Chapter Text
Chapter 1
„Can I have your broken phone? There are still some parts I can use for one of my projects.“ Mac held out his hand.
„Sure buddy.“ Jack chuckled as Macs face lit up. „If I had known you’re so happy about a destroyed cell phone I could have spared a lot of money last christmas. That Neutron pendulum was fucking expensive.“
„Yeah, you could. And it’s a Newton pendulum and I love it Jack. So don’t be sad about the money.“ Mac countered and made a grab for the phone.
„Whoa buddy. Let me take out the SIM card first. Man, am I glad Matty finally provides us with spare phones here at the Phoenix. It was pretty embarrassing last time I had to take it to the shop to repair it, because it was covered in lube. That guy looked at me as if I was a pervert.“
Mac laughed loudly. „I’ll never forget his face, when you said your partner misused it in an experiment.“
Jack protested. „What should I have told him then? That we are secret agents and that you destroying my phone is our regular gig?“
„Hey, it wasn’t my fault this time. And you’re damn lucky that bullet hit your phone. It could easily have been your femoral artery.“ Mac shuddered at the memory.
Jack rubbed his aching thigh, where he sported an ugly bruise. „You’re right, that was close. I guess today is just my lucky day.“
A Phoenix tech handed Jack a new phone and the Delta inserted the SIM card. There was a ping, indicating a voice mail. Mac chatted with the tech, while Jack stepped to the side and listened to the message.
Mac watched his partner and realized immediately that something was wrong, when he saw his friend tense up. He went over to him and asked. „Jack, is everything alright?“
Jack was trying to make a call, but it didn’t connect. He shook his head at his partners question. „No, it’s Sarah. Something’s wrong hoss. I need to get to her.“ Jack hurried to the parking lot with Mac hot on his heels. „Wait a minute Jack, I’m coming with you.“ The Delta tried to call her a few more times, but only got her automatic answering set. Finally he left her a short message. „It’s Jack. I’m Oscar mike, give me a call when you hear this. I’m worried Sparrow.“
Mac raised his eyebrow. „Sparrow?“
Jack blushed and answered. „It’s a nickname I gave her on our first mission. She was so nervous, she only picked at her food, like a sparrow.“
Mac liked Sarah Adler and he was well aware that his partner still loved her, even if she was married to Jeff now. Mac would never forget her wedding, with Jack barely holding it together in the church. The Delta got dead drunk that night and it took weeks until he was over the worst.
As soon as they were in the GTO Jack fired up the engine and tore out of the parking lot like a mad man.
„Easy Jack. Tell me what’s going on.“ Mac demanded. Jack threw the phone to his partner and Mac pressed play. He frowned, Sarahs voice was hoarse and she sounded scared. „Hey Jack. I know you’re probably on a mission right now, but could you give me a call … I … I really need to talk to you … about … I don’t know what to do … fuck … this is fubar Jack. Just call me … please.“ The line went dead.
„Wow, that’s not the Sarah I know. You’re right, something’s really wrong.“ Mac stated concerned.
Jack nodded grimly. „I bet the CIA screwed her over. She should have listened to me, when I told her to leave the Agency and join Phoenix.“
Mac agreed. „It wouldn’t be the first time, the CIA did that to her. Honestly I don’t understand why she went back after they disavowed her in Caracas.“
„You know I’m not a fan of the CIA, but to be fair, the Phoenix did the same to us in Amsterdam.“ Jack objected. „Anyway it doesn’t matter. Sarah’s in trouble. Something doesn’t add up. I’ve never heard her voice sound like that. Scared and desperate. She normally has nerves of steel, doesn’t lose her cool and that’s what really worries me Mac.“ The Delta admitted.
„I know what you mean.“ The rest of the three hour drive was spent in silence, as nobody was in the mood to talk.
It was late afternoon, when they reached their destination. Jack parked the car and jumped out. A few steps before the front door, he froze. Mac almost bumped into him, not expecting the Delta to stop suddenly. „Jack, what …“ And then Mac saw it and his blood ran cold. The front door was crossed with yellow crime scene tape.
Jack reached out a hand and let it fall back to his side. His mind was racing. Providing him with unwanted scenarios of possible crimes. Mac grabbed his arm. „Just wait a minute Jack. Could be just a burglary. I give Riley a call, she can pull up the police report.“
A moment later Jack heard his partner talk to the hacker. „Yeah, I’m waiting. What? Are you sure? Oh my God!“
Jack closed his eyes. He wished he could close up his ears as well. The Delta didn’t want to hear, what had to be horrible news. God if Sarah was hurt and he hadn’t been there …
Mac grabbed his partners shoulder and turned him around. „I don’t know how to tell you“ He took a deep breath and uttered silently „Sarah’s dead, she’s gone Jack.“
Dead. Gone. The words were echoing in Jacks head, gaining on momentum and drowning out every sound. Macs lips were moving, but in Jacks head only the words dead and gone were reverberating.
Mac was shocked about what he had just learned. He couldn’t even begin to imagine, what these news would do to his partner. He tried to get through to Jack. „Jack can you hear me?“ But his partner stared through him until his eyes rolled back in his head suddenly and he crumpled in Macs hold.
„Shit, shit, shit.“ Mac carefully lowered his partner to the ground and slapped his face lightly. „Come on Jack, wake up.“ A moment later Jacks eyes opened and instantly filled with tears.
