Redemption

Chapter Thirty-Five

According to Sue, Jack was spending the day in the bullpen to try to crack the surface of the case. It had already been a week since it was first handed to the team and they still had nothing to leave them to any potential suspect. Richard Palmerro was still on the top of the list, but he was nowhere to be found and it was presumed that he went into hiding. He would be their main priority, right now. Finding him would be the piece of information that would make everything fall into place. He was the reason why Jack wanted to work so hard on a Sunday afternoon. Palmerro was their man; the problem was finding him.

When Bobby found him at is desk, he was hard at work o something, but whether or not it had to do with their case or Palmerro, the Aussie didn't know. As soon as he made his presence known, the papers had become hidden as Jack tried to make conversation with his best friend, yet he didn't raise his head to look at him.

"What's up, Bobby? I'd think you would be spending the day with Danni. Today's a good day to do what you've been planning." His gaze remained focused on whatever paperwork was on the top of his pile so he didn't have to see the accusing expression on Bobby's face. The last thing he needed was for anyone to find out what he up to. He had to keep everything top secret, which was something he didn't enjoy doing. He worked better alongside his team, but he knew they couldn't find out. A lot was at stake with him at the helm; that would only escalate if the others were informed.

Bobby scratched his chin as if he was thinking and gave an unsure expression. "Yeah, I was hoping I could talk to you about that. I was thinking I could get a pep-talk from my best mate so he could tell me that I'm really doing the right thing." It wasn't what he'd originally planned on saying when he'd encountered Jack, but since the topic was brought up, he'd figured he might as well ride it out for as long as possible.

In reality, there were no regrets had for what he wanted to do. It was only a ploy to draw Jack out of his cocoon and put an end to whatever added stress he was under. When Sue first revealed to him that she and Jack were an item, Bobby began believing that it could have been the cause for the sudden turnaround. But, the team leader's feelings ran much deeper than anyone knew. It wouldn't be the problem, yet it could still be a contributing factor.

Jack's head shot up as he chuckled in amusement. He dropped his pen on the top of his files and leaned back in his chair as he waited for this explanation. He never would have believed Bobby would second-guess his proposing to the girl who'd captured his head and refused to return it. Although, Danni's demeanor for the past few days could have been an issue; maybe his best friend was finally realizing that she wasn't the girl for him (though, Jack didn't believe that at all). "I didn't think there was a problem between you two."

Bobby shook his head. "There's not. I think it's just the bachelor side of me. He doesn't really want to let go of all the freedom and I could use a good friend to feed me some piffie that'll shut him up. How about we go shoot a few rounds, though? I don't feel comfortable talking about it here." He glanced around the room as if someone was watching their conversation. It was the FBI, after all. The walls more than likely had its eyes and ears on them. It wouldn't have mattered either way. What they had to talk about was no one's business but their own. Yet, Bobby was sure someone would find it interesting.

Jack looked tentative at the invitation as he glanced from his best friend to the files on his desk. Normally, it would be a no-brainer and he would gladly have accepted, but there was so much that needed to be done. "I dunno. There's still a lot for me to do. Besides, don't you have to spend some time with the old ball and chain?"

"Nah. She's got her own business to take care of. She has files that she needs to collect before tomorrow. She thinks they can help us. Plus, I think she and Sue were planning on doing something girly today." He slipped his hands casually into the pockets of his comfortable blue jeans and raised his eyebrows as if asking: 'What do you say?' This conversation was going a lot better than he'd anticipated, but he knew it wouldn't be easy to pry Sparky away from his desk when he was so into his work.

Jack's upper lip gave a twitch at the mention of the gorgeous blonde analyst, but it didn't form into a complete smile. Hopefully, Bobby didn't notice and the team leader glanced at the Aussie to make sure it hadn't been seen. Whether or not it had, he couldn't tell because Bobby's expression remained the same as he waited for a response. "It's tempting," said Jack as he thought hard about it.

Bobby couldn't help but roll his eyes. Jack could be so stubborn at times. No wonder he and Sue were such a perfect match. "C'mon, Spark. If I don't go out with you, I'm going to end up at home, spending quality time with the cat. I need some human interaction or I just might lose it." This was his last resort of trying to persuade him. If this didn't work, he was going to club him over the head and drag him to the pool hall.

A heavy sigh escaped the short man's lips as he glanced once more at the pile of paperwork. Who was he kidding? The whole reason why he came in today was to take his mind off of Sue and his urges to wake her up in the middle of the night and kiss her under they were both devoid of senses. But, as he sat in the silence of the bullpen, she was the only thing his mind would completely focus on. It was a wonder that he hadn't begun writing her name over and over on a piece of paper while his thoughts drifted. He even checked a few slips of paper that had formerly been blank to make sure he hadn't. When he was satisfied, he nodded as he pushed away from his desk and stood up. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed.