Title: Two Points for Honesty
Author: Lauren / Running Up Fawn
Rating: G, I think.
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, and neither is the episode upon which this is kind of based (Maple Street). Neither is the title, this time, as it comes from Guster's own "Two Points for Honesty".
Author's Note: This is kind of a post-ep fic for Maple Street. Jack and Samantha, as usual.
The dark night was clear, and millions of stars alleviated the blackness, illuminating the path on which Jack Malone now walked. He glanced briefly around, familiarizing himself with his surroundings. He was in a very small park; not even a park, really, just four good-sized picnic tables and a short stretch of grass. The area was enclosed on three sides by a line of trees and two apartment buildings, but was also open to a relatively busy street where Jack had sat in his car for ten minutes before giving up and giving in, and walking down the dirt path to approach one of the picnic tables.
There was Samantha lying on top, her coat wrapped tightly around her slender form though more for comfort than warmth as she gazed upward, her eyes reflecting the sky's combination of darkness and light.
"Sam." Jack spoke quietly, unsure of where to start and wondering if he should have even come.
"How'd you find me?" Samantha asked, without moving.
"Please, Samantha. I'm a federal agent. Give me a little credit?"
"Followed me from the unit, huh?" Sam's voice now held a hint of amusement.
"Pretty much, yeah," Jack admitted. At this, Samantha finally smiled, and moved from the middle of the table to the far end, motioning for Jack to join her. He did, cautiously settling on top of the wooden table, his shoulder brushing hers as they lay side by side.
"You come here a lot?" Jack asked, glancing at Samantha before returning his gaze to the expanse of stars overhead. She shrugged.
"Sometimes. After the bad ones. Tonight I just, I couldn't go home. Not yet."
"It's probably not too safe out here," he cautioned, wondering why he felt the need to voice something so obvious.
"I didn't feel much like being safe tonight." She turned, regarding him momentarily. "Besides, what's safe? I'm sure Annie and Siobhan thought they were safe." Sam shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know you feel just as awful as I do. But sometimes I need to come here and remind myself of how lucky I am, that I'm alive, that my best friend," here she paused as her eyes briefly, warmly, met his, "is alive, that the people I love are alive. Because sometimes I don't feel so lucky. I know you said-" Samantha took a deep breath before continuing. "I know you said it's not something we're supposed to get used to, and I understand that. It will never be easy. But-" her eyes searched his "does it ever get any easier?"
Her voice bordered on desperate, and it was a long moment before Jack answered. When he did, his own voice held evidence of all the pain he had witnessed so far in his lifetime.
"No, Sam, it doesn't. Every time a case like this comes along, it hurts just as much as the one before, and the one before that." His dark eyes were apologetic. "I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear."
"Yeah, well," Deep down, Samantha had known the answer before she even asked the question, and she touched his palm softly. "Two points for honesty, right?"
Jack gently tangled their hands together. "Yeah. Two points." A comfortable silence settled over them as they gazed up at the sky, each busy with separate thoughts, but neither alone.
[end]
Author: Lauren / Running Up Fawn
Rating: G, I think.
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, and neither is the episode upon which this is kind of based (Maple Street). Neither is the title, this time, as it comes from Guster's own "Two Points for Honesty".
Author's Note: This is kind of a post-ep fic for Maple Street. Jack and Samantha, as usual.
The dark night was clear, and millions of stars alleviated the blackness, illuminating the path on which Jack Malone now walked. He glanced briefly around, familiarizing himself with his surroundings. He was in a very small park; not even a park, really, just four good-sized picnic tables and a short stretch of grass. The area was enclosed on three sides by a line of trees and two apartment buildings, but was also open to a relatively busy street where Jack had sat in his car for ten minutes before giving up and giving in, and walking down the dirt path to approach one of the picnic tables.
There was Samantha lying on top, her coat wrapped tightly around her slender form though more for comfort than warmth as she gazed upward, her eyes reflecting the sky's combination of darkness and light.
"Sam." Jack spoke quietly, unsure of where to start and wondering if he should have even come.
"How'd you find me?" Samantha asked, without moving.
"Please, Samantha. I'm a federal agent. Give me a little credit?"
"Followed me from the unit, huh?" Sam's voice now held a hint of amusement.
"Pretty much, yeah," Jack admitted. At this, Samantha finally smiled, and moved from the middle of the table to the far end, motioning for Jack to join her. He did, cautiously settling on top of the wooden table, his shoulder brushing hers as they lay side by side.
"You come here a lot?" Jack asked, glancing at Samantha before returning his gaze to the expanse of stars overhead. She shrugged.
"Sometimes. After the bad ones. Tonight I just, I couldn't go home. Not yet."
"It's probably not too safe out here," he cautioned, wondering why he felt the need to voice something so obvious.
"I didn't feel much like being safe tonight." She turned, regarding him momentarily. "Besides, what's safe? I'm sure Annie and Siobhan thought they were safe." Sam shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know you feel just as awful as I do. But sometimes I need to come here and remind myself of how lucky I am, that I'm alive, that my best friend," here she paused as her eyes briefly, warmly, met his, "is alive, that the people I love are alive. Because sometimes I don't feel so lucky. I know you said-" Samantha took a deep breath before continuing. "I know you said it's not something we're supposed to get used to, and I understand that. It will never be easy. But-" her eyes searched his "does it ever get any easier?"
Her voice bordered on desperate, and it was a long moment before Jack answered. When he did, his own voice held evidence of all the pain he had witnessed so far in his lifetime.
"No, Sam, it doesn't. Every time a case like this comes along, it hurts just as much as the one before, and the one before that." His dark eyes were apologetic. "I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear."
"Yeah, well," Deep down, Samantha had known the answer before she even asked the question, and she touched his palm softly. "Two points for honesty, right?"
Jack gently tangled their hands together. "Yeah. Two points." A comfortable silence settled over them as they gazed up at the sky, each busy with separate thoughts, but neither alone.
[end]