Later that evening, Jack asked Maria to drop him in to the FBI building in the city. He reported to the reception desk and asked for Barry Gibson, an agent he had worked with previously for a number of years. Gibson, like Malone, was ex-military. They had a lot in common and a lot of respect for each other. Jack had always looked up to Gibson, who was now edging towards retirement. It had been almost 6 years since they'd last seen each other.

Gibson strided through the lobby towards reception. He was a large man and managed to cover a lot of ground, with few steps. He threw his arms around Jack and slapped him on the back, greeting him with great affection.

"Jack Malone, it's great to see you. Let me look at you," he says, grabbing Jack by the shoulders and pushing him backwards.

"Hey, Barry. Good to see you too. You haven't changed a bit," he lied.

"Yea right," Gibson mocked. "Let's not mention the extra fifteen pounds or the white hair, right?"

"Okay, ditto," Jack laughs.

"So, what brings you to Chicago?" Gibson asks.

"I need your help. Hanna's missing," Jack says, getting straight to the point.

"Hanna, your Hanna?" Barry asks.

Jack nods, afraid to speak for fear his voice would crack from the emotion he was bottling up.

"Come with me," Gibson says, guiding Jack towards the elevator and up to his office.

Jack takes a seat and Gibson sits at his desk.

"OK! Tell me everything," he says.

Jack relays everything to Barry, from the divorce to the boyfriend, the disagreements at home, the moods, everything. They talk for a long while. Barry agrees to get a local team to check the bus and train stations to see if anyone remembered her. He asks Jack to speak to teachers, friends and neighbours. He agrees.

It was getting late. He thanked Gibson and decided to return to Maria's for the night. She had asked him to stay with them while he was in Chicago. It felt a bit weird being in the same house as his ex-wife and her lover, but he was glad to be able to kiss is baby girl goodnight for the first time in months. She had already gone to bed by the time he got back. Maria rushed to answer the door, hoping Jack had news. She knew by the sullen look and hunched shoulders that he didn't.

"There's some lasagne in the refrigerator if you're hungry," she offers.

I'm not really hungry, thanks," he replies. "Can you make me a list of Hanna's friends and teachers for the morning. I'll grab a few hours sleep and go and see them first thing."

"Sure. Goodnight," Maria says, as Jack slowly climbs the stairs.

"Goodnight," he mumbles without turning around.

He looks in at his sleeping daughter and kisses her softly on the forehead. At least she is sleeping safely tonight. His thoughts turn to Hanna and wonders where she is sleeping tonight.

For Jack, sleep doesn't come easy that night. Despite his exhaustion, it's difficult to fall asleep. Whenever he closes his eyes he sees her, his beautiful little girl. Where had the years gone? It only seemed like yesterday that the midwife handed him this tiny little bundle with a mop of dark brown hair. He remembered how awkward he felt when he held his child for the first time. He remembered how proud he was. He promised her in that moment, to keep her safe and look after her. He had failed. She needed him and he wasn't there. Now, each time he closed his eyes, as he neared sleep, he would see her face. But it wasn't her. He was remembering children, who in the course of his work, he hadn't been able to save. But in his dreams, they came to him, battered, broken, bearing his daughter's face. He would wake with a start and sit up sweating. This happened to him several times during the night. Where was she?

The next morning Jack was down in the kitchen early, before anyone else had risen. He made a pot of coffee and ate some cereal. Just after 7.15am, his cell phone rang.

"Malone," he answered wearily.

"Jack, it's Barry. We might have something. A girl matching Hanna's description, bought a ticket to New York at the Greyhound Terminal. The guy she was with bought it actually, but the cashier remembered her. We're pulling the CCTV footage as we speak."

"Great. I'll join you if that's OK?" Jack suggests.

"No problem. See you at the office in about an hour."

Jack writes a note for Maria and calls for a cab. It takes longer to get to the FBI building this morning. Rush hour traffic is just as bad as in New York. Gibson meets him at reception and shows him to the tech room. They watch the footage of Greyhound customers taken two nights ago. They have watched only 20 minutes of footage when Jack shouts,

"Stop. Wind that back."

The technician reacts immediately and rewinds the tape.

"There. That's her," Jacks says, pointing to a young girl in a denim jacket, standing behind a teenage boy. He doesn't know whether to feel glad that they finally have a lead or sick at the thought of his little girl taking off with a boy.

"Where did they buy the ticket to?" Jack asks.

"The cashier wasn't 100 percent sure but thinks it was New York," Gibson tells him.

"Let's hope so. I had better check my messages at home, in case she's been trying to reach me," Jack says, excusing himself from the room. He called his answering machine. To his disappointment, there was no message.

He thanks Barry for his help and tells him that he has to return to New York. He prayed that Hanna would contact him, but even if she didn't, at least he would be on home turf and would have the help of his team.

Jack briefly returns to Maria's house and updates her on the latest news. He explains that he has to return to New York and promises to find their daughter. He kisses Katie goodbye and hugs her and tells her not to worry, that he'll find her big sister.

--------------------------

Jack manages to get a seat on the afternoon flight to JFK. He decides to go straight to his apartment, hoping that when he gets there, he'll find Hanna sitting in the steps. Once again disappointment. He goes inside and checks his machine. Nothing. A quick change of shirt and he leaves the apartment and heads to the office. When he gets there, he makes his way straight to the bull pen.

"Hey, Jack!" Vivienne says, a little surprised to see him.

"Hey," he replies sullenly.

"Everything OK in Chicago?" Sam enquires, not really sure whether it is appropriate to ask him in front of everyone.

"Hanna's runaway," Jack blurts out, his stern demeanour beginning to falter. He cannot look any of them in the eye.

"Oh my God, Jack. I'm sorry," Sam replies, suppressing her first instinct to hug him.

Jack just shakes his head and takes a deep breath to compose himself.

"I'm going to need your help."

Each of the team pull up a chair as Jack begins to tell them what he's found out so far. His team vows to do their best to find her. Jack provides them with a list of former neighbours and her former school friends, people Hanna trusted and might contact. It was only while attempting to compile this that he realised how little he knew of his daughter's life outside the family setting. Guilt consumed him. It was no secret that he spent too much time working. This was what ultimately ended his marriage. He would forever feel guilty for not being there for his kids and for the disintegration of his family. Hanna had made it clear on so many occasions that she blamed him. How it pained him that she had come to New York and not even tried to contact him, the ultimate slap in the face. He had to find her. He had to make amends.

The team's investigation got into full swing. Martin and Vivienne spoke to Hanna's former teachers and schoolmates. None of them had heard from her. Jack and Elena called to former neighbours, where they used to live. None of them had seen or heard from her either.

Danny and Samantha stayed at the office. They were following up the one lead that they did have. They knew she had taken the bus, which should have arrived in to Penn Station at 11.30pm the previous night. They had security footage and were examining it, hoping to spot her. Danny was also running a background check on Kevin Dillon and his family. Jack and Elena returned to the office later that evening, hoping the others had netter luck than they had. He was disappointed when no one seemed to have any positive news. The security footage was a bust. Viv and Martin returned with nothing much. Just as Jack was beginning to lose hope, Samantha comes walking across the room, waving a sheet of paper.

"I might have something," she says hopefully.

"Kevin Dillon has an older brother, Chris Dillon. He has an address close to 33rd and 8th. And guess what? Christoper Patrick Dillon has a sheet, including robbery, and drugs convictions. In fact, he's just completed a 2 year stint in County. He was released on parole 6 weeks ago."

"Good work, Sam. You come with me. I think it's time we paid Mr. Dillon a visit," Jack says, putting back on his coat and walking toward the elevator.