some angst, ends with fuzzies

trust me

Chapter 1

Roused from his sleep Jack grunted and turned over.

Sighing loudly he reached out a hand to turn off the offending noise, checking the time, was it really time to get up? He felt as if he’d only just gone to bed, he certainly hadn’t been asleep very long.

He pressed the snooze button so he could stay a little longer without the danger of falling asleep and turning in late.

Lying on his back his fingers interlaced behind his head he stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking back to the August day when he had first met Sue.

Chapter 2

He’d been snowed under with paperwork when she walked in.

Something caught his eye and he looked up into the face of a beautiful blonde.

‘I’m Sue Thomas you’re new Special Project……………’

‘Hi……. I’m Jack Hudson………..’

If he was honest he hadn’t caught all the conversation, merely pointed her in the direction of Personnel and watched her exit the office.

Not only was she very attractive, she was feisty with it but he was curious as to why she had the dog with her, she didn’t look like a member of the drug sniffing team and most of the dogs they used in law enforcement were German Shepherds.

He’d shrugged and returned to the paperwork before heading to the cafeteria for lunch. As he ambled up the stairs he reflected on the last time he’d been there, probably his first day with the bureau. He wasn’t keen on the plastic sandwiches and dry cakes they sold and the fruit always looked old and shrivelled but today he was snowed under with paperwork and had no-one to go for lunch with. He’d planned a very quick lunch and a return to the paperwork.

Paying for his food he’d gazed around hoping to see a familiar face, instead he’d recognised the dog and the back of the blondes’ head.

‘In for a penny, in for a pound’ his mom always told him as she pushed him to go for everything, no room for half measures, so he ambled over rubbing the dogs’ head as he passed.

‘Hi……… this seat taken……………..?’

Lunch wasn’t very quick but it was fun, he’d been stunned to learn she was deaf, had discovered Myles’ secret and tested her by whispering a few sentences which she had repeated word for word and before long they’d been chatting like old friends. He’d been acutely disappointed when she had to head back to fingerprinting since her lunch break was over.

He had been touched by Sue in a way that no other woman had ever touched him before.

It wasn’t love, he knew that………. but a spark had been lit in his heart.

Nice start, but....why is he thinking back??? Did something happen to Sue????

great another story cath and a brilliant start;
cant wait till the next post lin

Cath, so glad you've entered the Challenge!

A great start! Looking forward to seeing where you go with this!


I think I can handle some angst, as long as I know it ends with fuzzies!
I trust you.

Good start and I'm very curious about why he's lying there thinking about Sue. Then again, maybe Jack just thinks about her first thing every morning.

Agreed! As long as there's fuzzies, I'm in the ride!

When an author warns that fuzzies will come, you know you're in for an angsty ride first. Ready.

kav

Okay Hudson, roll out of the sack and get to work.

Hey Kav,

Is there room under that chair??


Sam

sounds like another good one LTS!!!!
can't wait for more :Bdaygirl:

Great start looking forward to reading the next post

Chapter 3

Some months after she’d started working with him Sue had talked about her feelings the night before she marched in to his office. She’d been so excited about the job at the bureau, little realising it would involve being dumped in a pokey office staring at fingerprints all day. After a while they all looked the same anyway so she had to regularly take a walk around before she made an error. She’d only been there one day and was already bored rigid.

She’d thought through her conversation with her mom that night, she would be so disappointed if she knew what Sue was doing, would remind her she was better than that, was capable of much more. However, Sue was nothing if not realistic, knew that being deaf was a big problem to potential employers, who saw only the label not her potential.

‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ her mom always told her when she pushed her to try something new which was how she could lip read, sign, sing, play the piano and ice skate.

‘That’s it Levi………. I’m off to personnel in the morning…….. demand a job change and if that doesn’t work then I’ll learn to fix cars and work with Charlie………’

Chapter 4

Almost four years later, early spring, and the sun was streaming through his window.

Four years on from meeting Sue and he knew he was totally and madly head-over-heels in love with her but still he remained silent.

He’d had his chance the morning he thought she was leaving for the Big Apple, had started to tell her but had been interrupted by Myles and he’d wussed out……… again………….. he’d tried to find the words but each time had failed miserably to share his heart. He was honest enough to admit that he had taken wimping and turtleing to a whole new level.

