Disclaimer: I still do not own anything recognizable from the show.
One more thank you to Huck05, cheliosfan, and b1212 for your reviews, and to anyone else reading this story. :)
Ok, kind of a long one, again. But, then again, long for me usually isn't that long to others. :) So, please enjoy.
"No! No! No!" Bobby suddenly errupted violently next to him, bringing his fist down aggravatedly against the couch arm and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Come on, Ref! That was a pathetic call!"
Jack laughed at Bobby's obvious displeasure before leaning forward and reaching for his drink. Taking a deep swallow of his soda, Jack heard Myles call his name from his place across the room, in the arm chair. Raising his eyebrows at Myles as a signal to go on with whatever he had to say, Jack could not help but notice how very out of place the man, still wearing a suit, seemed in a small apartment livingroom with three more casual guys and a bunch of junk food.
"I know that I usually don't partake in these kind of nightly male gatherings," Myles began, the sheer use of his words enough to make Jack, Bobby, and Demetrius look over to him with disbelieving faces. "However, I admit that this is rather fun. It's nice to just 'hang out' and 'watch the game'."
"Gee, don't cry on us, Myles, mate," Bobby said with a smile, turning back to the game.
Jack just shook his head in humor at Myles's oh-so-typical-of-Myles antics. Thank you, sister M-Y-L-E-S, Jack signed sarcastically, and Bobby translated for Myles, laughing. There tissue in bathroom if you need it.
"I was merely stating that 'time with the guys' was much more fun than I usually think it is," Myles defended again at the onslaught, but catching the companionableness of the banter.
"Listen...Myles," Demetrius said slowly, as thought explaining something to a very small child. "There is only one person in this world allowed to talk like that...and that is my wife. I love her, so that's normal, for her, and, therefore, ok. You...you just pretend to know what's going on and remember what team that you say that you're siding with."
"Honestly, mate," Bobby went on, still watching the television, but nudging Jack in the side for his aggreement. "We once took Sue with us and Wes to a bar for some pool, and she never even said anything like that. Shoot...little sheila was actually some great fun, wasn't she, Sparky?"
"Wait, wasn't that the time that you told us about Sue beating you at pool?" Myles asked, thankful for the change of subject. "'Digging your ego into the ground' I believe was the terms used."
No, no, Jack corrected, hearing as Bobby spoke for him, but seemed to stop abruptly when he realized what Jack was about to reveal next. I no lose to S-U-E. I no stupid. I on her team. B-O-B-B-Y and W-E-S lose.
"Did you just say that Bobby and Wes lost?" Demetrius asked, recognizing enough signs to figure it out after Bobby halted his helpful translations, hoping to evade the shame.
Yes, Jack answered with a grin, just as a knock sounded from the direction of the door.
Immediately, Jack stood up, curious as to who could be there; the pizza and chicken wing delivery had already been made. He could hear Demetrius and Myles giving Bobby their unrelenting shots at his masculine pride as he rounded the back of the sofa and reached the small alcove of a hallway that harbored the door.
Taking a quick and inquistive glance through the peep hole, Jack saw a familiar head of blonde hair and Levi sitting properly beside it.
Hi, Jack signed immediately, opening up the door for Sue, genuinely surprised by her sudden presence.
"Hi," Sue answered and Jack could immediately tell that something was the matter. "I'm sorry to interrupt your game night...I forgot."
It ok, Jack answered, seeing that her hazel eyes had been crying and growing concerned for her. What wrong?
"Umm...could I talk to you for a bit?" Sue asked, looking past him to where Bobby, Demetrius, and Myles all sat arguing over something that she did not bother to distinguish. "It's important."
Yes, Jack answered immediately, turning to grab his jacket and knocking on the wall loudly to gain the other men's attention. When they all looked up at him, Bobby waited to translate for him, noticing the change in his best friend's disposition. S-U-E here. I go for minute.
"Alright, mate," Bobby answered him, becoming curious, but brushing it aside to readdress later. It was none of his business, and the upset look that he saw on Sue's face had him determined to actually take that fact into consideration, for once, and not pry. "Hey, Sue, shiela."
"Hi, Bobby, Demetrius, Myles," Sue acknowledged, obviously trying to appear normal, but not fooling anyone.
