A/N: Chapter thirteen, my goodness! I never thought this story would get this long. But I have you all to thank! Even though I wouldn't have stopped writing even if no one reviewed it, it's nice to have support. Anyway, I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter. It was Jamie's favorite one! *looks all proud* Oh, and I didn't mean that you hurt my ego in any way. I just meant that all your compliments made my ego so big I thought I'd float away. People say I'm self-righteous anyway, so I try not to get too puffed up... or too offended if I get flamed. But enough about me! How are Finch and Maya going to handle a furious Jack?
Disclaimer: As much fun as it would be to pretend otherwise(until I got sued), I don't own 'Just Shoot Me'. Or Blush. I don't work there. Heck, I'm not even an intern.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ciao
a 'Just Shoot Me' fanfiction
by Wakizashi
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday, 1:35 P.M.
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Those five words scared the bejesus out of Maya. But even more frightening to her was the total absence of emotion on her father's face. Just meeting those expressionless eyes made her take an instinctive step toward Finch, as though to seek protection in his nearness. Somehow he must have sensed that she needed his proximity, because he took her by the elbow and slowly drew her closer to him. As his hand slipped into hers, he boldly returned Jack's unnerving stare with something not far from defiance.
*He sure has guts,* she thought, her grip tightening on his.
"Are you two deaf?" Jack suddenly demanded, startling her. "Get in here, now."
Turning his back on them, he walked stiffly back into his office, leaving Maya to look at Finch uncertainly. "This isn't how I had planned on telling him," she said miserably.
"Don't worry," he replied, pushing her hair gently behind her ear. "Everything's gonna be fine. If he doesn't accept it now - which is pretty obvious - he will eventually." He turned to their co-workers, who were still staring at the scene like a bunch of spectators watching the main attraction at a freak show with morbid fascination. "What are you looking at? Beat it!"
The crowd dispersed, leaving a shocked Elliott with a pair of unsteady feet and a blank expression. Ignoring him, Finch tugged on Maya's hand, and they slowly crossed the bull pen to her father's office. He entered first, pulling her insistently along with her, evidently to make sure she wouldn't run, which was something she was seriously considering. Jack sat in the leather chair behind his desk, looking more predatory than a famished tiger.
As Finch closed the door behind them, Maya took one of the chairs in front of the desk, swallowing hard. "Dad," she said after taking a deep breath, "before you even start, I just want to make my case, because what you're probably thinking is completely different from how it actually is."
Watching Finch as he sat in the chair next to Maya's, Jack leaned forward on his desk. "You each get two minutes," he stated bluntly.
"Each?" asked Finch. Maya swatted him on the leg, and he fell silent.
"I want you to know," she began, meeting her father's impassive gaze, "that even though neither of us has done anything wrong, if you're going to place blame, it might as well be on me. Dennis never tried to seduce me, or get close to me, or ever told me that he was in love with me. In fact, I only found out late Saturday night."
"Uh, Maya, I never told you until today," Finch whispered.
She patted his arm. "I know, baby, you talk in your sleep." His blue eyes grew wide, but she continued. "But over the past few days; actually longer than that, now that I think about it; I really began to appreciate what a great friend he's always been. Okay, he's pulled a few practical jokes now and then, but whenever I needed him, he was always there. And lately, I've realized how *much* I need him. I really love him."
Finch reached out to her hand, which rested in her lap, and covered it with his own.
"So hate me forever if you want to, but you can't be mad at Dennis. When I tried to convince him that we could date behind your back, you know what he said? 'If I ever hurt you, it would kill Jack. And that would kill me, too.' He loves you like a father, and the last thing he would want to do is disappoint you. You know that." She drew in a shaky breath. "Okay. I'm done."
For a while Jack was silent. If the idea wasn't so ridiculous, Maya could have sworn that she could hear the clock ticking in the next room. Then he turned his stare on Finch. "And what do you have to say?" he asked, tenting his fingers.
