PHOENIX

4| THAT'S NOT FAIR

Jackson walked at an unhurried pace along the busy street, keeping his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket as he scanned his surroundings out of habit. The city was already awake, its sidewalks crowded with office workers rushing to their jobs, tourists stopping to admire storefronts, and street vendors calling out to passing customers.

To everyone around him, it was just another ordinary morning. To Jackson, however, every ordinary morning demanded vigilance. His eyes instinctively studied every passing face, every parked car, every reflection in the shop windows. Years of living on the run had conditioned him to notice things most people overlooked. Even something as simple as walking to a small neighbourhood diner for breakfast required careful observation.

He was only a few blocks away from the diner when he heard someone call his name.

"Jackson!"

His body reacted before his mind did.

He stopped.

It was nothing more than a brief pause, a split-second instinct born from years of answering to that name. But the moment his feet became still, his stomach sank.

Damn it.

The realisation hit him almost immediately.

He should never have stopped.

For three years, he had trained himself to ignore familiar voices, to keep walking no matter who called out behind him. Jackson wasn't supposed to exist anymore. The man everyone knew had died years ago, and anyone calling his name should have been met with nothing but an indifferent stranger continuing on his way. That single instinctive pause could have cost him everything.

Slowly, he turned around, every muscle in his body tense and ready for the worst. His mind raced through countless possibilities. Had they finally found him? Had someone recognised him despite the surgeries? Was this another trap carefully designed to lure him into lowering his guard?

Instead, he found himself staring into a pair of familiar eyes.

The woman standing a few steps away looked equally stunned, her expression caught somewhere between hope and disbelief. She studied his face carefully, almost desperately, before uncertainty crept into her features.

"I'm sorry," she said, offering him an apologetic smile as she came to stand in front of him. "I thought you were someone I know. Everything about you reminds me of him."

Jackson felt his heartbeat gradually settle.

Sue.

She was one of the few bright memories he carried from his childhood.

They had lived together in one of the foster homes he had passed through growing up. While most children in the system had been focused on surviving their own pain, Sue had somehow always found kindness to spare for everyone around her. She had treated him like family long before either of them truly understood what family was supposed to feel like. Eventually, that loving couple had adopted her, giving her the stable home she deserved. Despite their lives taking different paths, he had never forgotten the girl who insisted he was her brother even when they shared no blood.

He silently cursed himself again for stopping.

He had broken one of his own most important rules.

Yet, as he looked into Sue's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to regret it entirely.

If there was anyone from his past he believed he could still trust, it was her.

"What are you doing here?" Jackson asked, carefully keeping his voice calm despite the storm of emotions threatening to surface. "Weren't you supposed to be in Singapore? You talked about studying there non-stop. I remember you saying it was your biggest dream. What happened? What changed?"

Sue simply stared at him.

For several long seconds, she said absolutely nothing.

Her eyes searched every inch of his face as though trying to convince herself that he wasn't another cruel trick of her imagination.

Then they suddenly filled with tears.

"Jackson..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "So... it really is you?"

Before he could answer, she threw herself into his arms.

The force of the unexpected hug nearly knocked him off balance, forcing him to stagger backwards to keep them both from falling onto the pavement. His years of combat training had prepared him for ambushes, gunfire, and hand-to-hand fights.

They had not prepared him for an emotional reunion.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace after a brief hesitation.

"I missed you, brother," Sue murmured, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "When you left home... I thought that was it. I thought I'd never see you again."

Jackson closed his eyes for a moment.

The word brother carried a warmth he hadn't heard in years.

"I've been looking for you," she continued, pulling back just enough to look at him properly. "I searched everywhere I could think of. Every time I heard someone mention your name, every time I thought I'd found a lead, it turned out to be nothing."

She reached up almost hesitantly, studying his features with fascination.

"You've changed so much."

A small laugh escaped her through the tears.

"You're still handsome," she teased softly, "but you don't even look like yourself anymore. It's like... it's like I'm looking at a completely different person."

Jackson instinctively touched the side of his face.

The surgeries.

The scars had faded, the swelling had disappeared years ago, and the surgeons had done remarkable work. Most people who had known him before would walk past him without a second glance.

That had been the entire point.

"A lot has changed over the years," he answered quietly, his voice carrying a weariness that couldn't be hidden behind his new appearance. "Not just my face." He offered her a faint, bittersweet smile. "I've changed too."

Sue's expression softened immediately.

"I can see that," she said gently.

There was no judgment in her voice.

Only sadness. Only concern.

Her eyes wandered over him again, taking in the subtle signs most people would have missed, the guarded way he stood with his back angled toward the street, the constant movement of his eyes as they instinctively scanned the people around them, the exhaustion hidden beneath his calm expression, and the invisible weight he carried in the way his shoulders rested.