Every time he rang or emailed his parents they asked if he was dating yet and when he admitted he wasn’t his mom said ‘Faint heart never won fair maiden Jack……….’ which didn’t make him feel a whole lot better about himself or the situation.

Another of her pithy little sayings was ‘Many a sudden change takes place on a spring day’ and she’d been saying it almost daily since winter had faded and spring had crawled in to DC.

Maybe a ‘spring change’ could happen today………. or maybe not………

The only way a change will happen is if you make it Jack!!

Sam

Come on Jack. You can do this. Just tell her

Kim

I like the way you are fitting other proverbs in as well. Jack is going to fix this, right?

kav

Mrs. H is a wise woman.

Me too. Very clever!

Jill

Great post, Cath!

I really liked this line:

Me too!!
So is Jack going to start doing things differently?

great post cath just hope jack can get his act together now lin

I think maybe it can work. Speak up Jack

I am all for a "spring change"! Bring it on.
thanks,
Terie

Chapter 5

Walking purposefully in to the pen Jack had made a decision, he was going to take the bull by the horns, step up to the plate and ask Sue out on a real date, no more hiding behind ‘practicing my signing’, ‘discussing a case’ or any of the hundred and one lame excuses he’d come up with over the last 4 years.

Half an hour later he was concerned to see that Sue still hadn’t arrived.

‘Luce, do you know where Sue is?’ Jack crouched beside her desk, anxious not to draw attention to his concern, or be teased by Bobby for being ‘overprotective.’

‘Actually Jack………. I have no idea……… she was out last night……. she wasn’t back when I went to bed……… I know she was in this morning but she didn’t answer when I knocked on her door……….’

‘Out? Where ...........?’ Jack had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

‘She was with Martin Cowley………. she met him at the gym………’ Lucy’s words hung in the air as Jacks’ heart sank.

‘I didn’t ………errr……know she was dating………..’ he mumbled, so much for his decision to stop turtleing.

‘She isn’t………. well she is…….. but not really………. She’s dated him a few times because the man she really loves and who loves her back is too pathetic to do anything about it……….. my words not hers but you know who I mean……….’

Jack nodded silently and returned to his desk, pulling his cell out as he did so.

Luce watched sadly as he returned to his desk, she’d tried the subtle, dropping hints route and was now determined to tackle the issue straight on.
She knew Martin wasn’t the one for Sue but they were both hung up on the no-dating policy. ‘As if that would make a difference’ she thought, all the team knew how much they cared for each other, it had never made any difference to the way they worked together, OK so he was more protective of Sue than he was of Tara or herself but that could just as easily be because she was deaf, ‘yeah right’ she mumbled to herself, returning to her files.

Unable to get Sue either on her landline or her blackberry Jack slipped quietly out of the pen a sense of foreboding in his heart.

I have that foreboding feeling too

It seems to me that this could go one of two ways. Please tell us more.

uh oh. Not good.

Well, at least Lucy's finally being obvious. Jack needs it. They all need it.

Keep it up!

Don't back down now Jack
1 Find Sue
2 Tell her how you feel about her


Dianna

Where are you going Jack? And don't wallow yourself into more self-pity.

I'm glad I know this is going to end with fuzzies, because if I didn't, that "foreboding" would really have me worried, Cath!

Looking forward to more!

Don't like this sense of forboding. I just know you will make it all work out right.
thanks,
Terie

Ditto. Cath, just HOW drastic is this angst going to be??? Ah, just thinking about angst has given me some terrible thoughts!!

Excellent writing though!!

Jen

I don't like this angsty thing but I trust you as always, Cath!

I'm following Bell and trusting you but please dont leave us hanging for too long

sorry guess i should have posted a seat belt warning, lots of fuzzies to follow
Chapter 6

Driving over his sense of foreboding grew bigger, in all the time he’d known Sue she had never been late without letting him know. He guessed she was asleep if she had a late night but that was totally out of character.

Screeching to a halt outside her apartment he left his lights flashing and took the stairs two at a time, pulling his gun out as he did so.

Knocking on the door he could hear Levi barking furiously which in itself was a warning that something was wrong……… his mind flashed back to the time he’d returned to find Simon trying to kill her.

Vomit rising in his throat he pulled out his keys, located her apartment key and carefully opened the door.

Glancing around he initially didn’t see anything amiss other than Levi jumping around madly.

