Chapter 15 - Recovery & Reinvention

I don't give anyone permission to translate my work to any language and posted in other sites. This simple guilty pleasure story stays here, free of charge for anyone to enjoy. That is the essence of fan fiction.

Episode 15 

Zoe Andersen

She was reviewing the programs for supplementary training for her officers when the alarm that every officer dreaded to hear, a school shooting. She immediately diverted all available units to Los Angeles Community College and sent a few more from the station.

Grey went there as well while she monitored news from dispatch. The report came from the sheriff's station attached to the school, detailing witness reports from 911. One of the patrolling deputies returned only to see the station captain and the Officer assigned to the front desk dead by gunshot wounds.

 "All units, Officer on scene, Officer Jack Routh, in civilian clothes. Be aware, over."

 She sat up when she heard Jack's name. Today was Friday and Jack was teaching a class. She knew he would have heard the gunshots and taken action. The problem though was they didn't know how many active shooters were in the school.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she listened to various units acknowledge the situation, which meant there was less chance of Jack being shot by accident by responding officers. Then she heard a notification that made her blood freeze.

"All units, 911 call from the college. Caller claims the shooter is dead, but the responding officer is down. Ambulance is on the way."

"7-L-07. On location."

Jack was shot. She struggled to reign in her emotions and took a deep breath. They had talked about this, many times. They both loved their jobs, and accepted the danger that came along with it.

It didn't surprise her that Lopez was first on the scene. Her patrol route was closest to the college, and she knew Lopez visited Jack before to check up on him.

"7-L-07….Officer down… need first aid… Where's my EMS?"

She could hear the tremor in Lopez's voice even through the radio. She sat back on her chair, suddenly scared. As she waited for new reports, she decided to come out of her office and she took deep breaths to calm her emotions. It was unnaturally cold and she shivered.

Her officers continued to rush to the scene. A school shooting scene was messy and difficult to mobilize, with all the responsibilities and procedures they needed to do. They had to secure the perimeter, preserve the evidence, and interview the witnesses. She couldn't just wait here doing nothing, Jack did his duty and she would do hers.

She skipped lunch as she coordinated with the La County Sheriff's Department. Then the Chief called when the press finally got wind of the situation.

"Yes, Chief. Shooter's dead. Who shot him? Officer Routh. Yes, Jack did. I can't tell him now." She looked over as Grey entered her office. She held one finger at him telling him to wait and continued listening to her boss. "Chief… Jack's been shot by the shooter… I don't know. I have no idea as of now. Yes, I will… Thank you, Chief. I appreciate it."

"What are you still doing here?" Grey asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll take care of things over here Captain. You did your part. Go see and see Jack." Grey replied.

She hesitated, and looked at the pile she needed to review before the school shooting happened.

"Go."

"Thank you. Give me a call if you need me." She finally replied. Why was she scared to leave her office?

"I'm pretty sure Jack needs you more, Captain." Grey answered.

She didn't even remember how he got to the hospital, and only realized she was in the parking area. She quickly parked her car and headed to the emergency room which was filled with reporters and security staff. Her badge allowed her to pass through security, while reporters and family members continued to demand to be let inside. All of the victims of the school shooting were brought to Shaw Memorial, since they were the closest and had an excellent trauma center.

She quickly made her way to the front desk, but was interrupted by Lopez. Jack's former T.O. looked worried.

"How is Jack?" She steeled herself and waited for an answer.

"I don't know. He lost a lot of blood." Lopez replied. "They're operating on him now."

"Where was he hit?" She asked.

"In the lower back. He was shot in the back." Lopez replied. "I tried to stop the bleeding as much as I could until the EMTs arrived on the scene."

"Lopez, why don't you head back?" She saw how the other woman needed it. Her hair was in disarray and her eyes were red.

"If it's okay with you Captain, I'll wait here."

"Alright. Let's wait together." She replied, knowing how close her Fiance was to his former T.O. They found a seat in the waiting area and spent the time staring at the wall and she didn't know how long she waited. She felt her phone vibrate a few times in her pocket but she ignored it. She was too worried to focus on anything else.

She was surprised that Grey appeared in the hospital, and that shook her out of her daze.

"Captain, I couldn't reach you. The Chief wanted updates."

"He's still in surgery." She replied. "I don't have any news."

"Do you want an update on the shooting?" He asked.

"Please." She replied. Grey nodded and pulled out his notebook.

"The suspect is Kyle Jonathan Reed, 22 years old. He failed his last semester in the community college." Grey stated. "Investigators arrived at his house and saw he had shot his mother first. Then drove her mother's car to LACC, where he went to the Sherriff's station attached to the college."

"His second victim was his father, Captain Jonathan Reed. He shot him in the head, and then shot the deputy who checked in on them when he heard the noise." Grey continued.

"That explains where he managed to get his weapons." Lopez observed.

"Then at 8:46 am, he left the station and headed to the humanities building where he shot a male student. He killed another student, this time female on his way up to the second floor. He shot three more students who are now in surgery before he was confronted by Officer Routh."

Grey flipped his notebook to another page and continued reading from his notes. "Officer Routh chased after the shooter but he managed to hide in a supply closet. He then shot Officer Routh in the back, Officer Routh shot him in turn, hitting him in the chest and killing him."

"Coward." Lopez sneered.

"In total, he killed five people before Routh stopped him." Grey reported. "His backpack included another firearm, a Glock 17 and more loaded magazines, and a box of ammunition."

"Where was he going?" She asked.

"Unknown at this time." Grey answered. "We need to conduct more interviews with the people that knew him."

Grey then left for the station. Lopez stubbornly insisted she stay even after her shift was over. She went to the toilet and came back to see Lopez now had company. The rest of her training officers had arrived with their rookies.

 "We thought you'd be hungry by now." Lucy Chen handed her a wrapped sandwich. She forgot that she skipped lunch and now felt hungry.

"Thank you, Chen." She quickly started eating, while keeping an ear on the conversation around her.

"Routh's going to pull through." Bradford told her. She appreciated his confidence.

"Yeah. Remember when he took a few bullets to his vest and sneaked out of the hospital?" Lopez replied. "I was so surprised when his sore ass limped in through the entrance."

She remembered that. Jack's stunt scared the hell out of her. He always thought he was invulnerable.

The doctor arrived a few minutes later, and she quickly left her half-eaten sandwich on her seat and waited for the news.

"The surgery was successful." The blonde doctor replied smiling. "Jack's going to make a full recovery."

"Thank you Grace." Nolan let out a sigh of relief. She stared at the two, wondering if she was missing something. Wait. Jack was fine. He was alive.

"So you must be Zoe." The doctor addressed her. "I met Jack and Angela before, during the earthquake. I'm Grace Sawyer."

"When can we see him?" She asked.

"Family and significant others can visit him now." Dr. Sawyer replied. "Have you contacted his family yet?"

"I'm his fiancé." She replied immediately. "And I'm also his emergency contact."

"Then I'll show you to his room." Dr. Sawyer replied. "He's still sedated, he'll wake up in a few days."

"Let's go Lopez." She called to Jack's former T.O. The other woman immediately jumped to her feet.

She reached Jack's room a few minutes later, and immediately went to his side. She watched every detail on his pale face and suddenly she felt tears gather in her eyes. She nearly lost her man.

After spending an hour beside Jack, she received a call. She really didn't want to go back to the station where the district attorney and the chief of police were planning to have a press statement but they insisted that she should be present.

Twenty minutes later, she stood in front of flashing cameras and reporters as Chief Williams read his prepared statement.

"This morning, two deputies of the Los Angeles Sherriff's County, were brutally murdered in a senseless attack. Two students from Los Angeles City College were shot and murdered, and another three more are fighting for their lives right now at Shaw Memorial. The shooter, Percy Reed, 22 years of age, started this violent rampage without any indication that he was suffering from a mental illness. He had also killed his mother at their own home, before driving to LACC where he killed his own father, Captain Jonathan Reed."

"We grieve with the families of the victims of this senseless attack, and give our condolences in their time of grief." The chief took a moment to take a few breaths and then he continued. "Fortunately, the shooter was stopped by one of our Police Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, assigned at the Mid-Wilshire division. Officer Jack Routh was participating in a community relations program at LACC where he generously offered his time and knowledge to give lectures on Ancient and Modern History, where he demonstrated that he is an expert on the subject. Officer Routh's presence no doubt saved many more lives today."

"Chief! Where is Officer Routh now?" A reporter asked.

"Unfortunately, Officer Routh was shot in the back by the shooter." Chief Williams replied, causing the gathered press to remain silent once more. "He was able to shoot back, killing Percy Reed. He is now at the hospital, and I have just been informed his surgery was a success."

"Is Officer Routh the same officer that saved Taylor Swift from kidnapping?" A female reporter raised her hand and asked.

"Yes, Jack Routh is one of LA's finest, and we're very proud to have him serve as a Police Officer."

She ignored the rest of the questions as she slowly became more impatient. She didn't let it show on her face though, her thoughts focused on Jack. She heard her name being mentioned and focused back on the press conference.

"…Captain Zoe Andersen, Officer Jack Routh's fiancé, has something to say." The Chief stepped off the podium and gestured to her to take his place. She was caught by surprise, no one told her she had to prepare a statement. She gathered herself and stepped forward.

