Jack stared at Sue from behind his desk, his eyes glossy, but he managed to avoid releasing them the entire day. He sighed to himself as he replayed the morning's events. Sue wasn't leaving; she was staying in D.C. She was staying in the state, in the city, in the department. And Jack couldn't be happier about it. By the same token, he was worried that she might have made the wrong decision, personally. He desperately wanted to talk to her, but he knew if he did, he'd either start to cry or pull her into a tight hug and embarrass them both. She cleared her throat and stood up to get a drink, a small gasp of surprise escaping as Tara jumped up and hugged her again.

"I'm so glad you stayed," Tara gushed for the tenth time that day. Sue smiled and reciprocated the feeling before getting herself a cup of coffee. She added some sugar and cream, but when she took a sip, she still cringed at the putrid flavor.

"The one thing I wouldn't have regret leaving behind: Myles' coffee making skills."

"First of all," Myles barked immediately, "my coffee is not that bad. Secondly, that batch of rat poison was made by our wonder boy, Jack Hudson. I haven't touched the stuff because I saw him make it. Seeing as you and Jack are still alive, I'll guess that you made all the coffee during your marriage."

Jack and Sue both bowed their heads silently as they waited for the moment to pass, but they all chuckled and began to throw in tiny comments here and there. With a delicate pink hue to her cheeks, she went back to her desk and continued her work, avoiding everyone's glances, particularly Jack's. She cursed mentally as she looked up at Myles. It figures; he must have been sent to torment her. He came storming through as Jack was about to continue speaking and now, he seemed determined to embarrass her every time he could. She bit her lip and left the office, heading to the bathroom. She stared into the mirror for a second and splashed a little cold water on her cheeks. With a sigh, she turned back and returned to the bullpen.

"You okay?" Jack signed as she entered and she nodded her head, smiling, before sliding off her jacket and sitting back down to her work. She looked back up at Jack who didn't seem to believe her. She grinned again.

"I'm fine. Just a little warm," she reassured him before returning to her work. She tried not to look up too often, but whenever she did, she would have sworn he was watching her. Her mind whirled in the background while she worked on her paperwork. She felt as if she should say something or talk to him, but she wondered if it was worth it. She was staying now and he didn't need to know that he was one of the most influential factors in her decision to stay. Her lips curled into a tiny smile and she dared to look back up at the office. Jack wiggled his hand to gain her attention and signed to her quickly and discreet.

"Can we talk…alone?" he asked silently. She nodded subtly and stretched her back, slipping her coat back on and standing up. Levi stood up, but Sue told him to stay there and walked over to the door. Lucy was about to ask what was up, but Sue just smile and said she was stiff and warm and was going for a walk around the block. Jack sat up and looked at Levi.

"She shouldn't go out without Levi. I'm going with her," he bluffed easily. He snatched his coat and flew out the door behind her, leaving the rest of the office to smile together and place bets on what was about to happen.

"Hey," Jack whispered as he caught up to her just outside of the front steps of the building. "I told them that you shouldn't be without Levi and jogged out after you. Listen, um… how about we go about a block that way. Knowing them, they're all crowded around the surveillance monitors."

Jack slung his arm around Sue's shoulders and he guided her to a nearby park where they sat down on a bench and stared quietly at the ground for a few minutes before he tapped her shoulder, her face lifting to look at him curiously. He smiled.

"Sue, I need to talk to you. I didn't get to finish earlier and it's been eating away at me just these few hours. I wouldn't last forever without telling you." He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. "When I thought you were leaving, I… I didn't know what to do. I knew what I should do, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to stand there and tell you I was happy for you while I couldn't be more depressed. I didn't want to be there and watch you walk out of the office for the last time. My heart was breaking just thinking about it." He shifted on the seat and turned into her, taking her hands in his.

"Sue, I didn't want you to leave. I never do. I was hoping — praying! — that my speech might change your mind, positive that all I was doing was making a fool out of myself. The thought of you leaving D. C… leaving me… Sue, I'm not sure my heart could take that. I'm sorry," he said finally before pressing a tiny kiss to her cheek. She looked up at him with blatant confusion in her expression. Her eyes raked across the planes of his face and all she could tell was that he was trying desperately not to cry, although he looked as if there was nothing he rather do more than let everything out.

"Jack, you don't have anything to be sorry for. You also don't have to be so strong. If you need to say something or let something out, then just do it. Jack, just let everything out," she insisted softly and gasped when he replied by skimming his lips across hers. He leaned back and looked at her pale pink cheeks and wide eyes. When he was sure she wouldn't smack his face, he rushed his mouth to hers and kissed her so deeply, she whimpered softly. Her hands weren't entirely sure where to land, but the deeper he kissed her, the less she cared, curling her hands around his neck, her curved fingers interlocking behind his head where she could toy with the short strands of hair on his nape. His lips moved tenderly over hers and his teeth nipped teasingly at her lower lip as he ended their kiss.

