Title : Where The Sea Meets The Sky
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV - and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13
Thanks go to cbw; jtbwriter; beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy, tomcat-all, lori4, carol and eliv.thade for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
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MAMA AMALFI'S RESTAURANT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
FRIDAY EVENING
By Sue's own admission later, she shouldn't have read their lips. But she did.
Jack: I don't know if I can carry on this with Sue, it isn't fair.
Bobby: What're you talking about Jack? You guys are great together. Come on, it's been on the books for ages, and I for one am glad you've done something about it!
Jack: It's getting too involved. We'll be talking marriage next!"
Bobby: Don't you want that? With Sue?
As Sue saw Jack shake his head, she got to her feet and excused herself to the bathroom. Had she stayed, she would have read the remainder of the conversation.
"Of course I do, Bobby. I've never been so sure, but I don't want to put pressure on Sue."
Bobby looked at his friend and shook his head. "She seems pretty happy with the status quo."
"That's just it!" Jack dropped his voice so low Bobby almost didn't hear him. "Bobby, you and I have been friends a long time; I'm telling you this in the strictest confidence. I'm the first man Sue's slept with. Sure, she's dated, a few college guys, and then David here in DC, but she's only been with me. How can I tie her down to me when she doesn't know anything more? I don't want to lose her some day because she found someone else!"
Bobby snorted, and Jack looked at him. "What?"
"Well, you're right, you're not exactly being fair to Sue, are you? What if she wanted to save herself for the man she believed was 'the one', and you're the lucky s.o.b. that she chose! Sue may be a little more naïve than the women you've dated before, Jack, but she's the real deal. For example, that first day you brought her into the office, you were like a kid with a new toy! You discovered Sue, and you weren't letting anyone get near. Sue caught me out first time, with that 'sheila' remark, and while we're very fond of each other these days, we don't have that spark that you two had from the get-go."
Jack grinned, and then laughed. "You're right. I should let this go, and get back to what I want."
"Absolutely, mate." Bobby tipped his beer glass up and drank, not noticing as Jack looked round at their table and found Sue standing talking to Jennifer, and then as she turned to face him, her heart - her broken heart - was in her eyes as she walked away from the table and out of the restaurant. Jennifer left the table and walked towards them, but Jack didn't need her to tell him that Sue had seen what he'd been saying to Bobby.
Most likely the first part, without the second.
"You stupid jerk, Jack Hudson!" Jennifer poked a finger at him straight away, without any preamble, but Bobby caught her arm.
"Hey, Jenny, back off! What's going on?"
"Your friend here has just put an end to a beautiful relationship. Just what did you say, Jack?"
"Sue saw me tell Bobby something, but I don't think she saw the whole thing, and has gone off half-cocked. I need to go find her. Sorry about the dinner, guys. I'll call you, Bobby. Let Jen in on what the end result was, will you? Then she might forgive me some day."
Jennifer scowled, but took the seat Jack vacated, and watched him leave.
SUE'S APARTMENT
WASHINGTON DC
FRIDAY EVENING
Sue knew who was at the door, even as Levi came to paw her knee, and then go back to the door. On the other side, Jack knew it was pointless banging on the door. He just had to hope that Sue would relent and let him in; that was if she was there at all! He hadn't considered that she wouldn't go home, but then he heard Levi, and was reassured a little. He heard the lock click and the door opened.
Sue's eyes were reddened, and a tissue was clutched in her hand. Her hair was fastened up in a clip, though some wisps had escaped and framed her face. But the one thing that tore at his heart were her eyes. They looked at him, and they looked through him. Blank. No emotion. Nothing. And he had done that to her. Inadvertently, but nonetheless, it had been through his words. It was poor recompense to know that she didn't normally read conversations other than those to which she had been assigned through work, and he would never blame her for reading him.
"May I come in?" he asked, not taking anything for granted with her.
