Chapter 37
I still don't own any part of STFBE, but still wish I did. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with this story. It's a crazy time right now. As always, I look forward to hearing from everyone. Please let me know what you're thinking.
It had been three days since the team had celebrated the take down of a terror cell. Things in the bullpen had gotten back to a more normal pace. Sue found herself thinking back to the kids sitting in the auditorium and some of the emails she'd received in the few days since.
One specific email was from a female student who said she could understand what Sue had felt growing up. They didn't share either of their "issues" but she too had felt like an outcast and had been treated like one from most of her peers. Her family was quite poor, and she had to work part time late into the night just to help her mom get by. Sue felt for the girl, knowing what it was like to be an outcast from society.
Friday night, once Sue got home and settled, she decided to email the young woman, and at the very least give her some words of encouragement.
Almost instantly, an email came back telling Sue that she was at work, and would love to speak with her one day. Sue was upset by the fact that it was late and such a young girl was working rather than having fun out with her friends. She wondered, did she have friends? Sue flashed back to her own youth and remembered how few and far between friends- real friends- were. Sue knew that one day, and not too far down the road, this would be a distant memory, and this young woman's life would be much better. Sue worried that the girl wouldn't see that for herself. This was a lot of pressure she was placing on herself to help raise her family. Not quite an adult yet, but all the responsibility of her brothers and sisters and keep a house going, plus keeping her grades up to try to get into a good college was a lot for anyone.
Sue tried to relax, but her mind kept going back to this girl, Anita. Sue quickly googled the laundry the young woman worked at, and noticed that it was open until midnight. Since Sue had just emailed, she presumed Anita was probably closing, and would still be there. She decided to pay her a visit.
When Sue walked in, she noticed a young girl leaning over a dryer, cleaning the back lint vents. She couldn't have been more than 17, but the late nights were beginning to wear on her. Her hair was a dark, blonde, tied up in a loose bun with tendrils beginning to fall from the sides. Sitting on the side counter were book spread across the top, open with obvious homework being worked on.
"Excuse me?" Sue called.
"Just a minute." The young girl answered with her head still in the back of the dryers. Sue paused a minute and called out to her again. "Hang on, please!" She said, obviously frustrated.
Sue didn't say another word. When she was finished, she looked up. Her face was red from being upside down, and dirty from the cleaning.
"Ms. Thomas!" She exclaimed, as her cheeks flushed, this time out of embarrassment. "I'm so sorry."
"It's quite alright. I didn't hear a thing." She joked. Anita smiled.
"Anita?" Sue asked. The young woman held out her hand to Sue. She quickly pulled it back, wiping it on her jeans, then offering it to Sue once more. "Nice to meet you. I was moved by your letter."
Anita looked at her curiously.
"Your email." Sue clarified.
"Oh…" She said, embarrassed.
"Studying?" Sue asked, nodding toward the books.
"Trying." She half laughed.
Sue took her coat off and walked to the books. "May I?" She asked. Anita shrugged. "Calculus… Sorry, I can't help. It and I weren't what you'd call friends." Sue laughed and Anita joined her. "I can, however, fold towels." Sue offered picking up a towel and starting to fold it. "A certain way?" Sue asked. Anita stared at her, unsure of what she was up to. She finally took a towel and showed Sue how they do them. "I figure, if I'm going to talk to you, and interrupt you, the least I can do is help.
"Thanks." She said hesitantly.
"I got your email, you mentioned you worked here. I'm impressed." Sue said.
"By what?" She asked with a sarcastic over tone.
"You're making straight A's, working a full time job, helping your mom out at home with your younger brothers and sisters, and the housework. That's what." Sue answered.
"Oh." Anita answered. "It's nothing."
Sue folded in silence while Anita sat down and wrote a bit in the note book. When she was done with the basket in front of her, she asked for more to do. Anita shrugged.
"There's no more right now." Anita said.
"What's that?" Sue pointed to a pile on the side.
"That's mine. I usually do it if I can find enough change." She said, putting her head down. "It's amazing what people leave behind… but not tonight." Sue said, turning the page of her math book.
Sue reached into her purse and grabbed a five dollar bill and put it through the change machine, producing quarters. She then grabbed the basket of clothes and walked to the washer. She picked up a bottle of detergent and looked at Anita with a questioning look. Anita met her stare for a long moment until she finally relented and gave Sue and half nod.
"OK, I give." Anita said getting Sue's attention. "What's your deal?" She asked.
"My deal?" Sue began.
"What are you up to? What game are you playing? Why are you here, helping me? You don't know me." She paused. "Is this your good deed for the day or something?" She asked. Her words stung Sue at first until she realized it was her coping mechanism.
"No deal, no game. Not up to anything, except trying to help. You're wrong you know. I do know you. I do. You're a lot like I was at your age. You're so much more though. I never would have had the gumption to contact someone to tell my story to. I never had enough courage to share my story with anyone, even someone I thought would understand. I didn't have the strength to do what you're doing. You are amazing. Don't you see that?" Sue asked.
