Turn To You

Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Summary: A possibility of how Jo and Jack got together. Set in the alternate universe. Rated M to be safe.

Lightning split the sky, and he set his cup down. Leaning forward, he buried his face in his hands. He had to get himself together. He had to be strong. Jenna and Kevin needed him. They'd lost their mother, they couldn't lose the only father figure they knew.

A knock at the door brought him from his revere.

"I'm coming!" Another knock, more frantic this time. "Coming! Coming!"

Please, don't let it be Andy.

But when he opened the door, he saw Jo instead.

Dripping wet and shaking uncontrollably, she struggled to control her tears. One look at her face told him that they were suffering the same dispair.

"Jo."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I... I didn't know where else to go... I just..."

"No, it's okay. Please, come in." He stepped aside, and she slipped through the door. He shut the door softly before turning to her. She stood in the middle of the living room, arms tight around herself, trying hard not to cry. For the normally composed, street-smart Jo, this was a rare moment of collapse. "Please, Jo, sit." The young deputy nodded, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I just... I can't believe they're gone. They're really gone!" She choked out, letting him wrap a blanket around her shoulders before accepting the steaming cup of coffee he handed her. "Fargo and Holly and Grace and... Allison and... Zane..." She broke down then; quickly, Carter grabbed the cup and set it on the table, allowing for her to bury her face in her hands. He watched in silence as his normally strong partner was reduced to a sobbing child.

They'd searched for a year, so it made sense. While they'd spent that whole year searching for the Astraeus and her crew, Jo had held out hope that they'd be found alive. And now...

"It'll be okay, Jo. We'll get through this." She shook her head, even as he wrapped his arms around her and let her sob into his chest. "You've pulled me back from the edge on so many occasions. Let me pull you back now. Let me, Jo."

They sat on the sofa for an hour and a half; she sobbed until she couldn't breathe, until her lungs hurt. And he thought of everything they'd been through together. Losing the loves of their lives, being forced to give up the search, finally accepting that they others were gone... They'd been through so much heartache, they needed to heal...

He pulled away, looking into her eyes. She took a deep breath and pulled away. "I... I'm sorry, Jack... I..." But before she could continue, he closed the gap between them and captured her lips in a tender first kiss. When the two broke apart, they locked eyes, and realized that both wore the same look of hurt and awe.

He kissed her again, pulling her close; finally, after so much heartache and stress, they were giving into the feelings that had slowly built up between them. She pushed him away, blushing as she quickly bit her lip. "Not here, Jack. Not when the kids could come downstairs at any moment." He nodded, considering her words. Giving her a quick kiss, he whispered,

"Come on."

Once he stood, he pulled her to her feet and led her upstairs. As they closed the bedroom door and locked it, they both realized that this seemed to be the best solution to help heal their broken hearts.

The blankets quickly became a tangled mess as they worked slowly to remove each others' clothes, running their hands over each others' skin and sharing gentle kisses. Whispered words and soft promises were exchanged as they gave in to the only way both would find comfort...

"Is this wrong? Jack, are we... betraying them?" She asked, choking on the soft moan in her throat as he tangled his fingers in her hair. He looked into her eyes.

"On one level, yes. It's wrong. But... a betrayal? No. Zane and Allison... they'd want us to move on. All of us. They'd understand, and they'd do the same if they were in our position. Creating lives for ourselves, together, two people in love... they'd understand, Jo. They'd understand."

She nodded, accepting his logic before leaning up and kissing him. Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him towards her as they crashed against the pillows. A soft moan escaped her throat, a moan that quickly turned passionate.

The next morning, when they awoke in each others' arms, she said,

"Jack, I..."

He looked down at her.

"I love you, Jo. For a year now, I've loved you. But I never pursued it... just in case..." He stopped, and she snuggled into his chest. She was silent. "Jo?"

It took several moments, but eventually, she looked up at him. Tears glistened in her eyes; tears of acceptance- that he loved her and that he was right in the fact that it was time for them to move on. Giving him a watery smile, she replied,

"I love you too, Jack."

... Four Years Later

He looked up, expecting to see Jo come down the stairs still in a robe, her hair up in a messy bun. But the person coming down the stairs wasn't the woman he loved, it was the woman he'd lost.

Allison.

He found himself partaking in minor, ridiculous chit-chat with her after she first sat down next to him. Silence reigned between the two of them; it was now or never to broach the subject...

"I saw you and Jo last night."

He managed to hide the surprise he was sure showed on his face. He'd planned on breaking it to her as gently as possible. There was no need for that now.

"I'm sorry." She didn't say anything, just glared at him, hurt. "You were gone for four years, Ali. It was Jo who pulled me back. Jo helped me with the kids, Jo helped me... she... and um... it evolved."

"Guess it would make sense that it was Jo." She stared into her coffee, struggling to hide her tears. She looked up at him. "Are you in love with her?"

His answer broke her heart.

"Yes."