"Thank you. I just came from the hospital, where Jack is recovering. " She looked around the faces of the reporters as they continually blinded her with camera flashes. "If Jack was here, I knew what he would say to all of you. He was just doing his job as a police officer, for which I admire him greatly for the dedication he continues to show every day to make our city safer. When he wakes up, I'll be sure to tell him about the kindness and concern the city showed while he recovers from this incident. Thank you."

She stepped back and now the District Attorney stepped forward to answer more questions, more specifically about the shooter. As soon as the press conference ended, she hurried back to Jack's side and used the time to rest herself.

She had to leave when visiting hours were over, but she barely slept, feeling suddenly alone in their bed. The next morning she headed straight back to the hospital, calling in Grey to tell her she would be by Jack's side until noon.

She brought her work, intending to finish the review of the proposed programs, when she fell asleep on the chair beside his bed. She only woke up when a nurse came in to check his vitals, and realized she had dozed off for a few hours. Being just in his presence made her comfortable enough to fall asleep.

Lopez visited during her break, and she appreciated the food the T.O. brought.

"It's going to be a circus when you come back to the station, Captain." Lopez told her.

"What's happening? The Chief already made a statement in front of the press." She replied.

"News outlets illegally obtained CCTV footage of the shooting, along with several videos from the students. Here's one where they stitched a couple of videos together." Lopez handed her phone to her. She saw a paused video, of what looked like a classroom.

She pressed play and could immediately hear the giggling of a few girls as they discretely recorded their professor standing at the front of the room. Before Jack could speak, she could hear the faint gunshots in the video.

"What was that?" A girl's voice asked.

"…Fire drill?"

"There's no alarm."

She watched as the video showed the one holding the phone looking around, showing a brief glimpse of her classmates. Then she heard the screaming in the video.

"Everyone, lock the doors, barricade them with desks." The mild-mannered professor suddenly transformed into a cop. She watched the video of Jack as he gave instructions to his students while he fished out his badge and wore it around his neck openly. He put his foot on a chair and removed the backup piece Officers carried when off duty, and then called dispatch using his phone.

The video ended when he left the room and another one plated right after, using a perspective from the CCTV footage from the hallway.

The firefight was chilling. Jack confronted the shooter and ducked behind a wall for cover as the shooter emptied his magazine at him. Her man fired back a few rounds and chased after the suspect. The shooter seemed to know his way around the hallways as he ran around the corner and straight to a door. Jack came around a few seconds later, holding his weapon as he slowly moved forward, looking for the suspect.

Once he went past the door, the suspect slowly opened it and shot him in the back. Jack fell and almost immediately shot back with a few rounds. One hit the suspect, causing him to fall face-first to the ground dead.

It was heartbreaking to see Jack crawl to the wall as he tried to stem the blood from his wound. He pushed himself to a sitting position with his back on a wall until students started to approach him.

She felt her tears now fall down her face and she stood up and gently placed Jack's hand between hers.

"He couldn't have known." Lopez stated. "The suspect was a student there and knew exactly where to run and hide. Jack was listening for disturbances in the classrooms. He focused on the well-being of the students instead."

"I know. What he did was brave." She replied.

Dr. Sawyer said he would be conscious tomorrow, so she was surprised to see him slowly moving on the bed two hours later.

"Lopez! Call the doctor!" She ordered.

"Right away!"

"Jack? Jack?" She spoke to him, and smiled when she saw his eyes open. He looked disoriented and confused, and he blinked several times.

"Jack, can you hear me?" He turned to her, but the confusion remained on his face. "Who… you?"

Her eyes narrowed with concern. Did he not know her? Did he lose his memories?

"You're supposed to be sleeping, Jack." Dr. Sawyer came in with another doctor, a nurse, and Lopez. The female doctor immediately went to his other side and checked his eyes with a penlight.

Jack tried to push the offending light away, but it was clear he was still too weak.

"Dr. Sawyer, he doesn't remember me." She gripped Jack's hand tighter.

"That's normal for patients recovering after surgery." Dr. Sawyer explained.

"Are you the doctor?" Jack asked in a slurred speech.

"Yes I am." Dr. Sawyer replied. She proceeded to take note of Jack's other vitals.

"Do you not know me, Jack?" She asked. Jack turned his head to look at her and she saw he was staring at her with his mouth partially open. "Is something wrong with me?"

"You're pretty." Jack spoke slowly.

"Thank you. That's nice of you to say." She replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I need to record this." She heard Lopez giggle in the background.

"What's your name?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"I'm Zoe, and I'm your fiancé." She replied. She chuckled when his eyes widened comically.

"You… you're my girl?" He asked.

"Yes, I am." She replied in an even tone. "Now tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Room spins." Jack replied. "Did we have sex?"

She could feel the blush on her cheeks as she heard the muffled sound of laughter inside the room. Lopez was biting her lips, but her eyes twinkled in amusement as she continued to record her former boot.

"Yes we did." She replied after a moment of hesitation. Dr. Grace handed her a paper cup full of water and she nodded in understanding. "Why don't you take a sip first of water."

He spilled half the cup, but managed to swallow the rest.

"Zoe, you're hot." Jack spoke again. She felt flattered of course, but she couldn't believe Jack was hitting on her already!

"Thank you. Now why don't you eat this soft biscuit?"

"We had sex right?" Why was he so fixated on sex right now?

She was tempted to cover his mouth. Even Dr. Sawyer was sporting a wide grin, and she even winked at her!

"Yes Jack we did." She pushed the biscuit towards his mouth but Jack batted the food away.

"I just had seeexxx" She widened her eyes as Jack started to sing a song to himself, not caring about who could hear him.

"And it felt sooo good." Jack continued and there was even a tune when he sang.

"I went and let me put my penis inside her…" She blushed as Lopez started laughing outright. She knew she was blushing hard by now.

"I just had seeexxx" Jack repeated and grabbed her hand with the biscuit, using it as a microphone. "And I'll never go baack, to the not having sex ways of the paaast."

"Jack!" She forcefully stuffed the biscuit inside his mouth, causing him to chew it. She couldn't believe he made up such a vulgar song.

Her fiancé continued to ask questions, and she patiently answered them until he fell back to sleep while she avoided looking at anyone.

"I haven't laughed that hard in years!" Lopez told her outside the room. "It was catchy too, captain."

"I'm glad you found it funny hearing Jack singing about our sex life." She replied.

"You should be proud Captain, now you have your own post-sex anthem." Lopez replied.

"I'll see you at the station later, Officer Lopez. Be safe on patrol." Lopez took the hint, but the T.O. was still humming the annoying tune as she walked down the hallway.

She had to admit the song was catchy in a quirky sort of way. It was also stuck in her head. Jack you horny bastard.

The next day, he was moved out of the ICU. That was a relief to her since she would be able to stay overnight and stay with Jack. Her quality of sleep improved, and Jack was more coherent. He didn't remember anything from yesterday and she was tempted not to tell him about his antics yesterday. The choice was taken out of her hands when Lopez sent him the video.

"I did this?" Jack stared at the video playing on his phone.

"You were… out of it. The anesthesia clearly made you loopy." She replied as they ate breakfast together.

"Sorry." Jack replied.

"Let's just say when you woke up you had a singular focus." On her. She was incredibly touched and fell in love all over again with Jack because of his antics. She now felt more confident with her upcoming appointment with a gynecologist. No matter the results, he would stay with her.

 "Any news about the school shooting?" Jack asked.

"They're still interviewing other witnesses, but we now know the whole picture." She replied. "His name is Percy Reed, he dropped out last semester from LACC."

"And the motive?"

"It could be a variety of factors. I think he just wanted to take out as many people he knew with him when he went down that path. Percy wanted to join the Marines after he graduated from high school, but his mother stopped him from going."

"Resentment." Jack guessed.

"Most likely." She finished her breakfast and collected Jack's clean plates, happy to see he had a strong appetite. "We also have a big problem, visitors. There are a lot of people who wanted to see you, due to your actions that day."

"Let me guess, politics?" He asked.

"You're now a hot focal point for politicians. Pro-gun advocates claim that because of your actions, further deaths were avoided. Advocacy groups for more regulation claim that it wouldn't have happened if we had more laws and restrictions. They're citing your actions that the police are enough to defend the public from criminals."

It was a mess when she watched the news while Jack slept. There was a fierce debate raging, and her fiancé was right in the middle of with his name mentioned dozens of times.

"Then there's the mayor." She couldn't believe the lengths that man would go through for public approval. "He's angling that the program you participated in had the safety of public education institutions in mind in case incidents like these happen."

"Isn't it community relations in the first place?" Jack asked. "The program that Sergeant Grey had in mind was increasing the trust the public had for police officers."

"That too, but he's pushing this narrative now." She explained. "He's the most insistent one so far about seeing you and I won't be surprised if he came with the press."

"Not going to happen." He replied. "There was no discussion about possible school shootings."

"That's what I said." She nodded her head. She looked at her watch and realized she needed to check up on the station.

"Go." Jack replied. "I'm sleepy anyways."

