I do not own EUReKA.
The Law of Attraction
Chapter 9: A Gentleman's Agreement
Jack was summoned to GD not twenty minutes after settling himself behind his desk. He had begun filtering through some files; updating and closing out what he could while Jo took time to process their emails; he hated emails. Thats when the then the call came.
It seemed another overzealous scientist had blundered with one of their experiments and in their attempt to create a new mode of instantaneous travel, opened up a wormhole. Presently, it was contained to a remote section of GD, but who's to say it would remain stable. Jack and Jo rushed over and on the way got into a contentious debate as to why they were always the first on scene. GD had their own security, wasn't it their duty to protect the facility? Jo was quick to remind him that while yes, that was technically the case, the employees of GD was inhabited by townspeople. The security complement was mainly concerned with outside threats, assuring none of GD's technology was compromised, maintaining the protection of the facility and its projects. They, as Jo delightfully reminded him, were the guardians of the people and they were doing what was what was required of them.
Upon arrival, they saw that Allison and Henry were already on the scene. Henry briefed them of the situation; much of which Jack couldn't follow, but it appeared that Dr. Maliden, the project leader had been conducting a dry run of an unauthorized experiment when one of his lab assistants somehow miscalculated the parameters resulting in the experiment going haywire. Stark and Fargo were already working on reconfiguring the data, hoping to somehow shut the program down or at least stop it from expanding. Jack and Jo were part of the team tasked to evacuate the immediate area, ensuring the safety of staff. For now, the project lay dormant, but that didn't mean they had it under control. Jack did notice one thing; whatever problems he and Stark had with each other, when it came to work, they handled their business.
They all; Stark, Henry, Fargo and Allison, worked tirelessly for hours with no discernible results. Ready to abandon the project, Allison ordered the entire area cleared. Stubborn as he was Stark refused to leave, assuring them that he nearly had it figured out. He eventually dismissed Fargo, continuing the task alone and after several unproductive minutes, Allison ordered him to clear the area. Of course he refused, so she sent Jack in to retrieve him; by force if necessary.
"Stark. Let's go."
His eyes narrowing to pinpoints, he glanced over his shoulder at Jack. "I'm almost done cowboy. Hold your horses."
"Allison wants you out. Now!" Jack altered his stance, his arms now crossed over his chest. "Look, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, your choice."
Stark chose to stand his ground. "You can try."
Tired of the whole ordeal Jack moved forward in the hopes of persuading Stark to leave without a fight. A loud buzzing sound was the last thing he heard before everything went black.
He whipped around the darkened room, tripped over an unknown structure, crashed into Stark, which inadvertently sent them both tumbling to the floor. As the emergency lights switched on, his vision at last came into focus. Grimacing in pain he lay flat on his back with Stark perched on top of him. Quickly he pushed him off, shuddering uncomfortably in the process. Standing, he took a few steps back so that Stark was at arms length distance. This was the closest to him he ever wanted to be.
"Geez Stark, what'd you do? Why couldn't you just leave when I told you to?"
"Sheriff, I don't answer to you."
His voice raising slightly, he corrected the misinformed Dr. "Wrong! In these situations, I am in charge."
Jack knew this wasn't the time to start an argument so he shifted focus, "What's going on anyway?"
"How should I know?"
"Well, you are the scientist aren't you?"
Jack braced himself, but was surprised when Stark detailed their unique predicament.
"As a precaution the room has been sealed, but that's not our biggest problem..."
As Stark continued to talk, Jack sighed because he knew as it always was in Eureka, things could always get worse. "Please don't say it."
"...unless I can get the program to stop, we'll be draw in by the wormhole's centrifugal force."
"And what exactly does that mean?"
"It means that we won't have to worry about fighting over Allison anymore."
Jack didn't need to hear anymore. Just the thought of being zapped to some unknown location; that's if they were lucky, or worse, ending up as a corpse floating through space did not fill him with a sense of curious scientific wonder.
His hands flailing wildly, he implored, "Well, you know...do that...that thing you do. You can figure it out," his brows furrowed, he poised the question, "...can't you?"
The 'are you kidding me' expression on Stark's face gave him his answer.
"Look Sheriff, you just sit over there and look pretty. I'll handle anything that has to do with using brain cells."
Fed up, Jack knew this wasn't the time, and it certainly wasn't the place, but if was to be the last time he and Stark spent time alive on this earth, he didn't want to end it hating the man standing before him.
"All right Stark. What is it? What exactly have I done? It's as if you have a personal mission to destroy me?"
"Don't flatter yourself Carter."
"From the first day you came back to Eureka, you've treated me like an albatross."
Stark sniffed with disdain at his accusation. "Honestly, I don't think about you at all."
"Yeah, whatever you say."
A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed before he suddenly began to speak again.
"Pfft, I don't know what she sees in you."
Quick to respond, Jack mirrored his exact feelings. "I could say the same about you."
