InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Woozle-wazzle?"

Winifred "Fred" Burkle (i_figure) wrote in we_coexist,
@ 2012-12-03 19:18:00

Entry tags:

jack heart, winifred burkle

Donuts for happiness (Jack H.)
Fred was feeling good. Or pretty good. She had felt very happy for her friend who'd found a way to make light more than just a pretty show. It made her very happy. She wanted to share the happy, but currently she wasn't sure how to. Or who she should share the happy with?

She was reading through the paper when she saw the usual picture of the City's Mayor in it. She flipped through the paper to finish reading, and finally the idea came to her. Of course, she supposed she should have thought about it long ago, or at least when she found out.

With that in mind, the brainy female stopped by a donut shop to get sweets and coffee before she headed toward the Town Hall. She didn't think she'd have much of a problem getting into see the Mayor; she'd never had a problem before. Then again, she hadn't tried in a while. So, with a little cajoling, a few giggles, and babbling, she was standing outside Jack's office.

"Knock, knock." She didn't stand outside the office for long.

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i_figure
2012-12-05 02:02 am UTC (link)

"No, no appointment. Just thought you'd like surprise donuts and coffee." Fred moved in easily enough and rested the box of wonderfully fluffy glazed yumminess, with a little chocolate and maybe some filling. She set the carrier with the coffees down beside the box of goodness.

"You probably aren't eating properly, or maybe you are, and you aren't eating fun." She smiled at him and started looking around for something to use for the treat. "You are eating properly, yes?"

The brainy female opened the box to show off the goodies inside. She set out a cup of coffee for each, and the coffee was probably fixed how he liked it the last time they had coffee together. It had been a while though since they'd had coffee. The other cup would have black coffee, and she set the sugar and creamer down beside it. She then looked at him, with that smile still there.

"Good?"

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i_chasehearts
2012-12-05 03:46 am UTC (link)

Jack looked at Fred in surprise as she set the coffee down. He considered her question. Truthfully, he didn't have much time to eat and Zatanna had been the one to make sure he stopped for meals.

It wasn't that he was starving himself but there were days when he existed on whatever he could grab on the go, and days when he skipped meals because he simply hadn't found the time for them.

It was then that it dawned on him that Fred was also friends with Dinah. He'd had a brief conversation with Zee's friend when the blonde had called to offer her condolences and it would stand to reason that Dinah might have let it slip to Fred.

Jack took a sip of the coffee, a little surprised that she'd remembered how he liked to take it.

"I'm not wasting away to nothing yet," he said with a small smile.

"Thank you," he said warmly as he gestured for her to have a seat.

There was more to the thank you than simply thanking her for the food.

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i_figure
2012-12-06 02:24 am UTC (link)

"Oh, good." Fred claimed the chair across the desk and took the other coffee, dumping some sugar into it but that was it. She watched him carefully, her smile softening a little at the "thank you." She understood what he was going through, more or less.

"Dinah told me. Don't be mad at her. She misses Zatanna, too, so it would make sense she'd mention that her friend is gone. I just happen to know that you two...well, you were very close." She shrugged. "Funny how people come and go. Not funny haha, laugh riot, but funny weird. It's normal, but it's not. Anyway, I thought you might like some silly bad for you food. I would have brought waffles, and they travel okay. Only donuts come in more sizes and are slightly more portable." She nodded.

"I guess I could have brought tacos..." Her nose wrinkled. "You know, we could get tacos some other time if the donuts aren't doing it for you."

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i_chasehearts
2012-12-06 03:32 am UTC (link)

Jack looked over at Fred in surprise at her quick defense of Dinah.

"I'm not angry. It's not a secret that Zee's gone. I just..." he shrugged. It wasn't as though he would pick up the phone and tell his ex-girlfriend that his girlfriend had disappeared from the City.

He did appreciate that she had stopped in all the same.

He stood and got closer, helping himself to one of the donuts.

"Donuts are great. I haven't had much time for waffles or tacos lately."

He looked down at Fred.

"This City certainly does a number on all of us at times, doesn't it?" There was touch of sadness in his eyes but he managed to keep that stiff upper lip.

"And what about you? How have you been?"

He knew that Fred was dealing with her own loss and he wondered if perhaps he should have made more of an effort to stay in touch. He had certainly wondered every so often how she was doing, but it didn't seem like it was his place to be the one to offer comfort.

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i_figure
2012-12-07 05:45 am UTC (link)

"I didn't think you'd be angry. Okay, maybe I did a little. It's more don't think she's out telling your business. Just kind of slipped out." Fred smiled up at him. "It's not something I'd have found out until we ran awkwardly into each other, or was trying to get hold of her or the JLC or any of that. Not like you could just dial me up and say anything. It'd be weird." She wasn't a mind reader, just thinking aloud.

"You should have more tacos. And waffles. And, yes." She leaned back, not yet touching the donuts; she'd brought them for him after all. "It has a strange way about it, but sometimes it's for the best - not that I'm saying your girlfriend's going away is for the best. Just, sometimes things turn out better than we thought they would." She winced at how that still might sound.

"Well, there are some hunters working for me, or with me, kind of both. Business isn't bad. You would be amazed at how many ghosts and possessions and vampires there are in this place. Or maybe you wouldn't." Her eyes widened, and she shook her head with a sigh. "So, business is good, and we're getting to help people. I eat regularly, and I'm a little less angry about Jake going away. It still hurts, but not the same way anymore."

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i_chasehearts
2012-12-08 04:28 am UTC (link)

Jake had never been an easy topic for Jack. The way things had been timed, it had almost seemed like Fred had broken up with him for the other man. All the same, he felt a surge of empathy at the matter-of-fact way she recounted how it was getting easier for her.

"So it does get easier?" he asked softly, just a touch of sadness creeping into his voice.

He was usually stoic when it came to emotions, but every so often that facade cracked. He missed Zee a hell of a lot, but it was good to be able to talk to someone who knew what it felt like. Even if that someone was an odd choice, given their past history together.

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3rd time's the charm

i_figure
2012-12-08 10:35 pm UTC (link)

"Pain tends to fade. It doesn't go away completely, but it does get easier. Slowly, surely. There will be days you wake up missing them so much it hurts, physically hurts. Other days you get into bed and feel guilty you didn't miss them, you didn't even notice you didn't miss them. And, some days you don't mind the pain, the missing. You smile that you had the happy moments and the sad." Fred said this with a slight smile on her lips, her voice steady as if she were telling him the the TARDIS could indeed be larger on the inside than the outside.

"It's okay to cry, to not want to get out of bed, and to just be miserable too." She reached out and lightly touched him, nothing forward, just a touch for reassurance. "I didn't come here to make you said, Jack. I just wanted you to know you aren't alone, and no matter how weird I made things, I do care about you. I will be your friend for as long as you like."

She set down her donut, what there was left of it, and stood. She didn't ask for permission; perhaps she should have, but she moved over to him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry that she's not here anymore for you, Jack." She meant it.

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i_chasehearts
2012-12-09 06:06 pm UTC (link)

Jack froze, a little taken aback at the sudden hug. Then again, he knew Fred well enough that it shouldn't have been a surprise.

He closed his eyes and gave her a gentle squeeze. The hug was more than welcome. Jack didn't have much in the way of friends in the City. After all, he didn't have time for a social life and it was a little awkward trying to meet new people when most knew who he was already.

He held on perhaps a little longer than he should have, but finally released the woman and smiled down at her as he tried to get back into 'stiff upper-lip' mode.

"Thank you again, Fred."

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