Opportunity Knocks
Chapter 2
Who's There
Jack decided to leave before Nathan was done cleaning up. He felt awkward lurking in his office waiting on the man to shower and change and he doubted he needed assistance. So he left, walked down the hall past Allison's office and saw she was already fully engrossed in whatever she was working on. He kept walking and took in the quiet of Global Dynamics's foyer knowing it was probably not going to last now, then he made his way back to his Jeep.
It wasn't until he sat down in the driver's seat that the full impact of Nathan's wink and comment hit him. Sure they had said things before when bantering back and forth that could be considered flirting, but it could also be seen as a power play by dropping some inappropriate comments at the right time. That was something Nathan enjoyed doing and Jack knew it; Stark's confidence and ego allowed him the liberty to do things like that and he liked taking the tactical advantage whenever he saw an opportunity. Surely there was nothing behind any of it and it was only wishful thinking on Jack's part that it was something tangible.
Then again, he was the idiot who told him he looked good in black. What the hell did he expect Nathan to say when he handed him that comment on a silver platter?
He shook his head and started his car, hoping he wasn't starting the apocalypse by instigating this little expedition. He rolled his eyes as he thought about his eagerness to go to Mars to pick up some broken robot. He damned well deserved the absolute hell he was going to unleash with this noble idea of his. He wasn't going to be surprised when he ended up broken and bruised walking his new robot through the middle of town because this had all been his idea.
Jack rubbed his neck as he headed back to Cafe Diem. What the hell was anyone going to do with a retired Mars Rover in this town except turn it into a vehicle of destruction and mayhem? Even worse, a solar powered, exploratory robot with artificial intelligence and body built to survive space travel and the surface of Mars. Why was he punishing himself like this?
"You're an idiot, Jack Carter." He said to himself as he parked in his spot and unleashed his seat belt. "You're the village idiot of Eureka for a reason and this is it."
On a brighter note, at least the first part of his impromptu plan to start a one-day retrieval trip to Mars was going to work out. He could see Cafe Diem was still packed with scientists and it was possible more joined them from the last time he had been here less than an hour ago. So he got out of the car and straightened out his uniform and walked over to get himself another Vinpresso before Nathan could arrive and hear Vince ask what happened to his first cup. Then he could maybe start thinking more clearly. Maybe he'd luck out and none of these red-eyed, sniffling scientists wouldn't have any ideas or projects that could accomplish this feat.
"Sheriff Carter?"
He sighed. No, he wasn't going to be that lucky. "What is it Fargo?"
"Do you think you could say a few words?" Fargo asked and looked at his tablet. "I was hoping to get someone who could give a speech about giving up their life in the line of duty so the world could be a better place."
Jack sat down at the counter. "It sounds like you already have a speech written."
"I have some points I hoped you would cover." Fargo said and handed him his tablet to show the ideas he had. "How is your Shakespeare? Are you up for some Henry the Fifth?"
"Nope. Zoey got her acting skills and her appreciation for drama from her Mom." Jack said dryly.
"Don't sell yourself short, Carter." Nathan's delightfully charming teasing tone announced his presence from the doorway. "You're quite capable of theatrics."
Jack turned around and was glad he didn't get his coffee yet. Nathan did look good in black and he certainly looked better with a head of towel dried hair. How was this man real? "How the hell did you get here so fast? Did you put that FTL drive in your BMW?"
"Practice." Nathan said and went to the counter. "Vince, the Sheriff is going to need another Vinpresso. He donated his to a good cause this morning."
"I don't know about 'good.'" Jack countered. He both loved and hated the roles they so easily slipped into. Especially when it caused Stark to smile like that.
Nathan grinned and leaned his hip against the counter to survey who was present. Many scientists scurried into a booth or table when his gaze passed over them. Not a single one looked him in the eye, except for Fargo who was doing his best impression of a Labrador Retriever puppy as he bounced excitedly around Jack's stool. "I'm not reciting Shakespeare for you Fargo."
"Well, you're not really the best casting choice for King Henry."
