Author: Hilde S. Nilsen (Camelot_001@hotmail.com)
Show: Water Rats
Date completed: September 25.
Summary: Still in mourning over Rachel's untimely death, Jack finds a piece of bittersweet news about what could have been.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be. Hal McElroy, Southern Star and the Nine Network want them all to themselves. Not fair, is it?
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A little too late
by Hilde S. Nilsen
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Helen Blakemore sat in her office, trying to make a decision. She had no idea what to do. It was all so complicated now that Rachel wasn't there. Everything fell apart. But she would have to tell Jack sooner or later. The sooner, the better, she thought. She didn't want to though. It would only hurt him even more to know what might have been. But he had to know. And it had to come from her. Rachel would have wanted it.
Helen rose from her chair, and headed determined for the detectives' office. Outside the room she paused, carefully watching Jack through the glass windows. He was sitting behind his desk, resting his head in his hands, staring at a picture in front of him. Helen knew it was of Rachel. She took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the door-knob. It was now or never. Slowly she pushed the door open and walked into the office.
Jack looked up as she entered. Helen stopped in front of him, unsure of what to say. His eyes were so sad, and she suspected he had been crying. Moments passed without either saying a word. Then Jack finally broke the silence. "I miss her, you know? I miss her like hell."
Helen nodded understandingly. "I know," she said softly. "I miss her too." When Jack didn't say any more, she decided now was as good as ever. "Listen, Jack... There's something you need to know."
"Yeah?" Jack asked tired. "What's that?"
Helen sighed quietly. "Rachel was pregnant when she died."
"What?" Jack stared at her in disbelief. "Pregnant?"
Helen nodded. "Eight weeks," she confirmed.
"Shit..." Jack muttered as Helen's words started to sink in. One question kept tumbling inside his head, but he was afraid to ask. Finally he let it out. "Who's the father?"
"It was you, Jack," Helen replied softly.
"Oh my God..." Jack couldn't believe it. She had actually been expecting a child. With him. Eight weeks... It had to have been the night he drover her home from work and... "Oh my God," he repeated, slowly shaking his head. He was going to be a father, and he didn't knw it until it was too late... He glanced up at Helen. "You knew, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did," Helen admitted. "Rachel was acting really weird when she came in one morning, and... Well, she couldn't keep her mouth shut." Helen smiled at the thought of her friend's childish happiness, the pure joy in her eyes when she told her she was going to have a baby. "She..." Helen hesitated a little, before continuing. "Eh... She was going to tell you today. Over dinner. In fact, she was going to propose." Helen's eyes met Jack's, and in all the sorrow and pain over what he had lost, she saw a gleam of happiness, satisfaction.
"So she did love me after all," he said quietly. A tear fell from his eye and landed on the picture on his desk.
"Yes, Jack," Helen whispered as tears were streaming down her cheeks. "She loved you."
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THE END
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