Disclaimer: I do not own 21 Jump Street or its characters. They belong to Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh. I'm just borrowing them.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Yes, our sweet couple have quite a hurdle…This damn case! Okay, so I added back the missing sentences from Tom and Judy reuniting in the last chapter as requested…so, you can read it if you'd like. There are a couple of flashbacks in this one.

Chapter 14

****Hanson stood at attention with his hands behind his back as a tall, bronze, statuesque man casted a shadow while circling him. "I can save you a little time right now," Hanson rocked on his heels as he glanced up. "I'm into women." He whispered before clearing his throat. "So, save your money….I'll buy my own dinner."

The man stopped cold as a small smile briefly appeared on his face. "That was my mark you killed." He palmed his hand on the back of Hanson's neck, forcing him down to his knees as Tom jerked his head back and grunted. "Who are you working for?"

"Man, who…argh….are you…" Hanson's head started to hurt from the pressure. "Working for?"

"We're not playing that game." The man scoffed. "I asked you…now, you answer or my man here…" He pointed to a man of medium height and build, all of solid muscle. "Well, he's gonna shoot you and then we're going to enjoy your dinner." The man applied a little more pressure. "Give it up, or I'll take it from you."

"Nobody, I don't work for anybody…aaahhh…he's" Hanson grunted while trying to fight through the pain in his neck. "repaying...urgh….a debit."

"What kind of debit?" The man frowned as he squatted down next to Hanson.

"He owed me a favor." Hanson grimaced in pain. "He didn't repay the favor….so,…"

"You killed him." The man slowly rose to his feet. "That's pretty harsh."

"I'm not one for bullshit." Hanson started to feel the pain travel throughout his shoulders. "Let me up." He demanded.

"Your mouth's gonna get you killed one day." The man warned him as he maintained the pressure on his neck. "You owe me money."

Hanson scoffed. "Sounds like…" He grimaced as the pain got worse. "You owe me."

"Your logic?" The man lifted a brow as he relaxed his hand.

"I killed your mark…." Hanson stared at the ground grateful the bulk of the pain subsided as quickly as it appeared. "You would've had one of these deadbeats do it." He stiffened and put his hands up when he felt the cold barrel pressing into his temple. "I'm just saying…if you pay me." His eyes shifted upward and he caught a glimpse of the muscular man holding the gun to his head. "Then I'll work for you." He studied the man's position from the corner of his eye. "If not, then let me go…I have somewhere to be."

"What's stopping me from killing you now?" The man swayed side to side while rotating his hands around each other.

"Nothing" Hanson quickly moved his head back while flicking the man's wrist back to get it in position for Hanson to turn the gun around on the man who was no longer in control of the trigger. Hanson stood up to the sound of several guns surrounding him being cocked back and taken off of safety. "Except for maybe that." He shot a calculated stare at the large man who couldn't help but smirk.

"I like you." He ran his fingers over his goatee while nodding. "I'm Rico." He pointed to the man that Hanson was holding at gun point. "Meet Cyrus." He chuckled as he turned around and walked to his shiny, black, luxury car with limo tinted windows. "You work for him, now." He sandwiched himself between the body of the car and the car door while looking at Tom. "You cross me and…" He moved his finger across his neck. "There's nothing like a little torture before murder." He smiled before getting in. *****

Hanson thought back to the first time he met Rico as he laid on Clavo's bed, on his back with one leg extended while the other was bent allowing his foot to lie flat on the mattress while staring at the ceiling too afraid to fall asleep. The last time he remembered being this afraid of losing Judy was when she almost died giving birth to their twins. He thought the night terrors which gave him the violent black outs that took him away from Judy for a year, nearly seventeen years ago, were a distant memory….until tonight. He couldn't live with himself if he ever laid a hand on her. He thought about going back to the center that helped him before, but he couldn't bare the thought of being away from his family for several months without contact. He ran his fingers through his golden locks until his hand rested under his head while his other hand lightly strummed his abdomen. Gravity dropped his head to the side, enabling him to look at the alarm clock. '3:28am' he sighed heavily. He and Penhall were finally able to ditch the tail that Rico had on them since they started the case. And he couldn't have been happier, since two weeks away from Judy and the kids was starting to take its toll on him. His thoughts continually drifted to Judy and his need to be next to her, touch her, hold her, kiss her….Hanson's focused toward the door as light outlined Clavo's bedroom door as it opened. "You couldn't sleep either?" His voice was a little hoarse from exhaustion.

