A/N: Takes place after season 3 finale. For all those who just don't understand why there was a Tess to begin with! Holla!
Disclaimer: Not smart enough to own them. And definitely not doing this for profit. Just smiles. AND REVIEWS. :-)
***
"Allison. I was just about to call you." Jack fingered the ticket that was still within his grasp. Receiving the invitation from Tess had put it to the test—he smiled—but he had made his decision the minute he had hugged Zoe goodbye. "Do you mind if I come by?"
***
Holding Jenna made the ache of Zoe's absence slightly less. The infant, who fit perfectly cradled in both forearms leaned on his lap, had fallen asleep within minutes of being in his embrace. In her current position he could admire the shockingly peaceful countenance of this precious being. The tips of his fingers gently caressed the top of her head and marveled at the softness of the hair already beginning to sprout. Absolutely breathtaking, Jack thought to himself. Just like her mother.
Chalk it up to an empty nest, but Carter was feeling sentimental. He hoped it wasn't residual effects from the baby-and-me monitors he and Allison had inadvertently been linked to. It's not that he was some chauvinistic macho man who thought it effeminate to be in touch with his feelings, he just wasn't used to having such a flood of emotions to deal with in such a short amount of time. His intense relationship with Tess and her departure, Zoe's acceptance to Harvard…and departure; it was enough to make any man emotionally distraught. He needed some comfort.
Though they'd not always been as close (sometimes—years ago—she had been downright antagonistic), Allison had been a constant during Carter's time in Eureka. And that was a comfort. Choosing him as her pregnancy coach had brought them to the closest they'd been, showing a level of trust that was scary at times. He knew the implicit trust had sprouted from their mutual attraction to each other and at some point had turned into a friendship. But more than that he was unsure and didn't want to push it. Especially right now when he was feeling so off-kilter.
It comforted him the way Allison fluttered around her house like the proverbial mother hen, easily accepting him in as one of her brood. Without the constant presence of his sister—and now his daughter—Carter knew he'd soon begin missing the brief, but rewarding "family time" he was accustomed to.
Kevin was in a corner of the living room, currently occupied with a set of what appeared to be wooden blocks. Amazed at the gifted child's ability to focus, Carter wondered if the manufacturers of the classic toy had imagined their creation being used to create what appeared to be a to-scale replica of a supercollider. He was pleased there was still a market for the old stand-by.
Looking around, he smirked at the idea of having a ready-made family right here. He wondered what Allison would think of that. Or Stark. Carter's eyes darted around cautiously, expecting residual particles of the dissolved man to suddenly rematerialize at the first indication of him moving in on his territory. Carter chuckled softly, he wouldn't put the possibility past Eureka. He was even fairly confident he wouldn't drop the baby if it did happen.
Carter refocused his gaze on the child asleep in his arms. It didn't seem so long ago he was holding Zoe just like this. He could still remember the intense blueness of her baby eyes. Jenna shifted in her sleep, turning her head until her cheek rested on Jack's palm. My God, how easy it is to fall in love with a child. Soon she'd be speaking her first words, toddling around like she'd own the place, inventing a more efficient jet propulsion system for space exploration. Well, the last one would probably have to wait until high school.
Jenna would be brilliant, he was sure. Her pedigree was too much to contend to for it to be otherwise. He wondered if she would take after her father and develop a cynical, holier-than-though attitude. He knew she'd be gorgeous, so maybe taking after her father's smug countenance would keep her safe from the boys. Just like with Zoe, he felt protective of this little bundle. He might be slightly biased, but if Jenna took after her mother…they'd all be in trouble.
"Jack!" He snapped his head up to see Allison in front of him. "I've been calling you for about five minutes now, where have you been?" She slid her arms next to his, gently lifting her daughter out of his grasp.
"Just doing a little time-traveling. The kind that is legal in Eureka at least." He smiled up at her, enjoying the loving look she was giving the slumbering bundle. Obviously motherhood had mellowed her out immensely. He knew Allison was a great mother, but never considered her so domestic. The time away from Global Dynamics had done wonders for bringing out her inner Martha. Though he'd never tell her that to her face. "Uhhh…" he looked around, "where's Kevin?"
She rolled her eyes. Same ol' Allison. "Kevin already had dinner and is in his room watching a holovid before bed." She started to walk up the stairs, "And thanks for keeping this one asleep. Now I have a two o'clock wake-up cry to look forward to." He followed her up the stairs, rubbing his forearms that were starting to feel sore.
