Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. I know this was a really fast update, but I had to get this part out of my head. I'll get into more details in the next chapter, but it may be a while because I'm working 12 hrs a day for the next week. I'll try to get more up ASAP.

Jess' POV

Jess hugged her bag tighter to her side, knowing the phone was going to go off again at any minute and walked quickly down the hall, away from Becker before she could change her mind and go running back to throw herself into his arms, confessing everything. The ringing that she'd learned to hate was deafening in the silent hall. Oh God, she thought cringing, I thought this was over.

Jess looked over her shoulder and saw Becker standing by the gym door watching her leave, a familiar frown creasing his forehead. She managed to flash a brilliant smile and a wave, but kept walking. Her plans for the night had been to finish up some paperwork and head home, hopefully missing most of the now incessant calls and texts. But then she'd heard the pounding of the punching bag and her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Jess had felt her heart ache when she'd seen Becker pounding away at the bag, apparently oblivious to the blood being beaten into the aged leather. It wasn't in her heart to leave when he looked so lost. It was a side of Becker that she'd never seen before and she doubted anyone else had either. He wanted to protect the world and normally she'd want that protection in a heartbeat, but right then she felt like she need to protect him. There were a few moments when she'd been bandaging his hands, and feeling his gaze on her, that she'd wanted to tell him about her problem, but she didn't want her personal life to interfere with her work life. The ARC was the only place she had left where she could pretend there was nothing wrong outside in the normal world. So she stayed silent. She'd lose her safe haven soon enough when the others found out what was going on. It would happen sooner rather than later now that Abby and Connor had become her flat mates. She could only stay optimistic and bubbly for so much longer before the veneer of her mask began to crack.

A familiar ringtone broke the silence in the empty parking garage, making her jump. She reached into her bag, digging through a few papers, her wallet and a chocolate bar to find the damn thing, only to begin shaking as she recognized the number on the screen.

"Stop calling me!" She screamed into the phone as soon as she hit the talk button. She tossed the phone back in her bag like it might bite her and pushed the unlock button on her car alarm. Jess jumped into the driver's seat and began to shake. The tears she was fighting were already spilling onto her cheeks. Her forehead settled on the steering wheel as the stress of the last few months poured out of her body through her tears. She didn't understand why this was happening. She'd already changed her personal phone number twice, but nothing seemed to work. Sobs subsided into silence as Jess brought herself back under control and put the car into gear and looked over her shoulder and pulled out of the parking space, desperate to get home. She would be safe at home.

The drive home became tense as her phone went off yet again. The ringing disappeared as the call went to her inbox and Jess found herself dreading the sharp ping that would alert her to a new voicemail. Jess jumped when it actually came, nearly veering into the next lane. Jess straightened the car and focused on getting back to her flat, which was just a block away. Her small blue sedan pulled into the well-lit parking garage and parked in the closest spot she could find to the lifts, then she was at her front door in seconds her keys already in her hands. A sigh of relief pass her lips as the door lock clicked shut. She dropped her bag on the kitchen counter, doing her best to be quiet since Connor and Abby were most likely sleeping in the other room. Jess glanced at the large computer sitting in the main room debating whether she should check her mail or leave it for the morning. The large clock in the kitchen read 12:00, making up her mind for her. The fluffy queen sized bed was calling her name. As she passed the doorway into her room she didn't hear the alert from the computer telling her she had a new message.

Jess woke the next morning to a quiet argument coming from the main area of the flat. She frowned hoping that Connor hadn't done something silly again and gotten Abby mad at him. After using the bathroom and showering Jess decided she couldn't put off interrupting the argument any longer, because she could really use a cup of tea at the moment. She tried to sneak out of her room as quietly as possible, but was caught rather quickly.

"Hey Jess, come here for a minute." Connor called from his seat at the computer, Abby stood next to him her arms crossed in front of her chest. Jess dragged her feet as she walked away from the kettle that would make her longed for cup of tea.

"I know," she said, "I'd make a horrible thief or spy. I've never been a very quiet walker." Jess' smile faltered when neither of her flat mates smiled.

"Look at this," Connor said seriously pointing at the computer monitor. Jess took everything seriously when Connor lost his sense of humor and looked at what he pointed at.

IM from Together Forever:

We belong together. Don't try and stop what's meant to be.

Jess stared at the words on the screen and felt the walls she'd built around the ARC beginning to fall away. Abby reached out and put her arms around Jess' shoulders, while Conner looked at her with his eyes full of honest concern.

"Jess," Abby said, "What's going on."