A/N: Here is another chapter. And, as much as my updates were regular, now they may stop being so, but I don't really have an influence. Sorry. Thanks for reading and I hope you're going to like it:
Chapter 4
A smile immediately appeared on Jack's face when on the next morning he came back to the flat, with Levi's leash in his hand after taking him for a walk. The smell of pancakes was noticeable on the whole floor and it made him really hungry – it felt wonderful to discover that he was the one, who will get to eat them. He slowly approached Sue, and as she was standing with her back turned to him, she had no idea that he was even there. She jumped slightly when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her but almost immediately relaxed.
"It smells wonderfully. I'm going to be so spoiled by living with you..." he said and signed, when she turned around and Sue smiled.
"I never said I'm going to cook for you every day. I thought that you need a good start of the first day in a new work."
His smile faded a bit, but the grin on Sue's face put it back on where it was. They ate breakfast, and then took a taxi to the office. When they reached the right floor, they parted; Sue went to her office while Jack made his way to the Personnel. He was a little surprised when he noticed Yoshike there because Sue didn't really tell him where her friends worked. He has quickly taken care of everything there and slowly went to the place, where his new place of work was located. After a short while, and asking one person, he was able to find the office of his new supervisor and knocked to the door.
"Come in, please." he heard a little lower, female voice and opened the door.
His eyes immediately fell on the woman sitting behind her desk. She was in her late forties, had short, dark hair and a little sharp look of brown eyes. She was very elegant, dressed in a dark suit. Only from everything what Sue told him about her, Camille Stuart definitely looked like the person with her reputation.
"Agent Hudson, I believe?" she asked after she motioned to close the door and sit on the chair in front of the desk. Jack immediately gave her a positive answer and felt a little uncomfortable for a while, when she was watching him carefully. "I've read your file. A successful agent, with a lot of solved cases, the past very useful during working in the FBI, a good and organized team leader with a great contact with people he works with... You've gotten a lot of positive testimonials. I can't hide that you seem to be perfect for the position, but there is one thing that I can't stop wondering about. Why did you ask for this transfer?"
A lot of thoughts started to come to Jack's mind and he wasn't really sure what to say. He didn't want to say anything which would look bad in the woman's eyes, because he didn't want her to think about him as an idiot even before he started working. Still, he didn't want to hide that Sue was the reason for this decision; not only it was absolutely impossible, because he believed that this information was going to spread around the office quickly, after they would be seen anywhere together, most certainly outside the building. He didn't want to hide their relationship, quite the contrary. At the same time he was aware that moving here for a woman he wasn't even engaged with – yet, hopefully – could be considered a little crazy.
"Well... My reasons were completely personal. The person I'm in a relationship has transferred here and I don't want a long-distance relationship with someone I believe I can have a future with." he finally admitted after a while of silence and noticed Stuart nod slightly after a moment.
"That explains why I didn't find a trace of any problem in your files." she said, the careful look in her eyes never disappearing only making Jack feel a little uncomfortable.
"There was no problem. People I was working with in D.C. were like a family for me. We all cared about each other very much, the fact that we were from different places of the country and didn't have a family there was only bringing us closer."
"Still, you decided to leave them. If you were so accustomed to each other, it may be difficult for them to work with your replacement and it can affect the effectiveness of their work..."
Jack opened his mouth and coughed as a thought that she was suggesting that he didn't consider what is good for the team in his decision. It seemed stupid for him, one of them could transfer somewhere any moment and Sue was the best example. All it took was a better job offer and nobody would have anything against the decision. He knew that even though he chose to move his for a job which was practically the same as there, the team had nothing against it. Quite the contrary, when he informed them that he considers it, they all told him to apply. It was a surprise for him that it was Myles who told him he's going to make him regret staying in D.C. if he doesn't apply; he was also the one who seemed the happiest when he was accepted for this trial period. Besides, they were all considering moving; actually, only Lucy and Dimitrius were sure to stay out of the old team. When Sue left, Myles got the offer from Miami and Jack applied for a transfer, they were told that the rest was going to be divided to other groups. The higher ups had no problems with it as financial cutbacks had to be made; they even gave them all the opportunity to find a new place for themselves.
When he told that to her, Camille Stuart listened to him carefully. Of course, he omitted the part about his friends telling him to apply for his relationship with Sue sake. She could see that the man who was sitting in front of her seemed to consider a lot of things in his decision and it was something that definitely worked for his advantage. She decided not to mention to him that he was on the list she created after all of his predecessors turned out not to meet her expectations. The higher ups asked her to do it and she chose ten agents she considered adequate for the position. She was really surprised when she got a phone call that a new application arrived and it turned out to be one of those people.
Still, even though she knew that his files were good, she wanted to see the way he was going to act. Of course, Jack Hudson couldn't have known that she knew Dimitrius Gans and called him to ask exactly the same question she asked him – why he decided to transfer. She knew about his relationship with Sue Thomas and that it was the reason, and was very pleased when Jack told her the truth instead of trying to impress her by telling her that he thought that her team or the office in New York was better. A few people have already tried it and they were almost lost in her eyes at the beginning – she couldn't understand how they could think that she wasn't going to ask her friends and acquaintances about them?
"Let's introduce you to the team, then. I don't believe you had an opportunity to meet them, did you?" she stood up and slowly went to the door.
"Actually I was told that I met one of them. Greg Donovan."
