Disclaimer: I don't own ATWT or anything-associated w/ the show.
-Chapter 2-
"I could get used to this." Carly mumbled, her head resting on Jack's shoulder, her eyes half closed as sleep threatened to take her.
Jack was equally relaxed. "What?"
She shifted slightly, taking a moment to get comfortable again. "Not having to look over my shoulder. Not having to worry about Julia or anyone for that matter, trying to destroy this life that we have worked so hard to build."
"It does feel good, doesn't it?" Jack agreed.
"Very good."
The couple fell into a comfortable silence, each simply enjoying the feel of having the other next to them. Right before they dozed off to sleep the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Jack eased off the couch and opened the door, but nobody was on the porch. As he went to shut the door, he noticed a large, thick envelope on the Welcome mat. He picked it up and flipped it over, reading the front of it. Across the middle, neatly printed were the words: To Jack Snyder With Love
There was no return address or anyway to identify the sender. "Hey!" Carly called to him. "You're letting all the cold air in, shut the door!" She heard the door close and frowned when he reappeared in front of her. "Who was it?"
"No one." He answered and showed her the letter.
She studied it for a moment. "Are you going to open it?"
Jack didn't respond at first. He was still a little unsure. Finally he nodded and slipped his thumb under the flap. Slowly he took the contents out. Enclosed were videotape and a note, folded into thirds. On the outside was written. Watch Then Read. Raising his eyebrows in Carly's direction he put the tape in the VCR. When the static and snow cleared he saw Julia sitting in an interrogation room, her hands cuffed behind her back, her feet shackled to a chair. It was obvious that she had been crying and a guard was yelling at her. Although there was no sound to the tape, by the way Julia flinched outwardly he knew the words had to have been harsh.
"Maybe she's finally getting what she deserves." Carly commented when the tape turned fuzzy again, but Jack only frowned and reached for the letter he had set on the coffee table.
"My dearest Jack," He began to read aloud. "Did you enjoy the movie? I found it utterly fascinating. In fact, I watch it over and over again, enjoying it more each time than I did the last. I can only imagine your relieve, your pure joy at learning of the arrest. And while I don't wish to deprive you of that joy, I feel it's only fair to warn you; you are not safe. This is far from over. We are far from over. All my love, Julia." Jack stared at the words long after he had finished reading them.
Carly stood and moved in front of him, taking the letter from his hand and forcing her to look at him. "Don't let her get to you."
"It's not her." Jack tried to explain. "It's not the letter or what she said that bothers me. How did she pull this off?" He motioned to the paper and the television screen.
"Prisoners can write letters and send mail." She pointed out.
Jack shook his head at her. "It's the tape. If she's a prisoner, how did she get it? Only cops have access to this kind of stuff, how did Julia get her hands on it?" Suddenly he stopped, an idea forming in his head. "Unless."
"Unless what?"
"Unless the woman on that tape isn't Julia."
Carly looked up at him, understanding what he was getting at. "You think it's someone who only looks like Julia?"
He nodded at her. "It makes sense. This woman resembles Julia; the police find her, take her in and simply assume the have the right person. Meanwhile, Julia is still out there and this is her way of telling us that."
"And some poor innocent woman is stuck in jail for crimes she didn't commit."
"Exactly. I have to get down to the station. Talk to Hal; see what he thinks. I'll be home as soon as I can." He told her and leaned down to kiss her goodbye. "Lock the door behind me." He warned and was gone.
`````
"It's possible." Hal agreed after hearing what Jack had to say.
"I know it's possible, but do you think it's probable?" Jack asked, anxiously.
Hal sighed, "There's only one way to find out. We have the envelope and it's contents fingerprinted and match them to the ones we have on file for Julia. Then we call the NYPD and have them double-check the prints for the woman they have. See if the match."
"How long will that take?"
