Framed

[Derek Jackson]

Jackson was in the office while Grayson was in a meeting. He hadn't bothered going, it sounded boring and a waste of his time. Instead, he was sitting on the chair that he usually did and skimming over some files that he had put off reading. What distracted him from it was hearing footsteps approach the door. He looked up and saw his chief with a sombre expression. Jackson rose to his feet, wondering what the hell happened now. Behind him were three other officers and... something didn't feel right. "Jackson... I'm sorry about it." Sorry about what? What was he talking about?! It was then that his words had meaning. One of the detectives stepped in front while someone else walked behind him and... started cuffing him?!

"Derek Jackson, you are under arrest..." And those were the only part of the words that Jackson focused on. "What the hell is going on?!" He questioned, completely confused about what was happening here. His chief looked upset and he wasn't giving Jackson any answers. "Are you aware of your rights?" The detective finished off. "I'm aware that you're a stupid son of a bitch for arresting me!" He argued back, trying to struggle free from this. "Don't make it worse," his Chief mumbled. How the hell could this get worse?!? He was a police officer, getting arrested in a police station for... what did the idiot say, assault?! He hadn't assaulted anyone... lately. He was then led straight to the interrogation room, where he was waiting to find out more about what happened.

[Tag: Julianna]

[Dr. J. Grayson]

Alexander Derderin, watched the arrest from the other side of the room, and reached out to touch the tender skin on his face as a reminder of what this guy did. This supportive cop. Turning from the sight, he looked down the other hall, where he could see half of Julianna Grayson in a meeting too far off for her to hear what was happening. She smiled and nodded her head, and looked like she was enjoying the conversation. Which wasn't what she was suppose to do when conferencing in on a case. He had taught her to stay distant while working on a case so that other's opinions didn't affect your own.

He waited there a half hour, before picking up the file and going into the interrogation room. "Derek Jackson." Coming face to face with the man, he disliked him more. You could see the anger set in the lines of his face, and how easy it came to him. "Tell me to stop when I get something wrong." He looked down at the file in his hands and began reading. "28 years old. Family history of being officers. Father died in the line of duty, mother was not present. As a huge file--" He gestured to what was in his hands, "--of aggressive, burial, and out of control behavior."

"The words psychotic break is in here an alarming amount." Dropping the file on the table, just out of reach where Jackson's hands were cuffed to the table, Derderin watched him, reading what could be see on his face. "Why don't you tell me where you were two nights ago, around two in the morning."

[Derek Jackson]

Some idiot came in that Jackson didn't recognize... though it did look like he had got a beating. He then began reading his file. Why the hell was this guy treating him like a criminal?! He hadn't done anything that would have warrented an arrest! This was something he did to guys when he was interrogating him... now he was on the other side and it was making him furious. He stayed silent while he read out his file, covering the basics, the parts that he thought made him sound like a crazed violant lunatic. And then, as if it couldn't get worse... he was asking for his alibi. Jackson knew exactly where he was at that time and day: at his apartment, with Julianna. She had been able to spend the night there so he had been with her, all night. But he wasn't going to explain it to this bastard, he didn't have to justify or explain anything!

"Why don't you go to hell," he countered, answering back in a clearly angry and annoyed tone. It wasn't even that he refused to talk without a lawyer. But he hadn't done anything wrong to need one! Sure he had destroyed public property (a lot of it), and he let his anger get the best of him most times... he had never been arrested before though. So this was completely messed up. "This is bulll shit!" He snapped, glaring at the man. "Whatever your charging me with is crap. So uncuff me and let me the hell out of here." Even though he had said it, he had a feeling it wasn't quite going to happen that way.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

Typical. How this man ever became a cap, Alex would never know. "How many times have you sat where I am?" He asked, not caring about the answer, "How many times did the person sitting where you are say those exact words? Did it help?" It never did, it always hurt their case. The anger they thought made the bad ass only made them look more guilty.

"You are being charged with the assault of a federal agent." Himself, "Which means your career is done, Derek. Your only job that you will be able to get is flipping burgers, or pricing the milk." Alex's voice was calm, and all his emotions were well hidden. This Jackson would not get the better of him. "So why not try to answer your alibi again? See if you can't find one. Or give me your motive while your at it, because we can't find one either--we do however, have your prints and your blood at the sight of the attack."

