As always, I own nothing except for the characters of Nicole Hillsdale and Jake Carter. And as always, the story is un-beta'd so please be kind if you find a mistake.
Before the sun could even begin to rise, Jake was awakened by hunger. Normally he would have grabbed a late night snack before heading to bed, but Nicole and Bailey had stayed up late watching movies and he didn't want to risk disturbing them. Now, though, his stomach was grumbling and he knew that both of them should be in bed...well he hoped so anyway, at least for the sake of the agents working at the safehouse. Bailey tended to be very very difficult to work with when he was sleep deprived; Jake had that misfortune once while Nicole was in the hospital, and he hoped never to tangle with that Bailey Malone again.
Grab a bowl of cereal, go for a quick jog, hope none of the agents shoot me by mistake – damn, that one agent yesterday looked ready to shoot anything that moved, I have got to talk to Bailey about him – then a hot shower and change for the day. He traded flannel pajamas for sweats and jogging shoes, then tried to be silent as he made his way out of his room.
It had become habit for Jake to check Nicole's room when he got up, even if all he did was stop by her door and listen. It was almost always quiet except for those rare occassions when she had gotten up before him. This time it was quiet, but the door was slightly ajar.
One thing Nicole always did was shut her door completely when she went to bed. It was behavior that he understood because his sister had done the same thing; she simply could not stand being in her room without knowing the door was fully shut. With great caution he approached the door, afraid that he was the one over-reacting and that he would end up scaring Nicole.
"Nicole," he called softly, praying that she would answer. "Nicole, you in here?" Getting no response Jake pushed the door open an inch, just enough to see her bed, at least where the pillow should have been. He opened the door a little more and saw that the bed was a mess. Nicole had never been big on making her bed up but she did usually manage to make it presentable. Now it looked like it had been torn apart. Still, he wanted to keep assuming that everything was just fine. There were rare moments when her behavior caught them all by surprise, and he hoped this was one of those moments.
No water was running through the pipes so she wasn't showering, and when he got up the nerve to check her bathroom it was empty. At least he had grabbed his radio since he was going jogging, and he decided to use it.
"This is Agent Carter. Has there been any sign of Dr. Hillsdale?" Please, let Bailey and the others have their radios off, he thought while waiting for a reply.
"This is Agent Carlisle. I've been watching the porch since just after midnight and no one has come out of the house."
"Thanks."
"Agent Bremmer here, sir. I've had the rear of the house and there's been no activity. I did notice some light coming from her window around 1:30 this morning, but then it went out again so I assumed she had gotten up and then went back to bed."
Jake wanted to ask Agent Bremmer why he hadn't reported this when it happened but stopped himself. The last thing any of them needed was to worry over every little detail. She probably just went to the bathroom, and she'll freak if she knows that now there's a log for that. "Thank you."
"Agent Carter, this is Agent Taylor. I've been watching the monitors all night and there's been nothing, but I can pull the tapes and go over them again to see if maybe I mised something."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'm going to alert Agent Malone of the situation, and we'll go from there."
Jake looked like a man being led to his execution as he approached Bailey's room. Every second delayed is a second wasted, he told himself before raising his hand to knock.
The knocking wasn't loud but it was persistant, and Bailey silently cursed the person on the other side of the door. It amazed him that Nicole didn't even wake up when he extricated himself from her and laid her head on her pillow.
Grabbing his robe, Bailey opened the door and felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. For Jake to be up and knocking on his door at this hour meant something serious. "What's wrong, Jake?"
"It's...I've lost Nicole, sir. I checked her room and she's gone, none of the agents on duty have seen her--"
"Why would you check her room?"
"The door wasn't shut. She always shuts the door fully, so when I saw it open an inch I called her name. Then I opened the door a little more and...her bed looks like someone fought in it."
"Jake, it's okay. You did the right thing, but Nicole is just fine."
"She is, sir?"
"We were up late watching a horror movie. She was scared and couldn't sleep by herself so she slept here."
"She's been here this whole time?"
"Yes, she's been here this whole time. I'm sorry that you were worried, but I'm glad to know that you are so observant."
"Thank you sir. I'm going to go down and tell everyone that it was a false alarm."
"I'm proud of you, Jake. It's reactions like these that save lives. But what are you doing up at this hour? It's not even 6 o'clock yet."
"I was hungry, thought I'd eat some cereal and then go for a run."
"Go for a run where?"
"I'll take my gun and radio with me, sir."
"Don't tell me you were thinking of leaving the premises? Jake, we have a killer to contend with in addition to Jack, who we know is close by. No, I'm sorry, but you are not leaving the premises to go for a run."
"I just need to get away from here for a few hours, sir. Please. I'll be careful, and you know I can take care of myself."
"Absolutely not. Go eat your breakfast and then...I don't know, run around the house if you have to, but do not leave the property."