"Depends on whether the cops in New York are willing to cooperate. You know how these things go, Jack. I'd give it a few weeks, until then try and relax. I know it's going to be hard, but we will get to the bottom of this."
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. The words he spoke not matching the feeling he was having. "I know that, it's the waiting. The waiting and wondering if Julia is still out there, just waiting to strike again."
"We will catch her. One way or another, she'll pay for everything she has done to you and your family."
"Thanks Hal. I needed a little reassurance."
"Don't mention it." He patted him on the back. "Now get out of here and enjoy your day off."
"I'll try, but it's going to be a little hard."
Hal nodded, sympathetically. "I understand, but if you let her control your life, she wins. Now go, and give Parker a kiss for me."
"Will do, man. See you tomorrow."
`````
"I want to go to New York." Jack said later that night. "Meet this woman. See what she knows."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carly asked, turning to face him. "Hal said he would check out the fingerprints and."
Jack shook his head and stood up. "I can't wait that long."
"What if the woman in jail really is Julia? What if getting you to come to New York is all part of another one of her sick plans?"
Jack knew he couldn't calm her nerves. He knew she had every right to be suspicious, he sure was. "I can't explain it to you. I have doubts myself about everything that's been happening, but a part of me doesn't believe that the woman I saw on that tape is the same woman who did all the horrible things Julia did. Like I said, I can't explain it. It's just a feeling."
"Then I'm coming with you." She stated.
"No," He shook his head. "You're not. You're staying here with Parker. It might not be safe for you to come."
Carly was standing now as well. "It's not safe for us to be alone here."
Jack agreed, "You're right it's not." When he saw that she was thinking he was giving in, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "But you're not coming. Take Parker and stay with Molly and Mike. If you still don't think that's safe enough, I know Hal would be more than happy to watch Parker while I'm gone."
"What about your safety? Jack, this could be a trap."
"I know, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I'm going to make things safe for our family if it's the last thing I do." He paused and looked into her eyes. "Carly, I love you more than anything, which is why I have to do this. I have to end this once and for all, and I will do whatever it takes to do that."
-Chapter 2-
"I could get used to this." Carly mumbled, her head resting on Jack's shoulder, her eyes half closed as sleep threatened to take her.
Jack was equally relaxed. "What?"
She shifted slightly, taking a moment to get comfortable again. "Not having to look over my shoulder. Not having to worry about Julia or anyone for that matter, trying to destroy this life that we have worked so hard to build."
"It does feel good, doesn't it?" Jack agreed.
"Very good."
The couple fell into a comfortable silence, each simply enjoying the feel of having the other next to them. Right before they dozed off to sleep the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Jack eased off the couch and opened the door, but nobody was on the porch. As he went to shut the door, he noticed a large, thick envelope on the Welcome mat. He picked it up and flipped it over, reading the front of it. Across the middle, neatly printed were the words: To Jack Snyder With Love
There was no return address or anyway to identify the sender. "Hey!" Carly called to him. "You're letting all the cold air in, shut the door!" She heard the door close and frowned when he reappeared in front of her. "Who was it?"
"No one." He answered and showed her the letter.
She studied it for a moment. "Are you going to open it?"
Jack didn't respond at first. He was still a little unsure. Finally he nodded and slipped his thumb under the flap. Slowly he took the contents out. Enclosed were videotape and a note, folded into thirds. On the outside was written. Watch Then Read. Raising his eyebrows in Carly's direction he put the tape in the VCR. When the static and snow cleared he saw Julia sitting in an interrogation room, her hands cuffed behind her back, her feet shackled to a chair. It was obvious that she had been crying and a guard was yelling at her. Although there was no sound to the tape, by the way Julia flinched outwardly he knew the words had to have been harsh.
"Maybe she's finally getting what she deserves." Carly commented when the tape turned fuzzy again, but Jack only frowned and reached for the letter he had set on the coffee table.
