Title: The Giving of Gifts
Author: JadeHeart
Fandom: L/R – Licensed by Royalty
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Gen
Spoilers/Timeline: end of anime
Summary: The festive season signals the end of the year, and Jack and Rowe look for closure in both their business and personal lives.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this, they belong to the creator of 'L/R: Licensed by Royalty', nor am I making any profits from it.
-oOo-
The Giving of Gifts
The flame still flickered from the lighter clutched in the outstretched hand.
Jack walked slowly past the supine figure, his expensive shoes making little sound on the pavement. He stopped, gazing down at that tiny lingering flame that refused to go out in the lightly falling snow. He crouched down, elbows resting on knees, hands hanging between them, eyes still fixed on that single light. Then he leant down lower and blew gently, snuffing it out completely as nature had not been able to.
He stood and walked steadily back to the car where he reached in and pulled out the cigarette lighter, speaking into it.
"Claire,"
"Yes, Jack? Where are you? Dinner will be ready soon."
"It may have to be delayed a little." Jack said evenly, turning and leaning against the door.
"Why? What's happened?"
He could hear the concern in her voice. "We found Frost. Or should I say, he finally found us. Can you let Mister know we will require some clean up? The morgue can have a present for Christmas."
"Are you all right?"
"Perfectly. He wasn't a particularly good shot." Though he glanced over his shoulder at the hole in the interior side of the driver's door and sighed. More maintenance work to do; it seemed never ending. Oh, well, it gave him something to do.
"The clean up crew is on its way now and should be with you shortly." Claire's professional voice crackled over the transmitter.
At that moment Jack heard the sound of engines and looked up the till then quiet street. "How many did you dispatch?" he asked, hand slipping easily inside his jacket to grip the butt of his holstered gun.
"Three," Claire replied.
"Then they made good time." he responded, releasing the gun and instead withdrawing a packet of cigarettes.
"Is there anything else you need?" she asked him.
"No, thank you. This will do quite nicely." He lit a cigarette and watched the smoke twist upwards in the cold air.
"Well, hurry home." She almost ordered.
He smiled to himself. "Have the brandy warming and I'll be there soon."
"What about Rowe? Have you seen him?"
"He….may be a little late," Jack said, not looking at the second still figure on the ground.
The cars had reached him by this time and so he said, "See you later, Claire. Duty calls.", and hung up, stepping forward to greet the first man to alight.
"Thought there was only one?" this new arrival said, looking over the scene behind the dark glasses.
Jack smiled at him. '"You just deal with that one," he said with a smooth smile, pointing to the other still form on the ground away from Rowe. "I'll take care of the other."
"If you're sure. It's just as easy to do two as one."
"No, no, I wouldn't want to delay you any further on this holiday. Just carry on as required."
They walked across to the body and the other agent looked down dispassionately at the distorted face; glasses askew, mouth slack, blank eyes open and unseeing. A bullet hole was directly over the heart.
"Good shot," he commented professionally.
"Thank you," Jack said modestly.
"He never did look much, did he?" the man commented again.
Jack answered. "Not really, but he was under the mistaken assumption that money was the answer to everything, and gave him permission to do anything."
"Not surprising with who his father was."
"True."
"Well, not to worry. We'll bag him and sort out the red tape from here."
"Thank you. That is most kind of you."
Jack stepped back as the other man waved his colleagues forward. They quickly took photos of the scene, searched the body thoroughly and lifted it into a black body bag. As the zip swiftly ran up and sealed over Frost's face, Jack's hand rose of its own accord to touch the earring on his left ear. Rest in peace, Clau, he thought, watching the bag lifted and pushed without ceremony into the back of the black station wagon between the two sleek black sedans. As the door slammed shut he felt as though the tension in the muscles across his shoulders finally released. Perhaps he'd been needing this closure for a long time.
As the cars disappeared, leaving the street empty once more, Jack sighed again. hanging his head for a moment. It was finally over. The whole Angel episode which began far before Cloud 7 had realized it actually had. In fact, it had all begun 15 years ago, long before he had even joined Cloud 7. It was funny how it had all come together at the end, the curtain falling on the final act and closing this play for good. However, there had still been one last loose end that needed to be dealt with to ensure there would be no encore. It had needed Frost to be finally disposed off in no uncertain terms so there was no way anything could carry on.
Now it was finally finished with; Frost wouldn't be coming back to trouble anyone. His father would be too old by the time he finished his lengthy jail term, if he didn't die in prison. The worry had always been that young Frost would still be a danger as his term would be far shorter as he hadn't had anything to do with the original issue of the murder of Prince Spada's brother. So he would only spend a few years in jail due to his more recent involvements, and some of that would have been hard to prove. There had been no guarantee that the frame-up would actually stick in court so that couldn't be relied upon.
