"I'm in here!" Joe barked, his voice coming from the direction of the coffee room. "I'm brewin' a fresh pot...get your ass in here, you sneaky bastard!"
Another individual in the squad room, however, was standing off to one side, absently peering at files on an empty desk...Artie's desk. And as the name 'Nick' was mentioned, dark brown eyes lifted curiously to take in the handsome younger man talking to Julianne.
Gail Jackson was no fool...but it would be hasty to assume she knew the boy to be Theresa's for sure unless she asked.
Moving across the room, she stood politely off to one side until there was a lull in the conversation before moving forward with a pleasant smile. "Hi, kids...I'm sorry to interrupt, but you...your name is Nick, sweetie? As in Nick Hart?"
Looking down at the dark haired brunette, Nick was vaguely startled. This woman looked familiar. Very familiar, in fact. He gave Julianne a sideways glance before returning his attention to her. "Indeed it is. I must apologize, I don't know yer name, Ms...?"
Julianne cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly at the woman. Now was not the time for such a conversation. "We'll talk in the coffee room. Come on, we'll make the rounds in there," she assured him, tugging his hand towards the room in question.
Gail nodded in understanding, a small, pleased smile touching her lips even as she laid a hand on Julianne's arm. "Just a moment, hon...Art should be here for this, as well as...our friend."
Knowing Julianne would understand, given that Terry had been spending a great deal of time around the station and the lab while waiting out the department's verdict on whether or not she was eligible for reinstatement, Gail moved back to Artie's desk and picked up his phone, dialing the extension for the crime lab from memory.
It rang three times before a voice answered. "Pathology."
"Yes, I'd like to speak to Detective Jackson, please?"
"I'm sorry, he's in a meeting with--"
"Honey? He's a cop, not the King of Siam, and his word isn't law." she replied blandly. "So do your job, move your ass, and get Art on the line. Tell him it's Gail...you won't get in trouble. And if you do, I'll hang him by his toes."
Only one person ever spoke to or about Jackson like that. The thought was mindboggling, not quite sure how to interpret this bit of information. His tone was incredulous, taking a moment to get the words out. "Gail? Gail *Jackson*? Jules, what on Earth?"
Julianne nearly smacked her forehead. "Nick, coffee room, come on," she remarked, pulling harder on his arm, which got him to follow with a slight stumble.
Alive? This woman had to be lying... someone was. It wasn't possible. This woman, Theresa coming back... None of it was possible.
But this woman was standing before him, defying every aspect of logic that he tried to cling to as he tried to wrap his head around the information. If what she said was true... the past three years of recovering over her death were meaningless, a world where his life had nearly spirialed into chaos, for no reason at all.
Yet the prospect didn't bother him at all.
She was alive?
He couldn't stop himself from voicing the words aloud, words he never thought he'd find himself saying in a place other than Heaven or a dream.
"Theresa's alive?" He whispered, trying not to get his hopes up, but his tone betrayed him. He had barely met this woman, but a look into her eyes spoke volumes to her character... He knew he could believe her.
Gail was about to answer when Fate and irony struck at that moment. In the squad room, the sound of a door opening could be heard, along with a familiar female voice belting out the lyrics to Simple Minds' song "Alive and Kicking."
"Stay until your love is, love is, alive and kicking....and where the freakin' hell is everyone?..." Terry sang, continuing the melody of the song with her shouted question. Usually Joe was out and about, and Artie...oh yeah, he had that visit in Pathology. She could probably track him down there...
"Terry? Coffee room, Joe and Jules are in there."
Glancing at the uniform that walked by, she smirked and waved at him in thanks as she strolled in that general direction.
"Joe! Pour me a cup, will you?" Terry called out ahead of her. "Three sugars today, I need to be more freaking wired this morning..."
Nick brought a hand to his chest, willing his heart to keep beating. There was no way. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be her.
His willed his feet to move towards the sound, but his body wasn't that willing to listen. It was happy just to keep him standing for the moment.
When she came to the door, it was almost as if life slowed. She was exactly as he remembered her... And she was beaming. That smile... he had yet to see a smile that lit up a room the same way hers ever did.
After what felt like ages, the greeting finally left his mouth. "...Tes...?"
When she got no answer, Terry reached the door with an annoyed expression. "Yo, Joe! Seriously, dude, you could answer--"
Her voice died, as did her annoyance when she saw the occupants of the room...including a tall, gorgeous drink of water with pretty blue eyes she'd forced herself to forget.
