NOTHING TO CHANCE
By Ivory

He’d left nothing to chance. At least he hoped he hadn’t. And he was good at planning, so this was sure to go off without a hitch. Ever since Tara had cajoled them all into taking part in her current festival of the week, St. Valentine’s Day.

“Come on, it will be fun,” she had encouraged her dubious team.

“Look, we’re used to you playing around with Christmas, and I don’t even mind the bunnies and chicks at Easter, though the live ducklings were a bit much last year. But Valentine’s Day, Tara? Is nothing sacred to you?” he had been the first to protest, but as usual to no avail.

Tara had compromised. “Okay, we won’t do everything I planned, but we will do…this one. Yes, this looks like fun!” She had grinned up at them all from her perch at the computer with such enthusiasm that no one had the heart to discourage her. “This is an ancient Valentine’s Day custom. And it’s easy to do. You have to claim the first person of the opposite sex that you see on Valentine’s Day for your Valentine.”

“And that would entail?”

“Oh, I don’t know, taking him, or her, out to lunch, doing absolutely everything together all day and then something special in the evening. Come on, this should be lots of fun.”

“I’ve never wished you were in a committed relationship more than I do right now.” He forgot who said that, but it was the general consensus of the day.

Of course they had all grumbled and flatly refused to participate…which is why he was perched out here in the freezing cold before the sun had even risen waiting to for the first glimpse of… the woman he wanted with all of his heart to claim as his Valentine.

So that was how FBI Special Agent Jack Hudson found himself sitting on a bench the park across the street from the apartment of Sue Thomas, his co-worker, trainee and best friend. This has to be the coldest Valentine’s Day on record, he thought as he shivered. He blew on his hands trying to warm them then crossed arms and rubbed his hands up and down his upper arms. He opened his thermos and poured out a cup of coffee. The warmth felt good as it eased down his throat.

He knew that this was the time of the morning that she usually walked her retriever, Levi. He hoped to meet her in a few minutes in what was definitely a planned encounter. He had seen the lights come on in the apartment so he knew that she was up.

Suddenly Jack heard his name being called out from behind him. Turning around in response to his name, he found himself engaging in an unwelcome encounter with …

Competition or someone for the fair Lucy?

My curiosity is piqued. Who is Jack talking to?

I'll be waiting for more!

Sairs

Who is it?

Talking to? Don't make us wait too long, okay?

I'm thrilled to bits that you're writing again!

I loved your other stories and how you wrote J/S. I can't wait to see where this story goes, but I know I shall enjoy every moment of it.

why is there are always......................INTERRUPTIONS!!!

Turning around in response to his name, he found himself engaging in an unwelcome encounter with Elinore Rippendorf. This cannot be happening. Jack thought as he almost groaned out loud.

Elinore approached Jack and smiled. “Well, Jack Hudson. Hello. What an auspicious turn of events to run into you here this morning. And how is the FBI’s most enchanting agent doing these days? I haven’t seen you since the bachelor auction."

“Fine, thanks.” Jack tugged at the collar of his shirt that was suddenly feeling tight.

Elinore stepped close to Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know we don’t see each other a lot, but I do think about you often.”

“It’s nice to see you Elinore,” Jack said flatly, out of politeness, hoping he would be able to get away quickly, but she continued on.

“You probably wonder what I am doing here?” She looked into Jack’s eyes hoping to see some interest reflected there. Disappointed when she didn’t see any, she decided to get to the point. “Okay, I have a confession here. I heard about Tara William’s Valentine tradition idea from my friend who works in the Assistant Director’s office.” She began to fiddle with the lapel of his jacket. “I guess the idea has really spread around the building. When I heard about it from my friend, I decided that I was going to take a chance that a certain handsome, dark-haired, very special agent would claim me as his Valentine. So, I …followed you here this morning from your place. I guess I was… well, I was hoping that we could claim each other today.”

Jack’s reaction was to feel uneasy that she even knew about the traditon, angry at her intrusion into his priivacy, but he was also surprised at the the effort that Elinore had made. She had placed her heart on the line here. He decided to be firm, but kind. He took a step back in order to regain his personal body space.

“Elinore, you remember at the bachelor auction that I told you that Sue Thomas and I were very close.” He saw her nod yes. “That hasn’t changed. In fact, you need to know that I am not eligible."

