A/N: Hey guys, how are you doing? I'm good. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, not to give anything away, but it's mainly from Jacks point of view. Anways, thanks for reading also, please leave a review, you've taken the time to read it, just take a few more minutes to leave a review. Even if it's to say you think I suck at writing and shouldn't quit my day job. (Which I won't, as I have no talent.)
BTW: Last chapter, I also forgot the exclaimer. So here we go. I, rawpotato, own nothing. Well I have an iPod, but that's not what I meant. I do not own Sue Thomas FBEye, nor any characters, real or fictional, related to the subject matter. It is not my intention to infringe on any copyrighted names, places or trained helping dogs. I mean no harm in writing this. Dave Johnson, and Gary Johnson, thank you for producing the show for however brief a time it was on.
p.s. One last thing, if I did own Sue Thomas, which sadly, I don't, Jack and Sue would have got together, and lived happily ever after. Nor would it have ended.
Jack sat down back down at his desk. After the up and down he just had with Sue, he was a little light headed and confused. He could hear that they were talking about her being back in D.C., also that she was once again living with Lucy. He, however, couldn't be sure why she was back. He knew why, of course, but he couldn't be sure that he understood.
For days and hour on end, he wondered what he could have done differently, to make her stay, or convince her not to go. He'd lain awake at night thinking of going to New York to tell her of his feelings, but something kept him rooted to the spot. He couldn't be sure, but it was an emotion that he only felt when Sue was involved. Fear. Twice, when she'd gone missing with a dangerous suspect, his heart sank to the floor and his body became paralyzed. It was like that when she first left. He knew she had Levi, but his heart still told him that he was responsible for her safety. He knew he wasn't the one to take charge of her anymore, but he wanted to be.
"So Jack, any new cases for today?" This came from Bobby, and stole him from his trip down memory lane. Even the question from his best friend couldn't drive his mind from the woman sitting five feet from him. Stealing a glance at her, he saw that the women of the office were talking animatedly of something. Shoes, and shopping, and lunch were mentioned, but other than that he tried to stop staring.
"I dunno, maybe you should ask D. He might know better than I do." It was lie, he knew, and he could tell Bobby thought so too, but he was thankful that his friend didn't press the matter. He knew there was no new cases at the moment, but the pile of paper work piling up in front of him was failing to hold his attention.
Somewhere in the distance a phone rang, and he made no move to get it. Pulling a blue folder towards him, he opened it and stared unseeing at the white pages in front of him. Little more than thirty seconds into his foyer into the crimes of an unknown person, he felt a heavy weight on his knee, and looked down at his leg. Another familiar face that he hadn't been expecting to see again was looking up at him from the floor, his golden brown eyes staring at him. Reaching down and stroking the dogs soft golden fur, he felt a little of his confusion ebb away at the sight of the golden retriever.
"Hi Levi. How's it going buddy?" The dog groaned in response to his question and rolled his eyes. "I know the feeling buddy." Jack spoke to the dog in a whisper, noticing that Sue was sneaking glances at him. He kept his hand on Levis head and looked back down at his folder. As far as he was concerned, it was already a bad week, and he couldn't see past it getting any better.
He managed to avoid being alone with Sue for two whole weeks. They had solved three cases as a team, each time the team tried to get the two of them alone together, he had managed to weasel his way out of each of them, but he could tell that everyone was starting to get suspicious, and he was having a hard time coming up with plausible explanations as to why he didn't want to spend time alone with her. Over the weekend he had come up with a reason that would work, he hoped, and get them off his back. It would satisfy their suspicions that he liked her, and also why he couldn't act on those feelings. It didn't mention any of the fact that he was scared that she didn't return his feelings, or the fear that she might actually return them.
"Look guys, I know I've been avoiding Sue. It's just that we're in the same team and any 'personal relationship' must be avoided. It's bureau policy." He would mime quotes in the air when he said 'personal relationship', thus ending the subject. He hoped.
