Recently, I heard a song that struck a chord in my heart for Shack.
As usual I don't own these amazing characters, I am just taking them on a ride! They will be returned to the Duffster!
Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites and follows on my previous stories!
The story starts off in a flashback, and ends in the A/U future.
I hope you enjoy!
Open the pages
Where I've been erased
Don't make me guess
By the look on your face
Open your heart
Just let me see
There ain't no place for me
Won't you say the words? –
Morgan James
"Say The Words"
~~~~~~~~~~ERSL21~~~~~~~~~~
Years of marriage.
Two kids.
A house.
Countless arguments.
Countless makeups.
Countless times he walked out.
Countless times he came back.
Countless times she has forgiven him and welcomed him home with open arms.
Countless times she has allowed herself to be hurt by the man she pledged to be with until death did them apart.
Now a little over a decade into a crumbling marriage, here she is finally strong enough to ask him the question she has been itching to ask, since the first time he walked out.
"Jack?" She whispers looking up at the ceiling, while he is lying next to her after they made love.
"Yeah?" He raspingly responds still trying to regulate his breathes.
She turns over on her side and pulls the sheet up to cover herself and looks at him and asks, "Why won't you just tell me?"
He looks at her confused and asks, "Tell you what, Sharon?"
She blows a breath of frustrated air, before continuing, "Jack, do I really need to say it?"
He huffs and sits up and looks down at her, "See, this is why I hate being at home! How can you pick a fight after we just finished having sex! I can't win with you, Sharon!" He exclaims turning the bedside lamp on.
Still in her calm tone, she clarifies, "I'm not picking a fight, Jack. I am just asking you to tell me the truth."
"Truth about what, Sharon?" He exclaims as his arms flail in the air.
Breathing out another breath of frustration, she asks, "Why won't you just be a man and admit you no longer love me?"
He is stunned and it is written all over his face. He stammers to speak, "What the hell kind of question is that, Sharon? Of course I love you! If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have married you!"
Staring at him intently, she whispers, "If you love me so much, why do you keep walking out on me?"
As the question registers in his mind, the anger is clearly visible on his face. "Because of this, Sharon! No one wants to come home to a nagging wife! Every time I come home, it is the same thing over and over again!" He practically shouts.
"Jack, I wouldn't be on your back so much, if you didn't always run away. You leave me here to take care of the kids and work, while you go out and do God knows what. You come home whenever you feel like it, and then you expect me to accept that. I'm sorry, Jack, that isn't how it works." She calmly clarifies for him, as she sits up.
"Well, how does it work, Ms. Know It All?" He shouts.
"Shh!" She says, "You will wake up Em and Ricky."
He lowers his tone, and repeats his question.
"We are supposed to be a team, Jack. We are supposed to be here for each other through it all. We are supposed to balance the load equally. No one person should have to carry the load by themselves. No matter the issue we are supposed to talk through it and try our best to fix it." She says.
"Sharon, we are a team! It's always about money with you!" He exclaims.
"No, weren't. Teammates stick together. I didn't say anything about money. I could care less about the money. I'm more concerned about the time and commitment that you need to be putting forth for this family that you helped create." She says.
"Yeah, right you could care less about the money! Sharon, I do dedicate plenty of time to our family!" He exclaims. He watches her expression change to one he knows all too well, the one where he knows he has went too far.
He stares at her with confusion in his eyes. She reaches over and places her left hand over his heart and breathes, "Just answer this final question and I will drop the subject."
He nods and says, "Ask away."
"Is there still room in here for me?" She whispers feeling his heartbeat with her quivering hand and gazing into his charming cerulean eyes.
He takes a deep breath and pouts before responding, "Goodnight, Sharon." He removes her hand from his chest and reaches to turn the lamp off and slides back down into the bed.
Shockingly enough, she isn't surprised by his reaction, but it doesn't hurt any less to get rejected by the man who is supposed to love you, until the end of time.
Tears threaten to fall as she rolls back over to her side of the bed and turns away from him.
As she closes her eyes, tears begin to stream down her face, while he is snoring away with no care in the world.
Tonight was the breaking point. Tomorrow will be a new dawn, for Sharon O'Dwyer Raydor.
Andy looks at Sharon stunned, as she reveals the moment she was done pretending everything was going to be okay with Jack, as they share a mug of frozen hot cocoa topped with whip cream and cinnamon, at Serendipity.
He doesn't say a word, but looks at the calmness present on her face.
She reaches for his hand and intertwines their fingers across the table, "Thank you, for the week in New York, babe!" She laughs at his goofy and stunned expression.
"Babe? Oh, God what are we about to go do next?" He playfully with a hint of seriousness inquires.
"Hmm, I was thinking how nice it would be to go ice skating in Central Park." She says smiling at him.
He chuckles and leans over to place a gentle but meaningful kiss on her lips. The kiss is brief but perfect for the moment. "I love you, Sharon." He confesses as he breaks the kiss.
"I love you, Andy." She expresses smiling at him.
"You are one hell of a woman!" He says causing her to blush, as he runs his thumb over her knuckles.
"Thank you." She whispers as she squeezes his hand.
"You're welcome, Superwoman!" He teases as the waitress walks by to pick up the check.
She quirks an eyebrow and inquires, "Superwoman?"
He chuckles and states, "You are my Superwoman! You possess that super strength!"
Snort laughing she says, "Well, I guess that makes you my Clark Kent!"
"Yep, Lois!" He replies as they stand up and he slides her coat over her shoulders.
The waitress returns with their check and says, "You two look so happy!"
Andy and Sharon look at each other and say "We are!"
She hands Andy his card and they say, "Thank you, Kate!"
Walking to the door about to embrace winter air of New York, Sharon says, "I bet you five bucks one of us is going to fall on the ice."
Andy looks at her and leans down to kiss her, as he pulls back, and rasps, "I see your bet and I raise you a foot massage!" She laughs and playfully slaps him on the chest and says, "You've got a deal! But if I win I want five bucks and a foot massage!"
He lets a rumble of a laugh and breathes, "Greedy self!" She smirks as he opens the door.
{The End}
~~~~~~~~~~ERSL21~~~~~~~~~~
Leave me some nuggets of love! They are much appreciated!
P.S. I encourage everyone to go take a listen to that song and her album "Hunter." That girl is seriously talented!