“I see. I didn't know," she managed to say in a shaky voice.

He saw the hurt that was showing in Elinore’s eyes, so he gentled his comments while still making his point. “I am flattered by your interest, but I am in a committed relationship with Sue. I am here this morning to meet her.” Jack secretly congratulated himself that he had the presence of mind to come up with that statement.

“I …understand,” she told him. “I hope you won’t blame a girl for trying.” She dipped her head and softy said, “I want you to know that I am not usually this forward with someone. I feel so foolish. This was a stupid idea. It’s just that when I …”

“I think I understand,” he interrupted, causing her to look back at him.

Elinore's face blushed with embarrassment. "I should be going then. Good-bye, Jack Hudson. Sue is a lucky girl.”

“Thank you, Elinore. There will be a special guy out there for you too, I’m sure.”

With that, Elinore turned and walked away as she aimed for her car and the chance to let some releasing tears come. He had treated her gently, and for that she was grateful.

Jack released a slow breath. He felt relief wash over him. For a moment he had visions of having to spend the day taking her to lunch and doing something with her in the evening.

He turned from his encounter with Elinore to see the object of his affections standing off in the distance. She was facing away from him as she played a game of fetch with Levi. Jack walked over to join her. As he neared her, he called out to Levi, “Get Sue, Buddy.”

At Levi’s nudge, Sue looked over to see Jack approaching. She looked up at Jack and smiled. She felt her heart skip a beat like it often did when she saw him, especially when it was outside of work.

They greeted each other warmly.

"Were you looking for me, Jack?" Sue tried to keep her question casual, but Jack saw right through it.

“Looking for you? Nah. I felt like spending some extra time out in the cold.” He winked at her. "The truth is that I have come to claim you as my Valentine, Miss Thomas." Bowing from the waist, he reached for one of her hands and kissed it.

'Why, good sir, I would be most honored to be your Valentine," Sue replied.

“Thank you, milady,” was his response. He looked into her eyes for a few moments. “I’m glad you aren’t one to jump to conclusions,” he signed. “I’m sure you saw Elinore back there.”

“Yes, I did. First, I saw you from my window. Then as I came down the walk, I saw her come up behind you. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, so I played with Levi.”

Jack grinned. “Did you use the hand telescope you use for distance lip reading?"

“Nope, I didn’t need to. I know you well enough that I could tell it was you even from a distance.”

Jack gave her a bright smile. “Is that so?” He noticed her start to shiver. “Why don’t we head for my car and get out of this cold. I can drive us into work today."

When Sue agreed, they started of together for his car. Jack placed his hand on the small of her back. After they had gone a few steps, he tapped her arm to get her attention. “I really thought I was in for a difficult time back there. Elinore heard about Tara’s Valentine custom and she was hoping to claim me. I told her that was not possible and explained the situation to her so that she would understand."

“Understand what, exactly?” Sue asked.

OK Jack, you told Eleanor how you feel now it's time to let Sue in on it!

Yep. It's confession time!!!

Jill

It was really smart and funny to insert Eleanor to this story I almost saw Jack's frightened expression

But now I am impatiently waiting for their Valentine Day!!!!!


Restie

I think I'm relieved....at least Jack admitted something to somebody. And I was so afraid we were in for Eleanor tagging along everywhere with Jack and Sue...hopefully she's not a sore loser. And now, what exactly does he want to tell Sue he made Eleanor understand about?

you had me scared there for a moment, Ivory, I really thought that Jack will be forced to spent his day with Elinore Rippendorf as his Valentine...I'm so relieved he turned her down (gently ).

Now Jack, spill the beans to Sue!

Phew, that was a close call.

Now Jack you must tell Sue what you told Elinor.

Soph

Is it the time where Jack finally admits his feelings... I surely hope so. Looking forward to more of your story.

[A/N Thanks everyone for all the encouraging comments. I appreciate it. Here is the next post. ]

Jack took in a deep breath realizing that if ever there was an opportunity, this was it. Even though they were outside in the cold, he couldn’t wait any longer. He stopped in his tracks causing her to stop as well. He reached for her hands to turn her toward him. “I told her that my heart has already been claimed. I told her that I am …committed to you.”

