Chapter 5. Author's note - a MASSIVE thank you to everyone. All of your votes and comments really meant a lot to me. So thank you very much!

As he set the table on Saturday afternoon, Jack knew that Anne would not be happy about having dinner with her inlaws. It was not as though she did not like Hannah or Chris, quite the opposite. He knew she adored Chris and got along with Hannah like a house afire.

Kenneth was the problem, however. His sister's "chauvinistic, pompous ass of a husband", as Anne had put it so eloquently. Kenneth Moore, his sister's husband, and the father of Chris. The man who was a thousand times more charming than Jack and a thousand times more sleazy.

But, considering how much the idea that Anne was currently socializing with her ex-husband was bothering Jack, he assumed that he deserved to get a little back at her.

Chuckling softly from where he was placing a knife with impeccable attention to detail, he heard the front door open. Knowing from the light tread that it was Anne returning from whatever she had been doing with Aaron, he did not bother to greet her.

"How was your date?" he asked without turning around, aware of the acid in his voice.

"It wasn't a date," came her waspish reply.

He turned to see her standing there, hands on hips, head cocked, looking charming.

"Of course not. You were just doing whatever that was with your ex-husband. How is the drunken lunatic?" he replied. He made a mental note to bite his tongue, so as not to offend Anne, but the vicious side of him would not be silenced.

She gave him a scowl, but it was not one of anger. It was an irked, irritated expression, but it was not one of lasting ire. It was more one of passing annoyance, not even at him, but at his spiteful tongue.

"Not drunk or crazy. We cleaned up his house," she added, as though it would give her statement that it had not been a date more credibility.

"So he was fine, then?" asked Jack.

"That's not a word I would apply to him. But he did seem better than yesterday," said Anne cautiously. She bit her lip.

Knowing her well enough to know when she was nervous, his eyes narrowed as, abandoning his task, he leaned against the table, crossed his arms, and regarded her. "What is it?" he asked.

"He seemed better than yesterday, but I have no idea whether he was actually better or if it was because I was there," she murmured. "As vain as it sounds, I think the only thing that made him better."

Jack sighed. He stepped forward and chucked Anne under the chin. It had become a habit of his ever since he'd seen her do it to Aaron once in the clinic. "Hey," he said. "You would be the only thing that would make me better, too. And if he's better, why worry about the reason? For now, isn't the fact that he's even marginally happier your main concern?"

Jack was rewarded with a very shy, admiring smile from Anne. "You're right," she said.

"I very often am," he said, his voice in the charming place between gentle self-mocking and puffed-up egoism.

That got him a broader smile, and a quick kiss. Once she leaned back and smiled at him, Jack saw Anne's gaze jump from his face to the table behind him.

"Are we having guests?" she asked.

Jack smiled. "My sister."

"And Chris?" asked Anne hopefully. Jack smiled dotingly, remembering how much he adored Anne's devotion to the nine-year-old boy.

Jack nodded. "And Kenneth."

Anne gave a moan. Jack laughed.

"I know how much you adore Kenneth," he teased, putting one hand on her waist.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't seem to notice it. "Don't even joke about that. You know I positively despise him," she moaned. "He's-"

"Full of himself? Pompous? Maddening?" guessed Jack.

"Yes," she replied. "And he's-"

"Set in his chauvinistic ways?" finished Jack.

"Exactly. He's still unhappy that-" she began again.

Jack, having heard Anne repeat these words so many times, could finish the next sentence in his sleep. With a grin, he said:

"My sister never took his name, that woman-hating pig."

Anne seemed about to concur enthusiastically, but then she smiled ruefully. "You're teasing me, aren't you?" she demanded, jabbing his chest with one finger, her voice mockingly serious.

"Yes. Though I do agree with you, sweetheart," he said, embracing her suddenly.

She laughed loudly and hugged him back. He felt her laughter hum through her chest. Jack felt a quick thrill of bliss, holding Anne there in his arms as she laughed and pressed her lovely, alluring form close to him.

