a lethal dose of medication to her terminally ill son, Ricky to end his misery 20 years ago.

"It's probably stronger than that, Doug. A lot stronger." Carol stated as puts their dinner on the dining room table. Carol was furious with Doug at the time when her old free-health clinic was closed due to its part of Ricky's death 20 years ago and chose to stay behind in Chicago when Doug asked her to join him when he was planning to move to Seattle or Portland after he resigned from County General Hospital. But later on, Carol gave birth to their twin daughters and more than a year later, she flew to Seattle and reunited with him at their lakeside house.

Doug sat down on the chair and grabbed some water to drink as he knows that Carol is probably right about the rate of Kim's anger towards her father since Jack Bauer almost started World War III when he tried to kill Yuri Suvarov in American soil. "You're probably right, Carol." Then Doug decided to drop the subject, "Alright, let's eat our dinner."

Carol nodded in agreement as they started eating their dinner. Carol was still in thought of the new receptionist. She thought the woman feels lost, even though she tried to hide it from her and Doug. Carol knew that feeling more than one occasion.

Doug went to a different subject and asked, "How are the girls?"

Carol's thoughts we're interrupted, but smiled by the mere thinking of their twin daughters. She replied, "Busy. Tess is doing with some tests in biochemistry. Luka and Abby are helping her out with that. Kate is currently doing a chemistry test in the physics class."

"Well, you know I'm a very good chemist." Doug replied.

"Yeah." Carol nodded.

Doug giggled. Then he ate a part of lasagna.

Carol then added. "You know, Luka and Abby's son, Joe, is currently in eighth grade math." After she said that, she ate the part of lasagna.

"I see. That's good to know." Doug replied. He doesn't really approve Carol being friendly with Luka since they had a brief affair before Carol decides to come back to Doug after she treated a mother with end-stage ovarian cancer and had her resuscitated in order to say goodbye to her daughters, despite being listed as a DNR. Although he was glad that Luka for bringing Carol to the hospital when she went into labor in the El train in Chicago and Abby was her OB nurse, Doug wasn't too pleased to have Luka help Tess with med school training because he knew Luka had a rocky history during his tenure with County Hospital.

"Yeah, it is." Carol stated. Then she and Doug continue to eat their dinner before they have a long shift ahead of them tomorrow.

King Arthur's Court Apartments, Seattle, Washington

9:44 PM, PDT

At the King Arthur's Court Apartment, Renee was coming to her second floor apartment when she is met by two people who are U.S. Marshals. One is Dennis Andrews, a light-brown, gruff-looking male in his 40s. The other marshal is Gail Kern, a skinny, black-hair female US Marshal in her upper 30s. The beautiful, auburn-haired woman wasn't thrilled to see them, but when they we're standing at her apartment door, she lets them in. After turning on the hallway light, they entered the apartment.

The apartment has one bedroom and one bathroom. The kitchen was near the front door and there was a small dining room there. Besides the dining area, there the living room with a large couch, a small coffle table and a small TV set. There was a balcony that has a great view of the city. The curtains and blinds we're kept closed. Marshal Andrews kind of found it odd. Renee kept them closed since she is still traumatized by the shooting that occurred a year before.

"Hi, Ms. Walker." Andrews said.

Then the woman silently greeted them and coldly says, "Coming to check on me at this time of night?"

Then Marshal Kern says, "We're just checking up on you to see how you're adjusting, Renee. We told the manager we're investigating a fugitive so he wouldn't arouse suspicion just do you know."

"I know some of procedures how the US Marshals operate." Renee stated in a severe tone.

"Ms. Walker, we know you almost bailed out of WITSEC once in the past four months ago." Marshal Andrews stated. What he meant was that four months ago, Renee tried to leave Witness Protection when she tried to get to the US-Mexico border.

"I know! But I still need to find Jack and let him know that I'm alive before he gets himself killed out there. I mean…according to you guys, he killed the Russian Foreign Minister and already attempt to assassinate the President of the Russian Federation. I can't let him go down to that path because of me. I have to find him and let him know that I'm alive before he gets himself killed." Renee said in a somber tone.

