Author's Note: I'm not really satisfied with how this one turned out, so I'm sorry if it's not up to my usual chapters. It was giving me a lot of trouble. I hope you like it anyways!
True North
By Jaclyn Parker
"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
-Oprah Winfrey
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When Carly returned she was surprised to notice that the large countdown clock was already at 11:50. She made eye contact with Jessica, who nodded back, and soon glasses of champagne were being distributed around the club. She watched the VIP section carefully and almost laughed out loud at the kids' reactions when they realized that the champagne glasses being sent in their direction were only glasses of sparkling cider.
Feeling a tap on the shoulder, she turned to see Jack holding a flute of champagne in her direction.
"Thank you." Carly said, accepting it with a soft smile. Jack smiled back and gently clinked his glass with hers.
"Hey, not yet!" Holden said, effectively interrupting the look that had been going on between Carly and Jack. This was rewarded by a light elbow in the ribs and an eye roll from his wife.
As the last few minutes passed by, the excitement in the room continued to grow. The crowd was so eager that when it hit the one minute mark they immediately began to count down. As it got down to 15 seconds, Carly's eyes shot over to the VIP section. She wasn't really surprised to see Parker looking back at her.
"Happy Birthday." Carly mouthed and blew him a kiss. Surprisingly Parker didn't roll his eyes or make a face. He just grinned at her and sent a small wave before turning his attention back to the group of teens that was counting down the loudest.
Suddenly the crowd erupted into a mass of cheers and the DJ began playing an amazing updated mix of Auld Lang Syne. Gold, black, and silver balloons fell from the ceiling and sparkling streamers showered down as well.
"Happy New Year!" Holden cried raising his glass. Carly, Lily, and Jack echoed the sentiment, each taking a healthy sip of the bubbly liquid. Holden then turned to Lily, who wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed her thoroughly.
Jack looked at Carly, who couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks as she looked back at him.
"Happy New Year, Carly." He said softly and even in the loud din of the club, Carly heard him as if he had whispered into her ear.
"Happy New Year, Jack." She replied and when he leaned forward she knew that even though she could have pulled back and he would have understood, there was no way in hell that was really an option.
Their lips met, soft and intimate. It wasn't an earth shattering kiss and it was much shorter than the one that Lee had given her when he had left. But the electric shock that came with it went down Carly's spine and rattled her to the core.
As Jack pulled away, she could see by the sparkle in his eyes that he had felt it too. Licking her lips nervously she immediately turned to Lily and Holden, who had finally separated, and proceeded to hug her friends. Then, excusing herself, she made sure to keep busy for the remainder of the night
And as far away from Jack and his lips as possible.
Because of this, the next hour and a half passed in a small blur and soon, the DJ was announcing that the bars were now serving last call. Even the crowd had thinned to the point where there were only a few die hard patrons left.
When Carly finally made her way back to where the four of them had congregated all night Jack was still there, leaning against the bar. He looked at her pointedly, that same smug little grin telling her that he had known exactly what had made her disappear just after midnight.
Carly was saved from saying anything to him when very familiar voices came from their left. Turning, she grinned at Mattie, J.J., and Parker as they shuffled over.
"Wow, you guys look wiped." Carly said, slinging an arm over Mattie's shoulders. The young girl smiled tiredly and leaned into Carly's side, resting her head on the woman's shoulder.
"I think we were okay until what will be now known as 'the Red Bull crash of '09.'" She mumbled and Carly laughed, hugging her.
"Did you have fun though?" Jack asked his sons and they sent huge grins back. As tired as they were, their eyes sparkled.
"It was awesome. Everyone said so." J.J. told him, and then covered his mouth when he let out a huge yawn.
"How bout you Birthday Boy?" Lily asked and Parker nodded.
"Yeah, definitely." Parker said.
"Ah, a man of many words." Holden said and Parker rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Mom, everyone's ride came. Marcus just signed the last person off his list. Do you think we can head home too?" Parker asked, so tired he wasn't even bothering to act like a super cool teenager. He was just a 16 year old boy who had partied hard and would like nothing more than to get out of his dress up clothes and go to bed.
"Well, I have to stay to close up but…" Carly looked at Jack who nodded.
"Yeah, come on guys, I'll take you home." Jack said and then looked at Mattie. "If you want I can drop you off too."
"Oh, thanks very much, but I know it's completely out of the way of their house. My uncle texted me earlier when he left and let me know that Mr. and Mrs. Snyder said that they would take me home. If that's still okay?" Mattie asked, looking at Lily and Holden.
"Of, course, sweetie." Lily said, smiling.
"Okay, well, I'll see you guys at home. I don't think I need to tell you to go straight to bed." Carly said, knowing that her sons would be asleep before their heads hit the pillow. Both boys rolled their eyes and smiled indulgently as they nodded.
"Alright, let's get the coats and we'll head out." Jack said.
"Yeah, we're ready to go too." Lily said and Holden agreed.
"Hey, J.J., grab my coat for me?" Parker said and J.J. looked from Parker to Carly and back again before nodding and heading off with the others.