"Thanks love." She looked out the window and saw the blue sky without a cloud in sight. "It's going to be difficult today with this weather. I pity patrol."

"Tempers will be short." Jack nodded. "Bring your tumbler love. Stay safe."

She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss and was about to leave when her phone suddenly gave off an alarm. It was a strange tone she never heard before. Jack's phone did the same.

[BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT TO, LOS ANGELES CITY. 34.052235, -118.243683]

[IMPACT IN 29 MINUTES. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER]

[THIS IS NOT A DRILL]

"This can't be right." Jack stated.

She could hear footsteps running outside the hallway and swiped the message to turn off the alarm.

"It's an official message. No one could fake that using this frequency." She replied. Her thoughts ran about what this simple text could do to the city. She wondered if it was real, but Jack looked dismissive of the impending nuclear attack.

"Our military would have detected a ballistic missile immediately with the numerous sensors we have on our satellites and ground-based stations. Then there are layers and layers of protection that defend the mainland. There's a reason why rival states hate the THAAD systems we placed in allied countries. This is either a hack or a glitch."

Jack did have a point, and she calmed down a bit. She wondered how Jack was so informed on the military's defense capabilities. Few knew the capabilities of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System capable of shooting down ballistic missiles at their highest point of flight, and also their most vulnerable.

There were times that she forgot that she was not speaking to a fellow veteran. She very rarely had to explain terminologies to him or military slang, things she knew she'd have to take her time to explain to a normal civilian. It was like he served in the armed forces, with the way he quickly understood her. Maybe that was part of the reason why they got along so well.

"Well they don't know that." She pointed out to the people outside. "It's going to be a mess out there. People will surely panic."

"They already started." Jack was looking out the window and she followed his gaze. She could already see a few trails of smokes on the skyline.

"They need you out there." Jack told her. "Stay safe love."

She nodded and immediately called Grey, but she couldn't make a call. The phone lines were jammed. She looked out a window by the stairwell and saw chaos on the streets below. She headed to her car and took out her radio.

"7-Lincoln-20, dispatch, get me through with Sergeant Grey."

"Copy Captain."

She waited for a few moments and finally heard Grey voice.

"Captain, good to hear from you." She could hear the relieved voice from her sergeant.

"Grey, I'm stuck here in the Shaw Memorial. It's highly likely that this ballistic missile alert is a glitch." She wiped the sweat building on her forehead. It had to be at least a hundred inside the car and she opened the other door to let a slight breeze pass through.

"Where did you hear that from Captain?"

"Jack, he told me about the sensors and early warning systems we have prepared for this kind of situation. I have to agree with him, I know of our military's capabilities in my stint at the Pentagon. Let's calm our officers and focus on maintaining order in our city."

 "Yes Ma'am. What should we tell our men and women?" Grey asked.

"Tell them it's highly likely a glitch. Give them time to talk to their families and loved ones first if they're still worried. They can't do their jobs properly if they're worried about their homes. Send the rest of our personnel to the basement just as a precaution." She replied. "Tell our police officers they can bring their families there if they're still worried, but we don't have much time. Get everyone on the streets, even those that haven't patrolled in years. We need to secure sensitive areas and the public."

"Got it."

"Ignore petty crimes. We need to focus on saving lives, not property." She continued handing out instructions. She looked at the city from the third-floor parking garage and saw the situation was getting out of control.

"Send a few units to the hospitals in our area after the missile alert has passed. Many will get injured from the panic, so the emergency rooms will be flooded." She took a sip of water from her tumbler and continued speaking. "I'll stay here in Shaw Memorial since the streets will be full of vehicles. We need to be visible to the public."

"Yes, captain."

"Good. Let's update each other on this frequency. Andersen out."

She took out her handheld radio and her own war bag and headed back to the hospital. She could see more people were going to the E.R. and she headed first to Jack's room, to put her things in and to change. She needed to be visible to the public to do her duties effectively.

She was slipping into her pants when she heard a noise behind her. Jack was watching her with a smile on his face. A threat of a nuclear attack and he was concentrating on her ass.

"Enjoying the show?" She asked as she buttoned her pants and started to put on her duty belt and rank insignia on her collar.

"Very." Jack replied. "It's getting worse out there. You might not be able to convince them that this is not real."

"I'll take care of it. The most logical choice will be to send the patients and staff to the basement to ease their worries."

 She kissed him again quickly on the lips and left. She could see the immediate effect already as people started to look at her when she arrived at the emergency room. The head nurse was speaking with security guards and a few staff members huddled in a corner and she moved to join them.

"How can I help?" She asked the group.

Jack Routh

He leaned back and looked at his phone, there was still no signal. One minute.

He looked to the entrance as the door opened and saw Zoe enter, breathing hard like she had run up the stairs. Judging by the sweat on her face and neck, it looked like she had.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I realized that just in case a nuclear missile hit, I don't want to spend the remaining time I had surrounded by strangers." Zoe quickly moved to him and leaned down to kiss him. He returned the kiss, ignoring the brief pain from his side and his tongue parted her lips as he tickled the roof of her mouth. His hand reached over to cup her cheek, and he heard her moan as his other hand massaged her breast through her uniform.

He felt her suck and bite his lower lip for a moment, as their kiss became heated. Her lips were soft and he enjoyed her taste, as Zoe moved on top of him. He felt her hands move to his groin and she started to move her hand on his hardening member. His hand pushed through her uniform and bra and he squeezed her breast directly, playing with her hard nipple in response. He felt her tongue go deeper inside his mouth and felt her exhale through her nose as they continued their passionate kiss.

He guided her to the bed and shoved his other hand through her belt and pants. There was enough slack that he reached her panties until his fingers reached her dripping pussy.

"Mmmmm" Zoe moaned, but she remained committed to kissing him as she parted her legs to give his fingers more room to play with her cunt. A flick on her nub with his thumb caused her to moan louder, and she responded by increasing the speed with which she stroked his dick. He felt her shudder on the bed and felt pain as she bit his lip as she reached her climax.

If he were wrong, the missile would hit by now, and then he saw a flash of white light.

"Yes, that's it baby." He realized he had just ejaculated in her hand, and their kiss had ended. Her hand continued to stroke him, and he watched as her other hand cupped the head of his penis to catch the remaining spurts as he moaned in pleasure.

"Fuck Zoe." He gasped.

He watched as his fiancé licked his cum off her fingers, while she gave him a naughty look. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen and her hair was in disarray. The few buttons in her uniform were open, revealing part of her cleavage and the color of her bra. She looked like a cop's wet dream.

"That was a hell of a kiss." He replied smiling at her.

"It was." Zoe replied. "Fuck you taste so good."

She looked at the door then swallowed his entire penis down her throat to clean up the remaining cum and then arranged the hospital gown he wore back into place.

"No missile. You were right." Zoe replied as she started to fix herself.

Twenty-nine minutes had passed and there was not even a hint of a nuclear explosion, but he could tell the city was in a crisis, judging by the number of sirens he heard and the fires he could see in the distance. He was asked earlier if he wanted to be transferred to the basement and he told the staff that he preferred to remain in the room. Memories of Jack Reacher as a Major in the army gave him the confidence to dismiss the missile threat.

"I better get back." Zoe leaned forward and kissed him again and soon left. His girl was insatiable.

Feeling relaxed after his release, he started to feel sleepy and looked at the view of the city from the window. He reflected back to the time he woke up and the screen he saw before he passed out.

[Jack Reacher]

46%

[Charlie Puth]

38%

[Lucy Worsley]

36%

[Integration progress – 40%]

He wondered what the percentages were, and thought back to his new life in this world. As a police officer, he had been applying more and more of Reacher's skills and talents in his law enforcement duties. That probably explained the same with Puth and Worsley, with the music he performed and the history lectures he gave.

He wondered what would happen if one of his traits reached 100%, but he knew that would take time. And why did he only see the screen when he was about to lose consciousness? The pain in his lower back from the bullet wound and the surgery gave him the answer.

He only saw that screen when he was near death.

That was a chilling thought. He was not looking to that experience again. 

He fell asleep and woke up when the nurse appeared for his lunch.

"How bad is it?" He asked her.

The nurse hesitated for a moment before she continued to wheel in the tray with his bland hospital food.

"It was bad." The nurse replied. "We wheeled the babies in NICU first to the basement. Then the more critical patients. Your captain was a big help in maintaining order."

"She is a captain for a reason." He replied. He started eating immediately, and the nurse left him once she saw his appetite.

Zoe came in around thirty minutes later, and he watched as his sweaty and sexy fiancé collapsed on the couch.

"Air conditioning." Zoe sighed in pleasure.

"The crisis is over?" He asked.

"Yes, and now we're dealing with the aftermath." Zoe replied. "You were right, it was a glitch. The heat wave caused a malfunction in the sensors in Edwards Air Force base, and sent an automatic message."

"I hate to be the C.O. on that base." He replied.

"The blame game will start soon, you'll probably hear the C.O. point his fingers at the contractor. Then the contractor will blame the military since they just followed specifications. It will last months of back and forth as it is investigated in Congress and they'll end up blaming the heat wave and global warming." Zoe rolled her eyes. She probably knew more than most about how the military would react, having served as a police officer in the Pentagon.

