A/N: Here I am, with another chapter! I have to admit that we are slowly moving towards the end of this story, but there are quite a few chapters to come, who knows maybe a little more than in my plans right now. As to their choice, I know that's very risky and I have a plan, but that's all I'm going to say. Right now, however, I hope you're going to enjoy this chapter! :)
Jack stopped the car at the small parking in front of the main gate to the graveyard, and he and Sue got out of it. It was the day of Steve's funeral, and Hudson couldn't imagine that he wouldn't be there. He spent the last three years of his life practically constantly in the man's company, he owed so much to him and appearing there was an absolute necessity for him. Sue decided to accompany him, firstly to give him support as she could see that it was going to be difficult for Jack, but also because she felt she owed it to the man. She remembered Jack mentioning earlier that he saved his life back during the first six months of his absence, but she was pretty sure it wasn't the only time. She was certain that it was Steve, who made Jack leave the warehouse before it exploded; she knew her husband too well not to know, that he would have stayed there till the end, trying to help his friend. But he was there, with her, and for this she was forever going to be grateful.
They noticed a small group of people, standing together in a short distance from them and started walking towards them. They both immediately recognised Tom, standing – much to their surprise – in the company of Nancy, supporting herself on crutches. It seemed she wasn't furious anymore, perhaps they just had an honest talk or she simply tried to show appreciation that he didn't just leave her there, but it seemed that things were okay between them. Not far from there, alone, stood a tall, grayish man, and as Sue later got to know, it was Davison, Jack's supervisor. In the end their eyes landed on the woman in her late twenties and thanks to the resemblance, Hudson realised it had to be Steve's daughter. He guessed that the man, holding her was her husband and the boy and the girl, standing with them had to be their children.
The ceremony soon started and Jack was actually surprised, that they were the only ones to come. He wondered if it was up to the fact, that Steve just didn't have much people, who he would be close with and who could appear there, or they simply didn't arrive but the way it turned out, didn't really surprise him. As they later got to know, it was Steve, who decided not to keep in touch with those, who he cared about. He came from Illinois, but when he accepted the offer of transfer to FBI in DC, and knew that his work would mean undercover assignments like this, he decided to cut all his connection to his life there. He didn't really have much of a choice then, and as much as it pained him, he had to say goodbye to his daughter and leave. Jack understood pretty well how difficult it had to be for him, and when they approached the woman to say their condolences, he didn't forget to mention that her father missed her horribly and thought about her all the time. He might have never said a word about her, but now Jack was sure, that whenever he caught Steve with an absent gaze, lost in thoughts, his mind was with his daughter.
"I always hoped that one day, he'll come back... That he'll get the chance to meet my children, he always kept telling me that his biggest dream is to be able to spoil my child or children one day... He never even got the chance to see them..." her voice broke, and her husband placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, stroking her back as she sobbed.
"He watches all of you from heaven right now, and I'm sure he's beaming with pride." added Sue, caught Jack's hand and they walked to the side, making space for Tom, who stood behind them, and later approached her along with Nancy.
"How do your daughter feel? And do you know anything about this Darcy..?" asked the woman immediately, and Sue shrugged.
"Emily is okay... Well, she is a little clingy, and needs someone to be with her all the time, even to sleep, but she's generally fine. As to Darcy, she's still in the hospital but she's going to be okay. What about you?"
"As you can see, other than the fact that I'm going to have my leg in a cast for six weeks I'm fine. Unless you count the fact that I'm stuck with him for this period of time, since he's the only person around here I know..." she gestured towards Tom, who only sighed in response. It seemed that things between the two weren't as good as it could seem at first glance.
"Jack, can we talk for a second?" they were approach by Davison, and Jack excused himself and walked away a little with the older man. "I know I gave you time until Monday, but the truth is that I'm being pressed for some answers..."
"We agreed that we'll go to Wisconsin." stated Hudson and noticed the eyebrows of his supervisor move up.
"We? Your wife wants to go there, too?" Sparky nodded, while the man shook his head. "I see you two are really worth each other..."
"Excuse me..?" Jack didn't really know how to understand his reaction, what it was supposed to imply but pretty quickly noticed that the man wasn't pleased with their choice.
