PRECINCT

Elizabeth was sitting at her desk, filing paperwork for the case she was working on. This case could get her promoted. It was huge. There was a drug ring that she and Lee had been trying to nail for months. She felt as if they were getting close but because of that, it was getting more risky and it took up a lot of her time.

"Elizabeth!" Her head snapped up at Hunter's voice. She looked up at Jack and Hunter walking toward her.

"What are you doing here?" Hunter hugged her neck and smiled.

"We came to visit you!"

"What a surprise." She kissed Hunter's forehead. Jack noticed she hadn't smiled, even though she returned Hunter's affection. "I wish you had let me know you were coming," she told Jack.

"I texted you. You didn't answer so I thought we would come anyway. Is that ok?"

She picked up her phone that sat on her desk. Two texts popped up on the screen.

He handed her the bouquet of flowers he had in his hand. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Maybe we should go, Hunter. Elizabeth is busy." Jack tried to read her serious face.

"But I wanna ask her!"

"Ask me what?"

"Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Will you come to our house please? Grammie and Pop are coming."

Jack had asked her the week before and she had promised to let him know, however with the drug ring craziness, she had forgotten.

"Sure, sweetie. I'll be there."

"Yay! Told you she would come, Jack." Jack looked into her eyes.

"You didn't think I'd come?" she asked him.

"Honestly, I didn't know so I just told him that you must be busy since I hadn't heard from you." They hadn't seen each other in over a week. She had been working double shifts and their schedules hadn't meshed. "I'm sorry. We must be keeping you." He took Hunter's hand. "Say goodbye, bud."

Hunter hugged her waist. "See ya!"

As they walked out she felt bad. "Wait." She walked outside with them, her hand on her belt, looking every bit the police officer and less like his Beth. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" His expression showed so much emotion. Frustration, a bit of confusion, mixed with a tiny bit of anger.

She reached for his hand. "We need to talk. I'm sorry I've been so busy. This case I'm working on is a big one."

"What time do you get off tonight?"

"Eleven. I know it's late but I was hoping I could come over."

It took all he had not to pull her into his arms. He missed her with an amazing intensity. He didn't think she would welcome it, so close to her work place, so he forced himself not to.

"Thatcher!" Lee yelled running out toward them. "We need to move!" Lee rushed toward the police cruiser and hopped in.

"I'll call you later!" Elizabeth said as she ran over and hopped into Lee's cruiser.

Jack and Hunter watched them speed off, sirens blaring. "Jack? Where is she going?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know, bud." He sure hoped she would be careful, wherever she was going. Before they got to their own car, two more police cruisers had followed Lee and Elizabeth.

….

Late that evening, after Hunter was in bed, Jack cleaned the kitchen and started a fire in preparation for Elizabeth's visit. When it was almost eleven, he changed his shirt and sat on the couch to wait for her call.

At quarter past eleven, he hadn't heard anything. He walked into the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine and grabbed two wine glasses, setting them on the end table.

At half past eleven, he stood up and looked through the window toward her house to see if she had gone home first but there were no lights on. He got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. It felt remarkably similar to the evening Brenna had…

"No!" he muttered. "That's not what's happening," he told himself. The roads were not icy. They hadn't even had snow yet.

At midnight, he was pretty sure he was going to go crazy. She still hadn't returned home or called or texted. "Beth, where are you?"

He picked up his phone and called her cell. No answer. He sent a text. No response.

He texted Rosie. "U up?"

After a few moments, he received a response. "I am now."

He hit the call icon and waited for her to pick up. "Rosie, have heard from Lee tonight?"

"No, he had to work late so we are going to talk tomorrow." She paused for a moment. "What's wrong, Jack?"

"I don't know. Elizabeth was supposed to call and come over. She gets off at eleven." Jack tried really hard to not lose his cool.

"Maybe she just got off late and went home."

"No! I've been watching her house. She's not there."

"Did you call her?"

"Yes and texted and there's no response. Rosie this can't happen again."

"Jack, don't go down that road."

"She's not responding to my calls. She's over an hour late. I saw her and Lee and two other police cruisers taking off from the station. She said she's working on a big case which probably means dangerous."

"Jack, I'm coming over. See you in ten."

He was panicking and very grateful that Rosie was coming over. He kept an eye on Elizabeth's house and his own driveway, pacing until Rosie showed.

She walked in, set her purse down, and walked over to him. "Jack, it's ok."