„I know buddy.“ Mac stroked his head and tried to get a grip on his emotions. He needed to pull himself together, Jack needed him now. The words it’s gonna be alright lingered on his tongue and he bit down hard to keep them from escaping. That sentence was a familiar phrase of reassurance they often used to comfort each other. But not now. What could he say to give his partner a little solace? Macs head was empty. Jack was the one who was good with words. He finally mumbled „I’m here big guy.“ What a hollow thing to say, but Mac couldn’t think straight right now and it didn’t seem that the words made it through to Jack anyway.
Jack had struggled into a sitting position. „How?“ He whispered and Mac took out his phone, to read the report Riley had sent him by now. After skimming over the file, he closed his eyes to brace himself for what he expected to be a violent reaction.
„Jeff … he broke her neck … he’s on the run now.“
Jack just looked at his partner not understanding what he was saying. He blinked to shake off the cobwebs. Mac had said …. „he … he k..killed her? My Sarah? I … no … why …“
Suddenly Jack roared and jumped to his feet. He kicked in the door and was in the house before Mac could interfere. He followed his partner and froze when he saw the living room in shambles. Furniture was overturned and there were splatters of blood everywhere. The coppery smell was still thick in the air. Jack stood there unmoving, his fists clenched at his sides so hard his knuckles were white. Then his shoulders slumped. There was nothing Jack could do here. The person filling this house with life was gone. He was too late. „I want to see her.“ The Delta whispered brokenly.
„Of course,“ answered Mac softly although he wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea. Mac took his partner by the elbow and led him out of the house, Jack moved mechanically, not seeing where he was going or taking in his surroundings. The blond took the keys from Jack and maneuvered the Delta onto the passenger seat without protest. When they reached the morgue, Mac killed the engine and waited for his partner to move. The blond hoped, that Jack would spare himself the horrible experience, but suddenly the Delta left the car and headed into the building.
The coroner pulled out a stretcher from one of the units and placed it in the middle of the room. „Take as much time as you need,“ he said compassionately and left.
Mac stood there a step behind Jack and didn’t know what to do. Should he give his partner some privacy to say goodbye? Finally he decided to stay right where he was.
Jack stared at the white cloth for an eternity. When he would lift it, he couldn’t pretend anymore that it wasn’t Sarah lying there on the cold hard table. Finally he reached out a shaking hand. At first his fingers refused to close and pull the fabric away. Every cell in Jacks body screamed no. Grabbing the cloth and uncovering Sarahs body was the hardest thing he had ever done in his entire life. The soft rustling of the fabric echoed loud in the room. It was the body of a woman, covered in bruises. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and tried to muster the courage to look at her face. He exhaled and opened his eyes. It was Sarah. She had a broken nose and there was also a wound at her hairline. Jack was not prepared for the pain that steamrolled over him. The tears came as if someone had opened a faucet. „No, Sarah no. Not you. Never you. No. That’s wrong. Sparrow. Why why why?“ Jack sobbed and pulled her cold lifeless body against his own. He buried his face in her hair and wept like he never had in his life before. Violent tremors shook his body and travelled into Sarahs, shaking her as well and for a moment Jack thought, she was alive. But then her cold skin burned to word death into a corner of Jacks soul, where there would always be an icy chill from now on. Like a man losing a limb, you could try to replace it with a prothesis, but it would always be a dead part of the body, never filled with life again. Jack grabbed her harder, knowing this would be the last time he would be able to hold the love of his life in his arms. If it was up to him, he would simply stay in this room forever. He mumbled brokenly „I’m sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t there“ over and over again.
Mac ached for his partner. He had anticipated this to be hard. Well, he had no idea. This was by far the most heartbreaking scene he had ever had to witness. And then he realised, that was exact what was happening right now. Jacks heart was broken, irreversible. After Sarahs wedding Jack was suffering a great deal. He was depressed and crestfallen, but that was nothing compared to this. Panic welled up in Mac, when he thought about the future. Would Jack be able to recover from this? The blond wasn’t sure. He just hoped he would be able to be there for his best friend the way Jack needed him. The blond looked at his watch, they had been there for an hour and Jack was still crying, not letting go of Sarah. Mac stepped forward and rested his hand lightly on the Deltas shoulder.
„It’s time to go Jack.“ The Delta only tightened his grip on Sarah. Mac gulped and took Jack gently by the shoulders to guide him away. Jack whimpered and mumbled into Sarahs hair. „I love you, I love you so much.“ Finally he laid her back on the table with a gentleness, that brought fresh tears to Macs eyes. Jack stroked her hair back from her face slowly, bent down and kissed her on the forehead. He rested his head against hers and his shoulders shook with silent sobs.
After an eternity Jack straightened up and turned around. Mac flinched back as if somebody had hit him. He wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted him. Jacks brown orbs were empty, they looked like the eyes of a dead man and in this moment Mac realized, that Jack left a huge part of himself with the body on that table.
The blond wasn’t able to come up with anything to say. There were no words to ease the grief his partner felt right now. With a steady hand on Jacks back he steered his partner out of the building. The Delta let himself be guided to the car and placed in the passenger seat. His movements were automatic and Mac wasn’t sure if Jack registered any of it. The blond buckled up the Deltas seatbelt and fired up the engine. They would stay at a hotel for the night as neither one of them was ready for the long drive back to LA.
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