Whew! Sorry it's taken me sooo long to get this chapter up! I knew many things of what I wanted in here but filling in the gaps and deciding where to put them to flow smoothly was difficult and tedious. Anyway, I hope the length makes up for your long wait! This will make references to STFBEYE episodes The Newlywed Game and The Hunter, and DM episodes Resurrection and Till Death Do Us Part.
Lucy began to stir and stretched her groggy muscles. She felt very refreshed and after yawning hard, she sat up and slowly opened her eyes. Rubbing her neck, she looked over at the empty hospital bed. Sue was gone, and so was Levi! Lucy was normally a very cool, collected woman but with what she'd been put through the passed few days, she was still in survival mode when she noticed Sue absent without informing her of her whereabouts. The guilt and fear of not knowing where Sue was and feeling helpless in trying to protect her was still there and it hit Lucy like a bomb every time Sue was absent and Lucy didn't know where. She jumped to her feet and rushed out of the hospital room.
Steve and Jessie cheerfully walked together to the lounge. There, they found Myles, Dimitrius, Tara, and Ted Garrett gathered. They all stood when Steve and Jessie entered. "Dr. Travis?" Dimitrius asked.
"Please, call me Jessie." Jessie smiled.
"Jessie, how is Jack?" He persisted.
"Well, you'll all be happy to know that it looks like Jack is going to make it through this after all!" Jessie beamed with his hands in his lab coat pockets.
"Do you really think so?" Myles inquired. "In your professional opinion?"
"Well, he's still very weak and vulnerable, and we'll still have to monitor him very closely," Jessie said seriously. "But he's awake now and he's holding steady. I really think he's gonna be okay!" Everyone smiled in indescribable relief.
"Thank God." Tara sighed. "And thank you for all you've done, doct...I mean Jessie."
"Hey, it's no big deal." Jessie shrugged. "It's my job. That's what I'm here for."
"Uh-huh, and who's gonna pay for this fancy hospital stay, I'd like to know?" Myles asked sarcastically. Inwardly, he'd been very worried about his friend Jack, but he had to loosen up some how and this was the best way Myles Leland knew how to do it.
"I believe that's for me to worry about." Ted spoke up. "And if you''re worried about being paid, doctor..."
"Don't worry about it." Jessie waved him off. "You can take that up with Norman Briggs, the hospital administrator."
"When can we see Jack?" Tara asked eagerly.
"Uh, he's a little preoccupied at the moment." Steve said, clearing his throat.
"Let us check on him again and then come back and get you." Jessie piped up, understanding what Steve was referring to.
"Okay." Dimitrius agreed. "Thanks."
"Sure. We just wanted to let you know. We know you've been worried about him." He and Steve walked out.
"It's a miracle." Tara glowed.
"I personally couldn't think of a more outstanding way to impress these daily sun-bathers and show them what we East coasters are made of." Myles chimed in. Everybody rolled their eyes.
"Honey, just calm down." Delores said softly. Steve and Jessie saw that she was trying calm Lucy who looked frantic. The two men walked up to them.
"Lucy, are you all right?" Jessie asked with furrowed brows.
"I'm okay, I just want to know...where is Sue?!" Lucy blurted out with an edge in her voice.
"Easy, Sweetie." Delores shushed her. "She's up in ICU. Her boyfriend regained consciousness and we thought we'd give the two a little privacy." Lucy rolled her eyes, feeling so stupid for overreacting like a Mother Hen. It was not like her at all.
"Jack's awake, and he's okay?"
"So far." Steve nodded. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
"Lucy, are you sure you're all right?" Jessie persisted.
"I'm fine. Thanks." Lucy muttered.
"You don't look fine." Steve commented, earning him a dirty look from the vibrant, no-nonsense lady.
"Well, I am!" She snapped. "I just wanted to know where Sue was and that's she's okay. That's all." She hung her head and sighed heavily. "Sorry. I...I don't know what's wrong with me."
"I think I do." Jessie said.
"When can I see Sue, and Jack?" Lucy asked.
"Pretty soon." Jessie responded. "Delores, why don't you take Lucy to the lounge where her friends are?"
"Sure thing, doctor. Come on, honey." Delores smiled, putting her arm around Lucy.
"Oh, and uh, D?" Jessie whispered to the nurse. "Give her something to calm her nerves." Delores nodded and walked down the hall with Lucy.
"You think she's okay, Jess?" Steve asked.
"Steve, she was only rescued just yesterday. Her mind and body are still in defensive mode." Jessie explained. "It might take a while for her to recover from this whole mess."
"You think she will recover?"
"Everyone reacts differently to trauma." Jessie shrugged. "But I think she will definitely make it. From what I've seen and heard with that woman, she's not one to let herself be held down long! I'm actually glad she's not really a patient!"
"Yeah." Steve agreed. "So, you think Jack's really gonna be okay?"
"I do!" Jessie smiled.
Mark purchased Bobby's breakfast and the two sat down together at a table. "Hey, thanks for the food, Doc Sloan." Bobby said as he bit into his food.
