"Dad?"
"Jack."
He stood momentarily frozen under the glaring fluorescent light of the police station, still caught off guard at the sight of Christian waiting for him. His father really was here and Jack noticed how Christian's eyes turned hard as they surveyed his son from head to toe. Christian was the last person he would consider calling for help. He sucked a deep and loud breath, glanced downward while running his hand through his hair. This was going to be a long car ride back to his apartment. A very long car ride.
"Did you get back all your belongings? Are you ready to go home?" There was no hint of warmth or concern in Christian's voice. Jack could tell his father was doing his very best to maintain his composure at the situation. And to add insult to injury, Jack imagined that Christian probably wasn't too happy to have his Friday evening ritual of a scotch on the rocks interrupted so he could go and bail out his son from the county lockup.
Jack shrugged his shoulders and dug his hands into his front pockets as he reluctantly followed his dad out of the precinct. He then frowned because he hated this. Hated that his father still had a way of making him feel like he was eleven years-old and about to get a time out.
As they reached halfway down the block, Jack heard the familiar electronic chirp of his father's black Mercedes unlock from the press of a keychain button. Jack climbed into the passenger seat readying himself for the verbal assault that he was certain was about to ensue. He could just feel it radiate from Christian's rigid and barely restrained demeanor.
Just as Christian was about to start the ignition, he gave a clipped disapproving shake of his head before looking over his shoulder at Jack, "You better have a good explanation as to why I had to bail my grown son from jail. You're an embarrassment! All I can say is, thank god, your mother wasn't alive to see this-"
Looking his father meaningfully in the eyes, Jack said "With all due respect, Dad. Fuck. You. I didn't ask you to come and get me. You took that upon yourself. And to bring Mom into this, is just … so … typical you. Keep Mom out of this."
"Watch your mouth, son. Don't think you're too old for me to give you a swift one in the kisser. I'm still your father and you will speak to me with respect. Do you understand?"
Clenching his jaw, Jack listened to Christian's threat even though he acted indignant and furious. "Just take me home Dad."
"Not until you can explain to me why you're getting into bar fights and now assaulting college kids. You're going to be a neurosurgeon, Jack! Start behaving like one. Show some self-restraint and dignity for Chrissakes!" Christian could barely contain himself at this point, the scorn apparent on his face.
"Explain now, Jack, " ordered Christian.
Jack's eyes widened in reaction to his father's hurled invectives. This coming from the man who couldn't keep it in his pants for almost the entirety of his marriage is actually lecturing him on self-restraint? Un-fucking-believable.
"Well, since you're so interested Dad. The guy that I punched in the face grabbed Kate -"
Christian's voice boomed at this point, "You don't think I know what happened? Do you know why you have been sitting in that cell for the last five hours? It's because I went and cleaned up this fucking mess of yours."
Jack was dumbstruck and Christian caught the expression, "That's right, Jack. That young man, whose nose you broke in two places … is not going to press charges. And you can thank me for that."
Almost stammering now, Jack tried to ask, "But … ummm…. How did you-"
Christian sat taller in the driver's seat, "It doesn't matter how. It's because that's what I do. I fix things, Jack. So, tomorrow, you're going to apologize to that boy, and you're going to offer to compensate him for his pain and suffering. And in return he is going to agree to not sue you and that will be the end of it. Now you see, Jack? That is how matters are resolved in this world. By being smart and even-keeled. Not by behaving like some hot-headed goon that can't handle another man making eyes at his girlfriend. Grow the HELL up, Jack! You want to be with a beautiful woman? Then you better be man enough and know how to handle yourself around one."
At this point, Christian was holding nothing back and his words forced Jack to slam his fist onto the wood grain dashboard before shouting, "Like hell, I'm gonna give that little douche any money! He won't get a dime from me. It's never going to happen, so don't even think about it, Dad."
For a long pause, the two Shephard men stared in silent challenge at one another.
"Oh, it's going to happen, Jack. My lawyer is already drawing up the agreement. And you better believe you will pay me back for his fees as well. And do you know why you're going to do as I say, Jack? Because you don't have time to go to court and resolve a criminal and a civil case. Because you will be in medical school. Because you don't want to have to explain to your future employer why you were arrested and had to plea to assault. Because you don't want to worry about having a higher medical malpractice insurance rate due to self-control issues. Do I need to continue, Jack?"