Nobody told her he was still here, and she hadn't asked, too afraid to know...
"You're here." she breathed, a smile of pure joy touching her features as she moved into the room, stopping just short of hugging him. "You're really...you're here...I didn't..."
Trailing off, she swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat and made herself move, laughing softly as she reached up to fling her arms around his neck.
"You didn't ride off into the sunset after all, Cowboy." She whispered, hugging him tight. "My God, Nicky, it's so good to see you!!"
"That's because she doesn't look in a mirror," Nick remarked, drawing her in for another hug once more. He was convinced this was all a dream, or perhaps a vicious nightmare. He couldn't believe that she was really back, that she was really here in his arms again...
"Her smile brings light to my days," he whispered softly into her skin, not sure if it was loud enough for anyone else to hear him, even Theresa herself. Holding her in his arms again, he could not understand how he had kept going without her. Granted, he had not lived well after her death, but it was a miracle that he survived at all. The rush of emotions she brought forth in him were strong as ever, dare he think stronger since the events of three years ago.
Terry allowed herself to be hugged, hiding her face against his neck for a moment to just breathe him in. Jesus, she'd missed that smell...leather and warm cotton, soap and skin and Nick, all wrapped up in one mouthwatering combination.
Drawing back, she kissed him again, then winked flirtatiously as she slid out of his arms. "You damn right, Cowboy Hart." she teased affectionately before heading over to the coffemaker with Joe.
"Okay, you're screwing up the java again...where the hell is Artie?" she huffed, shoving Joe back from the machine. "Dead Boy makes the best coffee of anyone in here."
"That's because I know a good pot when I smell it." came Artie's voice from the doorway as he walked up, clearly just in as he removed his hat and started shrugging off his jacket...until he saw the man standing next to Gail.
"Holy mother of...Nick?!" Artie laughed, tucking his hat under his arm and walking over to embrace him paternally. "Son of a bitch...how are you, kiddo?"
Nick found himself chuckling warmly, hugging Artie back in return. "Better than I have been in a long time, Jacko. But I'm sure ya know that feelin', huh?" He remarked, motioning towards Gail with a knowing smile.
Jules laughed from her spot seated on the tabletop. "Tell me about it. All he can do is gush about Gail. Even more than he used to, I think," she said grinning.
"Can you blame me?" Artie protested with a grin, crossing the room to Gail's side, where he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You've met her now, you know why I brag on my baby!"
Gail giggled, hiding her face briefly against his chest. "Oh, Art! You're a sentimental old fool!"
"And you're a very pretty girl, but so is Terry over here." Artie shot back brightly, glancing up to see her wrestling with the coffeemaker. Releasing Gail, he moved over to Joe and Terry, brushing them aside.
"Now...aw, hang on...both you! Scoot! Now!" He shooed, easily starting a fresh pot after adjusting the amount of grounds they'd added. Glancing over his shoulder at Nick, he grinned. "So...secret's out, I see. You okay with this, kiddo? The girls...them back, what they are..."
Comments 32
Another individual in the squad room, however, was standing off to one side, absently peering at files on an empty desk...Artie's desk. And as the name 'Nick' was mentioned, dark brown eyes lifted curiously to take in the handsome younger man talking to Julianne.
Gail Jackson was no fool...but it would be hasty to assume she knew the boy to be Theresa's for sure unless she asked.
Moving across the room, she stood politely off to one side until there was a lull in the conversation before moving forward with a pleasant smile. "Hi, kids...I'm sorry to interrupt, but you...your name is Nick, sweetie? As in Nick Hart?"
Reply
Julianne cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly at the woman. Now was not the time for such a conversation. "We'll talk in the coffee room. Come on, we'll make the rounds in there," she assured him, tugging his hand towards the room in question.
Reply
Knowing Julianne would understand, given that Terry had been spending a great deal of time around the station and the lab while waiting out the department's verdict on whether or not she was eligible for reinstatement, Gail moved back to Artie's desk and picked up his phone, dialing the extension for the crime lab from memory.
It rang three times before a voice answered. "Pathology."
"Yes, I'd like to speak to Detective Jackson, please?"
