Rifiuto: Non Miriena
"How did the offloading go?"
Jo sighed and crumpled back onto the sofa, her feet hitting the floor hard.
"Torture." She looked up, accepting the steaming cup of coffee Jack handed her. "Thank you." She whispered. He kissed her gently before sitting next to her.
"That bad?" She didn't respond for several minutes. Once she finished sipping her coffee, she said,
"Allison glared at me the entire time. Every time I opened my mouth and mentioned us and Jenna or us in general, she'd glare at me like I was a child stealing candy." He reached out and gently trailed his fingers along her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Jojo. Just give her time. She'll come around eventually." She nodded.
"I know. I know." He took a sip of his coffee and set the cup down, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. "We did find a ten-inch long squid that turned out to be genetically altered. Other than that and Allison glaring at me, nothing else happened." She reached over and set her cup on the table next to his and then snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his chest. She tucked her arms between their bodies, and closed her eyes briefly, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
After several minutes, she pulled away and sat up, picking up her coffee cup again.
"Um..."
"What's wrong?" She kept quiet. "Jojo, what's wrong? Did Allison say something today?" He asked, suddenly protective.
"No, Allison said nothing. She just... just glared at me. But... but no, it's not that." She looked up at Jack. "Today when I dropped Jea off at school, one of the teachers called me... Mrs. Carter."
He didn't say anything, his eyes wide. She climbed to her feet and headed into the kitchen. Setting her cup on the counter, she opened the fridge and pulled out the cream, adding it to her coffee. For several minutes, the only sound was the spoon hitting the inside of the cup.
"Wait a minute... she... she called you..."
"Mrs. Carter. I... I know, Jack, and I... I tried to correct her, I did..." She interrupted, rinsing the spoon off and putting it in the sink. Then, she turned to him. "I couldn't... I just... I hate decieving her, but..." She put the cream back in the fridge, slamming the door shut.
"Woah, woah. Slow down. She thought... that we..." He gestured between the two of them. "were married?" She nodded.
"Yes." Jack chuckled softly, causing her head to snap up. "What is so funny, Jack?"
"I just... I can't believe you're getting so upset about being called my wife." She lowered her head, embarrassed. "Do you... want to be my wife?" He asked after a moment. She didn't say anything at first. "Jo?" He reached out and tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. Fear clouded the dark depths. "Jo, I love you. I would love to be your husband. Would you..."
She took a shaky breath, relieved to hear the words coming from his lips.
"I would love nothing more than to be your wife, Jack."
He gave her a wide grin, and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. She backed up against the sink, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled away, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"So was that a yes?"
She nodded. "You bet."
"You're getting married?" The two broke apart, turning to see Jenna standing in the kitchen. Her eyes lit up. Jack let go of Jo and turned to the little girl.
"You were supposed to be in bed."
"Are you really going to marry Jo, Daddy?" Jenna asked, rushing to the couple. Jo nodded.
"Yes. We're getting married, Jea." Jo told her, as Jack scooped her into a hug. He kissed the top of her head, and the girl pulled away, throwing her arms around Jo.
"When are you getting married?"
"We just decided to get married tonight, Jea. It'll be a while before we actually get married." The girl's face fell. "But when we do, you can be in the wedding. Okay?" Jo asked.
"Okay."
"Good, now, bed." Jack said, kissing her on the forehead and giving her a gentle push. "And stay there this time!" The little girl rushed upstairs, disappearing from view. They heard the sound of a door closing not long after. Once she was gone, Jack turned back to Jo. "We're getting married."
She nodded. Her arms went around his neck, and she stared into his eyes. Something was niggling at her mind. He could tell. After a moment, she said,
"What about Allison and Zane? How do we tell them?"
He thought a moment. "We don't. For now. Just.. go along as though everything's normal, and when the time is right, then we'll tell them." She nodded.
"Sounds good." He kissed her gently, walking her back towards the sofa. They settled on the sofa, never breaking the kiss. Her hands ran down his chest, and around his waist, and she moved closer, climbing into his lap. He reached up, removing the hairtie from her hair. The pin-straight raven locks rained down her back like a waterfall, and he preceeded to tangle his fingers within the strands. She nudged her nose against his, and pulled away to stare into his eyes.
"I love you, Jack."
"I love you, Jojo." He whispered back, kissing her again. "Or should I say the soon-to-be Mrs. Carter." She laughed softly.
"Daddy?" The two broke apart, and turned to see Jenna standing near the sofa.
"What is it, sweetie?" Jack asked, as Jo climbed off his lap and settled into his arms.
The two looked at each other, surprised by the words that came out of her mouth.
"Mama can't take you away from Jo anymore."