Chapter Twenty-Four

"I DON'T CARE. I'M GOING. YOU CAN'T STOP ME, JACK."
"YES, I CAN. YOU ARE NOT GOING, SUE!"
The others in the safe house living room watched as the hands flew fast and furious. Jack and Sue were oblivious to the fact that their silent argument had an audience.
Finally Bobby couldn't stand it any longer. He had never seen his two friends fight this way before. They were signing much too fast for anyone to understand, but Bobby knew them both well enough to get the gist of the argument.
Crossing the room, he laid a gentle hand on Sue's shoulder.

"Whoa," Bobby stepped back when she whirled around, her normally kind eyes blazing with anger. "Sue, you know it's too dangerous for you to go to the funeral, darling. You know Howie wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger. The bloke would come back to haunt Jack if he let you do this."
Sue shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "How would you know what Howie would want? You always wanted to get rid of him. I'm sure you're very happy now."
"Sue." Pain choked Bobby's voice and he reached for her.
She slapped his hand away. "Stay away from me, Bobby!"
Spinning around, Sue disappeared into the Hudson side of the house, the door slamming behind her.

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Crash, you know she didn't mean that."
Bobby shook his head, tears glistening in his green eyes. He slammed his fist into the wall and strode out of the room. "Bobby!"
Seconds later they heard the sliding glass door open and close.
"Daddy?" Jack looked down to find Jackson and Wesley watching him with wide eyes. Their lips were quivering.
"It's alright, guys." Jack closed his eyes.
He was torn. His sons needed him. His wife needed him. His best friend needed him.
"I'll watch them for you, Jack." Jade spoke up quietly from her seat on the couch.
Jack opened his eyes and glanced at her, gratitude showing in his dark eyes.
He knelt down. "Hey, guys, listen. Everything is okay. You go play with Aunt Jade for a little while, okay?"
Jade stood, swung Wesley to her hip, and took Jackson's hand. "Robert, Stanley, you come too."
Tara gently rubbed Jack's arm and he slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Go to Sue, Jack. It's okay."
Jack hesitated.
"Go." Tara insisted. "Bobby will be alright."

Jack Hudson's dark brown eyes filled with tears as he stepped into the bedroom. Sue was curled into a tight ball on the bed, sobbing.
"Oh, honey." He whispered.
From beside the bed Levi lifted his head and whined.
"It's okay, buddy." Jack reassured the dog as he moved carefully around the bed to get into Sue's line of sight.
Sue opened her eyes when the bed moved with Jack's weight as he sat beside her.
He opened his arms and she quickly moved into them, curling herself against his chest.
"Shh," Jack murmured, stroking her hair and back. After what seemed like an eternity, Sue raised her head slightly her body still shuddering occasionally and tears falling silently from her eyes.

Smiling slightly, Jack tenderly caught a few tears with his thumb and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you." His dark eyes bore into hers, begging her to believe him.
"I love you." Sue's voice trembled. "I'M SORRY." She signed.
Jack shook his head. "No. There's no reason for you to be sorry."
Sue choked on another sob. "It hurts."
Jack closed his eyes and nodded, a few of his own tears escaping. "I know." Jack swallowed hard and opened his eyes, tears clinging to his dark lashes. "Sue, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything that is happening. Sue, I know we didn't show it, but we all loved Howie and Otis. I'm so sorry. D will make sure they get a good burial. And I promise you, that when all this is over we will have a memorial service. Howie and Otis will never be forgotten. They will be remembered as the heroes they were."
Sue nodded and buried herself against Jack's chest again.

Brandon and Jake exchanged concerned glances as Jack followed his wife out of the living room. They had seen the stress of close quarters and living in hiding tear families and friends apart before. They didn't want it to happen this time.
As hard as they tried to not become personally involved with those they protected there were times they couldn't help, but get attached. Neither marshal could deny the connection he felt with the two FBI families.
They were comrades in arms and their lives were being destroyed by a rogue agent. It was hard to swallow.

Jake stood, his brown eyes softening as they took in Tara's worried face.
"It's okay. Bobby's not stupid. I'm sure he just went out back to the exercise room. I'll walk you over there."
Brandon stood quickly. "I'll secure the perimeter."