"Yes, sir," Jake said, turning to leave.
"You know, if you weren't such a good agent, I'd let you go running as far as you want, but I need people like you too much to risk letting you get yourself killed. Maybe you should watch some horror movies so you'd know that you never go running on an isolated road while there's a serial killer out there."
Jake laughed. "All those years I avoided watching horror movies, and now I find out that they contained all the necessary clues to surviving? Damn."
"I'm serious, Jake. You do not leave the property."
"Yes, sir," he replied, turning and leaving to get his breakfast. Can't leave the premises. What am I supposed to do, run around the yard in a circle like a damn dog? Part of him wanted to just go back to his room, slam the door a few times for good measure, and spend the rest of the day pouting in there. That thought didn't last long because he knew that Bailey was right; it would be foolish to leave the premises now, especially since they had two serial killers to worry about. Okay, just calm down, go see what there is to eat in the kitchen and deal with the rest after you eat.
A quick hunt yielded the Pop Tarts that Angel had hidden so he put one in the toaster and waited for it to get hot. He was so wound up now that if he didn't do something to burn off the adrenaline of thinking Nicole was gone he'd be a mess. As it was he couldn't stop pacing around the kitchen while he waited for the toaster to pop up his breakfast. Peering out the window over the sink, he wondered if Jack was watching him now the same way Jack had watched Nicole.
He was so intent on looking out the window that the sound of the toaster popped up made him jump, and he laughed a little. This is ridiculous, he told himself. I have got to find someway of unwinding.
Once Jake was gone, Bailey eased himself back into bed and managed to get some of the covers away from Nicole without waking her. He thought back to what Nicole had said before she fell asleep, and he wondered if he shouldn't end things now before they both got hurt. Can you truly love her? Or are you just settling for her because she reminds you of Sam?
It had been a while since Bailey had acknowledged he had feelings for Sam, and once it became clear that she and John were in love, those feelings had been pushed to the back of his mind but now...there was no denying that Nicole was like Sam in a lot of ways, and it was easy – too easy, his brain was screaming at him – to love her. But was it really so wrong to be with her when it gave them both what they needed, which was the love and affection of another human being?
Well...yes, his heart replied, if you're thinking of Sam when you're with her. But if you end things, she'll think it's because she's damaged goods. Chose carefully...hurt her now or hurt her later.
She doesn't have to get hurt at all. I do love her, damn it. Just because she reminds me of Sam doesn't mean that I don't love her
What about your daughters? They may hate her, and hate you for being with her. It's not like they took the divorce particularly well.
No, I can't ignore my daughters' feelings, but I won't let their opinions come between me and Nicole.
Nicole moved in her sleep, snuggling against him again and resting her hand on his chest, and he knew that he could never, ever give her up...not when this felt so damn right.I love Nicole...I just need to stop worrying about it. I do love Nicole.
Sam ran her hand across John's back, watching him as he slept. He still slept on his stomach, and in moments such as this she would trace the fading scars with her finger. It never seemed to bother him and for some reason it made Sam feel better, like she could somehow take away the pain that had been inflicted on her love. At least the nightmares had lessened in the past week, but still his sleep was disturbed often by memories of his torture at the hands of the Chauncey siblings. When she thought about what they had done to him, and what they had planned to do to him, it got her wound up and sex was the only thing that guaranteed them both a peaceful night's sleep. Whether the physical release simply made John and Sam too exhausted or the emotional closeness drove the nightmares away, the bad memories left them both alone for the entire night after their lovemaking, but Sam worried that it wasn't the healthiest way to deal with the trauma.
"I can hear you thinking," he mumbled, and Sam quickly moved her hand away. "Hey, I didn't say to stop what you were doing," he teased.
"I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. Besides, I like waking up to the feel of you touching me. It makes me feel safe."
"It's 7:30. You feel like getting up."
"I guess so. A nice hot shower sounds good, if you're willing to share one with me."
"John..."
"What, I just think we should do our part to conserve water."
Sam didn't say anything in reply, but the sparkle in her eyes told him that even if she didn't believe one word of his reason, she was very much in favor of the idea.
It was nearly nine o'clock when Nicole finally rolled out of bed only to find herself alone in Bailey's room. I shouldn't have come to him, no matter how scared I was. He doesn't even want to be in the room with me. What have I done? Cold tears started to run down her cheeks and she cursed herself for being so damn emotional. Who can blame him for leaving when I cry over nothing?
She was almost to the door, planning on heading back to her own room when Bailey opened the door and came in.
"Good morning, Princess. I fixed...what's wrong? Nicole?"
"I cry over nothing, Bailey. Surely you've noticed."
"No, you do not cry over nothing. What's the matter?"
"I told you, it's nothing. Now what did you fix?"
