Jack woke up, he moved his hands and then his arms as to look for a presence but no one was near him. He opened his eyes and heard a sound coming from the bathroom. After a moment he understood it was Audrey preparing to go to work.

"What time is it ?" he asked stretching.

"7 o'clock !" she answered getting out of the bathroom.

"Already ? Right, you have to go to work."

"Yes, my time off is over, unfortunately." She approached and kissed him whereas he was still lying on the bed.

"Thank you for yesterday evening." she added with a smile.

"It's been a pleasure for me too."

"See you tonight."

"Say 'hello' to your father for me."

"I will."

"Bye." as he said that his cellphone rang.

"Yes ?"

"Jack ? It's Heller."

"M. Secretary ?"

Audrey who was walking to the door stopped, surprised.

"Is Audrey still with you ? I'm not able to reach her."

"Yes, she is here. I put you through." Jack said making a motion with his hand to make Audrey come.

"No, just tell her I don't need her this morning. So if she can come around 2:00 pm, it will be ok."

"Sir, I don't think she will believe me if I tell her. You should talk to her." he said with a smile.

"I see. Okay, put me through." Jack gave his cellphone to Audrey.

"Yes, Dad ?"

"Hello sweetheart. I was just saying to Jack that you don't need to come this morning. I have a one-to-one meeting and your presence is not necessary so I thought that you should take a rest after what happened these last days."

"Okay, thank you."

"Be there at 2:00 pm."

"I will. Good luck for your meeting."

"Thanks, bye." and they both hung up.

"Is he ok ?" Jack asked.

"Yes, he has a meeting and I don't need to go with him."

"And do you want to go with me ?"

"Where ?"

"Funerals. I... I don't really want to go alone. I don't like this kind of things."

"No one does, Jack. I'll go with you."

"Come here" he said holding out his hand to her.

"Jack, get up." she told him smiling. He took her hand and softly pulled her so that she was closer. She bended over and kissed him. He took advantage of that to put his hands around her hips and make her fall over on the bed. He was now on the top and couldn't prevent him to smile looking at her with a loving look.

"I love you so much." he admitted brushing some of her hairs aside.

They stayed a few minutes together, side by side, cuddling and just happy to be together. After a moment they finally got up and got ready.

When they arrived, there were already a lot of people. They entered without making a noise and sat down at the back of the church, Jack couldn't help but look at the two coffins. In his look we could read sadness but also guilt.

"Are you alright ?" Audrey whispered running her hand on his back.

"Yes, I'm fine." he answered still looking at the coffins.

The parish priest started to talk and continued for a few minutes.

"Michelle and Tony had started to run a little business almost a year ago. But before that, they have always worked at the Counter Terrorist Unit. Their work consisted in protecting us everyday. We can say that, even if they were retired, that they died in the line of duty... "

At the end of the ceremony, they got out and went in the background. A bit later, Tony's mother got out in her turn as well as Michelle's parents. They spoke with some of the people who were present. Then, Tony's mother, Judy, saw Jack. He made a little motion with his hand and said to Audrey "Excuse me for a minute".

"Of course." And he walked to her.

"Hi, I'm so sorry about Tony." he started.

"Thank you."

"How are you doing ?" he asked softly.

"I try to hold out."

"Yeah..." Jack hugged her and they stayed like that a moment but some tears started to appear on their face.

"You can't imagine how I feel guilty about that. I tried to..."

"Jack, it's okay."

"I made him come back, I'm the one who put put him in danger. I don't manage to forgive myself for that..."

"Jack, you have to. Because I did." Jack stopped the hug to see her. 'Now you have to forgive yourself."

"Yeah... but it's not easy."

"I know."

"Thank you." he added after a moment. "And don't forget, if you need something, anything, don't hesitate."

"Thanks." Jack kissed her tenderly on her cheek before walking away. He slowly came back near Audrey, turned around and made a last wave that Judy returned.

"You seem to know her well."

"I do. She is almost like a second mother for me." After a moment he said softly "We should go."

"Okay."

The comeback was silent but after a moment Jack came back down to earth seeing something which interpellated him.

