"Please Grandpa Jack, please... find Daddy... help my Daddy come home."
His heart pounding wildly, Jack lurched forward as he reached blindly for the bedside light, his fingers scrambling for the switch. Pressing the button, light flooded the room and he lay back on the twisted sheets waiting for his racing heart to eventually calm. Going to the bathroom he took a long drink of water then returned to bed to study the PI's report, he had no intention of going back to sleep tonight. The nightmare had been disturbing, with Angie's cry of anguish piercing his heart.
Several hours later Jack awoke to a knocking at the door and the sun bright through the curtains. Throwing his arm across his eyes which felt gritty and inflamed, he croaked out, "Come in," as he pulled the sheet up to cover his bare chest. Michelle entered the room with a tray which she placed on his lap as he pulled himself up. "Here's your breakfast Jack. I didn't want to disturb you but Chloe and Edgar will be here shortly."
Seeing his discomfort, she passed him his tee-shirt off the chair where he'd thrown it last night, and turned off the bedside lamp, preparing to leave.
"Thanks Michelle... listen, do you think Angie could have ESP? She's only five."
"I don't think age has anything to do with it. Sometimes an emotional crisis can enhance a person's natural ability and Chase and Angela do have a strong bond, so yes, she could have ESP."
"Last night I dreamt that Angie was talking to me."
"About helping Chase?"
"Yeah," he couldn't keep his surprise from showing.
Sitting on the end of the bed she said, "Jack, you've always been very protective of your family and that's a wonderful trait, but under the circumstances I don't think it's a good idea for you to get involved. Liz will be waiting and there won't be CTU resorces for you to fall back on. It would be wiser to give all the information to the FBI and let them handle it."
"That sounds remarkably like what Tony thinks," he muttered as he ate the eggs and toast, suddenly hungry.
Michelle laughed, "Just because we agree for once it doesn't mean we're wrong."
"Anymore than my disagreeing with you means I'm wrong. Sorry Michelle, but I'm already involved. She only took Chase to get me and I'll do whatever it takes to get him home again to Kim and Angie.:" Putting down his fork, Jack shook his head, "Christ Michelle, I've screwed up their lives so much."
The doorbell sounded and after a moment they could hear Tony greeting Chloe and Edgar. "The team's assembled," Michelle said as she rose.
"I want to go to Santa Clarita and visit this Rosita Lopez, the medium. She said to stop by any morning between 8 and 10am, I was hoping you'd come with me."
Sitting again, Michelle looked at Jack. "Don't. You don't know what you're playing with here Jack. Fate, it's not something you toy with."
"That's why I want you to come, you've had some experiance."
"Well then listen to my voice of experiance and forget it... look Jack, unless you know what you're doing it can backfire. They tell you to beware of a blue car and you're so focused on that you don't notice the 18 wheeler as it runs you over."
"And that's why I want to go. The more information I have the better prepared I'll be."
"Information can be misconstrued, it can get distorted. I'm sorry Jack but I can't do it and you shouldn't either."
"Thanks Michelle, I appreciate your concern, but I'm going. I'll be back in an hour."