Hey Guys!!! Update. No Hello and Not Goodbye yet sorry. It's a bit tricky. So I wrote this tonight. Now I'm going to sleep. Bye. R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bill, Karen, Jack, Chloe or Morris. But the rest came out of my tired and at the moment ill head. :)
Bill looked at his watch. It was now 6:56 and Jack would show up any minute. Bill had promised Karen he'd be home before eight. He was anxious to see Jack, in a good and bad way. He knew it wasn't Jack's fault, but it seemed everytime someone got involved with Jack's life, it ended badly for that someone. Still, Jack was his friend, and he knew that if he needed to speak with him, he had a good reason. The bell on the door rang. Bill glanced up for a moment. It wasn't him. Now it was 6:58. Bill took a drank of the coffee he had already ordered. The Bell rang once more, Bill set his cup down and swallowed the coffee in his mouth quickly. It was Jack. He scanned the cafe and found Bill quickly. He sat down. Jack said nothing as an employee came over.
"Sir, is there anything I can get you?"
"Just a black coffee please," he said, giving her a smile.
The woman walked away, returning quickly with a cup, she set it on the table and Jack nodded a thank you when she left.
"So?" Bill said as Jack began drinking his coffee.
"I'm going to explain all of this as quickly as possible because I know you'd rather be at home right now. Bill, I need your help," Jack started.
"I'm listening," Bill replied with his complete attention on Jack.
"I'm leaving the US," he said.
"All right," Bill said, knowing Jack wasn't finished.
"DOJ is going to come after me for certain things in the past, things that I'm sure you know don't need mentioning. The truth is, I need to disappear. I need somebody's help to do so."
"My help?"
"Yes. I need someone I trust who has some sort of experience in this," Jack told him. Bill didn't look convinced. Jack had predicted Bill wou;d ask his next question.
"Wouldn't someone like Chloe or Morris be more helpful?" Bill pointed out.
"Maybe, but they're too obvious. The moment DOJ realizes they can't find me they'll probably talk to Chloe first," Jack responded.
"True."
Jack paused for a moment to take a big gulp of coffee. It stung a little as it went down his throat. He observed Bill. He looked so different. In place of his usual suit was a zip up jacket and a pair of dark khakis. His demeanor was different too. He seemed calmer.
"Jack, the thing is..." Bill didn't want to let Jack down.
"You're worried," Jack stated. "I understand."
"And I can't really keep this from Karen," he said.
"You can tell Karen. I was just paranoid about this visit. I don't really go to public places much," Jack informed him.
"Well what do you need done?" Bill asked, relaxing a bit.
Jack pulled a flash drive out of his bag and slide it across the table to Bill.
Bill squinted slightly.
"Just take a look, you'll know what to do," Jack said.
"I'll need to talk to Karen first," Bill said. He didn't want her thinking he'd lied to her.
"Of course," Jack said. He pulled a phone out of his bag and handed it to Bill. "Just dial one."
"I'll call you tonight then?" he confirmed.
"Okay," Jack said. "So how's retired life?"
"Good. My niece is living with us though."
"Why did something happen?"
"She got herself into trouble, I volunteered to take her on," Bill said.
"Interesting."
"Very." Bill finished off his coffee. "So are you all right Jack?"
"As all right as I can be," Jack replied.
"Okay."
They sat in silence for a while. Bill looked at his watch, as did Jack.
"Well I have to go," Bill told him.
"Me too," Jack said.
They both stood up and Bill shook Jack's hand while patting him on the back.
"I'll talk to you soon," he said.
"Okay."
They parted their ways there. Jack left first and drove away before Bill left. Bill then proceeded to pick up something for him, Karen and Malia to eat. He picked up some fish and Chips at a restraunt near the cafe.
Karen saw Bill pull in. "Malia!" she called. Malia came down. Bill walked in the door and set the food on the table.
"Hey, how was your friend?" Karen asked him.
"Fine. Can I talk to you for a second?" Bill asked. He wanted to tell Karen the truth as soon as possible.
"Sure," she said, caught off guard a bit.
Malia watched suspiciously while her uncle acted odd and lead her aunt into the livingroom.
"What is it? Is everything okay?"
"I was meeting Jack tonight," Bill said.
Karen was confused.
"He sent me an email yesterday, telling me to meet him at the Boatmens Cafe at 7 and not to tell anyone, not even you."
Karen gulped. She didn't know how to react. So she just nodded.
"He needs help leaving the US and 'disappear'," he told her.
"Was this the first time you've talked to him?"
"Yes, I promise," Bill replied.
"Okay," Karen said. "Why didn't he ask Chloe for help?"
"She's too predictable. The truth is, DOJ is poking around in Jack's past and they'd make the connection."
Karen nodded.
"So?"
"Are you wanting to know whether I'm mad or not?" she asked.
"Yes, and whether you're okay with me helping or not," Bill answered.
"As long as you're careful Bill," she said.
"I promise to be," he assured her, giving her a kiss.
"All right, let's eat dinner then," Karen said, and she followed Bill into the kitchen. She couldn't help but be worried. She shook it off. Malia observed her aunt, she looked more worried than she'd ever seen her. Malia began to worry too, though she didn't know what her own reason was.
Hope you liked it.