A/N: I tried mightily to keep my spirits up during Season 4, but the finale…well, it just ticked me off royally and I could not get it out of my mind. Rants at Maple Street and sending feedback to CBS helped, but apparently, I needed a deeper form of counseling. So, I turned to this "therapeutic fanfic." It is my effort to eradicate the sickening presence of Anne and rekindle the warmth and electricity we like to call JSR!

Welcome. I'm pleased to share with you my therapy session masterfully betaed by the wildly talented Mariel who understands the proper use 'subjunctive' something or others. g>

SEARCH and DISCOVER

A handful of agents fanned out as they searched the abandoned factory grounds looking for Madeline Ludzinski. Jack hated spending time chasing anonymous tips as 98 of the time they were a hoax. Madeline, however, had been missing for seventy-two hours now, so the slim hope of 2 was all he had to lean on.

They were quickly losing daylight and searching the vacant buildings in the dark would be dangerous. He guessed they had no more than one hour to cover as much of the 20-acre property as they could without putting agents in jeopardy.

Grabbing his flashlight from the back of the Dodge Durango, he systematically started going through buildings to his left. The conditions were filthy, with rats scurrying to hide in crevices and an acrid stench in the air burning his nose. Periodically he heard an agent calling Madeline's name…to no avail.

He entered another building and heard the grating yet familiar voice of Anne calling out for Madeline. He couldn't explain the instant look of disgust that took over his face and the instinctive move in the opposite direction.

Why is she even here? Lord knows she can't handle a weapon, much less a sudden attack by anything or anyone. Paper pushers shouldn't have the title of "Special Agent." Of course, that 'hey Jack, I'm having your child' stunt still sticks in my belly. What would Max think about that? I promised I would take care of his widow…not raise his kid.

Still contemplating his annoyance, he didn't see Samantha enter the same building through a side door. She watched his facial expressions and had to hold back a snort when she realized the loathsome looks directly correlated with Anne's voice!

Well, he deserves what he's getting. I mean really! They practically jumped into bed before Max's body was even cold in the ground. I hope he's miserable. Besides, as handsome as he is, he could sure do a helluva lot better than the likes of her…she's such a prude… what is with his fatal attraction to frosty bitches?

And yet, as she watched him move forward in the building calling out Madeline's name, she had to admit part of him was still buried deep in her heart. Shaking her head regretfully, and not wanting to get caught spying on him, she turned the other direction and called out for Madeline.

As soon as he heard her voice in close proximity, Jack wheeled around seeking her out. "Samantha! I'm over here. You having any luck?"

"That you Jack? No, I haven't found a thing. Vivian thought she found fresh tracks a couple of buildings over, but they turned out to be Danny's prints. Be careful though, I've found a couple places that look like doorways, but they open into shallow pits. The darker it gets, the more dangerous this is going to be."

Jack nodded his understanding and felt strangely more relaxed with her in the vicinity.

"Be careful."

Turning down a narrow hallway, he thought he heard a rustling sound. Stopping, he listened intently but couldn't discern if he was just hearing Samantha's movements or something else further down the hallway.

He unholstered his Glock, holding it loosely at his side while slowly sweeping the flashlight beam systematically from left to right as he cautiously moved forward toward another doorway. Pausing again, all he could hear was his own breathing.

Securing his weapon, he laughed lightly when he heard Samantha cursing at the rats. He actually looked back wistfully over his shoulder in her direction as he moved to enter the next room.

It happened quickly.

Just as he was turning his head back around, he stepped off into oblivion. Instinctively letting out a yelp, he tumbled a few feet and hit his head on something jagged. It caught him just above his left eyebrow. Struggling to his feet he muttered, "shit Shit SHIT! She just warned me about this!"

He moved the flashlight around and found he was about three feet down in a small cement-walled room. He wiped what he thought was sweat out of his eye and came away with a bloody hand. "Well this is just great!"

Samantha heard his yell and raced in his direction. "Jack! Jack! Where are you?"

"I'm down here. In a damned hole! Give me a hand will ya?"

She was chuckling when she got there as he continued to spew a string of obscenities. Just as she was ready to admonish him for his lack of attention, she saw the gash above his eye. "Oh! You're bleeding Jack. Here, take my hand. Let's get you out of there and get that cut treated."

Even though he was bit dazed, he nonetheless took note of Samantha's strength and calm manner as she helped hoist him out of the hole She wrapped her arm around his waist and he threw an arm over her shoulder as she helped him down the hallway.

"Well, go ahead and get it off your chest. I know you're about to bust. Go ahead," he grumbled, then snuck a sheepish grin her way.

"Oh no big fella. I'm not going to use it up all at one time. I'm going to string this out for a long time. You won't hear the end of this for many moons."

Sharing some big smiles, he tried to muster a stern voice when he said, "Just remember who the Supervisory Special Agent is in this crowd before you mouth off", but the teasing in his voice gave him away.

They were laughing quite hardily when Anne hurried up. Samantha dropped her arm from Jack's waist. Jack reluctantly and slowly slid his arm off her shoulder, tracing a path down her back as he did so.

"Jack, dear, what happened? Oh my! Blood! Oh, quick someone call 911! What should we do? Were you shot? What happened? Oh goodness! You're bleeding!"

Jack bristled at her lack of control over something so minor.

He put up his hand and said, "Agent Cassidy. Stop. I just fell and hit my head on a pipe. Was I shot? Please. Did you hear any gunfire? Would I be laughing if I were shot? Get a grip already."

