Lunchtime Stroll
Title: Lunchtime Stroll
Author: md123
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Rating: G
Word Count: 826
Summary: Jack and Liz take Liddy for a walk.
Just before lunch, Jack came down to Liz's office.
"I'm going to go pick up Liddy and go for a walk in the park. Do you want to come?"
Liz's lunch plans weren't exactly full. "Sure."
Jack had started doing these walks the previous week. After some long days at the office, he wasn't seeing much of Liddy at all on weekdays, and bringing her into the office tended to be pretty cumbersome now that she was moving around. So he was going to try going home, giving Sherry an hour or two off, and taking a walk with his daughter. It was good to have some bonding time.
And frankly, he could use the exercise.
Most of the time, she fell asleep in the stroller, and Jack got a little bored.
After a few tries, Jack brought Jonathan along, which was a predictable disaster. First, he kept babbling about work and appointments, ruining Jack's placid mood. Secondly, Jonathan kept finding feeble excuses to grab onto his arm.
But Liz was a perfect choice: he could count on her to be good company, and as a bonus she was pretty good with Liddy. Finally, she could use the exercise too, though for once Jack kept that thought to himself.
And so it became a thing they did.
**
One curious thing about pushing a baby around was that strangers would walk up and engage with you. For a New Yorker, it was kind of unnerving. This time, it was an older woman; probably only a few years older than Jack, but because she wasn't rich she looked much older than he did.
She immediately zeroed in on Liddy.
"Well aren't you adorable? Yes you are!"
She looked up at the couple and addressed Liz. "She has your husband's eyes. How lucky!"
"Oh, no no. We're not married." Liz showed the ringless back of her hand as proof as Jack shook his head in support.
"Oh." The woman's expression was disapproving for a moment, before she thought of an amicable way out of it. She turned to Jack. "Well you better hold on to this one!" She gestured to Liz. "Your child only gets one mother!"
"Actually, no, this isn't my baby. We're just friends." Liz's hands gestured back and forth to Jack.
"Just friends. I see." The woman's eyes narrowed, now noticing Jack's wedding ring, and thinking that Liz might be the other woman. She looked pityingly down at Liddy and continued on her way.
Liz exhaled. "These walks are wonderful, but that really has to stop happening all the time."
"You know, Lemon, there's an easy way to avoid that discomfort."
"What's that?"
"Play along."
"What? I don't want people to think that..."
"Why do you have to be right all the time? What harm does it do if a stranger believes something incorrect about you?"
She looked at him doubtfully. Did he not understand her at all?
"Watch. This grandma's is making a beeline for us. Follow my lead."
"Aw, look at the beautiful little girl. It's so lovely to see families out in the park today."
"Yes, thank you, we're very proud," Jack offered. Liz smiled weakly.
The grandma smiled, played with Liddy some more, and left quite satisfied.
"Now was that so hard?"
"I guess not."
Jack offered his arm. "Shall we play the role?"
She took it. "Ugh."
"Why are you so opposed to the idea that people might think we're together?"
"You're the one who always said it was ridiculous." She made a face, imitating him. "Don't be ridiculous, Lemon. I date models, actresses."
"That was a long time ago, Lemon, and I dare say my mentorship has turned you around."
"Really." Liz's tone was skeptical.
"Yes. You still have your, uh, rough edges.. but I daresay even a man of my stature would be thrilled to have a woman like you on his arm."
She turned her head to smile at him. "Careful, Jack. A girl might think you were coming on to her."
"Of all the women, Lemon, you're the one that would be able to resist."
"What do you mean?'
"I mean every time you've thought -- incorrectly -- I was going that way, you've panicked."
"Well, I didn't want to be another statistic."
"What?"
"You've been through a lot of women, Jack, and it's kind of gross. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised you've managed to stick with Avery since she's been gone."
"If you have a such a low estimation of my character, what are we doing here?"
"Dating you is a high-risk occupation, but you're a good guy. And with your loyalty to Avery through all this... maybe you aren't quite as gross as I thought."
Jack smiled. "Right back at you, Lemon."
Liz smiled back at him with a mix of warmth and amusement, as another woman came up to complement Liz on having lost "most of" the baby fat.
