Jack

I heard my name. I heard her voice say my name. I was frozen. I couldn't turn around. I couldn't face her. What if it wasn't her? What if when I turned around there was anger, and blame in her eyes? What if she hated me? What if she was hurt? What if he had done something to her and when I turned around I could see it and the knowledge that I did that to her, that it was my fault destroyed me? I couldn't look. I couldn't move. I wished she would speak again so that I could listen to her voice, listen for pain, or anger, or fear, or anything really, anything that would tell me if she was okay. I knew there were other people in the station. Just moments ago I had been talking to Beth, but in this moment it was as though they had all just disappeared. They were gone. The station was gone. It was me, froze, gripping the edge of the counter before me and the echo of her voice in my ears. You fool! You've been searching for weeks like a mad man to find her, to be sure of her safety and now when she's only a few strides away from you, you can't so much as turn around? Phryne. Home. Safe. Jane. Home. Safe. Never letting them go, ever again. Family. My family.

I didn't remember turning around, though later Hugh said that I had done it with a flourish, my coat billowing about like the cape of a matador. I don't remember crying out but my sister said that the noise of pure relief and joy had made her actually cry. I don't remember my parents, standing in the doorway having just arrived, hastened along by Beth's phone call. I don't remember running towards her but I must have because moments later found me with an armful of Phryne. Tears ran down both of our cheeks, unhindered by embarrassment. Who had time to be self-conscious at a time like this? Her face, slightly bruised I noticed with a wince, was buried in my neck and her arms were wrapped around me, tightly clinging on as I lifted her off her feet and held her close to me. That was an understatement. I was clinging to Phryne like a drowning man holding onto a life raft. I inhale, smelling her skin, begging this not to be a dream. There it was. Not the French Perfume she normally sported, but that inherent, truly Phryne scent that always lingered even more temptingly beneath the surface. I ran my fingers through her cropped black locks, now a bit mussed, almost frizzy, certainly not coiffed and put together and yet still so incredibly beautiful, still so intoxicatingly soft. I leaned my head back, away from her neck, ready to lean in and kiss the most beautiful creation God had ever seen fit to gift the world with when I remembered where I was. When I remembered what was happening. When I froze.

Phryne's eyes narrowed almost angrily. "Don't you dare, Jack Robinson." She said, her voice low and ferocious. Then in a moment that I will never forget so long as I am alive, Phryne Fisher gripped my face with both hands and pulled me to her. Her lips met mine and I could have sworn that a strike of lightening came down from above and hit me. Electricity surged through my body and my heart beat so hard and fast I was certain it was audible. I moved my lips in time with hers and it wasn't long before her tongue poked out surreptitiously and glided along my lips. I froze. We had to stop. We were in public. We could (and WOULD) pick this up later. Tonight. Maybe sooner if we could manage privacy. As I tried to come up with an explanation for my sudden cease of motion the perfect distraction occurred.

"Jack!" I had only enough time to gently peck Phryne on the check and give her a look that would explain all (it must have because she smiled back, winking seductively) before a ball of Jane landed in my arms. She was jabbering away as I picked her up, holding her on my hip with my left arm.

"Jack I'm so sorry, I should never have gone off on my own, I should have listened to you! I shouldn't have-"

"I should have listened to you. You were right and I should have listened to you Jane, this is all my fault."

"Don't be absurd." Phryne aid with a roll of her eyes as I pulled her into my right arm's embrace. "It isn't your fault, Jack. Not in the slightest!"

"Even Henry said, the way Jimmy played with you psychologically, it was astounding you managed to solve what you did." Jane added cheerfully.

"Who is Henry?"

""Jimmy was threatening his daughter's life so he had to help him. But even so, he still risked a lot to be sure that we were well fed and kept Pots away from us." Phryne added.

"Pots?" Phryne grimaced.

"Bastard. He was helping Jimmy for the pure joy of being a…" Phryne trailed off and glanced around her before looking up at me delicately. "Well, a word I can't say in front of Hugh." I laughed.

"He's also a complete idiot." Johnson added, leading a handcuffed man (who did look remarkably like a pot!) past us, not bothering to be gentle. "Confessed to the whole damn thing in the car. Even went and threw in a few confessions we weren't looking for. We've just got to get him to sign off on it and these bastards aren't going anywhere." Phryne shook her head in wonder.

"What say you, Jack Robinson?" She asked, turning her head towards me. "Back to Wardlow for a mid-day nightcap?" She glanced around. "With everyone, of course!" A cheer from the men went up as she continued planning. "We'll have to call Bert and Cec and Mac of course and I suppose I should notify my Aunt P that I'm not dead or something though I really don't want to."

"Oh no." I froze.

"What?" She asked. "Have you gone and told my Aunt P that I died?"

"Mac." I said simply.

"What do you mean?"

"I forgot to tell Mac that we may have found you. I alerted Cec and Burt and Hugh went to Wardlow to tell Dottie and Mr. B but I completely forgot-"

"Jack Robinson you are a dead man!" The deep voice behind me left no room for guessing on who had just appeared at the top of the steps. Mac.

"She may kill you. I'll do my best to stop her but in case I fail, do you have any particular flower you want at your funeral?" Phryne asked in a stage whisper.

"I'm downstairs in my morgue, near to tears at the thought of my best friend gone missing when I hear a roar of cheering above me. I decide to come up to tell them to have some respect for those what have lost their friends and what do I see? My best friend and my star pupil in your arms as you go on about how you knew we would get them back and how you forgot to tell me!" I winced. "If I weren't so God damned happy right now I would actually murder you!" Phryne slipped out from under my arm and rushed to hug her friend. They chatted quietly and Mac instantly began to look more closely at the bruises and abbrasions on Phryne's skin.

Chatter all over the station started up again as the men who could got ready to depart for Phryne's house. My parents and Beth looked on thoughtfully, but all smiled at me when our eyes met. Jane clung to my neck and Phryne looked back to smile at me, just me. All was well.

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