CHAPTER VIII


This is officially the first part of the story's grand finale. In order to make sense of the story, I have chosen for a fairly detailed and accurate time lapse.


- The Computer Lab, 1.17 a.m. -

After Adam's phone call in the hospital, Mac had immediately turned back to the lab to find out what the lab tech had found out. He had wanted to stay with Jo for the night, but he figured that he wouldn't have known what to do with himself if he had sticked around any longer. He first had to make up his mind about his crackling feelings towards her, before he could enjoy himself again around her. He was getting tired of avoiding the ultimate confrontation between him and Jo, which could either lead up to a wonderful relationship or an entirely altered friendship.

"What have you got?" Mac asked as he decisively stepped into the computer lab.

"You're… fast." Adam mumbled as he laid aside his finished report. "I requested Jo's 911 call," Adam started as he pulled up the audio file from his computer. "Listen carefully, the call is relatively short." Adam pressed enter, and the file started playing.

"An assault... a… at… the… at 44th street. An am… ambulance, quick."

The woman in the audio track sounded confused and frightened, and she was chaotically looking for the right words to say. She struggled to built up a coherent sentence and constantly fell over her words. She wasn't sure if she had named the right street, and started panicking. But more importantly, the woman's voice in the audio track wasn't Jo's. Mac noticed it sounded more youthful, and a lot higher. Not as wise, and mature. Not as sexy.

"But… that's not Jo." Mac exclaimed confused, as he looked up to Adam, searching for answers.

"No..." Adam confirmed. "But the call was made with Jo's cell phone."

"That's awfully strange." Mac pondered.

"I'm guessing a passerby picked up her phone and called 911." Adam tried to find a rational explanation for the unusual situation.

"Could be," Mac started pacing around the computer lab. "But why didn't that woman just call with her own phone? And why didn't she stay with Jo?" Mac asked out loud. "The paramedics claimed that when they arrived on the scene, nobody else was there."

Adam didn't really have a response to Mac's assertions. Again, all they were left with were questions. More and more questions, but no one to answer them. Mac tried to think, but he was cut off by another throbbing headache. Adam noticed how his boss was rubbing his head in pain. "I'll try to find a match," Adam tried to help him out. "But I can't give you any guarantees." He apologized in advance.

"Let me know if you find something…" Mac turned around and was about to leave the room when Adam stepped forward and called out for him. "Did you went to see Jo tonight?" Adam asked curiously, and concerned at the same time.

Mac let out an inward sigh. How did Adam even figure that out?

"Yes, I did." He admitted. "She's doing better." He lied, immediately answering Adam's next question before Adam even had the chance to ask it.

"You think it's okay for me and the others to go see her tomorrow." Adam asked.

"I don't think you'll be allowed by her doctor." Mac answered. "He already made an exception for me."

"Really?" Adam playfully grinned.

"To ask her some questions." Mac responded severely, which made Adam cringe in embarrassment.

"O-off course..." Adam stuttered, trying hard to rectify the situation.

"Let me know if you have a match." Mac eased up a little, and walked out of the door.


- The Hospital, 7.46 a.m. -

Jo woke up to the harsh morning light creeping to curtains. Even after sleeping the entire day and night through, she was as still as exhausted as she could be. A flash of pain shot through her skull when the daylight crashed into her retina. She quickly shut her eyes and tried to turn around, but the pain in her ribs and shoulders was too severe to make any sudden movements. She had lied still in her bed for what seemed like forever, and the muscles in her entire body had started to sore up at an aggravating pace. She felt absolutely miserable, and on top of that, her mind was anything but in the right place. During the night she had suffered from several nightmares, making her end up in cold sweat every time. She had dreamt the same thing over and over again. Her dreams were always centered around the returning fear of danger and the freight of being violently dragged out of her secure comfort zone again. And every time, there was nobody there to protect her. She had also got scared for her children to end up in danger. If she hadn't been able to defend herself, than how would her kids be able to?

Jo realized the only way she was ever going to feel safe again and put a rest to her incessant compulsive train of thoughts, was when she would build up the strength to face what happened to her. During the time she had already spent in de hospital, she had gathered a couple of ideas. She could go see a therapist, for example, or take a couple more lessons in defense techniques. But in the end of the day, she wasn't really convinced those things would help her get over her traumatic experience. She was too self-aware, and too damn stubborn for therapy anyway.

Jo figured there was only one more solution left. It wasn't the easy way out. On the contrary, if she'd decide to go through with it, it would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do in her life. But she wanted to be strong and face her demons, and maybe set an example for others to come.