"Because right now my agents are going to begin looking into you life. Looking at every detail they can find. You might not want to talk to me, but I will find out. Your time of making a deal is slipping."

[Derek Jackson]

He was asking Jackson how many times he had been on the other side; being the one who interrogated rather than the one being interrogated. Maybe he did sound like them... but the difference was, Jackson knew he was innocent! It wasn't just a convenient denial of the crime, he hadn't done whatever the hell he was getting charged it. It was then that he put two and two together. He was being charged with assualt of a federal agent, and this clown had marks on his face. Now, Jackson may not be the sharpest tool in the shed... but even he wasn't that dumb. "You stupid son of a bitch," he said, partly out of anger but there was also mockery in his voice. "If I actually beat you up, you'd be in the hospital with more than whatever scratches you got on your face right now." Jackson knew he wasn't helping his case... but he was making a point! That if he was going to assault him... the guy would be in worse condition than that. And Jackson's anger was only increasing, especially when he threatened that his career was over.

He'd heard that threat before... or well, it had been implied (mainly when he was assigned to protect Grayson), but he had never heard it stated so plainly, and that, really pissed him off. "I don't even know who the hell you are. Don't flatter yourself to thinkin' I'd take the time and effort to beat you shitless." He had enough of this. It was time to get out of here. And at the same time... the guy had evidence. It didn't make any sense! And even still, he was not going to tell him who he was with that night and who could confirm his alibi. "You dumb bastard. I don't have to explain shit to you. It wasn't me!" He told him, saying words that were so obvious to Jackson, but clearly not to him. "Why don't cut the crap and go get the guy who actually did that to you. Quit wasting your time with me, cause I didn't do it." Another claim for innocent. Another claim he felt was going to be ignored or denied.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

Moving forward, Alex took a seat across from Derek, and sat the files before him. "So prove it. Do you have an alibi?" Because he knew he didn't. Prints and blood put him there, in the hotel room. "You have a history of violence, Derek. We have your prints, your blood and you have a file of past behavior and no alibi." Moving his folder to the side, Alex let him see the one under it. Grayson, Julianna; PhD. "She's good you know. Has been watching you for months now."

He was taunting him, trying to make him fear what the others will say, and talk for self preservation. Alex had asked about Derek's working history with Julianna and found out that she had requested a new partner many, many times in the beginning and then again a few months later when she got one, only to end back up with him. "When we ask her about you what will she say?" Alex moved her file to the other side, and the last file on the bottom had Jackson, Derek; SCPD in Julianna's hand writing on it.

It was the file she started on him when they first started working together, but had stopped when they grown closer; though Alex only assumed she stopped because she was trying to focus on her other work. "I can tell you what she will say. The word violent in here quite a bit. Short tempered, angry at everything not in his control, violent toward everything he is angry about." He paused and shut the file. "I doubt she would even be surprised that you're here."

[Derek Jackson]

He wasn't going to give this jag off his alibi. Even if he tried to keep Grayson out of it, his other option was to say that he had been home alone and he doubted this moron would accept that, finding it too convenient. Hell, Jackson would even find it convenient. Speaking of reasons he was already wanting to kill him... he brought in her name anyway, and wondered what that had to do with anything. He didn't seem to stop though. He kept going with it. Showing him the file she had started on him when they first started working together. He hadn't actually read the file before, but he was hardly surprised by the content. Everything in there was basically true, but he was getting mad that it was now being used against him. This guy had no idea what he was talking about, and Jackson wasn't about to clue him in on the details that would help him understand. What was he going to do, tell Grayson? Jackson felt the rage becoming overwhelming, more so that he had brought her name up. It was enough to send him over the edge... and it did.

