A/N: just a brief one-shot, divided into three parts. A bit of humour, a bit of comfort... It's Jack/Wolf and I really want to know what you think of it, so if you could be very kind and review once you've read it.
DISCLAIMER: As usual, I own zilch.
***
He thinks that he fell in love with her first time he saw her, that the agony on her face echoed in his soul.
The first time they met, they had been in a hospital. Her red hair had been messily thrown into a bun, now sagging with the shorter layers fuzzing around her chin. Though usually vibrant, he was sure, it was dark with grease and lack of care.
Her skin was white with worry and the huge bags under her eyes spoke of her tiredness, or was it simply smudged mascara from where she had been rubbing her eyes?
She was wearing an oversized hoodie with 'Brooklands' emblazoned on the back and a pair of possibly-pyjama bottoms, completing the look with a pair of kitten heels. She basically looked as if she had leapt out of bed and thrown on the first things she could find. She must be worried about someone.
She still looked beautiful.
A door in front of him opened and a nurse stepped out.
"Jack Starbright?" she called, and the woman looked up.
So that was her name, he mused. Jack. It suited her.
"You can go in now."
His gaze followed her as she nervously crossed to the door, took a deep breath and pushed it open.
He guessed he knew why she was here now. She had come to see Cub. Who was she that she knew enough about him to be here?
Ten minutes later, Jack emerged. She walked perhaps ten metres down the corridor then sank to the ground, sobbing quietly.
Eagle stood up a few seats over, but the nurse shook her head.
"He's sleeping," she informed them.
Snake nodded understandingly and pulled Eagle back into his seat.
But Wolf's gaze hadn't moved, he was still gazing at the woman, sorrow on his face.
Slowly he stood up and approached her.
"Miss Starbright?" he said, quietly. There was no response.
"Jack?"
With a faint hiccup of grief, she looked up at him.
"You're part of his unit," she stated quietly. "You were there when they- when they..."
She broke off into tears again.
Slowly, he sank down to her level and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest as he remembered his father doing with his sisters when they were little.
She latched onto him, her hands scrunching into the material of his military jacket, her face buried in his shoulder.
Cautiously, he rose to his feet and led her to one of the plastic chairs that the hospital provided.
"Shh," he whispered soothingly. "He's going to be ok, I promise."
Jack nodded. "I know," she hiccupped, "but what about next time? He shouldn't- shouldn't be doing this, he's just a child."
Wolf sighed. "I know he shouldn't, but what Cub did today... he saved literally thousands of lives. He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save us all, and he very nearly did. But I promise you, I'll always be right there beside him to make sure he doesn't have to."
She looked up at him, her eye wide and tearful. "Thank you."
***
Jack can't really remember the first time they met. She was too worried about Alex to receive more than a vague impression of a military jacket, though she does remember the promise word for word. He hasn't broken it yet.
She does remember their first official date though. It had been a disaster. Eagle and Fox had followed them around for the first half and it had taken all of Wolf's persuasion (i.e. threats, lots and lots of threats) and a few tricks that Jack had learnt off Alex to convince them to leave them alone. They had finally given in after Fox found his teeth dyed blue from the latest in his long series of energy drinks and Eagle had been threatened with kitchen duty for a month when they returned to camp.
When they had (finally) got rid of their entourage, they had headed to the restaurant. Really, it was probably just bad luck that they ended up sitting at the table across from her ex – you know, the one she dumped because he couldn't take her refusing to move in with him because of Alex.
And, well, maybe the fight between him and Wolf had been understandable – and it had been really quite sweet to see him defend her honour like, even worth being banned from the restaurant, if she was honest.
Of course, she had forgotten that she had met the man through Ian... she probably should have warned Wolf about that, but it just didn't occur to her that he could be an agent.
Wolf was very put out when he got his arse kicked.
They did manage to salvage the rest of the date, however.
After they reached somewhere private anyway.
Alex was very surprised to find Wolf topless in the kitchen the next morning. The excuse that he was looking for an icepack carried no weight at all, despite that being the official reason he had come over.
Next time, she promised herself, it'll go better.
Oh, and she wouldn't forget to warn Alex. Wolf was getting fed up of the bruises.
***
Alex hadn't really paid much attention to who Jack was dating, at least after she assured him that he wasn't an agent and wasn't a psycho. He probably should have grilled her about SAS soldiers as well.
But he couldn't help but think, as he watched her walk down the aisle in a dress of sparkling white (probably not strictly allowed – at least based on the number of times Wolf had turned up topless in the morning. Honestly, Alex had only beaten him up the first few times. It hadn't been deliberate!) that they were well suited.
Wolf made her happy. It was as simple as that.
Of course, there had been that little chat, the one where Alex had informed Wolf, perfectly calmly, that if he hurt Jack, they would never even find the body, but apart from that, the two men got along fine.
After all, they may have different bosses, different objectives and different motivation, but they were both soldiers, at least to some extent. And deep down, Alex was glad that Wolf was there. For now he knew that when the time came that he didn't return from a mission, Jack wouldn't be alone.
She would never have to be alone.