"I'll head to the station to deal with the aftermath. I think I.A. will be here to ask for your official statement regarding the shooting. It should be a quick process this time. I'll see you later after my shift love."

"Don't forget to eat, I know you skipped lunch." He reminded her. She tended to get lost in her work, ignoring things like meals or sleep.

"Yes, honey." Zoe leaned in for a kiss and headed for the door, while he admired the way her hips and butt fit in those pants. She really looked good in uniform.

He closed his eyes, thoughts of Zoe in uniform in his head as he fell asleep again.

John Nolan

It was awkward to see Jessica in the courtroom earlier and now in the bomb shelter. He gave her a cordial meeting when they first met outside the courthouse for his first deposition, where he learned she also had to testify for a case.

At least Wesley was there, though Lopez's lawyer boyfriend did warn him that he shouldn't take personally what was about to happen. He didn't know what to make of that, but soon realized quickly that Wesley was questioning his competency as a police officer in an effort to defend his client, the man he arrested for a DUI. Wesley asked about his grades at the academy, he asked about his procedure, and he questioned his decision process. Even the judge was giving him a concerned look as he stuttered his answers.

He was made to look like an idiot, and he thought he prepared for this but Wesley's aggressive questions rattled him.

Now the nuclear missile alert warned them of an impending attack, and they all hunkered down at the bomb shelter beneath the courthouse where he had to wait in a small confined room with his ex. She had been looking at him from time to time, but he continually pretended to be looking elsewhere to avoid her gaze. It was working so far, as he took on the role of another guard watching the chained prisoners.

"Let's not do this." He looked up from watching the inmates who were sitting, chained together on the other side of the shelter. Oscar Hutchinson continued to mouth off about the effects of a nuclear blast, and that the shelter designed in the 60s would not survive a modern nuclear weapon.

"Do what?" He asked.

She looked pretty in that blouse and those tight pants. He did miss her, but after she dumped him, he realized it was probably for the best. His insecurity after learning about the previous men she dated made him realize that he needed some self-reflection before he could pursue another relationship. He needed a friend.

"Ignore each other." She sat beside him on the wooden crate that was probably from the Reagan administration. He hoped the food was still edible in case they needed the supplies.

"I felt bad for what happened, so I didn't know how to talk to you." He admitted. He kept an eye out on the prisoners, and saw how one of the suspects was mockingly staring at the parents of the young man he killed.

"You could talk to me like you always do. I needed some time off as well, and realized I should have been more open about my past." Jessica replied. He wondered where she was going with this. "So, what do you say we have a fresh start?"

She looked at him, with that beautiful smile. He looked away, unable to stare at her eyes.

"John?"

"Sure." He took a deep breath. This was hard. "But I don't think… I'm the right man for you. I have a lot of baggage, and with all the constant doubts about myself, it wouldn't be fair to you."

She didn't respond, but he felt her hand squeeze his, then it was gone. She stood up and headed to where the judge and the clerk were huddled together. They were isolated from the rest of the room, since they initially hid the location of the bomb shelter in an attempt to keep supplies to themselves.

That didn't go to well with the rest of the room, and even the civilians and the bailiff gave the judge and his staff of two older women dirty looks.

"One more time and I'll gag you!" The prison guard watching over the convicts threatened, after the man who killed the parents taunted them once more.

The father of the victim looked like he was ready to jump at the convict, especially when he made several rude comments about his wife. He made another crass joke about the grieving wife, and then chaos ensued. The father launched himself at the suspect, and all the prisoners reacted.

He managed to pull off the grieving father and herded him away and forced him to sit near Wesley. He still felt annoyed at the lawyer, but now was not the time for personal feelings.

Ten minutes later Oscar and the other convict attempted an escape. They had stolen the keys from the guard during the earlier scuffle and had somehow obtained the guard's weapon. The large convict pushed people into his line of fire, and he ducked as the man fired a few rounds and headed to the door.

He saw a moment where he could shoot, as the convict aimed his weapon at Jessica. He shot the man, causing him to fall down.

"John!"

HE turned around and saw Oscar had somehow obtained a pair of scissors and had it aimed at the Judge's neck.

"Everybody be calm. Thanks for the diversion buddy." Oscar looked at the convict bleeding on the floor as he slowly backed away towards the entrance of the bomb shelter.

"Let the judge go." He pointed his weapon at the convict.

"Sure I will, when I'm outside." Oscar replied cheerfully. The man was insane.

"What about the missile?" Jessica asked. She had moved alongside him with her own weapon in hand, ready to shoot.

"If it's real, then I won't even feel it anyways. I'm just going to wink right out of existence." Oscar looked back and finally reached the door. "I don't want to spend the rest of my days in solitary."

The convict used one hand and tried to open the lock.

"If you make even one twitch I'm going to cut your carotid." Oscar warned the judge.

 "No don't open it!" One woman yelled. Oscar didn't listen and the heavy metal door swung open. A moment later he saw Lopez standing outside. She only took one look and moved into action and hit Oscar with the butt of her pistol.

The convict crumpled to the ground, unconscious. He thought it was over, when he heard a scream from the back. He looked over and saw Wesley nearly unconscious with a wound on his chest, his dress shirt underneath his coat stained with blood.

He remembered the way Lopez looked when she saw her boyfriend. She still had the presence of mind to call for EMS and then ran into the room to give first aid. It took 5 minutes before the EMTs arrived and they quickly carried Wesley to an ambulance.

"Bring my shop to the station Nolan." Lopez tossed her keys to him and jumped inside the ambulance. Jessica hitched a ride with him back to the station, and he spent an uncomfortable fifteen minutes navigating through the still chaotic streets.

Jessica was looking at her phone and he heard let out a relieved sigh. "So no missile attack?"

"No, it's a malfunction of a system in Edwards Airforce Base due to the heatwave." She replied. "Thank you for saving me back there."

"It was my job." He replied. He smiled as Jessica leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. They may not be together, but it was wonderful to feel the soft lips of a pretty woman on his skin.

Another drama unfolded in the station when he arrived. He finally knew why his T.O. had arrived in Mid-Wilshire despite having a golden ticket. She wanted more time for her daughter. He had to step in and defend Harper when her angry Ex-husband demanded she be arrested for parental kidnapping since she didn't have any custody of her daughter and only visitation rights.

He understood her actions though and explained it was just her instincts as a mother that made her take her daughter from school and bring her to the station when she heard of the nuclear attack.

The ex-husband relented and even told their daughter to give his T.O. a goodbye hug. It was a touching moment, and it was the first time he saw Harper show that much emotion.

"That's one of your strengths." He heard Jessica move to stand beside him, and realized she had seen the whole thing. "That's who you are John, you don't have to always compare yourselves to others."

"I guess I am." He replied. He was nosy, talkative, and maybe stubborn, but he knew how to talk to people. In his twenty years as a contractor, he had to be good at reaching out to clients just to get paid. He knew who he was.

He looked at the woman beside him and reached out to hold her hand. "Dinner?"

"I'd love to." Jessica replied.

Angela Lopez

She watched as Wesley was wheeled away by the doctors. She wanted to go with him, but the nurse stopped her following. She looked at the red line on the floor. Right.

She turned around, looking for a spot to wait, but every seat had been taken. The hospital was flooded with injured civilians due to the panic and heat wave, a deadly combination. She just wanted a space to rest, somewhere preferably cool and with less noise. It had been a long day with the nuclear missile scare, and going solo on patrol was tiring. She missed her rookie sometimes.

Wait, Jack was still confined to this hospital and decided to visit him. After asking the duty nurse to call her in Jack's room for any new about Wesley, she made her way to her rookie, stopping by a vending machine to get a drink and a snack.

She arrived at the fourth floor and passed by the nurse station. They recognized her and returned to their work as she made her way to his room at the end of the hallway. When she peeked through the door, she saw that Jack was awake and was using his phone.

"Hey Jack." She greeted her former rookie when she stepped inside. He was looking better already. He was beginning to regain that color and healthy glow as he recovered from his gunshot wound.

"Angela, come in." Jack greeted her with a smile. That smile vanished and she saw the concerned look on his face. She must have looked terrible for her rookie to notice her state immediately.

"Mind if I rest here for a bit?" She asked.

"Feel free to lie down."

She collapsed on the comfortable looking couch and leaned back and rested her neck on top of the backrest as she stared at ceiling. She closed her eyes for a few moments as she tried to reign in the churning emotions within her. All she could think about was Wesley.

"Wesley got hurt." She shared a few minutes later. "He's in surgery right now."

"What happened to him?" Jack asked.

"A convict tried to escape the courthouse today. He used the chaos from the news of the nuclear attack to make an attempt." She replied. "I don't know if he'll make it, he lost a lot of blood like you did."

"I see." Jack didn't offer the usual words to ease her worries. He instead asked her about the state of the city and the station.

"There was panic in the station until Sergeant Grey stepped in." She replied. "Grey relayed orders from the Captain and we quickly got organized. The threat of a nuclear missile and the heat wave made a few people crazy."

"How crazy?" Jack asked.

"Like cult crazy. I stopped a group who claimed they were about to be picked up by secret aliens and were about to jump off the roof of a building." She replied. Those white-robed cultists were delusional, but she had to let them go once and informed them that the imminent missile strike was a glitch. A very costly and expensive glitch.