"Yes." Sue walked away from the door, and down the corridor into the lounge. Levi followed Sue, his tail not wagging as usual, as dejected as his mistress. Jack closed the door behind him and followed the sad procession to the lounge. Sue had taken a seat in the large single chair, which left Jack to take a seat on the sofa, alone. He remained where he was, distanced from her, when all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and beg her forgiveness for having doubted her.
To his surprise, Sue apologised first.
"I shouldn't have read your lips; that was my fault. But once I realised what you were saying..." Sue paused, and her voice caught on her tears. Clearing her throat, she continued. "If you didn't want such an involved relationship, Jack, you should have found someone else. You know who I am, how unsure I have been about relationships. How could you do this to me? To us?"
"Sue, you didn't wait around for the rest of the conversation. I wasn't saying that I wanted out of the relationship for me; I was wrong, and I admit that without reservation, but what I was trying to say was that I didn't want you to be with me, having been the only intimate relationship you have had, and then find someone else a month or a year down the line, and leave me. It was wholly selfish on my part, but I couldn't bear to lose you. I didn't understand that you really do want to be with me."
"I gave myself to you, Jack. You alone know that." Jack managed to hide the wince at the thought that it was he and Bobby that now knew such an intimate secret.
"I'll grovel, Sue. I'll beg and plead, and beat myself black and blue until you take me back. I could never live without you, and I did tell you that no matter what, I was in this relationship for the long haul. I just didn't think I had the right to want that for you too. You have to want it for yourself. I can only hope that I haven't destroyed too much by my stupidity."
"Jack," Sue looked at him, no smile on her face, no emotion in her eyes.
"Yes?"
"I need to think about this. Will you please give me some time?"
"I... sure. I'll go." Jack got to his feet, and made a move towards her, but thought better of it. Turning toward the door, he stopped and looked back, about to say something.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Sue was suddenly angry. She got up from the chair and faced Jack. He held his breath as he saw the anger move into her eyes. It wasn't the love he was used to seeing there, but it was an emotion, and it was better than the blankness he had seen earlier. He nodded mutely. Sue continued. "You have someone special in your life, who you profess to love deeply, and you almost let her go."
Jack picked up on the word immediately.
"Almost? You mean I still have a chance to make this right?"
"I love you, you idiot; how could I not take a chance. I do understand what you're saying, Jack. But you have to understand too. I might not be as sophisticated as the women you've dated before, but I do know what I want, and now more than ever before - thanks to you - I have the strength and the belief to stand up and fight for that want. I'm fighting for you, Jack. I want what we have to go on forever. I want it, with you. If you have any more doubts, walk away now, because I am never going to leave you. Not by choice."
"Okay." Jack spoke just the one word, and then he moved. Sue never stood a chance, and she was on her back on the sofa before she could count to three!
As he bent his head to kiss her, Jack murmured, "Just so we're straight on this, Sue Thomas, I love you beyond measure, and no matter what comes our way, we'll get through it. Together. I love you, and I'm in love with you. There is a difference, I know."
Sue gave him the most beautiful smile yet, and pushed up enough to touch her lips to his, telling him to shut up and kiss her!
Which, of course, he did, and continued to do long into the night, among other things!
SUE'S APARTMENT
EARLY MORNING - SATURDAY
Sue yawned and stretched, then stopped. In her field of vision dark hair lay against her breast, and unfairly long, thick, and dark eyelashes lay against tanned cheeks as Jack slept. They had gone to sleep, eventually, with an exhausted but happy sigh in their 'good-night' kiss. They had the weekend ahead to plan a future they now knew they both wanted. It was this promise for the future, and the tiniest flutter deep in her body that alerted Sue to the fact of just how they had fallen asleep, after making love again, at a much slower pace, designed to be 'sleepy loving'. Jack was still very much a part of her, and while he might be sleeping still, parts of his anatomy were not!
Sue shivered in anticipation as his arousal became more insistent, and it was the sleepy, little-boy grin on Jack's lips that brought an answering grin to her own mouth as his eyes opened and he looked up at her.
