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Bell

Chapter8

He sobbed into his pillow, his palms clenched tightly. Why did she make him do it? He didn't want to hurt anymore people; he didn't want to shoot the firefighter. But she made him do it he had to kill him to make his stand. He screamed into the pillow, his plan was not working anymore, they were not together and getting them apart will not do, not anymore.

They destroyed his life together and they will pay for it…together.

He rose from his position on the bed and moved towards the pictures he hanged on the wall. He smiled as he traced one of the pictures. A blond woman and a dark haired man eating dinner together. They were FBI, he never thought about the possibility that the FBI will pose as undercover paramedics.

It was a brilliant plan, but he thought his new plan was better.

When Sue walked in, she expected to be the only one in the bullpen. She clutched a small box filled with goodies for breakfast and held Levi's leash in her other hand. She was surprised when Levi ran inside and immediately hurried towards Jack, who was standing in front of the white board, his features pensive. Levi sat beside him on the floor and whined softly, it was only then that Jack finally tore his gaze from the board and turned around. He smiled at the retriever's enthusiasm and petted his head, chuckling at the licks Levi tried to give his hands.

"You were far away." Sue said softly and he turned, his eyes locking hers immediately, a soft smile forming on his lips. He shrugged his shoulders and tried hard to break the gaze.

"We had a long night." He said and then motioned towards Bobby. The tall agent sat on his chair, his long legs propped on his desk. A few papers already fell to the floor and a huge stack of folders was about to collapse as well.

"Shouldn't we move the folders?" Sue asked, moving towards the messy desk.

Jack shook his head. "Leave it be. It will make a loud noise…Bobby can jump really high, you know." He grinned at her.

She smiled. "As long as you make sure to warn me too, I wouldn't want to miss it."

She turned to face the board and thought she saw a shadow of a smile on Bobby's face, she frowned for a moment, but his steady breathing convinced her he was sound asleep. "There is another victim." She stated, her gaze flying over the pictures on the board.

"Yes." Jack said. "A firefighter is dead, bullet to the forehead."

Sue felt her heart beat grow unsteady. "Were you there?" She whispered and he raised his head from the files he was holding.

Her voice shook. He wasn't sure she was aware of that, but it broke his heart. He understood now that she was worried about him, worried that this strange undercover mission will cost him his life. He swallowed before touching her shoulder gently, her face moved towards his and he was startled by the dark circles that rimmed her eyes. He looked around the office. It was still early and they were the only one in the room. Bobby was sound asleep and snored softly before cuddling even more into the chair.

The pile of folders moved another inch towards the edge of the desk.

Jack moved closer, his arms enveloping her gently. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply, as his head rested above hers and he could breathe the soft scent of her shampoo. Her hands held his shirt tightly as she fought for control. "I'm alright, Sue." He repeated, aware of the fact that she couldn't hear him but needing to hear the words himself. He pressed a kiss to her hair before pulling backwards a little and kissing her forehead. "I'm alright, Sue, we wore vests." His hand moved to caress a strand of hair and he tucked it behind her ear.

"No vest can protect your head, Jack." She sniffed. "I'm sorry. I can't sleep lately."

He didn't ask her why and she didn't offer any explanation. Instead they seemed to be locked in each other's arms. Sue's hands moved to rest on his chest and he tightened his grip, his hands resting on her upper back, pulling her even closer. The sound of her breathing was the only thing he heard and the proximity of her body made him dizzy and unfocused. The desire to kiss her was overwhelming; he lowered his head, keeping his eyes open to see everything, to see her.

Their bodies were so close she could feel his heart beating. Its rhythm was fast and seemed to compete with hers, the heat that soared from his body seemed to enflame her and she tilted her head to the right, moving even closer. Her eyes were wide and she gasped softly when his gaze turned dark and intense, his body reacting to the slow caresses her hands seemed to do on their own accord.

His lips touched hers, softly, almost like a caress. His grip tightened so hard he thought he might break her. She sighed into the kiss and felt his hands roaming her back, his mouth opening slightly, offering more. She opened her mouth eagerly, a silent invitation. A surge of pleasure overwhelmed her when he nibbled her lower lip, his tongue caressing it softly.

Jack jumped when he heard a loud bang coming from his right. Sue gave a startled cry before she turned to see Bobby kneeling on the floor, picking up the folders that were now all over the place. She smiled softly when his mouth moved and looked at Jack, question in her eyes.

He smiled gently. "Don't ask me, I think he's cursing but it's all Aussie talk, I don't understand anything."

