I do not own EUReKA. Never have. Never will. My life is over!
Blame It On The Hormones
Chapter 9: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold
"Where is she! Where the fuck is she!"
Jack peered up from the file he was reviewing to see a wild-eyed Tess storm into the Sheriff's station. He didn't think he'd ever seen Tess look so angry, even when it him who was involved.
"Where is who?" Jack was baffled, who in the hell was she was talking about?
"That bitch Deputy of yours."
"Excuse me?"
"That cunt Jo..."
"WHOA!"
Tess was stilled as his voice boomed, reverberating throughout the room in reaction to the term she'd used to describe Jo. Sure, he was known to curse at times, but he never did it in front of the kids and he would certainly never use a word like that. He thought it was vulgar and only proved in highlighting how vile and classless Tess was. Regaining his composure, he stood and rounded the desk to face her head on.
"Just hold on one minute Tess. What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about this." With that, she yanked the large rimmed sunglasses from her face displaying the freshly brushed eye which was now a vibrant bluish-purple.
"Jo did that! To you?"
"Yes genius, Jo. And I want her arrested. NOW!"
"When did this supposedly occur?"
"Supposedly?"
She stared at him dumbfounded.
"Jo came banging on my door at six o'clock this morning. Of course I assumed there was a crisis that needed my attention and when I opened the door she punched me in the face. I went crashing to the floor, knocking over a side table and woke up an hour later. It took me half an hour after I woke up just to regain my sensory faculties before I could stumble over here!"
Jack stuffed his hands in his pocket, his expression one of total disbelief. "What!"
Her own hands balled into fists by her side, it was hard for her to hide her annoyance with Jack and his skeptical attitude.
"Exactly what I said, Sheriff. Now, what are you gonna do about it?"
Jack wasn't sure if he believed her or not. Yes, she definitely had one hell of a shiner, but he found that Tess wasn't the most reliable of sources. Could Jo have been the culprit – no doubt, but what would have compelled her to assault Tess. Besides, she had volunteered to stay with Allison last night and he knew she would never have left her side, not even for a moment.
"Calm down Tess. I'll get to the bottom of this."
Turning his back, he crossed over to his desk and dialed the number he knew by heart. The phone barely rung before he the caller on the other end of the line picked up. Jack spoke quietly so Tess couldn't overhear his conversation and after a few minutes he hung up satisfied with the answers he'd received.
"Okay Tess. I need you to tell me the truth?"
"Wha...?"
"I just got off the phone with Jo who's been at the hospital since last night sitting bedside with Allison."
"Allison? Allison's in the hospital?"
For a moment Jack thought he saw a glimmer of concern, but it quickly dissipated as she remembered the reason she was there.
"Jo was at my house this morning. I don't know where she was last night or where she is now, but I am telling you what really happened."
"Well, Jo says she never left the facility and she has witnesses who can vouch for her."
"So you're not even going to investigate?"
"I didn't say that. I will look into it and if Jo is guilty, she will face the consequences."
"And I'm just supposed to believe that?"
"Well, you're gonna have to because you don't have any other choice. In the meantime, feel free to file a written complaint."
Clearly not the outcome she'd expected, steel-eyed with clenched jaw, she cautioned him.
"I'm warning you Jack, you don't want to cross me. If I even think that you haven't done your due diligence, I will be contacting General Mansfield, and trust me, he will be the least of your problems."
With that she spun, slamming the entrance door forcefully, the pictures on his desk shook as she exited.
Jack stood there mouth hung open. He could no longer deny the obvious –Tess was absolutely, positively, nuts. Did she really think her threats would sway him in either direction? If it was found out that Jo was the culprit, he would make sure she was disciplined. Now he didn't say how severely that would be, but she would be held accountable nonetheless. He decided to seek out Jo later to have a chat after she'd gotten some rest. Right now, he had bigger fish to fry.
The whole point of him arriving at work early was so that he could close some open cases that in the last few days been resolved. He wanted to get as much work done as possible because for the next five days, he would be inaccessible. He was taking off the next three work days so that he could be by Allison's side through the weekend. He had to admit, he was quite excited that they would be "living" with them until the baby was due. Honestly, he hoped that she'd have the baby and never leave. Oh, he knew it was all wishful thinking but there was nothing wrong with fantasizing. They had already gotten to this point, another leap forward seemed plausible. Until then, there was one thing he had to tackle first.
