[Ace, Tuesday May 8, Morning]

[more_flexible]

Ace hadn't returned to the hut since Sunday as far as Jack could tell. Monday had passed without a sign of her, but he wasn't going to worry too much. She was an adult and could take care of herself. That's what he told himself all day. But when Tuesday dawned, he was in a different state of mind. She could have at least gotten word to him...so rather than go straight to work, he spent Tuesday morning searching her out.

Ace was half asleep - she'd been that way for hours, an arm over her eyes to block out the sun as she lay in the grass, her head pillowed on her coat. She'd slept out here - it was easier then dealing with whatever mess was back at the hut, and finally her head had stopped pounding.

She heard footsteps, and winced as she moved her arm only to see the sun overhead and someone silhouetted in front of it.

Jack's shadow fell across her face and he stood, watching her as she roused. "Ace, where have you been and why are you sleeping out here and what...nevermind. Are you all right?" he asked, questions and worry dissipating since he'd found her.

Ace blinked up at him, and she leaned up on her elbows, her face twisting for a moment before she bit back the harsh words. "Yeah. I'm alright." She pushed herself up so she was sitting, and rubbed grass off her arms. "I've just- I've been around." Like that was any better of an answer- but she didn't quite know how to say So, I came home Sunday, and you were in bed with the man who you've broken up with, who I have a major problem with, and it didn't even matter that it was half my bed, too.

"How're you?" It was quiet, even as she picked the leaves and things out of her hair.

"Better, now that I've found you," he replied, offering her a hand up. "Did you even come back Sunday night? I didn't hear you, and I wasn't sleeping. Greg drank too much," he explained.

Ace swallowed hard. "Yeah. I was back, but Jamie walked me back to the Compound." It's not your right to pick who he's with. You knew that this might happen. "So it wasn't a big deal, really."

She was lying, but she'd gotten used to it. "I hadn't thought that you'd have brought him home." Home. She'd used the word without thinking, and then wished she'd caught herself. Jack's hut. Your hut. Not... home.

Jamie? Who the fuck was Jamie? "I hadn't planned on it, but he got drunk and we got in a fight and I couldn't just let him stumble off into the jungle," he said quietly. "We...see, Ace, we kind of...patched things up," he continued, hating himself and yet knowing there was no going back once he told her.

She stared at him.

She stared, and she wondered if maybe he'd hit his head on something, or was high, or- "... You patched things up?" It was a dumb question, her tone not sarcastic but... confused.

How the fuck did you patch up 'I fuck a lot of people and it makes me happy and you hate it' without bloody fucking changing yourself? Again?!

"Yeah," he said, looking off toward the Compound for a second. "We were working on it, then Rob...he decided to just be the Doctor's boyfriend. So Greg and I talked and got a few things clear. No promises. We're just...trying to figure it out," he explained, looking back down at her. "I know you don't like him, Ace. You're shit at hiding it. But I love him, and I want to do this. You know?"

"... It's... good that you're doing what you want." She spoke slowly, trying not to be defensive. Trying not to want to take him by the shoulders and shake him, to not try and remind him the way Greg broke him and hurt him and the way he'd cried-

About the whole thing. About- ... There was something. There was something deep inside her that resented this. That wondered why she wasn't good enough when House was, when an emotionally abusive bastard was better then her.

But Jack wasn't for her, and she knew that. That it really had been just once, and she'd had her taste of the sun, and she'd never have it again. "He hurt you." Still quiet, still confused, even as she finally stood up. "I don't know how I can like him, Jack. He hurt you." She didn't say no, don't see him, or no, this is wrong.

Just that he hurt him. Because god only knew he had.

"He's not the first," Jack replied with an easy smile. "But he's the first in a long time. I haven't let anyone in, Ace. I haven't let anyone get too close in so long. I never let anyone close enough to break me like that."

Of course that didn't justify it, or excuse it. It didn't make it okay. But he knew you couldn't fix anything until it was completely broken, sometimes. And that included him. The way he'd been. The man he'd seen that he became. Something happened in between. "And I hurt him, too. Part of patching things up is forgiving each other and starting over. I want to. I want...this. I can't even explain why or how, Ace. But I need this."

She nodded, and looked at the grass. "I know." She did, because- Because on Sunday, she'd walked into the hut and saw House where she slept. There was something about that, that it was her place, that House was there - this person who'd hurt him and things and that it was her place-

That it wasn't really hers at all. That it was just because her legs were hurt, not because he'd wanted to live with her. A way to get around her being stubborn, maybe. "So, what're you going to do now?" Maybe that was more important. What he did with this... forgiving chance. She felt like fidgeting - that this conversation was bad and hurt and she just wanted to walk away, but she knew he'd follow her.

"Now...it's on my terms," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd like to live with him again, but I'm not going back to the treehouse. The Doctor and I...you know. That went to hell. And Greg doesn't want to see either of them since the break up." He took a deep breath and shifted his feet for a more solid stance. "I asked him to move in with me once you're healed up and ready to go home." Okay, so that was a little more gut wrenching than he'd thought it would be to say out loud.

Once you're healed up and ready to go home.

She'd been right.

It made her feel sick - that he'd- that he'd told her- That he'd asked her and she'd been stupid enough to think- "I'm alright. I've been working, they don't even really hurt anymore." She was lying - sometimes, it was so bad when she overworked that she couldn't walk, that the muscles spasmed and all she could do was sit there until they stopped, trying not to cry.

But he'd never seen that.

"I can probably have all of my stuff out tomorrow." She was actually doing a good job in hiding that hurt, that sudden hurt in the pit of her stomach. She'd thought that he wouldn't lie to her, that he'd get it. That she could trust him with everything, and-

"That's alright, then?"