The blonde stared back at him, surprisingly showing no fear or shame, only a strange tranquility as his hand remained on Maya's. "Your daughter makes a good case," he finally said. "But even though I could try to add to it, I'm not going to defend myself. Just ask your questions, Jack, and I'll answer with the complete truth."
"All right, if that's what you want." Jack rose from his chair and stood by the window, seemingly looking out at the city below. But Maya knew where his attention was. "How long have you been in love with my daughter?" he asked, speaking to the window, but addressing Finch.
"About four years," he replied. Maya raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Jack, however, showed no sign that he was shocked. "But how long have you had feelings for her?"
"Since the first time I saw her."
Something tightened in Maya's chest. To think that Finch had cared about her for so long, but was too devoted to her father to act on his feelings. What might have happened if she had known? Would she never have dated Elliott? Would they be married, with a house full of children and cats? The thought was unbelievably humbling.
Her father merely nodded, as if he had guessed it all along. "So you were in love with her when you were married to Adrienne," he remarked; more of a statement than a question.
"Yes," said Finch.
"Now, I'm curious," Jack continued, as if he was actually confused. "You loved Maya, and yet you married Adrienne. Why was this?"
It was amazing how little Finch had to think before he had an answer. "I knew I didn't have a chance with Maya. Getting married to Adrienne seemed like I was just settling, but I didn't want to be alone forever."
Maya felt tears pricking her eyes, and she had to turn away from him.
Jack was not affected by his confession. "So. About last weekend. You never told Maya you loved her?"
"No."
"And you never slept with her?"
Embarrassed, Maya glared at her father, but Finch merely said, "No."
"How often do you think about it?"
"Every ten seconds."
"Dennis!" She shoved his arm, and he just shrugged. Shooting a look of annoyance at Jack, she crossed her arms. "That question was not relevant," she said angrily.
Jack inclined his head. "Fair enough," he replied, at last turning away from the window. Abruptly, Maya felt a sudden rush of resentment toward him. Just because he was her father, they had to answer to him if they were to be together, and God help them if he didn't approve. Somehow, the whole situation seemed warped and unjust.
As her anger continued to brew, Jack circled his desk until he stopped directly in front of Finch. "And now, the most important question: why?"
Finally, a break in Finch's calmness. "Why?" he repeated, blinking in confusion. "Why what?"
"Why everything!" Jack threw up his hands exasperatedly, as though Finch was a disobedient child that just wouldn't learn. "Why *didn't* you just decide to go behind my back, no matter how I felt? Why didn't you ignore your conscience like you usually do? Why does it matter to you what I think?"
Finch looked genuinely wounded. Maya's anger at her father grew and grew, until she felt like she would burst. "Don't you already know?" he asked softly, staring up at Jack. "Because I can't disappoint you."
Silence reigned eternal in the cool office. Jack didn't need any further explanation, and Finch didn't need to give it. Maya kept silent as well, because she knew if she said anything, it would be a string of curses and insults at her insensitive father. So no one said a word.
Just when it seemed that white noise had replaced the English language, Jack shook his head. "Dennis, there's no need for you to keep this act going." Finch frowned, puzzled, but he paid him no heed. "All this hokey about you being too afraid to offend me just doesn't add up. You put yourself first and you always have. I know this is all just an excuse to keep me from firing you."
"Oh, knock it off already!" Maya suddenly shouted, exploding from her chair. "This is all your fault!"
Finch stared at her in surprise, and Jack raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"Yeah, that's right! Dennis wouldn't be so terrified of disappointing you if you weren't so insanely overprotective of me!" she said heatedly, her hands fisted at her sides. "You think that whoever I date has to pass your Jack Gallo Screen Test of Approval, and if I decide to date them anyway, you have to do everything in your power to end it! You *know* that Dennis is the best choice I could possibly make, and you *know* that together, we could both be happier than we ever thought we could be! But just because we didn't come to you right away, you've got to stop us, and stop us now!"
