A.N.: Once again I'm very sorry for the delay, but my personal life has been catching up on me :-). I finally received my transfer note to my new work place and it's been a little hectic since then...

However – here are four more chapters for you. As I will be gone for another week of holidays now (once again I'm sorry) I hope it will shorten you the time to the next update. Enjoy.

Chapter 41:

When Jack had come to the office this morning, he hadn't been the first to be here. He had detected Samantha and Danny already being there, talking to each other. He had been surprised about that particular sight, but he actually was happy about it, it was a good sign, a sign of recovery.

He had thought about heading over and joining them, but had skipped that idea rather quickly. He knew Danny was uncomfortable around him and he had every right to. Going there, meeting up with them, he most definitely would cause this conversation to be over. He wasn't willing to risk that.

He had thought some more about it, having the one or other look at the two agents while he settled down in his office for the day. He asked himself what they were talking about, how Samantha had managed to reach him and if this really was a first sign of progress or if she had forced him. His questions were partly answered all of a sudden, as Danny burst into his office – catching him in surprise – completely infuriated and yelling at him.

„Why didn't you tell me!"

Now he knew what they had been talking about. He should have known better – Samantha had been uncomfortable with this in the first place... For now he wouldn't bother thinking about her reaction. He needed to find away to get the extreme tension out of this situation, getting some time to find a plausible answer and hopefully be able to calm Danny down a bit.

„About what?"

„You know perfectly well what about! Elizabeth!"

It was obviously not working this way.

„There hasn't been time to tell you."

He knew it was a pretty lame excuse, but it was better than telling Danny he hadn't believed he would be able to cope with this, that he believed the younger agent's mental state was to weakened to deal with a situation as emotional and stressing as the disappearance of someone he knew or at least had offered help to.

„She is missing for eight weeks straight now, Jack."

Sarcasm was dripping from the younger agent's voice as he reacted to the answer Jack had given him. At least Danny was no longer yelling at him, he had achieved some progress after all. But he knew he needed to give him a more honest answer, something else than an excuse and he knew he didn't wanna do that.

He didn't wanna confront Danny with his real motivation – which simply had been him thinking that the other man wasn't capable of dealing with it – not at all. He had expected a psychotic episode or even worse as soon as he was confronted with what had happened to him. And he had been – Elizabeth's disappearance was one big danger to him, for he would remember...

„I didn't want you to know."

He still hadn't answered the question and Danny was very well aware of that fact. Even in his fury and anger about Jack's decision, it didn't take him much of any effort to realize the senior agent was trying to buy time and have him calmed down and out of this office before he would be forced to tell him about his actual motivation. But Danny wouldn't let him get away like that.

„And why would that be!"

„Because I didn't think you were able to deal with it. Not after what has happened to you..."

For just a few seconds, Jack believed to see complete terror materialize in Danny's eyes. But the moment passed by as soon as it had come. He rather had been wrong or Danny had managed to get his emotions under control – he wasn't sure about that one. Danny's response however made him see, that his last believe had been the right one and why the younger agent had been forced to fight down his feelings.

„I don't remember anything, Jack. How am I supposed to not be able to deal with it?"

Right now he was able to understand Dr. Riber's frustration – she who had heard these words probably a few dozen times. He was confronted with them for the first time, but he came up with the same feelings as the psychologist. He had hoped this confrontation would be of some success at least. But he had been wrong – Danny was in no willing to admit he wasn't okay.

„I was just trying to protect you..."

He realized his mistake just seconds too late. This whole conversation, the whole situation that had led to it – had been about protection and it was the reason why Danny was barely ever looking at him...

He had realized the younger agent was blaming himself for what had happened to him as soon as he had returned. It had taken seconds to detect it. The way he avoided him, his discomfort, his whole behavior around him, told Jack that Danny was deeply afraid of what he was thinking, was thinking about who was to blame for what had happened.

He couldn't understand the other man's reaction, but - from a psychological point of view – he could explain it. Danny hadn't been able to protect himself from what had happened to him. Jack was absolutely sure Danny never had any chance to do so anyway, but he also knew it was the most common and – well – normal reaction a victim would come up with.

And now he had told Danny he had wished to protect him, had told him that there had been need to do so. He had just informed him, that he didn't believe he would be able to protect himself from his psychological reaction to Elizabeth's disappearance. The more decisive thing was that he had confirmed Danny's suspicion. The suspicion that Jack was blaming him, blaming him for his inability to protect himself...

„Okay..."

The sudden change in Danny's voice, which was but a whisper right now, the sarcasm completely disappeared and completely replaced by desperation and something else he believed to be guilt, left Jack completely unable to react for a few seconds. It was all the time Danny needed to move to the doors of Jack's office and get out of here – literally trying to escape.

„Danny..."

Jack tried to stop him and he actually managed to make him stop in his attempt for the door. He wanted to explain this to him, wanted to tell Danny he wasn't blaming him in any way. He wanted him to know he was simply caring for him, worrying about his state of mind. But he never got the chance.

„No... It's okay, Jack – it's okay."