Title: Second Chance to make a First Choice

Author: Mindy

Rating: T, sexual concepts

Disclaimer: Tina, NBC et al, own all characters.

Pairing: Jack/Claire, Jack/Liz.

Spoilers: "The One with the Cast of Night Court"

Summary: Jack gets a second chance to choose.

-x-x-x-x-

It's when Liz walks in on him and Claire that he finally gets it. How much he hurt her. He finally sees the expression on her face that he missed the first time around. It's not just disgust, it's not just concern, it's not just annoyance. It's hurt. He's wounded her. And as he glances over at Claire, he finally understands.

That was exactly the point.

This was not about him, this was never about him. For Claire, this was only ever about Liz -- about causing her pain. For her, it was completely intentional. For him, it was unintentional. But he has allowed it to happen nonetheless. For the second time, he has allowed himself to be used as the instrument of her pain.

He knew from his first encounter with her that Claire Harper was Liz Lemon's not-so-secret sore spot, a niggling wound that never quite healed. Claire was -- and is -- every insecurity Lemon has ever had about herself, come gloriously to life. Claire knows it too. She seems to represent to Liz every little thing she feels she is not. She represents her undesirability, her forgettability, and most of all, her ultimate insignificance. And Jack has just helped prove that to her. Not only has he managed to confirm Lemon's worst ideas about men in general, he has, unwittingly and for the second time, confirmed her worst ideas about herself.

He can see it in her eyes. She barely looks at him. But he sees the way those unblinking, black eyes take in every detail of Claire, standing in his living room in only her lace bra and red g-string, her hair mussed and her chest heaving from his kisses. Liz stands frozen in the doorway in her coat and scarf and jeans, her mouth hanging open and her arms hugging to her chest a few dvds and an enormous bag of popcorn. Jack watches her eyes skate down to Claire's hip, to the years-old tattoo there that says: 'Joel'.

The moment only lasts a few seconds, but to Jack, it feels like forever. Because he gets it now, like he didn't a year ago. And he can't believe he could've ever been so deaf, dumb and blind. Especially when it comes to the woman he knows better than anyone in the world. Liz immediately begins apologising and backing out of the room. Claire begins laughing and teasing her about her joining them. And when he looks across at her, the self-satisfied smirk she wears might just be the ugliest thing he's ever seen on a woman. She grasps at his arms as he moves to leave, falling over herself cackling, coaxing him to let her go. Jack shakes her off, hurrying after his friend.

He straightens his half-shed shirt as he strides down the corridor towards her. "Lemon, wait--"

She is already at the elevator. She punches the button, repeatedly, desperately. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she mumbles, eyes cast anywhere but at his face. When she looks up, they only get as far as his bared chest before lowering again.

"What're you apologising for?" he puffs, seeing the genuine distress on her face and wondering how he missed it before.

"I don't know, I don't know…" she shakes her head, her embarrassment making her repetitive. "I didn't know Claire was back, I didn't know she was in New York."

"I didn't either," he assures her. He reaches for her elbow, but seems unable to assuage her agitation: "Believe me, Lemon, I didn't know she was going to show up here, or I would've called you."

"No, it's okay, it's fine." She lets out a breath as the elevator arrives, shoots him an unconvincing smile: "We'll watch the movie another night, right?" In her haste to leave though and in her obvious unease, one of the dvds slides out of her arms and onto the floor. The case pops open and the disk falls out, and before she realizes it, she has stepped on it, cracking it to pieces. "Oh…" She lowers to the floor slowly, looking as though she's crushed a small defenceless creature, instead of a copy of 'Planet of the Apes'.

"Lemon," he says, squatting beside her: "Lemon, I'm sorry."

She looks like she might cry. Like someone's heart has been broken, and perhaps it was. "Oh no," she breathes: "no, no, no…"

He watches as she collects the pieces, as if by doing so carefully enough they might mend. "I'll buy you another one," he tells her: "Tomorrow. I promise."

She looks at him finally, right in the eye, her own welling with rarely revealed emotion: "No, you don't understand. You can't get these anymore. It's a collector's edition, it's very rare."

"I'm terribly sorry," is all he can think to say, watching her put the broken pieces back into the case.

"No, it's okay." She shakes her head, getting to her feet: "Its nothing, it's my own stupid fault anyway." She collects herself, quickly sticking an arm between the elevator doors to stop them closing.

"Wait, Lemon--" he protests, watching as she boards and stabs the down button a few times: "wait."

She puts her back against the wall, pressing into the corner, her eyes meeting his but only through her lashes. She opens her mouth to say something but just as she does Claire calls his name from the other room, her tone deliberately seductive. Jack's eyes close over. When he opens them, Liz gives him a rueful smile -- possibly intending to absolve him -- then she tosses the bag of popcorn at him.

"Have a great night, Jack," she says as the doors begin to close over.

Jack catches the bag then puts out a hand. "No, Lemon, wait--" he pushes back the door, telling her suddenly, resolutely: "I choose you."

She blinks. "What?"

Claire enters behind him. He hears her heels click on the hard floor, can practically feel her breathing down his neck, eyes boring into his back. He sees Liz's gaze shift over his shoulder, her face hardening.

"She's waiting for you," she all but whispers, then averts her gaze: "Without any underwear, by the way."

"I don't care," he insists, without turning. He refuses to be distracted this time, he refuses to be used. What's more, he's not even interested. Something has clicked -- back to where it always should've been. He leans closer to his friend, attempting to secure her wandering gaze. "I made the wrong choice last time. Give me a second chance to make the right one."

Liz regards him indecisively for a moment. Her eyes can't help but flicker with hidden hope though, it's in her nature. She can't deny it, and he can see it, and he's grateful for it. Because it means she will always – well, mostly -- think the best of the people she cares about. Of him, particularly. Her faith in him rarely wavers.

"What're you saying?" she mutters.

"Just give me five minutes," he implores. "Come back in five minutes."

She bites her lip. "Jack..."

"We'll pretend this never happened, we'll watch a movie."

The doors bump impatiently and he pushes them back, eyes fixed on her face. Behind him, Claire begins stalking closer. Liz retreats against the wall. She doesn't want to see the other woman, and he can understand why. He sees the expression on her face grow anxious again, and while he would like some assurance that she will return, he also knows that, after what she just witnessed, it is a lot to ask of any woman. Even a friend like Lemon. So he steps back, letting the doors close over and the elevator deliver her away.

TBC...