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perpetual_motionTitle: Unorganized Snapshots of Prep School Life: Jack Leaves [21/24]
Author: Perpetual Motion
Fandom: Law & Order [Manhattan Prep universe]
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ed/Lupo, Jack/Mike Cutter, Mike/Connie
Summary: Jack's back, and so's the angst
Disclaimer: Bullshit and lies. As always.
Author's Note: As per the usual, some credit for this goes to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
amazonqueenkate, who was chatting with me when I laid down the basics. Mike Cutter, in high school, was probably an awkward kid, and the only person who really got him was his mock trial coach, Mr. McCoy. If you're not connecting the dots yet, you may want to get off the trolley. In short: High School AU, because it can be done.
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen Part Eighteen Part Nineteen Part Twenty
Unorganized Snapshots of Prep School Life: Jack Leaves [21/24]
By Perpetual Motion
The on-call duty roster rotates weekly. Two staff members are always on-call should something happen to any of the students during the night after curfew. To be a faculty member on duty is to not sleep peacefully for seven straight days. As Headmistress, Anita is always on-call, phone ringing in the middle of the night on any given night because the rules stipulate that she is to be contacted under specific circumstances.
So the knock on her door at a quarter of two doesn’t surprise her, though she takes the time to curse quietly as she trudges around her ottoman and looks through her peephole.
“Jack,” she says as she opens the door. “You’re not on-call.”
“This isn’t-“ Jack cuts off and just stares at Anita for a moment. “I have to leave.”
Anita blinks. The clock by her door informs her it is 1:48 in the morning. “Get in here,” she says after a moment, stepping aside so Jack can enter.
”I have to-“
“Now, McCoy.” It is too late for Anita to try and make nice. “Get your ass into my kitchen before I drag you there myself.” She watches Jack walk in, shoulders bowed, one hand clutching the strap of his worn duffel bag. “Sit,” she snaps when Jack looks ready to remain standing in her kitchen.
“Anita-“
“Shut up,” she says, and starts to make tea. “We’re mid-semester, Jack. I don’t have the time to find someone to step up for you because you’ve decided you need to have a crisis.”
“I already talked to Lennie. He can cover mock trial, and you can easily find a sub to handle my classload.”
Anita sets tea cups on the table and pours hot water into Jack’s cup first. “Which tells me you’ve had at least a little bit of time to plan.” She sits and watches Jack squeeze his hands together on her tabletop. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Anita Van Buren has been lied to by the best [Ed Green and his easy smile] and the worst [Cyrus Lupo and his inability to meet her eyes]. Jack falls somewhere in the lower edge, his mussed hair and white knuckles telling Anita everything she needs to know about his state of mind. “Jack,” she softens her tone, “let me help.”
“There’s nothing to help.” Jack sips his tea.
“Are you planning on coming back?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Would you like to come back?”
Jack sighs and rubs a hand over his face. “If it’s possible.”
Anita’s brows pull together, and she taps her fingers on the edge of her saucer. “Give me something, Jack. I can’t just approve a mid-semester leave of absence without reason.”
“Exhaustion,” Jack mutters. “Fatigue. General inability to-“ he presses his lips together.
For a brief moment, Anita considers pushing the issue and seeing what she can get Jack to admit to by making him stay put for just a few minutes. The clock on the stove says 1:56. The lines that are starting to come in around Jack’s eyes are stark in the mostly-dark. “I can’t have you gone forever.”
“I know.”
“How much of this has to do with Mike Cutter?” She can’t help asking; it’s been on her top five concerns for the year, right behind fixing the drafts in the female dormitory and arguing the type of sex ed to teach with the school board.
“Enough,” Jack says quietly. He finally looks up from his teacup and straight at Anita. “I need a little time to get my head on straight. You weren’t totally wrong with your concerns, Anita.”
“I know.” She stands and takes away Jack’s teacup. “Get out of here. Check in with me in a few days, let me know if I need to plan out further than a week or two.”
“I-“
“You’re welcome.” Anita puts the cups in the sink. “Now get out of here so that I can get back to sleep before someone shows up at my door with liquor in one hand and a student in the other.” Anita doesn’t turn around to watch him leave. She tracks him to the door by his footsteps and leans heavily on the sink for just a minute. This is not what she needs, but sudden emergencies around the school rarely are.
“You agreed to do this job,” she tells herself. “So suck up and do it.”
“Hon?” Donald’s standing in the kitchen door, eyes narrowed against the light coming from the living room. “Something up?”
“Something’s always up around here.”
Donald chuckles tiredly. “Something that needs your attention at this exact moment?”
Anita smiles and walks across the room. “Yes, but no.”
“Okay.” Donald’s used to such answers and slips an arm around Anita’s shoulders. “Back to bed, then?”
“Sure.” Anita leans her head on Donald’s shoulder and lets him lead her to bed. She pushes Jack and his crisis out of her head as she closes her eyes. She’ll do better after some sleep, she knows. “Goodnight.”
“’Night, honey,” Donald says. He drops off almost immediately.
The clock reads 3:27 before Anita manages to really close off and fall asleep.
Part Twenty-Two
Author: Perpetual Motion
Fandom: Law & Order [Manhattan Prep universe]
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ed/Lupo, Jack/Mike Cutter, Mike/Connie
Summary: Jack's back, and so's the angst
Disclaimer: Bullshit and lies. As always.
