Jack wasn't too eager to talk to Tony when Kim handed him the phone later that afternoon, but a part of him was relieved that Tony had called him back, it meant, he hoped, that Tony wasn't angry with him.
"Jack?" Tony asked, and Jack was surprised to hear that the man sounded as nervous as he felt.
"Hey, thanks for calling back."
"Its okay, I would have talked sooner, but you didn't want to see anyone…"
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, it wasn't directed at anybody in particular, I just wasn't in the right frame of mind."
"And now? How you doing?"
"Good, listen, how about I come over, or we go out for a drink or something?" Jack didn't realise he was saying what he was saying until the words were out in the air. It surprised him but he was pleased with himself for making the offer, even if he wasn't totally comfortable going out alone.
"Sure? Want me to pick you up?"
"Erm," Jack stalled for a moment, "actually I'm gonna take a cab."
"Jack there's no need for that, I can swing round, or maybe Chase can drop you off, hell, he's welcome to join us."
"I'd rather not," Jack said seriously, "I'll make my own way to yours then we can go on from there."
"Okay," Tony replied, somewhat reluctantly.
He threw some jeans on over his shorts and then a grey jumper over his tee before setting off. His wallet was in the drawer of his bedside table and he slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans. He took a few shaky steps without his crutches and found his jeans slipping down his waist so he grabbed a belt for those.
When he looked at himself in the mirror he was surprised to see himself looking… normal. Despite the crutches and a few small scars that weren't noticeable on his face unless you looked closely enough, he could pass off as somebody perfectly healthy who maybe broke his leg. The thought suddenly hit Jack, as he was slowly pulling his shoes on; he was a normal and almost healthy person, who was simply working with an injury to one of his limbs. People would never look at him and see a person who had been tortured and broken, they would just see a guy with a broken leg or foot.
The realisation made him feel more confident as he grabbed both crutches and made his way into the kitchen counter where a pad and pen were kept. Kim was out collecting Angela from her Grandma's, Chase was at work so Jack scribbled a note and pinned it on the fridge next to a photo of the three which made him smile slightly, taking him back to the days when he and Terri were young parents; but only for a moment, he wouldn't allow himself to dwell on his own mistakes for long.
He locked the house up behind himself and then slowly made his way down the road and he kept on going until he was able to hail a taxi. As he climbed in he felt nervous and vulnerable, almost exposed, but fifteen minutes later when he paid the taxi man and made his way up the steps to Tony's house Jack found himself smiling. He felt free, independent and confident. As he rang the bell Jack realised he was feeling good, and it was a feeling he didn't want to lose.