Chapter 4

After catching up to Bobby, the three friends made their way to the surveillance van just down the street. D drove with Bobby in the passenger seat and everyone else piled into the back. Sue was still curious as to what was said that might have gotten Bobby so excited, so she watched Jack intently as he spoke.

"Okay, people," Jack started. "We might have gotten a lead on the drop location for tonight. Just before the shooting started, Sue thought she saw oxen or oxstone parts…"

"So you were doing something out there other than just cuddling," D quipped from the front seat. Rolling his eyes in the older agent's direction, Jack was thankful Sue didn't see what D had to say and didn't ask anyone to repeat it.

"Bobby and I think it might be Foxstone Park," Jack continued, fingerspelling the name for Sue.

"Well, with what we are looking for, that would make sense," Tara smiled, turning back to the computer in the van as she started to type.

"Why does it make sense, and what is Foxstone Park?" Sue asked, still as confused as ever. She felt Myles tap her arm and turned in his direction in the van.

"Foxstone Park is about 25 minutes west of DC," Myles stated. "In 2001, a counterintelligence officer with the FBI was arrested for espionage after discovering classified materials for the government at a drop in the park."

"And we're looking for someone exchanging classified documents," Sue gathered, finally understanding the connection, turning back to Jack. "If they are using the Park, they aren't very original." Jack couldn't help but return her sly grin.

Before any more discussion could take place, everyone lurched to one side, and then back to the other as D lost control of the van. Myles grabbed for Tara as she was tossed towards him, both of them ending up in a heap on the floor when he fell out of his chair.

Jack was thrown into Sue, knocking her onto the floor as D finally got the van under control and it rolled to a stop. Their faces just mere inches from each other as they lay sprawled on the floor, Sue stared up into Jack's dark eyes. Her previous fear over been flung around in the van was replaced by an all too familiar feeling in her stomach. He could never feel the same way about me as I do him, Sue thought, biting her bottom lip nervously.

Jack had similar feelings gnawing at him as he gazed down at her, his body once again pressed up to hers, his arms on either side of her face. Being close to her made it hard to even breathe. Blinking fast, Jack realized she was saying something.

"If we keep meeting like this, people are going to start talking," Sue smiled, trying to squelch the feelings that threatened to overwhelm her.

People are already taking, sweetheart, Jack thought, pulling himself up and helping Sue back into her chair. O-K-YOU? Jack signed.

"You're getting a lot of practice at signing that today," Sue quipped finally signing, FINE-ME, at Jack's exasperated look.

"Everyone okay?" Bobby called from the front. Myles' arms were still around Tara from when he caught her and they were looking at each other softly. When they suddenly realized where they were, both quickly looked away and scrambled for their seats, mumbling they were fine to no one in particular.

"We're fine back here," Jack replied. "What happened?"

"Blown tire," D answered as he and Bobby got out checking on it. The four from the back of the van were a little slower opening the side door and climbing out onto the street. Tara and Sue moved to the sidewalk to let the men room to handle the flat. Bobby was kneeling next to the tire, a concerned look on his face when the Myles and Jack walked up.

"What's up, Crash? Don't know how to change a tire?" Jack joked, but quickly sobered when he saw his friend's expression.

"The tire didn't just blow, mate," Bobby said seriously, standing up. "It looks like someone shot it out." The four men stood there in disbelief as he pointed to the bullet hole in the side of the vehicle and indicated the way the tire was shredded.

"Looks like you and the lovely Ms. Thomas aren't the only ones to get the 'privilege' of being shot at today," Myles retorted unfalteringly, before realizing that as the second time Jack and Sue had been involved with a shooting meant it could have been aimed at them and not the team.

Jack looked back at the sidewalk where Sue stood with Tara, trying to give what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Could the two shootings be related? Jack wondered. Sue had been working with Dunne, her informant, for a while. Could someone have connected her to the investigation for the stolen classified documents?

