1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

Title: The Darkest HoursAuthor: KamekaRating: PG for minor language and violence (no more than a Disney film)Disclaimer: The characters from the show are not mine - no money has been

made, don't sue.Notes: Many thanks to Sxyldy and Nat for helping me figure out just what

Zoe's injuries could be. Also: Many thanks to JP, a wonderful beta.

Unfortunately, I didn't use much of what she mentioned, so any and all

mistakes or problems belong solely to me. I do not know anything about

medicine or police procedures, so if there are any mess-ups, once again

blame me not anyone else. There's a slight crossover to ER in here, but

not so much that you need to know the show.Summary: A speculation-fic based on the preview for the December 6th

episode ("Bullet Proof"): When Zoe is injured on the job, her friends and

family must deal with their own feelings and fears. While it probably has

nothing to do with actual events and is, no doubt, in direct contrast of

the events of the episode itself, my muses felt the need for some

resolution based on the preview.* * *Part OneJeannie Garrett sat silently on the sofa in front of the blasting

television. In her lap was an open romance, one of Zoe's 'bodice-rippers'

that she teased the younger girl about constantly. Stretching slightly,

she cast another worried glance towards the clock that hung on the wall of

the living room. It was late, almost 9:30 in the evening, and well past

the time that Zoe should have come home from another day of hard work. She

looked around at the other occupant of the room: the sole male of the

house, Clifford Busiek. He had the television going as he worked on one

assignment or another for school, his attention fairly evenly divided

between the two. The other children were absent, Hannah having gone

upstairs, ostentatiously to bed, and Taylor to the privacy of her bedroom

so that she could talk to her boyfriend on the telephone.She looked to the clock again, noting that it was a mere three minutes

since the last time she had looked. She debated asking Cliff if his aunt

had said she was going to be this late but thought better of it. There was

no reason to worry any of the children yet; Zoe was merely running late.

She again tried to read her book, only succeeding in re-reading the same

paragraph all over again, twice, without any of the printed words actually

making sense to her. She stood up with a sigh, stretching her back with a

faint grimace as she thought of all the hours she had spent curled up

reading when she was younger. With a smile towards the re-teen who had

looked up from his assignment, she ventured upstairs, checking in on Hannah

before stopping at Taylor's bedroom door."Taylor," she called through the mostly closed door, not wanting to intrude

into the teenager's sanctuary."Come on in, Jeannie," the girl's voice rang out in answer, causing Jeannie

to push open the door some more to find Taylor sprawled on her stomach

across her bed, one hand on the phone she held to her ear and the other

idly flipping through a magazine of some sort. "Are you leaving?""No," Jeannie shook her head as she ventured further into the room. "Your

aunt isn't back yet. I was wondering if she'd called?"Taylor began to automatically shake her head before she paused, biting her

lower lip guiltily."Taylor?""Well, about an hour ago there was a beep," she said, referring to the beep

that let someone on the phone know when another person called the line,

"but no one's called since.""Who called then?""I don't know," she admitted, looking sheepish. "Rhyder was in the middle

of this really funny long, involved story and I didn't want to interrupt

him.""It could have been Zoe with a problem," Jeannie said, frowning. "A flat

tire or her car broke down and she needed to be picked up.""Hey, if it were Aunt Zoe she would've called back, right?" Taylor said

brightly, grinning."I suppose," the older woman considered. "Do you think you could get off

now?" She continued before the teenager could begin asking for more time or

flat-out refusing. "Jut in case Zoe tries to call; this way Rhyder won't

start a long, involved story that you don't want to interrupt."Taylor conceded the point; telling her boyfriend good night and that they'd

meet in the normal place tomorrow before school. She then followed the

other woman from her bedroom, having leapt up from her bed in one graceful

move and scooped up a handful of magazines to read downstairs. "Do you

really think something's happened to Aunt Zoe?" she asked quietly after

Jeanne had once again checked on Hannah and they had begun to make their

way downstairs."I'm sure it's nothing, Taylor," she reassured the now slightly nervous

