Title: Sins of the Past Chapter: 2 Author: Evidence

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Thanks to D for all the help!  This takes place a few months after the events of FO.

Three days ago…

"Jack, I got something you'll want to see."  Danny ran up to him just as he was getting off the elevator.

"What is it?"

Handing over a manila folder, Danny sighed.  "The life and times of James Kingsley.  Page four is of great interest."

Jack opened the file, walking and scanning the contents.  On page four, as Danny predicted, his interest peaked. 

"Mr. Kingsley has an arrest record.  Assault and battery on his girlfriend." 

"Yes.  Read on," Danny instructed.

Jack's eyes glazed over the black print until one word made his eyes shoot up to look at Danny: breakdown.

"He's had a breakdown?"

"A nervous breakdown three years ago.  Tried to kill himself at Times Square by jumping in front of a taxi.  Luckily the taxi was going slow and he was barely injured.  Kingsley spent 6 months in the nuthouse."  Danny folded his arms.  "If he is Michael Forfa…"

"What will the information do to an unstable man?"  Jack shook his head.  "Danny, go over to Kingsley's with Martin.  Don't approach him but watch to see who visits him, when he leaves for work…those things."

"Sure, but he doesn't work."

"Laided off?"

"No, he was fired.  Had a physical altercation with another employee and was tossed off the job.  He was a construction worker."

"Okay, still go over and see what's happening there.  We have to be careful with this one."  Jack looked over at Samantha who was chatting on the phone.  She had on a huge smile and was laughing slightly.  "Thanks, Danny."

"No problem."  Danny walked away, Jack hearing him call Martin.

He approached her desk, making his presence known.  She looked up at him and then went back to her conversation.  He cleared his throat, she continued to talk.

He felt his chest tighten.  "Sam, I need to see you in my office now."  He strode off to it, sitting down at his desk, littered with paperwork.  Jack fixed the newest picture of Hanna and Kate, ice-skating at Rockefeller Center.  Their checks were red and they smiled brightly but he knew the sadness he had brought to their lives.  He would never forgive himself for hurting them.

He looked at his watch.  Sam still wasn't there yet.  Getting up he looked into the office area.  A deliveryman decked out in blue was having her sign for a bouquet of beautiful flowers.   Jack sucked in his breath.  He went back to his desk, fighting the tears that were beginning to form.

She came in with a look of fury on her face.  "What was that about?  You can't just order me off the phone!"

"This is a place of work, one cannot sit and have personal conversations while people are out there waiting for us to find them."  His voice rose in anger.

"Fine.  I'll make any personal phone calls at home but next time don't order me in here like some lackey."

She turned to go but his voice stopped her.  "Nice flowers."

She shook her head.  "So that's what this is about.  You're not upset because I called someone from work, you're upset at the thought of who I called and who I received the flowers from."

Jack said nothing.

"I'm not yours, you have no right to get mad at me for what I do on my free time.  You have a wife, remember?"

Samantha walked out leaving him with his thoughts.  He rubbed at his forehead feeling a headache coming on to match his heartache.  Months had past since Barry Mashburn had held Samantha hostage, since Jack had returned home living some quasi-sort of life.  She was his, no matter.  He never could replace what she was to him.  But she had already replaced him with someone new.  Maybe he hadn't meant as much to her as he had hoped.  Maybe she hadn't changed with him. 

He gazed again at the picture of the girls ice-skating, he could imagine Samantha with them, laughing and smiling.  A dream that would not come true.

The present…

He felt her hair against his chin.  Her wet tears on his shirt.  He wouldn't let her die this way.  He had to do something. 

Three days earlier in the afternoon…

Vivian saw her blowing clouds of cold breath, leaning against the brick building.  "Hey, Sam.  A little cold for fresh air isn't it?"

"I needed to get out of there."

"Okay, what's the matter?"  Vivian leaned on the wall echoing her movements.

"Jack and I had a fight.  I was on the phone with Ben and then he sent me flowers."

"Oh."  Vivian said.  Ben Upton did not appeal to her in the least.  He had that air of a know-it-all who thought he was more important than the lowly FBI agent.  Some thought Upton was good looking and charming but Vivian found his pointed eyes and greased hair to be unattractive and his high-class attitude was not appealing.  Sam always went for the guys who were polar opposites of the man she truly loved, Vivian thought.

"How am I supposed to work with Jack under these conditions?"

"I don't know Samantha but you got to give it a try."

"I rather go somewhere else."

"Running away would be easy.  The harder thing is to stay."  Vivian gave her a look.

Sam pulled her black coat tighter.  "I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"You are, have faith in your self."  Vivian patted her shoulder.

"I miss him so much," Sam's eyes swelled with water and her voice grew tight.  "I feel like I haven't really been living for so long.  Just going through the motions.  Not feeling anything."

"I thought that was the way you liked to live your life?"

"Not lately.  Not since…"

"You fell in love with Jack," Vivian finished for her.

Samantha felt herself finally embracing the truth after all this time.  "Yeah."

Vivian wrapped her arms around her.  "It will all work out, Sam.  I know it will."

"Is everything okay?"  Jack's voice filled the air.

"Fine," Sam said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"Hey, Jack," Vivian said looking more at the ground than him.

"I need to go to an interview of Kingsley's former girlfriend who filled charges for abuse."  He paused.  "Sam, want to come with me?"

Vivian moved her eyes from one of her friends to the other.

"Ah…"  How could she resist the chance to be with him?  "Sure."

He smiled slightly.  "Viv, Jenkins from Connecticut will be calling.  Will you take that phone call please?"

"Of course."  She watched as they both walked away together. 

The present…

"I love you," he whispered into her ear.

She looked up at him all the sudden understanding what he was about to do.

"No," she said quietly.

"I have to try.  I can't watch you die."  He began to let go of her and put his plan into action.

"Jack, no." She cried knowing the ending before it happened.

To be continued…