"Oh, my pleasure, Bobby." Mark smiled warmly.
"You always this nice to the officers who help your son in his work? I mean, you've been beyond generous to all of us, Mark. You've been incredibly hospitable. How can we ever return the favor? I'm afraid you're gonna be eating out of my hand for the rest of my life."
Mark laughed. "I try to be this nice to lots of people." He explained. "I hope you don't think I've tried to be gracious so that you'll pull strings for me at the bureau or anything! I was just trying to be friendly, that's all."
"Aack. Don't worry about it, Doc." Bobby shook his head. "Hey, you ever consider giving up your job here and working for the FBI? With your remarkable skills at deduction, I guarantee you'd get plenty of recommendations!"
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Mark laughed heartily. "Sorry, but that's just not for me. I already have a job here. Besides, I really like what I do. Now, if you ever considered recommending Steve for the job, that would be something!"
"Eh." Bobby nodded. "So, tell me. How long have you worked here at the hospital?"
"Ooo. Let's see. Over forty years." Mark replied.
"Whew!" Bobby whistled. "And here you are, still helping the sick and needy."
"You know, sometimes with people, it isn't a physical sickness they have that needs healing."
"Right." Bobby sighed. "You ever consider retirement?"
"I did, but I have too much fun here. Besides, what would I do once I was finished practicing medicine?"
"You could always earn a living as an officially licensed detective!" Bobby grinned widely.
"Maybe." Mark shrugged. "But I just can't seem to pry myself away from this place. It's my life."
"You know? For a father and son who have such different jobs, you two seem to work together amazingly well." Bobby remarked. Mark smiled wryly. That was not the first time he'd heard that, and it seemed to have made an impression on other people besides Jessie.
"Thanks." Mark responded.
"Hey, I mean that." Bobby said seriously. "Most fathers or sons I've known have resented the other's choice of profession."
"Yes. That's such a shame."
"So what's your secret, Mark? How do you do it?"
"I...I don't know, Bobby." Mark shrugged. "I guess...I guess Steve's mom did a good job raising him. And I tried to be there for him. But I'm far from ever being appointed Father of the Year."
"Aw, I don't know. He seems to enjoy your company."
"Well, he didn't always want me involved in police investigations. I kind of had to warm him up to the idea."
"Mmm." Bobby grunted, eating some more food. "Do you mind telling me...ahem...how did you come to helping your son solve so many cases?"
"Ohhh," Mark raised his eyebrows. "That's a long story, I'm afraid."
When Delores brought Lucy into the lounge, Lucy halted stock still and her jaw dropped when she saw Ted Garret her supervisor. "Hey, Luce. How you feeling?" Dimitrius asked.
"Huh?" She gaped. "Ted, what are you doing here?"
"To pick up a lethal package." He answered smiling, referring to Jeffrey White. "And to make sure my agents were doing their jobs instead of wasting time chasing down movie stars." Everyone laughed.
"Now really." Lucy protested. "My name may be Lucy, but I'm not that Lucy! Has anyone seen Jack yet?"
"No. But they'll come get us when he can have visitors." Ted answered. Lucy smirked, thinking of the special visitor that Jack did currently have right now. Steve stepped inside behind them and Mark appeared too with Bobby.
"So, Steve." Tara spoke up. "Why don't you bring us all up to date on what's the case with Jeffrey White."
"We got a full confession." Steve stated. "He didn't deny anything. Oh, and we found out why today's date was so important to him."
"What's that?" Mark asked.
"Turns out that tonight he was planning to skip town, with Howard Lance." Steve explained. "The idea was to light up the funeral home and let it burn to the ground tonight."
"With Sue and Lucy in it." Myles practically whispered.
"Right. He said that he wanted to see Charlotte's name light up in flames in the night sky."
"How romantic." Myles muttered. "Even I think, a little drastic for a spurned ex-lover. Very colorful."
"Not my taste." Dimitrius said.
"So, it's a miracle that we found Sue and Lucy when we did, and got them out of there!" Bobby exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"I'll say it was!" Lucy blurted out. "I'm not about to let some lunatic use me for a piece of kindling. But unfortunately for him, I was bound and wasn't given a chance to show off my karate chop." The guys all exchanged slightly amused but worrisome glances.
"What about Howard Lance?" Mark asked. "Why did Jeffrey kill him?"
"When the team moved in, Lance saw them from inside the funeral home," Ted responded. "He panicked and told White they should give themselves up. White became furious at the turn of events and figured Lance was disposable. So he killed him."
"Figuring as he shoved him out the door that everyone would naturally assume he was gunned down by the snipers." Tara said.
"Exactly." Steve agreed. "Soon as he rid himself of Lance, he headed downstairs to finish Sue off. But, as fate would have it, Jack surprised him from behind and stopped him! And..."
"And, that's when White attacked Jack." Myles, Ted, Mark, and Lucy all said together.
"As soon as she's up to it, we still need Sue's testimony." Steve remarked. "Dad, how soon do you think we can talk to her?"
