Title: 60 Days

Author: Mindy35

Rating: K+

Please see first chapter for rest.

III.

Day 42:

"…Hellooo?"

"Hi Seth, it's Jack."

"It's Jaaack!"

"What are you guys up to?"

"We're watching Muppets. 'Pigs in Space' is on."

"Let me guess. They're your favorite?"

"No. Kermit."

"Kermit's everybody's favorite."

"Liz likes the funny chef."

"Well, naturally. Hey, can you put her on? I want to ask her something."

There was some mumbling on the other end of the line. Then:

"Hey. What's up?"

"So I'm heading to DC this weekend and I wondered if you and Seth would like to join me."

"Oh. What for?"

"I have some business to attend to. I thought you guys could go to the Air and Space Museum or something. We can have dinner and be back within the day."

"Jack."

"What?"

"Do you actually have business in DC this weekend?"

"I can find some."

"Jack-"

"There are a few very important people in our capital, Lemon, despite what you might insinuate in your sketches."

"Really? And do they work on the weekend?"

"Occasionally."

"Jack-"

"He's never been on a plane before, Lemon. Just ask him if he wants to."

"Are you kidding me? If I ask him that now, I'll never get him to sleep. I'll tell him in the morning."

"So that's a yes then?"

"It's…yes."

"Excellent."

-x-

Day 44:

Liz had her phone at her ear when Jack rushed into the hospital cubicle, looking hurried and anxious. They started speaking simultaneously:

"Hey, Jonathan gave me your message. Is everything-"

"There you are, I was just trying to call you. Seth-"

"I broke my arm!" Seth interrupted, making them both turn.

Liz sighed, nodded. "He broke his arm."

Seth grinned widely, seated on a gurney as the nurse plastered his left arm. "I have a blue cast, Jack!"

Liz sighed again. "He has a blue cast."

"How did this happen?" Jack breathed, still concerned.

"He was jumping on his bed-"

"I was trying to touch the stars, Jack."

"And he fell." Liz shook her head. "I've told him a million times not to do it."

Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault."

She scowled at him, eyes narrowed. "I know!"

"What?"

"If it's anybody's fault," she muttered, waving a finger: "it's yours, Jack."

His brows rose. "Excuse me?"

"You bought him the dumb stars."

"But I didn't tell him he could jump on the bed."

"Well, neither did I-!"

"Um-" the nurse interjected, a small smile on her face. "He's all done now. You can go."

Seth looked back and forth between them, blue eyes blinking. "Can we go on the plane now?"

Jack exchanged a glance with Liz. "Not today, buddy." He moved over to the gurney and picked Seth up. "We'll go another time, okay? How's that arm? Does it hurt?"

Seth looked down at his plastered arm. "It hurt before. Liz kissed it better."

Liz stepped closer, her tone softening. "Here, give him to me. You have to go, or you'll miss your plane."

"Noooo," Seth whined. "We're going on the plane a different time, Jack said."

"That's right," Jack nodded, holding him fast. "We'll go another day. It's no trouble."

"But I thought you had business to do," she pointed out: "in DC. All those important people to…play golf with."

Jack scoffed. "What possible business could I have to do in DC on a Saturday morning?" He turned to Seth, asking him eagerly, "How about some ice cream, huh? That ought to take any pain away."

"Hey. Do not start teaching him to stress eat," Liz called, watching Jack head down the corridor with Seth clinging happily to his side.

The nurse, looping some gauze around her fingers, came up beside her, shooting Liz the sort of secretive smile that only mothers share. "Get used to it," she said. "Looks like you're outnumbered for the next fifteen years or so."

-x-

Day 47:

Liz found them literally rolling on the floor of Jack's office, laughing their heads off. Jack's tie was loosened, his shirt creased. Seth's shoes were sitting, tipped over, by the edge of the rug. She huffed, both relieved and aggravated.

"Hey. What's going on?"

Jack looked up, his face red with laughter. "Oh, Lemon, there you are."

"Yes. Here I am," she replied crossly. "You can't just take him out of daycare without telling me, Jack."

"Come here," he grinned, ignoring her obvious distemper. He beckoned her closer then grabbed her wrist, pulling her down. "Seth's pulling funny faces. Watch this. Do it again. Show Liz."

Liz dropped to her knees on the rug and watched, somewhat bemused, as Seth stuck his fingers in his mouth and pulled a funny face that caused Jack to start cackling all over again, his eyes closed and one hand on his belly. Seth beamed and laughed at this reaction, eyes fixed on Jack.

Once recovered, Jack tapped her leg and said: "Do yours now, show him yours."

She drew back. "What?"

"The angry badger face," he said, bobbing his head. "That one you do all the time."

Her eyes narrowed. "Didn't I already show it to you, when I came in?"

"Well. Do it again," he urged, still grinning.

"No…" Liz furrowed her brow at him, scrunched up her nose. "And I don't do it all the time."

Jack pointed, eyes wide, shooting a look at Seth. "There it is, right there. See it?"

Seth snorted, collapsing clumsily against Jack. "Badger face…"

Liz rolled her eyes, got to her feet. "Okay, alright. Enough fun and games. Let's go."

Seth's smile dimmed. "But I want to stay with Jack."

Liz cocked her head, held out her hand. "Jack has work to do. Come on."

Seth got to his feet, putting his hand in hers. Jack patted him on the back as he slipped one shoe back on one foot. And when he saw him struggling with his arm cast, he helped Seth put on the other one, leaving the laces on both untied.

"Say goodbye to Jack," Liz prompted as they headed for the door, hand in hand.

