A/N: The sixth chapter is up. I think you guys may like this chapter. It
thickens the plot a lot. I hope you like it anyway. Read and enjoy. There's
more to come!
To tvjunkie: Here's part of an answer to the inquiring minds that you're speaking of.
Chapter Six - Reaction to the Action (Two Months Later)
"You're what?!"
Jack about choked on his breakfast as he stared at Janet who was positively glowing with happiness. Terri's eyes were wide as his own only she looked slightly more happy then he did.
"I'm getting married! Jay asked me last night! God, guy's I'm so happy," She smiled and hugged both of her friends, who were still too stunned to move or give her anything other then a shocked expression.
"You are happy for me aren't you?" Janet said in a small voice when they just continued to stare.
Terri was the first to snap out of her trance and nodded vigorously, before smiling and hugging Janet herself. "Of course we are! Both of us are happy for you!" She exclaimed, shooting a quick look at Jack.
"Right, ecstatic," Jack mumbled and managed a small smile for Janet's sake, even though inside he could feel himself breaking all over the place. Especially in his chest. But he did his best to put on the 'Jack Tripper - just a friend' façade he'd been using since Janet and Jay started dating two month's earlier.
He squeezed her hand reassuringly when she glanced at him with worried eyes and left the kitchen to rethink his situation which was not screwed up - again. By Jay - again. God, how he hated that guy. Just thinking about him made him frown and want to hit something.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the kitchen door open or hear Janet walk over to him, a sad and worried expression clouding over her features. Jack jumped a mile high when she gently touched his shoulder then nervously laughed it off when he saw who it was.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked softly. Staring at him intently. He just nodded his head.
"Jack. . . are you okay? I mean, really?" She looked at her friend trying to figure out what it was that was eating away at him. He had changed since Jay had arrived over two months earlier. He still joked around a great deal, but he didn't date anymore. The latter of which worried not only her and Terri but also Larry. She hadn't been able to get through to him yet, but this time she intended to make at least a little dent.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm alright. It's just hard for me to think about. I mean, my little Janet getting married. Jay's a lucky guy," He said not daring to look at her, afraid his eyes would betray him and his emotions.
Janet was unconvinced but decided not to push him too far, or he might tell her anything.
"So. . . when is the big day?" He asked. Attempting to sound like he was interested and happy for her.
"As soon as possible. We were thinking about another month. We've known each other so long we figured it wouldn't be like rushing into anything," She explained the thought of the wedding replacing the bright smile back on her face.
"A month? I take it this isn't going to be a big fancy wedding huh?" He asked outwardly grinning, inwardly wincing at hearing how soon the worst day of his life was coming. Didn't give him enough time to prepare for the torture.
"Naw. . . we decided nothing big. Family, friends, small church. Small reception. I didn't want anything fancy. And he agreed," She said.
Jack only nodded.
"Oh, by the way, Jay wanted me to ask you if you wanted to be his best man?" Janet said, causing Jack's eyes to widen to a ridiculous size. Best man?
"But, doesn't he have any friends of his that would be better fit for the job? I mean, he barely knows -
"Nope he wants you. Come on Jack, it would mean a great deal to him. To me," She pleaded, giving him the puppy dog eyes treatment. He sighed. For her he'd do anything, eve if it meant being part of a wedding he disagreed with because he just happened to be in love with the soon-to-be bride.
"Sure, you can tell Jay I'll do it."
Janet smiled softly and reached up to touch his cheek in a way to thank him without words, but he grabbed her hand in mid-air and stared right in her eyes. Neither person spoke. Jack just looked her and Janet stared back, a confused expression gracing her pretty face. She may not have been the most beautiful girl in the world, or the nicest all the time, or the best all around. But to Jack, she was all of those things.
Without thinking he dipped his head towards hers and captured her surprised lips in a heart-wrenching kiss. Not one of those playful kisses he was known for giving, but a kiss that he poured all his pent-up emotions into. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into his body as the kiss deepened. When he felt her go limp in his arms and actually respond to his kiss he pulled back to look at her.
Her eyes were clouded over, darker. And her lips were slightly swollen from the kiss and a dazed look painted her features as she held on to him for dear life. Questions were in her eyes, but there was a glimpse of desire there too. Jack grinned down at her and reluctantly released her from his embrace. It was only when they were no longer touching that she was able to find her voice.
"Wha. . . what just happened?" She whispered it in a husky voice. So many thoughts were racing her mind she couldn't even keep track of all of them. As she looked at Jack he was grinning sadly, she wondered what had possessed him to do that. It confused her. Because she was engaged and Jack was her best friend. And she was pretty sure her best friend wasn't supposed to give her the most mind-blowing kiss of her entire life.
"Well," He began, "I just kissed you."
"But why?" She asked, wanting an answer. Needing an answer almost as much as she needed the air that she was breathing in long waves at that moment.
"Because everyone gets to kiss the bride. Just think of it as sort of a goodbye kiss," He smiled then, lifted a hand to caress her face slightly before getting up from the couch and retreating to his room, leaving Janet alone on the couch.
She watched the closed door before turning around and sighing deeply. She was confused, yes, her stomach was also doing cartwheels, her heartbeat was racing and she couldn't figure out why. She even found her head whispering to her heart that she was in love with Jay, and not to forget it. She sighed again, leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. This was going to going to take a lot of energy and time to figure out. Two things she didn't have an abundance of. Whoever said life was simple hadn't lived with Jack Tripper.
Janet didn't hear or she the kitchen door silently swing shut as Terri sat back down in one of the kitchen chairs. She leaned over on her elbows, replaying the scene she had just witnessed on the couch. And she smiled.
