Once again, I stress it isn't mine.

Pairing and rating as before. There's a little coarse language in this chapter, just a heads up.

If any of you are 'Bones' fans you may recognize a line in this chapter, which I also do not claim as my own, I just love it and thought it would be useful here.

Hope you enjoy!

*******

Swirling darkness all around, the crunch of footsteps, the cold rough texture of a stone floor, the smooth metal blade of a knife. A dark shape, getting closer and closer…

Jen gasped as she awoke from the horribly vivid nightmare, panting and drenched in a cold sweat. It had seemed so real. She fumbled for the bedside lamp, exhaling as light flooded the room.

She supposed she should have expected these terrifying flashbacks to her time in the warehouse but that knowledge didn't make them any easier to deal with. She focused on trying to steady her breathing. It was just a dream; it couldn't hurt her. Stuart was locked away; under guard day and night there was no way he could get to her. She was safe. She told herself that over and over. It was a shame she didn't believe it.

There was a soft tap on her bedroom door and Matt called through it.

"Jen? Are you OK?"

Great. Not only had she worked herself up into this ridiculous state, she'd woken Matt as well. He'd insisted that she needed a good night's rest and that he'd take the couch, at least for tonight, ("honestly Jen, I'm a gentleman. I'd never take advantage of you in your weakened state," he'd quipped, earning himself a rather painful punch in the arm.)

"I'm fine, Matt. Go back to sleep." She didn't even believe herself, so there was zero chance that he would be fooled. Sure enough, she heard him scoff from behind the door.

"Yeah, sure you're fine. And pigs can fly too."

He came into the room and sat down on the bed next to her.

"Bad dreams?" he asked.

She nodded. "Good guess."

"I thought so. I could hear you thrashing around and whimpering from down the hall. I've already come to check on you twice, but you were still asleep and I didn't want to wake you."

He squeezed her shoulder, comfortingly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. You can probably guess what it was about."

"Probably," he agreed. "But you can tell me anyway, it might make you feel better."

"I doubt it."

"OK. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Stay."

She hated herself for being so childish, but in truth, it was the only way she could think of to make the demons go away.

He said nothing, but got into the bed. She switched off the light and nestled herself in as close to him as she could get. A sense of peace and calm washed over her as they lay there together, the darkness suddenly not so threatening. Safe in Matt's arms, it didn't take her long to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

For Matt however, sleep did not come quite so easily. He trailed his fingers lightly up and down her arm as her breathing settled into the rhythm of deep sleep. He wished there was more he could do to help her, some way he could fix everything, make it all go away.

Slowly, she was falling to pieces. Normally tough-as-nails, she would never have been reduced to nightmares before all this had happened. It upset him to see her in such pain and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. He pressed a kiss to her temple; gentle enough so as not to wake her up and suddenly an answer came to him, in a sudden burst of clarity.

There was something he could do. Sure it was a little underhanded and she'd kill him if she ever found out, but desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

Besides, he thought, as she let out a small sigh. She was worth it.

*****

The buzzing sound of the fluorescent lights woke Stuart from his light doze. He'd been up nearly all night working, but it had been worth it. Today was the day. The day it all came to an end.

******

"Babe, I've gotta go out for a while," Matt announced after breakfast the next morning.

The endearment slipped out before he could stop it. Mercifully, she didn't seem to have heard it and simply took another sip of coffee.

"Where are you going?" Jen asked him as he rinsed out his coffee mug and grabbed his car keys.

"I've got something I have to do. Your appointment isn't until later, I promise I'll be back in time to get you there."

The 'appointment' in question was actually Jen's meeting with Stuart but Matt found it easier not to think about it that way. Or better yet, not to think about it, period.

"I'll only be gone for an hour or two. This is really important or else I wouldn't bother." He paused by the hallway mirror to put on his tie. Annoyingly, it didn't seem to be cooperating this morning, but maybe that was because he was too busy thinking about what he was about to do.

She laughed at him as he cursed at the tie after the sixth failed attempt. "Come here."

Scowling, he walked over to where she was sitting on a kitchen chair, her injured foot resting on a cushion on the floor.

She retied it for him. "I can't believe that while you practically live in suits, you still don't know how to do up a tie properly. You really are hopeless."

"But you love me anyway."

She straightened it, and gave him a quick kiss. "God knows why. And if you value your life you won't ever call me 'babe' again."

He winced. So she had noticed. Crap. Time to make himself scarce. Saying a hasty goodbye, he practically bolted for the door.

Jen stifled a laugh. Truth be told, she actually didn't mind the nickname all that much, but seeing her boyfriend cowering in fear was just too funny to miss out on.

God knew she was going to need a laugh after today.

*******

Matt's knuckles were clenched tight on the steering wheel as he drove. Was he sure about this? It could mean suspension or possibly even the end of his career? Was he willing to take that chance?

It only took a split second to make his decision.

Yes.

*******

"Matthews! You have a visitor!" The guard's booming voice interrupted Stuart's solitude. The door buzzed and he saw his mystery guest was none other then Detective Ryan, flanked by two other guards.

"It's okay, guys" Matt said to them. They exchanged glances but went out, leaving Stuart and Matt alone.

"Well," said Stuart. "This is a surprise. We should really stop spending so much time together, Detective. People are going to talk."

