Post-episode story after 2.4 "Cold Case": the weekend after the Bachelor's Auction, the other single guys in the office have their dates to go on, while Myles is all alone. Lucy and Sue decide to set him up on a date of his own.

AN: We interrupt your regularly scheduled J/S and B/T shipping to throw in a bit of previously-alluded-to-in-another-AN Myles shipping with another character. (Okay, okay, with plenty of J/S still in there.) Funny thing is, I went back to verify some things about that character in the one episode she features in, and discovered something about her and Myles that I never even noticed until Yes, I'm well aware that there is absolutely nothing in the episode to indicate that all the dates had to be scheduled on the same weekend. It just worked for the story. And even though I never thought of Myles and this character together before, now that it's in my brain it's my new favorite headcanon.

There are some conversations in here between a character who knows very little ASL and a character who is Deaf and does not speak, in which they use a combination of ASL, writing, and pantomime to figure out how to communicate. It was way too complicated to figure out how to constantly say which parts are communicated in which ways, so the full sentences of what they're trying to communicate are written. Just assume that what is communicated looked a lot messier but also a lot more fun with laughter and effort and care put into it all.

~0~

"Well, kids," D said, tossing a file onto his desk and standing up, "looks like we made it to the end of another week of protecting the country, and now it is time for home!"

Everyone else was finishing up some final things, getting files put away, or otherwise preparing for the end of the day as well. Myles gave a big stretch and said, "Ahhhh, the feeling of the end of Friday. You gotta love it. Any big plans for the weekend, anybody?"

"It's date weekend!" everyone else said at the same time—everyone except Sue, who just blushed as she tried to look like she wasn't paying attention to the conversation, rather than acknowledge that she had one of those dates.

Myles blinked several times. "Whoa. Okay, excuse me for asking."

D shrugged. "Hey, I'm not a bachelor and even I knew this was the weekend the bachelors were supposed to have arranged the date they were being bid on for. How'd you forget that?"

"Oh, that's right!" Lucy said as though she'd just remembered. "You don't have a date since you bought yourself."

Myles shrugged. "As it happens, I'll be entirely happy this weekend having a date with myself doing some gardening, catching up on some reading, and enjoying my solitude."

"Uh huh," Lucy said incredulously.

"Oh, come on," Sue said to Lucy, "have some pity on the man. Maybe we can find him a date of his own."

"Hmmm," Lucy said, tapping her chin as she thought. "But would Cruella be available on such short notice?"

"Lucy," Sue admonished. "No, actually I was thinking about a friend of ours who I think he would get along with really well. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of it before—except that I guess the only couple times they ever met, he was still . . . um, not being as accepting of me as part of the team."

"I was being a jerk," he put in. "Did I ever apologize to you for that?"

"A couple times," she replied, with a small smile and a nod of thanks for the sentiment. "Anyway, this friend of ours—she's really fun, really smart, she's a lawyer working as assistant DA—"

"Oh!" Lucy said, realizing who she was talking about. "Yeah, I could see them getting along really well. Although . . . ."

"What?" Myles asked warily. "Oh, let me guess, she has a great personality, right?"

"No—I mean, she does, but she's also really pretty! She's just also a little . . . scatterbrained?"

"If she's an assistant DA she can't be too scatterbrained, unless she's not long for that job."

"Oh, no, she does great at the job! She just doesn't carry those organizational skills over into the rest of her life."

"I think that's okay though," Sue said. "You know how they say opposites attract? I mean, they have common ground in a lot of interests. I think her looser approach to life and his more steady and organized ways might be good for each other. I mean, if they hit it off. But if nothing else I think they'd have fun."

Lucy nodded. "Hmm. I think we could set it up, but we'd have to find out if she's okay with it."

"Hey!" Myles said. "What about if I'm okay with it?"

"Myles, we're getting you a date for the weekend you were vying to have women bidding to be your date. You're going to be that picky?"

"Well . . . no . . . not necessarily . . . it's just, you know . . . being set up on a blind date is so awkward."

"And literally no different from what would have happened if you had actually gotten a date out of the auction," Jack pointed out.

"Besides," Sue added, "this wouldn't be a blind date. For one thing, you've met her before, twice. For another, she's not blind. She's Deaf."

Myles blinked several times. "Wait . . . who?"

