A/N: SURPRISE! I bet ya'll weren't expecting an update so soon huh? Well we actually wanted to get this done days ago for the occasion of Valentines Day, but…it didn't happen. FORGIVE ME! But no worries, I whipped up another little one-shot treat for the occasion that I hope you all enjoy/enjoyed if you've read it! Now everyone, I need to point something out that deserves special attention: the following opening scene part of Jemily that you will find as you continue reading was done completely by my overly talented collab partner in crime infinityxinfinity777. This will be her FIRST TIME writing a Jemily scene! (Besides the ones she has planned for her awesome story [Before Revenge] so give her some love and beg her to write more lol just kidding, but seriously she did an amazing job. Couldn't do it without her so shout-out. And shout out to RedTailedHawkens for another amazing Jemily story! (THE FANDOM IS GROWING YAY!) OK let's get into this.


Trembling slightly as she held the phone up to her ear, Charlotte felt her heart leap into her throat. Seeing as how the number listed on the piece of paper was written in faded ink, she figured that it had been some time since it was in use and was expecting to hear a disconnect message. But as the phone ringing tone sounded, signifying that the number was still in service, she realized that she didn't have much of a plan for what to do or say to whoever would be on the other line.

Nor did she have any creative alias names, legitimate reasons and connections, or anything that wouldn't cause a need for questioning or suspicion…

Just her calling on a whim was enough to raise a bright red flag.

Not exactly the most graceful approach like her sister could have handled it…

Her self-bashing session was cut short however, once she heard the line pick up only to be greeted with an indignant male voice shouting fearlessly.

"Yeah I know it's you, you sorry son of a bitch! But I've had enough of your petty bribery offers. You and I both know damn well what you've done to me! And I'm going to see you burn in hell for it! And as for that medical board that so highly exalts you and the people you pay off to kiss and suck your ass, well, we'll see how loyal they will be once I expose your sorry ass for the crook you are!"

Charlotte blinked at the man's vehement ranting session, but wasted no time in committing every sentence to her memory and piecing the reason behind his anger together.

He must have been a victim of Dr. J. Galtz as well. And by the sounds of it, he was out looking for justice just like her.

Wait a minute…

That's it!

She knew exactly how to play this now.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but you're mistaking me for the wrong person. However, I'm assuming by the hostility in your abrupt greeting that you must be another victim of the malpractice performed by Dr. Galtz, which means that we may have a common interest." Charlotte chimed in with a matter-of-fact tone that she hoped would convey her professionalism and not the shred of doubt she felt due to her disbelief that she was actually going through with this…

"Who is this?" The voice questioned with apprehension.

"Someone who can help you. I'm looking for answers myself and you seem to have just the right information I need to bring this so called principled physician to justice." She replied honestly.

"So what, you're like some kind of lawyer or somethin'?"

"More like a recent graduate law student with a specialization in criminal justice that has barely touched on the detailed medical aspects of the law…but he doesn't have to know that." She thought, hesitating before she replied, "You could say that…But I can't say too much over the phone since it would blow my cover…Is there a place where we can meet and discuss this further?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" The voice asked sharply in suspicion.

"Well I could ask you the same question seeing how I risked outing myself by calling this number on a whim, but it looks like we want the same thing, and enough time has passed with this doctor getting away as it is, so what do we really have to lose by working together?" She insisted.

The voice sighed over the phone. "…You know where Battery Park is at right?"

"Near the New York Harbor?"

"You're talkin' like you're not in the area."

"I'm a little ways off, but only by a few hours."

"Meet me. We'll talk more there."

Before Charlotte could press for more details on how to stay in touch, she heard the line go dead.

Well that was it then.

She got the chance she was looking for.

All she had to do now was take it.

She hurriedly packed all of her necessities, along with the letters and clues she found so far and went to retrieve her keys, only to pause.

What if this was a trap?

What kind of situation was she getting herself into?

What if it was dangerous?"

What if it was pointless…A fool's errand, that would be nothing but a waste of time?

She was having second thoughts about this whole thing, until one thought overruled all the others.

A memory to be exact.

