(If Only I Don't) Bend and Break [30 Rock; Jack/Liz]
TITLE: (If Only I Don't) Bend and Break
CHAPTER 5
FANDOM: 30 Rock
PAIRING: Jack/Liz
SPOILERS: 2x10
RATING: PG
SUMMARY:
*****
Liz cries by herself outside for a good fifteen minutes before she starts to feel foolish. Several Obama supporters have stopped to ask her if she's alright, and this is why she kinda hates these things -- Democrats are too nice. If she was crying at a Republican fundraiser, nobody would care. Democrats have to jump in and make sure everyone's feeling okay. Stupid Democrats, being in touch with their feelings.
She sneaks back inside long enough to get her coat and cell phone from the coat room. Maybe if she calls Jenna she'll feel better. She's about to hit speed dial 6 (her family and a few takeout restaurants make the cut before Jenna does) when she really considers what Jenna will say to her.
"I knew it! I knew you had a thing for Jack. You guys should do it."
Ugh, no. She shouldn't call Jenna. Maybe Pete! Pete has some good advice sometimes. So she goes for speed dial 7 before she considers Pete's reaction.
"Jack? Jack Donaghy? Liz, you can't be serious," he would laugh. "You mean, like, our boss Jack? Come on."
No, definitely not Pete. And there's no way in hell she'd call Tracy, Frank, or even Kenneth and divulge this information.
"Well Miss Lemon, my Momma always told me that we can't choose who we love. She said if we could, she'd be married to Harrison Ford."
On second thought, maybe Kenneth would have a point. But she doesn't call him. She just sighs and puts her phone away, but hangs onto the coat so she can go back outside and cry some more.
Jack? Seriously. Jack. What is the matter with her? This morning, she was perfectly fine and definitely not in love with Jack. Then they dance to one flippin' Celine Dion song (this is still all her fault) and suddenly Liz loves Jack. Maybe she's starting to go nuts. She definitely is not going to be one of those crazy Donaghy brides.
Whoa, bride? Seriously. What. The effing hell.
She needs more shrimp toast.
*****
"It was nice to see you again, Liz," she hears C.C. say behind her as she finishes packing away her eighty-thousandth piece of shrimp toast.
She chews as fast as she possibly can and fakes a smile at C.C. while she hopes there aren't any more tear tracks on her face. Then she waves, still with that fake smile plastered across her face. "Bye, C.C. Congratulations."
"What?"
Liz makes a face and gestures inside, where Jack's probably pining away for her. "Y'know, you and Jack. You guys got back together, so... congratulations."
C.C. makes a face and Liz wonders which part of that was hard to understand. "Liz... Jack and I didn't get back together."
"What?"
"No. He proposed that we do, but I said no. It wouldn't have been right."
Now Liz has no idea what the hell's going on. Where's that shrimp toast? "I don't get it. Jack... inside... said you guys got back together. On the dance floor."
"No, Liz. It wouldn't have been right."
"But Jack loves you. Like, a lot." She widens her eyes as if to emphasize her point and really hopes she doesn't cry about this again. "I mean, I've never seen him so serious about someone."
C.C. smiles. "Then you've never seen the way he looks at you."
Liz ducks her head as Bianca's words -- almost those exact same words -- come back to her again. How the hell is she supposed to take that? "Umm... thanks?"
"He's pretty serious about 'his Lemon,' trust me. And... for how much he and I cared about each other and for how much we wish it would've worked out, the reality of the situation is... I'd end up being the 'other woman.' And I promised myself two things: one, that I'd never sleep with a Republican, and two, that I'd never be 'the other woman.'" She smiles and tilts her head. "I already broke one promise to myself, so I'd really like to hang on to the other one."
"But Jack and I aren't--"
"Together?" C.C. moves toward her limo as it pulls up. "Maybe not technically, no." That's all she says then as she waves at Liz and climbs into her limo, and Liz watches her go.
Yeah okay, so maybe C.C. is her favorite of Jack's exes.
She really should talk to Jack. Why would he tell her they'd gotten back together if they hadn't? Was it just to piss her off? Because it worked. And she'd really hate having to admit to that.
She goes inside and deposits her coat at the coat check again, looking around for Jack. She spots him with the Gary/Bob/Steve/Lances, laughing about something. Probably something involving either Big Macs, nine irons, or hookers. Frighteningly enough, it could be all three.
Maybe she's better off outside for awhile. So she heads for one of the balconies, missing the fact that Jack's eyes follow her the entire way.
And she grabs one last piece of shrimp toast on her way out.
