Notes: I'm not sure if the show gives us any info on the time between episodes so I've set this story to take place about a month after the events of The Heiress. Also Vicky does not exist in this universe and will not be making any appearances lol.
Finally, just prefacing this by saying that I've never written fic before and absolutely have no idea what I'm doing, so my apologies if this is trash! xoxo!
Chapter 1: Admitting the Obvious
April 1984
Jack heaved a sigh and checked his alarm clock for what had to be the twentieth time in the last hour. It was nearing 2:00 a.m. and he was due for an early morning at the bistro, but he knew what little sleep he might manage to get that night wouldn't be restful.
He could hear hushed, excited giggles coming from the girls' room through the wall their bedrooms shared. He knew his roommates could only be talking about Janet's engagement to Phillip at this hour. And though he couldn't help but smile every time he heard a peal of laughter, each one still panged at his heart. It was only a matter of time before everything would change.
Of course he told her how happy he was for her when she made the announcement earlier that day. The trio even broke out Janet's special occasion champagne to have with dinner prepared by the chef himself. But he could properly sulk now that he was finally alone, not having to put on a delighted show for Janet.
He was such an idiot. The dumbest guy on the face of the earth. He spent over seven years living in the very same apartment as Janet. They slept in bedrooms right next to each other every night. He had seen that face every single day of his life for the better part of a decade! And yet here he was. Never a word said, feeling as though he'd just been dumped by the love of his life and she didn't even know it.
Staring into the darkness of his bedroom, a little drunk on celebratory champagne, he guessed that somewhere in the very back of his mind he was aware that eventually someone else would see how wonderful Janet was and end up whisking her away from him. If he was being honest with himself, he knew that he was lucky all the guys before had managed to be just as stupid as he was.
Why? Why hadn't he ever said anything? It wasn't like he never had the chance. In fact, he had had so many chances to confess his feelings over the years that it was just sad at this point. That trip to Big Bear with Larry and the girls just a few months ago was the closest he ever got to really telling her anything, but Larry effectively ruined that moment. And when Terri revealed that the magazine, the root of the whole cabin trip, had actually belonged to a patient of hers, Jack's surge of bravery came to a halt and he fell back to the oh so familiar safety net of pretending he wasn't hopelessly in love with Janet Wood, like the coward he was.
But there was nothing he could do now. It was too late. Janet was happy with Phillip. And unfortunately for Jack, Phillip actually seemed to be a pretty stand-up guy.
Now here he was tossing and turning in his bed, about to lose Janet as his roommate and any chance he might have had left to say what he never could. He'd never even know if there was a possibility that maybe she felt the same way.
Jack continued to have these thoughts and feel sorry for himself for what felt like forever. It was around three o'clock when he realized he couldn't hear the girls' muffled voices anymore, so he assumed they had finally drifted off to sleep. But it wasn't until around four when his body's need for sleep took over his all night pity party.
It felt as though barely a few seconds had passed when Jack's seven o'clock alarm blared through his now sunlit room. He rubbed his eyes groggily, feeling totally wiped out from the stress he put himself through overnight. Coffee was essential, as was a time machine, but he'd have to settle on just the coffee to at least make himself functional for the work day. He forced himself out of bed before he could convince himself to lay there for another five minutes.
He could hear the girls moving about around the apartment outside of his bedroom. He paused in front of his closed door and willed himself to put on his happy and supportive face for Janet's sake. Maybe he'd have better luck today and actually believe his own act.
Jack opened his door just as Terri came charging from the direction of the kitchen in a pink bathrobe.
"Morning, Jack! Coffee will be ready in about two minutes!" She greeted, passing him on her way to her room to get dressed.
As if on cue, Janet walked out of the bathroom as she fixed her earring and headed toward the front door to get the morning paper.
"Good morning, Jack!" She smiled brightly at him as he turned to enter the bathroom.
"Morning, Janet." He replied a second after she went outside.
In the bathroom, Jack splashed water on his face and looked in the mirror. He looked pretty close to how he felt, like shit.
"Hey Jack, what's for breakfast this morning?" Terri's shout startled him into dropping a hand towel into the sink.
"How do we feel about pancakes?" He responded automatically as he fished the soaked cloth from the sink and grabbed for a fresh one to dry his face.
"Oh, good!" he could hear his blonde roommate exclaim from the other side of the bathroom wall.
After finishing up in the bathroom, where he gave himself another wordless pep talk, Jack headed over to breakfast duty.