It was a couple of years ago, a sunny day of leisure and the perfect opportunity to go shopping at the mall. Who better to bring along with her than her big sis? After clearing her schedule and running a few simple house errands for the boys at home, Amanda accompanied her sister, eager to enjoy some quality bonding time. Though Charlotte wished the boys came along to be the ever humble bag-carriers (against her brother-in-law's dismay), their fun wasn't deterred in the slightest as they nearly hit every store and explored. That is until they passed by one store with a display that made them pause and reflect. It was an adorable little children's clothing shop with two manikin displays: one a simple yet elegant little baby summer dress, and the other being a cute little baby polo/ blue jean short set. Charlotte sighed, pushing down sorrowful thoughts of what could have been, and then smiled wistfully, dreaming of what could possibly be again in the future. However, when she looked over to her sister staring at the same display, her expression was unreadable. She did not smile, nor frown. She just gazed attentively at the two small manikins while absentmindedly bringing a hand to her stomach, unaware that Charlotte was trying to get her attention. Amanda then snapped out of her daze and smiled as if her distraction never happened and pointed to another store that they could check out a few feet away, walking ahead of her sister. They continued the day as normal, but the expression that her sister made was etched in Charlotte's memory...

And after reminiscing on that particular recollection, Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows in determination before grabbing her keys and walking out the door without looking back.


Meanwhile back at Jack and Amanda's house…

Yawning gently, Amanda awoke to the sound of Jack's loud snores; her eyes fluttering open slowly as she watched her husband sleep so contently beside her. He had passed out on the bed last night in exhaustion, fully clothed in the same apparel as the night before and laying on top of the covers. The extra step of sliding in next to her under the sheets was seemingly too much. She knew it was her fault as she looked at the empty pack of chocolate boxes on her bedside table. He had driven around town all night, looking for the specific type of chocolates she had craved and requested.

Lifting her hand to his face, Amanda caressed his cheek gently, feeling sympathetic as she watched him breathe in deeply, triggering yet another loud snore that escaped through his nose. It was only when he was extra tired that he snored like this; the sound had always made Carl giggle in fits.

Smiling warmly at the thought, Amanda leant down and placed a gentle kiss on Jack's lips, knowing that he wouldn't even stir in the state he was in.

Shifting out of bed, her feet feeling around for the slippers Carl had given her last Christmas, she stood up slowly, bracing herself for the bout of dizziness to wash over her like in the past recent mornings, or worse, for her empty stomach to churn on nothing and force her to the bathroom.

But such a feeling never came to be.

This morning, she felt surprisingly okay. Although usually her symptoms were a bit on and off as of late, but for now, she knew she had energy and she intended to use it.

Now dressed in her yoga outfit and grabbing her mat, Amanda eagerly made her way downstairs and stepped outside. The sound of the door opening and closing caused Skipper to open a lazy eye before falling back asleep.

She smiled as she walked towards the pier that was not too far off from her yard and set up her mat.

It was a lovely morning.

The sky was a mixture of pink and dark blue hues as the sun was making its appearance into the sky, rising over the lake behind their house.

They were fortunate to have two houses. The beach house, and then a modern, two-story house, just on the outskirts of New York. They had bought that house together years ago, not long after their honeymoon. It had been Jack's idea.

He had known that Amanda would not want to give up her beach house. Not only because it was originally her father's, but also because so many cherished memories had occurred there. It was part of her, and that in turn made it part of him. Besides, he had always loved the idea of Carl playing on the very same beach they had as kids.

But so many traumatic memories had also occurred in that beach house.

And Jack had sensed that when they'd first moved in together: the way his wife's eyes would suddenly linger on a spot with such sadness or how jumpy she could sometimes be in that house, let alone the nightmares in bed.

Wanting to help her, he had realized that maybe it would be good for Amanda to have a different change of scenery. Though it took some time, he'd convinced her and they had looked for another house.

It was finding one that she liked which had taken the most time, but eventually they had.

It was a modern, not extravagant, but peaceful and spacious two-story waterfront house built in a secluded lake area surrounded by trees and nature, but still was an achievable distance into town and with good school districts. She had told him she liked it because it reminded her of the serene atmosphere of Japan, sans the vast mountain tops of course.

