THERAPIST | JACK THOMPSON

THIRTY THREE

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"Hey, go easy on those beans, okay?" Pinkerton spoke towards Peggy, causing everyone to let out a light hearted laugh.

Evelyn rested her head against Sawyer's shoulder and closed her eyes. She'd missed spending time with the boys. They always managed to make her laugh and smile. He wrapped his arm around her and have her bicep a light squeeze as he felt her shiver from next to him.

"Coast is clear." Jack announced as he placed down his belongings. "Li and Ramirez are on the night watch. We should be good to go at first light." His eyes flickered to Evelyn and he offered her a warm smile.

"Which means we stand relieved." Junior spoke as he sat across from Evelyn.

"You see any abominable snowmen like the one in Tibet?" Peggy questioned with a playful smile.

Evelyn stood up and handed Junior a beer before going to sit beside him. She looked across at Jack, who opened up his arms for the girl. She couldn't help but smile and shuffle to sit next to him.

His arms wrapped tightly around her as she leant back against his chest. He rested his head in the crook of her neck and linked their hands together.

"I... I never said, 'a-abominable snowman.'" Junior stuttered as he took a sip of his beer.

"In fairness, he did specify 'yeti.'" Sawyer shrugged, correcting everyone.

Jack looked across at Evelyn, causing her to turn and face him. Their noses brushed together slightly, causing her breath to hitch. His eyes flickered down to her lips before he smiled at her.

"Yeah." Junior motioned to Sawyer with his beer bottle.

"Sorry, it was a little hard to make out words in between all the sobbing." Dum-Dum tormented.

Evelyn laughed at the men, she had missed this. Sitting around a camp fire and just talking. It wasn't something that someone did in New York.

"Shut up. It was scary." Junior avoided eye contact with everyone.

Evelyn playfully leant forward and squished his cheeks together, she put on a pout before saying, "I'm sure it was really really scary." in a baby voice.

She had a soft smile on her face as Junior stuck out his tongue at her. They were the youngest in the group and certainly acted like it when they were together too.

"So, what is the difference between a yeti and an abominable snowman?" Jack spoke up curiously as he looked across to Junior.

He thought that if he wanted to play a part in Evelyn's life at all, he would have to get to know the people she loved and cared for the most. So, he thought it best to start with the people that she see's as her family.

"One's real and one isn't." Junior responded honestly.

Evelyn leant back to look at Jack, as everyone let out small laughs. She lightly cupped his face and ran her thumb over his cheek. He closed his eyes momentarily, relaxing at her soft touch.

"So, I hear they have, uh, mermaids in Japan. You see any of them when you were out there?" Peggy spoke up as she looked across at her best friend and Jack.

Evelyn seemed happy around Jack, despite how stressful he could be. Peggy knew that he was a lot to handle just by working with him, let alone trying to give him therapy.

"Yeah, story time." Junior grinned as he turned his body to face Jack and Evelyn.

"I got nothing you guys ain't heard before. Did a lot of ground work, dug a lot of trenches." Jack shrugged as if he was just trying to dismiss something, which the brunette quickly caught on to.

"They don't give out Navy Crosses just for digging trenches, J." Evelyn whispered as she looked up at him through her lashes.

Jack tilted his head down to look at her, she was so beautiful and the low light of the fire made her eyes sparkle. He couldn't ever stay mad at her for long.

"Navy Cross." Jack sighed. A tight lipped smile formed on his face, causing Evelyn to furrow her brows.

Something was bothering him and she wasn't sure what, but she would get to the bottom of it. She linked their hands together and ran her thumb over his knuckles, silently telling him that he was okay to tell his story, that no one sat in front of him would judge him. But also telling him that she was right next to him and wasn't going anywhere.

"Hmm. All right." Jack groaned. "1945. Tsuken Island. Nothing detail. I fall asleep on the night shift. I wake up six Japanese soldiers walking into my camp, just waltzing in in the dark."

Everyone had turned to give Jack their full attention, which made him shift uncomfortably. Evelyn brought his hand up to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss over his knuckles.

"One of them bends down over my sleeping C.O. One more second, he'd slit his throat. Snapped too. Shoot him in the back." Jack continued, his jaw tightening at the memories.

It was a story Evelyn hadn't heard before, she knew what had happened from Chief Dooley, but Jack never told her the full story. Although, she still felt like the story he was telling wasn't exactly the right one.

"Shoot them all. Before they even knew I was there. Before my last man was even awake." He kept his eyes on Evelyn the whole time. She brought him comfort when his demons got the better of him. Jack nervously chuckled before motioning to Junior and saying, "Truth be told, I like the kid's yeti story better."

Junior offered Jack his beer, which Jack took and instantly drank the contents. Evelyn sat up straight and pressed her lips against Jack's cheek. She knew how hard it was for Jack to open up about his days in the War. It was one of the things that he and Evelyn barely talked about.