"You don't know that. Why isn't she answering?" He stared at his phone, willing it to ring.

Rosie's phone started to ring in her purse. She pulled it out. "Lee?" Jack walked over to her, hoping to hear something. "Yes, I'm here with him now." She held on to his arm and continued talking. "Ok, I understand. See you soon. Thank you."

"What? Rosie? Is she ok? She has to be ok!" His tears dripped down his face. "Hunter needs her. She's a good mom to him." He sat on the arm of the couch fighting for composure and trying not to hyperventilate.

Rosie stood in front of him and grabbed his face with her hands. "Jack! Stop. She is ok. She is injured and at Mercy Hospital but it's just a precaution. Lee said she's going to be fine." She let go of his face and slipped her arms around his neck. He sighed and hugged her back.

"I need to go see her. Will you stay with Hunter?"

"I don't know if you should drive. I think we should all go. I'll stay with Hunter in the waiting room."

Twenty minutes later, a still sleeping Hunter slept in his booster seat while Rosie drove to the hospital. "I'm sorry about before, Rosie."

"Don't apologize. It was fine."

"I panicked and I assumed…"

"Its not the same as Brenna."

"You're right. Elizabeth's job is dangerous. Anything can happen at anytime."

"It can to any of us, Jack."

He stared out the window and watched the scenery fly past. "I love her, Rosie."

"I know."

"I'm going to marry her."

"I know that too."

"Soon. When I ask her, I'm going to ask if she'll marry me as soon as possible."

"I bet she will agree." After the tragedies the two of them had lived through, it made complete sense for them not to wait.

Jack opened the car door as soon as they stopped outside the emergency room doors, leaving Rosie to park and bring Hunter inside.

He walked to the desk and asked for Elizabeth.

"Jack," Lee said from behind him.

"Lee? Where is she? Are you ok?" He had a splint on his wrist but looked good otherwise.

"I'm fine. So is she." Lee led him through the doors to the hallway.

"What happened?"

"It's a long story. I'll let her fill you in." They walked into a room and he saw her.

"Beth?" She smiled and raised her hand for him to come closer. He walked over to her, immediately kissing her. "Oh, honey, I was so scared." He kissed her again and again, just needing to touch her. He pulled back, gently touching the bruise that was forming around her eye and on her cheek. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm good. I should be able to go soon."

"What does the doctor say?"

"I don't have a concussion."

"Why did they think you had one?"

"They were just ruling it out because I lost consciousness for a moment."

"You lost consciousness?"

"Just for a minute." She grabbed his fingers and kissed them. "I'm sorry I scared you." He shook his head and looked down.

"I'm just glad you're ok." She sat forward and hugged him, burying her head in his neck.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing her temple. "So much."

Lee poked his head in the door. "Jack, Hunter is asking to come in."

Jack looked at Elizabeth. She nodded. "He can come in."

Hunter walked in, hesitant. "Elizabeth?"

"Hi, sweetie," she said with her best smile. He stayed by the door. "You can come sit by me if you want." She held her hand out for him.

"You got hurt?"

"Yes, but I'm ok." He walked over and stood next to her bed. She touched his cheek.

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise." He looked up at her and then climbed up on the bed.

"Being a cop is dangerous," Hunter told her.

"Yes, it can be."

"You need to be careful, Elizabeth. Jack needs you."

She smiled and pulled Hunter closer. "I need him too." She looked at Jack, her gaze intense.

"I need you too, Elizabeth," Hunter informed her.

She nodded and rubbed his back. "I don't know what I would do without you, Hunter."

Elizabeth rubbed his back until he fell asleep. "Beth? What happened tonight?" Jack whispered.

"We finally were able to get the last person in the drug ring we've been following."

"Drug ring?"

"Yeah. Lee and I've been following this case for months. We got a tip from someone giving the name and location of the last suspect. I arrested her tonight, after she assaulted me."

"She?"

"Yeah." She kissed Hunter's forehead after hearing him sigh. "It was Jamie."

…..

Jack stood at the foot of Elizabeth's bed, practically shaking. Had he heard her right?

"Jack, are you alright?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"I… I need a minute. You have Hunter?"

"Sure, he's sound asleep."

"Good." He turned around and headed down the hall back towards the lobby.

Elizabeth sighed. She hadn't been sure how he would react to the news, but she didn't think he'd leave like that. A few tears trickled down her face knowing all he'd been put through tonight because of her job. There wasn't anything she could do. This was her life, it was who she was.