"Maybe by tomorrow." Mark suggested. "She's been through a lot of terrible experiences the passed forty-eight hours. I'd like to give her at least another twenty-four so she can collect herself enough to give her statement."
"If you say so."
The team was able to visit Jack half an hour later. He still looked quite sickly, but he was alert and smiling. Jack was astounded to see his supervisor, yet it humbled him to see how much Ted did actually care about his team. This time, if anybody made wise-cracks about Jack and Sue, this time the two of them ignored it and just smiled at each other. Jessie soon returned and said that Jack needed rest. Only Sue and Levi remained. Lucy lingered at the door, gazing warmly and with great satisfaction at her favorite couple. Looked like things were finally starting to move forward! "Certainly took you two long enough." Lucy whispered happily.
Dimitrius, Ted, Steve, and Myles went to the police station to make arrangements with Captain Newman and Chief Masters about Jeffrey White. Lucy was restless. She couldn't sit still for an extended period of time, and was quite tense. If she didn't know where Sue was, she became short and snappy. She perked up when at mid-afternoon Jessie said that he had to leave the hospital to perform his shift at BBQ Bob's. She asked if he needed an extra hand and offered her services. Jessie was more than glad for the extra help. Mark, Delores, and Tara remained at the hospital to look after Sue and Jack, who definitely looked like they were well on the road to recovery...together!
"Hey, how am I doing?" Lucy asked Jessie after she handed him the latest orders.
"Great!" Jessie cheered. "I hate to say this about the lack of colorful design in my restaurant , but you sort of dress the place up."
"Mph. It doesn't look too shabby to me." Lucy scrunched up her nose.
"Nah," Jessie shrugged. "But you really do add some class to the place."
"So, you mind telling me, what in the world made you and Steve decide to run a BBQ business?" Lucy asked with furrowed brows.
"Well, I've always wanted to do it." Jessie answered. "And it was something Steve was interested in. Besides, after the bombing at Community General almost two years ago, we said that we would do what we wanted."
"What?!" Lucy gasped. "Community General was bombed?!"
"Have you ever heard of Carter Sweeney? Of the Sweeney bombings?"
"Sweeney..." Lucy concentrated. "Wait, wait, wait! Wait a minute! Isn't he the guy who was using his grandfather's name as a map pattern for his bombing targets?!"
"You've got the right guy." Jessie nodded with wide eyes.
"And it was your hospital that was bombed?"
"Uh-huh. Only it was Sweeney's sister who did that one."
"You know, we'd heard about that," Lucy remarked, "but we just didn't put it together of where we were actually coming when we were assigned to come here! But I still don't see what that has to do with BBQ."
"Well, you may not know this," Jessie said seriously, "but we're all survivors from that blast! Mark, Steve, Amanda, Susan, me, we were all caught in it. Steve and I ended up together in the rubble and slowly managed our way out. But we said then that if we got out of the mess alive, we would go after our dreams and all the big things we had planned to do with our lives."
"I see." Lucy smirked. "Wow. You know, you really should have a frame up on the wall somewhere here telling that story. I think it would make this more of a monumental landmark in this fine city."
"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Jessie's eyes lit up.
"But, isn't it difficult, and wearing on you?" Lucy asked. "I mean, you being an ER doctor with all those crazy shifts, and with Steve being a cop? Plus running a BBQ business at the same time?"
"You have no idea!" Jessie exclaimed. "Yes, sometimes we wonder why we ever agreed to do this, but at the same time, we love this place. We just couldn't let it go after the original owner decided to pull up stakes and just give it up! I happen to love BBQ, and I'm telling you that BBQ Bob's is the best around-not to brag-, and I wasn't going to let it die out!"
"That would make a good slogan for ya: New to town? Come on eat the best BBQ around!" Jessie beamed and actually kissed Lucy on the cheek. She cheerfully gaped.
"Lucy, I love you!" Jessie announced. "You're a genius! Hey, before you go back to DC would you consider being a co-owner of this place? You want to?"
"Oh, thanks but I don't think so, pal." Lucy laughed.
"Why not?" Jessie persisted. "You just came up with all these great ideas, and with a promoter like you, how can we ever go out of business? Come on, what have you got to lose?"
"And what exactly is in it for me, I'd like to know?"
"A stupendous investment. Just think about it. All the new inspirations you could send us from DC, you could brag to those big society rich people that you own a restaurant, and your sweet face could be posted all over, advertising but also getting credit where credit's do. What do you say?"
"That's an incredible offer, doctor. But I think not." Lucy smiled. Jessie pouted.
"Darn." He muttered. "Well, in honor of your assistance to us, I'm gonna whip up and dedicate a brand new dish here personally to you!"
"I guess I could live with that." Lucy grinned. "But it would probably go bad before it reached my apartment in LA."
"No, no, no." Jessie shook his head. "That's not what I was talking about!"