Walking into the building, he removed his keys, change and service issued pistol, into the plastic tray, and walked through the metal detector. He passed through the rest of entrance security without any holdups and made it to the elevator without seeing anyone he wished to avoid. Once in the elevator he pressed the button '5' and waited for the door to close. Just as the doors were shutting, a hand sneaked into the closing doors and held them open. If he were expecting a good Monday morning, he was way off. The person whom he was avoiding most, walked into the elevator with her dog. Feeling a little worse, he saw the same emotions he felt, cross her face, before she plastered a smile on and turned away from him.
Reaching over to her, her tugged on her jacket sleeve to get her attention. Both signing and speaking he looked at her and said, "Hi. How are you?"
As the doors slid shut, keeping them alone. He knew that the ride would last less than thirty seconds but he was a little scared that he wouldn't be able to control himself for that long.
"Good," She signed and spoke back. "How are you, Jack?"
He was a little stunned to hear that her voice was a little higher pitched than normal, and he suddenly felt his face redden. It was more from shame than embarrassment as he realized that he had essentially been ignoring her for the last few weeks.
"Good," he paused and looked at his shoes, unsure whether to tell her what he'd been meaning to tell her for the last fourteen days. Deciding quickly as his thirty seconds were almost up he looked pointedly at her and kind of half smiled, half frowned. "I am glad that you're back. No matter how I've been acting lately."
The doors slid open, just as he finished his signing of his confession. Looking back at her as he left the elevator. He gave her small smile and sped away as she began to follow him.
Stepping into the bull-pen he had his jacket off, and was sitting down before she even entered the room. She looked over at him as she removed her coat and sat down, pulling a file towards herself, she barely took her eyes off him.
They worked separately on finishing paperwork or something of the sort as it seemed all the terrorists in their jurisdiction were taking the week off. Absorbed in his work he looked up only to give his opinion on something when asked, or to join in a snippet of conversation about the Capitals chance at winning the next game they were playing, it was nearing playoff time and they were pretty close to actually getting into them.
Hearing his name he looked up to find a vaguely familiar woman standing at his desk. He knew, that he knew the woman, but he couldn't exactly place where he knew her from. She was kind of grimacing at him, and he noticed that the whole team had surreptitiously gone quiet and were looking half at their own work and half at him.
Standing to greet the woman, he stuck out his hand and said, "Jack Hudson."
She ignored his hand and looked at him, the grimace replaces by a small frown. He couldn't tell if she was angry or feeling some other emotion towards him as she spoke, "I know who you are." Her tone was curt, and he heard an outburst of air, that sounded like a laugh but was covered by a cough.
"Well, then what can I do for you?" He dropped his hand to his side and stood a little straighter, looking at the woman who was still staring at him.
Wordlessly, but making the motions of speaking, she motioned to herself. Pausing, looking at him pointedly. Then shifting her gaze to the hallway, she gestured over her shoulder to it, shifting her gaze back at him. "Can we uh... can we go somewhere... a little more private?"
Jack stepped around his desk looking at his co-workers, Sue's eyes still rested on the woman, thinking she might say more. Finally making eye contact with her, it lasted only a moment, before she shifted her gaze off him. He felt in that moment exposed, thinking that Sue didn't mind it when some strange woman came, and whisked him off to somewhere 'more private'.
He stepped around his desk and lead her to an empty boardroom, and shut the door behind them. Standing on the opposite side of a table from her, he looked at her, waiting for her to speak first. It seemed it took her several moments to compose herself, and find the words that she needed to say.
"You don't remember me, do you?" Her voice was strained, a trait Jack knew as being under duress.
"Not really, no." He paused before he went on. "Should I?"
"Think back... oh, say six years."