He couldn't completely focus on Allison until he pieced together this puzzle. He had to investigate Tess' claims against Jo. In actuality, he had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Above all else he would do his job, but when it involved not only his own employee but a good friend, well that was a different story. He had to travel this road cautiously, but as it turned out, he didn't have to look for Jo after all. At eleven o'clock, just as he was finishing up with the last file, she came strolling into the office, two Vinspresso's in hand.
His voice sticky sweet, he greeted her. "Hey Jo."
"Hey Carter."
She had taken a few hours to grab a quick nap, shower, then eat. Jack told her yesterday she could take the day off, but she claimed she was already restless and needed to keep busy. Besides, she would be in charge of the town and Andy for the next several days so she wanted to get up to speed. One thing was for sure, if she was guilty of anything, her expression sure didn't convey it.
Looking childishly innocent, she handed him a coffee. He had to give her credit, she was clever. Vincent's coffee-expresso blend was one of his weaknesses. Placing the cup on the edge of his desk, he leaned against it, arms folded across his chest.
"How are you this morning?"
"Not bad." Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, she answered without even glancing in his direction.
"How did Allison sleep?"
"Like a baby. I watched her all night long."
"Is that right?"
An ingenuous smile was her only response.
Jack walked closer to her as she settled in her chair. Placing his palms flat on the desktop, he craned forward so that he nearly hovered on top of her.
Glaring, he questioned her. "Is there something you'd like to tell me Jo?"
Never breaking eye contact she answered. "Nope."
Jack held his ground, unrelenting, unmoving. Where she faltered was when her eyes jutted quickly to the side. That's when he knew for sure that she had indeed assaulted Tess.
His shoulders slumping in disappointment, Jack conceded to what he now knew to be the truth.
"Jo, how could you?"
Like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, she pleaded her case. "Carter, you don't know the whole situation."
"Explain it to me then."
"I can't."
He could see the apprehension on her face and in her body language as she mulled over whether to disclose what she knew.
"I'm sorry Carter but it was told to me in confidence and I won't betray that trust."
If it was told to her in confidence, then it meant that it could only have been one person who'd entrusted her. She was with Allison all night long so it had to be her – it didn't take a genius to figure that out.
Jack elected not to focus on the conversation between the two of them. Whatever it was, Allison felt safe in laying bare her soul to Jo, so he wouldn't pry. If it was anything he should be made aware of, surely they would let him in the circle of trust. Since Jo was holding this so close to the vest, he chose to pursue the matter between her and Tess.
"All right Josephine," he began, waving her on "let's have it. What happened with you and Tess?"
Settling himself in the chair in front of her desk, his chin resting on interlocked fingers, Jack listened attentively.
Though Jo didn't go into any detail about the catalyst, she did regale the incident with what seemed like great pleasure. She told Jack how she informed the nurse attending to Allison that she was heading down to the cafeteria to grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat. Since she was dressed in her pajamas, why would they doubt her, she wasn't exactly presentable enough for the general public. Knowing she was on borrowed time, she headed to the motor-pool intent on calling in a favor from one of GD's security guards. Apparently Jo had let him go after finding him in an embarrassingly compromising position. What he was doing wasn't illegal...disgusting maybe, but it wasn't anything she would arrest him for. So, she told him if he could cover for her during the next thirty or so minutes, she'd consider them square and would never mention what she saw. He was at first hesitant to let her out. Allowing anyone to enter or leave the facility without security being notified was against the rules. Reluctantly, he allowed her access out of a secure entrance which was normally used by large vehicles and equipment – which by the way was how she got back in undetected.
"I swear, I only went over there to talk to her."
"You mean threaten."
She pointed a finger at him. "Your words, not mine."
"Continue."
"Well, when she opened the door and I saw her standing there with that mealy, Cindy Loo Who face of hers, I couldn't help myself."
Jack shut his eyes, throwing his head back in exasperation.
"I swear, it was only one punch."
"One punch! Jo, you knocked her out."
"It was an accident."
"Jo, you can't go around punching citizens without cause."
"I had cause."
"And...?"
"I can't say."
Jack sighed deeply. If anything, Jo was extremely loyal and he'd be hard pressed to get the scoop from her.
"So...what's my punishment?"
"What's your punish...I should suspend you with no pay pending further investigation."
Jack peered at her again and this time his recommendation caused the reaction he hadn't seen before now. Jo appeared...remorseful.
"I should do that, but I won't."