He greeted Janet with a playfully formal, "Ms. Wood." when he entered the kitchen seeing her settled at the table with the newspaper and a fresh cup of coffee.
"Mr. Tripper." She returned, matching his tone.
'Not bad!' Jack was already thinking to himself after one whole successful exchange.
"Pancakes sound good on this lovely Monday morning?" He began pulling ingredients from their assigned spots in the cabinet.
"Sounds perfect." Janet answered, keeping her focus on the paper in her hands.
Jack, however, missed a beat when he caught a glimpse of her engagement ring glinting in the light. He swallowed uncomfortably. It was hard to pretend everything was fine when that thing was shining in his face, practically blinding him. He cleared his throat and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dread that began to take over. He was so focused on calming himself that he ended up stirring the pancake batter much longer than necessary, a recipe for tough pancakes rather than his signature light and fluffy ones.
Jack began pouring the batter onto the pan he had heating on the stovetop. He couldn't think of a thing to say that sounded normal and not related to begging her to call it off with Phillip, so he hoped Janet was immersed enough in whatever she was reading that she wouldn't notice his unusual silence.
As per usual, Terri had perfect timing and walked into the kitchen right as Jack was finishing up breakfast.
"That smells like heaven." She inhaled, walking toward the coffee maker to pour the remaining contents into her mug.
Janet finally folded up the newspaper when Jack plopped two pancakes onto the plate before her. She voiced a thanks before grabbing the syrup and digging in.
"So, Janet," Terri began as she mixed milk and sugar into her coffee at the counter, "Why don't you tell Jack what you said last night? About the wedding?"
"Oh! Well I was thinking about having it at the old church a few blocks from here. You know, the one covered in vines that we pass on our way to the beach? Isn't it just lovely?" Janet enthused before taking another bite of her pancakes.
"Yeah, that would be a real nice place." Jack replied. "You're already thinking of plans though? You just got engaged yesterday."
"I know, but we're so excited! Plus Phillip wants to get married as soon as possible."
"Huh, is there anything you're not telling us, Janet?" Jack cracked, raising his eyebrows and pretending to swaddle a baby in his arms.
Janet merely retorted with her signature, "Oh, Jack." and a playful swat at his arm to boot.
"Jack, would you grow up?" Terri rolled her eyes as she joined the two at the table. "I think it's sweet! He's crazy about you, Janet."
Janet smiled appreciatively at the blonde.
"He has a big work trip to Greece coming up really soon. I think he might want me to come with him." Janet's eyes widened as she told Jack.
"Greece?" She didn't even give Jack enough time to laugh at the joke he had just made before gut punching him with that information.
Terri's fork and knife scraped lightly against her plate as she cut up her pancakes. "Ugh, I know. I've never been more jealous of anyone."
"Knocked up in Greece? Why would anyone be jealous of that?" He overcompensated with another stupid joke.
That earned him another swat and eye roll from the girls.
"Would you just shut up and eat your food?"
"I oughta take your plate away from you, seeing as I prepared it. Ungrateful."
Jack and Terri made faces at each other as Janet went to put her dishes in the sink. "Knock it off, kids!" She poked the both of them as she made for the kitchen door. "See you guys later. I'm dropping by here on my lunch break to call my parents and give them the good news!" Her eyes sparkled with joy and she practically twirled out of the room as her roommates said their goodbyes and see you laters.
Terri giggled watching Janet leave the kitchen and blew on her hot coffee to cool it down some more.
Jack, however, unconsciously dropped the playful persona the second Janet was no longer in the room and moved his gaze to his plate. He still hadn't started eating, instead he used his fork to pick at his pancakes.
Terri, after pouring an unseemly amount of syrup onto her cut up breakfast, finally began to eat herself, but as she did so she couldn't help but notice the shift in energy in the room.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"What's with you? You're turning your pancakes into bread crumbs." Terri pointed her fork toward his plate.
"Oh, that's just how I like 'em." Jack answered with a weak half-smile.
Terri raised an eyebrow in doubt but decided not to press it just yet. "Mmm, okay."
The two ate in silence for a few minutes more, or rather Terri ate and continued to watch Jack turn his food into mush swimming in maple syrup.
The blonde took a long sip from her coffee and slowly set it down. She sighed quietly at the pathetic image across the table from her. With all the excitement of Janet getting engaged yesterday, she almost forgot she had anticipated that in the event that either of her roommates suddenly became attached, the other would most likely be coping just as Jack was currently.