~0~

Jack adjusted his tie, looking in the mirror of the restaurant lobby as he and Myles waited for their dates.

"Remind me why I agreed to this?" he asked.

"Oh please," Myles replied. "I'm the one going out with a woman I hardly even remember meeting once months ago, with whom I have very limited ability to communicate. You get an extra date with your woman."

"She's not my—"

"Save it," Myles quickly threw out, cutting him off. "The only two people who actually believe that are you two. And I'm not even positive about that."

Jack opened his mouth to argue, but the door opened just then, and the men turned to see their dates entering the restaurant.

Jack's jaw dropped as he watched Sue step in first, in a form-fitting spaghetti-strap dress with a diagonal gradient from black at the top to red at the bottom, where it ended in a handkerchief hem. The whole dress shimmered faintly with silver glitter set into the fabric, and strappy black shoes with a chunky heel completed the look. Her hair was curled into very light waves framing her face, with narrow strands pulled back from her face into a small half-back ponytail.

Her friend followed her, and if Jack had managed to tear his eyes away from Sue long enough to notice Myles's face, he would have realized that he was just as taken with his own date.

"Myles," Sue said, signing and speaking at the same time, "Jennifer, you remember each other?"

Myles nodded, unable to communicate anything more for a moment as he took in the sight of the woman before him. He remembered her, but he'd only ever seen her in business suits or very casual clothes. Not that she wasn't attractive then, she was, but tonight—wow. Her short bob had been pinned into an updo that gave the appearance of the original version being longer than it was, with tendrils left to hang in curls around her face. Her rectangular glasses that so adorably framed her face had been switched out for a similar version that matched the royal blue of her dress. The dress itself was a similar gradient to Sue's, but royal blue at the top fading to a black lower half. It was ankle-length with slits up both sides to the knees. It was also held up only by straps, but wider ones than Sue's, and her heels were a more classic pump, but with an asymmetrical strap across the top of the foot.

After a moment of taking her in, Myles managed to shake himself from his stupor and produce his Leland charm in which he'd been so well trained. "Apologies for staring, uh, I was . . . rather struck by your beauty. But um, yes, I do remember you, and it is very nice to see you again, Jennifer."

As he spoke, despite Sue signing the interpretation, he managed to recall and include the signs for "sorry" and "beautiful," as well as "nice to see you."

She signed her response and as she did, Sue voiced the words on Jennifer's behalf. "It's nice to see you too. And you look very handsome."

"Thank you," Myles both said and signed. "Um, shall we go?" He held out his arm and Jennifer took it, walking with him toward the host to be seated.

Jack and Sue followed behind. Now left to have their own conversation, Jack added in both word and sign, "You look . . . beautiful. You always look beautiful, but . . . wow."

She blushed. "Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself. Though you also always look handsome," she added, glancing away shyly.

He tapped her arm to draw her attention back to him and signed, "Thank you."

When the host found the reservation and Myles and Jennifer followed him, Sue and Jack trailed behind, Jack signing to her, You excited for tonight or dreading it?

She smiled. Both.

He held up two fingers, tapping them with the same two from the opposite hand and raised his brow questioningly, essentially asking, Which is which?

Excited for time with you. Dreading being interrupted constantly to interpret for Myles. Excited for them if they're good together. Dreading Myles's reaction if they're not.

He nodded, then reached out to briefly take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Ever since the night of the auction when she'd "bought" him (not that it had even been her, though at the time he hadn't known that) they'd been a little more openly showing their interest in each other. Not a lot, just a little more honest—such as being able to tell her how beautiful she always is, when another time he might have (and one time had) responded to her heart-stopping beauty with, "You look . . . good." Like her admitting to being excited for time together but not wanting that time interrupted, instead of avoiding the topic.

The next afternoon was their official auction "date" at the football game. Though he'd complained at Myles, he really was quite pleased to get a fancy night out with Sue tonight, and a casual afternoon game with her tomorrow. It was the best of all worlds, and all with the woman of his dreams.

So lost was he in these thoughts that he almost didn't realize when the waiter delivered them to their table, and only when Sue managed to slip her hand from his just as Myles turned to pull Jennifer's chair out did Jack realize that what he'd intended as a single reassuring squeeze had turned into walking hand-in-hand through the restaurant. He couldn't find it in himself to be sorry about that, especially as he realized that Sue hadn't removed her hand until necessary, so he focused on helping Sue with her chair and then seating himself beside her.