Sue looked at him in amazement. “Did I read you correctly?”

“I think you did.’’ He suddenly found that the words that he had wanted to tell her for so long were there. He took her hands in his and his eyes darkened as he looked into her eyes. His voice shook a bit as he responded. “Sue, I want you to know right here and now that … I love you. I have loved you for a long time.”

Sue closed her eyes for a moment while she took in his words. When she opened them again, he was looking at her in a way she had never seen a man look at her before. It brought tears to her eyes. “Oh, Jack. I love you, too.” The next thing Sue knew she was in his arms. She looked at Jack and sensed that she was about to be kissed.

Jack quickly glanced around to determine if they were alone. Thankfully, they were. He signed to her to ask if he may kiss her. Sue smiled brightly as she nodded yes. She felt Jack’s arm slip around her waist. He, in turn, felt her place her hand on his shoulder. They had both wanted this ever since they kissed undercover during the Callahan and Merced case. They drew close into each other’s embrace. They closed their eyes as their lips met. They were both surprised at just how strongly they reacted. The kiss, though gentle, seemed to reach in to touch their very souls and confirm their newly declared love and commitment to each other.

She was the first to speak when the kiss ended. “Wow, you were right.”

“Right about what?” he asked.

“Well, when we were undercover as a married couple, and we were teasing each other about our first kiss, you said I would have fallen for you if you had kissed me on the first date. You were right about your kiss. I have definitely fallen for you.”

“Thank you,” he answered huskily. ‘You were right, too.”

“About what?” she asked.

“You were right when you said that for me it was love at first sight.”

"You’ve… you’ve loved me for that long, Jack?

Slowly nodding his head yes, Jack looked deeply into her eyes. Pulling her close to him, he kissed her again. When they broke from the kiss, there were some tears lingering in his eyes as well.

Suddenly reality came crashing in. “Hey, let’s get you out of this cold." He looked at his watch. "We’re due at work. I tried to get us both off today, but Garrett wasn’t able to spare us.” Jack suddenly looked pensive. “Sue, I wish I could have told you that I love you in a more romantic setting, but it just seemed to come together, and I was finally able to tell you without any phones ringing, or people interrupting, or loosing my nerve."

Sue looked around at the snow-covered landscape surrounding her. “We have spent a lot of time together walking through this park. I think it was the perfect place…sweetheart. Hum. The last time I called you that, we were a “married couple.”

“That’s right, girlfriend.” Jack responded happily. The surge of adrenalin that had been coursing through Jack’s body needed an outlet, so he challenged Sue to a race to the car. Instead of running separately, however, they ended up running hand-in-hand.

During the car ride, Sue turned to Jack and asked, "What about work?"

'I don't know," Jack answered honestly. "All I know is that I had to tell you how I felt. It was like I would explode if I didn't."

Sue nodded in understanding.

When they arrived they were quickly interrogated by Tara who wanted to know if they had claimed each other for the day. Sue noticed that Lucy had kept whatever she may have picked up on earlier to herself. They were fairly successful at satisfying their teammates’ curiosity after Jack admitted that they had “claimed” each other for the day, and that they had planned a lunch date together. No one picked up on Jack’s use of the word “date” except for the analytically minded Myles Leland. He made no comment, but was becoming suspicious that more was going on here then what meets the eye. Sue and Jack each spent the morning trying to internally process what had happened between them earlier. As the morning progressed, they were gradually able to focus on getting some work accomplished.

About 11:30, Jack was working on paperwork when he was interrupted by Lucy who had come over to his desk to deliver a message.

Aw, shucks, Ivory. Now I can't walk, I'm floating with pure delight that those two have confessed.

Oooh, wait! Do I need to land now because I don't know what's in the message?

This message isn't going to mess up their first date, is it?

That was so wonderful!!!!!!!!

Now What on earth does Lucy have that is worth interrupting Jack?

Jill

Message? Message? ... I got it!!!! Jack asked Lucy to phone the most romantic restaurant, and she brings him his reservation

That was amazing declaration!!!!!

But I am worried about this message... work thing... or personal thing... no ex-girlfriends, Jack!!!!!


Restie

Yep, Marlo, that's got to be it. Right??

Yea they confessed all to each other

Lovely post Ivory, now please let the message be a love note from Sue...

