30 Ways Jess and Becker Got Together – The One with the Black Ops Mission

He'd known all along it might happen someday. Though he'd been reassigned to the ARC, twice, and had worked there for over five years, at the back of his mind he'd always known there was a possibility his old CO might come calling.

His time with Black Ops was what made him well suited for the role at the ARC; the ability to lead under pressure, to do a job no one outside of the project could know about. It was a good role for him and, though there were always fatalities and he would always shoulder some guilt for those he couldn't save, at least Becker was no longer the one pulling the trigger.

Until now.

The assignment came via Lester, who let him know how unhappy he was about it. His boss had protested, fought against the reassignment even though he'd been assured it was only temporary.

But orders were orders, and they came from high up in the chain of command.

Higher than Lester's clearance.

So it was with a heavy heart that he found himself preparing to leave the ARC for the last time in who knew how long. His team mates weren't aware he was going; only Lester and his second in command were aware of his change in assignment. It'd been his decision not to tell them, knowing from experience that slipping away quietly was sometimes for the best.

As always, though, there was a chance he wouldn't make it back and, as always, he had plans to cover that eventuality.

The day he'd been told he was leaving, he sat in his office with the door closed and put pen to paper. He wrote a letter for his parents, one for each of his siblings. He wrote a letter for Abby and Connor, Matt, even Emily and Lester got one each. There was a ninth letter, neatly written and sealed in an envelope with her name on the front.

Jess.

It'd been the hardest to write, the one he'd debated over. How much was too much? Was it better to get everything out in the open or cruel to fill her mind with thoughts of what might have been?

The letters would only be read in the event of his death, handed over to Lester as they'd said their subdued goodbyes. Even after passing it over, he wondered if he'd said too much, or not enough.

Too late to change his mind, Becker shouldered his pack on that last day, and reluctantly left the ARC and those in it behind.

#

The letter to her went unread for the longest.

Lester had dutifully handed them out the day word reached them that he was MIA. Connor and Abby had left for their home, Abby clutching the letter and Connor clutching her. Matt had disappeared to his lab with Emily, both taking their letters with them. Lester had already ensured the letters written for his family were hand delivered, and sat at his desk, two envelopes in front of him.

Jess sat opposite him, staring numbly at the sight of her name written in Becker's familiar handwriting.

"There's still a chance," she managed after a long silence. The words were hard to push past the lump in her throat, hard to hear over the rushing of blood in her ears. "He's missing. It doesn't mean he's dead."

"Jessica... Jess." Lester's expression was pained. "There is very little chance –"

"Little, but not none," she protested. "If they knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was dead, they would've said so. I know how these things work, Lester. I've worked with Black Ops before."

"I know." He'd read her file. He knew her experience as a Field Coordinator had been hard earned, and wondered sometimes if the others knew just how much Jess had seen. "So you will be aware that there is an incredibly small chance that Captain Becker will be recovered. I'm sorry, Jess. They've done everything they can to find him."

"Not everything." She stood up abruptly, her blue eyes bright with grief, anger and fear. "Excuse me, Sir. I have to get back to work."

She turned towards the door, making no attempt at taking the letter with her. Lester cleared his throat and picked it up. "Miss Parker...?"

She cast him and the letter a glance over her shoulder, and left them both behind.

#

Three weeks to the day of Becker being declared MIA, he walked back through the doors of the ARC.

Those who hadn't heard about his rescue and recovery were too shocked to greet him, believing maybe at first that they were seeing his ghost. Those who had heard, like his Second in Command, Matt, Emily, Connor and Abby, were there to greet him with hearty hugs and back pats. Even Lester appeared in the corridor to welcome him back, biding his time until the others backed off to allow the overwhelmed Captain a chance to regain his composure.

"Sir."

"Captain."

Becker glanced behind his once and future boss, wondering where the last member of the team was and why she hadn't come to greet him. Maybe it was the letter; maybe he'd been mistaken in writing what he had.

"She's at the ADD," Lester told him quietly. "Apparently she promised some field footage to someone high up in the military in exchange for their help. I don't know the details but the Minister is somehow involved."

"I was told they'd received intel about where I was being held. That someone had spent hours scouring all the footage they could get, hacked into some systems to get more..." Becker's eyes narrowed. "Was it...?"

"She's worked almost every day and every night since you were declared missing," Lester answered with a shrug. "I couldn't tell you what she's been doing. It's been unusually quiet on the anomaly front."

Becker nodded, but his confusion showed on his face. If she'd gone to the effort of helping him be found, surely she couldn't be too upset about what he'd said...?

"She refused to read it," Lester continued, stopping Becker as he started to move forward. "The letter. She refused to give up hope, and when we got word you'd been found, she said if you wanted her to know what was in it, you would tell her yourself."

#

She knew the exact moment he arrived at the ARC; she'd set up a discreet alert so the ADD would let her know when his access band was used. She wasn't surprised when he didn't head straight for the Hub; maybe a little disappointed, but not surprised. She was sure there were things he needed to catch up on, people he needed to see.

Despite her curiosity, Jess didn't check the cameras to see where he was or what he was doing. She didn't see him slowly making his way to the Hub, waylaid by those who wanted to welcome him back.

She didn't see him enter Operations, though sat up straighter, sensing someone's eyes on her back.

She didn't hear his footsteps on the smooth floor as he made his way towards the Hub, but she felt the warmth of the hand that closed over her shoulder as he made it to the ADD.

"Jess."

She closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself as she slowly allowed her chair to be turned. She opened them as the chair finished its turn, and forced herself to speak even as she studied him intently. "Becker."

He looked tired, worn. A little bruised, still. There was a new scar at his hairline, too, one she didn't want to think about too much. And he'd lost weight, which wasn't a big surprise, and –

Her cataloguing of the changes that he'd undergone was cut off abruptly, but she couldn't bring herself to mind.

His lips were a little on the dry side, but warm and welcome. He pulled her out of her chair and into his arms, and she went all too willingly.

When the kiss turned salty, she realised she was crying, and so did Becker. He pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers, lifting a hand from her waist that trembled a little to gently wipe away her tears.

"You came back," Jess murmured, her eyes staying closed as her heart began to slow to its normal rate.

Becker swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew they had an audience but let the thought of it flitter out of his mind as quickly as it came in. It didn't matter; they didn't matter.

In that moment, no one else mattered but the woman in his arms.

"Always."