Chapter 3: Safe and Sound

Now the greatest reward
Is the light in your eyes
The sound of your voice
And the touch of your hand
You made me who I am

"Jack, is that really you?" The worried look on her face was replaced by one of relief, mixed with happiness and disbelief. Jack's own relief was overwhelming. Sue looked tired and little rumpled, but she was alive. Jack lowered himself down, and Sue threw herself into his arms, sobbing against his shoulder.

He held her tightly, softly stroking her hair as she cried. He shed a few tears of his own; it felt so good to hold her and know that she was okay. As Sue's sobs began to subside Jack pulled away from her a little, gently cupping her face in his hands so they were staring into each other's eyes.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Jack demanded softly.

"I'm okay," Sue replied with a nod. "I'm just a bit weak; I haven't had much to eat or drink, and...no, no he didn't hurt me. I'm okay."

He pulled her against him again for another hug before he led her to the opening. Myles offered her his hand to help her out, and Jack followed closely behind. What followed was a chorus of hugs, and a phone call to Lucy and Tara during which much cheering could be heard in the background. Jack put his arm around Sue, leading her outside, where an ambulance was waiting to take her to the hospital so she could get checked over.

"I don't need to go the hospital, really. I'm okay," Sue insisted, as the ambulance attendant indicated she lay on the stretcher. She looked at Jack for support.

"You need to get checked out by a doctor Sue," he told her. "But if you want, I can take you to the hospital myself."

She nodded, looking relieved. "I really would prefer that, thanks."

"Your wish is my command," Jack replied, smiling at her. It was true, Sue could have asked for anything at this point, and he would have walked on nails to get it for her. Sue smiled weakly at him as the ambulance attendant took her vitals and then gave the ok for Jack to take her.

As they were walking to the car they passed by Lamont sitting in the back of a squad car. He leered as they walked by, and Jack instinctively put his arm around her, feeling protective.

She saw the look of concern on his face. "I really am fine, Jack. I'm just tired and hungry and need to get away from here...I can't wait to sleep in my own bed," Sue said as they got into his car.

"I don't blame you, you've been through a lot, but I still want you to see a doctor, okay?" Sue nodded and then turned away from him, looking out the window.

Jack focused on the road, understanding that she wasn't in the mood to talk. He was so elated to have her sitting beside him, safe and sound. Talking could happen later, when she was ready to give a statement. Right now they had to make sure that Lamont hadn't harmed her in any way. He glanced over at her, still studying the scenery flying by them, and he wondered exactly what had happened to her.

Reaching over, he took her hand, and she looked at him, managing a tiny smile. "I'm so glad you're okay Sue, these past couple of days have been hell."

Sue nodded, her dark eyes filling with tears. "Yeah. They really have." She looked away from him again but held onto his hand with both of hers. Jack could see there was obviously something she wasn't telling him. Whatever it was, he vowed to be there for her. It was the least he could do.

When Sue emerged from the examining room Lucy, Tara and Levi were all in the waiting room with Jack. Jack thought she looked very pale and wondered what had gone on inside. Now wasn't the time to talk about it though, as Lucy let out a shriek of excitement upon seeing her friend. Lucy and Sue both started crying as they hugged each other. Jack and Tara exchanged grins as they watched the roommates reunite. Tara moved in for a hug when Lucy finally let go of Sue, while Levi barked and was literally running in circles trying to get near her.

"I missed you so much Sue--I was so worried!" Lucy cried, smiling as Levi nearly knocked Sue over as he jumped on her excitedly.

"We all were," Tara said, signing as she spoke. "And you're going to be getting a call from your parents soon--I called them as soon as we found out you were safe, and your mother cried with relief on the phone."

Sue smiled at all three of them and knelt down to stroke Levi's soft fur, grinning as he planted a dog-kiss on her cheek. Thank you, she signed. "And I want to thank all of you for what you did. The whole time I kept praying that you would find me. I forced myself not to give up hope."

"We wouldn't give up either," Jack told her. "I refused to believe that this would end any other way."

"I'm glad it's over. Now all I want to do is go home," Sue said, looking at Lucy hopefully.

"I'm ready anytime you are," Lucy replied.

As much as Jack didn't want to let Sue out of his sight, he knew she needed to go home and get some rest. She'd been through so much, and tomorrow would be a big day---she'd have to relive the two days she'd been held captive when she gave her statement.

