Unfortunately it took some time to go on but here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate this and I hope to receive more feedback for this chapter.

Be completely honest with me but please review.

And I want so thank my new beta-reader Ansku. I'm so glad that she helps me and makes sure I can go on with my fanfic. Many thanks to her.

Try to ease the pain

Jack was sitting in a small dark room with only a table and two chairs. The window was barred. As a result of that there wasn't much light in the room.

Jack had been waiting for about 15 minutes by now. Although it didn't seem that long for him.

He was distracted by his thoughts.

He was thinking about the last night.

First he had been at home alone, eating a pizza and watching a football match on TV. Then he had got this phone call.

A completely desperate Michelle had called him and begged him to come by. He hadn't hesitated for even a second.

He could hear the urgency in her voice.

And he already knew this situation.

During the 5 months Tony had been in prison he had got many calls like this.

In the beginning he had stayed with her for a few weeks.

Then she had only called him 3 times a week and after 2 months she had almost managed to handle it alone.

But even now sometimes she still called him when it was too bad for her. Just like she had done yesterday.

And he didn't complain even if she called him in the middle of the night after a long day.

He wanted to take care of her, even wished he could do more for her.

He had promised Tony to keep an eye on her and moreover she was a good friend, a good friend in need.

After last night he had made a decision.

It couldn't go on like that. Not because he didn't want her to call him anymore, begging for help. But because he had seen how much she was still suffering, although she was pretending to be alright.

Last night he had realized that she wouldn't be able to stand this situation for many more months.

She was so weak, so tired and so broken inside.

Jack remembered just how it had been last night.

After Michelle's call he had hurried to her immediately.

When he had rang the bell it had took almost a minute until she had opened the door.

Her steps were slow; she was almost unable to stand. She was shivering so hard.

Her eyes were swollen, tears were running down her face.

"It's ok Michelle, it's ok", Jack had said and embraced her after they had closed the door again.

They stood there for a few minutes; Jack was just holding her while she was unable to stop crying.

Then they had sat down on the couch. Michelle was wearing tracksuit trousers and a t-shirt obviously belonging to Tony.

Jack had made tea for them.

"Why are you wearing his clothes?", he asked her eventually when he came back from the kitchen into the living-room carrying two cups with hot steaming tea.

She sobbed again.

"Just can't let go of him.

I was just putting my washed clothes into the dresser when my eyes got stuck on his things. All those memories came back then. I could even smell him when I took his clothes into my arms.

I just can't stand this anymore. His ignorance. I tried so hard to forget or to at least handle it somehow. And I try to block all the questions I've got. But from time to time they manage to come back and it makes me sick.

Why doesn't he answer my letters?", she was almost yelling now, "He's such a coward. If he would only be brave enough to tell me that he doesn't love me anymore. But to be left with so many unanswered questions is just killing me.

I just wish he would know what his plan is doing to me. It's making me insane.

He always said he loves me, why is he making me suffer so much? Why? Why?"

Michelle really lost control. Just letting out what she had

accumulated inside of her during the past months.

Jack had taken her in his arms again, trying to calm her down and eventually she cried herself to sleep.

He carried her into her bedroom gently. Then he sat down next to the bed to watch her sleep. He wanted to be there for her when she woke up again.

It was so hard for him to see all her grief.

How much she was suffering.

To see the façade which she usually always kept up falling down .

To see how she was really feeling inside.

He had seen what nobody else had seen, how much she was acting when she was pretending to be alright.

Because of that he was sitting in this room now.

Michelle had insisted on going to work. Jack had tried to keep her from doing this because he knew how she was feeling but he also knew that this was just her way of avoiding situations like the day before.

Going to work and distracting herself from thinking about her hopeless situation.

So after that he had made some phone calls and had managed to be able to visit Tony today.

All in all he had to wait for half an hour until they eventually led Tony into the small room.

A guard switched on a light and Jack could see Tony's face for the first time in a few months.

It was thin, he hadn't shaved for at least 3 days. He looked tired and sad.

"Hi Tony", Jack finally began.

"Hey", Tony replied carelessly.

"I will come immediately to the point and I expect you to already know why I am here, don't you?", Jack started and sounded a little to harsh but he still had the picture of a desperate and crying Michelle in his mind.

"Probably the same thing as last time", Tony said pretending to be bored.

But Jack saw through him immediately. In fact Tony didn't want to hear what Jack had to say. Because it would tell him the truth and how bad Michelle was doing. And all Tony wanted to know was that Michelle was happy.

"I know why you're acting like that. You're lying when you pretend that you are not bothered about how Michelle is doing. But I'm going to tell you something now", Jack started and he was almost yelling, "You just acted wrong but you don't believe it. When you told her never to contact you again you thought you would do something good for her. And that she would start a new life because of this. But in fact by now she doesn't even have a life anymore. She has so much grief, she cries so many tears. In fact I'm wondering how long she will be able to stand this. All she wants is answers. So your damn plan just failed as much as it could. Read her letters, call her or do anything you can but stop avoiding her!"

Tony just looked at him with his narrow eyes.

It wasn't hard to see how much he was struggling with himself.

"You still love her, don't you? Then help her or tell her that you don't love her anymore and let her really go and start a new life!"