His back still to Jack, he continued to work his magic on the computer screen laid out in front of him.
"You don't know Allie like I do. She needs a man with intellect. Someone who can challenge her; provide her with stimulation."
"Don't you worry about that. I provide her with all the stimulation she needs." Jack knew he was hitting below the belt, but right now, he didn't care. "All night long as a matter of fact."
Jack knew he'd ruffled Stark's feathers as he watched his shoulders tense in reaction.
"She'll tire of you, and when she does, I'll be there to pick up the pieces."
"You know Stark, for someone so smart, you're being really stupid."
He whipped around as if it were the most ludicrous statement he'd ever heard. "I beg your pardon?"
"If Allison and I don't work out...and trust me, we will, your meddling is not going to endear her to you. It's obvious that it's more than the fact that Allison chose me..."
Stark fixed his gaze upon Jack. "This isn't the time or place to discuss our...difference of opinion, but I see you're not going to let this go...as usual, so let's lay the cards out on the table, shall we?"
Stark confronted him, standing toe to toe. And even though he was several inches taller, Jack's unshakable presence managed to fill the room.
"You come to Eureka, riding your white horse of justice with your aww shucks, small town mentality and for some reason they fawn over you. Not just Allie, but everyone. Henry, Fargo...my God, Jo of all people.
"First off, I didn't chose to come here. I was assigned. You think I enjoy risking my life every goddamn day. Risking the life of my daughter. Sure, I could have turned it down, quit my job, but I don't shirk my responsibilities. If you had half the humility I do, you..."
"Wait a minute. I hope you're not insinuating I'm jealous of you."
His tone sardonic Jack replied, "Oh, I would never."
"Well, if you cracked a book; a real one, not one of the comics you're so fond of, maybe I'd take you a little more seriously."
"So, I'm supposed to change who I am so that you'll stop being such an asshole to me? I'd don't think so."
"Sheriff, I couldn't care less what you do."
"Apparently you do. You know, I didn't steal her from you Stark. Your relationship fell apart a long time before I got involved. If you'd only make an effort. If you weren't such a jerk all the time, maybe you'd make a friend or two."
His features deadpan, he looked him square in the eye. "I don't need friends Carter."
"You're such a liar. If you don't change your ways, you're end up a resentful, bitter old man."
Stark snorted. "What an astute observation, but as you suggested, I don't have to change for you, or anybody."
So engrossed in disproving each others argument, neither realized what was happening behind them.
Without warning, the air in the room fell thick as an eerie calm settled in. Like the churning of a combine engine, the wormhole began to whirl. At first they couldn't discern any difference until a scrap of metal flew past them; their heads jerking forcefully in it's direction, the direness of their situation sunk in.
In unison, their eyes locked and panic set in, "Shit!"
As if a tornado had mysteriously spawned, the contents in the room churned faster and faster. Stark rushed to the controls, hurriedly attempting to counter it's effects. Both fighting hard against the wormholes force.
Above the ruckus Jack called out. "Stark, you've got to fix this! Hurry!"
"I'm trying, but I can't hold on!"
Jack cursed what he had to do next. Recalling the conversation he had with Jo that morning, he lamented his heroic nature.
Ever so carefully he made his way around the room, holding onto anything that was nailed down. Vehemently he closed the gap between he and Stark. Struggling to reach out, he grabbed hold of his shoulder, and looped his lower leg around one of the counters legs in order to ground himself. With one free hand, he reached round his hip, unhooked the snap and placed one link of his handcuffs onto a bracket and the other around Starks wrist.
"Now fix it!"
The room grew even darker if possible as any hint of light escaped the room. The intense pressure caused monitor's to crack and equipment to splinter and break. Jack hunkered down in defense, his forearm shielding his face he lost his grip and hurtled forward. His body tossing about like a rag doll, he tried desperately to clutch any obstacle along the way, finally clinging onto a column not far from the event.
Mere inches from his legs becoming engulfed inside the wormhole, he saw Stark unlock the restraint from the table and move toward him.
"What are you doing?"
A grave suspicion fell upon him like a crushing wave. Oh God, he thought; this is it! He's gonna push me in.
Stark must have read the alarm on his face as he quickly alleviated Jack's fears.
"Relax! I'm coming to save you, you idiot!"
Working swiftly, Stark surprised him and hooked the open link onto Jack's wrist. Bracing himself up against the column Jack was holding onto, he clasped a hand onto his forearm.
"Hold me!"
Jack eyes widened, appearing as large as saucers. "What!"
"Hurry! We don't have much time! I was able to counteract the program's matrix and the program will shut down! I just wasn't able to stop any recoil that will occur! So, unless you want to be sucked into oblivion, Hang...On...To...Me!"
Against his better judgment, Jack relented. Pulling himself closer, he hugged tight to the pole and consequently Stark as he wrapped his arms around Jack's torso in kind.