Soph

Lovely post, although I'm concerned about the message.

I'm looking forward to your next post.

Sairs

I love your posts!

The "declaration" was sooo lovely...

My favorite couple finally owning up to their feelings!


gracie

I really liked how Jack told her about how he has loved her since he met her.

This is really good, Ivory. I love it!

Lucy informed Jack that a call had just come down from Assistant Director John Montgomery’s office. Being summoned to his office was not an everyday occurrence, so Jack found himself wondering what the Assistant Director had on his mind. He straightened out a few defenseless paper clips that were lying on his desk as he stood up to leave the bull pen. On his way past Sue, he touched her shoulder, gave her a special smile, and explained where he was heading.

Montgomery’s personal rotor acknowledged Jack when he entered the office suite and invited him to have a seat. Jack wasn’t kept waiting long and was soon ushered into his meeting with the Assistant Director. Montgomery told him that he had been reviewing some requests that had come across his desk. He picked up one of the requests and handed it to Jack, who recognized it as a request that he had sent up to Montgomery's office a long time ago. Jack had been informed at the time that his request would be taken into consideration. He hadn’t heard anything significant since then except for the occasional memo to let him know it was still under advisement. The request that Jack had placed was to ask for permission to romantically date Sue. It was the procedure of late to take requests like these on a case by case basis. Jack remembered how humiliating it had felt to even have to ask in the first place, but he could understand and appreciate the unique circumstances involved with agents dating someone who worked in the same team. Jack couldn’t believe his ears a moment later when Montgomery cleared his throat and proceeded to tell him that he had been given approval to date her. The Assistant Director made sure that Jack was aware that the approval came as a result of recommendations from Ted Garrett and Demetrius Gans. Jack was told that one of the deciding factors in their decision was the way the two of them had conducted themselves during an undercover assignment where they posed as a married couple in order to attempt to capture Dessa, a top level terrorist. When he dismissed Jack, Montgomery coyly smiled at him as he commented that he thought Valentine’s Day was an ideal day to let him know of their decision. Jack wanted to let out a whoop right then and there.

Jack came up to Sue as soon as he reentered the bull pen. Positioning himself so that their conversation would be private, he signed to her that he had wonderful news. Sue sensed that Jack was about ready to jump out of his skin. It was time for lunch, so they gathered their coats and made for the elevator. Tara’s Valentine claiming custom made it easy for the couple to slip away from the rest of the team. Jack suddenly could stand it no longer and pulled her into an empty conference room. This time Jack did let out a whoop as he told her the news. He pulled her to him and swung her around in pure joy. She let out a whoop, too. They decided to keep their news between the two of them for the time being.

That night Jack picked Sue up for their first “date.” Because Lucy was her roommate, she would need to be told. Lucy gave them just the reaction they expected when she hugged them both saying that it was about time things were working out for them. Lucy had apologized to both of them before for the time that she let the news out that Sue had received a job offer in New York. That slipup could have taken a nasty spin, and Lucy was always grateful that they both had graciously accepted her apology. Lucy gave them her promise that she would not say anything to anyone.

It so happened that the week before this Jack had taken his car in for servicing at Charlie’s garage. While he was there he noticed a limousine that was in for an oil change. When Jack spotted the limo, it gave him an idea. Charlie knew the owner of the limo service well, and followed Jack’s line of thinking perfectly. The owner had scheduled another limo in the fleet to come in the following week. Charlie called the owner and was able to get Jack an amazing deal on the rent. Troy was there on a break from his art classes and offered to drive them. Jack had selected a nice restaurant in Georgetown as a place to have a romantic dinner.

Sue was a little nervous and shy as the date started, but it helped her when she saw that Jack was feeling a little shy as well. The limo ride to and from the restaurant gave them the perfect chance to cuddle, kiss and talk about all the new things they had to talk about.

Before seeing Sue to her door, they walked Levi in the park across the street where their amazing day had started.

Later that night after their date, Jack lay in bed with a dreamy grin on his face. As he drifted off to sleep he thought of the incredible woman that God had sent into his life. She, in turn, sat up for a little while in the window seat of her apartment. As she gazed out the window, she dreamed about a certain special agent. Before they slept that night, they both took time to thank God for the way they had been brought together. This had been an incredible Valentine's Day.

