AN: So this is my first time writing a Flashpoint fanfic. I wrote the majority of this oneshot many, many months ago. I just never got around to finishing it and posting it. So seeing as the season five premiere is today, I decided to finally just get it done. Of course, I decided this at two in the morning, so I apologise for any typos and/or weak points. My brain is rather tired. This was not based on any spoilers and much of it was written prior to the end of season four. Please leave a review and enjoy the premiere! x
Old and New
Jules tugged a hair tie from her wrist and hastily put her brown hair up in a messy ponytail. She hopped up onto the kitchen counter with impressive ease considering her height, sitting with her hands on the edge and her legs hanging. Her fingers wrapped over the side of the counter and drummed nervously against it. The funky silver rings on her right hand made a clinking sound as they made contact with the side of the counter.
Sam held a saucepan in his hands, drying the handle with a gaudy tea towel that featured a kitschy map of Toronto. Months ago, when Jules had tossed it at him as they began their 'Jules washes and Sam dries' routine, he'd questioned why she owned such a tea towel. She'd challenged him on it, defensively asking what was wrong with it. 'Nothing,' he'd said. 'Just isn't really you.' She had scoffed. 'It's a tea towel Sam, not a prom dress.' Sam had been perplexed by her reaction, but not wanting to push or start an argument, he had simply shrugged and finished drying the dishes in silence.
Later that night, dressed in her pajamas and tucked against his side on the couch while a lame movie played on the TV, Jules had told Sam that she had bought the tea towel for her father, on a whim not too long after she moved to Toronto. Her father collected tacky tourist tea towels, she'd told him, always asking vacationing friends and family to bring him back one from wherever they were going.
Sam had known that Jules and her father had a tense relationship, him not being happy that she'd left Medicine Hat and made joining SRU her life's mission. But Sam had felt for her when she'd told him she'd chickened out of sending the tea towel, fearing he'd either send it back or, perhaps worse, not call to say thank you. He hadn't realised it was quite that bad.
Now, months later, Sam threw the tea towel over his shoulder and put the now-dry saucepan away in the low, wide drawer that stored the pots and pans. Together for over a year now, and six months the first time around, he knew his way around Jules' kitchen. He turned to look at her and found her watching him intently.
'What?' he asked with a chuckle.
'Sam, I gotta tell you something.'
The reply was heavier than he had been anticipating. The slight concern in his eyes the evidence of that.
Her bare legs hung a good foot or two off the ground. Her feet were bare and her heels bumped against the front of counter as she swung them like a child.
'Okay...' he said with a weak laugh, half nervous and half amused by the juxtaposition of her serious words and child-like position on the counter.
'And I'm not sure how you're gonna react, because we haven't really talked about it or planned...' she trailed off.
It didn't matter.
He knew.
Simple as that.
He didn't know how.
He just knew that he knew.
His eyes widened, nevertheless. He felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth. 'You're pregnant?'
Jules was surprised. Her big brown eyes got bigger and her chest expanded as she caught a large breath of air. She'd expected she'd have to spell it out for him, much more so than that. Or more likely, actually say the words.
She let out a breath and gave a weak nervous laugh. 'So normally I'd be mad you stole my thunder but in this case...' she trailed off.
'Jules?' He needed confirmation, she could see it in his eyes.
That's more like it, she thought.
'Yeah,' she said. 'I'm pregnant.'
He looked at her with eyes twinkling as he grinned like a kid in a candy store.
'Yeah?' he asked, awe'struck.
'Yeah,' she smiled tentatively, but sincerely.
Sam laughed, joyful and elated by surprise.
Then, he stepped closer and cradled her head in his hands, grinning from ear to ear. Then, with overly gentle movements, he wrapped his arms around her. She threw her arms around his neck, tucking her chin into the space above his collarbone, her cheek on the tea towel.
'I don't know how it happened...' she said like a confession, after a moment.
'Really?' Sam asked, eyebrows raised. 'I could demonstrate...' he teased.
She leant back and punched him lightly in the shoulder, smack-bang over an awful cartoon of Toronto Zoo.
'You know what I mean,' she said, a smile on her face but traces of worry in her eyes.
'Hey.' Sam looked into her eyes, his chin lowered in neccessity, despite Jules' position on the counter making her taller than she was when standing. 'It doesn't matter,' he assured her.
'But what about SRU and the team? And are we even ready for this? I mean, we're not even married. And I don't care about that, I just... tell me we're ready.'
'We're ready,' he said sincerely.
Jules let out a breath.
'Okay.'
'Anyway,' he began, sliding his hands down her sides toward her abdomen. It sent a foreign fuzzy feeling through her body. 'If we can manage the double drop I think we can manage diaper duty.'
Jules laughed and Sam stole the sound with a warm kiss. It juxtaposed so wonderfully with the crisp coolness of his hands that had now crept under the hem of her shirt.
When they broke apart - or their lips did, at least - Sam whispered an 'I love you,' his breath dancing over Jules' warm face.
She echoed his words and let her forehead fall to his. His fingertips traced gentle patterns on her stomach as the peaceful silence lingered, their hearts full. After a long moment, Sam noticed Jules' gaze was on the tea towel on his shoulder. Her eyes grew contemplative.
'Call your Dad,' he said gently.
'What?' she leant back and looked at him, surprised by the seemingly out of the blue comment. She didn't realise that her eyes had been studying the tea towel and that Sam had known what was on her mind. The truth was, Sam had read her mind before the thoughts had even fully formed.
'He'll want to know,' Sam said. 'He'll be happy.'
She seemed to think about this for a moment, then nodded. 'Okay,' she said. 'Tell you what, if he is, maybe I'll even finally send him this thing.' Jules flipped the end of the tea towel. 'Get it out of your sight.'
'Nah, it's staying,' Sam said.
'What?' Jules was baffled.
Sam smiled and shrugged. 'I kinda like it now.'