Title: The City Between Us
Chapter 17 – A Good Reason to Worry

"I just…can't believe this…" Erin groaned as she stood inside her now charred apartment with a tight feeling of distress in her stomach.

"Hey, we did all we could but there was a smell of gasoline when we first arrived," Matt told Kelly as they stood near the entrance to Erin's apartment.

"Think it was set on purpose?"

"Think I'm not the only one who thinks that," Matt nodded toward Jay and Antonio who now hovered in the hallway. "I'll see you later. We'll wrap up now. You need anything else just call."

"I will. Thanks," Kelly acknowledged as he slowly walked toward Jay and Antonio. "Was this deliberately set?" Kelly asked with an angry tone as Jay and Antonio traded anxious glances. "It was right?"

"You tell us. You're the expert on this, not us," Antonio quickly qualified.

"Matt said he smelt an accelerant and that tells me this was a rushed job done by an amateur. Do you know who did this? Was it Jake? Did he do this?" Kelly asked as his tone raised enough for Erin to finally join them.

"What? Jake did this?"

"We have no proof of who did it…yet," Jay qualified as Kelly's brows knit.

"Was it arson?" Erin demanded of Kelly whose lips pursed.

"I'll…look around a bit more."

She watched him pull away and then looked back at her partner Jay and fellow Intelligence member, Antonio Dawson. "What else aren't you telling us? I know you both well enough to know you are holding something back."

"Mouse pulled footage from around the area and we…we saw footage of Jake heading up the back stairwell with something that looked like a small gas container in his grasp. He went out the front door and his hands were empty."

"We also sent a uni over to Kelly's…well your new home now just in case. Figure maybe if he failed to burn the whole place here, he might try there," Jay added.

"Didn't think he'd take it this far," Erin mused in a somber tone as she turned and looked at Kelly with a small frown. "If Jake ever hurt Kelly…I'd kill him," she concluded in a soft whisper as Jay and Antonio traded worried glances.

"We're working on it. Tell Kelly if he finds any evidence of arson to tell us. In the meantime just gather up what you can and we'll do the rest," Jay told her as he offered her a brief, supportive hug.

Kelly looked up as Erin neared and then watched as Jay and Antonio took their leave. "Since I'm on official leave, I called dad to come work this so that nothing can be overlooked on a technicality. Did they say anything?"

"Nothing conclusive yet."

"Erin…"

"I know Jake seems like the likeliest suspect but…but it might not be him," she implored as he looked at her in concern. "Just please tell me you'll wait on the team."

"Erin…" he tried again.

"For me," she offered in haste as she quickly grasped his hand and held it tightly. "If he is that jealous then he might try something more….dangerous. I can always buy new stuff but I can't get a new you."

He looked at her as his hand held hers before he pulled her close and held her tightly against him a few moments before they heard Benny's voice in the hallway and broke apart.

"I'll see what I can salvage."

"Hey…" Benny greeted as he entered and then gave Erin a hug. "You okay?"

"I will be when this is solved," she told him stonily.

"Okay…let's see what we got here," Benny said as he pulled away to investigate.

Erin entered her somewhat charred bedroom and felt her eyes water and breathing start to shallow a little. But before she could despair she heard a familiar voice behind her and turned to see Gabby, Sylvie and Kim in the doorway.

"Heard you could use some help."

"A few extra hands."

"Thanks," Erin replied gratefully as she hugged them each in turn.

"We stopped for boxes," Kim told her with a kind smile.

"That is…great. So let's just salvage…oh God what if this is my fault," she whispered in horror as she felt Gabby's hands on her shoulders. "What if something happens to Kelly and…and it's my fault."

"Antonio will never let that happen. He'll find who did this and stop them before anything more can happen. Come on…let's pack up what we can in here. Matt is helping Kelly and Benny," Gabby reassured her.

Gabby's words gave her some comfort but inside she was worried; not for the few material things that she needed to replace but for her dear husband who now was the unwitting target for a jealous ex? It has to be Jake…who else could it be? There is no current case that vowed revenge in any way…Jake…

XXXXXXXX

"Hey…" Kelly stated as he neared Erin after he had closed the door to her nearly empty apartment; the most of her stuff that could be salvaged now in their new apartment. "How are you holding up?"

