A/N: And this is the last chapter of the story. As a whole, for me, I think What Is Denied as being distilled essence of Jack and Sam, what they're like and how they react to things, how they are with each other and all the angst we enjoy, and I humbly like to think I got it right... A massive big thanks to my wonderful Mariel for her help betaing this. She's done a lot of stories with me and I always look forward to what she says and her advice. Big hugs from down here to up there!... I had long since planned this to be my last fanfic as I felt I was burning out, but it seems my Muse won't let me go just yet and there is yet another story being planned with our couple.
Disclaimer: One last time -CBS owns WAT, yadda yadda, blah blah, yah boo sucks. There, I think that's childish enough for them and they deserve it.
I wanted to get this finished by Thanksgiving Day 2010 (a reminder that the story is set in 2009) and I've amazingly managed it ( I know, I like to take time between chapters but it wasn't working out that way). Also for Jack and Sam fans, you may remember that it is -by a happy coincidence for posting this final chapter- also the screening anniversary of Better Angels. It was on November 25th 2008 that the episode screened in the US and all our shippy J/S hearts exploded. We had such hope for the rest of the season!
Then those miserable writers and show-runners seriously screwed us. Ah well. We can always watch it again and again. And there's always fanfic and that great episode. :) And on that note, here is the final chapter.
Chapter Ten
Xx—
Samantha waved a mug of coffee under Jack's sleeping nose, smiling as she watched him slowly wake from his deep slumber and register her presence.
He blinked in the morning light as he took the mug, shifting his position to focus his bleary attention on her, taking in her half dressed look. "No, no, no no," he protested in his raspy waking voice, "you come right back in here…"
Picking up her jeans and shoes, Samantha gave him a smile. "I'd love to… but Finn is stirring, and we have to get home -things to do for Viv's thing."
Jack propped himself up on his elbow to sip his coffee, watching as Samantha pulled on the rest of her clothes. He thought that while this was looking familiar in a Jessie kind of way, it wasn't at all the same. Perhaps she'd read his mind as she raised her eyebrows back at him in enquiry.
"Really, we do; haven't you also got things to get ready for the not-quite-Thanksgiving?"
He shrugged with one shoulder as he took a sip of his coffee. "Oh, it's early yet. Now the green beans have been off-loaded, I just have to get pie and ice cream, one stop shopping. Elena made it easy for me"
"You drew the lucky straw."
He gave her a self-indulgent smile. "I did indeed." He felt he wasn't just referring to the food, and he hoped she felt as fulfilled after last night as he did.
Samantha turned her head at a sound coming from outside the bedroom. "Yep, Finn is definitely up, I'll go get him -if you make yourself decent." Going to his bureau and remembering the correct drawer, she found a long sleeved tee and a pair of rarely worn dark pajama pants, and lightly threw them at him. When she returned holding Finn, Jack was picture perfect on top of the covers. He held out a parcel to Finn as Samantha sat down with him on the bed.
"Here you go, a little something."
"Oo, what is it, Finny?" Samantha cooed as Finn playfully crackled the paper.
"Something I wasn't able to get before," Jack said, looking on benignly.
She smiled, wondering what it could be, and laughed when Finn excitedly ripped open the paper: it was a child's version of the red baseball cap he'd given. "Aw, that's very sweet; he'll get good use out of it… Can you say 'Thank you, Jack'?" Finn managed a grin at least. "Good boy!"
Jack laughed as he got up, watching Finn trying the cap on with a few hits and misses. "I'll help you get Finn ready." He leant against the door frame. "Is there anything else I can get you for breakfast –something light like cereal, toast?"
"I have some formula for Finn but I could do with a slice of toast. Then we really have to get going, I've got a bit to do, plus Viv wants me over early to help. You know how it is -children can shoot the best made plans down in flames," Samantha pointed out, knowing these days that preparation was everything where children were concerned.
"They sure can," Jack agreed, watching amusedly as Finn tried the cap on backwards.
"And soon, we can talk -as in really talk?" she asked, looking at Jack over Finn's head.
"We will," Jack promised, his lips curling in a smile for her.
Xx—
Jack finally arrived at Vivian and Marcus' place, laden with pies, ice cream, wine and a bouquet of flowers.
"Geez Jack, how did you even make it here with all that?" Vivian asked, relieving him of some of his burden.