"Good morning." Dimitrius entered the bullpen, followed by Myles and Tara who seemed to be arguing about something. Lucy followed them with a smirk on her face and immediately started signing to Sue. They went to get some coffee and Jack grinned to himself before moving to help Bobby.

"You know, mate." Bobby said slowly after picking up the last folder. "My love life maybe nonexistent right now but I know this: one day she'll run away and you won't be able to bring her back."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You did that on propose?"

Bobby snorted. "I could hear Myles and Tara bickering from a mile away, but you were oblivious. I had to do something."

They shared a look for a moment and Jack nodded his head, smiling. "Thank you."

Bobby grinned before moving to seat in his chair. Jack clapped his hands together and made sure he had Sue's attention before he talked. "Alright guys, let's get started. We have an important date tonight." He declared with a smile. "Myles, contact that restaurant." He handed him the note. "And make sure they'll know we're coming over."

Myles rolled his eyes. "That place is disgusting; you call that establishment a restaurant?" He made a face at the note.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Tara, we're still waiting for ballistics."

Tara nodded her head. "I'm on it; it should have been here by now."

D rose from his desk. "Let me try too, they are swamped lately and falling behind."

"Lucy and Bobby I want you to check any other episodes of violence against paramedics or firefighters, let's say from the last two or three years." He turned towards Sue. "Are you in for a little drive? We should talk to Marcus shore's family."

Sue smiled gently, nodding her head.

The enthusiastic Retriever ran fast, intent on reaching for his ball before it reached the bushes that were in the corner of the park. He tried to break his ran when he realized he wouldn't manage and then slipped on the pavement, barking with joy as he trotted into the bushes in search for his precious toy.

Sue laughed quietly, enjoying the pale sun that that wasn't warm but still created a brighter atmosphere. She glanced at the man who sat beside her, his hands were in his pockets and he was studying her face, a small smile on his lips. She looked away from him, spotting Levi as he proudly ran towards them, his ball in his mouth.

The visit at the Shore family was a hard one. Her only comfort was Levi who seemed to do well for the fireman's son. The little child was delighted and spent the few minutes they were inside whispering secrets in Levi's ear. They asked standard questions. Marcus Shore's wife didn't know James or Megan although she could tell them that her husband knew a lot of the rescue workers around the area. She didn't receive any threats and both Jack and Sue felt confused. Why did the shooter kill the fireman? Both didn't have any explanation.

They decided to have an early lunch at the park before heading back to the office. Sue let Levi vent away, throwing his ball repeatedly and they both sat down on one of the benches, eating sandwiches. Jack touched her shoulder and she raised her head to meet his eyes.

"You were far away." He said and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I was trying to think about the case but nothing makes sense anymore." She smiled a little when he pouted at her, his eyes bright.

"I thought we were taking a well-deserved break." He laughed and they leaped into silence. He moved his hand to rest above hers and then lifted it, intertwining their fingers together. His thumb moved to caress her hand and she tried to suppress the shiver that went down her spine. She swallowed, suddenly; everything seemed to focus on his touch. Her eyes focused on their joined hands, her nose picked up his scent, she felt the texture of his hand while he burned her with his touch, her breathe came out as a silent gasp and he stopped his actions, looking at her with serious eyes. "Sue, about this morning…"

She had no idea why she pulled her hand away from his and placed a finger on his warm lips, effectively silencing his words. She had no idea what she wanted to tell him or why she didn't want him to say anything. Was she afraid that he was backpedaling? Yes, very afraid, she admitted to herself. She didn't want to hear that he was sorry. She swallowed several times before she managed to speak. "Please, don't say that you're sorry."

Jack fought the urge to kiss her finger. He wasn't sorry. The only thing he was sorry about was that he didn't kiss her before. He did kiss her finger softly and she snatched it from his mouth, flushing scarlet. He chuckled quietly and gently, cupped her face with his hand, moving the other hand to caress her golden hair. Levi came rushing towards them and he tossed him his ball, buying at least a few minutes. Her eyes were uncertain as she looked at him and he smiled at her. "I wasn't going to say that. I am not sorry for kissing you. I just thought…" He shrugged his shoulders and she raised her eyebrows at the mischief she saw in his eyes. "Maybe we could finish what we started in the bullpen…now that we are finally alone." Levi barked and dropped the ball in his lap. Sue laughed and Jack shook his head. "Alone with Levi, I meant. Here you go boy." He tossed the ball again.