Author's Note: As per the usual, some credit for this goes to
amazonqueenkate, who was chatting with me when I laid down the basics. Mike Cutter, in high school, was probably an awkward kid, and the only person who really got him was his mock trial coach, Mr. McCoy. If you're not connecting the dots yet, you may want to get off the trolley. In short: High School AU, because it can be done.Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen Part Fifteen Part Sixteen Part Seventeen Part Eighteen Part Nineteen Part Twenty
Unorganized Snapshots of Prep School Life: Jack Leaves [21/24]
By Perpetual Motion
The on-call duty roster rotates weekly. Two staff members are always on-call should something happen to any of the students during the night after curfew. To be a faculty member on duty is to not sleep peacefully for seven straight days. As Headmistress, Anita is always on-call, phone ringing in the middle of the night on any given night because the rules stipulate that she is to be contacted under specific circumstances.
So the knock on her door at a quarter of two doesn’t surprise her, though she takes the time to curse quietly as she trudges around her ottoman and looks through her peephole.
“Jack,” she says as she opens the door. “You’re not on-call.”
“This isn’t-“ Jack cuts off and just stares at Anita for a moment. “I have to leave.”
Anita blinks. The clock by her door informs her it is 1:48 in the morning. “Get in here,” she says after a moment, stepping aside so Jack can enter.
”I have to-“
“Now, McCoy.” It is too late for Anita to try and make nice. “Get your ass into my kitchen before I drag you there myself.” She watches Jack walk in, shoulders bowed, one hand clutching the strap of his worn duffel bag. “Sit,” she snaps when Jack looks ready to remain standing in her kitchen.
“Anita-“
“Shut up,” she says, and starts to make tea. “We’re mid-semester, Jack. I don’t have the time to find someone to step up for you because you’ve decided you need to have a crisis.”
“I already talked to Lennie. He can cover mock trial, and you can easily find a sub to handle my classload.”
Anita sets tea cups on the table and pours hot water into Jack’s cup first. “Which tells me you’ve had at least a little bit of time to plan.” She sits and watches Jack squeeze his hands together on her tabletop. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Anita Van Buren has been lied to by the best [Ed Green and his easy smile] and the worst [Cyrus Lupo and his inability to meet her eyes]. Jack falls somewhere in the lower edge, his mussed hair and white knuckles telling Anita everything she needs to know about his state of mind. “Jack,” she softens her tone, “let me help.”
“There’s nothing to help.” Jack sips his tea.
“Are you planning on coming back?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Would you like to come back?”
Jack sighs and rubs a hand over his face. “If it’s possible.”
Anita’s brows pull together, and she taps her fingers on the edge of her saucer. “Give me something, Jack. I can’t just approve a mid-semester leave of absence without reason.”
“Exhaustion,” Jack mutters. “Fatigue. General inability to-“ he presses his lips together.
For a brief moment, Anita considers pushing the issue and seeing what she can get Jack to admit to by making him stay put for just a few minutes. The clock on the stove says 1:56. The lines that are starting to come in around Jack’s eyes are stark in the mostly-dark. “I can’t have you gone forever.”
“I know.”
“How much of this has to do with Mike Cutter?” She can’t help asking; it’s been on her top five concerns for the year, right behind fixing the drafts in the female dormitory and arguing the type of sex ed to teach with the school board.
“Enough,” Jack says quietly. He finally looks up from his teacup and straight at Anita. “I need a little time to get my head on straight. You weren’t totally wrong with your concerns, Anita.”
“I know.” She stands and takes away Jack’s teacup. “Get out of here. Check in with me in a few days, let me know if I need to plan out further than a week or two.”
“I-“
“You’re welcome.” Anita puts the cups in the sink. “Now get out of here so that I can get back to sleep before someone shows up at my door with liquor in one hand and a student in the other.” Anita doesn’t turn around to watch him leave. She tracks him to the door by his footsteps and leans heavily on the sink for just a minute. This is not what she needs, but sudden emergencies around the school rarely are.
“You agreed to do this job,” she tells herself. “So suck up and do it.”
“Hon?” Donald’s standing in the kitchen door, eyes narrowed against the light coming from the living room. “Something up?”
“Something’s always up around here.”
Donald chuckles tiredly. “Something that needs your attention at this exact moment?”
Anita smiles and walks across the room. “Yes, but no.”
“Okay.” Donald’s used to such answers and slips an arm around Anita’s shoulders. “Back to bed, then?”
“Sure.” Anita leans her head on Donald’s shoulder and lets him lead her to bed. She pushes Jack and his crisis out of her head as she closes her eyes. She’ll do better after some sleep, she knows. “Goodnight.”
“’Night, honey,” Donald says. He drops off almost immediately.
The clock reads 3:27 before Anita manages to really close off and fall asleep.
Part Twenty-Two
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on 2008-08-04 05:07 am (UTC)So quick with the updates these days! Lovin' it!
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on 2008-08-04 05:49 am (UTC)I'm doing my best to keep posting on a regular basis. I just have one scene to finish, and then the whole thing's completely done.
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on 2008-08-04 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-08-04 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-08-04 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-08-04 06:42 pm (UTC)