She fell silent, breathing heavily. She wondered where she had gotten the courage to defy her father like that, but it was too late to take it back. Looking him straight in the eye, she said in a low voice, "I don't care how badly bruised your stupid ego is. I love Dennis, and nothing you do to us is going to change that."
Another long stretch of silence passed. Daughter challenged father, while boyfriend just sat awkwardly. Then, without a word, Jack picked up his coat and walked out of the office.
Letting out the breath she had been holding, Maya collapsed in her chair. Finch immediately shot up from his, babbling like a madman. "Oh my God, that was amazing, Maya! Never in a million years could I stand up to Jack like that! I mean, there was that time with the lox and the capers, but I was like, really mad and I hadn't gotten any sleep! But you! My God!" Kneeling in front of her, he took her hand and kissed it. "I am so proud of you."
She smiled weakly, reaching out and stroking his soft blonde hair. "Thanks," she said, sighing. "But I can't believe I just completely freaked out. Normally it takes an awful lot to make me lose my temper, but the way he was talking to you..." She had to blink rapidly to clear her vision. "I couldn't take any more of it."
Slowly closing his eyes, Finch rested his head in her lap, his hand still loosely gripping hers. "By the way," he murmured softly, "thanks for sticking up for me out there."
"Any time," she replied, moving her fingers from his hair to the side of his face. For a while they both sat in an easy silence, finally able to enjoy a moment of peace together. Conversation wasn't necessary; the company of one another was enough. Eventually, however, Maya had to break the calm. "Dennis?" she asked.
"Mmm?"
She bit her lip. "When do you think... that everything will be like it was again?"
Finch opened his eyes and sat up straight, looking up at her sympathetically. Releasing her hand, he held out his arms to her. "Come here." As she left her chair and fell forward into his arms, reminding her of the miserable night in that motel room that seemed like years ago, he squeezed her tightly. "Your dad can't stay mad forever, Maya," he assured her, rubbing her back soothingly. "Sooner or later he'll have to accept that we're serious. Meanwhile, we've got Nina at out backs, and Elliott..." He hesitated. "Well, he'll come around eventually."
Maya sighed. "But what if he doesn't? What if no one does?"
He drew back a little and kissed her forehead lightly. "Then you'll still have me," he whispered, gazing into her eyes as he brushed her hair away from her face. "You'll always have me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Taking a deep, shuddery breath, Maya lifted her hand and knocked on the heavy wooden door. The sound reverberated through the hall, and for the moment there was no answer. She tried again, pounding until she thought her knuckles would bruise. This time the brass handle turned, and the door swung slowly inward.
Jack looked at his daughter blankly through the gap in the door. "I have nothing to say to you," he informed her.
*Of course,* she thought dismally. "You mean, besides that?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
He blinked at her for a moment. "Yes," he said finally.
"Dad, will you just open the door already?" Maya blurted, stomping her foot impatiently on the plush carpet of the hallway runner. "We have to talk about this. You can't avoid me forever, you know. I work for you!"
"Not anymore, you're fired. Now goodnight," he replied instantly, closing the door in her face. Growling angrily, she hammered on the wood with her fists, adding a hard kick from her high-heeled shoe for good measure. The door opened again, and Jack seized her by the arm. "Okay, fine, get in here! You don't have to make a scene!" he said exasperatedly, dragging her into his condo. "For God's sake, Maya, the tenant down the hall has a weak heart!"
As her father shut the door behind her, Maya crossed the living room and sat down resolutely on the sofa. Jack recognized her refusal to move until all was resolved, and he sighed in annoyance. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, throwing up his hands.
She crossed her arms and frowned. "I have no idea what you're implying," she announced, sounding a bit stubborn to her own ears, but not really caring. Her opinion was that, if anything, she should be asking him precisely the same question.
"Oh, don't you give me that," he grumbled, waving a finger at her like she was eight years old again. "You sound too much like Eve when you start up with that 'feigned ignorance' crap. I never understood that."