Jo slowly reached over to her nightstand, and picked up her cell phone. She briefly made up her mind about who to call to ask for help. After she had decided, she dialed the privileged number and carefully held her phone to her ear.

"Lindsay Messer." The voice greeted on the other end of the line.

"Hey…" Jo spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Jo? Is that you?" Lindsay asked amazed and excited at the same time.

"The only and only." Jo quietly chuckled. Learning how excited Lindsay was to hear from her, Jo just couldn't help but smile. Over the last year, she and Lindsay had become very close. It had taken the sole two women in the team some time to grow accustomed to each other, but nowadays they were as close as they'd ever be. "Oh my god! It's so good to hear from you. How are you doing?" Lindsey asked in a sweet voice.

Jo sighed inwardly as she realized she didn't have any positive news to report. "Well…I'm doing better." She found her way out with an easy white lie.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lindsay stated. "Mac told us that we couldn't come to visit you yet." She angled for a confirmation. "No, not yet." Jo said. "Although they made an exception for Mac."

"I see…" Lindsay tried her best to suppress a fit of laughter. Off course they did. Obviously.

"I'm actually calling to ask you a favor." Jo bit her lip and hoped that the answer on her next question would be positive. Her future state of mind entirely depended on Lindsay now.

"O-oh…" Lindsay stammered, as she didn't expect this turn of conversation. "Well… what is it?" She asked.

"I…" Jo closed her eyes, desperately looking for the right words. "I'd like to…" Jo stopped mid-sentence. She wasn't really sure she wanted to do this.

"Jo, just tell me." Lindsay reassured her.

"Okay…" Jo decided to just go ahead and ask her. "If you find enough evidence to prove that those two boys from the subway attacked me-" She paused briefly. "I'd like to meet them." After Jo had finished her sentence, it got awfully quiet at the other end of the line. Lindsay was lost for words. "Lindsay?" Jo called out.

"Meet them… as in: come face to face with them?" Lindsay asked for a clarification.

"Yeah…" Jo spoke softly, quietly waiting for Lindsay to speak up.

"Oh, Jo…" Lindsay started.

"Look," Jo immediately interrupted "I'm asking you because…"

"Because you don't want Mac to find out." Lindsay finished Jo's sentence. Off course Jo didn't want Mac to find out. He would never in a million years authorize a meeting of that sort. Not only because it wasn't according to protocol, but also because he was too protective of her. Even if she'd tell him that this wasn't a want but a need, he surely would try and change her mind. "I want you to know that it is very important to me. I thought long and hard about it." Jo tried to reason.

Lindsay tried to wrap her head around why Jo wanted to do something like this. Not only was it slightly unlawful, but it also was incredibly hard and extremely terrifying. "Oh well," Lindsey finally spoke up. "When I get fired, I'll at least be able to spent more time with my daughter."

"You almost make it sound like a win-win situation." Jo chortled. "Look, I know I'm asking for much, but…"

"I'll make it work." Lindsay said.

Jo couldn't believe her ears. She hadn't expected for Lindsay to give in without making a big fuss about it. Apparently, she had a better friend in Lindsay than she realized. "Thank you." Jo whispered.


- Conference Room, 10.00 a.m. -

After Adam's failed efforts to find a match to the audio file, Mac had summoned another conference meeting. It wasn't like he had any major progress to report, but he wanted to put the heads of his team together one last time.

"Okay, so…" Mac sighed heavily as he looked up at his team. "Mason Conrad and Justin Cooper have denied to have anything to do with Jo's assault." He repeated yesterday's events. "But I don't believe them. It was clear from the beginning that Jo wasn't robbed, so ulterior motives are at play here." Mac stated confidently.

"Mason and Justin have a motive. The fact that Jo kept them from assaulting Annabelle must've pissed them off pretty badly." Flack scooped in.

"But to prove they're guilty, I need some solid evidence first." Mac reminded his team.

"I requested Jo's 911 call, and it turned out that Jo didn't make the call. Someone else did it for her." Adam spoke up.

"But there was nobody on the scene?" Sheldon furrowed his brows.

"Could you play the audio for us?" Danny requested.

"Sure." Adam stood up from up his chair, and walked over to his computer. He pulled up the file once more, and let it play.

"An assault... a… at… the… at 44th street. An am… ambulance, quick."

"You got to be kidding me, right?" Flack said astonished, immediately looking over to Danny.

