Duty Calls (1/2)
Title: Duty Calls (1/2)
Author: md123
Rating: PG (mild sex talk, Angst)
Word Count: 2,503 in Part 1
Spoilers: General through Season 5
Summary: Jack has a tough choice to make. Or is it that tough for him?
Liz was checking in with Jack one last time before she quit for the night.
"Anything else before I..."
She stopped as she saw him clutching a glass of scotch, transfixed by his television.
"What's going on?"
"There's a rumor coming out of North Korea that Avery is pregnant with Kim Jong Un's child." His eyes remained focused on MSNBC.
Liz's frowned, and moved a little closer. "I'm sorry."
"I always figured that once we got a competent administration in office, we could get her back," Jack opined, "but I guess now she's gone. She's going to be first lady of North Korea, have a new family there."
Liz patted Jack's back in sympathy as he continued.
"It's Liddy that's really going to suffer. Sherry is the only female role model left in her life, and she'll only be with her until she starts school."
"Well, at least she'll have a great dad!" Liz smiled hopefully.
"Thanks Lemon. That's nice of you to say. Wanna get drunk?"
Liz didn't really want to, but thought it might be a good idea to stay with him when he was in this kind of mood. He was usually a happy drunk, but when the marriage to Bianca had ended he'd gotten pretty self-destructive. And in any case, there wasn't really anyone she was worried about drunk dialing.
"Sure."
**
Two days later, they were in his office haggling over costume budgets when Jack changed the subject.
"Lemon, I'd like it if you joined me at my home for dinner on Sunday."
She shrugged. "OK." Liz trotted out her breathy, fake-sexual voice. "Should I wear something... seductive?"
"I was hoping for 'matronly', which I thought you could handle." He inspected her, head to toe, for a moment. "In fact, what you're wearing now will do."
"What's the occasion?"
"I was thinking about our conversation about a female in Liddy's life. I am going to be an old dad, and after I'm gone you might be the best option I have."
"What, you don't think you'll remarry?"
"I'm self-aware enough to know my relationships have a way of... self-destructing. I might marry again someday, but I don't think Liddy can count on that woman. I need someone I trust, someone who will be there. And you've always been there for me."
Liz was obviously touched. "Are you sure, Jack? It's a big responsibility, and this morning I fixed my bra with some gum I found in my hair."
Jack closed his eyes for a moment, trying to absorb the horror. "Don't make me regret this, Lemon. I don't need you to be her mother. Just come over to my place on Sherry's night off and be around her. Please."
Liz smiled. "I'd love to."
**
It turned out to be an enjoyable evening for everyone. Liddy loved the extra attention, Liz loved being around a baby, and Jack appreciated the help when Sherry was off. These Sunday night dinners quickly became the social highlight of Liz's week, which was something she preferred not to think too much about.
About one month into the arrangement, Liz slipped out of Liddy's room.
"How'd you get her to sleep?"
"I told her the entire plot of The Phantom Menace."
"I thought you said the new ones were boring."
Liz pointed at him. "Exactly!"
As Liz sat down next to him on the couch, Jack pulled out the video baby monitor and regarded his daughter, snoring peacefully in her crib.
Liz put her head over his shoulder to peek at the image on the screen. "That girl is so adorable."
"Yes, thank you."
"And smart too. She'll be talking soon."
"She already has few dozen words. I'm working on getting her to pronounce 'deregulate' correctly."
Liz chuckled, then turned to look at Jack. To her surprise, he was looking at her, and their faces were inches away from each other. Liz's smile dropped, her mouth slightly open, and she stared at his lips for a moment, then his eyes, as they both held position. Jack's lips curled upwards ever so slightly as she suddenly felt unable to exhale.
Liz snapped out of it and sat up straight. "Well, you want to pick from the DVDs that I brought?"
**
Sometimes people assumed Jack saw Liz all the time outside of work, but that actually wasn't the case. They both spent so much time at the office, and time together at the office, that going out after work seemed superfluous. But now, Jack found he was really enjoying this regular dose of the non-work side of Liz. Usually, his exposure to her personal life involved her personal problems, but it turned out that she could actually go for long stretches with no chaos at all.
