Author's Note: Hey guys. Okay, so here's the deal. With the way things are going on the show and the lack of reviews for the story, I am feeling pretty unmotivated to post any new chapters after this one. Now, I don't normally do this (in fact I try not to do this as much as possible) but I could really use your support. If you are still reading this, please leave a review. It can be just a few words and you don't have to praise the story to the heavens...even though that'd be nice (just kidding LOL). But either way, I'd really like to know that the story is still worth posting. Thank you so much!

To my most loyal reviewer, Allie, you make my heart smile. Thank you for every single review; you have no idea what it's meant to me.

And with all that mushy stuff over with...please enjoy the next chapter!
~JP

True North
By Jaclyn Parker

"While all deception requires secrecy, all secrecy is not meant to deceive."
~Sissela Bok
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It had been another long day for poor Detective Jack Snyder and it had all started that morning as soon as he opened his eyes.

During the night the power must have momentarily turned off because when he had woken up the alarm clock had been blinking a steady 12:00 even as his watch said it was already quarter to nine. In the fifteen minutes that he had to get dressed and get ready to start his shift at the precinct, he found out that the water heater had also somehow malfunctioned and there was absolutely no hot water in the entire house.

Running into the station ten minutes late, he had found Margo tapping her foot at his desk with her arms crossed. The D.A's office had been on her back for the past couple weeks about needing certain backlogged files, which meant it had trickled down into the department. She had immediately confined him to his desk for the day, barring an all out emergency, to get to work on his own portion of the paperwork.

The only reprieve he had came when he had met up with Brad and Holden for lunch at Yo's. At least, it was supposed to be a reprieve. Yet, somehow, it had only ended up in another argument about the situation with Carly and how Jack was still "pining" for her. When he had finally left, claiming he had to get back to work, the lunch conversation had put him in a bad mood and had him back to practically growling at people for the rest of the day. He was just grateful that since J.J. was now in L.A. with Carly and Sage had gone away to camp last weekend, he wasn't going to subject them to his mood when he went home.

Seeing the proverbial light at the end of the paperwork tunnel, Jack was almost in a better mood by the end of the day. That is, until J.J. had called around four-thirty and explained that he had somehow "accidently" left his pile of summer reading books in his room. It wouldn't normally be such a big deal but they were for his upcoming advanced placement English class in the fall and he had to do a three page essay on each one and then submit it in email to the teacher over the course of the summer. The first one, of course, was due next week.

J.J. begged Jack to take them over to Lee's house so that the good doctor could bring them along when he made his weekend trip to out to Los Angeles. After a small lecture on the irresponsibility of leaving them in the first place, Jack had agreed to do as he was asked. He managed to talk Margo into letting him run home and grab them if he stayed an extra hour past his shift to finish his paper work.

That extra hour had somehow stretched into a little over two hours and he was now finally free of the chains of his desk. And yet, he still sat in his chair staring at the small pile of books on his desk like they were going to open up and bite him. Even though he and Carly were getting along better, he was still avoiding Lee at all costs. The jealously he felt every time he looked at the man threatened to overwhelm his rational sense and so he just preferred to steer clear of him instead of possibly being arrested by fellow officers on assault charges.

With a long sigh, Jack reached out and grabbed the books.

"Might as well get it over with." He muttered. Turning off his desk lamp he greeted the officers coming in for the night shift before making his exit and heading to his car.

Meanwhile over at Lee's house, he had just gotten home from working a double shift. Since Mattie had been away, he worked almost 18 hour to 20 hour shifts during the week. But he didn't really mind it since the shifts allowed him to be able to take most of the weekends off to fly out to L.A. to see everyone. Now that he and Molly were dating, he was happier then ever when early Friday evening rolled around and he found himself on that westbound plane.

"Two more days. Just two more days." Lee said to himself as he bypassed the entire downstairs to head up to the bedroom, tugging his tie off as he walked. He had grabbed a bite in the hospital cafeteria before heading home and now all he wanted to do was shower then crash into his bed to grab a few hours of sleep before starting his next shift at the hospital.

