Title: "Turbulence"
Author: Mercury
Rating: PG-13 for semi-smut.
Summary: What exactly happened on the flight to Cleveland in "Life Rules"? (J/S)
Author's Notes: Thanks a ton to ZenBridge for betaing, as this is my first Without a Trace fic. Enjoy!
The last place she wanted to be at that moment was on a plane. This wild-goose chase was giving her a headache, and the high altitude wasn't making matters any better. Besides, she was stuck in the middle seat, next to a guy who looked like he had drunkenly staggered on the first plane he saw and promptly passed out. She was trying to ignore his snoring, but it wasn't working.
Jack could see her growing more irritable by the minute. "We can trade places if you want." He offered, preparing to give up the much-coveted aisle seat for her.
"I'm fine." Sam snapped back.
A small ding! Interrupted their conversation. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We're cruising at a steady altitude of 32,000 feet right now and it looks like smooth sailing all the way to Cleveland. So sit back and enjoy the flight, and the flight attendants will be coming around shortly with drinks."
The man by the window was beginning to lean over and rest his head on Sam's shoulder. Quickly she unbuckled her seatbelt and squeezed past Jack, heading towards the rear of the plane. Concerned, he got up and followed her, where she was waiting for the bathroom's occupant to exit.
"What's the matter?" He asked gruffly. The door opened and a small woman headed back to her seat. Sam began to enter the bathroom when he stopped her by grabbing her arm.
She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just tired, I have a headache, and none of this case is making any sense."
Just as he opened his mouth to respond a stewardess appeared from behind them. "Excuse me," she said, pushing a cart stocked with drinks as well as packets of some nasty-looking trail mix, "Would you mind moving aside for a minute, sir?"
With the flight attendant in front of him and another passenger standing behind him, he had nowhere else to go but follow Sam into the vacant bathroom. The door closed behind them and he watched her splash some water from the small metal sink onto her face.
Gingerly he stepped forward, pushing a strand of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. Jack noticed how small the airplane bathroom was at that moment and felt almost too close to her. He could smell her shampoo in their close confines.
Then she let her lips gravitate towards his and they connected, remaining together for what seemed an eternity. Vaguely they heard a voice from overhead inform them that they were "hitting some minor turbulence, but nothing serious, folks. We'd appreciate it if you could return to your seats, as it's going to be a bit bumpy."
Ignoring the message, his hands slowly crept up her back and to her neck, where his hands had rubbed so many times before. For a brief moment they separated so they could try to catch their breath, their eyes meeting. And then they resumed kissing again, her hand running through his hair, sending it in all directions.
Turbulence briefly rocked the plane and sent them crashing into the wall, where they broke apart. She giggled helplessly, and he smirked in return. The next jolt sent her falling right into Jack and pressed them both against the door. For a moment they looked at each other again, briefly, and then they resumed their business.
The steady rocking of the plane was causing them to lose their balance every now and then, and sometimes they would trip or fall into either a wall or the sink. Her neck arched gracefully and he kissed it before they were again separated by the shaking of the plane.
Eventually they heard a knocking at the door and an angry voice call out, "It's been ten minutes, man! Are you ever gonna come out?"
They broke into peals of laughter and Sam responded with an unconvincing, "One minute, sir." Jack kissed her lightly on the lips again, but she pulled away before it could turn into something more. Quickly straightening her shirt and patting down her hair, she took Jack by the hand and led him out of the bathroom. The best Jack could do to the grumpy passenger was offer a sheepish grin, and then he and Sam returned to their seats.
"This is your captain speaking," came the voice again. "We're about to begin our descent, and we'll be touching down in Cleveland in about five minutes. We're glad that you chose American Airlines, and we hope you'll be flying with us again soon. In the meantime, we ask that you please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts, and we apologize for the turbulence earlier."
Sam and Jack exchanged a small but knowing grin as they touched down on the hangar minutes later, and she couldn't help but feel her spirits rise. After all, they would have to take another flight to get home.
They brushed past each other as they stood up to exit the plane, and their lips met briefly - they were together for no more than a nanosecond, but it felt like so much longer to her.
Yes, she was looking forward to the return flight. Especially the turbulence.