Carly looked at her oldest son expectantly and he shuffled his feet, before sighing.
"I just wanted to say thanks, Mom. It was…it was really cool to let me have my party here." Parker said and she smiled at him.
"I'm glad you had a good time. I was worried there for a while." Carly said and Parker met her eyes, knowing immediately who she was referring to.
"Yeah, me too. It ended up okay though. Uncle Brad just swung by and picked her up a little while ago." Parker said, a faraway look in his eyes. Something had happened tonight, but Carly had a feeling that she wouldn't know what exactly just yet.
"Okay," Carly said and then brushed a loving hand over his cheek. "As long as you're alright."
Parker just smiled and hugged her, making Carly blink back tears as she hugged her firstborn tightly.
"God, I love you so much." She whispered and gave him one last hard squeeze.
"I love you too, Mom." Parker whispered back and then let her go, just in time for everyone to come back to where they stood.
"Everything cool?" Jack whispered in Carly's ear as he watched J.J. and Mattie play a half hearted game of keep away with Parker's jacket.
"Yeah, I think so." Carly said, suppressing the urge to shiver as his breath tickled her neck.
"Good." Jack said and then stood up straight. "Okay guys, let's hit the road."
Fifty-five minutes later, Carly was saying goodnight to Jessica, the only other remaining person in the club. After watching the young girl until she got in her car and drove off, Carly sighed and finally slid out of her high heels. Picking them up, she padded back towards her office with the clear intent on grabbing her car keys and heading home herself. While it might be frowned upon by the law to drive home without footwear it wasn't illegal and Carly was sure as hell not going to take another step in those heels.
As she pulled open her desk drawer to get her clutch, a loud scuffling noise drifted to her ears. Standing straight, she listened closer and frowned. Moving closer to the door, she knew she wasn't hearing things as noise grew louder.
She stepped out into the dimly lit club and stopped short.
"Jack?" Carly asked, placing a hand over her heart. "For the love of God, what is it with you and the determination to give me a damn heart attack? How did you get in here?"
Jack just chuckled and held up a set of keys."You gave them to me for emergencies, remember?"
"Yes, but I don't see anything on fire. And I'm not lying on the floor unconscious so forgive me if I'm not really seeing the emergency here." Carly said, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot.
After mentally shaking off that last image, Jack couldn't help but smile. Even furious with him, she made his heart skip a beat.
"I didn't like the idea of you driving home alone. I'm going to follow you back to make sure you're okay." Jack said and Carly rolled her eyes.
"Really, I'm fine, Jack. Just go home." Carly said and when she saw his jaw get that stubborn clench of his, she held up a hand. "Okay, okay. Never mind. Just…give me a second to turn out the lights and then I'm ready to go."
"Toss me your car keys and I'll start it up to get it warm for you." Jack said and after she obliged he slipped out the back exit to the employee parking lot.
As Carly doubled checked that the money from the night was in the safe and the security system was up and running, she sighed as she realized that with Jack here she'd have to put her shoes back on.
After she did just that, she stalked to the back door and upon seeing him leaning on the hood of his own running car, she rolled her eyes in an exaggerated motion. As she shivered slightly in the very early morning air, she had to admit to herself it was nice to know that he cared enough to come all the way back. But that didn't mean she was going to let him know that.
"Okay, all locked up. Can I go home now and finally get these damn heels off?" Carly asked and Jack smirked.
"Oh, speaking of which, I brought you these." Jack reached into his passenger seat and pulled out her pair of pink bedroom slippers. "I knew your feet must be killing you after tonight even though, I have to tell you, with the effect those shoes have it's definitely worth it."
Carly just stared at him, before taking the slippers in silent shock.
"Thank you, Jack." Carly said and not being able to say anything else, got into her now warm car and traded her stilettos for the slippers. Driving home Carly's thoughts and emotions were all over the place. It didn't help matters that Jack proceeded to continue his watchdog routine all the way up to the front door and inside the house, placing his jacket and keys on the desk by the door.
"Jack, you didn't have to come in." Carly said, flipping on the small table lamp by the sofa and turning to face where Jack stood with his hands in his pockets. Even in the low light of the lamp, she was taken aback by the intense way in which he was looking at her.
"What?" Carly asked, self consciously touching her hair and then her dress.
"Did you know that with everything going on tonight, I didn't get to dance with you?" Jack said softly.
"What?" Carly asked again just as softly, her arms dropping to her sides in her surprise.
"We've never forgotten to dance together on New Year's Eve." Jack said and slowly made his way to the small stereo system on top of the bookcase. Turning it on low, he looked back as Carly started to shake her head.
"You'll wake the boys." She said, her eyes darting from him to the stairs.
"They are so tired that a brass marching band could parade through their room and wouldn't wake them up." Jack said, his gaze not moving from her face as he made his way back to the middle of the living room.
"Jack…" She began but he raised a hand to stop her.
"Just one dance, Carly. To start the new year off right." Jack said, holding out his hand to her. There was a long pause, during which Jack was sure that his heart might stop if she said no.