He thought about this as she was slumped over him, asleep on the couch. The movie had been the old indie comedy film "Clerks," a first for Jack but one that Liz had apparently seen too many times. Although perhaps she'd just had too tiring of a day.
Not wanting to disturb her, he pulled up a blanket on the both of them and slept where he sat.
They stayed that way until the morning, when Sherry returned and gave them a suspicious look. Liz gathered her things and somewhat awkwardly said goodbye, as she headed home to change for work.
**
Liz found herself thinking a lot about that uncomfortable moment over the ensuing week. There had always been a hundred reasons not to consider Jack as a romantic partner. First and foremost, he was her boss, and boffing the boss was an icky and un-feminist thing to do, wasn't it? Moreover, she was pretty sure they were sexually incompatible. How could they not be, even if she did somehow meet his impossible standards of beauty (which he'd made clear she didn't)? And of course, Jack could be tremendously irritating, even mean, at times.
On the other hand, Liz had resolved to be open to new things. The past year, constituting Jack's marriage-and-kids phase, had made her realize that their friendship, another great reason to not do anything, could not stay in stasis forever. Jack was always a little more distant when he was seeing someone, which he surely would do again. Indeed, Avery had probably had it in her power to break them up, decisively, and it was only going through a charade of minimization that they'd preserved their routine. And someday, TGS would end: it was a miracle it'd lasted that as long as it had. Heck, Jack could finally realize his dream of running the company, which would mean a move to Philadelphia.
Liz also had long dismissed Jack for not being Astronaut Mike Dexter. He wasn't really into all the things that she'd always had on her checklist. On the other hand, Carol had checked all those boxes, and it hadn't turned out too well. Maybe she needed someone a little different, that cared for her, but pushed her to improve herself, expose her to new things, and seize happiness. Maybe the key to finding someone who would like her when she was old was to find someone who never, apparently, had liked her for her looks to begin with.
Sometime in that week, Liz resolved to be open. Not to do anything, exactly, except to be available and go with the moment if it came.
The next Sunday was like many of the others. Dinner, playing with Liddy, bedtime, and a movie, cozy and comfortable. Jack was being extra nice, so when she left that evening, she gave him a warm, tight hug. Because it felt right in the moment. Jack didn't seem freaked out by it. So that was good.
**
The next Sunday, Liz was tired, and had a contractor coming to her apartment early Monday morning. After Liddy was asleep, she tried to excuse herself.
"What's the movie you brought for us tonight?" Jack asked.
"Actually, Jack, I have to wake up early in the morning, so I think I'll head home."
Jack seemed disappointed. "Oh. OK."
"Thanks for dinner, though. You really know the way to a woman's heart." Liz hoped that came off as a joke, although there was more truth to it than she would like to admit.
Liz gave him a hug again, her head against his chest and face turned outwards. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a smile. The hug lingered a bit longer than last time, as neither wanted to part. Liddy was great, but the one-on-one time after she was asleep had become a highlight of both their weeks.
She felt a light kiss on the top of her head. Looking up to thank him with a smile, she found his face once again inches away. She felt her heart beat faster and an unfamiliar, tingly feeling overtake her.
Thinking back, it would always be unclear to Liz who kissed whom. She was just sure that it felt right in the moment, and evidently Jack thought so too. It started tentatively, but their mutual feedback caused it to get a little more serious, more intimate.
When Jack was on his game, he always knew just what to say. And this time, he didn't disappoint.
"Stay."
Liz hoped her expression wasn't too needy. Unlike Jack, she didn't know exactly what to say.
So she just said, "Yeah."
**
Lying in bed on a bright and glorious Saturday morning, Liz Lemon silently chastised herself for waiting so long.
