Author's website: http://freespace.virgin.net/jodie.mouse

Disclaimer: they are all borrowed

Author's Notes: thanks to SHAY who planted the seeds for this story

Story Notes: well, Gardino is dead

The first time he saw Louis Gardino it had freaked him out. Well, after all, Louis was supposed to dead.

So when Louis -- (well, Jack supposed) materialised -- behind him in the shower of all places it had almost caused him to have a heart attack.

"Hi Jack, how's things?" Louis had asked.

And Huey had turned around at hearing the oh so familiar voice and pulled the shower curtain around himself in an attempt to cover his nudity. Louis had never seen Jack naked in all the years of their partnership -- it felt -- kind of freaky.

Finally Huey remembered how to speak.

"You're supposed to be dead."

"I am." Louis had replied grinning.

"Jeez, Louis." Jack had said because there was nothing else to say.

They stared at each other. Then laughed and neither could remember who had started it or what was so funny anyway.

So it went on. Louis was Jack's constant companion.

And when the New Guy turned up -- Louis' replacement, except he couldn't be a replacement, not really -- Louis had still stuck around. It was kind of like having two partners. One a pain in the ass and the other a shining beacon.

Of course they had to adapt. A partnership could never be same if one of you were dead -- and then there was Dewey as well. But all in all it worked out good. In a way, better. Because now that Louis was dead they talked all kind of shit. From stories to do with High School to Huey and Dewey's current cases.

They had always talked when they had been partners but this -- well it was somehow different. And for a while Jack managed to forget that he'd felt like his heart had been ripped out and thrown in the trash as he watched Louis be lowered into the ground.

When he thought about it Jack decided that having a dead Louis around was better than no Louis at all. And now it was all too late to say all the things he should've said when Louis was alive.

Why had Louis chose Jack anyhow? When you were dead you could choose who you hung out with -- couldn't you? Why hang out with him?

Sometimes Jack wondered what Louis would say if he told him the truth. Wondered what would happen if he admitted that he was in love with Louis whether he was dead, alive or inbetween.

Knowing that Jack could never say this broke his heart all over again.

But may be he didn't have to say. Perhaps they had both been blind and were only now becoming able to see.

End Regret by Jodie Louise: jodie_mouse@yahoo.com

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