"But I've only been here like fifteen minutes. Kevin was just playing right here," he pointed down at the first floor as they finished their ascent.
"It's fifteen past seven, Carter. You've been here for more than an hour." She kept her voice just above a whisper as they entered the nursery.
"What?" Carter replied, absolutely perplexed. He looked down at his watch to confirm it. He could have sworn he was just holding Jenna for a few minutes while Allison finished cooking. "Your daughter has the ability to make grown men lose track of time." He rubbed a hand over his head watching mother put daughter in the crib. She picked up a standard-issue baby monitor, definitely not the one she had received at her baby shower gone bad. He liked the fact that even in the high-tech environment Eureka functioned in, Allison had settled for a classic. More than likely out of fear (especially after their personal experience with the device), but it still pleased him. She pressed a button as she shuffled him out, sending a thousand swirling shapes to dance across the nursery walls. He heard a strange humming as they walked down the hallway and down the stairs.
"It's a sonowomb LED machine. It mimics the sounds of being in the womb to relax the baby." He took back his thought about Allison relying on the traditional.
"I had something like that once. When I was six we found an abandoned puppy in our yard and it would yelp all night long. My parents were about to make me give him away when my teacher told me to put a ticking clock beneath its blanket. Worked like a charm."
"Yeah, Carter. Exactly the same thing." He was goading her on, and chuckled at her sarcasm. With Tess down under, Jack let himself remember how much he enjoyed (and missed) Allison's company. She bumped him shoulder to shoulder and smiled. "Let's eat."
***
"This is great. You must have been cooking this all day." He forked some more of the tender chicken into his mouth, followed by a scoopful of bell peppers. It sounded like a rehearsed line, but he really meant it. He may have let a slight moan escape when he took another bite of the crusty Italian bread. He felt like a caveman.
Allison chuckled. "Actually, I'll let you in on a little secret." She leaned in conspiratorially, "I used the crock pot. Just left the chicken and vegetables simmer all day in the sauce. Secret family recipe. Hush hush." She leaned back and took another sip of wine, smiling to herself. Jack could tell she enjoyed drinking the real deal now that she could. Synthanol just didn't cut it. He'd tried it with her to be supportive during the pregnancy, but all the genius in the world could not make fake beer palatable.
"So, wait a minute. What were you doing then while I was daydreaming for an hour if you weren't cooking?" It had made Jack feel special when he thought she had slaved away at dinner. Now he was just curious.
Allison looked sheepish as she took another sip of wine. "Uh. Carter, look--. It hasn't been easy all alone and--," she thought better of making excuses. "I took a nap." She looked up at him with a lidded stare, waiting for his response.
Jack almost spewed his drink when he heard what she'd been doing. He gulped heavily and smiled at her, teeth shining. "Allison." He didn't even know how to respond. "I'm glad." He remembered how absolutely insane it had been bringing Zoe home from the hospital with the all-hour-of-the-night feedings and diaper changing. And there had been two of them at the time. He couldn't even imagine what Allison was going through. He took on a more stern countenance, "And if you need help, you come to me. Anytime. The whole "partner-in-crime" business doesn't stop just because Jenna's been delivered."
"Thanks Jack. And now I won't feel as guilty since you have yourself an empty nest." She smirked. She didn't know if it was the wine or his sweetness that was making the warmth spread through her. "How are you doing with Zoe gone?"
"Seriously Allison, I'm a wreck." He sighed deeply and chuckled. "All these scenarios are constantly playing out in my head. Like what if she's walking back from the library at night and someone kidnaps her. Or she goes to a club and someone slips something into her drink. It's terrifying." He ran a hand over his face, trying to push the anxiety out of his mind.
"She's a smart girl, Jack. You've got to trust in that. And it's not like Lucas is James Dean or anything." She put her hand over his. "If she can survive living in Eureka, she can survive pretty much anything."
He turned his hand over and clasped hers. "You're right. About Zoe at least. The verdict is still out on Lucas, especially after the whole 'new magnetic pole over Eureka' bit." She squeezed his hand.
"It's going to be okay, Carter." She released her hold and stayed quiet for a minute, wondering whether or not she should tell him what she'd been holding back. She didn't want anything to jeopardize their newfound closeness, especially a lapse in honesty. "Jack, I have to tell you something."
He knew that tone. Nothing good ever came from that phrase. Things were going so well, he didn't want it to be ruined. He was actually enjoying himself. Carter just wondered if it was something he did. She sighed deeply, obviously having trouble saying what she was about to say. Definitely not good, nonetheless he tried to look encouraging.
