A/N: So, beautywithin22 and I have been discussing Michael's relationship with Heather which was, let's face it, pretty pointless. But I was inspired by it nonetheless and this was the result :) Hope you like :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The Saddest Part Of All
Perhaps it was because she had gone out to dinner with him and felt closer to him now or perhaps she had always seen it and it had just never registered.
But whatever the reason, Heather knew without a doubt that the reason Michael Jardine had taken so long to notice her was because he was in love with Jackie Reid.
She wondered why she had never noticed it before: the looks, the touches and the easy familiarity that they both exuded around the other. In some ways it was like they orientated themselves around the other: wherever Jackie was, Michael was too and vice versa.
But what truly made her realise that she would never be anything more than the consolation prize in Michael's eyes was the way he could switch so completely back to being her boss rather than...whatever he had been the night before.
And it was not simply his way, she could see that now, see it in the way he was always personal with Jackie in a way that he wasn't with the others. Oh, they were still professional, but the formality between them had faded long ago.
She could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her: Jackie was different, Jackie would always be different.
Jackie was the woman he loved and always would be.
His eyes would never light up like that when he looked at her, he would never know her like he seemed to know Jackie; he would never take the time.
Despite this new knowledge, it didn't hurt her as much as she thought it would it only made her sad. He had never meant to hurt her or to lead her on; he was too good a man for that.
No, he was either in complete and utter denial or completely oblivious to his feelings for Jackie.
And that, Heather decided, was the saddest part of all.
...
A/N: I had meant to look at both of them, but the focus ended up being mainly on Michael. But as it's in Heather's perspective I imagine she'd focus more on Michael's reactions anyway.