Hello dear friends! Yet another chapter for you! I have a pretty detailed plan in place now, so hopefully the story will be updated as frequently as I can fit around University! It's my final year so there's a lot going on!
AgentAussie: Thanks so much!
Kbf/Barbara: I'm really glad you think I portrayed Jack well! I was quite concerned about that!
Doranwen: I have no plans for Bobby/Tara to make an appearance in this fic, so you don't need to worry on that account! I'm still deciding whether I'll involve any pairings for Bobby or Tara yet!
As always, all mistakes are of my own making! I don't own Sue Thomas FBEye (however I sorely wish I did!) and nothing is mine but the OCs.
Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!
Whilst Myles and Emilia were busy arranging the return of the case to their team, Sue had plenty of time to think over what had happened in the past few days. She couldn't stop repeating the words Emilia had blurted out amidst her tears. Those stupid, stupid non fraternisation rules…I always thought, 'there'll be time later', but there wasn't…If only I'd tried before, instead of putting it off because of bloody bureaucracy! She was trying to convince herself that those words didn't ring true to her personal relationships. She knew she was kidding herself; Jack was more than just her best friend, you'd have to be an idiot not to see it. Sometimes she thought she could see him looking over at her, an absent, dreamlike look on his perfectly sculpted face. What she wouldn't give to be the reason for such a stare. But she knew it was to bold to wish for something which wouldn't be fulfilled. Yes, it was true she was very attracted to Special Agent Jack Hudson, how could you not be? Those chocolate brown eyes, like windows to the soul, so expressive and deep she had become lost in them on more than one occasion. His smile could light up a room, and he was just such a caring and passionate man. She'd be struggling to hide her growing feelings for him; she knew that if he found out, it would be just too awkward to work together.
Before she could get too wrapped up in her thoughts, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.
"Am I disturbing you?" Jack said, a small smile paying on his lips. He'd been watching her for his desk as her eyes glazed over in a dreamlike fashion. He was curious to know what had caused such a serene countenance, and he was disappointed to know that it was necessary for him to interrupt her pleasant daydream.
"I…Jack, no, of course not." Sue said, feeling all the blood rush to her face. She knew he couldn't read her mind, but she couldn't deny that her heart skipped a beat when he interrupted her pleasant thoughts, as if she'd been saying them out loud and Jack had heard it all.
There was a slight pause before Jack let out a little chuckle. "If you're sure," Jack said, a twinkle of amusement still lingering in his eye.
"What can I help you with?" Sue said, trying to force the blush on her cheek into submission.
"I was going to ask if you'd like to come and get some lunch," Jack said, before beginning to sign, "YOU HUNGRY?"
Sue smiled. Jack knew that her answer was always the same; "Starved."
They grabbed their coats, and calling Levi, moved towards the door. But before they could escape for a quiet lunch, Myles came striding back into the room, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.
"The case has been returned." He said, before bowing dramatically to Jack and Sue, practically dancing back to his seat. Emilia stood behind him, looking as if she didn't know whether to be amused or mortified at Myles' little act. She gave Jack and Sue an awkward smile before moving over to the coffee machine.
Jack and Sue moved towards the door yet again, but this time it was Bobby who interrupted their escape.
"Sue, Jack, you busy?"
Before Jack could tell Bobby that they were busy, Sue informed him that they were just going for a quick lunch.
"Without me? My heart is broken." Bobby said, winking at Sue.
"Oh, leave them be Bobby, maybe they needed so time away?" Lucy chimed in, smiling suggestively at Sue. Realising what Lucy was insinuating, Sue began to blush madly, whilst Jack began fixing his tie and tousling his hair. Emilia studied the pair before a dawn of realisation fell upon her; Jack was to Sue as Agent Jones had been to her.
"Well, I have to admit, I am famished." Myles said standing up from his desk and reaching towards his coat. "Sue and Jack can go and have their little meal. Would anyone care to join me at Nico's?"
He received a chorus of affirmative answers, and as each person moved to grab their coats, Jack coughed awkwardly.
"Sue and I were going to eat at Nico's, makes sense that we all go together."
Bobby began laughing, and gave Jack a hearty pat on the back before they left the bullpen.
"YOU COMING?" Sue signed to Emilia.
Emilia shook her head. "ME NEED SORT OUT FEW THINGS. SEE YOU LATER."
Sue smiled, but knew she wouldn't persuade her. She knew part of it was that Emilia felt awkward within in such a close unit, and did not want to intrude. As much as Sue and Lucy had got to know her outside of the office, Emilia still continued to marginalise herself in the bullpen. She could only hope that she would start to become more comfortable and integrate herself into the team.
A week passed and the case was still ongoing. Emilia had started to become tetchy; the case may have been moving, but not quick enough. She knew the team were trying their best, but a little voice in her head kept telling her differently. It would be different if Agent Jones had been on this team, maybe they'd work harder, it kept telling her. You already know you're an outsider, they probably don't care who he was, just another dead body, it would whisper to her as she lay in bed at night. You're letting him down, I thought you cared about him, the voice would taunt as she cried going through his belonging. She tried to ignore it best as she could, but she had to admit, the longer the case went on with no significant leads, the more she felt not enough was being done.
