Author's Notes: These chapter is heavy on the cheesy romance. Also, I imagined with the passage of time Jack and Karen changed somewhat, a little bit. As their relationship developed, certain defensive characteristic would've gone away. Hence why catty bitchy Karen doesn't make as often an appearance, but don't worry, she's still here!
Disclaimer: These characters are property of NBC and their own creators; as is any piece of an episode needed for the chapter. I make no money from this. Any song lyrics used are also property of their own creator.
In Our Time
Part 2: Within These Bedroom Walls
(February 4, 2021)
This morning the citizens of New York awoke to a thick blanket of snow covering the ground, and still falling in flurries. It was a Sunday, so Mia had off from school and was very excited to go out and play in the snow. Karen however, was less than thrilled about the idea.
"Jackie! It's freezing outside. And my skin is delicate."
"Come on, Kare."
"Why can't you go by yourself?" Karen asked.
"Because she wants us both there."
"To do what? Slide down a hill while our asses are freezing and get hit in the face with frozen death-balls. Nothing doing honey, I'm sitting this one out."
"Karen…"
"No."
Jack sighed in defeat, just as Mia came skipping down the stairs all bundled up in her coat, ready to go.
"Yay snow!" She cheered, "Come on Karen, let's go!"
"Karen's not coming Mia." Jack said, "She wants to stay home, all alone, and not come have fun with us."
"What?" Mia turned around, her eyes large and pouty, "But Karen…don't you love me?"
Jack smirked. Mia knew how to pour on the guilt trip. Something else she had no doubt picked up from him. Karen was the one sighing loudly this time.
"Ok, ok, I'll go. Let me get my coat. Rosie!" Karen yelled for Rosario, who hurried in with her long fur trench coat.
Jack giggled as he and Mia exchanged a high five.
~~~~**~~~~
They weren't in the park long, before Karen was huddle on a bench near a tree, her coat pulled tightly around her, and shivering.
"This is crazy! I'm cold!" Karen yelled, in the midst of Jack and Mia chasing each other through the snow.
"Well you can't just sit there like a bump on a log, Kare!" Jack replied, "You have to get up and have some fun!"
"In these shoes?"
Jack shot her a look, and she grumbled and got up, wandering out into the snow. She stepped as if she were walking in a mine field, watching the ground as if it were about to explode on her any minute. She turned back toward the bench.
"Yeah honey, um, I just don't think this is going to work. So I'm just going to go sit back over there."
Jack said nothing, as he came up behind her and dropped a large clump of snow on her head.
"Ahh!" Karen shrieked, "Jackie! That's not fair!"
Jack only laughed, not expecting it at all when Karen turned around and hurled a snowball back at him. Mia was over making a snow angel by a tree, and when she sat up to see her creation she found her parents in an epic snowball fight, chasing each other like a couple of five year olds.
The snow started falling again in tiny flurries. Jack grabbed Karen around the waist and pulled her down into a cold white pillow of it, the flakes decorating her hair. Karen laughed, temporarily forgetting the cold snow she was laying in.
"See, you are having fun." Jack said.
"Ok, I am." Karen admitted. "You know what we should do sometime?"
"What?"
Karen leaned close and whispered, "Make love in the snow." She giggled. "I've always wanted to. Haven't you?"
"Never thought about it." Jack said.
"Well, think about it!"
Jack laughed.
"Papa! Karen! Get up, we're still playing!" Mia called to them.
Jack stood up and grabbed Karen's hand, pulling her up with him. Karen shook the snow from her hair, just in time for Mia to hit her with another snowball.
"Gotcha!" Mia teased, hurrying to hide behind a tree.
Jack immidiently chased after her, and Karen stood watching them for just a moment.
~~~~**~~~~
They must've been in the park out in the snow for hours. When they came home, Mia scarfed down her dinner and then promptly fell asleep in her chair. Jack took her up to bed, and he returned downstairs to watch a movie with Karen. Every so often he would get up and disappear upstairs for several minutes at a time, mysteriously.
"What are you doing?" Karen asked.
"Can't tell. Secret."
"Jackie, we don't have secrets."
"Well I have to have one for a little bit. But don't worry, it's a surprise for you."
"For me?"
"Yeah. So stop asking."
So for the next few hours, Jack randomly disappeared to prepare his surprise for Karen, and Karen watched "Valley Of The Dolls" on TV. When the movie was over, Karen looked around, suddenly remembering she hadn't seen Jack at all for nearly the last hour.
"Poodle?" She called softly.
She got up and walked to the stairs, looking up. She didn't see any lights turned on, and was somewhat confused.
"Hey!"
"Ahh!"
"Shhh!" Jack shushed her random scream, giggling because he had startled her. "I'm sorry Kare bear."
