chapter word count: 250

noir heart: twenty-nine

As Jack knocks on the door, he swallows down the last of his heartache and assumes his best poker face, wondering what the point is. Rapunzel made her stance immaculately clear, and if he's honest he can't fault her for it – even if it means he's now fully broken inside. All he did when he called her was to further flay his heart with truth.

Although, your entire career revolves around truth… says a bitter voice in his head.

In an effort to purge his mind of his definitely ex-wife and return to the here and now, he pictures the platinum blonde in his mind's eye; sat on the other side of a steel table, with eyes that both study and watch him. He has to admit, he finds her to be a little intellectually interesting, if not invigorating.

She's a puzzle with a French braid – one that opens the door wide merely a few seconds after knocking.

"Ah, Jack." She smiles, "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to simply drive off."

"What if I did?" he asks challengingly as she steps aside to let him in.

"I'd be disappointed," she sighs and lightly pouts with ever-so-slightly hooded eyes as he passes her, "possibly inconsolable."

Their eyes lock as he stands a little too close for his liking, his cobalt blues radiating suspicion while hers convey honesty…

…but he can't tell if she's joking or not.

I'm not fully back - I have a reservoir of noir heart updates, so thought I'd chuck one up. Will explain a little more after the review replies.

stefalove: here we are. next chapter.
lunasnoir: yeah, I was surprised to say the least. Shows how much I enjoy writing.
jpbake: yeah, but it had to happen eventually. It was either now, or I force myself to continue, get sick of writing and then walk away permanently.
zero-xxx: holy crap, didn't expect to see you reviewing this. Yeah, Jack does go through some crap. Which is interesting.
e-teens: d'aww, thank you.
oninoko: Ayup. Now if only there was someone to help build him up again...as for where it's leading, what's your bad feeling tell you?
theonlyreason: I know! It's sad.
miki fubuki: dakka dakka dakka dakka.
heartonfire: insert heart emote here. Thanks very much for your concern.
fantasy oh yea: welcome back, and thank you :)

right - as I said, I'm not fully back. A lot had happened since my last update, including a second attempted suicide on my side of the family, a type of tablet I'm on that screwed with me emotionally (basically intensified my up-until-then mild depression), and the horrid timing of being on a severe downer and reading a blog on deviantart that very nearly sank my shipping of Jelsa - in the state I was in, I was emotionally very vulnerable, and it didn't do well for my self-confidence in my writing and I'm basically having to get it all back. So, I'm not okay. I'm better than I was, though, and getting there. I'm not after sympathy, and I know I don't technically need to fill you in, but I wanted to, especially after the kind messages I received.