Jack thought back as commanded. Six years ago... He'd just started at the D.C. office. Capitals reached the playoffs... then it hit him. Game 2, Pittsburgh came to an early 2-0 lead and the Capitals fought back to win it 3-2. It was udder pandemonium in D.C. every where you went people were celebrating in the streets, and there she was. At the other end of the bar. He'd walked over... smiled. He had to admit that it wasn't his finest moment as a man, nor would he assume hers.
"Ah yes..." He thought it would be awkward to say that he hooked up with her in a bar, and suddenly a conversation, more like argument, he'd had with Sue came back to haunt him.
He and Sue had been arguing about believing a suspect, well a suspects wife. Sue had really become attached to her believing her innocence on the matter, and Jack believed that she was involved and as guilty as her husband was. He said something stupid, she said something stupid back and then she said "That's nothing less than I'd expect from someone who picks someone up in a bar." He grimaced inwardly, but composed himself as she looked at him.
Even though he now knew how he knew her, her could only seem to place her face in his mind. He couldn't exactly remember her name. Though he hadn't had many beers that night, he distinctly remembered being a little tipsy.
"I'm sorry... I still don't know your name." Jack sounded sheepish even to himself, and he looked down a little ashamed. He wasn't exaclty the most celibate guy, but he wasn't footloose and fancy free either. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay Jack. We were only together for that one occasion. If it weren't for... extenuating circumstances I'd hardly remember yours." She spoke with no emotion in her voice, and again Jack felt himself redden.
"Your name... is?" He asked, still finding it hard to look her in the eye for a long stretch.
"Oh, sorry. Darlene, Darlene Hascall." She held out her hand and he shook it. He also noticed that it was a bit colder, and tense that he was used to shaking.
"You mentioned extenuating circumstances. What are they?"
"Well, I have a child."
Jack didn't understand what she meant by that, or why having a child would make her remember his name.
"So?" He asked, a little more than confused. "What does that have to do with me?"
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Placing her hand on her hip, she shook her head in a disappointed way. He noticed it as the look Sue, Lucy and Tara gave him when they thought he was an idiot. Come to think of it, Myles stood the same way when he was angry. "Are all guys this dense?"
"Wha-?" He looked at her through his F.B.I. guy stare, hoping that he could gain some ground in this battle of wills she seemed intent on.
"Well Jack, he's five years old. You do the math." Jack thought a little. Six years. Five years old. Nine months. F.B.I. stare dropped from his stance he dropped his hands to his side and stared at her, finally meeting her gaze for more than five seconds.
"Are you sure?"
"Am I sure? Are you serious? Of course I'm sure, for the last five years I've been sure!" Her voice grew and octave as she spoke, a trait Jack once again could place to anger.
"That's not what I meant?" He was speaking in a whisper. He had never been in this situation before, nor had he known any one in it, so he wasn't sure the correct course of action to take on this one. "What I mean it are you sure it's... He's..." He couldn't seem to find the right words to ask the question lightly.
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not exactly perfect, but it's not like I sleep around a lot." She was the one that seemed abashed now. It was a sore victory for him, and instead he counted it as a loss.
Anger taking over him, going with what she was saying was fact, he soon found himself a little incensed, "So why are you telling me this now. Six years later." It wasn't that he hadn't known, it was that he had a son that he hadn't known about. He didn't want to be like the dead beat fathers he'd seen too often in his line of work, he swore to himself everyday he met one of them that he wouldn't be that kind of guy. Turns out he had been one for the last six years.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he found his anger leaving him, and not needing her to explain the decision she made. It had obviously been for what she thought was best, so he didn't press the matter.
"No, nevermind don't answer that. Why now?" His mind became reeling with an overload of information. Did the kid look like him, act like him, what was his name, his birthday, his favorite hockey team. Anything. Then came the bad things. "Wait, is something wrong with him?"
"No, no nothing like that." Her voice softened. "It's me Jack. I'm dying."
Jack felt a guttural blow to his chest. He hadn't seen anything past a weird, divorced-couple relationship with her, and knowing that it wouldn't happen was kind of shocking.
