Author�s Note: A kind of link to Section One if you wanna refresh your memory. 7.30 a.m. Jack watched the woman sleeping in his bed, beautiful, graceful and naked. She turned onto her back, one arm resting on the pillow and her hand on her forehead. Her dark hair spread out in stark contrast to the whiteness of his bed sheets. One hand pushed at the duvet, forcing it down to her waist, it was warm this morning. He couldn�t take his eyes away from her body, after all this time it was Nora he was waking up with. Meaning everything, symbolising everything, her sleeping figure there as a firm reminder of his devotion and commitment. To succeed and hold the relationship together and find the idea of making love to this one woman for the rest of his life more than enough. Turning over again, onto her side, drawing the sheets up to cover herself, pressing her face into the pillow. �Jack.� She smiled without looking up. �Stop staring.� He laughed. �You�re supposed to be asleep.� �What time is it?� �Just gone 7.30.� She opened her eyes and brought her head up to look at him. �Then why are you awake?� She held her hand out. �Come back to bed.� How could he resist the offer when she was holding back the bed sheets and beckoning him? He took his dressing gown off and slid in next to her. �You�re cold.� She said pressing her face against his chest. �I�m sorry.� He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes at the feel and scent of her hair. A smile couldn�t help but appear as her hands began to wander down his body. �I thought you were tired.� She lifted her head up. �I soon will be.� �And I thought you were a sensible girl?� �I am, I only sleep with men I care for...� She moved on top of him. ��It doesn�t mean I don�t enjoy it. You should take note.� �Oh I have, believe me.� A serious moment within the fun, her kiss was deep and full of love but it was he who said the magic words and she smiled. �After all this time I finally get Jack McCoy to say he loves me.� �After all this time I finally realise what�s good for me.� 9.30 a.m. �How do you feel?� �That�s a loaded question.� He nodded and smiled brushing her hair back, relishing in the fact that he could now do such a thing. �Guilty.� She sighed taking hold of his hand. �Very guilty. Richard isn�t a bad man.� �Then why are you here?� He felt himself become defensive at the mention of the man�s name. �You know why � because it�s you. And well, no matter how good he is or how much he cares for me, if I don�t feel the same then�� �Then what?� She shrugged. �I don�t know Jack, I try not to think of myself as a bad person but if I�m capable of doing this to a man who has shown me nothing but kindness then what he hell�� �I can assure you, you�re not a bad person.� �Perhaps not, but I can�t be labelled as entirely good now can I?� She turned onto her back and released herself from his grasp. �I mean I practically live with the guy, I go away for romantic weekends with him that really aren�t all that romantic. We have long conversations and comment on the weather and the beautiful surroundings, have polite non-committal sex and say we�ve had a good time.� �Polite sex?� He nudged her arm. �Don�t even smile at that, it�s true, not like this, not changing anything dramatically.� �And this has?� �You know it has, I�ve known you for most of my adult life, I even fantasised about having you for a few years.� �But we slipped into friendship instead.� �And you were married.� �So our timing isn�t very good!� He smiled pulling her back into his arms again. �You never wanted me anyway, not back then, not over the years. I was the one who picked up the pieces each and every time you fucked another relationship up.� �I don�t care for your tone young lady.� He kissed her neck and gently tickled her waist. �Hey, don�t do that.� She giggled pulling herself free. �I�m ticklish.� �I know, I found that out.� She turned to face him. �You know I have to go right.� He nodded. �It doesn�t mean I want you too though.� �I have to go talk to him, I can�t leave it like this.� �Will you come over later, for dinner or something, a drink?� �I don�t know�� �Well just call me, I don�t wanna be left wondering.� �Wondering?� She took hold of his face. �Jack believe me if I wasn�t sure about this and if I didn�t want it badly then I wouldn�t be here. I wouldn�t jeopardise my career or hurt another man on a whim, or if I didn�t have intense feelings for you. And I do,� She smiled and kissed him. �So don�t look so worried, we�ll work through this together, it�s just going to take time.� �Not all hearts and flowers is it.� She shook her head as she climbed out of bed. �Unfortunately not.� She carried on talking as she dressed and he lay back and watched her. �You know when I was a younger I used to think that you were attracted to a man, you pursued him, you slept with him end of story � everything was sorted. But sex isn�t all it�s cracked up to be.� �Hey!!� She laughed. �NO, I didn�t mean it wasn�t - erm�� �Now Ms. Lewin I do believe you�re embarrassed.� �I don�t embarrass easily.� She said as she put her jumper on. �I�m not saying it wasn�t good sex Jack, just that it isn�t the end, we don�t sleep together and all of a sudden that�s it we�re an officially working couple. You seem to forget that sometimes.� �I know.� He sat up and folded his arms. �And don�t give me that courtroom stare.� She knelt down next to him. �I�m not saying this isn�t what I want or that it won�t last what I�m saying is that we�re adults now Jack and relationships aren�t easy and it will be even harder with us working together day in day out. You might bore of me.� She smiled. �How could I bore of that smile? Besides I�ve spent almost every day with you for the last three years, believe me when I�m tired of you I�ll find a nice bar and chill out then remember just why I�m with you.� �You say that now � but you just wait, I can be very annoying.� �I know.� �Oh right, so the morning after and already he�s picking faults.� She stood up and slipped her shoes on. �I gotta go, I�ll call later I promise.� She bent down and kissed him and he tried to pull her back onto the bed. �I gotta go, I�m sorry.� She smiled, taking his hand from her arm and kissing it and then leaving. �Have a good day�� She called as she left. Jack sank back down into bed. �I�ll try.� He said aloud to the silence. She�d swept out of his house just as quickly as she�d arrived last night. Almost like nobody would believe him if he told them it had happened, almost like it wasn�t for real. But it was, her perfume was still on his skin and the taste of her mouth still surrounding him, cocooning him. Everything she�d said just now was true, he knew she had a thousand things to tell him, to explain, to warn him about � her worries about work no doubt at the top of that list. But she�d rushed through it, jumbled her emotions up and now it had worried him. What if she didn�t think he was worth all this sacrifice? Or worse still what if she did make the sacrifices dated him and he screwed it up yet again. He closed his eyes and pulled the sheets closer to his body. No he wouldn�t screw it up, he couldn�t, for the first time in so many years he felt not quite so alone anymore. Review Home |
| Disclaimer: Cos Nora's cute and Jack is sexy and they just HAVE to get it together - ok writers!! |
| S e c t i o n s : 7 |