Finally Carly let out a soft sigh and moved to place her hand in his. Without words, he pulled her to him gently and placing his other hand on her waist, they began to sway in time to the soft music on the radio.
They looked as if they were at their first school dance, with at least a foot of space between them. Soon, however, that space began to disappear. In a movement as natural as breathing Carly moved closer, laying her head down on his chest, and Jack's arm wrapped around her tightly. His hand landed on her very bare back and both let out a soft gasp as if he had branded a palm imprint into her skin.
Their clasped hands came to rest over his heart, right next to her face. Jack leaned his own head down until his cheek rested on the top of her curls. He let a smile grace his lips as he held her close. He had forgotten how small she felt in his arms…and how incredibly right it all seemed. The lyrics of the female artist on the radio swirled around the dancing couple and it was if she was singing directly to them
"Slow, slow it down. Why do we run? We're missing so much, babe. Just lay, in my arms for a while and be still…"
Not being able to help herself, Carly nestled nearer to him, her eyes closing in contentment. For just a moment, she wanted to relax; to pretend that there would be no fallout if she let Jack back into her heart. But soon that close comforting feeling began to melt into something else entirely and her thoughts turned into memories so many dances like this one that had turned into passionate sessions of making love. Jack felt a shudder go through Carly's body as he held her tightly and he could feel his own body begin to respond.
Lifting their heads, Jack and Carly's eyes locked and before they knew it, the room disappeared and it was only them.
Jack's head bent down and Carly's chin lifted up so that the coming together of their lips was a mutual effort. The hands that had been clasped to Jack's chest were now loose and Carly used this opportunity to allow hers to entangle in his hair. As she held his lips to hers, his arms encircled her waist and slightly lifted her off her feet to pull her full contact to his body. Jack stumbled forward a few steps causing the back of Carly's thighs to meet with the back of the couch, stopping their progress.
Not breaking the deep kiss and making a growling noise deep in his throat, Jack lifted her higher so that she ended up perched on the back edge of the sofa, allowing Jack to step between her legs. She clung to him, locking her legs around his thighs even though Carly didn't really have the slightest concern that he would let her fall backwards.
He pressed his groin to hers and he could feel the heat emanating from her. While using one strong arm to keep her pressed to his body, his other hand to slid up the hemline of her dress. While he was slightly off on the idea of her not wearing any underwear at all, the tiny scrap of lace covering her came damn close in his book.
Carly let out a breath and her head fell back, her hands dropping to her sides to grip the edge of the couch as she pushed herself closer to his touch. Jack grinned at the sudden access to her swan like neck and began to gently nibble at the sensitive skin just below her right ear.
"God, Carly, I want you so much." Jack whispered and Carly nearly wept with the amount of emotion that hit her with those words. Unfortunately, with that tidal wave of feelings came the self preservation that had been kicking her in the ass for the past couple of months and even more so the past couple of weeks.
Placing a hand between them, she gently pushed him away. While it was a light touch, it was enough for Jack to stop his desire inducing movements. Carly wouldn't meet his eyes as he drew in a couple ragged breaths and without comment, helped her slid off the rear of the couch.
Jack stepped back, looking away as Carly adjusted her dress. Still silent, Carly walked to the front door and placed a hand on the doorknob. Following her lead, Jack grabbed his coat and car keys, but didn't immediately leave. Instead he placed his hand over hers and with the other hand held her chin to force her to look him in the eyes. There was no anger in his gaze and while there was definite suppressed desire, the main emotion that Carly saw was determination.
"A new year means new beginnings, Carly. The more you deny what's between us, the stronger it gets. I learned that the hard way but I finally understand it. Next time this happens…and it will happen again…we won't be able to stop. It's only a matter of time. You know it and I know it." Jack said and letting go of her chin, he wiped the tears that had slipped out of her eyes at his words. Pressing a gentle, but purposeful kiss to her lips, he whispered a goodbye and opened the door to let himself out.
After the sound of Jack's car driving off signaled without a doubt that he was really gone, Carly stood with her forehead pressed against the door. Finally turning around, the chill of the wood against her bare back barely penetrated Carly's thoughts as she touched her fingertips to her lips, the lingering feel of Jack's kiss making them tingle.
Carly moved around the living room as if in a fog and after turning off the radio and lamp, she somehow made it to her bedroom. Undressing, washing up, then taking off her makeup was another process that Carly did in her small trance, finally wrapping herself in her bathrobe and she went back into the bedroom. She didn't even bother to lift the covers of her bed as she just dropped on top of the comforter. Jack's words echoed in her mind as she covered herself with the thick chenille blanket at the end of the bed and closed her eyes, both physical and emotional exhaustion taking their toll.
Next time this happens…and it will happen again…we won't be able to stop. It's only a matter of time.
The fact that deep down she knew he was right and that she had said similar things to him over the years and they had always proved true, was enough to keep Carly's mind racing for a long time to come despite her fatigue. And just as the first rays of sunlight entered her room, as her eyes finally drifted closed, it was Jack's face and his touch that accompanied her in her dreams.