Taking a few steps in he saw Sue lying on the floor still in her pyjamas, bruises over her face and arms, blood trickling from her ear and mouth. ‘God, no………. please no….......’ he breathed, fighting back the tears as he moved closer, pulling out his cell as he did so.

Kneeling beside her he checked her neck and breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed her breathing and felt a pulse.

Quickly squeezing her hand he ran to the bedroom and returned with a blanket which he placed gently over her as he dialled 911, DCPD and Bobby.

Waiting for help to arrive he held her hand and prayed, checking her breathing and pulse continuously as he felt Levi settle down beside them.

‘Sue…….. hang in there please sweetheart…… help is on the way……… I love you Sue, please don’t leave me…………’

Bobby and D arrived at the same time as the paramedics. As the paramedics checked her and loaded her in to the ambulance Jack filled the guys in.

‘Anyone coming with her?’ he heard a paramedic ask.

‘Yeah……….’ Jack followed them down the stairs leaving Bobby and D with DCPD who had just arrived.

Sue will be okay --
I trust Cath, I trust Cath, I trust Cath...

Great writing!

I wonder who did that to Sue . I am sure the team will find out.

Dianna

See! I knew that sense of foreboding was going to reveal something angsty.
I just know Sue will be ok
thanks,
Terie

What happened to Sue? Who did this?

Who hurt Sue and why?

Cath - it is a good thing that I trust you or I would be FREAKING OUT!!!! Did that Martin guy do this? Because the first time I read his name I thought "Martin? Who'd this Martin character? I don't like him at all." But this is a great way to light the fire under Jack

Em

Yes, especially as there is surposed to be fuzzies at the end!!

Hint, hint Cath!

Sam

there will be oodles and oodles of fuzzies at the end, just a small smattering of angst before we get there

cath

Kim

Poor Sue, she is having a difficult time on the board just now. Here you've gone and knocked her out and she's bleeding and everything.

kav

Continued seat belt warning

Chapter 7

Pacing the waiting room while the docs checked Sue over he was joined by Bobby.

‘D’s with DCPD, Luce will collect Levi they’ll stay with Tara for a while…….. they’re closing the apartment as a crime scene…………. why did you go over mate?’

‘Just a gut feeling that something was wrong……… something like this ‘female intuition’ thing the girls always talk about……..’

‘Yeah…….. the gut feeling also seen in guys who are madly in love and won’t do anything about it……… you know her too well, none of us thought anything was up………..’

‘What can I do Crash……….? She doesn’t feel the same. She’s dated Scott, David, Tony and now Martin…………’

‘Know what I think……….? I think she’s dated them because she doesn’t think you feel the same……you two can be so dense at times……don’t see what’s right in front of you.... she’s in love with you and you have to tell her…….’

Hearing the door open they looked up to see the ER doc, ‘Mr Hudson?’ Jack nodded as he continued.

‘Miss Thomas has a fractured skull and a fractured jaw as well as extensive bruising………… scan shows there is no underlying damage to the brain and the skull will heal………. we’ll take her to the OR and fix her jaw, stitch up the cut in her head…… can you give consent…..?’

Jack nodded, a thousand thoughts running through his head

‘The bruises………..? Are they from the fall?’

The doc shook his head, ‘no………. hand and finger marks……….. ‘

Jack slumped into his chair as Bobby felt the tears pricking his eyes.

‘Was she…….. has she been………?’ Jack couldn’t get the words out.

The doc shook his head, ‘No………… ‘

‘Could they have occurred last night?’ Jack whispered.

‘Some of the bruising is older than this morning…………… different colours and markings …………she was held forcibly……. Sometime in the last 24 hours and earlier today ………... the fractures occurred this morning…….. she wouldn’t have survived if they had happened last night.’

‘Anything under her nails? Skin? Hair?’ Bobby asked, forcing himself to think like an agent, not as a friend of the victim, knowing Jack wasn’t up to this.

‘Nothing………. my best guess would be that this morning she was knocked out before she could fight back………. and after the first attack she did what most victims do and showered………. to try and wash it out of her head……’

‘Bobby nodded, ‘Can you bring her clothes so we can run forensics, just in case?’

Jack sat with his head in his hands, ‘Luce said she had a date last night….. some guy she met at the gym………’

‘That would explain last night but what about this morning……..? She wouldn’t see him again……..’

