Sorry for the delay, work still has not calmed down and I've been having a bit of writer's block on this story. I'm finally rolling again for this chapter, and I'll have the epilogue to post after this chapter. Sadly, we're coming to the end. On the plus side, still much more to do with For Now: Continuing On. Enjoy!


Jack was waiting for Sue to come out of her room to head to dinner. He chuckled as he thought about the time that had passed since he had finally confessed his love for his dearest one and asked her to be his and his alone. They had sat and watched two movies first; or rather had two movies on the TV. They had alternated between gently kissing and caressing each other and opening their pasts to each other. Sue had giggled and told him, "I've learned more about you in these last four hours than I have over the last three years". Then they had eaten, gone for a brief walk in the park, and had come back to sit and read. It was…domestic. Well, domestic before kids, Jack thought with a laugh. Then Lucy had came home.

Lucy had pried it out of Jack that they were dating, come hell or high water or transfer, and she had actually fallen silent. She had sat there for a few seconds and a broad grin crossed her face. "It's about time." She said quietly as she gave both Jack and Sue a hug. Then she started laughing and clapped. "Sue, I'm so happy for you!" She said. "And Jack, you finally did it! I told you she'd say yes!"

Sue looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow. "She's been my confidant for the last nine months." Jack told her. "She was one who urged me if you ever broke it off with Matt to go for it. Said you'd say yes."

Sue looked at Lucy with an exasperated look. "Lucy!"

Lucy giggled. "I never told him anything more than that. Now lady, we don't have long to get you dressed up for dinner. Jack, you go home and get dressed-"

Jack gave a sheepish smile and pulled out a carry bag. "I was intending on taking Sue out if she accepted tonight anyways. I've got my stuff here. Off you go darling." He said, a little self-consciously, and gave her a quick, gentle kiss.

Sue caressed his cheek for a second, "I love you, Jack" she whispered quietly, then turned and hobbled with Lucy into her room.


"Well, you about ready?" Lucy said to Sue. Sue was changed into a light blue, long sleeved blouse and a black skirt that ended just above her knees, and was worrying what Jack would think of her outfit.

"You think he'll like it?" She asked.

Lucy put her hands on her hips. "Do I think he'll like it? I know he'll like it, if anything because it's on you! Don't you see the way he looks at you? Sue, we've had this discussion already yesterday if I recall. Come on, and I'll show you."

Sue stood with Lucy's help, and made her way out into the living room. Jack turned to look at her and stared, a broad smile growing on his face. He walked over to Sue, ignoring Lucy, and took her in his arms. "You are gorgeous, love." Sue blushed and dropped her gaze. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted it so that she looked into his eyes. Her breath caught for a second at the expression; one of love, passion, and happiness. "I mean it." Sue smiled up at him, lost in his eyes.

"Told you." Lucy said. Jack jumped slightly. This is sad. He thought. I actually forgot that Lucy was right there.

"Hm?" Sue said, finally dragging her eyes away from Jack's.

"I told you so." Lucy said again, a broad smile on her face. They are so cute! She thought. Then...she had an unpleasant thought. "What about work?"

Jack raised an eyebrow, keeping his arms around Sue to support her. "I'll talk to D tonight. See what he can do. If he can't do anything, I'll transfer out." Lucy's eyebrows shot up at that, but when she opened her mouth, Jack said, "We can discuss that later." He turned to Sue. "Darling, I do want to let everyone know tonight, but I want to talk to D first. Is it okay if we...act like normal until I can get him alone?"

Sue grimaced, but nodded. "Very well. But if the waitress flirts with you, I'll arrest her. I'll find something, I'm sure." She said the last with a wink.

"Little possessive?" Jack asked with a wink.

Sue mimed a bite and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Just be careful I don't mark you as mine. Now let's get going, or we will all be late." She said the last sentence at a normal volume looking at Lucy.

Lucy looked at the blushing couple and shook her head with a grin. "Come on, you lovebirds. Though if the others don't see the difference in you two, they don't deserve to be FBI agents."


Bobby was laughing with the others in the restaurant when he noticed a trio walking towards the restaurant. One had her head thrown back laughing and the other, cane in hand, leaning heavily on a third whose arm was wrapped around her waist to support her. "Looks like our last three are here." He said with a grin, drawing the others attention to the trio.

"Hello all!" Lucy said as she walked up to them. Jack gently lowered Sue into her seat and pulled out Lucy's.

He straightened and looked at D. "Hey D, do you have a minute? I have something I would like to clear up before I come into work on Monday." His voice was casual, but D noticed his eyes looked worried.

"Not a problem, Jack. Order an appropriate wine for us, Myles." D said.

"Couldn't this wait until after dinner, mate? I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you of late since last Saturday for the game." Bobby asked, a little put out.

"What our koala is saying is that he's missed you, Jack." Myles drawled. "He just lack's the refined humor to enjoy being around me as much as you."