And despite Frost's ridiculous and uncouth appearance, he was clever enough and had enough money to access, to employ smarter people to get what he wanted. They knew that they hadn't yet found all the finances of DTI. What had been known of had been immediately frozen, much going to the Royals, with a substantial proportion going into trust for Ivory Island which had resulted in a far better lifestyle for the inhabitants.
But there was bound to be more around that they hadn't been able to trace yet. Whatever you wanted to think of Taylor and DTI, he had been a shrewd business man. Crooked as all hell, but still shrewd and he knew how to make money, usually by ill means but he did make money. He wouldn't have been so foolish as to hide it all in plain sight. It was a given that a substantial portion would have been getting filtered off to avoid the high tax on it. Which meant that most likely Frost would know about those hidden funds, and be able to access them for his own use. And with that kind of money backing him, that would make him a dangerous man. He was petty enough to want revenge on all those who had crossed him during these events and it was Cloud 7's responsibility to ensure that he didn't get the chance to do that.
That is what they had known would happen, so they'd been forced to take this unsavoury action. It hadn't been nice or clean, or noble in any way, but it got the job done as it needed to be. To know that this entire episode was closed forever, Frost was the last remaining strand in the loom that had to be severed. Which was finally done.
He turned and paused a moment as he opened the door of the car.
"Isn't it a little cold to be lying there in this weather?" he said calmly as he slid into the seat.
He watched Rowe sit up in the rear view mirror, one hand scrubbing though his hair and brushing the dirt and melted snow from his face, a lop sided grin on his face. He grimaced as his other hand snaked around behind his back and grunted as he pulled the knife out that had jutting from there.
Rowe examined the clean blade. "Not bad," he said as he got to his knees and rummaged through the dropped bag of groceries. Good, nothing important was broken. He gathered up most of the items, leaving the rest scattered on the pavement, and walked to the car, dumping it on the back seat.
Jack glanced at it and raised an eyebrow archly. "Do you really need all that?"
"I promised Claire." Rowe said, slipping out of his jacket.
"I doubt she'll appreciate the knife. It's not quite what is considered suitable as a Christmas gift."
"Why not? It's bright and shiny. Don't women go for that sort of thing?" Rowe threw himself into the seat with a grin for his partner.
Jack smiled back at him as he gunned the engine into life. "That usually applies to jewellery. Not kitchen utensils."
"Whatever," Rowe said as he scrutinised his coat intently, shivering a little in the cold air. "If she doesn't want it I'll take it. You have to give Frost this, he always used top quality tools."
"He did have the money for it," Jack agreed.
"Yeah, he did," Rowe grinned as him as he slipped a couple of fingers through the tear the knife had left and waggled them at his partner. "So how did you like my consummate acting?"
"A little overdone," Jack stated with an answering grin as he took the corner fast and the wheels spun on the road as it began to ice in the continuing snow. He retained control admirably and they continued on.
"What do you mean?" Rowe asked indignantly. "I thought it was perfect."
"Well, there really wasn't any need to stay there the whole time."
"I didn't know if you had taken him completely or just winged him," Rowe defended his actions. "I wouldn't have helped things if I'd suddenly come back from the dead if you were still trying to finish the job."
"That's very considerate of you, but I feel that I should be insulted that you thought that I would miss."
"Everyone can have a bad day," Rowe said, still examining his coat. He then lent back with a mournful face and sighed.
"What's the matter?" Jack asked him.
"This was my best coat," he moaned, then slumped further into the seat. "In fact it was my only coat, damnit!"
Jack smile at his partner's pout. "We'll stop in Bond Street," he said, steering the car in that direction. "I'll buy you another. Think of it as my Christmas gift to you."
"Why, that's real sweet of you, partner." Rowe said happily, huddling under his damaged coat with a smile.
"No problem."
"You know," Rowe said, lighting a cigarette. "I can't believe Frost fell for it that easily."
"He wasn't particularly bright," Jack said, negotiating another turn. "Money can't buy brains."
"Or guts," Rowe said disdainfully with a snort. "Straight from behind like the weasel he was."
"Well, that is what we expected," Jack said, eyeing the bullet proof vest tossed on the back seat where Rowe had thrown it after removing his coat. "It's a good thing you were wearing that, otherwise you would have been only too aptly skewered."
