Hear No Evil - Chapter 40

After scribbling a quick note for Sue’s parents, Jack and Sue left for the airport. Tara had sent Jack a message to let him know she had rearranged their flights and they were due to leave Ohio in a little over an hour’s time. They had packed their things and left the Thomas house, arriving back in the bullpen several hours later.

“Have we heard anything more Bobby?”Jack said as they walked in.
“It’s just been confirmed mate, the two women pulled out of the Potomac are Claire Williams and Sophie Morgan. It looks like our kidnapping has just escalated to a murder.” Bobby said as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“That’s not all Crash. All four of the women went to the same speech teacher in Ohio. They were all taught by Barbara Casey around the same time as Sue did. Ms Casey couldn’t say if the women knew each other back then, or if they did as adults.”

Sue caught the look that Bobby was giving her and knew what he was thinking. Like Jack, Bobby could be over-protective, as could all of the guys, but at that moment, she still didn’t believe she was in any danger. There was no indication she was at risk.

“I know what you are going to say Bobby but I am not going into a safe house. We still have no reason to believe that this person will come after me.” Bobby opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Sue’s hand. “No buts Bobby, I appreciate your concern but I am staying at home with Lucy. This person is not going to scare me out of my own home.”

Sue watched as Bobby turned to Jack, obviously looking f or his best friend to agree with him. Jack looked between them before speaking.

“Sue, I understand how you feel but it is not just a kidnapper we are dealing with now. Two of these women have been killed. You can’t deny that the connections between the women also connect you. There are too many coincidences here Sue and I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t act on my instincts. It’s not very often that I pull rank, but I’m going to now. Seeing as you won’t move into a safe house, then we shall have to bring the safe house to you. You a Lucy will be having a house guest so make your choice.”
“But Jack...”
“No buts Sue. Neither you nor Lucy is armed so if anyone did come after you, you would be a sitting duck. One of us is going to stay with you until this case is over or we know with 100% certainty that you aren’t at risk.”

Sue looked at Lucy who had the biggest grin on her face. She inwardly groaned at what she knew her friend was thinking. The obvious choice would be Jack and judging by the looks on the faces of the others, they all thought she would pick Jack too. Under normal circumstances, she would love having Jack stay at her for a few days, but seeing as this was for a case, and when she and Jack were alone all thoughts of work went out the window, she decided that Jack probably wasn’t the best option.

“Okay, fine, if I have to have someone babysit me, then I pick Tara.” Sue said as she smiled at the only female agent in the bullpen.
“Great. Okay, Tara, you can go home and pack a bag for a few nights. “Jack said to her as the petite agent grabbed her purse and left the bullpen. Jack turned to Sue, “You and I have to go and speak with the women’s parents, see if they can tell us why they took their daughter’s out of Ms Casey’s class.”

Nodding, Sue followed him out of the bullpen and waited with him for the elevator. It was a few moments before Jack spoke.

“I know you think I’m being over-protective Sue, but I can’t say that I’m not worried about you. There are too many coincidences in this case and I’ve been around long enough not to believe in coincidences. I’m not going to risk anything happening to you Sue.”
“It’s okay Jack, I know you’re only doing what you think needs to be done. Besides, it might be fun having another woman in the house. Although poor old Levi is going to feel greatly outnumbered.” Sue said as she smiled down at her faithful companion who just lay on the floor and covered his nose with his paws.

Both Jack and Sue laughed at the canine before stepping into the elevator.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 32

Sue smiled at Jack as he squeezed her hand and released it, letting her return to her desk. She kept her eyes on him as he approached Tara.

“Hey Tara. Anything on that list of friends yet?”

“Everyone is clean at the moment Jack. The first two, Simon Davies and Greg Chambers still live in Ohio and are married with kids, they both said that they haven’t heard anything from Rosemary in almost three months. Background checks came back clean. I haven’t been able to reach the next two on the list but their preliminary checks are clean too, their names are Sharon Michaels and Barbara Casey."

When Sue read Tara saying the last name, she fell down onto her seat. Jack spotted it almost immediately and he rushed to her side, kneeling in front of her.

“What is it Sue?” He asked her.

“Did you just say Barbara Casey?” Sue asked Tara as she nodded. “Jack, Barbara Casey was my speech teacher. If Rosemary went to see Ms Casey and the others were from Ohio, it’s possible they went to see her too. She was only one of two speech teachers in the immediate area.  She could be the link between all of the women Jack.  We need to speak with her.” Sue explained.

“I agree. I shall have a word with Garrett, see if will give us the go ahead to go out there. Somehow I don’t think a phone call will cut it, we need to see her and her reaction to our questions. I shall come out with you. If you know her, it will probably be best if you speak with her. I shall be there by your side if you need anything. We could even pay your parents a visit while we are out there.”

Sue managed a weak smile and Jack gently squeezed her hand before leaving the bullpen to speak with Garrett. Sue turned in her chair and stared into space. Whilst she would never admit this to anyone, especially Jack, she was beginning to get nervous. There were just too many coincidences connecting her to the missing women. If she was right and they had all attended the same speech teacher, she knew that Jack would insist she moved to a safe house until the person was caught.