To tvjunkie: Here's part of an answer to the inquiring minds that you're speaking of.
Chapter Six - Reaction to the Action (Two Months Later)
"You're what?!"
Jack about choked on his breakfast as he stared at Janet who was positively glowing with happiness. Terri's eyes were wide as his own only she looked slightly more happy then he did.
"I'm getting married! Jay asked me last night! God, guy's I'm so happy," She smiled and hugged both of her friends, who were still too stunned to move or give her anything other then a shocked expression.
"You are happy for me aren't you?" Janet said in a small voice when they just continued to stare.
Terri was the first to snap out of her trance and nodded vigorously, before smiling and hugging Janet herself. "Of course we are! Both of us are happy for you!" She exclaimed, shooting a quick look at Jack.
"Right, ecstatic," Jack mumbled and managed a small smile for Janet's sake, even though inside he could feel himself breaking all over the place. Especially in his chest. But he did his best to put on the 'Jack Tripper - just a friend' façade he'd been using since Janet and Jay started dating two month's earlier.
He squeezed her hand reassuringly when she glanced at him with worried eyes and left the kitchen to rethink his situation which was not screwed up - again. By Jay - again. God, how he hated that guy. Just thinking about him made him frown and want to hit something.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the kitchen door open or hear Janet walk over to him, a sad and worried expression clouding over her features. Jack jumped a mile high when she gently touched his shoulder then nervously laughed it off when he saw who it was.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked softly. Staring at him intently. He just nodded his head.
"Jack. . . are you okay? I mean, really?" She looked at her friend trying to figure out what it was that was eating away at him. He had changed since Jay had arrived over two months earlier. He still joked around a great deal, but he didn't date anymore. The latter of which worried not only her and Terri but also Larry. She hadn't been able to get through to him yet, but this time she intended to make at least a little dent.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm alright. It's just hard for me to think about. I mean, my little Janet getting married. Jay's a lucky guy," He said not daring to look at her, afraid his eyes would betray him and his emotions.
Janet was unconvinced but decided not to push him too far, or he might tell her anything.
"So. . . when is the big day?" He asked. Attempting to sound like he was interested and happy for her.
"As soon as possible. We were thinking about another month. We've known each other so long we figured it wouldn't be like rushing into anything," She explained the thought of the wedding replacing the bright smile back on her face.
"A month? I take it this isn't going to be a big fancy wedding huh?" He asked outwardly grinning, inwardly wincing at hearing how soon the worst day of his life was coming. Didn't give him enough time to prepare for the torture.
"Naw. . . we decided nothing big. Family, friends, small church. Small reception. I didn't want anything fancy. And he agreed," She said.
Jack only nodded.
"Oh, by the way, Jay wanted me to ask you if you wanted to be his best man?" Janet said, causing Jack's eyes to widen to a ridiculous size. Best man?
"But, doesn't he have any friends of his that would be better fit for the job? I mean, he barely knows -
"Nope he wants you. Come on Jack, it would mean a great deal to him. To me," She pleaded, giving him the puppy dog eyes treatment. He sighed. For her he'd do anything, eve if it meant being part of a wedding he disagreed with because he just happened to be in love with the soon-to-be bride.
"Sure, you can tell Jay I'll do it."
Janet smiled softly and reached up to touch his cheek in a way to thank him without words, but he grabbed her hand in mid-air and stared right in her eyes. Neither person spoke. Jack just looked her and Janet stared back, a confused expression gracing her pretty face. She may not have been the most beautiful girl in the world, or the nicest all the time, or the best all around. But to Jack, she was all of those things.
Without thinking he dipped his head towards hers and captured her surprised lips in a heart-wrenching kiss. Not one of those playful kisses he was known for giving, but a kiss that he poured all his pent-up emotions into. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into his body as the kiss deepened. When he felt her go limp in his arms and actually respond to his kiss he pulled back to look at her.
Her eyes were clouded over, darker. And her lips were slightly swollen from the kiss and a dazed look painted her features as she held on to him for dear life. Questions were in her eyes, but there was a glimpse of desire there too. Jack grinned down at her and reluctantly released her from his embrace. It was only when they were no longer touching that she was able to find her voice.
"Wha. . . what just happened?" She whispered it in a husky voice. So many thoughts were racing her mind she couldn't even keep track of all of them. As she looked at Jack he was grinning sadly, she wondered what had possessed him to do that. It confused her. Because she was engaged and Jack was her best friend. And she was pretty sure her best friend wasn't supposed to give her the most mind-blowing kiss of her entire life.
"Well," He began, "I just kissed you."
"But why?" She asked, wanting an answer. Needing an answer almost as much as she needed the air that she was breathing in long waves at that moment.
"Because everyone gets to kiss the bride. Just think of it as sort of a goodbye kiss," He smiled then, lifted a hand to caress her face slightly before getting up from the couch and retreating to his room, leaving Janet alone on the couch.
She watched the closed door before turning around and sighing deeply. She was confused, yes, her stomach was also doing cartwheels, her heartbeat was racing and she couldn't figure out why. She even found her head whispering to her heart that she was in love with Jay, and not to forget it. She sighed again, leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. This was going to going to take a lot of energy and time to figure out. Two things she didn't have an abundance of. Whoever said life was simple hadn't lived with Jack Tripper.
Janet didn't hear or she the kitchen door silently swing shut as Terri sat back down in one of the kitchen chairs. She leaned over on her elbows, replaying the scene she had just witnessed on the couch. And she smiled.