"I'm glad you do," she said, pulling back and holding him at arm's length. As she regarded him, Jack looked with affection upon her pretty face and her sparkling eyes. "It's one of the reasons why I like you."

He pretended to look as though his pride were severely wounded, as though her words were a metaphorical dagger that had inflicted a mortal wound upon his defenceless ego. "You only like me, Anne?" he asked, eyes wide with false pain. "Your feelings extend no further?"

She laughed again and patted his cheek. "Silly Jack," she teased. "I love you!"

"Good," he chortled, and grabbed her about the waist. "Glad to hear it."

Jack kissed her, feeling her go limp in his arms, a soft sigh, like winsome wind, escaping her lungs. And so he kissed her a little harder, running his hands over her entire frame, exploring the body he knew so well and adored so much.

He managed to get one hand up her shirt and he had his fingers over the hook and eye of her bra, ready to undo it, when she stopped him.

"No, Jack," she said. She put both hands flat on his chest and pushed him away.

"And why not, Anne?" he retorted.

She slipped past him and scampered into the kitchen, Jack on her heels. "Because we have guests coming over soon!" she called over her shoulder as he pursued her.

"They won't be here for at least an hour," he said. He approached her stealthily, like a cat stalking its prey and, in one swift movement, had her pinned up against the counter, unable to escape. With one of his legs between hers, she could not move either way.

She looked at him, eyebrows raised skeptically, her expression delightfully haughty. At that precise moment, the doorbell rang.

"That wouldn't be them, by any chance, would it?" she asked, her voice cool and reserved. But he could tell she enjoyed the serendipity of it.

"Maybe," he conceded, smiling.

"Then perhaps we should answer the door?" she proposed.

"Perhaps," he agreed.

Laughing, the two of them went to open the door. The moment Jack had even cracked the door, Chris came charging through it, eager to see Anne.

"Aunt Anne!" he cried, flinging his arms open for a hug. Though Chris, now at the extremely mature age of nine, had decided he was quite the dignified, stoic little Lord, his cool reserve and sophistication went out the door the moment he saw Anne.

"Chris!" she replied, with equal enthusiasm. Jack knew she was thrilled every time Chris identified her as his aunt. "How are you? You've grown again!"

Hannah, who had just entered, chuckled. "I don't see how he's grown. She only saw him a week ago," she muttered conspiringly to Jack.

He chuckled and embraced his sister. "In Anne's mind, he has."

"I sometimes hate Anne for that," she said, as she retreated so she could watch Anne and Chris. Hannah and Jack observed the boy as he, with an air of macho dignity, proudly showed Anne a long scratch on his arm. "She spoils him to no end. I think he likes her better than me."

Jack laughed. "No, sis," he said, elbowing her affectionately. "He loves his mum, I know. Where's his dad, by the way?"

"Parking the car," replied Hannah. She took off her coat and gloves and hung them next to the door.

Jack noticed his sister looking at him worriedly. "What is it?" he asked.

"You look stressed, John," she said. Jack rolled his eyes. He knew she meant business when she used his full name. "And tired. You've got those bags under your eyes. What's the matter?"

"Aaron," he muttered, making sure his voice was low enough that Anne would not hear him. However, he doubted that she would have noticed if he had shouted it, based on the fact that all her attention was centred on worrying over the scratch on Chris's arm. "Anne's been to see him. In a purely platonic sense, but...well, we'll discuss it later."

Hannah nodded. "Of course."

They were all interrupted by the arrival of Kenneth. Dressed stylishly, exuding charm and self-adoration, he practically oiled his way into the house, shutting the door behind him.

"Jack!" he cried, his English accent more noticeable than ever. "Good to see you!"

Jack wondered absently if the English accent was put on to court women, or if it was genuine. Either way, he still despised the man. "Good to see you, too," he lied, grasping Kenneth's proffered hand and shaking it vigourously.

