First Floor Lobby: Saturday Evening

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack had handwavily been to his room, Cedric's room, and to every common room. There'd been no sign of Cedric anywhere, and no one had seen him.

But he wasn't worried.

He was simply sitting in the first floor lobby so he could enjoy the peace and quiet.

It was merely a coincidence that he could see the doors.

He was playing hangman on his whiteboard. It was easy to win when you were playing yourself.

Comments

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She nodded, then borrowed the marker and wrote.

Frustrated but fine. You?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack hugged her again, as tight as he could, and then kissed her.

He freed a hand to write: Glad I only have one person to worry about.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

So we wait. She took his hand, and squeezed it.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack mouthed, "thank you" and wrote: Glad you're not out there. If I was worrying about you, too, I'd probably go insane.

He gave her a weak grin.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She wasn't sure what to say to that, either, because she was having real problems with not being where the fighting was.

Instead, she laid her hand over the one she was already holding and tried to smile back encouragingly.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack placed his other hand on top of theirs and met her eyes, not even trying to hide how worried he was, then lifted it away to write, one handed:

I'm not leaving until he's back - will you stay with me? I don't know how long it will be. He tilted it so Sam could see it, looking at her uncertainly.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She nodded. You didn't even have to ask.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack studied her face for a minute, then wiped the board clean and very slowly wrote something on it. He glanced up, then down at the board, then back again, before showing it to her.

Don't know what I'd do without you.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She kissed him, writing as she did so. When she came up for air, her writing was slanted and almost illegible, but there if Jack could read it.

You won't have to find out.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He kissed her back, and if it was a bit desperate it was equally enthusiastic.

Breathless and somewhat mussed, he peered at the board, trying to make out what it said.

When he did his smile faded, and he looked up at her in surprise.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam blinked and tilted her head at him questioningly. "What?" She mouthed.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He shook his head, and wrote: Surprised me. Thank you. Me too. and smiled warmly, touching her cheek gently with his fingertips.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She smiled back at him. No reading tonight, unfortunately. Something else to keep you entertained?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack slumped back into the couch and pressed closer, resting his head on her shoulder. What do you do while you wait to find out if someone is safe?

He looked at her helplessly.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, Sam had too much experience with this. Wait. Work. Try to sleep. Forget to eat. Pace.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He nodded, staring at the doors for a long moment, then shook his head sharply. Figured. Suggestions? He held the board up, then wrote, Entirely in your hands., pointing at himself, then at Sam.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

When's the last time you slept?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

And that makes him flinch and close his eyes, drawing away from her.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"What?" She mouths again. "Hey..."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He opened his eyes, but not in time to see it, and clenched his hands into fists, staring at the floor.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She lay a hand against his back, between his shoulder blades. What? Talk to me. Er, you know what I mean.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He quirked his lips in a half smile, with no humour in it, and wrote: I didn't get much sleep last night - I was with Cedric. I told him this was probably nothing to worry about.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She hugged him closer. You didn't know.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He buried his face in her neck, nodding, knowing she was right, but still feeling a nagging touch of guilt.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She rubbed little circles into his back, not knowing what else to do.