Matt ignored this comment. "I don't have time for your bullshit Matthews, so I'll get right to the point. I don't know what you're playing at with this 'confession' of yours but I am damn sure that you're up to something."

"You do know how paranoid you sound, right?"

"Let's just get one thing straight. I'll be watching this interview you're having with Jen this afternoon. I'm warning you, one false move, and I guarantee it'll be your last."

Stuart grinned. "Ah, so you and Jenny are an item now, are you? I guess congratulations are in order."

Matt leaned towards him and dropped his voice to a menacing whisper. "The only thing you need to know is, you attack her, and I'll drill you through the forehead."

"This is harassment, Detective. I could report you for this."

"Go ahead. The only thing I care about right now is her safety. The sooner you're rotting away in a jail cell somewhere, the happier I'll be."

"Found any evidence yet?" Stuart asked superciliously.

"Tests are due back in a couple of hours. You're going down."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Yes we will. In the meantime, remember what I've said."

"Yes, yes," said Stuart in a bored voice. "If I lay a finger on her, you'll kill me, I get it. Now are we done?"

"We're done. For now." Matt stood up and the two guards came over to unlock the doors.

"Detective?" Stuart called after him. "Tell Jenny that I'm just dying to see her, won't you?"

It took all the self-restraint Matt possessed not to turn around and thump him one right then and there. Amazingly, he managed to keep walking away and when he got out of sight of the cell, settled for punching the wall instead.

********

The rest of the morning flew by and before he knew it, he was pulling into his space in the station car park.

"You don't have to do this," he said to Jen, who was in the passenger seat. "No-one is going to say anything if you decide you can't face it. And if they do, they'll have me to answer to."

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"I don't want to do it Mattie but I have to. I need to prove to myself that he doesn't scare me anymore."

"But-"

"Matt you've been wonderful these past few weeks but you can't fight all my battles for me. This is something I have to do on my own."

She leaned over the console and kissed his cheek. "I love you so much," she said. "Soon all this crap will be over and everything's going to be fine."

In spite of the situation, he grinned. "Not true. Once I figure out a way of keeping my hands off you while we're at work, then we'll be fine."

She laughed. "You seemed to manage fine for the last six months."

"Only because I thought you'd kick my ass into next week, like you did to Cooper."

Mick Cooper, the office sleaze, was in the Organized Crime department with whom Homicide occasionally crossed over during cases. Cooper had irritated the hell out of the Homicide squad right from the start and after making one too many unwanted passes at Jen, had ended up with a lot more than just a bruised ego by the time she'd finished with him.

He hadn't tried it on with any more of his female colleagues since.

"Don't get too confident, I still might." She took a deep breath, the smile fading. "OK, I'm ready. Let's get this over with."

*******

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

For what felt like the millionth time, Jen found herself in the interrogation room, waiting for the door to open. The only real difference was that this time, none of her colleagues were by her side. All the interviews she'd ever done had been tag-team affairs with someone always there to help out, should she falter.

Not this time.

Just herself and Stuart. One on one.

Never before had she approached an interview with this kind of apprehension. The feeling of trepidation increased tenfold as the door opened and Stuart entered the room.

He grinned. "Hello Jenny."

"Stuart."

"So, where's your bodyguard?" he asked casually.

"My what?"

"I barely recognise you without Detective Ryan snapping at your heels. Won't it be good to just have a nice, private chat?"

"I didn't come here for this Stuart, so let's cut to the chase. What is it you want to tell me?"

"Depends. What is it you want to hear?"

"Full confession would be nice."

He shrugged. "Not without my lawyer present."

"That can be arranged."

"I'm sure. And while he's here I can look into laying some charges of my own."

"Being?"

"Harassment. Detective Ryan's got a bit of an attitude."

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Oh he didn't tell you about our little interlude this morning? Dear, dear, isn't open communication supposed to be a vital part of a healthy relationship?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to enlighten you. He threatened my life if anything were to happen to you, and to hell with the consequences. His loyalty to you is admirable, even though his methods aren't."

"Matt Ryan, just you wait until I get my hands on you!" Jen thought angrily, while trying to look like this information was not news to her.

********

In the viewing room, Stanley switched the volume off on the monitor and turned to Matt with his arms folded and a muscle jumping in his jaw.

"Something you'd like to share with us, Detective Ryan?" he asked, in a deadly calm voice.

Simon and Duncan cringed. Whenever the Sarge used that tone, someone's head was about to roll.

Everyone was so distracted; they didn't see Stuart remove something sharp from his pocket.

With the sound muted, nobody heard the crash as he wedged a chair under the door or Jen's shriek as he lunged at her.

Unable to run, due to her foot and still too weak to fight him off she found herself once again at his mercy. She screamed again.

"Scream all you want," he hissed. "By the time they get in here, you'll be dead. No mistakes this time."

He brandished his weapon, fashioned from a regulation issue toothbrush, sharpened to a point with a stone he'd found in the exercise yard.

He held it to her throat, aiming for the jugular vein. She knew if he stabbed her there, she'd be dead within minutes. She looked pleadingly up at the camera fixed to the wall. Where were the others? Why weren't they coming?

With malice glimmering in his eyes, Stuart pulled back his arm and prepared to thrust the makeshift shiv into her neck.

"Any last words?"

*****

Has our Jen's luck finally run out? Find out soon!

Review please. :)