"Carter, I really am sorry, but just so we're clear, it's not about punching Tess but for the awkward position I put you in."
"I know you are Jo. Look, all I want to do for the rest of this week is concentrate on Allie and Kev. When I get back, we'll deal with this."
Jack let the topic go...for the time being. Besides he didn't feel like getting into a long drawn out conversation with Jo or her so called witnesses. It also gave him a reason to hold off on giving Tess an answer. He'd have to do his best to avoid her this through the weekend, which wasn't as easy as it sounded.
Like a switch, once he stepped out of the office, his main priority and focus was on Allison and the kids. Jack wanted to look at this as a test of sorts. It was no secret that he loved Allison more than any woman he ever had or ever will. He was extremely close to Kevin, so much so that he felt as if he were his own. Jack would be proud to call Allison his wife and Kevin his son. Alas, he was putting the cart before the horse. He would take pleasure in every second, minute and hour that he had with them. Anything more was just icing on the cake.
Allison on the other hand was having doubts.
Her concern wasn't mainly about Jack, but Kevin. Kevin had taken great strides since his connection not only with the Artifact, but with Jack. What if the new surroundings only resulted in having him cocoon himself further? Would he be able to adapt to living with not only Jack and Zoë, but S.A.R.A.H? She knew she could have easily turned down Jack's offer and requisitioned an in home nurse for herself and full-time nanny for Kevin. The thought of all the what-if's caused her anxiety which in turn would only exacerbate her condition. Instead of trying to look at the logic of their circumstance, she needed to learn to follow her heart. If she had, Jack would have been hers long before now.
She was released that evening into Jack's care, who promptly took her and Kevin straight home...well, his home anyway. Grace and Zoë graciously offered to head over to Allison's and pack their clothing and personal items. Allison had to admit, it felt good to have someone by her side during this difficult and stressful period. The fear she had of Kevin adjusting turned out to be all for naught. Kevin seemed at ease and she believed that it had a lot to do with Jack. So, that night and the days following Jack waited on her hand and foot. While Allison found it sweet and very thoughtful, by the third day it was driving her crazy. It had nothing to do with him per say, but the fact that she was confined to bed – and not in the way in which she'd hoped. There was only so much she could do from this position and unfortunately her and Jack forming the beast with two backs wasn't in the cards.
She wasn't much of a television watcher and she'd finished what work she had sent over from the office on Friday afternoon so her options were slim. Tuesday was probably the worst day of all. With Jack back at work, Kevin and Zoë at school, most of that time she spent talking with S.A.R.A.H or reading. She'd called all of her family, friends and business acquaintances that Monday. Thankfully Jo and Grace promised to visit with her later on in the week. Right now she'd accept a visit from Deputy Andy, anything to break the monotony. Going through this experience, she never realized how much she not only needed, but craved human interaction. Always proud of the fact that she was extremely independent, in moments like these, when it was quiet, she appreciated those in her life even more. Not only did she have great parents and a wonderful big brother, but the citizens of Eureka who had become a surrogate family and she loved them dearly.
Frankly, she didn't think she could hold out until the baby arrived. The one redeeming aspect that made the long days bearable, was when they were all together. Jack, Zoë and S.A.R.A.H would keep her entertained with stories about their day, what gossip Vincent had, what button Fargo accidentallypushed and the ongoing love affair between Jo and Zane. They would eat meals with her in Jack's bedroom so she wouldn't feel so alone. Afterwards Jack would find a movie for them to watch, Zoë on the couch beside him and Kevin cuddled up beside her – a rarity in itself as it was something he would never normally do. But Allison's absolute, most-loved time of all was when she and Jack lay in bed in the still of the night. The first few nights he was so afraid to sleep next to her that he laid on the couch in the bedroom. The third night Allison told him to stop being silly and come to bed. In those peaceful moments when it was just the two of them, they talked about their past, their present and their future.
Thankfully as they talked of their plans, Jack was wise enough to never mention Tess. He was unaware that she'd already gotten a call from Grace about Tess and the infamous black eye. Right away she knew Jo was the culprit. After her late night confession to her, she was touched that Jo would do that for her and as long as he didn't mention it, neither would she. Furthermore as far as Allison was concerned, it was her problem to deal with, not his. She'd find a way to combat the erroneous, blatant and downright absurd lies Tess had woven into an intricate web of deceit. While she hadn't spent every moment she had by herself dwelling on Tess, the time alone did grant her the opportunity to think about her predicament. She recalled her earlier interactions with Tess and the occasions when she'd heard and seen anything questionable. In the circle they were in, sabotage, misrepresentation, taking credit for someone else's work or ideas and outright theft were not unheard of.