‘You know Sue, Crash………….., too trusting, too willing to see the best in people…… if he went round to apologise she’d ‘listen’………’

‘But why didn’t Levi attack him…………?’

‘’Tied up? Shut away?................ although he was in the hall when I entered……..’

‘Could he have been tied up but escaped and attacked him……..?’

‘Possible…….. I didn’t take much in, my priority was Sue……….’

Thankful to have something to think about Jack began making plans, ‘ask Myles to take Levi to the vet, get a mould of his jaws, phone all the local hospitals ask if anyone has been treated for a dog bite…………. ask Luce for a description of the guy and contact the gym for his details………’

‘Jack, you are not running this case, you’re too close…….. I have been an Agent for a while you know…………’ Bobby tried to make a joke but it fell flat as he guessed it might.

Closing his phone after making the relevant calls Bobby looked up as the door opened.

‘Mr Hudson………?’

Jack stood up as 2 DCPD detectives flashed their badges, ‘Detective Nicholls, Detective Giles……… we’d like to ask you a few questions about the assault …….’

Jack nodded ‘don’t know I can tell you much………’

‘Why did you go over?’ Nicholls asked.

‘She was late; she’s never been late without letting someone know……. I was worried…………….’

‘And when you arrived………?’

Jack explained quietly.

‘Was the apartment tidy or did it appear there had been a struggle?’

Trying to think back he admitted he wasn’t sure, ‘I saw Sue……… she was the priority……….. sorry……….’

‘You see Mr. Hudson, there were no signs of a struggle……..why would she let a stranger in……….?’

‘She wouldn’t………. she must have known him…….’

‘Would you be a person she would admit into her apartment while wearing her nightwear………?’

‘Errrrrrrr……… guess so, never really thought about it……….’ he mumbled.

‘You and Miss Thomas are friends aren’t you Mr Hudson………?’

‘Yeah…… we get on well, work well together…………. What’s going on?’

‘We believe it’s more than that, we’ve been told you’re in love with her………. this is what we think…….. you went to her place this morning, found out she was seeing someone else, she told you she was attacked…or you noticed the bruises, thought she’d led him on and then you attacked her……tried to have intercourse with her…. beat her senseless……….. then called 911 and played the caring co-worker role…………..’

‘You’re kidding……….’ Bobby stood to his feet, ‘there is no way he beat her up….. he’s in love with her………’

‘There’s a fine line between love and hate, jealousy can do strange things to a man…………….. Mr Hudson we are placing you under arrest for the attempted rape and attempted murder of Special Investigative Assistant Thomas……… place your hands behind your back…………..’

Reading Jack his rights they marched him out of the room as Bobby pulled out his phone, almost too stunned to speak. ‘D mate we have a problem……..’

‘You mean other than Sue being assaulted?’

‘Yeah……… 2 drongos have just arrested Jack for it………. He’s on his way to Metro as we speak…….. reckon he was jealous…….’

‘Stay where you are, I’ll get Tara over, update Ted, contact the bureau lawyer, we’ll be there ASAP……. Anything on Sue?’

‘Still in OR…………’

“
“

‘Please let me see her……… I need to know she’s Ok……..’

‘Bit late for the routine now……… where you’re going you won’t last long….. attempted rape and murder…….. and a Fed…………….’ Giles’ words hung in the air and Jack recognised the truth of his situation.

This can't be happening!! Cath, keep Jack safe! He has to be! I mean, can't this people see that Jack loves Sue alot and if he had been the one who attacked her, do you think he would be stupid enough to call 911 and identifying himself to send her to the hospital??

They can't arrest him! Cos I read someone that if you arrest an FBI agent for something he did or didn't do but even if he's acquitted of the charges later, it's still an automatic dismissal! Will someone please just tell me this isn't true, cos Jack can't get fired!!

So I'm already reeling from that and then:

And that's not a swoony kind of faint!!!!!

I think I'm glad this is a short story -- meaning no disrespect.

kav

Jack has been arrested? I trust the FBI lawyer will make short work of this.
Right? Melissa made a good point about the 911 call.

Loved it.... I can't wait to red what happends next. Poor jackm you've got to get him out. He would never do that to sue. The stupid cops... jack's lawyer i'm sure can fix this mess. well he better.
OH yeah, learning to sign. you posted the same entry/chapter twice. just wanted to let you know.