Whilst his protective streak did annoy her at times, she knew that he was only looking out for her. She told herself that Jack would so the same thing if it was any of the team and she was probably right, but she knew that with her it went deeper than that. With her it was personal.  She knew Jack wouldn’t let anything happen to her, even if it meant him staying with her 24/7, gun in hand to fend of anyone who tried to hurt her. She was broken out of her thoughts when Jack returned and came straight to her desk.

“Garrett approved it.” He said as he nodded. “Tara, I need to you get us on the next available flight out to Ohio. We need to get going right now so can call me when you’ve got the flight details.”

Sue watched as Tara nodded and began working on the flights and Jack picked up her jacket and clipped on Levi’s leash. Grabbing her purse, Sue stood and left the bullpen with Jack.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 31

They arrived back at the bullpen to a flurry of activity. Myles was having an animated conversation with someone on the phone. The amount of gesticulating he was doing with his free hand told Jack that whoever it was on the phone wasn’t in the Bostonian’s good books. Bobby was having what looked like a rather heated debate with someone who Jack didn’t recognise and Tara was busy running between her desk and the printer. Lucy was nowhere to be seen. As Sue was about to sit, Tara spotted them and came rushing over.

“Jack, Sue, I think we have a break in the case, we found a connection between the women apart from them all being deaf. They were all born and raised in Ohio!”

Jack immediately turned to Sue and saw the look that crossed her face. This was getting a little too close to home and too close to Sue. He knew that if all of the women lived in DC, were oral deaf and came from Ohio, then Sue could be at risk. As he looked at her he felt an overwhelming urge to do nothing put protect her. He knew that she would think he was being silly and they had no reason to suspect that whoever took the women would be after her too but the coincidences were a little too much for him to ignore. At that moment Bobby spotted Jack and Sue by Tara’s desk and strode over to them. 

“I take it Tara has told you what we have found.” Jack nodded. “So you know the situation that this puts us in. What do we do about Sue?” 

Jack knew that Sue was right by him and would be reading the conversation between him and Bobby.  

“Excuse me, I am standing right here you know.” Bobby looked at her, suitably chastised, “Nothing is going to be done about me at this stage. I appreciate your concern guys but we have no reason to suspect that this person is after me so until we do, there is no point worrying.” 

She deliberately looked at Bobby to make her point before looking back to Jack, recognising the look on his face.   

“I don’t need to be protected Jack.”

“Okay, but the first sign that this guy is after you we are putting you into a safe house.” He smiled when Sue nodded. “Good. Tara, this is a list of Rosemary White’s friends from back in Ohio. Her husband said she kept in touch with quite a few of her friends from back home. Seeing as we now have the Ohio connection, I think that we may find that someone on this list could be connected to the others in some way. Let me know as soon as you find anything.”

Tara took the list off Jack and immediately started working her magic.  He turned back to Sue and took her hand.

“Come with me, I wanna talk to you.”

Despite her initial resistance, Jack led Sue to a nearby conference room. After checking that it was empty, he led her inside and closed the door. As he turned the lock, he stood in front of her and pulled her to him into a warm embrace. He felt her relax against him as her arms wrapped around his back and he heard her sigh, her head resting on his shoulder.   

He loved just holding her like this. If he had his way, they would stay like this forever and he would never let her go. Unfortunately, he knew that this wasn’t possible as he slowly pulled her away from him, but kept her in the circle of his arms.

“I know I’ve asked this before, and you’re probably getting sick of me saying it, but are you sure you’re all right? I mean with this case?”

Jack watched her as she sighed, her hands moving to rest on his upper arms. He could tell that she was thinking as her fingers absently played with the material of his shirt. He had to wonder what she was thinking about. She began to chew on her bottom lip, a small gesture that she did often, but whenever he saw her do it, he wanted to kiss her and this time was no exception.  

“I would be lying if I said that the thought of me being next haven’t crossed my mind. All of these women appear to have done nothing wrong other than being deaf. I know that some people think that being deaf is a liability and that we shouldn’t be allowed into normal society, including me……” She stopped when Jack cut her off with a finger to her lips.

“Now you stop right there. Don’t you ever think that you are a liability to any one. Everyone in that bullpen is a changed person since you came onto the team. I have never seen Bobby being so considerate towards others and what you have done with Myles is nothing short of amazing.” Sue smiled at his comments. “As for me, you have affected me in so many ways that I can’t even begin to tell you how my life has changed. You have opened my eyes to a whole new world and I will always be thankful that you came into my life. If we even get the slightest hint that this person is in any way after you, I shall be the first one to do something about it. I am not going to do anything to risk losing you.”

Jack tightened his hold on her and watched as she smiled, her hands snaking round his back.

“Now this is one of the things I love about you. You always look out for me and try to protect me. But for your information Special Agent Hudson, this isn't one of my favourite cases, but I will be okay with it, I promise.”
“Good.” Jack said as he placed a kiss on her nose “Now, how about I take you and Levi out for dinner tonight? Chinese, Mexican or Italian?”

“Erm……Chinese tonight I think” Sue said.
“Chinese it is. Let’s get back before the guys come looking for us.” 

Placing a quick kiss to her lips, Jack released hid hold on her and took her hand as he unlocked the conference room door and they both headed back towards the bullpen.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 29

“I knew her as Rosemary Prince, her maiden name.” Sue explained. “She used to attend deaf club every week without fail then one day a little over a year ago, she just stopped coming. I never did find out why. I just assumed that she had moved back home to be closer to her parents. Her dad had been really ill and her mother was having difficulty coping. Her dad is deaf and her mom hearing. I never knew that she was seeing someone and she never mentioned anything about a baby, or getting married.”
“Where was home for Rosemary Sue?”

