Jack had one more stop to make before he booked his return flight to Europe to regroup with his new team. His new team. The words jarred in his throat, even after seven months. The men hunting Kovac with him were great, but when the mission was over, they would part ways and most likely never see each other again. Then he'd come back and relieve Desi of her responsibility. Hopefully she wouldn't be too attached to his team, his family, by then. He glanced across the awakening city. A white car that had parked several miles away shortly after he'd arrived was still in the same spot. Nobody had got in or out. He frowned.

Before he could think about it further, he saw his lift approaching and quickly headed downstairs. Getting into the passenger seat, he gave directions to the driver, who turned the vehicle around and headed towards a light industrial area. His other employer's premises, he thought with a smirk.

Since he was early, Jack asked the driver to stop several blocks away from his destination. Pulling a peak cap low over his forehead, he hopped out and merged with a crowd of workers coming up from the station, crossing the road with them. Best way to lose any tails that may have followed him. It was unlikely anybody would be monitoring his movements, but he couldn't entirely shrug off the feeling that eyes were on him. He couldn't afford to slip up now, especially if it could compromise the safety of his Phoenix family.

Turning left, he strolled briskly down the sidewalk towards Tom's Tile Emporium, a large warehouse that stocked an impressive range of local and imported bathroom tiles. A delivery truck was being unpacked in the loading bay, so he slipped behind the piles of boxes and passed unnoticed through the back entrance. Before entering the showroom from the staff-only section, he peered through the glass paneled door to scan the area. The layout was the same as he remembered it and several customers were already shopping for tiles. He strode out, heading towards the coffee station in the far corner, boots squeaking softly on the marble floor. Seating himself on a couch from where he could see the entrance when he looked up, he picked up a sanitaryware catalog and began paging with feigned interest.

Before long, the automated glass doors parted, and Riley stepped in. Jack stood up as he saw her glance across the showroom and met her halfway across the floor. He smiled; he was so proud of the smart, confident young woman Riley had become.

"Hey, that's my girl!" he grinned, wrapping his arms around her and planting a kiss on the top of her head. Her curls bounced back against his cheek, as resilient as Riley herself.

"Jack!" she smiled into his jacket, embracing the warmth and security that was the essence of Jack. "I knew you were here!"

"Did Elwood tell you?" He released her a little to glance at her expression. She was grinning.

"No. Do you really think I'd believe he was shopping for bathroom décor and then drop me here while he parked? And besides..." her eyes sparkled.

"You've been tracking me and saw me arrive at the airport yesterday!" Jack raised an eyebrow, turning Riley towards the coffee station.

Riley lifted her hands in defense. "Maybe I did, but you can't blame me for that, Jack. You've been tracking me since I was little, and I guess that rubbed off. You always knew where to find me when I forgot to pack homework assignments. Or when I got off at the wrong bus stop, or didn't return from the mall by curfew. You even tracked down Stacey's parents after she cut my hair in class!"

"Aww, kiddo, I didn't want anyone to mess with you. Not then and not now." Jack's voice softened with fondness at the memory of the young girl who had masked her fragility with fierce independence. He picked up the filter coffee pot from the stand and filled two cups with steaming liquid, then stirred a spoon of sugar into his.

"Do you remember when your mom and I found you hiding in the garden on awards evening?" he smiled, handing a cup to Riley. "You had us hunting for at least 10 minutes before we realized you weren't inside."

"I didn't want to go," Riley huffed, shaking her head. "When you're at school, the last thing you want is a prize for being a nerd! That's like making yourself a walking target for all the mean girls. Besides, a piece of paper and a handshake don't mean much."

"But, Ri, you deserved it!" Jack fondly bumped his shoulder against hers, recalling how she'd spent weeks at the library after school, researching and writing a program that would help students make healthy food choices in the cafeteria. She'd been so enthusiastic about the project. Coding came naturally to her and she'd tell Diane and him all about what she could do and find online. Her school had even implemented the program after piloting it for a month.

"It still turned out to be one of the best evenings ever," she shrugged. After refusing to attend the event at school, Jack and her mom had taken her out for dinner instead. She had ordered a Hawaiian pizza with extra cheese and a chocolate Oreo milkshake. Then they had played skee ball. The fun and laughter, and the thought that Jack and her mom and her could be a family, had filled her heart with hope and happiness. How she had wished it would last forever! But then Elwood returned and Jack left. Her anger had spiraled, pushing her down a road that eventually led to prison. Those were dark times, but that was behind her. Jack was back in her life and she knew she could count on him to watch out for her. Now she could do the same for him.

"We'll have another pizza and skee ball evening," Jack nodded. "Just you and me, as soon as my mission's done. We'll go out and determine once and for all who the true skee ball champion is!"

"Challenge accepted, old man!" Riley laughed, offering her hand for Jack to shake on it. "And speaking of missions, what happened in Croatia last week?"

Surprise flickered across Jack's face. "What do you mean?"

"You were in hospital for two days, Jack," Riley swallowed, trying her best to keep her voice level. "What happened?"

Jack took a deep breath. He had not wanted Riley or Mac to know about the ambush by Kovac's men. He'd received intelligence that Kovac was hiding in an underground location in Zagreb. As he and his men had entered the area, a sniper in a building overlooking a busy street shot at him and grazed his arm. Aware of the civilians, they had cautiously returned fire. Before Jack could take cover, a second shot hit him center mass, knocking him off his feet. His Kevlar absorbed the impact, but it had been a close call, leaving him shaken. Shaken enough to take a few days' leave to visit Mac and Riley.

"It was nothing really. I pulled some muscles and they wanted to keep me overnight to run some tests. You know how doctors like to fuss? They're just like the Phoenix medical unit! All I needed was some good ol' rest."

Riley studied his face intently, as she considered whether Jack was telling her everything. She'd secretly been keeping tabs on him since he'd left, tracking him through the Bulgarian and Serbian countrysides, and watching him cross into Croatia about two weeks ago. She placed her hand on his arm.

"You'll tell us if there's anything we should know about, right? Or anything we can do to help you, Jack?"

"Course," Jack smiled. "But there's no need to worry. I'm fine. And..." he rubbed his chin.

"You'd like what we've chatted about to stay between us." Riley finished. "Yeah, I won't say anything to Mac."

"Thanks," Jack sounded grateful. "I don't mind if you track me, Ri. Not that I can stop you anyway. But I just don't want both of you to worry about me."

Just then, Riley's cell rang and she glanced at the screen. "It's Matty. I'd better take it."

Jack nodded.

"Hey, Matty!

"Riley, prisoner 645 has escaped. I need you to come in now."

Sure. I'll be there in 15 minutes." Riley put her cell into her jacket pocket and picked up her bag. "Work calls, so I've got to go."

Jack stood up too and they walked to the door. Elwood's car was parked two rows away, in a bay that was very close to where Diane had once parked when she fetched Jack for lunch one afternoon, believing that he worked here.

"My mom was convinced you were one of the top bathroom tile salespeople," Riley chuckled, as Jack pulled her into a hug. "She'd never have believed you if you'd been able to tell her the truth."

"So maybe I have a fallback career after all then," he grinned. "Stay safe, Ri."

"You too, Jack. And come back soon!"

He watched Riley walk to Elwood's car and get in, waving to them as they pulled away.

Rubbing his injured arm, Jack wondered how different life would have been as a tile salesman. Trading danger for a comfortable life. He shook his head and smiled as he stepped out the door.

There was simply nothing he'd rather be doing than serving his country with his family.