March 2nd

Thomas and Dotson Apartment

22:35 PM

She stared out the window; wrapped in the jersey he gave her and a warm blanket, the night chilly around her. It'd been more then twenty four hours since the last time she saw him. She shuddered, remembering the taste of his mouth as he kissed her, feeling the way his hands roamed her back, craving so much more. It was unreal, that she held him so tight the previous night and yet he was out of her reach today.

Fear seemed to crawl inside, slowly increasing its hold on her heart. She couldn't escape its clutches, couldn't use work as an excuse not to look him in the eye. 24 hours had gone by and they still hadn't found a lead. She imagined the worst things, unable to stick to happy and comforting thoughts, her heart clenching in her chest. The fact remained that he wasn't there and she found herself sinking into memories, trying to escape her irrational thoughts.

She wondered when exactly they stepped over the professional line that always separated them. Christmas Eve was only the catalyst, spending their time together in the apartment, surrounded with candlelight and holiday spirit. She didn't believe he would turn their banter into more but he did and it felt so right she wondered how they could have possibly taken such a long time to act upon their attraction.

There was an attraction, the moment he looked at her she felt it and tried hard to ignore it. Sometimes she knew he felt the same and would tease him on propose, her own way of taking a cold shower. There were times when she hurt him with her words, he thought he hid it well but a moment before his eyes took a merry façade she saw the hurt, the disbelief. She always regretted her words and would try to make it up to him somehow.

And there were times when he hurt her. Flashes of the women who affected his life flashed before her eyes. She often regretted not having a few former boyfriends to show up and hurt him a bit like he hurt her. A childish thought that she couldn't stop from surfacing. Maybe this was the reason she found Tony so fascinating, with Jack she always knew he would backpedal, Tony was unexpected. She certainly didn't expect him to be married.

Their Christmas wasn't expected. She had no idea that their relationship would change so much that night. She had no idea Jack would surprise her with his actions that night. She had no idea that his touch would cause such wonderful sensations. That night and the morning that followed she saw the real Jack Hudson, the way he wanted her to see him, finally seeing him for real. He showed her a piece of his heart that he never revealed before, giving her everything without expecting a thing in return.

She allowed the tears to fall, trying to hold back the sobs as they racked her body. Garret sent everyone home for the night, threatening suspension for anyone that showed up before seven a.m. She didn't know what to do with herself; she couldn't possibly sleep when his life was in danger.

A hand touched her shoulder and she startled, raising her eyes to meet Lucy's. Her best friend sat beside her on the sofa, enveloping her in comforting arms. Sue leaned into her, finding some comfort in the warm embrace. It took a while before her tears subsided and she raised her head.

Thank you.

"You welcome." Lucy said. "You wanna talk about it?" She asked.

Sue shook her head. "Lucy…" She hesitated. "I need to tell you something." She whispered, averting her eyes. "Jack and I…we've been dating for two months now."

Lucy's eyes widened and she smiled. "I knew that something was going on between you two."

"You're not mad at me for not telling you?"

"I understand. I think." She paused. "Jack will be alright, you know he will, Sue. We'll find him." Sue nodded her head, fighting against her tears. "Now, Miss Thomas, I suggest you start talking."

December 25th.

Hudson Apartment

09:30 AM

When he first opened his eyes, he was convinced he'd simply fallen into another dream where her head rested on his chest and one of her hands was buried under his sweater. Her left leg was between his and the delicious sensation was so real he could almost taste it. Biting back a sigh, he kept quiet, hoping that the dream won't fade away as he moved his hand to entangle the blond curls from his fingers.

The woman in his arms sighed softly and Jack froze, realizing that his sensations are real, the memories from last night returning to him. He smiled, cherishing the feeling of having her in his arms. She stirred and he felt her eyelashes fluttering as she moved her face closer to his neck. The hand that was buried under his sweatshirt rose suddenly and she lifted her head, her eyes wide as she stared at him. His grin widened as he watched the flush that covered her face. He moved a hand in her hair. "Good morning, Sue."