"This is the nicest wake-up call I've ever had," he murmured, as he leaned in and dropped a gentle kiss on Sue's lips.
"I like it too. I'm going to throw away the alarm clock out there," Sue pointed off in the direction of the lounge that lay on the other side of the closed door. Since the last time Levi had decided it was time to wake them up, they had remembered to close the door.
"Nah," Jack shook his head, grinning more. "I'd keep him, he's okay."
Sue laughed softly, and ruffled Jack's hair. "Idiot. I'm not talking about Levi... oh," she murmured, her breath catching as she looked at Jack. Even as he gave her an innocent look, his pupils dilated and he lay back on the bed, bringing Sue up and over him.
They were woken a few hours later by the ringing of Jack's cell phone on the nightstand. Jack fished around with his hand until he caught the offending object, and was about to drop it in the drawer when he recognised Mac's name on the display.
"Mac? What's wrong?"
"Something's happened to Mattie!"
"What? Where is she?"
"I dropped her off at school this morning. She has a remedial class to catch up on the time she was out of school running Grace Aviation. I've just had a call from the principal to say she didn't turn up for the class."
"Okay. Drive out there. We'll meet you."
"What about the investigation? If you two turn up, the principal will know you're not really counsellors."
"You could say you called us as you found our card in Mattie's room."
"Okay. He might buy that. I don't want to compromise you both, but I thought you'd be the best to call. This is not like Mattie, and with the investigation... I didn't know what else to do."
"Mac, it's going to be fine."
"All right. I'll see you there."
"We're on our way."
Mac hung up, and Jack turned off his cell phone, turning to face Sue as he spoke. He knew she had read his side of the conversation, and so he told her what Mac had said also. Clambering out of the bed, Sue turned back to face Jack with an uncertain smile on her face. Jack raised an eyebrow in question.
"I had other plans for breakfast this morning; take a raincheck?"
"Absolutely."
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To be continued
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV - and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13
Thanks go to cbw; jtbwriter; beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy, tomcat-all, lori4, carol and eliv.thade for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAMA AMALFI'S RESTAURANT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
FRIDAY EVENING
By Sue's own admission later, she shouldn't have read their lips. But she did.
Jack: I don't know if I can carry on this with Sue, it isn't fair.
Bobby: What're you talking about Jack? You guys are great together. Come on, it's been on the books for ages, and I for one am glad you've done something about it!
Jack: It's getting too involved. We'll be talking marriage next!"
Bobby: Don't you want that? With Sue?
As Sue saw Jack shake his head, she got to her feet and excused herself to the bathroom. Had she stayed, she would have read the remainder of the conversation.
"Of course I do, Bobby. I've never been so sure, but I don't want to put pressure on Sue."
Bobby looked at his friend and shook his head. "She seems pretty happy with the status quo."
"That's just it!" Jack dropped his voice so low Bobby almost didn't hear him. "Bobby, you and I have been friends a long time; I'm telling you this in the strictest confidence. I'm the first man Sue's slept with. Sure, she's dated, a few college guys, and then David here in DC, but she's only been with me. How can I tie her down to me when she doesn't know anything more? I don't want to lose her some day because she found someone else!"
Bobby snorted, and Jack looked at him. "What?"
"Well, you're right, you're not exactly being fair to Sue, are you? What if she wanted to save herself for the man she believed was 'the one', and you're the lucky s.o.b. that she chose! Sue may be a little more naïve than the women you've dated before, Jack, but she's the real deal. For example, that first day you brought her into the office, you were like a kid with a new toy! You discovered Sue, and you weren't letting anyone get near. Sue caught me out first time, with that 'sheila' remark, and while we're very fond of each other these days, we don't have that spark that you two had from the get-go."
Jack grinned, and then laughed. "You're right. I should let this go, and get back to what I want."