Samantha tried to hide the smirk forming on her lips as Jack scolded Anne for being a wimp.

Anne threw a confused look his way, but went on with, "Well, let me at least call an ambulance. You need to go to a hospital."

As she fumbled with her cell phone, Jack rolled his eyes and reached out to take the phone from her hands.

"Agent Cassidy. Please. Just …. quit already. I'm fine. Honestly."

"You stay right here. Surely one of these agents is a trained EMT. I'll go find them and they can tend to that wound."

As Anne started to toddle off, Jack took a step toward her and said in a terse voice, "No. That is not necessary. Quit over reacting to everything. Go back and join the search party and try not to get in the way."

Looking a bit shocked by his demeanor she said, "Well, what about your wound? Surely…"

But Jack cut her off. "Sam knows where all the medical supplies are in the Durango. I'm sure she can make quick work of cleaning it up a bit. Now go help the team. We only have a few more minutes of light."

He strode quickly in the direction of their vehicle,only slowing slightly to throw two questions over his shoulder. "You coming, Sam? Or should I just do this myself?"

Samantha looked up from where she had been staring at the ground and caught Anne's eyes regarding her with wariness and confusion.

Samantha shot her a quick but halting smile and said, "Better hop when he says froggie" and hastened after Jack's retreating form. Shaking her head, she thought, well, THAT was certainly weird!

Anne moved numbly back toward a small group of agents. Did he just refer to me as Agent Cassidy and her as Sam?

By the time she caught up to him, Jack had opened the back of the Durango and was rummaging for the first aid kit. The natural light had faded to the point where it was no use in the darkened vehicle. The dim dome light did little but cast strange shadows.

Determined not to read too much into what had just happened, she said, "Okay. Sit right here and let me get what I need" as she pushed his hands away from the kit.

Regarding her light manner, he said, "Watch it, Nurse Cratchet!" and lightly elbowed her as he settled into a sitting position, letting his feet dangle over the edge of the cargo space.

Gathering some cotton swabs and antiseptic to start, she moved back to find he was sitting like a typical guy with his knees spread apart while resting his torso weight on his arms at his sides.

He smiled ever so slightly as he noticed her hesitation at the predicament. Deciding this was too enjoyable, he chided softly, "Well, are you going to let me bleed to death? Or are you going to get to working on me?"

Samantha was in a pickle. She was certainly enjoying this flirtatious banter as much as Jack, but she was also determined not to let him get the best of her. Watching his grin grow by the second, she confidently raised an eyebrow and snuggled in close to his body between his dangling legs.

Trying desperately to ensure her hands didn't quiver, she opened the bottle of antiseptic and soaked a cotton swab. Meeting his now soulful gaze she nearly whispered, "This may sting a bit."

She felt his big strong hands settle loosely on her waist. "I'll be fine. Just please be as gentle as possible. I promise I will behave from now on." He maneuvered one foot over to push in the switch turning off the dome light. Darkness enveloped them like a safe cocoon.

She breathed in the same air he just exhaled. OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod.

When she dabbed the wound with antiseptic, he flinched and sucked in a quick breath. What she noticed most, however, was his hands tightening the grip on her waist and pulling her even closer to his body.

In the far reaches of his mind, a door cracked open with a voice telling him this was wrong. He was in a rather compromising position where a number of agents could walk up on them at any moment. The voice also told him to get a hold of actions immediately and walk away. It was followed by a flash of Agent Farrell's face.

Her chest pressed into his shoulder as she reached for a band-aid. He felt her cheek mere inches from his.

He summarily slammed the door in his mind shut, effectively eliminating the annoying voice.

After tenderly covering the cut with a band-aid, she regarded him with unsure eyes. "Better?" she asked in a voice that oozed sensuality in spite of her efforts to sound casual.

He nodded slowly. "You know, when I was a little boy and I hurt myself, my mom would always kiss the 'boo-boo' and make it better." A faint smile danced in his eyes.

His low, rumbling and teasing voice rolled over her blushed cheeks and through her mind.

"Well, far be it from me to not try and make it better….if I can."

Her hands were on his broad shoulders now and he was mesmerized as he watched her slowly close the space between them. When her soft lips gently touched his temple, he closed his eyes and tilted his head to press more firmly on her lips. He could not help the sigh that escaped his throat.

"How's that?" she moaned into his ear.

All he could do was slowly nod his head and mutter, "Nice. Very Nice. Much better."

She knew he was putty in her hands…. and she liked the way it felt.

Maybe it was because she knew Anne was still on site, possibly even watching this scene unfold, or maybe it was the surge of endorphins rushing through her veins. But she slowly met his eyes and brazenly asked, "Any other 'boo-boos' that need attention?"

Jack was shocked at the reaction he felt just south of his belt buckle. Trying to maintain the control he knew he was losing, he whispered, "Yeah. I bumped my lip when I hit the wall."

Both her eyebrows shot up as she openly grinned back at him. "You have no shame at all do you Jack Malone?"

"You ought to know by now that I'm shameless when it comes to loving you, sweetheart. Now, about this bruised lip…"

Her hands slid across his shoulders and her fingers tangled in his hair. Just before her lips touched his, she breathed, "We have to be careful."

"Yeah. Right. Careful," was all he could manage before his tongue found the warmth of her mouth.

From the shadows, Anne watched Jack's arms wrap around Samantha's waist and heard her giggle while Jack chuckled. She retreated further into the shadows, then turned, and walked away.

The End