Title: Touchstone

Chapter: 5

Author: Evidence

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Thanks to D and Maple Street.

"What the hell were you doing at Franklin Podena's room?"  Jack asked, his face red with fury.

Father Walker sighed.  "I was there to hear his confession."

"His confession?"

"He wanted to confess his sins and that's all I can say."

"Confession my ass!"  Jack bellowed.

"Jack, you are in church can we keep the swearing to a minimum?"  Father Walker removed his glasses and wiped them.

Jack pushed back his hair with his hand.  "Podena may be implicated in an attack on the courthouse. A man who had been visiting him blew himself and some other fine citizens up today.  When I saw your name…that you had visited him…"

"You thought the worse.  Jack, I would not be susceptible to a man like Podena.  I listen only to a higher authority."

"I should have realized that," Jack said sitting in a pew.

"How's Hanna?"  Father Walker asked sitting beside him.

"The doctor's say she has a chemical imbalance.  I don't know if she'll ever be safe again.  She might try to take her life some other day."

"No one can predict the future, Jack.  Just make sure that she knows how much you love her and that you're being with Samantha won't change that fact."

Jack bit at his lower lip.  "I don't think I can be with Samantha anymore."

Father Walker leaned back in the pew.  "So in turn you will be killing yourself Jack if you throw Samantha back out of your life.  You won't have a life."

"I don't know what to do," tears sprung from Jack's reddened eyes.  "Every decision I make seems to be the wrong one."

"The only advice I can give you is to love Hanna, love yourself, and love Samantha.  You are meant to be together even though it came about through sin.  You are meant to be."

"Did He tell you that?"  Jack half grinned pointing upward.

"I think He might have," Father Walker said.

Franklin Podena laid in his hospital bed, arms strapped up, legs tied but he had never been happier.  Everything was going to work out perfectly and in one day he would have his revenge on Thomas Spade, the Spade cousin, her lover and all the citizens of New York City who had thought his reign of terror was over.

"It's just beginning," he said to the white walls that mocked him with their silence.

"Have you checked the alleys?  Aliens love to hide in alleys?"

Martin Fitzgerald wondered if Samantha had subjected him to the ratings of her cousin Thomas as some sort of comeuppance for an action of his a little while ago.  Martin had almost lost Jack and Sam their jobs and had even embroiled Vivian into the mess.  Sam had betrayed him in a full techocolor way involving lips, hands, a wall and Jack.  It took time for Martin to get over it but now that he had, he found himself trying to make up for his actions by being overly kind and dutiful.  At that very moment listening to Thomas while trying to coordinate a FBI effort was making him lose his sense of being Mr. Helpful.

"Thomas, I thank you for your ideas but please just take these push pins and when I read off a street name put the push pin it."  Martin tried to smile.

"Okay," Thomas replied grabbing the box of pushpins.  "When do we head out into the field?"

"We are not heading out into the field.  If I need to go somewhere, I will.  You have to stay here."

"No, Shauna needs me."

"Running around town yelling her name will do no good," Martin's temper began to flare.

"I can do something more than this!"  Thomas threw the pushpins.  They landed against the wall.  He hurried out past Martin.

"Thomas!"  Martin yelled.  He couldn't let him go alone.  He had promised Samantha he would watch out for him while Samantha, Vivian and Danny were out searching.  Grabbing a light jacket, Martin ran off following Thomas.

He walked along the street just like everyone else.  He saw Samantha Spade scoping out the area.  Perfect.  She was all alone expect for a few uniforms.  He walked up to her swiftly and with confidence.

"Excuse me are you Special Agent Spade?"

'Yes," she replied.

"Some man named Thomas is hollering for you over down that street."

"Great!"  She sighed.  "Thank you," she said taking off. 

He followed her, his eyes trained on her head.

She thought about what he had called her- "Special Agent Spade".  Tommy would have said "Samantha" or "Sam".  She looked up at street lamp- the reflection of the man walking behind her showed.  She turned into another alley- not the one he had said held Thomas. She hid behind the wall and waited for him to enter.  With a swift kick and a grab of his arm, she securely pinned him to the ground.

"Okay now tell me who are you and why are you playing games with me?"

To be continued…