Chapter 5

Bobby, Jack, Sue, and Tara piled into a DC cab for the trip back to the office. Myles and D offered to stay with the van to wait on the ERT unit. Jack had told Tara and Sue what had happened, but no one wanted to voice their opinion that this accident could have been related to Dunne's murder. However, they felt it best to get Sue off the street, just in case the shooter was still around and their suspicions were correct.

Bobby turned from the front seat of the cab to smirk at Jack. He didn't know how the man did it. Tara was by far the smallest of the three in the back seat, but somehow Jack had worked it out so that Sue was sitting in the middle.

Unaware of his friend's gaze, Jack's arm was sprawled across the back of the seat as he watched her talking with Tara. As the cab made turns, she'd lean into him, her hair brushing his face and he'd catch the scent of her shampoo. She'd always had this scent that was distinctly hers and the more Jack was around her the more he became attached to it searching for ways to touch her.

Jack knew in more ways than one he was whole with her and lost without her. She was good at her job and while not an agent, Jack had begun to think of her as his partner. Strong and independent, she'd gotten into her share of trouble, but Sue was and probably always will be an enormous value to the team.

On a more personal level, he wasn't sure what he felt, but knew that every day he had with her was a gift. Because of her worth to the team and the FBI, Jack understood taking their friendship farther would mean separating them from each other and splitting up a remarkable team. Remembering that, Jack tried to hold back on his feelings for her.

"We're here," Bobby called from the front, bringing Jack out of his thoughts. Sue turned to him, and he smiled ruefully as he opened the door to help her out.

Escorting Sue and Tara inside, they left them at the bullpen before heading towards Ted Garrett's office to update him on the case. Standing outside their supervisor's office, Bobby and Jack knew the meeting wasn't going to be easy. They just hoped they could convince him to let them continue with the case. Both of them felt that was the only way they could keep Sue safe, if she was now a target.

Chapter 6

"I don't understand why we have to stay here in the car," Sue argued. "We could be out there with Bobby and Tara, watching for the drop." She looked out towards where the two of them were strolling hand and hand like a married couple. She was getting frustrated cooped up in the car and felt useless during this surveillance.

"I've already told you," Jack said after putting a comforting hand on her arm to get her attention. She can be so stubborn, he thought with a smile, but she's so cute when she's steamed. "Garrett said that we are Bobby and Tara's backup."

The meeting with Garrett had gone better than planned. While he didn't like the fact of Sue staying on the case, he agreed that she was important for them to be able to catch who was responsible for the stolen documents. Garrett knew that Sue's work with her informant, Dunne, as well as the information she was able to gather through her unique skills, had gotten them this far on the case.

After a quick dinner, Sue, Jack, Bobby, and Tara met up with the SOG team that had set up surveillance at Foxstone Park. The Park had become quite a 'spy-lovers' tourist attraction following the arrest and conviction of Robert Hanssen, the FBI Counterintelligence Officer arrested for selling classified documents. Many visitors wanted to see the 'dead drop' sites that Hanssen had used for more than 15 years.

If their suspect was actually using the Park as a 'drop' location, it was doubtful that he was using the same sites as Hanssen. Even late at night, the Park was just too active with people. More than likely he, or she, would be making the delivery in person, acting like a tourist.

While Jack and Sue watched from a car stationed across the Park from the surveillance van, Tara and Bobby took up positions outside, acting like a married couple on vacation. Strolling through some of the paths adjacent to the parking lot, they joked and laughed with each other, holding hands while looking for anyone or anything suspicious.

Sue had been complaining since they got there, because she wanted to be more involved. She had to admit she understood why she and Jack were stuck in the car. After being shot at on the street and then finding out about the tire on the van being shot out, she was a little worried but she always felt safe with Jack.

"I know, Jack," Sue replied sighing. "Ted was right. IF the Dunne's shooting was connected to the van accident, there may be more to this than even Dunne knew." She lowered her head, looking at her hands in her lap. "I don't know what I did wrong. Maybe I didn't ask Dunne the right questions." Her voice was quiet as she continued, "I don't know what I missed."

