Title: Gone Chapter: 14 Author: Evidence

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Thanks so much to Sweatergirl for all the betaing!  Thanks also to D for the encouragement and the gang at Maple Street.  I'm repeating thank you again and again but I'm grateful for all the reviews especially when they come from such great writers!  This is the last chapter of the story, hope you enjoy.

Danny waved a paper in front of Vivian's face.  "What is it Danny?"

"All you ever wanted to know about Joshua Addison but were afraid to ask."

Vivian snatched the paper and scanned its contents. 

Danny talked as she read.  "It turns out that Addison was married.  She went to visit him while he was working, probably some romantic late night dinner, and vanished.  No one ever saw or heard from her again."

"Was Addison a suspect?"

"Of course but the Missing Persons Unit that investigated believed it was just random."  Danny shrugged his shoulders.

"And this happened…" Vivian's eyes found her answer on the page, "10 months ago."

"Yup, plenty of time for his fragile physic state to completely break down."

"Those partners of his that he killed…"

"The main suspects in his wife's disappearance until our colleagues cleared them."

Vivian shook her head.  "Martin is questioning Addison now.  Shall we join him?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Vivian knocked on the door before entering.  Martin was boring his eyes into Addison but the park ranger was manically smiling.

"Mr. Addison I would take the smirk off your face.  You have serious charges filled against you," Vivian said.

Danny continued, "Murder of several people, attempted murder, kidnapping…a long road ahead."

"It was worth it."  Addison's eyes went down to the table.

"Why do you say that?"  Martin asked.

"If she had to die than they all had to."

"Who died Mr. Addison?"  Vivian asked.

"My wife."

"How do you know she's dead?" Vivian prompted.

"I…I didn't mean it…I didn't …" The smile was fading.

"Tell us, what didn't you mean."  Martin bit at his lower lip.

"It just…she didn't say she was coming…she wanted to surprise me…a few rangers had been attacked…"

Danny exchanged looks with Martin and Vivian.

Addison continued, "She was there one minute and gone the next."  Tears ran down his face.

"Did you shoot her?"  Martin asked.

"It was an accident…I jumped the ledge near the waterfall…trying to escape who was coming after me…she thought, she must have thought I wanted to her to follow me."  He grew quiet. 

"She slipped on the rocks and fell into the waterfall."  Danny completed the story.  He could see it being played out in his head.  Addison on alert from attacks his buddies faced, hearing noises behind him, not realizing it's his wife, crossing the waterfall on the slippery rocks he knows so well, his wife slipping as she tried to follow, falling in, never to be seen again.

Addison nodded his head.

"Mr. Addison there is no way you could have saved her.  It was an accident, a freak occurrence.  It was not your fault."  Vivian tried to reassure the unstable man.

"No, it was."  The manicness was gone and replaced by the old Joshua Addison dwelling beneath the surface.  "She loved me too much.  And her love for me ended up with her getting hurt."

The agents in the room looked to each other.  They knew each of them had seen the existing parallel but no one spoke of it.

Vivian said, "Mr. Addison, you need help, we are going to get it for you."

He packed the last of his clothes into a regular brown box.  Marie stood in the doorway observing.  "You can borrow one of my suitcases if you want.  Those shirts are going to be a wrinkled mess."

"It's fine."

Marie sighed deeply and began to turn away.  She stopped and added, "Jack, when you see Samantha tell her thank you again for me."

"I will."

Marie started off but Jack's voice stopped her.  "Marie.  I'm glad we came to this decision together."

"I still love you Jack but I don't want a man who wants someone else."  All bitterness had been erased from her voice.

"I never wanted this to happen Marie…it just did."

"If you had to leave me for someone else, I'm glad it was for Samantha."  She noticed the shock in Jack's eyes.  "I know she'll take care of our girls."

"She will.  Can I pick them up for a movie tomorrow?"  He asked tentatively.

"Of course."  Marie grew silent for a minute.  "Jack, why did you come back home?"

He looked at her.  "When Barry Mashburn held me hostage, he told me I was throwing my family away.  He gave me a second chance by turning himself in and not killing me.  I thought I would give us a second chance as well."

"That was very noble, Jack, but you can't get a second chance when you don't return out of love."  Tears hit her lashes but she continued, "You'll have a second chance now with Samantha, good luck."

He left on that note unsure of what else could be said.

She looked so peaceful sleeping in her hospital bed.  He brushed his hand against her cheek.  It would be a long recovery process but he would be there for it all.  In good times and bad, in sickness and health till death did do them part. 

Her eyes fluttered opened.

"Hey," he said smiling.

"Hey," she said back the best her voice could manage, the vocal cords still healing from the bullet whizzing past them.

"It's done- I moved out."

Sam smiled.  "Good."

"I love you, Sam."

"I love you, Jack."

He kissed her lips gently.  In her eyes he saw the reflection of the St. Jude medal Chet Collins had given him, hanging above her.  Nothing was ever a hopeless cause, nothing.

The end