It was that house they stayed in year round, saving the beach house for every summer and occasionally Christmas time since winters on the beach created quite a site to behold.

Finishing her yoga and deep meditation exercises, Amanda sighed in satisfaction as she made her way back to the house, showering and getting dressed for the day, before making herself a nutritious breakfast.

Eating slowly in case the food chose not to settle in her stomach, Amanda picked up her phone as the cheerful ringtone she had set for her stepson rang in her ears. The equally cheerful voice of Carl on the other end caused her to smile instantly. She could barely get a word in herself as she listened to him excitedly tell her all he'd done so far on his camping trip. Though she made sure to interrupt him just long enough to thank him for his homemade get well card and to say, "Do you know how much I love you Carl?"

"Infinity times infinity!" was his joyful response.

After promising to give dad a big hug for him, she hung up, giggling at her son's innocent excitement as she finished her breakfast with no problem.


Not to soon afterwards, Amanda walked back up the stairs, carrying a special made tray of breakfast for Jack. She quietly stepped into the room, placing the tray upon their bedside table as she sat down on the spot of the bed beside her still snoring husband, shaking his broad shoulders gently, wanting him to wake. She was usually more patient, but they didn't often have the house to themselves, and with their romantic dinner being ruined with her fluctuating cold symptoms, she at least wanted to serve him a romantic breakfast and maybe have some fun.

Sometimes it was still so hard to believe that she was his, and he was hers and that their love was something fully tangible now, instead of just the little fragments of feelings they'd always held since childhood, but had such trouble piecing together as adults 20 odd years later.

As Jack's eyes begrudgingly began to open and he groaned in protest wanting more sleep, Amanda leant into him placing her lips upon his own to silence him.

It worked like a charm.

Feeling his lips smile against her own, she pulled back ever so slightly, wishing him good morning in a gentle breath, her honey brown eyes staring ardently into his ocean blue.

"Good morning…" Jack breathed back, lifting his hand to her cheek in a caressing motion as he exhaled in relief, glad to see that she looked much better today, before pressing his lips back softly onto her own.

Not breaking their tender kiss, she shifted her body slowly until it was over his, relishing the moment they finally had alone to share with no interruptions.

It was his turn to pull away slightly, both his hands still caressing her face as he took in her appearance. She seemed much brighter and full of life and much less pale compared to the last few weeks. "You're looking a lot better."

"Mm I feel a lot better." She replied honestly with a light purr saturating her tone as she brought her lips to his in a quick peck. "Spoke to Carl earlier, he's doing well! That trip is really doing him some good."

"He called?" Jack's eyes widened a bit.

Amanda nodded. "He said he tried calling you earlier but I told him how you were 'sawing logs'. He understood completely." She said jokingly with a smirk as he raised his eyebrow.

"Sawing logs?"

"You were snoring again. Which is understandable since you had a long night…" She said guiltily.

"I do not snore...much." Jack defended with a yawn.

She instantly gave him a pointed look. "Well that's a debate we can discuss at another time…Anyways, he said to give you a big hug, and to let you know he's having a terrific time and thanks you for letting him go." She finished, giving him a quick yet meaningful hug as to relay Carl's message.

Jack smiled at the gesture. "Guess you were right then, it was a good idea to let him go."

"Uh huh, especially since it gives us some time to have a little fun of our own…" She nuzzled her nose against his, giving him a quick butterfly kiss on his cheek before abruptly and teasingly breaking away. "But first, I made you breakfast."

She got up to serve him the tray, holding in a laugh at his mild disappointment that she got up so quickly.

"Nice touch…" He started, complementing the presentation along with the colorful tulips in the small vase that he figured she'd picked from the mini garden outside before continuing, "but shouldn't this be the other way around with me surprising you?"

"Well you already did last night, but things didn't exactly go as planned thanks to me…So I thought I'd make up for it by making an overly romantic breakfast for the hell of it…"

He chuckled and smiled at her affectionately. "Thank you, it looks great."

She nodded, waiting for him to start eating, only to raise an eyebrow with confusion as he set the tray aside.

Before she could ask him anything, she yelped as she suddenly felt her back hit the bed and with him on top of her pinning her wrists down, a fervent look in his eyes.

