Once again thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm honestly thrilled that you guys are liking this, to the point where I myself can't wait till it's Friday too lol. Anyway here's the next one, enjoy.
I think the title of this chapter is suggestive enough lol….
Once again the flashbacks are in italics.
CHAPTER 4: PARTYING UNDER THE MISTLETOE
She didn't know what was more amusing. The scene of Phoebe showing fully grown workers how decorating should be done, or the man she'd come to know as Jack currently wearing a Santa hat with a matching festive apron to boot. The Shelter's contribution of course and he pulled the look off amusingly well.
There he was happily serving food she didn't recognise being on the menu at first, though she wasn't stupid to then figure it all out.
"This guy really was something", she thought, touched that he'd still made the effort, on Christmas Eve none the less, to do something he didn't have to.
Wanting to then surprise him as much as he did her, she came up with an idea. Grabbing one of the food trays and joining the line of those waiting to be served.
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It'd been a long time since he did something that made him feel this good. With every plate of food served he felt like he was making a difference, as small as the offer was, it still stood credible in his thought process.
"So what's it gonna……Kate!" Jack broke off, looking up and momentarily going wide eyed, more due to embarrassment rather than shock.
Simply smiling in response, she then teased him by saying, "aren't you gonna serve me Santa?"
Chuckling upon realisation of the referral, he briefly bowed his head down and then looked up, locking focus with her. Clearly seeing something other than the amusement within her hazel green eyes, he noticed for the first time; gratitude.
Full and meaningful in the same way one dear friend would regard another, and even though they'd known each other for the majority of a day, he found himself surprisingly acceptant of the possibility; friends.
"If you two are finished visually doin' each other I'd like to get some food already." A voice behind Kate suddenly chipped in and while Kate just rolled her eyes at the rather lewd statement, Jack apologised and resumed with his duties.
Seeing that he was busy and would probably be for quite some time, she offered Jack a brief, "I'll catch you in a bit" and then went off to keep Phoebe company, and also save her clearly exhausted and slightly scared workers in the process.
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"So you and Kate huh?"
"Sorry?" Jack asked, truthfully not having caught onto the man's implications mainly due to being pre-occupied with serving the food. However this man seemed relentless and more direct this time.
"You plannin on hittin' that or what?" the man asked, grabbing Jack's attention and instead of going on the defence and causing an unnecessary commotion, he just laughed it off.
"I think you may be getting a bit ahead of yourself there." Jack offered instead, then opting to keep himself busy and hoping that the man would take it as a sign to drop the subject.
"C'mon man, I've known freckles a long time now and she don't make googley eyes at just anyone." The man pointed out and then finished with revealing something that had Jack curious.
"Well anyone who isn't Todd, but we try not to talk about the bastard around here anymore."
With that said the man walked off with his food tray, leaving Jack to obviously wonder about this Todd guy, specifically what he must have done to earn such a title.
(3 years ago)
Things finally seemed to be looking up. Emily's cancer had gone into remission, thanks to Claudia's slaving efforts, and now Kate had the chance to fulfil more a mission, rather than a dream to give back to a Community that had been so helpful at a time when her family were suffering financially, particularly during her Mother's fight against cancer.
Due to the rarity of the type of cancer she suffered with, it gained a considerable amount of televised popularity at the time, leading for anonymous donations to surprisingly flood in when word of a presumably effective yet expensive trial treatment surfaced. Even though her Mother still lost her life with the disease in the end, Kate never once forgot the Community's astounding generosity in trying.
So exactly five years after her Mother's death, the "Giving to You" Shelter was born. A place Kate could use to fulfil her mission, though the one downfall was the amount of money it took to build it. Still, money wasn't the issue for Kate, the cause was and thankfully a shower of volunteers, most of them close friends, willingly signed up for the same reason. Even little Emily, now 4 years old, wanted to help out any way she could.
Barely a few weeks in and the Shelter was nearly done, but everything came to a standstill at the last minute when Kate was suddenly issued with, "a health code violations notice?"
Kate wasn't the kind of person to ignore health and safety, especially with a place like this. In fact it was one of the first things she worked on getting up to code. So the notice undoubtedly came off as a bit of an odd surprise. That was until she walked into the Head Inspector's office and was faced with none other than…..
