Life Isn't Always Easy
by: Hourglass244
Will looked out the window of his office and sighed. It had been a little over two weeks since that horrible night when Jack had been raped, and there was still no sign of this Gabe guy, (if that was even his real name.)
He and Jack had gone down to the police station the following morning. Will had gotten his friend, Anne, who worked at the police departement to ask the questions because he knew she would be sympathetic and not rush him. Will stayed with Jack the whole time (as his lawyer, he was entitled to that) and had helped Jack through the paper work.
Jack had gone through the whole process like he was in a dream. During the questioning, he picked a place on the wall to focus and never made eye contact. He answered each of the questions directly, but his voice was dead, as if he were telling a story rather than giving an account. The only sign that he felt any emotion at all, was Will's hand that he held tightly in his own, sometimes squeezing it so hard that Will felt his fingers pop.
Unfortunately, because Jack had cleaned himself so thoroughly in the shower, there wasn't much physical evidence of the attack. However, they had found a few nasty bruises which Anne said was evidence enough to haul Gabe in for questioning.
Will had gotten a call later that evening, after Jack had gone to bed, informing him that police were sent to Gabe's appartememt, but when they arrived they discovered that Gabe had packed his things and left. Apparently, he was weeks overdue on his rent, and was in danger of being evicted. Now, the police were searching for him, but chances were slim that he would be caught.
Jack, in the meantime, had been trying to go on with his life as usual. Will had stayed with him a few more days to help him get used to falling back into the rythem of things. Slowly, Jack had begun to get out more and become more social. Although, he no longer burst through the door with his usual dramatic entrances, and his hyperactivity had almost dissapeared, at least he was interacting with people again.
Everyone noticed the change in him, especially Grace and Karen, but he just ignored their questions. "I'll tell them when I'm ready to," he told Will, "but I still can't talk about it just yet."
The phone ringing jerked Will out of his thoughts. It was Anne calling, as she did every morning, to give Will an update on how the search was going. Her report was always the same: No sign of him. This morning's call was just the same as all the others.
"Damn." Will swore as he hung up the phone. "Why can't life ever be easy?"
At that moment, Jack walked into Will's office looking upset and slightly panicked. "Will, something happened, and I need to know what you think."
"Jack, what's going on?"
"Well, I was at home eating breakfast when Fernando called and wanted to know why we hadn't gone out in a really long time, and he wanted to know if we could go out this evening. I started to say no, but then he got really mad, so I said yes without thinking."
"Jack, are you sure you want to do that?" Will asked, concerned, "I mean, dating so soon after. . . well, aren't you rushing things?"
"I don't know, Will," Jack pulled a chair up to Will's desk, "I'm trying to get my life back to normal, and dating, for me, is normal. Maybe I should give it a try."
"I still don't think this is a good idea," Will said. "Going out to a movie is one thing, but are you really going to be able to handle sex? Because you know that's what this guy's gonna want."
"No he isn't!" Jack said, insulted.
"Jack, how do your dates usually end?"
"Okay, so maybe he is, but that's not the point! Why can't you be supportive of me?"
"Jack," Will leaned forward, trying to make him understand. "It's too soon. I think if you just waited-"
"You know what, Will?" Jack leapt out of his seat, "I am a grown man, and I think I can handle one silly little date." Jack headed for the door. "Why did I even come to you about this? I should have know you'd act this way!"
"Come on, Jack, don't be that way," Will stood up to go over to him, but Jack left the office.
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Later that evening, Will was stretched out on his couch reading the newspaper when Grace came into the room. "Come on Will, get up. We're going to see a movie." Will looked up at her annoyed. "I don't know why, but you've been in a bad mood all week, and tonight we're going to get you out of it!"
"Look, Gracie, this just isn't a good time."
"Will, please?" Grace sat down next to him looking concerned. "I'm really worried about you. We haven't done anything fun in ages."
"I know, but I'm under a lot of strain right now from. . . work related stuff. I really just want to stay home tonight."
"Alright," Grace said, looking disapointed, "then I'll stay here with you."
"No, you go on and see a movie," Will said. "There's no reason why you shouldn't be having fun."
"Will, I'm your best friend, and I think that it's my duty to stay here with-"
"I here they just opened a new restaurant by the movie theater that has a killer cheese cake," Will interupted.
"One movie," Grace said putting on her coat. "Are you sure you'll be alright here by yourself?"
"I'll be fine," Will reasured her. "Have fun."
Grace nodded and shut the door, leaving Will alone in the appartment. Will tried to go back to reading his newspaper, but couldn't concentrate. He kept worrying about Jack. Will knew he was rushing into things too quickly, but Jack was so desperate to get his life back to normal that he didn't see the mistake he was making. Will turned on the tv to try and get his mind off things.
When the show he was watching ended, Will went into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Glancing at the clock, he realized that it was already 10:30pm. Maybe Jack was doing alright on his date? He hopped so.
As if on cue, Jack burst in through Will's door. He didn't say anything, he just leaned against the door, his head hung down, trying to fight back tears.
"I knew it," Will mumbled to himself. He walked down by the sofa and held out his arms, which Jack rushed into.
"I just couldn't do it, Will!" He cried, "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing's wrong with you." Will gently placed a kiss on his forhead. "I told you not to rush into things. This was way too big of a leap. You've got to take baby steps." Jack pulled away from him slightly and nodded. "Now, go get washed up," Will told him. "You can stay here tonight."
"Thanks, Will." Jack went into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face, wondering if he would ever be able to date again. _______________________________________________________________________ A/N: Well, I guess this one will be 4 parts. I'll try to have the last chapter up soon. Please review and tell me what you think!
by: Hourglass244
Will looked out the window of his office and sighed. It had been a little over two weeks since that horrible night when Jack had been raped, and there was still no sign of this Gabe guy, (if that was even his real name.)