"The whole purpose is to force you to elaborate on your statement so that, if possible, it can be used against you," she clarified, raising an eyebrow jokingly. He snorted, and she patted the sofa cushion beside her. "Now will you please sit down?"
Scrunching up his nose in irritation, he sat down on the far end of the couch. "All right, so I'm sitting now," he said, gesturing dramatically. "We're here. We're talking. What do you want?"
"I want..." Hesitant, she looked down at her lap. "I want to apologize for losing my temper at the office today. I was angry, but I shouldn't have raised my voice - well, *yelled* - at you. I'm sorry."
Jack nodded slowly. "You are forgiven. For yelling at me," he added quickly.
"Its just that," she continued, knowing that she would lose her nerve if she didn't keep talking, "you were so cruel to Dennis, Dad. I don't really know what happened, but it just made me explode. Say what you will about me, because I probably deserve it, but he doesn't."
"Maya, no." She looked up, confused, to see him shaking his head. "Honey, you know I love Dennis like a son. But I know him. I've known him for over ten years, and he's always been self-centered and sneaky. It's just the way he is, Maya, and don't think that he'll be any different now that you're together, because whatever your mother told you, you can't change men. It's a sad fact, but it's true."
Halfway through his speech, all of Maya's protests and defences flew straight out of her head. Jack wasn't lying, or even exaggerating the truth; throughout their long history as co-workers, Finch sometimes displayed a shocking degree of selfishness and cunning. When he had assumed that he had recieved a mediocre gift for Christmas, he had responded by replacing everyone else's presents with items that were sure to offend. He was a crafty one, that she knew.
But she also knew that ever since that horrendous incident with Allie, Finch had never once let Jack down. She knew that he would sooner have an arm amputated than disappoint him. And she knew that hurting her would definitely disappoint him.
Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke. "Dad, I know you're trying to protect me, and I appreciate it. But you're not the only one that knows Dennis. I won't deny that he's egocentric; I would probably be the *last* person to deny it. But when it comes to the important stuff, he's always there. Can you say the same about Elliott, or Nina?"
Jack made no reply, but she knew what his answer would be. "Dennis said that he would never hurt me," she said quietly. "And I, for one, believe him. What do you think would happen if he did? You would be furious, right? And he would kill himself before he would ever make you furious." Reaching out slowly, she laid a hand on his arm. "You mean the world to him, Dad."
He heaved a sigh, patting her hand lightly. "I know that, Maya. I'm not saying he's a bad kid--"
"Then why are you so upset?" she asked impatiently, interrupting his sentence.
Hesitating as if he knew what to say, but didn't want to say it, Jack's shoulders sagged as he answered her. "I- I guess I'm upset because I don't have any control over what you do anymore."
Maya blinked at her father, completely baffled. *Loss of parental control?* she thought in consternation. *That's what all this is about?* "But Dad," she protested, "you're my boss. You have total control over everything I do!"
"No no, that's not what I mean." Jack looked down at her hand, which was still resting on his arm. "This whole thing with you and Dennis took me by surprise. Yeah, I'm your boss, and I could have the both of you terminated if I wanted to. Just like that. But that wouldn't change the fact that you two are together, and there's nothing I can do about it."
As he finally raised his head to look at Maya, her lip began to tremble. A sudden urge to embrace him overwhelmed her, and she leaned against him, burying her face in his shirtfront. His arms folded around her, and she sniffed. "Dad... Just because I'm not a little girl anymore, that doesn't mean I don't care what you think. I *do* care. I can't stand that you're mad at me about all this." She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt them well up with tears. "But I really love him, Dad."
"I know you do, pumpkin." His hand stroked her hair. "I know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: My goodness, that was a long one. And extremely hard to write. Especially Finch's interrogation from Jack. Now that I think about it, this was probably the hardest chapter to write out of all of them. I really wanted Jack and Maya to have a heart-to-heart over the whole situation, and I'm sorry I didn't include Finch. I felt it should have been strictly a family thing. Gyahh, thank God it's over and done with! But don't worry, it wasn't the last chapter. Obviously I wouldn't leave you with a pseudo-ending with pretty much nothing resolved. I couldn't do that to all my buddies! But anyway, leave a review and tell me what you thought, while I get to work on the last (yes, you heard me right) chapter. Ciao for now!