She had to swallow several times before she could actually talk, her eyes flying from his eyes to his lips and back again. "Good morning, Jack." She managed.

The hand that caressed her hair so delicately stopped and slowly brought her closer, their lips meeting together. Jack deepened the kiss, his desire fueling when he heard her sighing into his lips. He arched closer to her and she drew closer, gasping when the kiss turned heated and passionate. His hands trailed up and down her back, slowly driving her to distraction. She brought her hand and snuck it under his shirt again, feeling satisfaction when he shuddered, his hand flying to her face, cupping her cheek gently, slowing their explorations.

They broke apart reluctantly, their breath slowly returning to normal. Jack traced a line across her cheek and Sue stared at him, her heart thundering in her chest, feeling awed at the look he was giving her, at the way his eyes burned her with desire. "I watched you from afar for almost four years now, Sue." He whispered.

"Why?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Because I was too much of a coward to pull you closer and every time I wanted to something came up; a case, a date, my pride." He sighed. "I can't turn back time but I do know that now that I've taken this step I won't be able to go backwards again." he paused, searching her eyes form something. "Am I alone with my feelings?"

Sue looked shocked. "You should know." She said, her hand moving to his hair.

"I need to hear it." He confessed. "I want to know where we are standing. I had my share of failures before and I don't want it to happen with you."

"We are standing together, side by side." She said softly. "But the most important thing is that we're moving forward together. Does that answer your question?"

He grinned. "Very articulate of you, Miss Thomas." He pulled her closer and marveled at the way they fitted together. "Why don't you show me?" He asked, his voice hoarse to his own ears.

The woman in his arms grinned and stretched her body, delighted as he closed his eyes and hissed something she couldn't read. She drew closer, her mouth close to his ear. "Why don't we have some breakfast?" She whispered, watching with amusement when his eyes widened and he licked his lips with his tongue.

He wasted no time in flipping them, pinning her against the back on the sofa, moving his head closer to hers. "Actually…" He kissed her softly. "I'm starving." She smiled, raising her head to his, meeting his lips half way as they explored each other some more, their kiss passionate and consuming, their hands caressing softly, Christmas morning shining bright outside their window.

March 2nd.

22:45 PM

Hadar glanced at the picture and frowned. "This is Philip Herrman, a known supporter of neo-Nazi groups. I know his face very well but I don't think he's the reason I'm here."

Jack glanced at the set of pictures on the desk, raising another one. "Do you know this man?" He asked.

"Joshua Adler, he's Herrman's worst nightmare and arch nemesis." Hadar pursed her lips. "Very pro Jewish and pro Israeli, a known supporter and a moving force behind many political decisions."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You seemed to know him well."

She paused, raising her eyes to meet his. "We have a mutual interest." She replied vaguely.

He leaned against the desk, watching quietly when she took a seat on the floor, leaning against the wall. "We probably need to cooperate more." He said quietly, anger surfacing when she snorted.

"Why would I do that, agent Hudson? For all I know everything about you might be just another trick. I've been here for almost a week, you say? Forgive me if I'm a little suspicious."

Jack turned away from her, refusing to look when another fit of coughs hit her. He focused his eyes on the pictures, tracing the face of one of the men with his fingers, memorizing every detail systematically. He didn't raise his head when the door opened and two men walked inside, pulling the other agent to a standing position and dragging her outside. She struggled and Jack winced when he heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh as one of them obviously slapped her. He swallowed heavily, wondering what will be her part, wondering if he could ever be so heartless to perform his own part, finding that the web he was trapped in didn't leave him any other choice. He moved the pictures out of his way and started to scan the blue prints with his eyes, waiting for her to return.

Hadar couldn't fight as the coughs wrecked her body. She tried hard to stop her tears as they tied her to a wooden chair, the furniture turning slowly to be the cause of her frustration, spending so many days sitting on a similar one in complete darkness. She tasted bitterness in her mouth and she couldn't even begin to describe the way she must smell after that horrible week. Someone turned on the light and she tensed, realizing there was a purpose to all the hours she spent in captivity.

