Sue stared out the window, oblivious to the sea of twinkling lights below. The image of Lucy's mushrooming smile stuck in her mind's eye. Gentle pressure on her arm had her steeling her nerves before turning and focusing on a pair of all too familiar lips.

"Are you going to ignore me the entire trip?"

"Dogs don't talk," she informed him.

"What?" he asked, startled.

Turning to face him more fully, she said again. "Dogs don't talk." Blowing her bangs from her eyes at his blank stare, she explained. "You said you were taking Levi's place and I'm just reminding you that dogs don't talk so you really shouldn't be talking to me." Finishing with a shrug, she returned her attention to the cabin window, staring out it unseeingly.

Moments later she was shocked to feel a soft, moist sensation trail across her cheek. "Jack!" she hissed, snapping her head his way, "Did you just lick me?"

"Isn't that what Levi would do if he were seeking forgiveness? Let's see," he pondered aloud, "What else have I seen him do? Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, laying a hand on her thigh. "He'd put his paw here." Moving closer to her and invading her space, he continued. "I've seen him nuzzle your neck, like this," he enlightened her, leaning even closer and tickling the sensitive skin beneath her jaw with his nose.

"Okay...okay," she giggled despite herself, "You're forgiven."

Laughing, he brought his head up to meet her eyes, his grin slowly fading at their proximity. He watched as the twinkle in her eyes slowly dulled as uncertainty crowded in. He took note of her heightened color and erratic breathing and marveled that she seemed to be as stirred as he at their nearness. Dropping his gaze to her lips, he found them moist and parted and felt himself drawn inexorably closer.

"It's much more effective if your tail is tucked between your legs," she murmured, desperately trying to act normally despite his closeness. She knew she was in trouble when her words brought his penetrating eyes back up to hers.

"Will you rub me behind my ears if I tuck my tail?" he asked, glad she couldn't hear the raspy timbre of his voice.

"If you're good," she said off hand, realizing her mistake as his expression turned cocky.

"Oh, I can be good," he whispered, closing the space between them, "I can be verr..." His expression shuttered as he watched Sue jump and transfer her attention above and beyond him. Leaning back in his seat, he prepared himself for the inevitable.

"Umm, did I interrupt something?" Lucy asked mischievously, looking back and forth between her two co-workers.

Sue shook her head, searching for her voice. "N...no," she denied, looking to Jack to confer.

"Are you sure?" she tried again, causing Jack to laugh at her hopeful expression.

"Sorry, Luce, Sue and I were just having a discussion."

"Oh. A discussion, huh?" she muttered with a roll of her eyes, not believing him for a minute. "Sure didn't look like you were discussin' nothing to me," she said under her breath as she turned around to slide back down in her seat. "Go on back to your discussion. Don't mind me. I probably won't turn around again until we land," she said meaningfully, over her shoulder. "If you want to have a nice, looooonnng discussion, this would be a great time."

"Thanks, Luce," Jack answered sarcastically before glancing back to Sue's confused face. "She," he said, pointing to Lucy, "THINK SHE FUNNY. SHE NO FUNNY. SHE CRAZY."

Sue wisely let the topic drop, leaning back in her seat with a yawn. "Why are you here, Jack?" she finally asked, watching him carefully. "I already have 3 brothers. I don't need another one."

He hesitated in his answer, wanting to choose his words carefully. He wasn't exactly sure he was ready to voice his true reasons for accompanying her on the trip any more than he thought she was ready to hear them. "I'm here because I want to be," he said simply. "I'm not here because I don't think you can make it on your own. I know you can. I...I...I had some vacation time to burn and heard that Hawaii is beautiful and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to go. And this way, I don't have to go alone. I'm actually taking advantage of your misfortune. It's not very fun taking vacations alone."

"No, I don't suppose it is." She turned her attention back outside the window, swallowing the disappointment his words ushered in. Another yawn had just overtaken her when she felt a light tap on her arm.

"Want to trade seats with me?" he asked when she finally turned his way.

"Why? Do you want to look out the window? I thought you were an aisle man," she said, remembering stories of how he and Bobby always fought over who got the outer seat when they flew somewhere together.

"Not particularly. It seems to me, though, if I sit over there then I'll have more of your attention."

She giggled, "What's the matter, Jack? Bored already? Your vacation has just begun," she chided.

"No," he assured her softly, "Just feeling left behind. When you turn your head and gaze out the window it's like you are a million miles away."

"I may be but it's nowhere exciting," she explained. "But you are welcome to sit over here. I think I'm going to try and get some sleep so I'll be alert when we land."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. I wouldn't mind catching some shut eye either. I'm beat!"

Their first class accommodations included seats that comfortably reclined with oversized, soft pillows. Sue pulled a blanket up and met Jack's eyes. "You'll wake me if there is something I need to know?"

"Shall I paw your leg or could I get away with licking your face again?" he asked with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes she informed him a light touch would do before she let her lashes settle, shutting him out for a while.