A/N: Have you missed me? :P Real life intruded for a while there, but now I'm back!! :)

This is a semi-serious offering that was inspired by a Hoshi/Trip fanfic "The Best Laid Plans," though mine is a little different. Obviously. I thought it might be fun for some revenge to be taken on Gemma, so once again it's set after Gingerbread. Hope you like!! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

She Believed Him

It was getting late and Jackie was just starting to think about calling it a night. They had gone to a different place for a drink, one that had music and dancing, and she was beginning to get a headache. She had just downed the last of her drink and was saying goodbye to Robbie and Stuart when she saw it.

Michael had been cornered at the bar (it had been his shout) by a woman with short, dark curly hair and a man who stood a couple of inches taller than Michael. Both Robbie and Stuart looked confused by the irate expression that crossed Jackie's face.

"Everything all right, Jackie?" Robbie asked, following her gaze to where Michael stood and wondering what on earth would upset her about the situation. Sure Michael looked uncomfortable but beyond that Robbie was at a loss.

"Gemma," she spat angrily, more to herself than the others.

Robbie looked even more confused and was about to prompt her further when she muttered something about 'being back in a minute' and walked over to Michael.

"What was that all about?" Robbie asked, turning back to Stuart who shrugged.

Jackie came up to Michael and the others just in time to hear the tail end of Gemma's soliloquy about her marriage and her life since leaving Michael. Jackie took a deep breath as she decided on her course of action.

Ignoring Gemma and her companion she came up to Michael and kissed him soundly, "I've been looking for you," she breathed as they broke apart. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, turning to Gemma and her companion, "I didn't see you there, Gemma isn't it?" she asked, extending her hand in greeting.

Gemma looked a little stunned, "Uh, yes..." she said, glancing from Jackie to Michael as she took Jackie's proffered hand. "This is my husband, Derek," she said, stressing the relationship as she introduced him to Jackie, regaining some of her composure as she did so. "I thought you said Jackie was 'just a colleague,' Michael," Gemma teased with a slightly strained smile.

Michael, who since Jackie had joined them had been standing in mild shock, shook himself as she addressed him. "Uh...well, things change," he said, still a little confused but playing along as Jackie took his arm. "So I see," Gemma replied, looking like she wanted to say more.

Whatever she would have said, however, was cut off by Robbie who, after watching them from the table, had decided to join them. "Come on you two love birds, are you ever going to come back?" Robbie turned to Gemma and her husband with a wicked gleam in his eye, "Honestly, these newlyweds," he said with a conspiratorial wink.

Gemma gaped at Michael and Jackie, "You're married?!"

Robbie bit back a laugh at the glare Jackie sent him, "Yep, as of two months ago," Robbie continued before either Michael or Jackie could respond, "it all happened so fast they haven't really had time to tell anyone. Are you an old friend of Michael's?" Robbie asked, innocently, turning back to Gemma.

"Something like that," she answered, still looking incredulously at Michael and Jackie.

"Would you care to join us?" Robbie asked, clearly enjoying himself now. Gemma's husband started to shake his head, "We'd love to," Gemma answered before her husband could utter a sound. "Allow me," Robbie said gallantly, leading Gemma and her husband back to their table.

Jackie glanced sheepishly up at Michael, who still looked a little dazed by the turn of events. He looked down at her, "Before you say anything, I'm really sorry Michael; I had no idea that Robbie was going to come in like that..." Jackie trailed off as Michael shook his head.

"Look, Jackie, I really appreciate you doing this, but you really don't have to..." it was Michael's turn to trail off as Jackie interrupted him. "Forget it, I'm rather enjoying getting her back for what she did to you," Jackie told him honestly, "it serves her right," she added firmly.

Michael looked doubtful, before he cast a thoughtful look over to their table, "I suppose you're right," Michael said finally, "come on, we'd better go before Robbie shoots his mouth off even more than he all ready has."

"I'll kill him later," Jackie said.

Michael laughed darkly, "Not if I kill him first," he said, only half joking, "just a few minutes and then we go, right?" he asked, taking her hand and leading her back to the table. She nodded.

Wrong.

An hour later they were still there, listening to Gemma's account of her life since she saw Michael last and fielding questions about their fictitious marriage; helped, of course, by Robbie who was enjoying himself immensely.

Michael, however, was fast reaching his limit and after answering Gemma's latest question had displaced Jackie gently from his lap (for some reason Robbie hadn't been able to procure enough chairs) and all but fled to the bathroom.

"I'll be right back," Robbie said, a few moments later, following Michael out and leaving Stuart and Jackie alone with Gemma and her husband.

It took Robbie a little longer to return to the table than Jackie had hoped, but he had succeeded in convincing Michael to return. Though not before Gemma had asked, rather nastily, why Jackie didn't have a ring. Jackie had replied smoothly that Michael's mother's ring had been too big and they were getting it resized, thinking that this whole lying thing was getting a little too easy. She felt a little guilty at the look that crossed Gemma's face when she said this but it was dimmed by the satisfaction she felt in getting one up on the woman.

"Shall we dance, Jackie?" Michael asked, coming up to the table with Robbie beside him. Jackie stood up, relieved to be able to escape from Gemma and her incessant questions.

"You know, Michael," Jackie began, after they had been dancing for a while, "you're supposed to only have eyes for me," she reminded him, in a slightly teasing tone.

Michael tore his gaze away from Gemma and her husband, "Huh?"

"They're never going to buy that we're newly married if you pay more attention them than you do to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Michael replied as his gaze once more shifted to the table, "I'm just concerned about what tales Robbie might be spinning in our absence."

"Uh-huh," Jackie said doubtfully, "you're sure that you're over her?" she asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

Michael looked down at her, surprised by her question. "I'm over her all right, don't you worry about that." Jackie raised an eyebrow.

Michael shifted his hold on her, pulling her slightly closer and gave her that crooked smile she loved. "I am over her Jackie," he told her seriously, with a hint of mischief lurking in his eyes.

"I believe you," she told him.

He grinned, "I don't know that you do, maybe I should convince you?"

Jackie decided he was being a little too convincing and she really didn't want this whole charade to end up backfiring on her. It was too easy to believe it was all real.

She went to remove her arms from his neck, but he stopped her. The movement brought their faces closer together and she stood, mesmerised, as he lowered his head slowly towards hers.

Their lips were just about to touch when a voice from nearby broke the spell:

"Derek and I are leaving now, Michael, it was nice to see you again."

Well, that killed the mood, Jackie thought to herself, surprised at how disappointed she felt. Before either of them could respond, Gemma had turned on her heel and walked out with Derek.

Jackie watched them go for a few moments, before remembering where she was. A little embarrassed, she stepped out of Michael's arms, avoiding his eyes, "Well, I guess there's no need for the charade any more. We should go back to Robbie and Stuart."

She made to do just that but Michael caught her hand, drawing her back to him. "Just a moment, I wasn't quite finished," he told her, the mischievous gleam back in his eyes.

"Please Michael," she said, pushing weakly against his chest.

"Jackie," he said, his tone causing her to look up into his eyes. "This isn't a charade," he told her seriously; drawing her to him and kissing her just as soundly as she had kissed him earlier that evening.

And she believed him.

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A/N: I really think Robbie would get a kick out of a situation like this, Stuart isn't in it as much because I kind of envision him concentrating on his drink and wishing he was somewhere else :)