"About Zoe getting early admittance to Harvard," there was a pregnant pause. "Henry didn't write her recommendation letter, I did." Jack didn't know how to respond. It's not that he had been angry with Henry when he found out about the recommendation, he just wish he'd been told about it beforehand. It was all just so sudden; Jack thought he'd have at least another year with Zoe before dealing with the whole college thing.
He knew it's what Zoe wanted, what made her happy. And he couldn't argue with Harvard. He'd even allowed a small part of himself to be pleased that his daughter had seemed so passionate about a field of study. He had Allison to thank for that, trusting Zoe enough to allow her to help deliver Jenna. Not that she really had a choice. But now knowing that it was Allison that had pulled the strings, it changed things. He should be grateful, but his initial feeling was one of betrayal. Why hadn't she told him?
"Say something, Carter." She understood it was a big deal to him. It dealt with Zoe after all.
"I just don't understand why this is the first I'm hearing of it. Or why Henry lied about writing the letter to begin with." She sensed his bitterness, not knowing if it was because they had held the author of the letter from him or because the letter had been written in the first place.
"I'm really sorry; we never wanted to lie about it. Henry and I were discussing it when he came over to visit Jenna and he thought it'd be best if the letter seemed to come from him. You know how competitive these scientists are…and if the head of Global Dynamics was involving herself in something as seemingly trivial as college recommendations, there would be talk. And Zoe didn't deserve to be at the center of any gossip mills. Henry's one of Tesla's GD mentors, so he suggested it'd be more fitting if it seemed to come from him." She leaned her head on her hand and tried to meet his gaze. "Did I say 'I'm sorry'?"
"Where's the letter?" He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. He knew she had meant well. But he felt the only way he could get over any ill-will was to have it all out. He needed to see what she wrote.
***
He'd expected it to be more of a listing of accomplishments than an impassioned plea for admittance, especially given the letterhead it was written on. "Not only has Zoe successfully adapted to the rigors of attending Eureka's high school and excelled in her coursework, but in her short time living in our community she has become known as a beacon of practicality during times of crises. Though it saddens me to think that Ms. Carter will be leaving us, I feel Eureka's loss will be your gain. She is a remarkable young woman who has personally added joy to my life, through helping in the delivery of my child and through being an individual I'm happy to call a friend."
Jack knew Zoe would never believe it if he told her what was in the letter. Or even who wrote it; he decided to keep that to himself. It did take away some of his resentment towards the whole incident knowing how Allison felt about his daughter.
"Look, Allison, I just wish you would have been straight with me from the beginning about this whole deal. You know, talk some sense into me and not let me act like the irrational protective father I'm capable of being." She'd begun removing dinner plates from the table, losing her appetite after telling Carter the truth. He followed her into the kitchen with his own empty plates, nothing stopping him from practically licking the deliciousness off the chinaware. After she placed the dirty dishes in the washing machine, Jack stopped her and turned her around. "It was a beautiful letter, Ally. I don't want you to feel bad for writing it."
She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It seemed so natural to just hug him, glad to know he wasn't completely cutting her out of his life. "I promise to be more open in the future about important things like this." She felt him squeeze back.
"That's all I ask," he whispered near her ear. She pulled away and looked up at him; his hands were still resting on her hips. She'd always tried to keep her distance from him, at first because of Nathan and more recently out of respect for Tess. Always stubborn to admit her feelings, she had given Tess her permission to pursue Carter through a denial of anything going on between them. Sometimes late at night, while nursing Jenna back to sleep, she allowed herself to think about an alternative existence where she had been a little more proactive in keeping Carter to herself.
"Am I forgiven?" She looked into his eyes and could tell he was holding something back from her.
"I don't think I could stay mad at you for very long anyway," he pulled her in a little closer. The baby monitor chose that specific moment to announce the evident unhappiness of a now wide-awake infant.
"Duty calls." Allison took a little longer leaving his embrace, cherishing every moment he touched her. "Why don't you hang around for a minute? I think I maybe have some dessert in the fridge." Carter voiced his consent as she made her way up the stairs.
She didn't know where this road was leading them—and knew that at some point she would have to ask him about his relationship with Tess—but for now Jack Carter was here where he belonged.
***
A/N: Possible dessert scene in the works...that is if I receive enough positive feedback to even encourage me to continue. :-)