Wakizashi
tricksparrow@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: As much fun as it would be to pretend otherwise(until I got sued), I don't own 'Just Shoot Me'. Or Blush. I don't work there. Heck, I'm not even an intern.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ciao
a 'Just Shoot Me' fanfiction
by Wakizashi
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday, 1:35 P.M.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Those five words scared the bejesus out of Maya. But even more frightening to her was the total absence of emotion on her father's face. Just meeting those expressionless eyes made her take an instinctive step toward Finch, as though to seek protection in his nearness. Somehow he must have sensed that she needed his proximity, because he took her by the elbow and slowly drew her closer to him. As his hand slipped into hers, he boldly returned Jack's unnerving stare with something not far from defiance.
*He sure has guts,* she thought, her grip tightening on his.
"Are you two deaf?" Jack suddenly demanded, startling her. "Get in here, now."
Turning his back on them, he walked stiffly back into his office, leaving Maya to look at Finch uncertainly. "This isn't how I had planned on telling him," she said miserably.
"Don't worry," he replied, pushing her hair gently behind her ear. "Everything's gonna be fine. If he doesn't accept it now - which is pretty obvious - he will eventually." He turned to their co-workers, who were still staring at the scene like a bunch of spectators watching the main attraction at a freak show with morbid fascination. "What are you looking at? Beat it!"
The crowd dispersed, leaving a shocked Elliott with a pair of unsteady feet and a blank expression. Ignoring him, Finch tugged on Maya's hand, and they slowly crossed the bull pen to her father's office. He entered first, pulling her insistently along with her, evidently to make sure she wouldn't run, which was something she was seriously considering. Jack sat in the leather chair behind his desk, looking more predatory than a famished tiger.
As Finch closed the door behind them, Maya took one of the chairs in front of the desk, swallowing hard. "Dad," she said after taking a deep breath, "before you even start, I just want to make my case, because what you're probably thinking is completely different from how it actually is."
Watching Finch as he sat in the chair next to Maya's, Jack leaned forward on his desk. "You each get two minutes," he stated bluntly.
"Each?" asked Finch. Maya swatted him on the leg, and he fell silent.
"I want you to know," she began, meeting her father's impassive gaze, "that even though neither of us has done anything wrong, if you're going to place blame, it might as well be on me. Dennis never tried to seduce me, or get close to me, or ever told me that he was in love with me. In fact, I only found out late Saturday night."
"Uh, Maya, I never told you until today," Finch whispered.
She patted his arm. "I know, baby, you talk in your sleep." His blue eyes grew wide, but she continued. "But over the past few days; actually longer than that, now that I think about it; I really began to appreciate what a great friend he's always been. Okay, he's pulled a few practical jokes now and then, but whenever I needed him, he was always there. And lately, I've realized how *much* I need him. I really love him."
Finch reached out to her hand, which rested in her lap, and covered it with his own.
"So hate me forever if you want to, but you can't be mad at Dennis. When I tried to convince him that we could date behind your back, you know what he said? 'If I ever hurt you, it would kill Jack. And that would kill me, too.' He loves you like a father, and the last thing he would want to do is disappoint you. You know that." She drew in a shaky breath. "Okay. I'm done."
For a while Jack was silent. If the idea wasn't so ridiculous, Maya could have sworn that she could hear the clock ticking in the next room. Then he turned his stare on Finch. "And what do you have to say?" he asked, tenting his fingers.
The blonde stared back at him, surprisingly showing no fear or shame, only a strange tranquility as his hand remained on Maya's. "Your daughter makes a good case," he finally said. "But even though I could try to add to it, I'm not going to defend myself. Just ask your questions, Jack, and I'll answer with the complete truth."