That's when she had an epiphany.
Dr. Lana Quinn had previously made an accusation against Tess regarding cutting-edge technology they'd collaborated on in which she claimed Tess stole credit for their idea. The reason this event stuck out in Allison's head more than any other was the fact that she was asked to offer her scientific opinion on the subject which ultimately resulted in the National Science Foundation Director, Deputy Director and it's twenty-four member board to rule in Tess' favor. Being that the NSF was a United States governmental agency that supports fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering, Dr. Quinn had a hard time getting back into the good graces of anyone associated within that are of the scientific community.
Allison always felt uneasy with the role she played in the resulting scorn Dr. Quinn received. No, she didn't have the technological knowledge pertaining to that particular area of research, but she could decipher the basics. The mistake she'd made was believing in her best friend instead of trusting her own instincts performing her own fact-finding mission. Dr. Lana Quinn had been a young, up and coming star in the field of engineering and astrophysics and because of Tess' vehement denial of any wrongdoing and already established reputation, all the blame fell on Dr. Quinn who'd eventually had to switch disciplines in order to get a fresh start. She'd at last found herself success and fell back in the good graces of NSF due to a new scientific discovery made by her. Allison knew one thing, if Lana was anything like her, she'd still be sour about the whole situation.
Hell, Allison figured she could kill two birds with one stone. She could prove Tess to be a devious, manipulative, spiteful woman who had no credibility and General Mansfield a vindictive, dictatorial poor judge of character. As far as Allison was concerned, all bets were off. Tess didn't seem to give a damn about her, so neither would she. Even though it hurt, Allison could live with losing Tess as a friend. She could even live with losing her job and position, but there was one thing that was off limits. Tess had attacked Allison where it hurt most...her loved ones. When Tess made her accusations, she took aim at them all – Kevin, Jack, Zoë and her unborn child.
This was all out war.
Allison had to call in a few favors to get news of Lana's whereabouts. While she was head of a top secret government facility, that didn't mean she had access to any information she desired. A phone call here, a promise to lecture there and she was given the classified contact number for Dr. Lana Quinn. Allison didn't recognize the area code but was assured that Dr. Quinn could be found there. Allison had S.A.R.A.H connect the call and she was instantaneously put through. Now, an organization like Global Dynamics and town like Eurkea were rare to say the least. Allison was sure other countries had built classified facilities, but anything on the scale of what they had here was unheard of.
Well, sort of.
It seemed that Dr. Quinn had not only found a measure of notoriety once again, but had established herself as an important leader in her area and in the last place Allison would ever expect. It was a setting she'd had the pleasure to visit and on a biennial basis their counterparts would converge on Eureka for a "friendly" bowling tournament – in which currently GD held the title and bragging rights. Dr. Quinn headed one section of an immense underground facility located beneath Edwards Air Force base. It was in the undisclosed, often denied government owned and patrolled region of Southern Nevada. Better know to alien conspiracy enthusiasts as...Area 51.
Allison had her call transferred to Dr. Marcus Bedingfield, Director of the facility and her counterpart. After making the preliminary small talk, she was informed that Dr. Quinn was unavailable but he would let her know Allison had tried to get hold of her. Since there wasn't much Allison could do, they talked business, Allison did a bit of rightful boasting about GD's current ownership of the trophy, then bid Dr. Bedingfield farewell. While her phone call hadn't garnered the results she'd hoped for, she figured she could take the time to gather as much proof as possible so she could put her plan in action.
Across town Jack was in the midst of attempting to appeal to Tess' compassionate side – which was easier said then done. It had been a long day for him and it was finally dwindling down. As he talked to Tess, he was careful not to admit knowledge of Jo's guilt.
"Tess, you can sit you know."
Showing open resistance she stood towering over his desk.
"I'd rather stand, thank you."
"Okay...well, I spoke to Jo and interviewed eyewitnesses and the investigation has been deemed..." Jacks stomach churned before his next word, "...inconclusive."
Jack had prepped himself, for he knew her immediate reaction may be to throw a stapler at his head.
For her part, she only sucked her teeth in disbelief, seemingly a portion of her scheme thwarted.
"Uh-huh. I don't know why I'm even surprised. I knew there was no point in even reporting it. You're are no doubt covering for her and I'm sure if I bring this to Mansfield with no evidence, it'll become a dead issue.