What was this feeling that she was having? Was she giddy? Her assumption that the two of them would be sexually incompatible had been proven spectacularly wrong. Six consecutive nights had proved that. She hadn't sought to have sex with him every day; it certainly wasn't something she'd even thought she'd be capable of enduring, much less enjoying or, God forbid, initiating. But the conclusion of each workday never felt like the time to say goodbye, and both of them seemed to be answering a hunger that had gone unfilled for too long.
Maybe it was the hormones of a 41-year old woman, or the lack of Tom Jones reminders, or maybe it was there all along. And Jack was teaching her things, for sure, although she didn't like to think about how he had learned them.
Liz was well familiar with Jack's traditional attitude to relationships, one of aggression and warfare. She had braced herself for fights picked and battles lost, but none of that had materialized. Liz had unintentionally brought out a good Jack, a nicer, more protective one.
But it was early. No reason to get too excited, although she couldn't help herself. She ached to tell Jenna, to share her joy. But if she told Jenna it'd be all over the office, and that would not be OK. In fact, Liz was keeping it out of the office altogether. There were no public or private displays of affection at work. It was too inappropriate, too risky, and kind of gross. The last thing she needed was to go into his office to talk about budgets and think about something that they'd done on his desk.
Maybe, she thought, Jack always had honeymoon periods like this before things came apart. She wasn't so sure on the exact timelines with him. And she wasn't so sure what Jack was feeling; he was enjoying their fooling around; of that, she was sure. But as for any additional feelings, Liz couldn't tell and was mortified to ask.
Was it too early to say she was in love? In terms of how long they'd been really dating, of course; but she'd known this man for almost six years, and shared her most intimate secrets with him. They'd both made sacrifices for each other, and they both understood (Didn't they? It hadn't ever been said, except by Wienerslav) that this was the most significant relationship of their lives to date. But it would be stupid to get ahead of herself, to assume that this was something more than it was. After all, Jack hadn't been with a woman at all since Avery left; perhaps he was grabbing the nearest available one.
But here she was, reveling in some post-coital bliss. Maybe she was over-thinking it. Jack had gotten up, presumably to make her breakfast, just as he'd done on Thursday. The guy most definitely knew how to push the right buttons. On this first opportunity to sleep in since they'd started sleeping together, she'd already jumped him once this morning. Much to her own surprise, when he came back into the bedroom she was going to do it again. Even if it meant sacrificing a warm breakfast. Maybe it was love.
Liz was surprised when Jack returned, not bearing food but wearing a suit, his phone on its way back into his pocket.
"Emergency at work?"
Jack shook his head, then paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Not exactly. I have to, uh, fly to China this morning."
"China?"
Jack's tone was somewhat mysterious to Liz. She couldn't figure out if it was filled with happiness or regret. "Avery's escaped from North Korea, and she's marooned in some village in Manchuria. I've got to go over and speed up the negotiations."
Jack leaned over and pecked Liz on the lips. Internally, her mind started running at full speed. Was that kiss too chaste? Was it a "goodbye, see you later" or a "goodbye, we're done" kiss?
"Can you watch Liddy tomorrow, or should I get the backup nanny?"
"No, I can do it. I'd like to do it."
"Thanks. I should be back in a few days. Bye." He smiled, and left the room.
As the door shut, Liz sat up, holding the sheets over her chest. That conversation did not have the reassurance that she craved.
All of a sudden, all the reasons not to sleep with Jack came to the fore again. Of course he would rescue Avery. She was the mother of his child; he could hardly abandon her in Asia. But what were Jack's intentions here? Were he and Liz finished? Would that make things weird between them? Would work meetings be awkward? Did Liz really want to be in "competition" with Avery? Would it be selfish to break up Liddy's parents? Had Liz gotten to Jack enough in a week to even make it a possibility? And why did she have to have this glimpse of happiness, only to have it pulled so cruelly away?
Her internal monologue was going a mile a minute, and there was no one to talk to about this. Worse yet, it was Saturday, so there wasn't even any job to go to. Liz had nothing to do but get dressed, go home, and stew in it for the day.
Sherry, while holding Liddy, gave Liz the evil eye as she left. This was not going to be such a good weekend after all.