After Sue's testimony, and several reviews over the case and the report, Myles and Dimitrius flew back to DC with Ted, escorting Jeffrey White to his reward. From there on, they took him to Detroit. After that, Ted gave his agents a week off of work after all that had happened. He said that if anything critical came up, he'd send for them to return, except Jack who needed lots of rest. Dimitrius picked up Donna and brought her back to Los Angeles with him. So, the whole team eagerly anticipated some fun relaxation in the Sunny State.
"So, I take it you've known the Sloans for a long time?" Bobby asked Jessie one day when he was eating during Jessie's shift at BBQ Bob's.
"Yep, sure have." Jessie grinned.
"You sure you and Steve aren't related?" Bobby squinted curiously at him. "Because you two sure act like you could be brothers!"
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"A compliment, unless you have a problem with that picture." Bobby said.
"Well, no. We're not related, but I sure often feel as if we were!" Jessie explained.
"I'm not trying to pry, but what does your dad do?" Bobby asked. "He a medicine man too?"
"No way!" Jessie shook his head. "Well, my mom is. She's a podiatrist and has a private practice back in Minnesota. She's always trying to convince me to come back there. But I'm happy here.
'My dad? Well, he's got a high-profile job. He's a CIA analyst.'"
Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. I never would've guessed."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jessie frowned.
"Nothing. Just that you seem to have the perfect touch for medicine. I would've expected you to learn it from someone older."
"Oh, but I have!" Jessie's eyes lit up. "Mark is the one who taught me that. He's still like a father to me, but my dad now works here in LA so we can see each other more. You see, when I was a kid, my parents got divorced and I lived with my mom. My dad had a new family, and I hardly ever heard from him except on my birthday." Bobby's eyes shifted down to his plate and he bit his lip. Maybe Jessie's dad only talked to him once a year, but still, that was more than Bobby's dad Mac had ever done in Bobby's childhood! "But a few years ago, he came here to see me," Jessie continued, "and I accidentally got dragged into his work. I found out that he never did have another family, he'd only used that to explain his long absences to me."
"I see." Bobby sighed. "Probably would've been too dangerous for all of you if he'd explained what he was really doing."
"Right." Jessie nodded. "That's why he lied to me." Then he gazed thoughtfully at Bobby, who seemed deep in thought. "You okay?" He asked.
"Sure." Bobby said quietly.
"What about...how about...you dad?" Jessie asked cautiously, wondering if he was being too nosy.
"His...his line of work keeps him away a lot too." Bobby mumbled.
"Mph." Jessie grunted. He wasn't sure if he should prod more to help the Aussie get the burden off his mind, or if he should just step back. "Sounds like you have struggles with it." He finally said. "But, hey, that happens to lots of guys, even if their dad has a normal job." Bobby looked up at him and smiled.
"You know, that's true." Bobby grinned. "I didn't know much about my dad while I was growing up. At least your dad wished you a happy birthday. That's more than Mac did for me!"
"If you don't feel like talking about it, we can just drop it." Jessie said, feeling he'd overstepped his boundaries.
"Nah, it's okay. It's just that...from my sixth birthday party until the past seven years, I never knew if Mac was ever alive, or what he was up to."
"Did you ever find out?"
"Sure did." Bobby cleared his throat. "And he's alive." Jessie figured that Bobby didn't want to mention what line of work his dad was in, so he didn't bother to ask.
"You guys talk at all?" He prodded further.
"Yeah, we talk now. Things between us are better than they used to be. But, it's still not..."
"Not completely healed yet, huh?" Jessie finished.
"You got it." Bobby said. Jessie began to feel a sudden new respect and admiration for his own dad Dane, and that he wasn't a repulsive person, that he and Dane had tried to smooth out the edges, and that Dane's job wasn't something Jessie was ashamed of.
"I'm sorry." Jessie stated. "That's tough on a guy." Bobby nodded in total agreement.
"Yeah, well..." He shrugged. "These ribs are stupendous."
It had been a week since the capture of Jeffrey White, and Jack was released from the hospital, due to his remarkable convalescence-with the load of Jeffrey White off his mind and all the great care he got at Community General and from his friends-though he was still weak and easily tired, and would need assisted care for a bit till he was no longer in danger of a relapse. Right now on this day, Jack and Sue were both lounging comfortably on the patio chairs at the Sloan's home, enjoying the breeze and soaking in the amazing view of the ocean, a scene they didn't get to see very often. Mark had invited Jack to stay at the beach house while recuperating from his heroic injuries, before the team headed back home to D.C. Levi was lying on the deck close to Sue. She was watching the competitive silhouettes of Bobby, Myles, Steve, and Jessie scrambling around the sand with surfboards. She was using binoculars and giggled as she read their lips. Jack didn't even notice his buddies, old and new, down on the beach. He was gazing thoughtfully at Sue. Her face was healing nicely, and the wind was blowing her long blonde hair in a beautiful way that Jack couldn't remember ever seeing before. He was so happy to just be near her again, and be able to look at her with adoration. He didn't realize how obviously wryly he was smiling 'til a voice broke into his thoughts. "Anyone up for some cool lemonade?" Mark asked cheerfully, as he appeared with a tray of glasses. Jack frowned: his daydream had been entirely too short-lived.