"Jack. Do you not like Phillip or something?" She figured it was worth a shot.
Startled by her question, Jack dropped his fork, causing it to clatter against his plate.
"Wha- ? I- ? No! Of course I like Phillip! What kind of question is that?"
"Well, I don't know." She shrugged. "You seem a little off." She took the final bite of her food, feigning disinterest.
Jack's mouth dropped open and he scoffed, "What are you talking about? I am so on."
Terri said nothing but raised her eyebrows as she took another sip of coffee.
"Didn't I offer to cook that special dinner yesterday? I couldn't be happier for Janet!"
Terri gave him a piercing look before she stood up to put her dishes in the sink.
"What?" Jack asked loudly.
"Nothing, nothing." the blonde replied lightly.
She scrubbed her plate clean and stuck it in the dish rack and moved next to wash her coffee mug. She decided she might as well be the one to venture the topic, seeing as no one else ever would.
She let Jack think her silence meant he was in the clear for just a few seconds more.
"It's just that if I had a bad feeling about Janet or hey, even you getting married to a certain person and the wedding was right around the corner, personally, I would speak up. But what do I know?" she flashed him one her classic patronizing Terri Alden smiles over her shoulder.
Jack choked on the swig of coffee he had just taken. It took a few moments for him to clear his airway.
"I don't know what you know. And I still don't know what you think I know."
She ignored this. "I mean, it's obvious you're hiding something, whether to protect Janet or for your own selfish reasons, who knows? But you're definitely keeping something from us."
Jack sat there frozen and wide-eyed, trying to figure out what exactly she was trying to weasel out of him, not daring to believe she may have suspected the truth.
"And as a member of this apartment who signed a lease and pays rent here every month, I think I should be let in on this little secret. Maybe I can help out with whatever situation you've cooked up for yourself, or at least get whatever dirt you seem to have." Okay, yes. She was laying it on thick, but how else was she supposed to get him to talk? It's not like subtly ever worked in this apartment.
But still, radio silence from Jack.
"Okay, in all the time that I have lived here, I don't think I've ever seen you be so secretive."
"Ha, ha."
"I mean really, when have you, Jack Tripper, ever been the one to butt out and keep your mouth shut? It doesn't make any sense. I mean just a few weeks ago, you were fighting like it was life or death to keep Phillip away from Janet. What has changed?" She intended to keep this up until Jack admitted to what was really bothering him. She knew full well that there was nothing inherently wrong with Phillip, but if she pretended to believe it, maybe Jack would try to correct her.
"I thought you were supposed to be her friend! Her best friend! Frankly, I am shocked that you're just gonna let her get married when clearly something is wrong!" Sometimes it paid to live with Jack, if not for the home-cooked meals but to pick up on his dramatic tendencies and use them against him.
"There's nothing wrong." Jack managed to squeeze in.
"And don't tell me this doesn't have anything to do with Janet because you completely shut off your charm the minute she left the kitchen, Jack." Terri was now splattering the kitchen with soapy water as she flourished her arms in exasperation, sponge still in hand.
Jack wearily wiped sponge water from his face. Internally, he cursed her observational skills.
"Jack, please tell me what is going on. I couldn't stand seeing Janet get married to the guy if there's some deep dark secret about him that she doesn't know about."
She finally paused long enough to give Jack a chance to say something, anything more substantial than what he had said so far.
He sighed, repeating himself, "There's nothing wrong with Phillip... He's a wonderful guy." He admitted.
"Well, then what is it?"
"Ter'."
"I'm on the edge of my seat, Jack! I have to know what's bothering you, 'cause now it's gonna be bothering me!"
He exhaled, cursing Terri once again, this time for being so persistent. But the tiniest part of him was relieved there was someone quite literally begging to hear him out.
He pushed the pancake mush around his plate with his fork a little bit more. He couldn't believe he was about to say it. Whether it was out of his assumption that all hope was lost, the lack of sleep, or a combination of the two, he didn't know. Maybe he was just hungover and couldn't muster up the brain power to hold his own against Terri's interrogation.
"I- I guess... with Janet getting engaged I'm really realizing how much I'm gonna miss her."
"Aw, well I'm gonna miss her too, Jack." Terri agreed.
"I just feel so selfish."
"Why's that?"
Jack breathed shakily. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for her! I mean she's living on cloud nine. How could someone see that and feel badly?"
