Chapter 20: Going Home

Still lying on the concrete floor of the basement, Jack took her other hand, gently pulling her toward him. Sue buried her face in his chest and cried, sobs wracking her body. He softly stroked her hair and her back, shedding a few tears of his own. After a few moments, he gently took Sue's chin in his hand, lifting her face so that she was looking at him again. "When they come back, I'm going to fight as hard as I can to get us out of here," Jack promised her, and she nodded. "If they want to hurt you, they're going to have to kill me first," he vowed.

"Please don't talk that way," Sue pleaded with him. "We have to get out of here. I won't lose you, Jack, and I'm not ready to die yet." Her heart was so full of emotion as she looked at this man, who clearly shared her anguish. Jack slowly sat up, wincing as his head pounded in protest. "Take it easy," she told him, putting a hand on his back. "You took quite a blow to the head."

"I'm okay," Jack insisted, taking a deep breath. "I'm not ready to die either, but if anything happens, I need you to know something," he said softly, putting a hand on either side of her face. "I love you, Sue Thomas," he told her, his eyes on hers. Sue just stared at him for a moment, stunned by his declaration. "My life has become so full since I met you, and I can't imagine being without you," Jack continued, emotion choking his voice.

Tears streamed down Sue's cheeks as she looked into his eyes. She took a deep breath to try and compose herself before responding. "I love you too, Jack. I never thought I'd meet someone like you, but here you are." She said the last words with an air of disbelief, and Jack smiled softly at her before leaning forward to kiss her tenderly.

When their lips met, Sue allowed herself to forget where she was for just a moment, to forget about the danger they were in and just get lost in the warmth of his embrace and the way his kiss made her feel.

The kiss was a bittersweet one. He could feel her passion as she responded, but he could also taste the salt of her tears. The sound of the basement door opening caused him to pull away, and Sue looked at him fearfully as light streamed into the basement. The sound of footsteps on the stairs sent a surge of adrenaline through Jack, and he quickly pulled himself to his feet.

Myles and Marina could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles even before the agency itself came into view. The car had barely stopped moving when Marina was out the door, running toward the crowd of emergency personnel in front of the building. Myles caught up to her just as she was being told by a stern-looking police officer to keep her distance. "Myles Leland, FBI," Myles told him, holding up his badge. "This is Marina Murphy, mother of one of the infants. I was told that Annie Murphy was among the children found inside."

"I'm sorry," the officer apologized kindly. "Just see the lady over there," he said, pointing to a woman in her early thirties with long wavy brown hair. "She's the doc who checked over all of the babies and made sure they were stable before they were taken to the hospital."

"My daughter isn't here?" Marina asked, her voice trembling. She looked at Myles anxiously.

"I'm honestly not sure if all of them have been taken to the hospital yet; you'll have to check with Dr. Davis over there," the officer replied. Myles nodded his thanks to the officer and followed Marina over to the doctor.

"Excuse me, Dr. Davis?" The woman looked up from the chart she was studying when Marina said her name.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Davis. Can I help you?" she asked them with a smile meant to reassure the anxious mother.

"Yes, you can," Myles replied, showing her his badge. "I'm Special Agent Myles Leland, and this is Marina Murphy. Her daughter, Annie, is one of the babies who was found here tonight."

Dr. Davis briefly checked her chart and then nodded. "Yes, Annie's here," she confirmed.

"Is she okay?" Marina asked worriedly.

"She's perfect," Dr. Davis assured her with a wide smile. "Come with me, and I'll take you to her."

Dr. Lee came into view, gun in hand, and Sue cringed. Jack stepped in front of her and eyed the doctor warily. "Mr. Hudson, I'm surprised you're awake. But then, that'll make this more fun," John chuckled as he walked closer to the pair, a depraved smile on his face.

"Just stay away from us," Jack warned. The doctor laughed and came closer still, pointing the gun at them.

"Now, now, Mr. Hudson," John said in a singsong voice, "don't you think your wife should get to experience a real man before she dies?" As the doctor laughed, distracting himself with his own wit, Jack shot forward and knocked the gun out of his hand. Sue dove for the weapon as Jack's fist connected with the side of the stunned doctor's face.

One punch was all it took to knock the doctor out cold. Jack looked at the little man in disgust as Sue handed him the gun. He pointed it at John, and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to pull the trigger. Sue gripped his hand firmly and gave him a brilliant smile. It was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen, full of hope and happiness. Jack lowered the gun and smiled back at her, feeling confident that they would be able to face whatever came next.

Suddenly Jack heard a loud crash from upstairs, followed by some muffled yelling coming from the other end of the house. "Something's going on up there," Jack told Sue.