Danny sat up straight in his chair and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't think so." He managed in his thick accent.

"What's wrong?" Lindsay asked.

"That woman in the audio," Danny started. "That's Annabelle."

As soon as Danny spoke out her name, the entire room gasped for air. "Are you sure?" Mac's heart started beating faster.

"A hundred percent." Flack confirmed.

"I guess Mason and Justin aren't the only ones lying to us, then." Adam said matter-of-factly.

Mac breathed out, and closed his eyes for a while. He rubbed his eyelids, while trying to figure out what to do next. "Bring her in for interrogation." Mac eventually ordered.


- Interrogation Room, 4.45 p.m. -

"An assault... a… at… the… at 44th street. An am… ambulance, quick."

"That's you isn't it?" Flack hit the pause button of the audiotape and looked up to the girl sitting right in front of him. "…Annabelle." Flack couldn't believe this was happening. It was only yesterday, when he and Danny had interrogated her at the Loeb Boathouse. She had bluntly blown them off, and had gone on the record stating that she didn't have any idea what could've happened to Jo. Flack was mighty pissed. How could she not have told them the truth? This giant impasse could've been diverted if she had just told them what happened.

"How do you explain that, Anabelle?" Flack asked irritated.

Annabelle's eyes were glued to the ground, as she was nervously picking at the sleeves of her leather jacket. Her eyes mirrored a sense of guilt, but also an elusive anxiety. Her lips quivered under the great pressure that was being put upon her. She stayed absolutely still, hoping for the questions to go away eventually.

"You got off the subway, and stayed at the platform until the next train arrived." Mac scooped in. "That's what you've told us." Mac waited for Annabelle to raise her head, but it was in vain. She kept on staring to the floor. Mac was growing more impatient by the minute. This girl had a lot of guts. First she had bluntly lied to their faces, and now she was unwilling to cooperate.

"So, tell me…" Mac sarcastically asked. "How were you able to call an ambulance with Jo's cell phone?" Annabelle kept quiet as a scared mouse waiting for its escape route. Mac shuffled in his chair and violently started tapping his fingers on the table.

"You were there, weren't you?" Flack tried again.

"And that anonymous e-mail, that was you." Mac immediately scooped in, pointing his finger at her. "You saw what happened, and anonymously sent in the names of Mason Conrad and Justin Cooper."

"Hey," Flack sped up the pace of the interrogation. "Annabelle?"

Annabelle felt a stinging sensation creeping up her nose, as tears started accumulating in her eyes. She kept on looking to the ground. Her sight grew blurry and little sobs started to travel up her throat. She tried to ignore her name being called over and over again, but her efforts were to no avail. "Annabelle?" Flack continued calling her name.

"What do you want from me?" She finally lifted her head, and broke down in tears.

"We're stuck, Annabelle. We know who's responsible for Jo's assault, but we can't prove it. You are our only witness." Flack explained. "Our only hope of ever solving this case." Annabelle covered her mouth with her hand, as she desperately tried to get her heavy sobbing under control. "I realize this isn't easy." Flack said, showing a little bit more compassion. "They know who you are, and they know your name. You're afraid of revenge." Flack finished, patiently waiting for her to speak up. Annabelle wiped her tears away, and lightly nodded her head.

"Jo helped you out," Mac uttered. "If you don't stick out your neck, those two bastards will remain unpunished."

"How could it be otherwise?" Annabelle whispered under her breath. Mac glanced over to Flack, to verify what he had just heard. "What do you mean?" Mac asked. And as soon as he asked the question, it all fell together. He closed his eyes, and a wave of instant sympathy for the girl rushed over him as she started crying again.

"Did they assault you too?" Flack asked compassionately.

"A few months ago…" She said in between her cries. "Mason put a bag over my head." She paused momentarily, as Flack handed her a tissue. "Touching, everywhere."

"Did you file a complaint?" Mac asked.

"Yes, but nothing came of it." She said, trying to steady her breathing again. "Apparently it wasn't important enough."

"Annabelle, look at me." Flack spoke. "This time we'll punish him. I promise you."

"Mason is deranged. It'll only get worse. You have to stop him." Mac told her.

"I waited on the platform." Annabelle courageously spoke up after a while. "They must've pushed the alarm button, because they got off when the train had already started moving. I immediately tried to warn that woman, but I was already to late."

Annabelle thought about what she was going to say next, but the desire to finally punish the two bastards who had assaulted her got the better of her.

"It was Mason and Justin."

