While Mrs Pearson and Roger Lindsay were planning out the next part of their malicious plot, Fabrizio was standing outside the house hiding behind some tree. He had no doubt now that both knew they had been spied on; they wouldn't wait one second to solve this problem.

After all they had already poisoned Jack, blamed it on Ruth and now were after Clarissa. What did it matter another murder?

Still he had to smile, when he thought about Roger Lindsay not being able to seize him.

Fabrizio wasn't stupid. He knew very well that the chances of finding anybody in a city like Boston were next to nothing, especially someone, who naturally wouldn't have had the best reputation and therefore most likely being denied by others. So instead of just running around trying to discover him on his own he waited until he saw Mrs Pearson coming out of the house.

There she is, the woman, who tried to kill Jack.

He would've wanted to listen to the rest of their conversation, but he couldn't risk to be seen.

Fabrizio watched as Mrs Pearson got into a nearby carriage driving away.

He had realized very quickly that the weak chain of this arrangement was Roger Lindsay. He would be the one making the first mistake.

And I will be there to see him doing it.

Indeed he didn't have to wait long for him to come out as well. Roger looked around obviously wondering, if he – Fabrizio – was still there. When he didn't see anyone he continued his way, unaware of being followed.

Fabrizio had to smirk as this silliness.

What an idiot! Does he think that I'll just jump in front of him?

Although Roger was walking pretty fast, faster than Fabrizio had expected him, he had no trouble to keep after him. The years with Jack in the street now certainly played off. He understood he had to keep track on him or otherwise he would never find out the whole truth.

…

Meanwhile at the hospital a doctor and two nurses were once more examining Jack. The doctor was doing a routine check-up every day though he was about to give up home. Jack had been in a coma for two long already to be seen as healing anytime soon, if any. Chances that he would wake up were getting slower with every passing day and even more so that he would make a complete healing.

"What do you think, doctor?" one of the nurses asked.

The doctor looked up and shook his head.

"This bad?"

"Sadly, yes. Though he's physically strong there has to be something to prevent him from waking up."

Both nurses looked at him wondering.

"I mean there's had to be something that…that he…doesn't want to open his eyes."

One of nurses nodded remembering the ill-fated visit of Roger Lindsay. Surely he had a role in this. His wife was lovely, but the man accompanying her was gloomy and certainly evil-minded.

Poor Mr Dawson and poor Mrs Dawson, they were such a lovely pair and didn't deserve any of these.

The doctor sadly shook his head, thinking about what he could tell Rose.

He didn't believe for one second that she would get over his death very easily and this Mr Lindsay surely would be no help.

"Such a tragedy," he mumbled.

What they couldn't know of course was that Jack was indeed on the point of awakening. He thought he had heard Fabrizio a few hours ago, defending him against Roger Lindsay.

Rose had been there too and she had been crying.

Jack always knew when she was, even when not being able to see it. She then had that quiet high pitched voice and her words were coming out in a rush unlike her normal ladylike speech.

Fabrizio had shouted at Rose.

Why had Fabrizio been angry with Rose?

"Well ladies I think there's nothing more we can do for now."

Your wife is pregnant with my child, Jack.

Anger flashed up inside him as he recalled what this man had been telling him. He was using his wife, interfering in his life and he thought that he would get away with it.

There's nothing you can do about it.

Roger had been telling him this once, making Jack even angrier.

The hell I can't…

Then he thought about something else, something that he was tearing him up inside.

Was Rose in love with him too? What if she was already planning her life ahead of him? After all he couldn't blame her…

I surely would want her to be happy, just that…not with Roger Lindsay.

Or was she…was she just playing around? Was she afraid, happy, alerted..?

Jack wished that he could ask her.

Rose had been here last yesterday and she had been holding his hand, like she had always done. She had seemed happy to be with him, yet distressed and sad that she couldn't talk to him, but then Roger Lindsay had come and her hands had turned cold, her body getting tense.

It couldn't be that she was in love with this man.

There's nothing you can do about it.

How dare he'd say such a thing to me!

The doctor was about to close the door behind him, when he heard a little noise behind him. He turned around to see Jack's right hand slowly moving forward.

Somehow expecting to find Rose's touching his.

"Oh my god," the doctor choked out not trusting his own vision.

Was Jack really opening his eyes?

….

Fabrizio had been following Roger through the whole city as it seemed to him. Luckily the sun had set in by now, which it easier for him to catch up with him. After what appeared like an eternity Roger made a halt outside a very shabby building.

Instead of going inside immediately and wounding someone to death, as Fabrizio would've expected him to do, he stood there waiting.

What now?

This guy was really making him crazy and he was beginning to get impatient.

Finally Fabrizio saw him knocking on the door.

A man came out of the house.

This had to be him.

"Yes, you want?" the man asked, but he didn't get an answer as Roger was already holding something up against his chest.

He would've indeed stabbed him to death, if Fabrizio hadn't been there tearing Roger away from him. Once the man was aware of his surroundings again, he thanked him for saving him.

"There's no necessity to. So don't stress yourself. In fact I need your help. This man has done something awful to a friend of mine and…"

The man looked at him bewildered for a second.

"Don't you know who this man is and what he's capable of doing? He has contacts to his best…," he eyes were showing in how much fear he actually was.

Fabrizio however, would've none of it. He didn't care at all, who Roger Lindsay was or what he would do or who else he would be having as enemy, all the mattered were the things he had already done. He had finally had to pay for them.

"He…he…," the man stuttered in panic.