Terri hardly believed there was any truth in that statement but didn't interrupt him.
"But I don't know... it just makes me think… " His voice trailed off as his confidence began to sputter out.
"Think about what?" The nurse gently encouraged him to keep going.
Jack ran a hand across his face and sighed.
"It just makes me think about… about all those missed opportunities. I guess."
Terri sank back into her chair, a bit shocked that her pushing had actually worked (and so quickly!).
"What do you mean by missed opportunities?" she was certain she could guess, but still she held her breath.
Jack was doing everything he could to avoid Terri's stare and he took a special interest in fiddling with a string hanging off of the placemat under his plate.
"Well. Uh, I don't know. I guess to tell her how I really feel about her." He suddenly felt like throwing up. "But she's getting married now so it's too late for that." He somehow managed a breathy laugh, trying to lessen the effect of the information he had just revealed.
The blonde tilted her head in sympathy, "Oh Jack."
"I know. Crazy predicament I've gotten myself into, huh?"
"It's not so crazy." Terri said kindly.
Jack finally looked up at his roommate, "You're taking this rather well." He noted. He didn't know what he was expecting Terri's reaction to be. Surely surprise? Some shouting? At the very least an audible gasp? But maybe it was better that she was so calm.
"Yeah, well... I've had my suspicions. But oh, to finally hear you admit it! And at a time like this!" To Jack's appreciation, she looked a little distraught.
"Yeah, you mean the worst possible time ever? I- wait. What do you mean you've had your suspicions?"
"Hmm? Oh, well I don't know. There have been moments over the last few years where I could just tell there was something more going on, but I figured it wasn't my place to say, really." She replied, more preoccupied by the news finally being out in the open than this other revelation Jack was suddenly having.
Terri having any inkling about his feelings for Janet, feelings in which he definitely had never discussed with the blonde, or anyone else for that matter, temporarily brought Jack out of the miserable mood he'd been in since the day before, "Years? You've known for years?"
The sound of utter shock in Jack's voice made Terri forget about being sympathetic and she laughed, "No offense, but you're kind of terrible at hiding it, big guy."
Jack just sort of gaped for a moment in disbelief, and then his heart jumped, "If you think it's that obvious, do you think Janet... knows?" He wasn't sure whether he wanted to know that information. Terri being in on it was a big step for him, so asking where Janet stood in all of this was just bizarre.
"Oh uh, um-" Terri hesitated. Just as it was Jack's right to bring up his feelings himself, she knew she could not share that she believed the feelings were mutual, no matter how right she knew she was. And technically she didn't know for sure whether Janet knew Jack felt the way he did. "I couldn't tell you that, Jack. That is definitely a Janet question, not a Terri one."
Jack sort of deflated, either from relief or disappointment, Terri couldn't be sure. Luckily he didn't push it. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair haphazardly.
Terri, who didn't realize she still had the wet sponge in her possession, set it down so she could anxiously drum her fingernails against the table.
The two sat opposite each other in distressed silence until Terri asked in an unnaturally quiet voice, "Are you gonna talk to her?"
Jack leaned forward and let the front legs of his chair hit the ground with a loud thud. "How can I, Ter'? You see how happy she is! Why would I mess with that?" He spoke in a hushed voice like he was afraid Janet was going to come rushing back through the door any second.
"Jack. You cannot just sit there and say nothing. You'll be spending the rest of your life wondering what could have happened."
"So what? Am I supposed to tell Janet I'm in love with her or something and just expect her to… what? Dump Phillip and the wedding? What if I say something and she still marries him? Then that just makes things awkward and our friendship is thrown out the window. Believe me, I've considered everything that could happen if I dropped that bomb on her." he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.
"Jack, look at me."
Jack picked up his head, revealing what had to be the most sorrowful expression she'd ever seen on that face.
"You cannot just go on and never say anything. Keeping things bottled up isn't healthy. I mean, look at you! You have to tell her."
"I- I can deal with it, Terri. I have been for many years now." Jack tried unconvincingly to assure her.
"What's coming up isn't going to be the same as what you've been dealing with up until now." Terri lectured. "Janet is going to get married. And once that happens, she's out of here. You're not going to get to see her every day like you have been for the last seven years. You're not gonna get to act like she's your girlfriend without actually making that commitment. This whole arrangement you've got going on here is about to completely change. Sure, up until now it wasn't that bad because you were both living unattached under the same roof, but she's about to start a life with another person! You really think you can just deal with that?"