Then her thoughts returned back to Wesley, and tears started to pool in her eyes.

"You know Shaw Memorial has the best trauma center in the city." Jack stated. "I nearly died, but they were able to bring me back. And Wesley's young and healthy."

"You think he'll make it?" She asked.

"I'm just stating what I know. His chances of survival are high." Jack replied. That did make her feel better as she smiled at her rookie. She marveled at how much he'd grown, but she couldn't take all the credit.

"You're a P2 now, but you still need to submit a CI for Grey to review. Do you need help with that?" She asked.

"I overheard from the students in the cafeteria of LACC of a guy that prints fake ids. I'm thinking of using him for my CI, is that viable?" He asked.

She thought about his idea, and saw the merit of using one as a CI. There was a long-term viability with a CI like that, and these type of nonviolent criminals usually have their ears on the ground whenever something big is coming.

"It has potential. Why don't you bring me with you the next time you're planning on visiting this guy?" She suggested.

"Sure, but we have to be out of uniform for that one. I don't want to spook him right away." He replied.

She spent the next hour eating, catching a bit of sleep, and watched over Jack as he fell asleep again. She knew it was his body's response to recovering from surgery since he did lose a lot of blood from that school shooting.

It was strange, before today the topic was focused in the school shooting and the hero cop, now that topic was barely mentioned in the news. She looked to the door when it opened and was surprised when she saw Tim and Chen enter the room with another woman in tow. She was standing close to Tim and appeared to be near Chen's age. Intriguing. She would have normally tried to tease Tim but right now she was too tired to do that.

"I figured you'd wait here." Tim stated. Her fellow T.O. watched her sleeping rookie for a moment before he joined her on the couch. Chen and the other woman decided to sit by the chairs near Jack's bed. She realized none of them had been able to visit Jack since he had been shot. It had only been her and the Captain who managed to visit him.

"So this is him?" She heard the woman ask despite her whispering.

"That's Jack." Chen whispered back.

 "So he's the one that turned you down in the academy?" The woman giggled. 

"Rachel! The T.O.s are here!" Chen hissed.

"Who is she?" She asked Tim.

"Rachel, this is Angela Lopez, a fellow training officer." Tim stated. "Rachel works for social services… and she's my girlfriend."

"About time Bradford." She replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Officer Lopez." Rachel said to her.

"Likewise." She replied. Waiting for Wesley's condition was nearly unbearable, and she appreciated any distraction she could get. "How did you two meet?"

"Lucy set us up." Rachel smiled at Tim. "I think they made a bet about it, something about short sleeves?"

"You got lucky Chen, Tim's a very particular person." She addressed what she thought was the only conscious rookie in the room.

"Wow, Bradford has a girlfriend?" They looked over to Jack who was now awake, despite their effort to lower their volume.

"Yes Routh." Tim rolled his eyes.

"She's a looker." Jack glanced at Rachel, making the social worker blush.

"I know, Routh." Tim replied. "But she's also a very nice and caring person."

The woman looked embarrassed and saw her cheeks had a noticeable flush.

"Wow, it's like all the people in this room and their partners are their opposites in some way." Lucy Chen commented.

"How so?" She asked.

"Well, you and Wesley always fight for justice but through opposite ends and beliefs." Chen explained. "My T.O. is cold, professional, and unforgiving, while his girlfriend who is my best friend, is warm, patient, and understanding."

"That training is to prepare you, Rookie." Tim gave his rookie an unimpressed look.

Chen looked at Jack next. "Jack's a rookie and his fiancé is a Police Captain. Somehow you all shouldn't have gotten together, but you did."

"That is an interesting observation." Rachel replied.

Before anyone else could speak, the door opened, revealing the nurse who stopped her from following Wesley to the operating room.

"Officer Lopez?" The woman dressed in maroon scrubs was taken aback by the number of people in the room.

"Yes?" She immediately moved to stand up. The feeling of fear and anxiety that she had momentarily forgotten was coming back in full force. She suddenly felt sick.

"The surgery was successful." The nurse smiled. "The doctor repaired his lung, and as long as there are no complications, he should make a full recovery. We'll move him to ICU in a few hours."

Oh Thank God. She suddenly felt Tim supporting her as she was lowered back to the couch.

"Thank you for telling us." She heard Chen speak for her, since she was unable to speak at the moment.

The nurse smiled back at them and left the room.

"Wesley's going to be fine!" She repeated what the nurse told her. She felt Tim giving her a hug which she quickly returned.

The door opened again, revealing Nolan and Harper. The reasonably spacious room Jack had was suddenly starting to feel a bit crowded. She was pretty sure they were violating the number of visitors allowed in a room.

"I was looking for everyone downstairs." Nolan looked around. "A nurse told me a bunch of cops are in Jack's room."

"How's Wesley?" Harper asked.

"She's going to be fine." She replied with a big smile, appreciating that the new T.O. had taken the time to check up on her. She even saw Tim give Harper a nod of greeting.

With the tension gone, everyone in the room was more relaxed. She decided to sit on Jack's bed so the others could have space to sit on. Tim preferred to stand and had moved to Jack's side, telling her former boot about the recovery process and warning him not to return to duty until he was ready physically and mentally.

Jack shared his experience with an interview with I.A. that morning, and commented it was different from what he was used to. In her opinion Jack didn't have to go through the process, it was clear as day he killed the shooter in self-defense.

"Being shot changes you." Tim warned Jack once more. She appreciated Tim trying to look out for her former boot.

At one point, Jack had teased her about taking care of Wesley and acting like a nurse at their home.

"Would you also wear an outfit?" He asked. "I think Wesley would like that."

Bastard. She knew Jack was just trying to be playful and teasing her, now that they knew Wesley was going to be fine. She suddenly remembered she possessed a certain video and decided that if Jack wanted to play, she would bring her game. He knew better than to push her buttons.

"Anyone want to see what Jack was like when he woke up from surgery and high from pain medication?

"Yes!" Harper, Nolan, Tim and Lucy replied as one, countering Jack's vehement "No!"

It was only Tim's girlfriend Rachel that looked confused.

"You're outvoted Routh." She said over his protests. She placed her phone on the table and propped it up with a bottle of water, pressed play on the video, and stepped back to watch it again.

"Was that Grace?" Nolan asked.

Tim had actually laughed out loud when the Jack on the video started hitting on the captain as he focused on sex. The Captain was clearly seen blushing while the other doctor and nurse were sporting barely concealed smiles, as a loopy Jack unknowingly revealed how active they were in their relationship. His blatant flirting was hilarious as he kept calling her hot. Then he started singing.

She didn't see it before, but while Jack was singing the pretty blond doctor in the background covered her face with a clipboard.

Nolan was laughing, and she saw Harper was biting her lips in amusement. Lucy and Rachel were hugging each other as they giggled when they saw a loopy Jack sing. Jack had covered his face with a pillow and she pulled it away, she wanted to see his embarrassed expression.

"We should try to get you drunk next time we go out." Nolan said once the video ended, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Yeah, you're a funny drunk." Lucy added. She started humming the tune.

"Thank you." Jack replied looking resigned.

"It's a catchy song." Tim told Jack. "The lyrics were easy to memorize, it's my favorite one yet."

"Stop it." Rachel was blushing and hit Tim on the shoulder.

One by one they all left, but not before wishing Jack a swift recovery until she was the only one remaining in the room.

"Want to wait here and have dinner while waiting for Wesley to be moved to the ICU?" Jack asked.

That sounded amazing and she was feeling hungry. She quickly left to buy burgers and fries for her and Jack, and when she returned she found the Captain was sitting on her usual chair beside him.

"I heard about Wesley." The captain offered her a soft smile. "I bet you're relieved."

"I am, Captain." She was glad she brought an extra burger. Now it wouldn't be awkward to eat in Jack's room with the Captain there.

Jack Routh

Technically Zoe wasn't supposed to sleep beside the cramped Hospital bed, but she wanted to snuggle with him for a bit before she went to the couch that served as her temporary bed. She made it work, sleeping on her side and being mindful of his still sore wound as she pressed up against him.

The nurse gently reminded Zoe to sleep on the couch before she left, earning a tired nod from Zoe. His fiancé hugged his arm on his uninjured side, and a few moments later she was sleeping peacefully. He didn't have the heart to wake her up.

Even the nurse agreed with him as she ignored the sleeping police captain on his side when she checked up on him.

He suddenly woke up, and looked around the dimly lit room. Something didn't feel right. Almost all the lights in the room were turned off. Zoe usually left the lamp by the couch on when she needed to use the bathroom and not wake him.

"Good instincts."

He followed the voice and saw a figure sitting on the corner. He looked around for a weapon and saw the ceramic mug Zoe used for coffee in the morning. He eyed it, knowing it would take him a few seconds to reach it and throw it to the man.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Routh. I just want to talk."

"Then talk." He took his left hand out of from cupping Zoe's breast from beneath her top so that his hands would be free to move if needed.

"I just want to meet you, and send you a message." The man leaned forward, showing a black man with a hardened face and a beard. "We have been keeping an eye on you ever since you saved the city from a biological terrorist attack. And now, you saved many students in the school shooting by killing Percy Reed."

