Author's Note : I am a huge Christopher Gorham fan since I started watching Ugly Betty, and I am trying to watch everything he has been in. I really love Jake 2.0 and have now watched all of the episodes. I knew when I finished them that I had to write at least one fan fic for the show so this is it. Just a one-shot Jake and Diane. I hope you like it.

Just Once

She was exhausted. Another day at the lab behind her, the last month had been crazy. Jake losing his memory, trying to get him back home, the night with him at the boarding house and now after restoring his memories everyone expected everything to just go back to normal. She wasn't sure how it ever could.

Her car was in the shop again, Jake had offered to drive her home but she had declined, being alone with him after everything that had happened was just too much. She wearily exited the cab in front of her apartment building and looked up with a sigh.

The elevator doors opened on her floor and she stumbled out into the hallway. She fumbled with her keys and quietly let herself into the apartment. She returned to her thoughts, remembering again the night at the boarding house. They had kissed and it had almost gone further than that. She shook her head to get the memory out of her head.

She sat down on the couch and leaned her head back. She wanted to be loved. But lately, it seemed like all she had wanted to do was avoid him. She had Fran doing his tests the last few weeks and always found some reason to be out of the lab during that time.

She missed him.

In fact, if she were honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she wanted to go out on a date with him. She wanted to have a "normal" evening with him, just the two of them. She wasn't a teenager with a crush, she knew she was falling in love with him and considering the circumstances under which they had met and developed their … relationship … or whatever you called it, it was a miracle he still hung around. He always wanted to argue with her about the tests, push her buttons and try her patience and for some strange reason she had enjoyed it, she had even needed it in order to keep her own growing feelings in check.

She sighed.

She wished he was here right now…..she needed him tonight….not to argue with her, not to antagonize her…she just needed him and she was even willing to admit it…just this once.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He watched her walk into the building after she had exited the cab. She was infuriating. He had decided to follow her to make sure she made it home safe and sound. Apparently, he had underestimated her determination to avoid being alone with him, although he didn't know why. She was stubborn and determined if nothing else.

He leaned up to look toward her windows… "You really think I'm beautiful?". God, he hadn't known what to do when she said that. As usual, he was torn between turning on his heel and walking out of that bathroom or kissing the life out of her. He moved forward and rested his head onto the steering wheel.

And now here he was sitting outside of her apartment building like a love-sick puppy. He didn't want to argue with her, he didn't want her to run tests on him or check him on her portable monitor. He just wanted to have a normal evening out with her, just the two of them. He wanted to take her to dinner, he wanted to dance with her and feel her in his arms and look into her eyes.

But tonight, he wished he was there, in her apartment right now…..he needed her tonight…. not to argue with her, not to antagonize her…he just needed her and he was even willing to admit it…just this once.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She had changed from the navy suit she had warn to work after a quick shower and was now wearing a deep blue silk gown and matching robe. She walked over to the stereo and turned on the late night jazz station she listened to as a method of relaxation and then she sat down on the couch to brush her hair out. Her mind wandered into a daze as the familiar task became mundane.

He walked off of the elevator almost in a daze, wondering what he would say when and if she opened the door. He knocked, lightly. No answer.

She was so lost in thought she never heard the knock or the subsequent opening of the door behind her. She continued the methodical brush strokes as the music began to soothe her.

He watched her brush through her hair from the doorway and closed the door quietly behind him. She was obviously deep in thought and letting the music in the background guide each stroke of her brush.

"Can I do that ?"

She jumped and turned to look at him.

"Jake, what are you doing here ?"

"I don't know."

And then silence, as they looked at each other, neither breathing for a moment.

She held the brush out to him.

He took a deep breath, relaxed and walked toward her. He took the brush from her hands and sat down on the couch behind her. She turned to accommodate his presence and as he used his free hand to drag her hair to fall down her back she sighed. He began brushing, slow even strokes.

Neither spoke.

The music, their slow breathing and the swish of the brush through her hair were the only sounds in the room. They were both mesmerized.

She, by the nearness of him, the feel of the brush in her hair knowing he was guiding it with each stroke, the music, his scent, his presence.

He, by his nearness to her, the feel of her hair through the brush as he guided each stroke, the music, her scent, her presence.

She was driving him crazy, he was driving her crazy.

He stopped the brushing.

She lifted her head.

She felt his hands move the hair from her neck and felt his hot breath where the hair had been only seconds before.

He breathed in the scent of her before nuzzling her neck and trailing feather kisses from her shoulder to the nape of her neck.

Neither spoke.

She was drunk on him.

He could barely breathe.

She turned to face him and he moaned as she took that beautiful neck out of his reach. She reached up and placed her hands on the sides of his face. He closed his eyes. She closed hers. She felt each inch of his face as if committing it to memory. When she reached the bottom, she rested her hands on his chest. She sighed as he opened his eyes and she reached up to brush aside some stray hairs from his forehead. As she brought her hand back down to his chest, he grabbed it and kissed each fingertip as she watched.

He stood up and pulled her up with him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She smiled as she brought her arms to rest casually around his neck. They looked into each other's eyes as they let the music in the room and in their hearts guide them into a slow dance. She laid her head on his chest as he rested his head on top of hers.

Neither spoke.

She had needed him and here he was. He had needed her and here she was.

He needed more.

She needed more.

The broke away and looked at each other, he undressed her with his eyes. She undressed him with hers. He stopped and reached for her hand. She put her hand in his and he started to pull her toward the bedroom.

"Jake, I ……"

He interrupted her by placing his fingers to her lips and then quickly replacing them with his lips as he drew her into a mind-numbing kiss that seemed to last forever but not long enough. He pulled back, reluctantly and looked deep into her eyes.

"Diane, just this once…."

She smiled and let him lead her away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was still dark outside and she was lying in the bed on her side propped up looking at him sleep. The sheet was barely draped across her and wasn't quite low enough on him for her liking. She smiled as she looked at him. She was falling in love him, she was certain of it. And once again, he had saved her. She had never felt more like a woman than she did this morning.

As she watched him sleep, she wished him awake. He had said "just this once…" last night after that kiss and she could not deny him. BUT, they had both known once would never be enough for them. It seemed already that they had waited an eternity. She started to blow gently on his chest.

He was going to explode, he didn't know how long she had been looking at him but he could feel her gaze boring into his skin and if she continued with that blowing he was going to scare her to death when he opened his eyes to jump on her.

The blowing stopped.

He felt her moving, opened his eyes slightly and saw that she had turned away from him and was slowly scooting her backside over into the arch of his form on the bed. As she grew closer, he also grew…….closer……without moving.

She ran aground, shocked, then smiled. She felt his arm go around her and pull her tightly into his body so she could feel every inch of him. He turned her to face him…..he was awake, and he was smiling.

"Good morning, Diane."

"Good morning, Jake. But, it's not quite morning yet."

Glancing up to the window he replied, "I see that. Good. I'm not ready to let you go yet."

"I'm not ready to go."

He leaned in and kissed her. As he drew away, she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him back in with her hand on the back of his head tangled in his hair. Eventually, they fell asleep.

Diane awoke at the sound of her alarm clock on the bedside table.

She knew before she looked, that he was gone. She turned to get up and saw the note lying where his head had laid only a couple of hours before. In Jake's broad script :

"Diane, just once is not enough. See you in the lab. Jake"

THE END