His night was short, he felt restless and wasn't able to sleep well, thinking of how he could actually achieve getting over being in love with Sue without having to lose her. When he came into the kitchen for his coffee, his parents were already there, eating their toast.

"Late night? You don't look so well, honey," his mother said.

"I'm fine, I just may have had a bit too much to drink."

"I hope Bobby got home alright."

"I'm sure he did. He texted me at midnight."

"At midnight? You didn't get home at midnight…"

"Ah, no. I ran into Sue, she was going to get me a coffee to sober me up but I fell asleep on her couch for a bit."

"So, you and she are now…?" Jack's father started.

"Colleagues… friends…" Jack stated. "So, what time shall we leave for the Smithsonian?" he asked, trying to deflect any more probing from his parents.

As they got up to leave a little while later, his father held Jack back for a moment and said, "Don't hesitate too long, Sue is special and she's in love with you too."

"Dad, you hardly know her."

"I talked to her a lot and watched her last night with you and from that I know that she cares for you deeply."

"She cares for the whole team deeply, dad, that's just who she is."

"All I'm saying is, don't throw anything away until you know for sure…"

"I'm not going to risk my friendship with her…"

"Jackson, you're risking it either way, whether you talk to her or not."

With that he stepped away and left Jack to ponder his words for the rest of the day.

While they were walking around the American History Museum, Jack received a text from Sue.

"Jack, we need to talk," it said.

About what, he instantly wondered? He could never deny Sue anything, so arranged to meet her for a coffee after he dropped his parents at his home again.

They met halfway between his apartment and hers and he could instantly see the tension on her face. They ordered their coffee to go and sat on a park bench in the sun, sipping it.

"You worried me last night," Sue finally said.

"Is that why you wanted to see me?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Things have felt… off between us for a little while now and I just want to make it right."

"We're fine, Sue."

"Are we? Or are you angry with me because I almost left the unit?"

"Why would you say that?" Jack asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Because you mentioned last night about being glad I stayed and I wondered if you being angry with me was the emergency that wasn't an emergency anymore…"

"I don't understand."

"I thought that last night maybe you wanted to talk about it, because, well, we never really discussed it, but then after you woke and you said that the worry would pass… I thought maybe the worry was your anger or disappointment in me?"

"Sue! I was never angry with you for wanting to leave!" Jack said in alarm, turning more fully towards her. "And I am not disappointed in you."

"But you have been so distant of late and I thought maybe I had made you think you couldn't count on me. But you can, you know. You can always count on me."

"I know I can, Sue. That is why I'm glad you're still around," he smiled.

"Alright…"

"I'm not angry or disappointed. I'm very proud of how much you have learned and how far you have come to earn such a promotion."

"Then what has been troubling you, Jack?"

"I… erm… was just afraid of losing my friend, I guess," he said softly, his heart swelling for her all over again, his eyes completely losing control and roaming hers now. It took him a few moments to snap out of the stare he was giving her and he smiled, "I guess last night I realized I didn't need to worry and that you and I will always be friends."

"I hope so, Jack," she said sincerely, placing a hand on his arm.

They finished their coffees and Jack offered to walk her home.

"You don't have to, I'm sure your parents are waiting for you," she said.

"Oh, don't worry about them, they're fine."

They slowly started walking and Sue then said, "I'm glad I stayed here in DC too, Jack. Some things really are more important than career advancement."

"It is touching how much you care about the people around you, Sue," he said.

She looked him straight in the eye and whispered a "Yes" that almost made his heart stop for a few beats. For a moment there Jack considered that his dad did have a point, going by how Sue was returning his gazes, but she looked away again before he could try and interpret anything more. The nagging feeling that maybe his father had a point wouldn't leave him and he couldn't resist probing a little further.

"So, why exactly did you decide to stay, Sue?" he asked, naturally searching for a very specific answer.

"I couldn't bear to leave you… all… behind," she said a little stiltedly.

Again his heart skipped a little beat at how she said 'you'.

"We all, and you and I, do make a good team," he said.

"That we do," she smiled, "and I wanted to hold onto that. I wouldn't want to endanger that for anything."