"Sure, thanks." Jack tried to say politely. Mark set the tray on the table and Jack tried to lean forward and reach for one, but the still lingering soreness in his chest reprimanded him. "Aarrghh." He grunted, wincing. Mark touched his shoulder and gently pushed him back down in his seat.
"No, no. You just lie back, son, and take it easy." Mark shook his head. "I'll get it for you." He handed Jack his drink. Jack gratefully sipped it.
"Thanks." He sighed. Mark grinned at the melancholy young man.
"I know." He said. "It isn't easy being a convalescent, is it?"
"Pfft." Jack grinned and shook his head. "It's so boring. There's absolutely nothing to do except enjoy the view, and wonder which passerby is a suspect and who's normal." Mark chuckled.
"Well, I'll give you this much. You're a much better patient than Steve!"
"Is that good or bad?" Jack asked.
"Oh, believe me! That's a good thing." Mark nodded wide-eyed. Sue chuckled and shook her head as she continued to eavesdrop on the conversation down on the beach. Mark stepped next to her and tapped her shoulder.
"Oh, Mark, hello." She smiled sweetly.
"Anything interesting going on down there?" Mark asked.
"You have no idea." Sue snickered.
"Care to share?" Mark asked. Sue lifted her field glasses back up.
"Dr. Travis-er, Jessie-is telling Myles that he needs to practice good balance before heading out on the water." Sue explained. "Myles is arguing that anyone nominated for media liaison doesn't need tips in proper stance for the sport world. He's insisting on trying out the water right now."
"Ooo. Bad idea." Mark smirked.
"Jessie's trying to stop him." Sue shrugged. "So, Mark? I take it you all found a plan for your fundraiser event?" Mark stared at her quizzically. "Sorry, I...I saw you talking to Delores a few days ago. Didn't mean to, just couldn't help it." Mark laughed.
"Yes, I'm happy to say we have." He nodded. "We were at a loss for creativity in trying to form an event that would insure the money we need for the hospital's children's ward. But Delores said that thanks to some inside information, we'll be pulling off a real door buster! And Norman is just all hyped up about it."
"I take it, that's good." Sue quipped.
"For Norman? Mph...yeah." Mark scrunched up his nose. Delores, Lucy, and Amanda came out to join them on the deck. Dimitrius and Donna were out taking Tara souvenir shopping.
"So, how are our two patients doing?" Delores asked, touching Jack and Sue on their shoulders.
"Good." Sue grinned. "This view and setting is very therapeutic."
"And how about you, sugar?" Delores looked down at Jack. He pursed his lips and fiddled his face with his fingers. "What does that mean?" Delores asked with her hands on her hips.
"It means I'm bored out of my mind." Jack muttered.
"Yeah, well, I don't wanna find you coming back in my cross-hairs by being rolled into that hospital." Delores shook her finger at him. "You do, and I'll see to it that you want get well again real fast!"
"Okay." Jack snickered, raising his hands up defensively in mock fear.
Lucy was smiling widely with her eyes shut and lifting her head in the ocean breeze. "Mmm. This is a piece of paradise I don't know if I'll feel again." She murmured. "I just want to soak in every minute of it!"
"Yes, thank you so much for inviting us." Sue said. There were grunts and groans, and heavy footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. Mark, Jack, Sue, Amanda, Lucy, Levi, and Delores all gaped as Bobby trudged onto the deck with his arm wrapped around Myles' waist and Myles' other arm slung over Bobby's shoulder, then Steve followed in tow with his hands gripping Jessie's arms. Jessie and Myles were both grimacing and covering their faces.
"What happened down there?" Amanda asked, trying not to laugh at how pitiful they both looked.
"What, did you guys challenge each other to a knuckle duel or something?" Lucy grinned.
"What happened?" Sue asked in surprise. Jack could tell by the smirks on Bobby's and Steve's faces that he'd missed out on some friendly teasing fun.
"It seems Dr. Travis was in the midst of trying to show Myles the proper balance on the surf beam and, while picking it up to try it himself, without checking his sense of aim, he managed to whack the poor little yobbo in the face." Bobby explained with a snicker. "A real slam dunk."
"Oh no." Sue stated.
"Ohhh," Mark cringed and smiled sympathetically. "Jessie, are you okay?" The young doctor just grimaced pitifully.
"But how did Myles come to get the same injury?" Amanda asked.
"Did Dr. Travis decide to get even?" Delores teased.
"I hope!" Lucy and Jack exclaimed at the same time.
"It was my fault." Steve confessed. "See, I dropped my board so I could help Jessie, and...well, I didn't look where I was setting it down...and..." The listeners all laughed.
"WHAM! Smack dab in center." Bobby finished with a toothy smile.
"In the more civilized communities of this great land, I believe they have medical personnel to attend such ridiculously inflicted injuries last time I checked." Myles spoke up, trying to change the subject.