girl. "Your Aunt Zoe knows how to take care of herself," she reminded her

with a smile."I guess so," Taylor admitting as she flopped into one of the comfortable

overstuffed chairs that were in the living room.Jeannie's smile faded as she turned away from the two children in the

living room and made her way into the kitchen, getting diet soda for the

young ones and a mug of coffee for herself. She alone of the family, for

she did consider the Busieks her family, knew that Zoe's job as a fraud

investigator wasn't always the safest around. Zoe had confided in her

about the man who had attacked her and Dan while investigating a case

around Halloween, the very case that had led Taylor to meeting Rhyder. The

man, who had killed his brother years ago, had been desperate to stop

anybody from finding the body, or the skeleton that was left, and had begun

to vandalize the house he had lived in as a child.Shaking her head and rebuking herself for thinking morbid thoughts,

borrowing trouble as it were, she reentered the living room with the

refreshments, receiving absent 'thanks' from both of the younger people as

she handed them their sodas. She sat back down on the sofa and lifted the

book she had abandoned earlier, hoping to be able to pay attention this

time, to the sounds of an argument between Taylor and Cliff about what they

should watch. Cliff, truthfully claiming that he had been there first,

wanted to keep the Japanime cartoon that was currently playing on. Taylor,

on the other hand, was going between whatever happened to be on MTV or one

of the reality shows that were so popular now.She automatically tuned out the argument, well used to it after spending so

many years as a close neighbor. She jerked abruptly when the door rang,

the book falling from her lax hands into her lap. With another sigh, she

pushed her sudden sense of foreboding away and got up to answer the door."Mrs. Busiek?"She paled, one hand groping automatically for the doorknob as she took a

step back. "No," she responded faintly. "Jeannie Garrett," she

automatically introduced herself before her throat closed against any

possible sound.The uniformed man who stood before her asked: "does a Miss Zoe Busiek live

here, ma'am?"She nodded silently, her eyes automatically seeking the gold badge that was

attached to the man's shirt."My name is Officer Michael Jacobs, ma'am," he nodded his head

respectfully. "Would it be all right if I come in?"She nodded, as silent as she had been since she had introduced herself, as

she stepped backwards unsteadily, only peripherally aware of the policeman

before her reaching out to steady her against falling. Instead, her

attention was on the deathly silence that filled the room as the two

siblings stopped bickering and turned their attention to their visitor,

their wide eyes reflecting the same fear that Jeannie could feel in

herself.Officer Jacobs had barely sat down when Cliff asked the question they all

wanted to: "Is Aunt Zoe okay?"The policeman shook his head slightly, obviously trying to figure out how

to say what he needed to. The fact that he had mentally rehearsed the

entire speech on the way over, that he had delivered similar speeches to

other families, never seemed to help him when he was faced with the

overwhelming fear present."She isn't dead, right?" Taylor broke in with the question, one hand going

for her younger brother's as they waited for the answer."She's not dead," he assured them, grateful he had at least been able to do

that. "Miss Garrett, perhaps it would be better if I spoke to you alone,"

he tried, hoping that the older woman would agree."Mrs.," she automatically corrected even as Taylor and Cliff shook their

heads."No way!""We're not going anywhere," Taylor's icy statement overlapped her brother's

outburst.Officer Jacobs looked towards Jeannie, hoping that she would be able to get

them to leave the adults alone. When she merely shrugged and sat back, he

sighed."Anything that deals with Zoe Busiek affects them, Officer.""What is her relation to them?" he absently asked, stalling just a little

while longer."Aunt and guardian," Jeannie replied only to stop speaking when Cliff

slammed the book he had been working in shut."What aren't you telling us? Where's Aunt Zoe?" Cliff felt a squeeze on