In one quick motion, Jcakson pushed back his chair a little, raised his foot and with the bottom of it, pushed the table forward hoping it rammed into the agent's chest as he was seated across from him. Since Jackson was cuffed to the table, the action had caused the metal rings to dig into his wrists and burn his skin, but he was too angry and fuming to feel any pain right now. He leaped to his feet the second he pushed the table, trying to pull his hands free of the cuffs to no avail. "Why don't you uncuff me you son of a bitch and let me finish what that guy did to you!" Meaning... finish the beating. Because what he had on his face was nothing compared to what Jackson would do to him. "You wanna see angry and violent, I'll f***ing give it to you!" If he was trying to push Jackson's buttons, it had worked. Not that Jackson ever exercised remaining calm and self controlled. And he wasn't going to start now... especially not for this guy.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

Alex stood up just in time to avoid the table being smashed into his chest. "Threatening a federal officer. We can add that to your lost list of crimes now too." His voice was calm, unfazed by the outburst. He had seen his fair share over the years, and almost expected it. Wanted it. He wanted Derek so angry, that he let something slip, and exposed what was happening here. His plan had been to make him talk before Julianna came to 'expose' him.

Instead Derek got angrier when Alex talked about her. Making a mental note, and tested his theory. "But you have no respect for the federal government do you, Derek?" He knew how this had been an assignment given to him to keep him out of trouble. "Or even it's agents. You attack me in the hotel, then try to here. How many times did she get hurt out here? From the reports I got you only just managed to keep her alive."

"Did you think attacking me would get you off this assignment? Did you think that would make us pull her out?" Stepping closer, he watched Derek's face of a sign of faltering. "Is that why you did it? Cause you hated this job?"

[Derek Jackson]

Threatening a federal officer his ass. Jackson would rather go through with the threat so at least the crime would be more legitimate. In terms of no respect for them... he sure as hell didn't have respect for this one. Smug bastard. He was still going on about how Jackson had been the one to attack him, and he still had no idea what he was talking about. He was talking about Grayson, and it still confused him, having no idea who this guy was and why he was so fixated on her. But if it was an attempt to keep getting Jackson angrier and angrier, it was working. "I don't even know who the hell you are," he said angrily. "If I was gonna beat up anyone cause I hated this job, it would be the dumb idiots who couldn't keep her safe. Cause that's why I had to do it." In a way, he still hated the assignment... what, or who he didn't hate was her.

And he had become set on keeping her safe not only because his job made him, but because he wanted to. Even though he would never admit that. "Check your record asshole. I'm on this cause I'm good." The chief had wanted him on it cause despite all of Jackson's faults and terrible character traits... he was damn good at his job and he knew it. "And then check yourself and the other sons of bitches you have in your department. You sent her out here without protection. This isn't the first time our force has to cover you feeb's asses." He had been assigned to this because instead of sending more agents with her, they had just sent her. Though now, Jackson was glad for it cause they probably wouldn't have gotten together had he not been assigned to her. But he wasn't going to tell this clown that.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

Julianna walked out of her conference, and tucked her notebook under her arm while pulling out her phone to check her messages with her other hand. She was just heading to the door when she heard someone call her name. 'Dr. Grayson!' Looking up she saw a few agents that she knew standing in a group, the one who spoke, a younger man named David Thomas, held up a hand in a wave, before walking over to her.

What were they doing here? "Agent Thomas," She said surprised, "How are you?" It had been five or six years since she saw him. He had been knew and went to spend a month shadowing her before moving on to Alex's team. So if he was here, chances were so was 'HE'. Which would not been good for her day. 'Derderin was giving a speech to some new agents on how to read the information we give them better. We were in town for a few days.'

"Oh! I missed that memo." Note to self, start reading them again. "It's good to see you!" Dramatic pause, "Is Derderin here too, still?" His faced changed then too, to one of business rather then seeing an old co-worker. 'Yeah, he was attacked in his hotel room two nights ago. He just caught the guy. Using the interrogation room now.' This surprised her. He'd been attacked?

"Whoever did this is about to learn their lesson." Alex was the best, and could be ruthless when he was pushed. She remembered watching him on the Fox River case, on how he didn't hold back using the public, their families, everyone to catch the men. "Were they from a case?" Part of being a profiler meant she was always looking at motive. 'No, we can't find any connection to him and us. Well, not until recently. We got lucky and got his thumb print, and found some blood. We are getting it tested now, but going ahead and telling him it was his to make him confess to why.' Typical agency thing, and she didn't blame them. If Alex injured him and knew the blood was the attackers, the prints and blood would be the same.