Lee and Rosie were sitting in the lobby talking about their Thanksgiving plans when Jack flew past them.

"Jack? Jack?" Rosie called out. "That's strange, where's he going? And without Hunter."

"I'm going to check Beth, you should go after him."

Rosie nodded and ran out the hospital doors. She looked around but saw nothing at first. Just as she was about to turn back in she saw a tall shadow of a man to the left. It was Jack. He was leaning against the brick wall with his head in his hands. Rosie ran to him.

"Jack what happened? Did you two have a fight? Where's Hunter?"

"It was her. Jamie. That's who did this." He didn't look at her, but the anger and distress in his tone told her of the pain she would have seen if he had.

"Jamie, as in Hunter's mother?"

Jack nodded. "She was a part of some drug ring they busted tonight. She attacked Elizabeth when she tried to arrest her."

"I thought she was supposed to be getting clean for her son! Oh Jack… wait, does this mean…"

"I don't know. This will probably be the last straw as far as her rights go."

"Well, that's good right?"

Jack looked over at Rosie, tears in his eyes. "How am I going to explain this to Hunter? I mean I had a feeling it would come to this, and I love him, I want him with me."

"But…."

"How do I tell that smart, amazing little boy that his mother is going back to jail? He's 5. He can't possibly understand all this."

"When the time comes, just take it one day at a time and ask Faith, she's got to know what to do here better than we could."

"You're right," he sighed leaning his head against the brick wall. "I can't believe this. What are the odds? Elizabeth, the woman I love, being attacked by the woman whose son I'm raising?"

"It is a bit strange. But she's okay right? Elizabeth?"

"She is."

"Good. Look, Jack I know that this is scary but try to remember the good. Elizabeth's safe. And as far as Jamie and Hunter, well at least he wasn't with her this time. He was safe too."

"You're right, I guess," he let out another sigh. "Okay, I'm gonna go back in and…"

"Be with your family?"

Jack smiled slightly, "Yeah."

"Hey, Jack, may I say one more thing?"

"Of course."

"Great. Promise me whatever fears arise after last night, that you'll fight them? You've been given a second chance at love here. I don't want to see you throw that away."

"I know, and I promise. Thanks for being there for me Rosie."

"What can I say? You're my brother, you're stuck with me!" They both laughed.

They walked back in, bumping right into Lee. He and Rosie decided to go back to the precinct to pick up Elizabeth's car, then Jack would drive Elizabeth and Hunter home once she was discharged.

Jack walked back to Elizabeth's room. So much was on their minds, especially Jack's, that the two said very little the rest of the night. He simply held her hand by her bedside while she held Hunter.

It was just after 3am when Jack pulled up his drive in Elizabeth's car.

Elizabeth walked around the car where Jack was standing carrying a sleeping Hunter. She kissed his head goodnight before softly kissing Jack's lips.

"I'll see you in the morning?"

"About that, I think you should stay here tonight. You can have my room and I'll take the futon or something."

"Jack, I'm fine. Really."

"Humor me please? Tonight was not my idea of a fun night. I want to know the woman I love is safe. Besides, this way if you need anything, I'll be right down the hall."

"I love you, Jack. And even though I don't think this is necessary, I love that you care about me so much."

"So you'll stay?"

"Yes, I'll stay. Can I go grab something to sleep in first?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go put this guy down."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Elizabeth fed Snowy and grabbed some clothes, tossing them in one of her Philly PD bags. Grabbing a few things from the bathroom she caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror.

"Oh my, that's not a pretty mark." She touched her face and winced in pain. She decided to change into her sleepwear before walking over.

Next door, Jack tucked Hunter back into his bed and went to his bedroom to get the room ready for Elizabeth. He changed the sheets and left an extra blanket in case she got cold.

He was downstairs grabbing a water bottle when she came in the house.

"Thank you for staying tonight."

"Of course. After the night we had, I kind of like being closer to you." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

"Bed's all ready for you. I grabbed some water and there's Tylenol on the bedside table."

"Thank you."

He followed her up the stairs and pulled back the covers for her.

"Are you tucking me in?" she teased.

"Yes, now hush and lay down." She did as he said and he pulled the covers up over her shoulders. "Goodnight, Beth."

"Goodnight, love." Maybe it was how tired she was, or the fact that Jacks scent was everywhere, but she felt right at home and fell right to sleep.