"I don't give a damn!" Fabrizio hissed. "He tried to murder my best friend. He seduced his wife and has been putting an innocent person into prison. Now, don't be such a damn coward!" he added tightening his grip on him.

"Alright, alright, I'll help you," the man finally said.

"That's good," Fabrizio smiled.

They carried Roger Lindsay inside handcuffing him to a chair.

….

The doctor blinked his eyes.

"Mr Dawson?" he spoke up stepping closer to the bed.

Jack's mouth seemed to be moving and he leaned in to hear what he was saying.

"My…my…"

The doctor smiled, because even though he had still trouble speaking, it was also clear that he was indeed healing.

"You…you can't…"

His words weren't making much sense, but that didn't matter at all. Soon he would've made a full recovery of that the doctor was sure of.

Or would he?

"Mr Dawson, you've to rest," the doctor told him. "You shouldn't stress yourself so much."

Although Jack had been speaking out loud his eyes were still closed and the doctor was beginning to wonder, if he wasn't just sleep-talking.

But he decided to test him. If Jack was indeed waking up then he would be able to answer his question, but if he was just…well then…he wouldn't.

"Do you want me to call your wife?"

Rose?

Yes, he wanted to see her or…no he didn't.

Of course he did…

"Roger…," he coughed out slowly. "…he…"

"Roger Lindsay, Mr Dawson, are you referring to him?"

This bastard had touched his wife. He had impregnated her. He had to pay for it.

If only he had gotten enough strength to open his eyes and get out of this silly bed.

"He…he…where..?"

"I don't know where he is, Mr Dawson, but I can find out, if you want."

There's nothing you can do about it.

He had laughed afterwards.

Jack felt someone touching his hand, obviously searching for a pulse. Then he thought he noticed someone standing up from a chair.

Time elapsed. Slowly Jack's vision although still blurred, was beginning to get back his full eye-sight. A male figure was staring at him.

The doctor?

"Doctor?"

"How are you feeling, Mr Dawson?"

"Alright, I guess. My head hurts a bit"

"Well you've been here for quite a while, so that's not really surprising," the doctor tried to make a little joke, but Jack clearly wasn't in the laughing mood. "Sorry," he muttered. "Anyway you've been asking me about Mr Lindsay. What did you want to know?"

Jack raised his eyebrows in wonder.

Roger Lindsay?

"I've…I can't remember."

Why would he ask about him?

"It's alright," the doctor smiled at him "What can you remember?"

"I remember talking to Mrs Dewitt Bukater yesterday."

The doctor didn't wonder at all about this reference. It wasn't unalike for patients like Jack to get confused with time.

"Yesterday? Mr Dawson I fear you've lost track of time. You've been here for almost three weeks."

"Three weeks, but…," Jack was alerted trying to stand up, but naturally the doctor stopped him. "No, let me, I've to…"

"Mr Dawson, you're just about to recover from a serious illness. I won't let you go anywhere at the moment."

But…what about Fabrizio and Rose?

Jack realized that he didn't have a choice and moreover that the doctor only wanted the best for him.

"Should I tell your wife that you're awake?" the doctor suggested.

"Yes, please…," he began, but then he remembered Roger Lindsay and what he had told him. Not that he doubted Rose's love for him for one second, but he knew that he had to pretend some more to find out the truth.

"No, in fact, why don't we leave things the way they are?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell anyone that I've woken up not even my wife. I don't…," he thought for a moment about his decision – was it too cruel? "…I don't want her in danger."

"Of course, yes, only you and I will know."

"Thanks," Jack let out a sign of relieve.

"You're very welcome, Mr Dawson," the doctor again smiled him sympathetically.

…..

Fabrizio and the man, who preferred to be called Billy – though Fabrizio was sure that this wasn't his real name – were watching Roger opening his eyes. They had agreed beforehand that they would play some trick on him.

As soon as he had realized where he was he started to shout at Fabrizio. Billy had gone out according to their plan. He shouldn't be seen.

"You little shit. Let me go or I…," he shouted, but then he started wondering. "Weren't you two?"

"No, Sir, it was just me."

"But I heard another man taking…"

"Yes, someone from the street…you slipped outside and obviously hurt you head badly. I just ask someone to help me carry you inside."

Fabrizio and Billy had indeed lain him down on the couch so this lie was at least not completely made up. Roger Lindsay seemed to buy it.

"Hey listen what's your name?"

"Come on, tell me. I'm your friend."

"Fabrizio, my name is Fabrizio."

"Ah, so Fabrizio it is. Well then…surely you and I can sort things out in a more…you know gentlemanlike way."

Fabrizio was kind of having a déjà vu on this. Hadn't Caledon Hockley more than once used the exact same words?

"Whatever you want to propose, I'm not interested."

"I'm rich, very rich and I can give anything. We two, we'll make a great pair."

Fabrizio was so angry with him. He wanted to hit him for all the nonsense and lying that was coming out of his mouth, but then he thought twice about it.

He doesn't know that I've been the one spying on him, right?

So why not use this knowledge for his advantage?

"Fine, tell me. What do you want me to do?"

"I…can I rely on you?"

Roger motioned for him to come closer and Fabrizio leaned it close to his ear.

He was shocked, but not at all surprised about what he wanted him to do.

"If you're successful then…well, let's just say you won't regret it."

I'm sure I won't.

"When do we meet again?" Fabrizio wanted to know.

"I'll contact you," Roger answered once both were out on the street again.

Fabrizio and Billy shared a look, which wasn't noticed by Roger Lindsay.