his hand and looked gratefully towards Taylor. They may fight a lot, but

they were family and would support each other."Miss Busiek was taken to the hospital a few hours ago," he admitted

reluctantly. "She was injured downtown.""What type of injured," Taylor broke in. "You mean a sprained ankle or a

broken arm, right?" When there was no reply she suddenly sat back looking

down at the floor."She was shot."The bald statement seemed to echo through the room along with their stifled

gasps."But. you said she's alive," Taylor reiterated, her voice sounding more of

a little girl instead of the brash teenager and self-assured young woman

she was becoming."The last time I checked with the hospital, she was," he responded.Taylor and Cliff turned to look at each other, their silent communication

speaking volumes to anyone that knew the circumstances of the last six

months. The silence helped Jeannie get herself under control, helped her

break free of the fear that had gripped her for too long. "Right," she

said briskly, standing up. "Cliff, Taylor, I want you to go get

sweatshirts and Hannah. Make sure that she's dressed warmly," she

admonished them, turning to the Officer as they scrambled to do her

bidding. "Which hospital was she taken to?""Cook County General, ma'am."She nodded and went to gather jackets for the entire group from the closet,

handing them to the teenagers as they came down and taking a mostly asleep

Hannah from Cliff so that he could put his on."Jeannie?""Yes, Hannah?" She asked the question softly, wanting the girl to wake up

in her own time."Where're we going?""Aunt Zoe's been injured and we're going to the hospital," she told the

little girl calmly; not mincing words to spare her feelings but also not

allowing any of her own feelings to penetrate her voice. The last thing

they needed was for Hannah to hear and react to any panic or fear."Can't Cliff and Taylor stay with me while you go get her?""We're not going to get her, Hannah," Cliff told her as he took her back

from Jeannie and settled her again him with the ease of practice.Hannah's eyes widened, the little girl suddenly completely awake. "She's

okay, right? Right?" Her voice was slightly panicked now as she obviously

thought of her mother."She will be," Taylor promised her sister, reaching out to run her fingers

through Hannah's soft hair. "She will be," she repeated though whether it

was to convince her younger sister, herself, or the other people in the

room, she wasn't sure.Part TwoDan Lennox turned the television off with a quick flick of a finger before

tossing the remote he held onto the cushion next to him. Eyeing the empty

beer bottles that rested on the coffee table, he absently considered

getting a third one. Deciding against it, he rose with a groan and put the

empty bottles in the sink to be rinsed out and recycled. Stretching as if

he were in the gym preparing for a workout, he loosened the muscles that

had tightened with inactivity while he watched the recording of a football

game he had taped earlier in the week. With a glance to the digital

display that was on his microwave, he made his way back into the living

room, sprawling on the sofa with abandon as he reached for the portable

phone that rested atop his TV Guide. Zoe had mentioned earlier that she

would call him when she was done, to let him know not to worry about the

statement. At this time of night, she should have been finished long ago.Quickly dialing the number he wanted, he put the phone to his ear and

waited for it to be picked up on the other end. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

Ring. He frowned, this time looking at the digital display on his VCR.

It said the same time as his microwave, a little after 10:30. It was

definitely late enough for her to be home, even late enough for her to not

be distracted by the three children that made up her family. It was not,

however, so late that she would be in bed, Dan having learnt in a few weeks

of telephone calls that she was a night owl after his own heart, or that he

would disturb the kids.The phone continued to ring until it was picked up by the answering

machine. "Hi, you've reached the Busiek residence," his partner's chirpy

voice sounded in his ear, "if you'd like to reach Zoe, Taylor, Cliff, or

Hannah and want a call back, you know the drill!" Dan sighed as the beep

sounded, hanging the phone up. Zoe wasn't at home? Where else could she

be? Automatically telling the snide little voice in his head when it

whispered the name of Marcos to him, he began to dial another, more

familiar number. This time, after ringing twice, it was answered."Hello?""Zoe?" Dan frowned at the voice."No, this is Jeannie Garrett," the feminine voice on the other end informed

him."I see," he said, not truly seeing at all. "Is Zoe around?" There was a

pause before the voice, even softer than before, admitted that she wasn't.