"You didn't miss anything," Jack said, cupping her chin to make her look at him. "You're good at what you do. You have more skills in getting people to talk than a lot of people can't learn in a lifetime." He took her hand in his. "You were given Dunne because of those skills. He wouldn't give the information to anyone else."

Pausing he searched her face, hoping she understood what he was saying. Their eyes locked as his thumb gently caressed the back of her hand. Her beauty was far more than what people saw in her face. Why was it so hard for her to see her own value in things? Jack wondered.

Sue's breath caught when she saw the look in Jack's eyes. He was so passionate about what he said that she couldn't help but believe him. He always understands what I need to hear, she thought to herself smiling slightly.

"Thank you, Jack," Sue told him, putting her hand on his arm. "It's just hard. I've never lost a snitch before."

"We'll find out what happened, Sue," Jack replied, covering her hands with his own. They were so caught up in each other that the knock on Jack's window caused him to jump. Turning, he saw Tara and Bobby outside the car with an envelope, a grim look on both of their faces.

"What? Did we miss the drop?" Jack asked, opening the door and getting out. Checking to make sure his earpiece was still in his ear, he questioned as Sue got out joining them, "Why didn't you call us?"

"We have a problem," Bobby stated bluntly, his expression grave. Handing over the enveloping, he and Tara shared a concerned look that Sue caught, making her move up beside Jack. Sue gasped, her eyes widening when he pulled the contents out of the envelope.

Chapter 7

Ted Garrett threw the envelope back on his desk and moved stiffly to the window. When his team had called him to tell him they'd run into a problem with the case, he wasn't expecting anything like this. Turning back to his desk, he picked up the envelope and fingered through the photos inside.

The first few were of Sue talking with her informant, the deceased Jimmy Dunne. Then he found pictures of Sue in the park with Levi, outside her apartment, and doing various errands around town. The final pictures were of Jack and Sue eating dinner, walking together, and outside both apartments.

The pictures themselves weren't what upset him the most, although he didn't like that someone was spying on members of his team. What angered him the most was the blood red X's on each picture. This someone was irritating him a lot.

Turning to the three people in his office, Garrett looked from one to each of the others without saying a word. Bobby was standing against the wall, his annoyance that someone may be targeting his two friends evident in his stance. Jack and Sue were sitting before his desk like they'd done so many times. Only, they all knew this time was different.

"Both of you are going into a safe house," Garrett stated, daring them to argue. When they looked at each other but remained silent, he continued to Bobby, "I'll assign another team to head up this case and, for now, the team may remain as backup. However, I want all of you to keep an eye on each other."

Bobby nodded. On their way back to the office, he and Tara had discussed being taken off the case, so it was expected. However, he was disappointed and knew the rest of the team would be too.

"Lucy needs to move out temporarily. We can set her up in a hotel if need be," Garrett decided, his eyes dropping to the papers on his desk as he tried to think of everything that needed to be done.

"Tara has room and that will at least have the two of them together," Bobby offered, knowing that Tara had suggested it earlier.

"Good," Garrett acknowledged, glancing up briefly. "Now, I don't think a safe house in the city would be a good idea." Holding his hand up to ward off any complaints, he declared, "This person we are looking for already has someone on the inside, if not themselves, that can get confidential information. I'm not risking my team on anything!"

Sue and Jack shared a look of disappointment, but understood their supervisor's intentions. They knew Garrett was extremely protective of all of them and arguing wouldn't benefit them.

"Manning, take them back to their apartments to pack," Garrett commanded, gathering some papers together as he formulated a plan. "When you get back here, I'll have the arrangements for where you'll be staying."

"Yes, sir," Bobby agreed, pushing away from the wall, watching as Sue and Jack slowly stood up. He normally didn't like when he was relegated to 'babysitter', but to protect his friends he'd go to the ends of the earth. He just hoped they found who this was soon and got the team back together. When one of them was missing, it was hard on all of them.