Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you're still reading, and that you liked Jack and Kate's meeting (I couldn't resist giving it the same essence as the one in the pilot, which I'm hoping to pay off later), the pinkie promise, and that fact that she's going to L.A. I agree, mcanj25, swing sets are romantic, especially at night. And no, yellosh, I didn't meant that line as a reference to the pilot, but it might have subconsciously influenced me. I've only seen that episode fifty thousand times. My sister and I watch them on a loop.
I'm still working on Jack's plan (and the infamous kiss!), so here's a short chapter to tide you all over. Please read and review, and if you get time, let me know what you thought of the freezer scene. I was really proud of the balance of humor and emotion there, so I'd love to hear your comments. I thought the alerts were back on, by the way. My inbox is flooded with a backlog of reviews...
Chapter 22. Don't Wait Too Long
Jack's leave ran out the following day, but in lieu of Kate's announcement, he decided to stick around, taking some of his sick days so that she could finish out the week as promised.
She'd been at the diner for sixteen years, helping her mother out there before that, so on her last day, Margaret organised a little staff party. She'd been like a second mother to her, Kate explained, arriving in her life after Jack left, a year or so after her own mother followed. She'd been protective and sweet, giving Kate advice, nursing her through illnesses, fussing over her on her birthday, and at Christmas; she'd never liked James, but she liked him, Kate told Jack with an amused grin, ever since that first day at the diner, when he'd insisted she pour him another coffee if it meant she had to keep talking to him. That was why she'd left her at his mercy, because she'd finally found a guy she thought was worthy of Kate.
Given this insight into their relationship, Jack wasn't surprised when Margaret invited him to the party, pulling him aside while Kate was busy talking to one of the other waitresses.
"That girl's been through a lot," she said, leading him into the kitchen, peeking back into the diner to make sure Kate was well and truly out of earshot. "Probably more than she's willing to admit to." Jack nodded, knowing this was true, though he wasn't sure how much Kate had told her. "I'd hate to have to add you to that list."
He wasn't sure if he should take this as a threat – she was a pretty tough looking woman; she could probably give him a run for his money – but he knew this wasn't something he had to worry about. They were on the same side, Kate's side. He was still, technically, her best friend after all. "I know," he said, "but you won't have to. We're taking things slowly for now."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," she agreed, throwing him off guard. He'd been preparing for the whole "be-careful-with-her" speech parents usually gave. But Margaret wasn't her mother. "She told me about that kiss, or almost kiss, the morning after it happened. She was pretty pissed off."
Jack looked away, embarrassed. While he was grateful that Margaret was such a good friend to Kate, he wished women wouldn't always feel compelled to dissect men's behaviour together. It was a double standard: men shouldn't kiss and tell, but women could tell their friends every intimate, and in his case, humiliating detail of a romantic encounter.
Margaret put a hand on his arm, and he looked back at her. "What goes on between the two of you is none of my business," she said, her voice softening to the same maternal tone he was pretty sure she used when counselling Kate. "All I'm saying is that she really likes you. If you asked me to hedge my bets, I'd probably say that this is the real thing, the way you two look at each other."
She grinned, as she added, "Just don't wait too long, okay? She deserves to be swept off her feet after everything that happened with James."