"Oh, yes, of course." Camille smiled when Jack looked at her, a little surprised, but none of them said anything.
He followed her to the bullpen, which was a little smaller than the one he worked in for past couple of years. He noticed five desks there, four of which were occupied. He immediately noticed the familiar figure behind one of them and a small smile on the man's face which made the rest look at him a little startled.
"I'd like to introduce Jack Hudson, who transferred to us from the office in D.C.. He's going to work with you and I hope your cooperation is going to be effective. I'm going to leave you, so you can get to know each other."
She left and Jack looked around the room, at the people gathered there. Besides Greg he noticed two men and one woman. Scott was Jack's height, had blonde hair, cold, gray eyes and a indifferent face expression. Marcello was his exact opposite – a little shorter, olive skin, black hair and very dark brown eyes and a huge smile gracing his lips. Vanessa, the only woman in the team, was the shortest of all of them and very womanly. She had long, wavy, light brown hair and green eyes. Jack had to admit that her makeup made her look very beautifully, and her clothes – appropriate for work - were also bringing out her good look.
He talked with them for a moment and thought that they seemed to be nice people. It was a little surprising for him how quiet the bullpen was but he assumed that it was because of his presence – he noticed that they were engaged in the conversation before he walked in. They weren't very open to him but knowing the history of the team, he completely understood it. They had no idea how long he was going to stay, and if they were anything like his old team, they were even making bets how long he's going to be here.
When Sue was sitting in her office, it was difficult for her to fight the desire to go to see Jack, and how he was. She was sure that his new team wasn't going to make it any easier for him, they stopped after the third new team leader. Still, she decided that it was better to stay where she was and wait for a lunch break; she didn't want to look like a jealous girlfriend who didn't want to let the guy out of her sight for even few whiles. Then, after doing a lot of paperwork, she got a new recording to decrypt and focusing on it stopped her from wondering how Jack liked the new place.
She jumped slightly when she felt Levi's paw on her leg, but also noticed that the lamp was lit. She said to come in and Jack went into the room. He looked around and then his eyes landed on her.
"For some reason I imagined the place you work in a little... differently..." he said when he walked around her desk and sat at the edge of it, facing her.
"I work here when I'm not helping any team or travelling to other offices. There are weeks when I'm not spending even half a day in total here."
"Oh, right. I forgot that your moving here was a huge promotion for you."
"Are you jealous?" she asked, a small playful smile on her face and Jack made a face which was supposed to show her that he's thinking hardly about an answer.
"Jealous... I wouldn't say jealous... I just don't really like the idea of you travelling around the country..."
"I work here for already few months and I travelled barely twice. It's really not this often."
"Hi Susie!" Jack almost jumped when the door suddenly opened and he heard the voice behind him. "I was walking by and thought that I ask if maybe today you've got time for this dinner I promised you so long ago!"
Jack glanced at Sue with raised eyebrows and she only looked with terror in her eyes. He noticed her repeating the sign "Help" in the way the guy, who was standing in the door couldn't notice.
"I'm afraid she has already made plans with me. Actually, a lot of plans for the following days too, right Honey?"
At the last words a sheepish expression appeared on the man's face and he only mumbled sorry before going out.
"Who was that?" he asked teasingly, faking jealously and Sue's cheeks immediately became bright red.
"Silly Willy." he burst into laughter when he heard that "That's what he's called. He's like Randy – annoying and all, but Randy was at least constantly complaining and never satisfied. Willy is always in a good mood, tries to flirt with every woman here. He seems to be very kind and all but after a short while it becomes even intrusive... I accidentally walked on him and since that time I can't find any way to fob him off. And believe me, you helped only temporarily. When he attached himself to Julie, he let her be only when she asked Louis for a favour and started kissing him in front of Willy."
"Well, when he starts bothering you again, you know where to find me."
"Of course. But now, tell me how do you like your first day?"
"It's nice, but I've already met so many people that if you asked me for a name of half of them I'm sure I'd mix something. But the team seems to be okay, Stuart reminds me of my obsessively strict teacher back in high school and I have to admit that Greg is very helpful. Now I thought that I'm going to come and see how it's going and ask you for this dinner we were plan..."
The sound of his mobile phone interrupted and when he took it out of his pocket he noticed Vanessa's name on it. He groaned when he finished the very short conversation.
"She just asked me to come back because we've gotten a new case."
"It's okay. And if this case won't ruin your plans, I'd love to go to this dinner today."
Luckily, even though he was home a bit later than he planned, he didn't come back too late to go out. When he opened the door with the spare key, he noticed Sue sitting on the couch and reading, while Levi was lying next to her with his head on her lap. Even though the dog's tail immediately started to wag when he noticed Jack, Sue had no idea that he was there. He smiled at the sight and slowly approached her, completely lost in her book. Only when he gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek she looked at him with a smile.
"It's nice you're back." she said with a loving look in her eyes, adorable smile and he immediately thought that it's something he wants to come back every day.
He only changed into more casual clothes and Sue took him to her favourite restaurant in New York. He quickly noticed why she liked it – the room was very light, the atmosphere was very cosy and tables were set in the way which allowed every guest to have a little privacy. And, as Sue assured him, the food was delicious and prices weren't high. They had a really great evening. It reminded them a lot of those, which they spend together when they were back in D.C.. A dinner, then a nice walk; the difference however was that this could be called real date and there was no goodbye in front of Sue's door. Everything was exactly the way it should be for already a long time.