"I was doing my duty." He replied, wondering what this man's intentions were.

"Now it's personal. You saved my kid back then, and so now I owe you one too. If you need any help at all, anything, and we'll come." The man left a card and placed it on the table beside the couch. "Take care of yourself now, Officer Routh. Good night Major Andersen. I'll appreciate the discretion."

He watched as the tall imposing man gave them one last nod and left through the door.

"He noticed you." He told Zoe who now had her eyes open.

"You didn't have to squeeze my nipple that hard." Zoe complained. Then her face turned serious, as she stared up at him. "He knew my rank while I was in the military."

"So, black ops?" He guessed. Zoe had told him her records were sealed.

"Most likely." She replied. "And they came here personally to thank you."

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing?" He asked.

"Both." His fiancé replied. "Black ops do a lot of illegal activity abroad. Off the books, no traces. To see a cell operating in US Soil is worrying."

"But having a black ops cell telling you they have your back when you need it is useful." Zoe continued. She leaned back to rest her head on his chest once more. "We're not in any danger baby. Let's get back to sleep."

She grabbed his wrist and placed his hand on her breast once more and made a pleasing noise. He watched her slowly fall back to sleep, but he was still too on edge after being surprised like that. He didn't sleep until he saw the sky was turning blue as he kept watch on the door.

The next morning he waited until Zoe left for the station, and bored of being in bed all day decided to take a little stroll. The nurses all looked worried but he could walk fine, it was when he needed to bend down that made the wound on his lower back hurt like a bitch.

He couldn't wait to be discharged.

The nuclear missile strike alert was still the talk of the news stations, as the city suffered significant damage due to the panic that ensued. If there was one thing that he appreciated about the incident was it refocused all attention away from him.

"Officer Routh." The nurse called out to him as he passed their station on his way back to his room. She relay didn't look happy when she saw him walking around, but he read his file and knew the doctors wanted him to be on his feet as soon as possible and start physical therapy.

"Yes ma'am?"

"We received a call from the front desk about a woman and her friends who wanted to visit you. Are you willing to see visitors?" She asked.

"What is the woman's name?" He asked.

"Penny Teller." The nurse read the note she wrote down.

"She's one of my students." He replied. "Please send her up."

Penny Teller

She shouldn't have allowed Sheldon to come. Her patience was already running thin after the shenanigans his neighbor made when they all received a nuclear missile alarm in their phones. Her plan was to hide in the basement, but Sheldon kept bringing more and more emergency equipment out of their closet to take with them to the basement.

She wanted to cry, as she debated with her neighbor about the merits of bringing a second power bank with him, along with food, water, his survival kit and clothes, and finally a hazmat suit made her want to tear her hair out. By the time they finally agreed on what to take to the basement, they all realized the twenty-nine minutes had passed without anything happening.

She received a message an hour later as they waited in the basement, informing them that the initial alert was a mistake, caused by a malfunctioning sensor in a military base in the north of the city.

Then they had to bring up all the equipment and luggage without a working elevator in the building from the basement to the fourth floor. Five flights of stairs, and she was the one who carried the heavy bags.

The next day she decided to visit Professor Routh, the man who saved her life. Her car wouldn't start that morning so she had to ask Leonard to give her a ride. Leonard agreed and even told her he would accompany her on her visit. When Sheldon overheard her discussing her plans, he decided that he would also join them and picked up several boards with him covered in brown paper. She thought they were gifts and agreed that he could join them.

"Sheldon, please." The quirky genius had decided to stop at every Alcogel automatic dispenser that lined the hallway and continually rubbed his hands to keep himself clean.

"Hospitals are the incubators of viruses and bacteria, Penny." Sheldon replied while he wore his N95 mask.

"You said yes. "Leonard told her when she looked at him for help. She did say yes to Sheldon when he asked, and she was now regretting that decision.

They reached the fourth floor, and she finally found her professor on the bed sitting up and talking to a doctor. Even in a hospital gown he still looked handsome. She wanted to run her hands through that brown hair even if he had a scary fiancé with a gun.

"Penny, good to see you." Professor Routh greeted them. "Leonard, Sheldon, thank you for visiting."

"Should you be sitting up?" She asked. She remembered his slumped figure on the wall as he lost unconsciousness. She really thought he would die when they carried him on a stretcher. It was jarring to see him awake and looking healthy though aa bit pale a few days later.

"The doctor told me I need physical therapy as soon as I'm healed. I'm allowed to walk at the very least." He replied and moved back to lie on the bed. She did not miss the wince he made as he moved slowly and released a sigh of relief once his head hit the pillow.

"For a few hours, not wander up and down the whole hospital." The female doctor added. "It will take weeks to fully heal from your injuries and a month to get back into service. It's good that you have a healthy appetite already."

"How are you doing?" She asked, sitting on the chair beside his bed once the doctor left the room.

"Feeling better already. How are your classmates?" He asked her.

"I haven't spoken to them since I gave the interview to the investigators." She replied. "I think we were all in shock and haven't fully processed it. Then this missile alert thing happened."

"I must say I found the city's response to the threat was abysmal." Sheldon made his presence known as he sat on the other chair. He looked uncomfortable on his chair for a few moments as he wiggled on it. He looked around the room and then stared at her, then at her chair. No way he would…

"That's my spot." Sheldon pointed to the chair she was seating on.

"Sheldon, that's no one spot." Leonard tried to reason with this roommate.

"But I feel a draft here, and I find the glare from the window irritating to my eyes. Penny, exchange seats with me." Sheldon demanded.

She shared a look with an amused professor and rolled her eyes. She knew better than to argue with Sheldon by now, he wouldn't just drop simple matters like these and would constantly interrupt her conversation with Professor Routh until he got his way.

"Fine." She exchanged seat with Sheldon, and the aggravating neighbor look pleased at his new seat. She didn't know why he was complaining, Jack's room in the hospital had a great view out to the city.

"The community college has counseling services." Professor Routh told her. The investigators and police had told her that too, but she didn't want to focus on that. She didn't feel like she has PTSD from the incident.

"I'll see if I need it, but so far I've been far too busy to think about what happened." She replied.

I just want to say… thank you. For risking your life to save mine."

"You're welcome Ms. Teller." Professor Routh gave her that smile of his that made her stomach churn. "It's our job to protect the public from people like him."

She spent a few minutes sharing what happened, from the dozens of police officers that arrived on the scene, medical personnel, and the chaos that surrounded the whole incident. She had given statements to the LAPD, Sheriff's county and even the FBI along with the rest of her classmates. It was only upon meeting her history Professor once more that she started to process what had happened to her.

Thankfully Professor Routh gave her the answers she needed, not the speculation the media was presenting. Who the suspect was, his motivations and his likely end goal. They were just unfortunate victims that witnessed a deranged man as the world crumbled around him, determined to bring as many down with him in his final moments.

The conversation turned lighter as she asked when about what geek convention she will see him again, since her neighbors practically dragged her to a quite a few every year.

"Unfortunately I don't have plans to go the others this year." He replied.

"Not even in Anaheim?" Leonard asked. "It's a pretty good convention, and the rare comic collectors have moved to that scene from San Diego."

That's right. She remembered Leonard, Sheldon and Howard complained about the commercialization of the comic con experience in San Diego and constantly compared it to its more humble origins.

"Jack, I made a few posters for you to see. Perhaps if you see the artistry involved, you'd agree to my proposal." Sheldon eagerly removed the brown paper of the packages he brought with him and unveiled three movie posters. He placed them by the window, side by side.

[Superman Returns]

[Batman Vs Superman]

[The Justice League]

Each poster was done in way that if she didn't know any better she would have thought they were real.

First was a picture of Superman with Jack's face, lifting a car before it hit a man. The second was a large side view picture of Jack's head facing off against what she could only assume was batman, but he wore a strange armor and not his usual cowl she was familiar with in parties.

The third was a silhouette of seven figures, with Jack at the forefront staring at the camera with his arms folded.

"Where did you get these pictures?" Professor Routh asked. "These are great by the way."

"Thank you." Sheldon looked pleased. "I made them with a help of a grad student who was forced to take up a measly graphic artist side job to pay off his student loans."

"So will you reconsider?" Sheldon asked once again.

"I'll think about it." Her professor gave a vague answer. "So how did you get these pictures?"

"I found a blog online, called EC club with all your pictures, from you working out in a gym, to pictures of you in your police uniform and even when you're just writing reports." Sheldon answered.

Okay, that was creepy and gave stalker vibes but she needed to know the name of that blog for research. She was asking for a friend.

 "Oh what's this? Are you going into acting now?"

She heard a familiar voice that she usually hears in the radio on her way to work. She turned around to see a tall blonde woman wearing shades and a cap.

"Taylor? How did you get here?" Professor Routh asked.

"I told them I was your student, and the nurse bought it!" The woman called Taylor removed her shades and cap, and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. Taylor Swift is here! Taylor Swift is in the same room as her!

"What's wrong with her?" She heard Taylor ask.

"She always listens to your music every morning." Sheldon replied. "It's very annoying."