Sue looked at him with wide eyes. "Hopefully something good," she said softly. Jack eyed the doctor, who was still prostrate on the floor. Although he was fairly sure the guy would be out for awhile, he couldn't help but expect him to suddenly spring to action, the way the villains always seemed to do in the movies. After a few moments, things quieted down upstairs, and then footsteps sounded on the stairs again. Jack raised the gun, ready to put it to use if necessary.

Upon seeing the person who appeared at the bottom of the stairs, two things happened: Sue gasped out loud, and Jack finally allowed the painful pounding in his head to overcome him. The gun fell to the floor with a clatter as he let go of Sue's hand and sank to his knees. As his face touched the coolness of the cement floor, Jack closed his eyes, falling into darkness once again.

Marina cradled her daughter in her arms, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. "I need to call Jon," she told Myles. "He has to know she's okay."

"What's the number? I'll dial it for you," Myles said, pulling out his cell phone. Marina dictated the number to him, and he handed her the phone. Annie gazed up at her mother with a look of pure contentment, almost as though she knew she would soon be going home again, where she belonged. Myles smiled to himself as Marina sobbed happily into the phone, telling her husband the wonderful news. Taking another glance at the rows of cribs lining the walls of the room, Myles left so that Marina could have a bit of privacy. Stepping out into the hallway, it was clear to him why Sue had felt like she was in a hospital when she'd wandered into this part of the agency. With plain white walls and a shiny tile floor, it had the same sterile feel as a hospital, not to mention the smell of disinfectant that every hospital seemed to share. Myles wondered how his colleagues were doing right now, and hoped that Jack and Sue had managed to keep the upper hand with Dr. Lee and the Ryans.

"That was quite the happy reunion." Myles turned around to see Dr. Davis standing behind him, smiling at him.

"I couldn't agree more," Myles said. "Have the parents of the other children been contacted as well?"

"The last few families are being called as we speak," she confirmed. "The babies are all at the hospital, except for Annie of course, and the four others who just left by ambulance. I'm glad you two arrived when you did because we were just about to send Annie to the hospital along with the others."

"I'm glad, too. So, are all of the other infants okay?" Myles asked her.

"They're all fine, and appear to have been well cared for. We were asked to move them to another location though, since this is considered a crime scene," Dr. Davis explained. "Of course, you know that," she said with a smile.

"I most certainly do," Myles agreed. "My colleagues and I have been working around the clock trying to solve this case. It's definitely a relief to find these babies."

"I've been hearing about it on the news and praying that they would be found. When I received the page tonight asking me to come to the agency, it was one of the few times I've actually been happy to be on call," Dr. Davis told him, laughing pleasantly.

"Do you work at a hospital?" Myles asked her.

She shook her head. "No, I actually have my own pediatric practice in downtown D.C., but I live close to here and was able to arrive before the ambulances."

"So you probably don't know a Dr. John Lee?" Myles asked impulsively.

"Actually, I do," she told him distastefully. "Only by reputation, though. He's been involved in a few lawsuits over the years, patients claiming he acted…indecently. They were all settled out of court, from what I remember," she said thoughtfully. "Why do you ask? Is he involved in this?" Seeing the look on Myles' face, she rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Of course, what was I thinking? I can't get details out of an FBI agent."

"Unfortunately, I can't share any details with you, since the investigation is still ongoing," Myles said apologetically. "I'm sure you'll hear about it soon, though."

"I'm sure," Dr. Davis said with a smirk. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Agent Leland. Good luck with your investigation. I'm off to the hospital to witness some more happy reunions."

"The pleasure was all mine, Dr. Davis," Myles told her and returned the smile she gave him before she turned and walked away. Though still worried about his colleagues, he was surprised to realize that just being in the presence of Dr. Davis had calmed his nerves considerably. He watched until she was out of sight and then headed back into the room where Marina was talking softly to her daughter. She didn't even notice him come in, and he was about to gently get her attention when he heard Tara's voice in his headset.

"Jack!" Sue knelt on the floor beside Jack, cradling his head in her hands, as Bobby ran over to them. "Jack, please wake up," Sue pleaded softly. There was a flurry of activity around them as other agents descended the stairs. One of them went to Dr. Lee, while another leaned over Maura's still form.

"We've got an agent down!" Bobby yelled. Seeing the unconscious Dr. Lee, as well as Maura's still form lying nearby, he told Tara to send for additional paramedics. "Sue, what happened to him?" Bobby asked her, putting a comforting hand on her arm as he knelt down on the floor beside her.

"Sam Ryan knocked him out with the barrel of the gun," Sue replied, softly stroking Jack's hair and face, willing him to open his eyes. "They put us down here and he woke up after a little while. He said he was doing okay, though," she said softly. "Jack even punched out the doctor when he tried to come near me," she added with a tearful smile.

