CJ couldn't believe how good she felt the next morning. She breezed into the West Wing not letting the bad weather, her Secret Service detail or the fact that Flynn had somehow avoided capture once again last night, get her down. She had hoped that the phone trace Ron had gotten would be enough to catch him but yet again he had outsmarted the authorities and held onto his freedom, denying CJ hers. No matter. Her good mood could not be dampened. Even by the rain.

Just thinking about Danny brought a smile to her face. He had come over last night in full disguise so as to make her laugh but couldn't get past her Secret Service detail. The man was crazy (in the best way) and she was crazy about him. She loved that she could talk to him honestly; she could pour her heart out and not worry about him doubting her competence in her job like she would if she were to talk like that to a colleague. She loved the way he looked at her….like he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. The way he kissed her and the other things he did weren't bad either. She was practically blushing just thinking about it.

Her mind occupied on such matters she barely thought about the hush hush interview she had scheduled for later with Chris from the NY Times or the TV interview the next day with Diane Mathers that would be aired once the article came out. Both journalists had no idea what topic would be discussed. No doubt they were expecting some new Presidential scandal. Certainly not the harrowing personal exclusive CJ was about to reveal.

She had her story together. She knew exactly what she wanted, or rather what she needed to say. She didn't particularly want any of this but it was necessary. Hopefully it would work and her life would return to some semblance of normality before long. Optimism. That would be her new motto. How much worse could things get, right?

Wrong.

She found out just how wrong she was mid-way through her morning briefing. Questions had been focused on the approaching visit of the Irish Taoiseach for the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations. CJ was only half concentrating. The IRA had been peaceful lately and the questions focused more on the pageantry of the visit rather than any politically sensitive issues that would require her full attention.

A slew of pagers beeping rhythmically brought her back to high alert. She glanced at Carol who shrugged and left the room to find out about what was breaking. Before CJ could even scold the Press for their inattention Carol was back signalling for CJ to cut the briefing short immediately.

'All right everyone. Looks like you all have more interesting things to do so let's leave it there for now. I'll see you all this afternoon.'

This parting shot from Steve gave her a pretty good indication what all the commotion was about.

'CJ is it true that a senior White House staffer is personally acquainted with the felon Justin Flynn?'

Ducking her head she ignored the question and left the room as fast as she could.

The Press followed her lead and made a hasty exit, off to get the scoop.

'What's going on?' she asked Carol. 'Please tell me they caught him and that's why he's talking?'

'No such luck Boss. CNN is saying it received a tape from him. They're reviewing it now and have obviously leaked a couple of things. They should show it in full any minute now.'

'Jesus. What the hell does he have on that tape? This is going to be bad.'

'CJ, you've heard?' She nodded yes. Josh grabbed her arm as he rushed past, effectively changing her direction taking her with him. 'Let's go. We're meeting in the Oval.'

CJ's heart was pounding. Her good morning was a distant memory. She had been preparing to tell the story herself. She had convinced herself she was ready for it to be out there. Why was the thought of Flynn revealing everything making her feel like this? Completely panicked.

Maybe it was because once again he had taken all control away from her. She was once again completely at his mercy. She hated this. Why couldn't they just catch him already? Really how hard could it be?

She looked around her when Josh squeezed her hand lightly. They were in the Oval office. The President, Leo, Toby and Sam were all there, all watching her. 'How you doing, Kid?' Leo asked. She shrugged and decided to go with the short answer. 'I've been better,' she smiled ruefully. 'He said I'd be sorry for not meeting him. I guess this is his revenge. Are they saying anything yet?'

They all looked toward the TV monitor showing the CNN news anchors looking serious and intense, 'No they're filling. Won't be much longer.' Toby, concise as always.

'I can't believe he scooped me!' CJ laughed nervously to herself. Now she knew how her reporters felt when they got beaten to a story. What's taking so long?

'Is anyone trying to get a copy of the tape?'

'Carol's on it.'

'Donna is trying.'

'Ginger is working on it.'

They answered the President in unison, talking over each other.

'Of course they are,' he chuckled. 'I guess we just wait.'

As he spoke the screen was suddenly filled with a Breaking News bulletin and the anchors spring to life declaring that what they are about to show is exclusive never before seen footage.

Leo hit the volume and they watched in silence.

