Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I hope it is acceptable and all the characters are in character.

Jac hesitated, glancing around inconspicuously. "Not here." She muttered before retreating to the safety of the Staff Room, in an attempt to stop people from listening in. She continued, eyeing Sacha suspiciously as if trying to predict his reaction.

"They… they were my first foster parents." Jac purposely avoided looking anywhere near Sacha, knowing what she would find, but instead focused on the door handle, one that looked very enticing, as if willing her to reach for it – to escape. To run away. That was what Jac had done her whole life: from her dark past, from the fear of love, from the nightmares that infiltrated her dreams. She had just run. Like a coward. And look where that had got her.

"Wow." Sacha had finally awoken from his shocked slumber to merely utter a word that seemed so unhelpful to Jac. His eyebrow rose slightly as he took a deep breath, and he threw a couple of alarmed glances towards his friend, trying to catch her eye. "I didn't see that one coming." Jac was in a state of utter silence, pondering the thought in her mind. Neither did I. Wavering, Jac ran her fingers through her hair, which was dirty and matted. What had she done? She had told someone, she had actually told someone about her past, her secrets, and her nightmares.

"Looking a bit nauseous there partner!" Sacha commented, trying to spread some light on the situation as always, but his voice was edged with a secret unease for his colleague.

"Nauseous? That's a step up from peaky isn't it?" Jac replied, sarcasm being her shield now. Sacha forced a shaky smile and cleared his throat awkwardly, temporarily remembering what had happened last year. "Why do I suddenly feel that this is a Déjà vu moment?" Jac joked, thickening her ice-queen mask whilst heading for the door. Sacha inhaled, knowing that his next statement Jac would refuse to accept.

"I think you should be taken of the case." Jac stopped, hand hesitatingly hovering over the door handle. She closed her eyes, clearing the memories in her head. A teenage girl all alone. One question. Just one question. Running. So much running. Crying as she got caught and had to go back. Had to go back to hell. She gulped down some bile that was surfacing in her throat; she could feel the tears that were determined to fall behind her mask, so she intentionally averted turning to face Sacha when she spoke again, more quietly this time.

"No. I'm fine, John Bulk and his family is not a problem." Jac said, scarcely managing to stop her voice from faltering. She walked out of the room.

Joseph Byrne's eyes followed Jac as she left the Staff Room, his concern resurfacing at her dreadful appearance; he could see the wetness in her eyes and the tangles in her beautiful hair that was hanging limply down the arch of her back. He felt the need to protect her, to comfort her, but how could he do that when she had so forcefully told him to stay away? Her head drooped in an uncharacteristic defeat and she simply disregarded anyone's attempts to speak with her. That wasn't the Jac Naylor he knew. Determined, Joseph rose from his chair and entered the Staff Room he had seen Jac leave. He acknowledged Sacha's presence with one sweep glance around and headed for his old colleague.

"What's the matter with Jac?" Joseph asked, actually succeeding at coming across casual. Sacha had his back turned when his friend approached, so he jumped quite suddenly when Joseph appeared behind him. A single "What?" escaped his mouth as he nervously glanced behind Joseph, knowing that Jac would feed him to the dogs if her ex found out.

"She isn't herself today, she seems changed somehow. As if she's become vulnerable… do you know what's going on?" Joseph continued, his casual tone had diminished and his voice was now engraved with recognisable anxiety for the woman he had loved and hurt.

"Perhaps she has no one left to annihilate?" Joseph raised an eyebrow, expecting that Sacha was lying. Seeing his sceptical approach, Sacha made to broaden his lie further.

"You never know… she could suddenly turn into a purple dinosaur and bite everyone's head of. I wouldn't put it past her."

"Like Barney?" Joseph replied, his eyebrow rising higher.

"Pretty much, but without the nice songs in-between…."

"Right… now tell me the truth." Josephs eyes widened in surprise as his colleague recalled, with slight hesitation, what Jac had told him. Quickly, Joseph darted out of the room as soon as Sacha had finished, tearing down the corridors of the hospital, glancing around for the woman he sought after. Sacha was in a slight state of shock, but then composed himself, smiling at Joseph's over-the-top reaction to Jac's secret. So what if they were her Foster Parents? At least they didn't hurt her like her mother did. Sacha didn't know how wrong he was. Song lyrics came together in his mind, calming down the situation… at least, in his head.

I Love You; You Love Me, Lets Get Together And Help Jacky, Cos She's Got No One And Has Had A Very Large Shock, So Know There's No More Evil Doc.

Jac rubbed angrily at her eyes, eradicating her tears but smudging her mascara slightly in the process. What right does he have to take me of MY case? I am above him; I am a consultant for god's sake! If he dares tell anyone this, I will feed him to Hanssen! Jac exhaled and blinked for a couple of seconds, composing her self. She began rubbing her wrists in a continual circular motion, moving from hand to hand – the remnant of a few counselling sessions she had been to as a child. Joseph, unknown to Jac, had crept behind her, saying something she was to engrossed to hear. He cleared his throat apprehensively, hoping to break the empty silence but instead broke Jac's incessant daydream.

"Joseph! God, you shouldn't creep up on people like that!" She said, her voice wavering with shock.

"I know." Was all Joseph could say.

"Know what?" Jac replied - her faked mystified tone was laced with a layer of hidden anger. Joseph fixed his eyes to Jac's and looked deep within, finding the vulnerable little girl that was buried deep inside.

"About Bed three." He answered, the urge to protect the woman he loved increasing as he sensed the emotions swirling around in her head.