Mac leaned back in his chair, as he felt a giant weight being lifted off his shoulders. During the past two days, this was the moment they had all been waiting for so badly. God, he felt relieved. He closed his eyes, and leaned his head back. He felt an immense rush of blood to his head, as his thoughts slowly became lighter.

Flack stood up, and went for the door. He wanted to tell the rest of the team the good news. "She appointed them as the perpetrators." He immediately uttered. The whole team sighed out of relieve, and let out little shrieks of delight.

"That's just wonderful." Sheldon let out, as Mac came out of the interrogation room as well.

"Danny, Flack, go ahead and arrest them." Mac boded. "But be careful, I don't want any accidents."

As Mac walked away around the corner, Lindsay quickly stepped up to the rest of the team to tell them about her earlier conversation with Jo. She would need all the help she could get to bring Jo to the precinct without Mac's knowledge. "Do you guys have a minute?"


- The lab, 7.08 p.m. -

It had taken Danny and Flack only a half an hour to arrest Mason and Justin. And with Annabelle's testimony to back them up, they had only needed a few minutes to get Mason to confess to the assault. Justin had followed the earlier advice of Sheldon and Lindsay, and testified against Mason. The case was officially closed, and the entire team was finally able to come up for some air. "What about we all got a drink?" Flack asked. "To celebrate."

"Oh, that sounds like a really good idea," Lindsay started. "But we can't." She said, and quickly poked Danny in the back. "Yeah…" Danny hesitantly chopped in, not really sure what to say. "We don't have a sitter for Lucy." He quickly talked his way out of it.

"We're so sorry." Lindsay faked sincerity.

"That's okay." Flack pretended not to know about their plans for tonight. "What about you, Adam?" He turned to face the other members of the team. "Sheldon?"

"Yeah, I'm in." Adam shouted enthusiastically.

"Definitely." Sheldon responded.

"Mac?" Everybody turned towards Mac, as they were all trying their absolute best to get him to go with them.

"I'm not sure…" Mac started.

The truth was that Mac really wanted to see Jo again, although he didn't really know what he would say to her. What if they had one of their moments again? What if she came to close this time, and he wouldn't be able to hold back anymore? These were all legitimate questions that he soon had to find an answer to.

"Oh, come on…" Flack tapped Mac's shoulder. "It'll be fun. Let off some steam." He threw his hand in the air.

"Sure, why not." He eventually sighed in defeat. Lindsay jumped up from joy, but immediately retained herself.

"Okay, great!" Flack spoke, as a huge grin spread across his face.


- Bar, 9.30 p.m. -

Mac wasn't in the mood for celebrations. Although he was glad they had finally rounded up the case, and put away the bastards who had violated Jo, he couldn't help but think his hardest task was yet to come. These past couple of days he had been able to hide away behind Jo's case, delaying the moment of truth considerably. But now the case was closed, there were no reasons left to invent. Mac ordered another glass of scotch, as he let the noise around him enter his head.

"Are you thinking about Jo?" Flack asked, as he slid up a bar stool next to his buddy. Mac sighed inwardly, as he realized Flack wanted to start a conversation. He must be worried, or curious. Mac had been staring down at his glass for an eternity. He figured it must have attracted attention at some point during the evening. "Is it that obvious?" Mac turned towards his colleague.

"You love her, don't you?" Mac raised his eyebrows in amazement, as he was taken aback by Flack's blunt question. He snickered softly, and turned away his gaze. That's it, he thought to himself. It's truth time. Flack scanned Mac's face for some kind of affirmation, and the long silence that followed his straightforward question was all he really needed.

"I don't know what to do." Mac looked down into the swirling gold of his scotch, and ran his fingers along the edge of his glass.

"Yes, you do." Flack lightly smiled. Mac tore his gaze away from his glass and looked straight ahead. "I… really…" Mac let out a long sigh and turned around to face Flack's piercing eyes. Mac realized he was right, he did know what to do. He had to tell her. He had to man up, and just tell her and be there for her. "I just don't want to mess things up between her and me." He whispered.

"There's just no way, Mac." Flack grimaced. Deep down, Mac had to admit Flack had a point. Even if she didn't feel the same way, she would never hold his honesty against him. Maybe it wasn't so much telling her that scared him, but being rejected and being left alone again. If she wouldn't want to pursue a relationship with him, he would not only lose her love, but also his hope for happiness.

"Don't you think you have wasted enough time in that troublesome self-inflicted isolation of yours?" Flack asked.

