Archive of Our Own

Jack immediately shook his head at Funderburk.

"Mmm, sorry, that's no good," Jack immediately denied, shaking his head as he looked down at a calendar. "Kim has volunteering at the hospital on Wednesday night."

Currently, Jack was sitting with Funderburk during his planning period to discuss an upcoming mission. Right now they were mostly gathering intel, and it may never get to the point of escalation depending on what kind of information the team could gather.

Unfortunately, Funderburk was having a hard time getting Jack to actually do any intel gathering.

"Jack," he sighed. "Don't you think this is important?"

Jack frowned. "Kim is important. I'm not going to abandon her for something somebody else is more than capable of doing. Milton can set up surveillance drones or something and Jerry can deploy them."

"She'll be fine for one night, Jack. I want you on this, not some drone."

Jack shook his head, he wasn't changing his mind on this matter.

Too many things had happened the last two weeks with Kim. On the side he had Milton trying to track down who was behind all her attacks, but it was slow going. There had been such promising leads on the surface, but it was proving harder to take them much further. Funderburk had tried to tell Jack that maybe that was because they were just one-off things, nothing to worry about. It made sense logically, but it didn't feel right to Jack.

Nobody believed him, he could tell. Even Jerry and Milton seemed hesitant to believe that there really was somebody out there who was after Kim, but they had the sense not to say that in front of Jack.

"You're not getting me on this," Jack finally said. "Sorry."

"What if I have Jerry take her?"

"No, I won't leave her-"

"Jack," Funderburk interrupted, trying to stress what he was saying. It was like nothing he could say or do these days was getting through to Jack. He knew Jack cared about Kim, he knew he was scared for Kim. But he couldn't forget his responsibility to the team. "This is important! We have solid reasoning to believe that there's something shady going on at the repair shop. I know you want to keep Kim safe, I do too, but there's no reason to believe she's in any danger."

Jack stood up abruptly, his chair sliding back harshly.

"She's in danger. If for no other reason than she's a young girl walking through a dark parking lot at night, she is in danger, and I will not leave her. Give me another night and I'll do it, or have Jerry and Milton set up a drone. Let me know when you decide which one."

Jack didn't say anything more, and neither did Funderburk, as he stormed out of the room.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kim asked Jack as they walked out to his car after school.

The past week or so he'd taken to driving her to and from school every day. He also drove her to karate and earlier today he mentioned picking her up for her volunteer shift at the hospital on Wednesday.

It was a lot, and Kim knew why he was doing it too.

"I'm okay," he assured her, giving her a bump with his hip.

"You seem more… mellow," she said, being careful not to push him too hard.

Last week he told her he'd gotten in contact with a therapist and already had his first session. It had gone well and he confided in her that he didn't realize how much he had needed somebody to talk to. He also apologized again for the way he'd acted and how he'd taken out all his stress on her.

She knew one session wasn't going to cure anything, and besides, Jack didn't need curing. But she had thought that maybe it would help him relax. Maybe he'd realize the world wasn't out to get her.

His mood had lightened, but his protectiveness hadn't.

"Tired," Jack shrugged. "Wanna get slushies on the way to the dojo?"

"Duh," Kim said, rolling her eyes. "I always want to get slushies."

"I know," Jack teased. "Race you to the car?"

"Okay," Kim agreed. Then a spark of mischief flashed in her eyes. "Winner drives!"

Then before Jack could fully process what she'd said, Kim took off at a dead sprint.

"Hey wait!" Jack said, chasing after her.

Kim just laughed, but she didn't turn around, determined to beat Jack.

In a longer race, she might be worried he would overtake her. But they were only about thirty yards from the car, so Kim's odds were pretty good. Especially because she'd gotten a slight head-start.

When she was within a few car lengths of the hood, Kim turned back.

She was startled to find Jack hot on her trail but she was so close so she screamed a little, grabbed the straps of her backpack, and charged ahead as fast as her body would allow.

Less than two seconds later, she slammed into the car, her body flattening across the hood as her momentum kept her moving.

Jack's stop was much more graceful, although it was after Kim's stop.

"You lose," Kim muttered into the hot metal of Jack's car.

"You're a little cheater," Jack accused, grabbing the back of Kim's bag and peeling her off his baby. "And you're getting sweat and drool all over my car."

"I think you mean my car, slowpoke," Kim grinned, splaying her hand flat against it as she draped her body over it like Vana White.

"I never agreed to that," Jack argued.

"Sure you did," Kim shrugged, looking for which pocket was holding Jack's keys.

"Kim, come on, this car is special," Jack argued.

"Lucky me," she grinned, spotting the keys in his left pocket.

"Are you sure you-"

"I haven't driven in like a week, thanks to you," Kim reminded him. "I have to drive now or I'll forget how."

"That's not how that works," Jack argued.

"Sure it is!"

With a smile Jack couldn't refuse, Kim sidled up next to him and stuck her hand out toward his fist that was currently clutching his keys in his pocket.

Quickly debating the likelihood that she might crash the car, and how upset she'd be if he turned her down, Jack accepted defeat and handed over the keys.

"But be careful," he insisted. "It has a little more umph than you're used to so just go easy on the gas, okay?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Jack, I've driven my dad's car before. I know what I'm doing."

Then she went to the door and paused.

"How do I unlock it again?"

Jack gave her a look that said she was about two second away from getting the keys ripped out of her hand.

"Just kidding!" she giggled, pressing the button and opening the door.

Jack just watched for a second, questioning his life choices, before he walked to the back door and threw his backpack in behind Kim. Then he reached over and grabbed Kim's bag from her, setting it in the back next to his.

"Be careful," he insisted again, shutting the door and walking over to the passenger seat.

"What does N mean again?" Kim asked, looking up at Jack.

"Kim-"

"Just kidding," she joked. "I'll be careful, Jack. Relax, I'm your chauffeur today!"

Jack, unfortunately, was not able to relax.

Not only was somebody else driving his car, but it was Kim driving his car.

It was a big blow to give up control over the vehicle they were in, and knowing that if something went wrong it was Kim who would be affected just made it harder.

Honestly, Kim wasn't a bad driver. Jack had known that. She'd driven him around before so he knew she was careful and knowledgeable. Even still, it was hard.

He had to stop himself from giving her too many directions. She didn't actually know how to get to the slushie shop, so Jack had to tell her where to go. He'd made the mistake of telling her to put her blinker on just thirty seconds into the drive and she threatened to make him walk the rest of the way. He was micromanaging her, and it was unnecessary.

When they'd gotten back into the car, slushies in hand, Jack made a decision.

"Don't make plans next Thursday," he told Kim vaguely.

"Why not?" she asked, sipping her slushie faster than she should.

"Thursdays are training days," Jack mentioned.

Over the last few weeks, Thursdays had become self-defense training days for Kim.