Kenneth smiled brilliantly and, Jack had to admit, charmingly. As Kenneth ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair, Jack saw his cool blue eyes light up the moment they landed on Anne.

"Hello, Anne," he called.

Anne got up and disentangled herself from Chris. Watching Anne as she walked over to Kenneth, Jack could not tell that Anne disliked him, so good was her pantomime of happiness. She was truly an excellent actress, leaning forward and exchanging kisses on each cheek with a hospitable air.

"Darling," he drawled. "You get better and better looking each time I see you. Not as lovely as Hannah, but close."

Jack grumbled quietly. As much as he wanted to hate Kenneth completely and entirely, he could not fault the man in one regard: his love for Hannah. Though Kenneth might flirt, might charm, might allure other women, there was little doubt that he loved Hannah.

Anne laughed lightly. "As do you, Kenneth," she said in response.

Kenneth smiled brilliantly.

With that, the five of them went into the living room. Wine was poured, Anne was chattering away with Chris, and, miraculously, Kenneth wasn't even being irritating. Jack found himself enjoying the company.

That was, until, much later while they were were seated around the dinner table, a very pleasant meal having passed. Hearing Kenneth and Anne deep in conversation about the theatre, Chris listening in, Hannah nudged Jack.

"Okay. Now's your chance. Tell me what the hell is going on with Anne and Aaron," muttered Hannah under her breath.

Jack sighed. "Nothing, on Anne's side. It's Aaron who worries me," he growled.

Hannah nodded. "Explain everything," she demanded.

So Jack started from the beginning. When he was done, Hannah's brow was set in a frown and her hazel eyes - the ones Jack shared with her, the ones they had inherited from their mother - were narrowed.

"Don't look like that," said Jack. "Bad things always happen when you look at me like that."

Hannah shrugged. "Maybe. But I'd argue that bad things are going to happen when Anne sees her ex-husband."

"I trust Anne," snapped Jack, feeling the need to defend Anne viciously from Hannah, who dared question Anne's integrity.

"And I'm not saying that you shouldn't," said Hannah, raising her hands placatingly. "I'm just saying...go gently into this. Someone's probably going to get hurt, and the last person I want to see that happening to is my big brother."

Jack went from angry to bashful in a split second.

"And Anne knows that if she ever breaks your heart, she's got me to answer to," said Hannah, her eyes flashing. "Me and Chris. Something tells me she'd be far more unhappy about losing Chris."

Jack was nearly overtaken by the bashful feeling. This feeling remained with him, the feeling of being cared for by his sister, who for as long as he could remember, he felt the need to care for her, even after Hannah and Kenneth departed with a sleeping Chris.

It didn't even bother him as Kenneth, seeing that Hannah had already taken Chris to the car and thinking Jack wasn't watching, kissed Anne's mouth quickly and with the facade of innocence.

When they were gone, Jack collapsed on the sofa and gave a huge sigh.

Anne took one look at how he was sprawled and immediately settled herself into the armchair, which was the place she'd sat the first time she'd been in the house. Smiling, he beckoned her over. She obeyed, taking a seat near his head so he could lay his head in her lap. He closed his eyes with bliss as she began to stroke the side of his head with delicate fingers.

"Tired?" she asked. He could almost hear the doting smile he knew would accompany her loving tone.

"Mm hmm," he said.

There were a few moments of rapturous silence before Anne spoke again. "What were you talking so furiously with Hannah about? You both looked upset."

"I explained to her the situation with you and Aaron," he said, spitting out the word as though it were a bitter pill. The very mention of the man had soured his sweet mood.

"And?" asked Anne.

"She said you'd have to answer to Chris if you ever hurt me," he replied.

Anne bent over and kissed his cheek, her long hair enfolding him in a soft, sweet-smelling curtain.

"Chris and I will always remain friends then," she said. "Because I'll always love you."

Jack smiled and snuggled closer to her. "Will you always love me?" he asked with self-indulgent happiness.

"Forever," she vowed, and kissed him again.