"No" She meekly answered as she widened the door. "Can I sit in here with you?" She closed the door behind her.

"I would love that." He smiled at her while raising his brows. "But, if I fall asleep."

She nodded in acknowledgement as she smiled back while approaching him. "And if I fall asleep."

"I'll take you to bed, or you can sleep here and I'll go to our room." He moved over leaving her room to lie in front of him. She laid on her side with her back to him. He placed his arm around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could. "You alright?"

"I'm better now," Judy placed her hand over his. "Are you?"

He closed his eyes and exhaled. "I'm only worried about you." He touched his forehead to the back of her head. "The way you looked at me tonight… " His hand inched upwards over her stomach, over the bend of her waist and down her hip where he paused as the pain of what he must have done to her filled his chest. "I never want to give you another reason to look at me like that again."

"I've seen you mad before," Her eyes roamed the room as she recalled the emptiness in his eyes when he attacked her. "But, that wasn't you..."

"I'm sorry." He hugged her. "I couldn't control it, baby." He solemnly confessed as he intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'm not even aware of it happening until I wake up and someone tells me about it." He let go of her hand long enough for her to turn over. "I didn't know what was going on until I realized that the fear in your eyes was…." He touched the back of his hand to her face as he gazed into her eyes. "Because of me, and I never want to make you feel that way again." He put his lips to her forehead. "I love you."

The sadness in his eyes was killing her softly. "Baby, please tell me what's bothering you." She sweetly pleaded.

He raised his brows. "I can't." He whispered in a defeated tone. Judy closed her eyes and exhaled as she sat up. "Don't go." He covered her hand with his. "Not yet."

She met her eyes with his. "Talk to me."

"I want to, but…" He cleared his throat as his head moved side to side. "I need time to figure this out."

"How much time?" She delicately asked.

"Just until the case is over." He slowly traced his fingers up her arm.

"That could take months." Judy stood up as the butterflies in her stomach began to slam dance. "What are we supposed to do until then?" She turned to him as her tone increased.

Hanson licked his lips as he glanced at the bed before looking back at her. "Come back to bed." He sweetly requested as he raised his brows. "Please"

"No" She shook her head as she looked at him. "I want you to talk to me…." She pointed her finger downward. "Now." She impatiently demanded.

He quickly sat up in the bed, placing his feet on the ground. "Alright." He burrowed his brows as he hunched over placing his elbows at his knees while looking through the strands of hair that covered his eye as he look at her. "I think its best that I leave for awhile." He slowly rubbed his hands together as he watched them move back and forth. "I need to get better, before this gets worse. So, I'm going to stay away until we wrap this case and if that doesn't work then I'll be back when I'm better, no matter how long it takes."

"Wait a minute." She put her hand up and narrowed her eyes. "You think its best? No matter how long.."

"I don't want to hurt you, or the kids." He sat up and explained.

"Well, then that makes sense…" She shrugged with her brows still pointing downward. "Since you are in this marriage by yourself and you are a single parent…" She sarcastically replied as she crossed her arms. "You can just up and decide to leave and come back whenever you please then..."

"Judy," He stood up and stepped closer to her.

"Don't" She through her index finger up and stepped back as her scowl deepened. "Because it sounds like you've made up your mind and you're okay with leaving us." She could feel her blood boiling. "AGAIN!"

"Come here, baby..." His heart was slowly breaking as he held his hand out to her.

She stepped back and narrowed her brows as she pointed at him. "Let me tell you something," Her voice cracked and her eyes watered. "If you leave…" She swallowed hard and exhaled. "If you leave us indefinitely…." It took everything in her to say what she needed to say to him. "Don't bother coming back."

The hurt in her eyes cut through him as he watched her storm out before slamming the door behind her. He dropped down on the edge of the bed like a sack of potatoes as her statement slowly registered. He wiped a few persistent tears from his cheek as he ran his fingers through his hair while recalling the memories of the night that was still plaguing him.

*****Tom and Rico sat across from each other at a secluded table for two in the jazz club. Rico leaned over the table to speak quietly to Tom. "You've done a good job for Cyrus, Tommy and I want to give you a token of my appreciation."

