Brass Bed - Josh Gracin {V, Jack/Erica}
~So why don't you stay with me?
Share all your secrets tonight
We can make believe the morning sun never will rise
Come and lay your head on this big brass bed
And we'll be alright as long as you stay with me, yeah yeah
It was amazing how much life had changed in such a short amount of time. Less than six months ago, the idea of aliens arriving would have seemed preposterous. Her job had revolved around chasing human terrorists. Her son was a typical teenager and her relationship with her ex was strained but improving.
Then the V's arrived and her world changed. She was part of a resistance movement, one her superior at the FBI was a part of and so she didn't even have to feign normal work. Her ex-husband died and, in her grief and anger, she had unknowingly bedded the man responsible. The final blow was her sons death. Joshua, the young V doctor whom had brought her the news, had been vague as to how he died and she hadn't even had the strength to pry.
A chill had run through her veins that night and she hadn't been warm since.
Fighting Anna was the focus of her waking hours and also many hours when she should have been asleep. When rest eluded her, she took to wandering her house, working on strategy or just stewing in her thoughts. Sometimes, she'd peer into the guest room where Jack was staying. He always left the door open a crack, in case she wanted to talk and, on some nights, she did.
Other nights, when she looked in and found him sleeping, she'd just watch him for a while.
Okay, maybe a little creepy, but it was soothing and it took her mind off of other, less pleasant things for a while.
Tonight it looked like he'd fallen asleep while reading, Bible still open on the bed by his side. The bedside lamp reflected off of his hair and made his skin look a deeper tan than it was. For a moment, she let her eyes trace the line of his body, golden hair to broad shoulders to slim waist…He looked like an oasis of calm on a night when the weather matcher her mood, cold rain pounding on the window.
She shook herself and wondered how it was fair that she had done things she wasn't proud of, had compromised her moral code more than once, and yet it was Jack whom had been dismissed from his job. Fallen in name but not in virtue, Jack held tight to his faith, even in the face of Anna's bliss.
An undeclared war had already claimed so many victims, altered so many lives irrevocably. Erica knew she'd never be the same, even if she survived the coming fight. Somehow, she doubted that would be the case….
"Erica?"
Jack had woken up as she stood in his doorway, lost in thought. He was blinking sleepily as he closed his Bible, setting it on the bedside table. "Can't sleep?" he asked her, not seeming bothered by her presence.
Shaking her head, she simply relaxed against the doorframe. "Third night this week," she murmured. Even though the weight of leadership had been removed from her shoulder by the involvement of Project Aires, she really didn't like to show them any vulnerability.
Hell, she wasn't fond of being vulnerable in general, but somehow it was all right around Jack.
Still lying on his bed, Jack extended a hand to her and, hesitantly, she stepped forward to take it. He scooted back on the bed, tugging her forward until she was seated beside him. "Lay down," he said softly, hands moving to apply gentle pressure, encouraging her into a supine position. "You can't keep going like this. Mistakes get made when people get over tired."
"I know," she agreed as he flipped a pillow and she laid her head on the cool pillowcase. The blanket pooled at his hips was flipped over her legs and she felt the warmth of his body behind her. Reflexively she relaxed back into him and almost sighed as the heat of his bare chest seeped through her shirt.
He reached over her and extinguished the lamp, then pulled the blankets up higher and let his arm wrap around her body. She grasped his hand tightly, pulling it against her chest, anchoring him to her.
She was surrounded by the aroma of old books, warm leather and peppermint, all mixed together over the natural scent of Jack's skin. It was a comforting smell, made more so by his presence, solid and real behind her.
Though she knew it wouldn't last, she reveled in the peace, the comfort he offered and closed her eyes.