As incredible as Valentine's Day was for Sue and Jack, it was only just the beginning of what was to follow in the days ahead.

It certainly was an incredible Valentine's Day, brought to life by an incredible writer. Can't wait to see what you have planned for the "days ahead".

WOW!!!!! I am so glad for them!!!

It was really circumspect to make application to may date Sue, Jack!!!!

I can't wait to know what will bring next days!!!


Restie

What a wonderful post to read first thing in the morning!

Hurray for the Director! Smart man!!!

And such a wonderful Valentine's Day...from start to finish!

Jill

Lovely first date!

Perfect date !!!


Glad the director approved!

Wow, what a fantastic post.

Great first date and looking forward to the next few days as much as they are!



Soph

Another nice post, Ivory.

Now that was a lovely fuzzy post.

kav

The best laid plans can often change. Jack and Sue decided the next day to let their teammates in on the news that had come down from upstairs. Everyone agreed when all of the celebration had subsided that the thing to do was to take the officially dating couple out to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Sue and Jack were made the center of attention as the team expressed their pleasure at the news.

Tara got Sue’s attention at one point and wagged a French fry at her. “You know. I could be upset about all of this. Here I was the one who explained about the tradition and I didn’t even get claimed. Where’s the justice in that?” Her mock pout turned into a bright smile as she gave Sue a wink.

“Stanley’s out of town, isn’t he?” Sue asked.

“No, he’s in town, but we really haven’t been seeing each other much lately," Tara informed her.

Sue nodded and signed sorry. Unbeknown to Tara, Bobby was listening with interest to what was being said.

Too soon, it came time for the walk back to work. Walking hand in hand, Sue and Jack brought up the rear of the return to work parade.

The next two days brought a dramatic change in the pace at work. A kidnapping case was on the front burner that claimed a lot of time. It suddenly broke two days later when one of Myles’ informants came across with the needed information that allowed them to find the kidnapped woman safe and sound. It was a rough take-down and one of the supporting agents had to use his gun to stop the kidnapper from completing his objective of killing his victim.

Later that day Jack got off the elevator and stepped onto the second floor of the Hoover Building. He made arrangements to meet up later with Sue, but right now he was in need of a good workout. Making his way to the end of the hall, he pushed open a door and entered the men’s locker room that was adjacent to the employees’ gym. One of the perks of the job was having a facility right on the work site. It provided the employees with a wide variety of equipment and supplies even if it was not quite big enough to house a pool. Sometimes the place could be downright crowded, but today that was not the case.

Jack plopped his gym bag on the bench; then changed into his sweats. He entered the gym to start his workout, giving a hello to Jake, one of the personal trainers, as he passed by him After Jack stretched out, he put on gloves and began to pummel one of the punching bags. About the time that he had worked up a full sweat, Bobby Manning, entered.

“Hello there, mate,” Bobby called out, as he walked over to the bag to support it for Jack. “Whoa, you’ve got some power going on there.”

Jack continued his workout while Bobby spoke on. “I’m planning to watch the big Redskins game tonight?” He informed Jack. “Do you want to come over to my place and take it in.”

“I’m sorry, Bobby, but I can’t. Thanks for asking, but I’ve made some plans with Sue.” Jack informed him.

Bobby looked at him and nodded. "Ah, wearing the old ball and chain already then." Jack just grinned back.

Moving on over to the weigh-press bench, Jack positioned himself under the weights while Bobby took his position to spot. Jack assumed the starting position. He pressed the weight directly above his chest, keeping his arms straight and his elbows locked. He lowered the barbell in a slight arch until it touched his chest. He raised the barbell to the starting position to complete the repetition. Bobby spotted him as he pressed the weights. (The amount of weight Jack can press is a well-kept FBI secret.)

“I don’t know how you manage to do it.” Bobby looked at his friend with a smirk on his face.

“Do what?” Jack huffed.

“How do you manage to keep a grin on your face even when you are in the middle of a workout? Unless I miss my guess Sue has something to do with it, eh? You have had that goofy grin on your face for two days now. What gives?”

“I don’t have a goofy grin on my face,” Jack insisted through a grunt as he continued working the repetitions with the barbell.

“Have you taken a look at yourself in the morning when you are shaving?”