Jack took a hard swallow of his pride. His father had once again intruded into his life. He so was close to telling his father where to stick it, but knew it would get him nowhere.
Christian started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot. They drove in silence until Jack asked, "Who called you?"
Lost in his thoughts and disappointment, Christian asked him to repeat his question, "Excuse me?"
"Who told you I was arrested?"
Matter-of-factly, he answered, "Your sister. Apparently, Kate was very upset and worried about you, so she called Claire."
He allowed the information to settle in. Jack knew he couldn't be upset with Kate, she had done nothing wrong. She was just worried about him and did what she thought was best. But that didn't stop him from wishing that his father didn't get involved.
With a tone that was softer, Christian said, "Jack, I know that I'm hard on you. But there's a reason for it, trust me. You will be the better and stronger for it. One day when you're in the operating room and you have to make tough calls, you will need to be ready." Christian knew his son was capable of achieving professional greatness if he wanted to, Jack just needed a push. And he wash't going to allow a stupid episode like this distract his son and make him waiver from his path.
Jack could tell where this conversation was heading, with a tone of certain finality he felt obliged to remind his father, "Dad, I'm going to New York to do my residency, not St. Sebastian's."
Christian heaved a big sigh, if he could just make Jack understand the unique and unparalleled advantage he would have by working alongside him. He would have an edge over all his peers. Christian would see to it that Jack was exposed to all the challenging cases … he would mentor him. No one else would ever take as vested an interest in Jack's career as he would. It was galling to think that his son was willing to throw this rare opportunity so he could follow some girl across the country. This was not going to happen. He wouldn't let it happen.
"Very well then."
Jack entered his dark apartment and stopped mid-step in the foyer at the unexpected dim flickering of light that was emanating ahead. Confused, he shook his head - he didn't recall leaving the TV on. He walked through the kitchen and into the living room to shut it off when he almost stumbled by the sight of Kate sleeping so sweetly on his sofa. She was in her white shorts pajamas and had one leg casually flung over the quilt that was half covering her. She looked tiny on the big piece of furniture and a small smile snuck across his face as he walked over to her. He took a careful seat on an empty spot of the sofa, his palm poised above her before gently rubbing her shoulder.
"Kate?" He whispered as he brushed away a curl from her cheek.
She didn't move, so he bent his head to place a soft kiss on her mouth followed by a trail of feathery ones along her jawline. He didn't expect her to be here in his apartment, especially after the way he had barked at her to go home. For once, he was happy that she didn't listen to him… he was happy that she was here. The sight of her was able to soothe the tension that had spiraled uncontrollably while speaking to his father.
One of those feathery kisses must have hit the spot because her body began to shift and a purring little grin played off her lips, "Mmmmm." He pulled back to get a better look at her as she slowly came to a wakeful state.
She rubbed her eyes, "Have you been here for a while? What time did you get home?" She twisted her hips and her stiff muscles made her groan as she adjusted herself to lean onto her elbows to better look at him.
Noticing that she still seemed pretty drowsy, he felt guilty, "Hey. It's late. I just walked in a minute ago. I shouldn't have woken you."
Her gaze was now attentive as she reached out her hand to rub the nape of his neck, "No, I'm glad you woke me up. Are you okay?"
He bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes briefly, "I'm sorry about tonight. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for losing my temper and ruining your evening with your friends. I just -"
"Jack," she interrupted. "It's okay. I mean, that's not to say that I thought what you did was okay … because it wasn't. But - I'm not mad." He noticed that Kate's look could still go either way as she paused for a second, searching for the right way to say it. "Still, Jack… you can't do things like this. He was just a stupid drunk guy. He wasn't worth the trouble. Speaking of … how much trouble are you in?"
He shrugged, briefly recalling his conversation with his dad, "I'm okay. He's not gonna press charges. I'm technically out on bail, but there shouldn't be a court appearance and my dad will get his money back."
So, his father had bailed him out, Kate had thought as much. Jack couldn't have been too happy about that, so Kate began to explain herself, "I told Claire. I know you're probably angry with me, but I just couldn't handle the thought of you sitting in jail. I was scared."
Kate was afraid that he might be upset with her for contacting his family and that is why she made it a point to come to his apartment tonight. So she could make him understand that she only had his best interest at heart. And a small part of her felt guilty for being at the center of his troubles. She knew that he was only trying to stand up for her.
