Author's Notes: This series is going to further examine Jack & Karen's relationship by backtracking through key points in the series, and addressing them further in a WYDS (What You Didn't See) fashion. This series also strongly supports the idea that Jack & Karen are much more than friends. If you have a problem with this theory, then I suggest you not read the story. The song used in this chapter is "Kindly Unspoken" by Kate Voegele.

Disclaimer: These characters are property of NBC and their own creators; as is any piece of an episode needed for the chapter. I make no money from this. The song lyrics used are also property of their own creator.

Between The Lines

Part 1: Kindly Unspoken

("The Unsinkable Mommy Adler" WYDS)

Jack looked up from staring out the window of Grace Adler Designs, his eyes slowly shifting to Karen. She was drumming her fingernails on her desk in a slow, repetitive rhythm, and Jack was sure she had been staring at the same page in Vogue for the past 15 minutes. His eyes fell then to Grace's desk, where the timer sat next to two pregnancy tests.

Yes, two.

Wanting to show his support for her, Jack offered to take one as well. Admittedly, even though he knew there would be nothing on his, the waiting was nerve-wracking.

"Karen?"

"Huh?" Karen looked up startled, but her expression was otherwise still.

"It'll be okay, Kare."

"What if it's not ok, Jackie? What am I going to do?"

"Well…" Jack searched his mind for an intelligent answer, "At least your baby would be pretty. Because, you're pretty."

"Aw." Karen cracked a smile, "Thanks honey. You're pretty too."

"I know." Jack beamed.

A silence fell over the room once again. Karen had barely flipped the page in her magazine when the timer went off, and she looked over to Jack.

"Well, that's 15 minutes." He said.

The two of them respectively got up from their seats and walked over to the desk. Karen was gnawing at her lip as she reached for hers. Then she and Jack looked at them together.

"Well, nothing doing on mine. You?" Jack asked.

"Oh, nothing on mine either." Karen shrugged, "Well, that's a relief." She quickly tossed the test in the trash.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

"Oh honey, I'm relieved! I can't have a kid right now. We just re-carpeted."

Karen sat back at her desk, picking up her magazine, quick to brush the whole issue aside.

"I knew there'd be nothing on mine, I mean, I'm not insane." Jack said, "Still, I'm a little….sad."

"Oh, honey. Here." Karen reached into her purse, "Take my Platinum, charge yourself a little happy."

"No thanks. I think I'm just going to go to the gym and work out some of these feelings, and my delts."

Jack walked past Karen, then stopped in the doorway and turned around.

"Um…don't hate me for doing this but…" Jack leaned down and wrapped an arm around her, putting his head close to her own, "I love you."

He said nothing more as he left.

Karen turned around, her heart racing in her chest.

Someone who sincerely loved her? No sex, no ploys, no ulterior motives?

What was she supposed to do?

Jack hadn't gotten far himself, stopping just outside the door. He could still see Karen through the foggy glass window on Grace's door.

Kindly unspoken

You show your emotions

Silence speaks louder than words

Lucky I'm clever

If I didn't know better

I'd believe only that which I'd heard

~~~~**~~~~

Will walked into the gym, a towel thrown over his shoulder. He scanned the room for Jack and spotted him on one of the treadmills. "Jack!" Will called out, waving at his friend.

Jack looked up non-chalantly and waved back to signal to Will that he'd seen him.

Will walked over, his face twisted in a puzzled expression, "You okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine." Jack responded.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, just having one of those days I guess."

"Huh?" Will cocked an eyebrow, "I didn't know you had those days."

Jack sighed, stopping the treadmill and stepping off, "Not today Will, ok?"

"Oh come on, what's the problem? Did you forget to record The View this morning? Tell me."

"No Will, I don't want to talk right now. I have to go home, and think some things out."

"Ok. So what month should I expect to see you again?" Will chuckled, but Jack's serious expression said that he did not find Will's crack funny in the least.

~~~~**~~~~

"Hey Karen." Grace greeted her as she walked into her design studio, "Anything happen while I was away?"

"The phone rang a couple times." Karen said.

"And…did you answer it?"

"What? Honey, I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Grace, that shade of purple makes you look like a giant bruise."

Grace sighed, "Ok, changing the subject…"

"Grace, I think I have a problem." Karen said, getting up from her desk.

"It's about time you admitted it Karen. I've been telling you for months, drinking that much is going to hurt you."

"Not that! And will you get off my back about that! No…I mean…I don't know if I know how to say…something."