"What about breakfast?" She managed to ask as her breath hitched from the excitement and her growing arousal from his actions and intent.

"I'm hungry for something better right now…" He breathed before attacking her mouth with his.

She immediately returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm, matching his ardor naturally. As their kisses grew deeper and faster, they almost missed the sound of Amanda's phone ringing in the background, lost in their own little world. However, the ringing was persistent enough to distract Amanda as she pulled away from her husband's lips reluctantly.

"Don't you dare." Jack groaned painfully, though his warning sounded more like a plea.

"Jack…" She started.

"-No." He insisted stubbornly.

"Honey, it could be important…" She tried once more.

"I'll show you what's important…" He breathed hotly in her ear, his hand running higher up her leg, making the skirt of her sundress ride up as he groped her lightly. Pleased by the small quivering sound that escaped her lips at his touch, he was ready to continue his advances…

But the continuous ringing started to distract him as well.

He nearly growled as they both sighed achingly, ending their kiss as he shifted his body weight off of her so she could retrieve the bothersome ringing phone that so ruthlessly destroyed the mood.

Feeling just as sour as he did about the interruption, Amanda shot him an apologetic look as she reached for her phone.

"Hello?" She answered cordially, masking her frustration.

She knew it had to be Louise Ellis by the sound of the ringtone she set for her, and was thinking that maybe she was throwing yet another party and wanted to invite them over. So ready to respectfully turn down her offer, she was completely caught off guard by the sounds of continuous sobbing.

"Louise, are you there? What's wrong?" Amanda asked with concern.

"E-Emily?! I-I-I mean A-Amanda…I-I'm so s-s-sorry! I-I-I just didn't KN-KNOW WH-WHO else I c-could go to! W-who c-can h-help me…I-I..." Louise tried to speak only for her sentences to come out as broken fragments as she cried harder.

"Louise please, calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me what's wron-"

"It's Nolan! H-he's been…He's been….my god!" Louise tried to explain only to break down once more.

"W-what about Nolan? I-is he alright?!" Amanda asked in alarm since red flags were immediately raised that something was not right as the red head continued to blubber.

Jack was already listening with concern and curiosity as he heard the faint sounds of crying from the conversation, but he then immediately shot up at the mention of Nolan's name, motioning for his wife to put it on speakerphone.

"H-HE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!" Louise finally wailed.

"Kidnapped?! What do you mean kidnapped?!" Amanda's eyes widened as she demanded for an explanation.

"W-we were doin' some recon work f-for Johnie boy and everything was goin' fine since he was talkin' to me through some fancy earpiece thing, and-and then next thing I know-he-he was talkin' all this crazy talk a-about s-some guys who were takin' him s-somewhere a-and th-then I heard a bunch of other n-noises and went to go s-see what the ruckus w-was and nearly got ran over by a dark van, a-and when I looked down, I saw Nolan's suit handkerchief…c-covered in blood! N-next thing I know, I g-got a text m-message with a weird picture from him sayin' not to c-call the cops, but to get help and look on his computer and stuff b-but I DON'T KNOW WH-WHERE TO LOOK OR WHAT THE SAM HILL TO DO!"

Amanda was immediately in that mode, not giving herself any room to react emotionally to the news, but instead tried thinking logically. The vague and broken details of what Louise tried to explain were going to get them nowhere. She needed more information. Knowing that her best friend was detailed in all types of technology he created, she figured he must have added some advance settings that might have proven useful such as a playback feature.

"Listen, you said he was communicating to you through an earpiece…Can you playback the conversation?" She pressed.

"I-I I don't know!"

"Louise. Please. I need you to find out and see if there's anything that looks like a 'play' button or shaped triangle or any buttons or labels on that earpiece. Knowing Nolan, he must have programmed some type of playback feature or something that could give us a clue to what happened." Amanda tried to coax her.

"W-well n-now that you mention it…Yeah, I-I see something that looks like the rewind and play buttons like on a DVD player and such but-"

"-Good. Play it." Amanda instructed not missing a beat.

Amanda and Jack listened in as the audio played.

"You Nolan Ross?"

"Who wants to know?"

The couple narrowed their eyes and strained to hear the gruff sounding whispers as it continued.

