Jack woke up to the once again empty bed, he moved his legs shifting and wincing a little as the pain went down his spine. He sat up running his hand through his messy bed hair. He knew that D would be out in the kitchen sipping coffee while he read the paper, but a small part of him still feared the idea that he would be gone. He still couldn't shake the images that filled his head of the two henchmen falling to the ground a bullet coming mere inches away from D's face.

The thought of D not being there terrified Jack to no end. Calm down, he's perfectly fine, he's in the kitchen drinking coffee waiting for you to get your lazy ass up. Jack walked out to the bathroom fixing his hair as he pulled on some pants.

He came out smiling a little as he saw D sitting in the stiff wooden chair. The man's brown eyes flicked up at him as he shuffled to him. "Hey there, hodya sleep?" D asked even though he perfectly knew how well he had slept. D would have woken up if Jack had even whine softly. He was sure of it.

"I slept fine." He said as he reached for the mug from the dish washer. He yelped as he suddenly felt an arm around his waist. His cheeks flushed from being caught off guard by the silent footsteps of D.

"good, then I did ma job." He said his voice was dark, low rumbling. "what's got ya so tense up? Your wound up tighta than cat being sprayed with water."

Jack pulled away from the intimate space as he poured himself coffee. "It's nothing really." He says sipping his cup of coffee waiting for its effects to kick in. D grunted as he pulled away as soon as he had appeared. It turned out that he had pulled away to put his plate in the sink washing it off. Jack shuddered a little feeling D's warmth slip away. He's cheeks pinked a little as he felt a little pathetic at how desperate he had wanted him to simply stay that way.

Of course, what do you expect Jack? What is he going to do kiss you and make you feel better, you said you were fine.

Yeah guess I shouldn't be expecting more than.

"There's eggs on the stove for you. I heard you thumpin around in there so they are still hot." D said as he walked out to the patio of the house. D's brother's house, trying to imagine what his brother would have been like was still slipping out of Jack's reach. He filled his plate up with eggs and then followed D out to find that he was sitting in the seat that he had claimed. A man of habit I guess. D turned and Jack saw a quick curl of his lip, Jack sat his plate balanced on his knee as he was started scooping his scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Since they hadn't been followed things had quieted down a little, thus explained the sudden turn of events each night that they had. Jack sometimes found it hard to believe that this wasn't a dream. All of it. He could almost imagine waking back up in Baltimore. Being alone and he would back to the coffee shop on the corner. Going back to work.

"Theres that look again…whats on ya mind doc." D asked which made Jack look up blinking with wide blue eyes like he had been caught when he didn't even know something was wrong.

"It's nothing D." He said hoping that his tone sounded firm and dismissive, it didn't.

D slide next to him pulling the other closer. Jack's heart was thumping. "Come on you can tell me anythan."

"Why, why the hell can I tell you anything! Yet you're the same. I don't know shit about you D!" He said, D blinked a confused look appeared on his face as his eyes traveled over Jack's face. Jack pulled away although a part of him screamed to do nothing more than pull himself closer to D.

"Jack," D said slowly which made him look up in to the blank brown eyes. "I thought-"

"I almost lost you! Because of me! No, I'm not fine you emotionally stunted…" Jack couldn't think to finish that sentence, he was too angry to know where to begin. "You, you would have." He muttered a curse as he felt his eyes starting to burn with the need to cry. He looked away not wanting D to see him in a moment of weakness.

"Is that what this is about?" D asked grabbing Jack's jaw and making him look up at him. Jack's blue eyes bore in D's softening brown eyes but they still held emotions that Jack couldn't understand.

Jack tried to steady his breathing. "Of…. of course, it is. W…what would I do-" He didn't have time to finish such words before he felt D's lips on his kissing him so deeply with such force that the plate fell onto the wooden patio. He was pulled into D's arms into his lap causing his breath to hitch as he was pulled close to the warmth that always wrapped around him.

"I had everythin unda control. I told ya, I would protect you. Now you gotta believe me Jack. Alright?" D said his voice sounding even lower husky with emotion. "Say it!"

Jack was trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "o…ok…" he said slowly.

"say it like ya mean it!" He said as he kissed him deeper his hands going down to his hips as his eyes bore into him.

"Ok D…I'm…. I'm sorry…" He whispered as he slowly laced his arms around D's neck as he kissed him softly

"Don't be sorry Jack." D said returning the kiss.

Please don't go, never let me go D. I don't think I could let you /

Don't be stupid you must go to that trial. You already told Churchill you were going.

"You're doin' it again, what is it gonna take to get you to stop thinking?" D growled a little in frustration.

"I'm…" He said.

"Say sorry again and I'll gag your mouth closed." D warned and Jack's breath hitched as he saw the twinkle in D's eyes filled with teasing delight.

"Ok…" Jack said as D held him close. Jack felt warm and safe, safe in their own little world without the Rodriguez brother's, whoever was after D. Just them together alone. It was hopeless, but it was special to Jack. He would never let it go. Nor would D, for he was wishing for the same thing.