Sue swallowed again, moving her tongue to wet her suddenly wet lips. Did he mean it? Did he want to kiss her again? Was he getting closer? His lips stopped her train of thoughts as he gently pressed them against hers. His hand tilted her head so that he could have better access. She was overwhelmed; her heart beat furiously in her chest. His lips were soft and warm and his hand moved slowly in her hair, caressing it.

He moved slowly, trying not to press too hard, trying not to scare her. His emotions seemed to send him into over drive, his mind focused on nothing but her taste, her touch, the little moans she probably wasn't aware of. He took his chance and deepened the kiss, sending them both into a whirlwind as he finally felt that she was responding, her hands clutching at his shirt as she held him. His hands moved to her neck, circling her. He moaned into the kiss and felt her shaking. Did she feel his response to her touch?

From a distance, he heard a ringing and managed to moan. "Not again" against her mouth before he pulled away slowly and reached for his phone. He pulled her to him as he spoke, leaning her head against his shoulder and caressing her hair. When he finished speaking he tapped her shoulder and she raised her head. He looked disappointed. "We should get back to the office. Myles just finished talking with the owner of the restaurant and we need to make some plans."

Sue nodded her head, trying not to show her disappointment. They both rose from the bench and she reached for Levi's leash when Jack pulled her into his arms again. She buried her head in his chest. "I don't want to go back." She whispered and felt his chest moving when he chuckled.

"Me neither." He said, pulling her for another kiss. They stood under the trees, wrapped in each other's arms, trying to forget the world around them. Levi stood quietly beside them, waiting for them to move. She moved her hands to trace his face, tangling them in his dark hair. He pulled her closer as humanly possible, her mouth soft and warm against his. He didn't want to ever leave but the sound of sirens pulled him back to reality and he sighed. Maybe later they could be Jack and Sue again, but now, they had some work to do.

Death visited the room. Next to the tub, on the floor, was a dead woman. Her black hair was covered in blood and the red liquid pooled around her.

The woman died instantly, the small gun was next to her.

She raised her head from the body to look at the room around her. The red blood clashed horribly with the white bathroom. On the sink, she noticed a white envelope and she tilted her head to the right wondering; should she open it?

The loud knocks on the door startled her and she looked backwards, a sudden sense of dread filling her. Her stomach clenched, and she laid a protective hand against it. The knocking continued, and she felt herself moving towards it, her hand reaching for the door knob.

She stopped moving when she heard voices; she recognized one of them as her partner but didn't know who the other man was. There was a loud banging sound and a shout that sounded filled with surprise and pain. She turned the knob to the right opening the door. She screamed when a sudden ringing deafened her ears, forcing her to the ground, kneeling in front of the open door.

The horrible sound wouldn't stop and she wiped her sudden wet face with her hands. She opened her eyes to look at her palm, her head now pounding heavily. She swallowed another scream when she realized her hand was filled with blood.

She opened her eyes, a sob escaping her mouth before she bolted into a sitting position. She fisted her hand and tightened it on her lips, muffling the sobs that shook her body.

The ringing started again and she jumped before realizing it was the phone. She reached towards it and grabbed the receiver, her breath heavy.

"Hello?"

"Megan?" the voice on the other side was familiar but she couldn't identify him, her hands were still shaking. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." She sighed.

"It's Jack Hudson."

"You woke me up." She said. "What time is it?"

"Just after five." He answered. "Are you awake enough to talk about tonight?"

Megan nodded her head and then smiled when she realized he couldn't see her. "Shoot, Jack, I'm listening."

"So…everyone ready for tonight?" Jack raised his head from the folder he was reading and observed his team mates. They all nodded their heads and he smiled at them, turning his head in Sue's direction, his smile faltering at the sight of the red roses on her desk.

The bouquet was waiting for her when they returned from their lunch. He was amused by her delight at the lovely flowers but had to admit that he wasn't the one who sent them. He ignored the small sense of jealousy that attacked him; he had no reason to be jealous, right?

But after all, after he thought about it for several hours he realized that besides kissing each other they haven't really spoken…lack of time, tiredness, it didn't really matter. The end point was that he had no idea where they stood. Were they dating? He shook his head, opening the drawer in his desk.

He had a bad feeling about those flowers and the note that was attached to them was suspicious. He read again, letters painted in dark red. Red for desire, the note said and he didn't like the sound of that. Sue agreed that the note should go to the lab, she had no idea who sent her the flowers and she thought he didn't see her worried face but he did. He rose from his chair, heading towards the lab. Tonight's dinner might shed some more light on their case.