"Well, come on, boys. Bring them inside and we'll tend to their hurts." Delores laughed heartily as Bobby and Steve hauled the invalids inside the beach house while everyone else laughed together out on the patio.
"You see?" Jack spoke up. "That's why I hate being ridden to a bed. I miss out on all the fun stuff."
"Well, you'll be getting a taste of some very fun stuff later on." Amanda smirked, glancing from Mark to Lucy who returned her evil grin.
"Now what's that supposed to mean?" Jack and Sue both asked.
"Oh, you'll find out." Lucy smiled smugly. "I'm going for a walk. Levi, you wanna come with me?" Sue gave her dog permission and he trotted after Lucy to take a stroll down near the water. Amanda stood there with her arms crossed, staring at the convalescing couple.
"What?" Jack asked with an edge in his voice.
"You two really do make an adorable couple." Amanda chuckled. Then she laughed heartily as she went inside. Jack and Sue shyly grinned at each other.
"I wonder...what she meant by fun stuff." Sue cleared her throat.
"I'm getting a sickening feeling in my stomach that it means I'm about to undergo some kind of unavoidable poking and prodding." Jack moaned pitifully. "And I don't mean the medical kind."
"Sounds frightening." Sue quipped. Jack smiled weakly, and exhaled heavily, holding his chest.
"Whoa! Jack, you okay, man?" Steve asked worriedly as he appeared, touching Jack's shoulder. "You need me to get Dad?" Jack stared up at him pathetically and in disbelief.
"I don't believe this." He groaned. "No, I'm fine. It's just my ribs are still being a little inconsiderate when I want to enjoy myself."
"You sure?" Steve inquired firmly. "No lightheadedness or chest pain?"
"No, no, no, no." Jack waved him off. "I'm fine. Trust me." Then he closed his eyes and grimaced. "Ohh. I hate being an invalid!"
"I feel ya, pal." Steve smiled sympathetically.
"Are Myles and Jessie okay?" Sue broke into his thoughts.
"Sure, they'll live." Steve shook his head.
"You sure you didn't hit Myles on purpose?" Sue joked.
"I'm not gonna lie, it's been a temptation." Steve smirked. "But I'm not that low. Hey, where's Levi? Delores has some bacon strips for him."
"She's spoiling him." Sue stated. "He's with Lucy down there. I think she's slowly getting better. She's not as edgy as she was."
"That's good to hear." Steve gulped. "Look, no offense, but...she's not exactly the easiest woman to get along with when she's been ticked. Too much like Amanda, and that's saying a lot!"
"So, what's been your guys' most interesting case this year so far?" Myles asked at another time.
Mark giggled. "The Garret Wedding Murder." He snickered. Jessie snorted.
"Did you say a wedding murder?" Sue inquired. Lucy nodded.
"What kind of person uses a wedding as a coverup for murder?" Tara furrowed her brows. "That's just...a downright shameful." Steve shook his head, grinning. "And what a cheat, to the family and the guests!"
"Ohhh, this bride and groom planned the whole thing brilliantly." Mark explained.
"Let me guess, they were after her dad's money." Myles muttered.
"You've got it." Jessie said.
"Cindy Garret and her fiance Philip Cobler planned an extraordinary murder." Amanda said. "They had it all figured out on how to kill Cindy's father Wayde during the wedding reception and frame her stepmother Denise for the murder. The idea was to gradually kill Wayde by giving him a depressant and combining it with the red wine he drank and cheese croissants he ate. It was an intelligent plot."
"But, how did you guys figure it out?" Lucy asked.
"Well, throughout the entire wedding, every move they'd highly anticipated backfired." Mark chuckled, remembering. Steve bit his lip and snorted as he recalled the details. "Wayde was an asthmatic, and the drug he was given along with all the cheese and red wine as Amanda said, killed him."
"But you said everything backfired." Myles interjected.
"It was one of those well-planned murders where everything went wrong but the victim still died." Mark said. "Denise had struggled with depression before, so Cindy and Philip made it look like she issued a library book on pharmaceutical drug interactions, and even took a petal from her corsage to leave in the living room so we would think she'd rushed in there when she poured the depressant into Wayde's drink."
"But, several things went wrong." Steve smirked with his arms crossed. "Phil cut himself on Denise's corsage, and when we came to investigate at the house, the maid had vacuumed up the petal they'd planted." Lucy and the others giggled. "Then in the midst of pouring the drug into his drink, Phil accidentally spilled it onto the rug, and Morgan the dog drank it up, which caused him to be extremely hyperactive, especially during the outside wedding ceremony!"
"No way!" Jack laughed.
"Oh boy." Bobby grinned a toothy smile.
"Steve did arrest Denise, but Mark figured it out." Jessie said. "You should've seen the looks on their faces every time they thought he was onto them or when he and Steve staked them out."
"Yeah, those two were dragged down to the jail like two cats in a bag." Steve said with satisfaction.