"I was always worried about you," she admitted quietly. "Not a day went by that I didn't wonder where you were... whether you were safe... whether you were even still alive."

For a moment, Jackson didn't know how to respond.

Three years.

Three years of believing he had become nothing more than a ghost to the people who once knew him.

Yet standing in front of him was someone who had never stopped looking, never stopped hoping, and never stopped believing that one day she would find the brother she had refused to forget. That realisation stirred something inside him that he had buried a long time ago, a feeling he had almost forgotten existed.

For the first time in years, the world didn't feel quite so lonely.

"Let's sit down," Jackson suggested after a moment, gesturing toward the small diner across the street. "Standing out here isn't exactly my favourite thing to do."

Sue nodded without hesitation.

Together, they crossed the street and stepped inside the cosy little restaurant. The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee, toasted bread, and sizzling bacon greeted them immediately, replacing the cool morning air with a comforting warmth. Soft music drifted quietly through the speakers while a handful of customers chatted over breakfast, completely absorbed in their own conversations.

It was the kind of place where no one paid much attention to strangers, which was exactly the kind of environment Jackson preferred. His eyes instinctively surveyed the room before he chose a booth tucked away in a quiet corner near the back. From there, he had a clear view of both the entrance and the windows, a habit that had become second nature after years of constantly watching for danger.

Sue noticed the careful way he selected the seat but chose not to comment.

A waitress soon approached, and Jackson ordered two cups of black coffee before thanking her with a polite smile.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure he even wanted coffee.

What he really needed was something warm to occupy his hands and enough caffeine to steady the emotions that had been thrown into complete chaos by this unexpected reunion.

For the first time in years, someone from his old life sat across from him. Someone who wasn't trying to kill him. Someone who genuinely cared.

Sue rested both elbows on the table, studying him with an expression that was equal parts curiosity, relief, and affection.

"So," she said softly, smiling as though she was afraid he might disappear if she blinked, "tell me everything."

Jackson let out a slow breath, leaning back against the booth.

"Everything?" he repeated with a faint smile.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Everything."

He stared down at the table for a few seconds before speaking.

"It's... a long story."

His voice carried a heaviness that immediately erased the playful mood.

"After I left..." he began quietly, "things became complicated. More complicated than I ever imagined they could." He paused, carefully choosing which parts of his life he was willing to reveal.

"I met someone." A bittersweet smile appeared for only a moment before disappearing again. "I fell in love."

Those four words carried enough emotion that Sue immediately understood they hadn't ended happily.

"And then..." Jackson continued, "...everything fell apart."

He looked out the window briefly before turning back toward her.

"I've been running ever since."

He intentionally left out names. He left out organisations. He left out the betrayals, the bloodshed, the surgeries, and the countless nights spent wondering whether he'd survive until morning. Some stories were simply too dangerous to tell.

Sue didn't pressure him for details. Instead, she quietly reached across the table and placed her hand over his.

Her touch was gentle, familiar, and comforting in a way he hadn't experienced for years.

"I'm so sorry, Jackson," she whispered sincerely. "You always deserved so much better than whatever happened to you."

He looked down at her hand before offering a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Sue." His voice was quiet. "It's just..." He searched for the right words. "It's hard accepting that someone who meant everything to you could hurt you more deeply than anyone else ever could."

His fingers tightened slightly around his coffee mug as it arrived.

"I honestly believed I'd found my family with her." He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "I thought I'd finally found the person I'd spend the rest of my life with."

He looked down into the dark surface of his coffee.

"Turns out... it was all a lie."

Silence settled between them for a few moments.

It wasn't uncomfortable.

It was simply respectful.

Sue could see there was far more beneath the surface than Jackson was ready to share.

He eventually forced a small smile and looked back up.

"But enough about me." He tilted his head. "What about you?" His expression brightened with genuine curiosity. "You were supposed to be in Singapore by now. I remember how obsessed you were with studying there."

He chuckled. "You practically talked about it every day. What happened?"

Sue immediately grinned.

"Oh..." She leaned back dramatically. "That's a story."

Jackson folded his arms. "I'm listening."

She shook her head.

"Nope."

He blinked.

"No?"

"No." She smiled mischievously. "That's something we can discuss over dinner."

"Dinner?"

She nodded excitedly. "Come to my place tonight. I'll cook."

Jackson stared at her. Then one eyebrow slowly rose.

"You'll cook?"

The silence that followed lasted only a second before Sue burst into laughter.

"I knew you'd react like that! You still remember?"