Oh my god! That snapped her out of her daze and glared at Sheldon. She was about to speak when she heard Taylor laugh.

"I'll be annoyed too if I keep hearing the same thing over and over again." Taylor replied.

"Taylor, this is one of my students, Penny Teller, and her friends Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper." Professor Routh started to introduce them. She felt giddy being introduced to the biggest pop star in the world!

"Thanks Professor." She replied happily. She couldn't believe this moment was real!

"Professor?" Taylor looked intrigued. "That's right, that's the reason you were there to stop the shooter. You're a history professor too!"

"A sad, but a necessary career in pursuit of science." Sheldon gave his unwanted opinion. "Just like engineers and… musicians."

She wanted to strangle Sheldon, but the famous pop star seemed amused rather than offended.

"So what are these posters for?" Taylor asked as she walked closer to the window to give each a closer look.

"Sheldon thinks I should audition to be the next Superman. They're in the process of making one now." Professor Routh explained. "So he made these posters to convince me."

"You do look the part." Taylor looked at Jack and the poster. "You do have the face and the build for it. You're like a younger modern Christopher Reeves."

"See!" Sheldon added. "The musician sees it too, and she's only a musician. It's pretty obvious, Officer Routh."

"Thanks, I think." Taylor replied. "I'm not here to ask about your potential acting career. I'm here about another matter. Can we have some privacy?"

She got the hint and offered her chair to Taylor and said a quick goodbye to Jack. She had to push Sheldon to the door and drag a dazed Leonard who hadn't spoken a word or even moved when Taylor came in.

Taylor Swift

After her kidnapping, she focused herself in her music, and her tour though she occasionally kept an eye on the young cop that saved her life. Seeing him on the news the other day made her worry about him, when there were reports that he was rushed to the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound after stopping the shooter.

She was finally able to find time since her planned schedule for the month had been changed due to the nuclear attack scare.

"I need help." She began. "I want to make a new recording of my old albums. It's going to be a huge undertaking."

"What for?" He asked.

"Let's just say I want to regain ownership of my own songs. My relationship with the record label is not the best, to be honest." She could see some fractures and she knew the relationship would deteriorate from there. She wanted to move in a new direction, but the record label wanted her in another. It was getting more tedious to attend meetings with the executives.

"So if they don't want to sell me the master copyrights of my old songs, I'll record new ones, with new instrumentation and flair, and I want you to help me with that." She continued, remembering the impromptu rehearsal she had with Jack on the piano with the song Love Story. "I also want to give you the opportunity to record your own album. We can discuss contract details later."

 "When I get discharged, let's talk." He replied after thinking for a minute. "I need a month or more to return to active duty, so I'll have time."

"Perfect!" Taylor grinned. "Of course this will be just between us. My label should not even get a hint of what we're up to. We can say I'm collaborating with you in creating new songs."

"Hmmmm." Jack looked like he was deep in thought.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I think I have a song that's perfect for you. Obviously I can't show it to you now, but I can write the lyrics down." Jack offered.

"Show me!" She eagerly reached for her pen and back of an old receipt from her bag and handed it to him.

She tapped her foot, eager to read the lyrics. If Jack said it was perfect for her, then she knew it would sound amazing. Two minutes later Jack handed her the old receipt and immediately read the lyrics.

Her eyed widened as she read the words. This was … wow. It really spoke to her.

[Lost Stars- Maroon 5]

Hold on

Please, don't see

Just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies

Please, see me

Reaching out for someone I can't see

Take my hand

Let's see where we wake up tomorrow

Best laid plans

Sometimes are just a one night stand

I'll be damned

Cupid's demanding back his arrow

So let's get drunk on our tears

And, God, tell us the reason

Youth is wasted on the young

It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run

Searching for meaning

But are we all lost stars

Trying to light up the dark?

Who are we?

Just a speck of dust within the galaxy

Woe is me

If we're not careful turns into reality

Don't you dare let our best memories bring you sorrow

Yesterday I saw a lion kiss a deer

Turn the page

Maybe we'll find a brand new ending

Where we're dancing in our tears

And, God, tell us the reason

Youth is wasted on the young

It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run

Searching for meaning

But are we all lost stars

Trying to light up the dark?

And I thought I saw you out there crying, ooh ooh

And I thought I heard you call my name, yeah yeah

And I thought I heard you out there crying, oh

Just the same, oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah

God, give us the reason

Youth is wasted on the young

It's hunting season and this lamb is on the run

Searching for meaning

But are we all lost stars

Trying to light up the dark?

And I thought I saw you out there crying, ooh ooh ooh

And I thought I heard you call my name, ooh ooh ooh

And I thought I heard you out there crying, oh

But are we all lost stars

Trying to light up the dark?

But are we all lost stars

Trying to light up the dark?

"Obviously we have to rework the lyrics." Jack explained. She didn't fully listen to him, her focus on the words of the lyrics. Once she had finished reading it, she looked at him with determination in her eyes.

"It will start slow at first, and then pick up in the middle." Jack continued to explain. She really really wished she could ask him to sing a sample, but she knew he was wounded and needed to rest.

"Thank you." She carefully folded the piece of paper and tucked it inside her phone wallet. "Here's the address of a bungalow house I own in LA. I was thinking of selling it, since it's mostly used as a guest house by my visiting friends, but maybe we can use it for our project?"

"Thanks." Jack looked over at the address she had given using his phone. "Good location, lots of privacy."

"I know right? That's why I bought it in the first place, but I ended up not using it. I'm reluctant to sell it since it has that charm and peaceful vibe. Even if it's a small property, nothing can beat it with the privacy it has since it's built on a corner lot with trees surrounding it." She explained.

Hmm, perhaps Jack would be interested in buying it from her. He knew Jack and his fiancé would probably look for a larger property in the future instead of the apartment he told her they were living in. It would be nice to know that a property she loved and bought with her hard-earned money when she was just starting out was owned by someone she knew personally.

"So let me share with you the songs I want to record new masters for." She leaned forward and began writing a list of her songs dearest to her.

She left Jack an hour later with a new sense of purpose and a signed poster of a fan-made superman movie.

Jack Routh

There was still considerable pain as he finally dressed in proper clothes after spending over a week in a hospital gown. He had been give strict instructions not to over exert himself and take it easy for the next week before he would need to go back to the hospital for another check up and evaluation.

It was a pity that he couldn't ride his bike for now and he missed weaving through traffic and the feeling of his machine underneath him.

"Ready to go?" Angela asked. Zoe had sent her to pick him up since she was swamped with meetings.

"Yeah." He lifted his bag but Angela immediately took it from him.

"I got enough of that from Tim, I don't need to see that macho crap from you." She stated. "Let's go. You better have some nice snacks in your place."

"I have a couple of chips." He thought of the chips Angela liked to snack on during break time, and luckily he had a bag of unopened Cheetos in his pantry. "If you're willing to wait, I can make us a sandwich."

"Deal." Angela replied. "It's near the end of my first shift anyway."

"How's Wesley doing?" Angela's boyfriend had been moved out of ICU a few ago. He had visited the lawyer a few times since his room was close to his.

"Bored. He's already reading up on his client's papers while he recovers." Angela shook her head as they got into her shop. "It looks like it's his office in there with all the binders and papers he has around his bed."

Angela let out an appreciative whistle when he led her to his unit, 802. "This place is nice."

"I got luck when I found it." He replied.

"And that's where… the Captain lives?" Angela nodded her head at the door at the end of the hallway.

"Yeah. I rarely use this apartment these days. It's mostly become a storage unit at this point." He opened the door and let her in. He watched as Angela looked around his apartment and apparently satisfied, made herself comfortable on the couch.

He turned on the AC and headed to the kitchen and decided to make a simple ham and cheese sandwich for them.

"So what's your plan when you're on your medical leave?" She asked. "You're on medical leave, so you couldn't do your duties as a cop, and that includes the community outreach in the community college."

"Taylor approached me with an offer to help her with her albums." He replied.

"That's interesting. At least you have something to, the department is having us increase community engagement to build a better rapport with the public and foster trust." Angela replied, looking like she smelled something foul.

"You don't like it?" He asked.

"It's just wasting hours listening to people complain about their neighbors instead of doing real police work." She replied. "I'd rather spend more time with Wesley and help with him with his physical therapy."

"You should." He stopped making the sandwich and stared at his former T.O. "We're cops, we have some idea about the dangers we face every day. Wesley doesn't. He got stabbed twice in the chest by a psychopath trying to escape from prison. That's not something he can just recover from, and I'm not talking about his wounds."

"He always changed the subject when I asked." Angela looked thoughtful as she considered his words. "You think he's trying to avoid the subject?"

"I bet you he is. He's going to need your support to get through this. That was a traumatic thing that happened to him." He explained.

"Thanks Jack. I'll keep an eye on him, but I won't push the subject, but I won't shy away from what happened to him either." Angela looked determined. "Now make me my sandwich."

Angela spent half an hour hanging out in his apartment, the only other friend he had invited inside aside from Zoe. Feeling restless, he went to his nook where the keyboard was and started writing the music for the lyrics he gave Taylor. He planned to maximize his time while on his mandated medical leave to keep busy.

