Calling Me, Calling You
Written by Cryssie M
Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters. Tru Calling belongs to Fox – and shame on them for having cancelled this awesome show. Only the idea of this fic is mine.
Rating: K+
Timeline: A few months after the last episode.
Spoilers: Actually all episodes with Tru and Jack, but mostly "Daddy's Girl", "D.O.A.", "Two Weddings and a Funeral", "'T was a Night Before Christmas... Again".
Summary: A temporary truce between Jack and Tru leads to shocking revelations. How does Tru cope with her father's secret? What if she should choose between her Dad and Jack? Will she help Jack, putting her grudge aside? What consequences will there be?
Author notes: This is my very first Tru Calling fic. Blame the fellow Tru/Jack fic authors and the re-runs of the show for this piece. :)
Thanks a lot to cherrygirl (Lara) for betareading and encouraging! you rock, honey! xxx
"So here we are again. Where everything had started," Jack noted with a smile as she sat down next to him in the bar, in which they had shared their secrets many months earlier.
"Where you lied to me about your calling... Save the small talk, Jack. What do you want?" Tru asked impatiently and unimpressed. "Why did you call me here?"
"C'mon Tru, relax a bit. You're too tense. That's not the real you."
She frowned. "You don't know the real me, and you never will."
"Pretending to hate me takes too much of your energy," he claimed, furrowing his brow. "It will wear you completely out."
"I'm not pretending anything," she retorted. "I do hate you."
Jack laughed, and took a large sip of his drink. When he put down the glass, the spark of amusement lit up in his eyes again.
"You don't," he stated, then lowering his voice, leant closer to the brunette. "And deep down you know it."
She flinched, yet she couldn't break away from his look.
"If you hated me," Jack continued, absolutely self-confident, "you wouldn't have asked for my help, and invited me to Christmas Eve."
Tru wanted to snap at him, say he was wrong, but nothing came out.
"We might be in the opposite corner of the ring, but that doesn't mean we couldn't be friends."
"You're out of your mind!! We will never be friends. There are plenty reasons... You're Death, you killed Luc..."
... and we could be much more than that...
"Tru, Tru, these made-up reasons are getting boring now," he sighed. "Can't you come up with anything else? Something I haven't heard yet?" he tilted his head, while his trademark smile was playing in the corner of his mouth.
"Screw you, Jack," she spat out, and jumped on her feet, "I don't have time for your games and stupid fantasies. If that's all you called me here for, I don't want to waste my time here with you."
"It's not a rewind day, so why can't we make a temporary truce, and act like normal people?"
"If I wanted to spend my time with someone, it is definitely not with an enemy."
Jack gulped down the last drops of his drink, and hopped off the stool. "Good," he said with satisfaction. Grinning widely, he looked at her expectantly, "so where are we going?"
His easiness took her off guard. He was not someone who accepted defeat. Not in their battle, nor now. Though he never showed the rage when he lost, she knew he promised himself that next time it would be him who would celebrate victory.
He was damn insolent, pushing her to give into this crazy idea, but his look always helped him to charm and persuade people to his advantage.
Tru eyed him cautiously.
"There's no trick, Tru," he answered her doubts. "I'm unarmed, no second thoughts. I just want a normal day."
Even Death needs a vacation.
"Why me?" her eyes narrowed.
"Should I pick Harrison?" he laughed. "I'm not sure you'd like that. Not to mention that we have much in common."
"The only thing we have in common is this battle between you and me."
... Battles can be sweet too...
"We'll see. Give me a chance," he asked with a tiny smile.
"I"ll regret this," she noted with an inaudible sigh. "I know I'll regret this."
The weather was awesome – azure-blue sky, golden sun, cool breeze, everything that a perfect day required. A nice day for Life and Death make a truce. Though Tru wasn't thrilled by the idea of hanging out with Jack, she gave into his suggestion of taking advantage of being free from their callings now, forget about belonging in two different worlds, and act like normal people.
"I used to love fun-fairs when I was a kid," Jack said as they entered the city's theme park on the beach. He came up with the idea to take a trip to this amusement park and Tru didn't reject it. She didn't know the last time she had been here only for fun. Last time she had stepped onto this path, she had been on duty; she had had a life to save. And how ironic, Jack had been with her. Not "with" her actually, but rather against her. Or...? It was complicated. Well, he had saved her from a bullet…
"Let me guess, your favourite was the horror-chamber, huh?" she sneered, flashing a grin at him.
"Tsk, tsk, Tru. Why do you always think the worst of me?"
"Maybe because you're Death?"
"Maybe because you're hopelessly cynical?" he retorted.
She gave him a go-to-hell grin.
"Good," he noted contently. "So let the fun begin!"
Tru couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun. Visiting almost all the attractions of the park, she lost herself in the amusements that it offered. She enjoyed every minute; however her companion wasn't the dream-partner. Anyway, now she could be free of worrying about what her counterpart might do to counter her plans. He was here beside her, engulfed in the thrill of the rides, definitely not caring about any masterplan. She hadn't trust him at first, but after the next two rounds, her caution diminished, and she let herself give in to the fun.