"Todd?"
The name rung clear in Kate's head for the obvious reason, but she refrained from letting her anger get the better of her at this time and situation.
"Hello Kate. How are you?" he asked and the glare he received in response was enough to assure him that she was far from okay when it came to him.
"So, what can I do for you?" he then proceeded to enquire, assuming it had to do with the letter she was holding and then threw on his desk.
"Ahhh the Cherry-tree Avenue case….."
"What do you want Todd?" Kate cut him off, already catching onto his strategy, being that he was known for them.
"Excuse me?" he played dumb and that only added more fuel to Kate's anger as a result.
Not once since Emily was hospitalised did he once visit, let alone pick up the phone to acknowledge her existence.
"C'mon, there's gotta be a reason as to why you're back and already making my life a misery."
"This is procedure Kate." He pointed out, picking up the letter from his table.
"Bull, and you know what….." she interrupted, grabbing the letter from his hands, ripping it to shreds and then throwing it in his face.
"You've got a thing coming if you think you're coming anywhere near her." Kate warned with the utmost determination within her fiery gaze.
With that said she walked out of his office, not before being welcomed with what he felt was a fair argument over the subject matter.
"Emily's my daughter too Kate." He stated it, loud and clear but Kate failed to acknowledge it because as far as she was concerned, Emily's Father died the day he left her Mother homeless after finding out she was pregnant.
So why the sudden interest?
Christmas was only a few minutes away now and a full blown party had erupted in the Shelter in sole honour of welcoming it.
The tables and chairs were folded away and put to the side, making way for a spacious dance floor area and within minutes it was filled with laughter and celebration as the carols played.
Jack in the meantime couldn't seem to keep his mind or eyes off Kate as he saw her laughing and playing with Phoebe. His heart warming at the sound of his daughter's squeals of laughter as Kate played a game he knew all too well, being that it was Phoebe's favorite, despite the slight pronunciation difficulty; tongue twisters.
As if then feeling the heat of someone's stare on her, Kate turned her focus away from Phoebe and landed on Jack. Smiling at him and then engaging somewhat in conversation with Jill, one of the workers, who'd just sat herself beside her.
Jill, immediately catching onto the discrete yet evident exchange between the two, decided to cut the conversation short and ask the question.
"So you gonna stare at him some more or are you going to ask him out already?"
Trying to look surprised, as if the thought hadn't once crossed her mind tonight, Kate still chose to deny it. Then keeping herself busy with Phoebe who was sat in her lap, content and happily clapping along to the rhythm of the music, anything to put off her exhaustion.
"Come on Kate, how can you say no to that?" Jill pointed out and before she could go into the lewd specifics, Kate cut her off with the truth.
"Okay, maybe I have thought about it, but who's to say he's not happily married?"
"Well if he was do you think he'd be here helping you out?" Jill questioned and then excused herself when Jack approached.
"Hey."
"Hey." Kate simply replied, oddly feeling like she was being asked to dance at the Prom or something.
"Uh, I was thinking that I should probably head out. It's getting late and well past this little one's bed time." Jack explained, looking at a dozing off Phoebe in Kate's arms.
"Oh, yeah sure." Kate agreed, slowly ushering Phoebe into Jack's arms and then wordlessly walking him out.
As they approached the doorway, Kate moved to say something but at the last minute decided to keep what she had to say brief and non suggestive.
"Thank you, for doing what you did tonight."
Smiling appreciatively, he simply replied by saying, "it was my pleasure."
It was at that moment he then caught sight of something hanging in the doorway. Kate's eyes following his and widening in realization of what this item signified in the traditional sense.
Much to Kate's surprise Jack made the notion to make the first move. Leaning forward to kiss her cheek, her face leaning ever so slightly into his as the warmth of his skin delightfully pressed against hers. Her eyes moving to close so she could thoroughly embrace the feeling, but he'd pulled away before that stage could take proper effect.
All he then had to say was, "Merry Christmas Kate."
So a few more surprises and finally a little Jate to boot.
Chapter 5: Phoebe's Birthday party, more on Emily's story and perhaps a second kiss…..