Jack had started with some pretty heavy things: restraints, guns, the works. With the basics covered, Jack was using each week now to solidify other skills Kim would need. Some weeks he simply incorporated more arm workouts into her routines, other weeks he focused on specific maneuvers. There was even an occasion where he simply quizzed her on things she should know: phone numbers, city streets, basic first aid. For all the things she didn't know, he'd written them down and spent an hour drilling her until he was sure she'd memorized them. Every once in a while he'd ask her to recite something, just to make sure she never forgot.

They'd chosen Thursdays because those were the days Kim was most free, she hadn't scheduled anything recently because it would conflict with whatever Jack had planned. She always kept Thursdays after school free.

"I know…" Kim said. "What makes next Thursday any different?"

"I'm just going to need to reserve the track in advance, so I don't want to have to cancel."

"Track?" Kim questioned, trying to think what Jack meant by that.

The school track was open to the public and she wasn't sure what other track they would need.

"Yeah," Jack shrugged. "Car track," he corrected.

"A car track?" Kim gasped, her ears deceiving her. "Like racecars?! Am I going to get to drive a racecar?!"

"No!" Jack insisted immediately, backtracking. "No, not a racetrack. Not racecars, no. Not like that."

Kim frowned, leaning back in her seat.

"Racecars travel at speeds of over 200 miles an hour," Jack deadpanned. "I have never driven that fast, and you never will either."

"You don't know that," Kim frowned, taking another sip of her slushie. To be totally honest, driving that fast scared the crap out of Kim, but she couldn't lie that she had been excited at the prospect of getting to drive a racecar.

"I think I mentioned that one of the trainings the guys and I have gone through has to do with evasive maneuvers," Jack simply said.

"Yeah," Kim nodded, recalling a conversation she'd had a few weeks ago with Jack after she'd heard something from Jerry. "You said Jerry was a natural."

"Yeah," Jack smiled, remembering the day Jerry set a new course record on his second attempt. He looked like he was made for racing. "We go back occasionally, to keep our skills sharp."

"Training is never over," Kim said, echoing the mantra Jack had repeated at her over and over again. He was still training in the skills he was teaching her, just at a higher level, and so she was going to keep practicing too. It would only help her.

"Exactly."

"So… evasive maneuvers?"

"Right," Jack nodded, swallowing a sip of slushie. "I'd like to get you into a car on a practice course. Nothing too crazy, and I reserve the right to pull the plug whenever, but I think you can handle it."

"Really?" Kim beamed, sitting up. Was this a compliment? From Jack, about her driving?

"Don't make me regret it," he warned. "But I think you have a fair shot at out-doing Milton's first couple attempts."

"Does Milton still train?" Kim asked curiously. This was yet another topic she really didn't get a chance to ask a lot about. If Jack was being forthcoming, she was going to squeeze him for all he was worth.

"Yes, it's mandated that he keep up consistent training until he can finish this course in under two minutes," Jack said, trying not to snicker at the images of Milton trying to drive flashing through his mind. He was just so cautious, he struggled to do anything that seemed like it was breaking the rules of the road.

"Oh," Kim said, trying to keep a straight face.

"It's okay, you can laugh," Jack said, smiling.

Kim smiled back. "How often does Milton go?"

"Weekly, although if he can't pass it off soon, it might get moved to biweekly. He really should have finished a while ago."

"What about you and Jerry? How often do you go?"

Jack shrugged. "As often as we can, I like to go when Milton is there, but there's not always time to. Still, I like to go at least every two or three weeks, just make sure everything still comes naturally. It's the moments that really matter that you can't hesitate."

Kim nodded, thinking back to all the fights she'd been in. Maybe the stakes weren't as high, but she knew well that if she wasn't confident in a move then she wouldn't be able to use it during a match.

"Do you think I can pass the course?" Kim asked curiously, not really sure what she was asking.

Jack looked at her, thinking about it. "Maybe. But we're not there yet. I'm not taking you to pass off a course, I'm taking you to give you some exposure to some very basic training."

"That's fine," Kim shrugged, already giddy with the idea that she might surpass Milton at something. "I'll just have to prove myself."

"I'm gonna regret this," Jack decided, shaking his head.

"Really, Jerry, it's no problem. I'm already here, I may as well just check."

"Alright, I guess just let me know either way."

"Will do, bye Jerry."

"Bye Kim."

Sighing, Kim hung up and stuffed her phone in her back pocket.

She had been at the mall with a few friends wanting to check out a clearance sale at a local boutique. Usually prices were through the roof, but they were having a huge sale, bottoms up to 70% off, dresses up to 75% off, and shirts up to 90% off. It was such a good deal even Kim found herself giddy over it and she couldn't turn down the chance to spend some time with her girl friends.

It was Wednesday, she had a shift volunteering at the hospital later tonight, so she only had a short window to go to the mall with her friends before she had to be home for Jack to give her a ride.

Unsure how much time they might spend actually shopping, they decided to go as early as possible. It turned out that was smart because it had only gotten more and more crowded as time went on.

There were some good deals too, and even Kim was walking away with two new shirts and a skirt.

To celebrate all the money they saved, Kim and the others got some froyo.

It was while she was there that Jerry called her. He had seen Jack put her on the schedule for next Thursday at the track and he was curious what led to that decision. Of course, as soon as he called and he heard laughter in the background, he asked where she was.

When he found out she was at the mall, he mentioned a shoe he'd been trying to get but had been sold out everywhere. He'd even checked at the mall, but the manager told him they were waiting on another shipment. If Jerry waited too long after the shipment, it would just be sold out again.

So Kim, feeling like she owed a lot to Jerry, offered that she could pop in and check for him.

It was another fifteen minutes before the girls had finished their froyo and started to stand up, needing to head off to different activities for the rest of the afternoon.

Kim lingered behind, explaining that she was just going to stop at one more store on her way out.

The others waved goodbye and left with arms full of bags upon bags of cheap clothes. It was a very successful trip indeed.

"Jerry, really, you guys can handle this," Jack said, trying to get Jerry to hang up.

"It would be easier if you just did it," Jerry said, rolling his eyes.

"I already told Funderburk I can't. I need to head out soon anyways to pick Kim up. Just waiting for her to let me know she's almost ready."

"Oh, she has the hospital tonight, doesn't she?" Jerry asked, nodding in remembrance. No wonder Jack had passed on the mission. If there was anything that he cared about more than saving the world, it was Kim.

"Yeah, I told her I'd drive. She just gets off so late, I don't like the idea of her in the parking lot alone. Not with the crowd that hangs out around there sometimes."

"Hmm. When is her shift, again?"

"Soon. A little over thirty minutes from now. Why?"

"Weird," Jerry hummed.

"What's weird?"

"Well, she just told me she'd stop in at Urban Kicks and see if they got a new shipment. She was just gonna pop in real quick and then let me know before she left."

"Today?"

"Yeah, I just talked to her on the phone."

"When?" Jack demanded.

"I don't know, maybe twenty minutes ago," Jerry shrugged, doing some quick math. "I was with Milton, you know, setting things up for tonight, and I saw you scheduled out the track so I called her to ask about it-"

"She hasn't texted you back at all?" Jack interrupted, still focused on the fact that Kim wasn't where she ought to be.

"No," Jerry frowned. "I- She was just gonna do it quickly."

