I do not own EUReKA.

Jallison in Wonderland

Chapter 7: A Meeting of the Minds

Nathan surveyed the plate of food set out before him. His eggs were now cold and runny. His bacon; never touched, sat in a small pool of grease. The closest he'd come to eating anything was when he'd buttered his toast.

Never before had he felt so confused, so unsure, as he did at this exact moment. Ask anyone who knew him; he certainly wasn't lacking in the confidence department. But now, he wasn't sure of anything anymore. He would never admit it to anyone, but his initial plan was to go beat the crap out of his former best friend. Surely Jack wouldn't expect to be confronted in such a manner. A physically assuming man, Nathan preferred to use brains over brawn as he felt resulting to using his fists was barbaric.

Well, thats what he used to think anyway.

As he sat contemplating his options, he saw her walk in. Hand jutted in the air, he waved to her. "Tess! Over here."

In an attempt to flesh out any Eureka residents, Tess guiltily eyed the patrons of the diner as these were not their usual stomping grounds. Nathan had asked for this impromptu meeting, just outside the towns limits of Eureka for a much needed conversation.

Mel's diner lay just on the outskirts of the neighboring town. A haven for passersby's, it ran parallel to a major roadway, and word had it, severed the best apple pie in the state. A suggestion Vincent routinely balked at.

Ill at ease, Tess took the seat directly across from him and helped herself to the carafe of coffee that lay at the center of the table. Even though she and Jack were currently on the outs, this still felt like a betrayal. The only reason she showed was because her curiosity had gotten the best of her. Nathan was never one to play coy, so she found it odd that he wanted to speak with her so far from home. Now, Tess wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, so she did have some inclination of what he wanted to talk to her about. She just wanted to hear the words to come from his mouth.

"Thanks for meeting me Tess."

With an exasperated breath, she pressed him. "Nathan, what is this all about?"

Tess didn't mean to come off so aggressively, but Nathan was an easy target. The one person she really wanted to direct her anger toward wasn't there to feel her wrath.

"I think you already know."

Tess crossed her arms in open defiance as if the mere act would nullify his statement.

"Okay..." Nathan edged closer to the table, his voice low. "I wanted to talk to you about Allie and Jack."

"What about them?"

"Tess. You cannot honestly sit there and pretend not to know."

As hard as she tried to maintain her staunch position, Nathan's powerful gaze softened her resolve; her shoulders as well as her expression visually drooping.

Eyes downcast, she whispered. "They're having an affair, aren't they." It was a statement more than a question.

His hands laced around his coffee mug, Nathan sat quietly for a few moments. He was sure if he opened his mouth in confirmation, either a scream or bile would flow from within.

Righting himself from his slumped position, the word fell from his lips like poison. "Yes."

He searched Tess' eyes for a reaction, and what stared back at him were not the glistened eyes of a heartbroken lover, but the cold dead eyes of a woman scorned. With the thought of the two people he trusted most in the world having betrayed him; he knew that feeling well.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"For once in my life, I can say with heartfelt sincerity, I have no idea."

"Nathan, I... I just can't believe it."

"Can't, or won't?"

Tess placed her elbows on the table and allowed her face to fall forward into her hands. The reality of the situation was too much to bear. She thought she'd found something special with Jack. He was someone she could see spending the rest of her life with. Yes, he was different from anyone she'd loved before, but she could not deny that he was the right man for her.

"Can I get you something, Honey?"

Tess peered through her fingers to see their waitress, Flo; if the name tag covered in smudges on her uniform was indeed correct, smile sweetly at her.

"Oh, um...?" Tess snatched up a menu from the table and furiously scanned the selections inside; food was the last thing on her mind. Frankly, if she was able to get anything down, she was sure it wouldn't be long before it came back up.

"I'll...have the oatmeal."

"Coming right up, Darling."

Tess glanced over at Nathan and suddenly felt sorrier for him than she did for herself. Yes, they were in the same predicament, but he was more heavily invested. Whatever the outcome between her and Jack, she was sure she would survive. As for her friendship with Allison, it would be broken beyond repair. But for Nathan, there would be no easy out. He and Allison had a child together. Jenna was the light of his life and the notion that their family unit was no more, would be devastating to him for sure. He and Allison had been on and off for years, but never once did Nathan lose faith that Allison would one day marry him. Nathan didn't show his vulnerable side, but looking at him now, she could see cracks in the facade.

No, she did not envy him at all.

How were the four of them supposed to move beyond this? How were they even supposed to work together? Yes, they were all; except for Jack, intelligent beyond measure, but they were human. They had feelings, and not even the most brilliant mind in the world was immune to being hurt. Hell, maybe she was getting ahead of herself. There had to be a reasonable explanation, there just had to be.

"Nathan. What if we're blowing this all out of proportion? There could be a hundred reasons to explain why they've been acting so unusually. You know as well as I do that strange things happen in Eureka all the time. Maybe they were exposed to some anomaly, or a virus, or...

Her words trailed off as the ridiculousness of her excuses for them were becoming. She so wanted to believe that Jack and Allison weren't seeing each other that she almost convinced herself.

"So, how do we handle this? Should we confront them together?"

"All we have now is speculation. If we go to them, all they'll do is deny it. We need hard evidence. You know, I used to be able to tell when Allie was hiding something from me, but this Allison... I don't know this Allison at all."

"Nathan," Tess placed a hand over his as it rested on the table, "I just want you to know that whatever happens, I'll be here for you."

"I hope so Tess, because my list of friends just got a little shorter."

They sat a while longer and discussed their options, both agreeing that the situation was ironic indeed. Living in Eurkea was as close to a utopian society as one could achieve. With it's advanced technologies, freedom from persecution, an idealistic community to raise a family; how bizarre that the illusion had been so easily shattered.

Nearly an hour, and another carafe of coffee later, they rose unceremoniously from their chairs. With a plan now firmly in place to move forward, they parted and went their separate ways.

Tess headed for GD, and Nathan headed for home. There was much they needed to do before they set the wheels in motion.

Whatever happened next, one this was for sure...

Nathan, Allison, Tess and Jack's relationships would never be the same again.

Next - Chapter 8: Time Will Reveal