Hanson focused on the way his hand caressed his beer while it sat on the table. "Show me appreciation by telling him to increase my pay." His eyes shifted from his beer to Rico.

"Man, you crack me up." Rico sat back and laughed. "I feel you, but I have something better in mind for you."

Tom burrowed his brows as he glared at Rico. "What?"

"I want to bring you into my team as a hitter." Rico took a moment to read Tom's reaction before continuing. "There's a guy coming here tomorrow night and I want you to start with him." Rico put his index finger up. "Hold up." His attention turned to the club's entrance when he caught a glimpse of a couple of familiar faces saunter through the door. Hanson followed Rico's eye line as it shifted to Train who was sitting several tables away. Train made eye contact with Rico and bobbed his head once to let Rico know he understood. Hanson's eyes shifted back to the beautiful, caramel dipped woman donning a long platinum blonde wig that cascaded down her back, with bangs that stopped at her brows. She was wearing a black, skin tight dominatrix body suit and black knee high stiletto boots all of which highlighted the curves of her trim and shapely figure. The man standing next to her wore a sleek, black leather jacket, white t-shirt, and navy blue jeans. Tom narrowed his brows as the man at the bar placed his hand on the small of her back, drawing her into him as he waved the opposite hand at the bartender to buy her a drink. The attractive man in the leather jacket gave Tom a mischievous grin when he caught a glimpse of Tom sitting at the table glaring back at him. His hand glided up from the small of her back, around to her hip, her abdomen and she stopped it from going any higher as she issued a visual warning by lifting a brow while looking at him. The man politely smiled at her until she turned her attention back to the bartender. The man's eyes inconspicuously glanced back at Hanson as the man's hand skipped over the woman's breast without touching it, before landing in the center of her chest as it inched her zipper down a centimeter or two to expose more cleavage. Hanson's face become hot and his heart rate increased so much that he could hear his heart beating inside his eardrum as he angrily squinted at the man while shifting once in his seat trying to maintain his composure while continuing to glare across the room at the man in the leather jacket. The man smirked before kissing the woman in the sexy cat suit on her collar bone, and then her cheek. Hanson bit his lip in silent agony as he watched Booker rub the small of Judy's back. "Where was I?" Rico settled into his seat as he turned his attention back to Hanson.

Hanson tightened his grip on his beer bottle as he watched Booker's hand drift over the curves of Judy's ass before she lifted his hand up while visually scolding him. Hanson clinched his jaw, narrowed his eyes, and bobbed his head once. "Working for you." He grumbled as he cut his eyes to Rico.

"Aaaahhh yes…." Rico smiled as he stroked the hair on his chin. ******

"Where is she?" Penhall rushed through the front door of Tom and Judy's house.

"In their room." Kori cried as she pointed toward her parent's room.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll find him." Mack hugged her.

Doug tapped on Judy's door several times without a response from her. "Jude, I'm coming in." He gradually pushed the door open, quickly ducking when an object was thrown at him. "What the hell was that for?"

"Why didn't you tell him?" Judy yelled as she looked at Doug with a mixture of pain, hate and disgust in her eyes. "GET OUT!"

"Jude," Doug dropped his head in guilt. "I was only trying to help."

She gritted her teeth as her head slowly turned back to him. "Get….out" She angrily trembled as she watched him walk out the door with his head bowed.

Judy sat back down in the chair in front of the bedroom window. She brought her legs back up to her chest as she rocked herself while continuing to sob uncontrollably. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay" Rachel crept in and sat on the edge of the bed. "We'll just sit." They sat in silence for about twenty minutes before Judy stopped crying log enough to talk.

"It's over." Judy blotted her wet face with the tissue in her hand, and it immediately soaked in the moisture from her face. "My marriage is over." She stared out the window.