"I take offense to that. If you knew anything about me, you know that I take my job and responsibility very seriously."
Jack took a deep breath, this was not the time to start an argument with her.
"C'mon Tess, why don't you put a stop to all of this. If what you claimed happened did in fact happen, don't you think maybe you deserved it?"
She stared at him long and hard. "Wow. The righteous Sheriff Carter advocating violence? You don't think you've won do you?"
"Tess, this isn't about winning. This isn't a fight."
"Fight? You haven't even begun to see me fight."
Jack had had about enough of her condescending attitude. "Do you really know what you're doing? You're alienating yourself from your coworkers and townspeople. They have an idea of whats going on and they don't like it."
"What do I care about what any of these assholes think!"
"You think behaving this way will gain you respect?"
"I don't need their respect, I want their obedience."
"God, do you hear how you sound?"
When she didn't bat an eye, he pressed on, detailing the outcome of his inquiry. Besides, he wanted her out of his office as quickly as possible.
"At any rate, there's not much I can do. Everyone I've talked to can vouch for Jo's whereabouts. Tess, trust me when I say, if you continue along this path, it will not turn out well."
"No shit Sherlock!"
"No,Tess...I meant for you."
Jack was legitimately trying to give her a piece of valuable advice. The word around town was that the citizens had become of aware of what was going on. No, they didn't know the specifics, but with a town full of geniuses, it didn't take long to put two and two together. He also wasn't surprised to find out that Vincent had a hand in the story getting out. And Jack wasn't lying when he said he'd questioned people. It seemed no one wanted to say a bad word against Jo and it wasn't out of fear of her, but respect for her. Of the conversations he held, they seemed more concerned in finding out about how Allison was doing.
Sadly, his point seemed to go right over Tess' head, falling on deaf ears as she turned sharply and left out.
Not long after she'd exited, Jo came strolling in, Andy hot on her heels. While he didn't have the goods on her, she would still be reprimanded. Oh, he had no intent on relaying the tale to the powers that be, but he decided his own special brand of punishment would be more effective than anything the government could come up with.
Jack was assigning her as an escort to one of GD's scientists on a ninety minute plane ride to and a thirteen hour car ride back from Salt Lake City Utah to pick up some classified material which could not be safely transported by air. When Jo found out about her task, she presumed she was getting off with a slap on the wrist. That was until Jack told her who her companion would be. It was going to be a long ride for her and the head of the Non-Lethal Weapons Lab at global Dynamics and thorn in the side of everyone whom he encountered...Dr. Isaac Parrish.
Jack chuckled all the way home. By the end of their day, he finally managed to get Jo to eek out a word to him. She had been giving him the silent treatment for most of that afternoon in retaliation for the news she'd received. Pulling in front of the bunker, he sighed in relief. It had been a long day and he was glad to be back at home with his loved ones. Zoë and Kevin had already eaten and were now doing their homework at the table. He talked to the kids for a while then headed upstairs to be with Allie. He was caught off guard to see she was already in her pajamas. He noticed she seemed a bit tired today and bent down to kiss her cheek.
"Hey, you okay?"
Just to see him roused her spirit. "I m fine. Just a little worn out. I spent a lot of time on the phone working."
He admonished her. "Allie, you're supposed to be resting not working. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am now." She reached out and touched the face of the man who had managed to bring her joy, more than she'd ever known. "Hold me."
Jack happily obliged. Tossing his gun belt onto the coffee table, he crawled in next to her, his uniform still on.
Allison wasn't about to tell him that her "work" calls today were actually a mission to locate Dr. Quinn. He would surely be more upset with her for expending so much energy on the whole Tess situation when she should have been taking it easy. She only wanted to be in the moment with him. His chin nuzzled in the crook of her neck, she fell asleep in his arms.
Allison woke four hours later to find him on his side dead to the world, his back to her. He'd removed his outer shirt and tee so that he was bare chested. Allison couldn't help herself as she leaned over and placed light kisses over his back and shoulder blades.
Jack stirred and let out a deliberate moan to let her know that the attention she was reaping on him was more than welcome. Stretching his arm behind him, he placed an affectionate hand on her thigh.
"You feeling better baby?"
"Yes, but thats only because you're here with me."