"The only reason why me and the higher ups agreed to this ridiculous idea was that we were all certain that your wife is going to dissuade it. I'm not saying that you wouldn't be allow to follow the option you chose, but you do realise how risky that is? You can never be sure how other people will act, no matter how well you know them. I'm not saying that your family will betray you, but there will be a huge group of neighbours, who could even accidentally say too much to wrong people!"
"You talk as if we haven't thought it through, Sir! We did, and we are aware what kind of risk we choose."
"I thought you would be more reasonably, if only for your daughter's sake... But that's your choice, and as much as I don't wish for my words to come true, don't say I didn't warn you if something actually happens."
"You said that we would be allowed to call the FBI for help, in case we would be in danger..."
"Of course, I never said that I take it back. Well, it's your choice and I have no other choice but to accept it, and perhaps remember for a future not to think about something as about an absolutely certain thing..."
He told him few other things, asked him to come to his office on Monday anyway and soon left, and Jack returned to Sue, talking to Tom and Nancy. They soon decided that it was time for them as well, and the Hudsons' had to agree that it could apply to them, too. They should head back to Lucy and take their daughter home, but they agreed to go for a walk first. It wasn't a beautiful day, in contrary to what they were getting lately; it was cloudy and the air was cool, but it didn't really matter for them. She knew that it might help Jack calm his emotions at least a little, while he really needed that. Attending a funeral was never an easy experience; no matter what, it always meant that there was a friend or a member of the family, who you're never going to see again. Sue practically didn't know the man at all, but for Jack it was another thing. It was a very strange kind of bond, but after so much time spent together there was no way for one not to form, and Hudson actually considered him a friend, even though it wasn't the most usual friendship, the fact that he owed so much to him put aside.
"I was thinking... Perhaps you'd like for us to visit your parents on our way to Wisconsin..?" he asked, when they started heading back to the car, and she was a little surprised by his question.
"Wait a moment... The only possibility for us to stop in Ohio on our way is to drive to Wisconsin, and you must be crazy to suggest it! Do you realise how long it would take? Remember, that we will have our two years old daughter with us!"
"I know very well how long it takes to drive between the two places, and I am aware that it is going to be a difficult ride and if it was up to me, I'd say that plane is better but we don't really have a choice, Sue. That's one of those things that the FBI is adamant about, we should go by car because it would leave no actual evidence where we went, and I have to admit that they have a point. Nobody would be able to know where we went unless they followed us, and we are going to be escorted to the border of West Virginia and Ohio."
"I just don't see it, but if we really have no choice..." she shook her head, unable to imagine travelling such a distance with Emily in the back seat, who, what she knew from experience, would want or need a stop very often. "Anyway, I guess we could stop at my hometown in Ohio... I'm not sure if my parents' house is the best idea, though..."
"Oh? Something wrong between you and your mom?" he guessed it was a bit stupid question, as he could see absolutely no other reason why she would say this. She had a very great contact with her father, while there always seemed to appear something to make her quarrel with her mother, when they were seeing each other. He didn't, however, expect to hear what he did, when she named the actual reason for their latest fight. "I'm not sure I understand. You mean, I am the reason why you had an argument with her?"
"Yes... She wasn't very pleased to learn that we got married... I guess, she was more pissed about the way we did it than the fact that we did, but still... She got over it, but the conviction that you left because you didn't care enough for me to do everything to stay stuck in her head and when I found out that I was pregnant with Emily it got even worse..."
"I have to agree with her that I should have done everything to stay with you... I shouldn't have allowed you to convince me to go but I thought that perhaps you are right and this way, I could kill two birds with one stone – be with you and keep my job... If I could turn the time back, I would have never done what I had..."
"If I had known that it was going to turn out this way, I would have never suggested it..." she sighed, and felt him squeeze his hand.
"Well, there is nothing we can do now and we should be grateful we're together now and have another chance to make it the way it should be."
"Yeah... Still, I'm not convinced that going to my parents is the best idea... My mom isn't pleased that I am back with you, but I guess the best way to change her mind might be showing her that she's wrong about you... And we probably should do it for Emily... Who knows how long we won't be able to travel anywhere, and I guess they should have a chance to spend some time with her... And there is always Bill living close, I'm sure he'd understand if we suddenly appeared on his doorstep knowing, that we were at my parents'..."
"It's settled then. I'm sure it will be fine."
Sue wasn't convinced, but didn't say a word. She had a bad feeling about it and could only hope he was right.