TITLE: Beginnings…
DISCLAIMER: The characters are owned by Viacom, CBS, and the writers and creators of the show. I am using these characters with the full knowledge that I did not create them. No infringement intended. I'm just having fun with them…
Rating: PG
AUTHOR: Shari
SUMMARY: Jack and Amanda begin to explore their feelings for each other.
TIME FRAME: Tag Scene to "Call Me Incontestable"
FEEDBACK: Sure.
Jack put his arm around Amanda's waist and gently led her through the doorway. "Hey, Steve! Can you arrange to have someone drive my car to either the station or the hospital and I'll pick it up later. I'm gonna drive Amanda home."
"Sure thing," Steve said as he led the suspect to the waiting squad car.
"Jack," Amanda protested half-heartedly, "that's really not necessary. I'm fine." Seeing him looking at her skeptically, she rushed on, "Really, I am. I'm fine."
"Humor me then, okay?" He said, feeling the slight tremor in her body as he noticed the reality of the situation start to set in as she realized just how close she had come to being killed. Reaching around her to open the passenger door, he gently grabbed her hand and helped her sit down before walking slowly around the car.
'Man, that was too close," he thought shaking his head to rid himself of the image of Amanda shackled with the Velcro straps with a gun pointed at her. 'If we'd been even a few seconds later…Stop it!' he ordered himself, 'We made it in time, that's what matters.'
Amanda sat in the passenger seat, trying to stop the shaking, "My God, what would have happened if they were even a few seconds later?" she whispered to herself. 'Stop it. I'm okay. Everyone's okay. I don't want Jack to think I can't handle this," she admonished herself, willing herself not to break down as she realized just how close it truly had been.
Jack eased himself tiredly behind the wheel as the events of the night began to catch up with him. Glancing over at Amanda, he saw her with her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she could physically stop the shaking, her head turned away looking out the window. "Hey, are you okay?" he questioned, reaching over to rest his hand on her shoulder.
She jerked as his hand touched her shoulder, choking back a sob that came out of nowhere, "Gosh, Jack, you scared me," she tried to joke as she tried again to cover up just how bad the earlier events had shaken her. She only turned slightly towards him, hoping he would not see the tears beginning to fall despite her best efforts to stop them.
In the soft glow cast by the streetlight, Jack glimpsed the silent trail of tears running down her face. "Amanda," he said softly, "come here." Reaching over he gently pulled her toward him, brushing the tears away tenderly with his fingertips. "It's okay to be scared. Just let it out. Heck, I was scared," he reassured her. "I saw you lying there with that psycho pointing a gun at you and I felt like someone kicked me in the gut," he continued rambling, gently rubbing her back until she finally relaxed into his embrace.
Sniffling slightly, her voice muffled from her head buried in his shoulder, "I'm sorry about all this. It just kind of hit me all at once, realizing what could have happened if you and Steve and Mark hadn't gotten here in time..." Her voice trailed off as her mind again lingered on that frightening possibility.
Jack felt her tense up as she uttered these words, knowing the path her thoughts led her down. He pulled back slightly tipping her head up so that he could look into her eyes because it was important that she understand what he wanted to tell her, "Amanda, don't ever apologize for feeling something or be afraid to show it, especially around me." Grinning at her, "we're friends and that's what friends are for…" he started to say before becoming distracted by the closeness of Amanda's face to him. Amusement in his eyes vanished and changed to tenderness. Leaning in towards her, he gently brushed his lips against hers.
Her eyes widened slightly, realizing what was about to happen before she too responded instinctively and helped to close the gap, leaning forward.
"Oh man, Amanda," he rushed to apologize as he pulled back. "I'm sorry…" he began, his mind reeling from the intensity of his emotions from just this one too brief contact.
"Don't be," she finished with a smile, as she gently pulled him back toward her before a tapping on the window interrupted them. Almost guiltily, they both jumped apart as Amanda turned to roll down the window.
"Hey, you two. Everything okay in here?" Mark asked peering in the darkened vehicle. "I saw your car still parked here and just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Glancing over at Jack with a faint smile, "Yeah, Mark, I'd say everything's just fine."