"So, a magnificent strategy attack, maneuvered carefully with the strongest desire fully issued but the unanticipated falling out bringing the soaring hopes crashing down tremendously." Myles said dramatically, much to everybody's exchanged rolled eyes. "Ohh, a disheartening reminder that young love will never be the same as it was before in this great, progressive day and age."
"Eh...yeah, well..." Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Well, speaking of young love...FYI, in case you all didn't know, Jack and Sue are married." Amanda's, Jessie's, Steve's, and Mark's jaws all hit the floor.
"They are?" Mark sputtered.
"Hey, that's great!" Jessie cheered. "Why didn't you tell us? I think it's pretty neat."
"I knew it!" Amanda cheered.
"Jack, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Steve said. Jack winced tightly and threw his head back in frustration.
"We're...we're not married!" He announced.
"Uh-huh. A likely story." Amanda grinned.
"It's true." Jack glared at her, but she ignored his cold stare.
"It...it was an undercover assignment!" Sue blurted out. Steve and Mark smiled at her skeptically. "We...we were trying to stop a terrorist. It was the only way we could effectively get close to him without tipping him off!"
"That is a pretty amazing story, Thomas." Steve squinted, pretending to be impressed. Sue glared at him. "But there's no reason to pretend your husband is a neat guy just to keep up appearances."
"I'm not...he's not.." Sue stumbled over her words. "I'm not keeping up pretending! I mean, he's not a neat husband. NO! I...I mean..." Sue shook her head wildly. Steve's jesting comment had jangled her mind up so crazily that she couldn't talk right. Jack pouted with his eyes closed, shaking his head.
Where's my gun when I need it? He thought painfully. Sloan, you just asked for an invitation to have it out!
"They certainly convinced the neighbors they were married." Bobby teased.
"Would've convinced me, hands down." Amanda giggled.
"Yeah, me too!" Jessie exclaimed.
"And according to a reliable source," Bobby continued, "Jack's career as an ex-bachelor can make any woman's life a living nightmare."
"Anybody...else...want...more...chips?" Jack seethed, desperately trying to change the subject.
"He stooped so low as to the point of where they had to share a hair-dryer in the same house." Bobby continued.
"Just shows you how much he likes to control the finances." Myles added. "His wife can't even have her own hair products. Ohhh!" He pretended to cringe. "I can't tell you how happy I am to be man right now instead of a married Hudson woman!"
Jack's face was growing hotter. Sue just shook head head and rolled her eyes, but Mark studied Jack and decided to come to his rescue. "Can I get you something, Jack? You look a bit flushed. Some more iced tea maybe?" He offered.
"A loaded 45-millimeter would be more inviting right now." Jack growled.
"Guys, let up, will you?" Mark suggested. "After all, Jack needs rest."
"So, would you guys be able to tell us, what's the dumbest case you've ever had to work on?" Steve asked curiously.
"Do you mean case, or audit?" Lucy retorted. "There's a mile long difference there, you know." Jack's eyes nearly popped out in agreement.
"You see, some of them started out as audits, but they became an 'unofficial' official case because of how ridiculous they were." Tara said with a smile.
"Sorry, but I don't think you can have something unofficially official." Jessie said.
"So, what is the most unmerited, unheard of, wildest one that any of you guys have ever had?" Mark asked curiously. Bobby was smirking.
"Aw, I think we can all agree on what that one was!" He grinned widely and all his friends' eyes fell on Jack, who was wincing with embarrassment and smiling nervously.
"Oh, no. Please!" He covered his face, shaking his head. Bobby and Myles both placed their hands on his shoulders and Jack's face went red.
"Was it that funny?" Amanda asked eagerly.
"No, it was that stupid!" Dimitrius answered.
"You see, Jack's most traumatizing experience ever on the job was the Chicken Lady case." Sue stated, crossing her arms.
"The...Chicken Lady?" Jessie and Steve asked together.
"Oh, yes. Poor Sparky here had many sleepless nights after because of everything she put him through." Myles answered in mock sympathy. "Oh, it was heart-wrenching."
"You don't have to overdue it." Lucy cringed at Myles.
"Bock, bock, bock, bock, bock," Bobby chirped, obviously enjoying himself. Jack was smiling, but his eyes were fixated in a threatening message.
"It all happened a few years ago when Sparky was chasing a suspect." Bobby began.
"And Jack, super agent that he is, decides to leap over in a single bound." Dimitrius said.
"Clearing the fence beautifully 'til gravity had its effect." Myles added.
"You see, the woman who owned the yard kept chickens." Bobby said.
"Oh, no." Mark laughed, seeing where this was going.
"And Jack...kaa-errr!" Bobbyhopped in the air as he explained his point. "Landed on top of the prize rooster." Jack squeezed his eyes shut tight.
"Ohhh." Amanda grinned.
"Which admitted its final cock-a-doodle-do, but didn't survive." Tara said dramatically.
"Then the owner, Beatrice Lawrence sued Jack for damages." Dimitrius said.
"Why couldn't you just buy her a new rooster?" Jessie suggested.