She blinked when a small screen turned on, reflecting pictures and short movies. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat, a terrifying understanding sinking inside. He was innocent and was now in danger because of her, because of her work. She curled her palms tightly, clenching hard, holding back the frustrations, her mind wondering back to the night they spent together. She thought they were alone; the only sounds besides their soft whispering were the sounds of nature.

She didn't pay enough attention, feeling secure in her homeland and now she would pay for her mistakes. The screen turned dark again and a blinding light made her close her eyes. The tall man spoke, his voice low as he whispered in her ear. She understood everything he said, her heartbeat accelerating as she realized the magnitude of everything she was forced to do.

Her life, her future…for his.

February 9th.

Ben Gurion Air Port, Israel

15:23 PM

She imagined he would be cranky after all those hours of flying. On one hand she felt sorry for him; on the other hand, she couldn't wait to see him. They wrote each other almost every day now and finally, he was on his way to see her and they planned to spend a long weekend together. She tapped the railing with her fingers and leaned against it, waiting to catch sight of him between all the other people who passed her on their way out from the terminal.

She finally caught sight of him and enjoyed the few moments she could watch him without his knowledge. His black pants fitted him perfectly and he seemed at ease with his gray sweater. He held a brown jacket on his arm and carried a small suitcase in his other hand. Her heart thumping in her chest, she raised her hand, waving at him.

"Myles!" He noticed her immediately and waved back, hurrying to meet her. Hadar chuckled when she practically flew into his arms, releasing a breath as he held her tightly.

"Hadar." He mumbled, tightening his embrace.

They stood for a few moments, finding peace within the crowded terminal. Hadar breathed his scent, finding it hard to believe he was finally there beside her after all the e-mails and phone conversations they had. They talked about this visit so much she almost couldn't believe it was finally happening. This weekend was about them, their chance to get to know each other better, their chance to make some decisions.

Myles smiled as an old lady raised her eyebrows and grinned at him while he caressed Hadar's back. His ears picked up the foreign language and he chuckled, taking in his surroundings and the woman in his arms. All the way it seemed like it wasn't real, that he was dreaming about some future he could never have but it was true and this weekend just might be the beginning of his life.

He tightened his hold and trailed a line with his finger across her cheek before tilting her head upwards. "Hey, I missed you." He said softly.

She grinned. "I missed you too. Come on, we have a long drive a head of us."

"A long drive?" He sounded annoyed already; the thought of folding his long frame into another tight seat wasn't very appealing. She laughed, leading him towards the busy parking lot.

"Your flight was delayed and its rush hour, I wanted to be there before sunset." She said, opening the trunk to her car.

He raised an eyebrow at the large bag and equipment that was inside but shook his head and sat down in the passenger seat, finding that any ideas he had for a conversation with her simply vanished. She hummed to herself and they were well into the road when he finally spoke.

"So, where exactly are we going?" He asked, setting his watch to the time and yawning.

"Camping." She answered, smiling when he looked at her like she grew an extra head. "What? I thought you might wanna do something different than your usual style." Myles opened and closed his mouth several times before he recalled a recent e-mail where he told her he actually never been to any activity that involved sleeping outdoors and how he couldn't understand why she enjoyed it so much. "You were the one who said a person needs to try everything once." She said.

He nodded his head slowly. "It's not fair to use my own words against me." He chuckled. "We're not even sure that we're dating and you already have a black book with my name on it?"

"Myles, trust me, my black book is far worse then just quoting your own advice right back at you."

"Where are we going camping?"

"The Kinneret." She answered. "It's got a lot of beaches for camping; I know one with some simple facilities."

"It's February." He exclaimed. "Wouldn't it be cold?"

