Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye Fan Fiction: "Without Words" - Part 1

"Without Words" is published in three parts:
Part 1 - You are here.
Part 2
Part 3 (Conclusion)

*** What was I thinking? Musings on my foray into fan fiction. Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye was created by Dave Alan Johnson and Gary R. Johnson. ***

"Without Words," by B.A. Rogers

SCENE 1 - In the bullpen.

It's the start of the work day. Bobby and Dimitrius are at the coffeemaker, pouring themselves a cup of coffee. Jack, Sue, Tara, Lucy and Myles are also in the bullpen.

Dimitrius: (muttering) Why do we drink this stuff?

Myles: (to Jack, across the room) Oh, that's never going to work.

Bobby: (to Jack) Are you sure you can pull it off, mate?

Jack: What is your problem, everyone? Sue and I will just . . . work it out . . . as things develop at the party. It'll be fine.

Sue: Yes. Everything will be fine.

Myles: Don't you realize you're going to be deep inside their world? You can't be sticking out like a sore pollex.

Lucy shakes her head at Myles.

Dimitrius: (to Jack and Sue) There's no way around it, guys.

Bobby: Jack, you're just going to have to make a pass at Sue or the storyline won't work. That seems to be the consensus here.

Sue: That may be, but he doesn't have to do it now.

Jack: (to Bobby) I --- I can do that.

Myles: But can you do it right? Can you do it believably? With credibility? With verve? Can you draw the Rosetti family into your pretend, imaginary, created world?

Sue: I have faith in him.

Myles: Acting takes serious work. I think you're lucky to have someone around --- namely, me --- who can give you serious acting advice. Coaching, even. It's only a FBI surveillance operation on the line, but suit yourself. Personally, professionally, I think you should take advantage of the resources at hand.

Tara: (egging things on) I agree.

Lucy: Okay. Jack. Sue. Just try it. Show 'em what you got.

Jack and Sue reluctantly face each other some distance apart and ready themselves. They walk toward each other and Jack bumps into Sue a little.

Jack: Hi.

Sue: Hi.

Jack is at a loss for words. They stand there awkwardly. The team begins to laugh and groan.

Myles: Boo and hiss. Double-dog boo and hiss.

Bobby: That really is terrible.

Dimitrius: Man. Jack, I'm glad you opted for a career in the FBI and didn't try to make it on Broadway instead. You have got to be the world's worst actor.

Jack: I can act.

Myles: Yes. In high school, while I was doing Hamlet and Macbeth, Jack was spending two hours slicking his hair back in Grease.

Bobby: Grease is the word.

Jack: And what else, Myles? Who was the best sword-fighter in ---

Myles: (slowly, rolling his eyes) The Three Musketeers.

Dimitrius: Mouseketeers? Yikes.

Myles: (to Jack) There we go again, as if Alexandre Dumas is the very underpinning of all of Western civilization.

Lucy: (to Jack) Try it again, Jack. Bump into Sue and just . . . be yourself.

Myles: No!

Dimitrius: Isn't that the problem?

Jack and Sue separate, turn and face each other again. After readying themselves, they walk toward each other and Jack bumps into Sue a little. They remain standing a little bit apart, somewhat stiffly, facing each other, still a little awkward.

Jack: Hey, good-looking.

Sue: (darts a look at Lucy, who encourages her) Back at you, hot stuff.

Tara bursts out laughing.

Jack: Really?

Sue: Really.

Jack: Well, I'm glad to see you finally realized . . .

Sue: Realized what?

Jack: That we don't need to let these yahoos around here, and a bunch of dumb FBI rules, keep us from making beautiful music together.

The team is cracking up, except for Myles, who is rolling his eyes.

Garrett: (off-screen) (sharply) Hudson.

All go silent and look in the direction of Garret's voice.

Cut to Garret standing in the entrance-way.

Garrett: (to Jack) My office. Yesterday.

Cut to Garrett walking behind his desk to sit down. Jack follows him into the office and stops in front of Garrett's desk.

Jack: Um, if it's about Sue . . .

Garrett: It's about Sue. Sit down.

THEME SONG [click here] and OPENING CREDITS

SCENE 2 - In Garrett's office

Garrett is sitting behind his desk and Jack is sitting in front of the desk.

Garrett: I'm thinking about taking Sue off the team.

Jack is shocked, but doesn't let on too much.

