Standard Disclaimer Applies

AN: Thanks WhiteWolf. Thanks to all those who review you give me fodder for the next chapter.

Chapter 7

After the death of her son Sara became a regular at the playgrounds and baseball diamonds that scattered the Colorado Springs area. Watching for hours at an end as the lively young children screamed and played, still innocent, carefree and alive.

Her visits were punishment for her, punishment for not knowing what her son had been doing the day he died, for not watching him as he investigated his Father's gun. And as she watched the peewee teams at baseball she thought over and over, how could I have taken my eyes off him?

Burstein's car is speeding down the street and Xander is rolling on the ground from where he was thrown as he leapt out of the way of the speeding car.

"Xander, are you ok?" Sara yells as she races towards her son and Xander nods and accepts Sara's hand as she helps him to his feet.

"He got away." Xander states disappointed and Sara shakes her head.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is that we're both ok." Xander nods with a sigh and looks over Sara's shoulder.

"What the hell is going on?" Jack demands advancing on Xander and Sara stands in front of her son to prevent Jack getting to him.

"That guy tried to rob me, Xander came to my rescue!" She quickly comes up with an excuse but Jack is not looking at Sara, he is looking at Xander after a minute his gaze returns to his former wife.

"I'd come up with a better story then that." Jack quips and Sara stares at her Father for a moment.

"What are you doing here Jack?" Sara suddenly demands changing tactics and Jack fixes her with a piercing stare.

Behind her Xander jumps as he comes to realise that the man arguing with Sara is in fact his Father.

"Mike called me, said I needed to come over. He said it was about Charlie." Jack explains and Sara glares at Mick as he arrives on the footpath with the family.

"What did you tell him?" Sara demands of her Father and Jack interrupts.

"What's going on Sara?"

Sara can only glance between Xander, Mike and Jack unsure of what to do. Jack now angry opens his mouth to say something else but Sara beats him to it.

"He tried..." Sara starts to say again limply and this time Jack interrupts.

"Bullshit! Robbers don't drive BMWs and they certainly don't wearArmani. " Jack spits

" Well not the bad ones anyway." Xander mutters and Sara fixes her son with a stern gaze, Jack glares at Xander for a moment as the younger man fights back a smile.

"Who was he?" Jack asks gesturing over his shoulder to the now empty road.

"He didn't leave his name." Sara retorts in the same tone she used to find so irritating coming from Jack.

"You don't think I'll find out?" Jack asks and Sara sighs staring at the man she loved before answering.

"Doctor Burstein." Sara admits quietly and Jack literally stops for a moment.

"The coroner?" He asks quietly and for a moment Sara wants to demand how he knew that, when she had to look the fact up but Jack's memory was always better then hers.

"Sara!" Jack demands raising his voice, because Sara hasn't answered. "Why is the Colorado Spring's Coroner breaking into your house?"

Sara looks over her shoulder at Xander, the blood on his cheek is smeared across his face as he has wiped at the wound.

"We should clean that up." Sara states handing Xander a handkerchief she kept in her pocket.

"For Godsake! Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Jack shouts impatiently.

Mother and Son share another glance, each as unsure as the other about what to say.

"I took something from his office." Sara finally admits and Jack narrows his eyes.

"You stole something from Burstein's office?"

Sara nods and Jack shakes his head.

"What did you take?"

"Does it matter what she took?" Xander asks holding the cloth to his face and bravely staring Jack down.

"When I want your input I'll ask for it." Jack snaps and repeats. "What did you take?"

Sara bites her lip and looks down.

"It's about Charlie." She whispers and Jack closes his eyes briefly.

"Mike told me that much, now what about Charlie?"

Sara stares at the ground unable to find the words before finally continuing.

"He's not dead, Jack."

"Excuse me?" Jack demands astonished by the words that have just come from his wife's lips.

"I said, Charlie's not dead." Sara repeats firmer.

"I heard what you said Sara, I'm just trying to figure out the nicest way to say, Are you nuts!" Jack demands in disbelief unable to fully comprehend the words his wife were telling him.

"God, Jack don't do that!" Sara snaps and Jack raises an eyebrow as she elaborates, "act like you could care less. Your son is alive Jack. He's alive!"

"Alive?" Jack confirms in disbelief and Sara nods.

"Sara you know that that's not possible." Jack reasons,

"I don't know how Jack, all I know is that he's come back to us. After all these years our son has come home." Her hand reaches behind her and grazes Xander's arm.

Jack focuses on Xander.

"This is your doing?" He threatens and Xander shakes his head.

"What did you think, you could do, cheat her out of a bit of money?" Jack shouts and pushes past Sara to grab Xander by the front of the shirt. The cheap cloth of Xander's shirt rips as Jack pulls the young man towards him.

"She's been hurt enough, she doesn't need you stirring up the past!" Jack yells angrily.

"Whoa Jack!" Mike shouts as he races to stop Jack from hurting Xander, who had already proven himself quite capable of defending himself, has not even lifted his arms to ward off his father.

"Leave him alone!" Sara shouts as she tries to move herself between Jack and Xander. The foursome scuffle awkwardly on the lawn with Mike trying to grab Jack's arms and Sara trying to move between her son and ex-husband trying to push them apart.

"Let him go Jack." Mike commands.

Jack lets go of Xander when it becomes clear to him that Sara could get hurt and as soon as Xander has been freed she ushers him back to stand in front of him. Her smaller body not obscuring the two men's view of each other.

"Go away Jack!" Sara shouts as Xander stares blankly at Jack from over the top of Sara's head.

Jack is livid and it's all he can do not to grab the man conning Sara and pound him into the ground. Jack steps forward again and Mike grabs a hold of his arm.

"Jack," Mike is suddenly the voice of reason and Jack turns towards him as he continues, "Jack I know this all sounds insane, but it'll make sense once I show you the photo." Jack shakes his head and Mike points to the house.

"Come on Jack. Come and see."

End Chapter 7.

R&R like it? Hate it? The tense starting to grate on the nerves? Will I can't fix it if I don't know.