"I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Get some rest," Jack said to Sue, putting a hand on her arm. She nodded and took a deep breath. He could tell she was fighting off tears again and wished he could take away her pain. He pulled her into a hug and closed his eyes for a moment, not caring that Tara and Lucy were watching. It felt so wonderful to have her in his arms---especially since less than two hours ago he wasn't sure if he'd ever see her again.

Jack's eyes opened as he felt Sue pull away from him suddenly. He looked at her face to find her gaze fixed on something behind him. He turned around just in time to see David enfolding Sue in his arms. Jack's heart fell as he watched the two of them embrace and knew at that moment that he wouldn't be the one she would turn to for comfort and support while she was recovering from this ordeal. She had a boyfriend who obviously cared about her. As he watched them exchange a tearful kiss he had to admit that she appeared to return those feelings.

Just be thankful she's back, Jack thought to himself, feeling very selfish and silly at the jealous thoughts going through his mind as he watched Sue and David embrace. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable watching them and turned his gaze toward Lucy and Tara. They were watching the couple with smiles on their faces that faded slightly when they both saw Jack looking at them.

"Is she really okay? Did she tell you what happened?" Lucy asked Jack quietly.

"She insists she's okay, but she won't talk about it yet. I didn't push her since I know she's going to have to give a statement tomorrow. But if he hurt her..." Jack shook his head, not finishing the sentence. Glancing at Sue and David still holding each other, speaking in soft tones, Jack realized he needed to get out of there.

"Hopefully all he did was kidnap her," Tara commented. "Not that being kidnapped isn't bad enough," she added hastily.

David finally released Sue from the hug and turned to Jack, Lucy and Tara. "Thank you for finding her. I know you all worked really hard, and I'm so grateful for that," he said, smiling widely at Sue.

"Sue's important to all of us; we weren't going to give up until she was back, safe and sound," Jack replied, meeting Sue's eyes as he spoke. She smiled gratefully at him as David held her by his side, an arm around her waist. "Look, I've got to go but I'll see you all tomorrow. I'm glad you're back Sue," he told her, quickly walking by them and out the door before anyone could say anything besides goodnight.

The whole time she'd been gone he'd kept thinking that maybe when she was back he'd finally be able to tell her how he felt about her. He knew now that it would be pointless. As long as he knew Sue was happy he wasn't about to interfere, no wonder how painful it was for him to see her with David.

Friday

Jack and Sue sat side-by-side on her sofa, steaming cups of hot chocolate on the table in front of them, and Levi lying at their feet. Jack smiled at her, thinking that there was no place he'd rather be than right here with her. Sue had come into the bullpen after she'd finished giving her statement that morning, ready to return to work. Jack had taken her aside, insisting that she go home, and Sue had admitted that she hated the idea of being alone in the apartment while Lucy worked.

David had to work as well, and Jack had thought to himself that if Sue were with him, he would drop everything to be with her right now. He couldn't understand why David hadn't done the same. It also made him question again, how close the two really were. Seeing how tired she still was and how close to tears she appeared to be, Jack knew she shouldn't be alone.

Lucy would have left work early but had a pile of work to deal with that she'd been putting off while Sue was missing; Jack on the other hand, had nothing on the go that he couldn't pass off to another agent for the rest of the day.

"Thanks for coming with me, Jack," Sue said with a grateful smile. "I just don't feel like being alone quite yet."

"Not a problem. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours; it's going to take you a bit of time to get over this. No one expects you to just bounce back, especially not me." Jack touched her hand for a moment, wishing he could put into words all of what he was feeling right now. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't stop it from happening to you, Sue."

"It's not your fault. How can you think that?" Sue asked in disbelief.

Jack knew that nothing she said would take away the fact that he felt partially responsible for this whole thing. "If I had just insisted you come with me to park the car and if--"

"We can go on forever with the what ifs Jack, and it won't change a thing. I really think things happen for a reason...though I haven't figured out a reason for this one yet," she said with a touch of despair her voice.

"I can't think of a good reason either," Jack agreed, trying to keep the worry he felt for her out of his voice. "I did learn something from it, though."

"What?" Sue tilted her head slightly in curiosity as she watched him, waiting for his answer.

"Never to take anyone for granted. It's so easy to forget to appreciate what you have until you don't have it anymore. I also need to be more open with my feelings instead of keeping them inside," he admitted. Sue smiled at him, nodding. "You're important to me Sue, and I can't imagine life without you." Jack looked into her eyes and saw so much emotion looking back at him.

"I feel the same way, Jack. Thinking about you and everyone else I care about is what helped get me through, especially when I thought I might never see you again." Jack wondered what she was thinking as she looked into his eyes, and he fought the overwhelming urge to pull her close and kiss her.