"What did you say your name was?""Jeannie Garrett," she repeated, obviously resenting being asked. "What

did you say your name was?""I didn't," he answered dryly, attempting to place the familiar sounding

name. "It's Dan Lennox."His first response was a gasp of surprise. "I see. I'm Zoe's neighbor,

Mr. Lennox," she fully introduced herself and gave him the face to go with

the name. "We only met once, when Taylor had run away.""I remember," he murmured quietly. "Are you sure Zoe's not around?"There was a quickly muffled sob before the voice came back on the line,

sounding a little worse for wear. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Lennox.""She's not at home," he informed her before shaking his head. The woman

was obviously familiar enough with Zoe to answer her cell phone, an item

that his partner never let out of her possession in case one of the kids

needed her, so wherever she was, Zoe could be found."I'm aware of that," was the only response."Do you know where she is?" He asked the question sarcastically; unsure of

why the woman who had possession of Zoe's phone hadn't volunteered the

information. Unless, of course, she always had men calling her at 10:30 at

night and wondering where she was."She's here," was the quiet answer."But you can't put her on," he probed."She's not here standing next to me," came the impatient response before

the voice quieted to barely a whisper. "I mean she's here, in the

hospital."Dan's impatience with the game that he had assumed Jeannie Garrett was

playing drained away faster than the blood from his face. He began moving

before he was even aware of it, his body moving automatically as his mind

still reeled with the information overload. He knew Zoe, she wouldn't let

any member of her family hang around the hospital with her unless it was

serious. The fact that Jeannie Garrett, the neighbor and babysitter, was

there meant that the kids were there. "What hospital are you at?"He pulled on a pair of battered gym shoes as he listened to Jeannie explain

where in the hospital they were, thankful that he had no need to pause and

write the directions down. One great side effect of both his past job and

his current job was that he had a good memory for details. "I'll be there

as soon as I can," he promised, hanging up as he stood up and walked

through the apartment, pulling a leather jacket from the closet near the

door and shrugging into it, automatically making sure that he had his keys,

wallet, and cell phone.His cell phone. He made his way down the stairs of his apartment building,

not wanting to wait for the elevator, and began dialing Sophia's home phone

number. It was ringing while he slid behind the wheel of his car, all at

once thankful that he hadn't decided to have that third beer."Hello?"Dan swallowed as he started the car. "Sophia?""Dan?" Her voice reflected her shock at the phone call, which was not a

normal thing even though they had worked together for years. It especially

wasn't a normal thing that he was calling late at night. "Is something

wrong?"Dan nodded, pulling out of his parking spot and beginning to make his way

down the street. Abruptly realizing that his boss wouldn't be helped by

the nonverbal reply he had made to a question voiced over the telephone, he

gave a verbal response. "Yeah." He paused, trying to collect his thoughts

so that he could explain what was going on. "I tried calling Zoe at her

house tonight and she wasn't there," he started. "Then I called her cell.

Jeannie Garrett answered it, remember her?"Sophia was silent for a moment before answering. "Zoe's neighbor, right?

Middle-aged, still fit, watches the children for her when it's needed," she

ticked off the relevant facts."Right. They're all at the hospital, Sophia," he told her, cursing under

his breath when he was caught by a red light and had to stop at an

intersection."The hospital?" When Dan didn't reply, she continued, "is it serious?""I don't know," he admitted, "I didn't even ask. You know Zoe as well as I

do," he trailed off, knowing that Sophia would fill in the blanks. The

light had barely been green for a second when he entered the intersection,

that much closer to the hospital."And we both know that she'd never get Mrs. Garrett and the kids down to a

hospital if it weren't. She wouldn't even admit that she was injured until

after it was all under control and she was home, if at all possible."They were silent for a minute, both wondering just what had to happen for