Eyes shut, Jack could hear the 'storm' surge; objects propelling past them, they fought hard to remain tethered to the pole. He wasn't sure how long the phenomenon lasted, but just as suddenly as it had started, it ended just as swiftly with a loud pop.
Slowly he opened his eyes only to be met with Stark's own vibrant emerald green orbs and a cheesy grin. "Well, this is awkward."
It registered to Jack that they were still enveloped in each others arms and quickly released him.
His expression and tone deadly serious, he uttered in a hushed timber, "No one, is to know about this."
In what Jack thought was the first time he and Stark maintained the same mindset on any subject, he assured him. "Agreed."
Jack produced from his kit a spare set of handcuff keys, thereby breaking their forced bond. Without another word, Stark turned and surveyed the area, which now looked like a disaster zone.
The whoosh of the automatic doors opening caught their attention and in rushed Henry, Allison, Fargo and Jo.
Worried, Allison was the first to give them the once over. Addressing no one in particular, her words jumbled over as she bombarded them with a series of questions, "Are you okay? Are we sure the program has been contained?"...and on she went.
His wits still about him, Jack joked. "We're a bit disheveled, but none worse for wear."
However, what she did next left no doubt in anyone's mind who she was most concerned about.
As she ambled across the room she sidestepped much of the debris. Smiling warmly, she placed a comforting hand on Nathan's forearm.
"I never lost faith that you'd figure it out. Thank you Nathan."
Almost immediately, her focus shifted. She eyed Jack, her smile was now wide and bright. Facing him, she took his hands in hers, allowing them to dangle between them.
Jack lowered his forehead until it rested upon hers. "Hey you."
"Hey."
Overjoyed, she threw her arms around his neck as he held her tight.
Using his peripheral vision, he saw the look on Starks face. Visibly deflated, realization had finally set in as he nodded to Jack, knowingly accepting his defeat and left the laboratory, leaving them to have this moment for themselves.
The next morning was business as usual.
After an evening spent in Allison's bed celebrating the fact he'd narrowly avoided being whipped into nonexistence, his mood was euphoric to say the least. He surmised, if it took a near death experience for him to get the kind of loving Allison put on him last night, he'd gladly volunteer to be a test dummy for the next experiment one of those crazy scientists thought up. Last night, she was attentive, brazen and overtly affectionate. It left no uncertainty in his mind that she was right where she wanted to be.
Feeling quite cocky; literally and figuratively, he strolled into Café Diem ready to take up his usual spot at the counter when he noticed Stark relaxing in the lounge area, sipping his morning coffee.
Jack let out a long deep sigh. He knew what Stark must be feeling; probably the same emotions he'd felt when seeing him with Allison. Though Jack now had the advantage of knowing what it was like to bask in the glow of Allison's love, she and Stark had a long history and it wasn't something he would get over quickly.
Taking a seat opposite him on the couch, he cleared his throat to draw his attention.
Reluctantly he shifted his eyes off of the newspaper he was reading. "Carter."
"I didn't think you guys read newspapers anymore."
"Personally, I've had my fill of technology considering yesterday's fiasco. Besides, the printed word is a dying craft, so I thought I'd preserve the practice for as long as possible."
Folding his paper, he gave Jack his full attention. "What can I do for you Sheriff?"
"I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life."
Stark scrunched his eyebrows inquisitively.
"You know, when you unlocked the handcuffs and secured me so that I wouldn't fly into the wormhole."
He waved his hand at him nonchalantly. "Oh that? Think nothing of it."
"No, you took a big risk, and for that I'm grateful."
Prepared for a snide remark, Jack readied himself.
"You're welcome Carter. You'd have done the same."
It was an odd feeling, having this civil conversation with him. Sure that Stark was as ill-at-ease as he was, Jack decided to lighten the mood.
"If I'm not mistaken, I thought I glimpsed a look of hesitation in your eyes."
"I admit, there was a brief moment when I considered letting the wormhole engulf you, but I came to my senses." Snickering, he added, "Anyway, Allison would never forgive me."
Jack chuckled softly, "Yeah, she can hold a grudge."
"Carter...I give you my word. I won't try to drive a wedge between you and Allison. I love her too much to cause her anymore heartache." His tone though serious, wasn't so much a threat, as putting Jack on notice. "But I must warn you. If you mess up, I will not hesitate to do everything within my power to win her back."
"I have no doubt."
Jack rose from his seat and headed back to the counter. Before he was out of earshot, Stark called out to him.
"Sheriff. You know, I still dislike you."
Never turning to face him, an impudent grin on his face, Jack responded. "The feeling mutual, Scientist. The feelings mutual..."
Fin
A/N: Thanks to all of you who take the time to review my stories. I promise to respond to all comments and suggestions. For all guests and anonymous posters, I appreciate your kind words and because I can't respond to you directly, I wanted to give you a shout-out (does anybody say that anymore) here.