Jack watched her as she smiled up at him and he couldn’t help but wonder what he had said to make her smile.

“Jackson, Ohio.”

Jack had to chuckle and understood the reason for her smile. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, surprised when her hand went up to cover his. Even though they were now together, it was still the little things like that which took him by surprise and he was sure he would never get used to it.

“One other thing. Tara, you said that Rosemary was on her way back from deaf club?” Tara nodded. “I don’t think that can be correct. The deaf club I go to is the only one in a twenty mile radius. Rosemary couldn’t……can’t drive, at least she couldn’t when I knew her, so unless she was hitchhiking, she couldn’t have been at deaf club last night.”

Smiling at her, Jack turned to Tara as she worked at her computer.

“Sue’s right Jack, the only deaf club apart from the one Sue goes to, it 35 miles from here.”

Sue watched as Jack nodded as moved too his desk. Turning, she looked at her computer screen. She hadn’t seen or heard from Rosemary for over twelve months, which at the time she thought was strange as they had been quite close at deaf club. As time went on, she thought less and less of it. She started to let her thoughts get away from her until she saw Lucy standing next to her.

“You okay?” Lucy asked.
“I’m fine Luce.” Sue said as Lucy pulled up a chair next to her.
“Good. Now you can tell me to keep my nose out but I was just wondering what Garrett wanted to see you for.”

Sue had to chuckle at her friend. She was surprised it had taken her so long to ask about the meeting she and Jack had just had with Garrett. She knew it must have been eating at her. Glancing at Jack to see him on his cell, she turned back to Lucy and sighed.

“He knows about me and Jack. Someone sent him an e-mail saying that they had seen us out on our date Saturday and asked him to “deal” with the situation.” Lucy said making quotation marks in the air.
“Did he say who sent it?”Lucy asked
“No, but whoever it is made it clear that he doesn’t agree with us breaking bureau policy.”
“I can’t believe that someone would be so underhand and send an e-mail like that. You leave it to me Sue, I shall find out who it was and give them a piece of my mind.”

Before Sue could protest Lucy was back in front of her computer and on the phone. She knew that her best friend meant well and once she put her mind to something, she didn’t stop until she got the result she was after. She had no doubt that Lucy would find out who had sent that e-mail.

oOo

Whilst the rest of the team continued researching the four women’s backgrounds and the originator of a certain e-mail, Jack and Sue had left the bullpen and were on their way to see Rosemary White’s husband, James.

Telling her that there was no point taking two cars, they had taken Jack’s. However, that wasn’t the real reason why he’d suggested it. He was concerned about her and how she was handling the case. He’d asked her several times how she was doing and each time she said she was fine, but now that she knew the latest victim, his concern had increased.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked as he glanced at her.
“I’m okay with the case but something is bothering me.” Sue answered as she turned to him, “I can’t stop thinking about who sent Garrett that e-mail. It is clear that whoever it was doesn’t agree with us seeing each other. If we put one foot wrong it could mean one or both of us moving to a new team which is the last thing that I want. Everyone on the team is like a second family to me and I wouldn’t want to lose that, or you.”

Jack sighed and smiled, reaching over to take her hand. He’d been thinking the same thing since their meeting with Garrett. The rule about inter-office dating had been in place for as long as he could remember

“I know how you feel Sue. I wouldn’t want to break up the team either. But at the same time, I don’t want to be without you in my life.”
“I feel the same Jack, I still can’t quite believe that eighteen months ago I was in Ohio living with my parents and now I’m working for the FBI, I have great friends and I have you. I never dreamed that I would meet someone like you and become so attracted to you so quickly. Having you feel the same way about me scares me a little. Most men aren’t interested when they find out I am deaf.” Sue said as she gave him a half smile.
“That doesn't matter to me Sue. It never has. It’s part of what makes you who you are, what makes you so unique and what makes you who you are.”

Jack glanced at her as he tried to keep an eye on the road. He could tell that she was second guessing her feelings, and his feelings for her. He guessed that she hadn’t had many relationships in the past and he knew that she must have been hurt when people wrote her off because of her deafness. He waited for her response.

“I know that it doesn't bother you at the moment, but maybe it will if we keep seeing each other romantically. You could get bored with watching television with closed captions, or having to get my attention whenever you want to speak with me. I don’t want my deafness to drive a wedge between us, or for it to be the cause of any resentment.

Jack sighed as he realised his thoughts had been correct. It was just like Sue to worry about other people. Instead of thinking about her own happiness, she was worried about how their relationship would affect him. He stopped the car when they arrived at their destination, unbuckled his seatbelt and turned in his seat to look at her.

“Sue, I promise you that you will never lose me as a friend and I will never resent you for anything. You have changed my life so much since you barged into the bullpen all those months ago. Seeing you and Levi intrigued me, I had to find you, to see you again. Let me put it to you another way. Have you ever seen me eat lunch in the cafeteria apart from the day I had lunch with you?”