Sitting at Myles' desk, as there was no room anywhere else according to Lucy, Emilia let her thoughts mull. Feeling her temper darken, she turned to the man sharing her desk.
"Tea? Coffee?" She asked, gesturing with her mug.
He smiled, passing her mug.
"The usual." He said as she leant over, grabbing the mug from his hands and moving to get his milk and one sugar coffee and her milk and one sugar tea. Out of all the team, Myles, Lucy and Sue were the only ones she felt comfortable with. Whilst she spoke to Lucy and Sue mostly out of hours, Myles was usually the person she spoke to most during the work day. She suspected this is why Lucy made her sit with him at his desk. She knew he didn't like sharing his desk, and tried her best to rest her computer or paperwork on her lap, to leave his desk free. He'd invited her to lay them on the desk, firstly out of politeness and then out of kindness, but every time she refused.
She was midway through pouring the milk into the freshly brewed coffee when Jack and Sue came into the bullpen, practically waltzing.
"Howie has delivered again!" Jack called to the team as Sue gestured for her to join them.
"Delivered some TV's? Or a knock-off watch?" Bobby called, swivelling his chair to face them, revealing a grin.
Jack raised an eyebrow, but began to explain. Myles joined the group and Emilia passed the coffee cup to him, receiving a smile of gratitude.
"Howie knows a guy who claims to know something about the shooting of Agent Jones," Jack explained, lowering his voice ever so slightly at the end of the sentence, for obvious reasons, "Howie has set up a meeting, then we'll grab his friend, turn him and hopefully find the kidnapper."
"When?" was all Emilia managed to vocalise. She had begun to shake, not realising just how much the news had affected her.
"Tomorrow afternoon." Sue said, resting a hand gently on Emilia's arm. Emilia simply nodded in response.
"Sue, Tara, you'll be in the surveillance van, and Bobby, Dee, we'll have you in the surrounding area."
Myles raised an eyebrow. Where was he meant to be? Before he could ask what he'd be doing on this sting, Jack shot him a look which told him he'd know later. Emilia hadn't even heard how things were being planned, she zoned out as soon as she heard someone had news about who may have killed Agent Jones.
The group slowly dispersed and Jack pulled Myles aside.
"Why are you not involving me?" Myles said almost immediately.
"Myles, Emilia can't come." Jack said, glancing over at the young agent, sat staring into her lap at Myles' desk.
"Why does that mean I have to stay back?" Myles asked, irritated by Jack's irrational decision.
"We can't exactly leave her alone. You seem to be close to her."
Myles snorted indignantly. "Lucy is close with her, and she doesn't come on stings. Why can't she stay with her and I'll help out."
Jack was confused; everyone had noticed how Myles was less sarcastic and snarky with Emilia. Whether it was because he felt sorry for her, or didn't want to upset her, it was certainly making hi sour mood rarer. Everyone knew the relationship wasn't a romantic one, with Myles an eternal bachelor and Emilia shaken by the death of her partner, which they all assumed was more than just a friend (although Sue and Lucy were surprisingly quiet on that subject) they could almost certainly say that their relationship was an awkward yet functioning one.
"If you insist," Jack said, somewhat disappointed that Myles didn't offer to stay but not surprised. As he walked away, Myles felt a small pang of guilt. He would have stayed with Emilia, but he knew what would happen if he did. His team meant well, but their teasing was something which made Emilia very uncomfortable. If he stayed, he knew that teasing would be shot in her direction. That and it seemed a bit strange that he stayed with her when Lucy, one of her closer friends, was available instead.
Emilia felt like she was in a trance, and before she knew it, the sting was happening in a matter of minutes. She couldn't really remember anything about the previous day. Once she found out about a possible informant, or maybe even a witness, her mind was completely distracted. Working on auto-pilot, she somehow got about her work, and even managed to return home to her apartment and back into work without even thinking about it.
The team had left an hour previous, leaving Emilia to wander around the Hoover Building. Lucy had been trying to keep her busy but no matter how many times they tried, both began to wonder what was happening at the sting. A silence had fallen over the bullpen, with Lucy lost in thought and Emilia in the bathroom when the team walked through the door. Glancing at her watch, Lucy noticed that the meeting had taken far longer that intended, almost two hours more than they had set aside for completing it. And it didn't look like good news.
"What happened?" Lucy said, grabbing Sue's attention.
"Well, the meeting didn't go as planned. Howie's friend didn't turn up, so we went to his home." Sue began.
"Well, we weren't the only one who had been searching for him." Jack said, looking grim.
"We found him dead, same MO as Agent Jones." Demetrius finished.
"But, that was our only lead." Lucy said, knowing how this news would crush Emilia. She was already desperate enough for some progress, not to mention under pressure from MI6 to resolve the case. "Who's going to tell Emilia?"
It turns out Emilia had walked through the door at that moment, and hearing her name, moved towards the group.
"Did you find him?" She asked, her voice betraying her hope.
"We found him, but he was… I'm sorry, someone got there before us. I'm sorry, but someone killed him." Sue said.
Emilia opened her mouth but no words came out. Nodding at Sue she walked towards her chair and almost fell into it. A numb feeling slowly spreading across her body, she could feel the team's eyes on her. She really was beginning to fail Agent Jones, and her whole being reminded her of that.