"Sue…I wasn't finished speaking. I'm sorry; I haven't got the strength to let you go. I love you too much." Tears instantly began to seep through her lashes and down her cheeks. His hands cupped her cheeks in a moment and he brushed the droplets away with his thumbs. "Sue, please don't cry," he begged her, tears in the corners of his own eyes. "I didn't mean to make you cry," he apologized softly. She smiled up at him, her grin almost blinding in it's intensity.

"I love you, too, Jack. I'm so happy to hear you say that. I love you too much to live half a dozen states away from you. I love you too much to leave you. I know I should and that you deserve so much more than I could ever give you, but I can't—"

"What makes you think you can't give me exactly what I want?" he demanded almost angrily. "What makes you think you aren't exacly what I want?" She sniffled softly before he pressed another kiss to her lips. "Sue, I've loved you for years. I've loved you since the first time I went to your apartment and you offered me a cookie to go," he insisted desperately, making both of them chuckle softly at the memory. "I don't want someone like you; I want you… temper, defiance, stubbornness…"

"Deafness, quirks and insecurites?" she pointed out harshly, but he just smiled at her.

"Especially your insecurities because I want to stomp every one of them out of you. Your quirks are what make you so cute. And since when do you think I care about you being deaf?" he asked more harshly then when she'd pointed it out. "Do you really think I'd let your being deaf deter me from wanting you the way I do? Your deafness doesn't make you feel or seem like less of a woman to me. It makes me admire you more. You suddenly went deaf as a child, worked beyond it, went through a regular school program and worked your way up to the F.B.I. offices of Washington D.C. I admire every single thing about you, Sue Thomas, and I never ever want to hear you say something like that about yourself ever again. You're too much to say think so little of yourself."

Tears were now pouring down her face and he hugged her close, pressing more soft kisses to the shell of her ear and side of her neck as he held her. She leaned deep into his arms an cuddled into his side as he curled both his arms around her, almost pulling her into his lap. As she lay against him, her thoughts drifted back to the office and a thought struck her. She reluctantly sat up and looked into his eyes.

"The rule against dating?" he asked softly. She smiled at how transparent she was and how well he knew her. "The second we get in, we're going straight to Garret." She smiled and leaned back into him, uninterestted in returning to the bullpen were they knew they would have endless questions to answer.

"Well, this is not the first time two people hae wanted to be together within the department," Garret said softly, Jack and Sue holding hands in front of him. "However, it is the first time that the bureau can't decide who is more beneficial to the department. Jack is an ex-sniper with amazing scores and a great arrest record, having been able to succeed where many others couldn't. Sue is an invaluable asset to the team. Her lip reading abilities are stellar and the bureau thinks she's a weapon that no one could ever predict. She has been the key to unravelling so many conversations and getting us so many warrants, the bureau almost shudders to think of what we would do now without her.

"This is a first in F.B.I. history, but considering both your work ethics, your professionalism and your amazing performance, the bureau has decided to let you two date and, should things go further, you have the bureau's approval there, too. However, know that should anything happen, you two will still be expected to work together," he said before smiling at them. "At least if we need an undercover couple, we know we have the real deal in our back pocket. Congratulations to both of you. I hope you both are happy together," he said gently.

"You're making it sound as if we're already married," Sue said with a shy grin. Garret gave her a pinning look and she looked at Jack with bright red cheeks. Meanwhile, Jack just nodded to Garret before smiling and squeezing her hand.

"Thank you, sir." He took her and pulled her along into the hall before hugging her tightly and briefly. With trepedation in every step, they walked towards the office and braced them for the barrage of questions. They barely had a toe into the office before the dam burst and they were flooded.

"What was that all about?"

"What did you guys do?"

"I heard that you're officially dating?"

"Is it true the bureau actually sanctionned it?"

"Did you set a date yet?" Everyone turned to stare at Myles who had issued the last question. "What? They've done it once. This time, I'd like to attend the ceremony," he said lightly.

Everyone's gaze pivotted back to Sue and Jack and before any of them could say anything else, Jack pulled her into another deep, passionate kiss. There were wolf calls and whistles all around the room, but the second their lips met, the background noises faded to nothingness and neither Jack nor Sue could hear anything. All they could do was feel the beating of the other's heart and take comfort knowing they would probably feel it for the rest of their lives.

-Fin-