Stark's eyes darkened and Fargo squeaked. Then Jack chuckled and gave a loud 'Ha!'. It spurred him to stand up straight, brush against Carter with his elbow as he made sure his jacket was perfect, then try to walk over Fargo as he made a line straight to the table where the Opportunity memorial was situated. His long strides carried him across the cafe in seconds and a hush fell over the restaurant as people prepared to be yelled at for taking a day off. He turned to his audience and caught Jack's taunting smile and gave him a 'watch this' look before switching off the horrible music video playing on the TV. "Friends, Eurekans, scientists, lend me your ears. I come to save Oppy, not to bury her."
Jack's eyebrows raised, Nathan had one hell of a powerful voice and a way to captivate any audience. Even if he was ripping off Julius Caesar and this cafe was filled with people who were moments away from fleeing when he entered, he had everyone's attention now. He didn't doubt he could give Marc Antony's full speech, modifying it as he went, and leave everyone here in tears because of his performance.
"Eureka helped create Opportunity and it will be Eureka that will bring her home." Nathan said and looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone. They were all hanging on his next words, except for Jack who just sat there appreciating his methods. "We knew when we made her that she would last longer than 90 days, but even I am humbled by her determination and perseverance to continue her mission for 15 years. NASA did what they could, I can not fault them for exhausting every option at their disposal before calling a time of death. However, it provides us with a great opportunity, as NASA has revoked it's ownership of the rover by publicly announcing it's abandonment and close of the mission. I propose to you, that we take advantage of that and go get our robot."
Someone broke down in tears beside him and Jack looked over at Vince who was covering his face with a dishtowel. Fargo sniffled beside him, not far from breaking down either. Jack had to admit, he even had a glaze of something in his eyes, but Nathan could read the Waffle House menu to him in that voice and it would probably get the same result.
"So what do you say, Eureka?" Nathan asked as he lifted his chin up and puffed up his chest like a King. "Will you volunteer your time, your minds and your projects to help me with this endeavor? If we do this, we do this not as employees of Global Dynamics, but as citizens of Eureka who want to bring home a child of our own creation. Will you mend your broken hearts so we can do right by Opportunity, whether it be that we wake her up or bury her with honors? Will you join me?"
There wasn't a dry eye in the room and Jack was the only one still holding eye contact, still watching Nathan as his face betrayed his annoyance at doing his job too well. So he stood up and said, "I'm with you. Long live Oppy!"
Nathan looked at him and shook his head as he looked around at all the people he actually needed to pull this off. They were crying. Then he gave a shrug and mouthed the words, 'Them. I need, them'.
Jack smacked Fargo who screamed a "ME!" and then it started a few more people choking out the same words. Then hands raised followed by a chorus of "Me!"and clapping began. He leaned over to Fargo and said, "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers."
"If anyone can raise the dead, it's Dr. Stark." Fargo squeaked before sobbing uncontrollably and latching on to Carter's chest to hug him and wipe snot and tears on his uniform.
"Don't encourage him." Jack said and tried to push Fargo off him to no avail. He looked up as Nathan returned with a triumphant grin on his face. "Well, it's not world domination but it's still a probably illegal activity that you can put on your resume."
"Mars is a world." Nathan smirked.
God. Why didn't he doubt that he'd be planting a little GD flag on the surface of Mars? "So what now?"
"Well, I need somewhere to set up operations that has access to all the technology we need while also providing us some secrecy." Nathan said and cocked his head as he looked at Jack. "Does S.A.R.A.H. still have back door access to GD? We need to slip in undetected and organize this without technically using GD equipment."
"I don't like you talking about my house like that." Jack mumbled and Fargo finally let go of him. He looked down and cringed at the moist splotch on his uniform from Fargo's snot and tears. He grabbed a napkin to try and dab it dry.
"Yes! S.A.R.A.H. will be glad to volunteer for that!" Fargo chirped. "You don't need Sheriff Carter's permission for backdoor use, just slip right in with S.A.R.A.H.'s blessing."
"Fargo!" Jack tried to smack him but suddenly he was over his grief and evasive as ever and ducked in to hide behind his boss's back. Jack's eyes, of course, were then at waist level on Nathan and he quickly looked up to avoid further embarrassment. He couldn't help but hold his breath as his eyes landed on downright sinful smirk on Nathan's face. Once again he couldn't tell if it was an invitation for action or an easy way to make him uncomfortable and keep the home field advantage.