He and Jack had gone down to the police station the following morning. Will had gotten his friend, Anne, who worked at the police departement to ask the questions because he knew she would be sympathetic and not rush him. Will stayed with Jack the whole time (as his lawyer, he was entitled to that) and had helped Jack through the paper work.
Jack had gone through the whole process like he was in a dream. During the questioning, he picked a place on the wall to focus and never made eye contact. He answered each of the questions directly, but his voice was dead, as if he were telling a story rather than giving an account. The only sign that he felt any emotion at all, was Will's hand that he held tightly in his own, sometimes squeezing it so hard that Will felt his fingers pop.
Unfortunately, because Jack had cleaned himself so thoroughly in the shower, there wasn't much physical evidence of the attack. However, they had found a few nasty bruises which Anne said was evidence enough to haul Gabe in for questioning.
Will had gotten a call later that evening, after Jack had gone to bed, informing him that police were sent to Gabe's appartememt, but when they arrived they discovered that Gabe had packed his things and left. Apparently, he was weeks overdue on his rent, and was in danger of being evicted. Now, the police were searching for him, but chances were slim that he would be caught.
Jack, in the meantime, had been trying to go on with his life as usual. Will had stayed with him a few more days to help him get used to falling back into the rythem of things. Slowly, Jack had begun to get out more and become more social. Although, he no longer burst through the door with his usual dramatic entrances, and his hyperactivity had almost dissapeared, at least he was interacting with people again.
Everyone noticed the change in him, especially Grace and Karen, but he just ignored their questions. "I'll tell them when I'm ready to," he told Will, "but I still can't talk about it just yet."
The phone ringing jerked Will out of his thoughts. It was Anne calling, as she did every morning, to give Will an update on how the search was going. Her report was always the same: No sign of him. This morning's call was just the same as all the others.
"Damn." Will swore as he hung up the phone. "Why can't life ever be easy?"
At that moment, Jack walked into Will's office looking upset and slightly panicked. "Will, something happened, and I need to know what you think."
"Jack, what's going on?"
"Well, I was at home eating breakfast when Fernando called and wanted to know why we hadn't gone out in a really long time, and he wanted to know if we could go out this evening. I started to say no, but then he got really mad, so I said yes without thinking."
"Jack, are you sure you want to do that?" Will asked, concerned, "I mean, dating so soon after. . . well, aren't you rushing things?"
"I don't know, Will," Jack pulled a chair up to Will's desk, "I'm trying to get my life back to normal, and dating, for me, is normal. Maybe I should give it a try."
"I still don't think this is a good idea," Will said. "Going out to a movie is one thing, but are you really going to be able to handle sex? Because you know that's what this guy's gonna want."
"No he isn't!" Jack said, insulted.
"Jack, how do your dates usually end?"
"Okay, so maybe he is, but that's not the point! Why can't you be supportive of me?"
"Jack," Will leaned forward, trying to make him understand. "It's too soon. I think if you just waited-"
"You know what, Will?" Jack leapt out of his seat, "I am a grown man, and I think I can handle one silly little date." Jack headed for the door. "Why did I even come to you about this? I should have know you'd act this way!"
"Come on, Jack, don't be that way," Will stood up to go over to him, but Jack left the office.
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Later that evening, Will was stretched out on his couch reading the newspaper when Grace came into the room. "Come on Will, get up. We're going to see a movie." Will looked up at her annoyed. "I don't know why, but you've been in a bad mood all week, and tonight we're going to get you out of it!"
"Look, Gracie, this just isn't a good time."
"Will, please?" Grace sat down next to him looking concerned. "I'm really worried about you. We haven't done anything fun in ages."
"I know, but I'm under a lot of strain right now from. . . work related stuff. I really just want to stay home tonight."
"Alright," Grace said, looking disapointed, "then I'll stay here with you."
"No, you go on and see a movie," Will said. "There's no reason why you shouldn't be having fun."
"Will, I'm your best friend, and I think that it's my duty to stay here with-"
"I here they just opened a new restaurant by the movie theater that has a killer cheese cake," Will interupted.
"One movie," Grace said putting on her coat. "Are you sure you'll be alright here by yourself?"
"I'll be fine," Will reasured her. "Have fun."
Grace nodded and shut the door, leaving Will alone in the appartment. Will tried to go back to reading his newspaper, but couldn't concentrate. He kept worrying about Jack. Will knew he was rushing into things too quickly, but Jack was so desperate to get his life back to normal that he didn't see the mistake he was making. Will turned on the tv to try and get his mind off things.
When the show he was watching ended, Will went into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Glancing at the clock, he realized that it was already 10:30pm. Maybe Jack was doing alright on his date? He hopped so.
As if on cue, Jack burst in through Will's door. He didn't say anything, he just leaned against the door, his head hung down, trying to fight back tears.
"I knew it," Will mumbled to himself. He walked down by the sofa and held out his arms, which Jack rushed into.
"I just couldn't do it, Will!" He cried, "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing's wrong with you." Will gently placed a kiss on his forhead. "I told you not to rush into things. This was way too big of a leap. You've got to take baby steps." Jack pulled away from him slightly and nodded. "Now, go get washed up," Will told him. "You can stay here tonight."
"Thanks, Will." Jack went into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face, wondering if he would ever be able to date again. _______________________________________________________________________ A/N: Well, I guess this one will be 4 parts. I'll try to have the last chapter up soon. Please review and tell me what you think!