Forcing himself to break eye contact for a moment, he realized he really needed to focus---this time was about her, recovering from whatever Lamont had put her through. Not about the way he was feeling right now.

"I tried to think positive the entire time but it was hard," Sue admitted softly. "When he first grabbed me on the street and I saw his gun, I was sure I was going to die."

Jack took her hand, seeing the expression of fear on her features. "What happened after that?" he asked softly.

"After he forced me into the van I begged him to let me go and asked him what he wanted. He tied my hands behind my back, and then he told me to shut up and stay put. He said that if I did exactly as I was told that I wouldn't get hurt. I asked him again what he wanted, but he wouldn't answer."

Jack again felt an overwhelming guilt--and wondered if she even knew she was taken to get to him. Sue took a deep breath before she continued, and Jack could tell she was fighting to stay calm.

"After he tied me up he put a blindfold on me." Jack held both of her hands in his, his hatred for Lamont growing steadily. "Up until then I'd been trying not to reveal the fact that I'm deaf, but when he covered my eyes I had no idea where he was or what he was doing. It wasn't until I felt the vibrations that I knew we were moving." Sue pulled one of her hands out of his and reached for her hot chocolate, slowly taking a sip.

Jack patiently waited for her to continue, almost afraid to hear what came next. "If you're not ready to talk about it yet, I understand," he told her, signing as he spoke.

"No, it's okay," Sue insisted, taking another sip of the hot chocolate. She placed the mug back on the table and leaned back against the couch, continuing. "Even though I don't want to remember how I felt, I know I'm safe here with you. I need to do this." She looked very determined, and Jack admired her for that. Whatever she'd endured had taken its toll but she was still so strong.

"You are safe," he said, nodding and taking her hands again, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I'm here for you, okay? You can tell me anything."

Sue nodded, smiling softly. Thank you, she signed, then closed her eyes for a moment before she continued to speak. "While I was sitting there on the floor of that van just feeling the vibrations as we drove, I lost track of time. Once the van stopped moving all I could do was wait for whatever was going to happen next. Not long after we stopped, Lamont grabbed me around the waist."

Sue put a hand over her heart. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack, my heart was beating so fast. I think I screamed, and I know I asked him again to let me go. He dragged me out of the van and then walked behind me, holding my hands behind my back and pushing me forward. We weren't walking for very long when suddenly the air became warmer, and I knew we must be someplace inside. When we got to the little room where you found me he took off the blindfold, and I felt so relieved to be able to see again."

Jack couldn't even imagine what it must have been like. Lamont knew Sue was deaf so taking away her sight was just a way for him to torture her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he told her. "I know that doesn't make it any easier though."

"I guess the main thing is that I made it through," Sue said softly. Jack nodded. "There was a bathroom attached to the room, and he even had a little fridge with food in it. I just felt so confused, I knew I'd never met him before, but it seemed like he'd planned this all out. It didn't seem like a random kidnapping."

"Do you know why he kidnapped you?" Jack asked her.

"I was told that the FBI busted him a few years back and that he wanted revenge," Sue replied. "No one gave me any specifics when I asked about it this morning, though."

"I was leading the investigation against him when he was busted. I helped put him in prison," Jack told her, looking into her eyes.

A look of realization came across Sue's features. "So he used me to try and get to you?" she asked softly.

"Apparently he's been watching me for awhile and figured out that you and I are close. I'm not sure what he was planning, but taking you was a way to get revenge on me," he replied.

"I knew it was personal somehow. That explains a lot," Sue said. She bit her lip and looked at Jack, on the verge of tears again.

"What did he do?" Jack asked her. Sue just looked at him for a moment as she tried to stay composed. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that the worst was yet to come.

"He untied my hands and then left me in the room---it was dark except for a tiny night light. I curled up on the bed and tried to stay alert so I could watch for his return. I guess I just couldn't' keep my eyes open though because the next thing I remember is waking up in the pitch black. And he was there." Sue closed her eyes for a moment, shuddering as she remembered. Her eyes overflowed, and her cheeks were wet with tears when she opened her eyes to look at him again.

He unsuccessfully fought off tears of his own and reached over to gently stroke her cheek. The pain in her eyes was clear, and Jack's mind reeled at the possibility of what may have happened next. If what Sue told him next was as bad as what he feared, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly. "If he hurt you I'll kill him myself." Jack immediately regretted his overly chivalrous statement, but it was honestly the way he felt. If Lamont had hurt this wonderful, beautiful woman to get to him, then Jack would make sure he never saw the light of day again.