"All right, if that's what you want." Jack rose from his chair and stood by the window, seemingly looking out at the city below. But Maya knew where his attention was. "How long have you been in love with my daughter?" he asked, speaking to the window, but addressing Finch.
"About four years," he replied. Maya raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Jack, however, showed no sign that he was shocked. "But how long have you had feelings for her?"
"Since the first time I saw her."
Something tightened in Maya's chest. To think that Finch had cared about her for so long, but was too devoted to her father to act on his feelings. What might have happened if she had known? Would she never have dated Elliott? Would they be married, with a house full of children and cats? The thought was unbelievably humbling.
Her father merely nodded, as if he had guessed it all along. "So you were in love with her when you were married to Adrienne," he remarked; more of a statement than a question.
"Yes," said Finch.
"Now, I'm curious," Jack continued, as if he was actually confused. "You loved Maya, and yet you married Adrienne. Why was this?"
It was amazing how little Finch had to think before he had an answer. "I knew I didn't have a chance with Maya. Getting married to Adrienne seemed like I was just settling, but I didn't want to be alone forever."
Maya felt tears pricking her eyes, and she had to turn away from him.
Jack was not affected by his confession. "So. About last weekend. You never told Maya you loved her?"
"No."
"And you never slept with her?"
Embarrassed, Maya glared at her father, but Finch merely said, "No."
"How often do you think about it?"
"Every ten seconds."
"Dennis!" She shoved his arm, and he just shrugged. Shooting a look of annoyance at Jack, she crossed her arms. "That question was not relevant," she said angrily.
Jack inclined his head. "Fair enough," he replied, at last turning away from the window. Abruptly, Maya felt a sudden rush of resentment toward him. Just because he was her father, they had to answer to him if they were to be together, and God help them if he didn't approve. Somehow, the whole situation seemed warped and unjust.
As her anger continued to brew, Jack circled his desk until he stopped directly in front of Finch. "And now, the most important question: why?"
Finally, a break in Finch's calmness. "Why?" he repeated, blinking in confusion. "Why what?"
"Why everything!" Jack threw up his hands exasperatedly, as though Finch was a disobedient child that just wouldn't learn. "Why *didn't* you just decide to go behind my back, no matter how I felt? Why didn't you ignore your conscience like you usually do? Why does it matter to you what I think?"
Finch looked genuinely wounded. Maya's anger at her father grew and grew, until she felt like she would burst. "Don't you already know?" he asked softly, staring up at Jack. "Because I can't disappoint you."
Silence reigned eternal in the cool office. Jack didn't need any further explanation, and Finch didn't need to give it. Maya kept silent as well, because she knew if she said anything, it would be a string of curses and insults at her insensitive father. So no one said a word.
Just when it seemed that white noise had replaced the English language, Jack shook his head. "Dennis, there's no need for you to keep this act going." Finch frowned, puzzled, but he paid him no heed. "All this hokey about you being too afraid to offend me just doesn't add up. You put yourself first and you always have. I know this is all just an excuse to keep me from firing you."
"Oh, knock it off already!" Maya suddenly shouted, exploding from her chair. "This is all your fault!"
Finch stared at her in surprise, and Jack raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"Yeah, that's right! Dennis wouldn't be so terrified of disappointing you if you weren't so insanely overprotective of me!" she said heatedly, her hands fisted at her sides. "You think that whoever I date has to pass your Jack Gallo Screen Test of Approval, and if I decide to date them anyway, you have to do everything in your power to end it! You *know* that Dennis is the best choice I could possibly make, and you *know* that together, we could both be happier than we ever thought we could be! But just because we didn't come to you right away, you've got to stop us, and stop us now!"
She fell silent, breathing heavily. She wondered where she had gotten the courage to defy her father like that, but it was too late to take it back. Looking him straight in the eye, she said in a low voice, "I don't care how badly bruised your stupid ego is. I love Dennis, and nothing you do to us is going to change that."
Another long stretch of silence passed. Daughter challenged father, while boyfriend just sat awkwardly. Then, without a word, Jack picked up his coat and walked out of the office.