TBC. Please continue to the next post -->
Author: md123
Rating: PG (mild sex talk, Angst)
Word Count: 2,503 in Part 1
Spoilers: General through Season 5
Summary: Jack has a tough choice to make. Or is it that tough for him?
Liz was checking in with Jack one last time before she quit for the night.
"Anything else before I..."
She stopped as she saw him clutching a glass of scotch, transfixed by his television.
"What's going on?"
"There's a rumor coming out of North Korea that Avery is pregnant with Kim Jong Un's child." His eyes remained focused on MSNBC.
Liz's frowned, and moved a little closer. "I'm sorry."
"I always figured that once we got a competent administration in office, we could get her back," Jack opined, "but I guess now she's gone. She's going to be first lady of North Korea, have a new family there."
Liz patted Jack's back in sympathy as he continued.
"It's Liddy that's really going to suffer. Sherry is the only female role model left in her life, and she'll only be with her until she starts school."
"Well, at least she'll have a great dad!" Liz smiled hopefully.
"Thanks Lemon. That's nice of you to say. Wanna get drunk?"
Liz didn't really want to, but thought it might be a good idea to stay with him when he was in this kind of mood. He was usually a happy drunk, but when the marriage to Bianca had ended he'd gotten pretty self-destructive. And in any case, there wasn't really anyone she was worried about drunk dialing.
"Sure."
**
Two days later, they were in his office haggling over costume budgets when Jack changed the subject.
"Lemon, I'd like it if you joined me at my home for dinner on Sunday."
She shrugged. "OK." Liz trotted out her breathy, fake-sexual voice. "Should I wear something... seductive?"
"I was hoping for 'matronly', which I thought you could handle." He inspected her, head to toe, for a moment. "In fact, what you're wearing now will do."
"What's the occasion?"
"I was thinking about our conversation about a female in Liddy's life. I am going to be an old dad, and after I'm gone you might be the best option I have."
"What, you don't think you'll remarry?"
"I'm self-aware enough to know my relationships have a way of... self-destructing. I might marry again someday, but I don't think Liddy can count on that woman. I need someone I trust, someone who will be there. And you've always been there for me."
Liz was obviously touched. "Are you sure, Jack? It's a big responsibility, and this morning I fixed my bra with some gum I found in my hair."
Jack closed his eyes for a moment, trying to absorb the horror. "Don't make me regret this, Lemon. I don't need you to be her mother. Just come over to my place on Sherry's night off and be around her. Please."
Liz smiled. "I'd love to."
**
It turned out to be an enjoyable evening for everyone. Liddy loved the extra attention, Liz loved being around a baby, and Jack appreciated the help when Sherry was off. These Sunday night dinners quickly became the social highlight of Liz's week, which was something she preferred not to think too much about.
About one month into the arrangement, Liz slipped out of Liddy's room.
"How'd you get her to sleep?"
"I told her the entire plot of The Phantom Menace."
"I thought you said the new ones were boring."
Liz pointed at him. "Exactly!"
As Liz sat down next to him on the couch, Jack pulled out the video baby monitor and regarded his daughter, snoring peacefully in her crib.
Liz put her head over his shoulder to peek at the image on the screen. "That girl is so adorable."
"Yes, thank you."
"And smart too. She'll be talking soon."
"She already has few dozen words. I'm working on getting her to pronounce 'deregulate' correctly."
Liz chuckled, then turned to look at Jack. To her surprise, he was looking at her, and their faces were inches away from each other. Liz's smile dropped, her mouth slightly open, and she stared at his lips for a moment, then his eyes, as they both held position. Jack's lips curled upwards ever so slightly as she suddenly felt unable to exhale.
Liz snapped out of it and sat up straight. "Well, you want to pick from the DVDs that I brought?"
**
Sometimes people assumed Jack saw Liz all the time outside of work, but that actually wasn't the case. They both spent so much time at the office, and time together at the office, that going out after work seemed superfluous. But now, Jack found he was really enjoying this regular dose of the non-work side of Liz. Usually, his exposure to her personal life involved her personal problems, but it turned out that she could actually go for long stretches with no chaos at all.