Jack laughed. "Don't worry, Bobby. I'll be back shortly." He patted the Australian on the head mockingly. Bobby took the teasing well, laughing along with the rest.

"Go on, Jack. Then get back here. Your entire team has missed you more than Myles will let on. Now go." He made a shooing motion with his hands. Jack laughed and followed D outside.


"What can I do for you, Jack?" D asked as they went outside and turned the corner away from the windows.

Jack took a breath, suddenly scared of what he was about to do. He loved his team; they were almost like family, and he didn't want to let them go. "D, I need a favor. And it'll be a big one."

D's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's up?"

"I need an exemption for Bureau Policy 37.2.5." Jack said in a rush, his pulse pounding.

D suddenly understood. Maybe that arm around Sue's waist wasn't completely to support her. Jack had always danced that line with Sue, even when they were dating others. D was an observant man; he knew the two of them had serious feelings for each other, it's just that life (or work) kept getting in the way. When they started dating Matt and Rachel, he figured that was it, and they would just deal with only working with each other. The accident occurred, and he figured that this would come to a head.

"Well, we're having this discussion sooner than I anticipated, but it's not unexpected. I was wondering why Lucy was so happy walking in this morning." D said. "Jack..." D sighed, running his hand over his face. "I tried. I knew this was coming, so I tried. I made it the whole way up to department head and he shut it down. He didn't want to start a precedent."

Jack felt like he'd been socked in the gut. He was hoping against hope...He closed his eyes and nodded. "Dammit. Then D, it's the hardest choice I've had to make so far, but-"

"Before you go and be all noble, I need to talk to Sue first. The two of you can talk about what the department head proposed, and we can make a decision. Jack, couldn't you have done this after dinner? I'm hungry." D said, winking at him.

"Sorry..." Jack said, his head dropping a little.

"Stay here." D ordered him. "I'll be back with Sue. Find a seat for her."

Jack looked and found a bench right next to the restaurant and sat for a second before he got up and started pacing. What was D proposing with Sue? He wasn't going to have her transfer out; he wanted her to stay with this group that loved her and accepted her. But one of them would have to shift, otherwise they would break the policy and lose their jobs. He couldn't do that to Sue.

As he was pacing, D walked out with Sue and grinned at Jack. "Jack." Sue said. He spun around. "Sit down and stop pacing like a cornered bear. All as God wills, darling."

D had to laugh. On top of Sue's way with words, he liked that they were already using endearments for each other. Jack sank onto the bench, and D steadied Sue as she sat down next to him.

He cleared his throat. "Sue, Jack asked for an exception to BP 37.2.5. Sadly, they wouldn't bite and I couldn't get it for you. However, with a warning that adhering to strictly to this would lead to the breaking up of our team, they wanted to posit something for you two to consider. BP 37.2.5 states that two agents in the same section cannot date, nor can you date your superior. That latter bit killed one of my plans to trade with Jack until a new opening came up. I spoke to the department manager, and it went kinda like this..." D laughed thinking about that conversation.


"You want an exception for your two agents, D?" The department manager was astonished. D rarely asked for exceptions to stuff like that.

"Yup. They are a good pair, they will stay together, and they are still integral members of our team. My section has never kept things impersonal as it comes to each other, as you well know and is the reason we are so good, so we won't be losing anything. I ask we give them a shot." D said confidently. Externally confident. Inside he was praying and hoping that they would go along with this. He didn't want to lose Jack or Sue.

James appeared to think about it, while John sat there gazing at D. John was fine with it, but James had expressed misgivings. "I don't want to set a precedent. I can't buy into this right now. I'm sorry D."

D gazed at James. He admired the department manager, but sometimes he seemed to miss where this would go. "James, I'll lose one of them if we don't. I promise you that. They aren't going to give up each other once they start dating. That's just fact. And we've built amazing chemistry inside of the team, so taking one away will hurt more than just subtracting what one may bring. We'll break up my team. You know how good we are. I don't think the bureau will be better for it."

James mulled it over in his mind. He knew darn well how good D's team was. It's why he even entertained this meeting. He didn't want to break up the team, and as a human being, he didn't want to keep those two apart. He'd seen them before and thought they would make such a lovely couple. Ever the helpless romantic, James was rooting for them for some time now. But he couldn't throw away policy for one couple. How could he make this work...

This time John leaned forward. "How about a dummy position for Sue?" James looked at him sharply. "Free floating, but with a heavy focus on working with D's group. Would still be 'trained' by Hudson, or whoever D chooses, but wouldn't be technically within the section. We can write it up that it's a support piece for D's group even, that way no one can steal her away from you guys. D can even be her manager, just as a different section in addition to the others. No change in practicality, but breaks the organizational flow. Though you may want to reconsider sending her into the field with Hudson on anything remotely dangerous. We need both their minds on the task."

James grin widened to match that of D's. "I like it. John, make it happen, I'll sign off on it. We'll have it ready to go by this coming Monday. Maybe they will finally realize they should be with each other and get it together before they come back. Who knows, but I want it ready by then. Happy D?"

