Title: Secrets
Author: Kmoaton
Rating: M
Pairing: Jack Carter/Nathan Stark
Spoilers: Minor for season 3
Summary: Things have been lost and things have been hidden. No secret can be buried forever.
A/N: This is a future fic. Jack has left Eureka and it has has been two years since either he or Zoe have returned - for very different reasons. Currently, Jack is a Secret Service Agent in Washington, D.C. Things are getting ready to change for Jack and he has no clue what is going on. Zoe is a college student at Harvard.
Jack sighed, exhausted after a long day. He hadn't slept well the night before and went in to work tired. Washington, D.C. was boiling in the summer and having just spent the better part of it outside in a black suit had literally drained any remaining energy out of him. He wanted nothing more than a cold shower and a colder beer. Tossing his keys on the table beside the blinking answering machine, Jack debated if he should check the machine now or later. Shaking his head, he knew if it were Abby or Zoe calling, they would be worried. In a way, he was glad that his job didn't allow him to carry a personal cell phone.
Pressing the play button on the machine, Jack shrugged out of his jacket and tossed on the couch. Listening with half an ear, he strode towards the refrigerator, intent of grabbing a cold one from its icy depths. His trek was stopped by the sound of a frantic Zoe, begging him to call her. Frowning, he picked up the cordless and quickly dialed Zoe's cell. She answered on the first ring.
"Dad! Where have you been? I've been calling all day!"
Jack frowned at the phone. "The president had press rounds today. You know secret service doesn't stop until he does."
He could hear her sigh. He knew she wasn't that crazy about his current job but being able to become a part of the secret service after his accident was a major accomplishment. He had been a federal marshal for so long and this was like making the dean's list.
"Dad, has anyone been to your house?"
Jack's frown deepened. "I just got home. Zo, what's this about?"
A chuckle traveled through the phone line, doing little to ease Jack's anxiety.
"Calm down, Dad. Look, I'm on my way down. We need to talk."
Stunned, he was actually silent for a moment. "Down from Boston? No, Zoe. You need to be at school."
Again, Zoe laughed. "Harvard will live without me for a few days. Besides, I'm on the train. I left this morning. I should be there in an hour."
Cursing in his head, Jack took a couple of deep breaths. "What's going on, Zoe?"
Zoe's voice came through the phone, sounding suddenly serious. "There are some things you need to know."
Jack suddenly felt the blood leave his face. "You aren't pregnant, are you?"
Her startled intake of breath strangely comforted Jack.
"Dad! No! Oh my god! I'll be there in an hour. Please meet me at the station and I'll tell you everything."
Before he could respond, the connection was broken. Staring at the clock, Jack realized his beer would have to wait. By the time he showered and dressed, he would need to head for the train station. Rush hour traffic guaranteed it would be, at best, a thirty-minute journey. Sweeping his hand over his head, Jack headed for the shower, ignoring the nagging pain in his head.
ooOOoo
Nathan found himself stuck in D.C.'s rush hour traffic. The jam only served to heighten his growing frustration. He felt guilty about being there in the first place but it was time, in his opinion, to stop hiding the truth. Jack deserved to know everything and make his own choices. Nathan couldn't believe how well Allison buried Jack, making it nearly impossible to find him, even with G.D.'s impressive capabilities. Nathan felt another pang of guilt, knowing he was the reason Allison felt compelled to hide Jack. Just when he had given up hope and was ready to let Jack go forever, fate smiled on him in the simplest of ways.
Having gone to Chicago for a DoD meeting, Nathan was surprised to see the President was on the agenda to speak. Intrigued, Nathan decided to attend. He was stunned, however, when he saw Jack as a member of the President's Secret Service entourage. Nathan didn't hear a word of the speech; he spent the whole time watching Jack. It had been two years since he had seen him and, at that time, Jack was unconscious and bruised.
'Time has been kind to him.' Nathan mused as he took in the tight frame and still piercing blue eyes of Jack. He knew he wouldn't be able to approach him here but now, at least, he had a way of tracking Jack down. It had taken the better part of two months of searching and bullying Fargo but he finally had an address. Deciding not to mention he was leaving town, Nathan assumed he hadn't left a trail but he was wrong.
Allison's computer in her office chimed, letting her know that Jack's file had finally been breached. She left her office, intent on stopping Nathan but was sidetracked by a scientist who was having a problem that could not wait. Sighing, she could only pray she could stop Nathan before he left town. On the way to level four, she called Zoe and warned her about the possibility of Nathan coming to D.C.