"She knows I'm picking her up, so she should have left the mall by now in order to make it back to her house in time for her shift at the hospital. Which means she should have already checked your shoe store," Jack reasoned, his mind already swirling with possibilities.

"Maybe she just forgot to text me," Jerry said. "Or she lost track of time and hasn't even checked yet."

"I'm gonna call her," Jack decided. "Don't go anywhere."

With that, Jack hung up with Jerry and called Kim.

It started ringing and every second it rang and nobody picked up was a second that Jack's worry doubled.

When it got to voicemail, Jack tried again with the same outcome.

Her phone wasn't dead, or turned off, because it was ringing.

He texted her, then tried calling again.

Nothing.

Pulling out his second phone, the one he used for strictly mission-related business, Jack called Jerry back.

"She answer?" Jerry asked in greeting.

"No. I'm going to keep trying on my personal cell. Did she say anything else to you? What was she doing at the mall?"

"She said something about a sale. She was with her friends."

She hadn't gone alone, which was a small comfort to Jack. Still, he couldn't get a hold of her and that was worrisome.

He knew he'd been a little overboard lately, but Kim knew that and so she did her best to calm his worries. That meant she always answered his calls. The fact that she wasn't answering was concerning.

"Which friends?"

"Um… Jacqueline, Olivia, Grace, I think maybe Lucy?" Jerry listed, trying to remember the names Kim had told him and the voices he'd heard in the background.

"Call Grace," Jack demanded.

"Okay, I gotta use this number or she won't recognize it. I'll call you back in a sec."

While the line went dead, Jack had already started packing a bag and putting his shoes and socks on.

Jerry called back less than a minute later.

"She said they all left like ten minutes ago. Kim stayed behind and she hasn't heard anything from her," Jerry recounted.

"She should've answered by now," Jack said, sure of it.

Maybe she'd forgotten to text Jerry about the shoe store, but to not answer her phone still when Jack kept calling meant something bad.

"What are you going to do?" Jerry asked. What he really meant was What do you need me to do?

"I- I don't know. I need to find her, I just, Jerry, I knew something was going to happen, I knew. I've been so careful with her but-"

"Hey, hey," Jerry interrupted. "Calm down. We don't know for sure that anything bad has happened. Don't lose your head. What are we going to do?"

"We need to find her," Jack decided. Whether she was in trouble or not, finding her was the only way to make sure she was okay.

"I'm grabbing Milton now," Jerry said. "Do you think she's still at the mall?"

"I don't know," Jack said. "It's been ten minutes since anyone saw her, she could be anywhere within like five miles of the mall, potentially."

"That's a big area to search," Jerry said.

"Is Milton there?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Milton asked, his voice getting louder as though Jerry was walking closer to him.

"Kim's missing," Jerry supplied.

"Milton, can you trace her phone?"

"Yeah. Yes, of course. Just give me a sec…"

There was a flutter of movement as Milton messed around on his computer, opening new tabs and forgetting about the mission they'd been working on finalizing for tonight. This took precedence.

"It's at the mall," Milton said. "Looks like… weird… hmm…"

"Talk to me Milton," Jack demanded, fisting his keys as he waited for a location. "Where is it?"

"It's in the back, behind the mall. It's not moving. But… there's no way to be sure she's with it, that'd be the perfect place to dump a phone you didn't want to be tracked…"

Jerry swore, muttering something in Spanish.

"Her anklet," Jack said, ripping the door open to his car. "Where's her anklet?"

"I'm pulling it up now…" Milton said.

It was less than twenty seconds, but waiting for Milton to locate the anklet (that was intended to stay on Kim at all times) was torture to Jack.

"It's not that far away," Milton finally said. "From her phone, I mean. I don't think her phone is on her, but her anklet is also showing up behind the mall, just a little further away."

"Can we be sure she's wearing her anklet?" Jerry asked, hating to be the skeptic but just wanting to make sure they had the best information possible.

"She's wearing it," Jack said, sure of it, as he turned his car on, ready to break every traffic law in existence between his house and the mall. "She never takes it off, and if it was removed, we'd be notified. She's wearing it."

"Jack, it looks like she's right behind Phil's," Milton said, studying the map.

"I'll call him," Jerry said, stepping aside to dial him.

"I think Rudy might be there as well," Milton said. "Jerry and I are heading over now, and I'll call Rudy on the way."

All this Jack listened to while he sped down the streets, cursing anyone who got in his way.

It took two times of calling before Phil finally answered.

"Falafel Phil's, this is Phil, how may I help you today?"

"Phil, this is Jerry."

"Jerry, my friend, what can I-"

"Phil, Kim's missing. We've tracked her location and it looks like she's still at the mall. Her tracker says she's somewhere behind your restaurant."

"Behind my restaurant?" Phil questioned. "Are you sure? How would Kim even get over there? What would she be doing outside?"

"I don't know," Jerry said, agitated. "We think she's in trouble, she's not answering any of us. Can you just go check it out? Please?"

"Of course," Phil said quickly. "Of course. It might take me a few minutes but I will look for her."

"Thank you. Jack is on his way, so are Milton and I. We should be there soon."

Jerry hung up with Phil just as Milton hung up with Rudy.

"Rudy is with a class right now," Milton said. "He's going to end it early to help look for her."

"Same with Phil," Jerry echoed.

"Jack, how far away are you?" Milton asked.

"Still about five minutes. What about you guys?"

"Closer to ten minutes," Jerry said. "I'm calling Funderburk."

"Good," Jack said. "Good."

"Jack?" Milton said, waiting for Jack to verbally acknowledge that he was listening.

"What?"

"We'll find her."

"Of course we will," Jack said immediately, voice hard.

He hadn't done what he had done all these weeks just so Kim could be taken and hurt under his nose. He trained her, watched her, tracked her—all of it so she would stay safe. He was going to get her as soon as possible.

After hanging up with Jerry, Phil pulled what he could off the grill and went to talk to the kid he'd hired a few weeks ago, letting him know he had to step out for a minute.

As he was taking his apron off, Rudy rushed in, making a beeline for Phil.

"Milton just called me, he said Kim was missing," he explained quickly, not stopping as he followed Phil behind the counter and through the kitchen.

"They think she's behind the restaurant somewhere," Phil continued. At Rudy's look, he explained, "Jerry called me."

Rudy just nodded. Of course they'd call anybody they could at the mall to find her.

"The door is just through here," Phil said, showing Rudy the way.

They stepped outside, looking around for any initial sign that Kim was near.

Nothing stood out.

There were brick walls, piles of cardboard boxes and crates from deliveries, a dumpster, the cars of the employees of nearby stores, bolts and nuts scattered on the ground.

There wasn't a soul in sight, but that didn't mean there hadn't been. There were lots of places somebody could be hidden behind, and Rudy and Phil seemed to come to that conclusion at the same time.

"Kim!" Rudy shouted, looking around frantically.

"Kim!" Phil called out, following Rudy's lead.

Rudy branched off, rushing to look around the corner. "Kim!"