"Hmm," Rowe inhaled on the cigarette and then blew a smoke ring out that was immediately whisked away. "But he should have figured out that we wouldn't be caught so easily. I mean," and he turned his head toward Jack, cigarette dangling from his lips. "We masterminded the whole assassination and frame-up in front of the international media. What made him think that we would not be aware of someone following us?"
"As I said, brains and logic were not his strong suite."
"Obviously."
"However, if you hadn't been acting as bait we would never have drawn him out."
"It was pretty easy; just walking around each day was so damn boring!" He grinned, "But I had to make it look like I was surprised."
"Was that why you were carrying those miscellaneous things, like the picture frames?"
"I wanted to make it look good when he came at me." Rowe grinned. "Nothing looks splashier than shattering glass."
"Very artistic," Jack complimented with a smile.
"Thank you, sir!"
There was silence for short time. "There was one little worry though," Rowe admitted.
"What was that?" Jack asked.
"I didn't know if he would go for a throat cut or not. I didn't have any protection against that."
"I thought we had established that that method would be unlikely, knowing his nature."
"For the first attack," Rowe admitted. "But he's also the sort of snake that goes for a man when he's down, to finish him off."
"That's true," Jack admitted, remembering all too well when he was posing as Jude McManus how Frost was going to shoot Rowe as he lay on the ground unconscious. Yes, that is exactly how Frost worked.
"So I wondered if he would go for the throat once he thought I was down. Just to make sure."
"Fortunately he didn't," Jack said calmly.
"So you weren't worried when you arrived?" Rowe asked, turning to look at Jack, hunkering down a little lower in the seat out of the wind.
Jack glanced at him and smiled. When Rowe's quiet voice had informed him through the cigarette microphone, "He's here,", he had driven as fast as he could, following the homing beacon on Rowe. He wasn't going to admit how hard his heart had beat when he'd seen his partner lying on the ground, the knife hilt protruding from his back. At that moment it had felt like his breath had stopped; a real feeling of fear sweeping over him.
Until he had seen the lighter still lit, the flame flickering in the breeze. He had known then that his partner was okay. If Rowe had been dead he would have released his grip on the lighter, snuffing it out. The fact that it still remained upright and lit had told him clearly that Rowe was alive.
"Of course not," he lied smoothly. "You would hardly have allowed yourself to die. Noelle would have been very upset with you." He glanced at Rowe. "Did you think I wouldn't get there in time?"
"Nope," Rowe said casually. "I knew you'd be there," He grinned at his partner. "When have you ever let me down?"
Jack smiled back. "Now let's get your coat. We have a Christmas dinner waiting for us."
"Ah," Rowe hesitated.
"What is it?"
"Well," and Rowe scratched at his nose, looking a little uncomfortable. "Do you have any suggestions for a Christmas present for a female."
"I'm sure Noelle would like anything you gave her," Jack said, not taking his eyes from the road, then the tone in Rowe's voice alerted him that there was something more to what his partner was saying. "Or is it not Noelle you are referring to?"
"Er, yeah,"
"Ah, I see," Jack drove in silence for moment. "So what do you think Claire would like – clothing, jewellery?"
"Damned if I know," Rowe muttered, chewing on his cigarette.
"Well, as it is your first Christmas together, despite it coming so soon, you should give her something. She has always bought you a gift each year."
"Yeah, I know,"
Jack cast a quick glance at his friend before focusing back on his driving. "So… just how serious are you about her?"
"Huh? What's that got to do with it?"
"Everything," Jack replied smoothly. "If you do not intend to continue the liaison or if it is to only be short term, your choice of gift should be fairly general in nature. If this is a long term attraction, then a more personal touch is required. Something she can cherish now, and even if later on the relationship falters, it can be something she wishes to retain in remembrance of your time together."
Rowe looked silently at his partner. From where he sat he couldn't see Jack's left ear but he knew that there would still be that trapezoidal earring attached there. Yeah, he got what Jack was saying. He'd seen that whole scenario played out before him, despite not having known either Jack or his former partner, Claudia, before.
He turned his head and gazed out at the buildings flashing past, thinking. Is that what he wanted? An intense relationship like that where the feelings could linger for so may years later and burn just as brightly? That was a bit of a scary thought for him. He'd always kept his liaison's light, nothing heavy, a bit of fun for all concerned. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had what he could call a 'steady' girlfriend. Is it what he wanted now? Could he even handle it?
Jack let his partner think in silence and spoke only once he'd pulled up to a stop in front of the store. "Come on," he said, turning off the engine and opening the door. "Let's get this over with so we don't keep the ladies waiting."
"Yeah," Rowe drawled as he followed with arms wrapped around him, looking like he was going to his death sentence.
