It's You. It's Always Been You.

Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine...
Spoilers: A little bit of everything
Summary: read the title.
In this story, Jack's hair was still salty-and-peppery! 

After Avery had gotten married in North Korea, Jack had been so lonely. No woman to hug, kiss, or sleep with at home. 
That all changed when Jack found out that Liz was going to the Hamptons.
*
Liz was the closest thing Jack could get as a wife. 
"You're going to the Hamptons?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Yeah, why?" she replied.
"I have a Summer home there. Would you like to stay there instead?"
"Um...well--"
"I'm neighbors with Ina Garten."
"LET'S GO!" she shouted. 
*
Liz grabbed her bag and went straight outside to get a taxi.
"TAXI!" she yelled.
"Lemon! Relax. I can get us my limousine. Also, I have a servant who packs my stuff for me. He'll get your stuff, too. No need to worry. It's the Hamptons after all, darling."
Jack said his last sentence with a British accent. Liz wondered how his personality would change if he were British. He'd have yellow teeth. Ech, she thought. 
"So, where to now?" Liz asked.
"You want to go to--"
"Subway? Yes, please!"
*
Ah, Subway. The smell of fresh food and the sound of chairs squeaking. Liz liked to call this her third home, behind her actual apartment and her office. 
She ordered.
"And for him?" the lady asked.
"Oh, um, same."
"You really expect me to try that?" Jack asked.
"Aw, come on. You just need to get over by the way it looks because it tastes absolutely delicious. I tell you what; if you like the sandwich, you owe me ten bucks. If you don't like it, I'll owe you five."
"What are we, in sixth grade or something?"
"Just eat the sandwich, Jack."
Jack took a bite of the sandwich.
"Well?" Liz asked, eyes getting all wide.
Jack inhaled deeply.
"I don't have ten dollars with me right now, but will you accept a check?"
Liz smiled, then laughed.
"Okay! I will! Oh, yeah...Liz Lemon won!"
After Jack wrote her the check, his phone started ringing.
"Oh, it's time to go to the Hamptons," he simply said. "Ina just texted me saying that she can't wait to meet you."
Liz grabbed the phone from him.
"Are you serious? Can I FaceTime with her?"
"Later. At the limo, Lemon."
*
"Now?" she asked, when they entered the limo. 
Jack nodded and gave her the phone. Liz clicked on Ina's number and tapped the FaceTime button. 
After what seemed like hours, the driver and Liz's call came to an end. 
"Jack? Jack, we're here!"
"Oh, is Jack there?" Ina asked. "Can I see him?"
"He's asleep," she whispered. 
"Okay then. I will see you two later."
Liz hung up and looked at Jack. She would never say this to his face, but he was really attractive. He was also a really nice guy. She found herself lazily stroking his hair. 
"Jack?" she asked.
"What?" he managed to mumble.
"We're here."
*
"Ina?" Jack asked, over the phone.
"Jack! How are you?"
"I'm great, thank you. Listen, Liz and I can't make it tonight. She's not feeling well."
"Well, you can come by anytime. When are you two leaving?"
"Two weeks from now. TGS just finished their fifth season, so she's having a lot of free time now."
"Well, she's a wonderful woman, Jack. Don't ever leave her."
"That she is, Ina. That she is."
Jack hung up and looked at Liz. She was sleeping.
You know, Liz was actually rather beautiful...not that Jack would ever tell her that. 
He remembered back at those moments when she actually dressed up. There was Gerhardt's party and the time they played tennis together.
Tennis was a fun time as they both recalled it. It was an early Saturday morning and Liz offered to babysit Liddy that day anyway. Jack arrived in formal tennis attire. When he was looking for Liz, he was expecting to see some 80's tennis clothes, but no. She looked like she had been jogging. She was wearing a sports bra and sweatpants, earphones on, her hair in a ponytail. She'd never looked better.
"Hey. Tennis?" Liz said.