Letting out the breath she had been holding, Maya collapsed in her chair. Finch immediately shot up from his, babbling like a madman. "Oh my God, that was amazing, Maya! Never in a million years could I stand up to Jack like that! I mean, there was that time with the lox and the capers, but I was like, really mad and I hadn't gotten any sleep! But you! My God!" Kneeling in front of her, he took her hand and kissed it. "I am so proud of you."
She smiled weakly, reaching out and stroking his soft blonde hair. "Thanks," she said, sighing. "But I can't believe I just completely freaked out. Normally it takes an awful lot to make me lose my temper, but the way he was talking to you..." She had to blink rapidly to clear her vision. "I couldn't take any more of it."
Slowly closing his eyes, Finch rested his head in her lap, his hand still loosely gripping hers. "By the way," he murmured softly, "thanks for sticking up for me out there."
"Any time," she replied, moving her fingers from his hair to the side of his face. For a while they both sat in an easy silence, finally able to enjoy a moment of peace together. Conversation wasn't necessary; the company of one another was enough. Eventually, however, Maya had to break the calm. "Dennis?" she asked.
"Mmm?"
She bit her lip. "When do you think... that everything will be like it was again?"
Finch opened his eyes and sat up straight, looking up at her sympathetically. Releasing her hand, he held out his arms to her. "Come here." As she left her chair and fell forward into his arms, reminding her of the miserable night in that motel room that seemed like years ago, he squeezed her tightly. "Your dad can't stay mad forever, Maya," he assured her, rubbing her back soothingly. "Sooner or later he'll have to accept that we're serious. Meanwhile, we've got Nina at out backs, and Elliott..." He hesitated. "Well, he'll come around eventually."
Maya sighed. "But what if he doesn't? What if no one does?"
He drew back a little and kissed her forehead lightly. "Then you'll still have me," he whispered, gazing into her eyes as he brushed her hair away from her face. "You'll always have me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Taking a deep, shuddery breath, Maya lifted her hand and knocked on the heavy wooden door. The sound reverberated through the hall, and for the moment there was no answer. She tried again, pounding until she thought her knuckles would bruise. This time the brass handle turned, and the door swung slowly inward.
Jack looked at his daughter blankly through the gap in the door. "I have nothing to say to you," he informed her.
*Of course,* she thought dismally. "You mean, besides that?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
He blinked at her for a moment. "Yes," he said finally.
"Dad, will you just open the door already?" Maya blurted, stomping her foot impatiently on the plush carpet of the hallway runner. "We have to talk about this. You can't avoid me forever, you know. I work for you!"
"Not anymore, you're fired. Now goodnight," he replied instantly, closing the door in her face. Growling angrily, she hammered on the wood with her fists, adding a hard kick from her high-heeled shoe for good measure. The door opened again, and Jack seized her by the arm. "Okay, fine, get in here! You don't have to make a scene!" he said exasperatedly, dragging her into his condo. "For God's sake, Maya, the tenant down the hall has a weak heart!"
As her father shut the door behind her, Maya crossed the living room and sat down resolutely on the sofa. Jack recognized her refusal to move until all was resolved, and he sighed in annoyance. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, throwing up his hands.
She crossed her arms and frowned. "I have no idea what you're implying," she announced, sounding a bit stubborn to her own ears, but not really caring. Her opinion was that, if anything, she should be asking him precisely the same question.
"Oh, don't you give me that," he grumbled, waving a finger at her like she was eight years old again. "You sound too much like Eve when you start up with that 'feigned ignorance' crap. I never understood that."
"The whole purpose is to force you to elaborate on your statement so that, if possible, it can be used against you," she clarified, raising an eyebrow jokingly. He snorted, and she patted the sofa cushion beside her. "Now will you please sit down?"
Scrunching up his nose in irritation, he sat down on the far end of the couch. "All right, so I'm sitting now," he said, gesturing dramatically. "We're here. We're talking. What do you want?"