END
Author: md123
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Rating: G
Word Count: 826
Summary: Jack and Liz take Liddy for a walk.
Just before lunch, Jack came down to Liz's office.
"I'm going to go pick up Liddy and go for a walk in the park. Do you want to come?"
Liz's lunch plans weren't exactly full. "Sure."
Jack had started doing these walks the previous week. After some long days at the office, he wasn't seeing much of Liddy at all on weekdays, and bringing her into the office tended to be pretty cumbersome now that she was moving around. So he was going to try going home, giving Sherry an hour or two off, and taking a walk with his daughter. It was good to have some bonding time.
And frankly, he could use the exercise.
Most of the time, she fell asleep in the stroller, and Jack got a little bored.
After a few tries, Jack brought Jonathan along, which was a predictable disaster. First, he kept babbling about work and appointments, ruining Jack's placid mood. Secondly, Jonathan kept finding feeble excuses to grab onto his arm.
But Liz was a perfect choice: he could count on her to be good company, and as a bonus she was pretty good with Liddy. Finally, she could use the exercise too, though for once Jack kept that thought to himself.
And so it became a thing they did.
**
One curious thing about pushing a baby around was that strangers would walk up and engage with you. For a New Yorker, it was kind of unnerving. This time, it was an older woman; probably only a few years older than Jack, but because she wasn't rich she looked much older than he did.
She immediately zeroed in on Liddy.
"Well aren't you adorable? Yes you are!"
She looked up at the couple and addressed Liz. "She has your husband's eyes. How lucky!"
"Oh, no no. We're not married." Liz showed the ringless back of her hand as proof as Jack shook his head in support.
"Oh." The woman's expression was disapproving for a moment, before she thought of an amicable way out of it. She turned to Jack. "Well you better hold on to this one!" She gestured to Liz. "Your child only gets one mother!"
"Actually, no, this isn't my baby. We're just friends." Liz's hands gestured back and forth to Jack.
"Just friends. I see." The woman's eyes narrowed, now noticing Jack's wedding ring, and thinking that Liz might be the other woman. She looked pityingly down at Liddy and continued on her way.
Liz exhaled. "These walks are wonderful, but that really has to stop happening all the time."
"You know, Lemon, there's an easy way to avoid that discomfort."
"What's that?"
"Play along."
"What? I don't want people to think that..."
"Why do you have to be right all the time? What harm does it do if a stranger believes something incorrect about you?"
She looked at him doubtfully. Did he not understand her at all?
"Watch. This grandma's is making a beeline for us. Follow my lead."
"Aw, look at the beautiful little girl. It's so lovely to see families out in the park today."
"Yes, thank you, we're very proud," Jack offered. Liz smiled weakly.
The grandma smiled, played with Liddy some more, and left quite satisfied.
"Now was that so hard?"
"I guess not."
Jack offered his arm. "Shall we play the role?"
She took it. "Ugh."
"Why are you so opposed to the idea that people might think we're together?"
"You're the one who always said it was ridiculous." She made a face, imitating him. "Don't be ridiculous, Lemon. I date models, actresses."
"That was a long time ago, Lemon, and I dare say my mentorship has turned you around."
"Really." Liz's tone was skeptical.
"Yes. You still have your, uh, rough edges.. but I daresay even a man of my stature would be thrilled to have a woman like you on his arm."
She turned her head to smile at him. "Careful, Jack. A girl might think you were coming on to her."
"Of all the women, Lemon, you're the one that would be able to resist."
"What do you mean?'
"I mean every time you've thought -- incorrectly -- I was going that way, you've panicked."
"Well, I didn't want to be another statistic."
"What?"
"You've been through a lot of women, Jack, and it's kind of gross. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised you've managed to stick with Avery since she's been gone."
"If you have a such a low estimation of my character, what are we doing here?"
"Dating you is a high-risk occupation, but you're a good guy. And with your loyalty to Avery through all this... maybe you aren't quite as gross as I thought."
Jack smiled. "Right back at you, Lemon."
Liz smiled back at him with a mix of warmth and amusement, as another woman came up to complement Liz on having lost "most of" the baby fat.
END