Jack rolled toward her, beaming from ear to ear. He couldn't understand it, no matter what the hour, whether she'd recently risen or had worked a long harrowing day, she was a vision to behold and even though she wore no makeup, was nine months pregnant, and had on her comfy pajamas, he couldn't help but think how sexy she was. As if reading his mind, she angled her head forward and pressed her lips onto his collar bone, and as he speculated his body instantaneously reacted. Eyes closed, he began fantasizing as she tended to the particularly responsive area.
Lost in thought, he pictured her as he'd seen her all those years ago. From the day they'd met, he wanted her. His desire to be with her so strong, he incorrectly assumed that she felt the same. When she told him she had somewhere for him to stay the night, he thought he'd gotten lucky beyond belief. Now, he wasn't' one for one night stands, but it was something about her that pushed all semblance of common sense straight out of his head. When she scoffed at his assumption, he was not only crushed but highly embarrassed. If things had gone the way he'd wished, it would have been a magical night. There was no doubt in his mind of that.
It also brought back the recollection of a dream he'd had of her during that period. He pictured her arriving at Beverly's Bed and Breakfast late that night to apologize for her rude behavior. She wanted to persuade him to stay in Eureka a few days longer to try and help them solve their mystery. She was obviously playing up to his ego, but he didn't care. She wore a grey linen business suit that hugged perfectly the curves of her shapely figure. The delicate pink lace of her camisole peeked though the top offering the viewer a tease of what was underneath. She walked up close to him, barely a breath away. When she asked him if there was anything she could to do to persuade him to stay, needless to say he melted. Because it was a fantasy Jack wasted no time in showing her what she could do. Their lips met in an impassioned kiss. Never separating, they tore at each others clothes. Jack's tongue probed, delving deeper and deeper. Taking her right there on the carpeted floor, her blunt nails clawed into his back as he bit at her succulent flesh. He wanted to make damn sure he left his mark. It all made for a very steamy scene.
And even though he was only recalling a memory, he could feel the all to familiar burning creep up through his core, an erection the resulting outcome.
"Oh!"
His eyes popped open once he remembered where he was. He was red faced fore he knew she could feel his tumescence member thump up against her. He quickly hopped out of bed, excusing himself, claiming he meant to take a shower before laying down and made a beeline for the bathroom. He hoped that she didn't take offense to him leaving so swiftly but the fact of the matter was, in her current condition, it just wasn't happening.
God! He couldn't wait until the baby was born so he could really show her what he could do. Jack felt like a heel as he allowed the waters intense flow to rain over him. Unfortunately it wasn't having the effect he sought. So, he did the only thing he could...he jerked off.
Allison smirked when she heard him trod carefully into the room, probably assuming that she had again nodded off. It was no secret to her why he had run off so fast and frankly, she was extremely flatted. The thought that she had that effect on him, even in her current condition, made her blush profusely.
As he wriggled back in next to her, Allison pulled his arm tight across her belly.
"Jack, I love you so much."
"I love you too."
That next morning before heading off to work, Jack made her breakfast, entertained her with the goings on of his day ahead, then kissed her good bye and left out.
Allison had S.A.R.A.H run her a bath, then lounged in the tub, letting the jets soothe her achy bones. She was so relaxed, she had completely put the events of the last two weeks out of her mind. It was S.A.R.A.H alerting her of an incoming call, that interrupted her moment of tranquility. If it hadn't been for the fact that it was the one person she actually anticipated hearing from, she would have told her to take a message.
"Thanks S.A.R.A.H. Patch it through."
Allison was greeted by dead silence initially, then a voice she hadn't heard in over ten years spoke up.
"Dr. Blake?"
"Dr. Quinn, hello. How are you?"
"Fine."
Allison wasn't at all surprised by how terse her reply was.
"I know I'm probably the last person you'd expect to hear from."
"Truthfully, I wasn't sure I was even going to return your call."
"Well, I appreciate you giving me the chance to speak with you. I understand that this is out of the blue, but I needed to say something."
Again she was met with silence. "I'm listening."
"First off, I want to apologize to you for the hand I had in you being ostracized by the scientific community."
"Humph. Well, that's very big of you Dr. Blake. Apology accepted. But something tells me that if you're contacting me, it must mean that Tess is up to her old tricks again."
"You can say that again. Lana, I'm just going to be blunt. Would you be interested in getting a little payback?"
This time, there was no hesitation from her at all.
"Allison, whatever your plan is, I'm in. I think it's about time for Dr. Fontana to get her comeuppance."
Next - Chapter 10: She Never Saw It Coming