He thought about this as she was slumped over him, asleep on the couch. The movie had been the old indie comedy film "Clerks," a first for Jack but one that Liz had apparently seen too many times. Although perhaps she'd just had too tiring of a day.
Not wanting to disturb her, he pulled up a blanket on the both of them and slept where he sat.
They stayed that way until the morning, when Sherry returned and gave them a suspicious look. Liz gathered her things and somewhat awkwardly said goodbye, as she headed home to change for work.
**
Liz found herself thinking a lot about that uncomfortable moment over the ensuing week. There had always been a hundred reasons not to consider Jack as a romantic partner. First and foremost, he was her boss, and boffing the boss was an icky and un-feminist thing to do, wasn't it? Moreover, she was pretty sure they were sexually incompatible. How could they not be, even if she did somehow meet his impossible standards of beauty (which he'd made clear she didn't)? And of course, Jack could be tremendously irritating, even mean, at times.
On the other hand, Liz had resolved to be open to new things. The past year, constituting Jack's marriage-and-kids phase, had made her realize that their friendship, another great reason to not do anything, could not stay in stasis forever. Jack was always a little more distant when he was seeing someone, which he surely would do again. Indeed, Avery had probably had it in her power to break them up, decisively, and it was only going through a charade of minimization that they'd preserved their routine. And someday, TGS would end: it was a miracle it'd lasted that as long as it had. Heck, Jack could finally realize his dream of running the company, which would mean a move to Philadelphia.
Liz also had long dismissed Jack for not being Astronaut Mike Dexter. He wasn't really into all the things that she'd always had on her checklist. On the other hand, Carol had checked all those boxes, and it hadn't turned out too well. Maybe she needed someone a little different, that cared for her, but pushed her to improve herself, expose her to new things, and seize happiness. Maybe the key to finding someone who would like her when she was old was to find someone who never, apparently, had liked her for her looks to begin with.
Sometime in that week, Liz resolved to be open. Not to do anything, exactly, except to be available and go with the moment if it came.
The next Sunday was like many of the others. Dinner, playing with Liddy, bedtime, and a movie, cozy and comfortable. Jack was being extra nice, so when she left that evening, she gave him a warm, tight hug. Because it felt right in the moment. Jack didn't seem freaked out by it. So that was good.
**
The next Sunday, Liz was tired, and had a contractor coming to her apartment early Monday morning. After Liddy was asleep, she tried to excuse herself.
"What's the movie you brought for us tonight?" Jack asked.
"Actually, Jack, I have to wake up early in the morning, so I think I'll head home."
Jack seemed disappointed. "Oh. OK."
"Thanks for dinner, though. You really know the way to a woman's heart." Liz hoped that came off as a joke, although there was more truth to it than she would like to admit.
Liz gave him a hug again, her head against his chest and face turned outwards. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a smile. The hug lingered a bit longer than last time, as neither wanted to part. Liddy was great, but the one-on-one time after she was asleep had become a highlight of both their weeks.
She felt a light kiss on the top of her head. Looking up to thank him with a smile, she found his face once again inches away. She felt her heart beat faster and an unfamiliar, tingly feeling overtake her.
Thinking back, it would always be unclear to Liz who kissed whom. She was just sure that it felt right in the moment, and evidently Jack thought so too. It started tentatively, but their mutual feedback caused it to get a little more serious, more intimate.
When Jack was on his game, he always knew just what to say. And this time, he didn't disappoint.
"Stay."
Liz hoped her expression wasn't too needy. Unlike Jack, she didn't know exactly what to say.
So she just said, "Yeah."
**
Lying in bed on a bright and glorious Saturday morning, Liz Lemon silently chastised herself for waiting so long.
What was this feeling that she was having? Was she giddy? Her assumption that the two of them would be sexually incompatible had been proven spectacularly wrong. Six consecutive nights had proved that. She hadn't sought to have sex with him every day; it certainly wasn't something she'd even thought she'd be capable of enduring, much less enjoying or, God forbid, initiating. But the conclusion of each workday never felt like the time to say goodbye, and both of them seemed to be answering a hunger that had gone unfilled for too long.