“Okay, okay. I give up.” Jack half laughed and half grunted as he replaced the barbells on the rack. He rolled off the bench and stood up. “I’ll have to admit that finally being able to date Sue definitely is responsible for any grin that you claim to see on my face.”

"Good on ‘ya, mate. You and the little shelia have waited a long time for this.”

“Tell me about it,” Jack responded.

Bobby wasn’t quite finished with his inquisition of his friend. "I think there is more to your grin then the fact that the Bureau says you and Sue can now date. You know what I think, mate?”

Jack shook his head. “I wouldn’t even try to guess what is in that head of yours?”

“You have told her that you love her, haven’t you?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Bobby, there are a few things that a guy likes to keep between himself and his girl.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop haranguing.” Bobby grinned. “You just answered my question, anyway.”

Jack pulled of the gloves that he was wearing and gave Bobby a swat with them in the chest. “It seems to me that it’s time for us to switch places. You need to do some work for a change.” The men laughed as they switched positions

While Bobby and Jack were meeting up in the gym, Sue was meeting up with a friend of hers as well.

Smooth sailing ... why do i have the feeling this is about to change?

You might be on to something there Marlo.

Marlo........don't be givin' her ideas!

Really Marlene.


Jill

This is sooooo sweet! It is a lot of fun to read.

just caught up and guys what do you mean by CHANGE they are just fine together........i will be waiting for more..................what's the name of sue's friend...................please post more...........wow jack and sue ...... can't wait for more...........

A wonderful scene of male bonding. And what I wouldn't give for that little FBI secret ...

Nice talk, guys... I am curious when Bobby will tell Jack about his feelings to Tara...

Now we are waiting for girls chat... I think Sue will be more talkative I hope!


Can't wait for more!!!



Restie

[A/N Someone say something about smooth sailing? Guess we'll just have to see if the winds ahead blow fair or foul. Thanks for reading.]

Sue waved as she saw her friend Deanne enter the room where they were holding an event planning meeting for the Deaf Club.

Having initially met in a hospital waiting room, they were pleasantly surprised to connect again about a year later in a church on a snowy January evening. Both women were both going through some changes in their lives at the time and had stopped in that night feeling the need to pray. The situation that Deanne faced was that she had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and she was coming to grips with the ramifications that come with dealing with such a disease. Sue, on the other hand, faced a less serious situation than a chronic change in her health. She had just been offered a job promotion that included a move to New York, and she was struggling with the decision of what to do. Since that time the women had become close friends.

When the planning meeting ended, they stayed for cake and punch.

“I don’t really feel like eating much, Deanne. I think I will just pass on the cake,” Sue signed.

“Smart girl. I should do the same thing,” Deanne signed back. “Is everything okay?” Deanne wanted to know.

“Definitely,” Sue assured her. “Oh, you know me and my big appetite. It’s just that I have a date with Jack in a little while.” Sue’s eyes brightened as she mentioned his name.

Deanne didn’t miss Sue’s use of the word date. “What happened?" Deanne asked. "I thought that you were not permitted to date.”

“We just found out on Valentine’s Day that we have been given special approval. Jack and I are still finding it hard to believe. I have to keep pinching myself to be sure I am not dreaming."

“That’s awesome news. He is a great guy.”

“Thank you, I think so.” Sue sighed as she picked up her cup to take a sip of her coffee.

“You seem like you have something else on your mind, too.” Deanne noted gently.

“It’s just that I happened to learn earlier today of a woman in the Club who is having serious trouble with her marriage. She has been married for five years. Her husband is hearing and she is deaf. Well, things are not going well for them. The way she describes it, she and her husband started out in much the same way as Jack and I. They had these lofty dreams all constructed where there would be no obstacles because one was hearing and the other not. Apparently, after five years, things are not going well. They are having a lot of problems. That’s my biggest concern for Jack and me.” Sue sighed and swallowed down her emotions to try to keep them in control. “I thought I had this all resolved a long time ago. Maybe it is because we’re dating now.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. But sometimes I wonder if I can watch him give up what I know a hearing woman can offer to him? I know part of this is probably insecurity on my part, but it is more than just that. I don’t know if I can explain it, but it is this overwhelming feeling that I have where I just want the best for him, even if the best for him… isn’t me. We have talked about this, of course. He says it’s a part of me that has made me into the person that I am. He has never shown any difficulty accepting or accommodating to my deafness. In fact, he has shown quite the opposite. You know how hard he has been working on learning ASL, but how can we really know what we are getting into here? I know he loves me, but I don’t want that love ever to turn into a sense of duty or, God forbid, resentment when things get tough.”