"My dearest Jack," He began to read aloud. "Did you enjoy the movie? I found it utterly fascinating. In fact, I watch it over and over again, enjoying it more each time than I did the last. I can only imagine your relieve, your pure joy at learning of the arrest. And while I don't wish to deprive you of that joy, I feel it's only fair to warn you; you are not safe. This is far from over. We are far from over. All my love, Julia." Jack stared at the words long after he had finished reading them.
Carly stood and moved in front of him, taking the letter from his hand and forcing her to look at him. "Don't let her get to you."
"It's not her." Jack tried to explain. "It's not the letter or what she said that bothers me. How did she pull this off?" He motioned to the paper and the television screen.
"Prisoners can write letters and send mail." She pointed out.
Jack shook his head at her. "It's the tape. If she's a prisoner, how did she get it? Only cops have access to this kind of stuff, how did Julia get her hands on it?" Suddenly he stopped, an idea forming in his head. "Unless."
"Unless what?"
"Unless the woman on that tape isn't Julia."
Carly looked up at him, understanding what he was getting at. "You think it's someone who only looks like Julia?"
He nodded at her. "It makes sense. This woman resembles Julia; the police find her, take her in and simply assume the have the right person. Meanwhile, Julia is still out there and this is her way of telling us that."
"And some poor innocent woman is stuck in jail for crimes she didn't commit."
"Exactly. I have to get down to the station. Talk to Hal; see what he thinks. I'll be home as soon as I can." He told her and leaned down to kiss her goodbye. "Lock the door behind me." He warned and was gone.
`````
"It's possible." Hal agreed after hearing what Jack had to say.
"I know it's possible, but do you think it's probable?" Jack asked, anxiously.
Hal sighed, "There's only one way to find out. We have the envelope and it's contents fingerprinted and match them to the ones we have on file for Julia. Then we call the NYPD and have them double-check the prints for the woman they have. See if the match."
"How long will that take?"
"Depends on whether the cops in New York are willing to cooperate. You know how these things go, Jack. I'd give it a few weeks, until then try and relax. I know it's going to be hard, but we will get to the bottom of this."
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. The words he spoke not matching the feeling he was having. "I know that, it's the waiting. The waiting and wondering if Julia is still out there, just waiting to strike again."
"We will catch her. One way or another, she'll pay for everything she has done to you and your family."
"Thanks Hal. I needed a little reassurance."
"Don't mention it." He patted him on the back. "Now get out of here and enjoy your day off."
"I'll try, but it's going to be a little hard."
Hal nodded, sympathetically. "I understand, but if you let her control your life, she wins. Now go, and give Parker a kiss for me."
"Will do, man. See you tomorrow."
`````
"I want to go to New York." Jack said later that night. "Meet this woman. See what she knows."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carly asked, turning to face him. "Hal said he would check out the fingerprints and."
Jack shook his head and stood up. "I can't wait that long."
"What if the woman in jail really is Julia? What if getting you to come to New York is all part of another one of her sick plans?"
Jack knew he couldn't calm her nerves. He knew she had every right to be suspicious, he sure was. "I can't explain it to you. I have doubts myself about everything that's been happening, but a part of me doesn't believe that the woman I saw on that tape is the same woman who did all the horrible things Julia did. Like I said, I can't explain it. It's just a feeling."
"Then I'm coming with you." She stated.
"No," He shook his head. "You're not. You're staying here with Parker. It might not be safe for you to come."
Carly was standing now as well. "It's not safe for us to be alone here."
Jack agreed, "You're right it's not." When he saw that she was thinking he was giving in, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "But you're not coming. Take Parker and stay with Molly and Mike. If you still don't think that's safe enough, I know Hal would be more than happy to watch Parker while I'm gone."
"What about your safety? Jack, this could be a trap."
"I know, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I'm going to make things safe for our family if it's the last thing I do." He paused and looked into her eyes. "Carly, I love you more than anything, which is why I have to do this. I have to end this once and for all, and I will do whatever it takes to do that."