chapter word count: 609
noir heart: thirty-eight
Generally, Jack would be the one to explain the circumstances of a family member's death - Lord knows how many times he's had to console grieving souls as they wept, and answer or ask questions the best he can without revealing too many details. Hell, it wasn't long ago that he had to dwell in the confusion, grief, heartache and helpless rage of over fifteen different families, unable to tell them a thing.
On this occasion, he's content to simply sit back and silently observe while Elsa fills her younger sister in with much the same details as she revealed to him - or therein lack of - while strategically omitting her obvious culpability, of course. It's one thing to find out that your sister has returned, quite another to learn that she brutally ended her husband to do so.
The curious thing is that Elsa's behaviour has shifted again. Timid and then elusively charismatic in the interview room, to dangerously, sexually and intimidatingly playful in the house...and now she's the sensible, calm, elegant elder sister. Classic sociopathic behaviour; the outward appearance is dictated by the current situation. Anna needs her to be the big sister, so that's what Elsa is.
Which then begs the question in his mind - precisely what did he seemingly need Elsa to be-a nemesis? Her Moriarty to his Holmes? Her Foyet to his Hotchner?
Her Alice Morgan to his John Luther?
As he listens to the recounting of her experiences over the last twelve hours, all under the sympathetic gaze of her younger sibling, the questions start to whizz around his mind a little too much for his liking, not helped by the fact that he's still on edge from Elsa's sexually-charged verbal foreplay, her all-too-successful attempt to get under his skin. Everything he threw at her, she turned around and shot back at him with interest.
Maybe she wasn't to be his nemesis. Maybe she merely saw no reason to reason to further act the part and - inconsistently with sociopathic behaviour, he notes - wanted to reveal herself to him.
Why?
"Excuse me," he interrupts Elsa in the middle of repeating how she found Kozmotis...again, "Could I use your bathroom?"
"Sure!" Anna answers brightly, "upstairs, second door on your left."
"Would you like me to show you?" Elsa adds, and there's a playful glint in her eyes that threatens to both turn him on and repulse him in equal measure. He shakes his head in silent refusal, though he suspects she would ignore him anyway - however, Anna has other ideas.
"Actually," she begins shyly, twiddling her fingers together while her hands rest on her belly, "could you make some of that gorgeous chamomile tea like you used to? I tried to do it since you left, but I could never come close, so..."
Jack allows himself a wry curling of the corners of his lips at Elsa's reaction; her face momentarily falls in disappointment coupled with a split-second pout, but as quickly as it comes she covers it with a warm smile and a gentle, "Of course, Anna."
Naturally, as soon as he climbs the slightly creaky stairs and is out of earshot, he lets loose one hell of a relieved sigh that lasts until he reaches the first door on the left. Half open, it beckons him to glimpse into a pale green and pink summery nursery, replete with two well-crafted pine cots and everything two newborns need for a good start in life.
That's when the world begins to fall away around him.
there was a slight scheduling change so I could bring you this update before Christmas Day.
special thanks to: hornedgoddess, chiqanti ceres, oninoko, jpbake, e-teens and trapid (missed you!) for reviewing.
To all my readers, both reviewers and lurkers: love you all, and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!