"I want..." Hesitant, she looked down at her lap. "I want to apologize for losing my temper at the office today. I was angry, but I shouldn't have raised my voice - well, *yelled* - at you. I'm sorry."
Jack nodded slowly. "You are forgiven. For yelling at me," he added quickly.
"Its just that," she continued, knowing that she would lose her nerve if she didn't keep talking, "you were so cruel to Dennis, Dad. I don't really know what happened, but it just made me explode. Say what you will about me, because I probably deserve it, but he doesn't."
"Maya, no." She looked up, confused, to see him shaking his head. "Honey, you know I love Dennis like a son. But I know him. I've known him for over ten years, and he's always been self-centered and sneaky. It's just the way he is, Maya, and don't think that he'll be any different now that you're together, because whatever your mother told you, you can't change men. It's a sad fact, but it's true."
Halfway through his speech, all of Maya's protests and defences flew straight out of her head. Jack wasn't lying, or even exaggerating the truth; throughout their long history as co-workers, Finch sometimes displayed a shocking degree of selfishness and cunning. When he had assumed that he had recieved a mediocre gift for Christmas, he had responded by replacing everyone else's presents with items that were sure to offend. He was a crafty one, that she knew.
But she also knew that ever since that horrendous incident with Allie, Finch had never once let Jack down. She knew that he would sooner have an arm amputated than disappoint him. And she knew that hurting her would definitely disappoint him.
Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke. "Dad, I know you're trying to protect me, and I appreciate it. But you're not the only one that knows Dennis. I won't deny that he's egocentric; I would probably be the *last* person to deny it. But when it comes to the important stuff, he's always there. Can you say the same about Elliott, or Nina?"
Jack made no reply, but she knew what his answer would be. "Dennis said that he would never hurt me," she said quietly. "And I, for one, believe him. What do you think would happen if he did? You would be furious, right? And he would kill himself before he would ever make you furious." Reaching out slowly, she laid a hand on his arm. "You mean the world to him, Dad."
He heaved a sigh, patting her hand lightly. "I know that, Maya. I'm not saying he's a bad kid--"
"Then why are you so upset?" she asked impatiently, interrupting his sentence.
Hesitating as if he knew what to say, but didn't want to say it, Jack's shoulders sagged as he answered her. "I- I guess I'm upset because I don't have any control over what you do anymore."
Maya blinked at her father, completely baffled. *Loss of parental control?* she thought in consternation. *That's what all this is about?* "But Dad," she protested, "you're my boss. You have total control over everything I do!"
"No no, that's not what I mean." Jack looked down at her hand, which was still resting on his arm. "This whole thing with you and Dennis took me by surprise. Yeah, I'm your boss, and I could have the both of you terminated if I wanted to. Just like that. But that wouldn't change the fact that you two are together, and there's nothing I can do about it."
As he finally raised his head to look at Maya, her lip began to tremble. A sudden urge to embrace him overwhelmed her, and she leaned against him, burying her face in his shirtfront. His arms folded around her, and she sniffed. "Dad... Just because I'm not a little girl anymore, that doesn't mean I don't care what you think. I *do* care. I can't stand that you're mad at me about all this." She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt them well up with tears. "But I really love him, Dad."
"I know you do, pumpkin." His hand stroked her hair. "I know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: My goodness, that was a long one. And extremely hard to write. Especially Finch's interrogation from Jack. Now that I think about it, this was probably the hardest chapter to write out of all of them. I really wanted Jack and Maya to have a heart-to-heart over the whole situation, and I'm sorry I didn't include Finch. I felt it should have been strictly a family thing. Gyahh, thank God it's over and done with! But don't worry, it wasn't the last chapter. Obviously I wouldn't leave you with a pseudo-ending with pretty much nothing resolved. I couldn't do that to all my buddies! But anyway, leave a review and tell me what you thought, while I get to work on the last (yes, you heard me right) chapter. Ciao for now!
Wakizashi
tricksparrow@hotmail.com