"Hey, Sue," Demetrius nodded to her politely, being understanding without even knowing what of.
Myles merely acknowledged her with a small wave and grim smile, uncertain of what else to do.
You ready to go? Jack asked, taking Sue's elbow tenderly.
Sue nodded slowly, her eyes locked on his, but the tears and obvious pain serving as an ominous foreshadowing to Jack. Something was very wrong, and he was almost afraid to find out what.
You ok, S-U-E? Jack asked, touching her arm for her attention; usually he would have just squeezed her hand warmly in his, but neither one had moved to take the other's, which only put Jack less at ease. What wrong?
"I need to talk to you, Jack," Sue answered and Jack could see the renewed tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.
Of course, she wasn't alright. What kind of stupid question was that? However, as his mind raced, Jack failed to find where the night had seemed to go so very wrong for the woman at his side. He had seen her, not two hours ago, just as bright and cheerful as she had ever been.
"I met with your mother earlier," Sue informed him stiffly, avoiding eye contact. "She called me while we were all at our apartment...when I went to my room to answer the call...We met for coffee."
When? Jack almost demanded, knowing immediately that this was going to be worse than he had even thought. Why you go?
"Jack," Sue answered as they reached a bench on the darker, unlit side of the park, the luminescent full moon their only light to see each other's faces. "I wanted to go. I needed to talk to her, for everyone's sake."
Who sake, S-U-E? Jack asked again, growing rather aggitated; it was difficult enough to completely abandon his parents, but Sue was enough, to him, to do just that. This no help anyone.
"Jack," Sue said shakily, feeling much like a child as she took his hand in both of hers, silently requesting that he sit down beside her. "Please...just listen, for a little while. Please...there's something that I have to say."
Ok, Jack surrendered, managing to maintain a calmness, though he was growing angrier and angrier at his mother, by the moment. Why would she do this? Hadn't she and his father already caused enough trouble?
"Jack," Sue began, not meeting Jack's eyes, but cradling his fingers in her own as he looked down on her worriedly and Levi settled closely at her feet on the ground. "I went because your mother said that we needed to talk. I...I was never satisfied with how things were left, at the hospital. I swear...I was just trying to make amends. I...I wanted things to be better for you." Sue took a deep breath before continueing; this had to be the hardest thing that she had ever done, but she needed to get it over with. The sooner that she let him go, the sooner that he could start to move on with his life and find what she wanted for him.
Hold on, Sue, she thought to herself. Just hold on...oh, God...this was going to hurt like hell. It already did.
"I...I can't do this, Jack," Sue managed to choke out, the pain reaping havoc on her inside and out getting the better of her as she began to sob. "I...I'm...so...sorry. I...love you...Jack. But...I just can't do this to you."
Do what to me? Jack asked, her words feeling like a four ton weight being dropped on his chest and he knew that the pain he was feeling now would kill him, if prolonged. S-U-E...please, no.
Sue put her fingers around his own and pull them down to her chest. God, she felt like she was going to die at any second. Gently lowering her head, she pressed her lips to his fingertips, if only for one last trace of him to remember. She could not withstand this much longer.
"Please, Jack," Sue said through her crying, struggling for every word. "Please...understand that...this is not...you're fault. I just...I just won't ask you to give it all up. You...you deserve to have a family...and be happy. I...I just can't give you...the family and happiness that you deserve. It will never work, Jack."
Jack clung to Sue's hand as she began to rise from her seat, unwilling to let her go.
What no work? Jack pleaded, holding her hand steadfastly in his. Please, talk to me.
Sue finally seemed to break down, the walls that Jack could feel that she built up around herself shattering and melting to nothing. A heartwrenching sob escaped her and Sue finally could take no more. She could not take this pain; it was too much for her to bear alone. Jack's arms wrapped around her immediately, encasing her in a secure warmth that defied the cold night about them.
Lowering them both back towards the bench, Jack pulled Sue onto his lap and held her close to his chest. Her small slender arms wrapped around his waist, clinging to him, as though her life depended upon it, and Sue buried her face into Jack's chest. Every sob, and gasp, and cough that Sue could not help but to release against the folds of his jacket tore at Jack's emotions. What did she mean? Why was she doing this?