"S-so…w-where exactly are you t-taking me?"

Jack quickly made a deduction. "His voice sounds normal but it's different, almost like he's scared. And if he didn't figure out a way to escape by then, that must mean he was threatened in some kind of way-"

"-He was held at gunpoint. That faint clicking sound is the flickering of a trigger." His wife concluded as they continued to listen.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now shut your trap and keep walking."

"Okay. Okay. Y-you're the boss. Well, bosses…anyways…plural rule…"

"He was outnumbered..." Amanda started,

"-since there's more than one of you…obviously…I gotta say….that was pretty slick h-how you did that there…coming up behind me all…unseen and stuff…right on the strip. Nice lights out tonight. That Wynn hotel sure is something. Ain't it?"

"-And ambushed…right on the Las Vegas Strip." she finished, deducing once more.

"That's a lead at least…" Jack stated, still listening in.

"I'm guessing that's the car we're taking? LV35240…weird number for a license plate. What was 'Viva Las Vegas' unavailable?"

Keeping the number of the license plate in mind, Jack reached for a nearby notepad and pen, scribbling down the number as the audio continued. The couple then flinched at the sounds of what they guessed was a brutal beating and their eyes widened once the audio was cut.

"I-is there any more to it?!" Amanda questioned sharply.

"N-no, that was it. I-I ran out to try to find him, b-but by the time I got outside and nearly r-ran over he was gone and all that was left was that bloody hankie until he texted me to not call the cops…" Louise answered tearfully.

Amanda cursed under her breath.

"I-I just don't understand! Why not just call the police and let them help us?! It's not like he's able to, a-and wh-what's the worst that can happen to him if those kidnappers get caught by the time they try anything?!" Louise cried with frustration.

"Either it's because they'll know if he tries to reach out, or there must be guys on the inside that are dirty like Malcom Black had…" Jack guessed bitterly.

"You know what I don't understand? Why the hell didn't you tell us what was going on till now?!" Amanda started out in a quiet anger as her voice rose at Louise. "H-He practically just gave us the clues to his location on the spot that whole conversation! I-I COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING BY NOW! WE COULD HAVE SAVED HIM, BUT NOW HE'S IN DANGER AND PROBABLY DYING AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAUL-"

"-AMANDA! STOP! COOL IT!" Jack interjected sharply, matching her volume and causing her to snap out of her fury. "It isn't Louise's fault! You have no right to jump on her like that!" He admonished.

"I-I…" Amanda stuttered, wincing at the loud sobbing that grew over the phone. "Louise I-I'm so sorry…I-I didn't mean-"

"N-Nolan's go-gonna d-d-die and it's all my faul-"

"-No! It's not! None of this is your fault. I didn't mean to lash out on you…I was wrong to do that, I didn't mean to…You have to excuse me, I…I haven't really been feeling myself lately…" Amanda stated softly with remorse.

"That's an understatement…" Jack whispered under his breath, hoping that his wife didn't hear.

The sharp glare she then gave him as she whipped her head in his direction told him otherwise…

"Now see, that's exactly why I didn't want to involve you! What with your severe case of the sniffles I heard you had a-and with you finally over that troublesome life of revenge and such and-"

"No, you did the right thing by coming to us. And I promise you that I will find him Louise." Amanda reassured her.

"Lou, you said earlier that Nolan sent you a text. What time was it sent?" Jack asked.

"I-I got it shortly after t-the van drove away…Like around 10:00. A-and this other weird one he sent me that looks like a blurry picture of a brick wall came in like around an hour ago…" Louise replied.

"Good! That means he must still be alive. If they really wanted to kill him, they would have gotten it over with by now…But that means they must want him for something IF they ARE keeping him alive at the moment…" Jack speculated grimly.

"Can you send us the text messages he sent to you Louise? And then you also mentioned something about Nolan's computer files?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah, he said somethin' about answers being in there...I tried to look through them, but well you know I can never understand all Nolan's tech gibberish codes and I just don't have that kind of skill to figure it out! Not to mention Johnie has gone off the radar as well! I wish I was able, but I don't think ANYONE can crack this sort of stuff but Nols himself!"