As she looked at him, she smiled. He was correct. She hadn’t seen him in the cafeteria again since that day. The thought that he’d sought her out had crossed her mind but dismissed the thought almost immediately. When she had seen him standing there, asking if he could sit with her, she had been overcome by how handsome he actually was. Of course, she had noticed it in the bullpen earlier that day but when he sat opposite her she saw it all too clearly. Her attraction to him had been instantaneous and she remembered that she hadn’t said much during their first lunch meeting, part of her still in awe at the handsome man that sat opposite her. She had seen the other women in the cafeteria looking her way, eying up the man she sat with. To this day she didn’t understand why he had chosen to sit with her when there were so many other women sitting alone who would obviously welcome his attention.

Jack sat looking at her, he could see that she was thinking and a smile crossed her face. He guessed that she was remembering their first lunch. He had found out from personnel that she was new to the bureau. He had assumed that she wouldn’t have known the immediate area so would spend her first lunch on the premises. His thoughts had proven correct when he walked into the cafeteria and saw her sitting at a table near the window, Levi sat at her feet. She was beautiful, there was no denying it. One of the most beautiful women he had seen. He’d been struck by her beauty when he first saw her but the way the light from the window highlighted her blond hair only served to make her look even more stunning.

As he’d approached her table, he was well aware of the glances he was receiving from the other women who were seated alone or some in pairs. But at that moment, he only had eyes for the blonde sitting with her dog. When he had discovered that she was deaf, he was intrigued all the more. Sitting across from her, her beauty was evident and it almost took his breath away that he could become attracted to someone so quickly. Almost at the same time, they came back to reality and smiled at each other.

“Come one, we have a job to do.”

Hear No Evil - Chapter 26

The next morning, Levi woke Sue as usual and she dragged herself out of bed. Her dreams had been filled with images and thoughts of Jack and she wondered how she was going to get any work done today with him sitting only a few feet from her. She felt herself blush as she remembered some of the dreams she’d had and knew that they would come flooding back to the forefront of her mind whenever she saw him.

Pulling on her robe, she walked out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, seeing Lucy sitting at the counter eating toast and jam. Sue saw her eyes light up when she saw her and a smile filled her face. She knew that Lucy was going to ask her all sorts of questions about her and Jack so she mentally prepared herself for the onslaught.

“Morning Luce.” Sue said as she approached her friend.
“Hey sleepyhead. How did you sleep?” Lucy said as she handed her a glass of orange juice.
“Like a baby.” She said as she took a sip of her juice.
“Well if I had spent most of the weekend with a man like Jack Hudson I think I would have slept like a baby too. Oh I am so jealous!”
Sue couldn’t hide the blush that filled her cheeks and she smiled at her friend. She knew exactly what she meant. Before she and Jack had declared their feelings, she had watched him spend time with Allie and the likes and found herself wondering what it would be like to spend time with him a guy like him. Now that she knew, she regretted not coming clean about her feelings sooner. Seeing Lucy watching her, Sue smiled and rested her chin and on her hand a sighed.

“I don’t know how he does it Luce. I feel so relaxed when I am around him. I’ve always enjoyed spending time with him but now, it’s almost like the world could end and everything would be alright because Jack would be there to make everything right. Does that make any sense?” Sue said.
“Uh Uh. It makes perfect sense. You, girlfriend, are in love with the man.” Lucy said, grinning from ear to ear.
“You know Luce, I think you might be right.”

Sue burst out laughing as Lucy almost choked on her orange juice and started coughing. She knew that her little revelation would come as a shock to her friend. She had admitted to herself that she was in love with Jack a long time ago and she knew that Lucy suspected as much, but admitting it to her wasn’t what Lucy had expected.

“Are you okay Luce. You are meant to drink the orange juice not choke on it.” She said, chuckling as Lucy regained her composure.
“I’m fine, it’s just……you just admitted that you are in love with Jack!”
“I know. It feels good to finally say it.” Sue said as she smiled at her friend.

Sue watched and Lucy jumped off the stool she was sitting on and pulled into a hug. Sue smiled at her friend but had to pull away after a few seconds when she had difficulty breathing due to Lucy’s grip on her.

“Girl, I am so happy for you. He feels the same way. You know that right?” Lucy said as she sat back down.
“I think so, but he hasn’t actually told me yet.” Sue said as she checked her watched. “We’d better go and get ready otherwise we’re gonna be late for work.”

Draining her glass, Sue placed it in the dishwasher before returning to her bedroom. Admitting her feelings to Lucy was one thing, but she knew that telling jack that she loved him was a major step in their relationship, a step that she wasn’t sure whether they were ready to take.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 24

Lucy watched them from the couch as they left. She was sure that Sue knew she had lied about meeting her Grandmother. She wasn’t due to meet up with her Grams until the next weekend. As well as that, Lucy knew that the only reason Sue had asked her to come along was because she was nervous about how quickly things were progressing with Jack.

She had become really close to Sue in the short time that they had know each other and despite her protests to the contrary, she knew how strong her feelings were for Jack. From day one she had seen the mutual attraction between them. She had hoped that something would happen when they’d gone to Bobby’s birthday party, but Rhonda had messed that up, which is partly why Sue had been so guarded about her feelings for him.

She had known Jack for many years and had been there when Allie had been on the scene. They had a history and had known each other many years. Their mothers were best friends and it was his mother who was to blame for Allie showing up when Jack had suffered his heart attack. When she had watched the interaction between the three of them in the bullpen after Jack had been released from hospital, he had clearly favoured Sue and looked awkward that Allie was there.