"Tomorrow?" he repeated, the shock of it registering on his face. "You don't have to go like that, Ace. I didn't mean immediately. I just..."

He stopped to give himself a second to think, then closed his eyes. "I get it. You're running. Again."

"I'm not." She wasn't, she just wasn't going to stay where she wasn't wanted. And for him to turn this on her- "You wanted me to go when I healed, and I'm healed. Just because I'm not dicking around doesn't mean I'm running away."

She was giving him what he bloody wanted. She lifted her chin. "I owe you one for letting me crash with you." That somehow hurt more then just the rest of it, like he'd not said 'I want you to move in with me' and even when she'd asked him again- that she'd tried and talked and when he'd not showered or shaved or anything because he was hurting and-

I'd never leave you. Never. I promise. I might need to clear my head sometimes, but I will never leave unless you tell me to go.

Maybe this was him telling her to go. He couldn't be mad that she was leaving when he'd asked her to go. When he'd told her-

No. It just... no. He didn't get it at all.

He couldn't be everything to everyone. He couldn't be what any of them needed, and he couldn't be what they wanted him to be anymore. He just wanted to be happy for a day. A week. A month. However long he could be, and enjoy it.

"You're my girl, Ace. Whether we live in the same place or not," he reminded her, shoving his hands deep into his pockets so he didn't give in to the urge to shake that defiant streak right out of her. Most of the time, he liked it right where it was.

And she wanted him to be happy, it was just- Every time he said he'd never hurt her was coming to mind, was coming to mind with every time she'd been not good enough, that she still wasn't good enough. "Yeah, Jack. I know." She forced a smile, and swallowed hard. She should come up with some sort of excuse - something like her having to go shower or something, but she wouldn't be the first to leave. Not after he said she was running away, when for the first time, maybe, she wasn't.

She wanted to rail at him, wanted to be one of those girls who squawked like a harpy about 'don't you remember why you said you wanted me here' and Jack, you're hurting me, but she did want him to be happy. On top of everything, she wanted him to be happy, and it had led her here. To this.

To the point that he just showed her how much- No. She wasn't even going to think it, even if she did, deep down. Even if she let herself think it and hurt, in the deepest part of herself.

"If he hurts you again, you have to tell me." Her tone brooked no argument, changing the subject because dwelling on that one would be disastrous at best.

"If he hurts me again, I promise you'll be the first to know, Ace," he agreed, not bothering to tell her that he'd already thought about 'what if'...and most of the times it ended with House conveniently disappearing from the island. Not many people got a second chance from him after that kind of pain. Some, but not many.

"Alright." She nodded once, and swallowed, holding herself together by the skin of her teeth. "As long as you promise." She didn't even know what to say, what to do. She still was trying to figure out- well. Anything, but had ended up with nothing whatsoever.

But she wasn't leaving first. She was suddenly glad she'd not moved more of her things purely because she was being lazy- but it meant she had less to move, that she'd somehow not utterly failed by moving her entire life.

"Ace," he started, dropping to the ground next to her, "I will keep every promise I've made to you. Never doubt that. But I have to do this. I have to try...just once more. It's selfish and I know it, but I have to know if I can even...I need to stop running away from the hard things. If I can't," he shrugged. If he couldn't, maybe House would move on. Maybe Jack would go back to how he'd been. Maybe nothing would change at all. Too many maybes..."If I can't, I don't know what will happen."

"It's okay, Jack." She found his hand, and squeezed. "I'm not stopping you from trying, and you have to do what you have to do. I'll still be there for you." She wasn't trying to dissuade him, wasn't trying to get him to not have her leave. She was leaving. Even if he suddenly told her it was all a mistake, that he didn't want House to move in, that it was just her and only her, she'd still move out.

"You promise?" he asked, genuinely searching her eyes for the truth.

There was a hurt there, deep and trying to be hidden. It was one that made her feel like she was going to be sick, that she wanted to find a place to be alone and curl up and just let the tears roll down her cheeks. She nodded, though, her fingers squeezing his again. "I'll be here if you need me." Even though you don't want me, I'll not ever leave you if you need me.

"I always need you," he smiled, squeezing her hand back. He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly, wishing that one small act could fix everything, even though he knew it couldn't possibly. "You're my girl and I love you, and nothing's going to change that."

She closed her eyes, her breath hitching once as she bit her tongue so she wouldn't ask him the things that she shouldn't. The whys and the hows and the do you knows. Her fingers tightened on his, and her eyes flicked open, and she wasn't looking at him. That was easier. She didn't know what to say, didn't know what to say that wouldn't lead to tears and hurt and against everything else that he wanted and needed and everything. "I'll be there for you." It was a whisper, her voice almost rough as she looked down at the grass.

"Good," Jack said quietly, pressing his lips to her head once more. "I've got to get to work. Stu will yell at me if I'm any later than I already am. I'll be by his hut, every day. That's where you can find me, okay?" he continued, standing up slowly and brushing off his knees. "Sunrise to sunset, every day but Friday."

She nodded. "Yeah." She flashed another smile, forced as it was, before she looked up at him. "I'll come see you later, okay?" Sometime. Later would be sometime.

"If you don't, I'll find you," he said, his smile coming much easier. He'd had years of practice at making it look natural. "See you, Ace," he added with a nod, leaving her where he'd found her and heading for the field.

"See you." She watched him leave, and very carefuly picked up her jacket, and reached into her rucksack for her TARDIS key. She had it, and if she was lucky the Doctor wouldn't be there. Not yet. She could feel the cool metal bite into her fingers, and then halfway there she stopped, thinking for a moment.

Instead, she turned around and went to Jack's hut.

And began to pack.