Jack liked this new Tru Davies - not as if the other one hadn't appealed him. He liked competing with her, curiously watching how she moved her figures on the big chess-board of the day. She was smart and strong. She was brave and adamant. And of course, she was beautiful. He admired her gorgeous brown locks cascading down on her shoulders, and the chocolate pools of her eyes brightening with confidence. Having joined the team of the morgue, he had to admit that there was an attractive opponent on the other side. This Tru Davies, sitting next to him in the car of the roller-coaster, was very similar to the one he had worked with, when his true identity hadn't been uncovered yet.
They screamed together as the cars rocketed down from the top-tracks, and gathered their breath as the car coasted up the hills. The gush of the wind played with her hair, and the locks arbitrarily flapped in his face now and then, tickling his neck. Both of them forgot about the battle between them, and enjoyed the moment, feeling normal again.
"It was... wow..." she was panting as they got out of the carriage. Jack reached a hand to help her onto the stable ground, and she wasn't aware of accepting it without a snap.
"Yeah..." he shared her enthusiasm. "I think I could use a drink now," he looked at her suggestively.
"Good idea. I'm drained."
They bought some soda at the next stall, and sat down at a table under an umbrella.
"Remember?" Jack held up his soda can.
"When you flippantly drank my soda, already thinking you were part of the team?" she smiled nostalgically. "How could I forget?"
He chuckled. "So it was a memorable first encounter."
"Definitely. I immediately knew that I wouldn't like you. "
"Thanks," he flashed her a sneery smile.
"Anytime," she returned.
They both were sipping their sodas, and then Jack broke the silence. "How's school?"
Tru almost spit her drink out in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"I just was wondering about how you were doing in school," he said.
"Why does it interest you? We're not friends," she asked in confusion.
"We could be. At least for this afternoon," he suggested. "Also, we should talk about something while we're here, don't ya think?"
"Right, but you don't force me to talk about anything I don't want."
"Deal."
"Seems we got a day off. No calls today," Jack noted easily and satisfied, as they walked in the street, back from the fun-fair. Darkness descended upon the city, and the lights lit up with silverish sparks.
"The day isn't over yet," Tru pointed out.
"Why do you have to be so damn pessimistic?" he scolded her playfully.
"I'm just reasonable," she countered with a mocking smile.
"I like it much better when you don't care about your calling, – just like this afternoon. You're good company if you don't stick to your guns."
"Well, you're more tolerable when you are not acting as the ambassador of fate," she remarked.
"Thank you," he playfully bowed with a big smile, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, we might do this again sometime."
She looked at him with surprise in her eyes.
"What?" she stopped to face him. "Are you suggesting...?"
"Why not?" he smirked. "We both enjoyed this day, didn't we? Why couldn't we take a break sometimes from the everyday issues, and have fun together?"
"You're crazy. I admit this day was great, but it doesn't mean that anything changed between us, and I want to hang out with you. We're enemies, remember?"
"C'mon, Tru, take it easy! I didn't say this day has made me change my mind, and I'll join your side, but it seems like we get along well with each other when we're off-duty. So why wouldn't we make the best of that?"
She let out a snorted laugh. "It's nonsense. Why would I choose you of all people to spend my free time with?"
He stepped closer to her, his face inches from hers.
"'Cause we share something. I understand you like no one else. Nobody knows how you feel, except me," he claimed low-key, his eyes locking hers. "And I know why you run away unexpectedly."
Good point. People could hardly accept how or why she always left so suddenly, and she always had to make excuses. But not to him. He knew what it felt. He knew his duty.
She saw honesty brightening in his wonderful blue eyes.
"I was so thrilled to learn you relived days too, happy to be not alone with this... Why can't you be on my side?" she asked quietly.
"I'm sorry, Tru. But you know every force has to have its equal and opposite force. And fate sent me to be yours."
She pouted, and resumed walking. "I hate fate."
"Does it mean you like me a bit?" he smirked.
"No," she grinned. "It means I hate fighting."
"You would never say that out loud, huh?"
"What?"
"That you like me a little."
She stopped again. "It's getting late, I need to go home. Who knows what I have to face tomorrow."
He grinned at the fact that she had changed topic, avoiding answering his question. "It's not even 8. The night is still young."
"For me, it's late enough. It's been a long day."
"C'mon, Tru! Let yourself be taken by the flow. Enjoy life!" his eyes were brightening assuringly. "Seize every moment – I thought you already learned about that."
"Another speech?" she wrinkled her nose.
"Well, I might hold a lecture about the issue..." he grinned.
"No," she rejected, "I've had enough of that for today."
He laughed. "Okay then," he took her arm with a smirk, "our truce is still on, so why not have some more fun?"
His attitude was irresistible, and Tru had enjoyed the carefree freedom of this day too much to protest.
He considered her silence as an agreement. "Good girl." The content smirk was still plastered on his face.
Author note: so that was the first piece. Hope you enjoyed it!