Lucy knew that Jack had cancelled a date with Allie to accompany Sue to her friend’s wedding. Sue had wound up doing with Paul but that fact that he had cancelled hid plans will Allie revealed more than he intended. If was only later that Lucy had accidentally found out that Jack had told Allie that he had needed to work on a big case. When Allie had found out the real reason, she hadn’t been impressed.

Now that Allie was completely out of the picture and they have finally confessed how they felt, she only hoped that now they were finally moving forward. Smiling, she glanced down at Levi who was lying by her feet.

“Well Levi, it’s up to them now.”

Hear No Evil - Chapter 23

Half an hour later, Sue was unlocking the front door to her apartment. It was only a ten minute drive from Jack’s apartment to hers, but once she’d freshened up and changed, she’d made the mistake of letting Jack get close to her and they’d wound up losing themselves in another heated kiss.

As she pushed the key into the lock, she could feel Jack standing closely behind her and she was acutely aware of his presence. Taking a breath to try and control her breathing, she pushed the door open she was greeted by Levi who sat in front of her thumping his tail against the floor. Crouching down, she ruffled the retriever’s fur as he nuzzled at her face.

“Hey buddy. I missed you. Where’s Lucy?”
“I’m here.” She said as she waved her hand to get Sue’s attention. “And where did you think you have been until this time missy? Jack, I know I said that I didn’t want you to blow it but I didn’t mean you to keep her out all night.”
“Sorry mom!” Jack said as he smiled.

Sue laughed as she looked between them, just catching the salute that Jack threw in Lucy’s direction. She knew that Lucy would be concerned when she hadn’t come home without any explanation but Jack had assured her that he spoken with her to assure her she was fine and was with him. She could only imagine what would have been going through Lucy’s mind when she’d heard Jack say that she was staying there with him. Knowing her friend as she did, she knew that the thoughts wouldn’t have been innocent.

“I trust you both had a good time.” Lucy said as she looked between the two of them.
“Yes we did. We are only here for a few minutes though. Sue has only come back to get changed.”
“How come?” Lucy asked curiously.
“Jack is taking me ice skating.” She paused slightly when she had a thought. Standing as Levi rushed off to lie down, she looked at her friend. “Would you like to come too Luce?”

Sue looked Jack who had a questioning look on his face and she knew what question his expression was asking. Moving to stand next to him, she slid her arm round his waist and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“If Lucy comes too it gives you more of an incentive to control yourself.” Sue said as she smiled.
“But what if I don’t want to control myself?” Jack mouthed silently for Sue’s eyes only, well aware that Lucy was watching them intently.

Sue felt her cheeks redden with Jack’s words. Being close to Jack was unnerving at the best of times now that they’d revealed their feelings, but being alone with him was something she hadn’t been prepared for. She found that she came close to losing herself completely whenever they were alone together and, whilst the feelings he invoked inside her excited her, they scared her at the same time. She saw Jack smile at her before turning to Lucy.

“You are more than welcome to come if you want Luce. The more the merrier as they say.”
“Thank you for the offer guys but I have already arranged to go and see my Grandmother. I am sure you will have fun without me. I can even take Levi with me. You know how much Grams loves him.” Lucy said.

Leaving Jack’s side, Sue walked to Lucy and gave her a warm hug before going into her bedroom to change. Five minutes later she emerged in a simple pair of dark blue jeans, white t-shirt and light blue zip up top. Standing by the door, she waited for Jack to come to her side, shivering when his hand went to the small of her back, a simple gesture that had always had a strong effect on her.

“Let’s get going. Bye Luce.” Sue said to her friend as she and Jack vanished from the apartment.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 15

After Lucy's call, Jack had woven in and out of DC traffic and they had walked into the bullpen ten minutes later to find everyone already there. Everyone looked up when they entered and Jack watched as his best friend grinned at them. He turned his eyes away and he inwardly groaned, recognising that look anywhere. Bobby knew and he had feeling he knew who had told him.

"So guys, how was the first date?" Bobby said as he clapped him on the back, confirming Jack's earlier thoughts.

Jack tucked his tongue in his cheek, trying his hardest to avoid looking at his friend who he knew was grinning widely. Instead, he turned to Sue and watched as looked at Lucy, an accusing look on her face. He grinned to when he saw Lucy shrug and walk over to her.

"You didn't expect me to know about you two and not tell anyone?" Lucy said as she came to stand next to Sue. "It would have been around the building in super quick time anyway. Everyone has been waiting for the day that you two finally came to your senses and admitted how you feel."

Jack looked between the two women and Sue's cheeks flooded with colour. He had to smile at how easily that happened to her. He began to wonder if simple words could make her blush like that, what colour would her cheeks go when they were alone together?

At that moment Garrett walked into the bullpen, grabbing everyone's attention. Knowing that their relationship was against bureau policy, Jack instinctively moved away from Sue and went to lean on his own desk. He felt bad doing it but Sue's smile and small nod told her that she understood. He nodded his head towards Garrett as he started to speak.

"I'm sorry to drag you all in here when you'd been given a few days off but a high profile case has come to our attention and it's been assigned to us at the request of the Director himself."
"The Director?" Jack queried.
"Yes Jack. He requested this team for reasons that will become clear." Garrett paused and looked at each member, knowing he had their full attention. "I trust you have all heard about the kidnappings that have occurred over the last two weeks."

Garrett paused as all the team nodded.