Phil went the other direction, looking behind cars and piles. "Kim! Are you over here?"

"Kim!"

Rudy didn't see anything, but Milton had been so sure Kim was nearby. Rudy wasn't sure how, but Milton had said they were tracking her, and she wasn't moving.

"She has to be around here somewhere," Rudy told Phil, coming back to scan the area closer to the building. "Keep looking."

Phil nodded, retracing everywhere he had looked.

Looking around for anywhere he hadn't checked, he paused. He'd checked everywhere.

"Kim!" he shouted again, listening for any sign that she was nearby.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothin-

A quiet thud made Phil freeze.

He turned in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing.

Then again, a quiet thud.

Rushing forward, Phil searched around the dumpster.

There was nothing and no one in sight, but then the thud again and Phil hurriedly knocked a crate over to use as a stool and climbed up to open the dumpster.

After saying goodbye to her friends, Kim walked off in the other direction. She looked down, having to readjust the bags in her hands. When she looked up, set on finding the shoe store for Jerry, she was suddenly knocked off her feet and arms wrapped so tight around her she had no hope of moving. The bags in her hands were snatched and a hand grabbed her phone out of her pocket. She tried to scream, flail, do anything, but it happened so fast and without warning. It was all she could do to try and scream, though the sound was so muffled she doubted anyone nearby would be able to hear.

In just a few moments, she'd been carried around an alley, to an area behind the stores, away from public eyes. Worriedly, Kim looked around for a person or a camera or something that could help her.

There was nothing, and just as she started looking around for weapons, she was thrown to the ground with such force the breath was completely knocked out of her lungs. There was a weight on her stomach, and she blinked to see a masked person sitting on her, shoving something in her mouth before she could draw in a breath to scream, and taping it closed.

Use your voice.

That's what Jack told her. If she was in danger, she had to use her voice and make a scene.

Now she couldn't.

Quickly, she wracked her mind for what else Jack had taught her.

She couldn't tell if this man was unstable or not, armed or not.

Was she supposed to submit or fight?

She couldn't tell.

It was all happening so fast.

And before Kim knew it, she was flipped to her stomach and the gravel dug painfully into her skin, biting.

She cried out in pain, but could hardly hear it even in her own mind.

And then a bandana was brought to her eyes and when the man tied it, her hair became a little tangled in the knot and she winced, knowing it was going to hurt coming off.

The weight on her returned, only this time on her back, and her arms were wrenched behind her.

She was being restrained, she realized.

With any luck, it would be duct tape, or zip ties, or something she'd practiced with before.

But when Kim felt the itchy fabric strap on her skin, she knew she had no such luck. Jack had told her to be creative, to use what he taught her in whatever situation she found herself in, but how could she break thick fabric?

Still, she tried to shake and wiggle and be a nuisance, and all that earned her was a hard knee on her back to keep her so squished she wouldn't have the ability to wiggle at all.

Crying, it was all Kim could do but pray and hope that whoever was responsible for this would not kill her before Jack could find her.

When the straps on her wrists seemed to be as tight as they could possibly get, Kim's ankles were pulled at next. The anklet she wore got stuck between the strap and her skin and it cut sharply against the bone. It was so painful, but the pain reminded Kim why it was there, what it was, and she found immense comfort in that. Wherever she went, wherever she was taken, Jack could find her. He had been right, her phone was tossed aside, but the anklet was so unassuming, her attacker didn't bat an eye at it.

With her arms and legs secured, mouth taped and eyes covered, Kim feared what would happen next.

The attacker, it seemed, was not done with her yet and suddenly Kim's arms and legs started to pull together, like there was some sort of tether between them. The tighter the tether got, the more strain it put on Kim's body and in reaction, Kim began to fight even harder. She realized her mistake only when the tether was pulled so tight that she was practically immobilized. She heard heavy breathing, and the sounds of those fabric straps rustling and rubbing against each other, and knew a strap had been tied from her ankles to her wrists.

And now, she was completely defenseless.

Sobbing, Kim's mind ran wild with the possibilities of what someone might want with her, why they were doing this.

She was suddenly lifted from the ground, and she prepared herself to be tossed in some sort of car, maybe a trunk.

But then, the man holding her took only a few steps, there was a loud bang, and she was being lifted higher as the man grunted.

Suddenly the grip on her went away and she dropped, onto something cold, lumpy, smelly, and plastic. She tried to shift, which was difficult in her position, and the smell got worse, accompanied by something wet. She nearly gagged, and had to remind herself if she threw up there was no way for her to expel that fluid and she would have to swallow it back or choke. Neither option appealed to Kim whatsoever, and so she took every hard thing, put it into a box, and shoved it to the very back of her mind. She could open it when Jack was here, and when she was safe. For now, she would pretend like everything was fine and lay vulnerable to all manner of attacks. And cry, she allowed herself to cry.

Rudy was ready to look over everything a third time when he saw Phil rushing to open the dumpster.

"Oh my-"

A dumpster almost always meant one thing when looking for a body, and Rudy prayed with everything in him that it wasn't true of Kim.

Before he could rush forward, a car screeched to a stop to the other side.

No sooner than it had stopped did Jack come tearing out, eyes searching the area.

"Jack-"

"Have you found her?" Jack asked, still looking around for Phil.

When his eyes did find Phil, it was to the other man leaning over a dumpster, digging around.

"Kim!" Jack gasped, making to run toward the dumpster.

With no way of knowing what Jack might see if he looked inside, Rudy chased after his student and grabbed his arm.

"Jack, wait-"

"Let go!" Jack shouted, trying to shake Rudy free.

"Jack," Rudy said, more insistent as he started to wrap his arms around Jack to keep him in place.

"Rudy, is that her?" Jack asked, trying to get closer. "Is that her?!"

"I don't know," Rudy said honestly, trying to be calm. "Phil's checking it out, let him look, okay?"

"Rudy-" Jack said, "Let me go! If she's in there-"

Jack's voice cracked, and he used the rest of his energy to push against Rudy instead of talking.

"Jack, Jack, it's okay, let Phil look," Rudy said, grunting as his hold on Jack started slipping and he had to readjust.

"No! I have to see! I have to- Rudy, I have to-"

Jack was nearing hysterics, his heart breaking at the thought of Kim not being okay and tossed in a dumpster by goodness-know-who.

Phil continued to dig around, grabbing bags and moving them away until finally he spotted a flash of skin.

He dug harder and soon uncovered the girl they'd all been looking for.

She was gagged and blindfolded, and her arms and legs were bound behind her.

"Kim!" he gasped, reaching down to grab the girl.

She was crying, he could see.

She was alive. She was breathing, crying, shaking.

"Kim, it's okay, it's Phil. I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"

Kim just shuttered in response, and although her voice was muffled, she cried out.

"It's her," Jack said frantically, seeing Phil bending over deeper into the dumpster. "It's her, he sees her. Let me go!"

Jack shook again, and Rudy wanted more than anything to let Jack go but if something had happened to her, Jack would be crushed and Rudy couldn't be responsible for the nightmares Jack was sure to have if that was the case. So until he was sure, he would keep Jack at a distance.