"These are for the hostess," he said, proffering the flowers.
Vivian took the bunch with thanks, beaming at them as he followed her inside.
Looking around as he was hustled into the kitchen and out of his warm jacket, Jack saw Samantha and Finn playing with Sophia on the floor in the living room. He smiled hello before greeting everyone else in the kitchen area.
Smiling back, Samantha knew he would come over and see her eventually.
Jack did the social rounds well. He complimented Vivian on the copious plates of food in various states of preparation, while finding a bottle of beer for himself and sampling the nibbles; he caught up on pregnancy woes with Elena who was more than happy to share; expressed amazement at how tall Reggie had become and discussed CUNY and the joys of study with him; talked about various sports with Marcus and no-date-with-him Martin; laughed sympathetically with Danny as they chatted over various aspects of impending newborn parenthood. All the while he had one surreptitious eye on where Samantha was at any one time.
After nearly half an hour, Jack felt he had been circling the apartment long enough and that it was safe enough to pay attention to her. He saw his opportunity arise when Elena -who had been talking with Samantha for the last five minutes- was called to the kitchen by Vivian to discuss what could be an impending turkey crisis. He grabbed a bottle of wine to top up her glass and, like a moth to her flame, wandered over to where she was now sitting by a window.
"Hey, how are you today?" he asked, cheerfully and as normal as he could make it.
"I'm fine," she said grinning back at him. "It's been great so far."
Looking at her he could swear she still had a post-sex radiance about her; he felt he most certainly did.
"It definitely has been," he commented, standing near her, nursing his beer, one hand nonchalantly in his jeans' pocket.
They knew how to play this game.
"How's Finn doing?" he gestured, playing for safe conversation as he topped up Samantha's wineglass. He was pleased to see Finn was wearing the cap.
"He's fine, Sophia's doing a great job playing with him," she remarked, watching as the young girl chased Finn to where he knew more toys were stashed. "She even put together the centerpiece for the table and set the smaller table for her and Finn. I'm not sure how that will go with his eating habits."
"I saw all that, very impressive… And how many dishes did you make in the end?" he asked, placing the wine bottle safely on the nearby bookshelf.
"Two types of sweet potatoes and one of squash –I couldn't make my mind over what people would like. How many pies did I see you bring in –three?"
"I couldn't make my mind up either –apple, pecan and pumpkin. I think I've covered all the favorites." Turning to look out the window, Jack looked at Vivian and Marcus' city view. "There are some nice trees out there," he said of the world at large. Samantha took this as an invitation to join him.
"Well, look at that," she said, peering through the glass, "big trees…" It felt good to be near him again.
"Lots of leaves falling," Jack pointed out redundantly.
This was as good a time as any. Samantha made sure her voice was lowered a few notches. "We can do this," she stated, only meaning one thing.
"We can," Jack said firmly. "We aren't playing around anymore, no changing of minds," he said, glancing sidelong at her, noticing the way her hair fell on her shoulders.
She shook her head imperceptibly. "It won't get messy."
"We won't let it… You know that it's been a year since LA?" he reminded her, putting his beer down on the sill.
She hadn't actually remembered. "Wow –a lot of things have happened since then."
He grinned, thinking once more of last night. "Some things don't."
Samantha returned a shy smile, not that she needed to. "I think they just get better." She had to say something, get it out in the open. "I couldn't stand Jessie," she blurted out. "I'm sorry –I know you had feelings for her but… seeing you with her drove me crazy." Relieved at the outburst, she took a large gulp of her wine.
Jack looked askance at her, remembering that night in the hotel. "Hopefully not crazy enough to break up with Brian just because of it, I mean, that would be nuts..."
"No," she said as she shook her head firmly. "Believe me, things weren't right long before that. We'll talk about it all some time." With a big bottle of wine.
Jack leaned against the windowsill. "I wouldn't say Brian's my favorite guy in the world, either, but I can be nice to him. You can be sure Jessie won't be hanging around anymore."
"I suppose that's ruined your Thanksgiving Day…: She meant it sincerely. "You're most welcome to come with us to Emily's instead." It felt so natural to be making plans with him.
"Maybe not; I don't want to scare your mom –or your sister."
