Chap 7:

Jackson shifted in the beat up seat trying to avoid the loose springs of the old lemon he was driving today. It was a hard adjustment to have to make, but it was essential that every day he had a different car and a different spot to keep an eye on Emma's apartment. If he wasn't' careful then someone would notice him sitting there, and he couldn't risk that. Not only would it terrify the shit out of Emma if she knew she was being watched, but with his old job still chasing him down, he had no choice but stay out of sight if he wanted to survive. Of course, Staying out of sight was key to his survival. Between the cops and his old employers, staying low-key was top priority, and yet he hadn't been able to run away completely.

Running away was the logical move. If he was searching for himself then he would set up an immediate surveillance for the scene of the crime. It was after the situation that he chose to quit his job, only his job was more of a…lifelong commitment. He was constantly looking over his shoulder. His logic screamed at him to just stop being stupid and return to the nearest safe house. Dom and Vin would fight for him no matter what, they were a loyal, highly respected bunch and part of him did feel like he was betraying them. Still, this new sense of loyalty and emotion was stirring in him. It wasn't something as stupid as love, but it wasn't hate. Lisa triggered something, and Emma found and exposed that emotional wound.

It was…both frustrating and confusing and that was the attraction to Emma. He hadn't felt anything sense he was a teenage boy, and yet she made him feel something strong and destructive. Guilt. Even when he killed those assholes who called themselves his parents had felt nothing, not a sense of revenge, or safety, nor justice and least of all guilt. Jackson shook his head trying to kill his mind. He hadn't thought about his parents since the moments after he killed them. It was just another way that Emma had caused him to look back onto his life and question what had happened through the years. All the murders, the robberies, the tortures. It was a sickening depression, but it was a curiosity, a questioning. What if everything he had done had been wrong?

That burning curiosity was why he had stayed. Emma had started something and he had to know why, and yet he couldn't gather up the courage to talk. The guilt that wanted him to talk to her was the same guilt that kept him away. For the past 3 years he had been conducting stakeouts and surveillance session. At first he only had to check on her, to make sure she was still alive and there. But lately, he hadn't been able to stay away, sitting in his car every day for hours watching her house intently. He had watched her leaving in the mornings, kissing Eric on the cheek before he left for work, then triple bolting herself inside her apartment.

Jackson let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair before rubbing his jaw absentmindedly. He had to clear his mind, and perhaps a nice shave and hot shower would help. Emma didn't seem to be home today, which was strange for her, but it did happen on occasion. Lately he had started to see college flyers in Emma's mail, and it seemed like she was starting to consider returning to school. It would be good for her, he thought, a chance for her to get back to normal again.

Jackson sat up in his seat and focused in on Emma's window. Eric was pacing nervously by the window and was talking into what seemed to be a phone. It was hard to get a good look from where he was. His position was intended to guard the outside of the apartment, and keep an eye out for any other surveillance teams, not spy on what was going on inside her apartment. Still, he could see the something was clearly not right with Eric. He was upset, and his body position was off for him. It seemed like he was arguing with someone one, but he was barley a silhouette against the pale curtains. Jackson could almost feel the wrongness in the air, and he returned to scanning the surroundings.

Nothing seemed out of place but he knew better. Anyone who was halfway decent was able to blend perfectly into their surroundings. Sometimes it was too perfect. That's what you had to look for. See humans were by nature individual, and unique. They were strange and different, and a trained eye could spot these differences. However, a trained agent would be determined to blend in, and blend in a little too well. They fit perfectly into the scene, with perfect manners, and perfect movements. Sort of like the businessman standing on the straight corner, a briefcase by his feet, Bluetooth in ear, and PDA in hand. No one would think twice about seeing him on such a busy street where numbers of people walked by in suits, ignoring the stereotypical business man void of any human eccentricities.

Jackson glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled. The Jackson they knew never had a single hair out of place, but now the mop on his head, and the stubble on his chin, created a moderate disguise that would at least reduce his ability to be recognized from a distant. Jackson smirked back at the mirror, as determination returned to his face. It would be good to have business again he thought, as he opened the door to the car, and blended in with the human traffic moving towards the not-so-obvious business man. If he couldn't beat the guilt out of his mind, maybe he could beat it out of the business man.

Author's Note: So, What do you think? Do you want to see me more in Jackson's POV? Let me know in the reviews.