She shook her head. "I told you to pack warm clothes." She reminded him with a smile as he mock glared at her. "The weather man said it will be a warm weekend."

"So, it's a lake, right?"

Hadar grinned, telling him about the place they would be sleeping in. They arrived with the sunset and sat on the grass, admiring the sight before setting their tent and making some dinner on a small heater. Myles cuddled into his coat as he watched the stars, the waves calming him as he waited for Hadar to emerge from their small tent. He smiled when she dropped a fleece blanket into his arms before settling in front of him and leaning backwards against him. He enveloped them with the blanket and sighed softly, listening to the waves and the laughter of the family that was in a nearby tent.

"So, is camping that bad, Myles?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Not at all, I like this part especially." He said.

"Watching the stars?"

"Holding you."

"Oh…"

"How is it possible that we can write each other the longest e-mails and when we're together like this nothing articulate comes out?" He asked quietly, wondering if it was a bad sign.

She sighed. "I think e-mails and phones are easier because they're a little impersonal." She smiled when his hand ventured up and down her forearm. "I think we talked so easily on Christmas because we didn't know each other like we do now, because you never thought you'd see me again. Does that make any sense?"

He nodded his head. "Maybe we can just be together…without thinking about tomorrow."

"Yeah, that might do the trick."

"Hadar, what date is it now?" He asked, still confused a little by the time changes.

"Thursday, February 9th." She said, her voice etched with laughter. "When you'll go back home, it will be like time travel." She joked.

"I have something for you." He pulled out a small box from his coat pocket and handed it to her.

She turned in his arms, facing him. "Myles…"

"Open it, Hadar; it's just a small thing."

She opened the box slowly, smiling at the thin necklace that was nestled inside. She touched the medallion and smiled at him, pulling the chain from the box and giving it to him before turning her head and waiting for him to put it around her neck.

"I know you're not religious but the salesman said it's not necessary a religious symbol and I remembered that you like silver more then gold." He mumbled, his fingers caressing her neck as he clasped the chain, moving her brown hair from her shoulder and resting his head on it to see if the chain fitted her. The six pointed star rested right above the hollow of her breasts and his breath caught in his throat when he caught her eyes; wide and dark under the stars.

Hadar swallowed, her mouth turning dry while his eyes seemed to take in every detail. One of his hands traced the medallion, touching too close to the places she often imagined him touching. Her eyes closed when he moved his hand a little lower, a sigh escaping her mouth as he tightened his other arm around her. Ever since Christmas she spent her nights dreaming about his touch, remembering every path his fingers took.

Myles tried to speak without words, tried to convey everything with touch. He often dreamed about her, often remembered the short time they spent together that Christmas Eve. He wondered how he could talk to her about everything and grow silent at the sight of her. His body reminded him that there were other things he preferred to do besides talking and he didn't resist, moving his lips to caress her neck, nibbling sensuously at the tender flesh.

She gave him more access, her hand clutching his arm as a shudder racked her body. His hand moved lower, stopping just above her breast and caressing. She threw her head backwards, feeling him rocking against her as his mouth created complete havoc in her mind.

One look at her dark eyes broke the dam on every pent up desire he held in store for her. He pulled her closer, his lips meeting her in a bruising kiss, taking everything and giving more as he pulled her as close as he could.

They crawled inside the tent together, turning off the flashlight that was in the corner. Myles pulled her on top of him, gasping as he felt her body fitting his so perfectly. Hadar undressed slowly, enjoying his appreciative looks. She smiled when he mimicked her every move until their clothes were scattered all over the tent and everything seemed to slow down when they finally touched each other.

He trailed a line of kisses from her ear to her breast, moving slowly, encouraged by her soft moans. This was real, he realized, it was their choice, not some desperate act to keep warm and alive. She anchored her fingers in his hair, successfully pulling him for a kiss, going up in flames as he whispered her name.

They didn't talk at all that night, choosing an alternative way of communicating, keeping quiet as they explored, rediscovering each other as passion and tenderness engulfed them.