[for lisa]

[more_flexible]

He'd seen her that morning and had spent the day wondering what she had on her mind. It was something important, he was sure of it. He'd made sure his room was in order, pillows and blankets and a lamp for when it got dark. All it was missing was the girl, so he returned to the compound to find Lisa.

Somehow he had a feeling it would be an evening full of surprises.

Comments

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

Lisa had made sure to look her best. Not that she'd ever had any kind of issue with being lovely, but when it came to Jack she didn't scrimp on her appearance at all. She'd brushed her hair to a full gloss and chosen to wear the black dress she'd worn previously for the party. He'd seemed to like it then.

Closing the door to her room she walked down the hallway to meet Jack.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He marvelled at the sight of her. She was simply stunning. The way the dress clung to her left very little and yet everything to the imagination and her hair was something he could bury his hands in and never let go.

"You look gorgeous," he smiled as he offered her an arm. "You didn't give me a lot to work with earlier, so this might be the most disappointing surprise ever."

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

There was something about the way he looked at her, something that took her away from the rawness of reality and into some place that was just theirs. She liked it, liked it more than she had known.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile, slipping her arm easily through his. "I don't think you're capable of disappointing me, Jack. That's been the furthest feeling from me when you're around."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Is that strange for you? Being so at ease with someone you haven't known for very long?" he asked. He lead her out of the compound and down the path back toward the grssy field and the treehouse.

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

"Being at ease with anyone is strange," she admitted, following his lead out into the calm darkness. "I can't say I mind it, but it is different. At home I was strict and professional with everyone because I had to be, so that sort of changed the warmth of any relationship."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I don't even think I can imagine you as strict," he replied. "Professional, yes. Strict, not really...but then you were Greg's boss," he added with a soft laugh.

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

She laughed in response, leaning a little closer to him in the darkness. "Greg did require a certain kind of strictness. He liked to push me to my limits."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you're the only one," he reminded her. Jack fell silent for a few paces before letting the darkness wrap around them and give them some illusion of privacy.

"So are you going to tell me what you had on your mind?"

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

"Of course. I promised I would." For a moment Lisa gathered her thoughts in the silence, feeling her heart beat a little faster and harder than she wanted it to.

"It's a bit outrageous. And I'm not going to be upset if you look at me and tell me that. It's something I've been thinking over for awhile now, since I came here."

She paused, teeth delicately brushing her lower lip. "Do you remember what I told you the night we met? When you asked me what I wanted..?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I do," he answered, pulling his arm in and dragging her against him a bit tighter. "You said you wanted a baby."

Why he'd think that was so outrageous was a mystery.

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

She nodded, willingly moving to his side. Her head rested easily against his shoulder as they walked.

"I'd been trying to convince myself I didn't since I came here, because it seemed so impossible. But the truth is, I still do."

Well, it sounded outrageous to her...

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"It's not impossible," he said gently. "Leoben and Starbuck are having a baby, and there's more than one girl around here who is pregnant outside of...couplehood."

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

She nodded once, feeling the softness of her hair brush against his cheek. "I hadn't really been in a place for it to happen though. At home I was relying on medical advancements and here it's rather back to the natural way of things." She bit her lip on a little grin.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack smiled softly and came to a halt. "I'm guessing you want to try the natural way with someone?"

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Her admission was soft in the darkness and Lisa faced him in the night. "I was thinking about it." Her eyes met his softly.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Do you have someone in mind?"

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

"I do." She bit her lip for a second, unsure of how to say it. "There aren't a lot of people I'd trust to. And Wilson.." She shook her head. "I wouldn't want them to feel they had to do anything they didn't want to. It..I'm saying it so badly."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Both eyebrows went up as he looked at her. He'd been practically certain Wilson's name would come up...but not like that. "Lisa," he said as he wrapped both arms around her waist, "Just say it. You're confusing me," he grinned.

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

She laughed then, a helpless little giggle and let her hands rest on his shoulders easily, taking in the closeness. "I'm sorry. I say things so badly sometimes." A moment passed for composure, and then she let the tension rush out of herself as she looked up into his eyes.

"I was hoping it would be you. No expectations, no strings...as many or as few as you'd like. I know it's.." Okay, she didn't even know what it was. But maybe he would, and she met his eyes hoping that'd be the case and he wouldn't be as scared as she felt.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"You want me to get you pregnant?" he asked. He laughed softly and held her tighter. "No one has ever asked me that."

He backed up a little after that, thinking it through. If he said yes it meant a baby...a baby and a connection and a purpose. He'd always be connected to Lisa. And there would be a child, a person of his very own making.

But those were all reasons to say no as well. Things around here were uncertain at best and dangerous at worst. The idea of raising a child in a place where people could just change without warning was daunting.

He thought it over, weighing the option s, and not lightly, before he nodded slowly.

"Okay, so you topped my surprise," he smiled. "I'd love to have a baby with you."

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

She'd have been lying if she said her heart wasn't pounding, racing uncontrollably with the fear of what he'd say and what she'd just done in actually asking the question without speculating on it anymore.

But then he said...

Her eyes widened, gleaming brightly in the darkness and then her arms were around his shoulders and she was hugging him more freely than she knew she could. A moment passed with her face buried against his neck and all she could whisper was "Thank you..oh, Jack.." in a soft tone aching with sincerity. Maybe she'd be able to somehow tell him just what this meant to her, all the things about having a child she'd always felt and wanted...but then again chances were he already knew. He did somehow seem to know her.

"I wouldn't say I topped your surprise," she said when she looked up into his eyes again, her own still glowing as they always did at him but with a deeper intensity. "I was afraid I might scare you."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He just laughed softly and shook his head. "No. Takes a lot more than that to scare me, gorgeous. Come on...my big surprise was showing you the treehouse and my room. And now I guess we've got a good reason to try out the bed."

He paused for a second and then looked at her curiously. "Is it time? I mean...when should we start trying? There's a window of opportunity, right?"

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

"I'd love to see your room. The treehouse is absolutely lovely." There really weren't words to describe how light and happy she felt now, but she figured he could probably guess.

His question prompted her to nod in response. "There is. Back home I kept records of it, and that window is from...actually today until Thursday," she said after a moment of thought.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Well then," he replied, "we'd better get going."

Jack was nearly beaming as he offered her his arm. "You know, I've never done this on purpose. I'm not even sure I've done it on accident," he laughed. "Are you sure? I mean...with me?" he asked as he lead her to his place.

[doctorcuddymd.livejournal.com]

Lisa slid her arm through his, letting him pull her as close as he liked in the darkness. "If it makes you feel more at ease, the only time I've tried has been with a needle."

His question surprised her, and she looked up at him as they walked. "Why would it surprise you that I'd ask you?"