Taking Levi's leash off of her wrist and blindly fastening it around the arm of the bench, Jack allowed himself more freedom to pull her closer into him. Her form still felt as though it molded to his own, made to be there. Something that his mother had said or done had caused this. It enraged him to think about that, but right now Sue was hurting, and he needed to make it better.
What cause this? he fingerspelled, reaching a hand beneath her jacket and shirt to the warm flesh of her back beneath. Please...you can no leave me.
"You...deserve...better," Sue sobbed even harder, choking on a cough, but tightening her arms around Jack and pressing her face to his neck, subconsciously aware of the wound that was still finishing its healing process. Her fingers touched it absently as her mind felt like it would implode with the thoughts running through it now, mixed dangerously with those returning horrors that she had felt in the hospital. "Jack...please...d...don't let me do this. I c...can't give you...what you need...what you want."
I need you, Jack replied after several moments of pondering this. God, he just couldn't lose her. I want you. Please no leave me. Nothing else matter. I need only you. Please.
This seemed to assuage Sue's worries, for the time; at least, she grew silent and her body seemed to relax against him. Whether it was from being comforted or physically exhausted, it did not matter; what mattered was that Jack could now speak with her on a calmer level. He had to discover what had caused this, what his mother had said.
Why? Jack asked again, brushing his fingers against her warm back, but pulling her closer to him as he felt her shivering.
"Children," Sue answered, drawing a ragid breath as her warm fingertips roved gently over the large area that was beginning to scar on his neck, but growing calm enough to speak more clearly. "There are so many difficulties. I...I'm not...only saying this because...of your mother. It just...makes sense. How...how could we raise children and give them...everything that they need? How would we teach them to speak? There's so many things that we could not do for them."
This took Jack completely by surprise, the painful churning that it caused in his stomach terribly unpleasant. So this was the problem. His mother had stooped this low. Tenderly Jack turned his head towards hers enough to kiss her hair and reached a hand to her chin to make her face him.
Ever so softly, Jack edged forward warily and covered her lips with his own; when she reacted by moving her own with his, an incredible sense of easiness and relief came over him. He felt her fingertips glide upwards towards his jawbone and he moved his own to rest on the hollow point between her neck and her own jawbone, gently brushing her jaw and lips with his thumbs. When breath became a necessity, Jack unwillingly pulled his lips from hers, moving to rest them on the side of her face.
"Sue," he finally said, looking her in the eye, his lips moving but no sound escaping him. It was a painful reminder of what he had lost, but he knew that Sue worried about how he was coping, and he would put her at ease in every way that he could. "We can be good parents. I promise you...that...if you were to leave, I would not want to move on. Yes, I want a family...but I only want one with you. I can't have that with anyone else. I love you. We...could take them to a speech therapist, or something, like you went to as a child. It will be hard...very hard, and we'll probably think that we made a mistake, at some times...but we can do this. Please, Sue...don't let my parents ruin this. Their opinion isn't worth losing something so precious."
Sue's eyes showed all the surprise that she felt as they remained locked Jack's.
"Did you just speak?" Sue asked, looking between his eyes and lips.
"No," Jack answered, again moving his lips but uttering not a sound. "But I can still move them. It's ok, Sue...Please, don't worry about me anymore. I'm alright...and, now, we both need to move on."
"I love you, Jack," Sue said after several moments, wiping away the last of her remaining tears, but a soft smile gracing her face.
Jack leaned forward again and pressed his lips to her in a brief, yet intimate kiss.
"I love you, too, sweetheart," he mouthed, then pressed his lips to her temple.
Sue settled down against him, this time in a much more intimate companionable way. Resting her head back against his neck, she looked the large scar over again, lightly grazing over it with her fingers.
It look bad? Jack asked, moving his hand into Sue's line of vision and waving it for her attention before signing.
"No," Sue answered quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It's beautiful."
Jack felt her warm, moist breath again his neck, just before her soft lips pressed against the point that had been the center of so much pain. It was a wonderfully pleasant tingling sensation that erupted over him.
"So...what does your tuxedo look like?" Sue asked, desperate to change the subject after several long minutes of silence, however comfortable and close.
No, no, Jack signed teasingly, thankful for the changing direction to much happier areas of conversation. If I no see you dress until wedding, you no see suit.
"Bully," Sue muttered playfully.