"I'm not. I'm doing what I have to do to get by." She argued.
"You're a role model to your brothers and sisters. You're a hero to your mom. To your siblings." Sue said.
"Yeah, some hero. I can barely keep this going. My life sucks!" Sue yelled. Sue stared at her for a minute. "Listen, this is hard enough. Can you just leave me alone? I appreciate the help tonight, but I have to study now."
"Yeah… You're right. I'm sorry to have bothered you." Sue said taking a card from her pocket book. "Here. If you need anything, my phone number is there. You have my email."
"Yeah." Anita said putting her head down until Sue left.
Sue sat outside the laundry for a few minutes thinking about the situation. She decided to text Jack.
"Can I come over?" She asked.
"Of course." Jack answered. It wasn't long before she was in front of Jack's apartment. She hadn't noticed it was after eleven. She suddenly felt guilty knocking on his door.
"Hi." Jack said with a big smile. He leaned in and kissed her softly.
"Hi." Sue answered back.
"You OK?" He asked.
"Yeah, why?" Sue asked.
"You don't seem yourself, and you have never called me at this hour and asked to come over." Jack explained.
"You want to talk about it?" Jack asked. Sue shook her head. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.
He softly caressed her cheek, then gently dragged his teeth down her jaw. Jack placed a light caress at the corner of her mouth, then brought it to the center of her lips.
Sue's hands moved across his chest, her fingers playing on their way around his neck. Jack wrapped his arms tighter around her, feeling the fullness of her body pressed tightly against his. He swept the bottom lip of his fiancé to which she granted swift permission to deepen their encounter. Jack's hands wandered to the top of her back side, then along her sides. His thumbs lightly grazed the outer edge of her breast, causing her to flinch.
Sue broke the kiss suddenly and pushed herself away from Jack.
"Hey… what's wrong?" Jack asked. "Did I hurt you?" Both were in need of air, and breathing heavy because of it.
"No." Sue replied. She paused watching him intently, but keeping her distance. "No, you didn't hurt me."
"Are you sure? Tara told me what happened in the truck during the terror cell take down at the warehouse." Jack said. Sue looked curiously at him. "She said you turned quickly and nearly passed out. I've been trying to find a way to bring it up. What happened?" He asked.
"Nothing." Jack looked at her in disbelief. "Really, it was nothing." She groaned, not really wanting to get into this discussion with him, but realizing she needed to. "I moved my shoulder and arm too quickly, and too far back as I turned to check the surveillance screens. When I did, I felt a pull, or a slight tear in the tissue." She began.
"I tear?!" Jack exclaimed. "Did you go see the doctor?"
"Jack, really I'm fine. I didn't rip anything, it was just a stiffness in the surgery area. I have to be careful not to turn too quickly, or lift anything over my head yet. I'm fine. I am. I promise." Sue reassured him.
"You'd better be." He said, slightly relieved, wrapping her in a hug. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself. Please?" He asked.
"I will. I'm fine, don't worry." She said.
"So, where were we?" He asked with a smile.
"I was about to leave." Sue said returning his grin.
"What? You barely just got here." He protested.
"I know. I shouldn't have come over, it's late." She explained.
"You can stay, if you want." He offered.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She teased.
"Yes. I would." He said honestly. He locked his hands around her waist and softly caressed her cheek. Sue breathed in his scent, it was intoxicating. Jack pressed forward, kissing her passionately. Jack's lips pressed against Sue's, making her go weak in the knees. Both of Jack's hands had moved to either side of her face, softly holding her. He swept Sue's bottom lip, deepening their kiss, and heightening their passion, their want and need for each other. He moved from her lips to her jaw, then to her neck. Jack's arms wrapped back around Sue, holding her tight to him. Sue's arms snaked around his neck, her fingers playing with his thick black hair. Jack's hands traveled the length of Sue's back to her hips and then sides. Sue stalled their kiss, and pulled back from him, breaking his hold on her.
"I really should go." She whispered, reaching for her coat and the door handle at the same time.
"Sue?" Jack called out. He had no words. Afraid of what she'd say, he hesitated at her name.
"It's late, Jack. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. Jack captured her hand, not sure how to broach the subject.
"Sue. You don't have to go. You can stay. I'll sleep on the couch." He offered.
"Thanks, but I need to go home." She paused, then finally looked him in the eye. "It's just that this is getting too hard to stop. You're getting harder to say no to. I'm going to go." She said.
"Sue? You do know I would never pressure you, right?" Jack asked. "When I said I'd sleep on the couch, I meant that."
"This isn't about you, Jack. It's about me. Good night." Sue said. "I love you."
Jack smiled at her as she walked out the door. He took her hand, softly kissing it. "I love you too. Be safe."
Jack watched Sue walk to her car and drive away.