Timelined directly after Message in a Bottle
<Jessica> Jess had had a very long shower once she'd finished her tea then she'd applied the offending perfume and was now getting dressed to go out. She didn't care where they went but she wanted to be out of the apartment. She decided to wear her hair up for the evening to avoid her usual temptation to run her hand through it when she got nervous and further aggravate potential problems.
<Shaw> Hunched over a circuit board in his private workshop, Sebastian had long ago lost track of time. The mechanics were simple enough, but it would be a long process to perfect the software once construction was complete. In the end, however, he was certain his client would be pleased.
<Jessica> Crossing the apartment once she was ready, Jess knocked on the door of the workshop before she opened it. "Sebastian...?"
<Shaw> Sucking in a slightly surprised breath, he straightened and blinked up at her. Slowly, a smile curved his lips. "My, you look lovely, koibito."
<Jessica> "Thanks..." she shifted uncomfortably, "It's nearly dinnertime... I thought we could go out tonight..."
<Shaw> "Of course." Tidying up his work bench, he stood from the tall seat and stretched. "Where would you like to go?"
<Jessica> Jess shook her head, offering a small shrug, "Don't care... just out..."
<Shaw> Watching her from the corner of his eye, he raised an eyebrow. "All right, I'll be ready shortly." He came around the bench and paused when he reached her, sliding his arm around her waist to lean down and give her a quick kiss.
<Jessica> Jess returned the kiss, if a little stiffly, then turned for the living room to take a seat on the sofa while she waited.
<Shaw> Giving her a second glance, he disappeared into the bedroom.
<Jessica> Jess tried to remind herself to hold it together at least long enough for them to get out of the apartment and scolded herself for actually being glad for the perfume because it would hold the anxiety triggered pheromones back.
<Shaw> A few moments later, Sebastian was back and ready to go. Picking up his keys, he went to Jessica and gallantly offered her his hand with a small smile. "Your hair looks good that way, by the by."
<Jessica> She managed a slightly lopsided smile in return as she took his hand, "Thank you... I don't wear it up often... too much hassle..."
<Shaw> "The effect is worth the effort, I assure you." He dropped a kiss at the juncture of her neck and shoulder since it was conveniently bared for him, and interlaced their fingers as he turned for the garage.
<Jessica> Jess chewed on her lip while they made the short trip to the garage, her grip on his hand tightening unconsciously.
<Shaw> Sebastian gave her another side glance and opened her door for her, opting to take the SUV since the rain was hardly convertible weather.
<Jessica> Jess slid into the seat, her distracted gaze finding everything but his face to focus on. When he closed the door she used the few moments it took for him to walk around the car to his door to take a couple of deep breaths in a vague attempt to calm down.
<Shaw> Since she seemed noncommunicative, the drive to the restaurant was rather quiet and inexplicably tense. Sebastian decided to let the valet park the car, though he again opened her door for her, trying to catch her eyes.
<Jessica> Jess glanced briefly up at his face to flash him a small smile when she got out of the car, but neatly avoided catching his eye yet again and hugged herself rather than reach for his hand.
<Shaw> He'd chosen the Japanese restaurant on a whim, but now second-guessed it a tad. Dismissing her behavior with a sigh, he let her go ahead of him inside, only taking her elbow as they were shown to their table. As the server was already there preparing their tea, he had little choice but to wait in silence for her to finish.
<Jessica> Jess took her seat and settled her gaze on the table, idly picking at the corner of a napkin. She sniffed quietly and rubbed the top of her arm with her other hand.
<Shaw> Sebastian's head snapped up to give her a sharp glance at the sniff.
<Jessica> Sensing the movement, she glanced up just a little way before dropping her gaze to the table again. She didn't want him to know she was upset... at least not until she figured out exactly what she wanted to say.
<Shaw> He opened his mouth, closed it, then watched the tiny elderly server make the tea.
<Jessica> After another long silence, during which Jess didn't even look at her tea, she finally spoke. "Why didn't you say anything?"
<Shaw> He looked up again at that, glancing at the woman's back before looking back to Jessica. "About what?"
<Jessica> "My powers? If they were bothering you... you could have just said so..." Jess was still talking to the table because it was easier than looking at him.
<Shaw> He was silent then, recalling his conversation with Cecilia. How did she know?
<Jessica> "Don't you think I worry about that too? I always have... that's why I don't talk about it..." she bit down on her lip and took a deep breath before trying (and failing) to continue her point.
<Shaw> Taking a deep breath, he considered how to explain himself. "It was, ah, something that... hadn't occurred to me until recently."