She was telling him things he already stressed over the previous night, but he hated to hear it coming from someone else. It was an unfortunate confirmation that these things were sure to happen and he hadn't just been blowing things out of proportion. "Well, please Terri. Please enlighten me. What exactly should I say to make Janet dump Phillip and be with me? I'd love to know the magic words."
"I can't tell you what to say! This is way too important for me to be putting words in your mouth."
"Yeah, it is too important, which is why I've never said anything! I mean, this is Janet we're talking about. Janet. I don't want to screw this up and lose my chance and our friendship in one go."
Terri rubbed her temple. Jack's personal crises tended to become everyone else's as well, and this one was no different. "Ugh, if only they weren't so set on getting married as soon as possible."
"You're telling me. I thought I was going to throw up when she told me she was engaged."
Terri felt a little guilty talking negatively about Janet's engagement to Phillip when she had just spent most of the night excitedly discussing the event with the bride to be. "Well, I guess it did all happen a little fast." she was willing to admit.
"A little?" Jack was so glad to have someone to discuss this with. "They've been dating a month, Terri. We've had a carton of eggs in the fridge that has been in our lives longer than Phillip has."
Terri made a face.
"Seriously, what is the rush? Why did they have to get engaged so fast? And why do they have to get married just like that?" He snapped his fingers.
"I don't know. I think they're just caught up in the excitement of it all. You know, whirlwind romance and everything." Terri suggested.
Jack suddenly had a thought come to him. It was a terrible, scheming thought, but sometimes those were the only thoughts that came to him in times of great need. Now that he had an ally who was convinced he should speak his mind, he felt braver and more like himself than he had in the last 24 hours. Why shouldn't he tell Janet how he really felt about her? Why should he accept defeat before he even tried? It was now or never.
"Terri, what if we find a way to push off the wedding so I can get some time and the right situation to tell her?" He felt like a kid with a sugar rush on Halloween. "Bonus points if they break up altogether." He added.
Terri frowned. "I don't know about meddling in their relationship. That seems a little too invasive."
"Whose side are you on? What about all that stuff you said about me spending the rest of my life wondering?"
"Okay, then. What's your plan? Because you've already failed once at keeping them apart." Terri reminded him of the vase incident when Phillip first came on the scene.
Jack reluctantly nodded his head and considered for a moment. "Okay, we don't- we don't sabotage their relationship. We just… keep things from going smoothly."
Terri's frown remained unchanged, "How so?"
"Well, how much do you know about what they want to do for the wedding so far? Janet mentioned that old church, right? We suddenly make it unavailable for the foreseeable future." He offered excitedly.
"And how are we going to manage that?" Terri asked skeptically.
"We book it ourselves."
Terri gave a shout of laughter, "Do you have the money to book a church for the foreseeable future?"
"Maybe if you pitch in." He suggested, though he instantly realized it was a stupid idea upon her reaction.
"You know what would be less of a waste of time? Just talking to Janet and telling her directly about how you feel. None of this extra stuff." Terri stated plainly. She did not approve of how out of hand this little scheme of Jack's could get. "In fact, you could just tell her on your lunch break today."
"No, I'm not ready! I need to prepare!"
"How is messing with some wedding plans gonna help you prepare? Haven't you had enough time to let this stew?"
"Terri…" Jack whined, "You said you'd help me!"
"When exactly did I say that?"
"Oh, okay. I guess I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what could have happened. She will always be the one that got away… " he looked wistfully into the distance or at the fridge, Terri couldn't tell. "And I'll just be miserable because of all the regrets I had in life and I'll probably have a grudge against you that I take to the grave because you wouldn't help out your dear, dear friend." He gave a theatrical choke as he inhaled.
"Alright, alright!" Terri shouted to shut him up. "You don't have to make everything so dramatic! All I'm saying is you need to come up with some more realistic plans in order to have a simple conversation with Janet. You don't have time to be extravagant." She looked at her watch and stood up, "And I need to be heading off to work now. I'll see you later tonight." She gave Jack a pat on the shoulder as she passed him to leave the kitchen.
Jack made a face at Terri's back as he heard her mutter, "Renting out the church, so stupid."
But he couldn't help but smile once he heard the front door open and then close. Maybe all hope wasn't totally lost. If there was one thing that Jack was good at, it was causing catastrophes. The only hard part would be figuring out the perfect way to tell Janet that he loved her once he did his interfering and got the wedding out of her direct line of sight.