-oOo-
"Ready?" Jack queried as they stood before the doors.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Rowe stated, looking uncomfortable. "Are you sure about this?" he asked his partner.
"How should I know?" Jack said with a shrug, opening the door.
"Hey, but you said…!"
"You!"
Rowe's exclamation was interrupted, for as they entered there was a blur of motion and a hard fist, albeit small, slammed against his jaw, sending him stumbling backwards to land on his butt.
A little dazed, he looked up to see Claire standing before him, glaring down, hands clenched at her side.
"What was that for?" he asked bewildered. Surely she wasn't angry about their little encounter. He was positive she had enjoyed it. In fact he'd been certain to make sure that she had and that was something he prided himself in. So what was wrong?
He was surprised by the way her eyes glittered. She looks like she's been crying, he mused, staring up at her. Noelle stood behind Claire, clinging to Jack's arm tightly and her face also looked blotchy and upset. What the hell had been going on here, he wondered.
"You…" Claire began again and had to stop and swallow hard to continue. "You could have called in, you jerk!"
"What are you talking about? We said we'd be here after we were done. I know we're a little behind time but we're not that late!" Rowe said defensively.
"Why you...!" Claire flung herself between his knees and began pounding angrily on his chest.
He grabbed her wrists and held them tightly watching as a single tear ran from the corner of her closed eyes, her face turned away from him. "Hey, hey, what's all this? Aren't you going to tell me what's wrong before you pound me to a pulp?"
She turned to look at him, the glare not quite having the same effect against the unshed tears. "The clean up crew reported in," she said crisply, sounding more like herself.
"So everything is sorted out with Frost?"
"To hell with Frost!" She shook her head violently, long hair swishing around her shoulders. "They said there was another body there," She glared at him again. "The person they described was you, Rowe! They said you were dead!"
"Ah. Is that what this all about?"
"Oh!" Claire made to get to her feet but Rowe held her fast, preventing her escape. He hadn't considered that his little act would have been reported back to her. He should have considered it though. Guess it's just another one of those things he'd have to start taking note of.
He smiled down at the still angry Claire, releasing one hand to brush away a glittering tear clinging to her cheek. "As you can see, I'm fine. Fighting fit, so there's no need to worry. Sorry." he said sincerely.
She relaxed a little in his grip, accepting his apology. "Here," he said, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box. "I didn't have time to gift wrap it," he said, grinning. "But I thought it would just be thrown out anyway so it seemed a waste to bother."
"Only you would think gift wrapping was a waste," she said mildly, taking the box. "What is it?" as she opened it. She stared at the contents, looking dumbstruck. Then she lifted the necklace out, admiring the swinging pendent of the diamond encrusted half heart.
"Why only half?" she queried, looking at him.
He kept his gaze locked on her face as he reached up and pulled aside the top of his coat to reveal the low neckline of his shirt. His customary leather necklace encircled his tanned throat still but now it was joined by a long slender chain from which hung a half heart in plain silver.
"Merry Christmas," Rowe said quietly.
Claire just looked at him for a moment longer and then threw herself against his chest, hugging him around the neck tightly. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt.
"Hey now, this was supposed to make you happy."
"I.. am…happy," she hiccupped, then raised her head to look at him, smiling through her tears. She reached out and cupped his face in her hands. "I'm completely happy, silly," she murmured, resting her forehead against his.
"I'm glad," he said quietly back.
"Well, I hate to break up this touching tête-à-tête but you really do need to get out of the doorway so we can close them; you're letting all the cold air in. Not to mention what I am sure is a delicious meal, might get ruined if we delay much longer."
"Oh my! The dinner!" Claire exclaimed, flinging herself away from Rowe and racing to the kitchen.
Rowe chuckled as he watched her leave. "That's my girl," he said out loud. A hand reached down before him and he looked up into Jack's smiling face.
"Well done, partner," Jack said.
Rowe let him haul him to his feel, brushing himself down. "That seemed to go okay," he said, a little embarrassed, scratching at the back of his neck.
"You've made Miss Claire very happy, Rowe!" Noelle said, beaming at him. She clapped her hands together. "This is the best Christmas ever!" and she bounded away.
"Well, shall we join them?" Jack queried.
"Guess we'd better. There'd be hell to pay if we didn't at this point."
"Very true."
They began walking towards the room where the sounds of laughter, talking and clattering dishes were coming from.
"Merry Christmas, Rowe," Jack suddenly said, not looking at his partner but holding his left arm across his body, hand pointed toward Rowe who was walking on his right.
"Merry Christmas, Jack," Rowe replied, not looking either but mirroring the gesture so their hands touched.
They shook and then continued on to join their 'family'.
End