Jack lost that game because he couldn't stop staring at Liz. They went back to Jack's apartment and Liz stayed there all weekend for Liddy. They stayed up so late on Sunday night, Liz didn't even bother to go home.
"Hey, guys," Liz said, walking in the writer's room, looking tired.
"Why are you so tired?" Jenna asked, as soon as Liz sat down in her chair.
Before Liz could answer, an NBC page knocked on her door.
"Miss Lemon?" she asked.
"Yes, what is it, Lauren?"
"Oh, um, Mister Donaghy said that you might need Liddy today."
"Okay, tell Cerie to tell Jonathan to tell Jack that I said that I'll be there in five."
Lauren nodded then left.
"Seriously, though. Why are you so tired?" Jenna repeated.
"I spent the weekend at Jack's. I was babysitting Liddy all week. Here, look. Wanna see a picture of the three of us?"
Liz showed Jenna a framed picture of her, Liddy and Jack. 
"Oh. I see. You coulda told me, Liz. Well, bye!"
*
Liz woke up in the middle of the night. The house was so big she didn't even know where the bathrooms were.
"Jack?" 
She heard a grunt next to her. 
"Wake up! I need your help!"
"Go back to sleep, Liz."
Liz rolled her eyes. She needed to find something to wake him up. But it was pitch-black. 
"Is this your face?" Liz asked, while putting he hand on Jack's face.
"Don't make me bite your finger," Jack said.
"Well, you'll wake up after this."
Liz kissed him. Jack turned the light on.
"Hi," she said as she smiled. 
"Okay, I'm up. What do you need me for?"
"Where's the bathroom?"
"When you go out this door, turn to the right."
"Thank you," she said, before kissing him again.
Had Liz Lemon just kissed him? And had he just liked that?
*
As sunlight crept its way to Jack and Liz's room, the snoring grew louder.
"Lemon!" Jack said. 
Liz had been snoring all night. Jack tried moving but Liz kept telling him to stay. 
"LEMON! LEMON! ELIZABETH LEMON!" Jack shouted in her ear.
"What?" she asked in a whiny voice.
"Stop snoring and get up."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"You can't make me."
"Oh, yes I can. Watch me."
Nothing happened for an hour. Liz waited. She figured that Jack must've fallen asleep. But, no. 
Jack kissed her neck. 
"Is this for earlier?" she asked.
"This is just for you to wake up," he said lazily.
"Mm-hmm," she said, before kissing him.
Jack smiled.
"What is this exactly?" Liz asked.
"Your hand. You use it to write your scripts."
"No, not my hand. You know, what's going on between us. Am I just a replacement for Avery?"
"No, of course not. Avery was a wonderful woman. But you're one hundred times better than her."
"And why is that?"
"It's you. It's always been you, Lemon."
*
They flew to Vegas that night to get married.
*
Liz officially became Liddy's stepmom.
*
When TGS came back for their 6th season, Liz was as happy as a clam (although she never understood what that simile meant).
"Hey, everyone!"
"Augh, now what's up?" Jenna asked.
"I'm married!"
"You are?! To who?!"
Liz ignored her question.
"I have a beautiful stepdaughter and a loving husband. I mean, it's like my life is perfect."
"Perfect?" Jenna gasped. "You're married to Jack Donaghy?!"
Liz blushed.
"Oh my god!"
"I know, I know. We kinda rushed it, though. But it felt fitting."
"How long have you been married?"
"About two months...I never thought I'd say this but, Vegas-style is the way to go when your love starts at the Hamptons."
"David Blaine said that to me once," Jenna said proudly.
*
Well, looks like things are lining up for old Liz Lemon again. Later, Colleen will find out and she'll already be expecting grandchildren. 
Liz will be pregnant with twins, whose names are Jack Jr. and Colleen Elizabeth, whom Liddy will love very much.
Liddy will grow up to be a writer, just like her stepmom. She never thought of her as her stepmom, but like her own mother, because she raised and took care of her.
Jack always thought his life would be spent with Avery.
But to quote Liz Lemon, "Opposite!"

END