"Absolutely, mate." Bobby tipped his beer glass up and drank, not noticing as Jack looked round at their table and found Sue standing talking to Jennifer, and then as she turned to face him, her heart - her broken heart - was in her eyes as she walked away from the table and out of the restaurant. Jennifer left the table and walked towards them, but Jack didn't need her to tell him that Sue had seen what he'd been saying to Bobby.
Most likely the first part, without the second.
"You stupid jerk, Jack Hudson!" Jennifer poked a finger at him straight away, without any preamble, but Bobby caught her arm.
"Hey, Jenny, back off! What's going on?"
"Your friend here has just put an end to a beautiful relationship. Just what did you say, Jack?"
"Sue saw me tell Bobby something, but I don't think she saw the whole thing, and has gone off half-cocked. I need to go find her. Sorry about the dinner, guys. I'll call you, Bobby. Let Jen in on what the end result was, will you? Then she might forgive me some day."
Jennifer scowled, but took the seat Jack vacated, and watched him leave.
SUE'S APARTMENT
WASHINGTON DC
FRIDAY EVENING
Sue knew who was at the door, even as Levi came to paw her knee, and then go back to the door. On the other side, Jack knew it was pointless banging on the door. He just had to hope that Sue would relent and let him in; that was if she was there at all! He hadn't considered that she wouldn't go home, but then he heard Levi, and was reassured a little. He heard the lock click and the door opened.
Sue's eyes were reddened, and a tissue was clutched in her hand. Her hair was fastened up in a clip, though some wisps had escaped and framed her face. But the one thing that tore at his heart were her eyes. They looked at him, and they looked through him. Blank. No emotion. Nothing. And he had done that to her. Inadvertently, but nonetheless, it had been through his words. It was poor recompense to know that she didn't normally read conversations other than those to which she had been assigned through work, and he would never blame her for reading him.
"May I come in?" he asked, not taking anything for granted with her.
"Yes." Sue walked away from the door, and down the corridor into the lounge. Levi followed Sue, his tail not wagging as usual, as dejected as his mistress. Jack closed the door behind him and followed the sad procession to the lounge. Sue had taken a seat in the large single chair, which left Jack to take a seat on the sofa, alone. He remained where he was, distanced from her, when all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and beg her forgiveness for having doubted her.
To his surprise, Sue apologised first.
"I shouldn't have read your lips; that was my fault. But once I realised what you were saying..." Sue paused, and her voice caught on her tears. Clearing her throat, she continued. "If you didn't want such an involved relationship, Jack, you should have found someone else. You know who I am, how unsure I have been about relationships. How could you do this to me? To us?"
"Sue, you didn't wait around for the rest of the conversation. I wasn't saying that I wanted out of the relationship for me; I was wrong, and I admit that without reservation, but what I was trying to say was that I didn't want you to be with me, having been the only intimate relationship you have had, and then find someone else a month or a year down the line, and leave me. It was wholly selfish on my part, but I couldn't bear to lose you. I didn't understand that you really do want to be with me."
"I gave myself to you, Jack. You alone know that." Jack managed to hide the wince at the thought that it was he and Bobby that now knew such an intimate secret.
"I'll grovel, Sue. I'll beg and plead, and beat myself black and blue until you take me back. I could never live without you, and I did tell you that no matter what, I was in this relationship for the long haul. I just didn't think I had the right to want that for you too. You have to want it for yourself. I can only hope that I haven't destroyed too much by my stupidity."
"Jack," Sue looked at him, no smile on her face, no emotion in her eyes.
"Yes?"
"I need to think about this. Will you please give me some time?"
"I... sure. I'll go." Jack got to his feet, and made a move towards her, but thought better of it. Turning toward the door, he stopped and looked back, about to say something.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Sue was suddenly angry. She got up from the chair and faced Jack. He held his breath as he saw the anger move into her eyes. It wasn't the love he was used to seeing there, but it was an emotion, and it was better than the blankness he had seen earlier. He nodded mutely. Sue continued. "You have someone special in your life, who you profess to love deeply, and you almost let her go."
