Chapter 24:

"What's going on?" Bobby asked Jack, just outside the door to the bullpen. Both of them were watching Sue. She was focusing hard on her computer, avoiding looking at anyone else, overtaken by her own world.

The drive back to the bullpen had been silent. Once Sue and Jack had left the restaurant, everyone greeted them enthusiastically, happy with the progress they had made, shocked as well that Ben French had been so blatant in admitting to a stranger his vendetta against happy families.

Jack planned to just go back to the bullpen, and tell D what was going on, before taking Sue home and spending the evening with her. Something was definitely wrong, and Jack was not about to leave her alone, but the moment they had arrived, Sue had claimed she needed to check a few things on her computer, while Jack talked to Dimitrius. She had barely talked to anyone since the meeting in the restaurant, and the whole team had noticed her withdrawal.

"I don't know Bobby," Jack said, still watching her. Her silence irked him, and he knew that she was still shaky. Something about that meeting had gotten to her, and he was tired of waiting to find out. "I'm going to take her home now." Bobby nodded in agreement, and watched as Jack approached her desk.

Jack put his hand on her shoulder, and she quickly turned around. She closed the email she had been writing, before Jack had a chance to see it.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"We're going home, come on." She nodded and grabbed her things, following Jack out the door, Levi at her side.

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Sue insisted that she make dinner. As she was meddling around in the kitchen, Jack decided to go shower and change. His thoughts kept running over all the information that had happened the last 10 days, hoping that some sort of connection would happen. He knew that it had something to do with the case. Unless, had he been ignoring the obvious? Did Sue maybe know one of the victim families?

He finished getting dressed and was about to go help Sue with dinner, when he heard a very loud crash come from the kitchen. He rushed out to see the kitchen floor swimming in juice, pieces of glass all over the floor, and Sue pacing, her hands bloody and shaking.

She looked up as she noticed him rushing over to where she stood. She couldn't keep her hands still as she tried to explain,

"I dropped it...I…I didn't mean to, it just slipped. I have to clean up this mess! The floors going to be all sticky now…" She went to bend down and pick up some more glass, but Jack stopped her. He reached over and held her gently at the wrists, looking at the cuts on her hands. Her gaze was intent upon the blood she had formerly ignored, and she didn't even look up, as Jack made his way around the pool of juice and guided her towards the living room.

Once he got her to sit down, he put his hand on her arm, and she finally looked up.

"I'm going to get your first aid kit and bandage you up, then I'll clean up the kitchen alright?" She nodded, her eyes swimming in tears, her hands still shaking, willing the blood to go away. Jack hurried to the bathroom and grabbed some bandages and a wet cloth, before returning and carefully bandaging her up. It wasn't too bad, she had just cut herself on a few pieces of glass, and all the cuts were superficial, but Jack knew it was more than just the juice that was making her upset.

"Let me go wipe up the floor and pick up that glass quickly. I'm going to make you a cup of tea to help you calm down alright?" She nodded her head. Jack had never seen her lose it like this before, to see her so unnerved and out of control. He cleaned up the mess as best he could and started boiling the water. He took a peek into the living room, to see Sue sitting, still trembling and staring off into the distance, deep in thought.

It was then Jack make a decision. If she didn't tell him what was going on, that night, he was going to call her parents and Mike and demand answers. He brought her over the cup of tea, which he set on the coffee table. At this point tears were streaming down her face. When she finally looked at him, he said,

"Sue, tell me what's wrong."

"I'm sorry Jack. I dropped the thing of juice and it spilt everywhere and you had to clean up all the mess. I can't even do something simple like pour a drink." Her eyes clouded up with tears, her throat caught with emotion.

"It's okay, it's not a big deal about the juice. What I want to know is what is making you act like this. You've got to tell me Sue. I can't lose you – I won't. I can help you. I know you wanted to get through whatever this is on your own but you can't anymore. After three years, don't you know that you can trust me, that I would do anything for you?"

"I know Jack." She whispered back, sobbing. He pulled her close; his arms wrapped around her safely for a few minutes and just let her cry.

After some time had passed, Jack had wondered if maybe she had fallen asleep. She was nestled beside him, and had grown silent. He moved slightly to see if she would react, and she did. She reached over and grabbed her tea and took a sip, before wiping the wet tears off her face.

Jack knew that he didn't needs words then; that she was trying to formulate in her head what she wanted to say.

"If I tell you," she started in a hushed voice, "you can't tell anyone else for now. This stays between you and me, and I'm telling you this as my friend, not as an FBI agent." Jack took her hands in his, hoping to encourage her with whatever strength he had.

"Between us. For now. And I'll always be your friend, first and foremost. I'll do anything to help you Sue." She nodded with sad eyes, as Jack prepared himself for the information he had been praying to hear.

"I know Jack." She took a deep breath. "It all started at lunch time last Monday, after the weekend we had spent together…"