"It would be hard not to. They've been all over the news." Lucy said, as curious as the rest of the team.
"That's right Miss Dotson." He paused again. "The case has been given to us because all of the victims have something in common." Garrett said as he turned to face Sue. "All of the victims are oral deaf."

Garrett watched his team as they all looked at Sue, trying not to make it glaringly oblivious that they were doing so. Jack moved from his desk to sit beside her on hers, his hand covering Sue's, a move that didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Garrett cleared his throat before continuing.

"I have the files on all three of the missing women right here." He said as he held the files up to show them. "I have no doubt that you will all give 100% on this case as you do every case." Garrett paused for a moment and looked each of the team in the eye. "I don't need to tell you what needs to be done. I want this person found before another woman goes missing." Pausing again he handed the files to Jack. "Jack, do your magic." He said as he turned to Sue. "Thomas, can I have a word please."

Glancing at Jack as he squeezed her hand and smiled his encouragement, Sue moved from her desk and met Garrett in the hallway outside the bullpen.

"I think you know what I am going to say Sue. If you don't want to get involved with this case I will understand. It's close to home for you. No one will think any less of you for pulling out."

Sue smiled up at their supervisor, appreciating that he had thought of her wellbeing in this way.

"I appreciate you giving me the choice sir but I shall be fine. If all of the missing women were deaf, chances are their parents and friends might be too. While Lucy and Jack are improving day after day, I'm the only one fluent enough in ASL to communicate effectively."

She watched Garrett nodded and smiled.

"You have me there Thomas." He said as he paused. Against his better judgement, he nodded. "Okay, but only if you are sure? If you think it's getting too much for you, let me or Jack know. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir. Thank you."

Garrett turned and walked into his office, leaving Sue to return to the bullpen. As she entered, she saw Jack watching her, an unspoken question in his eyes. Sue recognised the look straightaway and nodded to him, smiling back when he smiled at her. She kept her eyes on him as Jack walked over to Tara and gave her the files on the three women, images of the kiss they'd shared less than an hour ago filling her mind. She felt the blush on her cheeks and forced herself to come back to the present as she watched Tara push a few buttons on her keyboard. Tara gave the files back to Jack and a picture of a young woman appeared on the big screen for everyone to see.

"The first woman is Claire Williams, 26 years old. She lives in D.C with her mom, dad and two brothers. She was last seen at college eating her lunch in the corner of the park opposite. Her friends have said that one minute she was there, the next minute she was gone. Metro checked the scene and said that there was no evidence of a struggle so she may have known who took her."

Tara pressed a few buttons on her keyboard and another image appeared, this time a woman of similar age came onto the screen.

"Girl number two is Sophie Morgan, 25 years old. She is an only child and lives in D.C with her dad. She moved to D.C a little over a year ago when her dad suffered a stroke. Mom died three years ago of a drug overdose. Police concluded that it was an accidental death and that suicide was not intended. Sophie went missing after leaving one of her friends at the local cinema to walk the five minutes to her house. She never made it back."

The last picture was of the latest girl to go missing.

"Our latest girl is Maria Lopez, 27 years old, lives with her mom, brother and sister in D.C. No dad on the scene, from what we can tell. It appears that he walked out when Maria's younger sister was born, two years later. Apparently, all three children are deaf or have hearing difficulties and dad couldn't cope with it. Maria went missing after swim class. Her brother was meant to pick her up but was late due to traffic. When he got there she was nowhere to be seen. A friend said that she saw her waiting by the front gates. One of her sneakers was found on a grass verge about five yards away. At present, it is the only piece of evidence we have."

As Jack finished, the screen went blank and he turned to the team, casting a quick glance in Sue's direction.

"Tara, I want you to begin doing background checks on the immediate families to see if there are any other connections apart from them being deaf. Bobby, I want you to go over the evidence that was collected at all of the scenes, see if there are any similarities there. Myles, D, I want you to visit each of the crime scenes again, see if anyone saw anything or heard anything that we don't already know about. Sometimes things can come back to people after a few days. Get any CCTV cameras that haven't already been checked, I'm willing to bet that the cinema had some and the complex where Maria swam. Lucy, can you gather a list of the girls' closest friends at school, in the neighbourhood where they live, anything like that."

When Jack finished speaking the whole bullpen came to life as everyone started their assigned tasks. Myles and D grabbed their coats and left the bullpen. Tara's fingers were already flying over the keyboard and Lucy already had the phone glued to her ear. Smiling as his team got to work, he looked across at Sue, who was staring into space.

Standing, he took a few steps until he stood in front of her, seeing the sad look that marred her normally worry free face. Crouching in front of her, he took her hand. She looked up at him and smiled. He could see the worry in her blue eyes and her smile didn't quite light up her face like it usually did.

"You going be okay with this?" He asked her in a hushed voice as he took her other hand in his.
"I'd be lying if I said that it didn't bother me." Sue said with a sigh, "I'll be fine though. Thank you for worrying."
"Hey, it's my job to worry now. That is, if you don't mind?" Jack said as he smiled.
"I don't mind Jack. In fact, it's actually kind of nice knowing that you worry about me."

Jack held her gaze, getting lost in those deep blue eyes. Finally forcing his eyes away from hers, he looked down at their joined hands, his thumb brushing across her knuckles. Turning her hand over, he drew small circles on her palm, smiling when her fingers closed over his and she smiled. At any other time he would have pulled away, not wanting anyone to notice their brief moment, but now it didn't seem to matter. He didn't care who saw them together.

