2:35 PST

After six months in Siberia, Liz had forgotten how much she had missed the Californian sun. She sat alone in a lounge chair on the back porch and looked out on to the neatly manicured lawn, her eyes occasionally drifting to the agent standing sentry duty at the north end. The neighborhood was quiet, and except for the occasional distant crackle of a guard's radio; she could almost forget that this was a safe house. That just two days before the people staying here had been running for their lives.

Such pleasant surroundings to house such horrible memories.

Upon her arrival that morning, she had been relieved to discover that every man assigned to the Bauer detail was someone Jack had a history with. Someone he had either trained, or had worked with for years. She figured it would be good to remind him that he still had friends he could trust, even if she wasn't sure he still considered her one of them. Still, he had allowed Liz to talk with Kim in private, retreating to the porch, while they stayed in the living room.

It hadn't gone very well, but it could have been worse. Liz had known Kim since she was ten years old, but the young woman who sat on the couch with her that morning might as well have been a stranger. And an anger-filled one at that. It was slow going, and Kim was still in shock from what had happened. It had taken Liz several hours to get Kim to open up and it wasn't until she had put away the video camera and stopped taking notes that Kim seemed willing to even confirm what Liz already knew, let alone add anything. But when she finally began to talk it was like a floodgate opened, and Kim poured out everything she had been holding inside for the last few days.

Liz rapidly discovered that C.T.U. had only the vaguest idea what had happened to Kim and her mother from the time she left her family's home until she and her mother were rescued by Jack. There were a few disjointed statements that had been gathered from Rick, the boy that had helped kidnap her. There were the partial transcripts of Nina's interviews at the safe house. And finally, Liz had the doctor's notes from the clinic, an impersonal physical examination of Teri's rape as well as the later coroner's report confirming her pregnancy. But to hear those words come out of Kim, to hold the shaking girl as she begged Liz not to tell her father about the rape or the baby… it was almost more than Liz could bear.

In the end, she had been glad of the phone call from Mason, checking in and effectively ending the interview. Kim retreated to her bedroom for a nap, and Liz joined Jack on the porch for a late lunch. For the time being they had kept the conversation light, neither one quite ready to wade into the deep waters.

Despite the sun, Liz felt herself shiver and she dreaded what was coming. For the first time since she arrived, Liz had doubts about her ability to run this investigation. Can I really lie to Jack about what happened to his family? Do I have any right to tell him if I can't?

The sliding door behind her opened and Jack returned to the porch, two mugs in his hand.

"You look like you could use this."

Liz took one of the mugs and breathed in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, along with a little something extra. She took a sip and arched an eyebrow, "Funny, I don't remember seeing whiskey on the list of safe house kitchen staples. New protocol, I take it?"

The ghost of a smile touched Jack's face, never reaching his exhausted eyes, "Baker snuck it in. But you didn't hear it from me."

"Who am I going to tell, Chapelle?" Liz rolled her eyes, "Like the man would believe me if I did."

"Good point."

The silence began to stretch, and Liz took the opportunity to watch her old friend stare out into the yard just as she had been moments before. The smile as he handed her the coffee had been a forced lie. She couldn't begin to imagine what was going through his mind, the pain, the guilt, the anger. They both knew the real conversation would have to start soon, and Liz could feel Jack steeling himself for it.

Liz had seen it happen before. She had seen him slowly gather his thoughts, his emotions, and anything that would distract him from the task at hand and lock it down. He put a mask in place on his face, and as Liz watched she realized it was the same one she had seen him use while undercover, or while interrogating suspects. It was a mask that spoke volumes. Liz didn't like what it was saying and she didn't like that it was directed at her.

Don't lie to me. Don't play with me. Because I have no reason to trust you, and every reason to fuck you up if you piss me off.

Liz finally realized that she really was the outsider now, not quite the enemy, but not quite a friend anymore. Her role as the investigator was pushing him away. And it scared her. They had been friends and partners from the day Liz had joined C.T.U., just a few months after Jack had, and they had never let each other down. Not until the end. Not until the silence that had ended her job. Liz needed Jack to trust her now; and she needed to be able to trust what he was telling her. She needed to get past that damned mask.

She took another sip of the laced coffee to try and push the thought away. She really wasn't sure if she was ready for this, and she knew Jack would be savvy enough to use it to his advantage. She hated this, Jack was her friend, and she felt as if she was locked in battle of wits, trying to make a plan of attack.

Liz was snapped back by the sound of Jack's voice asking her a question. "I'm sorry?" she asked.

His tone was deliberately casual, and Liz got the feeling he was biding his time. "I asked you where you got your clothes. You mentioned you had to do the D.O.D. meeting in C.T.U. sweats, have a washer and dryer at the hotel?"

"Not quite. My boyfriend has keys to my place back home," Liz explained, keeping her tone light, "so after he stopped yelling at me for not coming home like I had planned, he agreed to pack up a few things for me. They were overnighted to C.T.U. and Benson brought them to the hotel this morning when he came to pick me up."

"Boyfriend's the cop right? D.C. Narcotics?"

"Yeah, Tyler." Liz let the silence stretch out again. Against her better judgment, she decided to let Jack lead the conversation. The mood he was in, she couldn't afford to push him too far and have him go defensive and shut down. Whatever happened, happened and Liz tried to be patient.

A few minutes passed, and Liz could almost hear an audible click when Jack decided to go ahead. After a deep breath, the mask finally settled into place and he began, "How was Kim this morning, she get through it OK?"

Liz thought carefully before she answered, knowing Jack would weigh every word. "As well as could be expected, I suppose. She was able to tell me quite a bit, actually. I think its good I haven't been here for the last year. I'm not a complete stranger, so she trusts me; but I'm not really close to her, so she doesn't feel like she needs to protect me from anything."

Something flashed behind Jack's eyes and belatedly Liz realized she had touched on the very subject she had wanted to avoid.

"Can I ask you," he was hesitant, trying to choose his words as carefully as Liz had. He kept his eyes focused outward, unblinking, "did she say anything…"

"…useful to the investigation?" Liz deflected. He knows something and he's fishing, damn. "Yes, I think some of what she knows will be very useful."

Jack's continued as if Liz had said nothing, "Did she say anything about Teri, anything she might not want me to know?" Jack turned in the chair to face Liz. "I know she's been hiding something, did she tell you what?"

Shit. Liz's heart jumped into her throat and she fought to maintain an even expression. Of all the conversations she didn't want to have right now…

I'll be damned if I get pulled into this.

Liz replied coolly and diplomatically, "Jack, I think that if Kim is hiding something; that is a conversation you need to have with her. I'm not sure I should answer that."

"So then there is something?"

"Jack-"

"She trusts you; I could see you both through the door. I know she's trying to protect me from something and I know you know what it is. Tell me." It was not a request, and Liz knew from the tone in his voice that she was on thin ice.

"Jack," she took a deep breath, and turned to face him, "I'm going to know a lot of things during this investigation that I can't tell you. And there will be things I won't tell you. Case in point, I'm going to spend almost all day tomorrow in a room with the woman who killed your wife, and that right there is all you are ever going to know about it." Jack flinched, and his eyes narrowed, but Liz continued, "This is a federal investigation, and as much as I'd like to tell you everything, I just can't. And even if I can, I won't. I'm sorry, but it's not going to work that way."

Jack fixed Liz with his icy eyes, and she could feel the rage behind them. "Really?" He said softly, dangerously, holding her gaze and willing her to back down.

But Liz didn't blink, and she didn't look away, "Yes. If I have too, I will walk out that door right now. I will send in some flunky with a tape recorder to get your statement and then I will put a wall around this investigation that you will not be able to talk through, walk around or break down."

"Because that's your job."

"No, because I won't see you worry at this until it eats you alive. We've both seen men burn themselves out chasing ghosts, or drown in their own guilt, and I don't want to see that happen to you. If that means I have to shut you out I will."

After another moment, Jack finally looked away and Liz reached out for his hand. He didn't stop her, but he didn't return her brief squeeze. However, when he finally looked back up at Liz much of the anger was gone, "You can't just ask me to let it go…"

"I know, and I'm not saying I'm going to completely cut you out; but I need you to trust me to know the difference between what you need to know and what you shouldn't know."

There was a pause before Jack started, "You still didn't answer my question about Kim."

"I know." Liz said simply. Jack nodded, accepting Liz's silence for the time being.

They sat that way, facing each other, with Liz's hand still on his, a silent promise of support. Minutes passed, and the mask finally slipped.

Liz began to feel his hands shake and as she watched the tremors begin to move through his entire body. She tightened her grip and finally felt Jack respond in kind. He whispered something Liz couldn't catch and she moved to sit next to him, putting her free arm around his shoulder, "Jack, I'm sorry, I-"

"She was pregnant. Teri. When she died… before she died she called me and we… what do I do with that? What if Kim doesn't know, what if she does and I don't..?" He trailed off, the tears beginning to roughen his voice. His loss and frustration was finally evident in every word.

Liz had to fight back tears of her own as she answered, "Jack, you don't have to tell her anything." He looked up at Liz, the pain showing in his eyes as he realized what she was about to say. "You were right, she knows. She was afraid to say anything in case you didn't."

"Then that is what… what she was hiding? That she knew Teri was pregnant, and that's all?"

Liz preyed Jack was too upset to see the lie as she nodded silently. As he looked down at the ground again, she made a mental note to bury the clinic's report with the rape exam, and to have a long threatening talk with anyone who had seen it. If Kim brought it up at a later time, that would be between father and daughter, but Liz would be damned if she would expose Jack to any more of this pain. He had more than enough on his plate as it was.

She held Jack for a few more minutes until the shaking stopped. When he had himself back under control, Liz returned to her seat across from him, and picked up her mug. She took a swig and made a face at the now cold brew. Jack laughed softly at her expression of disgust.

"Pot's still on if you want a fresh cup."

"Nah," Liz defiantly took another swig, "I'd hate to waste the alcohol in here."

"I'll be right back." Jack disappeared into the house and re-appeared a few minutes later, with the pot, a hot plate, and the bottle of whiskey. Liz couldn't help but laugh herself as Jack set them on the ground between the two chairs. While he looked for an outlet on the porch, he said, "I think we'll both need these before we're done."

Finally finding an outlet, he set the pot of coffee to warm, and sat back in the chair, facing Liz again. "I guess we should start, then. You're going to have a busy day tomorrow." Liz nodded, glad that it appeared to be all Jack was going to say on the subject of her forthcoming meeting. "Where do you want to start?"

Tucking her feet under her and leaning so she could still face Jack, Liz simply answered, "Wherever you need to start."

This time, the mask stayed down.

Next chapter- Liz gets taken for a ride, can CTU find her before she reaches her final destination?