A/N: Yet another Gingerbread fanfic, I'm sorry, but that episode (and Hellfire) is such a good Michael/Jackie episode. Anyways, this is another one that was just sitting on my computer. Basically it's my view on how Jackie felt about Michael proposing to Gemma. The italics are direct quotes from the episode.

Hope it's not too awful!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Almost

"I think he's in love"
"Like someone else I know"

She hadn't meant to sound so bitter about it. Not really. She had just been annoyed that she'd wasted so much time stuck in that house waiting for that dog to move; all for nothing.

Now she sat at home, alone, trying not to think about what Michael was doing at that very moment.

"It's more romantic this way"

He'd said that as he showed her the ring he was going to give to That Woman.

She had no doubt Michael would be romantic. He could be very charming when he wanted to be, like when he tried to get her to do something for him. She never told him she'd do it anyway, in fact she rather enjoyed the attention as he tried to charm her.

She wondered if he'd get down on one knee; she hoped That Woman appreciated just how lucky she was.

Not that she was jealous; she was just worried about him. There was something about That Woman she just didn't trust. She worried that Michael was more interested than she was, that he would get hurt.

Who was she kidding?

She was worried that she'd lose him. He had all ready begun to pull away.

"Just a colleague?"
"Just"

She'd heard them speaking as she'd walked away and Michael classifying her as 'just a colleague' hurt more than she cared to admit. She had thought she meant more to him than that.

Now it seemed she was wrong. She was 'just a colleague' whilst That Woman, who had walked out of his life years ago, was his best friend.

But she wasn't jealous.

No, not jealous. She couldn't be jealous; that would just be silly. He was a good friend, nothing more. That was why his words had hurt her, why she was worried she'd lose him.

It was a good explanation.

Though it didn't explain why it made her sick just thinking that he was going to marry Her. It didn't explain why when he left her the other night in favour of That Woman it had stung.

It also didn't explain why she didn't like Her.

At all.

She had taken some comfort in the fact that Jim Taggart didn't seem to like her either, then she could pretend that it was just one of those things. But then he had warmed up to her and actually seemed to like her now.

Traitor.

Well, if That Woman was what Michael wanted then she would just have to learn to like her. As long as she made Michael happy, she was happy.

Almost.

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A/N: I was considering adding the next day, but I'm not sure.