"Forget about it, I probably needed a few hours in there to chill out anyway," Jack said warily, lifting his head as he let out a heavy sigh allowing the day's events to finally catch up to him. "I'm tired, how about we go to sleep and talk more in the morning?" He stood up and presented his back to her, then bending slightly over and inviting her to climb on for a piggy-back ride to his room. With an exaggerated giggle and stretch of her legs, she stood up on the sofa feeling the cushions sink under the weight of her feet while she adjusted her limbs to grip and wrap around his waist and shoulders. It was this type of small gesture that made Kate's heart squeeze. Despite Jack's general serious demeanor, he had a hidden playful side that could peek out, and she knew that she was the one that could draw it out of him.
Time pressed on and the spring semester of Kate's sophomore year had sped by, she had turned twenty and earned some of the best grades in her academic career. She knew that she owed that in part to Jack, who helped her study and led by example with his own work ethic. If she hadn't dated him, she was sure that she probably would have been more relaxed with her studies and succumbed to socializing more often.
Each day, they had made a point to spend as much time together as their schedules and studies allowed, but it never seemed enough. The weight of their impending separation was something they carried with them at all times and a desperate feeling grew in their hearts. And Jack kept reminding Kate that they shouldn't waste their time together dwelling on her moving across the country and they should focus on enjoying the present.
Sam had already moved to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn a couple of months earlier while Kate would stay through final exams and join him later. She would live with her dad for the summer and then move into the Columbia dorms in the fall.
During the entire car ride to LAX airport, Kate fought back the tears, she ached inside and began to wonder if she really needed to leave. Jack did his best to keep his face set and not reveal the emotions he felt. But Kate had caught him a few times, throwing her long, sad looks and she would run her fingers along the little patch of exposed skin between his knee and the hem of his shorts. She loved the sensation of the prickly leg hair and firm muscles underneath her fingertips, the raw masculinity of it able to revv up her senses at the drop of a hat.
Jack pulled into an empty parking spot, turned off the engine and paused for a moment. The realization that they would soon be exchanging goodbyes now truly setting in for him. They had already decided that Kate would come and spend a week with him during July and that he would come to New York in August after his summer class ended, yet those planned visits felt as if they were a lifetime away.
Jack set his hands on top of the steering wheel. "Kate -" he began, but his voice came out cracked from not talking for most of the ride. He cleared his throat. "We're here…" he trailed off, not really sure what to say as his eyes met hers. Her red-rimmed eyes gave her a pained expression. His jaw tightened. This was turning out to be even harder than he imagined. Kate's chin started to tremble while her lips curled out and soon he found himself trying to comfort her over the sound of her own tears, "Kate, please don't cry. Please."
He had convinced himself that a long distance relationship could work ... that it will work. They would be apart for only a year and even then they agreed to visit one another regularly.
Sensing the steady rise of her anxiety, he tried to ease her with his words, "Kate, we will make it work."
Despite what Jack said, Kate noticed that his voice sounded troubled and the made her eyes clench shut. She wanted to scream. Hadn't she wanted things to work out when her mom was sick? Didn't she pray to god and beg for things to work out as she sat bedside with her comatose brother? Just because you wanted something, didn't mean it would happen. Her insecurities were always percolating and now that she would be thousands of miles away she feared another woman would draw his attention. That without her in his proximity, his feelings for her would fade.
To assuage her fears and show him that he would only need her, she unbuckled her seatbelt and in a swift motion using both her hands, grabbed at the collar of his shirt pulling him on top of her. She kissed him, her tongue thrusting, probing and drawing his in to entangle with hers. Jack tasted the warmth of her mouth and he returned her kiss again, this time with more heat. Feeling breathless, he finally released her lips and Kate felt tiny shivers from his open mouth and the sensuous flicker of his tongue tracing her jaw and then down her neck before resting on the swell of her breasts.
They were both breathing hard, and fast, and panting as their hands roamed greedily on one another. His hand reached for her breast under her shirt, and he kissed her again as he savored the feel of its full roundness. His hand glanced over her soft nipple and it rose up firm under his skillful thumb making her moan from the drawing sensation she felt between her legs. She found his other hand and brought it under the hem of her skirt so it could caress its way up her inner thigh. The agonizing effect was tantalizing.
He had to drag himself away, he wanted her fully ... completely. Images of last night flooded his memory, the way her naked body had soothed his aching need. They had explored each other tenderly, but also tried new bolder ways to draw out the pleasure only they could give each other. All evening they had made love, to the point where they were too drained, too sensually and emotionally spent, to even move.