"He'll be fine," Bobby insisted. "Sparky's a fighter. Are you alright?"

"I am. They didn't hurt me," Sue replied, studying Jack's face for a moment before turning her attention back to Bobby. "Did you catch the Ryans?"

Bobby nodded with a grin. "D took them into custody. They caught Jodie tonight as well, trying to kidnap another baby." Sue looked at him in surprise.

"So, it's over, then?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yup. It's over; we've got the bad guys. And with all the dirt we've got on them, all four will be behind bars for a long time," Bobby assured her. Sue smiled at him, closing her eyes for a moment in relief. Jack stirred suddenly, groaning as he opened his eyes. The movement under Sue's hands caused her to open her eyes, and she smiled as he looked up at her. She didn't say anything as tears of relief streamed down her cheeks.

"Hey, I'm okay. You can't get rid of me that easily," Jack told her, taking one of her hands and bringing it to his lips. Bobby watched the pair with raised eyebrows. It was as if there was no one else in the room but the two of them. After a few moments of watching them stare into each other's eyes, Bobby cleared his throat and Jack looked over at him.

"Glad to see you're still in one piece, mate," Bobby said to his friend, grinning. "I can see that we had no reason to worry, though," he added, looking over at Dr. Lee, who was just beginning to stir.

"Yeah, well…I was pretty motivated," Jack told him, giving Sue a wink. "I'm assuming that since it was you guys who came down the stairs and not Sam and Mary, you must have good news for me."

"The Ryans are in custody," Bobby confirmed. "Their friend Jodie has also been apprehended, while trying to kidnap another child, I might add."

"It's nice to know this hasn't all been in vain," Jack said, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Have the kidnapped babies been found yet?" Sue asked anxiously.

"Most of them have," Bobby replied. "Unfortunately, some of them have already been put up for adoption, so it will take a little more work to track them down. It turns out that a few of them have been adopted out of state as well."

"I'm glad that the babies will finally be able to go home to their families, but imagine what the adoptive families will have to go through when they have to give them up," Sue said softly.

"It's pretty rough, all right," Bobby said grimly. "At least it's being uncovered now and not years later," he pointed out.

"True," Sue agreed. "That should make it a little easier." The three of them watched as a pair of paramedics came down the stairs, carrying a stretcher. The mood was somber as they gently lifted Maura onto it and carried her back up the stairs.

"I hope she makes it," Jack said quietly. "I blame myself for getting her involved."

Sue shook her head at him. "You shouldn't. Aren't you the one who once told me that I'm not personally responsible for every little thing that happens? Well, the same goes for you, you know."

"Point taken," Jack told her with a grin. She smiled back at him and then looked over as two agents began to lead the now conscious Dr. Lee over to the stairs. Sue glared at him and moved to get up but Jack held tightly to her hand. She gave him a questioning look, and he shook his head at her. "He's not worth the energy," he said softly. Sue let out a sigh and stayed where she was.

"Sparky, can you walk, or should we get you a stretcher, too?" Bobby asked his friend. He knew Jack well enough to know what his answer would be.

"No, no stretcher for me," Jack insisted stubbornly. "I may need a hand up, but I'm sure I can walk out of here." Bobby and Sue glanced at each other before they each took a hand and helped Jack to his feet. He groaned as the pounding in his head intensified, and Sue looked at him in concern.

"Are you sure you don't need a stretcher?" she asked him, still holding onto his hand.

"I'm sure," Jack assured her. "I could definitely take something for this headache, though."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll give you something on the way to the hospital," Bobby told him as the three of them climbed the stairs.

"Oh, I don't think I need to go to the hospital," Jack protested, as they stepped out into the hallway. "Really, all I need is something for the pain."

"You most certainly will go to the hospital," Sue told him. "You blacked out twice today, Jack." Jack could tell she meant business and wasn't about to argue with her, knowing he would never win.

"Okay, I'll go," he agreed. "But I'm sure that they're not going to keep me for very long--I really am okay," he insisted, even as he swayed slightly, and they had to steady him.

"That remains to be seen," Sue replied, much to Bobby's amusement. Bobby shook his head, chuckling at them.

"She really has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she, Sparky?" he teased. "Obviously married life is agreeing with you, and I think it's more than just the good cooking." Jack and Sue looked at each other, but neither said a word, afraid that any response might confirm Bobby's suspicions.

"Let's get you to that ambulance," Sue said to Jack instead. He nodded and gave Bobby a wave.

"I'll see you guys there," Bobby told them and smiled knowingly as he watched them head for the door.