"Sounds like he was paid to do it. What was the connection?" Thomas looked hesitant for a moment, but spoke without pausing. 'You. It was that ape man of a minion they gave you.' What? "What?" Thomas looked like he was about to repeat himself but she was already walked toward her office. Getting to the door she looked in, and saw it empty. Turning she begin walking quickly toward the interrogation room. She could see through the window that Jackson was handcuffed to the table, and Alex was standing there with his back to her.

Julianna began a striding toward the door in a hurried almost run, as the Chief called from one oft he side rooms. "Dr. Grayson! Grayson!" She stooped and turned to look at him. "He didn't do this!" Aside from the fact that he had been in bed with HER at the time, why attack Alex? He didn't even know him! There was no way he could know about her and Alex! She never said his name! Not once! 'He doesn't have an alibi, I don't know what else to do.' "He has an alibi!" He had been in her bed! 'He wont give it then. I even called his apartment building, his neighbors never saw him that night.' WHY had he not told them he was with her? It was his career on the line! "But my neighbors would have, so start calling to check that out."

She didn't stay to watch how that would affect him, as she again moved toward the door, aware that Thomas, and everyone else was now watching her with keen interest. She got to the door just as she heard Alex speak. "--find it interesting that your anger comes out more over this, then when your job is in question." Her shoulder hit the door to make it open faster, and she slammed it behind her, but kept walking tot he table to pull the mic out of it's plug in, thus preventing everyone from hearing what was said in this room.

Turning to her boss, and former lover she glare up at him and in a moment when she was having trouble containing the anger she felt; Julianna Grayson came out sounding more like her new lover then her old one. "What the hell Alex?!"

"Julianna," He greeted though he sounded more annoyed then pleased to see her, and she could read the signs of anger very muted on his face. Had she not known him before she might have missed it. "I was just about to seek you out." Which meant they had been in here a while, and he had something. Enough to make him want to look more into it before things continued. "A courtesy you should have done before having my partner arrested in his own department, and dragged in here." If Jackson spoke she was planning to ignore him, because right now, she was working on getting Alex to back down.

"But it matters not, he has an alibi, and this interview is over." She knew Jackson had not done this. Planning wasn't one of his strong suits. "You have weak evidence, and your reacting like this shows you were planning to find the bulk of it in the interrogation." He didn't seemed phased, "I have enough for a warrant." He was watching her, which wasn't a good sign. Alex could read so much into so little. "You have a thumb print that anyone could have printed, blood you've yet to ID, and a suspect with an alibi."

"An alibi he refuses to give." "He was with me." "This was at two o'clock in the morning, Julianna." "I am aware of the times. I spent the whole of the day working with him, and the whole of the night with him, only to show back up here at work with him still. That's 48 hours that I know he didn't sneak off to beat up anyone."

Alex watched her, unblinking for a long silent moment. "Thank you." Julianna felt the rocks in her belly drop, because him thanking her meant trouble. "You've just given me motive." "He doesn't have a clue who you are."

"And I am to believe you never spoke of me once?" "I never speak of you. Ever. And for good reason." Because he was Gabby's father, and if anyone found out they could tell him. It was in this moment she knew that her time was up. He would look into her now. See what she'd been up. Dig into her life looking for something, and he would find her daughter. He would see the age, do the math. Alex wasn't stupid. Nine years was about to come down on her head.

She just had to save Jackson first. "You will uncuff me, and give me 72 hours to prove this wasn't him, and then you are on your own." Alex reached over and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the wall for a moment alone, "Don't touch me," She hissed but was unable to pull her arm from his grip. She had to really ignore Jackson then, in order to get this done. "This is your career that you are putting on the line because you've become emotionally attached to a man who has already ruined his!"

He let her go, and she stepped back a few inches. "I am a human, Alex, of course I've gotten emotionally invested in someone who I spend every single day with. You taught me to hold back, but since then I have learned the value of stepping forward. I will risk everything because I know he is innocent of this crime. . . . that is what we do, Alex. In case you've forgotten. We punish the guilty. So you will give me 72 hours to prove this."

"I will give you 24 hours, and he stays with me." That was a mistake, and everyone in the room knew it. Alex would only push him more. "No. I kept my lips sealed nine years ago, and saved not only your marriage but your career. You own me for that, Alex! You humiliated me, and I let you save face. So you will now return the favor. You will give me the complete file, release him from custody, and give me 72 hours to find the real person who found it so easy to sneak into your room."