<Jessica> "Until you made me tell you what they did..." Jess finished for him. "I told you I hated my powers a lot of the time... this is why... because this happens when people find out... except normally people don't have the resources to do anything about it... and most people would ask before they did..."
<Shaw> That made him tilt his head in confusion. "I haven't done anything about it, beyond some simple research."
<Jessica> "I'm not a science project!" Jess had to fight to keep her voice down and it was the first time she'd looked at him since they left the apartment.
<Shaw> Sebastian blinked at her outburst. "Jessica, you were clearly uncomfortable talking about it, and I didn't want to make that worse without cause."
<Jessica> "So you decided to go around the problem altogether?" She gave him a sharp look before turning her face away again. "You should have just said something. Like you should have said something before you bought me a house. I get that it's not your style and it's obviously not a big deal to you to actually ask for permission but sometimes it's nice."
<Shaw> "Why say something when clearly this would have been the reaction?" Now he was getting frustrated.
<Jessica> "It wouldn't have been the reaction if you'd spoken to me about it first because it wouldn't have been such a bloody shock!" She put her face in her hands and attempted to pull herself together again. People were looking.
<Shaw> "Yes, because accusing you of manipulating me would have gone over so very well," he hissed, leaning forward in his seat. Sebastian could care less that people were looking.
<Jessica> "So surprising me with a bottle of something that's supposed to stop that from happening in the mail wasn't supposed to be taken that way? Good job. Because that's exactly how I took it." She didn't want to be stared at so she got up from the table and headed for the door. "I can't do this..."
<Shaw> He sat back in the chair, brow furrowed. "Bottle? I didn't-" But Jessica was fast, and by the time he got up she was already out of sight. "Jessica!"
<Jessica> Jess made it outside but she didn't have anywhere to go beyond that. She stood in the rain, staring out over the carpark and considered the merits of walking home. But which home was another issue entirely.
<Shaw> By the time he caught up to her, she was already soaked. He peeled his jacket off for her. "Jess-"
<Jessica> "Don't." She pushed the offered jacket away. "Don't until you can tell me why. Why didn't you just say something?"
<Shaw> "What bottle are you talking about?" Sebastian shook his head, confused, and withdrew the jacket for now.
<Jessica> Jess stared at him for a long moment before deciding to just play along if this actually got an answer. "I got a bottle of... perfume... something... I don't know... it arrived today in the mail with a handwritten note that kindly informed me it would help with my pheromone 'problem' by masking the passive effect until I actively use them."
<Shaw> "I... didn't do that, Jessica," he said, shaking his head again. "I swear to you."
<Jessica> "How do I know that? How can I believe you? There is no one else that could have sent that to me."
<Shaw> He licked his lips, shaking the rain out of his eyes. "It wasn't me, Jess." Who was it, though? One of his enemies?
<Jessica> She wanted to believe him. She really did. But how could she? She looked away across the carpark, brushing some wet strands of hair off her face. She didn't know what to say.
<Shaw> Taking hold of her upper arms, he tried to get her to look at him. "I wouldn't do that, not for a few doubts that were just in my mind." By now, his heart was pounding.
<Jessica> "How do I know that?" She turned her face towards him, trying to read his expression.
<Shaw> "Because..." At least now she was looking at him, and so, the words just came. "Because I love you."
<Jessica> She closed her eyes and bowed her head, lifting her hands to her face as she choked on a sob.
<Shaw> "It's not - it's not the pheromones." Sebastian's hands tightened on her arms. "It's been... for some time now."
<Jessica> "You don't know that..." She shook her head and attempted to pull away.
<Shaw> "If it was the pheromones, it would have faded over the summer, while you were in Europe." He hated how his voice shook.
<Jessica> "Except all my things were in your apartment..." she reminded him quietly, giving up on trying to escape.
<Shaw> Sebastian frowned slightly, shaking his head. "It... my feelings for you, they just got stronger while we were apart. Your pheromones wouldn't have stayed for weeks, or affected me when I traveled."
<Jessica> "Sebastian..." her own voice shook and she attempted to get that under control, "I want to believe you... you don't know how much I want to..."
<Shaw> His hands shifted to cup her face. "Then believe me," he said, his face very close to hers. "Please believe me. I don't want to lose you - I lose everyone I love." The last came out strangled, as he was more than a little horrified he'd said it aloud.
<Jessica> She avoided meeting his eyes, "Stop... please stop saying that word... every time someone says that to me something happens and everything goes to hell..."
<Shaw> Letting go of her, he took a couple steps back, cursing when he staggered. "This might qualify..." Sebastian bit down on his lip and turned away from her, head down.
<Jessica> "I'm sorry..." she spoke to the back of his neck, arms down at her sides and hands balled into fists, shoulders hunched against the rain. "I... I'll just.... go..." her eyes scanned the carpark for the exit.
