Title: NEXT STEP
Rating: K
Timeline: season 7, just after the end of episode 17
Summary: Jack has to talk to Hanna about his girlfriend
Disclamair: WAT and all the characters are properties of their creators, producers, WB, CBS... etc. Sadly nothing is mine.
A/N: thanks to Sharon and Diane for their great help. You don't know me, but I can be really annoying :)
SHARING
"Hanna, I'm home!" Jack's voice immediately followed the noise of the closing door. With only one hand free, he was fumbling with his jacket, trying to put the keys back in his pants pocket. He had stopped on the way home at Hanna's favourite delivery place and now he was carrying a Chinese dinner for two, complete with dessert.
He put everything on the counter in the kitchen and went toward his bedroom to undress and change into something more comfortable. He stopped in front of Hanna's door. "Hi, Hanna."
But she couldn't hear him. She had those damned earphones on! He approached her. She was sitting at her desk, doing her homework. Jack didn't want to scare her, so with a little louder voice repeated his greeting.
She finally heard him, and taking out one of her earpieces, she smiled at him, "Hi, Dad."
"How can you study with those things in your ears?"
Hanna, smiling, avoided her father's question, "Bad day?"
Jack rolled his eyes – Hanna was more like him than he had imagined. It was not surprising that she and her mother clashed – 'oil and water don't mix' – He could not help smiling at the comparison, and then added, "Are you okay with having Chinese for dinner?"
"Sure, do you want me to call?"
"I took care of it. The take-out is in the kitchen. I'm going to take a shower. I'll be ready in about fifteen minutes. Okay ?"
"Perfect," and with this she put her earpiece back on and went back to her homework.
Jack followed his after-work routine, but his mind was still mulling over what Hanna had told him that morning. "Sharing". That single word had been haunting him since the morning. And how could he "share" his life with a fifteen- year-oldgirl? He hadn't been able to share it with his wife! He thought he could"share" his life with Samantha, and he was still working on that. Now he had to "share" his life with Sam with his daughter! Who was the genius who invented the word?
Jack knew he now had a second chance with his daughter. He needed to 'repair' their relationship. He wanted to be the father he hadn't been in the past. Obviously he had to earn Hanna's trust. He wanted her to feel she could talk with him about anything. To that end, he had to be honest with her. And that meant telling her the truth about Samantha – the good and the bad. He had to be honest because he did not know how much Hanna already knew. Jack and Maria had tried to keep the girls out of the line of fire, but he could not be sure what Maria had told them since the move to Chicago. Did Hanna know what part Sam played in their lives?
Jack Malone was freaking out. Why was it so difficult to talk with his daughter? He stepped out of the shower, put on his bathrobe, dried his hair with a towel and went back to his bedroom to get ready for dinner.
Hanna had warmed the dinner in the microwave and was setting the table. Jack stopped at the door, observing her. His daughter was really there, in New York with him. She was a young woman now, trying to find her place in the world. Would Hanna be a different person if Jack had been with her over the years? And now, would he be able to help and guide her through life?
Hanna lifted her eyes toward her father, "Dinner is ready."
Jack joined Hanna at the table and they started eating dinner. They made small talk, but Jack found it very difficult to relax with his daughter. He needed to talk to her about something important, but he did not know how to start. He could not go 'directly to the point' with her. As an FBI agent, he could communicate with both victims and perpetrators; but he could still not communicate with his own daughter.
"Have you done your homework?" Jack nonchalantly started.
"Dad, what is it? What do you want to talk about? You've been on the edge of your seat all night."Hanna wanted to tease Jack. She realized he had something on his mind, but he did not know how to start. He needed a little push.
"Do you remember this morning?" Jack, realizing one more time how perceptive his daughter was, started, and, gesturing with his hand back and forth between them, added, "You talked about 'sharing'. I'd like to talk about this new thing between us."
Hanna looked down intently at her food as a smile appeared on her face, then asked, "Great, where would you like to start?"
"You're right, Sherlock, I have a girlfriend."
"Was that so difficult to admit?" Hanna smirked at her father. It was so obvious he had someone in his life. Why did he want to hide her? He had not been so discreet with Anne.
"Yes." Jack smiled.
"Do I know her?" Hanna was curious. She was dying to know who the woman was.
"Yes, she works with me."
"Well, I guess we can eliminate Martin and Danny."Hanna mentally ran though all the females in the office."The blond one? Uhmm… Samantha?" She tried to be as unreadable as possible. She didn't want to give anything away. Her father had to suffer a little bit more.
"Yeah," Jack was surprised but quickly added, "She would like to take you out for lunch. What do you think about it?"
"Lunch? Just the two of us? " Hanna asked and, looking at his father's anxious face, added with a tone of sarcasm, "How interesting!"
"What does that mean?" Jack went from concerned father to FBI agent mode. He was surprised and unsure. His hope for a nice bonding moment was quickly fading.
Sensing there was more Jack had to say, Hanna stood up and rolled her eyes. "Of course, Dad. I'd like to meet her. Excuse me, I have to finish my homework."
It was not true, but she wanted to keep her father off balance and make him suffer a little longer.
Jack remained there, sitting at the table, wondering what was on his daughter's mind. He sensed that Hanna had more to say. He had been hopeful. He agreed with Sam's decision to meet Hanna alone. But now he was not sure what Hanna was up to. Samantha was great at handling teenagers, but this could be like walking on a minefield. He did not know what Hanna knew about their past. Maybe it was not a good idea.