Zoe to keep from shielding the children against touchy subjects such as

injury and mortality."What hospital and where can I find you?"Dan smiled gratefully, thankful for the support. "Cook County General," he

told Sophia. "I'm on my way there now." He proceeded to give her the same

directions that he himself had gotten before hanging up and concentrating

on his driving as much as he could.Part ThreeSophia Mason stared down at the phone she held, aware of her fiancée's

concerned voice in the background. Finally realizing that sitting on the

sofa in silence wouldn't get her any closer to helping Zoe, Dan, or anyone

else at the hospital, she got up from the sofa with an apologetic smile

towards her fiancée. "That was Dan, there's been a problem with a friend

of ours," she explained before hurrying into the bedroom to find warmer

clothes. She reached automatically a sweater, slipping it over the white T-

shirt she wore, listening to her fiancée and responding when necessary."I got that," Peter called from the other room, where there were sounds of

him moving things around. "What's wrong?""He didn't know any details," she responded, coming out of the bedroom to

find the coffee table straightened, VCR and television off, and Peter

standing in the middle of the room wearing his jacket and holding her car

keys. "Peter, you don't have to come," she told him, knowing that he'd had

a rough shift as medical student that day."I know," he responded with a smile as he pulled her close to him and gave

her a hug. "I want to, baby." When she smiled gratefully at him he gave

her a quick kiss and began to usher her to the door of the apartment.

"What hospital are they at?""Cook County General," she answered, watching as he grimaced."Well, I didn't want to go back there so soon," he told her with regret in

his voice, as that was the hospital he had been accepted as a med student

to. "But I do know all the good vending machines, which rooms we can crash

in and not get disturbed and I have an 'in' with the staff," he told her,

looking on the bright side and making her laugh."That's how you look at it," she told him as she settled into the passenger

seat of the car, grateful that she wouldn't have to try concentrating on

driving and the late night Chicago traffic. Instead, as the car was put

into motion, she stared out at the passing scenery without truly seeing it.Sometimes bad thing happened to good people. It was a cliché, but sayings

became clichés for one reason: they were true. The very circumstances in

which she had met Zoe Busiek were proof of it, had Sophia needed any. Her

sister dies, leaving her as guardian to three children, and causing her to

move from Las Vegas to Chicago to care for them. She investigates her

sister's death, uncovering a tangled web of lies that proved that Sue

Busiek had not caused the accident that ultimately caused her death, and is

given a job as a fraud investigator with the company.At least Zoe had practice landing on her feet after the rug was pulled out

from underneath her.To be entirely honest, when she and Zoe had talked the night that she had

dropped the file off for the rookie, Sophia hadn't fully agreed with what

the younger woman had said. Oh, she'd understood that meeting Peter then

and falling in love with him couldn't have been planned and that Zoe lived

her life without having plans, but that was the extent of it. She had

enjoyed spending time with the other woman, not having very many friends

outside of work, especially girlfriends that you could sit and talk about

anything and everything under the sun with while drinking a bottle or two

of wine. It wasn't until later that she had thought about what Zoe had

said:That they were completely alike...in opposite ways.On the surface, the statement sounded ludicrous, absolutely unbelievable.

Especially if you take into account the two women that it was about.

Sophia Mason and Zoe Busiek, completely alike? No one who looked at the

surface, the facades they presented to the world, would believe that.

Sophia was a planner that always carefully considered the consequences

before jumping into any decision while Zoe was a risk taker and absolutely

adored life, making important decisions with a simple snap of her fingers.

Even getting past that, to something more superficial but nevertheless an

accurate show of their personalities, you had to deal with their clothes.

Sophia's careful lifestyle was shown through suits and basic colors,

traditional working wear that no one could find fault in; Zoe, on the other