"What?"

"Ilrrmbub" Karen muttered, running a hand across her mouth as she spoke.

"What?"

"I love you." She said, still in a barely audible whisper.

"Karen, I still can't hear you."

"I love you! Ok! I don't know how to say I love you!"

Grace sighed, setting her pencil down on her drawing table, "Ironically I've had to tell you this twice. Thank you, but I don't feel the same. I like you as a friend, but…"

"Oh, not you!" Karen shoved Grace's hand away, "I don't mean you. I mean…I mean Jack. This afternoon he told me he loved me, and I feel like I should say it back."

"Wow. Jack loves you? Jack loves someone other than himself?"

"Grace?"

"Well Karen, do you love him? Because you shouldn't say it if you don't mean it."

"I'm not sure. Wouldn't be hard though. He's got that sweet smile and those gorgeous blue eyes…and don't you dare repeat this but…you'd be hard-pressed to find another guy who could fill out a pair of jeans like my Jackie." Karen smirked.

"Yep, that sounds like love to me." Grace grinned, "So tell him."

"I don't know how."

"But, Karen, you tell Stan you love him all the time. I've heard you."

"He's my husband Grace. Saying I love you to your husband is like saying, 'Sure, you can cheat on me' or 'Don't worry, I'll wash the dishes."

"Karen, if you feel something you just have to express yourself. Tell Jack you love him. It might be good for you. Just, try it. Karen, I love you. See? Easy."

"Lord Grace, how many times do I have to tell you, I don't see you that way." Karen rolled her eyes as she went to sit back down at her desk.

~~~~**~~~~

Jack opened the door of Will's apartment, only to catch Will looking over at him from his laptop computer.

"Oh, you're here. I'll come back later." Jack started to leave.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a minute!" Will ran to grab Jack by the shirt sleeve before he could slip out the door, "We're gonna talk."

Jack groaned as he flopped down on the sofa, "Will, there is nothing to talk about. Just leave me alone, ok?"

"No, I will not leave you alone. Jack, when I got a bad brow wax and had to draw on my eyebrows for 2 months, you made me talk. When I found out that Devin is more of a popular girl's name than I first thought, you made me talk. And when I was afraid to come out, you made me talk. Now, I'm making you talk. Spill it."

Jack looked up at Will, his stone-blue eyes trembling, "I love Karen."

"What?" Will looked flabbergasted, "Jack, you're gay."

"I don't mean like that." Jack paused, "I think."

"You think? Jack what are you telling me? Are you coming out as straight?"

"No." Jack stood up, "Don't be preposterous! It's just…" Jack walked passed Will and over to the table, then turning back, "I used to just think about me. Now all of a sudden I'm….thinking about somebody else."

Will smiled, "Jack, it's okay for you to love Karen. It's the same way I love Grace, and the same way I love you." Will walked over to him, putting a hand on his back, "I'm proud of you." Will stepped away, heading into his kitchen, "Though I have to admit you had me worried for a second there. I thought you were actually going to tell me you had romantic feelings for Karen." Will laughed.

Jack giggled uneasily, "Yeah…crazy."

~~~~**~~~~

The next day Jack wandered into Grace's office very nonchalantly, and he was greeted by Karen holding the coffee pot. "Morning, poodle."

"Hey Kare." Jack smiled. "You look nice today."

"Oh. Thanks honey. You too." Karen put the coffee pot down and went back to her desk. "Did you need something?"

"No."

"Oh? You don't.." Karen shrugged, "Want some money or something?"

"No." Jack said.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Do I need a reason to see you all of a sudden?"

"No honey, of course not. I was just asking." Karen kept herself averted from making eye contact with Jack, "Say honey, how about we go to boy bar tonight? We can scope you out some cuties for the weekend."

"Ok. Hey Kare?"

"Yeah."

"Yesterday, when I said that I…you know. I just meant that I…"

"I know, Jackie."

"You do?"

"Of course I do. Don't worry about it."

"Ok. Well, I guess I'll see you tonight then." Jack headed for the door, the scene from yesterday suddenly replaying in his mind, "Karen?"

"Yes?"

"I do mean it."

Karen smiled. Say it, she told herself, just say it. But the stubborn part of her brain was just to strong. She simply looked away and in a soft voice said, "Me too."

Jack mustered up the best smile he could, as he turned and walked out of the office.

So don't keep me up till the dawn

With words that'll keep leading me on

I know much better than to wait for an answer from you