Thursday Office Hour

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

With nothing else she can do for Chip right now, she puts her earphones in and opens her laptop to write an email to Josh. And she mumblesings as she types...

A modern day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride

Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift...

Comments

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"A little Christmas at home sounds like a really nice idea, CJ. And a trip to New York sounds like pretty big plans to me." Geoff grins.

"How is everyone? I noticed Ten seems a little under the weather. Is he all right?"

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"He's got a cold. He'll be fine, I'm sure...he's under a lot of stress just right now." she turns and saves her draft and closes her computer.

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

Looking past CJ to what she's doing with the computer, Geoff says "You're working on something. I don't want to interrupt you -- I'll catch you later, maybe in the lounge. Tell Ten I hope he's feeling better soon -- and that I'll stop by and harrass him once he is."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Geoff...I'm not doing anything important. I'm completely yours right now if you want.And honestly...right now...I could use a friend." She smiles faintly and moves toward him. "Unless you need to go..."

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

The grin fades. Geoff walks over and puts his arms around CJ. "I have nowhere I need to go, my lady. I only thought you looked busy."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"I'm busy trying to distract myself." She returns his embrace tense and exhausted at the same time. "There's a problem with Jack."

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"Jack?" He gives CJ a worried look. "What's wrong with Jack?"

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"He can't remember the last three months. Ten thinks he can fix it. We have the...thingy...that did it. And so now all I have to do is sit on my hands and dwell on the fact that this kid I love doesn't know me from anyone." She wraps her arms tighter around his waist.

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"He can't...remember." Geoff's face pales a little. "And you think you have some sort of...device that did it to him?"

He holds CJ tighter and kisses her hair. "CJ, it doesn't matter that he can't remember you right now. After all, he didn't know you just a few months ago, and then he came to think of you as his mother. Even if he never gets his memory back, he'll come to see you that way again. Don't worry."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Do you really think so, Geoff?" she sounds unbelievably fragile, and she just...holds him.

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"I know so, CJ. He learned to love you once, why wouldn't he again? We none of knew each other before September, yet here we are. Give him a chance to get to know you again." He rests his face against her hair. "He won't stand a chance."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"He said I'm like a force of nature, you know that?"

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"You are like a force of nature, my lady," Geoff chuckles. "In an utterly appealing way. Trust me, it would take outside interference for someone to forget you."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

She laughs softly. "I do love your mouth, poet."

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, my lady. I've been told it's my best asset." Geoff joins in her laughter for a moment, then turns serious.

"Is there anything I can do, CJ? For you?"

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"I don't know, Geoff. I'm so tired. Nothing stays good. Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold." She looks up at him, "That's a poet long after your time. He was a genius too. Not as good as Neruda, though." She babbles on about petry, gazing into his eyes.

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes, I think, what seems like falling apart is just things forming themselves anew. Look at me -- I was completely lost when I came here. I had nothing, no idea how or why I'd arrived, no idea what most of the things around me were. I had a choice of giving up and counting myself lost, or accepting the lot I'd been given and let things straighten themselves out. I chose the latter, and now look at me. I have a fascinating job, I have good friends...."

He gives her a light kiss. "It does get hard sometimes, CJ. And I know I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. But it also gets better."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"I know, Geoff...but the better doens't last long enough. I just want to be happy. That's really not so much to ask." Her lips brush against his softly in return, driving out the rest of the world.

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"No, it's not."

For once completely out of things to say -- and not knowing anything to say that could make it better anyway -- Geoff just kisses CJ again, and holds her tight.