A/N – I'd really like to receive more reviews. It really helps me write better to know what my audience thinks of my work! Otherwise, I don't know whether to continue! I'm going to try my hardest to get this part done before I go home for reading week (it's a week of for university students). Then over that break I want to start part two…that is if you all want me to continue!

Chapter 22:

Jack hurried over to his desk as he heard his phone ringing. It was late morning, but almost instinctively he could tell whose voice would be on the other end.

"This is Jack." He answered.

"Jack, this is Sue." Jack smiled at the sound of her voice.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.

"Fine. Sorry I was still asleep when you left for work, I slept in." Jack realized that Sue had no idea what had happened that morning. She continued, "Mike and I are going out for lunch, then we're going to stop by quickly. Is that alright?"

"Sounds great. I'll tell the team to expect you in the afternoon."

"Thanks – I'll see you later?" She said, in an almost cheerful voice.

"You bet. Bye." He hung up, and sat back down in front of his computer, unable to keep the smile off his face. She was getting back to normal, and he was thrilled to see her old self, immerging from the shadows that had clouded her for days.

-----

Sue hung up her phone, and turned to her brother.

"Everything's set. Jack said the team should be there this afternoon. Then you can meet all my friends." Mike nodded, and sat down on the couch, while Sue finished getting ready for their lunch date.

Michael Thomas was worried about his little sister. The blow they had all received had shocked the entire family, and he knew that some of the wounds might never heal. He had seen how she had reacted when she had gone home for those few days, how withdrawn she had become. Although he could see some of her old spark coming back, it was still masked behind the grief that tormented her, and Michael knew she was pushing it away.

He didn't understand why she didn't want to tell her co-workers, especially Jack. At first, Mike didn't know what to think, about this strange man staying with his sister at her apartment. Alone. It was inappropriate to him. However, it only took him minutes to realize how much Jack cared for Sue, and how much Sue cared for Jack. It wasn't in their words, but how they interacted with each other.

Mike had never been a fan of Sue taking a job at the FBI. He loved playing the role of protective big brother, and even though he knew Sue used to hate it when she was younger, he also knew that she appreciated it now, more than ever. Sue had always been a relatively healthy person, with the exception of her hearing, but when her family had found out about all the medical problems she had been having, the trips to the hospital, they knew that she had taken the news harder than she had led them on to believe. Mike decided then and there to set out and see her for himself, trying not to let on to his parents that he was more worried than they were.

Now, she was just hiding behind the emotions everyone knew she was going to have to face. He just hoped that her friends would do something that would make her open up, and let her begin to heal. He knew Jack's intentions were good, and he knew that if anyone were to reach her, it would probably be him.

Sue walked back out into the living room, her coat and purse in hand, interrupting his thoughts.

"Ready to go?" She asked. He nodded and smiled, before following her out the door.

-----

Bobby hurried over to give Sue a big hug as she walked into the bullpen, followed by a taller blond man that looked a lot like her. He reached over and shook his head.

"Everyone, this is my brother Mike." Everyone came over to greet him.

"It's great to finally meet you all. I've heard so much about you from Sue."

"All good things, I'm sure." Myles said pompously, as everyone laughed.

"I won't keep you too long, I have a plane to catch soon." Mike explained.

"It's no problem," Jack said with a smile from his desk, "we're not doing to much now anyways."

"Sue!" Everyone, except Sue, turned to see the man standing in the doorway. Sue noticed everyone's attention turn, and as Levi put his paws on her lap, she turned to see Howie standing in the doorway. She gave him a small smile.

"Hi Howie. How are you doing?" The man came over and surprised Sue, giving her a big hug. Bobby and Jack stifled back laughs at the look on Sue's face, as Mike looked on confused at the odd man hugging his sister.

"I'm good, I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Howie, I'd like you to meet my brother Michael. This is Howie. He's a good friend." Mike shook Howie's hand, as he shook back rather enthusiastically.

"It's so great to meet you! Any family of Sue's is family of mine. You guys look a like too!" Mike looked at Jack, torn between amusement and confusion as to whether everyone else found him to be incredibly strange. Jack, realizing that Mike could probably sign just as well, if not better, than all of them, signed to him 'He's weird, it's not just you.' Mike smiled back and nodded.

"I should actually be heading out. It's been great meeting all of you! Sue, why don't you show me to the elevators, then you can say goodbye to your friends." Jack came over and shook Mike's hand again, as Sue led him out the door.

A few minutes later she returned, walking up to Howie again,

"So Howie, what are you doing here anyways?" Jack's face dropped as he quickly glanced at Bobby, who knew exactly what Jack was thinking, but there was no way they could head off Howie not to say anything, without making Sue suspicious. They knew if they started hiding things from her, it would frustrate her even more. Jack knew already how much she was missing being at work.

"I'm working undercover again with my FBI buddies! That family murder case that…" Howie stumbled over the words, not wanting to reveal that he and Sue had already talked about it, not realizing that the FBI agents in the room already knew. "…that's been happened." He ended lamely. He continued, "I heard you're not helping us with this one though. It's too bad, I know we could really use you." Jack sighed, as Sue looked at him curiously. This is exactly what he didn't want. Howie looked on, obliviously. Dimitrius decided to take over before the situation got worse and Sue found out more than she needed to know.

"Howie, why don't I take you to my office so we can start prepping you." Howie nodded happily, and said his goodbyes to his friends. Sue turned to look at Jack.

"What's going on? There's an undercover and you need me?" Bobby gave Jack a look, but he knew that there was no way he could just shrug this off. She wanted to know, and would find out whether they wanted her to or not.

"Howie is meeting a suspect in a coffee shop. He's just talking about the fact that it's going to be different, not using you to read lips."

"Then what are you going to do?" Sue asked, inquiringly.

"Tara and Bobby are going to be at a table nearby, and we have microphones around the restaurant, but we can't put a wire on Howie. It's too risky." Sue nodded.

"Jack. You're never going to pick up enough on a microphone in a restaurant." She said to him quietly. Everyone pretended to work, but watched their conversation.

"It will have to work. Somehow we survived before you came along." Jack was dreading the words he knew were coming.

"I want to help." Jack sighed. He noticed everyone was watching them.

"Come on, let's go talk in private." Sue nodded, and followed Jack to the boardroom.