"I'm sorry, he's in a meeting with--"
"Honey? He's a cop, not the King of Siam, and his word isn't law." she replied blandly. "So do your job, move your ass, and get Art on the line. Tell him it's Gail...you won't get in trouble. And if you do, I'll hang him by his toes."
Reply
Julianne nearly smacked her forehead. "Nick, coffee room, come on," she remarked, pulling harder on his arm, which got him to follow with a slight stumble.
Reply
Alive? This woman had to be lying... someone was. It wasn't possible. This woman, Theresa coming back... None of it was possible.
But this woman was standing before him, defying every aspect of logic that he tried to cling to as he tried to wrap his head around the information. If what she said was true... the past three years of recovering over her death were meaningless, a world where his life had nearly spirialed into chaos, for no reason at all.
Yet the prospect didn't bother him at all.
She was alive?
He couldn't stop himself from voicing the words aloud, words he never thought he'd find himself saying in a place other than Heaven or a dream.
"Theresa's alive?" He whispered, trying not to get his hopes up, but his tone betrayed him. He had barely met this woman, but a look into her eyes spoke volumes to her character... He knew he could believe her.
He just didn't know if he wanted to.
Reply
"Stay until your love is, love is, alive and kicking....and where the freakin' hell is everyone?..." Terry sang, continuing the melody of the song with her shouted question. Usually Joe was out and about, and Artie...oh yeah, he had that visit in Pathology. She could probably track him down there...
"Terry? Coffee room, Joe and Jules are in there."
Glancing at the uniform that walked by, she smirked and waved at him in thanks as she strolled in that general direction.
"Joe! Pour me a cup, will you?" Terry called out ahead of her. "Three sugars today, I need to be more freaking wired this morning..."
Reply
His willed his feet to move towards the sound, but his body wasn't that willing to listen. It was happy just to keep him standing for the moment.
When she came to the door, it was almost as if life slowed. She was exactly as he remembered her... And she was beaming. That smile... he had yet to see a smile that lit up a room the same way hers ever did.
After what felt like ages, the greeting finally left his mouth. "...Tes...?"
Reply
Her voice died, as did her annoyance when she saw the occupants of the room...including a tall, gorgeous drink of water with pretty blue eyes she'd forced herself to forget.
Nobody told her he was still here, and she hadn't asked, too afraid to know...
"You're here." she breathed, a smile of pure joy touching her features as she moved into the room, stopping just short of hugging him. "You're really...you're here...I didn't..."
Trailing off, she swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat and made herself move, laughing softly as she reached up to fling her arms around his neck.
"You didn't ride off into the sunset after all, Cowboy." She whispered, hugging him tight. "My God, Nicky, it's so good to see you!!"
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"Her smile brings light to my days," he whispered softly into her skin, not sure if it was loud enough for anyone else to hear him, even Theresa herself. Holding her in his arms again, he could not understand how he had kept going without her. Granted, he had not lived well after her death, but it was a miracle that he survived at all. The rush of emotions she brought forth in him were strong as ever, dare he think stronger since the events of three years ago.
Reply
Drawing back, she kissed him again, then winked flirtatiously as she slid out of his arms. "You damn right, Cowboy Hart." she teased affectionately before heading over to the coffemaker with Joe.
"Okay, you're screwing up the java again...where the hell is Artie?" she huffed, shoving Joe back from the machine. "Dead Boy makes the best coffee of anyone in here."
"That's because I know a good pot when I smell it." came Artie's voice from the doorway as he walked up, clearly just in as he removed his hat and started shrugging off his jacket...until he saw the man standing next to Gail.
"Holy mother of...Nick?!" Artie laughed, tucking his hat under his arm and walking over to embrace him paternally. "Son of a bitch...how are you, kiddo?"
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Jules laughed from her spot seated on the tabletop. "Tell me about it. All he can do is gush about Gail. Even more than he used to, I think," she said grinning.
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Gail giggled, hiding her face briefly against his chest. "Oh, Art! You're a sentimental old fool!"
"And you're a very pretty girl, but so is Terry over here." Artie shot back brightly, glancing up to see her wrestling with the coffeemaker. Releasing Gail, he moved over to Joe and Terry, brushing them aside.
"Now...aw, hang on...both you! Scoot! Now!" He shooed, easily starting a fresh pot after adjusting the amount of grounds they'd added. Glancing over his shoulder at Nick, he grinned. "So...secret's out, I see. You okay with this, kiddo? The girls...them back, what they are..."
Reply
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