TBC
{x-posted to jack_liz and 30_rock}
CHAPTER 5
FANDOM: 30 Rock
PAIRING: Jack/Liz
SPOILERS: 2x10
RATING: PG
SUMMARY:
*****
Liz cries by herself outside for a good fifteen minutes before she starts to feel foolish. Several Obama supporters have stopped to ask her if she's alright, and this is why she kinda hates these things -- Democrats are too nice. If she was crying at a Republican fundraiser, nobody would care. Democrats have to jump in and make sure everyone's feeling okay. Stupid Democrats, being in touch with their feelings.
She sneaks back inside long enough to get her coat and cell phone from the coat room. Maybe if she calls Jenna she'll feel better. She's about to hit speed dial 6 (her family and a few takeout restaurants make the cut before Jenna does) when she really considers what Jenna will say to her.
"I knew it! I knew you had a thing for Jack. You guys should do it."
Ugh, no. She shouldn't call Jenna. Maybe Pete! Pete has some good advice sometimes. So she goes for speed dial 7 before she considers Pete's reaction.
"Jack? Jack Donaghy? Liz, you can't be serious," he would laugh. "You mean, like, our boss Jack? Come on."
No, definitely not Pete. And there's no way in hell she'd call Tracy, Frank, or even Kenneth and divulge this information.
"Well Miss Lemon, my Momma always told me that we can't choose who we love. She said if we could, she'd be married to Harrison Ford."
On second thought, maybe Kenneth would have a point. But she doesn't call him. She just sighs and puts her phone away, but hangs onto the coat so she can go back outside and cry some more.
Jack? Seriously. Jack. What is the matter with her? This morning, she was perfectly fine and definitely not in love with Jack. Then they dance to one flippin' Celine Dion song (this is still all her fault) and suddenly Liz loves Jack. Maybe she's starting to go nuts. She definitely is not going to be one of those crazy Donaghy brides.
Whoa, bride? Seriously. What. The effing hell.
She needs more shrimp toast.
*****
"It was nice to see you again, Liz," she hears C.C. say behind her as she finishes packing away her eighty-thousandth piece of shrimp toast.
She chews as fast as she possibly can and fakes a smile at C.C. while she hopes there aren't any more tear tracks on her face. Then she waves, still with that fake smile plastered across her face. "Bye, C.C. Congratulations."
"What?"
Liz makes a face and gestures inside, where Jack's probably pining away for her. "Y'know, you and Jack. You guys got back together, so... congratulations."
C.C. makes a face and Liz wonders which part of that was hard to understand. "Liz... Jack and I didn't get back together."
"What?"
"No. He proposed that we do, but I said no. It wouldn't have been right."
Now Liz has no idea what the hell's going on. Where's that shrimp toast? "I don't get it. Jack... inside... said you guys got back together. On the dance floor."
"No, Liz. It wouldn't have been right."
"But Jack loves you. Like, a lot." She widens her eyes as if to emphasize her point and really hopes she doesn't cry about this again. "I mean, I've never seen him so serious about someone."
C.C. smiles. "Then you've never seen the way he looks at you."
Liz ducks her head as Bianca's words -- almost those exact same words -- come back to her again. How the hell is she supposed to take that? "Umm... thanks?"
"He's pretty serious about 'his Lemon,' trust me. And... for how much he and I cared about each other and for how much we wish it would've worked out, the reality of the situation is... I'd end up being the 'other woman.' And I promised myself two things: one, that I'd never sleep with a Republican, and two, that I'd never be 'the other woman.'" She smiles and tilts her head. "I already broke one promise to myself, so I'd really like to hang on to the other one."
"But Jack and I aren't--"
"Together?" C.C. moves toward her limo as it pulls up. "Maybe not technically, no." That's all she says then as she waves at Liz and climbs into her limo, and Liz watches her go.
Yeah okay, so maybe C.C. is her favorite of Jack's exes.
She really should talk to Jack. Why would he tell her they'd gotten back together if they hadn't? Was it just to piss her off? Because it worked. And she'd really hate having to admit to that.
She goes inside and deposits her coat at the coat check again, looking around for Jack. She spots him with the Gary/Bob/Steve/Lances, laughing about something. Probably something involving either Big Macs, nine irons, or hookers. Frighteningly enough, it could be all three.
Maybe she's better off outside for awhile. So she heads for one of the balconies, missing the fact that Jack's eyes follow her the entire way.
And she grabs one last piece of shrimp toast on her way out.
TBC
{x-posted to jack_liz and 30_rock}