Tara and Jake waited by the door for Brandon to return.
"All clear." The marshal announced as he stepped back into the house.
Tara watched him flip a few switches so he could monitor the feeds from the security cameras placed around the property. "Okay. You can go out."
Tara followed Jake outside, watching as his always active eyes scanned their surroundings on the short walk to the garage. She wondered if she would ever get used to the precautions necessary just so she could go outside and have a conversation with her husband. Would life ever return to normal? And even if it did, would they ever be normal again?

Jake pushed open the side door of the garage and glanced around to confirm that Bobby was alone before stepping back out of Tara's way.
"I'll wait out here. Take your time."
Tara gave him a grateful smile and entered the garage. Tears filled Tara's eyes when she saw her husband beating the punching bag. Sweat mingled with tears on his face and the haunted look in his eyes broke her heart. She moved slowly to where she knew Bobby would see her and sat down to wait.

After fifteen minutes Tara could take it no more.
"Bobby."
No response.
She sighed and stood. Cautiously, Tara moved to Bobby's side and laid a hand on his arm.
"Bobby, stop. That's enough."
Growling in frustration, Bobby aimed one more punch at the bag and turned his back on Tara.
"Here." Tara handed him a towel and bottle of water. She watched silently as he wiped the sweat and tears from his face and desperately guzzled the water down.

"Bobby." Tara stepped forward and gently rubbed his back.
He tensed under her touch and Tara sighed.
"Bobby, please."
Hearing the tears in her voice, Bobby turned to face her. "Don't cry, Tara-Girl."
"Bobby, please listen to me. I watched Howie and Otis when you interacted with them. They knew you cared. They trusted you to always have their back, despite the jokes and teasing or maybe even because of them. Howie died knowing he was a part of something important. That he had people who truly cared about him."
Bobby turned his head away.
"Bobby, look at me."
He shook his head.
Tara sighed. "Bobby, I promise you that Howie did not die thinking you hated him. He knew you cared. And Sue knows that too. I think you should go talk to her. She needs you."
Bobby nodded and headed toward the door.
Tara followed him a small smile playing on her face. She knew that telling either Bobby or Jack that someone needed them always got them moving no matter how badly they were hurting.

Bobby hesitated slightly in the doorway of the living room when he saw Jack and Sue sitting on the couch. Sue's tearstained face tore at his heart.
Jack nodded his head in Bobby's direction and Sue glanced up.
Jumping from the couch she nearly bowled him over as she leaped into his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry."
"Hey, hey, shelia. Shh." Bobby tried to ease Sue back, but she clung to him. Giving up, Bobby held her, waiting for her to calm down.
Finally, Sue allowed Bobby to ease her back enough for her to read his lips.
"I'm so sorry, Bobby. I didn't mean it."
Bobby shook his head and gently brushed tears from her cheeks with his thumb. "It's okay, love. I understand. Sue, I know I didn't show it the way I should have, but the truth is I loved that little drongo, Otis too."
Sue nodded. "I know, Bobby. And they knew it too. I know they did."

It was late in the safe house when the secure phone rang. Brandon's hand automatically rested on his gun at the unexpected sound.
"Hello?"
"Brandon, it's D. How are things?"
"Weather's clear."
"Good. I'm going to patch Myles through. He says he needs to talk to Bobby. Is he still awake?"
Brandon glanced toward the kitchen and heard someone puttering around. "Yeah."
"Okay. Hang on."

Brandon carried the phone into the kitchen where Bobby sat drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
"Can't sleep?"
The tall agent shook his head.
Brandon held out the phone. "D's patching Myles through. He wants to talk to you."
Surprise and worry filled Bobby's green eyes. "What's wrong?"
Brandon shrugged. "I don't know."

Bobby watched the marshal slip quietly back into the living room then lifted the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey. I thought you would still be awake." Myles' deep voice filled his ear.
Bobby shrugged. "Yeah, well…" His voice trailed off, unable to remember what he was going to say.
Myles was quiet for a moment. "I was thinking when all this is over with you and I should take a trip."
Bobby's brow furrowed in confusion. "Myles, are you okay?"
"Yeah. So, are you up for a trip?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"I thought we could go see the world's biggest ball of yarn."
Tears spurted from Bobby's green eyes and a smile came to his face as he thought of their ill-fated road trip with Otis and Howie.
He swallowed hard. "That sounds good. I would like that."
"Good. Talk to you later, Kola Boy."
"Take care, Harvard."