Chapter 3

Thankfully only one of you (ok maybe 2 of you) actually know where I live. Don't hate me too much. ON a plus side have I mentioned how much I love writing Jean. She's is so fun to play with.

Laura looked at the door unsure of what to do. How had he done this to her? How had he walked into her calm, reasoned life and in the space of five minutes left her panting with need? Damn him, he'd already ruined her life once and almost a second time, she refused to let him do this to her again.

Laura was about to chase after him, to rail against him. To tell him, no to beg him, to let her go. She would give him anything he wanted if he would just walk away. Her hands tightened on the frame she had taken from him. She looked at the photo using it to anchor her. Her eyes fixed on Robbie and tears formed, unbidden, as she thought of everything she could lose.

Jean watched Laura, fascinated. There seemed to be some internal war brewing. When she saw Laura take a tentative step toward the door she decided to intervene, ""What the hell just happened?"

Laura started, remembering that Jean was in the room. She turned to her with a mix of emotion crossing her face: relief, embarrassment, anger, annoyance. She tried to figure out a way to explain what had happened but found that no words would come. The tears in her eyes finally fell burning a path down her cheeks as she sank to the floor, suddenly she didn't have the strength to continue standing.

Jean watched Laura drop to the floor and knew from the controlled nature of the drop that she hadn't fainted it. It was as though she was simply too tired to go on. Jean stepped across Laura's office and closed the door. The anger she had felt seeing Laura about to kiss Malcolm Tucker earlier had long since dissipated. It was replaced by concern for her friend.

She turned back to Laura and lowered herself to the floor. Softly she touched Laura's hand gripping the frame, "Laura, do you want to talk or cry?"

Laughter was the last thing she expected. Jean recognized the brittleness of it instantly. Laura was on the edge, the tears weren't sadness they were simply a release. Jean understood this type of emotion it was something she felt all too frequently these days. She shifted closer to Laura and tenderly wrapped her arm around her pulling her closer.

Laura resisted for a brief moment before relaxing into the comfort of Jean's body. She let Jean's warmth provide her with the calm, safety she needed. She sighed as Jean's other hand stroked her head. Her tears flowed silently. Had Jean asked Laura wouldn't have been able to say why, specifically, she was crying. The truth was so much more complicated but if she had to distill it the answer was loss. Malcolm Tucker had stepped into her life and reminded her of everything she had lost in her life.

Jean sensed when a new resolve seem to enter Laura's body. There was a shifting in her that was both physical and mental. What Jean wasn't sure of is if it was good or bad. She brushed hair from Laura's face and placed a tender kiss on her head, "Can we talk now?"

Laura took a deep breath and sat up. She kept the frame gripped tightly in one hand and took Jean's hand with her other, "I don't know where to start."

Jean smiled kindly at her and squeezed her hand, "Normally I would say start at the beginning but I don't sense you are ready to talk about that just yet. So why not start with where I came in?"

"Can I ask you a question first?" Jean nodded for Laura to continue, "How did I never know that your sister testified against Malcolm?"

Jean laughed, "How did I never know you were married to Malcolm Tucker?" Laura looked down sheepishly. Jean nudged her, "I suspect our answers are the same. Neither of us really ever thought it was relevant."

"That was part of it. The other is I don't like to talk about Malcolm. I always feel talking about him will put me on his radar somehow."

Jean remembered Nicola telling her about him and this recollection fit with those conversations, "Nicola always said it was his super power."

Laura snickered at the idea, "He would love people to think so. Was all that stuff he said about her true or was that just Malcolm's way of deflecting?"

Shaking her head Jean answered, "Probably a bit of both. I do know that she got well and truly pissed one night and made a play for him. She was going through a divorce and feeling supremely insecure. I'm sure in her mind if the all-knowing, all powerful Malcolm Tucker wanted her then the divorce wasn't her fault."

"And did he do what he said? Leave her in a drunken heap?"

Jean shrugged, "Honestly I don't know. Nicola has no real recollection. The last thing she remembers was him in her hotel room and she kissed him. She woke up the next morning partially clothed sprawled across the bed. She's never handled alcohol well. I suspect she kissed him then passed out and he left. You know him better does that seem viable."