"Well, Carter? We don't have time to waste, let's go." Nathan said as he gave him a playful jab to his shoulder and placed the Vinpresso that just arrived into his hand. Then he turned to leave, Fargo on his heels as he babbled about the FTL driving being further along than the reports said and genuinely questioning if it was in his car. He only half listened, watching Jack get choked up so easily by simplistically poor phrasing never failed to put a smile on his face. It was always topped off by that look of confusion in his blue eyes as the Sheriff tried to get a read on him, trying to determine if it was just a childish way of keeping him on his toes or if he genuinely was flirting with him. He was incredibly oblivious in that department and Nathan was looking forward to seeing how far he could push those boundaries while he made himself at home for the day in the Carter bunker.
Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Bane of his damned existence and now he just invited himself into his house to set up a command center. His house, who knew that he had feelings for the scientist. His house, who liked to read smutty fanfiction and advise him about successful romantic tactics from said fanfiction. His house, who just loved Nathan as much as he did because he could charm the pants of anyone including an A.I. His house, who started this day off by oh-so-casually mentioning Opportunity's last heart breaking communication and how Oppy had been born in Eureka as well. His house, who just played him into luring Nathan back to spend the day doing exciting science stuff when she probably knew about his divorce being finalized from the official public record.
"Well this can't be good." Jack mumbled and opened his eyes, dreading what kind of antics S.A.R.A.H was going to pull to use this rescue operation to push him and Nathan together. He just wanted to save the cold, little abandoned robot! Why everything always so disastrous!
He carried his Vinpresso out the door to his Jeep and saw that Nathan was already zipping out of town towards the bunker with Fargo following. He stood in the middle of the street and narrowed his eyes in the direction of his traitorous house who would probably open the front door without much coaxing and let them in. He hopped in his Jeep and drove home, the entire way nursing his coffee and wondering what else S.A.R.A.H had been doing to manipulate him into doing what she wanted.
"Sheriff, you're always so much happier when you come home after working with Dr. Stark." Jack mimicked his house's voice as he drove. "You cried out for Dr. Stark again last night, perhaps you would worry less about him being in danger if he just slept with you."
And yet he was the one who got all the grief about the stupidly simple solutions to problems.
He marveled at how quickly his feel-good day had turned rotten as he parked in front of the bunker and noticed nobody was in their cars. Of course not! Why wait for the guy who lived here to let you in when the house was angling to have you move in with him? He got out of the car and briskly walked to the stairs and arrived just in time to see Nathan smiling at the camera over the door with his sweet , award winning smile. Damn him. Who could resist that!?
"Who's there?" S.A.R.A.H asked as she heard footsteps.
"Oh, that's just Sheriff Carter racing down the stairs to stop us from coming in even though you already invited us in." Nathan answered and watched Jack jump the last few steps to land next to him and see the door was wide open.
"Sheriff, you should exercise caution when running down the stairs like that." S.A.R.A.H said simply.
Jack looked up at the camera and gave her a glare that said 'Don't you dare...'
Nathan gave S.A.R.A.H a spectacular smile and said, "Don't worry, I would have caught him if he was clumsy and tripped."
"Oh, please." Jack snapped and walked into his house where he saw Fargo already making himself at home. Nathan came in behind him and he heard the front door close. He took a deep breath, feeling like he just walked into a trap. And so it begins...
"Douglas tells me you are going to save the Opportunity rover, Dr. Stark."
Jack heard the girlish lit to her voice as she said 'Doctor Stark' and glared at the ceiling. "Actually it was my idea, thank you very much."
"You must have really made an impression on the Sheriff, S.A.R.A.H." Fargo chirped. "He's proposing going to Mars to save an A.I."
Jack walked over to the couch and leaned on it. "I'm not too thrilled with this one right now. Maybe I'm looking for a replacement."
"Dr. Stark, can I get you something to drink?" S.A.R.A.H. asked, ignoring her cranky resident.
Nathan walked over to the kitchen island where Fargo was tapping away on his tablet. "I'd actually like to get to work if that's OK with you?"