"Or someone with his skill…" Amanda reasoned under her breath. "I'm going to make a phone call. We'll be in touch. And Louise? Don't worry…we will find him." She softy reassured her once more.

"Thank ya'll so much…P-please let me know if you find anything…" Louise pleaded.

"We will, promise." Jack reassured. Once Amanda hung up, he turned to his wife. "So what's the plan?"

"Fight fire with fire." She replied, already dialing another number into her phone. Ignoring her husband's inquisitive look, she spoke seriously into the phone. "This is Amanda Por-er-Clarke, formerly known as Emily Thorne…I know it's been a long time, but I need your help. It's about Nolan Ross. He's in trouble, and I think you're the only one who can help us…"


Later...

Amanda's mind was racing with multiple plans and scenarios as she walked back and forth from room to room, packing suitcases. The person she contacted earlier was none other than Javier Salgado, Nolan's former protégé who, fortunately for them, was eager and raring to help them once he found out his mentor was in danger, and of course the fact that Charlotte was still around was a good incentive too...

Though they didn't give him much detail on what transpired, mainly because they were still in the dark as well, he started making progress once Amanda forwarded him the text messages Louise sent her along with an overview of what information was on Nolan's laptop that Louise couldn't crack. He then tracked down the information of the license plate number Jack wrote down and found its strange logo that had the makings of a dollar sign symbol, except that the 'S' shape was the form of a specific snake.

After digging deeper, he found the origin of the logo belonging to a dangerous (impulsive and ill-structured) mafia known as the Black Mamba Organization. Though they were not known to function in the structured and deliberate methods a normal mafia would, they were prone to get what they wanted when they wanted when it came down to their money affairs. Inspired by the most deadly and poisonous African snake itself, they based their business format in the way that the snake operates. Though they all found it strange and unorthodox, the group knew that by the sounds of it, these crooks were nothing to mess with, and if they didn't get Nolan out soon, lord help him…

His demise was not going to be pretty…

So now that the group had a clue on what they were dealing with, the questions still remained: What did those crooks want with Nolan? How were they going to find him? And most importantly, how could they take this group down for good so that they're no longer a threat?

Baby steps.

Javier then got some information on one of the head members of the organization: Devin Becker, also known as the judge, jury, and executioner when it came to dealing with certain cases. The mafia did an excellent job in remaining hidden and were mainly a covert gang. However, one of the head members' brother, Dylan Becker, who was also conveniently friends with the vice president of Patterson's company, seemed to be the snag in the mafia's structure since he was anything but privy. Based upon the information Javier found out, the man was powerful in status and wealth but incompetent, careless, ruthless, and arrogant. He lived for partying and gambling on a daily basis and had a huge weakness for women; mainly brunettes. It was a matter of time before he started his own sex trade.

Amanda knew exactly what to do at that point.

Truth be told, their mission was actually very simple compared to all that she had to endure in the years' past.

It would be a simple search and rescue.

She's done it before. Many times in fact.

Gain access and infiltrate the enemy's camp, keep the objective in mind, expect the unexpected, remain in control, rescue the victim, expertly take out the enemy, lather, rinse, repeat.

No problem.

And Amanda reassured them as much: that she was experienced in circumstances like this and that she'd rescue Nolan in no time. She instructed them to stay in touch and arranged for Javier to be close by as their secret weapon and resource and encouraged him to keep following leads. She then instructed Louise to keep trying to get in contact with John. With her plan churning thoroughly through her mind, weighing out the pros and cons, what could go right, what could go wrong, and how to be ready, Amanda was ready to get down to business and put her plan to action.

There was just one little detail she left out that was a possible disadvantage that she failed to include however…

"Okay, I just got off the phone with Joey's parents. They're fine with keeping Carl for longer than the weekend while we're gone. One of our neighbors is okay with watching Skipper while we're away too. I also tried looking for different flights that go straight to Vegas without layovers, but the best one I was able to find leaves early tomorrow morning. We can book that and head out first thing before sunrise."

Hubby wanted to tag along...

Well, that could be a problem…

"Wait, what do you mean 'we'?" Amanda asked pointedly with slight hesitation, scared of the answer.