"Don't ever do that!" She snapped at him in a whisper.
"You're surprise is ready."
"Oh good! Can I see it now?"
Jack nodded, taking her hand and leading her up the stairs.
~~~~**~~~~
Once they got to the top of the stairs, Jack covered Karen's eyes with his hands as he led her into their bedroom. Karen giggled in anticipation, with no idea as to what Jack's surprise could be.
"Why is it cold in here?"
"Part of the surprise. Are you ready?" Jack asked.
"Yes! Yes! For god sakes, let me see it!"
Jack moved his hands away from her eyes. Karen slowly opened her eyes, and gasped.
Tiny blue icicle lights hung from various places around the room, and white and silver sheets, blankets, and pillows decorated their bed and the floor around it.
"Honey! It's so pretty! But…I don't get it."
"You don't get it? Karen! You said you wanted to make love in the snow. This way we don't catch cold."
"Oh Jackie!"
"Wait, wait, not quite done. Come here." Jack pulled her over to the bed and sat her down amongst the billowy white blankets. He reached over for the remote control for the ceiling fan, and turned it on.
White confetti began to tumble to the floor, landing in their hair, and on their faces. Karen laughed.
"You made me snow?"
"Of course. Anything for you, Karebear."
"Poodle! I don't know what to say. This is, this is…" Karen was at a loss for words. It was a somewhat silly gesture, but she found it terribly romantic that Jack thought of this. Especially since neither of them was exactly the romance type. She was staring at him for only a few moments, but to Jack it felt a lot longer.
Finally Karen turned and leaned into him, her arms snaking around his neck and pulling herself in to kiss his lips. Jack returned the kiss, deepening it as his tongue made its way into her mouth, his hands tugging at the fabric of her shirt. He laid back on the pillows, pulling Karen onto him. She moaned at the sensation of his kiss.
His hands moved under her shirt, coming up to tease the soft sensitive skin beneath her breasts. The only sound in the room a random collection of breaths and sighs as their lips caressed each other.
Karen tossed her head back and Jack moved to kiss her neck, gently sucking at the skin there. Her hands came up to entangle in his hair and she moved so her body was pressed tight against his. She could feel him getting hard as she straddled his lap.
"Mmm, Jackie."
"What?"
Karen reached down and began rubbing him through the fabric, a deep sigh escaping his lips. Karen moaned softly in return and with ever so nimble fingers, she unbuttoned his pants and slipped her hand inside, continuing to stroke his arousal.
"Fuck! Kare!" Jack breathed heavily as his senses gave in to her touch.
The next few moments seemed to be a blur of motion. Clothes coming off, lips meeting lips, fingers brushing against skin. Jack soon found himself over Karen, his cock buried deep inside of her as he slowly moved in and out, watching her dark hair cascade against the white of blankets she laid in.
Karen turned her head and Jack leaned down to kiss her neck, tracing kisses down her jaw line and finally meeting her lips hungrily. Karen's body moved with his, warm bodies momentarily entangled in bliss.
"I love you, Jackie." Karen whispered, as her hand caressed his face.
"You could tell me over and over, and I'll never get tired of hearing that."
"I will tell you over and over."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I love you, Jackie."
Jack smiled, slowing his movements. He paused to lay upon her chest and let her hold him.
~~~~**~~~~
Karen slept in late the next morning, a little tired from last night's activities. When she did get up, the house was fairly quite. Mia had already gone off to school, and Jack had left a note saying he was going to see Will and would be home to take her out to lunch.
Karen smiled, she loved their spontaneous luncheons.
Karen noticed she felt very content this morning. Looking around her bedroom, still decorated to resemble her own personal winter wonderland, it was as if something suddenly sank in. No one had ever done anything like that for her before. Sure, jewelry and gifts were one thing. But to put an effort into so subtle a comment she had made, and for Jack to do all this, it made her feel something else.
She sat back on the bed, dusting confetti from her pillows when her cell phone rang. She smiled when she saw Jack's name on the caller ID.
"Jackie!"
"Hey Kare, did you just get up?"
"Yeah. Long night."
"I know, I was there."
Karen giggled wickedly, leaning back on the bed, "You don't have anything else to do today, honey. Right?"
"No, all I had planned was for us to go to lunch."
"So after lunch, we could come home and burn off all those pesky calories right?"
"Yeah." Jack chuckled, as if he could read Karen's very thoughts. "You liked your surprise last night?"
"You couldn't tell? Maybe today I'll have to be more vocal about it."
"Karen! I love it when you're dirty."
"I know you do."
"I really love you, Kare. I feel like I don't tell you that enough."
"Oh Jackie, you tell me plenty. You're wonderful."
"I know that."
Karen laughed, "Should I start making myself pretty to go out to lunch?"
"Like you have to try." Jack teased.