Zoe arrived early that afternoon famished and tired. She ate a few plates of the diner he prepared and watched with satisfaction as she now relaxed on the couch after a quick shower. It was Friday, and he could see how happy she was able to get home early. She must have worked hard to finish all that paperwork that usually piled up on her desk during Fridays.

"How was your day?" He asked. He slowly sat down beside her, mindful of his stitches. His injuries flared from time to time when he moved too quickly or in the wrong direction and it was incredibly difficult to resist scratching the wound. Now wearing a pair of tiny shorts and a thin camisole, she moved up on the couch and used his lap as her pillow.

"More mandated community building programs." Zoe complained. She closed her eyes when he ran his fingers through her scalp like a comb. He always liked how the scent of the shampoo she used. "I think my officers will rebel soon with all the community engagement they were forced to participate in."

"Angela would probably be one of the leaders of the rebellion." He teased.

"Grey would lead it first." She countered. "When Grey envisioned a focus on community relations, this wasn't it. He wanted a more genuine approach with programs like the one you're participating in."

"How was yours?" She asked.

"I told you about Taylor's offer, I'm planning to use this month to help her with her music." He replied. "Since I'm limited to what I can do until I recover."

"It's protocol. You're lucky with your bullet wound. A few cops injured in a shootout in Rampart took six months to recover and get back on patrol. Just follow the doctor's order okay?

"Yes love. No lifting of heavy weights, take regular walks, and eat regularly. No strenuous exercises." He repeated the instructions Dr. Sawyer told him before he left. Apparently, John had asked her to keep an eye on him while he was confined to the hospital.

"Good."

"I'll share some songs with her and help her record a few songs too. We need to visit her in this bungalow house she owns, she plans to do all the work there in secret." He continued.

"When?" Zoe stretched as she yawned and he was reminded of a cat who was about to sleep.

"Tomorrow after breakfast we can visit her house."

"Okay. We can do that."

Zoe was about to sleep so he stopped massaging her scalp. She gave a noise of protest and opened her eyes.

"You would have fallen asleep, and I couldn't carry you with my injury." He told her and poked her on the side to fully wake her. Zo just grunted and headed back to their room.

They moved to the bed and he thought she was about to sleep facing away from him when she lowered her shorts until it was free from her legs.

"Put it in love." Zoe mumbled as she presented her ass to him as she lifted one cheek so he could better see her cunt.

"Mmmmm" Zoe let out a pleased moan when he entered her. It was the first time since he was injured that his cock was back in her cunt he didn't to rush as he gave fucked her in lazy and slow strokes.

He was pretty sure she didn't orgasm, but it was nice to have sex again after being in the hospital for over a week. When he came inside her she was already asleep, so he just hugged her tighter to his body and closed his eyes as well, relishing her presence.

The next morning they had a leisurely breakfast and then headed to the address Taylor gave him with Zoe driving.

"This is a good neighborhood." Zoe observed while she looked around. They finally stopped in front of the Spanish-style house, barely visible because of the wall and the trees that covered its front. "It's barely three miles from the station. So this is the very first property Taylor Swift bought when she started?"

"Yes, and she's having second thoughts about selling it." He explained. "She told me she wanted someone she knew personally to purchase it from her, rather than a complete stranger."

They walked through the unlocked gate and to the stone path. Immediately he felt like he was transported to another world, it was if he wasn't in the bustling city of LA anymore.

"Wow." Zoe commented. It was obvious she had also noticed the immediate change in their surroundings. 

There was a large tree in the middle of the yard, providing a cool shade to the table and chairs under it. There was no grass, only tiles on the floor and bushes that lined the perimeter wall. The Spanish-style house with its distinct red tiles roof and white walls looked inviting.

"You're here!" Taylor appeared from the front door. He could see a few security guards behind her. "Jack!"

"Good to see you Taylor." He greeted as the famous pop star gave him a hug then gave one as well to Zoe which surprised him.

"Thank you for coming, let's head inside." Taylor invited them in, looking excited.

"This is a nice house in a great location." Zoe told Taylor.

"Isn't it? It's such a shame that I didn't really get to use it." Taylor said as she looked around the house. The house was well maintained, and looked to be upgraded with modern appliances while it retained parts of its original style. "Come, I'll show you why I bought this in the first place."

The pop star led them to the backyard where it was surrounded by a wall. There was only a narrow strip of grass, beside it was a built in Jacuzzi with lounge chairs surrounding it. He looked around and realized he no other property would be able to see through the backyard.

"Impressive." He liked the aesthetics and that it didn't much maintenance.

"This is amazing." Zoe added.

"I wrote a few of my songs in here." Taylor said fondly. "Why don't I show you to the music room? I have my staff arrange it for when we want to record our songs."

She led them to a medium-sized music room, complete with a keyboard, a drum set, an array of guitars, and recording equipment.

"This room is soundproofed, so we won't have to worry about any noise complaints." Taylor informed them. They followed he around to tour the rest of the house, which included the large bedroom overlooking the backyard Jacuzzi and had its own entrance, followed by the combined pace of the kitchen with a center island, a table for six and the living room. "

"There's another guest room, but that's unfurnished." Taylor explained. "So this will be our base for the month that you're recovering. What do you think?"

"It's an amazing house Taylor. I can see why you fell in love with it." He replied.

"Want to buy it?" Taylor suddenly asked.

He didn't have that kind of money and was totally caught by surprise. "Taylor I don't have that kind of money."

The pop star waved of his statement and smiled. "You'll be earning enough with this project we're going to work on."

"Taylor I don't…"

"You don't want to make money from the songs, you just want the copyrights. I know." Taylor cut him off. "You'll still make a significant profit from the work we will do."

He saw Zoe giving him a look and he immediately understood what his fiancé meant. "Could you give us time to think it over?"

"Of course Jack. Honestly, you'll be doing me a favor by buying this place for me." Taylor looked around the home with wistful look on her face. It was obvious she cared very deeply about this house.

Taylor's staff arrived, bringing breakfast. He used the time to have a private conversation with Zoe while the pop star was busy speaking with her team.

"So, what do you think of her offer?" He asked.

"She's very generous. Homes like these are really sought after. It might not be a high end property, but all positives are there, great location, modernized but still has that unique character and very easy to maintain too." Zoe replied.

"So do you want to live here"? He asked. "This could be a nice wedding present for us."

Zoe's face immediately turned to him, and he could see the pleased look on her face. He knew she liked his idea to have a house prepared that's more suited for a married couple.

"Get it." She whispered with a smile. "I'll help you finance the payments."

Zoe walked around the property to take a more closer look, he could see she was already imagining what she would do when they started living here. Taylor was delighted when they told her they would buy it from her.

"I think I want to keep this room and not change a thing." He told Taylor as he inspected the music room. It was lined with sound absorbing materials, but had a glass so that they could see through to the smaller room the contained the recording equipment used by sound engineers and technicians. He took a closer look at the elaborate jade green drum set and took a seat. He placed his feet on the pedals and felt and heard the bass when he tested it. He noticed the drumsticks on the snare drum and quickly tested the drums.

"You know how to play the drums?" Taylor asked curiously.

"Some." He replied, as fresh memories poured inside his head. Huh, who knew Charlie Puth could play the drums that well? That musical artist in his old world was really dedicated and talented at his craft.

"I was thinking of changing the drum beats of Shake it Off." Taylor explained. "Want to give it a try?"

"Sure." He replied. Taylor left the room and started giving instructions to her staff. He remembered her famous hit, and started to have an idea of what to add to her composition with the drums. He checked the equipment and their position and found them in excellent condition.

"Okay." Taylor looked excited and handed out an earpiece for him to wear and wore her own headset. "They're going to play the rest of the track aside from the drums and vocals. Let's do this on three."

[Shake it Off – Taylor Swift - Mike Portnoy on Drums]

He was having fun with the drums as he listened to the cues in her vocals. He focused on the drums and maintaining the beat and adding an extra kick here and there with the percussion and high top.

He was having so much fun that the song ended too quickly for him. Then he felt the slight pain from his wound. He might have overdone it.

"This is what I was talking about! Did you get that?" Taylor grinned as she removed her headset. "That was amazing!"

"That was fun." He replied. He noticed through the window that their quick practice had attracted an audience. Zoe was there giving him the look.

"How did you do that?" Taylor demanded. "The drums, they sounded like they have their own musical style instead of a generic back beat."

"I played it depending on how you performed the song." He explained.

"This is even better than I hoped." The pop star replied. "We'll make new masters better than the original, and get the best musicians to re-record everything."

Zoe was waiting for him when they came out of the music room.

"Just when I thought you had no more surprises left, you pulled out this one." Zoe eyed him from head to toe. "You're an amazing drummer. I wanted to learn when I was younger, but my stepmother didn't allow me."

"You could learn now. I could teach you." He offered.

Taylor seemed energized by their earlier performance. One of her staff approached them while they rested and asked for the contact details of his lawyer.

"It's for the contract." The female staff explained. We just want your own lawyer to check it before we sign everything. Do you have his number?"

"I do, but he's in the hospital right now. I'll send his number to Taylor once I confirm he's going to help me review the contracts." He knew Wesley would appreciate work that's not involved in violence and criminals while he recovered.