I see her. She's with a colleague. Colleague? Is that the right word? I can see the lust in her eyes and the love in his; perhaps they have been together, in the past. But, probably that slut of a woman messed it up somehow… Yes, I can see the hurt in his expression and the sorrow in hers. Ha! Trust little Jacqueline Naylor to ruin another persons life once again! They are arguing now, I can see how he wants to hold her, to protect her, but, like always, Jackie is refusing to be weak. The nurses are giving me funny looks, but all my attention is focused on her; the redness of her beautiful hair, the slenderness of her figure, and her sea-green eyes that seem like a thousand years old. They are still talking, she has calmed down know, reluctantly staying where she is. Why? I need her to be alone.

"Sacha had no right to tell you, and you had no right to ask!" Jac yelled, anger blinding her strong layer of common sense. Joseph was slightly hurt at her response, his mouth drooping at the edges to form a small frown.

"Ok, I'm sorry." He answered, relieved when she stopped speaking and looked away. "There is something else, isn't there?" He waited for a reaction, and when he found Jac's Ice-queen shield to tough to penetrate, continued gallantly. "What is it Jac?"
"Why do you care?" Jac retorted impulsively. Nobody ever cares.

"Perhaps it's instinctive to protect the people you care about." Jac's heart fluttered… had he really just said that? She stole a look at him, mentally laughing at the blush on his cheeks, and a second later he glance up as well – there eyes met, Joseph probing through hers, Jac not daring to with his, scared of what she might find. Joseph saw a flicker of something, an emotion, but before he could wonder what it was, it was gone, destroyed by her Ice mask. "You're scared of him aren't you? Why?" he queried, delving deeper into Jac's past in the hope of finding answers.

"I'm not." Jac replied with her steely determination, fearing Joseph would know better. He fixed her with a hard stare, examining her expression as if his eyes were an x-ray. Gradually, Jac faltered, exhaled and ran her fingers through her hair, issuing a feeble explanation whilst mastering all the strength she had left.
"He was an evil man. He just wanted to feel powerful, like Alan Clooney wanted to feel powerful."

She's stormed of. I wonder where she's heading. I'm following her, like a leopard stalking it's pray. I can almost taste victory. I think she's heading for a corridor… an empty one… perfect. She's stopped now, so I'm waiting around the corner, taking a glimpse at her small frame from time to time. Waiting for the right moment. She's leaning up against the wall, is that a tear I see? That's unusual. Beside her there's a door that belongs to a storage cupboard. It's inconspicuous and ideal – there's even a lock below the handle. I think this is it. I creep closer and closer…

Joseph tore through the hospital yet again, this time searching for a different woman. Pure fury swept through him like an uncontrollable wave, taking him under its murky depths and he didn't care– in fact, he relished it. His mind swam circles, pondering what Jac had just told him. Why would someone do that? It's sick. Evil even. He ran steadfastly past Sacha, his shocked face paling into significance. When he reached Bed three, he did not hesitate when he slashed open the curtain in vehemence, or when he saw the terrified face of Belinda stare up at him.

"DID YOU KNOW?" he roared, spit issuing from his molars. The woman flinched at Joseph's strong tone, but showed no other signs of wariness.

"Know what?" she said softly, glancing at her son who was now looking on with worry.

"What your husband did to Jac." The muscles in his neck pulsed with rage.

"Mum?" John turned to his mother, expecting an explanation, his voice etched with slight confusion.

"It gave Pete pleasure. He needed help, and that's what Jackie gave him."

"That does not justify what he did…! It's sick…!" Joseph's brain told him to calm down, but how could he when this dark woman was sitting right in front of him? "How many times?" He asked, not wanting to believe.

"What?"

"How many times?" Joseph repeated, his frustration and anger rising with each word that came out of the woman's mouth.

"I… I don't know… I didn't look after Pete 24:7…" Belinda replied with false innocence.

He had come out of nowhere, and forced the petrified woman up against the wall, wrenching her right arm behind her back with such force that she made to utter out a loud scream – only faltering when the man pressed his dirty hand, hard, over her mouth. She struggled, trying to fight back – to no avail. The devil had come. Pete cocked his head in interest and examined Jac thoughtfully in anticipation. She was trembling violently and he chuckled darkly, remembering how she had twenty two years ago as well. This is my prize He thought. Jac's eyes locked onto her attackers, pleading with him to free her, but Pete relished the utter terror in her pupils and thrust her head even harder against the bricks so that she crumpled to the floor. For a moment, Jac was transported back four years ago, when Alan Clooney had dragged her into the bushes. But that was the past. And this was happening now. Glancing around for any sign of an interruption, Pete grasped Jac's wrist, with his spare hand turning the handle on the door behind, and yanked her inside. Still conscious, Jac felt the waves of unimaginable horror surge through her, accompanied by ripples of anger. Outside, the door locked, and inside, it began.

Joseph opened his mouth to retort something at the lying woman, his rage getting the better of him now. But, as his eyes swept over the room for the first time since he had got there, he noticed the lack of people. Pete had disappeared. Fear. Such fear conquered him. Where was he? Where was the man that deserved to be behind bars? Joseph heart beat, a hummingbirds wings trapped in his ribcage. Shit! That man could do anything! "Ollie!" he yelled quickly. Oliver poked his head through the curtain, raising his eyebrow in an unspoken question. "Where's Jac?" Joseph asked, his tone concerned but hurried.

"I don't know… I haven't seen her in ages." The F2 replied, oblivious to the situation. Josephs eyes grew wide in terror. No! Anything could be happening! Josephs mind ran with endless theories and solutions. He had to find her. Was it too late?

Ok, I know... ANOTHER cliff hanger, but I do enjoy them! Thank you for reading and please review! :)