"If he'd slept with her he would have tortured her with it. If he never did that, they didn't have sex. Your story is probably right on the mark. Malcolm is many things but he wouldn't have done anything if she passed out." That sat there silently for a minute before Laura continued, "And the other part about her testimony?"

Laughter erupted from Jean, "Sadly, that part is true. Nicola is completely worthless at her job. She flusters easily and he's correct. If she had testified for much longer he probably would have walked and received a knighthood for services rendered."

Laura had no siblings so couldn't imagine one talking about the other this way, "She's your sister."

"Right and when Malcolm said that about her I defended her. I, however, can say whatever I please about her. Trust me, we are identical in looks only. I love her but she is completely useless."

"I hate to imagine what you say about me behind my back."

Jean rolled her eyes, "Of the many things I have ever said about you Laura Hobson, useless is not one of them. Difficult, snooty, prickly even, but never useless. Besides you are assuming that I have never told Nicola that I think she is useless. Your assumption would be wrong."

Laura sat up and looked at Jean, "Difficult, snooty, prickly…"

Jean pulled her back to her, "You have to admit we didn't get off to the best of starts."

Laura squeezed Jean's hand and smiled, "But we got there in the end and that's all that really matters."

The two women sat in the floor letting the quiet calm each of them. The silence was broken by Jean laughing insanely. Laura turned her head to look at her, "What's so funny?"

Jean shook her head trying to catch her breath, "Malcolm Tucker was your husband. I can't see it. You and Robbie I understand. But Malcolm Tucker did you lose a bet?"

"No, I didn't lose a bet. He wasn't Malcolm Tucker when I met him." Laura saw Jean's raised eyebrow, "OK he was Malcolm Tucker but he wasn't that Malcolm Tucker."

"People don't change that fundamentally Laura."

Laura shook her head, "He wasn't like that. He was funny and charming and he swept me off my feet. I loved him in a way that I've never loved anyone else."

"More than Robbie?"

Laura looked away, unable to meet Jean's eye, "Perhaps not more but deeper maybe."

"Do you still love him?"

Laura stood, walking to her desk to pack her things, "No, I don't think so, I don't know."

Jean stared at Laura's back, "Well that was clear as mud. Care to commit to one of those."

Laura shook her head, "I don't know if I can. If you had asked me that same question this morning my answer would have been different. Now…" She turned to Jean with a look of desperation, "You can't tell anyone."

"What's to tell? You don't have an answer yourself. Do you love Robbie?"

Tears brimmed in her blue eyes, "Yes."

"I say focus on that for the moment. Malcolm Tucker is like a hurricane. He's blown in dumping loads of rain and delivering heavy winds."

"People die in hurricanes Jean."

Jean closed the distance between them and took Laura's hands, "Generally, only when they're not prepared. That was Malcolm's mistake. He let you know he was here. The next time he rears his ugly head he won't catch you by surprise. He only gets away with what he gets away with because people are scared of him."

"Jean, I'm scared of him. I'm scared of how he could blow up the life I've built for myself. Here at work, with Robbie, everything."

"Well Malcolm Tucker does not scare me. I doubt he will scare Robbie and I would pay good money for him to go up against James. You've got us all on your side. How can he possibly compete against that?"

Laura smiled weakly. She wanted desperately to believe Jean. But she knew how Malcolm worked. He would never take them on together. He would divide and conquer. Find their individual weaknesses and plant seeds of doubt. She squeezed Jean's hands and tried to sound as confident as possible, "I'm not as certain as you but I will take all of the help I can get."

Jean saw the doubt in Laura's face, "Go home. Tell Robbie. I'll take care of James."

"What do I tell him?"

"Not to push my metaphor too far but batten down the hatches there's a storm coming seems appropriate."

Laura genuinely for the first time since Malcolm had left her office, "Hurricane Malcolm. That does fit. How much do I tell him?"

"Until you've figured out your feelings just tell him Malcolm is in town and that he stopped by. You don't know anything more than that."

Laura nodded. She turned back to her desk and grabbed her things. She left the files she'd been carrying earlier on her desk. Tonight was not a night to catch up on office work. Turning back to Jean she smiled as she headed for the door, "What will you tell James?"

Jean shook her head as she closed Laura's door behind them, "I have no idea. I'll figure it out when I find him. Let me walk you to your car on the off chance the devil is hiding in wait."

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