Chapter 5: Meeting The New Detective

Matt sat ever so vigilantly by Jennifer's bedside, he looked at her, she looked deathly pale, a tube had been inserted into her mouth, down to her lungs, helping her breath, his eyes slowly travelled down her arm to see the IV lines in it. He sighed heavily and hung his head as all his emotions that he had felt for Jennifer hit him hard as he slowly reached for Jennifer's small hand and felt how cold her skin was as he wrapped his big hand around it. He covered it completely trying to warm it up as his thoughts overwhelmed him, 'So cold, so cold.' He hung his head for a moment and then lifted it back up to look at Jennifer.

Matt's eyes glazed over seeing Jennifer in the bed as the constant beep and hiss of every machine made him realize just how bad the situation was. The machines were there, keeping Jennifer alive and breathing.

This wasn't the Jennifer that he knew, the Jennifer he knew was bright, bubbly, energetic and beautiful. But now, she was anything but.

Everyone from the office had come by and visited, they never stayed long, just long enough to show they cared for their fallen sister.

Matt didn't really notice them leave, nor did he notice the nurses that came and went.

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Duncan and Simon sat at their desks, doing nothing in particular. It had been two days since Jennifer had been rushed to hospital. They had found out that it was Henry Marsh that had killed his wife and lit his own house on fire, leaving his daughter inside. He had done it to get everyone off his case, making them think it was someone totally different. But that just wasn't the case, and Jennifer had picked up on that, but that's when she finally succumbed to the events earlier that morning.

"I never thought it was that guy who actually killed his wife," Simon said, looking over at Duncan.

"I had my suspicions, but I just wasn't all of that sure if he had really done it or not." Duncan replied, looking over at the elevator as it pinged, expecting Matt to step out into the office, but it wasn't. He froze when he saw who it was in there. He never thought that he would ever see her again.

"Dunny," Simon said trying to get Duncan's attention. "Mate, what is it?" he asked again, looking in the direction he was looking.

A woman stepped out of the elevator, she wore a nice tailored skirt suit, black high heels, she had dirty blonde hair down to her shoulders and soft blue eyes.

"Wow," was all Simon could think to say as she got closer to them.

"No, it can't be?" Duncan said, getting up and walking over to her.

"Alex?" he asked, once he reached her.

She turned at the voice, a shocked look on her face. "Michael?" Duncan nodded, shocked, never really thinking that he would ever see Alex again.

Simon walked up just as she said this. "Michael? Who the hell is Michael?" Simon said, really confused by this point.

Her face broke into a huge smile, and she embraced him as the tears rolled down her face. "I thought you were dead!" She sobbed into Duncan's shoulder. "I thought…" she was cut off mid sentence when Duncan pulled back slightly, placing a soft kiss to her lips.

He looked her in the eyes after they broke apart and said "I've missed you Alex, so very much."

Tears ran down Alex's face and she hugged him again, Duncan picked her up and swung her around, and kissed her again once he lowered her to the ground.

"Mate," Simon said, grinning at Duncan, then added, looking confused. "Who is this? And why is she calling you Michael?"

"My name isn't really Duncan Freeman," Duncan said, wrapping an arm around Alex's waist. "Its Michael Reilly, I was sent here to start a new life away from my friends, and my fiancé, Alex St. Clare. Five years ago a man that was after me tried to kill me, but he got the wrong guy, instead he shot one of the police officers I worked with and Alex here, almost killing them. The only way that I could keep them safe, was to actually set up a car accident, which 'killed' me, and to go into witness protection, and when they finally caught him, I was able to leave the other life I lead, the one that you, Matt and Jennifer know, but I stayed as Duncan, I love working with you guys, but I do miss everyone back home in Sydney." Duncan said, looking into Alex's eyes. "And I miss my fiancé."

Simon stood there, not knowing what to say.

--- ---

His eyes welled as Jennifer's body lay still in the bed. He sighed thinking,' So small.' Her hair was dishevelled and her colour pale. He swallowed hard, as the ventilator beeped and hissed with Jennifer's breathing and low heart rate. 'This is your fault, your fault!' His mind screamed at him as he closed his eyes for a moment trying to compose himself.

Matt sighed again feeling such distress as he finally whispered, "Jen, I'm here, sweetheart." He blinked as angry tears stung his eyes, "You're not alone Jen, I'm right here with you. I'm right here."

Matt felt her hand warm just a bit as he continued, "You have to fight Jen, you have to fight and come back to us, and we need you… I need you Jen." He said in a whisper getting very choked up as he paused gathering himself a moment. He whispered squeezing her hand gently, "I know you can hear me sweetheart and I want you to know that I am here for you." He sighed heavily in torment.

He hung his head hoping that Jennifer would just wake up but that wasn't the case. His guilt made his stomach turn as he whispered, "You have to hang on Jen, please… and don't give up, ok? We all need you sweetheart." Matt paused again sighing heavily holding back his tears. "Jen, I'm sorry, I never meant…" Matt's voice cracked as he bit back his tears, "I never meant for this to happen. I'm sorry Jen, I… I'm so sorry, so sorry." He whispered as his breath caught with overflowing eyes and he hung his head low in guilt hating himself.

--- ---

The masked man turned to her, the metal of his gun glinting in the light, she heard the cock sound it made when he cocked it, then he said to her, in a chillingly cold voice "There's no where to run, Jennifer."

She was petrified and confused all at once, "How d… do you kn… know m… my name?" she stuttered, backing away from the masked man.

He grinned, his teeth almost glowed in the light, "I know lots about you Jennifer," he whispered in her ear stepping up behind her, she quickly turned around to where he was standing behind her.

"No yo… you do… don't." She stuttered, thoroughly scared witless by this point.

"Yes I do, Jennifer, I know that you're sleeping with your partner," he whispered into her ear, whispering, "And I know that one of your colleagues isn't who they say they are... but don't worry…" he said leaning in close to her ear whispering the last part "It isn't who you think it is..."

She didn't want to hear any of this; she tried to wake herself up, but couldn't wake up, it felt as though she was stuck in this bad dream.

"You can't wake up, Jennifer, not until you figure this out…" he said, walking into the darkness, out of Jennifer's sight.

Jennifer stood their, tears rolling down her cheeks.

tbc…