As Phil straightened his body, it was with something heavy in his arms.

"Let me go!" Jack shouted, nearly screaming.

Rudy tried to look closely, while fighting against Jack, to see what condition Kim was in.

It was hard to tell from far away, but there was something covering her face and her limbs were pulled behind her. Not to mention she was covered in a small amount of grime.

"She's okay!" Phil called behind him, grunting as he tried to put Kim down as gently as he could on the asphalt.

Unable to hold on, and knowing that she hadn't been severely injured or killed, Rudy let go of Jack.

Jack immediately ran for her, seeing nothing else.

Phil was crouching over her, hands hovering like he wasn't sure what to do. He removed the blindfold from her eyes as carefully as possibly, tossing it aside, and then pausing before doing anything else.

Just as he turned back to look at Kim, Jack fell to his knees at her side, scanning her for anything that needed immediate attention.

She wasn't bleeding from anywhere that he could see, and she hadn't given any indication that something was hurting yet.

She had tears streaming down her cheeks, her body shaking from her sobs.

Her mouth was still gagged, and so Jack carefully peeled off the tape and pulled the cloth out of her mouth.

Her crying only got louder and Jack put his hand on her cheek, letting her know he was there.

"Shh," he said gently, quickly trying to determine the next most important thing. "It's okay, Kim. You're okay. I'm right here."

Kim sobbed again and Jack turned his attention to her arms.

Her legs were bent behind her and when Jack pulled her into his lap to get a better look, he saw why.

Her wrists were tied together, as were her ankles, and then to immobilize her further, as if she posed that much of a threat, she'd been hogtied. A strap wound between her ankles and wrists, keeping her from having almost any mobility.

Jack's fingers moved to untie her, but the knots were tight and it'd be quicker to simply cut right through them.

"Shh," Jack said absent-mindedly. "It's okay, Kim. It's okay. I've got you. You're safe."

Looking up, Jack spotted Phil still hovering, watching closely but not sure how to best be helpful.

"Phil, I need a knife or scissors, something sharp," Jack said in a tone so clear and direct Phil didn't hesitate to nod and scrambled back inside for the appropriate tool.

Now just waiting, Jack looked back down at Kim.

He hugged her close, brushing the tears off her cheek with his thumb.

"It's okay," he assured her again, trying to be calm for her sake.

"J-J- Jack-" she cried, hiccuping before she fell into sobs again.

"I know," Jack said, "I know. It's okay. You're okay. I'm going to get you out of here. I know it's hard to breathe right now, so just do your best to slow your heart rate, okay? Just take it nice and slow. That's it, you've got it. Good, keep going," Jack looked down at her, coaching her through what should be an easy task.

He knew one of the advantages of restraining someone like Kim had been restrained was the added stress to the diaphragm. Having your arms and legs pulled back made it impossible to take complete, deep breaths, and Kim was already scared and panicking.

When Phil hurried back out with a big pair of scissors, Jack turned Kim so he could reach behind her and cut the strap holding her arms and legs together.

It took a few tries to actually pierce through the nylon, but once it was completely severed, Kim's legs snapped back and her arms fell completely limp against her back.

Kim let out a whimper, the sharp movement sending a jolt of pain through her joints.

"Almost done, Kim," Jack said gently, not pausing as he moved to the straps around her wrists.

He was cool and collected as he worked. Efficient and careful not to cut Kim's skin even while he stuck one of the blades up against her wrist.

Because the straps were so tight, it was harder to get a good angle to cut at, and so Jack apologized quickly as he moved the scissors, likely pressing hard against the bone in her wrist.

When the strap was cut, Jack still had to untangle it and pull Kim's arms out.

She had started to wiggle, trying to help, and when she was freed of those restraints, she promptly wrapped her arms around Jack as best she could and buried her face in his torso. She wasn't able to reach his neck, or his chest, but she didn't seem to care so long as she was holding on to him.

Her sobs almost immediately softened, likely the product of being able to take a more full breath. Jack couldn't help himself as he wrapped a protective arm around Kim's back, reminding himself that she was here in his arms, and she was doing okay.

He allowed himself just a moment to focus solely on comforting her.

When that moment was up, he bent over her again, this time cutting at the straps on her ankles. When that cord snapped, and he unwound it from around her legs, Jack finally pulled Kim into his arms fully. He wrapped her body around him, clutching her tightly to his chest as he breathed her in.

She was here, she was safe, he had her.

Looking around, Jack spotted Milton and Jerry now standing with Rudy, looking on at them as they spoke. They must have gotten there while Jack was busy taking care of Kim.

At the thought of her, he turned back.

"Shh," he said again, squeezing her just a little closer. Not hard enough to hurt her or aggravate any injuries, but enough to feel secure. "You're safe now. It's okay."

Kim's fist clutched at the fabric of Jack's shirt, stifling her cries as she tried to move.

"Take it easy," Jack said softly.

Slowly, Kim pulled herself up just a little more, though she didn't make any effort to get out of Jack's lap.

Ignoring the crowd that had gathered around them, Jack only looked at Kim.

"You're okay now," he promised, a firm hand on the side of her face, anchoring her in reality.

Kim nodded, believing Jack's words.

"Are you hurt?" Jack asked, looking into Kim's eyes. Rationally he knew looking over her body for injuries, looking around for clues, or looking for a perpetrator, would be a smarter thing to do. But he couldn't make himself look anywhere besides her eyes.

Kim shook her head, pursing her lips as more silent tears fell.

She was just so relieved.

"Are you sure? Can I check?" Jack asked carefully, letting a hand rub up and down Kim's arm.

Again, Kim nodded.

Slowly, Jack peeled Kim away, holding her back just enough to look over.

His eyes moved slowly, methodically checking every inch. When his eyes trailed down her arms and landed on her wrists, Jack stopped and slowly reached down.

"Let me take a look." Milton crouched down next to Jack and Kim, holding a hand out toward Kim.

Kim flinched away on instinct, stopping when she realized it was just Milton there to help.

"Later," Jack said, pulling Kim back into a comfortable hold. "Milton, I need you and Jerry to sweep the area. Find her phone."

Milton looked at Kim for another second, trying to determine if she was fine, before nodding and stepping away. He nodded over to Jerry, and they began the process of tediously combing over the scene, collecting evidence and taking pictures of anything that might give them answers.

"I'm sorry," Kim apologized, voice gravelly.

"Shh," Jack said, still scanning Kim's body.

"I tried," she said quietly, not meeting Jack's eyes.

"I know," Jack assured her. He knew her well, and he was sure she didn't go down without a fight. Still, there was only so much she could do and so he didn't want her blaming herself or thinking she was inadequate because somebody had snuck up on her.

As he finished looking over her, Jack's next item was to get Kim calm, cleaned, and get to the bottom of what happened.

He looked around, spotting Milton and Jerry finishing up and Phil and Rudy looking on with worry.

Seeing that Jack was no longer completely occupied, Rudy spoke up.

