Betrayal
Title: Betrayal
Author: md123
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Word Count: 638
Spoilers: "Florida", "Jackie Jorp Jomp," "Apollo,Apollo"
Summary: "It was quite a bomb that Jack had so casually dropped."
As the Florida coastline receded below her, Liz stared into the airplane window and tried to process the previous evening. It was quite a bomb that Jack had so casually dropped, in the midst of an already heavy conversation.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what bothered her about the idea of Jack and Jenna having sex. It wasn't like either one was her property; they were both consenting adults. She was all too aware that both were entirely capable of having meaningless sex without any emotional baggage whatsoever.
"What's bugging you, Lemon?"
"Huh?"
"You haven't said anything for ten minutes. I believe that's a record."
Point taken, she launched into him.
"How could you not tell me about Jenna?"
"I did tell you!"
She was getting frustrated. "I mean four years ago, when it was happening!"
"Well, it's been quite a while, but if I recall correctly, it was to avoid... this conversation."
"How did it happen?"
"You want to know how it happened? You really have switched to a sex-positive lifestyle, haven't you?"
"No! I mean, what prompted it all of a sudden?"
"Well, after Elisa, I had a bit of a dry spell. I was working with Jenna on the Jackie Jorp-Jomp film." He smiled to himself at the memory. "She made it clear she was available. It was as simple as that."
"Ecch."
"And you and Jenna decided to keep this from me?"
"To be honest, I wasn't quite sure if you had a crush on me. I didn't want to... aggravate things."
Liz rolled her eyes.
"You'd just gotten through feuding with Jenna over Dennis, and you don't even like Dennis."
She had to admit, he had a point.
"But what is it with you and this crush I supposedly had?"
"It wasn't a crazy idea, Lemon, even if recent... revelations have revealed how off-base that turned out to be."
She frowned.
"And I didn't want to sabotage... the possibilities, in case things between us ever changed. My encounter with Jenna, while a lot of fun, would have jeopardized that."
"Wait, what?"
"As I said last night, a tawdry encounter might have endangered what we have. But there are times in life when that kind of risk is appropriate. It may never have come up, but it was always a possibility."
Hearing that, Liz for the first time understood her own discomfort with Jack and Jenna. Somewhat revolted by her own vulnerability, she did what she always did: she attacked.
"So I was your woman in case of emergency, a vagina under glass?"
"Good Lord Lemon, I thought we established that was Jenna."
"How did I ever resist your charms all those years?" she asked acidly.
"That will forever remain a mystery. But you seem to have recovered from your tremendous error," he smiled at her and put his hand over hers, "and found a path to happiness."
It was too nice of a thing to say for her to stay mad. She smiled back.
***
Somewhere over North Carolina, Liz strolled back to where Jack was reclined and reading a book.
"How do you do it, Jack?"
"Do what?"
"Marriage."
He scoffed. "I'm hardly the definitive source on wedded bliss."
"My other potential mentors are Pete and Tracy, so."
He rested the book on his chest, still open to his page, and sighed.
"Lemon, you'll do fine."
"But it's scary. I love Criss, and we make a good team, but... I kind of have to wear the pants in the household."
Jack resisted his impulse to make a crack. He lifted his arm toward her. "Come here."
She took it, sat on the floor next to him, and nestled her head into his shoulder.
"You've been going it alone all these years. Surely another pair of hands will make your work lighter?"
"But that's just it, Jack."
Jack craned his neck to read her expression.
She was looking up at him. "I haven't been alone."
He smiled at her.
They stayed that way, chatting quietly about nothing, until it was time to eat.
END
Author: md123
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Word Count: 638
Spoilers: "Florida", "Jackie Jorp Jomp," "Apollo,Apollo"
Summary: "It was quite a bomb that Jack had so casually dropped."
As the Florida coastline receded below her, Liz stared into the airplane window and tried to process the previous evening. It was quite a bomb that Jack had so casually dropped, in the midst of an already heavy conversation.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what bothered her about the idea of Jack and Jenna having sex. It wasn't like either one was her property; they were both consenting adults. She was all too aware that both were entirely capable of having meaningless sex without any emotional baggage whatsoever.
"What's bugging you, Lemon?"
"Huh?"
"You haven't said anything for ten minutes. I believe that's a record."
Point taken, she launched into him.
"How could you not tell me about Jenna?"
"I did tell you!"
She was getting frustrated. "I mean four years ago, when it was happening!"
"Well, it's been quite a while, but if I recall correctly, it was to avoid... this conversation."
"How did it happen?"
"You want to know how it happened? You really have switched to a sex-positive lifestyle, haven't you?"
"No! I mean, what prompted it all of a sudden?"
"Well, after Elisa, I had a bit of a dry spell. I was working with Jenna on the Jackie Jorp-Jomp film." He smiled to himself at the memory. "She made it clear she was available. It was as simple as that."
"Ecch."
"And you and Jenna decided to keep this from me?"
"To be honest, I wasn't quite sure if you had a crush on me. I didn't want to... aggravate things."
Liz rolled her eyes.
"You'd just gotten through feuding with Jenna over Dennis, and you don't even like Dennis."
She had to admit, he had a point.
"But what is it with you and this crush I supposedly had?"
"It wasn't a crazy idea, Lemon, even if recent... revelations have revealed how off-base that turned out to be."
She frowned.
"And I didn't want to sabotage... the possibilities, in case things between us ever changed. My encounter with Jenna, while a lot of fun, would have jeopardized that."
"Wait, what?"
"As I said last night, a tawdry encounter might have endangered what we have. But there are times in life when that kind of risk is appropriate. It may never have come up, but it was always a possibility."
Hearing that, Liz for the first time understood her own discomfort with Jack and Jenna. Somewhat revolted by her own vulnerability, she did what she always did: she attacked.
"So I was your woman in case of emergency, a vagina under glass?"
"Good Lord Lemon, I thought we established that was Jenna."
"How did I ever resist your charms all those years?" she asked acidly.
"That will forever remain a mystery. But you seem to have recovered from your tremendous error," he smiled at her and put his hand over hers, "and found a path to happiness."
It was too nice of a thing to say for her to stay mad. She smiled back.
***
Somewhere over North Carolina, Liz strolled back to where Jack was reclined and reading a book.
"How do you do it, Jack?"
"Do what?"
"Marriage."
He scoffed. "I'm hardly the definitive source on wedded bliss."
"My other potential mentors are Pete and Tracy, so."
He rested the book on his chest, still open to his page, and sighed.
"Lemon, you'll do fine."
"But it's scary. I love Criss, and we make a good team, but... I kind of have to wear the pants in the household."
Jack resisted his impulse to make a crack. He lifted his arm toward her. "Come here."
She took it, sat on the floor next to him, and nestled her head into his shoulder.
"You've been going it alone all these years. Surely another pair of hands will make your work lighter?"
"But that's just it, Jack."
Jack craned his neck to read her expression.
She was looking up at him. "I haven't been alone."
He smiled at her.
They stayed that way, chatting quietly about nothing, until it was time to eat.
END