Hi all, sorry for being away for so long! Had lots going on with Christmas and New Year...which leads me to say...HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Hope you all still enjoy my story. Please leave reviews if you still love it!

"So tell me more, what was he like as a teenager?" Katie asked much to Jakes disapproval. They were all out for dinner and had been sat talking for hours after many people had come and gone from the restaurant. It was great. Spending this time with people he care about the most. Grace had picked up Quentin for the weekend, no bad words were said and she thanked Katie for allowing to take him for that time.

"Speak and your getting a direct shot in the balls" Jake murmured.

Lex chuckled, "You know i'm quicker than you-"

"-right of course, that's why last year i was given the award for best cross country" Jake responded nodding sarcastically.

"That's long distance my friend. Not a reflex" Lex came back.

Jake gave a side glance at a giggling Katie and his heart almost melted. She was so beautiful when she smiled. He hardly saw it when they were in the Cordon. But when he did it lit up a room. Now this evening, she couldn't stop smiling.

"My reflexes are good-" SMACK. A bread roll hit his face. Jake opened his eyes to see Lex and Jana laughing hysterically.

"What was that sweetie?" Katie asked leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the cheek with a smirk on her face.

"Ok. Ok my reflexes are not amazing-" Jake raised his hands in defeat and quickly grabbed a bread stick and threw it at Lex's face.

Lex stopped laughing and looked to Jake, "Fine neither are mine" he huffed.

"Er excuse me...gentlemen" a waiter came to the table. It was obvious he struggled to say the word gentlemen in irony. All of them looked to him, "can you please refrain from throwing bread at each other?"

Katie snorted and giggled with Jana and both Lex and Jake straightened themselves up, trying to hide a smile.

"Of course" Lex replied.

"We can only apologise" Jake came back.

The waiter nodded and slowly walked away. All of them burst into laughter again.

"Man i've missed this" Lex shook his head in amusement.

"Missed what?" Jana asked, "it was always the three of us. We now have Katie" she smiled sweetly at her.

Jake moved his arm around the back of Katie's chair and gently stroked her arm. They did have her. He had her. In that moment he felt so incredibly lucky.

Lex picked up his glass, "Your right. I say we make a toast" he agreed to his girlfriend, "to new friends. New life and brighter beginnings"

They all raised their glasses and clinked together, "To new beginnings" they all stated and took a sip.

A moment passed of silence but it was like an elephant in the room and Jake had to ask, "How did it go with Lommers today?"

Lex raised his eyes from his glass that was now placed on the table, "Not good"

Jake was worried about where this was going, "She wouldn't help?"

Lex snorted, "Wouldn't help? That's an understatement. She wouldn't see me. For a Doctor its amazing what security that women has. Shes definitely hiding something"

Jake breathed deeply through his nose, his frustration evident to Katie who placed her hand on his leg and gave it a soft squeeze. He closed his eyes, "Lex i seriously cant not do anything"

Lex nodded, "I know that man. But for now you will. Jake Riley is in that Cordon, along with Katie Frank and Jana Mayfield"

Katie leaned forward, "Wait. I get they would know about Jake being a cop. But whats a Data Recovery Specialist and a teacher got to do with them?"

Lex raised his eyebrows, "I guess your right. I'm making an assumption. They don't know your names. They don't know everyone in there. They are still going through profiles and visiting every home in Atlanta to determine whose in the Cordon"

Katie nodded and she looked to Jake, "I can ask my neighbours, see if they've visited our homes yet. If they haven't..."

"You were never in the Cordon" Jake finished it off for her.

"But what will that mean if they don't put as down as being in the Cordon?" Jana asked with curiosity.

"It means we can be more active in bringing all of this down and help Lex" Katie answered.

"-Katie" Jake started. This scared him. For all the time he was in the Cordon he was there to protect her. If he is down as being in the Cordon, he couldn't help and couldn't keep her safe with him.

"Jake its ok. I need to do this" Katie told him. He looked in her eyes and saw it. Both of them had seen things. Things they never what to relive. But they had seen them. There was no escaping that. He had to give her the freedom. It was selfish of him to constantly want to keep her with him. She was a force to be reckoned with when she set her mind to something. He wasn't going to stand in the way of that.

He nodded, "Ok. You ask your neighbours tomorrow...then we start this"