"Jack…" he said, not sure exactly what to say. "What is going on? Why is-"

Jack cut him off with a quick shake of his head. "Not right now, Rudy," he sighed, eyeing Kim.

Rudy seemed to understand the need to be careful around Kim and stopped, but Jack could tell there was another conversation to be had in private.

"Are you okay, Kim?" Jack asked again softly. He knew she couldn't be okay, the condition they found her in alone was enough to traumatize her for months to come, but he asked anyways.

Kim nodded, and she knew it was a lie too, but they both let her pretend.

"I didn't see them," Kim said quietly. "The person who did it. I didn't see their face."

"I know," Jack said. At Kim's questioning look, he continued. "You were blindfolded. That's good, that means they always meant to let you go."

"I tried so hard to be brave, Jack," Kim whispered, recalling that box she had shoved to the back of her mind. It was dangerously close to exploding now.

"You are brave," he assured her. "You are so brave."

"I don't feel brave," Kim admitted, letting the feeling of her weight against Jack bring her comfort.

"Why don't we get you inside somewhere and you can clean up a little?" Jack suggested. Kim was never going to feel like herself while the reminders of what happened were all over her body.

At Kim's nod, Jack looked around for Rudy again.

"Rudy, can I take her to the dojo?"

Rudy nodded, coming over to offer any help.

"I sent the students home, it should be empty," Rudy said.

Carefully, Jack stood, helping Kim stand too.

Her limbs were weak and it hurt to put so much pressure on them so soon after everything, and so she kept much of her weight in Jack's arms.

To avoid taking her through the highest traffic areas, Jack led Kim around the back of the mall until they got to a side entrance much closer to the dojo.

The others weren't far behind Jack and when he helped Kim into a chair at the dojo, everyone stood nearby.

Kim, uncomfortable with all the attention focused on her, gave Jack a pleading look.

Seeming to understand, Jack sent Phil away to get some wet cloths and asked Rudy to fetch a first aid kit.

With just Milton and Jerry left, Jack turned to them.

"Milton, can you get any CCTV footage?"

"I can try, but I wouldn't be surprised if they cut the feed."

With that, Milton left and it was just Jack, Jerry, and Kim.

"Can I get a new shirt?" Kim asked quietly. "Um… This one smells."

"I'm on it," Jerry said, immediately springing into action. As he passed Kim on her chair, he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, and continued on his way.

"We're going to find out who did this," Jack assured Kim when everyone else had left.

"I know you will," Kim said, believing it too.

Jack smiled ruefully at her, still hating that any of this had happened.

"Well, let me see your hands," Jack said, kneeling down and gently grabbing Kim's wrists again.

He studied them closely, careful not to touch or irritate the red skin.

"The cords were too thick to break," Kim said. "It wasn't like duck tape or zip ties."

"There's nothing you could have done," Jack said. "And that's okay."

Kim's eyes welled up again, and Jack knew she was reliving whatever had happened.

Deciding she needed a distraction, Jack wracked his mind for anything to make Kim smile or laugh.

"Milton found out Jerry got the same score as him on a test this morning," Jack said, blurting the first thing that came to mind. "He totally freaked out."

The comment did a good enough job at stopping the tears in Kim's eyes, and so Jack continued tell Kim all about it.

When Phil came back with the wet cloths, he promised to check in again, but said he had to head back over to his restaurant and make sure it hadn't gone up in flames. Jack promised it was okay, thanked him for his help, and said goodbye.

Rudy came back with the first aid kit and watched silently as Jack cleaned Kim up and treated her wounds.

Jerry came back with a whole new outfit for Kim, some comfortable shorts and a looser shirt.

Jack sent Kim to the locker room to change and it was while she was there that Milton returned with a solemn look on his face.

"What?" Jack asked. "Did you get it?"

Milton shook his head. "No, it was like I said, there was a gap in the feed. I looked at some surrounding cameras but I didn't get anything clear."

Jack shook his head, trying to think who would be behind all these attacks against Kim.

"You don't think this is the same as the pictures, do you?" Jerry asked.

Jack shook his head, it didn't make sense!

"That's not possible," Milton said. "Those pictures were never sent, I- I don't understand."

"What pictures?" Rudy asked skeptically, speaking up for the first time. "What is going on here? You talked about Kim's tracker? Milton you were hacking into CCTV footage? What have you all done?"

Sharing a look, the boys waited for Jack to explain.

"Rudy…"

Jack stopped, trying to understand what Rudy knew and what he'd seen, and what he still needed to know.

Although he hadn't told Rudy exactly what had been going on, Jack wasn't able to completely hide from Rudy.

When everything had started, Jack had actually consulted Rudy on a few things. So Rudy was aware that Jack had gotten involved in some sort of official government operation once or twice, but he did not know the full extent of it.

"That thing I needed help with a while back? Um… we've been doing that a lot," Jack said.

"'We' as in…" Rudy trailed off, looking at the other boys.

Jack nodded. "Me, Milton, and Jerry."

"And Kim…"

"No," Jack said immediately. "No, I tried to keep her out of it. And I did, for a while. But she got caught up in it anyway…"

Before Jack could continue, Kim walked back out and all eyes were on her again.

Looking at Jack, Milton eyed the first aid kit, and Kim's body.

"Um, how about I check her out," he suggested awkwardly.

Jack just nodded and Milton took that as an answer and approached Kim carefully.

"I'll, uh, keep her company," Jerry said, leaving Jack and Rudy behind.

Jack continued his explanation to Rudy, basically a whole lot of I can't disclose this and hypothetically that. The whole time, Rudy just listened intently, not saying a word the whole time. It was surprisingly hard to read him, and Jack felt the crushing guilt on his chest triple just knowing that he'd disappointed Rudy.

When Jack was done, and he had revealed all that he could, carefully avoiding things he couldn't, Rudy just looked at him for a second.

Then he grabbed Jack in a hug, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close.

"It's not your fault," he finally said, pulling back.

"Rudy-"

"It's not your fault, Jack. I can't act like I understand everything, but I know you and her. I know you would do whatever you can to protect her. She needs you, don't let yourself dwell on what's happened, focus on what you need to do next. Okay?"

Jack swallowed. Focus on what he needed to do next. Right.

"Okay," Jack finally agreed.

"Good. What do you need from me?"

"This is great," Jack said honestly. "I need to ask her some things, and talk to Milton and Jerry, so just having her somewhere safe and familiar is huge."

Rudy nodded, the dojo had always been a safe space for the kids, and he liked to keep it that way. Maybe it wasn't the most traditional, but he liked to think that the dojo was like a second home to them. Somewhere to come after a hard day, somewhere to hang out, somewhere to take refuge in. He never closed the doors to his kids.

When Jack rejoined the others, Milton was checking Kim's pulse while her and Jerry spoke quietly.

Kim saw Jack approaching almost immediately and when Jerry followed her line of sight, he cleared his throat and moved back a little.

"We need to talk," Jack said. "Kim, if you don't want-"

"No," Kim interrupted, shaking her head. "I want to listen."

"Are you sure? If you don't feel well-"

"I'm sure," Kim insisted. "Please?"