~0~

It was a good dinner, with the four laughing and joking easily. Jennifer had a way of connecting with people that helped her put anyone at ease. Myles, though having learned the least sign language of anyone on the team, still had learned enough to not have to leave all communication to Sue to interpret. Jack was able to help as well. So when dinner was done and they decided to go for a stroll in a nearby park, the two couples were able to split up and spend some time with the ones they preferred. When Sue expressed concern at this plan, Jennifer signed to her not to worry so much, and Myles showed her a notebook and pen he'd brought along just to facilitate one-on-one communication as necessary.

Myles and Jennifer found a well-lit area to sit on a bench overlooking a pond, where they combined sign, pantomime, and writing to form their own communication.

We were on the same team that time, remember?

Right, I sat between you and . . . Pam? Wendy? I mix them up.

I think Wendy was on our team. I would think you would remember sitting between two such beautiful women.

He laughed. I remember you both, I just didn't remember her name.

She hesitated before signing, and then writing to make sure he understood, her next question. Did you remember my name? Before Sue reminded you?

Yes. Why? Did you think I would forget?

She shrugged. You didn't always seem like the kind of guy who would care to remember, but—

She stopped writing, and he looked at her. But what? he signed.

That game night at Sue's, on the team together. You kept putting your arm around me. Every time you leaned over to see what I wrote. It didn't bother me, I just thought you needed to lean over more to see the words, and we were having fun. But then I noticed you didn't with Wendy. Just me.

He nodded and signed, I remember.

Why?

Why what?

Why were you putting your arm around me?

Because . . . you're a beautiful woman I was having fun with and . . . I didn't think about it, really. It just felt natural to do, and you didn't seem to mind.

I didn't. But then you didn't ask to get in touch, you didn't seek me out.

He sighed. Jennifer . . . I am ashamed to admit that when Sue first started working on our team . . . I was not a very kind man. I care about people as a principle but not about each individual as I should have. As her lip-reading got me into trouble—deserved trouble, entirely mea culpa—the first time I met her, I was not kind to her for quite some time. When you and I first met, I had come around on Sue but was still learning how to be a kinder and more considerate person overall. At the time, the idea of asking out someone who was in any way different from me would not have occurred to me. I knew you were beautiful and fun but never even thought of asking you out. That is my own loss.

Rather than seem upset or offended, Jennifer started giggling at this. He looked at her inquisitively. She took the pen and underlined the words "the idea of asking out someone who was in any way different from me," then signed, You . . . another you . . . date.

He started laughing too, and signed, Stupid me. Date myself? You are far more beautiful.

~0~

Sue and Jack were walking slowly around a little garden area in the park, able to see each other enough to converse but still able to see where Myles and Jennifer sat too. Sue said she wanted to stay within their sight in case they needed her, but the way she kept looking over, Jack didn't quite believe her.

"You're worse than Lucy sometimes," he teased.

"You say that like it's an insult," she responded, glancing over at the other couple once again, "but I happen to think a comparison to my best friend is a compliment."

He got her attention back toward him and said, "Even when she tries to play matchmaker?"

Sue blushed and rolled her eyes a little. "Well . . . I haven't always appreciated it, but I have to admit . . . it has its merits."

"Now that you're the one trying to match them up?"

"No," she said with a sly look at him. "Now that she bought me a date with a really great guy and then I managed to get two dates out of it."

He smiled. "Well," he reminded her, "you're the one who said you were dreading being interrupted constantly. Nobody else is interrupting us right now."

She looked a little chagrined. "I'm sorry, Jack, I'm being really rude to you."

"No, no," he quickly assured her. "I'm not upset or anything, I promise. I just don't want to encroach on their privacy . . . or ours."

She smiled. "You're right. It is good to see that they seem to be getting along, though."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You know, Myles really has come a long way the past year and a half or so, and . . . I really think a lot of that is due to you."

Sue frowned at him. "Me? He didn't even want me on the team."

"I know. And you were kind to him no matter how terrible he was to you. It made a difference to him, a huge difference."

She smiled at that. "I hope so, but I think he was always basically a good guy under all that. He just needed someone to believe in him."