"Could you stop the car, here ?" he asked.

"Yes, give me a second." she said looking in the rear-view mirror and stopping the car. Jack got out and closed the door behind him. He stayed a moment standing up, looking at this place. Audrey was still in the car because she thought that he didn't need her and that he would maybe prefer to be alone. She didn't understand why he was staying there, even if it would seem obvious. Suddenly an old woman appeared from behind a tree.

"Excuse me, Sir. Are you looking for something ?" she asked gently. That's what brought Jack to his senses.

"Hm... No. I'm sorry, I am..." he continued after a moment, still looking at this place. "I used to live in that house."

"Really ?" she asked surprised, apparently glad of this situation. "When ?"

With this question, Jack realized that some years passed since he had moved from here.

"Seven. Already seven years ago."

"Maybe you would like to enter inside ?" she asked. "If you want."

"Yeah... I'd like to, thank you. May I have a second please ?" he walked to Audrey's car thinking about entering in this house again. He would appreciate it but at the the same time, he was worried that it would remind him some memories that he had tried to forget since he had left it.

"I'm sorry. It's... it's where I used to live with Teri and Kim. This old woman is the new occupant and she asked if I would like to go inside. Want to come with me ?"

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you," Jack said to the old woman when he came back near her. They walked together to the front door, Jack, of an uncertain pace.

She opened the door. They entered in the living-room and in less than a second a multitude of memories came back to him : the chess game before all the events, the quarrel between him and Teri before he left home for a few months, one of the evening that Jack and Teri spent in the couch watching movies, when Kim slept at a friend's place...

He seemed glad but also a little ill-at-ease and after about a quarter-hour they left the house thanking again the old woman.

They went home to eat something before Audrey went to work. She left home and Jack stayed alone. He knew that he had something to do but he waited a moment. As he was at home looking for something, he came across a photo album : "Audrey's childhood". He couldn't help but open it and smiled when he saw a picture of Audrey the day of her birth in her father's arms. On another one, she was with her mother, Susan. Jack had never seen her before and Audrey had never talked about her. He just knew that she died a while ago. He turned the pages and was more and more amazed by what he saw. What a beautiful little girl she was, she didn't change a lot, except that she became such an attractive woman. When he turned the last page and finally closed it, it was 2:00 pm. He placed it where he had found it and left the house in his turn.

Jack parked his car and walked to the door of the room. He still had the keys so he could open it. Nothing had changed since he was there for the last time. Everything was in place. He opened a closet and took two suitcases before filling them with the T-shirts and pants which were in the closet. He took everything that belonged to him and put it in his car before coming back in the room and glancing at this place one last time. He finally got out and locked the door.

He walked to the house which was near the rooms and knocked. After a moment someone opened. They both stayed silent, one was surprised, the other a little embarrassed.

"I cleared out... so I give you back the keys."

"Thank you," she simply said.

"Look I... I'm very grateful for what you've done for me. Sincerely I can't tank you enough, you and Derek. I am sorry I had to lie to you. I really couldn't do otherwise."

"Jack, I understand now. They explained to me. It's okay. You have to go back to your life and we will continue ours."

"I'm sorry." He hugged her. "Is Derek here ?"

"Yes, I'll call him."

A minute later Derek saw Jack at the door and he seemed happy that he was here.

"Hey boy."

"Jack ! How are you ?"

"I'm fine. What about you ?"

"I'm okay. Thanks."

"May I talk to you for a second ?"

"Of course." They walked a bit in front of the house, side by side.

"You're a nice kid Derek and your mother is lucky to have a son like you. I just want you to know that you behaved well when I was there. You were careful and suspicious, you were right. You were worried for your mother and I understand that."

"Thanks." They talked for about ten minutes before coming back to the door.

"So we won't see you again ?" Derek asked.

"I don't think so." Jack answered after having been quiet a moment.

They were all silent, Derek, Diane and Jack. He took them in his arms almost as he could have taken Teri and Kim a few years ago.

"Thank you… for everything. Derek, you take care of your mother, alright ? Diane, except about who I was, I've never lied to you."

He kissed them before walking away. He got in his car and started driving making a last wave to them