'…..a video from escaped convict and murderer Justin Flynn in which he reveals the motivation behind his escape and some shocking footage of a crime he committed over twenty years ago. We must warn you that these images are extremely disturbing and viewer discretion is advised.'

Then there he was, his face filling the screen, the madness in his eyes clear for everyone to see. The video was probably shot from a cell phone. It was shaky and filled with background noise.

'What footage?' CJ wondered aloud. Her memory of that night was sketchy at best but she couldn't remember him having a video camera. It would make sense though. The pictures he sent to the White House could be stills taken from a video.

She was feeling faint at the thought of what she, along with the rest of the nation, was about to see. Toby stood next to her, silently offering his support.

'Hello America,' he began in a mocking voice into the camera. 'I know many of you have been wondering how I managed to escape from prison. I've been following some of the theories printed in the papers and trust me when I tell you you're not even close. There has also been some conjecture printed as to why I broke out and what exactly I mean to accomplish now that I am free? There must be a reason behind it, you say. Well you're right. There is.'

'It's your typical love story really, the girl who got away. All I want is to see her again. She was so innocent and happy when I first saw her. So full of the joys of life. You could see it in her eyes. So I decided to kill her. I wanted to take that light away from her like others had done to me. I called to her house late one night and one by one killed every member of her family. I left her til last. I wanted her to see them suffer. Much to my dismay I learned from the newspaper reports that she actually survived. Now a scared, lonely orphan. So I went back to find her and when I did I saw that light was gone from her eyes and although she lived, I had won. I moved on to other things. Years later as I sat rotting in a prison cell, who should I see on the TV set but my beautiful angel, the girl who got away, taunting me each day from the screen.'

'It was a sign. A sign that I still had unfinished business and couldn't spend my life wasting away in prison ignoring my true calling as the bringer of death. Her job, it turns out comes with certain risks and she came close to death last May. This spurred me into action as her death at the hands of another would be a disaster. I have to be the one to kill her. It's the only way for there to be closer for the both of us. I've decided she might need a reminder of the connection we shared the last time we met. Enjoy the trip down memory lane, my Darling Claudia Jean. I promise it won't be long until we are together again.'

Toby's hand was now around CJ's waist practically holding her up as she leaned on him. Josh held her other hand. 'He's crazy. He's completely crazy' she muttered under her breath as she came to realise just how much danger this man posed to her. He wasn't going to stop until she was dead. Just being here was putting the people she loved in danger, just like she had put her families' lives in danger by unknowingly attracting this lunatic to their door.

'CJ, come on you don't need to watch this.' 'Yes, I do Toby. I need to know. I want to get it over with. This whole thing. I just want it to be over.' She faded to a whisper as a younger Justin Flynn appeared onscreen, black and white images that were obviously old. He pointed to something and turned the camera. CJ recognised herself as a young girl, with her brothers walking ahead of her. They each carried backpacks. They must have been returning home from school. She was running to catch up with the older boys, not wanting to be left behind. She jumped up on her oldest brothers back and they collapsed in fits of laughter as she knocked him over.

The image changed. Now it was something more familiar to her. It was the nightmare that had haunted her for years only now it was worse, it was being broadcast on national television. He had placed the camera down on a table in the corner of the room. The distorted angle actually made the whole thing look more frightening. The lack of sound was eerie. It drew more attention to the horror reflected on the young families' faces.

She watched as one by one her family fell around her. She heard her companions in the Oval office gasp as they watched the scene for the first time. She felt strangely detached from her own body. Detached from reality. It was difficult to reconvene the girl being brutally attacked onscreen with the woman she was now, standing here watching, in the presence of the President of the United States. Time had passed. Everything had changed. But when the knife slid into the young girl's stomach she felt the pain all over again.

Taking a deep breath she forced herself to stay standing. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry for her family and everything she had lost. Another part of her refused to give in. She wasn't that innocent defenceless young girl anymore and maybe it was time Justin Flynn learned just who he was dealing with. She met the President's eyes and he was shocked at how calm she was. 'Sir, will you excuse me? I think I need to sit down for a minute. I'll be in my office.' She left the room. She needed a minute to process what she had seen and decide what her next move should be so she could protect herself and the administration from the madman that had forced himself into their lives.