"Aw, believe me! He tried that." Sue made a face.
"The rooster in question was a real ladies' man." Bobby smiled widely. "The old roost just hadn't been the same ever since."
"Leaving traumatizing effects on the owner, and the chickens," Myles said theatrically, "causing pain, despair, and suffering."
"I cannot be hearing this." Steve rolled his eyes and crossing his arms. "Like you feds have time for some frivolous lawsuit."
"Thank you. Those were my thoughts exactly!" Jack's eyes lit up, grateful for some sympathy.
"And his exact words, if my memory serves me correctly." Tara spoke up, looking to Sue and Lucy. Bobby, however, frowned at Steve.
"Aw, frivolous maybe to you, mate," he remarked, "but life-changing to those poor, husband-less hens." He grinned. Steve narrowed his eyes at the Aussie.
"So you took it to court, they laughed it out, and Jack went on to live happily ever after, right?" Jessie hinted.
"On the contrary!" Jack hollered. "The Chicken Lady, Beatrice Lawrence, she sued me for fifty thousand dollars!" Mark's, Steve's, Jessie's, and Amanda's jaws all dropped to the floor...again!
"You're not serious!" Mark laughed in astonishment.
"So ludicrous." Steve pffted. "How did she pull off a stunt like that?" He asked.
"Hypnotism." Lucy said simply.
"Hypnotism?!" Amanda exclaimed. "She hypnotized Jack into paying her the fifty thousand?"
"No, the chicken. Or rather, hen." Tara explained.
"She hypnotized the chicken?" Mark gaped.
"Oh, yes!" Jack declared emphatically.
"You're kidding." Jessie shook his head.
"I didn't know you could hypnotize a chicken." Amanda stated.
"I'm not sure why you'd want to." Steve said, unamused.
"Oh, you could, if you needed it to look depressed!" Jack snarled.
"Oh, come on!" Steve exclaimed in utter disbelief. "First a drumstick lawsuit, then hypnotism, and now you're telling me she used depression too?"
"In the middle of the audit, she brought the chicken in: Patty." Jack explained in peeved sarcasm. "Who was allegedly so traumatized by Philip, the rooster's death, that she stopped laying eggs."
"Why would she call him Philip?" Jessie asked.
"Did she stop laying eggs?" Mark asked curiously.
"Well, conveniently, she didn't lay one in the deposition!" Jack answered.
"Beatrice or the chicken?" Steve chided in sarcastically.
"You know the even crazier part?" Lucy asked.
"After what I've already heard, I can't imagine anything crazier." Steve grinned.
"Neither can I." Jessie responded.
"The bureau lawyers wanted Jack to go ahead and settle." Dimitrius said casually.
"What?" Amanda sputtered.
"Oh, please." Jessie said.
"The Chicken Lady was willing to drop the whole thing, for ten thousand dollars." Jack rolled his eyes.
"Please, I'd forget my own name for ten thousand dollars." Amanda muttered.
"They wanted Jack to go ahead and end the dispute rather than try to fight it out in court." Dimitrius said.
"That's got to be one of the stupidest things I ever heard." Steve shook his head.
"Yeah!" Jessie agreed. "A drain on the whole system, sucking time, money, and energy from the defenders of our great land."
"So," Mark raised his eyebrows, "did Jack pay her the ten grand?"
"No." Jack smiled widely with his hands on his hips. "We sent an eager fox into Beatrice Lawrence's hen house, with a camcorder, and he retrieved an honest to goodness laid egg!"
"With a little help from the FBI lab, we were able to prove through the DNA that the egg indeed came from one of the chickens who'd lived with the dearly departed Philip." Sue finished happily.
"Well, since we all seem to be investing in the Jack Tacks right now, I personally have been very curious to know how he came by the name of Sparky." Steve grinned evilly. Jack's eyes widened.
"Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no." He smiled and held up his hands in protest. "You guys have had your fun. You know, I think I'll go get some more chips." He started to walk into the hallway, but Steve blocked him by placing his arm on the wall.
"What's your hurry, Spark?" Steve teased, smirking wildly. Everyone else laughed gleefully.
"Oh," Jack moaned pitifully. "Not you too."
"I see your reputation precedes you." Myles said with crossed arms.
Maybe the humor was a bit dragged out in here, but after all the drama they've recently been through, I wanted to give our heroes and my readers a good laugh. Hope it didn't fail.
Is Jack ever going to pop the question? What is this mysterious fundraiser event going to be? Why am I dragging it out? Any guesses?
The next chapter is going to take a different spin, but I hope you enjoy it. I just really can't wait to bring Myles to the point I want to position him in.
Just so you know, the end of this story is drawing near. No, the next chapter is not the final one. I still have some others to write and post, but I'm just letting you know, we are nearing the conclusion. I do hope to write another DM/STFBEYE crossover down the road only with reversed settings. If you want that one, please let me know. I only have a title, summary, and faint ideas planted right now, but with God's help I fully intent to write it, once I have some more depth to add.
Feel free to leave reviews, please. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