D laughed. "That'll do. Thanks James, I owe you one."

James laughed. "You do. Just describe their face when you get to tell them this workaround. If they will accept it. D, dismissed; get back to your group. Remember John, end of Friday, on my desk."


Jack's and Sue's mouths were hanging open in surprise. D started cackling. "Oh, this is too good. James would love to see these faces. Anyways, I'll give you a few minutes to talk."

Jack looked at Sue. He wanted her to make the decision because she would be the one technically out of the section. "Sue?"

She looked at Jack with one of the biggest smiles on her face that he had seen. "I get to work with you, stay with you, be with you, and all I need to do is be in a 'dummy position' where nothing practically changes? Yes, I want this, Jack!" She threw her arms around him, winced slightly as her ribs protested the sudden movement, then kissed him passionately.

"Well?" D's voice came a few minutes later, causing Jack to jump and break the kiss. The blushing couple looked at him like they had just been caught in class.

"I want to do it. D, I owe you so much, thank you thank you thank you! I'd hug you if I wouldn't likely fall trying to get up!" Sue said.

Jack rose and clamped D into a tight hug of his own. "I owe you, D. I owe you my career in this group. Thank you." Jack spoke quietly and firmly.

"It was truly my pleasure." D said. "Now let's go eat. I'm starving! When are you going to tell the others?"

"As soon as we get back inside." Sue said as Jack helped her to her feet. Jack grinned. "They'll get a surprise."


The three walked back in and saw wine and salads waiting for them at the table. The others were well into their salads and immediately started asking questions. "So what's going on, mate?" Bobby's voice finally came out of the hubbub.

"I was figure out something very important to my personal life, Bobby." Jack said as he helped Sue into her seat. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face up, a raised eyebrow asking permission. Sue's response was to put a hand on the back of his head and pull him down into a soft, brief kiss.

There was a brief silence around the table in which you could have heard a pin drop. Myles, Bobby, and Tara's mouths were hanging open. Sue and Jack broke the kiss and stared into each others eyes for another second before Jack took his seat. Casually, he picked up his fork and started to eat his salad as Sue, brilliantly red, sipped her wine.

"Wait, what?!" "When did this happen?!" "I knew it!" all spilled out. Myles was the one who looked less surprised out of the three. "I won the bet, Luce, that they would start dating within two months! You owe me dinner!"

"Jack, when did you ask this lovely shelia out?" Bobby asked. Jack, his mouth full of salad, signed Today.

They were all talking loudly, speculating, and laughing until Tara finally said, "Wait. What about BP 37.2.5?"

Sue took a deep breath and exhaled, schooling her features. "Unfortunately, no exception. I'll be leaving the section."

"What?!" Lucy said. "I thought Jack said that he was going to!" She looked at him, confused and upset. She would miss either one of her friends that had to leave, but she knew why Jack wanted to leave instead of Sue.

Jack shrugged. "Well, she couldn't quite be my training agent, now could she?"

By now, everyone (except D) was confused. "But if she's not in our section...Oh." Tara said. "So that's what that change in our org chart was. But how..."

Bobby looked at Tara. "What are you talking about?"

"I believe," Sue said, "she means that I'm set up in a 'dummy position' working for D in a separate section from you all. However, in practicality, everything remains the same. So I get Jack, and all of you." She said, beaming, a little misty eyed.

"D, you are amazing." Bobby said, toasting him with his wine.

"James and John came up with the whole thing." D deflected the praise. "Now, with all of that out of the way, let's order food." He said as the waitress walked over to them, seeing they were all at the table together at last.


"Well, I wouldn't have thought this day would end this way." Jack said, holding his love in his arms in her living room. Lucy had 'gone to bed' to give them some space to say goodnight.

"I hadn't either, but I'm so glad that it has. I love you, Jack, so much." Sue said, nuzzling his neck and tucking her head under his chin. She loved doing that; it made her feel so safe and protected. Surrounded by him.

"I love you too. You are so wonderful..." He said to her after she had pulled back, gazing into her eyes. She slid her lips over his, caressing his neck and back, wishing she could hear the soft moan that she felt under her hands.

"Go home and sleep darling. Come and visit me tomorrow?" She asked him.

"Always." He said. "I want to enjoy the last few days before I have to go back to work and can't see you for a few weeks until you are healed the rest of the way."

She giggled. "I will always look forward to seeing you. Now I don't want you getting sick from lack of sleep. Go, my love. I will see you in the morning."

He smiled at her, sighed, then kissed her one last time. Or maybe second to last, he wasn't quite sure until she gave him a little push towards the door. "I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight, darling. Love you." Jack said, giving her a brief kiss, really the last one tonight, he told himself.

"I love you too, Jack. Goodnight, and sleep well." Sue said, sliding her hands down his arms until she let go of his hands.

With a jaunty tip of his cap, Jack turned and left. Till 'morrow, my darling Sue. He thought.


Hope you enjoyed it!