Alex watched her, and she knew his eyes were looking for something to make note of, something to read deeper. He would be able to see her her fear, but also her determination. Pulling a key from his pocket he held it too her. As she reached for it he pulled it back. "He is your responsibility now, Julianna." Reaching forward she snatched the key from him.

She stood there while he left the room, before hurrying over to Jackson. "Please, I beg of you, don't make a scene. We need to get out of here, just go tot he car with me and we can talk at my place."

[Derek Jackson]

Jackson was going to say something along the lines of 'She IS my job'...'asshole'... but in that second, Julianna had come in. Great. Just perfect. She however didn't say anything to him. Instead, she was talking to the moron of an agent... clearly knowing him. As their conversation progressed, it became more and more clear who this guy was. Her ex. The main ex. He didn't know about any others really. This was the guy she had a kid with. And that left Jackson standng there, realizing he had motive... and wishing he had been the one to punch his damn face. It was clear that the two of them were having their own little conversation and he was just standing there like a bitch, with his hand still cuffed to the damn table. But for once, Jackson stayed silent. His gaze went from glaring to the guy to looking at Julianna, to looking annoyedly at the two way mirror, unsure if anyone was still standing behind it on the other side. And if they were, they wouldn't be able to hear a thing since Julianna had pulled the mic out. Which, surprisingly did not cause anyone to hurry in. Seemed they trusted Grayson enough to let her take control of the situation.

She was defending him and part of Jackson wanted to tell her to stop... but he also knew that he wouldn't get out of here otherwise. And he wasn't going to spend more time with this dumb ass. Even when they went off to the side, Jackson wanted to say something making it more obvious that he could still hear them. Man, this guy was an idiot. But of course Jackson's view of the man could not be considered bias. She told him about them... at Jackson wondered if the guy was stupid enough to not get it, though he seemed to pick up on it. Her silence over certain things also gave her an advantageous position right now as he agreed to give her a certain amount of time to prove his innocence. AND he even gave her the key to his cuffs. Finally!

Jackson's gaze fixated on the guy until he walked out of the room, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Julianna ask him not to make a scene. Easier said than done. He was going to bash that guy's face in and finish the job that the first guy who beat him up had started. It was personal, for more than just the reason that he had arrested him. With Julianna involved, it became very personal. As soon as the cuffs were off his wrist, he angrily flipped over the table, sending it crashing to the ground. He could feel his body slightly trembling from the anger, but was also trying to comply her wishes to 'not make a scene'. Now it was her ass on the line which only made him wish that she had not gotten involved, and angry that she was... and that he needed her to be. She had said that they needed to get out of here and he agreed. Because if he was here for another second, he was not going to be able to keep his silent promise. So he stormed out of the interrogation room, ignoring all the looks, questions, comments of concern, anything... and didn't stop walking until he got to the car. Luckily, he didn't run into the agent, Julianna's ex apparently, cause he would not have been able to control himself in front of him.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

That . . . was the definition of a scene! With luck however, it was all that happened. She picked up the file on the way out from Thomas, and then got to the car shortly after he did. They would go to her place, because right now she needed the comfort of being around her thing, and Gabby's things.

She stayed silent in the car, and the whole way from the car to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. Unlocking her door, she left it opened for him to follow and flicked on the lights. Her apartment was done up in pastel colors, every wall painted instead of white. Blues for the living room, yellow for the kitchen, purple for Gabby's room. She needed the comfort that her surroundings supplied her, because right now her hands were shaking.

She wasn't even sure she could take to Jackson about this because Gabby was a tentative subject between them already, and while she wanted nothing more then his support right now and to be held she knew better then to expect normal relationship things from him. He wasn't that type of person. "Some . . . . someone is trying to f-frame you." Moving into the kitchen she sat the file down on the table, and tried to hold everything back enough to clear his name. "We need to know who." One step at a time. First deal with this, and deal with Alex when the time came.

[Derek Jackson]

He didn't often go to her place, cause her kid was there. Jackson had know he'd accepted it, but he had not embraced it. He wasn't ready to. When he had broken up with her shortly after the discovery of her child, he had told her that he wasn't trying to be anyone's father... and because he still stuck to these words, somewhat, they spent most of their time together at his place. She questioned as to whether someone was trying to frame him and that they needed to know who. It was the only logical explanation, cause they both knew he didn't do this.