"Exactly. And you were that someone."

"Well . . . thank you."

"You, um . . . I think you made a big difference in all our lives. Well, some more than others. Tara's gotten a little more confident, Lucy's gotten a little more self-assured. And I—" He paused both his speech and their steps, reaching out to take her hand and turning a little more fully toward her. "I have become a better man in so many ways because of you. I hadn't even realized how much I was starting to see every suspect as guilty until proven innocent, until you came in with your positivity and your brilliant insights and your gut instincts that seem to just know which people are guilty or innocent and where to focus your attention for an investigation."

"Jack, I'm not—I mean, I don't always get it right."

"No, you don't," he responded. "That's why we're such a great team. I'm still there doing the suspicion thing in the rare instance that you need me. But . . . I think if we tracked it, you'd have a higher percentage of accuracy in initial suspicion of or belief in people than anyone else on the team. Probably anyone else in the Bureau. And that's why . . . honestly, why I can't believe that you seem . . . if I'm not mistaken—" He suddenly looked very afraid that he was, but she squeezed his hand and nodded for him to continue. "—like you're actually interested in me. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. Bar none. And for there to be even a possibility that you might . . . care about me . . . more than as a coworker and friend . . . boggles my mind."

She smiled shyly. "There's . . . more than a possibility. But, um, I think you're selling yourself a bit short there. You're a brilliant man, a wonderful investigator, a caring friend. You go above and beyond every day to make sure our team is in good shape, and to make sure those who deserve it are locked up while those who don't are released. Just because you're suspicious of them to start with doesn't make your care and consideration of them any less, and it doesn't make you any less determined to find out the real truth. There are too many agents who are happy to just lock somebody up and chalk up the win, but you make sure to keep seeking the truth no matter what you think of the people involved. That's not nothing. In fact, it's pretty amazing."

He regarded her for several moments, before stepping a little closer, lifting the hand that wasn't holding hers to brush along her cheek, brush a hair behind her ear, and then trail along her jaw. "Sue—tomorrow . . . our date that you—well, Lucy and Tara bought for you—can we . . . can we consider it our first . . . real date?"

She considered for a moment, then said, "No." His face fell but before he had a chance to react any more than that she said, "That will be our second. Or is tonight not real?"

He smiled, tentatively at first, then more brilliantly as the full impact of her words hit him. "Well . . . it feels like a pretty real night to me."

"I agree," she responded. Squeezing his hand, putting her other hand up around the back of his neck, she added, "You feel pretty real too."

He vaguely wondered whether his heart might burst through his chest, but immediately decided it didn't matter. If this was how he went, it was totally worth it.

Taking a chance that felt far less daring now that her fingers were playing in the hairs at the nape of his neck, he slowly leaned toward her, finding her not waiting but instead leaning forward to close the distance. After a slow, sweet kiss, he drew back so she could read his lips and whispered huskily, "You taste pretty real too."

She pretended to consider a moment, then said, "I think you do too, but . . . better double check just to be sure."

~0~

Myles and Jennifer had spent quite a while down by the water, but the night air was starting to get chilly. They had spent much of the time finding ways of communicating, but some of the time just sitting together, her head on his shoulder as his arm was wrapped around her. When they finally decided it was time to go see if they could find Sue and Jack, they stood to head up the small hill toward the path where they'd left them, only to see two rather familiar figures standing under a lamp locked in an incredibly intimate-looking embrace.

Jennifer and Myles both tried to stifle their laughter so Jack wouldn't hear them, but then Jennifer turned to Myles with a glint in her eyes and signed, Let's go.

"What?" He was so surprised by her statement that he forgot to even sign when he asked that, but that one word was plenty easy to recognize.

You drove. Sue drove. You drive me home. Sue can drive them.

We can't just leave without telling them.

Interrupt that? She winked. No way. I'll text Sue from the car.

He tilted his head. Why?

If we tell them, they might want to go too. If we go, they'll stay together.

He smiled at her mischievous look. Brilliant. Let's go.

As they headed to the car, she turned back and added, And, if we go, we can have fun like them.

She winked once again, then sauntered up ahead. He stared after her, wondering if he'd read those signs correctly, before running up and catching her hand. Stifling more laughter, they hurried off to Myles's car.