"Good," Jack said pensively. He still hadn't heard what he wanted to hear but maybe there was nothing more to hear? He couldn't quite let it go yet, however.

"So, you put the team above all else in your life, then?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, there is more to life than just working in a great team."

"You know we are more than just a great working team…"

"We are?" he asked, stopping now and facing her, making her stop as well.

Sue seemed to swallow before she replied, "Yes, we are. We are good friends too."

Jack sighed. Yes, this was all he would ever get from her and he turned to walk on. Sue touched his arm, so that he had to turn back to her again.

"There it is again, Jack. You do seem angry or disappointed or… something…"

Jack sighed for a moment and then said, "It's really nothing, Sue. Not worth ruining a friendship over."

The moment he said that last sentence, he knew he'd said too much.

"I knew there was something, Jack. Please tell me?" she half begged of him.

This was torture. Could he do it? Maybe she'd accept a vague reply?

"Having you almost leave made me realize…" but he couldn't continue.

"Made you realize what?" Sue asked.

Jack chickened out. "Made me realize I don't want our team to break up."

"And it won't, I'm staying now."

"There are other reasons why a team can break up…"

"What other reasons?"

"Like two people not being able to work together anymore," he said, feeling his exasperation rise.

"Why wouldn't these two people be able to work together anymore?" she asked, looking a little alarmed.

He took a deep breath and realized he couldn't do this anymore. He had to say something, damn the consequences. If he lost her forever over this then at least he'd know, right? Anything was better than this uncertainty, right?

"I've done something really stupid, Sue," he finally confessed, "I've… I've… fallen in love with someone within the unit."

Sue studied him so intently and yet she didn't seem to comprehend. He was sure she didn't understand when she asked, "Oh? Who?"

He looked at her in surprise. Could she really not see that she was the one?

Sue then squeakily continued, "Is it Tara?"

Jack was taken aback for a moment. "No! Not Tara…"

"Lucy?" she now half whispered.

Now Jack was really taken aback. He'd never want to move in on her best friend.

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

When Sue still looked at him in incomprehension, he sighed again. "You have always been one to sell yourself short, Sue, to never consider yourself to be..." he started and then he took the full plunge. "Have you really not seen that you are the one I'm in love with?"

Sue's eyes widened in surprise, she seemed lost for words for a few moments.

They stood there in the park, staring at each other wordlessly when Sue finally whispered, "What did you say?"

Jack sighed. Maybe he had gone too far, but there was no going back now.

"I'm sorry…" he said softly, "...and I know I'm risking everything here, but there's no going back anymore. I don't want to lose you, Sue, but you almost leaving made it all clear to me and these past few weeks I've been struggling. I know you don't feel the same, that you only see me as a good friend and that never needs to change but I couldn't stay silent any longer or else I was going to… to explode…"

Sue was staring at him, wide-eyed, and Jack's eyes were roving over her features, trying to make sense of what she was thinking.

"But… that can't be..." she finally said.

"Look, I understand I am endangering our working together and that's the last thing I want to do. If you need a break from me, I can give you one, I can look for a job in another unit, but I just had to… say something… I'm sure it'll pass in time, but it is how I feel."

"You're in love with me… and… and not Ally?" she asked, needing to check that it was all true.

"Not Ally, no. It's you and in hindsight it has always been you, from the moment you and Levi walked up to my desk three years ago…" Jack said, his heart feeling heavy like it was ready to break but relieved to finally admit all of this out loud. "... and I'm sorry to burden you with all that, but I just needed…"

Jack wasn't able to finish what he was saying, however, as in the next flash of a moment, Sue had suddenly taken hold of his face in her hands and pulled him towards her as she planted a kiss on his lips!

For a moment there he was stunned, unable to move, but the next moment his brain seemed to catch on and he couldn't help but respond, his lips starting to move against hers as well. Could this really be happening? Jack's heart soared as his arms snaked around Sue's waist, pulling her closer to him, deepening their kiss, as her arms slowly found their way up around his neck. This. This is what he wanted, a chance he grabbed wholeheartedly. This was better than that one passionate kiss they had shared in a lawyer's office, this was real and not undercover and Jack's heart felt like it was expanding infinitely, this time with joy, as his lips explored hers.