"You don't actually expect me to just let you go at this alone do you?" Jack folded his arms.

Right, because that's all she needed, for the love of her life to get involved in spontaneous danger that not even she could predict how severe it was and have the possible chances of losing him in the process…There was not a chance in hell she was going to let that happen. However, she could tell by the determined and headstrong expression on his face that he wasn't going to just stay on the sidelines without a fight.

But he had to.

She needed him to.

For his own protection.

For her own peace of mind.

She couldn't lose him…

She refused to.

"You can't come Jack. It's too dangerous." She stated firmly, shaking her head.

"All the more reason for me to go. You can't do this alone. And there's no way in hell that I'm letting you. I mean you don't know what you're dealing with nor what they're capable of. You need backup." He insisted firmly.

"I can handle myself!" She snapped automatically.

"Right, because you've been in perfect condition as of late." Jack retorted with heated sarcasm.

"I'm feeling better now! I have more energy and-"

"For how long?! You don't know how long it's going to last! It could just be a phase! You don't even want to get it checked out and now you're trying to go headfirst in unknown danger all by yourself thinkin' like you're invincible or something? That's stupid Amanda!" He raised his voice, glaring at her.

She raised her voice even louder. "LOOK I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! I'VE HANDLED MANY SITUATIONS LIKE THIS AND HAVE TRAINED-"

"-I DON'T CARE IF YOU'VE SINGLE-HANDEDLY STOPPED A MOVING TRAIN BEFORE OR OWN YOUR OWN KATANA! YOU CAN NOT AND WILL NOT DO THIS ALONE!"

They barely heard the sound of barking and slight growling from downstairs as if Skipper was warning them to calm down.

Amanda then pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, angry that he refused to back down. "I do NOT have time to argue about this! NOLAN NEEDS ME!"

"I GET THAT! I'M WORRIED ABOUT HIM TOO! BUT AMANDA, YOU CAN'T JUST GO ALONE ESPECIALLY IN YOUR CONDITION! IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THE BOTH OF US WENT AND HAD EACH OTHER'S BACKS! WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY SO AGAINST THAT SO MUCH?!" He questioned angrily with a hint of hurt in his tone.

It would be so much easier for her to just explain how she didn't want to lose him…

How she was scared if anything happened to him…

How she just wanted to keep him safe and couldn't bear the thought of anything else happening to him seeing how in his life time he had been held at gun point, beat half to death, shot, stabbed, and suffered so much when it involved her and her ongoing war all those years ago…

But her recently ever changing emotions causing a severe lack of control in stability had other ideas…

But hey, if hurting feelings was what it took to keep her husband safe and out of harm's way, then so be it.

"I SAID you're not going. That's final." Amanda reiterated leaving no room for arguments as she shot him an icy glare.

She wanted to wince at his wounded expression, but kept a steel face, hoping that he'd back down. Before she could sigh in relief at his silent surrender, she was caught off guard when she saw his expression harden as he got up in her personal space.

"We're losing daylight here. Like you said, Nolan needs us. I care about him too and there's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone. So whether you like it or not, whether you want me to or not, I'm coming with. So you can get good with it, get over it, and get packing, or bitch about it all you want, but I'm going. End. Of. Discussion."

Amanda barley felt him brush past her to go pack his own suitcases as she stood in shock. Apparently he was pretty insistent on going with her no matter what. And by his tone, there wasn't a word she could say to convince him otherwise…

Well crap.

Looks like it was time for plan B…


For the rest of the day, tension seemed to be high yet unspoken with the couple. However, Amanda tried to reassure her husband that he would let him tag along and that he was right about it being beneficial and that they should stick together after all. Relieved and happy that she agreed, Jack continued to help plan their trip for the next day.

However, later that night, after being sure that he was in a deep sleep, Amanda got up and turned off the alarm setting that was set on their clock to wake them for their trip, and accessed the flight schedule app on her phone to cancel their flight, while quickly setting up another one with a private jet service. Making sure their suitcases were not moved in their closet, she stealthily retrieved extra ones she packed for herself earlier and rushed to the bathroom to turn on the faucet and light, keeping the water running as she shut and locked the bathroom door. Trying not to let the guilt and possible negative consequences get to her as she readied to leave out the door, she reassured herself that this was for the best and gave a longing and remorseful look at her husband as he slept, running a careful finger down his cheek and replacing her finger with her lips as she whispered, "I'm so sorry Jack…" she then gently pressed her forehead to his ever so slightly as not to wake him. "It has to be this way…I have to protect you…No matter what. I can't lose you…"

She then quickly made it out the door.