Jack just nodded. "Very well. Milton?"

Milton held up a hand to signal he was busy, waited a few seconds, then nodded as he removed his fingers from Kim's wrist.

"Yes," he said finally, turning to Jack. "Let's talk."

So, although the dojo was already secluded, Rudy offered up his office for extra privacy and security while he worked to clean up after the class he'd sent away in a hurry.

It was in the office that Jack started the painful process of asking Kim exactly what she remembered. When she was done, Jerry and Milton shared what they'd found at the site and what Milton had seen on the camera footage. All together it was... surprisingly disjointed.

"This doesn't make sense," Milton finally admitted. "Why would somebody do this?"

"Revenge?" Jack guessed. "Payback? We've made a lot of people mad. I've made a lot of people mad."

"Yeah, but usually those are the people in jail," Milton reasoned. "Who would be mad enough to do something like this and could?"

"I don't know, Milton," Jack said, frustrated.

"Something doesn't add up," Milton insisted.

"Like what?" Jerry asked.

"Like… Why did they hurt Kim? They weren't trying to kill her, or-"

"Milton!" Jack snapped, nodding at Kim sitting wide-eyed on the couch.

"Sorry, I just… What do we know about kidnappers? They kidnap for ransom—there was no ransom note so that's out. They kidnap for revenge—they didn't hurt Kim, it wasn't personal or anything so that's out. They kidnap for some sort of utility—they left Kim behind, so obviously they didn't have plans for her. I just- I don't get it," Milton explained, shaking his head as he paced the small strip of walking space in the office.

"They wanted to get to me," Jack said, although the reasoning didn't sound so strong now that he thought about it. Still, what other explanation could there be?

"So they tied your girlfriend up and threw her in a dumpster? If I were a monster, I would at least-"

"Enough," Jack interrupted with a harsh glare. "Kim, cover your ears."

Kim hesitated for a moment, then brought her hands up to her ears.

Milton eyed Kim, somewhat apologetically, then continued in a whisper. "They could have raped her, they could have beat her, they could have shot her, stabbed her, sold her," Milton listed. Jack was already scowling, but Milton plowed on. "But they didn't. Why?"

"So traumatizing her isn't enough?" Jack whispered back. "You don't think she was hurt enough? Just because she wasn't bleeding out means it's not a valid assault?"

"No! Just look at the facts. Why would they do what they did? Why grab her, tie her up, but not hurt her? What would anyone gain from her attack?" Milton asked again, imploring Jack to really think about it.

Jack did, Milton could tell he was mulling over it.

"We caught the photographer before he sent the pictures," Milton added. "Don't you think it was all a little too easy?"

"They left a pretty compelling trail with Frank," Jerry realized. "Couldn't they have covered their tracks better? Come up with a better lie, something that we would think was truly just Frank? Instead of alerting us that a third party was involved?"

"Exactly," Milton said. "At that, why involve Frank at all? He's a liability to stealth; they were more prone to being found out because they used Frank."

Jack shook his head and Kim slowly lowered her hands.

"Do you think they wanted to get caught?" she asked timidly.

Jack's head snapped to her, the idea of her having overheard this conversation leaving a pit in his stomach. "What did you hear?"

"Just the part about the photographer and Frank…" Kim said sheepishly. "You guys were talking kind of loud."

"Kim's right," Milton said. "There's no way anybody who was capable of all that would be so sloppy. They wanted to get caught."

"Why?" Jerry asked.

Milton shrugged. "I don't know."

Suddenly, Jack gasped.

"Milton, you didn't send that drone, did you?"

"Um, no, Jerry and I didn't have a chance to finalize everything when you called. But Kim is more important, the drone can wait!" he rushed out the end, making sure Kim and Jack both knew where he stood.

"Exactly," Jack realized. "Kim is more important. Jerry, call Funderburk. Now."

With a nod, Jerry pulled out his phone immediately.

"What Jack?" Milton asked, trying to understand whatever it was Jack seemed to realize. "What is it?"

"Anybody who knows me, anybody who has watched me—let's say, by taking pictures—knows how important Kim is," Jack said.

"But he never sent those pictures," Milton argued, shaking his head. The only person who had watched Jack, was the photographer who was in custody. They'd ruled out anybody else having intel on Kim, because they were confident the pictures hadn't been shared at all. They'd let their guard down, and that wasn't something they did lightly.

"Doesn't mean he couldn't describe what he'd seen, and he saw Kim. A lot," Jack said. "Those pictures spanned multiple weeks. He might not have sent them, but he could definitely report back to whoever hired him."

Milton chewed on that thought before deciding it was possible. "And maybe he never sent them so we wouldn't be too concerned, chasing after a lead that ultimately wouldn't make sense… If they'd sent the pictures, it might actually lead us to figure them out; it would probably raise more questions they didn't want us prying into. So they pretended like we thwarted their plan."

Jack never did let his guard down, and maybe he'd been right not to. Maybe it was the rest of them in the wrong, and maybe Jack hadn't been overprotective at all. The bad vibes he was getting about Kim was because his brain unconsciously had put the pieces together that the rest of them hadn't.

"Exactly," Jack said. "They didn't need the pictures for information, they needed them to make us think they were after something, but that they hadn't gotten it yet. That they'd try again."

"Jack," Jerry interrupted. "He's on the line."

"Put him on speaker."

Jerry eyed Kim briefly, wondering if Jack remembered she was here, and Jack just nodded. They couldn't afford to wait to talk to Funderburk right now and he would not make Kim leave him anytime soon.

"Jack? What's going on? Jerry said you got her?"

"Yes," Jack said. "She's safe."

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine," Jack interrupted. "I know why someone did all this."

"Are you sure? There are a lot of wild cards, it might not all be connected-"

"Someone needs to check out the repair shop. Immediately."

"The- Okay…"

"Immediately," Jack reiterated. "And they need to be prepared for a big confrontation, a shoot-out likely."

"Okay, let me reach out to the office. Give me a minute."

Funderburk's line went quiet, as he no doubt began contacting the necessary people, and it left everyone else to sit in the silence.

"What is that about?" Kim asked quietly, looking around at the boys.

"It's a mission he wanted me on tonight," Jack explained tiredly. "I told him no."

At Kim's questioning look, he continued.

"You had volunteering tonight," he said, clearing his throat. "I told him I couldn't do it."

"Jack…"

"I stand by my choice, so don't bother," he said. "When I refused, he wanted to put Jerry and Milton on it. They were working on a surveillance drone, when we realized you weren't responding to our calls. They got pulled away from that same mission."

"Was it really that big of a mission?" Kim asked.

"No," Jack said. "It wasn't. We didn't think it was."

Milton gasped, suddenly realizing where Jack was going with this.

"Those sneaky vultures!" he gasped. "They knew we'd pull away and help find Kim!"

Sensing Jerry and Kim weren't following, Jack continued.

"They set it up, knowing how we'd react. They didn't have to actually hurt you, they only had to make it seem like you were in imminent danger. Enough that we would drop everything, everything to come find you. They pretended to have someone stalk you, have someone be obsessed with you and meddle into your everyday life, so that we'd fear for your safety enough to focus on only you and not them."

