Madeline walked out of the door of the department in a pace faster than usual and crossed the street. She started panting heavily as she got inside the car and held the corners of the passengers seat.

Jackson: Hey! Hey, hey, what's wrong?

Madeline did not reply. She kept staring out of the front glass.

Jackson left the wheels and turned towards her.

Jackson: Wanna go get some fresh air? Maybe, a good coffee? Or a river side? Somewhere calm?

Madeline: *exhaling sharply*I want to go home.

Jackson twitched his lips, gave an assuring nodded and turned back towards the wheels.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As, the car pulled over Madeline's house,

Jackson: There you go.

Madeline turned towards Jackson.

Madeline: Thank you, for being by the(chuckles) pathetic mess of me. I am...sorry, you had to bear all these.

Jackson: I did what I had to do. What happened to you then?

Madeline seized her smile and rolled her eyes down. Jackson realized her denial for answering.

Jackson: Umm... do you feel better now?

Madeline looked up at him and nodded with a subtle smile.

Madeline: That day, wasn't in any one's favor. Jake died....(holding her tears back)because of me. You know, he...he asked me to stay back. Maybe, he had the bad feeling. I insisted him, that I won't. I did...I did not know that(quivering voice) this would cost me his life.

Jackson: You were no where at fault. Stop blaming yourself. (cupping her cheek and rubbing her tears with his thumb) Think it straight. Anyone would have done that, I know if you were him, you would have done the same. At least you stayed up to his trust. He believed that YOU can do it. Wherever he is, right now. He must be sitting with a hell of a pride weighing up his chest.

Madeline kept her eyes on him and softly smiled at him. Jackson mirrored. They both shared a brief hug before Madeline bid him goodbye and walked inside her house as Jackson's eyes followed her track and started the ignition as she closed the door behind her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following day;

It was 8 in the morning, when the sun rays peeping in from Jackson's window, woke him up. He sat up in his bed rubbing his sleepy eyes. He turned his face towards the window, and remembered his brief talk with Madeline. He smiled to himself and searched for his phone. When the screen illuminated, the smile in his face vanished at once. Multiple missed calls from Madeline from the night before topped his notification list. Panicked by the notification, he tried calling her number, several times, but it went into voice mail. After getting no reply from the either side, he kept his phone on the bed table near him. He leaned his head on the wall above his head and took a deep breath.

"Well, fuck!"

After 2 hours, he reached near Madeline's house, with a box of colorful doughnuts. He took a brief moment while he stared at the closed door being inside his car.

Jackson(exhales): Okay, this is it.

He got off the car with the transparent box of doughnuts and walked up to the door. Before he knocked, he realized that the door was open. Madeline never keeps her door open, at least not as much he learned about her. Confused by the unusual experience he slowly walked in the house, scanning through the corners, calling out her name. But, there was no response from the other side. He walked past the living room, inside her bedroom when the shattered mirror in her bed room caught his attention. The box of doughnuts fell off his hand and he pulled out his gun, assuming a probable threat. As, he walked up to the bathroom door, he felt something beneath his shoe. He looked at the floor to find a broken vase with pieces scattered all over.

His eyes widened and he rushed out of the room at once and started searching every corner of her house, desperately. He dialed her number but in vain. All forms of adverse possibilities started to flood his mind, as he gradually started to get engulfed in his own guilt of not being able to receive her calls. There was now only one person that passed his mind.

................................................

Madeline stood by the door, took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. Cleo opened the door, with a meek smile glowing up her face that was now coveted by dark circles and fade patches.

Cleo: Come in.

Madeline forced a smile to cover the signs to pity in her face and walked in. She looked around the house and shut her eyes to stop the tears from forming up. She turned towards Cleo.

Madeline: How are you holding up?

Cleo(shrugged): As a new, pregnant, hormone driven widow?

Madeline face winced as she gazed at her(whispers): I am sorry.

Cleo twitched her lips and nodded while closing her eyes. She looked up at Madeline with another smile.

Cleo: You shouldn't be. Had he failed to save you at that moment, he would have stayed alive, but like a leaving corpse. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself. But, now, that's true that he is(voice drifting off)no more. (composing herself) But he died, proud, on duty.

Madeline couldn't stop her tears after she heard that. Cleo saw her tears and cupped her cheeks.

Madeline(quivering voice): He was no less than a guardian angel to me.

Cleo twitched her lips and nodded: And, he left when his duty was over. To save you from the demons and help you avenge yourself.

Madeline's eyes suddenly fell on a huge paper bag, showing the tip of a blue cap. Her eyebrows slightly creased out of inquisitiveness and she walked towards the bag. Cleo kept her gaze on her. She separated the opening to see blue decoratives, inside. She pulled out a packet of blue balloon, and turned towards Cleo.

Madeline: Baby Shower.

Cleo(looked and smiled): That was day after tomorrow. Jake told me he will be busy, so we did all the shopping in advance.

Madeline gazed down at the packet of un-swollen balloons and caressed it with her thumb: It's a boy?

Cleo(muttered): It's a boy.

Madeline sensed the change in her voice and looked up at her to see tears streaming down her eyes as she caressed her tummy with her right hand.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jackson pulled out his phone and called Jereff.