"Breakfast. I made you breakfast." He lifted the napkin that had been covering the tray to show her, and she smiled.
"You made this yourself?"
"Yes, I did. I'm not a complete lost cause in the kitchen."
The thought of him fixing her fruit and scrambled eggs made her want to cry again, but she managed to take the tray from him and set it down on the little table that sat against one wall. "Thank you so much for this," she said, hugging him tight. "I don't deserve this."
"No, you deserve so much more but this is all I could manage. I love you, Princess. Never forget that."
"How come there's only one plate of food? Aren't you going to have breakfast with me?"
"No, there's a new case for us to work on this morning."
"Oh."
"You eat your breakfast, and I promise that I will join you for lunch." He kissed her cheek and she watched as he left the room, gently closing the door behind him.
There was something different about Bailey as he went over the new case that they had been asked to help on. Sam couldn't put her finger on it, but when they decided to take a break she conferred with the others and Grace, George and John all agreed that there was definitely something different.
"You don't think that...well I mean when Sam and I went to bed Bailey and Nicole stayed down here, and I heard from the morning shift that Jake was up at 5AM and couldn't find Nicole. He went to tell Bailey, and suddenly Nicole is just fine and it was a false alarm."
"Are you saying that you think Bailey and Nicole...?" Grace asked, and John shook his head.
"I think they slept together in the literal sense of the word. Two people cozying up to each other, and nothing more."
"Well I can certainly see both of them doing that," Grace answered. "The two of them just seem to fit so well together."
Bailey had gone back upstairs and found Nicole still in his room although she was dressed. "What are you doing still here?" he asked, smiling as she came over to him.
"Well after I ate breakfast I decided to take a long shower, get dressed and wait for you here. It wouldn't be very nice if I were to just disappear back to my room after all that you've done."
"I'm glad that you're here. I was afraid that maybe we both went a little too fast last night, and I--"
"This feels right to me Bailey. Besides, what happened to me..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I want to be with you, Bailey. I am attracted to you on so many levels, including physically, and lying next to you felt so right...and waking up alone felt so wrong."
"Is that why you were crying this morning when I brought you breakfast?"
"Yes."
"Before we go any further there's something you need to know. I have an ex-wife. And two teenage daughters."
"I already know that. Sam told me. So did Grace. And John."
"I see."
"You'll have to do better than that if you want to scare me away."
"I don't want to scare you away, but I'm afraid that all of this is too good to be true and that you'll realize what a mistake you made and leave me."
"I'm going into this with my eyes open. I love you." She kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling away. "I'm going to take the breakfast dishes downstairs and wash them, and then maybe we can have that lunch you promised me."
They all ate lunch, and afterwards John stood next to Nicole while she stared out the window at the fields that surrounded them, watching Jake. Bailey had told Jake to take the day off and try to relax, and he had decided to look at some old piece of farm equipment that was a few hundred feet from the house. "I can't believe that I thought there was a whole big world out there that I would never be a part of again, and now I think I have the strength to rejoin it."
"You and Bailey?"
Nicole didn't answer for a few seconds. "I keep telling myself that this can't be happening, that it's all too fast and I'm rushing but...the truth is that I love him and I want to be with him."
"If it makes you happy, then I think it must be right."
"I've missed you lately. I guess we've all been preoccupied with other things. Thanks for still being there when I need you."
John took her in his arms and felt her relax against him. "We've been through hell together, and there is nothing that could keep me away when you need me."
"When the time comes I hope you remember that I'll always be here for you as well."
"I am so sorry for everything that you've been through. If it wasn't for me --"
"None of this was your fault, John. We've discussed this, remember?"
"So how are you feeling?"
"Pretty good most days. How about you? Is your back still bothering you?"
"It's a little sensitive at times, but for the most part it's all right."
"What are you two over here plotting?" Sam teased as she joined them by the patio door.
"Oh, you know," Nicole told her, "stuff."
"Oh."
"I'll let you guys get back to work. I'm going to see what James and Rebecca are up to."
"Everything okay?"
"Yes, Sam, everything is fine. She's just a little worried about how well things are going between her and Bailey."
"She's worried about how well things are going?"
"She's happy and afraid that she's going to lose that happiness now that she's found it."
"Well I can understand that." Sam slipped her arms around John's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Sometimes I still think that at any moment I may lose you."
"You won't, Sam. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. No way would I leave my girls now."
Bailey and Nicole were washing dishes after dinner when the fire alarm went off inside the farmhouse. "Oh now what?" Bailey sighed. Within a few seconds the power went out, and the agents outside started running in with flashlights as Angel, Chloe, James and Rebecca were making their way down the stairs.
"Nicole, come on, let's get out of here and figure out what's going on." Bailey reached over and grabbed her arm just as Jake came running into the house with a large flashlight.