"So what do we do?" he asked, not sure that there was anything he could do.
"Well, the doctors say I've got about three months. Could be more, could be less. However, I have no family, nor do I know of anyone that would be willing to take care of him. So, I want him to go live with you. You are his father, afterall."
He didn't really know how to react to this piece of information, afraid that she was telling the truth, and a little afraid that she wasn't. He supposed that if anything was to go further, he needed to meet the boy. Deciding to look over the whole, 'I'm dying' thing, he went with, "Is he here, so I can meet him?"
"Yes," she said, nodding at the same time, "He's downstairs in the Bureau Child Care room. Would you like to meet him?"
Jack lost his voice, instead took to nodding. They walked to the elevator in silence. Jack didn't feel up to telling his friends about this little piece of information. Most of all he couldn't face the look of disappointment on their faces, especially Bobby's. What with his past with his biological father Mac. Nor could he think of how to tell them in a way that didn't make him seem like a dead beat dad. On the ground floor he made his way with Darlene to the child care room, anticipation welling up inside of him.
Just as they reached the door Darlene grabbed his arm and stopped him from entering.
"What?"
"Jack, he doesn't know about my illness, also he doesn't know who his father is. So if you could just please keep those things to yourself for now."
He nodded and replied, "Okay."
She stepped around him and entered the room. Showing the attendant her ID, she walked into the room and smiled at one of the little boys who was coloring. Jack held up his ID badge and followed her silently. He stood back as she got on her knees and hugged the boy on his level. They spoke for several seconds before the boy looked at him. Giving him a small smile, he also waved at him. The boy looked to his mother and then back to Jack.
"Who's that Mommy?" What Jack noticed the most was that the boy looked exactly as he had as a child. The bright black eyes, the messy brown hair, the small smile. Darlene looked to Jack, then back at her son, Jack noticed the sadness and love in her eyes and felt a pang of grief for her, and the loss she was feeling for her son.
"That's my good friend Jack, can you say 'hello' to him?" Jack stepped forward and also got down on his level, following her lead.
"Hello Jack." The boy smiled at him, and Jack felt his heart melt.
"Jack this is my son. Daniel Jack Hascall. Danny."
Heart in his throat he smiled at them both and looked down, before meeting the stare of the boy. "Hi Danny."
Sue sat in her chair and watched Jack walk out the door with the woman. It wasn't first time another woman had swooped in and stolen Jacks heart, nor she guessed would she be the last. She'd come to the unhappy decision that Jack was far too handsome and kind for his own good. She'd fallen for him, as obviously many other women had. Looking down at the paper work on her desk, she continued to work for several minutes until she felt a new tension in the room.
Jack was walking back into the room with the woman. With them was a small boy, Sue guessed was about five or six years old. Smiling at him, she noticed how his eyes were almost the exact shade as Jacks, and he bore a strong resemblance to him.
Shaking her head as she noticed that he was saying something to her, she concentrated on his lips as he moved forwards towards Levi.
"Can I pet him? What's his name?"
Sue smiled at him and said, "Sure you can, and his name is Levi."
The boy seemed enthralled with Levi so she looked to Jack, as the woman stayed at the door looking around the room, she was talking to Lucy about something that she couldn't exactly make out.
Shifting her eyes to Jack, she watched as he spoke to D, his face turned sideways from her. A little hurt that he would do that, she watched as he grabbed his coat, and walked back to the woman. She said the name "Danny," and the boy got up, waved at her and Levi and ran to Jack and the woman.
He looked at her briefly and she saw a pained looked cross his face, before he gave her a small smile and tunred and left.
Almost immediately they room split into to groups, men and woman. Looking at Lucy and Tara she asked, "Who was that?" She was more concerned with the boy who looked like Jack, but the others seemed interested in the woman who was obviously his mother.
No one seemed to anything, but what worried Sue the most was the sinking feeling she got in her stomach, thinking of the boy and his resemblance to Jack.