Maybe it was the hormones of a 41-year old woman, or the lack of Tom Jones reminders, or maybe it was there all along. And Jack was teaching her things, for sure, although she didn't like to think about how he had learned them.
Liz was well familiar with Jack's traditional attitude to relationships, one of aggression and warfare. She had braced herself for fights picked and battles lost, but none of that had materialized. Liz had unintentionally brought out a good Jack, a nicer, more protective one.
But it was early. No reason to get too excited, although she couldn't help herself. She ached to tell Jenna, to share her joy. But if she told Jenna it'd be all over the office, and that would not be OK. In fact, Liz was keeping it out of the office altogether. There were no public or private displays of affection at work. It was too inappropriate, too risky, and kind of gross. The last thing she needed was to go into his office to talk about budgets and think about something that they'd done on his desk.
Maybe, she thought, Jack always had honeymoon periods like this before things came apart. She wasn't so sure on the exact timelines with him. And she wasn't so sure what Jack was feeling; he was enjoying their fooling around; of that, she was sure. But as for any additional feelings, Liz couldn't tell and was mortified to ask.
Was it too early to say she was in love? In terms of how long they'd been really dating, of course; but she'd known this man for almost six years, and shared her most intimate secrets with him. They'd both made sacrifices for each other, and they both understood (Didn't they? It hadn't ever been said, except by Wienerslav) that this was the most significant relationship of their lives to date. But it would be stupid to get ahead of herself, to assume that this was something more than it was. After all, Jack hadn't been with a woman at all since Avery left; perhaps he was grabbing the nearest available one.
But here she was, reveling in some post-coital bliss. Maybe she was over-thinking it. Jack had gotten up, presumably to make her breakfast, just as he'd done on Thursday. The guy most definitely knew how to push the right buttons. On this first opportunity to sleep in since they'd started sleeping together, she'd already jumped him once this morning. Much to her own surprise, when he came back into the bedroom she was going to do it again. Even if it meant sacrificing a warm breakfast. Maybe it was love.
Liz was surprised when Jack returned, not bearing food but wearing a suit, his phone on its way back into his pocket.
"Emergency at work?"
Jack shook his head, then paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Not exactly. I have to, uh, fly to China this morning."
"China?"
Jack's tone was somewhat mysterious to Liz. She couldn't figure out if it was filled with happiness or regret. "Avery's escaped from North Korea, and she's marooned in some village in Manchuria. I've got to go over and speed up the negotiations."
Jack leaned over and pecked Liz on the lips. Internally, her mind started running at full speed. Was that kiss too chaste? Was it a "goodbye, see you later" or a "goodbye, we're done" kiss?
"Can you watch Liddy tomorrow, or should I get the backup nanny?"
"No, I can do it. I'd like to do it."
"Thanks. I should be back in a few days. Bye." He smiled, and left the room.
As the door shut, Liz sat up, holding the sheets over her chest. That conversation did not have the reassurance that she craved.
All of a sudden, all the reasons not to sleep with Jack came to the fore again. Of course he would rescue Avery. She was the mother of his child; he could hardly abandon her in Asia. But what were Jack's intentions here? Were he and Liz finished? Would that make things weird between them? Would work meetings be awkward? Did Liz really want to be in "competition" with Avery? Would it be selfish to break up Liddy's parents? Had Liz gotten to Jack enough in a week to even make it a possibility? And why did she have to have this glimpse of happiness, only to have it pulled so cruelly away?
Her internal monologue was going a mile a minute, and there was no one to talk to about this. Worse yet, it was Saturday, so there wasn't even any job to go to. Liz had nothing to do but get dressed, go home, and stew in it for the day.
Sherry, while holding Liddy, gave Liz the evil eye as she left. This was not going to be such a good weekend after all.
TBC. Please continue to the next post -->