A shuffling noise caused Lee to stop in his tracks just outside his bedroom door and glance down the hall towards the sound. It seemed to have come from Mattie's bedroom and Lee slowly moved in that direction. Upon reaching the open door, Lee peered in and seeing a shadow move across the bedroom window, he went to turn on the light. But before he could flip the switch, he found himself being tackled and driven backwards towards the full sized bed along the right wall.

Despite the shock of the attack, Lee's instincts kicked in and he raised his arms to slam his elbows back down into his attacker's shoulder blades. From the strength of the attack and the tight hold on his body, Lee knew without a doubt it was a man. When Lee's elbows hit the muscled area around the upper spine, the attacker let go of Lee with a loud groan. But he quickly seemed to regroup himself and standing upright, he swung at Lee. Even in the dark, the man's aim was good and the fist landed square on Lee's jaw. He momentarily saw stars but focused again and sent a sucker punch towards the attacker's midsection. It connected with a surprisingly good amount of force and Lee heard the other man drop to the floor with a retching noise as the wind was knocked out of him.

Lee groped in the darkness of the room and finally catching the back of the man's shirt, grabbed the intruder and hauled him to his feet. Managing somehow to shuffle across the floor and slap the room light on, Lee's eye widened and then narrowed again in pure rage.

"You!" He growled and slammed the other man into the wall by the open door. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"You know exactly why I am here!" The man yelled back and struggled violently to break Lee's hold. "You are going to pay for what you did and I'm going to get back what is rightfully mine!"

"Like hell you are!" Lee said and went to go place the man in a strangle hold. However his opponent saw the opportunity he had been waiting for and with a swift movement had jabbed his elbow into Lee's ribcage.

Lee's grip weakened only slightly but it was enough for the other man to break free and send Lee backwards with a knee to his sternum. As Lee stood straight again, trying to catch his breath, he stopped at the sight of a gun muzzle staring back at him.

"I'm only going to ask you one time, Liam, so pay attention. Where…is…she?"

Lee felt panic rise in his throat and tried to find a way to get out of the situation before it was too late. The soft click of a bullet entering the chamber of a gun caused Lee to close his eyes in anticipation of the shot. He sent up a small prayer as the images of the people he loved most in the world flashed through his head.

But a second later Lee realized no shot had been fired and he was still alive. Cautiously opening his eyes, he blinked in surprise when he saw that the attacker was standing as still as he was with his own eyes widened in fear.

"I suggest you lower your gun before I lower it for you."

Jack's voice was soft but his tone was as deadly as the weapon he had aimed at the back of the intruder's head.

Lee glanced at Jack, whose eyes flickered towards him a moment before focusing completely on the other armed man.

"As an officer of the Oakdale police force I can assure you that I have the authority to use this gun if I feel it's in the line of duty and believe me, I will if you give me a reason. Like, you twitch the wrong way." Jack spoke again, slowly and firmly. "Now, put your weapon down."

The man hesitated but then slowly placed his gun on the floor. When Jack told him to kick it forward, the man did so but again with a hesitation. Jack nodded for Lee to relax and putting his own service weapon away, he quickly started handcuffing the man in front of him.

"Okay, pal, who the hell are you?" Jack asked, roughly turning the now handcuffed man around to face him.

"Ask him!" The guy said, indicating his head towards Lee.

At the familiar sound of another Australian accent Jack looked over at Lee for an explanation. But other than a tick at his temple, clenched teeth, and a glare on his face, Lee gave nothing away.

"Look, cop, I don't know who you are but you should be arresting him!" The struggling man said, again nodding in Lee's direction.

Jack frowned and shook his head in confusion. "And why would I do that?"

The man glared as harshly at Lee as he was back at him before spitting towards the ground at Lee's feet.

"Because that's the man who stole my daughter."