A/N: I've been away for quite some time but today I had some free time on my hands... decided to pursue an idea I've had for quite some time. This was meant to be a one-shot story but as usual, it's taking me longer to compose. So to anyone whose still out there and interested in fanfic of this show, I hope you enjoy in installments! Takes place three years after the events of "Two Graves". Enjoy! And please let me know if you're interested in reading :)

Jack paced the wet stretch of beach with apprehension, gripping his phone to his ear as the moon danced on the lapping waves behind him. His aim was to get as far from the Labor Day festivities as possible to make the call, but it had little bearing if he could not reach his intended.

"Come on Amanda, where are you?" he pleaded, as it continued to ring without answer. Just shy of giving up he started back down the beach, resolved to make do with leaving a message.

"Listen, I know we're having… a 'thing' right now," he worded softly, unsure of how else to phrase the untimely distance between them. He steered away from the details, hoping to talk it out in person. "Same 'thing' as usual," he minimized. "Just – get here as quickly as you can, alright? We need to talk; it's urgent," he added with emphasis— only to be jolted by the thunderous sound of a gunshot piercing the air just behind him.

He whirled around in abject shock, retracing its origin not fifty feet from where he stood. "No," he muttered, robbed of his breath as he broke into a sprint, dropping his phone along the way.

There on the beach was the silhouette of a woman with soft blonde tresses, crumbling to the ground. His heart nearly beat out of his chest as he tore across the sand to get to her, the intensity of the moment clouding how closely it resembled that summer night on the beach just seven years before.

"No, no, no," he sighed with each step, crying out in release as he fell to his knees at her side. But it took every ounce of strength not to burst into tears before fearfully pulling her motionless form into a sliver of moonlight, revealing an identity that was unmistakable…

THREE MONTHS AGO

Amanda placed her feet into the wet sand just shy of the shoreline and took a deep breath. How long had it been since she took in the sights of the horizon before her? How much her life had changed since then, she could scarcely count the ways. And yet just by choosing to stand in a familiar place a few yards from her father's beach house, she suddenly felt transported three years into the past. If not for the unseasonal chill in the air and a few changes of scenery in the distance, it would have felt like she had never left. It was a fact that made her shake her head in awe as she wrapped her arms tightly about her frame, finding warmth in the folds of her sweater.

"Cold day for it," a voice called out from a few feet away. Amanda briefly closed her eyes in recognition, allowing her friend to get close before turning. "They say it's one of the coolest starts to June on record… But then again, summer hasn't been the same since the girl that lived here left town."

She opened her eyes, allowing him to punctuate the greeting with his presence. "Nolan," she sighed, immediately pulling him into a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"Same here," he whispered over her shoulder. "Especially here," he emphasized their surroundings as they separated. "I can't believe this is your first visit back to the Hamptons since…"

Amanda rushed a reply before he could finish. "I know it's been a while. I guess the longer it went it just got easier to stay away," she admitted. "No hard feelings. Charlotte's been begging us to come around too." Her eyes trailed over to her father's house wistfully. "I told her the same thing I told you."

"No-no, I get it," Nolan insisted. "You needed your space. And it's not like it hasn't been fun meeting up at your various escapades around the globe," he recalled some of their rendezvous points in the past three years. Thanks to the boat David refinished prior to his passing, there was no shortage of relief efforts that Jack and Amanda hadn't willingly volunteered their time to.

"You mean when you're not busy on missions of your own?" Amanda hinted with a smile. Aside from the case she left on Nolan's lap after their departure, he had far surpassed her own resume of seeking justice for the innocent. "I can't imagine how you found the time amidst it all to get married," she commented, reaching for his hand while he looked down bashfully. "But you know I wouldn't have missed your wedding for the world."

"Heh," Nolan exhaled in consolation. He drifted off momentarily, as if concealing something.

"Jack too, of course," Amanda added, wondering if it were the reason he was suddenly uneasy. "He had to work a double shift but he's driving down tonight. Stevie's watching Carl for the weekend," she elaborated, wondering at Nolan's continued silence. "We would have brought him along but you said it was going to be a small affair—"

"Oh no, that's fine, ah," Nolan slipped away from her grasp, taking a step down the beach. "Small is uh, putting it lightly…"

Amanda narrowed her eyes, quickly discerning something was amiss. She watched him stare out into the ocean for a beat before drawing close. "Nolan," she peered over at him. "Is there something you want to tell me?" He remained quiet, only prompting further questioning. "You know, you haven't really mentioned a lot about your fiancé – is everything alright?"

Betraying an air of uncertainty, Nolan struggled to tell her. "Ems," he found himself reverting to her old nickname. "It's Louise," he stammered.

Amanda's brow wrinkled in shock. "You're marrying her again?" she guessed incredulously.

"No—" he put his hands up in gesture, loosely realizing his choice of words had given her the wrong idea. "I'm not marrying her – I'm not marrying anyone. I never was," he explained. It pained him to watch Amanda's eyes fixate in disillusion, and he placed his palms together in a pleading gesture. "I told you that because it was the only way to get you to come back."

"Amanda tensed at the reveal of his deceit. "You lied to us? Nolan, why would you do that?" she fumed, though it was notably tempered compared to what he expected.

"The truth is," he began, taking a breath. "There is something going with Louise. She's been getting threats – cryptic, that even I can't figure out." He reached out to hold her attention as Amanda glanced away in protest. "Ems, she's not the only one. Just a few days ago I got one too – I think they're connected. I tried to look into it without involving you and Jack but it's no use. I need your help," he affirmed, desperation building in his eyes. "I know, I was wrong to go about it this way and I'm sorry. Believe me, I wouldn't have done any of this if it wasn't something serious, but it is."

Amanda remained on guard as she pushed past her disappointment to read Nolan's expression. He was undoubtedly sincere but it didn't change the fact that just by listening she was going against every instinct that nagged at her. Again she closed her eyes, quietly deciding what to do next. When she opened them it was only to brush past him, storming halfway up the beach.

Nolan sighed in resignation. He had pushed her too far, testing the distance between them with a cheap ploy to entice her interest. But before he could give up hope, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned.

"Jack stays out of this," she demanded.

"Y-yeah, of course," Nolan stammered, eager to accept whatever terms she laid out. "I mean but, isn't he already on his way?"

"I'll take care of that," she closed the subject, just as smoothly as she closed her arms against the breeze. "Things have been good for us for a long time now," she offered a short explanation. "He doesn't need any stress. Especially something I can handle over the weekend."

"Right, of course," Nolan sought to be as agreeable as possible. "Though in all honesty it might take a little longer than a few days to crack…"

His tone held an eerie foreshadowing of the entire summer but Amanda braved it, posing her first question. "When did the threats start?"

Nolan swallowed, realizing it signaled her unprecedented return to a life she had long left behind. He sincerely hoped he would not regret bringing her back down the path. "Memorial Day weekend," he replied.

Amanda studied the ocean for a moment in thought, and averted her gaze back to Nolan before responding.

"Show me."