"Last time I crept out of it, it hit me right back in the face." Mac referred to Peyton.

"Granted, but tell me… If you were to put your heart on the line one last time, wouldn't it be for her?"

"Off course it would", he quietly breathed out.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"You shouldn't be afraid to admit you don't know what to do." Flack said as he stared into the distance. "In the end of the day, we just try and carry the weight of our loved one's. Nothing more, nothing less. Just trying to get through the day." Mac was taken a little aback by Flack's open heartedness. He suddenly realized how extraordinary it was for Flack to open up about his feelings. Ever since Jess died, he had never been so blunt about his conception of love.

Flack cell phone suddenly started vibrating, as he received a message. Flack quickly scooped up his phone, and read the text: "We're ready. Linds."

"Just… go for it." Flack started to pack his things. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and threw a ten-dollar bill across the counter. He slid of his stool and squeezed Mac's shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. "See you tomorrow."

As Flack turned around and headed for the exit, Mac closed his eyes in an attempt to block out his raging thoughts. He listened to the people chatting and laughing around him in the cafe, and thought it should be him sitting among them. He did want things to change, because he was so tired of being alone. He just had to tell her how he felt. If he wasn't to do it now, he'd never have a chance of real love again. He combed his fingers through his hair and breathed in a long stretch of air. It was then that he noticed the song playing on the radio, and he concentrated in an attempt to make out the words that were filling the air with a gloomily atmosphere.

If I had a gun, I'd shoot a hole into the sun and love will burn this city down for you. If I had the time, I'd stop the world and make you mine and everyday would stay the same with you.

Mac felt like the whole universe was crashing down on him. Even this ordinary song on the radio was trying to tell him to step up and secure his future with the love of his life.

Give you back the dream, show you now what might had been, if all the tears you cry would fade away. I'll be by your side, when they come to say goodbye. We will live to fight another day.

Mac opened his eyes again, and swallowed the soar lump that had formed in his throat. He breathed out, and reached for his jacket. He settled the bill, and decisively walked towards the exit in a determined stride. He wasn't about to waste another minute without her.

Hope I didn't speak to soon. My eyes have always followed you around the room. Because you're the only God that I will ever need, I'm holding on and waiting for the moment for my heart to be unbroken by the scene.

"Hey Mac, where are you going?" Adam shouted from across the room.

"I'm going to see Jo." He spoke determinately. "I'll see you in the morning." As Mac made his way out of the cafe, Adam jumped in his way. "I… you…" Adam mumbled. "No… No you can't." He cleared his throat and glanced over to Sheldon looking for some kind of support. Adam broke down in cold sweat as he started to comprehend the mess he gotten himself into again.

"Yeah…" Sheldon hesitated, quickly trying to make an excuse. "Adam's right. I think it's best if we let her rest for tonight." Sheldon continued, as he hoped he could exercise some of his medical expertise. "We can all go tomorrow. How about that?" Sheldon grinned widely.

"I'm sorry, but I really want to see her tonight." Mac turned around and opened the door of the café to walk outside. "She won't be there…" Adam spat out. He squeezed his eyes together, as a painful grimace spread across his face. He mentally kicked him for his slip of the tongue. He wasn't suppose to tell Mac.

"What do mean…" Mac whirled around. "She won't be there?"

"I…" Adam sighed. There was no use in lying now. "Look, we weren't suppose to tell you." Adam explained.

"Tell me what?" Mac raised his voice.

"Danny and Lindsay went to pick up Jo from the hospital one hour ago." Sheldon hopped in. They were in so much trouble now. Flack would kill them for telling Mac. "They've arranged a meeting between Jo and Mason."

"They what?" Mac shouted out.

"Jo requested for it herself, Mac. She just didn't want you to know."

"She was afraid you'd freak out." Adam continued.

Mac felt the ground slipping from under his feat. This just couldn't be happening. He angrily glanced over to his two friends, who were humbly waiting for his rage to come over them. Mac let out a heavy breath, and quickly turned around. He violently stepped through the door and disappeared into the cold winter night.


- Author's note -

Ruh-roh! Will Jo's plan be jeopardized now Mac has found out? And what about Mac's feelings towards Jo? Will he follow Flack's advice, and finally find the courage to tell her?

I haven't written the next chapter yet, so I'm still entirely open for suggestions. Where do you want to take the story's final chapter? Let me know!

The song that I referred to in this chapter is called "If I had a gun...", and is written by Noel Gallagher. You should give it a listen. I think it describes Jo and Mac's relationship perfectly.