Garrett: I know. That's going to hurt.

Jack is at a loss for how to respond.

Garrett: I don't like it any more than you do. But, in the end, I have to do what's best for the Bureau. . . . Jack, this is something that is going to be out in the open soon anyway, one way or the other, so I want to go ahead and deal with it before it's out of my hands.

Jack nods.

Garrett: I understand that Sue is very special. But that's why we have a problem.

Jack shifts a little in his seat.

Garrett: Other people want her skills, too.

Jack: Skills?

Garrett: I've got a request for transfer on my desk. The Assistant Director wants me to approve attaching Sue to Joint Task Force Gamma---

Jack: ---Attach?

Garrett: Temporary, up to 180 days. But you know what that means. If she does a good job, and I have every expectation that she will, and they need her --- she won't be coming back. They'll find a way to give her a permanent change of station, assuming she's okay with that. And, frankly, I think it's a career opportunity she probably shouldn't pass up.

Jack: Our loss.

Garrett: Yes. And part of my job --- making sure good people who work for me have the opportunity to advance. . . . Unless someone upstairs takes this away from me, this is my decision and I intend to make it. But I need to know how losing Sue will affect you---

Jack takes a breath.

Garrett: ---the team. The mission. Sources. Cases that are already pending.

Jack: Right.

Garrett: That's one concern: the impact on the team and our mission. My other concern is whether the task force knows what it's doing. I don't want them swooping in here, poaching Sue away from us because it seems like a cool idea, and then they end up under-utilizing her.

Jack: Joint Task Force Gamma. That's not exactly a desk job.

Garrett: They do their share of crawling around the hellholes of the world. As you well know. . . Of course, I'll be talking to Sue about all this, what they want her to do --- although I haven't been briefed on it myself at this point. But I also want your input. As to where this would leave the team. And what we'll need to do if she goes. . . . Think things over. Hopefully, no one will force my hand and we'll be able to make an orderly decision --- and an orderly transition if it comes to that.

Jack is deep in thought.

Garrett: That's all, Hudson. Don't discuss this with anyone yet. Especially not Sue.

Jack: Understood.

Jack stands up to leave.

Garrett: (as Jack is about to go out the door) And, the Rosetti case --- it's on hold. A new judge in town, suddenly there's a new procedural problem with the wiretap. Legal will get it straightened out, but it won't be done by Friday. No wiretaps, no party.

Cut to the bullpen.Jack walks into bullpen, not really noticing what is going on there. Tara walks up behind him with a folder in her hand. She isn't sure of what happened in Garrett's office or what Jack's mood is. She tries to act as though everything is normal.

Tara: (to Jack, while walking beside him, looking at a file) About the Rosetti party plans---

Jack: (still walking, without looking at Tara) (quietly) There are no Rosetti party plans. The case is on hold.

Jack walks past Myles, Bobby, Lucy and Dimitrius without looking at them. Sue is not present in the bullpen. They each look up as Jack goes by and notice his mood. They exchange glances. Tara raises her eyebrows and mouths "whoa."Jack goes to where his jacket is hanging and puts it on. All are watching him, trying not to be obvious about it.

Jack: (to no one in particular) I'm going to lunch.

Bobby: (quietly) Okay, mate.

Jack walks out, deep in thought.

Cut to Sue walking down the hallway with Levi and a cup of coffee. A few people say "hi" to her. She is a little worried.

Cut to Sue and Levi walking into the bullpen. Tara, Bobby, Myles and Dimitrius are there, subdued. Sue stands in the middle of the bullpen, with her back to the hallway, and looks around at them.

Sue: (tentatively) Did Jack come back from Garrett's office?

They all nod "yes:" slowly.

Sue: So . . . Where is he?

Bobby: We don't know.

Lucy: He went "to lunch."

Sue: It's ten o'clock.

Tara: Uh-huh.

Garrett: (off-screen) Levi.

Levi turns and looks at Garrett. Garrett points at Sue. Levi paws Sue so that she notices Garrett standing in the entrance-way. Garrett motions Sue to come to him.

Cut to Sue and Garrett talking in the hallway.

Garrett: Thomas, I am not mad at you. But I am mad. Don't ask me any questions. Don't make small talk. Get your stuff, whatever you need for the rest of the day, and report to my office. Immediately.

Continue reading at Part 2 . . .