But even with the new memories playing across his brain, Jack knew this wasn't going to happen now, at least not in the middle of the day in the upper area of Parking Lot 2 of LAX. Jack flushed hotly and let out a frustrated groan, "Kate, we can't ... not now-"
Kate saw him looking at her with his heart in his teary eyes. She knew she was acting starved and crazy as she tried to imprint herself on him ... so afraid that if she didn't, she would lose him.
Then came the long silence, as they sat in his truck, knowing that everything would soon be different.
After he helped Kate check in her luggage, Jack caught her hand and drew Kate close to his side as they walked to the airport's security checkpoint. He glanced at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, dreading the countdown to when Kate would officially no longer be living in L.A.
Kate didn't want to leave, she had finally reached her goal to attend Columbia and also be near her father. But now, she wasn't so sure that was what she still wanted. She was afraid, so afraid of the distance that would now be between them - a vastness that they wouldn't be able to overcome. That their love would eventually shatter under its own weight.
The time came for her to join the long snaking line of travelers. Choking, Kate tried to get her words out, "Jack-"
Each word that she couldn't release from her lips, Kate knew Jack heard. She ached inside and so did he.
Jack forced a smile and then a small chuckle, "I know."
"I love you," Kate murmured, sliding her arms around his neck. She rested her cheek over his heart and heard it thump. She clutched him tightly, so close that they both could hardly breathe.
"I love you too," he groaned, pressing his lips down into her hair. He didn't want to let go ... ever.
"Kate ..." he said in a hoarse whisper, his head now buried in the side of her neck. Reluctantly, they drew apart, but not without him cupping her face and placing one last soft kiss on her lips.
Jack lingered until she was no longer in his sight before making his way to leave, the hollow feeling in his chest made his eyes unfocused and blurry. He wasn't ready for this. He needed more time.
Without thinking, he approached the ticket agent and placed his wallet on the counter, "Round trip to JFK. I need to be on the flight that departs at 1:15."
The pretty woman raised her eyebrows, "That boards in a half hour. And it's fully booked, with the exception of First Class."
"That's fine, just please make it so I can be on it. I need to be on this plane."
Jack ran and weaved his way to the gate. He knew that he was only prolonging the inevitable by getting onto this flight, but he wanted the extra six or so hours with her. He shook his head in wonderment and chuckled at himself, his car wasn't parked in the overnight lot which meant it would probably be towed. It didn't matter.
With only a minute to spare, he made it onto the plane.
The flight attendant pointed him to his seat, but Jack quickly made his intentions known. "If it's okay, I'd like to sit next to my girlfriend? I want to check and see if that passenger will switch seats with me."
The woman nodded, "Please make it quick, we are going to begin taxiing soon."
Jack found her in row 23, she was wearing a headset and her attention fixated on something outside the window.
He approached the woman that was seated next to her, "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you mind trading seats with me? My seat is in first class and it would mean the world to me if I could sit next to my girlfriend." His eyes were pleading and hopeful. And admittedly, he hoped that the prospect of upgrading to first class would be enough to bribe her into trading places.
The woman nodded, "Of course."
Kate felt the jostle of someone rising out of the seat next to her, but she didn't bother to avert her gaze from the window. Tears were coursing down her face and she was making loud sniffling sounds.
Jack took the seat and buckled himself in, waiting a moment for Kate to take notice. His heart was beating furiously from anticipation.
Seconds later, Kate adjusted herself to look ahead. From the corner of her eye, she could have sworn that she just caught sight of Jack's leg. Slowly, she turned her head and their eyes met and held. A surge of color rose from his chest to flood his cheeks, forcing him to half turn and break the lock of their gaze.
"Jack?!"
Jack smiled a little shyly, wiping the tip of his nose on the back of his hand.
"Hey."
Author's note: Hello everyone! This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it made sense to finish it at this point - I believe. So things will be changing dramatically for these two as they enter a new stage in their relationship and lives. I have to say, that I am pretty excited to have gotten up to this point, because I really feel the best of this story has yet to come. But, this is where I have to thank you guys. Your reviews are what have made me get this far. Seriously, without them I would have stopped writing. So thank you again for your kind words of encouragement. They are so appreciated and acknowledged.
So please let me know if you want me to continue, otherwise I'll just focus my energy on my other story and other projects. I'll only continue writing this if the interest is there.