Lifting his eyes to look at her, he noticed Lucy watching them. Meeting her gaze, he saw her smile at him and look away quickly. She had been their strongest supporter from day one and had been trying to get them together since she'd joined the team. She'd pulled him up many times for not admitting how he felt about her. At those times, he hadn't been ready to admit how he felt to himself, at least not how deep those feelings ran.

He remembered back to Bobby's birthday party during their first case. He had felt so bad when Rhonda had turned up when he and Sue were talking outside his apartment. As they'd been talking, he'd felt those familiar feelings and he knew that Sue was a woman he wanted to get to know better. He also knew he couldn't do that with another woman in his life so he had finished with Rhonda the following week.

Apart from his mother and his sister, Sue had been only woman who held a place in his heart from the moment he'd bought her onto the team. He knew she was special. Seeing her come into the bullpen on her first day and leave, closely followed by Levi had intrigued him. Her unique abilities were what made him notice her, what made him want her in his team and ultimately in his life.

Giving her one last smile, he squeezed her hands and returned to his desk, dreading the amount of e-mails that he knew would be waiting for him.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 9

After paying their entrance fee, Jack and Sue spent the next few hours going on every ride that didn't have a queue a mile long. That was the one thing Jack hated about these places, you always had to wait forever for the bigger rides.

As they moved to the next ride, Jack was amazed at the change in her. She was constantly laughing as the rides span around, twisted and flipped. It was a side of her that hadn't seen before and it only made him fall for her even more. He liked seeing her like this. She was so happy and carefree. He knew she has been a bit down since the Dessa case, mainly because of the hurt that had been caused to Dessa's unsuspecting wife. In the few days they had known Betty Vanderwylen, Sue had become close to her. They'd bonded over Levi and Betty's fondness for helping service dog charities. He knew that seeing Betty get hurt like that had hurt her too.

It was just one of many things that he loved about her. Her ability to see the good in everyone amazed him. He knew that it sometimes hurt her when her instincts had been wrong but, for the most part, her instincts were spot on. She had insisted that Betty was an innocent party as soon as they realised that Joseph was really Dessa. He hadn't been so sure but her persistence had finally won him over and she had been proved correct.

After what felt like hours, but was in fact only five minutes, they clambered off the waltzers. Jack's head was spinning and he was a little unsteady on his feet as he carefully went down the steps. He hated the rides that constantly span around, they always made him feel a little queasy. After a few deep breaths he managed to regain his composure and spotted a vendor selling drinks and snacks.

"Hey Sue, do you fancy come candy floss?"

He smiled when he saw the sparkle in her eyes and she nodded avidly at him. Walking over to the vendor he bought two bags of thick candy floss, giving the vendor the money as he turned to give her the sugary treat. Sue's was bright pink and his was light blue.

"There you go Miss Thomas." Jack said as she smiled.
"Thank you Jack, Sue said as she surprised by placing a small kiss on the cheek.

As the picked at the candy floss, they slowly walked through the crowds of people who had come out to enjoy the first day of the annual D.C fair. Jack glanced across slowly and watched her tuck stray strand of blond hair behind her ear. He felt a shiver run up his spine as he looked at her, the way the coloured lights highlighted her hair, making it look first red, then blue, then green. Shaking his head he knew that he had to stop thinking like this or he would go mad. He was bought out of his thoughts when he felt Sue grab his hand.

"Come on Jack, the queue for the rollercoaster has all but gone."

Jack was powerless to resist as she pulled him towards the most popular ride at the fair. They were at the front of the queue almost straightaway and in less than five minutes, they were strapped in to the front seat of the carriage.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 8

"You bought me to a fairground!" Sue said excitedly.

Jack had to chuckle at her. Her excitement was infectious and his smile soon became just as beaming as her was. He was about to speak when she flung herself into his arms, his arms instinctively wrapping round her to hold her close. He held her tightly as she thanked him over and over, rocking them from side to side in her excitement. She felt good in his arms and he looked forward to the day when he could hold her like this and not have to worry any repercussions. Despite him wanting to hold her there for as long as possible, he gently pulled her away and spoke.

"I'm glad you like it, I wasn't sure whether you would or not. Now do you understand why we couldn't bring Levi?"

She nodded at him, the tinge of sadness returning to her eyes for a moment when he mentioned her faithful companion. The sadness was fleeting when she took another look at the bright lights coming from the fairground and she reminded him of a little kid in a sweet shop.

"How could you think I would not like this? I haven't been to a fairground since I was a little girl."
"I figured as much. It's not usually something that adults do, at least not adults who don't have kids, I just thought it would be something different." He said as he shrugged
"Well I love it Jack, thank you."

Sue placed a gentle kiss to his cheek before she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the entrance. Taking a $20 out of his wallet, Jack paid for them both and they entered the fairground.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 7

The next morning, Jack pulled up outside Sue's apartment building. Taking a couple of breaths, he jumped out, locked the car and made his way up to the apartment, not knowing what to expect when he got there. Will she still want to go? What if she has changed her mind after sleeping on it? When he reached the apartment, he shook his head to get rid of the negative thoughts. Think positive Jack, she accepted, today will be wonderful. Taking another deep breath, he knocked the door. He heard Levi's barks and a few moments later, Sue came to open the door.