Jack didn't know what it was that woke him up so suddenly…

He blamed his abrupt insomnia on all those recent nights that his wife would rise out of bed to start throwing up in the bathroom.

It was almost like a ritual for him to make sure she was alright before he would nod off back to sleep.

That didn't happen this time.

He noticed her absence from the bed; that seemed normal, and then looked up to the entrance of their master bathroom to see that the door was shut, but the light was on with the faucet running. Figuring that she was unable to hear him when he called out to her, he turned over on his side in an attempt to get comfortable and fall back asleep.

Only to fail miserably…

Something wasn't right.

He could feel it.

He stared at the alarm clock on his nightstand. It was still early. They'd need to be at the airport in a few hours. He then scanned the rest of the room, mainly the closet. Their suitcases were all packed and ready. Suddenly, his eyes squinted as he saw something on the floor. And that something in turn made his eyes widen as he got up out of the bed and inspected the closet. Though nothing was out of place in the slightest, the little object he picked up off the floor said otherwise…

Especially since it wasn't there before…

"She didn't…"

He rushed over to the bathroom, knocking on the door calling for her again, only to receive no answer. He then positioned himself and kicked the door open, only to find the bathroom empty with the light on and faucet running.

"She did."

He cursed repeatedly under his breath, as he dove for his phone, ready to call her and give her a piece of his mind…

Only to pause…

Well crap.

Looks like it was time for plan B…


Jack browsed his phone for a specific flight scheduling app: a private jet service company to be exact. Earlier when tension was still pretty high and words were still unspoken, he saw Amanda browsing the site on her phone, but noticed how she was very discreet, shifting from different windows and text messages. Though he didn't question or suspect anything, he remembered the website she went to and kept it in the back of his mind.

Looks like he would need it after all.

He recognized the service. It was one they had used before. Nolan recommended and used it for one of his spontaneous vacations that he insisted they'd all go on one time…Despite the many misadventures on that particular trip, Jack and his wife became friends with the pilot.

All it took was a phone call.

After a friendly greeting and subtle digging, he found out that the pilot had seen his wife there earlier and that they were prepared to take off for Las Vegas, but the flight was delayed due to the jet needing more fuel.

"Should I give Mrs. Porter your regards?" His friend asked.

"Oh no, that's okay. I'll see if I can reach her myself, thanks." Jack replied in a friendly yet slightly strained tone, hanging up the phone soon afterwards.


Amanda sighed as she made her way down the plane's aisle, searching for a good seat as she licked at her ice cream cone she craved for earlier. Now that her plan was working, this was not the time to get emotional; at least that's what she tried to reassure herself as guilt ate away at her from her previous actions.

It was really for the best.

She was thinking about him…His safety…

She couldn't have him in harm's way…

Not now. Not ever again…

And though he most likely felt just as strongly about her, she was experienced in these types of circumstances. She was trained for it. She could handle herself…

So pushing down the uneasiness she felt, she steeled herself as she found her desired seat and continued to think of what she needed to do to rescue Nolan. But for some reason, she couldn't help but have that gut feeling like she forgot something…

"Hope you don't mind, but I took the window seat."

She jumped, startled at the voice that interrupted her thoughts until her eyes then widened in astonishment and realization at the familiarity of the speaker.

"I know how much you usually enjoy sitting with a window view, and I would have saved it for you, but to be fair I didn't exactly count on my wife DITCHING me so…"

She slowly turned her head to see a very pissed off Jack Porter drumming fingers on his folded arms as his icy blue eyes pierced through her enlarged brown ones.

"By the way you dropped your keys." He stated, keeping his glare directed at her as he showed her the object that he found earlier on the floor of their closet.

Her mouth remained agape slightly in disbelief as she slowly reached for the keys, while his glare deepened.

Well crap.

To be continued...