"Are you sure?" Jackson Sharp asked for the fifth time, hands clenched behind his back.

His boss- well, soon to be- looked up, amusement behind his glasses. "Sharp, go. Enjoy yourself. You haven't had a vacation in..." Harry Potter frowned. "Have you ever had a vacation before?"

Sharp didn't reply, looking away. No. He didn't do vacations. He took some time off to spend with his sister and her kids but that was it. His off-time was mostly spent at his flat or at the office.

Potter sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Are you having second thoughts?"

He'd had to tell Potter where he was going, and the man had put two-and-two together, and it was like fireworks went off in his head. Sharp tried not to curse in his boss' face, but he'd thought they'd been discreet. Well, he'd tried to be discreet. The same couldn't be said for Jack Times.

Just the thought of the man made Sharp's heart speed up.

Merlin's beard.

From the moment the man stepped out of the Minister's fireplace, Sharp's world tilted. And six months later, he was still off-axis. After the Fyrefox case was solved, and the real culprit - Draco Malfoy- was caught, MACUSA's President and his Aurors had gone back to New York. Things had been strange since then.

Sharp had been caught in between what he wanted and his duty. Since Jack left, they'd been owling. Jack wanted him to visit when he could, and Sharp had been postponing a visit. What he wanted was this crazy, unpredictable man, but how would it ever work? He lived in New York City, he was the President's right-hand man... and he wasn't even going to think about the President.

But that never worked.

What the bloody hell was their relationship?

Jealousy wasn't something he ever thought he would feel, but whenever the two were together, he felt it. The man may be older than Jack, and not to mention the unprofessionalism of a relationship between two wizards in unequal work stations, but he couldn't help but see it.

His hands tightened into fists.

"Go," Potter said after a sigh. "We can't only be our jobs, Sharp."

Sharp cleared his throat. "Potter," but he paused. What did he even say? He shouldn't say anything. This was Potter, not a damn therapist. He cleared his throat again. "I should go then."

A grin spilled onto Potter's face as the man sat back in his chair. "Go and have a good time. Well," he laughed. "With Jack, it's bound to be eventful." A look crossed his face then he met Sharp's eyes. "If anything comes up, contact me right away. I owe Jack. If it weren't for him..."

Sharp hated thinking about that time, probably as much as Potter did, when Jack had been trapped, along with Potter's fiancé, by Fyrefox and his accomplice. That had been the hardest time Sharp had ever been through. Toss Dark magic and killing curses and danger at him, but the terror he'd felt when he couldn't find Jack... Merlin. Sharp gulped.

Finding him had been a mixture of relief and fury. He almost didn't know what to do with himself. Thankfully, Jack did and off to St. Mungo's they went. Once Jack was cleared, there was no way Sharp would let him out of his sight. It didn't matter what his relationship with the President was. Sharp had taken the man back to his hotel and had proven to himself that Jack was safe and well in his arms. All night long.

He dreamt about it still.

"Well, get out of here," Potter said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Check in regularly. And I don't want to see you for two weeks, do you hear me?"

Sharp's lips twitched. "Robards was right. You do have this boss thing down already."

Potter snorted and shook his head then he looked at his watch. "Oh hell. I've gotta go. I have plans with Ginny and if I'm late, she'll hex me."

Sharp did grin this time. "I'll see you in two weeks."

"Be safe," Potter said as he got to his feet, following Sharp out of the office. "Remember, keep in touch," and with that, he was hurrying out of headquarters.

Sharp watched him go then did the same. He should see his sister and kids before he left in the morning.

*

When he arrived at Eliza's flat, he could hear his niece and nephew screaming through the front door. He smiled. Aly and Ben were eight years old and full of so much energy. He stood outside a moment and just listened. Eliza was reprimanding them but the twins had no time for that.

There was a pause then the door opened before he could knock. He blinked. Aly stared up at him. "Were you gonna knock, Uncle Jax?"

Uncle Jax. He fought a sigh. The only ones who got away with that nickname were his sister and the twins.

He tussled her brown curls and walked in. "I was just listening to your mum yelling."

She snorted then ran towards her twin, pulling him out of the entranceway, nearly knocking Eliza down when she rushed to the door. She slowed when she spotted him. "Jax! It's you! Aly! You can't just open the door without me!"

"It was Uncle Jax!" came from the living room, like it was all the answer she needed.

Eliza sighed, pushing her dark braid over her shoulder. "I don't know how she does it," she grumbled, but they both suspected. There was seer blood somewhere in their family. Not strong but just enough to have Aly opening doors without anyone knocking or knowing who's on the phone without looking. It had been generations since they'd seen anything, but looked like it was hitting now.

"I didn't expect you until later," Eliza admitted, walking back into the kitchen. "I was going to make you a big dinner and give you some Elf-made wine to make you spill about who you're going to see in New York." She grinned.

He moved around her without meeting her eyes and sat at the counter. He wasn't hiding anything from her, particularly. He just wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't a big secret, she knew he was gay, but he'd never done relationships before, and if she knew that he was going to New York for a guy, she'd be planning their wedding before Sharp even knew where he and Jack stood.

"Jax, talk to me," she said, pouring him that glass of wine. His eyebrows rose and she laughed. "I'm not trying to get you drunk."

He sighed. "I'm not ready to talk about it yet," he admitted, fingers running down the stem of his glass. "When I am, you'll be the first to know."

Her smile grew. "Well, well, well."

He cut her off before she could say anything else. "The twins aren't having anymore nightmares, are they?"

Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know exactly what to say to make me change the subject?"

"Twenty-three years of practice," he muttered, taking a sip of his wine.

She snorted, and she sounded so much like Aly, it made him pause.

She poured herself a glass of wine and sat beside him. "Not as frequent as when Josh died." She sighed.

"I can postpone my trip," he started. It had been two years since his brother-in-law died. The twins had been with him when it happened while they were all on vacation.

"No! Your first vacation ever! No way!" She smacked his arm then added, "But I promise to contact you if something happens," when he opened his mouth.

Maybe he should postpone anyway. Jack would understand. He knew a bit about his sister's situation since they'd been owling the last six months. Sharp worried his lips.

"I'm serious," Eliza said softly. "I know something is up with you and this trip is important... even if you won't tell me why." She patted his shoulder. "You take care of yourself, Jax. Work and our issues will still be here when you come back. I swear."

He snorted. "You sound like Potter."

She blushed. "What an honor!"

He grinned against his wine glass. "And that's why I'll never introduce you."

She smacked him again. "You're a git."

"So, what's for dinner?" he asked.

She took another sip of her wine and got to her feet, walking around the counter. "It's a surprise."

Smiling, he watched her move around the kitchen as he sipped his wine and the noise of the twins playing in the other room. His family. That was all he had ever wanted with his life. Work and his family. It was just his sister and the twins now after their parents died and Josh too. And that he wanted something from Jack now terrified him something fierce. He swallowed and looked down at the wine. But he wouldn't let that fear hold him back any longer.

*
AND HERE WE GO!

Back on the BAD TRAIN with Jackson Sharp and Jack Times. Even though Jack's POV was the only one shown in BAD, I'm actually enjoying writing Sharp. He's fun and even though he's known as a man of few words, he's got a lot going on in that kind of his... and now we'll see a lot of that here in this book. I hope you enjoy it.

Also, I love you all and thank every single one of you for all of the support and love and patience. It means a the world to me. You keep me writing!

And remember to stay safe and healthy and kind. Always.