<Shaw> "Where?" He couldn't look at her, though he turned his head enough to be heard over the rain. "Where will you go?"
<Jessica> She paused, realising she still hadn't worked that part out. "I don't know..." But she was going to be very cold by the time she got there, that much was certain. She was fairly sure she was already soaked through and she was starting to shiver.
<Shaw> He dug in his pocket and got the valet ticket, holding it out to her wordlessly.
<Jessica> She shook her head, "I can fly... I'll be fine..." she gave his hand a gentle push back towards him, "I'm really sorry... I messed this up... I mess everything up...." she turned for the street.
<Shaw> "It's raining..." he pointed out, rather obviously, since they were soaked in it.
<Jessica> "Yeah... I know... at least my pheromones won't get me in any more trouble..."
<Shaw> He wasn't any more in control of his emotions than he'd been when he turned away from her, but he faced her again. "You're... don't you feel it too?" He gestured between the two of them. "What's between us?"
<Jessica> Jess sighed, turning back to face him. She should say 'no'... but she couldn't, she'd already hurt him enough. Looking away over the carpark again, she nodded jerkily before bowing her head again and hiding her face behind her hands.
<Shaw> "And... why is it so terrible?" At this point, he was glad for the rain - something to match and conceal his misery.
<Jessica> "Because... everybody I love leaves or dies... and I'm so tired of losing people..."
<Shaw> "That's... this is exactly why we should be together." He was tired of being the one to have to pursue her, however. "We're so very much the same..."
<Jessica> "And what if something happens to you now? How am I supposed to live with that too? You already had one lucky escape... that's more than most people get...."
<Shaw> He shook his head, not following that logical leap.
<Jessica> "Sebastian... I can't... I physically can't handle the idea of losing anyone else... you know why I stopped searching after we found Cassie... you know better than anyone... but it's so much worse to think that it could be my fault..."
<Shaw> "How would anything be your fault?"
<Jessica> "Bad things always happen to the people I care about most..."
<Shaw> Finally, he got it, and he moved closer to her and whether she wanted it or not he wrapped his arms around her. "Those things weren't your fault. You know that, right? No more than it was my fault my parents died."
<Jessica> "I'd have less trouble believing that if the evidence didn't say otherwise..." She sighed heavily, turning her face into his shoulder and tucking her arms in between them. "No one ever believes me..."
<Shaw> "What evidence?" At least she hadn't fled, so he held her, trying not to think that this could be for the last time.
<Jessica> "It's not just one or two people, Sebastian... everyone I get close to... something happens.... And I just... I'm waiting... all the time... for something to happen to you... and Kevin's God knows where so I don't know what's happened to him either and I don't know if this whatever it is takes turns..." she cut herself off because she knew she sounded absolutely insane.
<Shaw> "Why don't you let me worry about my own safety?" His jacket was soaked now as well, but he tried to cover her shoulders since she was freezing. "I can't say I take much stock in curses. I would say it's unfortunate coincidence, or at worst, your mysterious benefactor."
<Jessica> ".... Oh God..." her hands closed on the fabric of his shirt. "Oh Sebastian..."
<Shaw> Not sure which part of that had set her off, he shushed her, trying to soothe her tears and started to lead them back at least under an eave and out of the rain.
<Jessica> "The handwriting was so familiar...." Jess muttered, almost to herself, "I should have known... I'm such an idiot... I'm so sorry...."
<Shaw> "Ah, the bottle." Sebastian held her tighter against him. "It's all right, at least now we know. Or, we know it's the same culprit, if we don't yet know his or her identity."
<Jessica> "I'm sorry..." she said again, "I'm sorry for being a paranoid psycho... I'm sorry for dragging you out here... I'm sorry to make you stand in the pouring rain and suffer through my insanity...."
<Shaw> "No further apologies are necessary, so long as you don't cut me out of your life," he said, lips pressed to her damp temple.
<Jessica> She shook her head, sliding her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. "You might as well be asking me not to cut out my heart...." Taking a deep breath, she finally lifted her head and met his gaze.
<Shaw> His hand rose to her cheek again, brushing back her sodden hair. He smiled at her, expression as open and sincere as he dared. "Thank you."
<Jessica> Jess turned her face into his hand, giving him a small smile in return. "Don't thank me... I'm a major pain in the ass...."
<Shaw> "Haven't you told me I'm a masochist?" he said, drawing her close again.
<Jessica> "I have told you that..." she snuggled into him, "And I'm lucky."
<Shaw> "You are." He managed his more usual smug tone, then softened again. "Let's go home."