Nodding, Samantha knew she still hadn't told her mother about Brian; that he was out and that Jack was in again might be a bit much even for her to handle. Brian himself might get angry when he was informed, but that was his problem.
Jack continued. "However I am planning on going to Chicago in January for about a week and I wondered if you and Finn would like to meet me some place warm afterwards." Jack was just as sure Maria wouldn't be too impressed –again-especially if Samantha unexpectedly turned up with him at her place. That news could wait.
She grinned, liking his idea. "I'm sure we could arrange something. Mom may even like to come back to New York and baby sit."
"Even better."
They both turned back suddenly as Sophia came zooming past them with a toy helicopter, Finn followed with a helicopter in a haphazard lurching toddler run, and then they sped off again, despite Danny's call to slow down.
Facing the room again, they both leaned against the window sill, chuckling at the retreating children as they each took a sip from their drinks.
"And about Finn…" Jack began.
"Hmm?"
He leaned his head closer to hers, his voice a whisper. "I know I'm not his father, but I sure know I could be his dad."
She turned to him with a look of surprise. "Oh, Jack…"
"And tomorrow, I'd really like you both to start moving in with me." His eyes were holding hers, resolute about what he'd just said.
She was stunned. "Really? You don't want to wait? See what happens?" she asked, not wanting to believe her own words.
"I'm not trying to pressure you, but our waiting's long since over, don't you think? I want us to be together -as a family. I don't want us to be apart ever, ever again…" He studied her face as his words sunk in. "And I love you -you know that."
Xx—
Vivian and Elena were fussing in the kitchen, wondering why the turkey was taking so long –Vivian blamed the size of the bird; Elena, that Vivian's oven hadn't been hot enough to start with. Danny, Martin, Marcus and Reggie were off to one side, clustered in a man-talk about cars, but ready to help when summoned.
"What's going on over there?" asked Elena suspiciously -but in quiet tones not to draw the guys' attention. "With Jack and Samantha -maybe I should go over and interrupt," she said, already wiping her hands on a tea-towel.
Vivian was tending to her cranberry sauce creation. Looking up and over, she watched the two in question across the room a few moments, in their bent head huddle. "Hmmm, if I didn't know better…"
Elena was putting two and two together as she took a swig of her sparkling apple juice, eyes still watching. "No way… They split up!"
Vivian was back to her stirring. "You're still relatively new to this Jack and Sam thing –I would say that they're back together again." She spoke it like it was written in stone.
"What? But only a short time ago she was with Brian, he was with Jessie. She told me that had nothing to do with Jack."
"You just have to go with the flow with those two –they always end up together. It's like a default setting. I've given up trying to work it all out and just let it be."
"Well, I don't know what to think about it this time."
Vivian pointed her wooden spoon at Elena, and kept her voice down, although the guys were making enough noise as it was. "Look, let them work it out for themselves. They're always happier together than apart."
"No, I think I should say something-"
"Elena, just shut the hell up and pass me the turkey baster," Vivian hissed, "we've got people to feed!"
Xx-
Involved in what they were saying, Jack and Samantha were now oblivious to everyone in the room.
Samantha gripped Jack's hand. "You mean that?"
"Everything," he said emphatically. "Just tell me what you want, but you know if I leave anything up to you, we'll just keep coasting for God knows how long. Like we said, we can do this."
They were now practically nose to nose.
"I want the same. It's time we were together, properly… I love you too," she whispered.
He squeezed her hand in reply, practically brimming over with happiness. "See? We got there- it took awhile, but we're here now," his words echoed hers from the previous night.
"We can be a real family."
"Like we should have been."
They would have kissed there and then if it weren't for a small hand tugging at Samantha's leg. "Mommy, Mommy…" Guiltily, they hadn't noticed Finn's quiet return.
As Jack lifted Finn up onto his lap he noticed, for the first time, the various surprised and amused looks they were now getting from everyone in the suddenly quiet room. "Ah…" he managed, standing up holding Finn, lost for words.
"Before we start serving, are you two wanting to tell us something -anything?" asked Vivian from the kitchen, a smile on her lips.
Samantha looked at Finn, then up at Jack as she put her hand around his waist. Jack looked at Finn, then smiled warmly at Samantha.
Perfect.
"Yes," she said, encouraged and assured by his look, "we sure do."
Xx-
The End