"Tried…and frustrated," she admitted with a heavy sigh as his hands rested on her shoulders and started to gently kneed. "That…feels amazing," Erin sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned into her husband's touch.

"We proved it was arson…you team will find the person responsible," Kelly tried to assure her as her hand reached up and rested on his. But as soon as she did, he could feel her touch was cool and her hand slightly trembled. "Hey…what's going on? If it's Jake they'll get him."

He slumped down beside her on the other chair as her head rested on his shoulder. "I'm worried about him. He seems quiet…like he'd just take it and walk away. But I know him…he has a dark side underneath."

"I'll never let him get near you again."

"No…" she quickly interjected as she looked up in concern. "I'm worried about him coming after you."

"They'll get him before he can try. You said you worked with the best right?" Kelly retorted with a small smile. But it was the slightly shaky tone in his voice that told her he was worried; despite his best attempt at trying to hide it. "Come on…let's go home."

Home…the way Kelly said the word with the strength in his husky tone made her almost believe that it was the safe haven that she wanted it to be. But at the same time she worried that Jake would get past her team and deal them some lasting harm. I just got my life in order and am finally with the man I want to spend the rest of my life with…I'll be damned if I lose it now!

Kelly helped her stand up and together the two of them slowly left the charred apartment; the rest of the items that were fire damaged had been discarded and now it was time for them to go home and relax and let the team work do what they do best.

Hank won't rest until Jake…or whoever is caught…I just hope…they hurry…

XXXXXXXX

"Okay what do we have?" Hank asked at the same time that same early evening in Precinct 21.

"Jake left town…or he made it look like he did. His apartment was empty," Jay told them.

"And it looks like he did whatever amount of packing with a shovel," Antonio retorted dryly.

"We know this guy from when he was with Erin. He doesn't just tuck tail and run that easily. He'll dig his heels in but we know he's got friends in low places by one of the leads he gave us on the Maroni case. Erin thinks he'll go after Kelly to get back at her. We need to stop that before it happens," Hank directed with a heavy frown. "We need to look under every rock and we need to get busy before he ups the stakes."

"Yes sir."

XXXXXXXX

"You've been quiet the whole ride home," Erin mentioned as they entered their new shared home and she looked at her husband with a small frown.

"After seeing so much of your stuff destroyed I feel bad coming back here."

"Why? You have better furniture," she replied with a small smile.

But as much as he wanted to believe what she said he could hear the disappointment in her tone and had no other words to try to take the pain away completely.

"Yeah but it's not how you wanted to get rid of it."

"Yeah," she admitted with a glum tone as he pulled her close.

"Put away what you want and then we'll get dinner. We can get to the cold cases tomorrow," he reminded her as she offered him a light laugh. "Erin…"

"No I get you are trying to help keep me distracted but I know Jake did this and I know he's not done yet. That's his MO. He never leaves a job unfinished. He proved that a few times when we were together."

"And the team knows that?"

"They do. But just because there is an unmarked car downstairs doesn't make me feel better. He's…Jake is unassuming. He's not the guy about to walk through the front door or even scale the wall and come up the fire escape. He'll find a way to do what he needs done without anyone suspecting a thing until it's too late."

"But you know it's him and the team is on his trail."

"It's a guess. It's just too soon after our breakup and you and him had the stare down for me not to suspect him."

"I'm not afraid of this guy."

"I know…but I am," she admitted as she looked up with a distressed gaze. "For you."

"Come on…let's get something to eat."

Erin put away a few more things before she joined Kelly in the kitchen and the two of them started to make dinner, talking about Kelly's case with his father and who else might be responsible for the fire. But only one name kept coming up – Jake and they soon tired of talking to him so instead turned their discussion to when and where they wanted to go for a real honeymoon.

After dinner the two of them headed into the living room and settled onto the sofa, both putting their aching legs up to rest, Erin's head resting on her husband's chest. The steady rhythm of his heart started to lull her into a false sense of security but every so often, she'd get a whiff of musty smoke she was reminded of the fact that they were in danger and the person who she believe targeted them was playing for keeps.

And she was right.

Across the street in another building, on the same floor level as theirs, Jake sat in a dark, empty apartment and looked at them through a pair of binoculars. "Til death do us part…"

A/N: oh dear…seems like Erin's instincts are right! But will the PD team stop him before he can strike again? Hope you're all liking this story and please do review before you go and thanks so much!