"Remember?" Jackson laughed. "How could I possibly forget? There were days when your cooking qualified as chemical warfare."

Sue placed a dramatic hand over her heart.

"I'm offended."

"You should be grateful we survived our childhood."

She rolled her eyes before laughing again.

"I know exactly what you're thinking." She leaned forward confidently. "But I promise neither of us is ending up in the hospital tonight."

Jackson couldn't help laughing.

It was genuine. Unforced.

The kind of laugh he hadn't heard from himself in years.

"I just want it on record," he said between chuckles, "that I don't own anything worth inheriting."

Sue looked confused.

"So if you're planning on killing me with your cooking... You're wasting your time."

She burst into another fit of laughter loud enough that a nearby couple briefly glanced in their direction before smiling to themselves.

"I would never do that."

She paused dramatically.

"Well..."She pretended to think. "Not to you, at least."

Jackson laughed even harder.

It felt strange.

Almost unfamiliar.

His chest actually hurt from laughing. He couldn't remember the last time laughing had come so naturally.

When the laughter finally settled, Sue smiled proudly.

"I actually took culinary classes."

"You did?"

She nodded. "My cooking was so unbelievably terrible that even I couldn't defend it anymore."

She laughed at herself.

"I finally admitted that if I wanted people to keep accepting dinner invitations from me, I needed professional help. So I enrolled in a short culinary course. It only lasted a few weeks, but I learned everything I wanted to learn."

Jackson looked genuinely impressed.

"I have to admit..." He smiled warmly. "I'm proud of you."

She beamed.

"So... Dinner?"

He nodded.

"I'll be there." He took another sip of his coffee. "I could use a change of scenery."

Then he extended his hand.

"Give me your phone."

Sue slid it across the table.

Jackson quickly opened her contacts and entered his new number beneath his name.

When he finished, he handed the phone back.

"Text me your address. I've got somewhere I need to be first, but I'll come over this evening."

"You'd better," Sue warned playfully. "I refuse to let all those cooking lessons go to waste."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

They stood together outside the diner after finishing their coffee.

Without saying anything, Sue suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around him once more.

This time, Jackson hugged her back immediately.

Neither of them spoke.

Some reunions didn't need words.

When she finally stepped away, she smiled one last time before disappearing into the morning crowd.

Jackson watched until she was completely out of sight.

Only then did he reach into his pocket as his phone vibrated.

A new message.

Sue: Here's my address. Don't even think about standing me up, big brother.

A small smile spread across Jackson's face.

For the first time in years, it reached his eyes.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued walking down the street, feeling noticeably lighter than he had when the day began. Meeting Sue had awakened memories he thought were buried forever, but unlike the memories of Melissa, these brought warmth instead of pain. They reminded him that not every connection from his past had ended in betrayal.

He chuckled quietly to himself as another thought crossed his mind.

Sue's cooking.

If his memory served him correctly, her meals had once possessed the extraordinary ability to send perfectly healthy people searching for the nearest bathroom, or, in particularly unfortunate cases, the nearest hospital. She had somehow managed to burn soup, undercook rice, and overcook pasta, sometimes all in the same meal. Back then, eating at Sue's table had required almost as much courage as facing armed criminals.

If she had truly become a good cook, tonight would be a pleasant surprise.

If she hadn't...

Well...

At least surviving dinner would be a nice reminder that he had already survived far worse.

Still smiling to himself, Jackson disappeared into the bustling streets, genuinely looking forward to the evening.

It wasn't often that life gave him something to anticipate anymore, and for the first time in a very long while, the thought of sharing a simple home-cooked meal with someone who saw him as family felt like exactly the kind of peace he hadn't realised he had been missing.

After his errands and lunch, he then headed back to his hotel room. He figured it was time he bought an apartment and maybe put it in the name that he was currently using as his undercover, Zachary Stone. He wanted to go with Stanford, his original surname but then he figured it would make people suspicious.

Later, he went to the address that Sue sent him for dinner.

The sun dipped below the horizon as Jackson approached Sue's apartment. The neighbourhood was quiet and welcoming, a stark contrast to the chaotic life he'd been leading. He found her building and took the stairs to the third floor, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

When he knocked on the door, it swung open almost immediately. Sue stood there, smiling brightly.

She was wearing an apron, and he could tell she was busy preparing dinner for them.

"You're a bit early," Sue said with a warm smile. "I wasn't expecting you to be here for at least another fifteen minutes. I'm glad you're early, though. You can help me with dishing up. I'm almost done with cooking. Come in and make yourself comfortable. I'd love to give you a tour, but I'm still cooking. You can look around if you want to."

Jackson stepped inside, taking in the cosy atmosphere. "You still love purple, I see."