"Goodbye to Jack," Seth parroted smartly.

Jack chuckled, getting to his feet and watching them go. From the outer room, he heard:

"Say goodbye to Jonathan too."

"Goodbye to Jonathan too."

-x-

Day 54:

Seth was perched on Jack's shoulders as they squeezed their way through the celebrating crowd. Liz was right behind them, one hand holding tight to Jack's coat. Every so often, Seth would accidentally clonk Jack on the head with his blue cast then peer over his head and apologise. He was sleepy but excited. Until two hours ago, he'd been in bed, though not actually asleep. It was Jack who'd insisted that they give him the authentic New York New Year's experience. Which was why at five minutes to midnight, along with what seemed like the rest of the wide-awake city, they were crammed into a glittering, partying Times Square.

As they moved incrementally through the people lining the streets, all trying to get a better view of the ball which was just about to drop, Seth leant over Jack's head and asked him: "Are you gonna kiss Liz?"

Jack peered up at him, brows raised. "Why do you ask?"

Seth leant back again, holding on tight with his good arm. "It's what people do in the next year."

"True," Jack replied.

Seth was silent a moment, before leaning down again, looking at Jack almost upside down. "Only she's my Ma. So I should get to kiss her before."

Jack nodded, patted the leg dangling over his shoulder. "I think that's fair."

"What's fair?" Liz asked from behind them.

Seth twisted to look at her and nearly toppled off to one side. "I get to kiss you first."

"You get to what?" she said, raising her voice above the clamour of the revellers.

Jack cast a glance over his shoulder. "Seth gets the first kiss of the New Year."

"I see." Liz poked Jack's arm as they came to a stop, the lit-up ball clearly within their sights. They turned to face each other, the crowd pressing them close. "And who gets the second?"

Seth patted her beanie-covered head. "Jack."

Jack nodded, eyes twinkling. "Seth is okay with this."

She tilted her head. "Is he now?"

"Do you have a problem with it?" he asked, lips curving upwards.

Liz looked up at Seth then away, hiding her smile. "No, no. It sounds like you two have it all figured out."

Around them, hundreds of voices slicing through the chilly air, the countdown to midnight began.

-x-

Day 56:

"Tell me this isn't happening. Just…tell me it's not."

Jack picked up his phone, muttering gravely: "I'm calling a lawyer. You must have some rights here."

"No. That's just it." Liz sighed heavily, shaking her head. "I don't, Jack."

Jack put down the phone. "What do you mean?"

She stepped closer to his desk, her voice serious and slow: "After sixty days, yes, I have rights. But before that…" She lowered her head, bit down on her lip. "I don't have any."

Jack was silent for a long time. "They can't just…take him away."

"Yes!" she replied, eyes wide. "They can, Jack. That's exactly what they can do!"

"But…" Jack blinked at her, uncomprehending: "His mother gave him up. After his father- She couldn't-"

"She changed her mind!" she cried bitterly, lifting her arms and letting them drop to her sides with a slap. "Can you believe that? She just changed her mind. She has the right to do that."

"Within the first sixty days," he murmured carefully.

Liz nodded, once. "Right."

"And what day is this?"

She drew in a breath, chocked on it momentarily. "The fifty-sixth."

"You've been counting?"

"Can you blame me?" she muttered, jaw clenched.

Jack rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. "No."

They stood in silence for a full minute. Then she turned abruptly, striding to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get Seth."

"Liz-"

"What?"

Jack paused, took a breath: "What're you going to tell him?"

She turned at the door, her head dropped, her shoulders slumped. "I don't know…I don't know." She cast him a sideways glance, tears welling in the corners of her eyes: "I don't even know what to tell myself."

-x-

Day 60:

When Jack opened his door, Liz said nothing. Not a single word. Not even to explain her appearance at ten minutes before midnight. She simply stood on his threshold, silent and dull, an overnight bag hanging from her left hand. Jack took the bag and curled a hand over her shoulder, wordlessly guiding her inside, into his warm, lamp-lit living room.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked, escorting her all the way to the sofa.

Liz sat down, coat still on. "No," she sighed. Then after a long pause: "I want ten drinks."

Jack moved over to the drink cabinet, starting to fix them both a strong drink. He had his back to her when she started to talk.

"I keep…expecting him to call. I keep expecting…" her voice trailed off: "something..."

Jack turned to look at her, decanter in hand. "Perhaps it's a good sign. That he hasn't. Perhaps it means he's fine, he's happy."

Liz nodded at her hands, took off her beanie. "I want him…happy."

Jack nodded: "I know," then turned away again.

"He's going to forget me," she murmured when his back was turned. "I'm going to be just some lady he stayed with after his dad was murdered and his mom went nuts and couldn't cope for awhile."

Jack regarded her silently for a moment before picking up their drinks and heading back towards her. "You don't know that."

Liz looked up at him, her face drawn with sadness, disbelief. "I thought he was mine, Jack. I thought- I really thought…"

He sat down beside her, letting out a deep sigh. "I know you did."

"So…what do I do now?" she asked, voice trembling. "I mean, what-" She clamped her hands over her chest, words sticking in her throat. "What do I do, Jack?"

Jack handed her her drink. "Right now, I think there's only one thing you can do."

Liz held her drink in her lap, eyes fixed ahead on nothing. "What?" She almost expected his answer to be something aloof like 'drink'. Or something stoic like 'fight back', 'move on', 'try again'. Or 'forget'. Liz didn't expect the reply she got.

He lifted his drink to his lips, took a sip. Then Jack answered her quietly with: "Cry."

So she did.

END.