"Absolutely!"
Jack glared at the ceiling. She sounded way too eager. Why wouldn't she be happy? Nathan Stark was going to take advantage of her back door. Who wouldn't be excited? He huffed. "So why are you OK with my house having access to your super secret science facility?"
"For occasions such as this." Nathan said and leaned on the island to show off his posterior. That should stop Jack from asking too many questions.
Jack closed his eyes again and heard S.A.R.A.H. clear her 'throat'. That prompted his eyes to shoot open and turn in a circle it with an authoritative finger pointed up at the ceiling, silently threatening her to not say anything about his elevated heart rate or whatever else was elevated due to Stark showing off his ass. "Ok, well then I'm going back to work since you're in such good hands."
"Not yet." Nathan said as he looked to his phone to check and see what proposals his scientists were sending to him for the #SaveOppy mission. Fargo worked fast, or S.A.R.A.H. did. It was all over the Eureka intranet now. "We're going to need you to help get some projects out of GD for 'testing'."
It was never good when Nathan used air quotes. "Why can't you do it? You're the director?"
"I took the day off." Nathan said and looked over his shoulder at him, purposely cocking his hip and causing his pants to tighten over his ass a little more. "A personal day so I'm not on the clock doing this, remember? That was your idea too."
"Wow Sheriff!" S.A.R.A.H. Exclaimed. "Dr. Stark sounds impressed with your strategic suggestion! Way to show off your assets."
There was emphasis on ass in assets and he never felt so compelled to burn his own house down like he did right now. He felt the blush on his cheeks. He saw Fargo cock his head at the questionable lit to her voice as she said it. He glared at Nathan's amused smile. He took a deep breath and gripped the couch hard enough to turn his knuckles white. This had to be one of his worst ideas, ever. Stealing experimental equipment from GD was actually looking promising, either he was going to get taken down by security or the stuff would blow up and kill him. Either sounded preferable to what was happening right here in his house, right now. "Oh, I'm getting some more great ideas right now S.A.R.A.H. I can't wait for my new robot friend to arrive from Mars so I can just be patrolling Eureka non-stop. Can't wait. Great Opportunity to work 24/7."
S.A.R.A.H. made a ladylike 'uh huh' noise and ignored him. "Dr. Stark, I have compiled a list of possible projects that would assist you in bringing Opportunity home. Would you like for me to display them for you?"
"That sounds wonderful, S.A.R.A.H." Nathan said and turned to see Jack practically strangling his couch in frustration. It had to be absolutely wild living here.
"Please take a seat on the couch and we can review." S.A.R.A.H. said sweetly and then dimmed the lights a little. "Sheriff, you should take a seat as well as you should rest your muscles for all the extraneous work you're going to be doing today. We need a lot of equipment and most of GD is taking a personal day."
"I don't know, I have a lot of tension building in my shoulders already. I wonder why?" Jack hissed. This day had gone to hell so fast. So fast. She was dimming the lights! What the hell!?
"Alright, show us what you've got." Nathan walked over and sat down, barely hiding his smile. It's amazing how quickly this day had turned around thanks to Jack. He looked down as his phone went off. A text, from S.A.R.A.H.
"I noticed elevated heart rate and dilated pupils indicating arousal. Are you sexual attracted to Sheriff Carter?"
Well at least someone wasn't oblivious. Nathan casually responded. 'Yes. I take it you're tired of him misinterpreting my signals?'
"Did you get a divorce to pursue him?"
Nathan frowned. Apparently he wasn't going to get an option to ask questions. "Ask my ex-wife and she'll tell you I'm a work-a-holic who ignores my family."
"You work with Sheriff Carter."
Nathan didn't respond, he simply sat back in the couch and smiled up at the ceiling as his reply. The lights fluctuated a little.
"What are you grinning about?" Jack asked as he sat down on his couch and prepared to peruse classified projects on his home television.
"Just appreciating the opportunity being laid out for us." Nathan said and glanced down at his phone. S.A.R.A.H. just sent him a heart-eyes Emoji. His smile broadened and he put his phone away to pay attention to the display of projects available to complete the impossible today. "Let's begin."
