Consequences

Summary: The truth comes out, and Jack and Trudy have to face the consequences. Jack/Trudy
Written by: JacksAnnie

Trudy couldn’t understand how no one knew. For the third time in just a few minutes their eyes met. They smiled carefully to each other, before quickly turning away again.
She felt it was so obvious, that everyone could tell just by looking at her. How could they not notice? How could Ellie not notice, sitting right next to him all the three times?

A part of her wished Ellie would figure it out by herself, before they told her.

No one had noticed when it first started either, when they were embarrassed and awkward around each other, and full of shame because of Ellie.
The shame was still there, Trudy had a feeling that would never go away. She was having a - a something, with a friend’s boyfriend, behind her back. She couldn’t get herself to call it an affair, they had never slept together.

They had tried to keep away from each other, but as Brady had taken a liking to Jack, it was difficult. And they didn’t want to stay away from each other.

They tried being just friends again, but it turned out to be impossible.

She looked up, and for the fourth time their eyes met. This time they didn’t look away as fast.

“Jack, are you listening to me?” Ellie put her hand on his arm, and he looked at her instead.
Ellie looked over towards Trudy, and smiled to her little girl.

“What is Brady doing that is so much more interesting?”

She had no idea.

Jack didn’t get to answer before Amber came into the cafe, Bray in one arm and holding a CD in the other.

“What?s that?” Salene looked up from another table. Next to her May seemed annoyed that their conversation had been interrupted.

“I don’t know. Mega gave it to me, said it was something we should see,” Amber sighed, and walked over to the computer.

The others walked over to join her. As Ellie left their table, Jack looked at Trudy for a second before he followed. Trudy let Brady sit and play with her food before she was the last to join over by the computer.

A shot of Jack’s workshop came up. Trudy gasped when she saw herself hugging Jack, knowing exactly what day this was. It was the day she had gone to the workshop to ask Jack if he could fix one of Brady’s toys. The subject had gotten to Dal somehow; she had probably brought it up herself. She had started saying she was sorry for everything that happened with the Chosen. It was when he said he had forgiven her a long time ago, that she threw her arms around him.

In the corner of her eye she saw Jack standing stiff next to Ellie, who looked puzzled at the screen.

“Didn’t we remove all the cameras in the workshop?” she asked warily.

“Must have missed one,” May replied.

No one had looked away from the screen, where Trudy moved to end the hug. They both stopped, their arms still around each other. For a second they looked into each other’s eyes, before their lips met. It was their first kiss.

“It’s a manipulation,” Amber said quickly, breaking the tense silence. “Like Ram did with me and Jay, to fool Ebony.”

Ellie let out a relieved sigh, as did the others.

“What is he trying to do?” Ellie angrily turned to Jack.

He finally removed his eyes from the screen, but he didn’t look her in the eyes. Ellie looked at him, before turning to Trudy.

Trudy knew she had the same look on her face, a look of guilt. The anger on Ellie’s face turned to despair. The others were catching on now to, all of them looking shocked from Jack to Trudy.

“It’s real?” Ellie said, no louder then a whisper. She turned back to Jack, who looked at her this time.

“I’m sorry?” his voice was shaking. Ellie said nothing, she just ran.
Salene sent Trudy an angry look as she hurried past her to catch up with Ellie.

She wasn’t supposed to find out like that.

It was only a few days ago they had decided to tell her, but there was the matter of finding the right way. Jack was going to do it, it was better coming from him. If she went with him, it would only make things worse. Trudy would have to deal with Ellie soon enough any way.

She was supposed to be her friend.

“What is this?” Amber stood up, balancing her son on her hip. “Please tell me it only happened once, and it was all a mistake.”

Neither of them answered, they just glanced quickly at each other.

“I don’t believe this!” Amber shook her head. “She’s your friend, Trudy!”

“I don’t think you’re the right person to lecture me!” Trudy shot back angrily as Amber walked past them.

“Oh, so because I hurt you it gives you the right to hurt Ellie?” Amber turned back towards her.

“That is not what I said!” Trudy was furious. She knew what she had done was wrong, but Amber of all people should understand.

She forced herself to calm down when she saw the look on Brady’s face. Letting the argument drop, she smiled to her daughter to make her think everything was ok.

“This is going to tear the tribe apart, do you realise that?” Amber lowered her voice, but the anger was still obvious in her voice.

“Tell Ellie it was a mistake,” she turned to Jack. “You do still love her, don’t you?”

Jack glanced nervously at Trudy, who tried to give him a supportive smile. “I do,” he sighed.
"But it?s not that easy,?

“Oh, it’s very easy, Jack!” Amber raised her voice again.

“Really? Like with you and Jay?” Trudy was in tears now, everything was going so wrong. “You tried to stay away, tried to be just friends, tried not to break my heart! But it still happened. Tell me, what was so easy about it?”

“Trudy does have a point, Amber.”

Trudy turned to look at May, so did Jack and Amber.

May shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

Amber looked torn between anger and acceptance, but then she sighed. “I know.”

Trudy was surprised, she had expected a long speech about right and wrong, and the good of the tribe, but instead Amber gave her a hug.

“You should go talk to her,” Amber turned to Jack.

He took a deep breath, and nodded. Trudy took his hand, and squeezed it carefully. Their eyes met, and Trudy tried to give him an encouraging smile, but came closer to crying. He tried to walk away, but she held him back.

“Whatever happens, just remember that I love you,” she said in a low voice. He gave a slight nod, and a small smile, before she let go, and he walked out of the cafe…

Trudy sat down next to her daughter, too lost in her thoughts to notice the mess Brady had made.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Brady looked at her with worried eyes.

“I just have to face the consequences?” Trudy couldn?t help smile at the confused look on Brady’s face.

“Consequences means that sometimes the things you do can hurt other people. Even if you really want something, and even if it"s right for you, sometimes it will hurt others if you get it.”

Brady nodded seriously, looking like she was really thinking about what she had just learned.

“I don’t like consequences!” she said finally, after thinking for a few seconds.

Trudy wholeheartedly agreed.

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