"Are we going to talk about last night?" Jess says. Becker is standing on the balcony, looking out over the city, and Jess, again wearing only one of his t-shirts, has come out behind him.
"I'm sorry," he says, turning to face her, "I was horrible and pathetic and bitter."
"I'm sorry too," she replies, "I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that – if it had been the other way around, I would have been just as uncomfortable."
"It's ok," he says, "I overreacted."
"I do think Lester's right though," she admits, "We need to keep our arguments between us. All everybody is going to be talking about today is our fight. Plus you were very rude to me."
"Excuse me?" he says disbelievingly, "You were all over Connor! What was I supposed to do?"
"Oh please," she scoffs, "Abby knows I didn't mean anything by it – he had injured himself, I was making sure he was ok."
"Yes, ok, and that's fair enough," he replies, "But you didn't have to make such a big show of it – you know full well you were doing it to piss me off. And asking for Ross? What was that about?"
"Ross has a very specific skill set," she insists, "His hands are used to working with small wires – diffusing bombs, that sort of thing. I figured he'd be perfectly qualified to pull a couple of wires out of the way, so I could straighten something out."
"Grow up, Jess," he replies sharply, "You and I both know he's the fittest guy on the team."
"No," she corrects, "You're the fittest guy on the team – I have absolutely no interest in Ross. But I'm not going to not work with him, just because you feel threatened by him, and that is the point I was trying to make."
"And you?" he asks, "Because I'm pretty sure I've not been on shift with another female field co-ordinator in almost a year."
"That's a lie," she protests, "You were on shift with Barbara just last week."
"Barbara is 65," he says scathingly, "She is literally retiring tomorrow."
"Shit, is that tomorrow?" she says, side-tracked, and Becker rolls his eyes.
"Jessica, focus please," he says, feigning irritation to hide his fondness, "Look you cannot deny that you and I are on shift together a ridiculous amount."
"Ok, I admit it," she confesses, "I put us on the same shift together. Each field co-ordinator has a team which they work really well with, and I try to schedule them together, because it makes everyone much more productive."
"And…?" Becker says, pushing her.
"And I don't like you working with other girls!" she admits, "You're mine – I know them and I don't want them getting their claws into you."
"You're right," he laughs, "I am yours and you have nothing to be worried about. But it is true that we are both very insecure and possessive at the moment, and I think we need to try and deal with this together."
"Ok," she agrees, "And no more arguing at the ARC, unless it's about work."
He crosses the balcony in a few swift strides and kisses her with such a force that her back hits the glass doors. "I love you," he breathes.
"Oh yeah?" she says playfully, "Prove it."
Without saying another word, he lifts her off the ground and carries her into his bedroom.
Two hours later, they run into the ARC. "You're late," Lester says, walking out of his office, and Jess blushes.
"Sorry, sir," Becker says confidently, "We were just working things out."
"I'll bet you were," Ross says, under his breath, but both of them catch it.
"Problem, soldier?" Becker says, barely veiled rage colouring his voice.
"Not at all, Captain," Ross replies, suddenly extraordinarily confident. "Just wondering why we were all banned from asking Miss Parker out and suddenly you're sleeping with her."
"My office now," Becker says furiously, "Insubordination will not be tolerated, Ross, no matter how senior you are."
"Don't be too harsh on him," Jess murmurs, kissing him gently.
"Better listen to your whore," Ross says quietly and the whole room falls quiet.
"Do you want to repeat that?" Lester breaks the silence and Ross juts his chin out defiantly.
"She's his whore," he repeats, "And he should listen to her."
"Becker," Jess says, grabbing her boyfriend's arm, "He's so not worth it, Hil, just let it go. Let Lester deal with him."
"Dishonourable discharge, I think," Lester says, not taking his eyes off Ross, "For gross misconduct in the workplace. I'll file the relevant paperwork. Private Johnson, please escort this man off the premises." A young man runs forward and leads him out of the room; Jess and Becker watch him go, shocked.
"Can I have a word in my office?" Lester asks them and they nod, following him up into the glass room.
Olivia, who has just finished her shift, leans on the glass table and turns to her best friend, Sophie, one of the top soldiers at the ARC. "What do you think Becker sees in her?" she asks.
"Jess is awesome," Sophie laughs, "She's bright and funny and really pretty."
"She's all over him," Olivia replies scathingly, scowling as laughter erupts from Lester's office. Jess is bent forwards and Becker throws his head back, laughing; even Lester cracks a smile. "It's pathetic," she continues, "You've got to admit it's a bit weird – she fawns over him for almost two years and suddenly they're in a serious relationship? Maybe she's got something on him."
"Ok, no," Sophie snaps, "You're being ridiculous. Clearly you don't know the Captain at all – he's been mooning over Jess just as long as she's been mooning over him. He used to meet us from all our missions and collect our black boxes, just so he could go and see her. And, like Ross said, he banned everyone in the team from dating her –just her, nobody else. He's been working up to this for a very long time, trust me. Also, she has not got anything on him. He looks blissfully, ridiculously happy with her, happier than I've ever seen him, and you are not going to ruin that. Leave them alone, Liv."
Just then the couple walks out of Lester's office. Jess makes to walk down to the ADD but Becker grabs her wrist and pulls her back into a blinding kiss. "I guess you're right," Olivia says quietly, "They are very cute. You've gotta admit though, it's insane that there are three perfect couples in the main team."
"Oh, totally," Sophie laughs, "Whatever they're putting in the water, I need to get some more of that."
"See you later," Becker says to Jess, "We still going round to your brother's?"
"We should really," Jess replies reluctantly, "But I cannot be bothered. I want to get a takeaway and watch a movie."
"We won't stay long," he promises gently, "But we really should see them."
"Oh, you two," Lester says, "Just while I've still got you, I need to sort out the rota for the Christmas period."
"Why are you asking us first?" Jess says, stepping back into his office.
"Well, Connor and Abby have been together for ages," he replies, "Their families can deal with it. Matt and Emily don't have family anyway, but you two should probably spend your first Christmas together. If you want to, I don't really like Christmas."
"Of course you don't," she says fondly, and then turns, business-like, to Becker. "Right," she says, "I think we should work Christmas Day. We can see your family Christmas Eve and mine Boxing Day, and then we can take New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off. My brother throws awesome New Year's Eve parties and then we can see your family on New Year's Day."
"Sounds fine," Becker replies, hugging her round the waist.
"Are you sure?" Lester asks and they both nod, "Ok, fine. I'll put that in then. Now back to work, you were late enough already and we have a new second-in-command to find."
"Promote someone," Jess says simply, "Sophie? I like her."
"She works well enough," Becker shrugs, "And she gets on with everyone. Why don't we go and ask her if she'd be interested?"
"Ok," Lester says, "That would make everything a lot simpler."
"Sophie," Jess says, bounding over to where Sophie and Olivia are laughing together, "Becker's got something he wants to ask you."
"Thanks, Jessica," he says affectionately, putting an arm around her shoulders, "Soldier, obviously with Ross gone, we need a new second-in-command. We were wondering if you would be interested in taking the job."
"Oh my god, really?" Sophie squeals, and Jess beams, "Yeah, yeah, I'd love to, thank you so much." She hugs Olivia and Jess in her excitement and then calms down, saluting Becker politely. He surveys her severely for a moment and then winks before allowing Jess to drag him away.
