I don't own Law & Order.
When Jack woke up the next morning, the bed next to him, where Claire had been when they'd fallen asleep, was empty.
At first, as he slowly became awake, he thought nothing of it, even when neither Claire nor Jackie was in the hotel room. They could have gone out somewhere.
It was only when he found that the bed wasn't empty that he began to worry.
Where Claire had been the night before was a single sheet of paper.
Dear Jack,
I'm sorry, Jack, but I have to disappear again. I know you think you can stop them, but you can't. If I stay here it will only lead to more deaths. Maybe I never should have come back, but despite everything I'm glad I got to see you again, and that you got to meet Jackie. I don't want to leave, but I have to. Please don't try to find us. And Jack, as much as this goes against your instincts, please don't keep after them. I don't want you to get hurt. I want to say more, but I don't know what else to write, except that I love you.
Love,
Claire
Below that, even more heartbreakingly, was another note, scrawled in the handwriting of a child:
Daddy,
I love you! I wish we could stay with you forever but mom says we have to leave. I'm glad I got to know you.
Love, Jackie.
Jack stared at the letter with a frozen mind, unable to take in the full meaning of it. Next to Jackie's name was a tiny arrow pointing off the page, so he turned the paper over, and sure enough, her note was continued on the back.
In tiny letters, Jackie had written: P.S. I promise I'll see you again!
The End
I hope you don't hate me too much for this ending. I've been planning it since the beginning, and I know it leaves everything unfinished but it just fits.
Please review.