Deanne shifted in her seat to a more comfortable position. Giving her dog Katie a pat on the head, she looked at Sue and began to sign. “I have not been married either, so I am not an expert here. That feeling that you talked about where you want the best for him…correct me if I’m wrong, but I’d say that’s love. I wonder how much this couple you’ve mentioned worked through these issues before they were married. From what I have observed about you and Jack, it seems that you have been steadily working with these issues ever since you met, both personally and professionally. Let’s review for a minute here. Has Jack encountered the physical, day- to-day aspects of your deafness?

“Well, for almost four years now, he has seen me struggle to keep up with a conversation,” Sue began. “He has ridden in a car with me after dark when I can’t read his lips. He has repeatedly watched when I have explained Levi to people. Every day he sees me use a blackberry and text messaging instead of using a regular phone. We even had some first-hand experience at this the time when we were married for a week.” When Deanne looked at her quizzically, Sue laughed. “We were on an undercover assignment at the time.”

Deanne grinned. “That sounds good. There is also the chemistry that you two seem to share, but let’s not go there just now. How do you relate emotionally?

“Jack trained me as an analyst, so we have learned to trust each other in situations where our very lives are on the line. He was the one person who believed in my abilities when I started at the Bureau. Up until now, the Bureau had a policy that did not permit dating in the same unit. That was difficult for both of us to know how to handle, but because we couldn’t formally date, it seems that we actually focused more on our friendship rather than on a romantic relationship. I know that we will have problems, ever couple does, but I trust him completely. He can have a tendency to be over protective at times, but I think that is due to our jobs rather than my deafness. We’re working on that one.”

“How about spiritually?” Deanne asked.

“Well, you know that Jack shares my faith and that we’re attending the same church.” Sue was now easily seeing where this was heading.

"Well. Let’s see…physical, emotional, spiritual. Well, it sounds like a solid, committed relationship to me," Deanne postulated.

Sue and Deanne sat in companionable silence for a few minutes while Sue digested what Deanne had said.

“Thanks, Deanne. I appreciate being able to talk it out like this.” Sue sighed and gave her a hug.

Deanne checked her watch. “Well, it looks like I had better get going. My ride looks like she’s ready.”

“I’d better go, too. It’s almost time to meet Jack. Thank you again. This talk has meant a lot.”

As they stood up to leave, Deanne reached for her cane. Suddenly Sue gasped. “Oh, I am so sorry. Here I am unloading all of this on you, but I haven’t even asked how you are feeling today.”

“That’s fine,” Deanne assured her. “I think this is the only time that you haven’t asked or tried to help. As you know, with M.S some days are better than others. This is actually a very good day. By the way, before you go I want to let you know I will be out of town visiting family this next week.”

“That’s great, Deanne. "I hope you have a good time. Then I’ll plan to get in touch with you when you get back.”

Sue and Deanne suddenly looked down at the same time when a movement on the floor in front of them caught their eye.

Two pairs of brown eyes were looking up at them in hopeful posturing. Deanne and Sue looked down at their retrievers and giggled.

“Just look at those two. What do you think, Deanne? Should we indulge them? They could have my piece.”

When Levi and Katie finished devouring their cake, the two women collected their dogs and hugged good-bye.

As a result of all that had transpired on Valentine’s Day, Sue and Jack soon were dating very seriously. Their relationship was growing stronger and deeper as each day passed. Jack was determined not to let this “second time around” opportunity slip by, and Sue was behind him wholeheartedly.

In short order, Jack was more than ready to ask Sue to marry him. He tried to think of the best way to propose to her. He didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He wanted to ask her in just the right way at the right time.

I absolutely love that you put Deanne into your story!

Such wise words!

Jill

Sometimes, I really wonder about Sue. She seems determined to "test" Jack, looking for that one flaw that will confirm her doubts about their suitability for each other.

I'm glad she had Deanne to speak to and that the latter provided such wise counsel.