"They used me as… as bait? Like some sort of distraction?" Kim asked, hating the way it sounded. Everything she'd been through had been for a distraction?

"Yes," Jack hesitated. "Even distractions are traumatic, though," he said carefully, not wanting to minimize what Kim went through.

"And why would they need a distraction if they were just going about business as usual tonight?" Milton asked rhetorically.

"Yes," Jack agreed. "We'd been led to believe that what was happening tonight was no big deal. That's why I didn't feel bad saying no. Then we were pulled away to something that seemed like a huge deal, saving you. With any luck, we would be completely consumed with finding you and they would have an entire night to do anything they wanted, without any kind of surveillance."

Jerry suddenly clapped loud in understanding. "They've got a big drop tonight!"

"Which is exactly why a team needs to get there asap," Jack explained. "Something big is going down tonight, and they were banking on us being occupied."

"You should go," Kim piped up.

"Kim, no-"

"I'm okay, Jack," Kim assured her, mustering all the courage she had.

"Kim, I'm not leaving," Jack said. Even Milton and Jerry were shaking their heads, as if leaving her were the most absurd thing they'd ever heard.

"I'll be okay," Kim said, voice wavering in betrayal to what she was trying to say.

"Kim," Jack repeated softly. "I won't leave you. Funderburk already has people on it, they'd get their first anyways."

"Are you sure?" Kim asked, eyes so big and wide Jack saw a whole different world inside them.

"I'm sure," Jack promised, sitting next to Kim and grabbing her hand. He gave it a small squeeze and in response, Kim turned and wrapped her arms around him again.

"Thank you," she whispered, pressing her face into the crook of his neck.

Jack lifted an arm and wrapped it around Kim, holding her close.

"I will always come for you," Jack promised quietly. "You are my priority. Always."

"I knew you'd come," Kim admitted tearfully, pulling back just enough to breathe. She rested the side of her head on Jack's shoulder, and so Jack couldn't see her face but he could imagine every inch of it.

"Always," Jack nodded, lifting his other hand to gently brush Kim's hair.

They stayed that way for a few more seconds, before Jerry cleared his throat awkwardly.

Kim started to pull back, but Jack kept his arms tight, holding her there. Kim was more than happy to comply.

"If you're okay, I think I'm going to go meet with Funderburk…"

"I'm okay," Kim promised.

"Alright, well then…"

Jerry took an awkward step toward the door, keeping his eyes averted from where Kim was nearly straddling Jack on the couch at this point.

"Jerry," Kim said softly, stopping him.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming for me," she said earnestly. "You too Milton. I- I don't think I can say, like, how thankful I am, I just…"

"We love you too," Jerry filled in, giving Kim the easiest lopsided grin that had rainbows and unicorns and sparkly hearts dancing around her insides.

Then, instead of walking to the door, Jerry pivoted and bent down in front of Kim.

Jack momentarily let go, and Kim promptly threw her arms around Jerry as well.

When he pulled back, Milton stepped up and even though he wasn't keen on hugging, Kim ignored the hand he was extending toward her arm and threw herself at him.

"Thank you, Milton," she said, squeezing him tight.

Jerry and Jack bit back laughs at the way Milton's eyes bulged, but eventually even Milton lifted his arms and gave Kim a few supportive pats on her back.

"Okay," Jack intervened, saving Milton and easing Kim back onto the couch. "We are going to stay here and monitor for any injuries. If you hear anything back from Funderburk, let me know."

"Ay, ay, Captain," Jerry said, giving Jack a salute as he and Milton left.

Alone, Kim turned to Jack.

"Monitor for injuries?" Kim questioned, not totally sure what Jack meant.

Leaning close, Jack kissed Kim's temple and then stayed just as close. Kim felt his nose tickling the little hairs on the edge of her hairline.

"Concussion, bleeding, aches," Jack listed quietly, moving down from the top of Kim's head down to her neck.

Suddenly flustered, Kim stuttered. "Um… b-bleeding?"

Jack hummed, and Kim could feel the vibration of his voice against her skin.

"And aches," Jack added.

Almost unconsciously, Kim moved closer, like Jack was the other side of a very compelling magnet.

Smiling in success, Jack finally pressed his lips gently to Kim's skin. In response, Kim let out a sigh of approval, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I was so scared," Jack admitted in a quiet whisper, pressing his lips just a little further to the left.

"If I ever lost you…" Jack placed another kiss a little higher, under Kim's jaw. "I don't know what I would do."

Jack's hand wound around the back of Kim's head, fingers tangling in her hair. With a tight grip, he was able to ease her back just so and place a harder kiss on Kim's jaw.

"You're my everything," Jack whispered, so quiet Kim almost didn't even hear it.

Then, Jack's other hand snaked around Kim's waist, gripping tightly as he leaned forward into her and pressed a kiss to Kim's lips, finally. Kim, stunned, took a moment to respond, before trying to match Jack's efforts.

With her participation, Jack pressed further, holding her waist harder, tighter. Pressing her into him further, firmer.

Just as he took a quick breath, and descended on her again, sitting up even more and ready to straddle her fully, Kim lifted her arms and gently pushed Jack back.

"Wait," she breathed.

Jack hardly heard, and continued to kiss around Kim's jaw.

"Wait," she repeated, a little louder.

Slowly, Jack paused.

"I- I can't…"

Kim wasn't sure what exactly she wanted to say, but Jack seemed to get her meaning.

"Right," he nodded. Then he shook his head. "Of course. I'm sorry. Sorry, I'll…"

Clearing his throat, Jack loosened his hand, only now realizing the grip he had. Then he dropped back into the couch, next to Kim, not on her. What was he thinking?

"It's okay," Kim assured him, trying to fight a blush.

"I'm sorry, I got… carried away," Jack said, still trying to shove down the intense feelings he'd momentarily let consume him.

"No, no," Kim said. "I, um, didn't not like it."

Jack looked and Kim was definitely blushing now, and she wouldn't look at Jack either.

"Really, Kim, I'm sorry."

"No, Jack, I promise, it's nothing I didn't want. I- I just… after… you know…"

Jack nodded immediately, reaching out and grabbing Kim's hand because anything more felt aggressive but anything less felt cold.

"Of course," Jack assured her. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Kim. You can just tell me no."

Sparing a quick glance at Jack, and then averting her gaze again to her knees, Kim continued. "I know. Um… but maybe, you can do that again later?"

Jack smiled, big, wide, and cocky. He would definitely do that again.

"If it's what you want," Jack said aloud, voice much calmer and passive than how he really felt. He'd already shocked her before, he didn't need to jump on her invitation to make-out with him like some kind of animal.

Kim just nodded and Jack tucked Kim's newfound approval away for a later time.

"So… no aches? Bleeding? Headaches?"

Kim shook her head. "Just... emotionally painful," she said, choosing her words carefully and deciding to mirror what Jack had said about how he felt once.

"I'm sorry. Tell me?"