"Why wouldn't I?" Sue chuckled. "It's a beautiful colour, and it makes my apartment look lovely and alive."

"I can see that. You have a beautiful home." He looked around, his eyes landing on a series of photos adorning the walls. One photo, in particular, caught his eye, a picture of them taken the week he left the foster home where they both met. He was smiling, a rare and genuine smile that seemed so distant now.

"I decided to frame it and put it there when I bought this apartment," Sue said, noticing his gaze. "It was the only way I could feel close to you. I never expected to see you again, not after trying to look for you for nine long years and always meeting a dead end. I gave up and decided to buy an apartment here. It was cheap and close to town. I also needed a home for Ethan. We've been moving a lot, and it's not good for him."

"Ethan?" Jackson turned to her, surprised. "Who's Ethan?" he asked, hoping his little sister wasn’t a mother. He couldn’t even picture her in that role or having s*x. If it were up to him, she’d stay a virgin all her life.

"He's my baby brother. Mom gave birth to him a week before she died." He released a sigh of relief, though he didn’t like the fact that she was raising a child alone.

He looked around and saw pictures of a small boy; there were too many of them to count. He couldn’t hide his smile when he saw how happy Ethan looked. The boy appeared so peaceful and innocent in those pictures, and Jackson wished that Ethan would always stay that happy and that nothing bad would ever happen to him.

"He's adorable," Jackson said, finally turning back to Sue. "How old is he now?"

"He's five," Sue replied, her face lighting up with a mix of pride and affection. "He's such a smart kid, always curious about everything."

Jackson nodded, feeling a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was comforting to see Sue so settled and content, despite the challenges she had faced.

"Do you still need help in the kitchen?" he offered, trying to shift his focus to something practical.

"Actually, yes," she said with a grin. "You can set the table. Plates are in the cabinet above the sink, cutlery in the drawer to the left."

As he moved around the kitchen, setting the table for two, Jackson couldn’t help but feel a sense of normalcy that had been missing from his life for so long. The simple act of preparing for a meal with someone he cared about made him feel grounded, even if just for a moment.

Sue hummed softly as she finished cooking, and the aroma of her efforts filled the room. It was a stark contrast to the chaos and uncertainty that had dominated Jackson's life for the past few years.

"Smells amazing," he remarked, genuinely looking forward to the meal.

"Just wait until you taste it," she replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I’ve come a long way from burning toast, you know."

Jackson chuckled, feeling an unexpected lightness in his heart. "I’m looking forward to it."

He found himself looking at the picture again. What surprised him though was that even though the kid was a boy, he looked just like Sue and there was no mistaking it.

The last time he knew, Sue was adopted into that family and there was no way the boy could look just like her unless they had the same parents and Jackson wanted to ask about it when she suddenly went to the door opposite where they were standing.

The door opened and the same boy from the picture ran to her and hugged her legs.

"Hey buddy, you're awake. I was beginning to think you would sleep the whole day. Auntie Sarah said you weren't feeling good, so she had to take you to see the doctor. How are you feeling? Your sister has been worried." The boy flashed her a smile.

"I'm okay. The doctor said I should sleep and stop playing games late at night."

"The doctor was right, from now on you will have to sleep early. No more late nights for you."

"That's not fair. You always sleep late and sometimes I don't even see you when you get back."

"I'm sorry, buddy. I'll try to be here every time you go to sleep. I promise." She took the boy's hand and went over to Jackson. "Jackson, this is my baby brother Ethan and Ethan, this is your big brother Jackson, the one I've always told you about. The one in that photo in your bedroom."

"Yay, We're going to have so much fun together. I have so many games in my room and we can share my bed."

Jackson couldn't help but smile at the kid; he couldn't wait to see the bed that they could share. A man his size, in a bed of a five-year-old? Now that was something.

"I can't wait." He gave the boy a smile he never thought he still had, and that should've scared the s**t out of him but it didn't.

As Ethan darted off to his room, eager to show Jackson his toys, Sue turned to him, her expression a mix of pride and concern. "He's a good kid. Life hasn't been easy, but he's resilient."

As they sat down to eat, Sue began to tell him about her life after he left the foster home, how she had struggled but eventually found her way. Jackson listened intently, grateful for the connection that was slowly being rebuilt.

He thought that since Sue was adopted, her life would be better than his and the other foster kids', but he was wrong. Sue promised he was going to answer every question he had but they had to eat their dinner first.

He realised that despite everything he had been through, moments like these were what truly mattered. Family, no matter how unconventional, had a way of anchoring you to the present and giving you hope for the future.

Ethan came back with his toys and Sue had to ask Jackson's help in bribing the little guy so that he would eat his food and eventually, they won.