"It's not over." Rachel stated in a reassuring tone. "He'll be back." She could see the pain her best friend was going through and it broke her heart. "Jude, he loves you so much," She fought back tears in an attempt to be strong for Judy. "He's doing what he thinks is…"

"Don't say it." Judy moved her head from side to side as she looked outside at the blue sky with traces of white clouds sprinkled here and there. "He told me that, and I hated hearing it." She sniffled. "He left me the first time, because he thought it was best. It wasn't Rach." She poked at her chest. "I was his woman…I've always been his woman, and he won't let me be there for him when he needs me the most." She gathered her brown locks between her fingers and pulled them back into a ponytail. "He's suffering, Rach….He's in pain and instead of letting me be there for him." She closed her eyes as she tied the elastic band around her hair. "He leaves…He left in the middle of the night." She opened her eyes and cleared her throat. "And I told him that if he left…" She grimaced. "Not to bother coming back, and this morning he was…" She exhaled. "He was gone."

A few tears escaped Rachel's eyes as she watched her best friend breakdown. She's seen Judy in so many different dynamics throughout their friendship of nearly twenty five years, but this was Rachel's first time ever seeing Judy so broken and defeated. "The fellas are trying to get in touch with him and Doug's going back under with him tomorrow so,…"

"Hanson will only be found when he's ready to be found." Judy's eyes shifted to Rachel. "Even if he lets Doug go back under with him tomorrow," She blotted her face with fresh tissues. "He thinks he's protecting us, and he won't come back home until he knows…" She felt the stinging in her eyes and nose. "Until he knows we're safe…" She cried. "From him."

"See," Rachel smiled. "You know he'll be back."

"Yeah, well…" Judy bobbed her head as she tried to control her tears. "I know he'll come back….when he's….ready to." She sniffled. "But, I'm filing for divorce as soon as I can stop crying long enough to drive down there and do it."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock as she stood up. "Why would you do that?"

"He left us.." Judy narrowed her brows as she cut her eyes to Rachel. "He knew that I was serious and he left anyway."

"You're making the biggest mistake of your life." Rachel shook her head as she looked at nothing in particular. "That man loves you….he'd walk through fire for you." She scolded Judy. "He's doing this for you and the kids and you're going to punish him for that?"

"Punish him?" Judy could feel her temperature rise. "What do you think this is doing to me?" She put her hand to her chest. "I've been throwing up since I left him in Clavo's room last night. The only reason I'm not over the toilet now, is because I can't eat…..It's one o'clock in the afternoon, and I'm puking water….because I can't eat….I can't stop crying….I had to tell our children that he had to leave early and I don't know why. They called Doug, because I couldn't stop crying and I kept getting sick." She wept through her rant. "I called Hanson and I've texted him and he won't answer me!" She pushed back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Don't tell me what it's doing to him….all I wanted him to do was talk to me." She watched a few of her neighbors mowing their grass. "But, he'd rather leave us than do that."

"I'm sure he has his reasons why he can't tell you yet." Rachel sweetly added. "He'll come around."

"Mmm…huh" Judy nodded in agitation while trying to recall her memories of what could have triggered his night terrors.

****** Judy's right leg was tucked under the covers in a straight line, and her left leg was bent in an incomplete triangle as it overlapped the white sheets. Her left arm hung from the side of the bed while she laid in the bed on her stomach with her head propped up on a over-fluffed pillow and the lower half of her body covered in sheets while exposing her to the final rays of the day's sunset as it bathed her silky back in the subtle warmth. She groggily batted her eyes in an attempt to focus on her surroundings. She rubbed the top of her pounding head as she grimaced in pain. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a lavish hotel room, and the three half empty bottles of wine in her view as an indication that her and Tom must have had an amazing night. She closed her eyes as she turned over on her back exposing her naked breasts and black lace panties. She exhaled and massaged her forehead while trying to remember how much fun they'd actually had. But, her mind drew a blank. She propped herself up by her elbows and looked around the room while squinting in pain. She saw the wine, the goblets, the flowers, and Booker's jacket hanging on the back of a chair….Booker's watch sitting on the night stand next to the bed.…She quickly sat up and wrapped the sheets around her as her heartbeat sped up and her mind started to race. 'What the hell did I do?' She thought as looked around in a panic. She scooted out of the bed until her feet hit the floor as she scanned the room for her clothes. She started to hyperventilate as Tom's face appeared in her thoughts and her breathing got worse when she couldn't remember what she wore that day. She pushed her hair back while staring at the black cat suit hanging over a different chair and the tall stiletto boots sitting on the floor next to the chair. Her eyes widened when she heard the door knob jingle. *****