Jereff(over the phone): Jack!

Jackson: Something isn't right.

Jereff: What?? Where are you? What happened?

Jackson: I am inside Madeline's house. She is not here.

Jereff: Brother, stop freaking out. She must have gone out for some fresh air.

Jackson: THAT IS NOT WHY I CALLED YOU? Her entrance door wasn't locked. That never happened, even when she is home. She called me multiple times, the previous night. And, she isn't answering her call since morning.

Jereff: And?

Jackson: There's broken mirror and a shattered vase, and the room is a mess.

Jereff: *sigh* What do you have been mind?

Jackson: I don't know. I can't think. For god sake, she killed the leader of Wizards...and she is not herself for days, now.

"Hey!"

Jackson turned towards the main door and let out a sharp breathe. Madeline stood at her door, staring at him, bewildered, holding the end of the strap of her sling bag.

(Over the phone) Jereff: Jack! Jackson! Why did you stop?

Jackson: She's here.

He kept his eyes on her and cut the call.

Madeline(softly smiling):What's wrong? When did you come in? Why do you have your gun in your hand?

Jackson: Where were you?

Madeline: Oh! I just went to check on Cleo.

Jackson: Maddie! What happened last night? Be honest, with me. I...I am sorry, I couldn't receive your call, yesterday. But, I am here, now.

Madeline: (shrugging) Nothing significant. I'm fine. Why do you look so worked out?

Jackson: (in a stern tone)Your door was open, there is a broken mirror inside your room, there's a broken vase scattered on the floor, your phone wasn't reachable. You CAN'T EXPECT ME TO SIT ON A COUCH AND EAT OUT OF A BOWL OF POPCORN.

Madeline shrieked out at his sudden change of tone. She kept staring at him, as her eyes started to show signs of disappointment.
Jackson studied her dismay and moved his eyes away to try and control the storm inside him.

Jackson: (trying to deviate off the topic) How...how is Cleo?

Madeline kept silent. Kept his bag on the counter with a loud thud, trying to express her anger and thumped past Jackson to go inside her room.

Jackson followed her: Madeline, hey I am sorry.Maddie!

Madeline flounced towards Jackson: Sometimes, I may have ways to deal with my own demons. Sometimes, I may take some time to deal with it myself. I DONE WITH PEOPLE PITYING ME, EVERY SECOND. I DONE WITH PEOPLE TREATING ME LIKE A DELICATE PIECE OF GLASS.

Tears started to roll down her cheeks: I am done being miserable. The more I want to get out of this, the more I get dragged into the pit. JUST LEAVE ME, ALONE!!

Jackson's looks further softens as he walks up to her and wraps her into his embrace. One hand across her shoulder and the other brushing her hair, she did not revolt, as she continued.

Madeline in a lower, quivering voice: I can't sleep. However hard I try, I can't. It...it haunts me. Everything haunts me. *sobs* I can't do it, anymore.

Jackson: That's why you called me, yesterday? I am sorry, I wasn't there for you.

Madeline shut her eyes as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She hugged him back.

Jackson: Why didn't you tell me earlier? You were going through this shit.

Madeline: I did not want to add up to your baggage. I did not want you to go through the same thing Jake went through. Spending his days, collecting the miserable shit of me. Look, where he ended up.

Jackson: You are not miserable. You'll never be. You are the most strongest women, I ever met. Sometimes, it's okay, to let out the turmoil, within. And, you need to get out of the guilt trip. You are not the reason he died, okay?

Madeline: I am sorry, I snapped out. I shouldn't have.

They pulled themselves out of the embrace, as Madeline rubbed her tears with both her palm.

Jackson: It's fine. I will never bail out on you, ever again. You just need to promise me, to never feel miserable. You are not. Okay? (cupping her cheeks with both his hands) This too shall pass, Maddie.

Madeline dried her tears and looked up at him: "Ever again?" you say?

Jackson(trying to deviate her question):..Erm... What's with the mirror?

Madeline turning her head towards the broken mirror and spoke in a calm tone: I needed something, to calm myself. And, this mirror used to make a mockery out of me, everyday, mimic me every time I battle. It used to make it worse. I destroyed it.

Jackson kept looking at her with a concern visible on the crease of his eyebrows.

As, she gazed down, her eyes fell on the box lying near the broken mirror
Madeline: What's that?
She walked up to the box and kneeled down to pick it up.

Madeline: Doughnuts? (She looked up at Jackson, who was standing where he was) Was that you?

Jackson, standing by the door of the bedroom:(shrugged) I thought a sweet treat can help. You love them, don't ya?

Madeline smiled and her face glowed up at his response.

Jackson: (pointing his thumb at the main door) Maybe, I should get going. You better take some rest, have some food. Anndd, if you need me, I'll just be a call away.This time, no mistake. I promise.

As, Jackson turns his heel to leave, Madeline stands up.

Madeline: Wait!

She instantly, bit her lower lip and twitched her nose, shutting her eyes,

Jackson turns back at her, and waits for an answer. She opens her eyes and looked up at him. She took a brief moment, took deep breaths, when Jackson stood here, playfully narrowing his eyes at her. She takes long steps towards him, wraps her arms around his neck and crashes her lips onto him, leaving him unprepared and puzzled..