"There's smoke coming from the attic," he said as he and Bailey both got Nicole outside. "Where are John and Sam?"
"They went up to their room after dinner," Nicole said as they made it onto the patio. "I dont' think there's a fire." She started coughing and they walked further from the house to where Angel and Chloe were.
"Tear gas," Bailey said as the stinging in his eyes finally registered.
"I'm going in to find John and Sam," Jake said, running back inside before Bailey could stop him.
"This doesn't make any sense," Angel said.
"Yes, it does," Nicole told her. "Someone wanted us outside, and here we are."
As Jake was running up the stairs he could hear what sounded like someone else running across the attic. The door to John's and Sam's room was closed, and when he opened it the room was empty. He heard a loud thud and came out of the bedroom and felt a sharp pain in his neck. Between the darkness and the stinging of the tear gas, he couldn't see who else was there but as he felt his mind slipping towards unconsciousness he knew that he had probably been hit with a tranquilizer dart.
The fire department arrived in response to the alarm going off, and Bailey told them that there were still three people inside the house. Five minutes later they came out with John and Sam, both of whom looked ready to pass out. An ambulance was there by that time, and both John and Sam were led to be checked out by paramedics.
"Nicole, you stay with Grace and George," Bailey told her before he went over to the ambulance.
Several firefighters went back inside, but came out minutes later without Jake. "There's no one else inside the house," the fire captain told Bailey. "Your guy must have made it out."
"There where is he? He ran into the house to get those two--" Bailey pointed to John and Sam, sitting in the back of the ambulance. "-- and hasn't been seen since."
"My men have checked each room of the house, and there's no one in there."
Nicole ran over to the ambulance, Grace right behind her. "Are you okay?" she asked John and Sam, ignoring Bailey.
"I thought I told you to stay over there," Bailey said.
"Oh just shut up and let me take care of them," Nicole replied quietly. "John, keep the oxygen mask on or it's not going to do you any good."
"Did you just tell me to shut up?"
"I'm sorry Bailey, but I'm a doctor and I need to be here, making sure that these two are all right."
Bailey shook his head and put his hand on her back. "I understand, but Jack is planning something and I don't want to give him the chance to hurt you."
"I know, and I'm sorry I told you to shut up."
"Would you two kiss and make up already?" John's voice interrupted them, and they turned to see him putting the oxygen mask back on before either of them could tell him to do so.
"Where were you two when all of this started?" Bailey asked.
"John and I were in bed," Sam said, blushing slightly. "When the fire alarm went off the tear gas started coming through the vent in our room. Then the lights went out and we heard someone running in the attic, so we thought we were safer hiding in the closet, and then our eyes were burning and it was hard to breath so there was no way for us to find our way out. That's where the firemen found us."
"Do you want us to transport them to the hospital?" One of the paramedics asked, but Nicole shook her head.
"No, I think they'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."
"We still have to find Jake," Grace said. "He wouldn't just disappear."
Bailey spoke to the agents who had been outside when everything started, then went back to the ambulance after instructing them to search every square inch of the property for any sign of what had happened to the missing men. "Jake isn't the only one missing. The agent who was supposed to be watching the rear of the house is MIA as well," Bailey said once he was back at the ambulance.
"I think Jake came into our room," John told them. "I heard someone calling our names but then the footsteps ran across the attic again and I didn't hear him calling for us anymore."
The local field office sent investigators to figure out what had happened, and the fire truck and ambulance left as the sheriff was pulling up. "Great," Bailey mumbled when he was the black and white. "Just what I need, some local who thinks his toes were stepped on."
"Wait until he actually complains before you bite his head off, would you?" Sam asked.
James and Rebecca came over to where John and Sam were sitting. "You two all right?" James asked.
"We're fine, but thanks," Sam answered. "Is Chloe okay?"
"Chloe is just fine, and so is everyone else," Rebecca assured her. "How long do you think we'll be out here?"
"They'll have to wait until the house airs out some before searching it for evidence," Sam said with a slight sigh. "Searching the house could take hours, so we'll probably be spending the night and part of the morning out here."
The sheriff wasn't as bad as Bailey had been prepared for, even offering that he could have a trailer brought out for them to stay in until the house was cleared. "We got it when the county building was being remodeled and occassionally loan it out to the college for out of town events. It only sleeps six, but it's better than being outside in the cold."
Jack had moved quickly to grab the body of his victim and drag him down the hallway. There was an unused chute at the end of the hall that went down into the basement and although it was a tight fit, Jack managed to get the body in and slide John down, head first, into the basement. It crossed his mind that something was wrong but it was dark and Jack dismissed it. He was second down the chute, sliding down just as a firefighter was coming up to the second floor.
It wasn't until Jack managed to get up and remove his gas mask that he got a good look with the light of his flashlight and realized that something was wrong. He didn't have John Grant after all.