Title: They Came Home [Chapter 1/?]
Chapter Title: To the Victors
Fandom: Eureka
Pairing: Jack/Jo
Rating: R (For Violence and Adult Situations)
Timeline: [6 Months Later] Post Season 4 (Spoilers up through "...One Giant Leap"), AU Season 5
Author's Note: This was inspired by the promo for next season and by my own prompt from the Jack and Jo Comment Fic Meme. This is unbeta-ed, please forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Eureka does not belong to me in any way…if I did, it sure as hell wouldn't be ending!
Story Summary: Those who were on the Astreus Mission have been missing for over a year without a trace. After the painful decision is made to declare them dead, those left behind pick up the pieces and begin to move on. Jack and Jo fall in love, get married, and are happily expecting their first child...Then the Astreus shuttle finds its way back to Earth...
Chapter Summary: The war was over and to the victors goes the spoils.
They stood in the middle of Main Street, guns raised; both wore determination across their face like it was war paint. It was the last stand and the winner would take Eureka.
Jack Carter steadied his gun and aimed for her head; ready to take the kill shot like he was taught to. His finger came down from along the slide and curled around the trigger. "It's over, Beverly." His voice came out firm between gritted teeth, "Drop your weapon or I will end you."
Beverly Barlow let a smug smile tug up the corner of her red lips. "Oh Sheriff, I know you don't have the stones to do it."
"Try me." He growled, "You've destroyed my home, killed people that I've loved," Images of Alison and his friends that were on the lost Astreus shuttle, of Jo who had returned to help fight for her home and been captured, played through his mind, " I won't let you win this. I would kill you a thousand times if it meant saving Eureka. Now. Drop. Your. Weapon."
She tilted her head slightly as she considered his words, taking in his stance, the anger in his eyes. Yes, he would kill her; she could see it in his eyes. And he'd probably sleep like a baby after. There was a side to him that he had kept well hidden from all the citizens of the small town, hidden behind his charming smile and his Opie routine, and she found herself impressed. He had managed to fool them all, to fool her; Jack Carter was a dangerous man when provoked; shame he had been on the opposing side, he would have been a valuable asset to her team.
Beverly lowered her gun and he closed the space between them and cuffed her swiftly. Jack caught a movement past Beverly's shoulder and couldn't fight the grin that crossed his lips. A bloody, bruised, slightly mangled looking Jo Lupo marched up Main Street towards them, the entire United States Special Forces and the United States Army flanked behind her. His heart leapt at the sight of her; he hadn't lost her.
After handing Beverly off to the MPs, Jack and Jo remained in the street until everyone was gone and everything was quiet; the town was theirs again. He fought the urge to take her into his arms and hold her close as dusk settled in on the horizon. He took her in; the bruises that marred her beautiful face, her swollen lip, and the cut across her forehead. He was certain that those were the least of her injuries. She was looking back at him when his eyes met with hers and he gave in to his urges and took her in to his arms and buried his face into her hair.
He expected her to shove him off, to rebuff his embrace, but she didn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. They hadn't been able to talk about her walkabout and what she discovered about herself when she had been gone; she had come in like the avenging warrior she was, her mind focused on fighting for her home and everyone there. He would ask her about it later, after they got everyone settled back home.
Later that night, Café Diem was filled to capacity as the evacuated townspeople returned home. Liquor, desserts, music were all flowing in celebration until the wee hours of the morning. Jack and Jo celebrated amongst them until Vincent kindly, and ever so politely, suggested they take their party back to S.A.R.A.H, seeing as it would be kid free since Kevin and Jenna would be with Alison's mom until the end of the week.
They piled into Carter's jeep and he set the course to autopilot, letting the car drive itself back home and for the first time, Jack was thankful for the technology.
S.A.R.A.H welcomed them with an open door while videos of fireworks played on the walls of the living room. They "Oh" –ed and "Ah"—ed in appreciation and sunk down on the couch, watching the display. Jo scooted close and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I missed you, Jo." Jack murmured
"I missed you too, Carter." She replied, lifting her head and looking into his blue eyes.
Jack without a second thought, leaned down and brushed a kiss against the uninjured side of her mouth. He pulled back slowly and searched her face, finding her dark eyes glittering with something that surprised him—desire danced behind her dark orbs and he found himself wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her to him and kissing her thoroughly, careful of the cuts on her mouth.
In the back of his mind, he knew that he shouldn't be doing this. But the alcohol in his system overrode that warning, all he knew is that he had to hold her close, had to touch her, had to taste her; had to feel her underneath him. Jack drew her up and they made their way up the stairs and into his bedroom where they lost themselves in the feel of each other until the sun came up and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
When they awoke the next morning, they didn't talk. The obvious remained unsaid; they had crossed a point in their relationship that they couldn't come back from. And there was still the fact that their lovers were still missing. Then there was what needed to be said but wasn't as Jack curled against her back and trailed his finger tips up and down her arm. Jo turned in his arms and rested her forehead against the strong muscles of his chest. I'm not ready for this to be over lingered in the air between them as they clung to one another as the morning drifted away.