As he looked at her, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. The simple outfit she wore was nothing special, but it was enough to render him speechless for a few moments. The dark denim jeans hugged her hips and the baby blue sweater highlighted the tinge of blue that sparkled in her eyes. She'd worn her hair down, just the way he loved it. It was only when he noticed the curious look on her face that he cleared his throat and was able to find the words to speak.

"Hey there. I know I'm a bit early but are you ready to go?"
"Sure, let me just grab my coat and we can be off." She said.

Jack stepped inside as Sue held the door open for him before going to retrieve her coat from her bedroom. He spotted Lucy sitting in front of the TV, watching another report about the kidnappings of the women.

"Hey Luce."
"Oh hey Jack, I didn't hear you come in."
"I just got here."

Jack watched as Lucy turned off the TV and slowly approached him. He could tell by the look on her face that she was about to give him "the talk". He inwardly groaned as she opened her mouth to speak and then he was unable to stop the smile that crossed his face when he heard Sue returning from her room, scuppering her friend's plans.

"I'm ready." Sue said as she came to stand beside Jack. "Shall we?"
"We shall." Jack said as they both turned a small smile crossing his face when he placed his hand at the small of her back, feeling the slight shiver come from her body.

oOo

After a couple of minutes Jack and Sue left the apartment building and approached his car. After unlocking the vehicle, Jack moved forward to open the passenger door for Sue and was rewarded with a radiant smile which made his heart flip-flop. Straightening once she was inside the car, he took a few deep breaths, trying to steady his beating heart. Closing her door, he quickly went round to his side and climbed in, turning to face her when he heard her speak.

"So Mr Hudson, where are you taking me?" She asked with a smile.
"Patience Miss Thomas. You'll find out soon enough."

Jack laughed at the face she pulled as she stuck out her bottom lip, pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked so sweet as she tried to turn her eyes on him and he almost caved and told her everything. Images of his lips on hers entered his head and he closed his eyes briefly before pulling himself together, fastening his seatbelt and moving off into traffic.

They drove for about half an hour. As he drove, Jack found it difficult not to watch her as she peered out of the passenger side window. He couldn't see her face clearly but by the look of her profile he was sure she was smiling. Seeing the lights about to turn red, he slowed the car until they came to a stop. They stayed silent as she just turned to look at him and smiled.

Jack jumped when he heard the horn from the car behind, seeing the lights had turned green. Pulling away, he drove for a few more blocks before turning into the parking lot, finding a space and turning off the engine. Unclipping his seatbelt, he gently grasped her hand to get her attention.

"WE'RE HERE." He signed.

Sue smiled at him and climbed out of the car. He watched as she instinctively walked to the back seat to let out Levi before she realised that he wasn't with them. As he got out the car, he saw the expression on her face change and knew that she much be missing her faithful friend. Levi was such a huge part of her life, and not having him with her must have been hard. Walking to stand beside her, he gently touched her arm as she looked up at him.

"Hey, you okay?"
"I'm fine Jack. It's just a little strange not having Levi with me."

Jack saw the flash of sadness in her eyes and slid his arm round her shoulder, pleased when she accepted his gentle embrace. They parted after a few moments and it was only then that Sue realised where they were. The sadness in her eyes was soon replaced by one of excitement.

Hear No Evil - Chapter 6

Jack and Sue messaged each other for another thirty minutes before Sue finally signed off just before midnight. She had been trying to get Jack to tell her where he was taking her the next day but he had remained tight lipped. All he'd told her was that she should dress casually and that he would be there to pick her up at 9am. He'd said that it would probably be better if she didn't bring Levi as he might feel a bit left out with all the fun that they would be having. She had to admit that she was intrigued as to what he had planned, especially if she wasn't able to take Levi.
As she switched off her laptop, Sue stood and turned around, almost walking into Lucy who was dressed in her white fluffy dressing gown with her dark hair wrapped in a towel. She hadn't realised just how much she was smiling until she saw the look on her friend's face.
"Hey girl. What, or should I say who, has put that smile on your face?"
Sue bit her lip and lowered her lashes, knowing that she had to tell Lucy sooner or later. There was no way she was going to be able to hide it when Jack showed up to collect her the following morning. Lucy would know that something was going on, so she knew it was going to be easier to tell her now. Taking a breath, she looked her friend straight in the eyes and smiled.
"Jack has asked me out on a date."
"What! Did you just say that Jack Hudson asked you out on a date?" Lucy said, almost bouncing up and down in the spot.
"Yes Lucy. And I thought I was the one with hearing problems. Now I hope you didn't use all the hot water because it's my turn."
Sue smiled at her friend and brushed past her as she headed towards the bathroom. She knew Lucy had started to say something else but hadn't been watching her closely enough to see what it was. Knowing Lucy it would be something like "it's about time" or "what kept you two so long."

She entered the bathroom and closed the door. As she reached over to turn on the shower, she leaned against the tiled wall and thought about what had just happened. I am going on a date with Jack Hudson. Jack Hudson asked me out. She had only had a handful of dates in her life and none of them had been with a man like Jack. With a man she liked as much as she liked Jack. She climbed under the shower and let the hot spray engulf her. Thoughts of an actual date with Jack ran through her mind. A proper date. As the water cooled, Sue suddenly became very nervous.