"Maybe it's that assshole ex boyfriend of yours," he said bitterly. As a cop, he knew it was unlikely. As a guy who was the one with her, he hoped it was her ex so he could put him in his place. "What the hell is his problem anyway," Jackson grumbled angrily. He was too upset to sit, so he was pacing, and trying not to break anything in her apartment. He knew the kid wasn't here, because otherwise... she probably wouldn't have let him in. That was what he assumed anyway, considering her kid was a topic they never talked about. All part of his inability to embrace that part of her life.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

He was moving about her kitchen and it made it room feel smaller then it was. She did sit, and pull her feet into the chair while trying to hold in her emotions. She might loose Gabby. What would she do if Alex found out and pressed for his rights? Even while trying not to think about it, and knowing she needed to think on the case she couldn't. She could have kept her lips sealed about Jackson but she had risked everything, even her secret to make sure the right thing was done, and Jackson had a chance to clear his name.

She hadn't expected a thank you but clear reminder that she would not get one only added more to what she was feeling. What was she doing with her life? "Maybe it's someone from a case we've worked recently." She suggested, ignoring his comments on Alex and calling him her ex-boyfriend. She could not deal with that right now, she was trying to deal with her crumbling life, and help him solve his mystery.

The effort was costing her.

[Derek Jackson]

She suggested that it could be someone who they worked the case of recently. "You're a profiler," he reminded. "Start profiling." Because apparently, that was how it worked. "Who have we crossed that could do this sorta thing?" It seemed more sophisticated than just a low time criminal. But he didn't know. There were too many factors for him to even start considering suspects.

"And whoever it was, how the hell did they know to pick this target?" Meaning, it had to be someone who had known about Julianna and her ex. She had never told Jackson the guy's name, even if he knew information about him. So whoever this person was... knew a lot about their life. Knew how Jackson would react in the height of anger, knew the perfect target to pick, knew how everyone was going to react... that was a lot to know.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

"Alex's name is not on the birth certificate. No one knew who Gaby's father is. No one." She reminded him, knowing what that meant. They had not known. This whole thing was just more complicated then whoever had set this up had thought it would be. "The most they could have known was that when I interned he was my boss." No one knew of her affair with a married man.

And apparently he didn't care. He didn't ask what was going to happen with her and Gabby. He didn't look at her sitting there about to break and even offer a reminder that he would help her fight this--when she was doing everything in her power to help him fight this. "I need to review the cases and try to build a list of who has the connections, and mental mind set to . . . . to do this."

[Derek Jackson]

She told him that no one could have that he was Gabby's father, and with the confidence she said that... Jackson had no choice but to believe her. "Then who knew that you two were screwing around?" Not exactly the most eloquent way to put it, but Jackson was not known for his skill in delicately phrasing, well, anything. Someone had to have known though, because this just seemed quite convenient that they had set up Jackson to beat up her former boss... who just happened to be her ex. The latter had to be the motive.

"Why would someone set me up for beating up your boss? They must have known." It didn't make sense otherwise. They might not know about the kid... but did anyone else know that she had been hooking up with her boss? That, would be the real motive. And maybe it could even help them start narrowing down the list who was capable of all this.

[Dr. J. Grayson]

"Then who knew that you two were screwing around?" Julianna gasped from his words, though she knew it was soundless. It words hurt, and made her flinch to the side to avoid thinking about it. It was cold, harsh, and when said like that made her feel cheap and dirty. Blinking back the tears, she tired to not to let it show.

Jackson would only get angrier if he saw her tears. Don't let him see! "No one. I was his intern. He was the agent in charge of a large group of people. He took me under his wing, showed me the ropes. It was normal for us to spend time together. I didn't know he was married but you can imagine we didn't tell people about us. It did not last long before his wife came in for a surprise visit."

Pushing from her chair she looked at him, "He can't use this against you. He claimed it was motive but he can't admit to finding motive without admitting he crossed a line. They will keep looking and find nothing. We need to look at who wants you out of the way, then we need to go from there, so please stop throwing my past in my face and start helping me help you! . . . . Because this can't all be for nothing."