Jack picked up on the word immediately.
"Almost? You mean I still have a chance to make this right?"
"I love you, you idiot; how could I not take a chance. I do understand what you're saying, Jack. But you have to understand too. I might not be as sophisticated as the women you've dated before, but I do know what I want, and now more than ever before - thanks to you - I have the strength and the belief to stand up and fight for that want. I'm fighting for you, Jack. I want what we have to go on forever. I want it, with you. If you have any more doubts, walk away now, because I am never going to leave you. Not by choice."
"Okay." Jack spoke just the one word, and then he moved. Sue never stood a chance, and she was on her back on the sofa before she could count to three!
As he bent his head to kiss her, Jack murmured, "Just so we're straight on this, Sue Thomas, I love you beyond measure, and no matter what comes our way, we'll get through it. Together. I love you, and I'm in love with you. There is a difference, I know."
Sue gave him the most beautiful smile yet, and pushed up enough to touch her lips to his, telling him to shut up and kiss her!
Which, of course, he did, and continued to do long into the night, among other things!
SUE'S APARTMENT
EARLY MORNING - SATURDAY
Sue yawned and stretched, then stopped. In her field of vision dark hair lay against her breast, and unfairly long, thick, and dark eyelashes lay against tanned cheeks as Jack slept. They had gone to sleep, eventually, with an exhausted but happy sigh in their 'good-night' kiss. They had the weekend ahead to plan a future they now knew they both wanted. It was this promise for the future, and the tiniest flutter deep in her body that alerted Sue to the fact of just how they had fallen asleep, after making love again, at a much slower pace, designed to be 'sleepy loving'. Jack was still very much a part of her, and while he might be sleeping still, parts of his anatomy were not!
Sue shivered in anticipation as his arousal became more insistent, and it was the sleepy, little-boy grin on Jack's lips that brought an answering grin to her own mouth as his eyes opened and he looked up at her.
"This is the nicest wake-up call I've ever had," he murmured, as he leaned in and dropped a gentle kiss on Sue's lips.
"I like it too. I'm going to throw away the alarm clock out there," Sue pointed off in the direction of the lounge that lay on the other side of the closed door. Since the last time Levi had decided it was time to wake them up, they had remembered to close the door.
"Nah," Jack shook his head, grinning more. "I'd keep him, he's okay."
Sue laughed softly, and ruffled Jack's hair. "Idiot. I'm not talking about Levi... oh," she murmured, her breath catching as she looked at Jack. Even as he gave her an innocent look, his pupils dilated and he lay back on the bed, bringing Sue up and over him.
They were woken a few hours later by the ringing of Jack's cell phone on the nightstand. Jack fished around with his hand until he caught the offending object, and was about to drop it in the drawer when he recognised Mac's name on the display.
"Mac? What's wrong?"
"Something's happened to Mattie!"
"What? Where is she?"
"I dropped her off at school this morning. She has a remedial class to catch up on the time she was out of school running Grace Aviation. I've just had a call from the principal to say she didn't turn up for the class."
"Okay. Drive out there. We'll meet you."
"What about the investigation? If you two turn up, the principal will know you're not really counsellors."
"You could say you called us as you found our card in Mattie's room."
"Okay. He might buy that. I don't want to compromise you both, but I thought you'd be the best to call. This is not like Mattie, and with the investigation... I didn't know what else to do."
"Mac, it's going to be fine."
"All right. I'll see you there."
"We're on our way."
Mac hung up, and Jack turned off his cell phone, turning to face Sue as he spoke. He knew she had read his side of the conversation, and so he told her what Mac had said also. Clambering out of the bed, Sue turned back to face Jack with an uncertain smile on her face. Jack raised an eyebrow in question.
"I had other plans for breakfast this morning; take a raincheck?"
"Absolutely."
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To be continued