"Ms. Walker. You can't go off the reservation by yourself without notifying the US Marshals." Marshal Kern said in a serious tone. "If you do that, sooner or later, the Russians will know that you're alive and will come after you again."

"Don't you think I know what the risks are? I know what the risks are. But I can take care of myself." Renee stated sternly.

"Renee, you're not the federal agent anymore. As we said to you, you're a witness now. Besides, Jack is now an international fugitive and every law enforcement agency is out looking for him." Marshal Andrews said.

"Oh, gee. Would that help find Jack? Huh?" Renee said sarcastically. Then she continued in a serious tone, "Well, let me tell you two something. I may have known Jack for a short time, but I know well enough that you won't be able to find him. He's doesn't trust very many people; he's knows many tactics in all our agencies and by the time you find out where he is, he'll disappear before you could find him and be in another country. If the Russians do find him, he'll setup the element of surprise to buy himself more time to survive." Then Renee added in a bitter, harsh tone, "You guys thank he's a dangerous fugitive, but you don't even know the whole story behind that! As we stand here, Jack is somewhere around the world blaming himself for what happened to me as he thinks I'm dead while I'm standing here feeling something that is indescribable to you all and you talk about my safety as a federal witness?!"

Both US Marshals we're silent as Renee glares at them intensely. Renee then decided that she had enough of this conversation.

"You two get out of my sight and leave me alone. I don't want to see you guys anymore right now!" Renee ordered sternly and coldly.

Marshal Andrews silently tells Kern to let's go and both marshals left the apartment almost immediately. Renee closes the door and locks it. Then Renee leaned her back at the front and sink down to the floor. Her face became somber as she tried to compose herself. What she said about how she is feeling is true. She is lost, alone, grieve-stricken and has blamed herself for what happened to Jack to this date.

Then Marshal Kern, while far enough away from Renee, said to Andrews, "Dennis, I don't think Walker will obey the rules of WITSEC for much longer."

"That's what worries me. But we can't force her not to leave Witness Protection, Gail." Andrews sated sympathetically.

Then Kern got serious and said, "I don't know why she would bond for a crazy man like Jack Bauer. Any FBI agent would not be friends with him, but she did."

"Hey, don't talk like that in front of her. She'll come after you if you say that to her." Andrews warned his partner as they we're walking towards their car.

Back in the apartment, Renee got up from the floor and went to the bedroom. She takes out her laptop and her notebook that was in her closet. As she set up her laptop in the desk in the bedroom, she activates the machine. As Renee goes over her notebook, she knows that Jack went to Mexico by taking a bus as she was written down in her notebook. She knew Jack took the bus because she checked the monitors in bus stations in Texas and Jack took the bus to Mexico two weeks after her shooting. Renee goes over the bus manifest in Mexico since Jack might take another bus, a ship or a small plane without security checkpoints to go further south. As she goes over the accounts in the New York banks within the last 15 months, she finds out that Jack transferred his accounts from New York to the Cayman Island accounts under the name Robert Harmon, but hasn't got through the Cayman Island accounts for the moment. Renee wanted to search for Jack by going to south to Mexico, but she needed money to travel and survive.

Then after awhile on a computer, Renee shuts off her laptop and closes it. Then she turns off the light and sat on her queen-size bed. Her face was somber as she is haunted by her near-death and Jack becoming a fugitive. Tears we're starting to come out of her eyes. She hated feeling weak, but her memories of everything that happened 15 months ago is very painful. All she wants to do is to find Jack and let him know that she's alive. Renee also hoped to get him out of his current predicament as well, but she doesn't think she could do so since Jack tried to assassinate Yuri Suvarov to avenge her supposed death and Hassan's assassination. Then she couldn't hold back her emotions anymore and broke down in tears. She lay down on her bed and covered her face with her right arm as she began to cry quietly like a river.

Thank you for reading and review when you read this chapter.